Re: Equilibrium - Dennis, Ekat, Natalya, & Dragon

Warren stepped into the room and backed out of the way to clear a path when his Sire moved to close the door. "Maybe he can be persuaded to trade some notes if my research impresses him enough." Before that could be misconstrued as another slipup, he quickly added, "I wont bring it up. But sharing information should be good for the clan, so I have to assume the only issue is trust.

I'm not familiar with the Setite path though, or how making a Kindred sleep is any different from Domianting someone with a simple command. Are you refering to Torpor?"

[Jedi_Master_007]

"It better not." Seung waved you into the room. As you got closer, she leaned close too. "Lord Lee is a very powerful sorcerer, and if we get in good with him, there's a chance he'll teach us some new magic. Everyone knows he can use lightning, but I have it on good information that he can use that path the Setites are fond of, and that he also has the one that can make kindred go to sleep." Seung looked at you a little cautiously and then pulled away. She closed the door. "How cool would that be?"

Dennis stood almost at attention for the dressing down. He was getting a little irritated at the idea that correcting a miscommunication should be taken as an insult, let alone a big deal. And there were all sorts of tactful ways to argue the point. But it was his place and his job to just swallow these things sometimes. So after quickly skimming through what he really wanted to say in his mind, there was only one response the retainer could come up with that might have a chance at not simply pissing his sire off further. "I'm very sorry maam. It won't happen again." In actuality though, he was glad he least he managed to make Dragon laugh.

[Jedi_Master_007]

Dragon actually snickered at your comment. He lazily turned, and with a not so forced yawn, he walked down one of the hallways. Seung continued to glare at you, but as soon as Dragon got seven or eight steps ahead and didn't slow down, she turned and hurried to catch up. The two of them moved, and once they rounded the corner, Dragon stopped. Seung stopped right behind him.

Dragon went over to one of the desks and brought up the computer. He rifled through one of the drawers until pulling out a keycard. He slid it in what looked like a credit card slot and then, wordlessly, after another two or three seconds, Dragon pulled it back out. A quick few strokes on the keyboard later, Dragon started down the hallway once more. He got to the end of the hallway, rounded another corner, and then stopped in front of what looked like a hotel door. It had a keycard in it and was labeled 16.

Dragon gave the card to Seung after swiping it in the door thing. "Alright. Here's your room. Take your time. It's late. Get settled. I'm going to sleep soon." And then he started to leave. Once he was gone, Seung looked at you while backing into the room. "What the fuck was wrong with you? I specifically told you not to act like an idiot!"

The instant Seung's hand made contact, there wasn't even enough time to look surprised before he realized where he fucked up. So Warren just snickered at Dragon's joke, and tried to at least take it in good spirits. "Yes Sir. It adds insult to injury for anyone I shoot." Glancing at Seung with a bit of a bit of a sheepish look, there was really nothing else that needed to be said.

[Jedi_Master_007]

Without skipping a beat, Seung reached over and slapped you across the mouth the moment you even thought about correcting a Tremere lord. Dragon didn't stop her. He didn't admonish her either. For that matter, he seemed completely content to side with her. "You said your name was Pink Power Ranger, right? I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

Seung slowly backed away from you. This was precisely one of those things she warned you about when it came to not fucking things up.

Dennis smiled at the idea of showing off for the Elder. Usually anyone who sees him use those talents aren't around long enough to tell anyone about it. "I'd be happy to show you what I know." He wasn't in the habit of correcting someone he was working for in front of people he didn't know. But once it was just the three of them in the room again, he finally added, "It's Dennis, by the way, not Dustin."

At that point there were a lot of questions on his mind. Who was Krul? Why was one Sabbat a big enough problem to warrant calling in outside help? And did it mean anything that his Sire was still calling Dragon 'sir' when he insisted that a Neonate drop the formality. So far, the most he could assume was that Tatiyanna was the Sabbat they were suppose to be after, and that inspecting the weapons of an Elder's 'arsenal' was really just another way to see if he was the real McCoy before cluing him in. So he just followed behind and kept making mental notes, confident that his Sire wasn't about to hold back anything he needed to get the job done.

[Jedi_Master_007]

There was nothing left for Dragon to say to either Ekaterina or Natalya, so once they were gone, his attention shifted towards Seung Lei and Dustin. "I
trust the two of you had no problems getting here? Come. Let me show
you to your accomodations for the time being. It's not much, but if
will suffice until the paperwork on my new Mansion finalizes. I'm
expecting it to be done within the next two or three nights. Dropping
thirteen and a half million dollars makes it go smoother, I noticed."

It was Seung who had responded, and she did it by taking a habitual two or three steps forward and halfway circling Dragon. It was something he noted with a raised eyebrow. "Our trip was just fine, sir. I'm anxious to get started though. Do you have anything in mind for the two of us to do right away, that we can get started on?"

Dragon nodded slowly and lazily. "I do," He said. "Once you're settled in, I want you to go through some of my files and fill me in on anything I may be missing about certain kindred out here. It may seem trivial, but the first thing I don't want to happen is a screw up thanks to misinformation." Dragon turned towards Dustin. "And for you, I'm going to want to see some of those notes you've got on your Gun-Fu. You can show them too me while you go through our inventory of weapons and ammunition to see where improvements can be made."

[purplegeekness]

Natalya inclined her head gracefully following the introductions. "Greetings to you both and welcome to LA. This is an interesting city. I trust you'll find the city to be a rewarding place to be. I'm sure we'll talk more once Ekaterina and I have returned. I'm sure there's a lot for us all to catch up on." she waited for Ekaterina to have her few private words with Dragon before leaving with her.

[Jedi_Master_007]

OOC - After any response you may have here, Natalya and Ekat can go back to posting in their shopping spree thread.

[Jedi_Master_007]

Dragon's attention went from Seung to Dustin to Natalya. He listened to Natalya and then eyeballed Ekaterina wearily. His attention slowly shifted back to Seung and Dustin. He pointed Ekaterina out to them. "I apologize. This here is Ekaterina. She's here on my behalf." Then he pointed out Natalya. "This is Natalya, my youngest, and arguably most promising childe. Like both of you, both of them are assisting me diligently in trying to track down Tatiyanna so there will be an end to this problem." Dragon smirked his trademark smirk, making eye contact with Ekaterina. He used his index finger to carefully beckon her close to him.

"Natalya, Ekaterina, this is Seung Lei, a Tremere familiar with the majority of the Anarchs in power here in L.A. and more recently, Seattle's Regent Secundis." Next, he introduced Dustin. "And Dustin, a young apprentice who from what I gather is showing remarkable promise in inventing his own application of Thaumaturgy and Firearms. Quite impressive from what little I have read."

Dragon was very careful to give off the illusion that Ekaterina was his own, and more then that, he was extremely careful to avoid making her out as a Tzimisce or at all related to Tatiyanna. When Ekaterina came close, Dragon carefully put a hand on her arm, then he touched her under the chin so she would look up and make eye contact with him. "Go with Natalya. Take care of business, but be prudent. Don't be gone more then an hour or I will worry. It's dangerous out there now, because Tatiyanna undoubtedly is looking for you since we've captured and interrogated Kruel, too. If your research and investigation is half of what you say, then it's only sensible for her to eliminate any threats." Dragon's lips formed a polite smile. He backed a step away from Ekaterina. "Besides, I'm under the impression Natalya and yourself have much to share with me in private, later on tonight - an opportunity for you to showcase yourself."

Dragon looked at Natalya. He knew she wouldn't let anything remarkably stupid happen. With a tip of his head, Dragon dismissed them both and then returned his attention towards Seung Lei and Dustin.

[Penny Dreadful]

Ekaterina nodded, but said nothing. She followed Natalya back upstairs, absorbed in her own thoughts. So, the location of her sire's haven might be enough to 'stay the sentence'... Despite all of Natalya's assurances that she did not want to bind Ekaterina and that she trusted her, even overlooking the fact that it had been her who had suggested the bond in the first place, she kept slipping up and saying things she had perhaps not meant to say. 'Perhaps' she would be allowed more freedom, or her 'sentence might be stayed'...

On the other hand, she seemed genuinely sincere when she said these things, so perhaps she just had a habit of choosing her words poorly, or Ekaterina was reading too much into them. As it was, she supposed there was little she could do about it one way or another. These Tremere were very peculiar people.

When they arrived back upstairs she said nothing, but simply stood calmly a little behind Natalya, waiting for the 'sentence' to fall, as it were.

This wasn't the first time Warren had taken up the role of a glorified errand boy. But it would be the first 'high profile' Kindred he had worked for, so there was a lot more than the look in Seung's eyes motivating him to not screw up whatever it was they had in mind.

Warren was Embraced more for his potential than his expertise in life, or at least that's what he thought. As a Mortal, he was a fine example of executive protection. But as a Kindred, every time he made an effort to impress someone, there was always an Elder nearby who make his skills pale in comparison. Having a sharp eye doesn't mean much compared to someone who's been around for enough centuries to have contacts in every corner. Made him wonder why they bother procreating at all. And being a gun for hire seemed to be the recourse for any Kindred who could shoot straight, and who's let his bloodlust run away with him. The only times he served his clan as a bodyguard was with Kindred not much older than him.

He had to do something with his craft to stand out. Decent skills and loyalty was enough to earn a little status, but neither was rare enough. What he did have over the elders though, was a more updated mindset. The uses for the new power in his blood hadn't changed much in centuries, even though the world has. And he was fortunate enough that his Sire encouraged someone so young to do something with an ancient power that hadn't been done before. It was far from perfected. But the idea of putting it to the test was exciting.

Warren showed up in a good suit and tie. He didn't really look like the type, but this actually wasn't too far off from his usual attire. On the way in, he took in as much of his surroundings as he could. Long before getting his license to carry a gun, he worked for a club like this. He quickly learned that the combination of loud music, dim lights, and a drinking crowd is about the worst combination possible for keeping order. Upstairs made sense, except for the lighting. But he found the use of acoustics interesting. He also kept an eye out for cameras and windows, more out of curiosity than anything. You can tell a lot about someone by their surroundings, and this place wasn't making too subtle a point about what kind of man Dragon was.

Dragon's attire certainly threw him off, but he did his best to pretend not to care. While Seung and Dragon spoke, he waited patiently, regretting not taking lessons in Chinese when he had the chance. When he was finally addressed, he smiled and shook hiss hand. "Nice to meet you Dragon." He thought for a moment about making a quip about informality and pajamas, and decided to just go with short and sweet for now. When the new girl entered the room, she didn't seem like the kind of air-headed 'female company' he expected from Seung's description. But she and this Ekaterina clearly worked for him. In any case, she seems to have accidentally offered some insight on what they had in store for him.

[purplegeekness]

Natalya nodded "We'll take this information to Dragon. It might be sufficient for a stay of the sentence. It's hard to tell. These days he's......difficult to read. If he agrees....then perhaps we can go to pick up your emergency supplies. I only hope that your Sire does not have them under surveillance."

Natalya led Ekaterina to Dragons room, surprised to see him out and standing in the corridor. She remained silent as Dragon introduced himself to the newcomers, once the introductions were done she moved closer to Dragon to whisper into his ear. "Dragon, we have the locaton of Tatiyanna's haven. It is on a cargo vessel out at sea. Ekaterina wishes to have permission to leave the club to pick up some of her emergency supplies. Is this agreeable?"

[Jedi_Master_007]

You had been traveling south on the road from Sacramento to Los Angeles. You were from the port of Seattle, and prior to that, from Orlando, Florida. You hadn't been in Seattle long, and while there you spent most of your time by yourself, refining your arts of the Gun Kata. While there, you worked closely with Seung Lei, a hot tempered ancillae Tremere who had recently earned a promotion to Regent. She was an expert blood magician, and was acknowledged in Seattle for not only being a pretty powerful sorceress, but also for having a wickedly barbed tongue too.

A little research on your own dug up a few interesting facts about Seung. For starters she was from Braddock, and while there, she had served under several luminaries of the clan. However, along the way she ran afoul of the Archon Tyler Crown, and, having gotten the short end of his stick, found herself having to start from the ground up. Obviously this bothered her, but not to the point it kept her from succeeding. If there was a problem you could figure out with Seung, it was that she bordered on being too aggressive.

For the most part, the trip was completely uneventful. Seung hadn't told you why she was taking you with her to L.A. But you could easily deduce that you were on a need to know basis, and at the time you didn't need to know. On the other hand, you were told to bring your guns. All of them. Once you were five or six cities away, Seung finally revealed to you that she had been summoned to L.A. on behalf of the Archon Dragon Lee - another of your clan's luminaries as a personal favor. The problem going on in the city involved the Sabbat, and in her mind, this was a perfect opportunity to test your new path.

When it came to meeting Dragon, you weren't sure what to expect. Seung was more or less vague on that one too. She had said that he wasn't overly fond of the company of men, and that he surrounded himself with women. Dragon was also known to be rather generous with his childre, and unlike many Tremere, he rarely made a promise he didn't do his damnedest to keep. That said, Dragon was also one of the most powerful warlocks in the whole clan, and his personal resources were vast. He was very particular about his status, and, finally, according to Seung, Dragon was a perfectionist who had no time for flowery prose or rude, obnoxious behavior. When dealing with Dragon it was best to be polite and direct.

When there was only about forty-five minutes left on the trip, Seung made a phone call while you drove. She spoke in what you thought was Chinese for about two minutes. She hung up and then translated. It was directions on how to get to a club called Midnight Neon. The entire place was quite impressive, but you didn't get much of a chance to have a look around because the entrance was in the back. You had to drive into an underground parking garage and then take an elevator up to the private floors. A ghoul who must have been in his 70s was waiting to lead you there. Once finally at the foyer, you had a chance to get a good look at things.

For starters, the lighting was dimmer then you would expect dim lights to be. The walls were all a rich, dark wood, and spaced evenly along the hallways were small, leafy plants, caligraphy pictures, Buddha statues, or Chinese Dragons placed for decorative purposes. The space was wide and open, and thanks to your perceptive skills, you noticed was designed to amplify sound as well as give a dark and brooding feel. The private top floor of the club was, in your estimation, the perfect place for a Tremere to haven.

To make her appearance, Seung had opted to wear a short navy blue skirt and a matching coat. She wore her glasses, though you were positive she didn't need them, and for the time being, her hair was in a neat braid that went down to the middle of her back. She gave you a quick tap on the arm and then straightened when Dragon had rounded the corner to the foyer. To say his appearance was unexpected was clearly the understatement of the night.

Dragon had been wearing pajamas. They were the soft, fleecy kind, and they were a checkered pattern. He was barefoot and his hair was a mess. He was flush, and in spite of it all stood somewhere around six foot even. He stepped up to Seung, ignoring you for the time being. Dragon met her with open arms and a fatherly embrace. The two spoke in Chinese, back and forth for about fifteen seconds, before Seung switched to English to make introductions.

"My lord, this is Apprentice Dennis Warren. He's a skilled marksman who has been developing his own Thaumaturgical Path focussed on improving his effectiveness in combat. I thought maybe he could test his theories in practical application." Seung paused. She looked at you and made eye contact. You could tell that the message her eyes was sending you simply said, 'don't you dare fuck this up'. "Dennis, this is Lord Archon Dra--"

Dragon cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Seung, please. It's alright. There's no need for formalities right now." He looked at you, squinted for a split second, and then smirked. You didn't know it yet, but it was his trademark smirk. "Call me Dragon, or if you must, D. When we're being formal, sir works just fine. When Tyler is around, Lord works better."

[Jedi_Master_007]

Coming Soon.

[Sponsored content]