(Sterling Hotel) Movement in the Bedroom

[Konrad Roth]

Ashley Cohen Whisper

Konrad mulls over a few locations to meet with the beauteous Kindred woman. He's used to back-alley dealings and conducting deals in shady motels or warehouses. She doesn't seem the type, so after his call to Ashley he books a room at the Sterling Hotel. Privacy and luxury, and strangely the option for a windowless room at an affordable rate.

He sends the address to Ashley via text and leaves to head over there to meet her. Hopefully she doesn't misinterpret the choice of venue for an ulterior motive. But who could tell where their conversation might lead.

Once he's checked in at the front desk the shady Savage hangs out in the lobby, twirling a key around on his finger idly wearing a cheap blue suit and sunglasses at night.

-1V for Blush of Life

[Ashley Cohen]

[ri]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/14/article-2458421-18B9447D00000578-170_634x833.jpg[/ri]The lobby doors slid open and with a delicate saunter, Ashley strolled through. She paused momentarily, drawing in the reins upon her dark desires. Konrad was familiar, which helped, as did the fact that she did not want to go through the mess of getting blood out of Prada or the logistics of killing witnesses as well - all of them - which would undoubtedly be the end of her outfit.

Ashley's eyes and thoughts lingered for a moment on the heavyset receptionist behind the desk with his ear pressed to the phone. She would have demanded his help, she thought with her eyes shifting towards another gentleman on his laptop on a couch in the lobby - with him; though it occurred to her there was a better candidate to tear the witnesses to shreds on her command...

"Konrad." Ashley called out with a gentile wave of her hand. "I take it that I didn't keep you in wait too long?"

[Konrad Roth]

At the sight of the pretty predator Konrad locks his shaded eyes with her piercing blue ones and stands from the Victorian walnut parlor chair he had taken. It is a gesture that may have been out of politeness or a stalled attempt to lunge. As his Beast subsides, he notes the cutesy pink patterned ensemble, a feminine and conservative statement for a stylish Kindred on the prowl. Taking the sunglasses off, he hooks them into his suit coat pocket and raises a hand to return the wave.

"Ashley, looking fine as always. Nah, wasn't waiting too long, but I'd say it's worth it to see you looking your best." He smirks in shameless flattery. "Say, they've got this thing called a drawing room down the hall if you want to check it out. Might be a little more private for what I hoped to talk about tonight. Or I've also rented out a room if you'd prefer that. Maybe even order up some room service later."

[Ashley Cohen]

"Honeymoon suite is fine, just as long as you do not have a noon check-out time." Ashley playfully said as steps drew her closer to the Savage. "I tend to be a late-sleeper." A smirk upon her lips sealed the joke.

Ashley's head cocked the to side as she glanced towards the elevator. "Shall we?"

[Konrad Roth]

Konrad chuckles at Ashley's good humor, glad that she doesn't take things too seriously if only for appearance, unlike his other business partner, Rina.

"Sure thing," says Konrad, taking out the room keycard and flapping the plastic idly against his chest as he joins her in walking to the elevator doors. At the push of the button to call the lift the doors open right away as it waiting for them. Konrad gestures with an open arm, implying 'ladies first'.

Once they're in the elevator, Konrad will push the button for their floor and then lean against the wall of the roomy container, looking over at his company.

"Room is windowless. Sorry if you were hoping for a view," he tells her. "But we won't have to worry about peeping toms from neighboring buildings." It's not exactly the honeymoon suite, just an expensive meeting room to ensure privacy. There's probably office buildings that rent out space for things like this, but a hotel feels more comfortable, as if he's there to play, not work. But even so, being tightly caged with another Beast is like a recipe for bloodletting. As much as Konrad tries, he can't shake off the sense of risk and anger.

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley eyes slowly wandered around the room, as she casually investigated the room. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just checking out the furnishings. Ashley nodded her head softly, as she glanced back to Konrad. "Eh it is Sacramento. It is not like people come here for the view."

Ashley shook her head softly with a laugh. "Business then?"

[Konrad Roth]

He could get used to that laugh.

After entering the room, shutting the door, and looking over the furnishings, Konrad plops himself down on one of the wing chairs adorning the main space. There are the frames and drapes adorning the wall to imply a window space but none is there. Inspection of the main bed chamber reveals a side bathroom with a standing shower. Perhaps not accurately Victorian, but it's styled in a way to fit in with the rest of the architecture.

He looks at Ashley for a moment, rubbing his palm against his cheek idly.

"Right, business. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'll tell you a bit about myself and why I'm interested in the movement. To start I'm somewhat of a ne'er-do-well, by trade. Burglary, black market dealings, counterfeiting, that kind of stuff. I got started working for the mob over in Las Vegas in the late sixties and into the seventies until the feds pushed them out. Took up shop in Los Angeles for a while, mostly just keeping to myself. That's what I do anyways. I never really got involved in the Covenants before. I'm not exactly an over-achiever and like I said at the Nox I'm not all that much of a spiritualist. I figured I'd just go with the flow until there was reason to make a change." So that is the bit about himself. Now for the other part.

"I've heard bits and pieces about the Carthian Movement over the years. You guys get a pretty bad rap in some places, but a few sing its praises, thinking there's some big change on the way. For me, I'm just trying to get someone in my corner. I'm not a politician, per se, but I know the value of connections. I guess my first question is if you think I'm even suited for something like the Movement?"

[Ashley Cohen]

"You are intelligent." Ashley offered, short and sweet as she idly moved about. "With less then a handful of members, the Movement can thoroughly entrench itself within the city." Ashley settled down upon the other chair. "It has been a fairly rough struggle to maintain those numbers, though..."

"For the most part, prior to my arrival there was a poor image cast upon the Movement. At one time they were even banned within the city..." Ashley offered a soft roll of her shoulders. "Since, though, we have mostly become a non-factor, which is a beautiful thing."

Ashley clasped her hands together, as a smile traced her lips. "Your chosen aspect of business is indeed valuable, especially when combined with the Port of Sacramento." A slender brow arched with the potential connotations all that entailed.

"There are a fair deal of misconceptions when to comes to the Movement." Ashley said as the smile faded from her lips. "A Democracy seeking change for changes sake..." The words rolled off her tongue with a shake of her head.

"The reality is much more simple..."

"Each of the Covenant's espouses beliefs to deal with how shitty this life can be. After all, even though we cannot stand to be around one another, we also cannot stand to be apart. It seems that there is safety in numbers and it is easier to align behind the notions of ideals or family." Ashley shrugged.

"I cannot say that the Movement is any different, but the central ideal it espouses, is adaptation."

"It is essentially a fight against stagnation. For the most part we look to mortal society - which is fluid and ever changing - for inspiration. The study and insight we draw is a thing of true beauty. It allows the Movement to play within the social and political arena like few others..."

[Konrad Roth]

The Savage listens, nodding now and then to indicate understanding while his idle hand rubs across his lips, elbow resting on the chair arm.

"The Port, eh? An interesting idea." His eyes follow her, but they seem to waver as he's distracted by private thoughts. He's not just taking all that's being said at face value but weighing it carefully.

"The Danse Macabre," he acknowledges, lowering his hand and drumming his fingers along the wood. "So you're saying all Covenants have a system of coping with the struggle of our condition. And the Movement's system is staying close to the Herd and changing with it. Don't we all do that to some extent? I mean, some of us hunt and prey on Kine that strays too far from the group. And some wear sheep's clothing. We keep under the radar or we trick the system into accepting us as one of their own. Or is it that you're saying that Kindred outside the Movement don't really understand the systems Kine use? Or maybe some do to an extent but have yet to embrace the practice of really paying attention?"

Perhaps he's focusing on the wrong aspects of what Ashley is telling him. It sounds as though he's trying to fit puzzle pieces in place in his mind. Adaptation makes sense to him, but he feels like he's missing the real meat of her explanation.

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley shifted in her seat, as she nodded slowly to his words. "Yes, for a time."

"It is something that will become more familiar with each decade...each century, you see come and go." Ashley glanced down as she considered the things she had seen change.

"Consider for a moment, that you were born to a time when the world was a lot smaller. Even something as simple as a letter could take weeks to make it from one place to the next." A smile traced her lips for a moment.

"Now, how long does it take for a e-mail or text?"

"What would be the difference in time traveling to Reno using a car compared to a horse." Ashley offered a gentile roll of her shoulders.

"Sooner or later, you will succumb to sleep. The world will change around you in ways that you cannot even begin to fathom, and when you awake it will look like something entirely different."

"Next time we are at Court, pay attention to how people are dressed."

Ashley tilted her head to the side, as she shifted the topic slightly. "None will admit, but the other Covenants gave birth to the Movement. I myself was born into the First Estate." Ashley couldn't help but shake her head with a laugh. "Hell, at the time there was no Movement... and you will come across others who came into the Movement from other Covenants."