Le Grand Théâtre

Scoop takes a few more notes. His body language shows he's attentive to the whole surroundings rather than just Duncan. He responds with a certain carefree attitude, coughing in his sleeve in the middle to clear up his voice.

(Scoop) They're not asking Primogen Darvault for explanations because I bet my last shirt that he has none to give. Toreador are free to move wherever they want, and they don't have some higher ranks they have to report to... Tremere movements are far more dangerous than some Toreador coming to see the "beauty of the city" or the Elyseum Keeper using an Embrace Permission (well deserved if you ask me).

The Nosferatu seems to be more relaxed a few moments when Duncan notices he's on the edge.
(Scoop)Neh it's nothing to do with you, it's more of a "Nosferatu Secret" ! Jokes apart, I can't put my finger on it, its probably nothing. See, I'm not a huge fan of the Warlocks -I'm no hater, 'cause I have no real reason to be- but Primogen Kersten being "smooth" is an understatement. Too bad he's not into public relations and he never leaves his Hotel, this court lacks some happy Kindred. Oh, you got it right, Doctor just left, he's not coming back, said he had something to work on and could care less about Tremere politics.
Everybody calls me Scoop, I'm kind of the Nosferatu version of the harpies, 'xcept my gossips are way more interesting than saying the Sheriff's socks don't match his shirt, if you get what I mean !

Duncan, Auspex 1 if watching Scoop's notes:

Celine lets Raekel take the blood she wants, although for her, it seems it's a bit strange to be talked to. She responds politely with a simple phrase, being "my Domitor treats me right." and goes on her way to retrieve used glasses and leftovers, as usual. The ghoul doesn't hide a certain malaise to have been addressed in such an idle way and she almost acted like she wanted to avoid it, after all, her work is to be unnoticed and, for Elyseum nights, that nobody's missing anything. She acted polite about it, though, and took back her duties without waiting.

Laure Nolveaux's surprise is about as strong as Estela when she shouts in, she stands up and approaches Estela to make her sit down again, with a certain kindness. Her way of speaking about her fellow coterie member shows a certain friendship she has with the Tremere.
(Laure) You know Claudia ?.. Calm down, yes, she's a good friend of mine. Oh, you knew her when you were alive ?.. You're not one of her donors, are you ?
To that last idea, she sounds in between worried and suspicious.


Claudia hears her name and identifies the source, with a huge question mark on her face. She looks at both Estela and Laure and the question mark vanishes in favor of pure shock and her body languages shows it for a few seconds, with her hands moving to her chest and taking a step. Seeing Miri and Raekel approaching, she hides instantly her shock and behavior. She smiles warmly back at Miri while she puts her hair behind her ears and her shoulders, revealing that art nouveau necklace she wore earlier, and offers a curious glance towards Raekel. She seems thoughtful as she speaks, like if trying to remember something, but that doesn't keep her voice from being light and joyful.
(Claudia) As well as a corpse, yes, Miss De Boucher ! I appreciate your concern, but it was nothing to worry about... After all, I am a Tremere, that includes me being strong enough to handle the weirdest facets of our existence.

Duncan listens to Scoop, as the Nosferatu explains the politics of the matter. He glances at Scoop’s notebook briefly, but doesn’t try to decipher anything from the page… it would be as useless as trying to decipher the doctor’s prescription before handing it to the pharmacist. When Scoop is done talking, however, Duncan shakes his head.

Still sounds a bit dramatic. And I doubt those two are part of any Tremere plot, unless you call sending the greenest recruits to Bordeaux a ‘plot’. Duncan shakes his head once more, and mutters, half to himself: Do the elders here see me as being that naïve, I wonder?

Glad to meet you, Scoop. It’s good that I’m not the source of your discomfort. Too bad I missed Doctor, though. I was trying to meet all of the primogen, so nobody would take it as a snub if I didn’t say hello. You guys don’t seem too worried about the etiquette stuff, though. Tell your boss I tried, anyway.

Like Scoop, Duncan continues to eye the room as he talks. He raises an eyebrow as he takes in Claudia's surprised response to Estela's outburst... and her abrupt recovery as Miri walks up and greets her, with Raekel in tow. Something about the sight provokes a thoughtful look on Duncan's face. Before the main event starts in the Prince's room, Duncan leans in over the corner of the table, and mutters something else to Scoop in a low voice.

Scoop, Auspex 1 if not watching the Presentation:

Miri pauses briefly as Claudia notes her approach. She thought she saw a look of surprise pass, but she couldn't be certain. Claudia's care to remind all of their vital conditions makes Miri laugh out loud and she takes it as a good sign from the Tremere. She smiles, turning to introduce Raekel, only to see Estela in the distance with a surprised look not unlike the one she thought Claudia was wearing a few seconds ago.

The Torrie looks back to Claudia and steps back, making space to unobstruct Claudia and Estela's view of one another, Oh, she chuckles at how she hadn't noticed before, I've interrupted something. She looks to Estela and back to Claudia, her amusement mounting, Is that what that exclamation was? Man... I thought I heard something, but whether it was just the excitement of this evening finally taking a toll on someone, I wasn't sure, she laughs again, waving all off as if to ask Claudia to disregard her, Some other time, then, Miss Vonigner? an amused smile crosses Miri's lips as she bows out. She beckons Raekel to follow as she begins to step away.

Raekel, if she follows:

Miri doesn't wait for Raekel to react before laughing out loud. She eventually manages to quell her amusement before her attention resurfaces, I meant to ask you a bit ago, she brushes hair from her face, giving Rae an incredulous but amused look, What's with all the 90's pop-culture references tonight?

The light touch on her shoulders and the gentle downward push makes Estela jump a little in surprise as she’d momentarily forgotten all about her surroundings. With a bewildered look in her eyes, she turns to look at Laure. “Y-yea, I know Claudia,” she says hesitantly as she sits down on the chair again. It doesn’t take long for her attention to return to Claudia though, even with Laure speaking to her. Realizing this after a second, Estela forces her mind to return to the here and now and looks back to Laure. “Ah, sorry about that. It’s just… wait, what? Donor?” Her eyebrows knit together in momentary confusion. “Why would y…..oh never mind. Stupid question.” Estela sighs heavily, leaning back in the chair. “No, I never donated to her. In fact, I never even knew she was a…well, vampire or Kindred or whatever I should call it.”

Turning on the chair and letting an arm rest on the back, the young vampire glances once more to the person she’d considered a friend while she’d still been human. “I studied in Ecole des beaux-arts here in Bordeaux for a couple years. We used to hang out together with a bunch of other friends. You know, going to clubs, grabbing a movie, visiting historic buildings to get inspiration for class assignments, things like that. Seriously, I never even once expected to see a familiar face here, let alone Claudia.” She pauses for several moments and then suddenly chuckles out loud. “Let alone Claudia in that outfit. I mean chanel? Seriously? It’s like she walked out of a picture taken in the prehistory.” Glancing back at Laure, Estela continues, proving herself to be quite the talker when feeling at ease with someone. “Please don’t tell me that she always wears things like that here. I liked the outfits she wore when hanging out with us a lot more.”

Seems the opening will have to wait, as Miriel allows her on. She offers a light, feminine sort of bow, gesturing her on as well. She looks back to Miriel, leaning in conspiratorially as they whisper, her grin growing with each line that she offers. As her companion bursts into laughter, she leans back, equally amused. "I say we choose option B. Our friend from earlier looks as though he could still use his privacy, and I'd hate to intrude just yet. I'll try to catch up with him another night. Try to make it up to him. C just sounds like a dirty proposition for the given locale, as fun as it does sound."

Then Miriel poses the question to her tastes of comic relief. She thinks for a moment, haven't even really considered it herself. She follows a long for a couple of steps before ever really replying, headed towards Suzanne and Adriano, given that option B was the one she'd selected. When finally that response does come, she offers, "I'm reminiscing, in my own way. A lot of good things happened then. I suppose I was just born again at that time, though my time began long before that." Raekel's eyes seem to wander at the thought of that, a soft smile betrayed upon her face, refraining from more reference than that.

Auspex 2:

Miri feigns disappointment, the corners of her lips tugging into a pout as the two stroll. A shame, really, she sighs, I love shouting for the sake of shouting.

A grin supplants her pout when she sees that Raekel is smiling as she reminisces. She glances away, trying to make more sense of it, Born again? She looks to Rae again, only to see that her lips are all but sealed on the subject; still, Miri is pleased with the impartial answer. She smiles with a kind of vicarious satisfaction from Raekel remembering positive things.

They arrive where Adriano and Suzanne talk. Her lips curl into a mischievous smile as she stalls just a few feet away, saying nothing. She leaves it to the two to decide whether or not to acknowledge any additions to their conversation.

Once he's sure he has all of the present Primogen's attention, which didn't took much due to them waiting on the Tremere, Lyle gives back the paper knife to the Prince and leaves the subject of Raekel's test certainly for later. His silence on the subject is taken as being the truth by Gregory, after all, unspoken means it's alright. Gosuin briefly looks at his possession, ensuring it's clean, before putting it in a drawer, certainly to avoid anyone "borrowing" it again.
The Tremere Primogen takes a step to the side so the Prince (mainly, but not only him), can have a good look on Elisabeth and Andrew. He then speaks at normal level, yet showing the commanding facet of his personality through his voice and tone. After all, he is a Regent for his Clan, and even if Lyle is not the typical Regent that one can expect, the title still requires certain basic abilities like being able to be heard.
As Lyle walks, Victor de Sainte-Croix spots the cat hair pin and puts his hand on his mouth to avoid a laugh. The Primogen council have their eyes wandering between the three Tremere as the Regent explains.
My Prince, my fellow Primogen...
We, Tremere, are one family within the Camarilla. Right with the Sect's and City's laws, we have our own internal regulations, our own codes, our own oath... One of them concerns the exchange of Apprentices to "the Chantry that fits them most", so their inner talents are best awoken and knowledge shared through Chantries. Of course, that's a Tremere lie, a facade, and I will not insult this court by making you believe some Pontifex made an Astrological chart that guessed Bordeaux is where their destinies are traced. We have our own politics too, after all. 
Anyhow, this one is Andrew Collins, and this one is Elisabeth Walker, they are both of the Tremere clan, even though they are not wearing the mandatory wizard robe. They were sent in to my Chantry due to exceptional circumstances. Somehow, somewhere, someone managed to think it would be a good idea to send these two under my tutelage. He obviously can't believe the clan thought he would be a good teacher to young Tremere, and his tone of voice shows a certain hesitation between crying and laughing about it. The two questions I need to ask my hierarchy is what have they smoked and where can I get some. If Lyle wasn't Lyle, one could bet he's serious. He dismisses the subject fast enough.
Prince Gosuin, I promise I will prove my clan wrong the quickest I can. In the meantime, my hands are tied, I agree to be responsible for their behavior in town until they're weaned, and I would consider it a personal favor to the Council that the Hospitality Tradition applies and you give them the Word of Acceptance, as without it, they are nothing.

Once done, Lyle sets his eyes on the Prince, in a quite cold look, yet still smiling, who looks back at him with confidence. The Prince then gives a brief look towards the other Primogen members, and addresses Theodore as he notices there is one missing.
(Gosuin) Where is the Nosferatu Primogen ?
(Theodore) He said he doesn't give a fuck. Henri nods to confirm.
(Gosuin, sighing) What about you ?
(Theodore, with a smirk, observing the two new Tremere) I don't give a fuck either, I just wanted to hear Kersten trying to save appearances,Theodore looks at Lyle but you don't give a fuck on that either, uh ?
(Lyle, with a very light-hearted tone) Actually I do care for appearances, that's why I embraced Claudia Vonïgner. Gosuin's look of disbelief forces Lyle to be explicit. I'll reveal a secret. Some of our Childer are brought in because of some Tremere's passion, remorse, mistakes or even just to mess up with someone else's plans. Not all of us are great Magi Now he sounds very serious about it, he even lost the smile for a few seconds. Nobody deserves to be embraced Malkavian.
(Gregory) I remember that..
(Theodore) Yes, I lost a bet that day, Xavier should have crucified you on the spot !
(Lyle) I requested an Embrace Permission according to Camarilla Laws, and it was given to me in total legality, so I used it.
(Theodore) Oh you knew she was going to be Degrelle's Childe !
(Lyle) You have no proof I was aware of that.
(Theodore) Yeah playing ignorant-
(Gosuin, with a hand gesture to stop the argument) You can reminiscence some other time, this discussion was held back then and discussing it further leads to nowhere. Primogen Kersten, is there any tricks behind this ?
(Lyle) Of course it's a trick ! Though for once, I have taken no part in it, I am just a poor victim. The dark look given to him by the Gangrel, the Toreador, the Malkavian Primogen and Gosuin himself, makes Lyle smile. He speaks a little more seriously, as to avoid the ire of the Council. There is a trick, it just has nothing to do with any of the Sleepers and, apart from myself, probably no Kindred in this city. To be simple about it, it's pure Tremere struggles to gain more influence within the Clan while playing musical chairs with peons.

While Lyle explains the Tremere internal politics, Gosuin gives another look to the other Primogen. None seem to want to object, though a certain mistrust is present on some faces. Lyle, Gosuin, Theodore and Gregory were the only Primogen that knew about Claudia's specific Embrace conditions, as the others are too young, which explains their silence. The Prince lets back his eyes on Elisabeth, then on Andrew as he speaks with a welcoming smile, although polite about it, it's clear that he would have rather not have new Tremere in his territory. Still, he doesn't show pure displeasure, and he does talk softly and his body language is quite open.
(Gosuin) Very well, then. Welcome to Bordeaux, Miss Walker, Mr. Collins. Pardon our discussion, in this city the Tremere are not known for embracing often nor to receive guests considering your Primogen's unique character.. Please, do enjoy your sojourn.

With a hand gesture, Gosuin allows both Elisabeth and Andrew to leave the room. Andrew, half in shock, nods and waits on Elisabeth so they can both leave. Lyle offers both an approving smile, but he doesn't move. Expecting the two Apprentices to leave, he turns back to Gosuin, and addresses him as the Primogen were ready to leave. His tone of voice is deeper.
(Lyle) About guests, I have another very unpleasant matter to discuss.. Behind closed doors.

Etiquette 2 or Intelligence 4:

Auspex 2:

Perception+Empathy > 7, Perception+Subterfuge > 6:

Scoop stays attentive enough to Duncan so he can answer him, but he is obviously listening to the Prince's room's happenings, and he's not hiding it. He doesn't forget to take notes.
They look green, but hey, don't judge on looks right ? Nah I think you're right, but it's hiding something else... I'll tell Doctor, but don't worry about it too much, apart from Igor and myself, Nosferatu don't really leave the caves, we mind our own business, if someone needs us, we have the S.O.S. Hotline, then we arrange the payments. As he says so, he writes a phone number on a corner of a page, rips it and hands it to Duncan.
As for that name, it rings a bell, I'm interested !



Claudia bows slightly to Miri's excusing herself, before walking with haste towards Laure as she speaks with Estela. Laure looks slightly confused or surprised by Estela's discourse. It's clear the Toreador is not fully aware of what Claudia is up to when she hangs in with mortals.
(Laure) Well yes, she is one of us, although she is Tremere so she might not be truly Kindred. I did know Claudia hunts in University grounds and enjoys giving some classes.. Laure's thinking about it, now she's curious. The kind of clothing she wears among mortals ? What does she wears among students ? Well sure she always dresses like this among us, even if tonight's dress is quite old, since..
(Claudia, as she arrives) Since this is the dress Thomas offered me as a present in the early fifties. I had to change and it was the only choice I had in the Chantry.
Claudia sounds a bit cold and distant on the spot, she sits down with Laure and Estela. Her body language and her eyes betrays a worry and a certain fear, which Laure picks up, even though Claudia would rather keep her secrets from the Elyseum Keeper. She takes Claudia's hand in her own in a very gentle way. It shows both women know each other for a certain time, after all, they formed a coterie together. The Tremere relaxes a little, and observes Estela with a certain sad look.
(Claudia) This should not have happened... However ! Who brought you in ? She looks around her, as if she was trying to find someone, she acts suddenly much more aggressive against the idea of a Kindred Embracing someone she knew from her Masquerade facet. While she looks around, Claudia is distracted by her name being mentioned. She also raises an eyebrow as she spots her Sire's hair being tied up by.. a cat hair pin. A "what in the world ?" can easily be read on her face. Laure pulls a little the Tremere's hand, as to pull her back to the conversation.
(Laure) Her sire is Spanish, and.. Your sire "borrowed" a hair pin, from Mademoiselle De Boucher if my eyes didn't betray me. She lower her voice, like if talking more to herself, as observing rather than admiring. I never saw him with his hair untied before.
To the remark, Claudia looks away, the subject displeases her. She then looks down and talks low, like if she was ashamed, addressing Estela.
(Claudia) Would you ever forgive me for not telling you what I was ?

Auspex 2, Perception + Alertness/Empathy > 5:

As Miri and Raekel approach Adriano and Suzanne, they can hear a few words of their conversation. He's talking to her about a certain "Marc Gillard" and about a certain "Karl Nassau". Further thinking and adding two and two together, Adriano is actually giving news to the Brujah about two men she knows. As he notices both Toreador stepping in closer, he smiles at them in a very welcoming gesture. Suzanne notices it, and turns slightly to take notice of both women. As Adriano addresses them, she walks away with all the elegance of a truck driver, as if this was not her place. Adriano doesn't seem to mind her leaving. His voice is deep, though friendly, he weights carefully each one of his words and he has a slight accent, betraying French is not his native language. As his name indicates and the accent confirms, Adriano has certainly Italian origins.
(Adriano) Ah, my two new Clan sisters ! Good evening, my name is Adriano Guicciardini, but most French speakers call me Adrien. Do not mind Calamity Jane, she has trouble with etiquette..

Suzanne doesn't even care for the odd words given to her, she walks out to the balconies, to join the Sheriff.

Linguistics 3, or Linguistics : Italian:

Duncan spares some attention for Scoop's reply, but like the Nosferatu, Duncan's main focus is on the events unfolding in the Prince's chamber. He takes the slip of paper offered to him by Scoop, and puts it in a pocket with a nod of acknowledgment, although he waits to reply.

When Claudia walks over and begins talking to Estela and Laure, he glances that way briefly, and then he resumes watching the Prince and Primogen. After the Tremere apprentices are dismissed, and Lyle Kersten tells the Council he has news for them behind closed doors, Duncan will take that as a signal to speak to Scoop.

I take it that was M'sieur Pierre's number, for the S.O.S. Hotline? Theodore spoke of it earlier. Thank you.

So the name rings a bell... does that mean you know who she is, or you would have to do some research? I have a feeling Igor might know about her; perhaps I should just wait and speak to him. I think it falls in his... area of interest, so to speak.

Duncan watches the two apprentices, to see which way they go after leaving the Prince's chamber.

Miri looks wistfully after Suzanne as she leaves, A shame we could not make the acquaintance of 'Calamity Jane,' she sighs as she sees Suzanne disappear. Only a moment passes before she smiles with renewed interest, Is that her real name?

It is only another moment before she returns introductions. She is charmed by Adriano's accent and deep tone of voice, and it shows in the way that she looks at him, Mm, Adriano. She plays with mouthing his name, Good evening, M. Adriano Guicciardini- A pleasure, she curtseys, though she is wearing designer denim and not a dress, My name is Miri DeBoucher, and this lovely woman, she turns to indicate, is Miss Raekel Montalbain, she smiles especially warmly toward her before looking back to Adriano with some curiosity, May I ask, what ever gave the two of us away as Toreador? she is asking playfully, but she seems to remember, Did Alicia ruin the surprise, or are you just that good?

As soon as the two younger Tremere are out of the chamber, Lyle closes the doors, quite silently, actually.


Scoop chuckles as Duncan asks him details on how much he knows about the information he was asked.
(Scoop) Yes that's the Hotline's number, and no problem, the Nosferatu are happy to provide services for a fair price ! That sounded ridiculously rehearsed. You know, Igor's a very smart guy with a bunch of trivia knowledge on.. well about anything that peaked his curiosity. Sneaky Kindred politics, especially considering this woman's story, ain't odd or interesting enough to be one of his subjects...
The grin and the tone of voice show clearly he knows much more, although it can be just gossip, there might be some truth to dig behind the rumors after all. He leaves it hanging like that, up to Duncan's choice to either wait until he gets a hold on Igor.


Andrew steps out of Gosuin's room with a slight bow. Once out and once the doors closed, he observes as well around him, a bit relieved. He still looks somewhat tired. Distracted by Elisabeth talking to him, he follows her sight and her hand movement. He seems to think about what her clanmate said, before replying.

Linguistics: English:

Duncan nods, as Scoop hints about what he might know. He sees the two Tremere apprentices pause outside of the doors to the Prince's chamber (now closed), and seems to make up his mind.

Maybe you and Igor both have part of the story. But I think it can wait, because I see someone whom I've been trying to meet, and they are momentarily free. I'll talk to you about the matter some other time. Thank you for that phone number, and for your patience. Until we meet again, take care.

Duncan stands, although he waits long enough for Scoop to respond before he walks off. After Scoop's reply (if any), Duncan will give a final nod to the Nosferatu and walk over to where Andrew and Elisabeth are standing. His manner is polite, almost hesitant compared to the confident manner he's displayed this evening, as if he is afraid he will scare away the two apprentices.

Pardon me, but I wanted to catch you before you became involved in important clan matters. My name is Duncan Oliver, of clan Brujah, and I'm new to Bordeaux as well. I had hoped to meet you earlier, but I was interrupted. I can understand the young lady's abrupt departure, before... being accosted by several Kindred, all eager to make her acquaintance, must have been a little overwhelming. But now it's just me, and I assure you I'm relatively harmless.

Duncan smiles and turns on the charm, although not the supernatural variety. His manner seems to be genuinely friendly, rather than fake or forced.

(For those who have not seen him before, Duncan is a medium-tall man (1.83m), with an apparent age in his early- to mid-thirties. He has black hair and striking blue eyes; and he is almost handsome, but not quite-- definitely not a pretty-boy. His dark gray suit is nothing special, although it looks tailored.)

Lingustics - English:

As Duncan approaches and beings to speak, it seems for a very short moment as if Elisabeth was going to leap into Andrew's arms with a startled "EEEP!", but she restrains herself and merely flinches, moving slightly behind the shelter Andrew's frame provides. Her demeanour bears resemblance to that of a frightened mouse.

Eeeh... her every sentence seems to begin with this Highland mumble, Nice to meet you, Mr. Oliver. I'm Liz... Elisabeth Walker, arrived, well... she glances at her digital watch Oh, bugger, still at the wrong time zone, this. Eeh, moments ago, at any rate. Don't mind me, I'm just hanging around... not used to being the centre of attention...

(Her French is terrible; her r's roll like empty beer kegs, her Scottish accent breaks her words and grammar, but she can still be understood without much extra effort.

Elisabeth is, from tip to toe, a native Highlander. Though her figure is of average height, the red biker jacket, black jeans and biker boots work fine to bring out the extraordinary masculinity of her body. When she was still breathing, she must have been an athlete of some sort. Martial artist, perhaps.)

Adriano listens carefully, both by his senses and his body language, when Miri talks to him. He smiles with a certain amusement to the topic of Calamity Jane.
(Adriano) Calamity Jane in only her nickname, and it fits her like a glove.
He offers both a friendly smile, nodding in acknowledgement as Miri states her name and Raekel's. He lets out a small laugh when Miri asks for permission to know how does he know. He answers with lightness and a certain superficiality.
(Adriano) The pleasure is all mine, miladies ! I would be thrilled if I could just guess one's clan accurately only by their looks and behavior, but it would be a lie ; As you guessed, Miss Vandenstree sold you. What brings you to these parts ?



Scoop just nods towards Duncan to signify he "can" go, although his permission was surely not truly "asked". Not that it should have been asked anyway, and the attitude of the Nosferatu shows he doesn't mind or care either way. He resumes his note-taking without further non-verbal language.


Andrew gives a small smile to Elisabeth when she talks to him.

Linguistics - English:

Andrew has a slight hand movement when Elisabeth moves closer to him. If he wasn't just only about 3 inches/~10cm taller than her, and if he didn't look as the frail adolescent in his late teens that he is, this movement could be taken as a reassuring or protective one, like the one one might have as a driver when hitting the breaks. At least, the body language being involuntary (either that or he's very good at making his body lie), it's genuine. Adding a slight mistrust in his eyes as Duncan speaks, Andrew's guard is up. His French is not native, but he can speak it perfectly, probably from a bilingual family, intensive courses or foreign studies. When Elisabeth mentions the wrong time zone, he checks briefly his own watch, to come to the same conclusion that his own timezone is also wrong. Despite the basic mistrust he had learned to have towards others, he isn't all hermetic about meeting Duncan, and offers him a slight smile as a gesture of good will.
(Andrew) Nice to meet you too, Mr. Oliver, I'm Andrew Collins.. He chuckles a little and addresses a more genuine smile. I'm sorry, I never thought I'd ever hear a Brujah saying he's harmless, and mean it. Andrew gives a glance towards Elisabeth, and speaks a bit lower, as if for himself only. I think I'm beginning to get it..

As Elisabeth flinches slightly and takes shelter behind Andrew's shoulder, Duncan merely smiles slightly. At her introduction, he nods; and as Andrew speaks, Duncan smiles even more.

Enchanted, Mademoiselle and M'sieur. The time difference between here and the American East Coast is six hours, if that helps. The last part is directed at Elisabeth. Then Duncan turns back to Andrew and grins.

Actually, I said relatively harmless. This is Elysium; we're all on our best behavior in here. Although at the moment, I have nothing against any of those present, including yourselves. I'm too new to hold any grudges, and besides -- it's a little early to get on anyone's bad side.

Duncan looks toward the closed doors of the Prince's chamber, and back to the two Tremere.
It looks as though our elders will be absent for the rest of the evening. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Kindred start leaving soon. I just wanted to make your acquaintance before that happens. It's my understanding that it's common for the younger Kindred to sort of make alliances, so that it's not so easy for the older ones to work their plots. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Not sure how that will work with your clan; I don't think Tremere are really known for joining mixed-clan coteries. Still, it's not impossible... I think Claudia is friendly with a few outside her clan. Duncan nods toward where Claudia is speaking to Estela and Laure. She's Tremere, like you. Not exactly typical, though.

Duncan gives a little shake of his head as he faces Elisabeth and Andrew once more.
Anyway, I just recently arrived here from Paris. Where are you two from?

Miri is mirroring Adriano's smile. She nods in consideration of Adriano's reply, even winking slightly, Ah. And what a glove it must be, to slip over and replace such a lovely name as "Suzanne" so easily and so well.

Adriano, Perception 3:

When Adriano gushes about pleasures of acquaintances, she grins at him. There is more mischievous glee present in the grin though, as he mentions Alicia Vandenstree. When he makes his inquiries, Miri answers for Raekel and herself with a simple shrug, Vacancy.

Adriano, Raekel, Perception 2:

She looks around the room, shifting slightly as she stands, considering something, Speaking of vacancy, I really must apologize for having to leave Ms. Vandenstree so suddenly earlier, she looks back to Adriano, I have a habit of wandering and of letting my mind wander. She sighs, A shame, too. I was so enthused to get to make her acquaintance when she approached me—Such a radiant woman—and then, Puff!! she seems to be describing a magic trick, I was suddenly standing in the presence of my friend, M. Oliver, another shrug.

Raekel, Perception 4 + having witnessed Miri meeting Alicia:

Liz frowns all of a sudden - the first sign of any annoyance on her behalf - as Duncan speaks of the time difference between France and USA. I'm not an American! she pipes up, stepping slightly towards Duncan, yet still 'safely' behind Andrew's back. I'm a Scott, born 'n raised - as a matter of fact, English is my second language. Where I was born, they still speak Scottish Gaelic!

As sudden as was her minor outrage, as sudden is also her retreat. She falls back behind Andrew, perhaps a step further than before. Biting her lip, she mutters something under her breath:

Auspex 1 & Linguistics - English:

Eeh... howbeit, Mr. Oliver - that's not a French name, is it, by the way?

Duncan lifts an eyebrow at Liz's nationalist outburst; but he doesn't seem bothered by her words. He glances at Liz as her body language highlights her trepidation, and her discomfort at the situation; and he speaks soothingly.

I didn't say that you were American; I just thought that both of your watches might still be set to New York time. You're from Edinburgh, by your accent; am I correct?

Without waiting for Liz to reply, Duncan shifts topics and answers her question.
Oliver is a French name, originally... it's derived from 'Olivier', although there have been a few generations under the bridge since then. My mother was from Paris, which is also where I could be found until recently. However, I think I will do better in Bordeaux than I would have in Paris, under Prince Villon's rule.

The Brujah looks at Andrew, and takes in the young man's protective posture towards his clanmate with a slight smile.

I'm guessing that you are American though, from your speech. That's right, isn't it?

Estela listens to Laure, her confusion never once diminishing. If anything, it only grows a little when the Elyseum Keeper mentions that Claudia is in fact a Tremere. Obviously, the young vampire’s mental image of a Tremere made from the very little knowledge she’d received on them, did not fit the one she had of Claudia. She opens her mouth as if to say something but is then cut off by the arrival of the Tremere in question. At the coldness in Claudia’s voice, Estela flinches lightly, not used to hearing her former, or maybe not, friend speak in that tone. It clearly makes her uncomfortable and slightly wary and whatever Estela had wanted to say before is now forgotten by the young vampire.

It wasn’t until Laure began speaking that Estela finds her voice again, some sarcasm in her voice. “Actually, my dear Sire was French and from this place too.”

empathy 2:

She frowns a little as she recalls something the Elyseum keeper had said earlier. “Though if that’s true, it’s weird that you don’t know him. The Sheriff did but….yea…” Her voice trails off and Estela glances away for a moment, before returning her attention to Claudia though visibly reluctant.

Perception+Alertness>6:

perception 3 and (alertness or empathy) 2:

“Forgive you?” she asks, her voice just a touch bitter but this was not really directed at Claudia. “I’d like to say ‘no’. I mean, you lied to me and a whole bunch of people who were, and still are, good friends of mine and you did so for as long as any of us knew you.” She slumps down in her chair a little, arms crossing before her chest and she looks at a point somewhere at Claudia’s left. “Yea you were the quiet type, but never once did you tell us, or gave a hint, that you were a…a….a bloody monster.” At that, Estela really looks at Claudia again, the hint of a sad smile on her lips. “But, since becoming a ‘bloody monster’….well, I haven’t learned a LOT but I did learn a few things about something called survival and the need to keep..well, our existence a secret. The whole ‘Masquerade’ if I remember correctly.” She pushes herself up a little to sit a bit more straight. Rather unnecessary as she let herself slide down a little again barely two seconds after. Fingers idly play with the silver ear chain on her right ear as she continues, voice cleared of the earlier bitterness and somewhat airy instead. “You’re not the one who pushed all of this on me and you simply did what you had to with not telling us a thing. Though I would LOVE to force one of our infamous punishments on you for lying,” The young vampire grins. “I doubt I could make you. So, if you promise that there won’t be any more secrets, well aside from those you have to keep for whatever reason, then yea, I can forgive you.”

Empathy 3 or Subterfuge 2:

“But now that the unpleasanties are out of the way,” Estela suddenly said, once again pushing herself up in her chair and leaning her elbows on the table. “What on Earth is bugging YOU. And don’t tell me it’s me because you’ve been looking spooked since you came in!”

Andrew shows himself the most attentive he can, both to his clanmate and to Duncan. He doesn't turn to see Elisabeth, though, but sometimes his eyes wander elsewhere. He does smirk when Elisabeth mentions her "nationality". He speaks a bit slower than before. His tone is slightly colder, though it could be a response to stress, to whatever has been making him look and feel tired, or to another reason which is far from evident (dominate ? random ritual ?).

(Andrew) People relocate, move, and get married... It is true I have the US nationality, though I also possess a French passport. Strictly speaking, we both just arrived from the airport. The Tremere smirks briefly, and his tone of voice becomes friendlier, warmer. Myself, I was brought in to all of this in Anaheim, California, if this is the information you wanted to know. He seems to think about something else, not caring to let people know about where he died and came back to unlife, his eyes wandering an instant over to Claudia, Estela and Laure. I can understand why some think of "us" as not seen as friendly with people, but back in my precedent Chantry, they all mixed in alright with others. Well, they are no Care Bears, but because of the Justitium, everybody was making efforts not to kill each other and to work together against the treats. Seems in Europe, the Tremere in general are a bit more insular..
Andrew certainly knows the reason why the Tremere seem or are more isolated in Europe, but he doesn't seem to want to speak about it.

Linguistics - latin, linguistics 3 or academics 2:

Adriano lets his eyes wander from one young Toreador to the other with a certain pleasure and amusement, with a smile on his face and a few gestures to illustrate his words.
(Adriano) Poor, poor Miss Vandenstree, she who tries so hard to fit in despite it all... Oh well ! After enacting sadness and empathy, he switches the subject as if it meant nothing, back to a more superficial, mundane self. I am not part of Bordeaux's native inhabitants, but I come in as often as business requires. He says so as if it was only an excuse to visit Bordeaux, as he seems to enjoy it. He addresses both Toreador in an equal way. If you ever have the chance to, don't hesitate to come to Toulouse, I will gladly facilitate your welcoming and offer you a tour of the Pink City. If you manage to stay untouched by the politics..

Intelligence 3, Wits 3:

Streetwise 1, Academics 1:

Claudia observes Estela with Cocker eyes, letting them down once in a while to see Laure's hands holding hers. She listens, as if she was scolded, but observing Laure's hands keeping hers secure seems to reassure her somehow. She offers a genuine, lighthearted smile as she hears she is forgiven, eyes filled with a child's joy.
(Claudia) I did not lie !.. Well, you just assumed I was human, right ? I just.. did not tell the truth. Well, I did lie about my age when we entered some clubs, since my ID is fake.. But that's about it ! And apart for things like being busy during the day, the food and else, I kept genuine all the time. And it's not like I chose to become a vampire too ! But I'm no monster, and I truly plan to hold on to my soul and my heart. I am not letting these take control of you I am. She says so showing her fangs for a few seconds.
(Laure) Calm down.. Laure caresses gently her friends' hand to help her order her thoughts and her words, and then lets the hand free. My friend, hold on. Remember there are such things.. As for you, Laure addresses Estela with a voice as kind as she used towards Claudia. Please, watch your vocabulary ; "bloody monster" certainly only applies to the Sabbat worthless creatures. It's clear she holds a certain hate against the Sabbat.
(Claudia) Pardon me.. The Tremere offers a smile to the Elyseum Keeper, and she takes the time to take a better posture, both hands in front of her on the table, delicate, regaining a certain natural polite and caring self. I promise I will tell you everything I am allowed to, I'll explain you as much as I can.. Though in my Clan we play by slightly different rules, but that's another problem. Spooked out ? Me ? Laure confirms with a nod, Claudia sighs as if she didn't want it to be noticed. It's just.. Clan affairs. I had a strange and rough night.. She is clearly avoiding the subject, and Laure noticed and the glare she gives the Tremere has a lot of unspoken questions. I promise I'll explain everything, when I get the chance, don't worry, it only concerns me, my eyes bleeding out for no reason, my stupid sensibility and twisted, doubtful mind. That and seeing Regent Kersten in a joyful mood..
Was she still alive, Claudia would have had the shivers as she mentions whatever Lyle has in mind. She obviously heard him saying he needed to discuss something with the Primogen and the Prince.

Perception + Subterfuge > 5:

Elisabeth cringes slightly, an apologetic smile on her face. Eeh... apologies, Mr. Oliver, I'm a tad hot-headed. Scottish temper... I don't mean anything with 'em, I swear. I just can't help myself, really...

Still, in the same pardon-me-for-existing fashion, she continues, Aye, I lived in Edinburgh for the five last years of my life, before that, I lived in a little village near the north-east coast. It's so small people mistake it for fly sh*t on the map.

She shifts her look back at dozy Andrew, frowns and says in a slightly scorned tone,

Linguistics - English:

Duncan nods as Andrew tells where he is from, and explains how not all Tremere are the same. From his expression, Duncan approves of the apprentice standing up for himself. However, Elisabeth's tremulous apology elicits a frown from the Brujah.

You might want to save the apologies for when you really do something wrong... or when you are speaking to an Elder. I'm probably not much older than you are, in Kindred terms. So you can relax a little, and not worry that you're going to offend me with every comment.
A smile appears on Duncan's face as he adds: Maybe you could match your attitude to fit those motorcycle leathers, and be a tough biker chick. Pretend you're from Glasgow, with a chip on your shoulder... That should do it.

Duncan chuckles at the look on Liz's face after his suggestion. His expression grows a little more serious as he continues:
Don't worry, he's not giving away Tremere secrets. At least, not to anyone who cares. Your 'emergency' thing is your business.

By the way -- you should meet a few of the others who have been presented tonight. I know Miri wanted to meet you.
He points to where Miri is standing, next to a dark-skinned man and a woman with vivid red hair. Duncan's voice lowers a bit, and he makes a comment while still looking that direction.
So did Raekel, although her manner was a bit too abrupt and perky before. Still, I think she meant well. Perhaps she was just eager to be free from your Regent's tender clutches.

Miri permits a remorseful and knowing nod before they quit the subject of Alicia altogether. She blinks away whatever remains of the former, sappy expression and tilts her head, smiling anew as Adriano shares more about himself. Her eyebrows rise and fall with sparked interest as he mentions 'business,' though the whole time her gaze is notably fixed on him.

Politics... she inhales sharply through her teeth, wincing and looking toward Raekel with a cringing kind of look, I have enough trouble with social etiquette. She shakes her head, but by the time she looks back to Adriano, she's smirking and bright-eyed again, Hm. I'm sure the all-pervasiveness of politicking in Toulouse might have a bit to do with said "business," and so, in an expressed effort to maintain untouched, I bate my curiosity and thank you humbly for your warming invite, M. Guicciardini- I may very well take you up on it, in the future.

Though she doesn't pry into it any further, she doesn't exactly switch the subject of conversation, but instead the mode; Would One who makes such visits to Bordeaux have to formally reintroduce oneself every time Prince Gosuin's domain is visited? She seems to be trying to glean something on manners from Adriano, who strikes her as an accomplished Kindred traveler.

OOC:

Andrew nods in comprehension, though he doesn't intervene concerning Miri and Raekel, after all, they approached Liz, not himself. He's not affected by it and doesn't seem to care much, either because he truly doesn't care or because he has something else on his mind. After all, he watched Raekel's test be performed. When his clanmates addresses him in English, he turns slightly to be able to see her, while laughing low out of surprise to what is said. He puts a hand on his mouth as to excuse himself for such expressive response, and responds in French. With a certain incredulity and a raised eyebrow, he speaks low enough not to draw the whole rooms attention, but loud enough so Liz and Duncan and anyone attentive enough can hear and understand him.
(Andrew) Don't worry, I've been through worse. And, come on Texas Ranger, boob jokes ?

As soon as spoken, Andrew raises slightly his arms. Anyone can recognize a semi playful defensive gesture. Obviously, he has loosen up.


Adriano gives an enigmatic smile to Miri as she speaks about Acceptance.
(Adriano) Whenever you like ! Word of Acceptance was given to me some time ago by Madeleine, which had the throne before Prince Gosuin. He touches his jacket, or more like, a intern pocket he must have due to how the clothes are made, as to illustrate. Even though it's not obligatory, for politeness' sake, I do step in Elyseum when I come to town so my presence is noted.
There are certainly other reasons why he steps in Elyseum, probably on a side "project", after all, he seemed good friends with Alicia. He stays mysterious about it, but doesn't hide he is hiding other reasons. As he said, since he has already been given an official Acceptance in the city, he could skip the Elyseum and mind his own business, but it's probably safer this way.


The Sheriff enters back the Deambulatoire from the balconies with the netbook he borrowed from Scoop right under his arm. He walks fast enough to Scoop, who stands up when the Malkavian gets his attention, he just hands the Nosferatu his computer back and walks away with no words or no interaction whatsoever. The Sheriff walks to Gosuin's room, where Celine makes sure no one bothers the Elders (who knows, there might be a fire trap behind that door, protocol, people !).
As the Seneschal guesses the Sheriff's intentions, she takes a slight step towards him, allowing him to make his inquiry to her. He briefly speaks to her, and Celine ponders the problem a few seconds before deciding the reason is important enough to put her hand on the doorhandle.
The door opens by the person behind it, who is Victor de Sainte-Croix. He gives an odd look to Celine, who contains her surprise well enough and steps away with haste. Victor's gaze goes on to the Sheriff, with a certain question mark visible on his face. The Sheriff steps away and takes a slight bow, letting the Malkavian Primogen step out of the room as he wanted to. Victor walks out of Gosuin's room with a slight satisfactory smirk on the behavior the Sheriff and Celine had as they saw him.
Soon after Victor, steps out Theodore Jacob, and he looks in between cynism and despair, was he still human, one could swear his face reads "I need a drink" and walks towards Scoop. Henri Bowens follows with a quite well neutral expression, and he doesn't wait and leaves Elyseum. Gregory Darvault steps out himself, half worried, half "there-is-nothing-one-can-do-about-it", and once that feeling passed, he approaches Claudia, Laure and Estela. Lyle Kersten stays in the room with Prince Gosuin, who is sitting behind his desk, with Lyle's -certainly, as suggest the opened bag on the desk- laptop in front of him, as Lyle seems to show him things on it. Gosuin looks as he's been thrown a Gordian Knot on to him, and Lyle looks as relaxed and happy as he was when he told the council he was drunk. Maybe it's true !
Once the Primogen have stepped out, with a few looks given at them from the few kindred still present in Elyseum, out of curiosity about what happened inside, the Sheriff steps in and takes a stand in front of Gosuin and Lyle. He doesn't speak yet and waits for them to acknowledge him. Gosuin does give him a quick look but Lyle certainly has him waiting on purpose.

Estela blinks a few times in both surprise and mild confusion when Claudia so subtly, subtle as a brick to the face, points out that it was in fact the young vampire herself who’d believed her friend to be a human, and that the Tremere had indeed not lied about that. She lets out a soft chuckle once that knowledge settles. “Well, it’s not like I expected a vampire in our midst considering that I believed them to be nothing but fiction. But I suppose that’s the whole point of the Masquerade. Sorry for calling you a monster. Laure is right, the only real monsters are the Sabbat, but I just couldn’t think of a different way to describe it, cause from a human point of view, vampires in general are monsters, regardless of who they are. I really didn’t mean anything with it.” The sight of Claudia’s fangs unsettles Estela a bit, but she smiles nonetheless. A smile that only grows at the Tremere’s promise. “Thanks! With you and Laure helping me out, I’m sure I’ll be the perfect little vampire, who knows all she needs to know to survive in no time!”

As Claudia explains what’s bothering her, Estela lets her gaze go to the Prince’s room just as they opened up. Apparently, the big mysterious meeting amongst the, who she thought to be, vampire bigwigs, was over. “Well, whatever they were talking about behind those doors, it seems like they’re done. How come you think that it was about you though? I don’t know what’s been going on of course since I only just got here, but to me, it seems a little silly to gather like that, just to talk about one single person without that person being there as well.” She looks back at Claudia while speaking, eyebrows raised and expression questioning.

empathy 2: