Keble College

"Then we have much to accomplish together," Daniel notes with relish. "Gabriel!" He calls out, his tone once more shifting into something that cannot be denied. Rae's brother awakes with a jolt. "Clean up your neck."

Rising from her seat, it is with no small satisfaction that she looks to Gabriel's silent and subdued demeanor. The wicked thought to offer Gabriel to Daniel in perpetuity crosses her mind, but she pushes the idea away as just as quickly. "I look forward to working together, I'm sure that we will accomplish much. Thank you for your time and your assistance, Professor. I wish you a pleasant evening." Exiting Keble, Rae wishes that she could return to Lyra, or at least do something to focus her thinking. Every aspect of the Ventrue clan makes her think that the blame for any folkloric connection between Satan and Kindred lies squarely upon their shoulders. Obfuscating herself on the way home, she considers going for an evening run in the hope that it will help her think of a manner by which to find a suitable vessel for Dr. McDermott. 

(Continued from Cowley) "Dammit," says Michael as the cell phone signal seems to be returning the way they came. He looks around for anyone who looks like the woman in the photo, or for any cats oddly walking purposefully down the street.  He has an idea, more or less, of where she is heading at least, and keeping his obfuscation going, he jogs back to Cowley. He might be able to see her return there.  (Back to Cowley) 

(Continued from Cowley) Arriving on the grounds of the college, Rae almost expects to be swarmed by members of the Concord after the terrible antics of the prior evening. But as she makes her way into the building, everything is blessedly normal. Quickly ascending the stairs to the office of Professor McDermott, she gently knocks on the door. "Good evening, Professor. It's Raziel."

"Come in," the McDermott calls out. "What do you have for me, Raziel?" He asks as she enters.

Walking into the space, Rae wears a welcoming smile.  "Hello, Professor. What I have for you is a touch of unfortunate news, followed by what I hope you'll see as a greater gift than the one you requested." Coming to stand before the professor's desk, she affects calmness and confidence. "I do not know if news has already spread, but Francis de la Fontaine-my Khaibit grandsire-has returned to Oxford. He has returned to train me for what we fear to be a grave threat that now looms over both the Kindred and Kine of Oxford." "I was recently attacked by a Strix outside of my home. Other Strix may have already been nesting here and wormed their way into the inner workings of this place. There is no way of knowing at this point. So, alongside working within the bounds of our arrangement, I will be learning to fight the Strix." She pauses to note the professor's reaction before continuing. "Speaking of our agreement, these current events have precluded me finding a suitable vessel for you. So I would like to offer this in its place. While the Strix roam Oxford, you shall have my protection."

Dr. McDermott glances up at Rae and smiles a smile that is entirely too wide. His eyes fill with black as though smoke is swirling within them and an unpleasant sensation pulls at her heart. "I shall? Well, that's adorable," he remarks and the sound is like two voices speaking in synchrony, if the second were nails on a blackboard.

Rae's head swims as horrible pain in her skull is accompanied by an intense and terrible vertigo. The combination almost brings her to her knees, and she takes an unsteady step to the side as she fights to keep herself upright. After several seconds, she is able to focus on Dr. McDermott and register the strange change in his eyes and voice. She realizes that what she is suffered is far too similar to what the Strix outside of her flat had done to her when it shattered her obfuscation.  As she had learned from Francis, Rae calls upon the darkness to tear the veil from her eyes and perceive the world as it truly is. The mists of Twilight fill the space around them, and as she looks upon the professor, she watches as the shadow of two, enormous wings extend outward from the man's back.  Simple panic fails to describe the sheer dread that propels Rae out of the office and building at the supernatural speed of her Celerity. Ducking down into a shadowy corner in the Keble quad, she masks the attentive silence of her Beast before frantically dialing the number Parker had given her and praying that anyone would pick up.

As she flees, Rae can hear wings on the wind behind her. The dial tone blares in her ear in slow motion as the phone rings. Glancing down at her ankles, she can see the familiar shape of a black cat running alongside her.

Rae wondered if her gifts were confounding her senses, as never before had a phone rung so slowly in the entirety of her life or unlife.  " Shit...shit...shit..." Looking down to see the familiar form appear close to her, she leans in close to him and whispers.  "Lotus. Run. That thing will tear you apart and eat whatever spirit or force leaves you when you die. Run."

"Mrowr," the lithe little cat replies, baring his teeth, before turning to face the vampire's pursuer. "Good evening," a well spoken voice greets Rae upon picking up the phone.

"Lo-" The voice on the other end of the phone cuts her off, and she immediately turns her attention to it. Though she does her best to speak quietly, her voice trembles as the words come out frantically.  " Hello, I need help. Keble has been compromised, I'm being pursued by a Strix. Please help me."

"Miss Andrews?" Rae can't tell if the voice belongs to Parker or James. "Seek shelter. Try to remain calm and take things one step at a time. Help is on the way." From behind her, Rae hears a sudden thudding twang that echoes and reverberates loudly through the night.

Before she can answer Parker-or-James, Rae nearly jumps out of her cold skin as the noise sounds out from behind her. Quickly shuffling out of the corner where she'd hid, she does her best to remain in the shadows. With the Udjat  still active, Rae focuses on the area that seemed to be the source of the noise, searching the darkness for signs of faint body heat or movement. 

Rae sees a golden flower blaze in the air above the little black cat. The strix's stygian wings beat against the apparition's petals, but the monstrous crow is unable to withstand the light and retreats.

Just as Rae prepares to run, she is shocked to see the strange cat perform some manner of magic that repels the dark form of the Strix and drives it away. As she stands in the shadows of the quad, the questions overwhelm her. For how long has the professor been possessed? What manner of magic was that? Where was the professor's cat? Just what are these creatures? She reaches out to the mind and soul of the cat, only to grip her head in disorienting, throbbing pain as her own mind and soul ricochet off of one another by the doing of the Strix. "...Damn it."  Dropping to her knees, she bends down to the cat. "Lotus, if you can speak to me, please tell me what you are. What did you just do?"

" Mrowr ," the cat asserts smugly, licking a paw and cleaning its ear.

Rae's shoulders fall in mild disappointment, but she smiles and reaches out to give the cat scritches behind the ears.  " Thank you for saving me. " Standing up, she leans against the nearest wall, keeping herself enclosed in shadow. Remaining vigilant, she waits for the Kindred cavalry. 

The cat arches its back and sidles in a figure of eight between Rae's ankles, rubbing its neck against her. A few moments later the shadows swell, broiling up into a column from which steps Francis, his blade drawn in front of him. "Good evening Raziel, where is it ?" He hisses, eyes flitting around in search of his prey.

There is another moment of terror as the shadows take form once again. But Rae relaxes, if only partially, upon recognizing Francis de la Fontaine.  "My cat, Lotus,  did some manner of magic that drove it away. Produced a shining light that it couldn't withstand." She looks down proudly at the black cat, then back up to take a more grave tone with Francis.  "The creature has possessed the body of Keble Professor  Daniel McDermott. I was in its space just long enough to notice that the cat present during my last visit was now missing. I saw the man two nights ago, which, now that I say it aloud, leads me to believe that the Strix has been watching me for some time."  She pauses to reflect further, coming to a grim awareness. "And that thing has my human brother..."

"Your cat?!" Francis replies incredulously. The fluffy black feline stares back up at him, unimpressed. "You can't be serious."

"It hasn't quite settled for me, either." Rae says with an exhausted smile. "But I wouldn't be whole, much less standing before you, if not for this cat." "The Strix did something to me, corrupted my sight somehow. My Auspex doesn't work right now, along with God knows what else."

"The so-called 'Web of Destiny'," Francis spits. "Some Strix can bend probability and consequence to their liking. Which way did it go?"

Rae had watched the scene unfold, watched Lotus emit the flower of light that drove the Strix away. But as she tried to remember any other detail, there is simply an absence of sight or sense that engenders feelings of horrible disorientation. Sensations that she is now beginning to associate only with Strix.  She sways a little as she tries to recall, then looks to Francis in frustration. "I can't remember. I saw it, but it's like the memory has been stolen. Can I fight this effect off? The creature is hunting me, and even with Lotus, it will end me without a way to defend myself."

"When you use the Ba to shroud yourself in shadow and enter the ephemeral realm," Francis explains, "then their powers can no longer touch you. In the material world, your only defence is the sheer strength of your resolve. Better to strike first and avoid being a target in the first place. The effects of the Web of Destiny will fade with time. It cannot mark you forever." Closing his eyes, Francis steps backwards into the shadows, which engulf him without a trace.

"Alright, good to know. I wasn't sure if they could still reach me in Twilight. I-" Rae is cut short as Francis fades away into the shadows. "...-will see you at Blenheim, then."  Retrieving her phone, she texts the number provided to her.  All clear. Ready to be picked up and taken to Blenheim.

Good evening, Miss Andrews. Where would you like to be collected? The number replies a few moments later.

At Keble College, please. Thank you.

A little less than half an hour later, Parker pulls up outside the college in Francis's car. He gets out and walks around to open the back door for Rae. "Everything alright, Miss Andrews?"

Hastily approaching the car, Rae turns to make sure that Lotus is following close behind her. "Hello, Parker. Yes, the threat has been scared off for the moment. But we should get to Blenheim as quickly as possible." 

Rae's cat hops up onto the seat next to her and crosses his paws. "As you wish ma'am," Parker replies and the car speeds off north towards the city limits.

[continued from Cowley] “So did you already let him know that we’re stopping by or…?” Mehdi asks as he follows the professor to McDermott’s office. One hand holds a goblin fruit the size of a small orange. The Changeling bites through the pinkish colored rind as they walk, revealing another several layers of rind beneath instead of flesh, all in varying colors and shades. It doesn’t appear unpleasant as he munches away, despite the off putting appearance.

"No, I was just going to start a jazz concert outside his window and coax him out that way. If it stops abruptly, he's likely to come and try to commission more. It is always better to negotiate when someone knows they want something from you." Liam already has his phone out as he walks texting some people he knows from the local jazz scene. He thinks for a second before also firing one off to Aubrey  Pop up gig at Keble in the quad. Come join? Heads up, trying to get someone's attention so may end abruptly. Lots of your fans desperate to see us collab again ;) "One of my band mates is a student here. A few others I know too., don't want to post on socials ahead though or my sire will be here before we even start "

Mehdi at once looks both incredulous and exasperated. ”Or you know… I could just Helldive and spy on him without him or anyone else knowing we were ever here.” Clearly this would be the smarter, safer plan, but at this point Mehdi knows Liam well enough to know that the musician will never miss a chance to perform. “But fine, let’s get you set up.” he says with a sigh of resignation as he moves to go fetch Jetty and Liam’s equipment.

"There's my man!" Liam claps Mehdi on the shoulder before going back to his phone to wait for the inevitable replies

Chip (Mag|Sov|Ja|Aleixo) said: "No, I was just going to start a jazz concert outside his window and coax him out that way. If it stops abruptly, he's likely to come and try to commission more. It is always better to negotiate when someone knows they want something from you." Liam already has his phone out as he walks texting some people he knows from the local jazz scene. He thinks for a second before also firing one off to Aubrey  Pop up gig at Keble in the quad. Come join? Heads up, trying to get someone's attention so may end abruptly. Lots of your fans desperate to see us collab again ;) "One of my band mates is a student here. A few others I know too., don't want to post on socials ahead though or my sire will be here before we even start " It's not long before Liam's phone starts to buzz with responses from his band mates. Oh man, yes!! Keble quad? I'm there. Keble? Fancy 😏 Count me in, I’ll bring the special amp. Yesss, let's blow their minds! I can leave work early for this. Anything specific I should bring? I’m hyped! A pop-up gig AND your fans? Dude, you’re spoiling us. Can’t wait! This is gonna be epic. Just say when we start, and I'll make it extra loud. 😈 As Mehdi begins setting up the equipment in Keble’s quad, students passing by start to take notice with a mix of curiosity and confusion. Some slow their steps, exchanging glances as they notice the unexpected appearance of sound equipment in the middle of campus. A few bold students linger, intrigued by what might be a surprise performance, while others whisper to friends, nudging them to look over. One group of students, clearly excited, speculates whether this is some sort of guerrilla gig, their eyes darting to the unusual pair of Mehdi and Liam.