(Private) Reflections on the water

[Aileen McFarlane]

As she walked in Southside Park, Aïleen looked at the peaceful body of water, and felt immediatly better. How could she be so much dependent on the presence of water ? Even that disturbing question didn't faze her much, such was the soothing effect of the pool. Searching for the fishing pier where she was to meet Catherine Keyes, she wondered what the other Shadow might want. She didn't even know her that well, beside the meeting that fateful night when they had had three Priscus in a row, and a handful of other meetings. She hoped it wouldn't entangle her in the politics of the city, that was all she wanted.

Five minutes to go.

[Catherine Keyes]

Catherine moved to the waterside, she was early as she had tried to be since that one night of disorganized lateness within Avalon in the presence of the Herald. That was not something she wished to repeat.

Although in the darkness, she could see that Aïleen was already there.

“Cousin.” she said quietly as she approached. “Thank you for seeing me tonight.”

Her eyes shown bright in the darkness, for the light of the moon, and she was smiling.

-1 Vitae for Heightened Senses

[Aileen McFarlane]

Lost in her thought that swirled among the fishes in the pond, Aïleen hadn't heard Catherine's approach. Startled, she quickly turned toward the other Shadow.

"Miss Keyes. I hope the night finds you well ?" she asked out of pure formality.

"Don't mention it, of course I would agree to meet you. Your call puzzled me, actually." she offered, an invite to move straight to whatever business it was the bard wanted to talk about.

FYI, and unless there's a HR not written in the Wiki, Heightened Sense is free.

[Catherine Keyes]

ooc

Oh, you’re right. Silly me >.< thanks

Catherine nodded at the true shadow. “It does so far, and I hope likewise to you that your evening has been pleasant. It puzzled you? How so?”

The dancer tipped her head sideways, this was the nearly silent girl that had followed her around at the gallery, and she had seen her in court, a silent watcher, rarely speaking, and when she did it was generally other mekhets -- or those known to be in the ranks of the Ordo Dracul.

[Aileen McFarlane]

"Good." Aïleen replied politely at the first part of the answer.

She pondered for a little bit the reply to give Catherine, though. Arnold Culler would have told her that informations had a price, and it would have been correct. But she didn't feel like playing that game right now. "I was puzzled because I could think of no reason for this meeting, though you must have one, of course. You have a leg up on me."

Of course, that wasn't entirely correct. She could think of reasons, among which the Priscus position numbered high. But that was for later, perhaps.

[Catherine Keyes]

Catherine let out a light laugh, “I have a few reasons, Miss McFarlane, the first of all being that we have not spoken. But I suppose that is what you prefer?”

She began walking in a direction chosen seemingly at random. “Perhaps we could walk around the water?” she said with a half turn back to the smaller shadow, “That way this is more of a conversation between potential friends than a business meeting in the park.”

[Aileen McFarlane]

Aïleen weakly shook her head when faced with her tendencies. "No, no..." she replied, though it wouldn't fool anyone. She was commited to Change, but that particular change wasn't about to happen until she had definitly tamed her Dreams.

When invited to walk around the water, something very familiar and reassuring, she gladly nodded her agreement. "That would be fine, yes."

As they started, the shy Dragon tried to fight her natural proclivities, and engaged in the talk. "It is true that we have not spoken before. I take it then that you wished to know me, right ? Well, I'm a Dragon, and a masseuse among the mortals." She was downplaying her status a bit, but that was still pretty much a good summary. "And I've come to Sacramento at the behest of my Sire, for some Dragon business." That one was skirting more with the truth, but remained close enough that she didn't feel bad saying it.

"What about you, then, Miss ?" she said, turning to look at the rounds in the water made by some fish near the surface. How she wished she could be one of them !

[Catherine Keyes]

Catherine smiled as she watched, her eyes occasionally flicking back to the woman beside her. “I am of the same clan as yourself, and currently unclaimed, I tell stories and I dance.” The motions of her body seemed serpent like, the steps were sure and kept in the perfect motion of someone trained to move with their head perfectly level if necessary.

“I came to Sacramento after a dart into a map, it is an interesting city, someplace that will likely be a large step in my requiem, considering the people here. Yourself included, if you would wish to speak with me.”

It saddened her for a moment, the true extent of the way Aïleen was acting. “Although perhaps considering my unclaimed state, you would be willing to speak some of your Covenant, Herald Villiers pointed me in the direction of the Covenant. And I was hoping to get your take on it.”

[Aileen McFarlane]

It was hard not to notice the fluidity of Catherine's moves, and Aïleen felt what could only be pangs of jealousy at the harmonious display. The fact that the other woman had come here by chance wasn't lost on her either. Chance had no place in the Universe's plans. Everything had a purpose, even if it was lost to them. And now she had a role to play in it.

"I see..." she replied, before gathering her thoughts into a coherent whole. It wasn't so hard, given that she had thought about it for a long time, and had come to some conclusions of her own.

"My Covenant... the Ordo Dracul... don't let the name fool you, there's nothing even remotely monstrous about it. Quite the contrary, if you ask me.

I'm sure Herald Villiers will have told you of our core belief, Change. Our current... situation... doesn't have to be. Of course, if it is, it's because it was meant to be." the way she glossed over it as if it was so obvious as to need no explanation, was interesting in itself.

"But it was meant to be because we can, and should, overcome it. That's our credo. We're faced with something harsh, and demanding, but it is striving to overcome it that will ultimately define us." and she nodded firmly, trying to give weight to her words.

She gave the other Mekhet an intense look of faith, that the pious only can have.

[Catherine Keyes]

Catherine gave no motion of finding anything about the name ‘Dracul’ particularly frightening, although it wasn’t as if Aïleen had said ‘Nosferatu’, in which case things would be different. The words of the Silent Shadow were odd, if not the words themselves, then the wording was.

“If I may restate. You seek to acknowledge the change that has taken place but then to change that change in the reverse or doubly once again? I do apologize I have not spoken to Miss Villiers at length concerning the Order, I was hoping to learn what I could before requiring more time of anyone than I truly need.”

Catherine looks interested, intrigued even, although her words have more than a fairly obvious dash of confusion in them.

“I can see you are a true believer, Miss McFarlane.” she smiled for a moment before her brow wrinkled slightly again, “I am just somewhat lost, I do apologize.”