Kindred Western Conference Summit 2021

[Rory Connoly]

Rory would chuckle as he pulled the winnings from the center of the table. He had been bilking Isaac all night and was enjoying throwing mixed signals to the Brujah. His 'tell' had covered up a handful of garbage, but he had still managed to make his old friend fold. Sometimes a little win was better than losing. Looking up, he kept an ear on the conversation and noted that Ivan was moving out. He thought about using his Celerity to tail him, but reasoned himself out of it. Ivan had his own business, to be sure. He was just a hired merc in this scenario, and not the Prince of Seattle. Best to just keep a low profile and a cautious ear. He wondered how Ariel was getting on, and as he dreamed of the soft, cold body of the redhead he slipped and lost a hand to Isaac, who cheered up at finally getting some of his money back. Bert had been quiet for far too long, but he figured that his large friend was about somewhere. Perhaps he was phoning his brace of childer and checking in. Using Isaac's newfound confidence to his advantage, he dealt again and played his hand smoothly, taking back over three times what he'd lost in his little wanton daydream. Taking a pull from his flask, he decided it was time for a refill and, excusing himself from the table, went to hunt some fresh blood that he could be certain wasn't drugged or laced with something. 

A little while later as he was pouring some blood from the neck of a daper gentleman into his flask, he wondered what he was doing here. Licking the wound closed and letting his mark rest, he replaced the flask and decided to take a stroll in the night air. It would likely be a few hours before Ivan had accomplished his tasks, so he figured no one would miss him much and everyone would likely be relieved of his absence, not questioning if his inner hunger would get the best of him and they would be the next uncanny victim of his salacious and unrequited hunger for souls.

[Myrine Leventis]

Myrine answered what remaining questions Aiden had and dismissed herself to resume her search for Marlowe Rodrick. Her momentum had been lost thanks to the Malkavian and his public stunt. She now needed to retrace her steps and get back on track. She'd pick up her phone.

"Talk to me Boss."

"I need your eyes on where the Dusk Riders settled. Is anyone still there?"

Arthur paused, the familiar sound of him sliding to his computer set up in his chair coming in clearly from the other end of the phone.

"Yeeee....eeeesss. Mostly. The two Malkavian women, Ariel and the Prinzessin are still at the hotel. But it looks like Rory and Bert left. Tracking them now."

She knew Arthur's usual MO. Pulling up the CCTV cameras and running the program that took the manual complexity out of tailing someone. While he was doing this, she'd reach into pocket and spin the business card between her fingers.

"See if you can also ping the location of the following phone number.."

"Sure thing."

She could have just called. She supposed that would have been easier, and might still be the best option. But just showing up seemed to have a bit more.... style? Perhaps?

"Got a hit on both Boss. CCTV shows Rory and Cuthbert meeting someone on the street and then proceeding to a nearby bar. Phone number pings to same bar. Who keeps a traceable number these days?"

"I'm sure it was entirely intentional Arthur. Send me the location."

"On it's way."

[Rory Connoly]

His cell phone would buzz, and he would smile. Pulling it from his pocket, he would sigh. Only Zara.

"Aye then - what'cha got fer me luv?"

"Better than we'd hoped. The line was pinged, so we were able to run a back trace. A team is on their way now."

"Aye then. N'need tae piss 'er off if'n she favors her lil' netrunner. Observation n'containment only. Spike th'system though. If'n she ken where I am, n'need tae be spied upon. Th'boys still wit'Ariel?"

"Of Course. It will take more than a few kindred to get past the twins. Your petal should be fine. Oh...and with you out there has been movement on your throne. I removed 5 and enjoyed another."

"Aye, aye. Jus'dinnae overdo it. Dinnae wish tae turn out li'me lass."

"I'm smarter than that and you. You know that. I miss you, though."

"Liar."

He would click his phone off, and both would smile to themselves. What a dreadful pair they were at times. And besides, Zara liked to be in charge - so she was having fun. Hopefully someone would be left to rule over by the time he got back. In the meantime, he would wait idly for the Brujah to come. Such a lovely diversion to be had whilst waiting for the real show to begin.

[Marlowe Rodrick]

Ivan steeled himself for what was to come as he sat in the back of a long, sleek Cadillac that seemed filled with liquid darkness.  The Summit was quickly approaching in the next night, and this task, though minor, seemed to be taking a priority.

Bigsby tapped the wheel of his newly purchased Cadillac V16, drumming to non-existent music.  He was happy as a bug, as Ivan had gifted the vehicle to him for his help.  The Cadillac had belonged to the Lasombra at some point in the past.

"Keep zat engine running idle Bigsby.  I never know how zhese zings vil go."  Ivan - dressed as "Marlowe" had begun loading the shotgun and a small but impressive collection of silenced pistols.  

"Anything you need, Marlowe.  I'll be right here."  Bigsby turned to salute him with respect, unable to see him in the rear view mirror.  Ivan had no reflection.

They had parked in the parking garage attached to one of Aiden's many headquarters.  The plan was to hit Myrine's intel crew while they slept, in an attempt to gain an advantage early on.

Marlow chuckled, handing the shotgun and an ammo box to Bigsby as he exited the vehicle.  "I actually brought zhis for you.  I vill be taking a more sssubtle approach, but if zhey find you, defend zhe car." 

Bigsby looked a little apprehensive to say the least.

~~~

Click to hear music soundtrack

The main office was closed, but Ivan crept into the halls, carefully avoiding security detail.  A wall of shadow would obscure all of the security footage.  The first guard he managed to subdue was simply sitting at a computer in front of the monitors.  Marlowe unwrapped his bandages and fed, after pistol whipping the man out cold.  Another guard walked into the room as he was feeding and was immediately restrained by long, black tendrils before he could reach for his gun. The tendrils seemed to be made of shadow as they tightened around the man's neck.  He shoved both unconscious guards into unused lockers in the break room.

Ivan didn't make it much further as a couple of bullets ripped through his chest.  A third guard had approached and fired his weapon.  Marlowe's dark sunglasses fell, revealing angry, bloodshot eyes.

The third guard kept his gun trained on the Russian as he walked around the computer desk.  He began searching under the lip of the desk for the silent alarm, but before he could get it, Ivan lurched towards him, sinking his fangs into the man's neck.  He began draining the man's blood, and his wounds began to fade.  He would pause to ask the man a question.

"Vhere is zhe little rabbit zhat vhispers in Myrine's ear?"  The guard had already succumbed to unconsciousness. Marlowe placed the man in the chair and posed him as if he were asleep.  "Right... zhat vill fool exactly nobody."  This would have do for now.  He spied the stairwell leading down and continued further.

~~~

The Lasombra walked through the halls of the underground bunker, where an alarm had been raised by an underling who happened to have insomnia.

Five tentacles appeared from the Lasombra's shadow, accosting and slamming humans against walls, floors, and the ceiling as he drew closer.  Marlowe was laughing hysterically as the men realized what they were fighting, and even more so at their feeble attempts to fight or flee.  He would casually walk and fire several shot from his silenced weapons, aiming for arms and legs.  The tendrils would do the rest.

One of the long tentacles dragged a woman across the floor, pinning her down.  Ivan stopped to reload his weapon as he passed her in the hall.  The woman, half dressed as a security guard, was pleading for her life.  Ivan would coldly place the barrel of his gun to her temple as the dark tendril squeezed the life from her.

"Vhere might I find Arthur zhis evening?"

"Arthur.......  He's.... .....ERK!"  She struggled as the tendril squeezed around her throat a bit tighter.  "I don't know if he's here, but he has his own office, one floor down!  Now...  UGH!!!  ....Let me go!"

Ivan regarded the answer for a split second and nodded with a ghastly, bloody grin.  "Now zhat is zomething I can vork vith."  The tentacle released the woman, and she ran towards the exit.

A heavy hitting guard dressed in riot gear bull rushed from the lower stairwell with an assault rifle, and the hall suddenly turned pitch black.  Ivan would titter as the man flailed in the darkness and shot down the hall at nothing.  A tendril wrapped around the man's leg and suspended him, causing him to drop the weapon.  Marlowe got closer and the man actually attempted to use a martial art strike while in the air.

"Vhat... vhat in zhe hell are you doing?  Is zhat Karate?"

He stammered.  "No, I'm a Jiu-jitsu black belt!" Marlow sighed.

Marlowe flicked the man in the forehead with his finger, which formed a huge, pink welt.  "I don't have time for zhis right now, guy. Pay attention.  I'm only going to zay zhis once.  If you lie to me, I vill ensure your arms and legs vil no longer punch and kick anything once I'm through vis you, Karate-man.  .... ... ....I need to find Arthur."  Marlow licked blood from his teeth, menacingly, as he waited for a reply.

The man had clearly pissed himself.  "Downstairs!... I'm.... his bodyguard."

"Zhere zhere...  Do not fret, you did your job.  Zhat is to zay...you did it poorly... but you at least made an attempt.  That says so much more about you zhan your fellow associates."  He grinned wickedly.  "I suppose I vill allow you to live if you leave now."

The tentacle dropped the man on his head.  He was wearing a helmet, however.  He immediately came to his senses and scrambled to his feet to run towards the exit.  The guard did not look back.

~~~

Arthur would look up in time as black tendrils proceeded to remove his office door off its hinges.  The body of his other bodyguard slid across the floor as the room gradually became darker and darker.  Marlowe spoke as Ivan, and his deep baritone voice filled the room just as it fell into blackness.  "If you try to run, you will guarantee your death, comrade."  Arthur gulped, as he immediately recognized the voice.

  
 

[cLiNiQuE]

Clinique awoke with a start.  He was still a bit groggy from the experimental cocktail of drugs administered to him from his .... wife?  His doctor.  No.  She married.....  who did she marry?  He shook it off and opened his eyes to an empty amphitheater.  Yes, he was still chained to the walls by the ankles and neck.  He stood and stretched his aching body.

"H-H-Hello... is there anyone still around?" Clinique's voice sounded small as it echoed through the chamber.

The floorboards of the balcony creaked as one of Fiona's orderlies peered over the ledge.  "Ehhh... y-you need some... thin?"

The Malkavian wiped the bloody drool on his chin with his shoulder and craned his head to stare at the elderly ghoul.  "I could use a drink.... I need blood now."

The man grunted and made his way downstairs.  He had been staring at his phone for hours, so this was at least a distraction.  He went into the downstairs preparation room and removed two blood bags and a mason jar filled with a greenish brown liquid from the medical fridge.  Additionally, he removed a small paper bucket of fried chicken.  He then rifled through the drawers to find something to puncture the bag.  He found a corkscrew and several plastic "crazy" straws.  His lazy eyes perked up for a second of cognitive recognition of irony, and then became dull once again.

The orderly cautiously approached the patient with all of these things in an open cardboard box.  He sat them down nearby Clinique's area and removed the bags and straws.

".... you...back away now.  I gettit ready."  The ghoul fumbled with the one of the bags, and it slipped out of his hands, bursting onto the floor.  "Oooops.  Oh no." he wailed, seemingly too slow to process what had just happened.

"Oh. what.. a PPPP... pp .pity..."  Clinque grinned widely as he watched the ghoul prepare the second bag correctly, setting it just out of reach of his range.  Fiona had instructed this one fairly well, despite the clumsy start.  It would be a shame to kill him.

The ghoul made his way back to the lab and messily devoured the bucket of cold chicken that had been in the back of the refrigerator for who knew how long.  He then opened the jar of unidentified liquid and drank all of it, down to the last sip, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

Clinique strained a little, but managed to reach the straw to drink.  He thought to himself.  This was not a challenge.... it was an opportunity.








  

[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]

Montcalm paused his playing, and then turned the volume down so he could play the instrument softly.  "Elise!  You have been up and about for hours on end, my dear.  The hour is late and you should rest.  I found nothing I did not already know on your clever internet."

He paused once more to watch the exchange between Elise and Cassandra briefly, then resumed softly playing.

"Do not be too hard on the girl, my dear Elise, there is a possibility someone coerced or seduced her in a manner to make into their chyde.  I don't mean "seduce" in the traditional "human" sense, of course, .... and you probably would rather not hear an old fusspot like myself describing the act of sexual congress among the Kindred! OH HO HO!!"  Louis winced, but he was probably more tired than he let on, and this made him a little flighty.  "Oh dear. Ignore my rant, please."

He chortled as he continued lightly playing the harpsichord music.

"I digress... BACK to the subject at hand, If I were to guess the clan of your new governess, I would deduct that it was a Toreador who must have embraced her.  You may have observed that the girl seems to have a sudden taste for classical music.  I might have overheard the songs she listened to from her magical ear beans... um... air pods, I believe they are called?  Ahem.  My point is, when she was among the living, her musical taste was truly horrid, and, that all seems to have changed along with her palor.  She acquired... taste, which is not the worst problem to have."

Remington came around and served Montcalm a chalice of his own, and he stopped playing altogether.  "Thank you kind sir." As Remington exited, the old vampire grinned warmly at no-one with his impressive fangs showing, then took a long sip, savoring the taste of the rich blood within.  "Well, regardless of what we learn, it will be your decision to decide her fate. She is your ward, and as I said before, I will support whatever you choose." 

Louis set the chalice on the Casio keyboard.

"Hm. As for your inquiry about our Nosferatu friend, my dear, a very famous vampire once told me, 'Remember my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory, and we should not trust the weaker.'"

Louis smirked. 

"That was Vlad II Dracul Tepes himself, if you were curious.  Nonetheless, I have yet to have drawn any conclusions about Marlowe Rodrick, and we must take our time to get all of the facts before we act upon anything.  I've never actually met the man before.  But, let me ask you this... was he not invited to the Summit?  We will surely attend the Masquerade Ball tomorrow evening, at the very least, to seek him out and perhaps investigate on our own.  At least, that is what Cassandra advised me, we will have to be prepared for the ball!"

He squinted idlily at the sheet music in front of him, thinking out loud.  "We shall need masks for tomorrow's activities.  I have surmised also that the Nosferatu conveniently left his accoutrements' and disguises behind."

He clasped his hands together excitedly.

"Perhaps we will find more proper attire there?"

[Fiona McIntyre]

~Near Daybreak~


"I have you, now, Charles. I know it has been difficult."  Clinique had collapsed in what seemed extreme exhaustion.

Fiona unchained her husband and carried him to a nearby makeshift hospital room.  She quickly strapped him down with industrial strength restraints... which would work on weaker vampires.  

"I need some fresh blood and my equipment, this instant, Peterson." Fiona began issuing orders to her newest head of staff Peterson as the building suddenly bustled with activity.  Peterson, whom had already become familiar with kindred medicine, nodded and began issuing tasks to various men and women wearing black medical scrubs.  

"Increase sedation.  I need enough to take down about four or five elephants. I'm going to have to open him up to take a look."  Fiona began suiting up with black gloves and matching operating gown.  She also donned a face mask, but it seemed to just be for appearances, or to perhaps protect against sprays of vitae.  She would figure out what ailed her husband now that he was under her care once again.

The assistants extended the operating table and removed Clinique's straight jacket as a great deal of sedatives were administered.  The orderlies struggled to stretch out Clinique's wingspan, which was around seven feet. Fiona could see Clinique's eyes dart wildly under his eyelids, but they eventually slowed and then stopped.  She made an incision and carefully examined the Malkavian's internal organs.  This would be unheard of with a human, however, in this practice in Kindred medicine was considered the best place to start, as the vampire's heart acted as a unliving parasite that kept the vampire's brain operational with the digestion of blood.  If a vampire had fallen deathly ill, unless somehow there was a stake protruding from his or her chest, this was the usual procedure.  Nothing else in the body was all that important, otherwise, as the heart absorbed blood on its own.  If a vampire was healthy, the heartflesh would be pale white in color, with a very crimson core, but if the color were off... or if the heart had turned completely black...  either magic or sickness would be the cause.

"Forceps, Peterson. We will make this brief." Dr. McIntyre had taken note that Clinique's chest cavity seemed coated in what could be described as a 'dark puss'. Peterson had made a face, but it was not from the appearance it was the horrid stench.

"We need to clean this out.  He has the rot."  Fiona had determined that the Malkavian actually had a rare disease that would only affect vampires, and it had originated from a now extinct mushroom spore resistant to undeath.  She only knew of it as the 'rot', and it had been a devastating epidemic among her kind around a hundred years ago.  A great number of 14th generation kindred (descended from Cain), had been destroyed with one outbreak.

Clinique was quite a survivor, as it was hard to tell how long he had been suffering from this.





 

[Prince Aiden Forest]

Night ONE of the Summit - The Masquerade Ball



~ CLICK for Intro Theme ~

~A snapshot of all the Kindred, at the Rabbit’s Revenge~

The famous nightclub had been converted into a banquet hall with a full dance floor. DJ Thunderdrone had been set up for music, but while the Kindred Princes mingled, a quartet played various classical pieces in the corner of the room. There were seventeen tables in the main hall, all of which had assigned place cards for six diners. Each setting had a large, stemmed glass which would be refilled with fresh blood upon request by the staff.



The Working Stiffs – Virgil, Myrine, Zeke, and Dreyfus. – all are are up and about, blending into the crowd. Wheels has assumedly left his job with Aiden. Two Egyptian Warrior Setites sit in chairs that line the wall, sharing a small table set up close to Claudia.


Table 1:

Aiden Forest, Simone Fairchyde, Scarlet Hendricks, Samuele…The Tremere Prince has a place at the table that was to remain empty, but the group is joined by Claudia, the Banu Haquim Prince of Hawaii, and Dr. Fiona McIntryre of the Lasombra, who simply moved her placard to the Tremere’s seat, since Brigg’s replacement had not arrived in time.


Aiden Forest was on top of the world. His production team had outdone themselves with costuming and scenery. He was dressed in a dark pink tux with a matching mask, with Scarlett Hedricks on one arm and his girlfriend Simone on the other. Scarlet was paying close attention to her tablet and phone as usual, while Simone seemed just happy to be with Aiden as he hob-knobbed with various vampires in the lobby of Forest Tower.


The opening ceremony would be held at Aiden’s exclusive club, the Rabbits Revenge… and security was very tight. Virgil had worked tirelessly, and his team had done multiple sweeps, and everyone who was anyone was present, except for a couple of notable exceptions.


Simone seemed bored but was all smiles. She is being daunted over by Aiden constantly.


Scarlet had gotten on her phone with Aiden’s graphics department and was admonishing them about the glaring typo in the event stationery.


“Frank…. Hello? Turns out all I’m hearing is excuses in your email replies. You had more than enough time to make sure everything was perfect, and I can’t believe you screwed up that detail. Aiden knows. Yes. He seems annoyed, but you are on thin ice. I can’t believe you printed hundreds of welcome packets with “2021’…? this isn’t the 2021 Kindred Western Conference Summit, idiot, and now it’s too late to change the title!!!” she huffed. "If this had happened in 1923, the whole department would have been executed and replaced the next day."


Samuele could do nothing more than sit quietly. He had arranged a feeding straw into his mask to avoid having to take it off but had decided to abstain from drinking blood until he could be more comfortable. It was a tube used for an IV drip, and he left it curled on the table, unused. For now, he was just watching all the other tables with general disinterest.  He seems like he'd rather be somewhere else.

Claudia had pulled Virgil over and was whispering harshly into his ear as she had been on high alert since the murder of her old friend. She had dressed to the nines in a black pinup outfit including a mourning veil. She vigilantly watches for the other Princes, trusting no one.


Fiona sat across from Aiden, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere. She had worn a more modest dress, for once. She had requested to sit at this table to try make amends with Scarlet.


Table 2:


Table placings had been set for the Prince of Seattle (Rory), Bert (Prince of the Brujah), and Isaac (who had declined the invitation), Luna of the Hecate, and Charles Henry the Gangrel Prince, and finally Clara of the Malkavian.


Clara seems to have control at the moment out of all of her other personalities. She smiles and greets everyone sweetly. It’s probably an act.


Charles Henry feels out of place and extremely overdressed in his newly purchased collared shirt and slacks. He sits unnaturally and sticks out like a sore thumb, wishing this was an outdoor venue.


Luna quietly sits, regarding the rest of her table, having known all of these other Kindred since the 1950’s. She glances around knowingly, as if she sees everything unfolding as planned. She is dressed in a sharp corporate pantsuit.


Table 3:

Louis De Montcalm, Cassandra, Remington, Elise, and an empty seat that would have been reserved for the Tzimisce, had the clan not been banned from the Summit… Dr. McIntyre was to take that seat, but she graciously asked to sit at Aiden’s table. There is also a place card for Marlowe Rodrick, the Noserfatu Prince who has not arrived yet.


Louis De Montcalm is all smiles and etiquette towards any that greet him. He daintily sips blood from a flute as he inventively listens to the classical quartet. He longs to play along with them, but knows it is not the time nor place. He does not look forward to the DJ as he warily looks at the setup on the clubhouse stage. He has a set of earplugs upon the table in front of him.


Remington has been allowed to sit among the Princes as a guest, as a reward for his dutifulness. Louis demanded a seat just for him and required the dutiful servant of Elise to have at least one night off. He is properly stoic but begins to relax a little as the blood flutes are distributed.


Cassandra seems a little pensive. She is enjoying the quartet but sits opposite of Louis, uneasily. She refuses to give the name of her sire to her mistress Elise but suspects that Louis will find out sooner rather than later.


Elise calmly observes the other tables. Her attention seems to be focused on Aiden’s group, as the Toreadors are the main suspects for Elise’s sire. She also highly anticipates the arrival of the Nosferatu Prince, as she has several questions for him.


The rest of the seating arrangements would be filled with high-ranking members of the Court, including Sheriffs and Primogen, separated by represented clans, except for the Nosferatu and the Tzimisce. (Toreador, Lasombra, Hecate, Malkavian, Ventrue, Gangrel, Tremere, Banu Haqim, Ravnos, and the Ministry). The new Ministry representative (Balshatha Tenngru) chose to sit with her clan for the first part of the Summit, for her own safety. The remaining four tables in the back were for thralls and familiars. There was even a separate room for the ghouls at the far end of the hall leading to the banquet room.

[Marlowe Rodrick]

After being dropped off by Bigsby,  Marlowe Rodrick had been frisked, searched, and examined thoroughly as soon as he entered the lobby of the Rabbit's Revenge.  The Nosferatu Prince had actually shown up on time, but had been delayed by the efforts of Virgil's security team.  He wore a dapper three piece suit with a long coat, recently purchased, and had wrapped his head and hands in fresh bandages, with a tiny, ordinary "Lone Ranger" style mask.  As he walked into the banquet hall, he took care to avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention.  He suspected there were those here who seemed to wish harm upon him, but wouldn't dare break the truce established by Aiden.

The punishment for attacking a Prince was public execution which would be swiftly carried out by a large group of Brujah enforcers.

Still...  Aiden Forest knew next to nothing about Marlowe.  Alaska was rarely thought of in the West as viable territory, despite a decent population in Juneau or around 32 thousand humans.  Marlowe wouldn't be talking too much about it for obvious reasons, even if asked directly.  Many Kindred would consider it basic suicide to inhabit a place with eighteen hours of sunlight, but the Nosferatu were known to be survivors.

He sat down with the Ventrue group slowly, feeling them stare at him.  Montcalm would chuckle to try to break the tension, and Remington looked away to focus his thoughts elsewhere.  Cassandra couldn't help but smirk at the Nosferatu Prince.  Elise seemed shocked that he had even made an appearance.  He had rehearsed a well thought out explanation of his departure, and now it was time to address it.

"Forgive me, die Frau, I left your hospitality so quickly zhe ozher night.  I feared for my relative undeath, you see.  Bullets usually do not concern me, but zhe high caliber used by zhe assassin might have caused a great deal of discomfort had zhey found zheir mark in mine cranium!"  

He chuckled uncomfortably.

"Perhaps I should have left a note.  Zhere was so little time to act...  But, I do see you found my masks. Vear zhem as long as you need and enjoy yourselves."

He knew that Myrine was watching him like a hawk, but he made no indication that he knew anything.  DJ Thunderdrone would almost be done setting up for the Ball Dance, and blood flutes had been served, and the sounds of the thumping electronic music would be Rory's cue to head into the offices.  Burt would be taking out the Brujah office security by posing as one of them, and they would be breaking into a hidden vault.  There was no telling how much they would be making off with, but Marlowe's presence in the Banquet Hall would probably distract Aiden Forest enough to accomplish their goals.

Myrine stood and Virgil walked over to the table and whispered to the Nosferatu Prince to come with him.  He was to be unmasked in front of Aiden privately, to confirm his identity.  Before he knew it, the music had started, and he was being walked to the Forest Tower's basement.

[Myrine Leventis]

Myrine stood, making her way over to Aiden and company as Virgil approached Marlowe.

"Your meeting is scheduled."

She'd lean, whispering to Aiden before standing up straight once more and looking to Virgil. Virgil, had quietly asked Marlowe to join him a moment. A request the Nosferatu Prince seemingly wouldn't think twice about, standing and adjusting his bandages as if to straighten his appearance.

This had all been discussed with Aiden prior. Myrine had returned before the party with intel that Ivan was in town. It also seemed Aiden's former associate had intentions on coming to the summit in disguise. Marlowe had been a suspect for awhile now with his suspicious activity and dress. If Marlowe was not Ivan in disguise, then the plan would be to wait and watch with all the guards on high alert. Aiden was confident. Ivan wouldn't miss the opportunity, even with the extra security.

Virgil escorted Marlowe back to a small but secure office outside the main summit area where Myrine and Aiden waited.

"Please sit, Prince Marlowe Rodrick of Juneau Alaska. I can assure you this extra security check will take less than five minutes of your time, should you cooperate and we find nothing suspicious on your person."

Marlowe would gently raise his hands as if to surrender before taking a seat in the empty chair.
"Whatever you would need, meine Dame."

Myrine stepped to the seated man, fingers reaching to take hold of a bandage edge. Marlowe reaching a hand up slowly to stop her.
"Gibt es keine andere moglichkeit? Mein face.... iz not for polite society."

Myrine's hand simply paused, looking down upon Marlowe where he sat. Nothing rested behind the Brujah's gaze. No emotion, no empathy, no malice. This was only business for the woman. A stark contrast to Aiden fidgeting in his chair opposite of Marlowe, ready to reach over himself and tear away the bindings to prove Marlowe wasn't who he claimed to be.

"I am not polite society." Her monotone voice would simply state before looping a finger under an edge. She'd pull, meticulously unwrapping the face so as not to tear the bandages, revealing the elongated face, protruding teeth, and mottled skin beneath.

"Well??!!" Aiden would demand, standing but not necessarily wanting to take a step closer.

Myrine took hold of Marlowe's chin, feeling the skin shift beneath her fingers. The sensation not unlike a bloated corpse, not taking much for the skin to slough off and reveal what was left underneath. Cold eyes examined his features in a clinical fashion before releasing him and offering the bandages back.

"Your cooperation is appreciated Prince Marlowe Rodrick. You may return to your seat and enjoy the summit."

Aiden cursed under his breath and turned away, nearly knocking over his chair. He thought for certain Marlowe would be Ivan.

"Zhank you, Prince Aiden." Marlowe spoke, addressing the leader of the room as he re-wrapped his face. "I appreciate zhe extra security. Your guests all feel safer."

Marlowe nodded to Virgil and Myrine in acknowledgement. Myrine, in her typical straight to the facts and unemotional voice would respond.

“There are no accidents... there is only some purpose that we haven't yet understood.”

It gave Marlow only a moment of pause before he'd turn and fully exit the room. Myrine waiting patiently by the door as Virgil assured Aiden that Ivan would be caught before the break of dawn.

[darkheart]

The Prince of Seattle would enter in an uncharacteristic style. Rather than slip in unseen as if he were always there, there would be the normal grand announcement as, Ariel on his arm, he would strut in with the Twins flanking them with kind waves, nods and winks. He would shake hands and make small talk with the lesser vampires before pulling the chair out for Ariel. While two lycans present definitely made a buzz around the circles, it was more of an uncomfortable curiosity for most. The fact that Rory had two 'tamed' pets as bodyguards was more of a status indicator than anything, it was more to ensure Ariel's safety than his own. While she likely didn't need protection herself, it was Rory's way of indicating that she was his most valuable treasure that he would not hesitate to protect. He had come a long way from the humble wandering Romani Ravnos on the street, he only had two true weaknesses - his concern for Ariel and his dependence on Zara. Politics and rulership was not his forte, and in truth he cared little for either. He'd merely fallen into this role, and Zara kept the societal pieces of the role moving. He merely tried to stay entertained. He would willingly give up the status and power just to run away somewhere with Ariel and be free of these tiresome masses.

After a while had passed, he'd excuse himself to go to the bathroom and slip from the room. Those who had heard the stories from decades past would chuckle appreciatively at the gesture, while others would perk their brows and mutter in confusion about his excuse, wondering why a kindred would move to a restroom. Most assumed it was a polite excuse to handle some business misgiven from too long playing in the Masquerade. Moving to the elevators, the private express elevator would open for him as he slipped inside and winked at the camera to Bert who was working the security room. Cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders to limber up, he would grin as the doors opened to the long hallway leading to the vault. Pulling out a small device from his back pocket, he would work to attach it to the keypad to his left. Once connected, he would crouch and check the angles of the floor. Content with his assessment that the plates were pressure sensitive, he would put his fingers down on the edge of the plates, then reach up and push a small button on the device he'd installed.

Tapping into his celerity, the world would seem to pause as a small electrical shock would hit the system. The invisible laser grid would flicker for but a second in real time, but to Rory they would seem to turn off completely. With a leap, he would run along the left wall down the long corridor, leaping and landing in front of the door before resuming normal time. To the naked eye on the camera, one second he was at the front of the hall and the next he was blowing a kiss to Bert in the camera. Turning his attention to the door, he looked at the retinal scanner and biometric fingerprint reader. Considering the best way to bypass it, he sighed and just slammed his fist through the wall and pulled the latch manually. Most of these security systems, by his estimation, had alarms if you failed the verification, but they had the failure that if they lost power they simply ceased to function. He was not disappointed. The door opened quietly and he was in. Moving up to the vault itself, he examined the dial and the pin fail setup. Putting his ear to the vault door, he attuned his hearing to the dial mechanism, hearing the pins fall as he gently spun the dial. Opening a vault safe by touch was considered old school compared to new technologies, but vampires - no matter how modern they pretended to be - still had that part of themselves that clung to older, more traditional technology. Spinning the latch, the vault door would groan loudly as it swung open. It was time to relieve Mr. Frost of this wealth. Gesturing to the camera, he moved towards the exit, rewiring the power to short out the plates and laser grid.

Sidling out as the others moved to take the money, he'd ride the elevator down and move back to sit next to Ariel. The party seemed to be going well, and his absence did not seem to be missed.

[cLiNiQuE]

~Meanwhile, at Fiona's makeshift lab~

Clinique had strained against his reinforced restraints for so long he was creating grooves in the stone floor with the chains.  His lithe muscles had been so tight after the drug cocktail and the emergency surgery that he had felt something Kindred rarely experienced: wooziness, and just plain weariness.

His mind had grown restless in the darkened amphitheater.  He wondered how the Summit was going, and if he were missing out on something.  He had lost most of his concept of day and night, but suspected that it was early evening by the routine of his captor.

A knock could be heard from the secret chamber door.  The ghoul orderly slowly stood and wandered across the large room to answer the door.  Clinique could only watch... but his acute hearing could pick up a whispered conversation happening behind the door.

"Myrine will take your head for this, Ivan!"

"Niet, comrade.  I think not.  You will be my bargaining chip for now.  You are the eyes and ears of the most skilled Kindred assassin on the West Coast, and I need you out of the way... but still around. I know your value. This temporary solution will save me from having to destroy her unnecessarily and it gives Rory a chance to scout her for his own machinations."

"What do you even want?  What do you expect is going to happen when Myrine finds you?  Wait... you can't leave me h-"  Arthur's voice became almost completely silenced as a small metal door slid in front of his mouth, which muffled his voice.

"I am not worried... at least not yet. Shhh... Everything will become evident in time, comrade." Ivan paused to secure the latches of the slots, loudly snapping them in place.

"I will promise you this: Fiona's people will take good care of you in the meantime.  But...For now, I bid you farewell...  I have a summit to crash, and I mustn't be late for the opening ceremony.  I'll come back for you when it is all over."  Ivan whispered.

The chamber door opened to reveal a slovenly dressed, drooling ghoul, the most intelligent of Fiona's orderlies. Arthur had been placed in an iron maiden chained to a dolly that had been wielded shut, save the eye and mouth slots which tiny, sliding doors had been secured with latches.  There was a note that had been placed on it:

(DANGER: New Test subject to be examined by Dr. McIntyre, Please use caution, schizophrenia, violent outbursts, insomnia DO NOT OPEN) signed by a Dr. Vladimir Pchelintsev.

The ghoul slowly rolled the Iron Maiden into the Amphitheater and closed the door behind him, as Arthur's muted voice rose in the sealed contraption.

Clinique smiled wickedly as he studied it. The muffled, frustrated scream was music to him.  He had surmised that this development could be his chance to escape.

[Elise Beaufort]

Elise would take in Montcalm's words regarding Cassandra. She was amused as he explained what he meant by seduced. A fangy smile formed. But ultimately, she knew he was right about Cassandra. It wouldn't be right to bring fatal harm to the girl if she was coerced. For now all Elise could do was observe. No decision would be made until she had more information. She sighed a bit.

"I am also not sure what to make of Marlowe. I suspect we will learn more tomorrow night."

She looked delighted at his suggestion of looking for masks in Marlowe's belongings.

"Come, let's go and see what we can find."

With that she'd stand and walk with Montcalm to look for masks for the next night.

The following night....

Elise smiled and greeted anyone she knew as they made their way to the table. Remington, being the gentleman was, held her chair out for her. Elise gracefully took her seat. Remington would then take his own seat. There had been no argument from her when Montcalm insisted that Remington have the night off. Her eyes fell on the table where the Toreadors sat. Her expression would remain neutral but there was no doubt in her mind that someone in that group turned Cassandra. Remington followed her gaze. A bit of a snarl started to form but he remembered where he was and let his face fall back to neutral. Elise's eyes would move around the room taking in the guests. It was then she spotted Marlowe making his way through the crowd. Not having seen him since the night he disappeared she wondered idly where he had been. She nodded as he sat down and joined them.

"Hello Marlowe, I'm glad to see you made it in one piece." She gave him a bit of a smile. "I was concerned when you ran off." She chuckled as he commented on the masks. "Yes, we would have certainly asked if we could borrow them were you around. We do appreciate that you did leave them behind."

She would give him another smile. She saw Virgil approaching and nodded her head in his direction. "Seems we have a visitor coming to the table." Elise watched as Virgil leaned down to whisper in his ear. As they moved away her eyes would move to Montcalm. She swirled her flute gently and took a sip of blood.

"Enjoying yourself so far, my dear Louis?"

[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]

The old vampire would swirl a tiny amount of blood in the glass as he studied each of the Princes and their respective cliques. The very moment that Marlowe entered the club, his focus remained upon the bandaged Nosferatu.  He would meticulously study him, not in a suspicious manner, but with a great deal of fascination.  His mind swirled with new observations.

He would smile and acknowledge the ornate mask he had borrowed from Marlowe's trunk, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Virgil was upon them.  Marlowe was taken away before he could question anything.  Elise had picked up on his annoyance, but felt the need to ask if he were enjoying himself.  He would be plain, but truthful with her.

"Well...The blood is of very high quality, and this evening's entertainment has been superb, thus far, but I worry that Aiden's brightness and exuberance may wear my sensibilities down greatly, my dear Elise.  He is not known for his good taste, usually.  The Ventrue hosted the summit in nineteen and twenty-three, and I must say it was a far better 'shindig' than... well...  I digress, once again.  Those were some tumultuous times."

Montcalm was fully aware that Aiden was trying to impress the younger crowd, but perhaps he had other things in store for the elders. He turned to Elise and gave her a hideous, fanged grin.

"I will withhold my full judgement until the end of the week, perhaps.  But between you and I, this'DJ Thunderdrone' shall have but only a moment of my time to enchant my listening ears.  I... frankly, I do not have high hopes."   he chuckled, finishing the last sip of blood in one gulp.  He then daintily swabbed the corner of his mouth with a crimson napkin.

The Ventrue Elder seemed to only want to interact with those at his table for the time being.  He only acknowledged Myrine with a simple, courteous nod as she walked away from Prince Forest's table.




  

[Fiona McIntyre]

"Oh come on, Scarlet.  Can you just be civil? Let Aiden have his moment to shine." Fiona smiled as she spoke.

Scarlet had hung up her phone and was furiously texting to someone.  She held up a finger with her free hand, indicating she would be a few more seconds and focused. Her expression revealed it all... heads were in the process of rolling. 

Fiona glanced at Aiden, who seemed to be slightly distracted with kissing Simone's bare neck. Simone was purring, loving the public display, as always.  Virgil stood by to await Scarlet's signal to let the Masquerade dance proceed.  There was a rumor of a Kindred celebrity would be hosting the night's activities.  DJ Thunderdrome stood by to play on Aiden when cued.

Fiona watched Scarlet text at an inhuman speed as her eyes glowed with a reddish tinge.  She was using her celerity.

Scarlet then stood quickly, gently tapping Aiden's shoulder.  He looked up with glazed over eyes, with a blissful, bloody smile as he finished off a laced glass of blood.  There was no telling what high end synthetic drug had been added, but it seemed to work.  Scarlet noted that she may need to give the Prince at least a few moments before proceeding, so she paused to address Fiona.

"Fiona.  Don't worry about it. Let's have lunch tomorrow evening.  I'm sure we can exchange pleasantries and initiate a node of decorum as we proceed with the Summit.  We will discuss .... BOUNDARIES."  her eyebrows furrowed.

"Of course, Scarlet!  I would be honored to join you." Fiona nodded quickly, now seeing this as an opportunity to finally advance her status since her long absence from California.  This was an indication that Scarlet recognized her power, and though at first the restrictions would likely be severe, in time she would move forward.  One way or another the court would know how important her work was to the Kindred race.