Cassandra couldn't help herself as she cackled outside Asylum. Like the letter the Irony wasn't lost on her. Even the voices were laughing in chorus with the Ventrue.
"I'm taking myself away." She declared before she managed to slip past security and make her way inside. Tonight she was dressed in a purple t-shirt, a slightly dirty old fur coat that was stashed in her backpack for some time, a small black beret, a black skirt and boots. It was about as co-ordinated as she could get considering her tastes and limited wardrobe.

Where does the other lurk? Hiding in bushes or-Dancing in the sky on top of your head?

Victoria was once again walking the crowded club. She was dressed rather conservatively for the club wearing a skin-tight pair of black PVC pants, some matching boots, and a white blouse unbuttoned to subtly showcase her generous assets.

Then suddenly her inner-wasp was whipped into a near frenzy when her eyes fell on a new arrival to the club. It wanted to tear and rip and shred the new woman making her submit. Fighting back the desire she made her way over to the woman.

"Good evening and welcome to the Asylum. My name's Miss Victoria Stamford and you would be?"

Cassandra nearly started screaming at the top of her lungs in horror of the approaching monster. The voices shouted and clawed in her head as she took a step back, fingers pulling at her red hair while she slowly came to her semi-sense.

"Cassandra..." She finally said as her eyes locked onto Victoria. There was confusion as she tilted her head to the side. "...Do you hear buzzing? Wait. Nevermind. Yes, Cassandra is thi-my name." Obviously she was trying hard to act normal in a room full of Kine.

Victoria's smile froze on her face at the word choice of the woman's inquiry. There is no possible way she could know. I'm just reading too much into her word choice.

Her face retained a painted on smile that her eyes did not return as she responded to Cassandra, "No I do not." She then changed the subject without pausing, "I received your letter. Come I believe one of the back rooms is empty. Why don't you join me?" Her last sentence was clearly not framed as a question.


"From back and beyond we go." Cassandra replied with a wicked smile on her face. She seemed excited to be alone with this older predator.

Twists in the wind-snaps like a twig. How minds as souls casscade intp nightmares.

The more she heard from the woman the less she wanted to do with her. Victoria turned and escorted the strange woman to one of the back rooms she mentioned. She opened the door and led Cassandra in. Following behind them is a large man that says nothing and is dressed as a typical sub complete with leather mask. Victoria obviously notices the man and says nothing.

Inside there was a seating area on one half of the room with sofas and chairs and on the other half the room was set up with the tools required for a private play session at a club of this type. Victoria pointed to a seat, "Please be seated," she said before finding a seat herself. The man takes up a position along one of the walls staring strait ahead. He seems oblivious to anything around him.

"So how long have you been with in the city? Are you acknowledged yet?"

Cassandra took a seat directly across from her, fingers tugging at her hair while her eyes stared at all the little toys Victoria had set up. "This one? Only a little time. The Mother of Monsters said she was trying to guild the city to acknowledge her adn that she may take what few offerings the land around her can provide but not of human stock. this I waited, but initiative on this ones part is needed when dark times spread across the city and smother it. Don't you agree?"

*What was wrong with this woman? She can't even string together a normal coherent sentence. Was she that far gone?*

Victoria was certain she understood the jist of the message, however, it took some effort on her part to pick through the strange speech. There was almost an ordered sense of chaos to it. She did recognize the Mother of Monsters title from her correspondence with Circe.

"Yes, quite. It is good that you saw fit to seek me out, I appreciate the courtesy. I understand that you spoke with the Hierophant concerning acknowledgment. Did she already explain the rules of the domain to you?"

Victoria fought back the intense desire to add, *would you even be able to comprehend them?*

Cassandra turned her head to Victoria and gave her a hard look that almost said *Are you daft?* She faced forward, tilted her had back and intoned the Princes laws back as far as she could explain. Her voice screeched at points and monotone or excited in other parts, but other than that it was a perfect rendition of the laws as explained to her by Circe.

Clearly insanity didn't destroy her ability to remember.

There was a slightly smug look on her face as soon as she turned back to Victoria. "Does that satisfy?"

Victoria gives the woman an icy cold glare. "I have been more than patient in dealing with your eccentric nonsense. You were asked if the Hierophant had already spoken to you concerning the laws of the domain, not to gape like an imbecile and recite them to me. Anyway, as the Hierophant as spoken with you and accepted responsibility for your actions until you are formally acknowledged by the Prince we can move on."

She paused a moment before she continued, "Furthermore, since you have already noticed the clan missive you will be expected to abide by it. In addition to that Acolyte Obsidian will be present in any of your formal dealings with me in the future, this of course excludes any functions of a strictly social nature, such as a chance meeting. While you are here, is there anything further that you wish to discuss with me, or information that I should know concerning you as your Priscus?"

"Thats what this one said before?" Cassandra replied with mild confusion, with just a hint of "weren't you paying attention"

"This must be asked, what plans to do have of gulding the Lords of this city?"

She would have been lying if she said that Cassandra's question was expected. It was difficult to tell from the woman how much of her behavior was an act, what manner of mental faculty she possessed, or how truly insane she was. This woman also appeared to be more interested in the clan and politics than just about all the other Ventrue at the meeting. Victoria did not know whether she should laugh or cry.

*No harm in telling some vague details of my plan to see what she does with it.*

Victoria's glare softened from menace to merely an emotionless mask. "The Prince currently does not consider many Ventrue in the city worthy of the blood. As I myself am more recently arrived to the city than him, and my only contact with many of the clan was our family gathering, my first impression is that I agree in his assessment. I'm currently assessing each individual and will plan to implement a retraining regime that is currently being finalized. The scope of this plan will depend on my personal impressions of each person's ability. It appears that many will be relearning lessons that their sires should have properly taught them. Those found in need of 'special' attention will quickly find their privileges restricted." She said mater-of-factly. It appeared from the way Victoria spoke that Cassandra herself was not currently in said category of Kindred. She folded her hands on her lap and waited to see how the woman would reply.

Cassandra actually seemed focused on each syllable, slicing it up in her mind and looking at it with hungry eyes.

"So...Ours of blood are missing spines and reduced to Whelps? That is unfortunate. When sires fail, others come to bring tribulations and lessons until they learn. One that I know too well from the Goddesses watchful gaze... There was a pause as her hand reached for her chest. through the screams and twisted visions she could see the sort of person she was before her mind gave itself in. She shook her head and focused back on the Priscus "But there are more questions from this one. What Lord shall be the one holding the whip and carrot to force the Whelps to earn their worth? And more importantly, what side of the line you have drawn in sand does this Seer stand in? The Whelps so weak or the Lords so strong?"

Victoria gave no outward sign acknowledging Cassandra's little episode. She addressed the woman like she had seen nothing to be concerned about.

"It will likely be a joint effort between Joseph Hartman, the clan whip, and myself. Paladin Wells has also expressed an interest in assisting when it does not interfere with the duties of her church." She paused appearing in thought concerning the woman's last question before she continued, "I do not know you well enough for form a final opinion. You have not done anything to warrant placement in the nursery with the 'children' yet. So I am inclined to believe that you may hold some potential not readily apparent. Do you have any goals for yourself? Where do you see your self in the near and distant future?"

"Paladin..." Cassandra hissed, almost as though she tasted venom. "I see...As for this ones future? She came to help the Crone of this city against the things that worm and seek to destroy us after the Goddess showed this one the danger in the daysleep. When the horrors are all but extinguished, this one will continue following the Crone of this domain with feilds of ghoul plants...And perhaps control and reap harvests of the art here. Paintings, Sketches and things of the soul hold dear to my heart, I would hate to see the blind and foolish mishandle such beauty..."

Victoria repressed the urge to smile at the effect Ms. Well's title had on Cassandra. She listened with interest at what the woman said. She did not understand what was meant concerning dreams, but she did have aspirations. That was a welcome surprise.

She nodded in approval before she spoke, "I wish the others took their role in the city as seriously as you seem to. Many could learn a lot from your attitude in this. I myself enjoy art and performance and can see its seduction. I must admit I do not know much concerning the Circle, but your goals sounds like an excellent way to explore your own path and gain recognition in the Covenant all at the same time."

"Creation runs deep with us. This is one way to show your souls darker intents." Cassandra saw with a smile while pulling at some stray hair that snapped away into stray threads in her hands. "This one has some with the chorus and other acolytes through her rituals. Spotted ways to kill worming things out to destroy our blood."

*Not to bad. In the city for a shorter length of time than me and she is already getting her feet wet. She must be referring to this lost nights I've heard about. Worm creatures attacking kindred? Lovecraft would be proud, we even have the required eccentric that saw too much.*

"I'm certain that your revelations to aid in the destruction of these menaces to the domain will not go unnoticed. Have you always been a seer from your first nights or was it something that came to you later?"

"This one? She has always seen glimmers of thing yet to pass. Even when this body struggled through life, black pictures ran rampant in shallow dreams, but her mind was clear...Until her creator came and smashed her mirror and saw nothing but horror, darkness eternal." There was tremors in her voice as it started reaching a crescendo. "Her maker, he hated what he made. Affront to his god! Burn its bones! Let it screaM in oblivion! Her voice then started to soften, getting calmer. "But the goddess and her children came and took her into shadows...Where she remains with the dreams darkly while the maker was torn asunder."

Victoria gave no outward sign of what she thought of Cassandra's little outburst. However, she did give the impression that she was carefully listening. The tale sounded like it had played itself out many times over the course of history with only changes in cast, well minus the part about the insanity that is. She imagined that more sires tried to eliminate undesirable results than kindred dared admit.

*So she was rescued by the Circle from her sire while her sire ended up the one being destroyed. Why does it bother me that she is starting to make more sense to me and I'm able to pick out what she says.*

"Sounds like you were most fortunate to find those who cared enough to come to your aid during such a difficult time. So what made you chose to leave them behind and come to Sacramento?"

Cassandra tilted her head to the side, eyebrow arched. "Repeating this shard. The goddess showed her in dreams about the growing darkness in this place and its stranglehold on it all. This one came to help."

Victoria smiled as the woman mentioned she was repeating herself. "That was repetition wasn't it? Terribly sorry about that." From the tone of her voice it sounded like she was not apologizing, but pleased with the woman's answer. "So did you have any further questions?"

"More? This one has what she can gleam for now in the broken verses that sing...But will this one feast on proper heartsblood or must the four walkers do until the emperor-king calls us all?"

"If the Hierophant instructed you to stick to 'four walkers' then perhaps it is best that we abide by her wishes for your solo hunting. If court takes longer to come around than I anticipate come see me if your having problems finding enough to feed on, I will make sure that you are set up with something. Oh and I know I said that Miss Obsidian would be in attendance with any meeting between us, but I don't feel that will be necessary at this time."

"Well, if that is all I won't keep you any longer. Thank you for stopping by. I have found our converstion most illuminating."

"This one will wait 'till the king calls and sweeter blood can fall on her tounge..." She said in a way that pretty much summed up her dissapointment.

Cassandra stood up and gave Victoria a confused look. "Who are you talking to? This one is already gone." She mumbled as she started making her way out of the room. "Buzz buzz hiss hiss. Buzz buzz hiss hiss."

Victoria watched the woman walk out. She was certainly the most far gone of Lord she had ever met or at least an expert at acting like it. Cassandra seemed to have more than enough upstairs to keep her on the strait and narrow, the hardest part would be avoiding a potential black eye to the family's reputation.