Grand Theatre - Déambulatoire Monday March 28th 2011

The Prince seems fairly surprised and annoyed at the laugh, but he doesn't act against it, just staring as the Lasombra explains himself. A very patient Ventrue indeed, no wonder he has a good hold over his domain and has maintained his position.
(Gosuin) It is good to see someone agreeing. No, higher instances know very well it's the same. The little detail is that we never see Archons, and god forbid Justicars unless the situation has turned so sour as to become an open battlefield in the war. Princes do as they see fit, according to local specific features.. We're not nearly as centralized.

He smiles, probably one of the most open and honest ones.
(Gosuin) Villon on the other hand is another problem. This city is in between. I'm between Sabbat and Camarilla, Anarch and Garou, Kindred and Hunters. As long as whoever holds domain manages to maintain the status quo, nobody asks anything. It's my job. It was my job when we ruled without a Prince. Surely, we're affiliated with the Camarilla.. But only as a general guideline and ideology. A franchise, a policy transfer if you will.

For sure the Prince knows what he is doing. As he described his role, it's not as Chris was taught or has witnessed in some other cities. It's clear Gosuin has and likes power, but it has not inflated his ego. A public servant. An honorable Ventrue !
(Gosuin) Hm so Lyle has friends. In the Sabbat. I wonder what his clan could pay for his head, should I ever need to sell them their Regent. The problem will rest in who will take his place and he is the least worst option. I will believe in your version for now, until the devil confirms it.

He isn't seriously thinking about selling Lyle, he has too much to lose. The subject of Lyle seems to annoy the Ventrue, mostly because of his absence. Maybe the letter will convince him.
(Gosuin) I hope he will pay you back for your silence, if he crawls out of whatever hole he dug himself into. You don't happen to have staked him somewhere to use him as a token of apology if you go back, do you ?

The prince lets out a slight sigh.
(Gosuin) Vonzel. Frederic Vonzel. Either your kind is really misinformed and understaffed, or he has organized our last incident on his own. My spy has informed me that you were not the only one.. Breaking ties, so to speak.

Madrid's Sabbat has turned fairly Sour since Estela's embrace ; there have been changes in the hierarchy and it's still fairly chaotic. Especially with the Basque Anarchs harassing Spain. There's no way they could have organized something to attack Bordeaux while they're still playing between each other to see who will be the alpha male.

Chris listens to the Prince's words with interest, nodding in agreement ever so slightly. “Would've been nice. To never see an Arch-Bishop. To happily feel like I owned all those little bits of land and the Cainites wandering around in it and could do whatever I damn well pleased. Oh well, things happened and it's no use fantasizing on what could've been. To many dusty Elders lose their minds because of that.” He waves the subject on authority off, considering it quite done for now. Perhaps at a later date they could sit down somewhere and have a lengthy discussion on it. It could teach the both of them interesting new things in regards to both warring sects.

“To be sitting somewhere in the middle is not necessarily a bad deal.” He shifts his weight a little as he speaks, his voice becoming a tad more business like. “Your city is the wall that keeps 'the raging horde that is the Sabbat' out of France. The Camarilla cannot risk alienating you or the others in the city, for fear of a majority deciding turning sides is the better option. It would basically give the Packs free entry into the country.” The Lasombra is careful to not imply that Gosuin would even consider being a turncoat, no matter how bad things would become with the Camarilla. Instead, he keeps it as a theoretical 'other'.
Chris does not comment on the Prince claiming that they follow the Camarilla more as guidelines. He seems at least skeptical of it, if not outright thinks that Gosuin is deluding himself, but he holds his tongue. The discussion was going a lot better than what he'd initially hoped for, and he wasn't about to ruin it here.

“Friends, companions, acquaintances.” He shrugs, his demeanor casual again. Throughout the conversation he hasn't dropped his caution once though. “Like I said, the world isn't as large a place as it once was. And what I also mentioned was that discretion was exercised greatly. Something I expect him to do with anyone he has some form of contact with. Discretion is after all, one of the founding blocks of our continued existence.”

Perception + empathy>5:

Christopher grins slightly when repayment for his silence is brought up. “You misunderstand. It's the other way around. This is me paying him back for the assistance he has offered me.” His grin widens. “Much as I would enjoy being in a position where I could effectively stake Lyle, I must regrettably inform you that his paralyzed body is not one of my prized possession.” He almost sounds genuinely sorry for that. Almost.
“But speaking of the Devil.” Chris rummages around in the pockets of his jackets for several moments until he produces the letter that Lyle had given him a few nights before. He holds it out for the Prince to take. “This should at least convince you that we are indeed acquainted until that thrice damned Tremere returns from Egypt and is able to confirm it in person.” He mentions the country casually, as though it really is simple common knowledge. “He wrote me that the first night I arrived here. Just in case I encountered someone who thought innocent me was somehow suspicious.”

Wits+politics>4:

“Vonzel, Vonzel.... Hmm, yes I remember the name from what Lyle told me. He attacked a church did he not?” Chris digs through his memory for several moments, ignoring the stab about the Lasombra potentially being chaotic and disorganized. “Nope, can't put a face to it. Surely you don't expect anyone to know every shovelhead wanting to make a name for himself that's out there? It's about as impossible as you knowing every single Ventrue fledgling that has more than 2 euros to his name.” The mention of a spy supposedly being somewhere in the Sabbat makes Chris raise an eyebrow, though he doesn't appear to be overly surprised. Spying on the enemy to get intel on him is after all an age old practice. “Hmm? Well I can at least confirm that it's been a bit chaotic with Cainites dicking each other over to see who's got the bigger one and should thus have top spot in the pecking order. Last I heard the Anarchs were a bit of a thorn too.” The Lasombra gives a carefree shrug. It's clear he doesn't consider it to be his problem and likely hadn't made much an effort to see how things were going in Madrid while he was still in Spain.

The Ventrue seems pleased to see how Christopher reacted to his words concerning basically that the Camarilla has a better middle managment system. It's now clear to him the Lasombra could turn around, and not as defensive as the Ventrue attacked the core being of his (former) sect, but it seems he also found someone to discuss matters with fairly openly.
(Gosuin) It's exactly what I like about this city. We are generally overlooked, and it leaves enough room for talent to blossom, regardless of lineage.

He nods to himself, thoughtful, as the Lasombra explains more on his relation with Lyle. When handed the letter, he doesn't hesitate to take it, but makes sure to keep some distance.
(Gosuin) I have worked with Lyle for about seventy years, and repaying him favors was always a situation I dreaded. To owe a favor to a Regent is worse than to owe a favor to the Giovanni.

He opens the letter to read it, quickly. His expression turns to jaded, before he folds it again and hands it back.
(Gosuin) That awful personal handwriting of his. He surely appreciates your.. relationship enough to bother writing himself. You should frame this somewhere, it's something I have seen only twice. I guessed his.. absence was related to his bloodline of being a Tremere, as his clan seems not to be able to find him through their means, but why Egypt?

He obviously caught he didn't mention Egypt by chance, and while he knew it was a bait, he went for it, interested to seeing what the Lasombra had to say.
(Gosuin) Well you will probably see him before we judge him, should you confirm he is indeed part of the Sabbat I will take it into account. Oddly, a Ventrue's task, especially a Prince's, is to make sure they know each Ventrue of the nation with their lineage. Yet, I do not expect the Lasombra to keep such logs, mostly because the Sabbat's policies concerning Embracing new childer tend to be very different from our own.

He makes sure not to undermine the Lasombra clan, but to explain differences. However he didn't like the fact that Christopher could imply he didn't know all of the local Ventrue.
(Gosuin) Very well, "Word of Acceptance" granted, for now. We are expected to receive an Archon soon, because of the recent drama, so I will only ask you for common sense while you are here; Do not mention your precedent role in the Sabbat, and present yourself as an antitribu. I won't require a bond, I know it won't work, but I also trust the relationship between Kersten and you. Kersten's loyalty is probably the only one I can fully rely on, and if he wrote this for you, I will accept it. Does it sound acceptable to you?

While Corinna may have offered to put the matter 'ad acta', so to speak, the mask of politeness is just a mask she puts on. His careless remark is something she won't forget any time soon, if ever.

"I know it would mean much to me and to my sire, if you could perhaps use your ability of locating upon the brooch of Annabelle, his other childe? I overheard a kindred named Laure say that you may be capable of such a thing."

Your choice, either spend a WP or drool (figuratively) over the piece, and of course, it means showing weakness.

Christopher shrugs, unconcerned about his owing a favor to a Tremere 'Regent'. He still wasn't convinced. The Lasombra knows damn well the powers of Dominate, and it honestly wouldn't surprise him if that's what Lyle had been doing these past 70 years! “Oh I'm quite sure I'll be fine. It can't be worse than owing a favor to an Archbishop or, god forbid, a Tzimisce.” A look of distaste appears on his features as he says that, as though it brought not only a foul taste in his mouth but also memories best left in the Abyss.

perception+alertness>5:

“Anyway, if he starts to try and demand the unreasonable, I'll simply tell him where he can stick his gaming consoles and offer my assistance in that matter as repayment.” Chris takes the slip of paper back from the Prince, giving it a bit of a look when the suggestion to frame it comes from Gosuin. He seems to consider it for a few moments too, before he returns it to one of his pockets.
“I'd be positively jumping at the opportunity to tell you why Lyle is out there, in Egypt of all places.” He is not really hiding the sarcasm there, though at the same Chris himself seems to be almost dying to know the reason himself. “But alas, I know not what goes on in his head. All I know is what a little ongoing investigation is turning up so far.” Chris tilts his head slightly, one hand raising to idly tap against his cheek as he considers a few things. “Say, you wouldn't be interested in finding out what that little Tremere is up to in Egypt, hm?” His chosen tone of voice, though with a slight hint of inquisitiveness, is mostly businesslike and open to negotiations. The vampire doesn't seem quite willing to sell this information, or any future details, for nothing. Especially since he seems to believe that Gosuin might want information like that. Chris is after all a new arrival to the city, and of the rather notorious clan Lasombra to boot. In his opinion it's definitely best to start quickly with carving out a little comfortable spot for himself.

“Wait, not even a minute ago you said the heads of this Hydra rarely looks this way, and now you're telling me you got an Archon coming this way? Just...wonderful.” Sarcasm is positively oozing from that last statement by the buckets. Chris isn't even trying to hide that he is far from thrilled by the prospect of having to be near one of them. “Suppose I should be grateful for the forewarning though. I'll think on the 'antitribu' part. It has such a nasty ring to it wouldn't you agree? Oh, and Lyle arrived in Egypt through the airport on Cairo.” A small tidbit of info he'd gained simply by being around Claudia during her investigation and phonecall with the Setite, given freely here as a small sign of gratitude for the warning on the Archon.

The prince is careful to keep to himself any thoughts on archbishops, tzimisces and owning favors to Lyle. He does smile at the mention of sticking video games somewhere and seems to agree with the idea.
(Gosuin) At least an investigation is ongoing. Without him controlling his clan's turbulent behavior, things may get ugly in that hotel, which in turn may throw the city into a civil war. See, his presence deters local kindred to do stupid things, which why I would like him found. However if his departure is indeed his own choice, there's not much anyone can do. He is the stubborn kind and it is certainly part of a plan. I would love to know what he is up to, just to blackmail him or sell him out to his clan, yet without an heir I could control to take over, he is my best choice. However.. I had thought he had broken all contact with the Followers. I have to admit I would live to know more.

He doesn't seem to particularly love the Tremere but he seems to acknowledge his qualities and his role. A dangerous adversary. His look is colder, darker when the archon was mentioned again.
(Gosuim) This Archon is a way for that scumbag Villon to interfere in the affairs of my city. He still dislikes the fact that I'm no Toreador in his country... I refuse to pledge allegiance to that despicable egomaniac oppressing bitch on a power trip.

He takes out a letter from the bunch of papers on the desk and hands it to Chris as a proof. It's a letter signed by Villon, informing that he cares greatly for Bordeaux and has arranged for help to be sent on their way, both mortal through vigipirate, and supernatural through an archon that will certainly assist in investigations.. It's very patronizing.
(Gosuin) And de facto, it sounds to me you are antitribu, whether you like it or not. It doesn't make you a supporter of the Camarilla or of me as a Prince.. But it might just as well save your neck from beheading as the Lasombra antitribu in Camarilla cities tend to be fervent supporters. I'd advise you to use this reputation to your benefit. Present yourself as Antitribu and let them draw their own conclusions. Should you need any.. Vocabulary help, come and see me. I would also like your input on Sabbat manners if you do not mind.. As well as which investigations you are talking about concerning Kersten.

He seems sincere in helping Chris, should he reveal more information as well

Since I apparently have to post here:

Corinna observes Alicia very closely, too much so to be out of sheer boredom or polite interest. She seems to be waiting for something to happen.