Re: Deep Conversation - Ekaterina

by **Jedi_Master_007** Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:10 pm

OOC: Bump numero dos!

by **Jedi_Master_007** Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:38 am

OOC: Bump

by **Jedi_Master_007** Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:13 pm

"What would you have me do, being a Camarilla Archon and all?" Dragon gave you a funny look. You weren't sure how to answer and his next words weren't all that much of a reassurance either. "It doesn't matter what your answer is because I have already made up my mind." Dragon took one final long puff from his cigar before squashing it out in the ashtray next to him. In spite of his previous look of tiredness, you could see that Dragon was fully awake now.

He studied your response for a few seconds. Then he blinked. "You're a Caitiff." Dragon opened his eyes and then made contact with yours. "Not really, but that's what you're going to tell everyone. Natalya and Tera will back this up. Nobody else knows who you are, and if we have our way Tatiyanna won't survive the week. You will be under their, and subsequently my protection which will keep most anyone from looking too hard into your history and your background. Anyone who digs too hard I'll know about, and so it won't matter because they won't get past me." Dragon smirked. You couldn't tell if he was pleased with this decision or not.

On one hand this would mean swallowing your pride as a Tzimisce...at least for a while. Unless the Tremere were to be trusted (ironic wasn't it?) you would end up in some sort of subservient role to the clan. On the other hand it did offer you a level of protection you desperately needed. As it stood, the Tremere had a secure power base out here, and from what you could already gather, they were quite well entrenched in spite of Anarch propaganda to the contrary.

As if he were reading your mind, Dragon spoke your very own thoughts. "You're going to like this, because every minute is a minute you have a chance to turn the tables and figure out how to use this to your own advantage." Dragon's lips formed into a coy smirk. "Because I like a challenge, I'm going to suggest you view a nice story I have in the library. If you dig hard enough, I'm sure you'll find the section on the Time of Thin Blood particularly interesting."

With that, Dragon turned away. He waved a hand at you in a dismissive fashion. "I'm too tired to talk now."

by **Penny Dreadful** Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:15 pm

Ekaterina looked thoughtful for a moment.

"How I see myself? I see myself as Tzimisce, nothing more, and certainly nothing less." Despite her obvious hatred for her sire, there was again that air of haughty pride about her as she identified herself with her clan. "My more humane outlook, as you put it, does set me apart from most others of my lineage, yet I do not think this makes me any less of a Tzimisce. I simply accept that I must understand where I came from to know where I am going, and that this is true for any sentient creature and that therefore there is no point in willfully deluding myself and ignoring this simple truth."

"As for my clan's heritage, I suppose that would depend on how you define it. If you believe the Camarilla's lies and the Sabbat's propaganda, our heritage covers everything from ascending to the next level of consciousness to the ritualised vivisection of millions of kine. In truth, if you strip away all the ideology I think my clan's heritage is to seek enlightenment. To find out who we are, where we came from, and, most importantly, where we are going. And I don't see why I shouldn't be able to claim that in an Anarch city. You are quite right that the Camarilla would hunt me like a dog simply for being what I am, and that the Sabbat would view me as an aberration and destroy me on the spot, but perhaps it is my good fortune then to have been Embraced in a city that, by it's own creed, strives to let each Cainite make her own way."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:08 pm

Dragon nodded when you had mentioned Tyler and his brutish if not straight forward method of dealing with problems. "Tyler is not without his merits, but you are correct. Tyler would have trouble locating one of the Eastern vampires, much less fulfilling the role of clan diplomat. That however, is not a sleight against him, but rather a testament to their own ability." Dragon relaxed his hands on his lap. He looked at you keenly.

"But this is not about Tyler or even myself. It's about you and your situation. To be honest, I'm a bit confounded. You're in a bind if ever there was one. I've been pondering all night how best to rectify this situation for everyone involved. It is difficult, to say the least." Dragon reached over to grab his cigar. He picked it up and then ashed it quickly.

"If I turn you loose, I am forced to trust your judgment instead of my own. I've already thought it through. It's clear to me that you can't rightly claim your clan's heritage and expect to be shown even an ounce of dignity in any Anarch or Camarilla city. My guess is that the Sabbat will have nothing to do with you due to your more humane nature." Dragon took a long drag from his cigar. He rotated it between his index finger and thumb while exhaling the smoke. "I have a solution or two of my own, but I am more curious as to how you see yourself, first."

by **Penny Dreadful** Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:52 pm

Ekaterina was forced to agree that unless someone proved disloyal, Dragon didn't have much to fear from the Sabbat or the Anarchs. Who ever it was, it wouldn't be her, she was sure of that. For one thing, she was not one to burn bridges, and for another, she was likely going to be no better off than the Tremere if the Sabbat came to call.

"So you are here primarily to keep the Cathayans in line then? I would believe that of you, but your partner, Tyler I think his name was, I'm not so sure about. Dealing with the oriental vampires seems like it would require quite a delicate touch, and, from what I've seen of him, subtlety doesn't seem to be his strong suit."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:23 am

When you'd made your way back to Dragon's room, you found the door cracked open. There was some heavy incense burning. A second take of it revealed that it wasn't incense but sage. The sage was burning in the corner in a small green dish that was hanging from a hook in the ceiling. The lights were dim and Dragon was seated on his bed still wearing the PJs he was in earlier. However, his back was against the headboard. There was a marble colored ashtray on the headstand next to him. The cigar in it was a rich chocolate scent.

Dragon was himself fooling around on a high end laptop. He was silent when you peeked in, but his eyes said it was okay for you to enter. He watched you carefully for a few seconds. Before you spoke, he pointed to the plush leather recliner in the corner. It was next to the night stand with the ashtray, light, and cigar, and it provided both of you a good view of each other. You noted that Dragon, in spite of his excesses had a utilitarian way about him too.

After you sat down, Dragon took a second to quit doing whatever he was doing on his computer, and then turned to face you. It was awkward, but he waited long enough to let you know that it was okay to speak. Finally, when you were finished, Dragon blinked. He picked up his cigar and took a long, slow puff from it. "It's alright," he said slowly, exhaling the smoke. Dragon carefully set the cigar back in the ashtray. "I've been expecting you, though admittedly, not yet tonight. I figured it would take you a few nights to see that I'm not the tyrannical monster you are used to seeing in the form of your own sire."

Dragon smirked a little. "There are several answers to your question. I'm not certain you will like any of them so I will start with the most simple one." There was a slight pause while Dragon took in a little breath of air. "Before I was an Archon, and even a "loyal" (Dragon's fingers even made the quotey things) Tremere, I was an Anarch out here myself. Many claim New York is my home, but they are idiots. If any city is my home, it would be Beijing. Since I have responsibilities to clan and sect, I digress that a long term stay in the orient is out of the question." Dragon shrugged. "So I do the best I can, where I can. The fact that the Cathayan presence here requires an able expert means that I can take a few liberties while I am here." Dragon couldn't help but smirk a little. "As for the other Anarchs and the Sabbat... I suppose if they knew I was here, it would be an issue. But since they don't, and since nobody here is going to reveal that information, what do I have to worry about?"

by **purplegeekness** Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:50 pm

With a short time to herself, Natalya decided to place two phone calls. The first was the more important. She needed to get in touch with michelle, but to do it she needed to get in touch with the other person first. Tera. Tera was her girl. The one person she trusted more than any other aside from Dragon. It was with a heavy heart she called Tera.

"Hi Tera, you got a few minutes?"

by **Penny Dreadful** Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:44 am

Ekaterina deposited her things in her room, except the small bag of earth, which she put in her pocket. She wasn't about to leave that lying around. She bent over Linda and did a quick check that she was still alright, and that she hadn't taken too much without meaning to. Once she had satisfied her lady friend was simply sleeping, she left the room to go back upstairs.

If it was true that they planned on finishing Tatiyanna the following night, then her stay here might be as short as a three or four days. She would have to relocate her manse of course, not only in case her Sire survived and came looking for her, but also to prevent any of her Sire's coterie mates or other allies from finding her and taking revenge. She had seen advertisements for some very lovely Victorian town houses on the outskirts of Los Angeles that suited her tastes. She'd have to make some calls the next few nights to acquire a new manse and arrange to have her things moved there.

She also wondered about the younger Tremere, Natalya. She was trying to start a coterie, and Ekaterina herself had said that she'd join. Her original intent had been to keep the Tremere as happy with her as possible, so as not to give them an additional reason to want to bond her. But now that a bond didn't seem likely anymore, since, after all, she had been allowed outside without being bonded, she thought about the different possibilities opened up through this tie to the Warlocks.

She had no desire to become part of their Pyramid, but despite that the Tremere surely possessed vast amounts of Cainite lore and old magics that she could learn. And if Natalya was trying to recruit a Giovanni... they practiced a sort of magic as well, and maybe they could be 'persuaded' to part with some of their secrets.

When she arrived upstairs she cautiously entered the elder Tremere's room again, hoping to find him on his own. When she'd found him, she said "I wish to apologise for my mercurial temperament tonight. I am not usually this taciturn, and my only excuse is that I was afraid for both my life and my liberty. Regardless, it is not proper for a guest to behave in such a manner to her host, and for that I apologise."

She paused for a moment and then continued. "I was wondering if I might ask you a question? What brings two powerful Tremere elders and their brood to Los Angeles? I cannot help but think that the Anarchs of this city would be very welcoming to two Camarilla elders, and the Sabbat lies not far to the south, where my own clan would fall over you like a pack of rabid wolves. You must have had a reason for coming here, and I don't think it was the beautiful scenery or the clean air."

by **Penny Dreadful** Sun Jun 07, 2009 2:55 pm

OOC: Yes, I've been wondering that too. There's nothing really left for me to do except go to bed.

by **purplegeekness** Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:46 pm

OOC:Not sure what you want me to do to progress thread.

Natalya led Ekaterina to her room, she moved to hug her good night, but realised it might be too forward for the girl. Instead she smiled, as she opened the door. "Sleep well Ekaterina. Should you need us, please let me know." She then returned to her masters chambers.

by **Jedi_Master_007** Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:09 pm

"Say what?" Dragon had said in a lazy, but not quite surprised tone. It was after the two of you had gotten back and Ekaterina took what she needed to her room. Dragon listened while the newest set of information was given to him. When the report was completed, he flopped back on his bed. Dragon spoke with his eyes closed. "I can assume the men with guns are part of the Midnight Guardians. But still. Tyler has gone AWOL, so that can't be good. We still have Kruel, and Ekaterina here is doing her best to be a help and maintain her own independence." Dragon's eyes slowly opened, and he looked up at the ceiling. He was still wearing pajamas. Dragon was getting tired, and judging from the amount of time it was taking his eyes to focus, he wasn't going to be in a very easy going mood much longer.

He looked at Natalya and at Ekaterina. "Tomorrow we end this. Tatiyanna is on a cargo ship. There are only so many places a freighter big enough for her could go. Herc will have done his job and either put us in touch with the Guardians or someone else who can, and with a little luck, Tatiyanna will be smart enough to vanish before we can shove lightning up her ass. It's getting late. You are dismissed to your own devices for the evening. Natalya return when you are ready for bed." There was always another side. What if Tatiyanna won?

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