(C Tears) Menage A Unconquered

[Asa]

The Green Room suffers from split personality.

Half of the room is opulent, the concrete floor covered with a thick rug, and over-sized couches faced one another across a large, circular ottoman. The other side of the room is dominated by a wooden St. Andrew's cross, below which the concrete was sloped and a grated drain was placed. A long counter ran the length of the room; above it, were various implements of fetish play, as well as several combination dial small lockers for personal effects. This evening, the counter is littered with empty plastic bags with traces of blood still left in them. The last detail is the most innocuous: The door. Steel, set into concrete walls. It would take even a Gangrel time to free themselves -- perfect for potentially Frenzied Kindred.

Few Kindred have been to the Green Room. Some have enjoyed the experience. Some have not.

On one couch is Jennifer Hazelton, and Yuki Saito is on the other. Both have been cleaned, and changed. They have also been restrained, using various bondage accouterments from the Asylum, in case of Frenzy upon awakening. Ghouls are a wonderful thing.

Always the Blood.

He stirred that Blood, strengthening and fortifying his body.

The bodies have been fed. Only one thing remained. Asa meticulously rolled up his sleeves, despite having chosen clothing which he knew would most likely be ruined. A razor sharp knife was drawn along each forearm, one at a time, and he spilled his Vitae into the two bodies to forcibly rouse them.

Asa has converted his Herd and Feeding Vitae from his AVP into 3 points of Blood for each Kindred.
Vigor and Resilience Activated.
-8 Vitae for the Scene.

Jennifer Hazelton and Yuki Saito are both being roused by Vampire Vitae, and are subject to stage one Vinculum to Asa Clarke. Both are Immobilized.

This Scene is the night after [Crocodile Tears] Jenny Was a Friend of Mine

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Darkness. For a moment, there was only darkness. The Vitae was taken in, rousing the torpid woman. Instinctively, her hands twitched and strained against the bonds that secured her down. Jennifer relaxed back against the couch. A confusing whirl of memories swirled out at her - the muzzle flash of a gun. The chef's face. The smell of fudge. Always the smell of fudge. The memory of a hand gripping her intestines and pulling them free from her body... Jennifer tries to touch her abdomen, to check the state of her corpse. The restraints prevented her and Jennifer opened her eyes. Her brown eyes searched the room, craning her neck. Her ruined body was knitting together, the terrible gaps and ravaged holes forming flesh that could pass as human.

Where would it come from? Would the bits of her intestines be replaced? The obliterated organs? How did that work?

"Hello?" Jennifer queries the room. "Sir Baldwin?"

He was the one she'd expected to be the most capable to extract her from that terrible tragedy of the fudge room. She tries to look down at her corpse to gauge how badly wounded she was. That was when her brain pulled itself free from its sludge. She was not human. She did not awaken in a hospital from a blood transfusion. Only time... or Vitae healed her Kind. Jennifer licked her lips.

Vitae, then.

Her brown eyes search the room again and fall upon the Prince and another woman on the couch. The Prince had her eyes.

"Your Grace..." Jennifer lowers her eyes in deference. Her mind scrambled. What had happened?

[Yog-Sothoth]

Yuki's eyes shot open and gave an involuntary shudder as she recalled her short period of torpor. The day sleep was bad enough, but torpor through violence was always terrifying. The Daeva was no stranger to torpor, but the fear she felt was just as palpable each time, in fact if she had been living she likely would be experiencing a cold sweat right now.

That stings like crazy! she thought to herself while dealing with the pain of her remaining injuries. Because of this she focused the surprising blood reserved that she had into continuing to heal her injuries.

The second thing that she noticed while her eyes were focusing was that she couldn't move at all. She was restrained laying on something soft and in clothing that was not her own. She was captured? But how would they know to feed her blood to rouse her, furthermore, why would they bother? She was recovered then, but why was she restrained.

This could be bad...this could be really bad.

She heard a woman's voice calling out for Sir Baldwin and then her eyes focused on a handsome and charismatic man about the same time the other woman, likely the Priscus they went to find, spoke the man's title that she did not want to hear right now.

It is bad...it is really, really bad.

The shame and dread that she felt at that moment was impossibly intense.

She did not know anything about this Prince he was strong...and powerful in more ways that one. The Daeva had no frame of reference to judge the yokai's reaction and that scared her, especially since she had caused him a considerable inconvenience.

"Your Grace," she began with a horse croak as her voice slowly returned through effort. "I most humbly beg your forgiveness at my inability to bow to you."

She too looks away from his face as a show of respect, the only way she has to show it bound as she was. She already felt the niggling sense of adoration for this splendid example of a man...

Oh no, she thought as the realization of what that meant sunk in.

Yuki spends 4 of the 7 vitae she has currently to heal 4 lethal

[Asa]

By the time they'd both roused, he'd bandaged his arms. Significantly easier, without running Blood. The mindless, methodical task gave his mind something to distract itself as he soothed his enraged Beast. Not only the rage at the presence of another predator, but the furyindignationhate at their having fed upon him. It was no small thing. Smaller than their price? Surely. But it was not something he'd done out of any personal desire.

He exhaled a breath he'd forgotten he'd drawn.

No Frenzy. Excellent. He'd spared what was reasonable, to ensure he had reserve of his own, but had no idea if it would be enough. Particularly the Knight. Horrific wounds. He watched with no small fascination as her neck and face reconstructed itself while he rolled his sleeves back down and fastened buttons.

"Good evening, Lady Saito, Madame Hazelton. Only a single night has passed since your Eclipse."

He moved over to Yuki, and began unfastening her restraints.

"Please excuse any discomfort or trespass, while I loosen you. It's not intentional," he offered, as he moved and manipulated her to free her. Asa conintued to Jennifer, freeing the women in the order of their ranks.

"I understand either, or both of your, might have preferred to Rise... naturally. I had no way of knowing how long that might take. Given your states, I only have one immediate question. Is there anything I need to know, as Prince? Such as whether Laws were broken, Breaches occurred, or responsible Kindred? Otherwise, I'd prefer to consider this... situation... as your Judex."

Asa sat, sinking down onto the ottoman between the tables.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Your Grace," Jennifer bows her head low to the Prince, bending her spine.

"- thank you for rousing me. I am most indebted."

Most embarrassed as well; but she was glad that her corpse did not blush. Jennifer took a minute to sort through the confusing myriad of memories and images from the chocolate shop. That fight had been an entire debacle and display of stupidity, but she could remember the taste of the man's blood and the wounds that she had inflicted upon him. Given the near proximity of Sir Baldwin and Master Galloway, she made a few haphazard guesses as to what they had found upon entering the factory. Nothing pretty, that was for certain. But the cook was dead. He had to be dead or very nearly so, after the drinks that she had taken from him. That would tie a bow on the breach performed before him.

Yet something gnawed on her rib cage. Her beast riled against the dishonesty that bubbled to her lips, an assurance that all had gone well because the idiot was dead. Shouldn't she be honest to the Prince? He had been so kind to raise her. He had done this deed himself as well... Jennifer could hardly comprehend this. The Prince had pulled them up from Torpor. The Prince had saved them from the agony of an uncertain Torpor.

"Your Grace, I was on an infiltration mission." Jennifer decides to be honest. If she is punished, it is justly deserved. I will take it as a learning experience. Jennifer assures herself.

"I made a miscalculation on the mission. A simple mistake of ignoring the lay out of a room. My domain awareness was compromised by my curiosity of searching for something. There was an indiscretion, but I killed the witness. I regret to inform you that I fell to Torpor in this struggle. It is to my shame that I had to tax you, Your Grace, on such a mistake."

Jennifer speaks honestly, her ruined voice a rusty, squeaky wheel. She hated that her Voice always abandoned her when she needed it most. Her Curse always asserted itself at her worst moment.

Asa Yuki Saito

[Yog-Sothoth]

Yuki murmured her thanks as Asa undid her her bonds and then sat up. She stretched a little and moved her neck and head which were still stiff.

"Thank you Your Grace for taking the time out of your busy night to rouse us. I am grateful for your aid," she said bowing at the waist.

She thought for a moment over the course of events that lead up to her torpor thinking if there was anything that needed to be mentioned to the Prince. She wasn't trying to think of excuses or hid anything, but did not want to waste his time with trivial nonsense when there was no need. She did listen to the other woman's explanation of events which was more information that she was able to get out of Sir Baldwin at the briefing.

"Your Grace I must apologize the information I have is limited. I was called in as reinforcement after Madam Hazelton went down. However, because I do not have all the information I require I can think of two things that should be mentioned to the Prince. There was a bound man rotting from a drug in the back of the van who may have heard some things, but he was barely able to communicate and Mister Galloway was responsible for him and the van while Sir Baldwin and I went after our target." Yuki paused for a moment before continuing.

"I was incapacitated on that mission by a lucky shot from our target so anything beyond that is conjecture. I can only assume that since Madam Hazelton and I are here that Sir Baldwin was able to deal with the last witness we went to confront. I will require more information in order to confirm the status of the man in the van or the man we went to confront. If it should please the Prince I could confer with my colleagues and give you an answer."

[Asa]

Seated as he was, he had to turn to face Jennifer, then Yuki in turn. The skittering, angry thing below his skin didn't help -- it had a very dim view of turning his back on that which had just fed on him/it. Asa's head tilted slightly and an eyebrow raised at Jennifer's recounting, and he simply nodded at Yuki's. He was, admittedly, both surprised and impressed that Jennifer had killed.

"I assume this is regarding the krokodil," he said, standing. He moved to the edge of the room, and turned. Now he could see both.

"Madame Hazelton, I don't mind telling you that part of this task, aside from your vetting of Master Galloway, was to test your prudence and discretion. Lady Saito, I also don't mind saying that I find it disturbing that a couple of chocolatiers can lay a Knight of the Invictus low."

He gave a humorless smile.

"However, I'm sure neither of you are overly satisfied with events thus far, either. In the nights to come, I look forward so simply hearing that the situation is resolved, and we'll forget this conversation ever happened," Asa continued. He moved to the door, producing a key on green ribbon.

"In the future, however, I would appreciate it if the Reeve's office were not involved in Invictus matters. I understand that neither of you had much say in the matter, but it should be passed on. Let's also try to avoid setting the city on fire at midnight, shall we?"

A dull metallic sound of a bolt turning accompanied the unlocking and opening of the door.

"Good evening, Lady Saito, Madame Hazelton."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Who had involved the Reeve's office? Jennifer scoured her mind for any incidents where she had spoken to the current Reeve. The only one she could find was rather unfavorable, back when she and Ricardo were still newly arrived in the city two years ago. It was when she was Conner of Triumvir's assistant that she had mostly been involved in the office. Jennifer frowned, not liking this development in the slightest. Being the problem and tarnishing the good name was not what she enjoyed doing. Whatever had happened yesterday night? What had happened tonight?

"It is as you say, Your Grace." Jennifer replies, humbled. "I shall endeavor to have these things solved as discreetly as possible in the future."

Emotion fills Jennifer and she lowers her head, letting her long brown hair obscure her face.
She shall also endeavor to find out who the fuck had contacted the Reeve's office in the first place. She was fairly certain that her 'demise' at the factory could be contained by Sir Baldwin and that he could clean up her kill. Why had the Reeve's office been needed? Was there another Breach? Why not post in the Elysium - Madame Notary and priscus made the bitch of the chocolate factory? She fought to keep her countenance from descending into an angry scowl. The Beast grumbles, rattling her rib cage.


...setting the city on fire at midnight

Somewhat confused, Jennifer lifted her head and bowed it again as the Prince opened the door and made his expectations clear.

"Good evening, Your Grace. Thank you."

[Yog-Sothoth]

While Yuki remained composed as the Prince censured their actions, and it was expected, the words still cut deeply. Things had not turned out well at all during the course of events. The only thing she was grateful for was that she could distance herself from most of the events, but she couldn't distance herself from her own mistake.

"Certainly Your Grace. Good evening," Yuki said grateful that the meeting was at an end.

When the Prince left Yuki frowned to herself angry with herself that she let things get to this stage. While she was grateful for his aid, she was upset with Sir Baldwin and how he handled the situation up to this point. Nothing about this had been discrete and she began to wonder if the man had done it intentionally to shame Madame Hazelton and herself.

"Madame Hazelton, I think we should contact Sir Baldwin and debrief, but with the extent of your injuries would you be up for it?"

[West]

Asa has exited. Feel free to continue!