VtM Part Two - The Owl's Debt

Fourier

"So let me see..."

The being seems to think to himself, stroking his chin and taking a few puffs.

"...Class 4 prophecy. Not uncommon in your kind. I'm gonna need a lot in return to explain the content. Partial explanation will cost less"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"So let me see..."

The being seems to think to himself, stroking his chin and taking a few puffs.

"...Class 4 prophecy. Not uncommon in your kind. I'm gonna need a lot in return to explain the content. Partial explanation will cost less"

Lysander regards the being oddly.

'Hang on - you gave me the free question. Why are we suddenly talking deals?'

He looks quizzically in Dracula's direction as well.

Fourier

"Minor questions are free, revealing content of a prophecy ain't minor buck"

Dracula attempts to speak but no sound comes out.

"When Lysander is done talking....anyway Lysander, divulging the contents of a prophecy like that represents a serious risk to me, so I'd need to be compensated"

Necro

Lysander shrugs.

'Terms then? Surely there's a discount thrown in for not asking the free minor question.'

Fourier

"No, minor questions are free my friend, so for equal value, discount is zero" he says with a smirk.

"Well I can tell who one person in the prophecy is for a small enough fee....you agree to let me graft myself into your life.

Alternatively I could answer a question about the prophecy in general, depending on its depth or what I need to do to get the answer it'll cost more"

Lysander notices that Dracula seems frozen in place now. Outside the window he can see a plane frozen in midair. Time seems to be stopped.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"No, minor questions are free my friend, so for equal value, discount is zero" he says with a smirk.

"Well I can tell who one person in the prophecy is for a small enough fee....you agree to let me graft myself into your life.

Alternatively I could answer a question about the prophecy in general, depending on its depth or what I need to do to get the answer it'll cost more"

Lysander notices that Dracula seems frozen in place now. Outside the window he can see a plane frozen in midair. Time seems to be stopped.

'Graft you... into my...life?'

Lysander smirks.

'You do realise I'm technically dead... what am I saying, of course you do. Forgive me the humour. What would this grafting entail. Had a change of face a while back - that was painful. It's not like that is it?'

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

'Graft you... into my...life?'

Lysander smirks.

'You do realise I'm technically dead... what am I saying, of course you do. Forgive me the humour. What would this grafting entail. Had a change of face a while back - that was painful. It's not like that is it?'

"Not painful at all, I just become a part of your life, you'll feel nothing. Here are the details..."

He holds out his right hand and a long scroll appears in it. Whiter paper with golden ink.

"...have a read"

Lysander after a bit of a glance can see the complex legalese is designed to obscure the contracts meaning. There are several subclauses and definitions. Luckily he has training...

OOC: Academics(Law) + Intelligence

Fourier

Lysander reads the contract quite thoroughly.

It seems the entity will insert himself into Lysander's life as his uncle and alter the world so that this was always so. A close read of the subclauses indicates that the entity has to use machinery of some kind to do this and that the machinery belongs to its Father or Maker. It seems the entity needs to enter Lysander's life as a way of hiding from this Maker. However Lysander spots a difficult to notice loop of logic whereby if he makes a minor modification to the agreement clause, the entity will enter his life not as his uncle, but in a role of Lysander's choosing. Further more he will have to reveal his Makers machinery to Lysander.

The lower part of the contract consists of a set of conditions preventing the being's true form from entering reality. This seems to be more for the being's safety than Lysander's.

Necro

Lysander thinks carefully for a while and modifies the contract so the entity will appear as his teenage sister (or as he remembers her) - Bronwen Karpov, 16 - about the same age as Clarissa.

'A companion...and eyes and ears on her at all times.'

He internally muses.

Fourier

The entity takes back the contract. Lysander's modifications are incredibly subtle, minor definition changes, changing the referencing order of two subclauses.

The demon looks at it for a while, but is confused about Lysander's changes. Usually people make obvious changes.

"Hmmm, I have to accept the modifications you make provided they don't violate the main conditions. Which yours don't. You just changed a few irrelevant details....it would seem. Pedantic about meaning or something....you're not even trying to get more information out of me or anything..."

He stares at the contract.

"Fine...here"

He signs it and hands it to Lysander for him to sign.

Necro

Lysander signs the contract and smiles. 'Pleasure doing business with you... Bronwen my dear.'

Fourier

"Wait a minute..." the entity exclaims in fear.

Lysander sees bizarre wires emerge from the walls of the room and lock into a starlike pattern overhead.

Then some kind of ink appears on the floor, a magic seal of some kind and the being leaks a black fluid from its eyes.

For a second there is silence.

Then Lysander sees the room shake and the being burn in purple flame.

When the ordeal is over the entity has the form of Lysander's younger sister.

The universe struggles to accommodate this alteration and Lysander sees strange pockets of white rippling energy appear in the air.

The entity stumbles around.

Lysander remembers a phone call, three weeks ago, from his aging sister. He both remembers it and remembers not getting it. Two parallel sets of memories are forming, the old and the new....

Fourier

The whole room goes white and Lysander is standing beside a disappointed Dracula.

"No the summoning ritual failed. The entity seems to have vanished decades ago. A pity. I was going to ask it about the prophecy"

Lysander now remembers his sister visiting him, having learned what he was, requesting a ghouling. Some strange force compelled him to, something in his blood. Now he knows it was his future self, the force of the contract. She is with him now, wired with some Obtenebration skills.

"See no need to bring your sister...though I applaud using ghouled mortal relatives as protection. I often use my descendants in the same way"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

The whole room goes white and Lysander is standing beside a disappointed Dracula.

"No the summoning ritual failed. The entity seems to have vanished decades ago. A pity. I was going to ask it about the prophecy"

Lysander now remembers his sister visiting him, having learned what he was, requesting a ghouling. Some strange force compelled him to, something in his blood. Now he knows it was his future self, the force of the contract. She is with him now, wired with some Obtenebration skills.

"See no need to bring your sister...though I applaud using ghouled mortal relatives as protection. I often use my descendants in the same way"

'Well, she seemed to bond with my other charge quite well so it made sense on a number of fronts. I'm sorry your ritual failed my friend.'

Fourier

"No worries I'll head back now. Inform my Master we can learn nothing more of the prophecy for now. Both he and I appreciate you bringing me here"

He turns into a bat and flies off out an open cellar window.

"So your sister huh? You know have memories of thirty movies popular with teenage girls in my head now. Unlike humans or you lot I can't forget anything, so I now know every line of dialogue. I also am struggling with being a girl from 1970s Romania trying to fit in as a modern American teenager and issues with what my brother has become. I can separate myself from these feelings but only with great effort, thanks. I preferred that British guy I'd been for thirty seven years eight months twelve days four hours forty minutes and fifty two seconds you know!"

The being seems annoyed.

"Anyway, I baked some cookies for you, like Mamă used to make. I know you can't hold them down, but at least make an effort for her memory. Or I suppose that's too much effort. God I remember you not coming home from college, a test of course, sooooo important. You know for somebody who didn't like cousin Mihai you act a lot like him...."

And so she continues.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"No worries I'll head back now. Inform my Master we can learn nothing more of the prophecy for now. Both he and I appreciate you bringing me here"

He turns into a bat and flies off out an open cellar window.

"So your sister huh? You know have memories of thirty movies popular with teenage girls in my head now. Unlike humans or you lot I can't forget anything, so I now know every line of dialogue. I also am struggling with being a girl from 1970s Romania trying to fit in as a modern American teenager and issues with what my brother has become. I can separate myself from these feelings but only with great effort, thanks. I preferred that British guy I'd been for thirty seven years eight months twelve days four hours forty minutes and fifty two seconds you know!"

The being seems annoyed.

"Anyway, I baked some cookies for you, like Mamă used to make. I know you can't hold them down, but at least make an effort for her memory. Or I suppose that's too much effort. God I remember you not coming home from college, a test of course, sooooo important. You know for somebody who didn't like cousin Mihai you act a lot like him...."

And so she continues.

Lysander is amused.

'I'll have the cookies when we get back to the house, Bronwen. I'm sure you're anxious to get back to Clarissa.

And we can talk about my side of the contract as we drive. Shall we?'

Lysander starts up the stairs towards the exit.

Fourier

"...and let's not even start on that bike you....oh yes let's go"

She follows Lysander up the stairs toward the car.

As they reach the car she gets in the back, clearly annoyed with him.

"So, what do you want to know?"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"...and let's not even start on that bike you....oh yes let's go"

She follows Lysander up the stairs toward the car.

As they reach the car she gets in the back, clearly annoyed with him.

"So, what do you want to know?"

Lysander shrugs.

'So the shadow in the prophesy, I believe it to be myself. And Clarissa fits as both the girl... and the liberator. So I assume it refers to us.'

Lysander looks around at Bronwen for any reaction before continuing.

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

Lysander shrugs.

'So the shadow in the prophesy, I believe it to be myself. And Clarissa fits as both the girl... and the liberator. So I assume it refers to us.'

Lysander looks around at Bronwen for any reaction before continuing.

She rolls her eyes.

"Okay fine, the shadow is you. Yeah you're a figure in an ancient prophecy, well done..."

She takes a deep breath, the voice that emerges is metallic and toneless.

"...your sister's emotions are difficult to suppress. I preferred the previous grafting, from now on I shall only assume the lives of cynics, the..."

Bronwen's seat shifts colour to a deep red, before shifting back.

She speaks, once more with a human voice.

"Guess I can't go suppressing these feelings for too long...hehe" she laughs nervously.

Necro

Lysander pulls in to a side lane.

'I figured as much from Dracula's telling of the prophecy.

My part will play out, that I'm sure of. Fate has a way of guiding my course.'

He pauses.

'Ha, it's almost like someone is using me like a puppet in some type of game... but no matter.

I'm more interested in who the owl is.'

Fourier

"Well if I could have become our new uncle I would have instantly told you...but with this identity I don't have access to the right facilities. Though I suppose you do get to order me around, net benefit for you.

If you want that info, I'm going to have to gain entry to a....data center let's call it. Willing to help?"

As she asks the question Lysander's phone rings. It's the Sheriff, Damsel.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Well if I could have become our new uncle I would have instantly told you...but with this identity I don't have access to the right facilities. Though I suppose you do get to order me around, net benefit for you.

If you want that info, I'm going to have to gain entry to a....data center let's call it. Willing to help?"

As she asks the question Lysander's phone rings, it's the Sheriff, Damsel.

'Yes, I will help you. A nice brother/sister outing, let's call it. Excuse me for a moment.'

Lysander steps out of the car and answers his phone.

'Damsel, how can I be of assistance?'

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

'Yes, I will help you. A nice brother/sister outing, let's call it. Excuse me for a moment.'

Lysander steps out of the car and answers his phone.

'Damsel, how can I be of assistance?'

"Nothing major Lysander...well sort of major, but not Sabbat level stuff or anything. There has been a bit of a diplomatic incident at the Teresa Salvador's estate. A couple of ghouls and neonates are dead, some belonging to the Malkavian clan. I'd prefer to find a quite solution to this"

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Nothing major Lysander...well sort of major, but not Sabbat level stuff or anything. There has been a bit of a diplomatic incident at the Teresa Salvador's estate. A couple of ghouls and neonates are dead, so belonging to the Malkavian clan. I'd prefer to find a quite solution to this"

'I'll take a drive over there if you like. You thinking vampire hunters or something else?'

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

'I'll take a drive over there if you like. You thinking vampire hunters or something else?'

"I think, from the damage, a frenzy of some kind. Two of our kind torn to shreds. Hunters probably couldn't do it...or at least I hope so.

Yeah, now would be great"

Necro

Lysander sighs.

'Ok. On my way. Send through GPS co-ordinates though, I'm still finding my way in this city.'

OOC: This Lysander is still only here a short time iirc as opposed to Larry Carson.

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

Lysander sighs.

'Ok. On my way. Send through GPS co-ordinates though, I'm still finding my way in this city.'

OOC: This Lysander is still only here a short time iirc as opposed to Larry Carson.

"No problems Lysander, it takes a while to get to know this town"

She sends through the location.

"Wow! An Inglewood mansion with beach access, this Primogen lady must be loaded" Bronwen gasps.

"Oh yeah, I can hear mobile signals by the way...well more like...taste...maybe...you only have five senses so hard to explain...oh wait you've six, that blood thing. Sorry never dealt with you lot much before"

OOC: Above that should have been 'some belonging to the Malkavian clan'

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"No problems Lysander, it takes a while to get to know this town"

She sends through the location.

"Wow! An Inglewood mansion with beach access, this Primogen lady must be loaded" Bronwen gasps.

"Oh yeah, I can hear mobile signals by the way...well more like...taste...maybe...you only have five senses so hard to explain...oh wait you've six, that blood thing. Sorry never dealt with you lot much before"

OOC: Above that should have been 'some belonging to the Malkavian clan'

'Good to know. Won't be any keeping secrets from you then. I was actually going to send you home, dear sister... but something tells me you can handle yourself.'

Lysander gets back into the car and punches the location into the Sat Nav.

'Let's go check this out then.'

He starts the car and drives towards the mansion.

Fourier

Lysander pulls up outside the lush mansion into the courtyard. Quite enough from here



"Wow, even nicer than I thought in person. Stone is very high quality both chemically and architecturally" Bronwen muses.

Then Lysander sees Damsel fly out through the brown double doors hitting the ground at a high speed, head smashes open on the ground, before she bounces on into the fountain.

Necro

Lysander turns to Bronwen.

'Stay in the car sister. This could be dangerous.'

He steps out and approaches the mansion quietly.