Re: Primium, Books and Risky Endeavors IC Thread 22

[Warpmind]

Freddy nodded and gave you a soft smile.
"I have every confidence that you will love, you are very good at what you do."

Colin grinned, "Perhaps I am the Kwisatz Haderach..."

"That might be a good idea yes...hum she do not look to good, I should probably check her out just to be sure but for now rest is the great healer."
Richard commented and Helga chimed in.
"She have diabetes and went a long time without eating and then worked herself into a panic."
The Cultist said and Richard raised an eyebrow.
"Have her blood sugar been checked?"
He asked and Helga shook her head.
"No I think the Chief have her kit."

He frowned, "Perhaps you should get her kit first, and check her out before starting the report, then..."

"That is horrible, a child should never be made to watch something like that!"
Kristina exclaimed.
"Hum...and Avatar free to act outside of a host that would be truly terrifying I am not sure there are any limits to their powers, I mean with a host their only limits are the understanding of the host...so what you describe would have been a terrifying thing. I did hear that several Masters of the Art got injured and killed though and that the Lady Crexia herself only just barely escaped a mission they went to, the mission was this Carlyle person then?"

He nodded, "That's the one... Such an Avatar could not be afforded freedom like that... And no, nobody should be forced to watch that bloody ritual. Least of all children."

Kristina looked at you angrily for a moment, she looked like she wanted to hit you and her hands balled into fists, but she restrained herself and after some time she said.
"If you had used her blood, that would have destroyed Isabella, she would not have been able to live with herself after something like that, how could you use her so? Is it because she is what she is and therefore do not deserve any regard for her person hood?"
The Druidess hissed.
"Isabella have been used by everyone her entire life and abandoned when she was no longer useful. Her own Sire, the one who created her made a deal with a local Prince to have her staked and kept awake to suffer for five years, just so that when she was released she would be broken down and helpless and she would get more dependent on her Sire so he could control her better, and when she made a mistake he tossed her aside and joined in the blood hunt for her like everyone else. Isabella Jarden are fragile Mr Wainwright, no matter that her body is near indestructible she is fragile an this you have done...is just one more person using her!"

He shook his head, "There was no ill will against miss Jarden; no wish to hurt her... but there were no other sources we could ask for the necessary fresh blood, either."
He frowned, "I was obviously not aware of her past like that... but all the same, I am fully aware how ruthless my actions were. I am not proud of what I did, far less what I almost did, but I will own it and gladly face the repercussions."

"Well at least that thermos is gone then and you did not have to use it."
Kristina said then she sigh.
"What happened to Miss Carlyle after all this?"

He sighed, "She was captured alive. As a Fallen Hermetic, she has the right to a proper trial... It's a tragedy, though; ever since her Mentor was sentenced, she has done everything to avoid the same fate, and all she accomplished was to ensure that fate would be waiting for her..."

"You are going to have to speak with Isabella, preferably over the phone or at least with some barrier between you and her, she is kindhearted and docile but any vampire can fly into a dangerous rage if provoked enough and unfortunately if she where to injure you even if she would fully be in her right to do so after this you have done, she is the one who would be punished for it."
Kristina begun and she frowned.

He nodded, "I was thinking of some sort of video conference, so she can see my face as well. And believe me, if i were to face her directly after this... I have a good lawyer; I think she should be able to get the proper paperwork done to ensure I take all the responsibility and blame for any injuries Miss Jarden might inflict on me. All the same, I'd rather avoid a violent outcome."

"Tell her what you did and why and be honest with her, that is the most important part, she have been lied to by so many. It might be she will like the rose, it is a nice gesture but the difficult part will be to make her trust again and every time she is betrayed a little bit of what trust she have left dies."
The Verbena said and she shook her head.
"She did not deserve this!"

He shook his head, "No, she did not deserve this. It was... an act of utter desperation; an absolutely last resort in the face of something we had never had to deal with before. And God or Gods willing, something that will never appear again... I fully intend to explain to her the reason for my actions; while I won't blame her for never trusting me again, I would not want to see her distrusting us all for that. And if there are ways in which I can make amends, I will do so, virtually whatever she wishes."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Adley:

No offense sir, but this is not the type of tool I plan to use regularly. However, I take note of your safety precautions. I certainly want none of that. Do you have a sterile one that can be used for this?'

"I do not as I use my knives for drawing blood from myself and my Covenmates, however I will give Dr Lee a call he should probably have some, I borrowed one from him when drawing blood from Mr Dale as I did not want to scare the boy, so I know the good doctor have them."
Amadeus said and nodded.

"Ah, well it is not only Flambeau that use them...their pen may have been even mightier than their sword though," he said with a small smile.

"It might a good...blade can be a great boon though, I usually feel safer with my...daggers at my side."
Beatrice muttered weakly.

"It is better if you rest for now...so do not stay up on my account. Very well, I will sing it for you as I promised." It was a strange and sometimes terrible week indeed. Poems for vampires and rhymes and folksongs for his hurt friend. But the week continued and that was important and it seemed to make her feel better. He dug up the words from the memories and started to sing the folksong 'All through the night,' again for her.

"He hears you sing...brother, I can feel that he hears you."
Beatrice whispered then she slowly settled down and fell asleep, she whimpered in her sleep but she was sleeping. The door to the Node camber opened and Cita came into the room she looked at you and the two sleeping magi an said in a whisper.
"Good morning Mr Roth Hicks...I am just going to check on their status if that is alright with you, are they sleeping?"

Colin:

Colin grinned, "Perhaps I am the Kwisatz Haderach..."

"If so then I expect you to come home with a very big earthworm pet for me."
Freddy said and grinned.

He frowned, "Perhaps you should get her kit first, and check her out before starting the report, then..."

"Perhaps so Mr Wainwright, our Verbena guest said she had checked her out though and balanced her blood sugar with magick so I though I would let the prisoner sleep first."
Helga commented.

He nodded, "That's the one... Such an Avatar could not be afforded freedom like that... And no, nobody should be forced to watch that bloody ritual. Least of all children."
He nodded, "That's the one... Such an Avatar could not be afforded freedom like that... And no, nobody should be forced to watch that bloody ritual. Least of all children."

"No no one should be forced to watch that, I have never seen it and I can not say I can imagine it either but from how much...it hurt when my Avatar was operated on...I...it must be horrible...just horrible."
Kristina said and she shuddered and rubbed her arms as if she was suddenly cold.

He shook his head, "There was no ill will against miss Jarden; no wish to hurt her... but there were no other sources we could ask for the necessary fresh blood, either."
He frowned, "I was obviously not aware of her past like that... but all the same, I am fully aware how ruthless my actions were. I am not proud of what I did, far less what I almost did, but I will own it and gladly face the repercussions."

"That is the thing Mr Wainwright there will be no repercussions for you, Isabella is a Custos and a vampire at that she have very few rights in our society!"
The Verbena said angrily.
"And how would you feel if our blood had the same devastating effect on some other group of Awakened and one of their members got your blood under false pretenses to use as a weapon? How would you feel?"
She demanded in a low hiss.

He sighed, "She was captured alive. As a Fallen Hermetic, she has the right to a proper trial... It's a tragedy, though; ever since her Mentor was sentenced, she has done everything to avoid the same fate, and all she accomplished was to ensure that fate would be waiting for her..."

"Poor thing, she is an enemy I know that but she must be scared out of her wits, she even mutilated her own soul to avoid such a fate and now...would not the most humane be to at least keep her unconscious until...it is done?"
Kristina whispered and she shook her head sadly.

He nodded, "I was thinking of some sort of video conference, so she can see my face as well. And believe me, if i were to face her directly after this... I have a good lawyer; I think she should be able to get the proper paperwork done to ensure I take all the responsibility and blame for any injuries Miss Jarden might inflict on me. All the same, I'd rather avoid a violent outcome."

"A video conference will work I can set that up back home when Isabella wakes up. The problem is that even if you managed to legally shield her if she ended up hurting other mages would avenge of of our own being hurt by one of her kind so yes avoiding violence is the best indeed."

He shook his head, "No, she did not deserve this. It was... an act of utter desperation; an absolutely last resort in the face of something we had never had to deal with before. And God or Gods willing, something that will never appear again... I fully intend to explain to her the reason for my actions; while I won't blame her for never trusting me again, I would not want to see her distrusting us all for that.

Kristina sigh.
"She should have been asked properly for her blood and not lied to, but fine I will set up a video conference with her and you can try to explain it all to her."
The Verbena said she still looked quite angry.
"I to hope this will not erode Isabella's trust in the rest of us, but she have been used and abused so much in the past and like I said she is fragile..."

And if there are ways in which I can make amends, I will do so, virtually whatever she wishes."

"You can tell her that yourself during the video conference...I think an apology is more important than anything else you can do for her though."
She said and frowned.

[Warpmind]

"If so then I expect you to come home with a very big earthworm pet for me."
Freddy said and grinned.

Colin grimaced, "I'll make a small-scale sculpture. Safer that way."

"Perhaps so Mr Wainwright, our Verbena guest said she had checked her out though and balanced her blood sugar with magick so I though I would let the prisoner sleep first."
Helga commented.

He nodded thoughtfully, then looked up at Richard again, "Alright, if that's the case, it's your call, doctor."

"No no one should be forced to watch that, I have never seen it and I can not say I can imagine it either but from how much...it hurt when my Avatar was operated on...I...it must be horrible...just horrible."
Kristina said and she shuddered and rubbed her arms as if she was suddenly cold.

He frowned, then glanced quickly around to make sure no-one was eavesdropping, and nodded, "It is horrible... My Avatar is a shard cluster; in my previous incarnation, I was... Gilgulled. I have had a few memories of that life resurfacing; the last, terrible eternity before the darkness was... excruciating. It shouldn't be used..."

"That is the thing Mr Wainwright there will be no repercussions for you, Isabella is a Custos and a vampire at that she have very few rights in our society!"
The Verbena said angrily.
"And how would you feel if our blood had the same devastating effect on some other group of Awakened and one of their members got your blood under false pretenses to use as a weapon? How would you feel?"
She demanded in a low hiss.

He shook his head, "I was not talking about legal repercussions. Your quite righteous anger and Miss Jarden's most likely distrust and possibly hatred against me are well within the range of possible repercussions..."
He sighed softly, "A more likely scenario would be someone getting silver from my shop to use against werewolves... and no, I would not like that at all - I would feel compelled to make what amends were possible, and prevent it from happening again. I might be more sympathetic if it were a matter of stopping one specific werewolf, for that silver to never be used again for such a purpose, but if my work, my craft were to be used in a manner such as 'to whom it may concern', I would be... livid. Quite likely to the point of doing some very ungentlemanly things to whoever procured said silver under false pretenses. I am not excusing what I did, though - there's no excuse possible. Only the reason for needing to do it, and my wish to mitigate harm... to everyone involved."

"Poor thing, she is an enemy I know that but she must be scared out of her wits, she even mutilated her own soul to avoid such a fate and now...would not the most humane be to at least keep her unconscious until...it is done?"
Kristina whispered and she shook her head sadly.

He frowned, "The most humane... would have been a bullet through the heart and brainstem, back in the Labyrinth. But that would have put me up on murder charges, and I have too many dependents to allow that..."

"A video conference will work I can set that up back home when Isabella wakes up. The problem is that even if you managed to legally shield her if she ended up hurting other mages would avenge of of our own being hurt by one of her kind so yes avoiding violence is the best indeed."

He smiled wryly, "Lucky I am just an Orphan, then - the Traditions are a little less concerned with our well-being than they would be if I were, say, a Hermetic or Chorister... Freddy, though, would come with storm and fury to pummel me for doing something so stupid in the first place..."

Kristina sigh.
"She should have been asked properly for her blood and not lied to, but fine I will set up a video conference with her and you can try to explain it all to her."
The Verbena said she still looked quite angry.
"I to hope this will not erode Isabella's trust in the rest of us, but she have been used and abused so much in the past and like I said she is fragile..."

He nodded, "I agree, I should not have misled her... But under the circumstances, we could not afford the risk she would refuse. I... never intended to avoid telling her afterwards, though. But some times, withholding a little information for a short while can be crucial to save lives. And better, perhaps, that she did not sleep with nightmares of what might happen if no other solution could be found..."

"You can tell her that yourself during the video conference...I think an apology is more important than anything else you can do for her though."
She said and frowned.

He nodded, "An apology is just the first step... but the first step is the most important, yes."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin grimaced, "I'll make a small-scale sculpture. Safer that way."

"Aww but I can't pet a sculpture."
Freddy griped.
"And the ones in the movie are so cute."

He nodded thoughtfully, then looked up at Richard again, "Alright, if that's the case, it's your call, doctor."

"One moment and I will see..."
Richard said then he did several katas in front of the sleeping Nephanda then he nodded.
"Her blood sugar is fine but her heart is beating to fast she needs her rest I suspect she is terrified."
The Akashic commented.
"It is best to let her rest for now."

He frowned, then glanced quickly around to make sure no-one was eavesdropping, and nodded, "It is horrible... My Avatar is a shard cluster; in my previous incarnation, I was... Gilgulled. I have had a few memories of that life resurfacing; the last, terrible eternity before the darkness was... excruciating. It shouldn't be used..."

"I am sorry to hear that Mr Wainwright those memories can not be plesant."
Kristina said and frowned.
"A shard cluster? Master Ir have spoken of them but truly before you spoke about it now I have never met someone with such an Avatar."
She said then she glanced towards the hallway that held the prisoners.
"It also can not be easy for you to see all those men and woman who are now awaiting such a horrible fate if you have such memories."
The Verbena said in an concerned tone of voice.

He shook his head, "I was not talking about legal repercussions. Your quite righteous anger and Miss Jarden's most likely distrust and possibly hatred against me are well within the range of possible repercussions..."

"I do not think Isabella will hate you Mr Wainwright, she will be hurt very hurt but I doubt she will hate you, as for me I am of a right mind to slap you but other than that you are not going to suffer much consequences of this."
She said and frowned.

He sighed softly, "A more likely scenario would be someone getting silver from my shop to use against werewolves... and no, I would not like that at all - I would feel compelled to make what amends were possible, and prevent it from happening again. I might be more sympathetic if it were a matter of stopping one specific werewolf, for that silver to never be used again for such a purpose, but if my work, my craft were to be used in a manner such as 'to whom it may concern', I would be... livid. Quite likely to the point of doing some very ungentlemanly things to whoever procured said silver under false pretenses. I am not excusing what I did, though - there's no excuse possible. Only the reason for needing to do it, and my wish to mitigate harm... to everyone involved."

Kristina looked at you while you spoke then she sigh and nodded.
"Perhaps what you did was necessary Mr Wainwright but even so it was not right, not right as all but perhaps you understand that."
She said and sigh.

He frowned, "The most humane... would have been a bullet through the heart and brainstem, back in the Labyrinth. But that would have put me up on murder charges, and I have too many dependents to allow that..."

"Sometimes yes a bullet or the flick of a blade is the most merciful thing but doing that would mean Miss Carlyle's soul would be reborn but perhaps that would have been better but yes you have dependents and should not throw your life away on a murder trial."
The Druidess said and sigh sadly.
"I pity the girl though...poor woman."

He smiled wryly, "Lucky I am just an Orphan, then - the Traditions are a little less concerned with our well-being than they would be if I were, say, a Hermetic or Chorister... Freddy, though, would come with storm and fury to pummel me for doing something so stupid in the first place..."

"Your woman is protective of you that is good. But yes the Traditions might value a Orphan less than an initiated mage, unfortunately many in our society are far to arrogant and stuck in their ways I would not want to gamble Isabella's safety on it though."

He nodded, "I agree, I should not have misled her... But under the circumstances, we could not afford the risk she would refuse. I... never intended to avoid telling her afterwards, though. But some times, withholding a little information for a short while can be crucial to save lives. And better, perhaps, that she did not sleep with nightmares of what might happen if no other solution could be found..."

"It is Isabella's blood to share or not as she please she should have been told what it was for from the start and if she said no then no it is, I would not wish nightmares on her but even so her right to decide over her own body should have been respected vampire or no."
Kristina grumbled.

He nodded, "An apology is just the first step... but the first step is the most important, yes."

The Druidess nodded darkly at that.
"And you make sure you apologize to her Mr Wainwright...you make sure of that and it better be a good apology."

[Warpmind]

"Aww but I can't pet a sculpture."
Freddy griped.
"And the ones in the movie are so cute."

Colin grinned, "Patience, grasshopper. Perhaps we can animate it later."

"One moment and I will see..."
Richard said then he did several katas in front of the sleeping Nephanda then he nodded.
"Her blood sugar is fine but her heart is beating to fast she needs her rest I suspect she is terrified."
The Akashic commented.
"It is best to let her rest for now."

He nodded, "As you say, then. Perhaps some food later."

"I am sorry to hear that Mr Wainwright those memories can not be plesant."
Kristina said and frowned.
"A shard cluster? Master Ir have spoken of them but truly before you spoke about it now I have never met someone with such an Avatar."
She said then she glanced towards the hallway that held the prisoners.
"It also can not be easy for you to see all those men and woman who are now awaiting such a horrible fate if you have such memories."
The Verbena said in an concerned tone of voice.

He nodded, "It's an unpleasant memory... but it has already proven useful in... unhinging the poor fellow with a Phylactery. And no, it's not a comfortable knowledge, though... it does make it a little easier, knowing that as horrible as it is, it can be a fresh start - a chance to become new Avatars, rather than creating a Widderslainte. But then, there's a chance they could restore their Avatars instead, so the ritual is... excessive."

"I do not think Isabella will hate you Mr Wainwright, she will be hurt very hurt but I doubt she will hate you, as for me I am of a right mind to slap you but other than that you are not going to suffer much consequences of this."
She said and frowned.

He nodded and held his arms out to his sides, palms open, "I would not stop you from doing so. I deserve it, and so much more. I won't enjoy it, obviously, but I wouldn't fault you for it. It might make you, at least, feel a little better."

Kristina looked at you while you spoke then she sigh and nodded.
"Perhaps what you did was necessary Mr Wainwright but even so it was not right, not right as all but perhaps you understand that."
She said and sigh.

He nodded, "No, it was not right. Many necessary things have been done to minimize the loss of life that were neither right nor decent - and the ones responsible bore the burdens of their deeds until their deaths. As the most obvious example, Hiroshima and Nagasaki; if those bombs hadn't forced Japan into negotiations for their surrender, the loss of life would have been... several times what it was. It was still horribly wrong, but the lesser evil. As it ended up, we did not ultimately have to resort the fallback plan, but i could not have known that when I obtained the... donation."

"Sometimes yes a bullet or the flick of a blade is the most merciful thing but doing that would mean Miss Carlyle's soul would be reborn but perhaps that would have been better but yes you have dependents and should not throw your life away on a murder trial."
The Druidess said and sigh sadly.
"I pity the girl though...poor woman."

He nodded, "One of those dependents is Beatrice, in fact... I held her when... the Soulrenders came for her. Two fragments were torn from her Avatar... and mine holds them for her. It's a miracle, and one I dare not squander..."
He frowned, "And yes, I have nothing but sympathy for poor miss Carlyle and her Avatar... It spoke to me when we first encountered her; it was unnerved by my Avatar, allowing me to chase it off with a bluff... it was a sad thing, horrified by its actions and what it had lost..."

"Your woman is protective of you that is good. But yes the Traditions might value a Orphan less than an initiated mage, unfortunately many in our society are far to arrogant and stuck in their ways I would not want to gamble Isabella's safety on it though."

He nodded, "Neither would I. For all the Traditions' virtues, we're disturbingly backwards in many ways..."

"It is Isabella's blood to share or not as she please she should have been told what it was for from the start and if she said no then no it is, I would not wish nightmares on her but even so her right to decide over her own body should have been respected vampire or no."
Kristina grumbled.

He nodded, "Had there been other viable sources for the blood... I would have opted for full disclosure. I did not lightly use false pretenses, and I hope never to have to make that call again... it physically hurt when I walked away from her room."

The Druidess nodded darkly at that.
"And you make sure you apologize to her Mr Wainwright...you make sure of that and it better be a good apology."

He nodded and fished out his apartment key, "Oh, by the way... If you would swing by my apartment before you go and pick a rose for her from the bush, that would be good, I think - I'll trust your judgment in choosing the finest, but please be gentle with it. It might possibly be the last bush of Helen Cushing in the world, and almost certainly the only one in America. Perhaps, one day, I can get help in planting more of it, but so far, I've only managed to keep it alive and blooming for nearly thirty years... its natural lifespan might be coming to a close soon..."

[Adley]

"I do not as I use my knives for drawing blood from myself and my Covenmates, however I will give Dr Lee a call he should probably have some, I borrowed one from him when drawing blood from Mr Dale as I did not want to scare the boy, so I know the good doctor have them."
Amadeus said and nodded.

'Thank you. He went on an errand but he may be back by now. I do hope.

"He hears you sing...brother, I can feel that he hears you." Beatrice whispered then she slowly settled down and fell asleep

It was, he figured, something - before she had been so terrified that she could not tell if her avatar was even there. But now she knew it was there and could rest somewhat.

The door to the Node camber opened and Cita came into the room she looked at you and the two sleeping magi an said in a whisper.
"Good morning Mr Roth Hicks...I am just going to check on their status if that is alright with you, are they sleeping?"

He nodded to Cita as she came in then made the sign for 'OK' when she talked about checking up on the others. He dug out the frame to write her a note on it. 'If it is not trouble, I would ask for an evaluation of my spirit as well when you have completed their checkups. I've had a number of strange occurrences including a brief foray into quietus, plus the lodger and have been hurt due to using heartsblood rote. The master is preparing a tea for pain but I would like to make sure there are no accidental interactions.'

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin:

Colin grinned, "Patience, grasshopper. Perhaps we can animate it later."

"Yeah but a little, silver animated sandworm is not as impressive as a full size one...it would be cute to have running around in a flower pot of dirt though."
Freddy said and grinned.

He nodded, "As you say, then. Perhaps some food later."

"That would probably be wise yes."
Richard agreed.

He nodded, "It's an unpleasant memory... but it has already proven useful in... unhinging the poor fellow with a Phylactery.

"Hum...so that is what you showed him...shit poor guy but whatever works I guess."
Kristina said and her eyes widened a bit.

And no, it's not a comfortable knowledge, though... it does make it a little easier, knowing that as horrible as it is, it can be a fresh start - a chance to become new Avatars, rather than creating a Widderslainte. But then, there's a chance they could restore their Avatars instead, so the ritual is... excessive."

"I am not so sure it is a comfortable though that someone Gilgulled can become parts of a shard cluster if you will excuse me for saying so Mr Wainwright, it do not make it less horrible."

He nodded and held his arms out to his sides, palms open, "I would not stop you from doing so. I deserve it, and so much more. I won't enjoy it, obviously, but I wouldn't fault you for it. It might make you, at least, feel a little better."

Kristina looked like she was considering it, like she was really considering it then finally she sigh.
"I do not hit someone just standing there and not defending themselves..."
She said.
"If you where Verbena I would have challenged you to a duel with daggers."

He nodded, "No, it was not right. Many necessary things have been done to minimize the loss of life that were neither right nor decent - and the ones responsible bore the burdens of their deeds until their deaths. As the most obvious example, Hiroshima and Nagasaki; if those bombs hadn't forced Japan into negotiations for their surrender, the loss of life would have been... several times what it was. It was still horribly wrong, but the lesser evil. As it ended up, we did not ultimately have to resort the fallback plan, but i could not have known that when I obtained the... donation."

"The question is if the lesser evil is always the right path to walk if it stains one's soul to do so."
Kristina challenged.
"But yes I understand that what you did was...necessary, I understand that but I am still angry Mr Wainwright, you have hurt my friend and you could have hurt her far worse."
The Verbena muttered and shook her head.

He nodded, "One of those dependents is Beatrice, in fact... I held her when... the Soulrenders came for her. Two fragments were torn from her Avatar... and mine holds them for her. It's a miracle, and one I dare not squander..."

Kristina's eyes widened again.
"You held her while...the ritual was attempted...poor Miss Alexander, no I understand that those shards must be safeguarded until they can be returned where they belong."
She said then she asked.
"How are Miss Alexander doing Mr Wainwright I have been concerned about her, she is my relative after all."

He frowned, "And yes, I have nothing but sympathy for poor miss Carlyle and her Avatar... It spoke to me when we first encountered her; it was unnerved by my Avatar, allowing me to chase it off with a bluff... it was a sad thing, horrified by its actions and what it had lost..."

"I will make a point to go and visit Miss Carlyle while she is our captive, I have no illusions that it will help her but she deserve a bit of kindness and sympathy before the end."
Kristina said then she looked horrified.
"Her Avatar knew what it had become then...how...sad..."
She exclaimed.

He nodded, "Neither would I. For all the Traditions' virtues, we're disturbingly backwards in many ways..."

"So we are unfortunately."
The Druidess agreed.

He nodded, "Had there been other viable sources for the blood... I would have opted for full disclosure. I did not lightly use false pretenses, and I hope never to have to make that call again... it physically hurt when I walked away from her room."

"I understand that it was not done lightly Mr Wainwright but it should not have been done, if Isabella where not willing to give you her blood then that should be it and the emergency plan would have had to be abandoned, it is not right to deceive her like that!"
The Verbena exclaimed angrily.

He nodded and fished out his apartment key, "Oh, by the way... If you would swing by my apartment before you go and pick a rose for her from the bush, that would be good, I think - I'll trust your judgment in choosing the finest, but please be gentle with it. It might possibly be the last bush of Helen Cushing in the world, and almost certainly the only one in America. Perhaps, one day, I can get help in planting more of it, but so far, I've only managed to keep it alive and blooming for nearly thirty years... its natural lifespan might be coming to a close soon..."

Kristina hesitated then she accepted the key and nodded.
"I will do so Mr Wainwright and I will be most gentle with your rose bush, I can check it's health as well when I am there if you wish, to see if it is healthy."
The Verbena said.
"And I will make sure Isabella gets the rose, where would you want me to put your keys once I am done in case I do not see you again before I leave, for really all I have planned is to visit my relatives an then go home once someone else have been found to take care of the vampires."

Adley:

'Thank you. He went on an errand but he may be back by now. I do hope.

Amadeus just nodded at that.

He nodded to Cita as she came in then made the sign for 'OK' when she talked about checking up on the others. He dug out the frame to write her a note on it. 'If it is not trouble, I would ask for an evaluation of my spirit as well when you have completed their checkups. I've had a number of strange occurrences including a brief foray into quietus, plus the lodger and have been hurt due to using heartsblood rote. The master is preparing a tea for pain but I would like to make sure there are no accidental interactions.'

Cita read what you had written and she sat down on the floor and opened her computer.
"As you wish Adley and it is probably easier if I scan you first since you probably have places to be and my two patients here is staying put and I am only routinely keeping an eye on them."
She said then she added.
"Hum...I do not know much about the hearth's blood rote but from what I understand it should not affect your Avatar a Quiet though do I will have a look, with your permission then."
She said her voice soft so she would not disturb Beatrice and Tobias.
"Again this will not hurt but it might...make your Avatar annoyed, they usually do not enjoy being looked at."
She said an she waited for your permission before she started typing on her computer looking rather focused. You felt the fire angle shifting in your soul she did not enjoy being looked at or being interacted with by others than you, there where no pain or discomfort through just a wave of irritation. After a while Cita turned her computer so you could see all the mass of information on the screen, not that it said much to you.
"Your Avatar is in perfect condition other than the Umbrood shard piercing it, I can see there have been a Paradox backlash but it is fairly clean of that now. The shard is stressed but it is slowly healing, there do not appear to be anything wrong."
The Spirit Healer said.
"I still recommend you choosing a simple, energy based ritual or rote that do not carry much risk of Paradox and do it regularly, that will soothe the discomfort from the shard."
She said then she asked.
"Is there any pain from it? The shard I mean?"
There was that constant ache of course though it was less here in the Node but there where not allot of pain.
"Also the small sliver you donated to let me suture Bee's soul back together have healed well. I would give your Avatar a clean bill of health Adley, well other than the Umbrood shard that is."

[Nicole Bouchard]

Serge's Post:

There was nothing apparently special-looking about the pistol; just a solid metal affair which gave the impression of being rather well-used. Perhaps by Nicole herself, judging from the rather lazy manner to which she checked it.

'Wait... more than two bowls if it's for the guards too.'

Anja's Post:

Nicole looked at this note for a moment, but didn't say anything.

[Her syntax can be a little... odd at times. So it is possible for another to misunderstand occasionally, especially if the other PC wasn't paying too much attention].

[Time for a new thread, great one?]

[Jeremy Silverstein]

There was nothing apparently special-looking about the pistol; just a solid metal affair which gave the impression of being rather well-used. Perhaps by Nicole herself, judging from the rather lazy manner to which she checked it.

'Wait... more than two bowls if it's for the guards too.'

Serge nodded in agreement. "Right. It looks like the Deaconess left out some things for us."

"Sooo....where'd you learn how to fire a gun?" Serge asked curiously noticing how well-used Nicole's pistol was.

The Deaconess had laid out a neat stack of porcelain bowls next to the stove ready to be used. You found spoons in one of the drawers that contained various eating utensils and a note that said:
"To whoever used one of the forks as a make shift wand, if you are going to do that again clear the bloody Resonance of it and wash it before you put it back in the drawer!"

"Fuck, I really wanna know the story behind this!" Serge said with a smile as he read the note. "What would you even use a fork-wand for? To cast menacing spaghetti related spells?"

In a better mood after reading the note, Serge took note of all the Deaconess had left them. He placed the spoons neatly on top of the porcelain bowls and then carried the entire stack ready to carry it down into the basement.

"I think this is enough bowls and spoons. Now all we need is the actual pot of soup." Serge said glancing at the giant pot of soup that the Deaconess had left them.

[Nicole Bouchard]

Serge's Post:

'From what is politely called "a misspent youth".' Nicole replied, a slightly sarcastic tone on the quote.

Serge's Post:

'Don't ask me; I don't do magic, me.' she said, looking around the kitchen. 'Easier if we use a tray, and dig out a smaller pot for the soup.'

[Warpmind]

"Yeah but a little, silver animated sandworm is not as impressive as a full size one...it would be cute to have running around in a flower pot of dirt though."
Freddy said and grinned.

Colin chuckled, "I said to scale, I did not say to which scale. One to a hundred it a pretty small scale, but it should still be big enough to ride. Hum, might want to wait with that until we move to Horizon, though..."

"Hum...so that is what you showed him...shit poor guy but whatever works I guess."
Kristina said and her eyes widened a bit.

He frowned and nodded, "Whatever works, indeed..."

"I am not so sure it is a comfortable though that someone Gilgulled can become parts of a shard cluster if you will excuse me for saying so Mr Wainwright, it do not make it less horrible."

He smiled thinly, "It is a miniscule softening of the horror, not something to make it actually comfortable. Like a few drops of aloe on a burn that covers the entire back; it's not really so much you'll notice it, but it's there..."

Kristina looked like she was considering it, like she was really considering it then finally she sigh.
"I do not hit someone just standing there and not defending themselves..."
She said.
"If you where Verbena I would have challenged you to a duel with daggers."

He nodded, "Not to the death, I hope - I expect you would win all too easily; all I have going for me as such is a set of fairly good reflexes. I really should get some better hand to hand training..."

"The question is if the lesser evil is always the right path to walk if it stains one's soul to do so."
Kristina challenged.
"But yes I understand that what you did was...necessary, I understand that but I am still angry Mr Wainwright, you have hurt my friend and you could have hurt her far worse."
The Verbena muttered and shook her head.

He shook his head, "The lesser evil is never the right path to walk if there is a non-evil path available... In this case, that path revealed itself only after I'd taken the first steps. That allowed me to get on the... well, neutral path instead, though the first few steps already left its stains..."

Kristina's eyes widened again.
"You held her while...the ritual was attempted...poor Miss Alexander, no I understand that those shards must be safeguarded until they can be returned where they belong."
She said then she asked.
"How are Miss Alexander doing Mr Wainwright I have been concerned about her, she is my relative after all."

He nodded, "I believe she is well... under the circumstances. We've tried getting er some analgesics for the soul; I'm not sure how good the progress with that is, but she is... trying to cope. Getting her shards back can hopefully be done without any further discomfort, but we need to prepare her, calm her down a little before we can try. I think she might appreciate a visit, though..."

"I will make a point to go and visit Miss Carlyle while she is our captive, I have no illusions that it will help her but she deserve a bit of kindness and sympathy before the end."
Kristina said then she looked horrified.
"Her Avatar knew what it had become then...how...sad..."
She exclaimed.

He nodded, "I think they will appreciate that - both Miss Carlyle and her Avatar. The poor thing knew what it had lost, but it could not abandon her - the spirit it had been fused with gave it a clarity of purpose in defending her, a purpose it could not change..."

"I understand that it was not done lightly Mr Wainwright but it should not have been done, if Isabella where not willing to give you her blood then that should be it and the emergency plan would have had to be abandoned, it is not right to deceive her like that!"
The Verbena exclaimed angrily.

He frowned, "If I had not been able to procure that blood so quickly, it is most likely that we would have had to either abandon the assault on the Labyrinth, or we could have lost everyone... and I don't know if the Jade Demon himself could have made a difference. As I said, the alternative only presented itself later... That still doesn't make it right, only a necessary act in the face of desperation..."

Kristina hesitated then she accepted the key and nodded.
"I will do so Mr Wainwright and I will be most gentle with your rose bush, I can check it's health as well when I am there if you wish, to see if it is healthy."
The Verbena said.
"And I will make sure Isabella gets the rose, where would you want me to put your keys once I am done in case I do not see you again before I leave, for really all I have planned is to visit my relatives an then go home once someone else have been found to take care of the vampires."

He nodded, "There should be someone on guard in the hallway - pass it to them, or deliver it to Chief Morgan or Master Narim; either ought to get it back into my hands soon enough. Oh, and mind Jareth - he's frightfully clever, and might be up to a little mischief, but he's a kind soul. Ah, he's an owl, one of Mr. Ackerman's children. And yes, giving the rosebush a quick examination would be appreciated."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

'From what is politely called "a misspent youth".' Nicole replied, a slightly sarcastic tone on the quote.

"I'm sensing a story here." Serge said.

"Back in the basement I remember you saying that you weren't raised on the streets, which was my original guess. So what did happen in your youth that you needed to learn to fire guns?" Serge asked carefully realizing that he might be asking too much information.

'Don't ask me; I don't do magic, me.' she said, looking around the kitchen. 'Easier if we use a tray, and dig out a smaller pot for the soup.'

"Good idea." Serge said looking around the kitchen for a tray to place the bowls into.

[Nicole Bouchard]

'All depends on what you call "raised on the streets", it does.' Nicole replied, absent-mindedly scratching herself as she looked around to see if she could find a tray or something.

[Adley]

Cita read what you had written and she sat down on the floor and opened her computer. "As you wish Adley and it is probably easier if I scan you first since you probably have places to be and my two patients here is staying put and I am only routinely keeping an eye on them."

'I am here for about ten minutes while the medicine is being prepared and then it needs to be finished up. If you could type the more intimate details on your machine or write them on my board I would appreciate it. There is a spirit here and some of this is private, even if it is not meant to intrude. Thank you. I do not wish to keep you from your patients.'

"Again this will not hurt but it might...make your Avatar annoyed, they usually do not enjoy being looked at." She said an she waited for your permission

He nodded, then sent a feeling towards his avatar to try to let her do her work, so they could know how they were doing and take care of themselves as best they could. The pang of annoyance was acknowledged - it was understandable, he didn't exactly like how many times his avatar (or those of people he cared about) had been accosted lately, but he had no other way to know objectively what was going on in his internal microcosmos.

"Is there any pain from it? The shard I mean?" There was that constant ache of course though it was less here in the Node but there where not allot of pain.
"Also the small sliver you donated to let me suture Bee's soul back together have healed well. I would give your Avatar a clean bill of health Adley, well other than the Umbrood shard that is."

He looked relived and replied back on his board: 'Not much pain, an ache that I've come to know as its presence. The other pain I feel is much worse though so it may be why it is less notable. I have been in time bubbles and I know you said the shard will need to come out at a certain point when it can survive. I am glad to know that nothing worse has come to us and glad that my sister's avatar has taken to that and healed. I am very grateful for all your care. The rote you put onto my phone was extremely handy. I believe I have a few uses left.'

// we've been hitting 30 pages for a new thread unless that's changed (it used to be 50 but the site upped the posts per page, so 50 was 30)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Nicole and Serge:

There was a stack of plastic serving trays on top of the refrigerator.

Colin:

Colin chuckled, "I said to scale, I did not say to which scale. One to a hundred it a pretty small scale, but it should still be big enough to ride. Hum, might want to wait with that until we move to Horizon, though..."

"Yeah that sounds like it would be rather Paradoxical to do on earth yes."
Freddy said and grinned.
"I still think a full size one would be better though, now that is traveling in style."

He frowned and nodded, "Whatever works, indeed..."

Kristina nodded darkly at that.

He smiled thinly, "It is a miniscule softening of the horror, not something to make it actually comfortable. Like a few drops of aloe on a burn that covers the entire back; it's not really so much you'll notice it, but it's there..."

"I guess that is one way to look at it Mr Wainwright."
Kristina said but she did not sound convinced.

He nodded, "Not to the death, I hope - I expect you would win all too easily; all I have going for me as such is a set of fairly good reflexes. I really should get some better hand to hand training..."

"We very seldom duel to the death, usually it is until a certain number of cuts have been made on the opponent or until one of the parties yield or is put dead to right, off course in a knife fight things can happen but we generally try to avoid outright lethal attacks. That being said I would find no justice of Isabella in a duel to easily won."
The Verbena said and frowned.

He shook his head, "The lesser evil is never the right path to walk if there is a non-evil path available... In this case, that path revealed itself only after I'd taken the first steps. That allowed me to get on the... well, neutral path instead, though the first few steps already left its stains..."

"Isabella should still have been told what you wanted her bloo for and not be kept in the dark."
Kristina protested.

He nodded, "I believe she is well... under the circumstances. We've tried getting er some analgesics for the soul; I'm not sure how good the progress with that is, but she is... trying to cope. Getting her shards back can hopefully be done without any further discomfort, but we need to prepare her, calm her down a little before we can try. I think she might appreciate a visit, though..."

"She must be terrified after what happened poor thing. But it is good that some relief is found for the pain, when my Avatar was...operated on the pain was...bad."
Kristina muttered and shuddered at the memory.
"Will she be given some kind of therapy for the trauma she have been through?"

He nodded, "I think they will appreciate that - both Miss Carlyle and her Avatar. The poor thing knew what it had lost, but it could not abandon her - the spirit it had been fused with gave it a clarity of purpose in defending her, a purpose it could not change..."

"I will try to visit and see if there is anything I can do for them, it will not be much but perhaps they want some kind of food or comfort I can offer, at least they can have some kindness before they are sent to Horizon, for I fear they will find very little of it there."
The Druidess said and frowned.

He frowned, "If I had not been able to procure that blood so quickly, it is most likely that we would have had to either abandon the assault on the Labyrinth, or we could have lost everyone... and I don't know if the Jade Demon himself could have made a difference. As I said, the alternative only presented itself later... That still doesn't make it right, only a necessary act in the face of desperation..."

"I do see your point in this Mr Wainwright but it is still wrong in every way, but if the blood was that needed and I can understand that it was against an Avatar able to act outside of the host...I guess deception was better than trying to force it from Isabella or from the traumatized Nosferatu girl in the basement or the poor Tremere we rescued but even so I do not like it!"
Kristina said and she scowled at you.

He nodded, "There should be someone on guard in the hallway - pass it to them, or deliver it to Chief Morgan or Master Narim; either ought to get it back into my hands soon enough.

"Very well I will do so."

Oh, and mind Jareth - he's frightfully clever, and might be up to a little mischief, but he's a kind soul. Ah, he's an owl, one of Mr. Ackerman's children. And yes, giving the rosebush a quick examination would be appreciated."

"I am afraid I am not sure who Mr Ackerman is but an owl...hum interesting I will mind him and also examine your rose bush and check it's health."
Kristina promised and she smiled a little at that.

Adley:

'I am here for about ten minutes while the medicine is being prepared and then it needs to be finished up. If you could type the more intimate details on your machine or write them on my board I would appreciate it. There is a spirit here and some of this is private, even if it is not meant to intrude. Thank you. I do not wish to keep you from your patients.'

"Very well I will write up my findings on my computer I have noticed the spirit that watch over Beatrice."
Cita agreed.
"A most fine and noble spirit and I agree that anything to do with Avatars are private so rest assure I do what I can to keep my patients confidentiality and privacy safe, and you are not keeping me for my patients, I have a few minutes as they are not in critical condition anymore though they require regular monitoring."

He nodded, then sent a feeling towards his avatar to try to let her do her work, so they could know how they were doing and take care of themselves as best they could. The pang of annoyance was acknowledged - it was understandable, he didn't exactly like how many times his avatar (or those of people he cared about) had been accosted lately, but he had no other way to know objectively what was going on in his internal microcosmos.

Your Avatar accepted the examination in an dignified manner though you could feel she was not happy about it, oh no she was not happy at all, she only wanted to interact with the manifested world though you it felt wrong for her for anyone else to see her as anything but a part of your being.

He looked relived and replied back on his board: 'Not much pain, an ache that I've come to know as its presence. The other pain I feel is much worse though so it may be why it is less notable.

"A lac in vital energies do cause pain but it is not related to your soul it is related to your life patterns, you have drawn on them not the core Quintessence of your Avatar."
Cita explained and she typed up all she was saying about your Avatar in a word document and showed you rather than speaking.

I have been in time bubbles and I know you said the shard will need to come out at a certain point when it can survive. I am glad to know that nothing worse has come to us and glad that my sister's avatar has taken to that and healed. I am very grateful for all your care. The rote you put onto my phone was extremely handy. I believe I have a few uses left.'

"The Umbrood shard will have to come out yes but I suspect that will take a few months until it is strong enough to survive you are fine for now, and your Avatar is strong and noble and she is very beautiful if you do not mind me saying so."
Cita typed up.
"It is a strange thing though, I have never seen transplanted Ephemera be accepted the way it have with Beatrice, and if Mr Wainwright is carrying shard of her Avatar with him we might be able to cut down her healing time from years, to months, after that though she will need therapy and allot of it, poor child after what she have been through."
She typed up.
"I am glad to help and I am happy the rote was useful, let me know if I can do anything else."

(OOC: Yes we will keep the threads going for 30 pages and then make a new one.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

'All depends on what you call "raised on the streets", it does.' Nicole replied, absent-mindedly scratching herself as she looked around to see if she could find a tray or something.

"You know...raised on the dark gritty streets. The streets were your home, the dark alleyways your bed, and the rats were your only company. Abandoned and left to fend for yourself you didn't trust anybody. You eventually turned to stealing food just to survive. Sometimes giving your spoils to the local homeless kids because you had a heart of gold. Eventually you stole from the wrong people...but instead of shanking you, they took notice of your skills and moxie and decided to bring you into their little 'family'. And that's when your gang life began...." Serge said, clearly just listing off common 'tragic past' tv tropes as he continued to search the kitchen.  

There was a stack of plastic serving trays on top of the refrigerator.

"Their we go!" Serge said as he found the trays. He took them down and began to place the bowls and spoons neatly on top of them.

[Nicole Bouchard]

Nicole considered this for a moment before replying. 'Few people are raised on the streets. At least here. Though the way some group homes are like the streets might be better. And my home town as too small to actually have any gangs. But have shared apartments with rats.' adding the last bit as an afterthought.

'Their seemingly-impossible task complete, the group retired from their tiring adventures.' she quipped in an melodramatic tone on finding the trays.

[Have no idea why I got '20' and '30' confused... *shakes head*]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

There was about ten trays on top of the refrigerator so there was enough. The pot of soup where rather big but it was possible to carry it down a set of stairs.

(OOC: Before I was taken to the hospital I suddenly forgot how to use toilet paper, I sat on the loo I looked at the roll and knew what it was but I had forgotten how to use it had had to have my husband explain it to me, slowly, so I will forgive getting 20 and 30 mixed up. )

[Adley]

Very well I will write up my findings on my computer I have noticed the spirit that watch over Beatrice." Cita agreed. "A most fine and noble spirit and I agree that anything to do with Avatars are private so rest assure I do what I can to keep my patients confidentiality and privacy safe, and you are not keeping me for my patients, I have a few minutes as they are not in critical condition anymore though they require regular monitoring."

He made the sign for thank you. He was glad that at least they were not considered critical any longer, that was definitely an improvement.

"A lac in vital energies do cause pain but it is not related to your soul it is related to your life patterns, you have drawn on them not the core Quintessence of your Avatar." Cita explained

He nodded to show her he understood. He knew the quintessence had come from his physical body - but with all the strange things that had happened he was glad to make sure that nothing unexpected had occurred.

"The Umbrood shard will have to come out yes but I suspect that will take a few months until it is strong enough to survive you are fine for now, and your Avatar is strong and noble and she is very beautiful if you do not mind me saying so." Cita typed up. "It is a strange thing though, I have never seen transplanted Ephemera be accepted the way it have with Beatrice, and if Mr Wainwright is carrying shard of her Avatar with him we might be able to cut down her healing time from years, to months, after that though she will need therapy and allot of it, poor child after what she have been through." She typed up. "I am glad to help and I am happy the rote was useful, let me know if I can do anything else."

He smiled a little at Cita's comment about his avatar. Of course, to his eyes what she saw were a lot of numbers and maybe some kind of graph, as it had been with Tobias's, all sorts of code that Cita saw but he understood his avatar in his own way and agreed she was indeed beautiful and strong. He wasn't quite ready to go into detail about why Beatrice had taken to the ephemera though - not unless it became important for her to find out, for now. 'My avatar is a little irritated over being looked upon but yes she is all those qualities and more; I am relieved to know that her condition has not worsened. I am glad to hear that my cabalmate's prognosis has improved so much. There is not anything more, other than to thank you again. Please do not let me keep you from the others.' He showed her the tablet and then cleaned it up, waiting for Master Nassa to return. Whatever time he had, he spent meditating if he could manage it despite the pain, trying to let all the things that they'd discovered try to form into something cohesive.

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

He made the sign for thank you. He was glad that at least they were not considered critical any longer, that was definitely an improvement.

Cita smiled at that and just nodded.

He smiled a little at Cita's comment about his avatar. Of course, to his eyes what she saw were a lot of numbers and maybe some kind of graph, as it had been with Tobias's, all sorts of code that Cita saw but he understood his avatar in his own way and agreed she was indeed beautiful and strong. He wasn't quite ready to go into detail about why Beatrice had taken to the ephemera though - not unless it became important for her to find out, for now.

The Virtual Adept Spirit Master did not inquire further though she did look rather curious she let you keep your secrets and your privacy though and just looked back down to her computer screen.

'My avatar is a little irritated over being looked upon but yes she is all those qualities and more; I am relieved to know that her condition has not worsened.

"Off course she is, she is not meant to interact with others than you, not as long as she is you or at least not unless there are some very special circumstances in play, but yes she is healthy and strong so there is no need to worry Adley."
Cita wrote on her computer and showed you.

I am glad to hear that my cabalmate's prognosis has improved so much. There is not anything more, other than to thank you again. Please do not let me keep you from the others.' He showed her the tablet and then cleaned it up, waiting for Master Nassa to return. Whatever time he had, he spent meditating if he could manage it despite the pain, trying to let all the things that they'd discovered try to form into something cohesive.

"I to are pleased with Beatrice's progress it was a close call."
Cita said then she nodded and turned towards Tobias and started tapping at the keys of her computer again, you meditated for a while, the only thing you could hear being the soft tapping of the Spirit Healer's keyboard and at times whimpers from her patients. Beatrice moaned in her sleep and begged.
"No...please...don't...don't do it!"
As she twisted in a nightmare but as Cita gently stroked her hair she settled down again and went back to sleep.

Amadeus returned after about ten minutes and he tossed a linen bag of herbs over to you and a pack of sealed in package needles.
"Here...have she been calm while I have been away?"
He asked and gave Beatrice a concerned look.

[Warpmind]

"Yeah that sounds like it would be rather Paradoxical to do on earth yes."
Freddy said and grinned.
"I still think a full size one would be better though, now that is traveling in style."

Colin sighed, "Yes... yes it would be. Patience."

"We very seldom duel to the death, usually it is until a certain number of cuts have been made on the opponent or until one of the parties yield or is put dead to right, off course in a knife fight things can happen but we generally try to avoid outright lethal attacks. That being said I would find no justice of Isabella in a duel to easily won."
The Verbena said and frowned.

He nodded, "Well, if it were an actual duel, I would at least offer resistance, if nothing else then as a matter of principle - throwing a fight is inexcusable, a formal duel even more so."

"Isabella should still have been told what you wanted her bloo for and not be kept in the dark."
Kristina protested.

He nodded thoughtfully.

"She must be terrified after what happened poor thing. But it is good that some relief is found for the pain, when my Avatar was...operated on the pain was...bad."
Kristina muttered and shuddered at the memory.
"Will she be given some kind of therapy for the trauma she have been through?"

He smiled thinly, "She will, and she'll be strong enough to travel within a couple of months, though she'll be physically frail for a while. She'll be ready to fight by New Year's, I expect..."

"I will try to visit and see if there is anything I can do for them, it will not be much but perhaps they want some kind of food or comfort I can offer, at least they can have some kindness before they are sent to Horizon, for I fear they will find very little of it there."
The Druidess said and frowned.

He nodded, "She really didn't deserve what's happened to her... Not at all..."

"I do see your point in this Mr Wainwright but it is still wrong in every way, but if the blood was that needed and I can understand that it was against an Avatar able to act outside of the host...I guess deception was better than trying to force it from Isabella or from the traumatized Nosferatu girl in the basement or the poor Tremere we rescued but even so I do not like it!"
Kristina said and she scowled at you.

He nodded, "True, it was still wrong. And no, I do not like it. But all the same, I deemed it necessary to save lives, and I went through with it, and I am taking responsibility for that, whatever Chief Joakim might want to say about the matter. The less said, though..."

"I am afraid I am not sure who Mr Ackerman is but an owl...hum interesting I will mind him and also examine your rose bush and check it's health."
Kristina promised and she smiled a little at that.

He grinned, "He is a Traditionmate of yours, a Covenmate of Beatrice's - looks a bit owlish. I think he said something about... Beorn? Something sounding like that?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin sighed, "Yes... yes it would be. Patience."

Freddy gave a mock sigh.
"Well I guess I am going to have to be patient then love..."
She said and giggled, Richard glanced at the two of you and raised an eyebrow.
"Is it now I should point and call out nerds?"
He said and he sounded quite amused.

He nodded, "Well, if it were an actual duel, I would at least offer resistance, if nothing else then as a matter of principle - throwing a fight is inexcusable, a formal duel even more so."

"A duel should be a fair fight or it have little value."
Kristina said.
"But if you can handle yourself in hand to hand combat I would rather challenge you to one than give into my anger and hit you."

He smiled thinly, "She will, and she'll be strong enough to travel within a couple of months, though she'll be physically frail for a while. She'll be ready to fight by New Year's, I expect..."

"It is good to hear that my relative's recovery is expected to be reasonably speedy."
The Druidess said and nodded.

He nodded, "She really didn't deserve what's happened to her... Not at all..."

"No she did not deserve it, she might be a widderslainte but she is also a sweet natured kid, her actions rather than accident of birth should judge her even if many of her kind are little monsters."
Kristina agreed.

He nodded, "True, it was still wrong. And no, I do not like it. But all the same, I deemed it necessary to save lives, and I went through with it, and I am taking responsibility for that, whatever Chief Joakim might want to say about the matter. The less said, though..."

"I am not so sure I would want to burden Chief Joakim with this discussion he have a somewhat strained relationship with vampires though I do not know the reason, but now what you did was not right Mr Wainwright though I can buy that it was necessary."

He grinned, "He is a Traditionmate of yours, a Covenmate of Beatrice's - looks a bit owlish. I think he said something about... Beorn? Something sounding like that?"

"Ah House Bjørnar our shapeshifters, I have good relations with them given my background and my abilities, I see the owl friend of your might be one of Mr Ackermann's relatives then?"
Kristina asked and she raised an eyebrow.

(OOC: I went to a thought field therapist today now that would be an interesting Paradigm for Mind.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

Nicole considered this for a moment before replying. 'Few people are raised on the streets. At least here. Though the way some group homes are like the streets might be better. And my home town as too small to actually have any gangs. But have shared apartments with rats.' adding the last bit as an afterthought.

"Your home town was small? How small? Was it one of those towns where everyone knew everyone? You frowned upon outsiders? Town gossip ran rampant and everyone had their own little secrets?" Serge said, this time listing off common small town stereotypes.  

'Their seemingly-impossible task complete, the group retired from their tiring adventures.' she quipped in an melodramatic tone on finding the trays.

"Ahhh but the heroes had no time to rest. For their adventure had only just begun and their task was not yet complete." Serge responded humorously, carrying a couple of trays on top of which he had placed the pots and spoons.

There was about ten trays on top of the refrigerator so there was enough. The pot of soup where rather big but it was possible to carry it down a set of stairs.

"That's a pretty big pot. Hey, you think you can carry that pot on your own? You look strong." Serge asked.

(OOC: Just read about it and it sounds really fun for the Akashic Brotherhood. Tapping specialized meridian/chi points to cause your target to feel a certain way. )

[Warpmind]

Freddy gave a mock sigh.
"Well I guess I am going to have to be patient then love..."
She said and giggled, Richard glanced at the two of you and raised an eyebrow.
"Is it now I should point and call out nerds?"
He said and he sounded quite amused.

Colin grinned wryly, "I believe the accurate terms is 'geeks'; 'nerds' generally refers to those who get excited about scientific pursuits, as opposed to entertainment and fiction."

"A duel should be a fair fight or it have little value."
Kristina said.
"But if you can handle yourself in hand to hand combat I would rather challenge you to one than give into my anger and hit you."

He smiled wryly, "Give me a few months under Dr. Lee's tutelage, and I might at least require some effort to defeat. If you are still angry then, well... you know where to reach me."

"It is good to hear that my relative's recovery is expected to be reasonably speedy."
The Druidess said and nodded.

He nodded, "Oh, I was given a vision of the future - a couple of months in the future or so. She was still a little weak, but more than ready to help comfort someone in the Verbena clinic on Horizon."

"No she did not deserve it, she might be a widderslainte but she is also a sweet natured kid, her actions rather than accident of birth should judge her even if many of her kind are little monsters."
Kristina agreed.

He arched an eyebrow, "Hum? Miss Carlyle is not a widderslainte... Unfortunately, she was not in a sound state of mind when she made her tragic life choices, but I'm afraid she will be judged for her actions rather than the circumstances which were heaped upon her..."

"I am not so sure I would want to burden Chief Joakim with this discussion he have a somewhat strained relationship with vampires though I do not know the reason, but now what you did was not right Mr Wainwright though I can buy that it was necessary."

He nodded, "I know all about his relationship with vampires... I would not have acted without his permission - but even so, we should not leave any of the responsibility with him. The idea, and the culpability that goes with it, was all mine."

"Ah House Bjørnar our shapeshifters, I have good relations with them given my background and my abilities, I see the owl friend of your might be one of Mr Ackermann's relatives then?"
Kristina asked and she raised an eyebrow.

He nodded and grinned, "His son, as I understand it. There's a lot of the father's intellect in the little fellow, though he's a bit too aware of how adorable he is, and how much mischief he can get away with."

((OOC: TFT could be fun with a Cultist, too. Say, a drummer in a metal band? So many drumstick bruises... ))

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

Colin grinned wryly, "I believe the accurate terms is 'geeks'; 'nerds' generally refers to those who get excited about scientific pursuits, as opposed to entertainment and fiction."

"Ah I see well forgive me for choosing the wrong term then."
Richard said and grinned while Freddy giggled.
"Ah yes we are geeks alright and we love it."
The Virtual Adept commented before she hugged you again.

He smiled wryly, "Give me a few months under Dr. Lee's tutelage, and I might at least require some effort to defeat. If you are still angry then, well... you know where to reach me."

"I can make that deal, a duel for Isabella's honor once you have had some time to learn under what did you call him Dr Lee? He was one of the group that went to Morningstar right? Well in either case I can agree to a duel in a few months."
Kristina said as she regarded you.

He nodded, "Oh, I was given a vision of the future - a couple of months in the future or so. She was still a little weak, but more than ready to help comfort someone in the Verbena clinic on Horizon."

"That is good to hear, do you often have visions of the future Mr Wainwright? Do they usually prove to be right?"
Kristina asked and she raised an eyebrow.

He arched an eyebrow, "Hum? Miss Carlyle is not a widderslainte... Unfortunately, she was not in a sound state of mind when she made her tragic life choices, but I'm afraid she will be judged for her actions rather than the circumstances which were heaped upon her..."

"While I agree that Miss Carlyle should be given some consideration in court due to the circumstances of her Fall I was however referring to Miss Alexander who I was told is a widderslainte as shocking as those news might be and her nature as a widderslainte is why the Traditions tried to Gilgul her."
The Verbena said and she raised an eyebrow.

He nodded, "I know all about his relationship with vampires... I would not have acted without his permission - but even so, we should not leave any of the responsibility with him. The idea, and the culpability that goes with it, was all mine."

Kristina just nodded at that, she looked quite angry still but she agreed not to blame Chief Joakim for your deception towards Isabella.

He nodded and grinned, "His son, as I understand it. There's a lot of the father's intellect in the little fellow, though he's a bit too aware of how adorable he is, and how much mischief he can get away with."

"He do sound adorable and yes the animal offspring of magi with heart beasts tend to be unusually intelligent so that do not surprise me, I know the Lady Quey have been trying to get a member of Mr Acherman's House to grant her one of his offspring as a steed for years such animals can be most remarkable."
The Druidess said and smiled.
"I am sure I will get along with what did you call him Jerath? And yes I am sure he knows how adorable he is."

(OOC: Both those approaches works It was surprisingly effective though. From being terrified of all needles after what happened I can now use yarn needles again and the whole situation feels a little less horrible after one treatment.)

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