Masqurade the calling { Lady Onyx & Elvenoff }

[Elvenoff]

Small glitter of lights sparkled off the wet pavement just outside the nightclub known as Razzle. The strong cell moving off only left a small drizzle behind its wake to prove that it was there. Coal black eyes watched as the night sky slowly became lighter as the storm moved off; its rapid streaks of flashing light were only a moment’s memory.

The figure stood lingering within the shadows of the alleyway across from the nightclub. The note that he had received earlier was written upon a silk parchment, a testament of the old ways of calling a meeting among the kindred, its wording informed him to come to this place when the moon was at its highest point of travel and that it was urgent for him to be here. Watching from his vantage point, he counted numerous numbers of humans entering this establishment as the rain fell heavily upon the streets. He wondered why a calling would be held here. Numerous question arose from within but no answers could be given until he entered the place and meet with the one calling this meeting.

Pulling his collar up around his neck he prepared himself to move across the berth of the street; the lights from the various sources about glimmered off his wet cloak of darkness as he skittered across. His eyes continued to search the area about trying to get the feel of his surroundings. He noted the locations of the deep and dark shadows among the buildings just incase this meeting went sour and he needed to make a fast get away.

Stepping within the establishment small droplets of rain fell from his white-silver streaked hair. Its long length pulled back and placed in a ponytail. He didn’t like the fact that this place was filled with humans, their strong aroma would be distracting to some of the Kindred that would appear for this meeting. Unless he was the only one summoned, which that would not be a good thing for he has fallen into the kindred’s category of independent, but then again, maybe this was a move to remove him.

His eyes scanned the crowd of humans, looking for the one that might have called this. His eye stops half-way around the common room when he sees her. Her attire was that of the old ways, her hair was appealing to him for it showed her strength, her sitting alone and centered within the common room showed her cunning and self-assurance of her abilities.

Not removing his eyes from her form, he moves closer to her, his mind wondering who she is and which kindred clan she represented. He has not seen, nor heard of her around his south-side quadrant of the city so it made sense to why this meeting was called to take place in the center of all the quadrants, the place known as the neutral zone. Upon reaching the table’s end, he slightly bows his head to her. “Greetings, I am Romstrahd VonZaravich, I received a note calling a meeting…Are you the caller or responder to a note?” asks Romstrahd. 

The elderly woman looked up from her trancelike glare to meet his gaze."I am the caller . Please Romstrahd take a seat, We await for the others to come. This information must be told to all kindred clans not just a few of them...It's vital that the kindred reunite or all will perish. I must accomplish this task of uniting the Kindred and keeping the masquerade intact." her words faded away in to a whisper of the ancient tongue. Rom did not understand the old language so he sat down and waited for the others to come....

 

[Lady Onyx]

It was loud here, so many humans that reeked of desperation and lust. Odd creatures she decided as she lingered in the shadows. What had was even stranger was the parchment she held in one long fingered hand. A request to meet at this place, this club to discuss something of vital importance. At first she had debated not going, but it was disrespectful to whomever sent it and disrespect was not tolerated amongst the Tremere. A vague tug on her awareness distracted her from thoughts of experiments and studies and green eyes followed another kindred as he entered. Content that this was not a set up or attack she followed, her black boots clicking on the wet pavement.

To those who looked at her Dahlia was a quiet beauty with thick black hair that curled around her eternally youthful face. Her blue eyes were sharp, and filled with an intelligence beyond her physical years. A hand made corset emblazoned with neon blue bows adorned her upper body, accented a narrow, almost doll like frame. And a chain with her clan symbol dangling from it rested between her breasts. The skirt she wore went down to her ankles made of a smooth sweeping fabric, silk perhaps and despite the old style seem to suit her overall appearance.

She walked with careful, silent steps deftly weaving through the humans avoiding wandering hands and wandering eyes with ease of someone who preferred to blend in. It took her a moment to locate the other two the elder and the man who sat in front of her. They were in an isolated corner hidden by the shadows and already seemed to be engaged in conversation. Was she late? A look at the glowing neon clock on the wall told her no.

“Pardon.” She said in a soft accented tone. “I received this parchment, a request to meet here. Is it safe to assume that you two have also been called? Or perhaps one of you is the caller eh?” her blue eyes gaze landed on the older woman and she inclined her head respectfully before taking a seat across from the pair. Long dancer’s legs were crossed giving her the impression of someone who, when mortal, had been in a high class family. “I am called Dahlia of the Clan Tremere.” She did not mention her last name as she viewed it unimportant. Her regent called her Dahlia, her sire called her Dahlia. Her last name had been lost when she was turned.

 

[Elvenoff]

The club, bustling with activity, humans dancing around in an unknowing foolishness, for if they knew how close they were dancing to the long reaching fingers of death, they would not be so carefree, although he did not mind watching some of the human females dancing about the floor. His gaze traveled over the crowd as he waited and watched, wanting to catch his kind before they noticed him, he didn’t have to wait long when his eyes fell upon a beauty making her way toward the table. The beauty’s attire hugging her curves sent waves of emotion racing throughout his body. Uncaring of whom watched him watching her but he allowed his gaze to travel up and down her frame as she continued her advancement, his gaze ended up meeting hers as she stood before them, parchment in hand. Her question seemed to go unanswered for the moment.

“Greetings I am Romstrahd VonZaravich it’s nice to make your acquaintance. I am a respondent to an identical parchment. His lustful gaze relished in her beauty with awe about him. ‘Rom, you must not be distracted at this time and place.’ He shook his head slightly trying to rid himself of the emotion that was flowing through him. His gaze moved up into the mesmerizing sharp blue orbs of the newcomer.

“Now that we all have shared our names, please pay attention for time is not in our favor.” her angular face holding a dire expression upon it. Her cold, grey, speckled black orbs danced to each individual. “I’m Victania Boshnere, of the Camarilla. I have sent letters of utter importance to each clan hoping that they would send representatives, however, it appears that only a few wish to be informed.” Her gaze traveled between them both. “There is a great danger rising up in the domain of the human, due to some of the clans not keeping the masquerade a secret, has exposed our world to the humans. This action has caused the humans to create a specially trained unit; they call themselves EVE or Expert Vampire Eradication unit, which ever you prefer. They are, at the moment, still in training but according to our information, they will be setting up here in New York since all the clans have havens here this is their first target.” Her gaze drops down to the table, “This is way you all have been called here. We must keep the masquerade intact, concealing ourselves from the eyes of the humans in general; we cannot allow this EVE unit to grow in strength, we also must hunt down our own kind whom is not following the ways of the masquerade and dispose of them before this gets worse.” Her gaze rises up and sweeps across the room. “We will be eradicated if we fail to stop this treat. We need to scope the streets and find these clans; Recruit, as you need to accomplish this, but be warned, betrayal within our kindred has been increasing. , so be cautious and always watching.” She stops speaking for a moment. “This is why you have been called here. This is what needs to be done.” She looks about to each of you. “Do you understand?”

Rom’s eyes diverted from the beauty to the elder with a flash of anger. “If this EVE has already established themselves as kindred killer, why hunt down any of out own, for that will just make us weaker.” Rom bit back the anger from his tone of voice. His eyes receding back to Dahlia. “What is your take on this hunting down our own?” His eyes also asking the question as he gazed upon her.

 

[Lady Onyx]

For her part Dahlia was solely focused on the older woman whom had summoned her and this other kindred here. Whatever the reason she got the impression it was of importance. This Vampire Eradication Unit was something she’d not heard of up until this point making it glaringly obvious that the Nosferatu had not been properly doing their job. Then again in a city this size with so many kindred hiding at havens or in the shadows the network of information was likely broken. Or perhaps reporting solely to the woman who sat before her.

“If they are knowingly violated the masquerade then they need to be dealt with.” She responded softly. “It is the way of things and has been for centuries.” The woman knew that their numbers had been drastically reduced over the past decade or so. Killing those violating the masquerade would lessen them even more. It needed to be done though otherwise this human unit, these Military funded vampire hunters would kill them all rather than just a few. “You must look at what she’s saying Mr. VonZaravich. Killing a few to save what remains of our scattered numbers is better than watching as we’re wiped out completely.”

With her piece said she folded her hands on her lap and seemed to sigh. Which of course was odd considering she didn’t need to breathe. “Once the violators of the masquerade have been handled. We can recruit kindred to help us take care of this death squad.” It was only then that she met Rom’s eyes to drive home the importance of doing what Victania asked of them. If representatives from all the clans had arrived as requested the task would be much less daunting, however with only two they were going to need to be quick and accurate.

“Ms. Boshnere. Do you happen to know where this vampires violating the masquerade are seen most commonly? Or perhaps they belong to a particular clan? Normally I would search for the answers myself but this city is large and we could search for months and never find a single one.” Once she knew where to look she and Rom would be able to take care of them swiftly. “Or we could seek help from the Nosferatu.”

 

[Elvenoff]

Victania  fell silent for a moment, her sharp hazel eyes seemed to pierce through the point of the table her gaze rested. Her elderly frame radiated with power as if she just hooked herself up to a battery. Her gaze rose up and shifted over to Dahila, studying her intently beforing shifting to the lacquered face of Rom. Her tone of voice were riddled with the power of her age, "The task at hand is not as easy as you seem to make it to be young one." Her eyes piercing through Rom forcing him to retreat from his fowarding posture. shifting her gaze to those sharp blue orbs of Dahilas'. "It is always a pleasure to find wisdom with beauty. A good pairing I see before me, with your wisdom and Rom's strength there may be a chance for our kind." Her face hardened while her head drifted down, bringing her gaze back to the table. "Idehia vocheer is your target." Her eyes momentarily showing a hint of her anger as she speaks the name. "A Giovanni elder, she controls the northeast side." 

Rom pulled back in his chair with a shaking of his head, he fought back the urge of letting the laughter out. There was no way in hell he was going after an elder, not with just the two of them.  His eyes darting over to the beauty to capture her take of the information. 

Victania gaze once more rose from the table and drifted between the two, her tone still holding that power. "She is mine to deal with, however, the lieutenants will have to be taken out first. They are yours targets to deal with while I make my way to the other clans." 

Rom shook his head again with disagreement, "Why even bother with them! The humans already know of us. So we should just eradicate this so called human hunters and be done with it!" Rom's tone of voice riddled with the egoistic nature of his clan. "I see no reason in stopping this Idehia from bringing forth the kindred to the humans." He repeated his previous statement.

Anger flared across Victania's eyes, her small hands clenched as she fought back this anger. Power animating deep within her coursed through her body. "The human Eve unit is small, still in the beginning phase, if we allow the Giovanni clan to continue this disregard to the masqurade the human hunters ranks will swell with unfathomable numbers. I suggest you get off your egoistic horse and realize the Kindred is at its weakest state in centuries." She fell back into silence, fighting the rage that was swelling about inside of her. Her softened gaze rose to the blue orbs of Dahilas'. "My dear, I have a second task for you." Her gaze never leaving the lock they held with Dahila. "Excuse us for a moment Mr VonZarovich.  "

Rom looked over to Dahila for a moment wondering that was going on between them. He held his place till the gaze from Victania fell upon him. He rose from the table and headed into the mist of dancing bodies.

 

[Lady Onyx]

It had been a long time since Dahlia dealt with a Ventrue. She’d forgotten how arrogant and egotistic they could be. Rom was the very definition of both at the moment. Of course what he said made sense but at the same time it did not. While it would be easier to kill the humans and let what was left of the kindred come to light. It certainly would not be the smartest. The kindred were too few and humanity had a nasty habit of killing that which they did not understand. With their numbers where they were it would not take much work for humans to get rid of them once and for all.

It seemed so strange to her that a Ventrue that had choosen to be independent had been the one that answered the summons. The tended to keep to themselves and avoided clan politics like the plague. Not that she could blame them even with their numbers scattered politics were still an issue and at times she merely got tired of listening about it. She never had any interest in them, her studies were her passion. Anything, anyways to gain power and help restore the dwindling clan Tremere. So many had been killed over the years.

When attention was called to her again her eyes lost their distanced look and focused back on the elder vampire sitting before her. “A second task?” she questioned watching as Rom disappeared in the darkness of the club. “What is it you would have me do Ms. Boshnere?” Judging by the fact she’d asked the other kindred to leave for a moment she was assuming it had something to do with him. However she did not state that merely sat silently awaiting the information.

 

[Elvenoff]

Victania eyes drifted away from the sharp orbs she was fixated upon to the smooth tabletop once more. Her moment of silence seemed heavy as if she was reweighing the decision she had made. “We, I … We have selected you for this task based upon the skills and talents that you have been displaying for the past few years. Some talents that you have been displaying have captured the attention of the council, and in doing so, have brought the task I now bestow upon you. I shall only tell you what you are to do not why you are to do this. It is in the best …” She lowers her head slightly as if still troubled upon what she is to say. “Once this treat is over with, meaning the restoration of the masquerade, the threat of the EVE unit, you are so ordered by the council, to kill Romstrahd VonZaravich.” Her gaze returns to the sharp blue orbs. “Do you understand?” The tone filled with the unspoken threat of noncompliance.

Rom looked back at the table with a slight concern. He did not like secrets coming between him and the ones that he is suppose to work with for it only brought out trouble. He did not really trust the council nor did he even wish to associate with them, but here lately there have been many hits upon him from the Kindred and he wanted to know who was behind it all. This is what brought him to this meeting, but he did not feel the misgivings coming from this elder, the only thing he noticed was her concern with the Humans and the weakening cover of the masquerade.

Taking a few glimpses across the room in response to the feeling that they were not the only three kindred here. His gaze turned up nothing, which bothered him even more than if he had seen one here. Shrugging to himself, he turned and walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. His gaze sliding up and down the patrons at the bar before turning back to face the table he was asked to depart from. His eyes fixing upon Dahlia, he wondered how easy it would be to get the secret from her. A smile came to his face as the possibilities of interrogation clouded his mind.

Victania searched the eyes of the one she just informed of her secondary task. She hated giving this one the heavy threat of the council but she too was giving the heavy hand to pass this task on to her. She knew why they chosen this deadly beauty and she only hoped that Rom would not fall to her mesmerizing effect and become her victim. She pushed the emotion away and kept the hard straight face of a council elder. “Go to him and begin your tasks.” She ordered…

 

[Lady Onyx]

The council…wanted her to kill a kindred? The very idea shocked her. A Ventrue, even an independent one could sire and strengthen their bloodline. Granted under the old laws turning without permission from your clan elder resulted in the death of the sire and the wayward fledgling. At this point though she figured they were hardly in the position to go about killing everyone that didn’t listen to them. She wondered what this man had done for the council to wish him death. Could it be his view on bringing the kindred to light? Ideas like that were indeed quite dangerous it was the equivalent of agreeing with the Giovanni and the radicalistic view of that that ‘family’ was practically suicidal.

“Ever loyal to the council and that for which it stands.” She said with an inclination of her head. “I will do the task that is asked of me once the threat has been dealt with. I will try to make it as painless as possible. Goodnight Ms. Boshnere” Thaumaturgy was good for that much. It was not her place to ask questions, though she had many. What mattered was taking care of the dangers now and if Rom was considered one of those dangers. With that she stood and headed towards the bar where she sensed her fellow kindred sitting. It was a dark task she now had and it meant she would have to keep her distance from Rom. Growing too close to him would make killing him impossible.

“It’s time for us to leave before the sun rises.” She informed Rom as she approached from behind. “We must find a place to rest come.” Small delicate hands tugged on his shoulder but they held a surprising amount of strength as all kindred did. Rather than force him she merely moved away once he’d been informed and headed towards the exit of the club. It smelled of human desperation in here and it was extremely unpleasant.

 

[Elvenoff]

Dahlia’s soft voice indicated that she was finished with her meeting and apparently, the meeting with the elder was at its end. He shot a glance up to Dahlia’s sharp orbs as her hand grasped his shoulder and gave a directional tug toward the door. Dahlia’s words rung logic of the need to find a place to sleep during the day. The secret meeting still weighted heavy upon his mind as he stood up, his head turning to shot a glance at the meeting table. , the gaze confirmed what he already knew that the elder Victania was gone. With a small grind of his teeth, he turned back toward the departing Dahlia. His ego frustrated with the fact that he was omitted from the final set of information.

His eyes focused upon Dahlia, not the lustful way that he did at first encounter with her, but with one of warning. He must watch his moves with her around; maybe she was just to report all his doings to the council, be one of their little snitches, even that left a sour note in his mouth. This, this is the reason why he lost faith in the political aspects of the council for they always had their little secrets and desires that no one else was to have. ‘We earned it’ was their phase of answering the question of why they got the right to do as they pleased. Before the council was for all Kindred now it is prone to what each elder wants in his regional domain. Something that Romstrahd was going to end once the cover was restored.

“So, Care to tell me what that last part of the meeting was about?” He asked while brushing back a few of the long white hair from his eyes. He knew she would not tell him anything or if she did it wouldn’t be the truth but he wanted to see her facial reaction to the question instead of caring what lie she spew forth about it. “What other task or information did she ask or offer to you?” He didn’t wait for her to answer the first question before restating the question in another form..

 

[Lady Onyx]

They were walking down a dark alley side by side and her eyes were focused above her searching for spies or attackers. “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.” She responded smoothly. “She merely had a message form the council for me. There were praising me for my studies on repopulating the kindred race.” It was easy for her to lie, she’d had years of practice and the Tremere by their nature were a very secretive clan. Cocking her head to the side her brow wrinkled for a moment as she got the feeling they were being watched, but it passed quickly. We’re they perhaps being followed by someone? Maybe a kindred clan that had been too worried to enter the club.

As the emerged from the alleyway she searched along the road watching people walk by even at this late hour. It was such an active city, always an abundance of prey even at the oddest times in the evening. “I believe there is a hotel nearby, perhaps you will be able to convince the desk clerk to give us a free room hmm?” Dominate was not one of her disciplines that was something the Ventrue had a natural skill at. It was obvious Dahlia had nothing more to say on the subject of what Ms. Boshnere had told her as she’d moved on after the initial explanation. “It’s this way.”

They could see the Hotel down the street, it was one of the nicer ones but likely not something that would be up to Rom’s standards. There was still a few hours before sunrise so they would have time to strategize and discuss what to do the following night. The lieutenants needed to be dealt with swiftly and without mercy before they could even being to consider attacking the human unit.

 

[Elvenoff]

Thick fingers curled up forming an angered fist of the events that unfolded below. From the rooftop, the dark silhouette stood watching her, watching her walking and talking with another one. Tighter the grip came as the unknown facts continued to burn deep in the tall figures frame. A heavy gaze looked down upon them as they made their way out of the alleyway. “So Dahlia, Whom do we desire this night.” exclaimed the following figure.

Rom gazed down the alleyway while Dahlia fed him the lies he anticipated, however, his task in getting a look from her failed, as she remained unchanged in body control. Her gaze upon him was stern and unemotional, again another conditioning affect of the masquerade. A conditioning that was need he supposed but when it came to keeping a secret from a fellow kindred it was a pain in the ass and hard to overcome without physical harm.

He shrugged it off and came to grips that he would deal with the secret when or if it ever came out. He had other worries to contend with and at the moment, they already had a plate full. He has tangled with the Giovanni several times this year already and with each encounter; he began to see things their way. Why not bring the Kindred to the controlling power of this planet; it is not as if the humans were doing an excellent job of governing.

Dahlia’s suggestion of finding a hotel for the morning hours settled with him for his place was on the Southside and not well known. The way he preferred it these days, and just like the masquerade, it will come to be when he decides it to happen. He nodded his head in agreement and scoffed at her when she suggested that he might be able to convince a human to do what he bided.

He followed her gesturing hand on the direction of her selected hotel. His mind wondered if she had friends in or nearby this place of her choosing. His eyes drifted to her in thought, wondered what her game was in this, He knew most clans were withering down in numbers, something a Tremere would not mind as long as it did not affect their scholars or social structure for they would backstab any other clan without a second thought. A fact that gave him concern again as his mind brought that fact up as they approached the hotel.

Upon reaching the door to this establishment Rom, took a few moments to look about the area. , noticing all the humans walking about. Looking at the ones standing about looking around as he was, he still had a heavy feeling of being watched but could not pin point where it was coming from. He looked at her with a serious note. “Shall we do this, I do hope the friends you have following us will join us soon.” He exclaimed as he walked up to the front desk. It was only seconds when the cute blonde-haired female was handing him a key and pointed to the closest elevator. “Shall we do this?” His hand gestured to the elevator.

“I believe we should take out the human unit first. If we attack the Giovanni in an unclean manner, it will only bring more human attention to us. And before you say anything, you know as well as I do your magic use will bring much attention to us.” He looked at her with a stern look.. “What do you think?”

 

[Lady Onyx]

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” Dahlia said as the headed into the elevator. “I came to that meeting alone and without my regent’s permission I might add. If someone is following us they’re no friend of mine.” She hit the button that would take them to the floor their hotel room was on. Hopefully the curtains were dark enough to keep out the sun she had no desire to burn to death this particular evening.

“Taking care of the humans first would rouse them and we’d end up with more by the time we managed to wipe out the Giovanni Lieutenants.” She responded logically as they stepped of the elevator. It was obvious she had been well educated when she was mortal. “The lieutenants must be dealt with first. No exceptions and quite frankly this…sympathy you seem to have for their cause is disheartening.”

The pair headed down to their room and she stood beside it so he could unlock it. “You’re old enough to know they practically wiped the rest of the clans out so they could be the most powerful yes? Even the Nosferatu never recovered and they’re notorious for their ability to hide.” This was the most she’d spoken to him since they met. It was obvious she had strong opinions about the Giovanni and their radical beliefs. Certainly if the kindred all worked together they could gain control over the humans for some time, but even at their strongest humans outnumbered them. It was suicidal to expose their existence.

Once they were inside the room she ran her hands over the curtains and turned them blood red, effectively wiping out any ambient light from outside. It was a handy trick of hers she literarily infused her blood with the inanimate object. It didn’t take much and it was handy for keeping out the sun when she was forced to seek shelter in a place that was not her haven. Unfortunately it was quite permanent so the cleaning staff was going to be very puzzled once she and Rom left.

 

[Elvenoff]

Rom listened quietly as the educated beauty expressed her logic with what should be done first, even though Rom disagreed with all that she said. What she didn’t understand is that if the Giovanni clan helped deal with the EVE unit, their numbers would be greatly reduced with losses, in which, would give the other Kindred clans the upper hand when it was time to face off with the Giovanni, if that would even be necessary. The possibilities were endless, but so were the outcomes.

“Are you going to stand here and lie to me that you enjoy hiding your existence from these humans compared to being out here in the open as yourself, and not some lame cover giving to you by the elders?” Rom voice rose a bit to get his point across to her. He could tell this was going to be impossible working with her, she was such a lap dog to the elders it made him almost feel sorry for…. Almost..

A brow rose over his watching orb as she coated the curtains. Her cleverness in this department of knowledge made him nodded in agreement that at least she was good in at one thing… Making a room comfortable. He moved over to the bed and tested the firmness of the mattress before looking over to her again, “This will do for tonight.” His ego betraying his haphazard approval of her lodging selection.

“We must agree to a course of action, one that is not lopsided in giving in to the human control of our lives.” He took a seat upon the corner of the bed. “I know of two lieutenants that are close to this area, but they are heavily supported for it deals with their…” He stopped for a moment to study the beauty before continuing for he knew she would not like what he was about to say.. “We are close to their hording facility… and the other deals with the X_Y drug distribution into the human populace.” he looked at her knowing damn well she would flip over the hording facility….