(C Tears) Setting the Stage

[Matamune]

Eve barely resists winking at August. Instead she mentions at all present to follow her and leads them past the Metal detectors. Club Ember is busy as always, with neon lights making the strippers look like angels or devils - whichever the client prefers. As they navigate the crowd to the stairs, the Ghoul gets quite a few looks and only the class of the establishment prevents people from whistling. Eve doesn't mind or simply doesn't care, leading the Kindred and Cozette past the guard and to the second floor.

Here it is much more quiet: furniture is an eclectic mix of modern an executive and there are barely ten people present, smoking expensive cigars and conversing more than watching the show. The Ghoul leads everyone past here too: she opens a door with an 'employees only' sign and they go through a small hall with several doors. Eve opens one of them and leads Jennifer, August and Cozette inside.

It is the manager's office: maybe ten by twelve feet, with impressive-looking wardrobes near the walls and a heavy wooden desk opposite the door. Eve gestures to the three leather chairs in front of her desk:

"Please, make yourself comfortable", - she herself pulls a much simpler office chair out of a corner and sits down, crossing her legs and turning ever so slightly towards August. Then Eve goes silent, looking at Cozette and waiting.

[Cozette]

Cozette lets the others go first, then follows.

If anyone were to look back, they might see that her manner of dress was perhaps a bit more purposeful than it appeared. While other women; dancers, Eve, flashed and shone in the lights, Cozette had buttoned her jacket and the black melted into the shadows and walls. The hat hid her hair, and the mask... masked her features, allowing her to trail behind the group like a shadow.

"I apologize for the delay," she spoke, looking towards Jennifer before turning to address the group.

"Some of you may be aware, but for those of you who are not, Mr. Clarke tries to ensure that some degree of... regulation... of illegal activities," she continued, pausing over the word 'regulation' as if searching for that particular word -- either in her vocabulary, or as a euphemism.

"Generally, recreational substances such as cocaine or MDMA have been tolerated, but opiates have not. With the renewed interest in desomorphine and it's yet-to-be-verified derivative 'krokodil', measures need to be taken to avoid unwanted media attention. There's been a rise in attempted heroin trafficking at The Asylum, and some rumors have pointed here as well," Olivette explained, nodding towards Eve to explain her inclusion and their location.

"Most concerning, though, is that there have been claims of eye witness accounts of krokodil and it's notorious 'flesh eating' effects. Mr. Clarke would like to ensure that these are investigated -- and if needs be, resolved. He considers this an 'in-house' matter, rather than one of the Domain."

Cozette finished speaking, folding her hands in front of her. Waiting. For questions, or assurances, it was impossible to tell with the mask.

[West]

Nudge Jaqen Matamune Seryna

[Matamune]

Eve listens to her fellow Ghoul attentively fidgeting in her sit a bit from nervousness. When Cozette finishes, she shakes her head, obviously troubled by the news:

"I thought it was just Ember. Fighting drugs in a nightclub is really hard - you push one out and some new 'hype' hits the market... Your help would be very welcome".

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer considered the information for a moment, before questioning: "Are there any restrictions regarding the Kine? Utilizing some of them to locate the perpetrators would be most helpful."
She didn't get into specifics on how she would use them. She simply suspected two Kindred infiltrating a drug ring would be amusing but not very fortuitous. She was Invictus, after all. She'd expect to use the people she'd cultivate to do her dirty work.

"Do you have any more information on the flesh eating effects? What happened to the eye witnesses?"

[Cozette]

Cozette's head tilted ever so slightly at Eve's words. Perhaps it was some new idiom or that English wasn't her first language, so she didn't correct the other ghoul. The fidgeting, that was interesting, though.

"Madame," she shifted her attention to Jennifer ( Seryna ), "I am under the impression that His Grace's restrictions would only involve the keeping of The Masquerade and his Law."

Cozette lips made a small moue of disappointment and contrition.

"Unfortunately, I have not been able to discover much more. Mostly because of aliases and general distrust within the community... however, most of the accounts place the eye witnesses at the Ridge Motel."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Most excellent."

The Ridge Motel, the haunt of her old Priscus. She recalled her few meetings there and privately made a plan to check it out. She glanced towards Mr. Galloway, making a note of what to discuss when they were alone. She was not mistrustful of ghouls but they were not peers. Jennifer reviewed Cozette's first statement and the need to avoid media attention. She knew someone had Media contacts yet most of the Invictus had faded away.

"To be perfectly clear, Cozette, we are to ensure that this 'krokodil' is stamped out and that it doesn't bring the media attention?"

[Jaqen]

Sorry for the delay, real life has been doubly annoying lately. I'd have responded last night, but I hadn't slept in about 30+ hours and barely got out august's post in court. >.<

August had listened carefully as they explained the situation. He wasn't sure about all these new kinds of drugs, it wasn't his strong suit. The most he knew was that hemp was now called marijuana and it was apparently not legal anymore, which he found delightfully silly given the amount of founding fathers who enjoyed the good leaf in their pipe...Krokodil a drug with flesh eating effects however sounded very...odd to enjoy as a recreational activity. He could understand why the Prince wanted it out of his club, something like that sounded astonishingly atrocious.

"I know about next to nothing of the drug trade...but if it runs like a business, quietly removing the supply without payment would certainly look unfavorable to any business partners. I know someone who could accomplish that."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"You know someone who can remove the supply from the clubs?" Jennifer clarified, glancing to Mr. Galloway. "How would they do it?"
"We should focus on utilizing our contacts and allies to identify and then nuetralize the main players. We also need to ensure that this - including the nuetralizing - doesn't leak out to the media. We should determine whom has the contacts to do which part."

[Cozette]

Cozette nodded to Jennifer's question, preferring to remain silent as the Kindred began to speak among themselves. If she had any opinion on what was being said, it did not show in her masked expression or body language.

Feel free to discuss and let me know when/where you want to start the next Scene.