Wheel in Motion (Chase Ankers)

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley sent a text to Chase with a time and place. The house was nothing grand, just a simple two bedroom in the middle of suburbia. Ashley had sent similar texts to couple others to discuss the same subject. A subject that concerned family.

Ashley sat upon the table in the kitchen, glancing to the open door of the house. She could feel the gentil breeze of wind blowing through the open threshold. She lifted up the SacBee newspaper that was next to her and read while she waited for Chase.

[Chase Ankers]

The Lord was punctual in his arrival, though still uncertain about the matter of which he was called upon. He wore a simple suit and tie, his locks of blond hair tucked behind his ears. At the sight of the open door, Chase felt unnerved, concerned over its meaning. Still, he approached warily and gazed through the portal.

"Hello? Miss Cohen?" he asked with some hesitance.

[Ashley Cohen]

"Come on in..." Ashley calls out hearing her voice. Folding up the newspaper and resting it on the table, she hops down to the floor to greet Chase.

"I trust the place wasn't too hard to find?" Ashley says as she moves to the front door.

[Chase Ankers]

Hearing the lovely cousin's voice emanating from within, Chase tentatively enters the building's foyer. It was quaint, but so was his own dwelling. He really needed to relocate to something more comfortable. But it seemed like the only reason he possessed a Haven was to lay dormant during the day.

"Not at all," answers Chase to Ashley's question. "You have a lovely place," he says politely. "Are you sure it wise to leave your front door open? Or is it that kind of neighborhood?" Trusting and naive kine tended to dwell in tight-knit communities. The type of places you borrowed sugar from your neighbor. It was stranger still to see a Kindred practice it. In all likelihood it was for Chase's benefit she did so now.

[Ashley Cohen]

"I really am not too worried about that..." Ashley cannot help but smile and shrug. "Besides it is only temporary..." She motions around the house, knowing she will be elsewhere in a week.

"I am glad you came and honestly this is the same topic I brought up when we last spoke..." Ashley is not one to leave such a dangling morsel out there for long, unless of course there is benefit to it all.

"I am working on developing a resistance to our family's charm and I will freely share it with you when it is perfected." Ashley gives Chase a curious look, obviously gauging if he can understand the "why?"

[Chase Ankers]

Chase listened, distracted in part by the fierce Beast whose company he now shared. A resistance to the mental coercion of the Ventrue? Could it possibly be something akin to the mental arts of the Ordo Dracul? Or is this some Carthian practice I haven't heard of?

Chase remains quiet a moment, folding his hands behind him, his eyes rolling to the corner of his vision as he considered this new information. "That is curious. And you'd share this technique freely with me? Of course I would gladly accept such a gift, though I suppose I cannot help but wonder what string is attached. In my experience nothing is for free." It was unlikely that Ashley favored him that highly. They had only spoken twice before now. And wasn't this plan of hers for the benefit of all their family? The connection alluded him still.

[Ashley Cohen]

"Our family is afraid to teach the sanguine voice because of it being used against them. That fear is a weakness I would like to shore up..." Ashley meanders over to the kitchen counter. She held a desire to teach the base of the pyramid first to steel their resolve against the weight from above.

"If we are resistant against our own machinations would we be so fearful of giving them away? What would we get in return?" Ashley asked Chase with a grin. Her eyes were still searching to see if he could grasp the full range implications.

[Chase Ankers]

"Ah, I see," says Chase, unfolding his hands and placing one to his chin thoughtfully. "An interesting perspective. And you believe that the Ventrue would be more willing to teach it if they did not fear its misuse, thus allowing it to be a strong bargaining chip?" Chase wondered if Ashley would be teaching each of the family members this technique. And if so, was the Prince included in this? What would he make of Ashley's efforts?

And what would one bargain for with their family's skill at mental domination? The unique abilities of the other Clans? No doubt they restricted the teachings of their Clan Disciplines for the same reasons. However, Chase was too interested in this defense Ashley offered to dissuade her from her intended plan.

[Ashley Cohen]

"To be perfectly honest.." Ashley clasps her hands together as she grins to Chase. "How do you think the upper echelon will view the idea when the lower portion is already resistant?" Ashley shrugs it away.

"The other families may be more inclined to share their secrets in return for ours. As is easily apparent, sharing a weapon we have built a immunity to for other weapons is only going to strengthen our family as a whole."

Ashley waves her hand. "Even if they do not go along with the idea, I still find merit in you having inherent resistance..."

[Chase Ankers]

"My thoughts exactly," agrees Chase. Though which thoughts in particular he kept vague. "It is comforting to know you have our family's interests at heart, or at the very least my own," continues Chase, daring to step further towards Ashley. Her Beast felt like a heat that grew more dangerous at closer proximity. Yet he ignored his body's warnings, hoping not to reveal his cowardice.

And did she really have the family's interest in mind? Or was this simply a chance for her to lure young Lords to her chambers and challenge their minds with her own skill in their Discipline? Nonetheless, Chase gambled on Ashley's sincerity.

"So when did you wish to schedule these lessons? Or since you have me here, perhaps we could begin right now?" If it were the Serpent's Coil he was undertaking Chase might believe the technique would require more preparation and time. But already being familiar with Dominate it may simply be a mental trick that required practice to control.