The Fabrick

The ghoul taps slowly his fingers on the table, observing with attention.
(Laurent) Maybe I can see past, but you know, keeping one's cards secret...

He leaves the mystery of whether he can see or not.
(Laurent) I have worked with one of your colleagues and since he died, I couldn't repay him. I have no reasons not to honor my debts towards your clan. My inquiry is nothing about voyeurism, merely a way of knowing who I may work with. You may put it back after, of course.

He loses the smile an instant, and takes a camera (the kind that takes pictures on film, not digital) out of a drawer, putting it on the table as if it was a gun, a threat.
(Laurent) Either you show yourself, or I'll keep a proof of your passage. I am certain this information could turn against you, somehow, so.. Are you willing to risk it ?

Perception+Awareness >5 or Perception+Subterfuge>5:

Her head cocks to the side when he taps his finger on the table; if he's looking at her in the eye he would notice the that they twitch every time he makes a thump on the table. When he speaks she can't help but smile slightly; it's not a happy smile but more of one of understanding. Her smile falls away when he starts talking about Terrance, even though she didn't know him too well.

She seems to be caught up in a memory until he interrupts by talking again. She instantly snaps back to attention knowing the importance of the situation. When he produces the camera and places it on the table an unnatural guttural growl emanates from her mouth, when she realises it's coming from her she curbs the sound until there is silence once more.

She takes a moment to collect herself and her thoughts before even trying to reply to him. Her posture relaxing again as she thinks of a reply.

...I need to know the reason why...Please, I at least deserve to know that much.

The Ghoul smiles seeing the effect his threat has. He takes a mental note on the behavior she shows and nods. He's a bit more tensed, after all, he is merely a ghoul and a Kindred's anger-frenzy may be dangerous. He speaks with the same calm and serene voice, in hopes to convince rather than to force.
(Laurent) Why ? I told you already, 'Carrion'. I wish to see who I am dealing with. It also provides me some safety. Your kind can show any face you wish, and it troubles any honest deals.

Perception+empathy>3:

Carrion watches him carefully, she can't help but notice the tension that she's brought to the room but she doesn't take kindly to threats. Leaning forward she draws herself closer to the desk but can't help give the camera one final look of distaste before meeting Laurent's eyes again, once her eyes are off the camera the look of distaste vanishes to be replaced by a much calmer expression once more.

I can understand your point of view in this situation, you must understand that I have similar concerns. After all, that is information can also be abused, maybe we could come to a trade for it? That way neither party has unfair leverage over the other and we foster a trusting business relation.

Her tone of voice is one of conciliation now. She obviously wants there to be goodwill between them but at the same time she doesn't want to be taken advantage of during their dealings. As she speaks her finger tip of her left hand traces a lazy pattern on the surface of the table but she doesn't seem to be paying much attention to it as her focus remains firmly on Laurent.

Laurent listens and observes, and with a malicious smile, responds to the Nosferatu's inquiry. After all, she's the one needing information, and the ghoul understood it.
(Laurent) You unveiling yourself is one of the de-facto condition for our deals, 'Carrion'. You asked my help concerning a person that came here last week, and for a lost phone.

He pauses an instant, and nods. He could ask more and be harsher with negotiations as she has not left and hence, her needs to be here are important, but he doesn't do so (by fear, or maybe because he's not greedy, though none are likely). He doesn't change what he wants in exchange from his help.
(Laurent) I will respond to your questions and you will have all information I can give you, and in exchange, you have to show yourself, and I will ask you to look into something for me.

Carrion catches the smile but doesn't appreciate it very much since her eyes narrow for a fraction of a second before catching herself and rectifying it. She chews her bottom lip for a moment after he's finished talking obviously feeling some form of inner conflict, whatever it is she doesn't seem to be in the sharing mood at the moment.

Fine.

She really doesn't sound fine. More like frustrated and possibly a small amount of fear could be picked up from her voice but it dissipates when she continues talking.

Would you be kind enough to put the camera away please?

Carrion eyes him wearily, watching him as closely as she can as places the camera away; her arms crossing loosely in the process. When he sits there just observing her, waiting patiently for her to drop her discipline she rubs her arm self consciously for a few moments, until she notices she is doing it and forces herself to stop. If she were mortal she may have taken a deep breath at this point but since as she didn't need to breathe she didn't bother. Seeing the situation much like ripping off a bit of sticky micropore tape; best done quickly as possible, so she just drops the Obfuscate.

What is now sitting in front of Laurent is a completely different creature to what was there a moment before. She looks malnourished to the point a human would be dead; there is no fat tissue left on her body just hard bones, tendons and the skin pulled across them. The clothes she is wearing look baggy on her even though they show some signs of home tailoring but it's obvious that she has taken pains to ensure her skin is covered, her hands are gloved and although her jacket is short it is closed so it covers the dip in her vest tops neckline.

She still has her hood up but doesn't hesitate to pull it back now, revealing her greenish grey scale speckled skin (a Patch of scales just visible on her neck). The skin is pulled tightly over her face giving him a good idea of the bone structure of the skull and how the back of it was warped at her embrace since she has no hair. Sharp pick like teeth poke out from her lips and when she turns her head slightly he can see the hole in one of her cheeks revealing the molars in the back of her jaw and the side of her tongue.

Large black eyes with red pupils watch him closely, almost expecting him to pull the camera back out again.

Happy now?

The voice sounds rough and it is hard to tell if she is a she from voice alone, although her body shape doesn't give much clue either. She leans forward again resting her elbows on his desk which makes the material of her jacket slip down revealing dark mottled streaking down the inside of her arms, the skin looks like one long puckered scar on each arm but they're obviously not since the puckered skin comes from multiple angles.

The ghoul observes, but he does recoil slightly. He doesn't take his eyes out of her "true self", which is quite impressive and quite unlikely to happen even by other kindred. Nosferatu kindred tend to disgust even the Eldest, and they'd rather not look at them. Laurent takes a good mental note of the person he sees before him, and nods once all "unique" details he could notice were taken into account. He smiles at her(his?) voice and after swallowing his own saliva (because he observed without bothering with his other functions, he even stopped breathing a little), confirms.
(Laurent) I wouldn't say happy, but satisfied. You may put it back on.

As he says so, he looks away, with a certain decency towards "putting back on clothes". His manners are truly respectable, and his name does indicate he is of a noble family.
Once the Nosferatu has chosen whether to put the Obfuscate back on or not, he shares some information.
(Laurent) There was one of your kind here last week, but he didn't come inside. He just asked a few questions to the bouncers and left, saying he was a journalist of some sort.. He was investigating the disappearance of some girls here, probably victims of your Hunger. I must say I find it strange, as all Kindred that come here to feed are always discrete, so my guess is that he was out to hurt another's blood supply, in hopes of weakening a rival. That, or any personal revenge of some sort. What do you wish to know ?

Carrion doesn't seem too surprised by the ghoul's reaction, in fact, she seem's pretty emotionless about it for the moment since she's paying a lot of attention to Laurent's reaction that she almost forgets it is her he is looking at. Her head tilting to the side slightly, giving him a better view of her crooked pointy ears, she doesn't seem to be looking him in the eye like before though.

When he's done taking in her appearance and finally speaks again she can't help but laugh a bit at his response. The laugh doesn't sound completely like a laugh but more like a wheeze of someone who's spent a significant proportion of their life chain smoking.

When silence falls once more and he looks back at her she seems to have taken on her previous appearance once more. Her arms still resting on his desk are once more creamy pale skin, instead of greenish grey with patches of scales and puckered scars. She listens silently to him waiting for him to finish before asking questions of her own. She is also looking him in the eye once more.

How are you certain it was one of us? He must have been using his Obfuscate skills otherwise kine would be running away screaming and then we would have heard of it...

She takes a moment to take in this new information before asking more questions at first she seems to be talking more to herself than to Laurent.

I was asked by Mike to look into these disappearances as well...Some students turned up dead and also young women, poor women, maybe he was looking into the same thing... What were the questions he asked? Was he alone? and what did he look like? Do you know where he went after he left?

Laurent smiles at Carrion's questions. He laughs a little, shrugs, and responds to the questions naturally.
(Laurent) I can say he was a Nosferatu because he wasn't as good as hiding himself as you are. That's one of the reasons why he never got in to begin with. He was quite covered too. If he wasn't alone, the person with him was well hidden. To give you my honest opinion, I could care less about what happens to a few dozen persons each year. Karl kills a vessel every now and then, it happens. Yes, some people who disappeared went through this club, but it is not surprising, after all, this place was created to be a hunting ground.

He lets out a sigh. Another Kindred worried about a few deaths, who cares..
(Laurent) About the questions he asked, he was targeting missing white women, and to be even more precise, a few in particular : Louisa Elsdorf, a girl that went missing in the mid 90's. I do not remember all women passing by, but according I have, her body was never found and it was classified as "a missing adult" who ran away to find a new life. It's clear someone has covered a murder. He asked me how often the Sheriff comes here, which is something I cannot answer for obvious reasons. As for the others coming here regularly to hunt, I have a few names, but they may dislike having someone looking into their habits.

With severity, he warns.
(Laurent) This is maybe what happened to your colleague. As for what I recall, he had jeans, a red jacket with a hood, and a blue cap.

Carrion's head nods up and down with understanding when he begins his explanation on how he could spot the Nosferatu her mind wonders back to when she first began to learn how to use it but she cuts herself off and concentrates on what is being said. She cuts in when he starts talking about vessels with a small laugh before speaking.

I'm sure you would care, if you were the one dying, or possibly the family of these people. Or at least that is what I am lead to believe about them at any rate.

She doesn't speak again until he is finished talking, she seems to be listening very intently to what he has to say, she hasn't been breathing since she showed him what she really looks like; only taking breaths when she wants to speak and then forgetting to carry on doing it.

Interesting, what did you tell him about this Louisa Elsdorf woman? Did he mention any other names?

...The Prevost?

She seems genuinely surprised by Momo questioning Laurent about him and was obviously not expecting it.

Perception + Alertness >5:

Did he give a reason about asking about the Prevost? Or ask any other questions about him?

....You think he nosed into someone's habits and they didn't like it?

She seems genuinely saddened by that idea, her expression seems to drop once the words have left her mouth but she catches herself and tries to at least keep up the pretence of not caring too much about the situation.

Laurent de Fonscolombe smiles slightly, he nods at her words.
(Laurent) I might have cared if I had been, as you said, involved emotionally. People like me learn to let our emotions aside at all time, until they truly disappear.

What a sad feeling. If he was "forced to" it, he doesn't show it, but then again Laurent isn't really used to talk about himself.
(Laurent) I did have other names, but browsing through the newspapers in the missing sections, or seeing the notices in the streets will give you other names. That would be faster than me going through my papers. Louisa is the only one I remember because at the time, it was the only news on the news. Now they are so numerous that one easily forgets.. And just assign a number.

He observes up and down, then with a shrug, he adds, a bit impish, curious.
(Laurent) Indeed, Prevost. Lambert, as he hates to be called. He never talked to me, I just saw him talk to the bouncer. And as he reported back, the description of the person your friend was asking about was Prevost ; same OCD, same behavior, same looks.. Kevin didn't ask why your friend was here, really, they talked for a few minutes. As for what he asked, only if Prevost came to the club and left with women, which he did. Not the first time, not the last time

He pauses a moment, then smirks slightly.
(Laurent) My thoughts matter not, miss Carrion. I do know your kind dislikes having others too close to their interests, influences, or blood supplies.

Carrion listens carefully to his words again. When he speaks of emotions an obvious pang of emotion takes her, even though she may not be the best at empathising with others she still has her feelings. Her arms shift, no longer are her elbows resting on the desk but forearms are, she seems to pull herself closer to the table.

Learned or forced to?

Perception + Alertness >5:

Well, the man has to eat, so yeah that will never change but I don't understand how that is suspicious. I'm pretty sure many male vampires leave your club with women.

The corner of her lip quirks at the mention of Kevin.

Kevin you say? May I speak with Kevin when we're finished?

Her eyes widen for a moment at his words; she is genuinely shocked by them and can do very little to hide them from him as he speaks.

That's not true, your thoughts matter...

The Ghoul doesn't directly answer Carrion's inquiry on his emotions.
(Laurent) Do we ever have a choice ? I don't think we really have time to debate, but we will certainly have other occasions to discuss. As for my thoughts, they are irrelevant.

He goes back to the subject and nods.
(Laurent) It is true that most vampires coming to this club leave with a snack (or take their needed fix inside). Kevin is the bouncer outside, you may speak to him, but he doesn't know about the true world that governs them, or that pays his salary. I count on your discretion.

Carrion thinks on his words. The silence doesn't last for very long though. Her shoulders come up as she leans on the desk.

Maybe; I'd like to think we always have a choice though, just not always ones we like. Please don't say they're irrelevant, they really are relevant...

She pulls a pen and pad out of her clutch and writes her number and email and slides it across the table to Laurent. When he's taken the paper she puts the pen and pad in her clutch once more.

Of course I will be discreet with Kevin, I know how things work.

It sounds like she's had this warning before.

You said you had something that needed doing, how can I be of assistance?

She seems genuinely curious about what he wants doing.

The club manager takes the paper, folds it and puts it into his vest pocket with a nod. He smirks when she remembers he had asked her for something. He seems a little warmer, but it may be an act.
(Laurent) Certainly. See, the ghouls aren't really kept in touch with the reason behind actuality around us, we stand on both worlds and yet belong to either. I wish to be able to do my job correctly towards my Domitor, and as such, need information. I have heard about some attacks, yesterday night, supposedly by the Sabbat. Could you tell me what you know ?

Carrion watches him carefully from the other side of the table. She seems to have relaxed back into the seat but it doesn't last for long as she almost immediately leans forward again resting her arms back on the table as they were moments ago.

What's with the smirk?

Her tone of voice is one of curiosity for now. She listens to his spiel with interest an expression of curiosity can plainly be seen on her face but she doesn't seem to act on her curiosity.

Fill me in on what you've already heard, that way I can skip what you already know and get to the important bits for you.

The Ghoul lets out a small laugh.
(Laurent) Excuse-me, it seems I underestimated you. Never mind it. I know Theodore Jacob suffered the most attacks, but that the old Tremere church was targeted as well. I also know that somehow, the old Tremere Regent decided it was going to be a nice moment to pay his old administered a visit (be it a cause or a consequence, I cannot tell).

Perception+Subterfuge>5:

Carrion's eyes narrow she knows something's up but not sure what exactly so decides not to press it for now.

I don't know much about the attacks on Theo's turf but my guess was it was their hope it would provide a distraction so they could get into the old chantry, apparently they were after a nodite artefact that actually lives in the new chantry not the old one. What they weren't counting on was there being anyone in there, apparently Miri managed to stake one of them who turned out to be a Lasombra called Frederic Vonzel. You may have heard of him, he presented himself as Ventrue in the sixties or seventies. He's currently living in Lyle's pantry.

When she's talking her eyes seem to wander around but when she's finished she meets his eyes again.

Now that I've filled you in, how much did you really know?

Attentive and severe, the ghoul listens, with small head movements betraying he's checking with information he has heard of. He seems surprised when he learns about the name.
(Laurent) I know of Vonzel. He was a client here, sometimes, with Alicia Vandenstree, but that was some time ago. I suspect the Tremere will show themselves brutal with him. It's good.

He closes his eyes an instant, then opens them again.
(Laurent) I know about this item, I've heard about the troubles it caused to Theodore Jacob and his relationship to the Tremere clan. I didn't know it has been found.

The Toreador Harpy?

She can't help but repress a giggle.

Seems the man had a fetish for Harpies...What kind of business did he have here?

She takes a moment to let the information sink in before asking her next question.

Can you tell me any more about that item?

Laurent shows disdain and interested behavior towards the relation between Frederic and Alicia.
(Laurent) I know it was the reason why the Tremere and the Brujah have killed each other often enough. Other than that...

He smiles.
(Laurent) You should hurry before Kevin's shift is over. I have to inform my Domitor about the situation as well. Be sure I will contact you.

Carrion nods her understanding and stands offering her hand in thanks again.

Thank you for your time and your assistance...One last thing, you don't happen to have any security footage of what happened between Kevin and the Nosferatu do you?

Laurent denies.
(Laurent) Kindred here are smart enough to avoid the few cameras we have. I don't think I have anything, but I'll have a quick look.

He stands and takes the hand, a bit softer than earlier.
(Laurent) Good luck.