Keble College

This time, Kirsten looks almost amused by Rae's naivety. "Have you never needed an errand run during the day?"

"Not particularly. Nothing that couldn't wait till nightfall." Rae shrugs, then regards Kirsten inquisitively. "In the continued spirit of transparency, may I have your advice on a less dire matter? I'll likely be making a ghoul of someone tomorrow evening. My brother." Rae pauses to gauge the professor before continuing. "Our upbringing was eccentric, I took to it while my brother did not. Then, earlier this evening, he emerged from the shadows as I left my home shouting about what I had become. Through some internet forum, he discerned that I'm Kindred, and demanded to be turned. I placated him for tonight, but he's brash, egotistical, and not the brightest. I don't even know if he'd make a decent ghoul." The peace of sharing these secrets that so profoundly frightened her allowed Rae to feel a genuine calm as she goes on. "I've considered doing what may be necessary, but this dilemma feels like an opportunity in disguise. How would you recommend I proceed?"

"Family can be volatile," Kirsten advises, "would you rather he forgot the matter?"

"Is such a thing possible? How total would this erasure of the memory be?"

"That depends on the skill of the vampire that you recruit to help you," Kirsten tells Rae with a smirk. "A ventrue would be best. Domination is their clan's signature discipline."

Rae's brow furrows at the thought of involving more Kindred in her tangled affairs. "Well, no one can be an island forever, as your assistance well demonstrates. Are there any ventrue within the Concord that you'd suggest?"

"Very few of their kind see the wisdom in our Concord, but Daniel McDermott may be able to help you. He's an associate professor of political theory at the department of politics and international relations."

"Right. The lords and serpents seem like two two sides of the same short-sighted coin, at times. But thank you, I'll reach out to Professor McDermott now." Pulling out her smartphone, Rae quickly realizes that she has no reception this deep into the catacombs. "I'll need to head back in order to get reception. Thank you again for all of your help, I'll be in touch. Have a good evening, Professor." Once back into Keble proper, Rae navigates to Keble's website and finds an email for the associate professor.  "Good Evening Professor McDermott, My name is Raziel Andrews, and I've been directed to you by Professor Kirsten McFarlane to ask for your assistance with a rather obstinate problem of mine. Would you have an availability this evening for us to briefly speak in person? Kind Regards, Raziel Andrews, MSc."

While waiting to hear back from the associate professor, Rae heads down to the Keble Library hoping to feed. Her expenditure of Vitae had been necessary for the unforeseen aspects of the evening, but the last thing that she needs right now is to go hungry. Being her preferred hunting ground, Raziel moves through the rows with a familiarity that puts her ever-buzzing mind at ease. This is where she thrives. This is where she is in control. The evening crowd is usually beginning to thin at this hour, leaving overworked perfectionists to bathe solitary corners in cold lamplight. Without the white noise of a large crowd, it's easier to sus out the elevated heartrate of those enduring great stress, the unsteady breathing of someone wishing for an oasis of calm and reassurance, and the accumulation of sweat filled with fear upon the clothes of a potential target. All these things were present in the library this evening, in cordoned-off little areas as if they were gift-wrapped presents. 

In one quiet corner of the library sits a brunette so pale that Rae might almost have mistaken her for one of the kindred, were it not for the marked absence of a beast. Two books lie open on the table besides the open lid of her ruby red laptop at which she is typing away in earnest. Ebony tresses hang like a curtain obscuring the face of this snow white.

"Lovely sense of style on this one."  Rae thinks to herself as she approaches. "Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you but would you happen to have an extra laptop charger? I can't seem to find mine and I'll simply curl up and die if I have to rewrite my essay for a second time."

It takes a moment for the student to realise that she's being spoken to and glance up at Rae. She's barely made up but for a touch of mascara and what looks like a deep red lip balm. "Oh, um, it probably won't fit,"  she mumbles, raising the side of the laptop to show the port. "What do you have?"

"Pretty, too." Rae leans forward, squinting at the port before sighing with disappointment. "I think you're right, I have a Dell Inspiron Mini. Thanks anyway. I'm Raziel but you can call me Rae."

The corner of the girl's mouth twitches in the barest of smiles. "Lyra," she replies in turn. "Is there a reason that you don't just... save the essay?"

"My laptop is far from top of the line, half of my saved files became corrupted when it died yesterday. That's how I lost the essay the first time. I wanted to avoid unplugging it, but I've been so busy and needed to be here to finish rewriting it." Rae closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I don't mean to bother you with my problem. I think I just need to take a moment to relax."

Lyra nods in polite understanding and continues to type away at her work.

"Hm. Gonna have to open her up a little, then." Rae leans in a bit too far for polite etiquette with a bright smile on her face.  "Could you indulge me for a moment? If I'm going to lose my paper anyway, at least some pretty company would soften the blow. What are you working on?"

Lyra sighs and turns slightly towards Rae with a strained smile. "My first week tutorial essay. Balzac. You should really take your laptop back to your room rather than just giving up on it. You probably just forgot the charger there."

Rae stifles a laugh as Lyra visibly tenses. "Come ooonnnn, be bad with me and take a break. I'm sure that you could you use it too. Plus I live too far away to get back to my charger in time." Rae perches on the edge of the desk beside the young woman. So Balzac, huh? He was a playwright as well as a novelist, right? I'm familiar with the name, but not his work."

"It's first week," Lyra points out, "if I needed a break already, I wouldn't be cut out for Oxford. Go save your work. If you're not just procrastinating and really want to talk about Balzac, then I'll be in the JCR once this is done." The girl turns back to her laptop and books with dogged focus.

"Fair point." Rae drops all frivolity from her tone as she speaks more softly. "I don't want to talk about Balzac. I want to talk about you. You seem interesting, and clearly place a herculean amount of pressure on yourself. I'm sure that pressure it what brought you to this moment, seated in the Keble library of Oxford. But if I may offer advice as someone close to earning her Ph.D. at Oxford, you will blow a gasket one day if you aren't more gentle with yourself."

Lyra groans once more. "Look. I'm sure that you mean well, but most people come to the library to work . You don't know me. You don't know anything about me. For all you know I party all night after this, but this , right now is my flow time. It's when I work best and I need to get this done. If you really care about how much pressure I put on myself, then talk to me when I'm finished."

Intractable , this one. I'll need to remember that if this thrall thing works out.  "My dear. I will gladly leave you alone if that is what you need. But if you know nothing else, please understand that I do  know you. We have just met, yes. But I see you with crystalline clarity. I see a wildly capable woman who made it to Oxford off of nothing but her own intellect and grit.   I see the brilliance that is met with scorn and disbelief. And I see the fear that permeates that brilliance, fear of being a disappointment. To be dismissed by those you look up to and trust to guide you."  Rae pauses to move in closer to Lyra, unflinching in focus upon the eyes of the young woman. "So many knots twisted into the beauty of your mind. And speaking of knots, something tells me that the kind of parties you'd prefer are less beer kegs and Coldplay and more suspension and safewords. " She leans forward and speaks with earth-shattering tenderness. "You've had to do so much for yourself because people failed to see you. Refused to see you. But you are a refulgent sight to behold, Lyra, and I can't bring myself to look away. Let me ease your burden. Let me take care of you. Let me give you what you want most." Rae brings her hand up to gently stroke the side of Lyra's cheek, tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear. 

Rae's eyes meet Lyra's and her words are backed up by a vampiric intensity that catches the frosty student off-guard. The girl smiles in spite of herself. "I like Coldplay," she admits. It's the first piece of herself that she's offered in return. "So, how exactly do you intend to take care of me?" It's another challenge, but this time accompanied by a teasing edge that was absent up to now.

Rae smiles with happiness and relief.  " Oh, I intend to positively smother you with attention, love. Whatever you may want, whatever you may need, you have only to ask."  Rae runs the pad of her thumb lightly across Lyra's red lips. "And I will share with you such pleasure that the very heavens shall open above where we rest and weep blithesome tears."

Lyra recoils instinctively when Rae reaches out to touch her lips. "Not here," she whispers, glancing around for possible witnesses.

Rae smiles, knowing what comes next. She stands confidently, her hands fall to her hips as she leans in to whisper to Lyra. " Then show me where, sweet girl."

Sometime later, Rae's phone buzzes as she receives a reply to the email that she sent earlier. Dear Mr Andrews, thank you for your email. I would be more than happy to speak with you about the problem that you mentioned. It's always a pleasure to provide guidance and support to those at Keble who need it - especially colleagues of Kirsten's. Unfortunately, I'm already engaged this evening, but I would be available for a meeting at my office tomorrow evening at 10 pm. If that time isn't convenient for you, then please let me know what other times might work better and I'll do my best to accommodate your schedule. In preparation for our meeting, please send me an email with some background information on the issue you are facing. That way, I can ensure that our conversation is as productive and efficient as possible. I look forward to speaking with you soon and assisting you in any way that I can. Best regards, Dr Daniel McDermott

Rae looks at her phone in dismay, the email severely dampening the boost that Lyra had provided to her mood. Now sitting in her own quiet corner of the library, she mumbles a curse as she racks her mind for a solution.  Dear Dr. McDermott, Thank you for your willingness to assist me on such short notice. I'm afraid that the topic of my inquiry is sensitive in both time and subject matter and would be best discussed in person. I would be happy to meet you at 10 pm tomorrow evening, though I may be bringing articles of said topic with me to our meeting in order for us to address them expeditiously. I would completely understand if such immediacy is inconvenient for you, and would be happy to work out another arrangement that is more comfortable for you if you would prefer. I look forward to meeting you soon and hope that you have a pleasant evening. Kind Regards, Ms. Raziel Andrews, MSc. Exiting the library, Rae begins to make her way back home, wondering if fratricide may inevitably lie in her future. How could I ever look mom and dad in the eyes again, it would be an insult to even speak to them after killing my own brother. And the way he found out about the world of Kindred was way too suspicious to chalk up to coincidence, perhaps letting him live is too much of a risk. Maybe the Ventrue will be removed enough from sentiment and the situation to provide an answer.  Opening her phone, she shoots a quick text to Lyra to get her mind off of the potential horrors of tomorrow evening. Goodnight, sweet girl <3.

" Leaving Lyra approximately 30 minutes later, she picks Gabriel up at the café, his countenance having visibly soured over the course of the wait, before making the rest of the journey to Keble ." ( Continued from Cowley, October 14th ) Rae leads her brother across campus as quickly as possible, for the last few days have not driven from her mind that every Kindred in Brasenose College wants to leave her as ashes in the sunlight. Arriving at Keble, she glances at the directory before heading in the direction of Dr. Daniel McDermott.  When they reach the door to his office, Rae turns to Gabriel with the most severe look she can manage in an effort to get at least a few of her words to penetrate his mind's outer coating of egomania.   "Let. Me. Do. The Talking. I have no idea how old this man is and the wrong word could get us both killed. Do us both a favor. Just stand there and focus on getting ready to die, alright."  With that, Rae knocks on the door to the office. 

Gabriel opens his mouth as though about to retort, but is interrupted by a "come in," from the other side of the door and quickly closes it again. Daniel McDermott is a handsome man with piercing blue eyes who looks altogether too young to be Oxford faculty. "Ms. Raziel Andrews, I presume?" He greets Rae, rising from behind his desk to shake her hand. "You didn't mention that you'd be bringing company."

Rae smiles and steps forward to shake the doctor's hand. "Yes, this is the matter with which I require assistance. Thank you for taking the time out of your evening to assist me, Dr. McDermott."  A fraction of a second after Rae releases the professor's hand, she is behind Gabriel. She eyes his neck hungrily before plunging her fangs into it and drinking from him. The experience of his blood is strange, as humans rarely invoke visions or unique experiences at all. But the blood of Gabriel is far too familiar to her, and her insensate nervous system makes this clear. Her bones rattle with the memory of a time before she was Kindred, before she saw and felt things beyond description. Even in the elation of feeding, there is a kind of anguish as the wet drumming of her brother's heart presents itself as the ghost of her own. The sensation of this act is its punishment.  All the same, she drinks till she feels the man begin to falter.  

Daniel arches an eyebrow at Rae's sudden show of violence. "Subtle," he remarks. "I hope that you have more in mind than a corpse in my office, Raziel. That's not a gift that I typically appreciate."

Composing herself as Gabriel stands stuttering and stupefied, she focuses on her real purpose. "My sincerest apologizes, Dr. McDermott. This is my brother and I wished to requested your help in dealing with him. Through mortal online chatrooms that discuss the "shadow world", he discerned that I am Kindred. He showed up at my doorstep last night demanding to be turned, or he would walk into Keble and demand that someone else turn him, endangering us all. I temporarily appeased him by telling him that he would be turned tonight, but I am profoundly aware that such a thing is impossible." Pausing, Rae steps around the wobbling form of her brother to stand before the professor. "I am trying to avoid killing him for the sake of our parents, but he has been hell-bent on convincing me that it is the only option. I was informed that you possess abilities that may help me in a non-lethal solution to this problem. But, of course, I defer to you entirely on the matter." With these last words, Rae bows her head, distinctly aware of the brashness of her current course of action.

Daniel appears visibly perturbed upon learning that Rae has just feasted upon the blood of her own kin. However, as the younger vampires explains what it is that she needs, understanding dawns in his eyes. The Ventrue's gaze falls upon Gabriel and Rae can feel her brother glance up at the man behind the desk. A split second of eye contact is all that it takes and Gabriel tenses as though as an invisible cord has been pulled taught between him Daniel. Breaking away is now impossible; he is utterly mesmerised. "I was not here," Daniel intones and Rae can hear a new gravitas in his voice as his words become inviolable truth to Gabriel. "You were not bitten." "Sleep." Gabriel immediately slumps into a nearby chair and begins to snore. "Please. Sit," Daniel tells Rae, gesturing to another chair across from him that is clearly intended for guests. "I have solved my own problems - the ones created by your carelessness. Your own will take a little more effort on both your part and mine. You should not have drunk so deeply, Raziel. Now you must find another vessel to supply me with the requisite vitae. Before we speak any further of business, tell me a little about yourself. You mentioned in your email that it was Kirsten who referred you to me. Who is your sire?"

Rae briefly laments to herself the growing stack of favors owed before sitting down and answering the professor.  " Geneviève  de la Fontaine, Professor."

Daniel nods thoughtfully, before tilting his head with a bemused smile. "Then why go through Kirsten?"

Rae crosses her legs and sits up as straight as she can. "Professor McFarlane was assisting me in another matter that I am not at liberty to discuss. We've come upon upset and delicate times, and I feel that all Kindred are moving with a greater degree of caution. Eve directed me to Kirsten McFarlane for one matter, and she directed me to you." "If I may be perfectly candid, how may I repay you for your assistance?"

"Auspex," Daniel states simply. His cat hops up onto the desk, offering a brief meow to Rae's own, before settling down for the Ventrue to run his fingers through its fur. "I'm meeting with a contact from Queen's who claims to have more detailed information on the nature of our feline companions. However, he likely has hidden motives. You will accompany me and determine if we are being lied to or not."  

Rae smiles and nods politely. "That is exciting, indeed. That is well within my capability. Am I to accompany you in an unseen manner?"

Daniel eyes Rae thoughtfully in response to her question. "It's likely unnecessary, but that's an intriguing option. Are you particularly skilled with obfuscate?"

"My ability with obfuscate is passable, if we're in a public space then none of you would see me. But if the meeting is more private, I have other means of keeping myself hidden." "I also have a question about my current problem. Just how thorough can Domination be? Since he's discovered me through an online forum, I worry that he will simply open his browser and the whole fiasco begins again."

Daniel reclines smugly in his chair. "Raziel, I could make him forget you ever existed ."

Raziel raises her eyebrows in surprise, and opens her mouth to find that words fail her. Dr. McDermott's example of the breadth of his abilities brought into focus what Rae had been avoiding since she was embraced. Her brother happened upon this information and connected the dots  by chance. Her mother and father are near occult experts. They'd sus her out no matter how well she performed the mask of human. And that's not to mention that they'd notice her retained youth in a matter of a few more years. So while this current incident could be resolved without much consequence, Raziel accepted that a plan would need to be formed in order to find a permanent solution. One she could stomach for the rest of eternity.  "Understood. I didn't realize that Domination held such power. So, you require a vessel to feed from in order to perform? I can pop down to the JCR or maybe a bop if one's going on tonight."

Daniel arches an eyebrow at Rae's phrasing. "As you can see," the Ventrue remarks, gesturing to Gabriel's snoring form,  "I can procure fast food with little effort. Bring me something nice . Surely you're familiar with the mortal practice of gifting a bottle of good wine in thanks?"

Rae nods thoughtfully, "Of course, Professor. Would you have a preference in vintage?"

"Oh, something young and sharp and beautiful,"  Daniel explains with just a touch of indifference. "It shouldn't be too difficult a task in Oxford. Impress me, Raziel."

"Happily."  Rae says smiling. "Could you hold onto him for me, just for a day or two?" She gestures limply to her brother. "I wouldn't want to rush this, and I don't trust him not to cause further problems and delay my efforts if he were walking around free."  She rises from her seat, momentarily thinking about Gabriel's safety alone with Dr. McDermott. But he mentioned a preference for sharpness, so she assumes that her brother will be safe.

"Would you be prepared to offer me your services for more than a single night?" Daniel counters.

It costs every iota of willpower in Rae's cold body not to roll her eyes at the Ventrue's question. "Yes. For the storage of my brother for 2 days and the removal of his memory, I'd offer my services for 3 days."