(Private) A Place to Opine

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Kenneth waited at the top of the metal stairs leading down to the Caldarium. 'His' kingdom. His 'kingdom'. Even the calming light of the Haunt's meeting area couldn't completely negate the feeling of fear whenever he thought those words.

Too high up. Like falling off a balcony.

He pushed his thoughts down to the place where he shackled the other instincts and steeled himself for his meeting with the newest family member.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Kenneth did his best not to breath but the smell of pungent dead flowers still stung his nose and eyes, making him feel as if he'd recently swallowed curdled milk. He kept his face neutral when Tatiana actually came into view and the lesser mind tried to take over.

"Of course. I always try to make time for family."

His expression darkened in response to her severe urgency. Or was it the mention of Luca himself? He walked past her and closed the metal door and padlocked it from the inside.

"No one will disturb us," he assured her as he began to descend the steps to the Caldarium proper.

"So what is this proposal?"

[Kenneth Gilroy]

“That is a serious accusation, Miss Tatiana.” Because it was an accusation. One he had a hard time taking seriously but whose nature demanded that he did.

“You previously expressed great trust in Mr. Bonano and now you think he might attack a member of the Clan. Forgive me for being blunt, but why? Has he said or done anything that makes you think he means the family harm? And what exactly have you heard that makes it seem like I don’t get along with him?” If he was about to authorize Tatiana to effectively escalate a bad impression into a cold war, he needed more substantive.

It was certainly easy for Kenneth to view Luca as a threat, especially if he was meeting with Greenberg (though some of that was the remnants of paranoia Joseph incurred). Yet there was something about the fact that she had brought this to his attention the smelled wrong. The sudden change of heart seemed rather quick given the time since they had last talked and Kenneth wanted to know what had made if shift so quickly. If it was Greenberg that was threatened why had she not asked him here as well? It could be she hadn't changed her mind at all and was still in cahoots with Luca. She could go to the meeting with Greenberg unaware of the danger, attack him, and then Tatiana could come back with false information. Or she could act the savior, endear herself to both Joseph and Gilroy, and act as a double agent for Bonano. Or Greenberg, Tatiana, and Bonano were all possibly conspiring to together.

Gilroy repressed the train of thought before it ran away. He needed more data. So he waited for the Supplicant's reply.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The urge to sigh would never go away. It simply arouse too often. A finger snapped as he cracked it.

“I believe in the importance of loyalty to the Clan. I strive to make sure we are in the best and safest position and expect the same of everyone in the family. I appreciate your caution and your concern.”

“But that does not mean you need my permission to attend this meeting. Independent thought and action are important to me as well. Rational behavior and sound judgement.” The irony of his association with Josephine was not lost on him.

“In this case, I believe you are capable of making a good decision and taking the action you think most appropriate without my input. You know Mr. Bonano better than I do after all.” And for reasons Kenneth didn’t really understand she trusted him. “So feel free to attend the meeting and ask questions if you think that will be useful to the Clan. Or simply if you think it will be useful to you to strengthen your alliance. An ally is worth more than an enemy. If you learn anything that does make you think he means any member of the Clan harm or could prove vital information, then yes; I and the rest of our members would need to know. However, I would suggest coming at any observation from a neutral angle, otherwise you risk observer bias. I wouldn’t want you to lose a friend simply because he and I didn’t get along at our first meeting.”

The worm seemed to twist and shrink as he folded his arms across his chest. His rat eyes seemed to dart here and there over her face, never quite looking her straight in the eye.

“We all run schemes Miss Tatiana; though I prefer to call them plans. They’re only a detriment if they hurt the survival of the whole.” The fact was she was scheming. If not against him, then it was for him. He wondered if her plans would thrust her into situations she was not prepared for as his had.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

"Miss Tatiana; stop," the worm hissed before she could leave (though his nose and Beast were less than grateful for that) "You are being passive-aggressive and I will not tolerate it." For the first time in their conversation, his tone became slightly angry. It was an infantile, futile sound.

"If you have a problem with me or what I've said, you will tell me. However, first you will learn to listen." He slithered and coiled himself onto one of the benches.

"I did not say you should keep your plans from me. I said you did not need my permission." If she couldn't see the difference, she'd have to learn.

"You act as if I should admire you for your brilliance and foresight. As if I should trust your insight and judgement. Despite sending a Masquerade breaching message when you arrived. Despite the fact that I already consider Luca to be someone that should be watched. Despite the fact that your stated rock solid trust in the man makes you very likely to be biased in any report you make. Either your friendship will blind you or you will look any sign that he is an enemy and bias too far to that side and see a threat where there is none. You say you want what is best for the family. Again, despite the fact that you left New York where the Clan needed help already." The anger receded slightly but his voice still had a buzz to it like hornet.

"Yet when I give you the benefit of the doubt, say that I do trust your judgement, encourage you to be active in even recruiting Luca despite my dislike for him... you take offense. Don't deny it, please. I've seen people hide their disgust for me too many times before." Anytime anyone looked upon Kenneth with anything other than a sneer, he knew they were hiding their true emotion. "So tell me, Miss Tatiana, why is giving you the responsibility over you plan so offensive?"