Neighborhood Watch

[Dillon Connery]

"Then what of us?" Dillon raises his eyebrows along with his friendly smirk ticking wider, briefly. "We, who are both Man and Beast, and greater-- or at least, more powerful-- than either?

"You're exactly right, insofar as I've observed. And if you allow for the acceptance that true symbiosis occurs much more often in nonhuman life, then the more humane and civil we attempt to be, the less the odds that we will form truly equal relationships with one another.

"Which just sounds counter-intuitive. Most agree that it's our Bestial nature as predators that set us against each other; that the monster within bids us to take from the weaker what we want."

At least, it certainly feels that way when two Kindred meet each other.

"I suppose the curse is twofold. The Beast urges us to aspire via blood and slaughter. The Man, through bravado, intimidation, or political chicanery.

"Maybe, then, the Beast isn't quite as nasty as everyone thinks."

Leave it to a Gangrel to suggest that.

[RebornSeas]

Kassidy found himself nodding along. Much of what Dillon said had a ring of truth to it - things that Kassidy fully embraced in his mind. "I would argue that humanity are as much beasts as those on four legs, for all they think themselves better. No, more than that, humanity is quite likely the worst the animal kingdom has to offer."

[Dillon Connery]

Dillon can hardly find evidence to refute this. Not overarching, weighing evidence, that one could place against the mass horrors mankind has wrought. And maybe you're not meant to. But there is so much within his own personal plane of experience, even when his massacre of a history is taken into context, that keeps a smile on his face.

It isn't always a polite mask. More often than not, the Gangrel Reeve's friendly smirk is absolutely genuine.

"Still yet, I say that it's a mistake to abandon hope." He gives Kassidy a meaningful glance to assure that he isn't merely spouting rhetoric. "Even in my darkest nights, I've seen the proverbial lights.

"Among a few worthy people."

One elbow props against the top of his door and the base of the window, its hand leaving the steering wheel to idly stroke at his chin and lips in thought. Hazel eyes see much more than the street ahead of them.

"And Kindred. Once in a while, even Kindred still surprise me."

[RebornSeas]

Kassidy finds himself taken with the image Dillon made, thought and hope mixing on his face. He continued to watch his companion as he all but whipsered, "Very true. There's always people who stand out so much brighter than everyone around them..." He looks away then, inexplicably embarrassed and shrugs. "Seeing people like that improve the world is one of the reasons I'm still around. I mean, I'm one hundred and five... I never expected to live past 25."