Cowley

Rae waves at Andrei as they all pass, and she suddenly feels the inquisitiveness of her Kindred nature slip gently beneath the folds of her skin like a scalpel. Without breaking her stride, she casts her soul out to explore Andrei's mind, wondering why she'd never done so before.  The first image that Rae sees is of Andrei raising a shield with his back to her, protective as she had always known him to be. Her mind is cast back to the night when he comforted her and even briefly held her in the wake of terrifying threats and unstoppable change.  The second image is of a nude Andrei suspended in the air like a Vitruvian man. This dispelled a thought that had always lingered at the back of her mind of whether or not Andrei himself was a supernatural creature of some sort.  The final image is a great tower stretching so far up that Rae cannot see the top. Initially thinking of the Tower of Babel and relation to Andrei having to speak outside of his mother tongue on a regular basis, a more plausible relation comes to mind. This image was a watchtower, a powerful supernal symbol that often manifests during an awakening. Andrei could be a mage .    Fucking hell, well I suppose I know what conversation will follow the one I'm about to have.  Arriving at her bedroom, she offers armchairs in the room to Mehdi and Liam, while she and Lyra take a seat on the edge of her bed. She holds the young woman closely to her, an arm loosely wrapped around her waist.  "Well, let me see. Since we've last spoken, I've been hunted by the Circle of the Crone for the murder I committed within their territory. I met a nauseatingly congenial member of the Circle who tried to bring me in, only for me to awaken to my shadowy Khaibit bloodline and be attacked by a Strix as a result. Upon trying to turn myself into the Circle, my grand-sire and Eve's husband appeared and struck enough terror into the heart of the Circle that they promptly fucked off. He then took me and the congenial acquaintance back to his Haven, as he wishes to train me as a Khaibit warrior to fight and kill Strix. My mortal brother was then taken by the Strix that is stalking me, having possessed a professor at Keble. I'm glossing over a myriad of details, but the last important part is my ushering of my dear Lyra into the night, while retaining her mortality."  As she concludes her story, she leans in and gives Lyra an affectionate kiss on the cheek.  "And what of you both?"

Liam smiles warmly as they are greeted at the door, partially genuinely feeling glad to be back around someone else who had experienced the craziness of the library, and partially enjoying the brief surprise after Rae had ignored his messages. Mostly though, he was just glad he hadn't had her killed. Of all the vampires he had met, Rae was probably the closest to wanting no part of the game he had met aside from himself. He listens to her story, nodding along and watching the ghoul carefully.  "Same, same." He waves his hand as though they were talking about a quiet weekend. "Met some people who wanted to find Silas. You remember that powerful Elder we drained together?" He looks pointedly at Lyra here, gauging her response. " Dealt with that to begin with, took some heat disposing of the sleeping guy, got ordered to kill you and Eve. Didn't. Now everyone wants me dead. And Mehdi too it seems, some kind of assassin faerie with a desire to poke him full of holes ruined my gig. Right when I was getting to the good bit too. Not as good as the duet I sang with Aubrey Knight, of all people. Kind of blowing up on the socials after that which is good. If I go out so soon after I'll probably really take off after, after death. Oh, and everyone I actually know keeps ignoring my bloody texts or blowing me off." He sits back in the chair, sitting his right foot on his left knee and leaning on his elbow on the backrest

Rae squints in mild disbelief at what Liam has shared, as well as the flippant manner with which he's said it.  "You...were ordered to kill Eve and I? Exactly how far did you get into carrying that out? And you know Aubrey? She's the one who tried to bring me in. We're not exactly on good terms at the moment, despite what she'd probably tell you. Who wants you two dead?" The questions fly faster than she has time to process them. 

Liam eyes up the gap across the table, holding his hands up as though measuring the distance. "I'd say about 3 metres from completion so far." He makes a sudden move as though to leap across the gap, before chuckling and sitting back down with a bump. He throws his hands up in the air  "Nah, I'm just messing. You've nothing to worry about from me. Especially if you're now some fancy claypit warrior now." He gives a wink. "Truth be told, I said I'd do it, didn't really consider that I wouldn't. The idea got me down a bit, taking out a fellow innocent bystander to the game and all, but never really crossed my mind I had a choice until he pointed it out." He waves his hand at Mehdi. "Figure I'm probably done either way, why not leave you out of it and just have some fun along the way? Killing you wouldn't have been fun." He grins. "As for who wants us dead? Silas' people, my people, probably your people. The Fae for sure. This guy called Michael. Oh and some ancient beings who the cats are fighting. If the cats lose, all of this becomes irrelevant too from what they say. They think they have it in hand, but they probably don't. That's another reason I figured not to kill you. We're all probably done anyway, at least some of us, or most, why kill someone for someone who might not be around to appreciate it anyway?" He paused. "You know Aubrey took? She has been busy. She's been blowing me off too though. How'd she upset you?"

Liam and Rae's cats both slowly stalk their counterpart in a circle, tales in the air as they sniff at one another. The whole process makes them look like yin and yang. With a meow of greeting, they settle into a corner together.

“The Fae don’t want you dead, at least not collectively,” Mehdi corrects. “The cats are Fae, but not associated with the Court, and yeah they are protecting the Kindred of Oxford from the crazy mages who summoned that tentacle thing. They call themselves the will of Bast.” his eyes watch the two guardians as he says this, assuming they can understand him though they can’t communicate as they could in the Hedge. “And I guess technically no one wants me dead, the crazy traitor Changeling after me wants to drag me back to Arcadia.”

Rae doesn't move as Liam feigns a rush towards her, though she does feel Lyra flinch into her. Without taking her eyes off of him while he speaks, she realizes that this is the longest they've ever actually conversed. She wonders if she'd soon be able to take him in a fight, and comes to the conclusion that she is not fond of him. Daeva.  Surprise once again brightens her eyes as Mehdi chimes in, explaining the origin of the cats and why they are protecting the Kindred of Oxford.  "The Will of Bast. Francis was right, and that would explain the connection I saw in Lotus's soul to Egypt. He'll want to hear about that. But this is all important information, thank you for sharing it. My little protector banished a Strix as it was just about to attack, summoned a blinding light that forced it to flee. He saved my unlife." She then remembers Liam's question. "As for Aubrey, her saccharine sweet, Legally Blonde act works on others, but she's made of steel and venom. I saw it first hand, she carries a deep hurt that has led her to desire power over others. In spite of herself, it seems. And she hasn't been blowing you off, she spent the last few days staked and imprisoned in Francis De La Fontaine's dungeon for impertinent behavior. Nor have I been blowing you off, for that matter. We've all been busy trying not to meet the Final Death." She leans forward a bit, her expression briefly becoming cold and detached. "And I would like to respectfully request that, given our current climate, you don't make jokes about taking a run at me. Particularly since you'd recently considered it."

Liam holds his hands up in nock surrender, holds for a second then puts them back down leaving one finger up in correction. "Didn't consider, was going to, then when I considered, decided against without hesitation. But I get it, you're jumpy. You see the end coming too. Trust me, it's easier when you accept it and decide on enjoying what you have left. That's why I'm here, helping Mehdi with his interview with the professor. Of us all, he might actually have a shot at survival for a while." He pulls out his phone. "Mind if I take a picture? Be fun to let Aubrey know we have a mutual friend."

Mehdi lets out a small scoff, indicating his growing tiredness regarding Liam’s resignation to Final Death. He looks at Rae, wondering if he should tell her about the Hollow, but decides against it. Seems like she’s quite capable of defending herself, and the less people that know about their hideout the better.

"The end is always coming, Liam. I leave the catastrophizing to the Kine, who scream doomsday under the slightest bit of socio-political pressure. We are Kindred because we endure. We will weather this and we will grow stronger for it." He then looks towards Liam's cell phone. "Sure, if you want Bri's suspicion and no small amount of resentment." Sitting up straight, she looks between the pair. "So, in this, the endtimes -" Rae speaks the word as though it were as ridiculous a notion as the boogeyman or a perfect government. "How can we help one another?"

Liam laughs. He takes a picture and sends off a quick text. Hey Aubrey, discovered we have a mutual connection. Guess whose house I'm in.  "I wouldn't be so dramatic to say the end of all things, just that the noose is tightening around us specifically. I daresay our kind will endure and continue to squander the gift of eternal life on infighting and politics whilst they neglect the joys around them. You get it. At least I thought you did?" He glances at Lyra pointedly.

Rae regards Liam with a look that is halfway between exhaustion and disbelief.  "And aimless hedonism is the better choice? Sounds like you're running from something, Professor McCarthy. Perhaps it's yourself." She glances at Mehdi out of little more than a desire to diffuse the tension before looking back to Liam. "All things in moderation. That's what the Buddha says, at least." Seemingly done with Liam, she turns to Mehdi and her features soften with sincerity. "How can I help, Mehdi?"  

Mehdi looks surprised both by the girl’s candor with Liam and by her apparent concern with him. ”Help… me?” he asks, blinking his rosy eyes. “Uhm… I’m not really sure there’s much you can do, to be honest. I guess… if you happen to come across a weird, spacey girl named Alice… kill her.” he says, half joking and half deadly serious. “I remember you have the ability to see through the Masks of the Lost, right? She has writings and illustrations scribbled across her real skin like a sketchbook. She’s a privateer, a Changeling who works for the True Fae, hunting down her own kin.”

Intrigue captures Rae, her imagination spinning an image of this fae mercenary. "Huh. Yes, I'm able to see through the Masks. Can you give me any other information I could use to identify her? If she's a privateer, then I'm sure her bosses wouldn't have a problem replacing her, but I'll bring her down if I feel I am capable." As she asks, she silently invades the mind of the Daeva man before her, without even casting her eyes in his direction. She'd never considered Liam beyond his friendship with Eve and association with Mehdi. But now she needed to understand him, his motives and sentiments, and how to use them again him should the need arise.  The first image is rather straightforward; Liam on puppet strings, but the strings attach to two puncture marks in his neck. He had been ordered to destroy Eve and herself by his maker. And beyond that, it seems that he has a sour relationship with his sire.  The second image is also self-explanatory;  Silas's torpid corpse. A dark figure is bent over him, draining the last of his vitae. For whatever reason, Liam chose to bring the Elder to the Final Death. Someone needed to take the fall after that, I suppose. Not sure how he didn't figure that there would be consequences for a death of such gravity.  The third image takes a moment to come into clarity; an old wooden toy where two clockwork soldiers march out of a house, but their tracks lead them around in a circle and they return home. So Liam had sent people to carry out the kill orders. He has no childer, otherwise he'd be parading them around or at the very least have mentioned them. So he sent ghouls or enthralled kine. Rae recalls the stranger she caught taking pictures of the flat.  The final image helps her understand what her next decision would be; Liam grows wings and sprouts white feathers, metamorphosing into a white dove that takes flight. So he truly does mean us no harm now. But that kind of duplicity over a self-inflicted fuck up won't soon be forgotten. 

Mehdi shrugs. ”Shes asks a lot of vague questions. Barely had half a conversation with her before she tried to stab this in my back,” he says, pulling the iron dagger out of an interior jack pocket. The blade, anathema to his kind, has been wrapped in heavy fabric. “Really though, don’t go out of your way. She’s stronger than she looks.”

Rae nods. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you." Eyeing the blade and the care with which Mehdi handles it, it becomes clear just what it is.  Sitting up straight, she looks between the Changeling and the Daeva. "Well, that concludes the updates on my end. Is there anything else that you two wanted to discuss? And I'd be happy to hold onto that blade, Mehdi. I imagine carrying it around in your back pocket must feel like an accident waiting to happen, and I could use it against this Alice if we do cross paths."

“Ah,” he replies with a nervous chuckle and quickly shoves the dagger back in his pocket. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s a lot more likely I’ll be running into her again before you do. This thing’ll work just as well on her as it would me. Other than that…” he trails off trying to remember if there was anything else, glancing to Liam before his eyes drift to the cats. ”Oh right, I mentioned the cats are fae. We know that because we took Moswen to the Hedge. When we’re there  I can talk to her, just like you and I are talking now. If you ever want to bring Lotus over, I could probably talk to him too. Moswen is the one who told us about the Mabinogi…” he pauses as he suddenly remembers something important “ And the Strix . She said the crows are a distraction, they’re just here at Oxford feeding off of whatever corruption the mages are spreading. And they’re trying to summon some… black goat god… I think.” He looks at Moswen again as if to ask ‘am I getting all this right?’ “Probably pertinent information for you if you’re going on a Strix hunting spree.”

"Mrowr!" Moswen purrs affirmatively between licking her paws.

Absorbing this new information, she thinks back to the night on which they'd met, the eldritch abomination that crawled forth from the workings of the mages. "That is very pertinent information, thank you. As the Strix thrive off of the suffering of the living and Kindred, there's the potential that they could even temporarily align themselves with these mages in order to create further chaos." She considers the scale of what is happening, and how small she feels in comparison. Unable to even invoke the Pseshkf that could defend her from the carrion eaters of a greater catastrophe. "Thank you for the offer with Lotus, it may be equally pertinent that he and I are able to have a more streamlined conversation soon. We need to prepare ourselves to face what's coming."  Rae stands slowly from her bed, giving Mehdi and Liam a cordial smile. "I'm sorry to cut your visit short. As much I'd like for us to have a proper get-together-" She looks only at Mehdi as she says this. "-it seems that we all have moves to make for now, and I need to make use of the little moonlight left in this night. I'll do my best to keep you updated if I find any new information. Thank you both again for stopping by."

Liam smirks at the dismissal. "What, no drinks." He stands. "But yes, I guess we shouldn't keep you. Have a good night." As he walks through the corridor, Liam notices a clock. I think we may have missed our mark a little.

Mehdi blinks. ”Right, yeah, keep us posted.” he says, moving to leave alongside Liam. Once they have exited the building, Mehdi turns to the professor. “Dude, I don’t think she likes you very much.”

Closing the door the pair as they leave, Rae turns her attention to the mage that she'd unknowingly been sharing a space with. Returning to her bedroom, she sits on the bed beside Lyra, taking her ghoul's hand in her own.  "Dearest, there is one other person that we must speak to tonight. A conversation that might be a bit more dangerous." She settles in close to Lyra, looking deeply into her eyes and smiling. "But before that, how have you been feeling since I shared myself with you? What changes have you noticed? Don't spare any details, I want to hear everything."

Liam smirks at Mehdi. "Right? Don't know what I've done to offend her so badly. You'd think I was the one who left her holding the body then ignored her texts. Maybe I should have just done what I was told after all."  He winks, and Mehdi knows him well enough to see there is no intention there and that he is unconcerned with the cold treatment. "Did you see the clock? It's much later than we intended. We had better leave seeing your professor for tomorrow night. For now, I had better check in on the girls and get something to eat."

Kai S. said: Returning to her bedroom, she sits on the bed beside Lyra, taking her ghoul's hand in her own.  "Dearest, there is one other person that we must speak to tonight. A conversation that might be a bit more dangerous." She settles in close to Lyra, looking deeply into her eyes and smiling. "But before that, how have you been feeling since I shared myself with you? What changes have you noticed? Don't spare any details, I want to hear everything." Lyra's dark eyes seem to sharpen, flickering with a light that Rae that hasn’t seen in her before. Something almost predatory, yet still veiled by her habitual melancholy. The girl stares at their joined hands for a moment, her fingers tracing faint patterns along her lover's skin. Then, her voice, soft but resonant, drifts up from that shadowed place within her. "It’s like a song that I didn’t know that I knew,"  Lyra begins, gaze distant. "A melody that I’ve heard before, but could never sing. Now… now it plays through me." She shifts, a rare glint of curiosity brightening her usually sombre expression. "I feel alive, but not in any way that I’ve ever felt before. Not like mortals feel, I think. It’s something richer… darker." Her fingers tighten slightly around the vampire's hand and Lyra's eyes return to meet her domitor's, this time with an almost reverent intensity. "The world feels… sharp. Colours have edges and every sound pulls at me, almost like it wants to tell me a secret." She tilts her head, a slow, lingering smile creeping onto her lips. "There’s this feeling in me… this need. For you , of course, but it’s more than that. It’s like a hunger that knows itself… something wild and ancient." Pausing, she finally releases Rae’s hand and looks away, her gaze softening with something vulnerable, almost like shame. "It’s strange to want like this," Lyra admits. "It’s a dark thing, but it makes me feel… whole. Complete in a way that I never knew that I could be." A rare, brief laugh escapes her. "Perhaps I’m rambling," she says softly, "but I want to understand this, to understand you and, if I’m honest…" She looks at Rae, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think I already want more."

Rae looks upon Lyra as if witnessing a miracle, marveling at the beauty and strength of her as she took to the shadows like a bird to the sky. It moves her deeply, nourishing a more profound sentiment of connection towards her ghoul.  "My darling...you are a vision. Should you choose to be Embraced, these feeling would flourish in a manner that language fails to capture. There would be no secrets this world could guard from you. No door truly locked."  Rae brings a hand out to rest on the small of Lyra's back, returning the intensity of the gaze her ghoul had just leveled at her.  "It is strange. This shift out of mortality can be a jarring one." She smiles softly. "And I can tell that you will take to it just as you've taken to my blood."  Gently, she scoops Lyra up and places the young woman in her lap.  "You are incredible. You are every kind of magnificence this myopic world fails to see. You deserve all that you could ever desire, my dove. And I would like to help you get it." She covers Lyra's cheeks in kisses before bringing their lips together passionately.  "I want you to understand me too, love. I want you to truly know me. Do you have any questions for me? I will answer them all, then we will face a potential danger together on this night before I take you to bed and share myself with you in every way that I know how."

Lyra’s breath catches, her usual reserve unravelling bit by bit as Rae’s kisses brush her cheeks and lips. Her  eyes narrow thoughtfully a t the invitation and she brings her fingers to rest on her domitor's collarbone, drawing small circles there as though grounding herself in the question that she's about to ask. Her gaze lifts, probing, almost hesitant. "When you offered me this life, this shadowed half-life… did you see a piece of yourself in me? Or was it something else?" She pauses, her expression more earnest than Rae has ever seen it. "I know that the thirst will grow and that I’ll want you in ways that I might not even understand yet… but was this something that you wanted too? To have someone like me… to make someone like me?" Her fingers still, her expression softening into something almost wistful. "Rae… if I do embrace this life with you… would I lose myself?" She searches Rae’s eyes, her own reflecting a flash of vulnerability, fear and curiosity all mingled together. "Will I become just like you?" She brushes a stray lock of hair behind Rae’s ear, her voice dropping to a whisper,  "...because I think I'd like that... but I’m terrified too, of losing whatever there is of me ."

Both Lyra's expression and hesitation make Rae aware of the weight of these questions in her darling's mind. She pauses, reflecting on her own feelings before answers with the gravity the questions deserve. As Lyra brushes the lock of hair away from her ear and whispers to her, she has to truly apply herself to focus on staying on topic.  "It had been mentioned to me, but I hadn't really considered having a companion like you until I met you. I was hunting at the time, and you were the last thing I was expecting. I felt a connection to you. To how different you feel you are from others. Before I was turned, I felt I'd only ever lived on the outskirts, too strange to ever belong to anyone or anything beyond myself. Even in company, always alone." She smiles at Lyra and its like clouds parting. "Then I bumped into you." Her expression becomes somber as she answers the following question. "There is a risk, darling. This unlife is a balancing act and mistakes can be costly. But until the time comes that you marry the night, I don't think you're at risk of losing yourself. Even then, I think that you are too powerfully yourself to ever truly lose who you are. You'll just change. As all things do. The people who survive this unlife are those who know how to adapt." Rae traces Lyra's jawline with her thumb before leaning in to kiss her cheek once more and whisper in her ear in return. "So you'd like to be like me? And just how do I seem to you, my dove?"

Lyra’s face softens, a faint blush tinting her cheeks as Rae’s words settle over her. She gazes back, and the haunted look in her eyes lifts, brightened by her domitor’s presence and the promise of understanding. She lets the vampire’s touch trace along her jaw, savouring it, her fingers gently pressing Rae’s shoulder as if to hold herself steady. "I think… to me, you’re like the moon," Lyra says, voice low and thoughtful. “Cold to those who only see the surface, but those who know can feel the warmth, the glow hidden beneath. You watch from the shadows and the world sees you as something distant, unattainable and, yet… you offered me a place here with you." She hesitates, searching Rae’s gaze, then goes on. "You’re strength and beauty and mystery, but you’re also deeply… generous and fiercely protective. It’s a kind of power that draws people in, but it’s also one that keeps people at a distance, I think." Her fingers trail down Rae’s arm and  Lyra’s eyes flicker, vulnerable again. "I suppose that that’s what I fear," she admits, nearly a whisper. "Losing the parts of me that are… soft, breakable, human, but, at the same time, if I can be more like you, stronger, truer to who I am underneath…" She lets out a breath, as if the confession were heavier than she realised. "You make me feel… safe. If there’s a way to stay with you, to learn this life by your side…"  she bites her lip, summoning her nerve before whispering, "then I would want that. However long it might last."

Rae looks at Lyra with the hopeful surrender that is love. To be reintroduced to herself through the eyes of her darling, this mortal she'd met by chance who had come to regard her with such shimmering distinction and desired a place by her side. Part of this had to be the bond, but there was such sincerity and vulnerability in Lyra's words and gestures that Rae knew that it was a melding of the bond onto existing sentiments. Rae simply watches Lyra's lovely features, feelings the rise and fall of her body with her breathing, and cherishes her with an adamance that would humble prophets clutching the word of their gods.  Eventually, Rae pulls Lyra in close, closing her eyes with arms wrapped around her beloved.  " Lyra . My Lyra . My love. My heat in winter's cold. My shore when I'm lost at sea. Thank you for the gift you've given me. Thank you for seeing me as you do. Thank you for choosing me just as I've chosen you." Rae pulls away, but only enough to look her companion in the eye, still keeping their faces close together. "Your gentleness, the soft, breakable parts of you. Those are the parts that make you strong. People will try to take that from you. Never let them." "If you would have me, then we shall walk the night together. We will discover and rediscover ourselves and one another again and again. For however long forever lasts." Rae holds Lyra in her arms for some time, basking in her warmth. Eventually, she remembers the events to come.  "I want nothing more than to sink my fangs into your throat as you climax beneath me. But we have one more thing to take care of this evening, my love."  Placing Lyra on the bed, her tone changes subtly to a more serious one. "This could be dangerous. We'll need to keep our wits about us and be prepared for anything."  Taking her companion by the hand, they walk towards the kitchen as Rae calls out into the flat.  "Andrei! Would you have a moment? I'd like to talk."  

Moments pass in silence and then a faint rustle of movement can be heard from the other room. Andrei’s thick-set figure emerges in the doorway, his gaze landing first on Rae, before lingering on Lyra with mild curiosity. His dark eyes, piercing and shadowed, betray an alertness that his roommate has come to admire.  Smirking and crossing his arms, Andrei leans against the doorframe, his posture relaxed. "Pui," he drawls lightly in his thick Romanian accent,  "always a pleasure."

Rae beams happily at Andrei, as sincerely happy to see him as she always is.  "Good evening, Andrei. Yes, always good to see you. This is my girlfriend, Lyra." Rae briefly looks to Lyra as the young woman introduces herself.  "Could we sit in the kitchen for a moment? I just wanted to ask you about a few things."

Andrei’s expression softens a fraction in the face of Rae's smile and he gives Lyra a nod of acknowledgment.  "Girlfriend, huh?" he mutters with an approving smirk, as though his roommate's choice in companionship were under his personal review.  "Pleased to meet you, Lyra," Andrei greets the girl warmly. Following the pair into the kitchen, he takes a seat at the table, leaning back and crossing his arms over his broad chest, giving Rae his full, undivided attention. Andrei's  eyes flick between the two women, humour dancing at the edges of his rough expression. "What can I do for you tonight?"

There's a sense of peace and even joy in Andrei's response to Lyra, ever so slightly reinforcing Rae's hope that their impending exchange would go well.  "Firstly, I would like to thank you for speaking with us, I know that you're a busy man. I'd also like to thank you for how you've always looked out for me, particularly in recent weeks. I wish to be completely honest with you, so I'll just come out with it. What do you know of magic, Andrei?"

Andrei’s brows lift slightly and he shifts in his seat to lean forwards. "Magic, huh?" He chuckles, glancing at Lyra as if to confirm that she’s hearing this too. "I know enough to avoid certain people and certain places. Enough to know that someone like you doesn’t just ask about magic for the hell of it." He drums his fingers on the table thoughtfully and then shrugs. "I know it’s real, of course. I know it comes in different… flavours. Some of it’s subtle, the kind that slips under your skin without you even noticing. Some is the kind that knocks you on your ass if you so much as look at it wrong." He tilts his head, studying Rae carefully. "What’s got you so interested in magic tonight? You in some kind of trouble, Pui?"

Rae listens in rapt attention, Andrei's transparency a breath of fresh air when so many saw fit to obfuscate their intent. She can hardly decide what question to ask first. "Well, a kind of trouble, yes. But nothing to do with magic as far as I'm concerned, though there are larger forces making moves at Oxford. Could you tell me about the kind of magic that interests you?" She pauses, weighing the cost-benefit of giving voice to one of her more pressing questions. "And...do you know what I am?"

Andrei gives Rae a reproachful look. "Pui... we live together for how long now? You not as subtle as you think. You are Strigoi , da ? Like the sparkly boy from the movies. As for me? I steer clear of Baba Yaga ." The man shudders briefly at the thought. "I see enough to recognize a few things," he adds, "but I keep your secrets because you’ve kept mine.  I don’t know the details and I don’t ask. " He leans back, crossing his arms with a faint smile. "So, what kind of trouble we talk about? Why you come to me now?"

Rae is taken aback by the nonchalance with which Andrei speaks of her nature. But "sparkly boy" draws a sincere laugh from her, and she finally relaxes. Andrei is a friend. Interesting to hear the man speak of the Baba Yaga, but it makes sense given his background.  "Yes, I am vampire. Kindred. Thank you for keeping my secret. I swear to keep yours." Straightening up in her seat, she continues. "I've been told that there are mages in the city attempting to summon some kind of eldritch god. It takes the form of a black goat. I had a run in with such cultists not too long ago and they pulled an abomination from a ritual circle, so I believe this is truly happening. The death and mayhem that these mages are causing are attracting Strix. Are you familiar with Strix? That's where my trouble starts."

"Aijaijaijaijai," Andrei exclaims, holding his palms up either side of his head. "Pui, I said I don't ask, da ? I stay away from the shadow world and it leaves me alone. Bad for business. I don't know and I don't want to know." The man crosses himself shaking his head.

Rae stops mid-sentence as Andrei cuts her off.  "Right. Sorry, Andrei. Well, my trouble is that I'm not strong enough to deal with my problem right now. And I don't have the time to develop that strength naturally so I'm hoping that magic could help me." "Also, I worry about Lyra's safety in this, she could become a target because of me. I'd like to try to create some kind of protection for her."

Andrei gives Rae a look of blank confusion. "Ok, Pui... but, heh, why you ask Andrei? You need a shotgun or something? I got you. But Magic?" The man shrugs empty-handedly.

Rae purses her lips, coming to understand just how Andrei truly interacted with the supernatural world. As he said, an observer more than a participant. "I see. Perhaps that's a good idea. Something small, good for close-range encounters? For Lyra." She looks to her darling with a questioning expression. "If that's a route that you would like to take? If not, we can find other ways."

Lyra shakes her head. "I don't want a gun," she tells Rae quietly. "What good would it to anyway? You can't shoot a shadow and I've never held a weapon in my life, much less hit a moving target."

Rae nods to Lyra before looking back to Andrei.  "We'll rely more on magic than metal. Thank you for being so open about all of this Andrei, it means a lot to know that you've been looking out for me in ways that I hadn't even realized. We don't want to take up any more of your evening, if you ever need anything that I could help with, you know where to find me." With that, Rae stands to take her leave to her room with Lyra.

Saturday, October 17th The peaceful void of daysleep passes at the speed of thought, to the point that Rae wonders if she'd even really slept as she greets the blossoming night. It felt strange to awaken so peacefully in the face of the evening that would mean life or death for her brother and potentially herself. Checking her phone, she's happy to see the enthusiastic replies of both Khalid and Merric, whose arrivals are likely imminent. Shooting a text to them both, she also made sure to text Lyra. Hey! Glad to see your still alive! Unalive? You know what I mean. I'm happy to help but can I get some more info like how did it go last night with your bottle friend, and what exactly I'm going to need my "tools" for? Thank you, Merric! Both for the well wishes and the willingness to help. It turns out that our little bottle friend wasn't quite necessary, and the issue has largely been dropped by the concerned parties. Thus, given the dire nature of my current situation, I'd like to put our bottle friend to a new use. I'd like to use him to augment my own abilities, with your help and Khalid's. Things have been fine, I actually met with Merric earlier it went well.  I'm interested and I'll be there. Sidenote, you haven't talked to Aubrey recently have you?  I've been trying to reach her but haven't really gotten a response yet. Glad that you two got the chance to meet! And thank you for your willingness to help, I've given a few details to Merric that involve a product of our recent meeting, so he should be able to fill you in. Also, since you're both in contact with each other, do you think that you guys would be able to provide a bit of protection to my girlfriend like you did for me? You'd be working with a more lively subject. And Aubrey was unfortunately dealing with the fallout of a disagreement between herself and my grand-sire. But she should be able to get back to you now. Then a text to Lyra.  Hello, my love. I hope that you had a wonderful day and that adjusting to my sleep schedule hasn't been too hard on you. If so, just let me know, I know we can figure something out that would be more comfortable for you. Are you still able to come by my place again this evening to see about getting you fitted with that bit of protection? The kind that may be better suited to you <3. As she moves around her pitch black room getting dressed and softly speaking to Lotus, a thought occurs to her. Taking up her phone once again, she shoots a text to Parker.  Good evening, Parker. I hope that you are well. I wanted to extend a question to Francis, if you would be comfortable passing it along. Are his funds available to me for the purposes of further securing my safety and those close to me? With that, she finds  The Alchemist and picks back up where she left off as she waits for responses and arrivals.

Rather quickly, Rae's phone pings with a response from Merric. I'm glad to hear your dilemma has resolved itself. I'm not sure how effective this augmentation will be, but I'm excited to try and learn more about you're going for. We'll talk more about it in a bit! Rae happily types another reply.  Lovely, I'll see you and Khalid soon! As places her phone at her side, she begins to contemplate potential obstacles to the ritual that Merric and Khalid may perform. Consulting the texts and tomes of magic that she keeps in her room, there is indeed a precedent for the use of a soul as a catalyst to augment a creature's strength or supernatural abilities. She finds references to the Ordo Dracul and the Circle as well as necromancers.  However, she finds little in the way of confirmation or recorded measure of the augmentation of a Kindred in such a ritual involving a soul. Perhaps she can be an example for future reference, anonymously of course. 

Shadows ripple across the mirror in Rae's bedroom and a dark silhouette with glowing eyes appears within it. "Good evening, Raziel," Francis announces, "I hear that you're in need of protection?"

Rae startles at the sudden sound of Francis's voice, only to be even further surprised to find that his presence is confined to her bedroom mirror. Standing, she approaches it and briefly examines the display. "Good evening, Francis. Technically yes, I am in need of protection, but I hadn't meant to bring you here with my request, I just wanted to make an inquiry. I apologize if that was not clear in the tone of my message." She inspects the mirror, mystified as she attempts to discern if Francis is really in the room with her or if this is merely communication through shadow.  "Before we make our move tonight, I've arranged for the mages I've previously worked with to attempt a ritual that would use the soul in my possession to augment my strength and abilities. I would compensate them for this, and wanted to ask if any of your wealth were available to me to do so." She tilts her head in confusion, unable to make heads or tails of Francis's manifestation. "And I don't wish to change the subject, but are you really here right now or is this some kind of magic? Or maybe just another Khaibit ability?"

A pale line cracks a smirk in the almost featureless shadow. "Yes, our bloodline is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural," Francis quips back at Rae. "While I would advise caution in deals with mages, you have shown strong initiative in this and I will support it. How much do you need?"

Understanding the reference, Rae rolls her eyes with a smile. "Could I learn this? Is this some feature of the way in which we become shadow?" "And of course, I defer to you on what a feasible amount is. There will be two mages involved in this ritual. Considering that I am asking them to work with and likely destroy a human soul, as well as lay protections upon my ghoul, I was thinking five thousand pound to the both of them."