Brasenose College

" I want it ! I fucking want it, okay Aubrey?" Nora yells, drawing a few looks from nearby pedestrians. "Is it not painfully fucking obvious how desperate I am?"

Aubrey breathes out through her nose and brings Nora close in embrace, whispering softly into her ear. “Then let’s make it official, yeah?” Pulling back, she grabs her hand and whisks her off through the night, a blur moving as one on their way back to Brasenose. When they arrive, the door to Aubrey’s room is thrown open and slammed closed between deep kisses planted along the girl’s cheeks and neck, and when Aubrey bites it is like every welled up pang of emotion in Nora is released at once ー all the embarrassment and fear and doubt and lust and love and hope ー and as the wound is licked clean Aubrey does what she’d never done before: she grins, fangs bared. ”Your turn,” she says, raising her wrist to her lips and dragging one fang across it until it opens. “And forever leave all that doubt in the past.”

Nora is swept up in the whirlwind of emotions as she's whisked away through the night. Aubrey pulls the girl towards her room in Brasenose and she can hear the girl's heart racing in her chest. Nora moans softly when Aubrey bites her, her eyes closing as she surrenders to the sensation. When she opens them again, Aubrey is holding out her bloody wrist. For one last time, Nora hesitates. For a long moment her mind races with conflicting emotions, but then she remembers the feeling of being in control. The feeling of power that had coursed through her as she danced. With fierce determination, Nora leans forward and presses her lips to Aubrey's wrist, sucking down on the open wound.

Aubrey relishes in the feeling of Nora’s lips around her wrist, and as she finishes she cups a hand under her chin once more and pulls her back into another long, kiss, the blood and vitae mixing between them. ”How do you feel?”

"I feel alive," Nora whispers, her breath still coming in short gasps. "Like nothing can stop me." She pulls back to look at Aubrey, her eyes shining with a new intensity. "I want more. I want to be stronger, faster. I want to feel this way all the time."

"And you can,"  Aubrey smiles, licking her own blood off her lips. Running a hand through Nora's hair, she marvels at the creature before her. Was this how Cammy felt when she looked at her? Sire to childe? Wait is it called being a sire if you just give a lil' taste though? No no, she's a ghoul. Which makes me her... um. R... Reggie? Reggplant. No. Regal? Well, yes, but no. Revenant maybe? Ugh, whatever. "Keep your dear... mistress... happy and I'll give you more and more, luv." "For now, just drink it all in — every sensation you feel, that beautiful fucking sense of power — let it wash over you. And remember that you earned this . The Nora back there on the street, all alone and sad? She's dead. Let's keep her like that, yeah? I'd like, totally raise a glass if I had one right now, but," she shrugs, laughing through bloodied fangs. "Rest in peace."

The next half hour passes as Aubrey further details to Nora the true power she'd been given, as well as the requisite disclaimers on remaining hush-hush about the whole thing, which she reasoned went without saying but said it anyway, and her desire to have the ghoul return to her in the morning to do a little favor for her. By the time Nora leaves, the clock is nearing midnight and Aubrey's mind is still aflutter with the whiplash of events that had gone down over the course of just this evening alone. As the door closes behind her thrall and she sits back on her bed, she looks to Amun with an overly-proud look on her face. "You see that?"  She arcs a brow, the shit-eating grin on her face already struggling to grow any larger.  "Literally eating out of the palm of my hand."  Once more, she moves a hand towards the cat. Since that competitive urge had faded out on the streets with Nora, the anger she'd felt towards her watcher had dissipated as well. Instead, she holds her fist aloft, enticing the feyline to acknowledge her for this  accomplishment, at least. 

Amun stares at the fist for a few moments, before sniffing at the fingers and licking one.

Well that's progress, perhaps... She reluctantly strokes his head and pulls her laptop up onto her bed beside her, followed closely behind by her snuggliest of blankets. The night was far from over, of course, but there was so much to research first. With Facebook opened, she re-searches Raziel's name and eagerly begins looking through the girl's page for any interests, hobbies, frequent locations, and more that she could find. Along the way, a thought occurs to her and she takes a quick minute to fire off a couple messages, first to Liam... Hey proffy, sooooo sorry I'm responding late, super busy lots of fun stuff ykyk? anywayyy yesss he was a delight <3 super helpful and gentlemanly or whatever oh and if you really wanna play again or smth lmk, pretty busy but I'll try and squeeze you in, kay? xoxo ...and then, while on the subject of him anyway, Khalid. Hey heyyy how's the abra cadabraing going, Sabrina? the other day was positively ~magical~ lol  thinking I hop on your broom and we fly around for some more coffee or whatever, hmm?? (no not *that* broom, Mr. "good with cats", get your mind outta the gutter) >;) Those sent and done, she focuses in on studying Raziel's page, determined to find something that'd point her in her prey's direction sooner than later.

Raziel's page reveals a vampire obsessed with vampires, seemingly. Interview with a Vampire. Underworld. Let the Right One In. Dracula. Even  Twilight. Alongside a who's who of the macabre from Lovecraft to Poe and back, the portrait painted by her page showed more than even the one of Dorian Grey , also on the list. Oddly enough though, she finds herself almost disappointed she had to hunt her — she clearly had at least some  taste, in movies if not in mortals. Anyone who had Jesus Christ: Superstar  on a list of beloved films couldn't be all bad. The names and locations she finds fill in less of the story of Raziel Andrews than she'd hoped, though. Few friends seemed to actually be on campus, and most locations were either at Keble or pubs and coffee shops around the area. Useful, but nothing altogether concrete. Still, leads were leads, and she at least had some places to trying visiting or sending Nora off to. First and foremost, she'd have to start inspecting Keble, starting with the place she'd seen in her vision, which a quick bit of research revealed to be... Sigh. Keble College. "UGHHH,"   she groans.  This was supposed to be easy once I figured out who she is! Why isn't this easy!  She pouts, kicking her feet petulantly as she struggles to think of an actual way to find her quarry. After a few seconds she stops. Her eyes dart over to the nightstand where her phone sits. Should I? Okay quick pro-con list. Pros: she'll def know what to do. Also she loves me so like of course she'd help, right? Also like, who really cares. Like, really? Cons? Um? Like Odin or some other nobody gets all pissy? But like again who really cares? Exactly,  she nods in agreement with herself.  A moment later the phone is in her hands and she's dialing the number. " Hiiiii  Cam! Guess who solved a murderrrrr! "

Camille answers the phone, but her tone is hurried. "I'm glad to hear that Aubrey, but it's barely past sundown. Couldn't you have texted?"

"Shi— is it?"  She grimaces. "So~rry, I've been so busy all night it feels like it's like so much later! Anyway there's simply too much to go over through text, yeah?" Aubrey pauses a second to clear her throat, then pushes on. "So okay like I went to Hera like you said to do and told her everything and so she's in the know now and all that, but! What matters is I found Raziel! Wait hold on forget I said that that part comes later. I performed crûac successfully this time! Like, proper visions and stuff and also this terrible um, fuck what's the word — sounds like mayonnaise? Malaise or whatever. Absolutely terrible, but I saw this angel and it was her , the killer." Like usually happens whenever she gets her sire's ear for more than a second, a veritable flood of words pours from her mouth in absolute giddy abandon. "By the way you must know like, a lot of crûac rites huh? Can you teach me some? Odin is okay I guess but you know I learn best from you, Cammy."

"Not from across that Alantic..." Camille reminds Aubrey. "What did Hera say when you identified the girl?"

"Well when you visit then!"  Her voice is cheerful, but there's a twinge of genuine forlorn hope in it that tries its best to stretch across that great geographical chasm. "But um, I mean she got all serious for a second? I don't know she wants me to find her and learn her covenant and like, her routine I guess. Which is kinda why I'm calling..." "...I already did the hard part of learning her identity yeah? But the girl has little on her facebook besides like, a bunch of vampire fiction and classic lit. I know she's in Keble yeah? But well, um... do you think you might know how I should go about finding her? You know lotsa people here and have connections right?" She pauses to give her sire a moment to think it over, but quickly adds in, "I'll love you forever and ever and will totally definitely check the time next time before I call youuuuu." If puppy-dog eyes could be conveyed over a phone, Camille would be being bombarded with them.

"A Keble girl breached masquerade on Brasenose ground? That doesn't make any sense..." Camille admits. "You have photos of her though? Clear ones? Any videos?"

“Yep! Kinda cute, definitely a bit nerdy though,”  she hums. “I can text you a pic. Why’s it strange?”

"Keble and the Circle typically on friendly terms," Camille explains. "They've nothing to gain from that kind of provocation. Send me the picture. I've an acquaintance who's progeny might be able to help you track her down."

"They are? That's good to know,"  she screenshots and texts the picture over while filing that tidbit away in the back of her mind for later. "Anyway thank you luv, have I mentioned lately you're like, the coolest, hottest, funniest, all-around loveliest sire a girl could ask for? And who am I off to meet?"

"Don't forget it, dear," Camille chides good-naturedly, "and I don't know yet, but expect for them to contact you."

" Never-ever ,"  she sings, kicking her legs happily off the side of her bed. " OH  I need to tell you! I did something else tonight kinda crazy. So I met this sad little girl at a party a few nights back that I fed off of right? And I mean sad like, she made me-before-I-met-you look well put together yeah? Anyway I like, made her my ghoul. She's mine now! Utterly chuffed about it, too, because like  ughh how I've missed having servants around — most dreadful aspect of being here besides being away from you."

Camille is quiet for moment. "Aubrey, you should have asked me before taking a step like that."

"What?"  Aubrey's feet stop bouncing. "Why?"

"It's a big decision," Camille explains, "and that's my blood in your veins that you feed to your ghouls. Your actions reflect on me. Making a person into a ghoul is a significant commitment. You could spend an eternity with them by your side."

"I hadn't thought of it like that..."  Aubrey takes in her words slowly, letting herself fall backwards onto the bed in a huff of sheets and blankets that she starts to wrap herself up in. "...but you have ghouls! There's Higgins and um, Stella, and... and... well. I can def take care of mine, I'm highly responsible. I had a pet bunny when I was growing up and Lyla and I fed it and brushed it and everything..." Even as she defends herself, her words are shrinking and uneven, more focused on convincing herself than her sire.

"Higgins and Estella have been with me for several times your lifespan," Camille notes. "Ghouls are not toys to be cast aside once you grow bored of them. Treated right, they can be loyal friends. Tell me about this sad little girl."

Aubrey goes quiet. She wasn't necessarily being yelled at, but even a light scolding felt like having the sun beamed down on her, or at least what she imagined that'd feel like. "Her name is Nora," she finally eeks out meekly. "She was a wallflower at this wild party at Oriel. Was ditched by her 'friends' or whatever? She was like, so desperate for some attention she practically stripped herself down just because I looked at her. Nearly did the same tonight when I was offering her this, dancing about in public because I challenged her to get a mortal's attention on her own." Her voice barely above an audible whisper, she closes her eyes.  "...she really does remind me a bit of myself. From back then."

"So, what does she need?" Camille asks. "What does she need to become the you from now?"

“I don’t know… to be assertive? She wants to get this friend of hers who ditched her at the party to like, “see her as an equal”.”

"That's what she wants ," Camille points out. "Is that what she really needs ? Does the opinion of one pathetic mortal matter when you have power that lasts beyond death itself? Do I always give you what you want, Aubrey?"

Aubrey fidgets uncomfortably under her blanket burrito.  “Well no… but you  should , I’m like the perfect childe!”  For her own sake she puts just enough of a lilt on the words to imply she’s joking. She wasn’t, but she also wasn’t completely willing to risk it.  “Anyway um, I get that but like? It’s different, innit? It’s not like I sired her or something.” Eyes roll hard enough in her head they threaten to be audible across the world.  “Ugh, what does she need  then?”

"I don't know, Aubrey. I know next to nothing about the girl," Camille explains. Her tone remains as even and unruffled as ever. "That's why it would have been prudent for you to discuss the idea with me before making any hasty decisions. Guiding her first steps into our world of darkness is your responsibility now. Making the transition without support is... gruelling and often traumatic. Many do not survive. You don't want Nora's death on your conscience."

Silence hangs over the line for a solid several seconds, enough that Camille would be forgiven for thinking the line had gone dead. Aubrey pulls her knees tight into her chest. This was the opposite of what she'd expected — she thought her sire would be so excited for her! She'd made her first ghoul! Lot's of kindred made ghouls, didn't they? Who cared if they lived or died? It wasn't supposed to be about them , it was about what they gave to her . Why wasn't she seeing that!? "It's not  my  fault though!"  She groans into the receiver. "Hera was getting all pissy at me for trying to make a joke and the stupid cat wouldn't help me when all I asked was a simple question and doing all this alone was so annoying  and... and..."  she writhes under the sheets, kicking her feet in childish protest. " Ughh what do I care if the girl dies that's on her."   She fights against the blankets now, her own self-imposed restraints tangling her arms up in cloyingly soft snares. Finally, she gives in to their embrace, pulling back into the pile such that only the topmost part of her head remained visible outside it. Wincing at the saltiness of the tears that sting the corners of her eyes, she comes to a rest save for a ragged, blush-induced-breath. She thought she'd have been happy. She did so want to make her sire happy... The voice of the tantrum gives way once more to the softest of promises.  "I'll... I'll try to make sure she doesn't die, okay?"

"I don't think that you want her dead, Aubrey," Camille tells her childe softly, "and I don't think that you would have ghouled Nora if you didn't see something in her. So, show me that you can do this right . Understand her and her needs. Not her wants, her needs . People can't just tell you these kinds of answers. They rarely know them themselves. You're smart though. You can figure this out."

“Yeah yeah whatever fiiiine ,”  she sighs. “But she’s it . The rest can treat me proper, kay? With doting attention and worship and all that.” She pushes up off the sheets and sits back against the headboard, shifting away from her previous position as if it possessed a direct physical link to that whole discussion.  “So um, how’s the shoot going?”

"Oh, it's going well," Camille yawns, "very busy, as usual. We finished shooting an intense scene yesterday and I had to stay on set until 4 am. It's all worth it though. You know how it is. The director is very happy with how everything is coming together and I feel good about the performance."

“ Ooohh  that sounds great, would kill to be in front of a camera right now. Tell me more!…”  Halfway through her sentence it dawns on Aubrey what her sire was implying. She frowns, not wanting to hang up already, but knows she’d feel worse having kept her long. “…next time, that is. You must be exhausted Cam, go get more rest, hmm? We can like! catch up later.”

"Talk soon, Aubrey," Camille replies affectionately. "I'll text you when I have the name of my contact's progeny."

"Thanks Cam! I'll let you know I guess how it goes with this girl yeah? Anyway love you, sending a thousand hugs and kisses through the phone byeeeeeeee—"  Finally hanging up, she falls back onto the bed to process everything they'd discussed.  Was she really to be expected to go cozy up to Nora? With the honeyed voice of her sire no longer immediately in her ears, she struggles harder to wrap her head around it. She had one goal and one goal only since her requiem had begun — adoration. Camille knew  that. So why did she care if her first follower here was a ghoul? The mental hurdles quickly proved more tedious to vault than it felt worth dealing with at the moment. More prudent was awaiting this mystery contact Camille had incoming for her. Pulling her laptop up next to her, she flips through some of the DVDs she'd packed with her, and, selecting one, settles in to give this contact at least a half hour to get in touch before she ran back out... A moment later and a cold open later, the refreshingly familiar first refrain of the show eases her mind out of any of the worringly difficult thoughts she nearly had had to deal with. So no one told you life was gonna be this way~

Khalid woke up a groggy mess.  It was far too early for his usual schedule and he had Kindred to thank for ruining that. He lazily grabbed his phone that lay charging at his bedside and scrolled through his notifications pausing as he saw a message from Aubrey.  He sat up, combing through his hair, and caught himself smiling halfway through reading her message. He sighs and sets his phone down.  Were these feelings truly his own or was this another Kindred manipulation, using him as a tool for their project.  He rubs his eyes, still bleary, and picks up his phone: Hey! Had a magically busy day, I can now officially read minds. Jk jk, unless... but yknow I never did get to show you all my tricks. Another coffee date sounds like a good opportunity for that though. (And for the record my ego is far too inflated for my mind to be in the gutter).

A couple of hours after Aubrey's chat with Camille, her phone buzzes again with a text from her sire. Michael Lefebvre. He's a Mekhet neophyte staying at Worcester College. He should reach out to you, but here his number.

One quick episode turns into a near-series four marathon as Aubrey lazes away the remainder of the day, stopping only briefly to excitedly check her sire’s message, only to toss the phone back down in wait for this contact to reach out.  It’s the second ring on the phone some hours later that gets her eyes to dislodge from the screen, eager to get moving again. As if in mock-prophecy of mistaken identity, however, it is just as she reads “Khalid” on the screen that she hears Ross call Rachel’s name out at his wedding to that snob Emily, and she groans. Truthfully, she was happy to hear back from the mage ー perhaps moreso than she even expected to ー but his was a fling irrelevant when she was this close  to finishing her little murder mystery. Nonetheless, she scrawls a quick reply after an appropriate thirty minute wait. Oh? You have tricks beyond making cat noises well? rabbits out of hats, innit? card tricks? come to think of it I’d looove to see you saw someone in half >:) if that big ego of yours can still fit through doors then meet me at The Grand Cafe at say… 8ish? tonight kay? After that she barely finishes the final episode before her head hits the pillow, and she’s out until evening. The sharp jolt of her heart restarting brings Aubrey back into the world of the living yet again, and it’s accompanied by the soft shake of her phone on the wooden frame of her nightstand, a timely message incoming from the contact Camille had mentioned. Hello Aubrey. My name is Mike. I was asked to help you find someone called Raziel. Let me know how I can help or if you want to meet up and discuss this.  Eyes barely open she smashes some keys and sends her message off, then pulls a pillow back over her eyes for just five more minutes. hiii mike,  can i call you mikey?? just woke up sorrry but anyway sounds flsplendid, and in person probs? unless you can like, find her sitting at home lol  actually you cant actually do taht can you? would be soo convenient Dx anyway come to the brasenose quad, around hmmm 7ish i guess?? that work?

(From Worcester College) Michael arrives early at Brasenose Quad. The lamps cast a warm, yellowish light on the ancient walls and buildings. The grassy area is dotted with trees, and there are benches along the perimeter. He  walks over and sits on one. A few people, mostly students, are strolling around or chatting in small groups, but none seem to be Aubrey, so Michael waits. 

Despite rolling her eyes at his reply, within five minutes Aubrey emerges along the path, quickly drawing eyes from several of the passerbys that she ignores to smile down at the obvious kindred on the bench nearby.  “Hello, ‘Mike’,”  she says with an affected, deep and serious tone on his name. “So I have, like, a lot to get to tonight so what do we need to do here? You have the name and face already, right? You like a private eye or something?”

Michael looks up at Aubrey. 'Damn,' he thinks. He had been hoping he had looked at the wrong Facebook page, but no, it is her, another public figure. He notices that she's attractive, but he feels like people are looking at him just because he is talking to her.  He manages to smile and says, "Hi Aubrey, it's nice to meet you. I'm not a P. I., I just happen to be good at computers, and it's easy to track down people by the trail they leave in the Web. Right now I have a name, a photo, and I found a match on social media, but anything else you know about her would be a lot of help. If she's Kindred, for example, it's going to be much harder to find her on security camera footage." As he talks he pulls out his Blackberry and goes to Raziel's profile picture and shows it to Aubrey. 

"Umm like what would you need then? She's at Keble yeah? She was at a party last week here in Brasenose? There's video of that online for sure. She is  kin of course so that's like, a thing."  She taps a finger against her chin and hums. "Oh! She's on the Arch and Anthro track, too. Does that help?"

"That's all great, thank you," Michael says as he jots down some notes. "You never know what little detail will lead you onto their track. Being kindred makes it a little more complicated because we can't use camera footage very accurately, but credit cards, bank movements, phone calls, library cards, social media, public transport smart cards, the IP address they use to log onto sites, loyalty cards, police records, tax returns, geolocators on phones, cars, and smartwatches... It's all out there. Unless we actively take steps to hide, we bleed a wealth of information into the Internet about who we are, what we are doing, and where we are." Michael looks up at Aubrey, "So, yeah, anything else you know about her would be great."

Aubrey blinks vacantly, but smiles. "Wow you're like, super  smart with this stuff huh? Well all I need is a way to find her..."  she pauses, remembering what Hera had instructed her to do as well. "Actually, maybe that stuff would  be useful too, hmm? Like, her routine and usual places she visits and blah blah you know? So I guess anything you can find would be super appreciated, Mikey— I mean, Mike."  

"Let's keep in touch, and if either of us finds any information, we can let the other know,"  Michael says, standing up and slipping his Blackberry back into his pocket. "We'll find Raziel, don't worry. With the two of us looking, we should be able to locate her soon enough." He waves and turns to go but then turns back and says, "And, um, Aubrey, be careful. At least one elder vampire disappeared recently, perhaps permanently, and it looks like other kindred may have been involved." 

“Yes yes,”  Aubrey waves a hand dismissively as her mind starts shifting gears to her date with Khalid, “They all were killed by a monster or whatever I know, anyway go find her please? It’s really  important, kay? Kay great text meeeee!”  She claps a hand at him as she backs away and starts down the path to the Grand Cafe.

Michael watches Aubrey leave. "Shit," he says to himself, she knows what he needs to know and she has already walked away. He pulls out his phone, and types a quick message to Aubrey: When you get a chance, please tell me what you meant about the monster. It's important to me to know what happened that night. Thanks, and it was great to meet you. I'll write when I find something.