(Rose Garden)Play the Silver Whistle

In the end, David arrived thirty minutes early.

Stolen life suffused his features and he flexed his fingers as he slipped into the Rose Garden, marveling in their warmth. David ruffled his hair, a fruitless endeavor, while resisting the urge to fidget with his green-gingham shirt. Though, despite his neat, casual appearance it took a few minutes before the Host noticed him.

She was startled. Her brass name-tag next to her rose-pin said June. David lifted a hand in an apologetic greeting and asked for a seat on the Balcony.

David requested a mug of hot rose-hip tea, while his beast hid itself in cruel mockery of the Man. The Mekhet's brown eyes lingered on the ceiling, lit to reflect the fine night outside, regarding it with interest. After a quick realization that Ms. Keys might not recognize him, David got his phone out from his jean pocket. The small phone found a temporary home on a small placard advertising Roses for a Cause.

But, it was the people. The people who dined and laughed. They were who quickly garndered David's interest.

-1V for Blush of Life || Catherine Key

Raluca arrived at the time that Catherine informed him her appointment with Supplicant Regan. Tonight as his first night as a Priscus he chose to wear his new linen suit which he haggled down to a good bargain at a wholesaler in the Fashion District. For those aware of the workings of the Ordo, they might find his midnight blue tie significant.

Walking in, he politely informed the hostess he was meeting someone and walked into the dining area. Looking up, he spotted the Mekhet and then made his way the ornate staircase.

"Good evening Mr. Regan." he said cheerfully as he neared the table. The Serpent slumbered as the other Dragon's beast was masked. Stopping at the chair he offered the new man his hand and then took a seat. Waving the waitress over he ordered a black coffee.

Once the waitress leaves, Teo will return his forcus to his fellow Dragon. "I am not sure if you were made aware, but Ms. Keyes has been called away from Sacramento. I will be taking over her responsibilities." he said simply and succinctly.

Teodor might have seen the surprise in the hostess' face when he gestured towards David. A surprise that quickly faded into anger at herself about forgetting that there was a customer there. At this juncture, David's humble request for rose-hip tea went unfulfilled. If this was any other customer, who stuck out in memory, the waitress might have to be looking for a new job in a day or so.

The Mortician rose to his feet immediately at seeing Teodor, a bit of surprise colored his face while shaking the Brother's hand. “Good evening, sir,” David replied quickly, eminently polite. “I wasn't,” a quick glance is shot at his phone, “I'm sorry that I won't make her acquaintance then.”

The meanings of color never seemed to escape the younger Mekhet. Johan always wore black ties, fastidiously knotted when he was on official ritae. Like those nights before he would Sleep, diving into his own psyche to find the way forward. Though, this knowledge, sometimes made David a bit over-sensitive to the colors people would use.

David's other hand held fast to the back of his chair. The hand he used to shake Teo's opened, allowing the new Priscus to take the seat first. “Congratulations, sir,” David offered just before the waitress returned with Teodor's mug of hot-coffee. David re-took his seat after the new Priscus.

That tea David ordered still has yet to arrive.

"Thank you." he said with a smile to the waitress and waited for her to depart. Once she did, Teo focused on the matter at hand.

"I am not sure how much Ms. Villiers has spoken to you about our family's history in the city?" he left that question hang. "I do not know great deal myself but I can go into greater detail later if you would like. As to family rules, obviously do your best in your work. We have made signficant contributions to the city in the past and we wish to keep our good standing." Teo made a note to speak with Martha sometime soon to learn more about the clan's history. "If anyone approaches you, asking to learn our family's admired talents, you should refer them to me. If there is someone you wish to teach, I will need to be notified as well."

David doesn't seem to take up much room. Not just in a physical sense, which is fairly obvious, but also in a spiritual sense. As though he was already the ghost or the shade they all nicknamed themselves after.

But, David took to listening to Teodor; leaving the questions about the Shadow History for another moment. “That sounds reasonable,” David tells Teodor off of his statement that any teaching of family talents were to go through him. “As I remember, in Minneapolis the price was quite high.” Which is ironically a bit of an understatement.

This brings David to the question he wanted to ask Ms. Keys, “What can I do to help the Family?”

Teo ponders a moment and then pulls out small notepad from his jacket and a pen. He scribbles something down, folds it in half and slides it across the table.

ooc

11th century Castillian heldery & the accommodations are booby-trapped

He cocks an eyebrow. "I believe that might interest you?"

A stillness borne out of patience fell over David. While others might attempt to read what Teodor writes, as he writes it, or shift restlessly in their seats, David did not. The younger Mekhet instead, considered the moment of silence between the pair; idly wondering if his trepidation in this new city would ever leave him.

Reaching forward for the note Teodor slides across for him, the Mortician gingerly takes it up. The words within were a bit of a riddle, wrapped in the vestiges of the lost Castillian empire. However, booby-trapped accommodations spoke a bit to the history and legend David knew of. Looking up, focusing on Teodor's midnight blue tie, “I hope I might be able to be of service, then, sir.”

It is in the way David says it, with his quiet interest, that shows his former home got his Fate Card correct when he came up as The Star.

While proud to be chosen to be among the Faithful Tismanu, at times he was quite frustrated with the rest of his clan. They took 'Shadow' way to literal somtimes. Again the man refused to make eye contact when he spoke. That was something he really had to address. While some might see it as a sign of respect or deference, others it might give yet another reason to poince on him.

"Wonderful. I will have more for you later then."

-1 vitae Blush of Life

Teo picks up his coffee and takes a sip. "How have you been settling Mr. Regan? I hope you have place to live to your liking?"

David made a quick gesture with the piece of paper, looking for a quick sign from Teodor as the younger Mekhet intended on keeping it. Once that silent go-ahead was given, David squirrels the slip of paper into his wallet.

The wallet was old, but meticulously well-cared for and the leather still looked like it might stand the test of time. “Oh very well, thank you,” David replies in his quiet way. “I've already left my temporary home at the Avalon. Though, some of my belongings were, unfortunately, lost in the mail.” Which, from the tone of David's voice, was wholly expected.

David was more surprised more of it didn't get lost.

“Sacramento is far, far quieter then the bubbling tension of Minneapolis-St. Paul,” again, David rather understates the stalemate between the two cities. One, where crossing the Ford Parkway Bridge might have meant David's final-death. “It's a pleasant change and might be enough of a Change for me to move forward.”

Teo racked his brain trying to recall something, anything noteworthy about the cities Regan named. "If I remember they have professional baseball and American Football teams." He said after a pause that dragged into the awkward range and was compounded by uninspiring factoid. "Do they have professional futball team?" he added quickly to make it appear sports was his intended topic.

  1suxx to know the Twin Cities

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2013-10-22 21:50:02		Teo rolls 5 to Int+Aca to know what the duce Minnoplis is like (10 Again)		4, 4, 6, 8, 2		1 success