Eyes Of The Beholder (Persephone intro)

[Persephone]

Twitch. -No. No no no no no no no oh please no please don’t! You’re hurting me please stop please! No! No! I have to run I can’t get away oh dear Lord please save me! Please! I have to run away I can’t it hurts so bad! I deserve this! I’m ugly, worthless! No please, God stop please!- I’m screaming but nothing is coming out of me I can’t move. I’m running but I know I’m still in bed. No. No I’m not. I’m back on the farm. Back with my human face. Back with him. Back with-

“No!” I jolt upwards, clawing at the cold wall beside me. I have to get out. I have to get out I have to run I have to get out of the barn he’s going to kill me-

Once I feel one of my nails snap off against the concrete, I shake my head. Where am I? Where- Aidoneus. I’m in the city. Aidoneus took me to his haven. I lick my lips and run my tongue over my finger before turning and looking around the room. My jagged spine relaxes once I feel more secure with my surroundings. It’s far past dusk, probably a good two hours into nightfall. Thus is my life. I turn and hang my feet off the side of the bed, and my eyes fall on the dark entrance of the room. I lick my lips and stand. I slip on my ragged shoes and adjust my bracelet. Oh yes, I’d have to tell Aidoneus about that tonight. He had only asked about my Sire, not how he rewarded me.

I crack my back and lick my lips- son of a dog. A fly. I stick my fingers in my mouth, starting to pull out the flies as best I can. I’ll have to start sleeping on my stomach. Keep my mouth from gaping open. Won’t strain my back as much either. I flick the flies into the sink and turn on the water, letting their little insectoid carcasses float down the drain. I cup my hands and get a mouthful of water. After a few seconds of swishing I spit the now rusty-red water out into the basin and turn off the water. I don’t mind flies, really, but I wish they wouldn’t gather in my mouth. Tickles a bit.

I know I’m safe here, but I’m still nervous, on-edge. Nightmares. Always nightmares.

[Aidoneus]

From my place at the entryway I can hear the stirrings from within by my guest, but I make no effort to enter the room. I've learned from past experience not to interupt dreams. The things spoken and done in such states can be most informative.

This particular case appears to be fairly typical, just the usual traumas all too common in our clan, but the effect is aparently rather distressing to her, as she becomes increasingly distressed until she awakens with a cry of no, even going so far as to damage her talons against the wall with an audible crack.

I give her a few moments to complete her morning rituals and then rise, moving into the doorway as she approaches, speaking coolly to her. Taking her appearence with no comment. Noting as as I do that she fed upon only one vermin last night. That will be cleaned up in a bit. For the moment there are other priorities.

"Good evening my child, The room was acceptable? We will deal with locating for you a new haven tonight. Come with me,"

Speaking thusly I move back down the cooridor, leading her back into the darkened tunnels, and across the compound. Noting that she's allready traveled some of these tunnels, but not to this specific area.

Stepping up to a blank wall, I press in one of the bricks along the wall, activating a sliding panel, and revealing one of my Libraries. Not my inner haven by any means, but a useful meeting place for my underlings. I gesture for her to enter, and then move within, seating myself behind the large desk I use for these sort of discussions.

"If you look behind you, you shall see a map of the City, with the occupied Nosferatu havens marked with black pins. Take a few moments to examine it, and then consider where you would like to stay."

[Persephone]

Aidoneus’s words and presence quickly get my attention. I turn off the faucet and listen to him as he speaks, asking if the room was suitable. I give a nod for an answer, licking my lips and looking around every few seconds. Before long he instructs m to follow him, and I grab my coat from the bed before following suit. I sling it over my shoulder as I turn to follow Aidoneus.

I recognize almost every inch of wall around us, even remembering the areas I had licked with favor. A flick of my tongue and I can taste them again. Dank and chilly. Not warm blood, but another type of delicacy. As we walk I take note of the new turns, stopping only twice to lick the wall in new places. It gives me more of a respect for a structure when I know its taste.

He presses a brick, and I can feel my lips curl into a smile. Secrets and shadows. I love our clan. I would give the brick a lick, but I wouldn’t want to compromise Aidoneus’s view of me be making any move that could give away any of his secrets. Saliva speaks like the lips its seeps through. He waves me into the library and I immediately begin surveying the room. Books books books. Tarcheck had books. I never had many books myself. Perhaps it’s something I should try out. Sure, I’ve grown to love learning about everything I can, but I’m more of a…what did Tarcheck call it? Ah. A “tactile” personality.

I glance Aidoneus’s way as he takes a seat, eyeing his desk. Simple, yet refined. Fitting. I listen to his guidance on finding my own haven, and I turn to the map he indicated. “Choitheth, choitheth,” I half-sing under my breath. Several sections of sewer are available beneath businesses. Too exposed. A few more “adult” areas are free, and that would give me a steady supply of men. I run my fingers through the air a few inches away from the map, my mind clicking with tiny thoughts. Books. Learning. Haven. Vermin. My tongue flicks and I turn back to Aidoneus, my grin turning to a more business-friendly smile.

“Aidoneuth, I have a propothithion for you.” I walk towards his desk a few paces, draping the coat around my shoulders. “I like to think of mythelf ath a fairly intelligent individual. At the thame time, I’m not an idiot. I know there are many, many thingth in thith world and otherth I don’t know. I’m not the book-learning type, I never really wath.” A flick of my tongue before I continue. “Now, I thee theveral areath on that map that could make a happy haven for me. Thome that would be perfect, in fact. And now cometh the propothithion. I would be willing to offer you my aid in return for a continued thtay in that lovely little room, ath well ath your teaching. Now, that’th not to thay I have every thkill you would athk of me, but that’th where your end would come in. Tarcheck did teach me well, he gave me the power to thurvive in thity and country alike.” I pause for a moment, but soon hold up my arm with my bronze bracelet for Aidoneus to see.

“He thtill teaches me how to contheal mythelf from thothiety…I wouldn’t tell you that unleth I wath theriouth in my offer.” You never show your weakness, or your strength. Stay an enigma. Keep one peculiarity to always throw someone off. That’s what Tarcheck taught me.

[Aidoneus]

It is clear both from her tone, and the method by which she uses words that she has not yet grasped the subtler tones of negotiation, understandable given her unusual speech problems, but there can be no denying the raw talent behind what she proposes. It is an audacius move to offer ones services to a Primogen, and one most Nosferatu to see.

Of course, just because you make such an offer does not mean I will accept. There are literally dozens of Nosferatu who would give their fangs for a position at my right hand, and more than a few that have tried to earn it by intrigue or betrayel...but then those talents make a very poor liutenant. Very difficult to do business if you spend your evenings looking over your shoulder for a knife to the back.

This one though, does not seem to have that sort of spirit. Nosferatu, but without the cruelty that seems bred into most of our race...a weakness to be sure, but also useful. She also seems to have embraces the Nosferatu of honesty to the clan...a trait all to often overlooked by overzealous sewer rats.

Yes...I think her offer will do nicely, at least in the short term. At the very least it will give me some time to look further into her sire...a mystery I can allready tell with be of most interest...and also give me a bulwark in case that Fate decides to be problematic as a spy.

"Very well my child, I accept your offer. You may call my home haven for the next three monthes, by which time you must demonstrate to me that you are worthy to serve me in proper Nosferatu fashion. I expect nothing less than results...now, I would suggest that you take this opportunity to acclimate yourself to this city. If you are up to it, you might try the cabaret Dollz. There is a woman who dances there named Dita. See what you can learn of her. Return here tomorrow, and tell me what you have discovered of her."

My instructions given, I turn my attentions to a small pile of envelopes on my desk, carefully slitting the first of the stack with my talons, my mind allready turning to other business. We shall see what this one can learn.

[Persephone]

I carefully observe Aidoneus as he responds to my offer. Perhaps I was too open. Even if I was, he still doesn’t know everything about me. But I have a feeling he’ll find out whatever he wants, one way or another. Everyone knows all the secrets, even if they were never spoken. Especially if thy were never spoken. But, I am still young. No dirty skeletons in the closet that would be enough to mar my standing. So many of our Clan want to keep every aspect of themselves to themselves, lying to cover their tracks. You can always count on them to lie. But when an honest being lies?

He gives his approval. Good.

Dollz. Dita. Done. When he dismisses my presence I turn to check the map once more, burning the way to Dollz into my mind. A left here, a right there. So many people consider the sewers to be a grand, inescapable maze. Those people are idiots. Sewers have such clear direction, such straight-edge design that you’d have to be a complete ass to get lost. Now, if one were out in the suburbs, or even the brush…that can shake you. Nature and the city life are always changing, messing around just to shake you off.

After a few seconds I lap at my lips and leave the office. A mission. Tonight. Excellent. My fingers run along the walls softly as I zig back through the halls. A small crack in the wall catches my eye, and I quickly drag the tip of my tongue across it. Interesting little blemishes everywhere. And not just in here. Anywhere, really. You just have to know where to look. And often, you have no idea if you’re looking where you think you are. Lick lick. Left, right, right, left. Gonna pop up in an alley, all a matter of choosing which one.

Lick lick. I make it out of Aidoneus’s main corridors and slip into the dankness of the sewers. Dank dank loveliness. Step step step. Left, right, left. Dollz shouldn’t be too much further-oooh a cracked X on the cement ground. I crouch slowly and run my fingers over it. It’s not a clear mark that someone would have made. Just a curious little pair of cracks that came together to make a lovely little X. A special mark. Put here by the world for me to find. To mark. I bend over, my palms pressed against the ground. I drag my tongue along the full length of each crack. I close my eyes, savoring the rare find. A perfect, random X. After savoring my find I rise to my feet. Shouldn’t be too much further. Not too much at all.

Left, right, and one more right. Here. The alley above me won’t be too far from Dollz, but not too near either. Time to get ready for the world of sheep.

(Roll for Obfuscate Level 3 - 5d7)
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