Cowley

Cowley is a residential and industrial area neighbouring Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across fields to the east. A two-up two-down Edwardian terrace on Cowley Road, number 355 is a small house shared by Raziel Andrews and Andrei Popa. The furnishings are spartan and the rooms neat and organised to the extent that they hardly seem lived in.

Rae paces her bedroom floor, reading her newest acquisition from the archives on the nature of magic and its function. She searches for a section on protective and obscuring incantations to recount to Khalid, who had been by to see her several times since the night of utter chaos and carnage, and she expects him to stop by again tonight. The enchanting parfum of the night lays just outside her window, and it is forbidden to her until she finds a solution to her problem.  Magic had always fascinated her, but it blended into the tapestry of majesty that is the world of the Kindred. Now it was her fixation, as she had received word that the Master of Brasenose scoured Oxford for the culprit of the near breaking of the Masquerade on their grounds. The eminent college of the Circle of the Crone, the capabilities of their blood magics were a terrifying unknown to her. Each night, she expected a kindred of the Circle to come tearing through her window to sunder her and take some token of her Final Death to present to their Master.  This house arrest also came at the insistence of Eve, who helps Rae retrieve the books that she now requires. Even so, Rae obfuscates herself each time that she steps from her home, and uses her speed to cross larger distances as quickly as possible.

Khalid quickly skims through notes on his phone, a desperate recollection of what he remembered after the incident with the beast.  Perhaps there was something he missed, something that could allude as to what the creature was and who brought it to Oxford.  Near completely absorbed in his phone he looks up just in time to slip past a light post, barely avoiding an embarrassing impact.  He was familiar enough with the way to Rae's apartment but clearly not enough to avoid errant street lamps.   At least the magic was still holding, or rather the lack of.  A trick with Prime and Life that he discovered on the fly, although he didn't doubt it existed already, allowed him to veil (albeit weakly) Rae's presence.  It wasn't much but certainly better than nothing.  Upon approaching the house he sends a message to the vampire, confirming that it is indeed him and not a kindred death squad at her front door.  Standing by the gate he returns to reading his past notes, waiting for Rae's invitation to enter.

The texts of the Concord on the Circle of the Crone and their Crúac are mind-boggling and deeply unsettling to Rae. The very nature of their art is a subject of much debate, but its effects are undeniably potent and effective. The texts name the rituals used to call upon the favor and influence of various deities and the rites of the Circle, and the observations of the Concord on this covenant come into stark clarity. Such knowledge, such immense power and insight, it's no wonder the two covenants have a history of cooperation. The spirituality that colors their every notion, however, is likely as distracting as it is motivating and beautiful.  Rae is so engrossed that it is several minutes before she registers the ping of her cell phone. Reaching for it, she reads the text and makes her way to the front gate to welcome the young and obliging mage inside. "Good evening, Khalid. You look well, especially considering how much you've helped me over the last few days." Her eyes linger on him for a moment, curious about the effects of multiple subtle feedings from him, if the effect of the Kiss had taken a lingering hold. "Do you know anything of spiritual obfuscation? If I am to remain safe, it appears that I will not only need to hide myself from other Kindred, but from spirits and the very gods themselves."

Khalid steps inside, absentmindedly rubbing his neck at Rae's first comment, choosing to remain silent as he observes the Supernal.  The world began to shift, objects returning to their fundamental state untethered and untouched by the influence of man.  Walls peeling to reveal gnarled roots grown over stone, ivory white chairs dripping with a dark liquid, and outside through the roughly textured windows was an everlasting twilight.  A slight tugging sensation turned his attention towards his own spell.  A weave of thin vines carefully layered on the house, each pulsing with the essence of life.  Khalid turned from his creation, searching for foreign magics.  Perhaps too precautious but Khalid was not taking any risks, he was well aware of how complacency was treated in information security.  Upon finding nothing of note he turned back to Rae.  The kindred always had a unique presence in the Fallen World, and Rae was no different.  Radiating an alluring temptation but with a sinister undertone, one of primal hunting, predator and prey.  He held her gaze in this form for a moment, shivered slightly, and closed his third eye.  Taking little less than a minute for his inspection he finally addresses Rae's first comment, "It's good to see you too Rae, alive and well.  Or would it be un-alive and well?"  He looks once more towards Rae, expecting the presence he saw before, but seeing only the familiar Kindred, "Spiritual obfuscation is, unfortunately, out of my purview."  He pauses thinking for a moment before continuing, "Well that's maybe not entirely true.  The magic I've currently snapped into place should do the trick for now, but if someone above my paygrade comes looking it's not gonna hold.  So long as you're in this house that is."  He begins to absentmindedly fiddle with the strap of one of his gloves hanging out of his coat pocket, "I could see if I can pull some strings with the Adamantine Arrow and get someone with a little more experience to help.  But I don't really think I've got that sort of influence yet and I don't want to stick my neck out for nothing." 

Rae giggles quietly at Khalid's correction. "Yes, quite un-alive." Her regard becomes softer as he finishes his sentence, her body language releasing its tension. This was the territory of the prancing Daeva, their addiction to adoration and the vulnerability of longing. It was new to her to revel in the effects of such attention. "You wouldn't be doing it for nothing . You'd be doing it for me." She lingers there, almost daring him to give in, before turning and walking him through the flat into her room. "It's alright. The fewer people we involve, the better."  She picks up the book she had been reading, finding the section on  Crúac  and the theories of exactly who and what it invokes to achieve its ends. "Take a look at this, does it bring any mage-centric knowledge to mind?" She allows him time to read before interrupting him with the second most important need of the evening. "The hunting wasn't very good tonight. Would you mind?" She gestures at her own neck, her hand imitating a biting motion.

Khalid glares as Rae walks him to her room, his frustration aimed more towards himself than the vampire.  She was toying with his emotions, and he was making it far too easy.  His inner thoughts were quickly thrown to the wayside as she offered him the book on  Crúac.  The book provided an ample and intriguing distraction, vampires with pseudo magic.  He had heard of something like this before, but only in passing.  With this written perspective he began to run through multiple theories.  Was it simply primitive magic?   Like an abacus to his own Ti-84.   But in some way it seemed they understood basic theory like using their vitae as a sort of yantra?    Or perhaps they were truly communing with spirits.  For the variance their magic seemed to cover it would require the full strength of a court or a very powerful spirit.  Or perhaps they could be communing with Supernal entities, a dangerous game to play.  These theories seemed the most likely but Khalid was well aware of his own ignorance, "This... this is some interesting stuff.  I have a couple theories but I'd need to see it in person to confirm anything.  I can say regardless that I don't think these rituals are gonna have the same pull my or any other mages spells work.  Or else I'd have heard about them way sooner" He closes the book as Rae makes her request.  Sighing, he takes off his jacket resting it on a nearby chair, "You and Eve are damn lucky this feels good and that I can actually take it.  Just gimme a second to prep."   Muttering in High Speech under his breath he begins his Mudra ritual, carefully focusing to individually flex his muscles.  Starting from his chest and expanding outwards, this was the first recall technique taught by the Adamantine Arrow.  This process taking less than seconds as he completes his incantation.  The effect on himself was clear, at least to himself, but a smaller more imperceptible effect permeated the flat, his Nimbus.  The room and its contents seemed more sturdy and it's inhabitants more sure of themselves,  "Alright, I'm set."

    Rae nods at Khalid's summation of the Circle's magic and their relation to the magics of the mages, though she is somewhat curious of just how much of his own world he would have been exposed to at this point to make these assertions. "Well, unless you start spending time with the Circle yourself, I doubt you would ever get such an opportunity."     She then smiles like one would at receiving a small, thoughtful gift that made their day a bit brighter. But the presence of her fangs makes her expression disturbing to witness.  "You know you love it, and playing coy just makes this all the more fun." She watches him speak the words and seemingly flex his muscles, and she wonders if the flexing is really necessary for the spell, or if he's just hopeful that his impressive physique will win her over. As he finishes, Rae shifts closer to him.     Her lips part as Khalid extends his neck, bringing taut the warm flesh and gifting his blood. Leaning in towards him, she picks up his scent, something that she rarely takes note of until these moments. Her exposed fangs hang over his pulsating arteries, and she watches them for a moment before tenderly sinking her teeth in and beginning to drink. The blood always seems to take on a different body when given willingly, with the donor’s desire to help curb the hunger for just one more night. But the ichor of this young man offered her so much more than that. Not a second after she begins to take in his blood does the tide of visions start to lap at her senses, and she welcomes them. Though just a studying mage, within his blood lies the wild and self-perpetuating drive of life and all of its creations, forever shifting, growing, dying, and thriving. As she drinks her fill, she watches titanic stretches of vegetation writhe into full, green life all around a boundless number of animals in all shapes, forms and colors. They fly, crawl, swim, gallop, and hunt across every kind of biome imaginable, changing as quickly as they move. For a time, it is as if she lies within the womb of all worlds, embraced by an essence of being that is more alive than she’d ever felt in the time before her un-life.  Once full, she removes her fangs and slowly licks the wound closed, and the visions recede alongside her hunger. What lies in the place of that hunger is the feeling that always followed a feeding session with Khalid, a sense of invigoration and capacity to act and endure beyond her normal limits. It was strange at first, but she's come to enjoy the effect. “Thank you, Khalid. I don’t understand your magic, but your blood shows me such wonders." She waits until he turns to look at her, then unwaveringly holds the eye contact. "...What does it feel like? This feeling that the Kiss has given you. I understand its nature, but I'd like to hear you describe it."

    Ecstasy, pure ecstasy.  Khalid stumbles, righting himself by posting on a nearby table, as Rae begins to feed.  His vision begins to unfocus as his mind grows muddled, a warm pleasure suffusing his body.  Almost on instinct his perspective shifted, piercing the veil of the sleeping world.  He now saw Rae as he once did, an alluring presence and a predator lurking.  He forced himself to look, the terror acting as enough of a distraction to not lose himself in the pleasure.  Then the world rose, or rather he fell.  As Rae finished licking the wound closed Khalid collapsed, sitting on the ground.  For only a moment did his body feel exhausted before his magics rejuvenated his stamina.  Rising to his feet he looks back to Rae, finding her staring, very intently.      "You're welcome, I think?  Can't say I've had someone complement my blood before,"   he blushes at the attention as he gathers his thoughts.  Still dazed from the experience he elects to be less tactful, more direct,   "Sex, maybe better, but its been a while so I can't say for sure.  Either way it's good, really good.  I might be addicted if I didn't have magic on my side, or maybe I already am."   He breaks from her gaze, attempting to look anywhere else, "There's also the anticipation, when you've felt that warmth once.  Every time after just seems like it gets better, that feeling just seems to reach further every time."     "Then there's the afterglow.  I don't know if you've ever had a hard workout before, but there's a period of time after you finish where you feel tired, but good tired.  That's how I feel right now, with the magic.  So it might be different without,"  he looks back towards Rae, watching her reaction.

Having been latched onto him as he stumbled, Rae now stands over the man. She examines him, her head tilting slightly, before she kneels to be at eye level with him. This was her first consistent feeding partner and, despite her teasing, his experience mattered to her. "I'm glad that you enjoy it so deeply. I've rarely felt that carnal urge over the last few years, and it's beginning to fade from memory, but I take your meaning." She is briefly quiet, watching the rise and fall of his chest and shoulders, and remembers once again just how new he is to this world. "Be careful with this feeling, Khalid. Remember it, and hold onto yourself should someone else offer it to you." She rises, and she just can't help herself. Without so much as a gesture, she reaches out with the immaterial grasp of the Beast, plunging her hands into the mind and soul of the mage to root around in his fears and desires.  The first vision is unsurprising, of two figures intimately embracing one another beneath beautiful moonlight. Their forms shift in and out of focus, though Rae recognizes the larger, more muscular form as Khalid. They fall backwards to land on a large bed, and the scene changes to a spacious room. Rae is then surprised as the second figure comes into clarity, and it is a woman that she does not recognize. Someone human.   The scene is blurred into a wash of color that reforms into the second vision, where Khalid is now surrounded by wild eyed and aggressive vampires. He attempts to stand his ground, but he can’t seem to keep himself from trembling. The vampires wear the telltale talismans and clothing of the Circle of the Crone, but they aren’t the only vampires there. As Rae looks from face to face, she notices Liam, Eve, and herself, watching Khalid with the hunger that defines their survival.  All others fall away as the third vision comes to focus on Eve and herself standing before Khalid. The expressions of predatory need fall away, easing into ones of light-hearted amusement. In unison, the vampire and her sire gesture to the left, and Khalid begins marching to the left with a pained rigidity. The vampires then gesture to the right, and the man does an about-face and marches where he is told. Suffering is etched into the creases of his face, and he forces his body to turn towards Rae. He stares at her incredulously, before defensively covering his neck.  Rae’s focus returns to her room, the playful sensuality of their moment having died entirely and begun the process of decaying. She looks at Khalid with sincere sadness, then moves away from him to lie down on her bed. “You don’t have to keep doing this for me, Khalid. The feedings. Helping me. You are not bound to me.” The black cat that had been with her since that night saunters into the room, hopping up onto the bed and lazily flopping down beside her. "Hello, Eresh."

Khalid looked up, the aches from the feeding already fading, "Why do you talk like that?  Like you've been Kindred for your whole life."   An edge of frustration creeps into his voice, "I'm not an idiot, I know addiction when I see it.  I don't plan on letting any vampire I see drain me.  It just sort of happened, with you and Eve."  He leans his head back watching as Rae stares at him, unfocused.  He braces himself on a nearby chair, rising to his feet as she returns to her bed.     "I owe Eve.  Hopefully helping you will balance the scales,"  Khalid flips the chair to face Rae's bed, his tone now more neutral.  "If I'm gonna be honest, after we're done with all this.  A part of me is hoping to not see any of you again."   Wishful thinking, as Khalid was well aware of, especially considering the presence of a certain feline.  One cat for each vampire, arriving the evening where everything went wrong.  It was a miracle they survived that day and Khalid did not want to relish in the memory.  He looks away from Eresh, contemplative.

Rae narrows her eyes at Khalid's tone. "Did you not feel removed from those around you, even before you stepped into the life of a mage? And I do not seek to insult your intelligence in my warning." Laying back onto her bed, she looks deeply into Ereshkigal's green eyes. "It is for the better than you didn't see any of us again, then. I see your fear as plainly as your wish for more human companionship. You have assisted Eve in helping me, and fulfilled any obligation to me through our feedings and the information that you have given. Find happiness amongst the living." Her tone is nonchalant, almost dismissive. "I do ask you, though, to leave your magical barrier up for just two more days, while I sort out my own method of protection."

"I..."  Khalid hesitates upon finally hearing a more human tone from the Kindred.  It was almost relieving, if it wasn't directed towards him, "I don't plan on abandoning you, I don't think I could even if I wanted to."  He pulls out his phone, fiddling with it absentmindedly. "Fear does not make a coward,"  Khalid sighs.   "That sounds like some shit my old coach used to say, he was philosophical like that."   He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing, "All of this has happened so fast.  I've been a mage for a little less than a year and I've only been to Oxford for a month.  And yet I've met Kindred, Fae, and some eldritch monstrosity all in the matter of a week.  I don't think you can blame me for being afraid, but I don't let it control me." Khalid's tone turns emotional, "And yes I do 'wish for human companionship'.  These feedings leave me so damn confused sometimes and with everything else that's happened, I just want someone to talk to who can understand."  He rubs his temples, grimacing, "I'm sorry, I got a little heated. I think I'm still feeling some side-effects from the feeding."   He looks down at his phone, pausing, to check the time, "Listen I don't plan on leaving until seeing this through, whether you like it or not.  Besides the barrier is up for at least a month, and I don't plan on walking away while my signature is all over your flat."

Khalid's vulnerability draws Rae's eyes away from Ereshkigal and back to him. She waits for him to finish, and pauses to let his words sink in. "I'm glad that you don't let your fear control you, this last week has been quite insane and I haven't had time to really pause and reflect on it. I'm scared too. I've been around long enough to understand that neophytes drop like flies, and this could spell my end before I've even really begun." She releases tension from her arms, letting her shoulders sag. "The covenant that Eve and I are a part of often work with the Circle. If I go to the Concord with this, they'd likely hand me over for the sake of maintaining the partnership. It's understandable, probably what I would do too, though I wouldn't be happy about it...." Catching herself rambling about her circumstance, she changes the subject. "Thank you for sticking around. I don't want this to be a chore or a leash for you, I want you to see Eve and I as friends. And if you really want someone to share this experience with, how about you bring me another mage to feed on? I'd be interested to see how different their blood is from yours, and you'd have someone from your world to trade tips with on the best places to be fed on." She laughs heartily, and realizes that its the first time that she's done so since a week ago, before the world descended into hiding and panic and desperation.

Kindred could feel fear, that was a comforting thought.  Khalid found that the more he understood the Kindred the more human they seemed, however twisted.  Rae's mention of a covenant piques his interest, the organization of the Kindred was still a mystery to him, but it certainly seemed like their was a hierarchy as demonstrated by Silas during the previous nights.  Regardless he kept his questions to himself, content to let Rae speak, until she broaches the subject of mages. "I think I can confidently say that I do not plan on inviting other mages to be fed on.  It has already complicated my life and I'm not sure others would take kindly if I even attempted to convince them.  Besides the only mages I know at the moment are my superiors and I I don't think testing them is a good idea."   Khalid stands, stretching his neck from side to side, now feeling fully recovered.  "Alright, I think I'm good now.  I've also still got some time to kill so I could take a crack at that book you mentioned a while ago if you want?"

"Well then it looks like you're going to have to make some new friends, doesn't it?" She takes on the satirical tone of a business woman.  "It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement, much like our own. They learn of Kindred, I learn more of mages." Dropping the half-joke, she looks over to where the large volume that Khalid is referring to is stored, nestled neatly in her bookcase. "Yes, The Mabinogion. Eve left it with me in the hopes that it would aid my research. If I recall correctly, you can read the notes written in the margins?"

Khalid approaches the Mabinogion, pulling it from the bookcase,  "I can read the notes, but it's gonna take some time.  It might also just be gibberish."  He pulls a chair out, crosses his legs as he sits, and begins to read.  The writings proved to be far from gibberish.  Among the less interesting notes was a focus on the branches of the Mabinogion itself.  A subject in which Khalid was not familiar with, but provided intriguing reading nonetheless.  One of the two more notable subjects broached the topic of spells, relating to the Time and Space Arcana.  He did not have enough time to delve too deep, but made a mental note to copy some of these scripts eventually.  Finally was the topic of a Wood Between the Worlds, hidden in the notes on the branches of the Mabinogion.  Was this related to the Fae in any way, or perhaps another Supernal World.  He could feel his mind buzzing with questions, but it had already been an hour and save for his own incoherent mutterings he had explained nothing in the book to Rae. He turns to the Kindred placing a bookmark at where he had left off,  "Sorry about that, got a bit carried away.  The notes are certainly not gibberish, and they cover a lot.  Strangely there's some notes on two Arcana, Space and Time, that I unfortunately can't use, but I might be able to get something out of it if I have enough time.  Then there's the notes on the branches of the Mabinogion itself which mentions a Wood Between the Worlds.  Can't say I've heard of that before, but it sounds faelike.  What do you make of it?"

Once the 15-minute mark passed, Rae retired to her bed and continued her readings of Crúac and the practices of the Circle. When Khalid eventually resurfaces and explains what it is that he's read, she crosses her arms and thinks back to Mehdi. "Sounds like the Fae realm of Arcadia, particularly the way that our Fae friend has spoken about it. But I'm not entirely sure. Strange that a book on the Time and Space magics of mages lied within a very cantankerous grimoire right before we were hounded by that eldritch thing. That hardly feels like coincidence." Her mind rushes over the events of that night, trying to piece together some larger picture.  "And a Methuselah seems to have appeared on the grounds on the same evening that the Master of All Souls was staked, before bringing the Final Death to the rest of the staked masters. The hooded figures were then cleaning up the mess left behind before their ritual to summon the creature. And the wolves were out on the streets, too. Perhaps to herd us, or frighten us too much to act as a unified front. This feels like the culmination of a carefully set plan." She shakes her head, lightly applying pressure on her tongue with her teeth as her mind turns the details over and over in her head. "We even saw a darkling, a member of the Fae Autumn Court, that night. She made an appearance for three  Kindred, one of which wasn't even feeding? No, this is all wrong...and I don't have time to worry about any of it because one of my covenant's partners wants nothing more than to ritually re-introduce me to sunbathing." She sighs heavily, bringing her hands up to massage her temples. "This whole thing is fucked six ways from Sunday. Pardon the expression. We may all be in danger just for knowing what we know."

Khalid smiles, "The expression suits our situation very well.  Don't forget there was also some influence of my people.  The magical barrier that I had to pierce through was definitely the work of another mage."   He pulls out his phone idly checking for any notifications before returning to the conversation. "Although I do not think our situation is as dire as it seems.  We're definitely in danger, but it's not like we are being actively hunted."   He catches himself and gives a slightly apologetic look, "Well maybe not all of us.  But for the moment we can assume that whoever set that nights events into motion is not aware that we are aware.  By the way I've heard the name before, but what is a Methuselah?"

Rae chuckles mirthlessly at the mention of her more pressing circumstance. "Yes, I agree on your points. I'm also assuming that those were mages who were performing that ritual, so you may want to keep an eye out for any of your colleagues who display a fascination with the otherworldly. Though that is likely to be all of them, so maybe just look for anyone who can't stop gushing about H.P. Lovecraft." "...And Methuselah are ancient  vampires. The kind that would make Silas look like he was still in prep school,  closer to the source of our condition than the vast majority of Kindred still active in the world . They're thousands of years old, feed only on other vampires, and often have abilities that defy understanding. They're horror stories to Kindred, ones that you hope never to have the misfortune of running into.  

"Ah, so they are vampires for Kindred.  That is a concerning thought,"  he pauses for a moment, thinking.  "You mentioned wolves on the street.  I assume you mean werewolves.  I'm not familiar with the relationship between Kindred and wolves, but have you considered reaching out.  Getting some info on their situation could help us puzzle out ours.  Otherwise maybe we could start inquiring about our own sources?  Mehdi could ask around in the Fae courts and I can do the same in the college.  Carefully of course."

Rae nods, recalling her early research on the lycans. "Yes, I believe it would be more productive to start with Mehdi and yourself. The werewolves refer to themselves as Uratha, and we are a natural enemy to them, unfortunately. They are entities of flesh and spirit, guardians of the world that protect it from what, in their language, would translate as shadow realm. Their culture and society is as rich as ours, and they can take on various forms."  "Apart from other Kindred, Uratha are the only creatures that could bring one of us, or even several of us , to the Final Death without great issue. That's why you saw an assembly of Kindred scatter like rats when that howl echoed through the night." She thinks to herself, looking around at the books she'd borrowed from the Concord. "I'll see if anyone in my covenant can assist me. Though I'll need to a bit vague as to why I need the help, so I probably won't ask another Mekhet."

Khalid raises an eyebrow at the Rae's comment on Kindred durability.  He very distinctly remembered a certain eldritch monstrosity just about halfway in the process of tearing through an elder vampire before his own intervention.  Regardless he elected not to comment on the subject, "It has been a while since I've talked to my associates. I've also been ignoring some of my studies so the earlier I talk to them the better.  Hopefully they do not discover our... interactions.  I'm not sure that'll go over well for either of us." He stood, collecting his jacket and unconsciously tucking the  Mabinogion under his arm. .  Realizing his mistake he sheepishly returned it to the table before turning back to Rae, his heart thudding in his chest. It seemed to do that of late, perhaps a side effect from the feedings. He managed to suppress it to what seemed to be a normal level, before speaking , "Anything else you need me for?"

Rae detects the hint of nervousness as Khalid prepares to leave, and stands to guide him out. "No. You've been helpful, as always." She steps forward and hugs him, wishing to truly impart her appreciation of his efforts.  As they walk out, this new bit of information about mages piques her interest, definitely being worthy of further questions. "I'd never thought to ask, Khalid. What do mages think of Kindred? And just how much trouble could it cause you if they found out that you associate with us?

Khalid startles slightly as Rae hugs him, but returns the gesture.  His mind begins to wander as he is escorted out, but Rae's question quickly pulls him back to reality.  "It's a complicated relationship.  The College knows that Kindred exist and in decent number here in Oxford, but elect not to enter conflict.  I believe that goes the same for the Kindred and the College.  It's sort of mutually assured destruction, which may favor the Kindred but I'm sure no-one wants to find out.  On an individual basis I think they believe Kindred to be manipulators at heart and to avoid interactions with them as best as we can." He lets out an exasperated sigh before continuing, "If they know that I'm associating with you there might be some problems.  Mostly for me, I don't think you'd get into any trouble.  Probably gonna get slammed with busy work or something of the like.  They might make me swear to avoid you, which might cause some problems.  Either way, that's only if they find out so I'll figure it out then."

"Manipulators at heart. That's understandable enough. We need something. They all have it." She laughs quietly as they reach the gate at the front of the property, still mulling over the large implications of what Khalid has said. "Yes, all consequences named are best avoided. Especially since there is still so much that we can learn from each other. She smiles warmly and reaches out to touch Khalid's arm. "Thank you again. Stay safe out there."  Stepping back inside once the mage is off, Rae takes out her phone and shoots a quick text to Eve; "Good evening, love. Looks like Khalid has reached the extent of his magical assistance, though his wards remain. Do you know of anyone within the Concord well-versed in magic, or even someone knowledgeable about the Circle?" Within minutes, her phone dings with Eve's reply. "Make sure you leave him alive, we don't want any trouble. Is he fun? ask Kirsten McFarlane about magic. You might remember her from lunch: brunette, wears bright scrunchies? Tell her I sent you." There is a pang of shame as Eve seems to reference the mistake that brought Rae to her current situation, but Eve hasn't been as hard on her about it as she imagined her sire would be. It takes her a moment, but she remember the Keble professor and her scrunchies.  "Of course, what got me into this mess remains an accident. And Khalid is surprisingly sweet. But yes, I remember Kirsten, do you have her number? Or her address? I'd like to speak with her this evening, if possible." The response is immediate.  "I'll send you her info. Sweet? We need to have a chat soon, be careful not to get tangled up with one of them. I'll let you know when I'm free." "Ok. Entanglement is not a concern of mine, he's still afraid of us and feels manipulated by us. I'm not sure what's keeping him around, but it may simply be a desire to help, along with a healthy dose of intrigue.  Anyway, thank you. I am still sorry for the chaos that I have introduced into our lives. I made mistakes that night that I will learn from." "Oh I have an idea what's keeping him around, don't be coy with me and don't worry about the chaos. It was thoughtless, but we'll sort it out and you'll learn from this. Be safe." "I think he wants the both of us in spite of himself lol. And I will be safe, you be careful too <3." "He's just a man after all. Always. <3" With this last message, Rae looks over the info for Kirsten McFarlane. Preparing herself as much as she can for a distinct break in Oxford etiquette and the potential loss of her un-life by venturing outside, she leaves her flat and makes her way towards Keble. She reaches the gate before she realizes; It's Sunday. It's 9 PM on a Sunday. Laughing to herself, she makes her way back inside and flops back onto her bed beside Eresh. "Oh Eresh, what are you going to do with me, huh?"  After her classes the following evening, she makes her way to Professor McFarlane's office. Continues in Keble College.

The pretty corpse stirs as the sun falls beneath the horizon on Tuesday evening, body clenching with the familiar pain of waking. Rae almost looks forward to this moment now, like a shot of espresso to get the night going. Wishing to take one of her regular free-running jogs, she dresses in running gear before opening her laptop to send a brief email. Good Evening Professor McFarlane, I have the book in my possession and am prepared to deliver it to you tonight. What time would be most convenient for my arrival? I also wish to apologize for my presumptuous demeanor while in your office yesterday evening. These movements of politics feel so grand and far reaching that I could scarcely imagine that their consequences wouldn't be rather dire for those even tangentially connected. But that may simply be my age talking. I defer to the wisdom of yourself and all my elders in these matters, and am deeply appreciative of your willingness to share your time and knowledge with me as I continue to learn and grow accustomed to these political movements.  Kind Regards, Raziel Andrews, MSc. Closing her laptop after pressing send, the dread of leaving her home descends upon her. She questions if this little ritual is worth the danger that it poses, but she reasons that the danger is no greater than making her way across campus with a heavy reliance of every shadow she can find. This may even be less conspicuous, she'd appear as nothing more than a jogger out for a run after a workday. "And I need this. I'm going stir crazy in here and I need to do something with the anxiety." Withdrawing her predatory nature into obfuscation, she steadies herself before heading out.

When Rae returns, she finds a reply from Professor MacFarlane waiting in her inbox. Good evening Miss Andrews, I will be in my office and available at 10 pm. If you deliver something of value, then we can discuss the 'protections' that you were seeking on Monday night. Regards, Dr Kirsten MacFarlane

The professor's email temporarily assuages the fear that has hung over Rae in recent days, and with the sanctity of a nice run to top it off, the young kindred dares to hope that she may actually survive her mistake. After a change of clothes, she feels Ereshkigal brushing up against her legs, and bends down to scoop the cat up and cradle her. Rae looks into the feline's eyes, distinctly feeling as though she is being regarded by more than the eyes of a mundane animal.  The Beast leashes her soul and briefly permits it to move beyond its soft, porous confines, allowing Rae to reach out and examine the nature of the creature in her arms. She searches for anything to give more of an inkling as to just what Eresh may be, what she wants, and whatever else she can find.       As the visions take hold, there is but darkness on all sides. Then a high pitched keening, and as Rae looks for its source sand blows across her vision. She finds herself in a great desert with a vast red star burning overhead. A terrific tower flame stands before her, before rapidly condensing into a black stone statue of a cat. Something deep inside her suddenly feels incredibly small.       With movements like water colors, the vision then blurs and reconstitutes itself into Rae's bedroom, where she notices a cucumber behind Ereshkigal. She notices it just a moment before the cat does, who almost jumps out of its skin as it tries to flee from the vegetable. This raises a question in Rae's mind that the visions immediately provide an answer to.      The pair are suddenly sitting on the bedroom floor before a chess board. They are mid-game, and it looks like Rae is winning. She looks up to see the cat shaking its head in disapproval, before bringing one of its bishops across the board and taking Rae's queen. The vision shifts before Rae can fully express her surprise.      Rae finds herself surrounded by desert once more, standing before one of humanity's great marvels of innovation and perseverance. She recognizes it immediately as the Pyramid of Giza, and watches as the tiny form out Ereshkigal saunters out of the entrance towards her. The land and sky then roll and transform beneath her feet, carrying her to a far off and fertile land. The striking green of undisturbed vegetation surrounds the winding waterway that soaks her pants up to the knees. On the bank to her right, a spot of purple interrupts the green. A flower, lovely and delicate, lifts itself up above the grass to take in the sunlight, and Eresh comes bounding up beside it to stand proudly.  The visions end, and Rae is unsure of what to make of what she's seen. "So you are a lot smarter than you look. And you're from Egypt, just like Sekhmet? The hardest part is figuring out where you end and she begins. And you are...Lotus? Wonderful to finally meet you properly. And, now that I'm holding you for the first time, I realize that you are a boy. Unless you one day tell me otherwise. Sorry about that."  Satisfied with her findings, she sets to taking more pictures of the Mabinogion for good measure before packing it into her bag and heading out for Professor McFarlane's office.

'Lotus' swishes his tail back and forth, staring at Rae unimpressed. "Raziel," a male voice calls from behind her as she steps out onto the street and begins to walk away from her home.

Rae whips around, mind and body inundated with immediate panic. No one says her full name but her betters. And strangers.

A men steps out of the shadows towards Rae and it isn't who she is expecting at all. Not a vampire, or some other kind of supernatural threat, but a mortal. Gabriel. Her elder brother. Her looks tired. Gaunt. Exhausted even. The embers of something wild glimmer in his eyes.

It is only right as she is about to launch herself down the street at an impossible speed that she recognizes the man, instead turning that intent back onto herself and calling upon the blood to falsify her body with life. Her skin brightens from its ashen gray tone and her hair takes on more body as it shifts to a deeper black. Her irises lighten from black to their normal brown as her full lips flush a deep pink. "Gabriel? What are you doing, stalking around in the dark outside my place?" She moves closer to him and picks up an easily recognizable scent.   "Are you alright? You smell like a fraternity rager."

"Were you ever going to tell me, Rae?" Gabriel demands, accusingly. "Did you think that you could just decide never to see your brother again?"

This was more emotion than Gabriel had shown in years. There's no possible way that he knows. Rae turns away the thought of what she may have to do if he knows what she is.  "You're drunk, Gabriel. You're not making sense."

A weak laugh of irony leaves Gabriel's lips. "Sure, I had a bit to drink. Hours ago , Rae. How did you know, hm?"

Fuck.  "You're my brother, Gabriel. I know you. Well enough to know that something is going on with you. Cryptic and weird is mom and dad's territory."

"AND WHO'S FAULT IS THAT?" Gabriel explodes, yelling at Rae in the street. "You're right, cryptic and weird was always your bag. Enough secrets, Rae. I want you to say it . Tell me what you've become."

Rae steps in close and speaks with a quiet fury. " Lower your fucking voice. I don't have time for this, so either come inside and speak to me calmly or fuck off, Gabe."

"No, Rae. Nah uh. No. That's not how this works," Gabriel tells her with another tragic laugh. "You don't get to fuck us around like this and then make demands. You're either going to do for me what they did for you, or I'm going to go and get one of your pale, old friends to do it instead. Do you understand me?"

There's disbelief. There's rage. There's panic. Flowing together into a mélange of utter disaster. Then Rae begins to laugh. A joyous, hearty laugh that fills the air. When she ceases, she looks at Gabriel with the distain with which one regards a spider on the wall of their bedroom. "You think you get to speak to me like that? You think you're in control here? Tell me what you think you know, or I put you down right now as an act of mercy."

Gabriel turns and begins to walk away towards the city. "Keble, right?" He quips back at Rae. "I'm sure that your colleagues will be more than happy to help."

Rae seethes for a moment, furious at her brother's ability to get under her skin, even in these insane circumstances. "FINE, you entitled prick. But come into the fucking house, we can't do it out here. And not before you answer a few questions." In a manner similar to her brother, Rae turns and begins walking back into her flat. 

Gabriel smirks like he's won and heads on up the path towards Rae's front door.

As they move through the flat to her bedroom, she incites the beast once more on this evening to allow her soul to briefly reach out and explore the mind of her arrogant brother. Two visions come to her as they enter her room and she closes the door behind them; A fanged mouth in the darkness, blood dripping from the canines down to the lower lip. Giving a final confirmation that Gabriel is somehow aware of her state of un-life. Then the colors swirl and brighten. A computer with text streaming across the screen. So someone told him. It could have been hunters, which causes Rae to consider that killing Gabe may be the only real choice here. It could just be someone with a vendetta. All the more reason to get to Professor McFarlane and learn some means to protect herself.  Turning to face Gabriel, she crosses her arms. "So before anything is decided, just how did you find out? You understand that, if this got out to the wider community, not only would the both of us be killed. They'd kill mom and dad. They'd kill anyone who started asking too many questions. They'd probably kill Aunt Mary and Uncle Avery just for fun. Did you think, for even a second, of the consequences of this before you stormed over here?"

"I don't plan to tell the world," Gabriel retorts, rolling his eyes again. "Just turn me and they'll be fine."

Rae takes an assertive step forward. "This is not that simple. There are rules, and there is a cost. It's not like the movies, this takes preparation. You'll need to be back here tomorrow night at 8 and not a moment after." Rae's tone then softens. "Make your goodbyes to the light. To food. To warmth and human connection. You are going to become a thing removed."  "And I ask for the final time, who told you? Either you tell me, or you're free to run off and get our entire family murdered."

Gabriel shrugs. "There's this chat room online, it's all about the shadow world. A place for people who've seen past the lies."

"And this chat room told you what to look for? Or did they name me, specifically?" A comforting possibility rises in Rae: that this could just be bad luck. 

"I'm not the only one to have a loved one suddenly remove themselves from my life, Rae," Gabriel tells her bitterly. "You're not that special."

"You removed yourself from my life, jackass. I came to Oxford, and suddenly you had even less time for me than when we were teenagers. You want to talk about not being special? You didn't..." Rae looks to the ground and sighs heavily, before sharply inhaling as she looks back up. "As I said, I don't have time for this. Be back here tomorrow at the specified time. Now get out."