Chapter 2
Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 2
Julian Cole paced the hallways as he waited for his friend to come out of the meeting. A glance to the door told him he might be in for a long wait. Darion had been in that room for 3 hours and these types of meetings usually took 3-5 hours. The Ventrue clan, in his opinion, was only good at few things, money, politics, and leadership being the main. But they were natural leaders and most of them were changed of noble birth or decent, and their clan currently held the Prince seat over the council within the city. The council was a group of elders, one from each of the 13 clans. They met together once a month to discuss matters of Kindred or vampire society within the city, business, and the Masquerade. The city being a fairly dark city didn’t have a full council, but that didn’t stop them from meeting with the Prince and her coterie of officers. The Prince ruled the city, as the head of the council and had a set of officers that did her work for her. Chosen individuals that were only restricted by who they answered to. They were the ultimate defense for kindred in the city, and also considered her enforcers for keeping the law.
Julian ran a hand through his brown hair and looked in the mirror. A young man faced him; soft green eyes with a healthy looking face, light brown hair that was just past his ears gave him the look of a worldly person. His cloths were expensive and colorful, as was the fashion and he checked his teeth making sure they were perfect. Vanity being his flaw in life. His look moved from himself to the frame feeling it gently. While Darion collected art, Julian was the primary critic on art. Julian was of the Toreador clan and his passion was the concept and creation of that art. His clan was noted for being artisans and musicians, keeping the humans of the city entertained so they would not know or try to look for vampires, thus protecting the masquerade. Living with an estranged vampire, like Darion, made the passion of Darion’s collection a thing Julian often gave his every waking heart and soul into perfecting and maintaining. He scoffed now at the cheap imitation gold that framed the mirror and had a seat. “Nine elders in a room with a Prince who wants to kiss their ass.” Julian mumbled as he stared at the door.
Prince Delino was another one that Julian believed unfit to lead. A silly uneducated vixen that cared more about her ‘babies’ which were dogs, then her city. She was never seen in public unless it was a gathering. And even then, it was obvious that she was being puppeted by the Elders. The whole lot of them were a bunch of bureaucratic idiots with no real notion of what the streets were really like. Julian shook his head in disgust at the thought of her and the current council. Having been alive for over a hundred years, he had seen at least two different Primogen Councils and 3 different Princes on the throne, and this was by far the least caring he had ever seen. If she knew what Darion was asking for in that room, she’d probably laugh and send him out to his death, clan mate or not. Even his nobility of being the Primogen’s child, making him next in line for the Primogen seat wouldn’t have helped in pleading his case.
The elevator at the end of the hall broke his concentration and he rolled his eyes as green covered his vision. “Great, bad enough I have to wait for Romeo to come out of his monkey meeting; I have to sit with Poison Ivy as well.” Talama of clan Tremere was already headed towards him. Dressed head to toe in green, she stuck out like a sore thumb. No pun intended. “Be careful what you say Mr. Cole. Plants can always hear your grumbles and can turn them against you.” Julian grumbled noticing the only other chair in the room was next to him. With all the money that Ventrue made, they could afford something bigger then a two chair in the hallway waiting area. The only decoration was the cheap mirror on the wall and now Talama’s plants which clung to her like bugs to leaves. “Darn, and I left me weed be gone at home.” He grinned seeing her features harden. Talama was so much fun to pick on. She was scary in her wisdom, and skilled in her plants as befit the Elder’s Childe. Her green dress came down to her black boots and her green cloak had its hood up, letting ebony curls fall around her face, which was pale, and accented with glasses and brown eyes. Plants were pinned, or clipped all around her and her pouch at her side was just about to explode with who knows what she kept in there. “Mr. Cole, perhaps if someone was to give you such love and attention as a plant receives, then pick you from your safe little home and chop you up for food, I think you’d have a better appreciation for the flora of this planet.” Julian couldn’t resist as he crossed his fingers together and crossed his leg. “But I do know what that feels like my dear Talama; just ask the Giovanni, it’s how they feed, isn’t it?” Talama stuck her nose up and had a seat arms crossed. “That wasn’t meant as a joke.” Julian turned away. “Suit yourself.” She glared at him but kept her poise in her seat. “I don’t see why you’re here though, your Primogen should be aware of any issues you may have, and you’re of no noble embrace.” Julian looked at her putting on as fake a grin as he could. “I’m waiting for my disillusioned friend to come out of there so we can go to a nightclub and hopefully get so shit faced we decide to take a sunbath.” The malice he felt towards Talama dripping off his voice.
The door opened before Talama could respond and Darion stepped out backwards bowing to the people inside grinning as the door closed turning to see his friend and Talama. “My dear Ms. Talama, a pleasure to see you and your beautiful plants.” Talama smiled warmly to Darion and stood bowing her head. “Why thank you Darion, they do appreciate compliments.” He nodded and looked to Julian then Talama. “I daresay, the plants around my place might be in need of some therapy, if I could entreat you to stop by sometime?” She bowed her head again as Julian rolled his eyes. “Anything in the name of herbology Darion.” He clapped his hands together. “Wonderful, Julian, lets go, we need to stop by the Guilty Pleasures.” Julian was up in a heartbeat, anything to get away from the lady in green and followed Darion to the elevator as the door opened.
“Why do you humor her Darion, she only shows up so she can water those trees and bush that you call a garden and then frolics in the daisies under the moonlight, probably naked as a jay claiming it’s a ritual to keep the bugs away.” Julian talked as they stepped into the elevator not paying attention to the third occupant. Darion smirked looking at Julian and then the large ooze looking thing in a suit. “Mr. Theo, I trust you’re having a pleasant evening?” Julian shut his mouth immediately and looked intently at the doors. Theodore Thaddeus Stanislav Tomachevsky Spiluzowicz III aka Theo was a large Kindred of the Nosferatu clan. A clan of sewer dwellers and informants that could find any out any type of information, and sell it to the highest bidder, no matter who it was. He stood easily 7 and a half feet tall, but was dressed in a nice suit that was wet around the collar and wrists due to his oozing puss laden skin. He wore a dark long coat over his suit which seemed stiff, possibly from a weapon. He had a brimmed hat on which made him look larger because of the enclosed space. No hair poked from underneath and his eyes seemed like dark pits. It was very apparent from the smell that radiated from him that he had just come from downstairs via the sewer entrance and not the streets. Theo looked at Julian while answering Darion with a hint of a smile. “Quite.” He passed them on his way to the waiting area where Talama was standing to meet him. Darion nodded and quickly hit the button for the ground floor and waved to Theo as the elevator doors closed leaving them both to themselves. “Julian, you’re like a brother to me, but if you keep opening your mouth around Nosferatu about your personal feelings towards my allies, I’m not going to be very pleased, and you don’t want to upset the future Prince of the city do you?” Julian laughed watching the numbers count down and then stepping off at the ground floor and heading out the door. ”As if that crone would give up her throne to you.” Darion shrugged with a smirk as he stepped outside onto the sidewalk and leaned on the wall waiting for his car. “Just a thought, anyway I need to speak with someone about information at the Guilty Pleasures.” “So you do have permission to pursue this will worker? I honestly think that she’s long gone and you’re wasting your time now.” “I believe she is still out there and may need my help. I’ve been having weird dreams and…” He glanced around the street and saw Kenneth pull up in a Jaguar and held the door for Julian to get. “I’ll explain it in the car, there’s ears around this place now.” Julian climbed in, followed by Darion and the car started down the street.
“So, these weird dreams, spill.” Darion looked at him. “Since I met that girl, I’ve had one dream after another, after another. Before they were simply dreams. Mainly I saw myself walking through the park at night looking for food. I saw myself looking in the phone book for information as if trying to find something or someone, but recently, within the past three days, I’ve been having a dream where I’m locked in a cold dark room and for some reason, the room is cold, but I’m burning hot, and everything is pain.” Julian looked at Darion concerned. “Like torpor?” “No, I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think it’s me. I think….I think it’s the girl, she may be in trouble, and I can’t help her because I can’t find her.” Julian shook his head. “You’re falling in love, I can tell.” Darion looked at him and lit a cigarette. “Is that a bad thing?” “Yes, it’s a very bad thing. You are falling in love with a will worker. Let me count how many bad things this could lead to.” Darion looked out the window grinning as he drowned out Julian’s ranting with thought. ‘I know something’s wrong, hold on and I’ll find you. I promise.’ “Darion? Darion? Are you listening to what I said? A will worker and a vampire together could create a horrible thing that would be the end of us all. No one would allow that, you probably have permission to find her, so the council can either ghoul her and keep her for their own means, or kill her so that Ghenna doesn’t happen.” Darion shook his head, “Ghenna is a myth, only the loonies and Elders believe in that. I mean come on, the end of the world? Seriously, we’ve lived for hundreds of years and seen every major war, the great depression, well bailed the states out of the great depression, and every possible scenario that could lead to an apocalypse. If the will worker was going to be a sign of Ghenna, our kind would have wiped them all out centuries ago.” “It’s not like we haven’t tried Darion, Jack delights in telling people how the will workers and kindred had a battle so great, mortals wrote about it as angels and demons descending from heaven to fight one another, and I’ll let you guess who the demons were.” “Jack may not even be around anymore, the Nosferatu have had his childe on the council for the last 4 years. All they do is ferry messages from him; he’s more of a boogey man. Even others of his own clan will not talk about him without looking over their shoulder.” Julian sat back looking out the window. “Suit yourself Darion, but please be careful with all of this. I rather like my unlife right now and I’m not looking forward to the end of days.”
The Guilty Pleasures came into view, the bright lights outside the club and the muffled music with the long line of people waiting to get in. Darion waited for Kenneth to open the door before stepping out with Julian and quickly took a girl gently by the hand planting a kiss on it and holding her arm to escort her ahead of the line inside. It was going to be one of those crowded nights and Darion was on a mission to get inside as fast as possible. Both men were so absorbed in the crowd and lights; neither took notice a raggy dressed figure slip into the alley next to the club. Eyes almost glowing as it disappeared into the dark.
CHAPTER 2
Julian Cole paced the hallways as he waited for his friend to come out of the meeting. A glance to the door told him he might be in for a long wait. Darion had been in that room for 3 hours and these types of meetings usually took 3-5 hours. The Ventrue clan, in his opinion, was only good at few things, money, politics, and leadership being the main. But they were natural leaders and most of them were changed of noble birth or decent, and their clan currently held the Prince seat over the council within the city. The council was a group of elders, one from each of the 13 clans. They met together once a month to discuss matters of Kindred or vampire society within the city, business, and the Masquerade. The city being a fairly dark city didn’t have a full council, but that didn’t stop them from meeting with the Prince and her coterie of officers. The Prince ruled the city, as the head of the council and had a set of officers that did her work for her. Chosen individuals that were only restricted by who they answered to. They were the ultimate defense for kindred in the city, and also considered her enforcers for keeping the law.
Julian ran a hand through his brown hair and looked in the mirror. A young man faced him; soft green eyes with a healthy looking face, light brown hair that was just past his ears gave him the look of a worldly person. His cloths were expensive and colorful, as was the fashion and he checked his teeth making sure they were perfect. Vanity being his flaw in life. His look moved from himself to the frame feeling it gently. While Darion collected art, Julian was the primary critic on art. Julian was of the Toreador clan and his passion was the concept and creation of that art. His clan was noted for being artisans and musicians, keeping the humans of the city entertained so they would not know or try to look for vampires, thus protecting the masquerade. Living with an estranged vampire, like Darion, made the passion of Darion’s collection a thing Julian often gave his every waking heart and soul into perfecting and maintaining. He scoffed now at the cheap imitation gold that framed the mirror and had a seat. “Nine elders in a room with a Prince who wants to kiss their ass.” Julian mumbled as he stared at the door.
Prince Delino was another one that Julian believed unfit to lead. A silly uneducated vixen that cared more about her ‘babies’ which were dogs, then her city. She was never seen in public unless it was a gathering. And even then, it was obvious that she was being puppeted by the Elders. The whole lot of them were a bunch of bureaucratic idiots with no real notion of what the streets were really like. Julian shook his head in disgust at the thought of her and the current council. Having been alive for over a hundred years, he had seen at least two different Primogen Councils and 3 different Princes on the throne, and this was by far the least caring he had ever seen. If she knew what Darion was asking for in that room, she’d probably laugh and send him out to his death, clan mate or not. Even his nobility of being the Primogen’s child, making him next in line for the Primogen seat wouldn’t have helped in pleading his case.
The elevator at the end of the hall broke his concentration and he rolled his eyes as green covered his vision. “Great, bad enough I have to wait for Romeo to come out of his monkey meeting; I have to sit with Poison Ivy as well.” Talama of clan Tremere was already headed towards him. Dressed head to toe in green, she stuck out like a sore thumb. No pun intended. “Be careful what you say Mr. Cole. Plants can always hear your grumbles and can turn them against you.” Julian grumbled noticing the only other chair in the room was next to him. With all the money that Ventrue made, they could afford something bigger then a two chair in the hallway waiting area. The only decoration was the cheap mirror on the wall and now Talama’s plants which clung to her like bugs to leaves. “Darn, and I left me weed be gone at home.” He grinned seeing her features harden. Talama was so much fun to pick on. She was scary in her wisdom, and skilled in her plants as befit the Elder’s Childe. Her green dress came down to her black boots and her green cloak had its hood up, letting ebony curls fall around her face, which was pale, and accented with glasses and brown eyes. Plants were pinned, or clipped all around her and her pouch at her side was just about to explode with who knows what she kept in there. “Mr. Cole, perhaps if someone was to give you such love and attention as a plant receives, then pick you from your safe little home and chop you up for food, I think you’d have a better appreciation for the flora of this planet.” Julian couldn’t resist as he crossed his fingers together and crossed his leg. “But I do know what that feels like my dear Talama; just ask the Giovanni, it’s how they feed, isn’t it?” Talama stuck her nose up and had a seat arms crossed. “That wasn’t meant as a joke.” Julian turned away. “Suit yourself.” She glared at him but kept her poise in her seat. “I don’t see why you’re here though, your Primogen should be aware of any issues you may have, and you’re of no noble embrace.” Julian looked at her putting on as fake a grin as he could. “I’m waiting for my disillusioned friend to come out of there so we can go to a nightclub and hopefully get so shit faced we decide to take a sunbath.” The malice he felt towards Talama dripping off his voice.
The door opened before Talama could respond and Darion stepped out backwards bowing to the people inside grinning as the door closed turning to see his friend and Talama. “My dear Ms. Talama, a pleasure to see you and your beautiful plants.” Talama smiled warmly to Darion and stood bowing her head. “Why thank you Darion, they do appreciate compliments.” He nodded and looked to Julian then Talama. “I daresay, the plants around my place might be in need of some therapy, if I could entreat you to stop by sometime?” She bowed her head again as Julian rolled his eyes. “Anything in the name of herbology Darion.” He clapped his hands together. “Wonderful, Julian, lets go, we need to stop by the Guilty Pleasures.” Julian was up in a heartbeat, anything to get away from the lady in green and followed Darion to the elevator as the door opened.
“Why do you humor her Darion, she only shows up so she can water those trees and bush that you call a garden and then frolics in the daisies under the moonlight, probably naked as a jay claiming it’s a ritual to keep the bugs away.” Julian talked as they stepped into the elevator not paying attention to the third occupant. Darion smirked looking at Julian and then the large ooze looking thing in a suit. “Mr. Theo, I trust you’re having a pleasant evening?” Julian shut his mouth immediately and looked intently at the doors. Theodore Thaddeus Stanislav Tomachevsky Spiluzowicz III aka Theo was a large Kindred of the Nosferatu clan. A clan of sewer dwellers and informants that could find any out any type of information, and sell it to the highest bidder, no matter who it was. He stood easily 7 and a half feet tall, but was dressed in a nice suit that was wet around the collar and wrists due to his oozing puss laden skin. He wore a dark long coat over his suit which seemed stiff, possibly from a weapon. He had a brimmed hat on which made him look larger because of the enclosed space. No hair poked from underneath and his eyes seemed like dark pits. It was very apparent from the smell that radiated from him that he had just come from downstairs via the sewer entrance and not the streets. Theo looked at Julian while answering Darion with a hint of a smile. “Quite.” He passed them on his way to the waiting area where Talama was standing to meet him. Darion nodded and quickly hit the button for the ground floor and waved to Theo as the elevator doors closed leaving them both to themselves. “Julian, you’re like a brother to me, but if you keep opening your mouth around Nosferatu about your personal feelings towards my allies, I’m not going to be very pleased, and you don’t want to upset the future Prince of the city do you?” Julian laughed watching the numbers count down and then stepping off at the ground floor and heading out the door. ”As if that crone would give up her throne to you.” Darion shrugged with a smirk as he stepped outside onto the sidewalk and leaned on the wall waiting for his car. “Just a thought, anyway I need to speak with someone about information at the Guilty Pleasures.” “So you do have permission to pursue this will worker? I honestly think that she’s long gone and you’re wasting your time now.” “I believe she is still out there and may need my help. I’ve been having weird dreams and…” He glanced around the street and saw Kenneth pull up in a Jaguar and held the door for Julian to get. “I’ll explain it in the car, there’s ears around this place now.” Julian climbed in, followed by Darion and the car started down the street.
“So, these weird dreams, spill.” Darion looked at him. “Since I met that girl, I’ve had one dream after another, after another. Before they were simply dreams. Mainly I saw myself walking through the park at night looking for food. I saw myself looking in the phone book for information as if trying to find something or someone, but recently, within the past three days, I’ve been having a dream where I’m locked in a cold dark room and for some reason, the room is cold, but I’m burning hot, and everything is pain.” Julian looked at Darion concerned. “Like torpor?” “No, I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think it’s me. I think….I think it’s the girl, she may be in trouble, and I can’t help her because I can’t find her.” Julian shook his head. “You’re falling in love, I can tell.” Darion looked at him and lit a cigarette. “Is that a bad thing?” “Yes, it’s a very bad thing. You are falling in love with a will worker. Let me count how many bad things this could lead to.” Darion looked out the window grinning as he drowned out Julian’s ranting with thought. ‘I know something’s wrong, hold on and I’ll find you. I promise.’ “Darion? Darion? Are you listening to what I said? A will worker and a vampire together could create a horrible thing that would be the end of us all. No one would allow that, you probably have permission to find her, so the council can either ghoul her and keep her for their own means, or kill her so that Ghenna doesn’t happen.” Darion shook his head, “Ghenna is a myth, only the loonies and Elders believe in that. I mean come on, the end of the world? Seriously, we’ve lived for hundreds of years and seen every major war, the great depression, well bailed the states out of the great depression, and every possible scenario that could lead to an apocalypse. If the will worker was going to be a sign of Ghenna, our kind would have wiped them all out centuries ago.” “It’s not like we haven’t tried Darion, Jack delights in telling people how the will workers and kindred had a battle so great, mortals wrote about it as angels and demons descending from heaven to fight one another, and I’ll let you guess who the demons were.” “Jack may not even be around anymore, the Nosferatu have had his childe on the council for the last 4 years. All they do is ferry messages from him; he’s more of a boogey man. Even others of his own clan will not talk about him without looking over their shoulder.” Julian sat back looking out the window. “Suit yourself Darion, but please be careful with all of this. I rather like my unlife right now and I’m not looking forward to the end of days.”
The Guilty Pleasures came into view, the bright lights outside the club and the muffled music with the long line of people waiting to get in. Darion waited for Kenneth to open the door before stepping out with Julian and quickly took a girl gently by the hand planting a kiss on it and holding her arm to escort her ahead of the line inside. It was going to be one of those crowded nights and Darion was on a mission to get inside as fast as possible. Both men were so absorbed in the crowd and lights; neither took notice a raggy dressed figure slip into the alley next to the club. Eyes almost glowing as it disappeared into the dark.