Lemonade and Konrad

[Martha Villiers]

The door to Martha's Chamber is slightly ajar, there's clearly a lamp illuminated within and the tangy scent of freshly squeezed lemons emanates...

Anyone curious about the interior will find Martha, dressed in a school uniform with her hair coloured into a lovely zombie-green hue and tied into two twin tails, seated at her desk, working. Studying a map along with various printouts from a website, her spectacles are perched at the end of her nose. Next to her main desk where there's several drinking glasses and a carafe of lemonade.

This official Chamber is spacious. Packed with books and maps and all manner of paperwork.

There is cleanliness and the signs of order amongst the stacks of cardboard packing boxes placed around.

On one wall there are three modern, if large, stark and dramatic framed photo prints of ballerinas in classical tutus holding a ballet pose against dark backgrounds. Another print hangs on another wall: a large framed copy of John Waterhouse's 'Lady of Shalot.'

Between these large maps of Sacramento are pinned to walls, which detail various aspects of the Kindred domain and are annotated with Domain information superimposed over a standard street map.

Erected to conceal a quarter of her Chamber from view is a tall Chinese screen. A fire extinguisher is obvious as is an office desk. Her main desk is piled high with neatly stacked notes, college textbooks and dozens of school style notebooks. All look well used. Two bookcases are against the walls. Each is half filled with pre-owned books. They look, at first glance, to be entirely textbooks and non-fiction. There's a cheap looking laptop and printer on the desk too.

There are a few comfortable chairs and a soft furnished couch. A coat rack and a seat are opposite her busy looking desk. The place, though busy with clutter, is clean.

[Konrad Roth]

As per her summons, Konrad arrives promptly at the Keeper's chambers. The request is unexpected but not unwelcome. Since his arrival more than a year ago Konrad hasn't really had a proper conversation with the petite Mekhet. Her unpredictable schedules and disappearances made it difficult to pin the woman down, which was odd considering her disability and reduced mobility.

But he had spoken with Martha often enough to grow accustomed to her odd behavior. If it weren't for the corpse-like pallor of her skin he might easily mistake the woman for a Kine. The green hue of her hair is new though. It had been black at Court.

Konrad raps his knuckles on the door frame of the ajar portal as he approaches, not wishing to alarm his hostess. "Evening, Keeper Villiers. Going for a new look?"

The Savage Priscus is clothed in a simple black suit without a tie to accent the monochrome ensemble. The top button is unfastened, giving him a casual relaxed demeanor. Black gloves of thin leather sheath his hands, giving them a subtle squeak as his fingers flex within them. His flesh is similarly unblushed, avoiding the unnecessary use of Vitae for such a private meeting between Kindred.

[Martha Villiers]

Smiling and seemingly initially delighted at his arrival, Martha stands up.

As his Beast clashes with hers, petite Martha grips at her cane. Her knuckles tightening and her free hand rubbing hard, almost burrowing, into her crippled hip.

She wobbles unsteadily. Tapping her peg leg urgently, she grows even paler. Taking in his modest and casual attire, Martha nods. Smiling again, her eyes wide, she offers her hand in greeting, leaning on her cane, tiny Martha limps over to welcome her guest.

"Good evening, Priscus Roth! Goodness! Thank you for coming, sir! How good to see you..." as he mentions her hair, she pauses, looks up to where her twin tails bob. With a theatrical gesture, she primps at a tail and giggles, "ah, indeed, sir! Most kind of you to notice!" she giggles once more, clearly pleased. Martha adds cheerfully; "Miss Barnes... she's had a positive influence on my decision making regarding hair styles! Miss Barnes is such a lovely lady!" she acknowledges with a smile.

Gripping her cane once more, she makes a small gesture to the carafe of aromatic lemonade, "Priscus, might I interest you in a tumbler of freshly made lemonade?" she smiles sweetly, "There'd be no hard feelings should your appetites not run to such refreshments!" a small, playful, giggle follows.

[Konrad Roth]

Konrad approaches the short distance between them, accepting her smaller hand in his for a gentle shake. He smirk curls into his expression as he stares down the limping Shadow. Her demure giggling brings forth a light chuckle from him. "That so? So you've met Diana Barnes then? Yeah, she's a beaut alright. Real sharp too," he says before releasing his grip.

At the offer of lemonade, Konrad knits his brows together in an imitation of apology. "Ah, no thanks, trying to quit you see." He pulls a cigarette pack out from his pocket. "Care for a cigarette?" Clearly the intention is to make a poke at the irony of their old Kine habits. And Konrad is as always a joker in the deck.

Whether or not she accepts, and he doubts she will, Konrad turns the conversation to another line of pleasantries. "So, how've you been, Miss Villiers. May I call you Martha? I know it's been a while since we had a one-on-one, so I don't mind sticking to formalities if you prefer that. Before Court I think it was that encounter on the roadside, where Gerald and those other two were hanging out. You know the one, the mystery author? Shame he never stuck around. And now all of them have left."

[Martha Villiers]

Konrad's opinion on Diana prompts a happy nod. Smiling, she gently leans against her desk and, joining in Konrad's joke, she gently shakes her head to politely refuse the offered cigarette.

Giggling, she nods again, "Please, you may call me Martha," a happy smile, "ahh indeed, yes, an informal one-to-one, yes. I very much welcome that, sir! I have many things to ask you... so I hope you will indulge my questions..." nodding, she adds, "ohh... yes, I recall that evening. It is always sad to see Kindred move away from the Domain. They always have so much potential. Potential to enrich both themselves and the Domain...make their Requiem...make it so much more..." nodding once again, she rubs hard at her peg leg while speaking, taking care to be attentive to Konrad's eyes.

With a small gesture of her cane, she directs his attention to the couch, "Perhaps, sir, we might be more comfortable speaking there..."

[Konrad Roth]

Idealistic, optimistic, accepting and good-natured by appearance, Martha's hospitality and considerations are hard to refuse. Konrad remains cautious though. The Dragons are rumored to have some greater power over their Beasts, but removing it altogether seems tantamount to amputation, though that might explain the leg.

"I do enjoy simple comforts, thanks, Martha," answers Konrad, following her gesture to the furniture. He sits down, sinking into the soft cushion. "Questions, huh? I might indulge. What's on your mind?" After all, a purely social call at this point would seem unusual. Konrad is just as curious to hear this questions as she might be to ask them.

"Oh, before you do, I have a question of my own," he adds, glancing to the stacks of books, both on her desk and the line of shelves. "Have you read all those books? I can't imagine sticking my nose in one for more than a few minutes."

[Martha Villiers]

Hobbling and hopping to the couch, Martha rests her cane across her lap and brushes creases from her short gym skirt. For a brief moment, there's a hint of thigh above stocking top as she neatens herself up.

Smiling, Martha nods. Twin tails bobbing, she chirps with wide eyed excitement; "Oh, indeed, sir! I try to read a great deal! I had more books, but I think they must have been moved into storage after my most recent absence, I shall have to speak with the Seneschal and ask to retrieve them..." a meek smile, "I recently endured reading through a book of most tediously sentimental hagiography...'April 1865', by Doctor Jay Winik...good Lord," she sighs theatrically, continuing with enthusiasm, "it's both contradictory and dreary, obsessed by endless and superficial trivia which adds nothing to communicating an insightful understanding of the actual events...." shrugging, she giggles.

"I cannot recommend it, sir." she smiles. "However, I would recommend reading 'Blood on the Moon' by Doctor Edward Steers, it's a thorough examination of the events and myths surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln..." her peg leg waggles and Martha rubs at it where her knee once was, adding, "infinitely better written than the Winik's book..." her tiny hand grips at her peg leg and her eyes seek to meet Konrad's, clearly hoping she's not boring him.

[Konrad Roth]

"More books? You got yourself your own library by the sounds of it. A sentimental hagio-whatsit? Well I gotta say it all sounds like endless trivia to me. It's all old news, ain't it. But...I have been picking away at another book, to be honest. The Testament of Longinus, if you've heard of it." And she probably did.

"I only bring it up since it seems to be a big interest to you. You'll let me know if you ever want to get your hands on a rare collector's item, I hope? I might make that happen for you for the right price. Anyways, not to derail the conversation. What was it you were going to ask me?"

[Martha Villiers]

"Old news?" she ponders, "Possibly..." she muses, tapping a dainty finger to her lips in a gesture of thoughtfulness, "though an argument might be, and often has been, made for saying that the persistence of a racial divide in the United States exists thanks to a failure to pursue a radical policy of genuine sufferange and emancipation at the close of the War. It was a project left fatally incomplete."

Smiling, she adds, "Ah, yes... more news worthy and pressing events..." rubbing her peg leg again, Martha continues, "I had two questions..." she reaches under her couch and pulls from under it two small magnetic tablets dusted with iron filings with a stylus. The sort children might play with.

Handing one to Konrad one, she retains one for herself. Writing on her tablet thus:

Sir, I feel we may communicate securely using these tablets. A means to frustrate unwanted audio surveillance by our foes. I had two questions:-

1) What you knew of the status into the investigation into Regent Brady
2) How possible might it be to obtain, either covertly or obtusely, a Boomerang defense system

Smiling, she shows her text to Konrad and quietly, patiently waiting for his reply.

[Konrad Roth]

Konrad rubs the side of his face thoughtfully. "Yeah, you could say that," he says noncommittally to Martha's initial statements.

When Martha brings out the magnetic sketchpad, Konrad stifles a laugh and then chuckles anyways. "Huh, what's this?" but then falls into silence as she crafts the words in skilled penmanship on the childish toy.

He reads silently, following along. His expression grows more serious at the thought that they may be being listened in on. The content of the questions are curious too, but at least the first one explains Martha's paranoia. The Regent's influence must have spooked the tiny Shadow.

He opens his palm expectantly to take the child's toy in hand from her if she offers it to him. With it he writes the following, each answer beside each question posed to him before handing it back:

1) What you knew of the status into the investigation into Regent Brady I know about it.
2) How possible might it be to obtain, either covertly or obtusely, a Boomerang defense system ???