2016 Summer Solstice

[David Silver]

"But what does the Crone teach us of death? We perform it nightly, by stealing the life from our food. We perform it occasionally, when our hunger exceeds our control. We perform it rarely, when our rage escapes our prudence. But these are common to all of our kind. Death is something the Circle is bound to, in ways that no others are.

We do not flee from death.
We do not march to Death.
We do not distract ourselves from death.

For Death is the foundation upon which our religion is built. Death is the cause of change! A tree cannot grow until the bush that sucks the soil dry dies. A worm cannot feed until its food is dead and rotten. A lion does not rest until his predecessors children are killed. An idea does not end until its last adherent perishes. Death is the great wave that sweeps across our world, with limitless power and terrible swiftness. Do not run from that wave, do not curse it, do not hide from it. Honor its power. Respect the strength of Death.

We honor Death."

He pauses after repeating the line in time with everyone. This is not an easy concept for those outside the circle, and even those still young in their time. But soon he continues, drawing forth the silver knife.

"Our city has seen much of death recently. Many have perished, our friends and relatives. Death is something that follows us on our journey. Here, in the Circle, we see death closely, and we do not flinch."

He takes the knife, and presses it against his face, before making a swift cut under his left eye.

"But nor do we stand stoically, pretending our loss is a phantasm, that our pain is an illusion. Their deaths have harmed us, and so we express that pain through mourning. Through wailing and gnashing of teeth, through proper garments and somber ceremony, through hushed conversations and quiet remembrances, through impulsive acts and plans of vengeance, we sing with all of our souls of this pain of death."

David then makes an identical cut under his right eye, and vitae begins dribbling forth from the two wounds.

"I shed my tears of blood for those who have been lost to us." He says, wiping the knife on his robes, the crimson stain now glistening in the moonlight. He then hands the knife to Katya. As full members of the Crone, they were given the privilege of shedding blood for the dead first.

[Alice Hart]

Alice's hollow voice is lost amidst the others when David begins the second call and response, but it's quite cadence was there. "The Sun kills us. We mourn our deaths." Alice hadn't known anyone killed by the sun's burning radiance, but it was something worth remembering. It was why even after so long she still slept in the tiny tub in the windowless bathroom.

"We are one step from death." For the doll who'd only stopped running. That was something she'd held as truth, for a long time now.

David's passion bursts forth from under his stance of serenity. "We honor Death." Alice repeats with the others, as she tries to work how their beliefs..work for her, then David brings out a gleaming knife and cuts his face, once, twice, and continues on.

Would Alice be able to do that....would she want to? Her unreal eyes stare at Katya, as the knife is handed to her, how would she respond? What was the proper response at a time like this?

[Yumyumcrow]

A breath of air in the warm night. A zephyr, perhaps intrigued by the ritual working taking place, passes by carrying the scent of grass and tree and growing thing. The warm air breathes back the heat of the day: it is a pleasant, meditative, calm. Perhaps that is the reason for the success of David's ritual, of why his charismatic drama draws the eye. Aye! Even of the naysayers...

Tinkling of shattered glass.

Smell of acrid smoke.

Fuel.

Beyond the darkness, shrouded by shrub and tree, a warm flicker dances. Then another. And another.

What do you do?

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The tears of Blood was… actually fairly heartfelt and meaningful. Much tamer than he’d have expected as well, given the Crone’s reputation for blood magic…

All thought of which vanished on the breeze like so much smoke.

Carbon, butane, isooctane. He’d know those smells anywhere. Gasoline.

The worm bolted to his feet just as he saw the first red flicker.

“Is this part of the ritual?” he hissed at Silver, fervent eyes gleaming as they darted to and fro between the serene man and the distant flames. Gilroy didn’t wait for answer.

“Robert; Alice, start checking cars. Brake lines; explosives; trackers; any sign of tampering. Let the Clan know we are Brown; possibly Black. Stay together.” If this was an attack (and Kenneth was fairly sure it was), he didn’t know how coordinated it was but one thing niggled at his mind. Why start a fire in the distance rather than in the center of the Kindred?

Whirling back, this time to Katya. The closest thing he had to an ally at this meeting, outside the other Haunts.

“Do we defend?” he asked with urgent simplicity. It took him fighting down every instinct as it screamed in his mind to ask. He should just ran. Take his family and flee once they knew they could do so safely. Let the other predators with their naked Beasts die for all he cared. Or so the lesser mind would have him think. It was a struggle not to listen to its simple process. So rarely did it sound so logical.

But this was Harding’s home and seat of her faith. As her ally, he’d protect it if she asked, as he would hope she would if roles were reversed. Though he hoped it wouldn’t come to that in either respect.

Kenneth pulled his phone out his pocket. Ready to dial 911 if she said no. He stood hunched and twitching, waiting for her reply. If this was all a setup he would certainly look foolish but he didn't care about that right now.

[Robert Cross]

Cross is up almost at the same moment as his Priscus. He had been thinking...what had he been thinking? And then, suddenly, that smell, the sight of flames and sound of breaking glass. His thoughts raced, vague memories of billowing smoke and confinement in the flames. "The cars," he hisses, hoarse and primal, instinctively.

But then Gilroy is issuing orders. If Cross had a moment to consider it, he'd say this is why the Priscus has his loyalty. Swift thinking, clear instruction, no questions. Whether the Worm knows it or not, he is a true leader.

"Yes, my Regent," Cross answers with equal decisiveness.

His eyes dart to Alice, where she stands in the circle, and with a nod of his head he turns to move toward the conflagration, expecting her to follow (whether she does or not). Fighting back the Beast's rage and fear with every step.

Cross will move, cautiously, toward the disturbance.

[Robert Cross]

Note: I made an assumption in the last post that the fires have been set in the direction of the cars. If that's not the case, Cross is actually moving toward the vehicles as instructed. Just wanted to clarify.

[David Silver]

David turns from the ritual to the source of the flame, the source of assault on the Crone.

He steps away from the ritual circle as thoughts whirl in his head. A natural disturbance? No, the smell is wrong. Passerby? No, not this remote.
Crusaders.
He turns immediately to look at Gilroy, who has jumped up and begun issuing orders.
Perhaps not crusaders then.
"No Kenneth, we are under attack. I will be defending, and would welcome any aide provided tonight." David's voice is calm and steady but tinged with a fierce emphasis on defending. This circle was sacred for years. It would not be defiled like his temple.
Was it the Brood? Quite possibly. Regardless, the Crone was under assault, during the summer solstice no less. It was time to show the power of the crone in her defense. It if was mortal witchhunters, then they would all feast on death. If it were immortal ones, their deaths would be sacrifices for the Crone.
David begins marching forward, letting his bloodstained cheeks color him as he heads towards the disturbance.

David turns on his enhanced vision to see better

[Alessandra]

The serenity of the night was then shattered. Eyes quickly dart to towards the sounds as her body tenses.

When Kenneth mentions the cars, she closes her eyes and grits her teeth. Please not the cars, I just got it!

Opening her eyes once again and seeing David move towards the excitement, she will follow. He doesn't strike her as the type to fight, and if someone has done this, they might still be there. David had grown on her, and she won't let harm come to him if she can help it.

Her hands are clenched at her sides, ready to turn into weapons at any moment.

Ale activates Heightened Senses as well