This city has a vampire mafia now.

[camarillaprince]

Characters: camarillaprince and vatheon who wants to walk into a newly arrived, wet, v. displeased vampire.
Location: Plaza
Time: Night; some time between sunset and midnight.
Style: Any!
Status: OPEN

[ooc: Pretty much directly continuing from his app-sample! Anybody welcome to tag themselves in, in any style you want! o> I'll continue in your style, then. Just making

Comments

[camarillaprince]

There was something odd in the way this man behaved, and in his words, something that penetrated even the anger still tearing on LaCroix' rational mind. There was some sort of intent, even if its direction wasn't clear, and that actually made LaCroix stop and his anger subside a little, to replace it with a certain curiosity, and perhaps unjustified wariness.

"Yes, I am obviously new, and I guarantee you that I have no intention of remaining here any longer than absolutely necessary," he replied dryly, with a frown. After a moment, though, he sighed wearily, finally managing to fight down the Beast for the moment. In a slightly more diplomatic tone, although not quite apologetic or devoid of the usual air of arrogance and automatic assumption of authority, he said, "Nonetheless - your offer is appreciated. I do seem to be a bit... lost, Mr...?"

[haha, yeah, no worries! hell, i can't tell either, from the icons. i really need to just list it somewhere. i swear, the lighting is just horrible, lmao. i gave up even trying to figure out his eye-colour, and just settled for "creepy". BUT ADRIAN SO CUTE, AW.]

[bequeathal]

Adrian's expression softened somewhat as he took a small step closer, he was still some distance from the new arrival as to not make them feel uncomfortable by invading their personal space. "My name is Adrian," he explained with a gentle, slow tone of voice, his whole being seemingly emanating a sort of sad humility. "There is no need for you to give me a title, or refer to me as 'mr'." At this point he had given up on introducing himself as Alucard, it was too difficult for him to use that name now anyway.

"I... am no guide, I'm afraid, but I can point you in the direction of others who can help you find a clear, dry change of clothes and somewhere to stay. There are many kind and helpful people here." Adrian did not offer to help with these matters himself as he was determined to keep his distance from people. No attachment meant... no heart-ache when they left him. And they all left him in the end.

[rping with you makes me wanna replay VM:B again! I was always a Malkavian :3 I liked their speech patterns! And don't mind Adrian, he's a little shy ♥]

[camarillaprince]

"And none of these kind, helpful people has yet considered it necessary to shed some light into our situation?" A subdued, condescending snort expressed exactly how he felt about that fact. Narrowing his eyes and raising his hand to point at Adrian, just to emphasise his words, he leaned in the slightest bit, and explained with a certain urgency and seriousness, "I cannot stress enough that I need to return to Los Angeles. Do you comprehend what is at stake for me?"

He huffed, and rolled his eyes, straightening his posture again, and his words were flighty with volatile emotions. "No, of course not. Nevermind..." He held his temple, and closed his eyes briefly. Collecting himself became more difficult by the minute.

"Tell me. You mentioned you were 'drawn' here? By what, exactly?"

[awww, thanks so much! <3 i still need to play it through again, too. but really, malkavians are the BEST. i'm totally assuming the PC was malkavian if it ever comes up. LMAO. honestly, the malkavian pc would be such an awesome character to app in a game, if it were possible. but no, i love adrian, he's adorable! btw sorry i'm so slow... housework. :/]

[bequeathal]

A small pang of guilt hit Adrian at those words, perhaps he had offended this newcomer with his words? His brow furrowed slightly and he began to speak once more "I... please forgive me, I've chosen my words badly. I did not mean to make you feel as though I was trying to unload you onto another. I can try to help you find somewhere to find clean clothes and the manner where I live is quite large, I'm sure there are spare rooms you could use." Not Alucard's room. Nobody goes in there... he has to keep it just the way it was in case he comes back.

"I was drawn by your... presence, if you will. I thought you may have been someone else. But that doesn't matter now."

[Don't you worry! You take your time! It's lovely surprise to see a response in my inbox when you can though! :D]

[camarillaprince]

Adrian, as he called himself, reacted with surprising etiquette and politeness, and that was exactly what quenched the force of LaCroix' anger a bit, but at the same time held him alert. In his admittedly more animalistic than human mind, he was looking for reasons. There had to be something that motivated Adrian to act this deferential, something that he hoped to gain from it?

He was a bit eerie, compared to the regular kine. His pallor was not quite natural, it couldn't be. And suddenly, his words made too much sense; so much that LaCroix' spine stiffened a little, face neutral like a mask and tense in suspected recognition.

"I see," he answered after a second or two of silence, suddenly casually professional and courteous in his bearing again. What Adrian had said had seemingly calmed him down. "Dry clothes - yes, that would be appreciated. However, I'm afraid I cannot accept your invitation." He did not even know if his assumption about the other's vital state was correct, but he was not yet so desperate that he would allow himself to spend a day, in a completely helpless state, alone and without guards in the mansion of a vampire - or whatever else he was - whom he didn't even know, just to escape the sunlight. It didn't take two centuries of Camarilla politics to understand that this was nothing short of suicidal. "I'm sure there are plenty of other places here that could serve as shelter, without me having to impose on you."

A bit reluctantly, after a brief pause, he added, "Nevertheless, you have my thanks."

[bequeathal]

Adrian managed a small, polite smile but there was something a little broken about the forced expression, as though it had once been perfect and beautiful, like glass, and something had broken it not too long ago. No matter how he had tried to piece it back together it would never be the same again.

"I understand," he replied gently "I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable with that offer, I just..." his brow furrowed again, feeling how awkward his words were becoming "in any case, there is a shopping district not too far from where we're standing. There are all sorts of styles and fashion to choose from there, I am sure you will be able to find something you like."

A moment of hesitation before Adrian quietly added "This city is called Vatheon, by the way, I ought to have said that earlier. It... is a curious place that brings people in and takes them away again at a whim." and those words clawed brutally at something inside him "My... only piece of advice is to be ready to go back to your home at any moment. This city is cruel like that..."

[camarillaprince]

It wasn't too difficult for a man who lived manipulation and politics every night for the last two centuries to see that there was something off about the other man's smile, something cracked about his demeanour.

"Not at all," he offered, truthfully. "Uncomfortable" wasn't quite the right word. But regardless of the man's strange bent of behaviour, he could see a certain worth in him, in his failure to conceal his feelings at least - if these were genuine. Perhaps it was time to find out.

"Out of curiosity," he began, hiding how much the answer interested him with an off-hand question, "who was it you mistook me for?"

[bequeathal]

"Oh..." Adrian did not expect this new-comer (who he was still too self-conscious to ask the name of) to ask that question. His expression twisted slightly before he managed an answer.

"I... There was someone who lived here once, very dear to me, I... but..." he cast his away his gaze, feeling somber. "He left, or was taken back to his homeland. He was a Vampire, my senses made me believe that he had returned when I felt your presence here. I think I knew you were not him before I even saw you, but I came to see anyway. I suppose it must sound so fragile to a pure-blooded vampire, to be so vulnerable to one's emotions." And Adrian had no idea just how much about himself he was giving away in those few words. Or perhaps he just didn't care.

[camarillaprince]

It was almost as he had expected, and for a moment, LaCroix felt cold with dread. Now could have been the time to deny everything, to treat Adrian as if he was mad, speaking of supernatural things like they were real - but that seemed a rather short-sighted course of action. He clearly had some connection to the kindred, although he didn't seem to be one himself; his obviously present powers and his knowledge suggested that. And exactly that made him dangerous, not just for himself, but for LaCroix as well.

"Keep your voice down!" LaCroix ordered sharply, just under his no longer existent breath. He had little doubt that the other could hear him perfectly fine, unlike most of the people around them.

This was dangerous; this was beginning to become a real problem. This Adrian was most likely a ghoul, judging from the distinction he made between himself and "pure-blooded" vampires, and from the blatantly adoring way in which he referred to his departed master. Caitiffs were the only thing more dangerous to the masquerade than ghouls who couldn't get their bloodfix. Whether he liked it or not, this was something he had to take care of, in the interest of his own survival.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing, speaking about us so openly?" LaCroix scolded him, voice still low and sharp, and then grabbed him firmly by the upper arm to lead him away to a more quiet spot. "You are a ghoul, correct? Hasn't your master taught you anything about the Masquerade?"

[bequeathal]

Well, that was far from the reaction Adrian expected! The newcomer had seemed calm, for the most part, if somewhat irritable, but that sudden sharpness of voice and the brisk way he led Adrian aside confused him deeply.

"I... am no ghoul, sir." Adrian said, as if vaguely offended by the comment. Ghouls, in his land, were nothing more than crazed undead feasting on whatever remnants of life they could find... Although saying that it didn't seem terribly far removed from Vampires themselves but there was a funny sort of politics to the 'food chain'. "I am a Dhampire, born of a human mother and... a Vampiric father. It's how I sensed your presence and your nature," and there was a sickening naivety to the next few words that left his mouth "I mean you no harm..."

[camarillaprince]

For once, no degree of awareness and cunning could prevent LaCroix from looking up and at Adrian's face in reaction, shock, and above all, disgust evident in his eyes. He had let go of Adrian's arm instinctively, and put a distance of about half a step between them, as though suddenly hesitant to come in contact with him.

He couldn't hide how revolting that idea was to him. Kindred did not procreate or engage in any activities that could lead to procreation between humans. Thin-bloods, however, vampires with such weak, watered-down blood that they were barely distinguishable from humans, and a shame for every clan or community, were sometimes able to produce offspring. And explained this man's behaviour better than anything, perhaps.

"I see," he forced himself to say, but maintained his distance, a frown plastered on his face now. "A Caitiff. Now that certainly explains a few things. I don't suppose you can tell me which clan your father was from? No?" It was less a question than a statement. Thin-bloods were usually abandoned by their sires, and - without any ties to their clans or kindred society, turned into caitiff, stray vampires who were one of the greatest dangers to the Camarilla's ideals of secrecy, unaware of the rules they had to follow.

[bequeathal]

That was... not exactly a very pleasant reaction, but one he had received many times before for admitting his nature. Filthy half-breed. Cursed with the long-life of a vampire and the painful emotions of man. Destined to be hunted and alone forever.

"My Father, as far as I am aware, did not belong to any clan. Some villagers worshiped him in... some sort of demonic clan or 'cult' but as far as I know he was the only Vampire in the area. I've only met a handful of my kind, and all of them I met here." Adrian shrugged lightly "I had no desire to meet those behind my Father's creation, things... were a little different when I met Alucard -my friend here- but that doesn't really matter now." What a thought... Alucard mattered a great deal to Adrian, but pining on his loss... would never make him return.

Adrian opened his mouth, about to go on to explain that Vampires were scarce in his homeland despite the many myths and stories spun about Transylvania but he stopped himself. This Vampire probably had no interest in such opinions, he had made it all too clear what he thought of Adrian with that reaction.

"... I will not deter you any longer, as I think I really have made you feel uncomfortable now."

[camarillaprince]

Slowly, the man's revelations were beginning to form an unsettling picture, although LaCroix was not quite sure how to pin it down. Village cults dedicated to a Caitiff seemed implausible, and there was more to this story that did not seem to match up. That name, if anything, sounded oddly, and disturbingly, familiar.

While completely incapable of sympathising with Adrian's feelings, or feeling anything resembling empathy at all, LaCroix did know enough about human emotions to see two things in Adrian now, other than the danger he posed with his careless behaviour: potential, and an at least temporary weakness.

"No, wait," he ordered, albeit in a gentler tone than before, if the word could be applied to him at all. He knew this was his best chance, and he could not let this chance slip. With the practised ease of an experienced public speaker, and the smoothness of a snake, he let a cool, complacent smile slide on his lips, and hid the disgust carefully. "I believe I owe you an apology. It's hardly fair to judge a son by his father's actions, is it? You have been helpful so far, and I think you have more than demonstrate that you are deserving of a certain respect, yourself. Even if your father regretfully never seems to have mentioned how vital thorough secrecy is for our kind. No matter... I don't suppose he saw it necessary, given he was worshipped for what he was." There was a bit of a dry edge to these last words, but a brief, hinted laugh shook it off. "How lucky for him to find such an accepting community. One would think these were all but extinct nowadays. Obviously, it is quite different for most of us. We cannot afford to proclaim our... 'condition' so openly, lest we endanger the existence of our entire race."

[bequeathal]

Adrian hesitated for a moment, he was about to turn and leave when he heard a softer tone to the newcomer's voice. He stopped himself, unable to ignore that change in pitch.

"My... father lived some time ago, I suppose the skills that came to him naturally enchanted those who wanted more than their simple humanity. Honestly, I do not know why the idolized him... Some feared him." He paused for a long moment before changing the subject, Adrian didn't like talking about his Father very much. "Perhaps I was... hasty in my move to leave, I simply thought that my nature offended you and it would be best if I left. I won't mention this meeting to anyone, nor your... condition. Only a handful of people here know who I am, most of them have already gone back to their homelands and... have probably forgotten all about me and what I am."

[camarillaprince]

Now that he was back in familiar territory - that was, verbal battles and manipulation - LaCroix suddenly felt far more at ease than he had before. There was always something calming in doing something one was good at, and success such as this was rewarding.

At the same time, the more Adrian told him about his father, the more blatantly obvious it became that a thin-blood would never have been powerful enough to do anything like this. But if Adrian's father was not a thin-blood, then how did he manage to procreate?

"I assume you encounter hostility on a regular basis due to your unique ancestry." For once, the words were, albeit not particularly warm, free of sarcasm or spite. LaCroix cautiously examined Adrian, trying to place him, find anything that would indicate his clan. He couldn't tell for sure, of course. "It's not exactly common, you will notice - kindred are not normally able to father a child in the same way that mortals do. There are exceptions, in thin-bloods at least, who are sometimes close enough to humans to still retain some physical functions lost to the rest of us. I assume, however, that your father wasn't one of them, am I correct?"

Finally, he offered his hand. "Sebastian LaCroix. Camarilla Prince of Los Angeles." His eyes were perfectly neutral, no longer indicating any trace of disgust - but the move was calculated with cold precision. LaCroix knew the value of gestures.

[bequeathal]

He would be called Sebastian. How ironic.

But names aside Adrian was happy enough to shake his hand gently with a small nod. And he was a prince, no less, Adrian himself had -at times- been referred to as a prince but he never felt it suited him very well. "Nice to meet you, what would you prefer me call you?" Hopefully the newcomer wouldn't want Adrian to call him by his full title all the time, it was rather longer.

"My Father was a special case. He was considered a very powerful individual." Until I killed him... an act that Adrian still felt guilt over, even years later. "I was never told how I was conceived or whether anything... special was involved, I really didn't know him very well, I spent most of my childhood with my human mother until she passed away." Passed away wasn't quite right, but Adrian didn't want to go into the details of his mother's murder.

[just for some background knowledge Sebastian was the name of Alucard's lover in Vatheon who Adrian was secretly very jealous of!]