A Need for Privacy

[Alice Hart]

"Cool. And thanks. Again." Alice's head bobs, a shorter more abrupt motion then her normal slow strings pulled jerk.

"I think...that I'm less okay with boring then I used to be. Before I had my books, and all the time in the world to read them, I used to buy snake food, rats to eat, and I was...content with that. Now though..." Now she had her Ghoul, her Herd, the Domain's nightly business to oversee.

"I'll do the same." Certainly they were both Court Officials, but their duties would call them away at different times, for different reasons.

"It certainly is." Alice agrees, not mentioning the horrors other Caldariums could hold. Not all of Clan Nosferatu wanted to climb above their Curse, some reveled in the filth, and the mire. Alice had been a guest to a Caldarium who's pools were not filled with the crystal clear waters, but blood, or pus or worse.

Alice nods, slow, jerking and strings pulled. Agreeing with what Ale had said.

"First time I met Konrad." Alice admits, it was true, and Ale had asked. But Alice would leave it at that. Her feelings for Konrad were sure to be different then her Coterie mate's.

"He was. It's one of the reasons I was drawn to the Circle. I wish I could pull that off, but I don't know if I even know how." A shrug, jerking and string's pulled. "Thank you." is all Alice says. Ale didn't need to know just how the Sister's Three had twisted and pushed her body, how they bled her dry just to hear admit to them her faith was false, but Alice uttered not a word to that effect. She believed, and eventually they knew that as well as she did.

[Alessandra]

There was a snort before she laughed, “Honestly, when I first saw you at Court, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. Nothing personal, but you seemed withdrawn and very unsure of yourself. But the way you’ve come into your own is great. I see a much more confident woman than before, and others see it as well.” Which could be part of the reason Asa made her Seneschal, he could have sensed her strength. “But I remember a time similar to what you mention. A time where I was content to just travel city to city, eating rats or other animals I could catch. Happy not to have to deal with others. But it’s a lonely existence and I think we both came to a point where we wanted more from our Danse. Do you miss your books? I mean, I know they make books for those without sight, but I was just wondering if it was the same for you. Believe it or not, I’ve read a few books in my time and with the technology, people have those e reader things. Which I personally hate, I’ve always loved the feel of real books, the smell of the pages.” She hoped Alice was still reading, it sounded like a thing she enjoyed.

“Maybe I can find a property with some type of lake or something on it. I used to love swimming, the weightless feel that the water gave me and the way you could submerge yourself and shut out the world. Well, for a few seconds anyways.” Though now it was different, she could stay submerged as long as she liked.

Oh, that was what she was eluding to. Konrad.

“Ah.” Was all she said, and there was nothing more to say about it. Alice didn’t elaborate and Ale wasn’t going to go there. Her issues with Konrad were not Alice’s, and it wasn’t her place to go off on her personal beef with him.

“Well, I’ve found our conversation thus far quite enjoyable. You seem to have a different way of presenting things and ideas than he did. Which is a good thing, cause you don’t want to copy what someone else does, cause then it’s no fun and boring. Now take how you presented what I did wrong and what the Prince had to say about it. You were quick and to the point, but very graceful in what you said. Not many can do that, I know I’m horrible at it!” there was a small laugh, “I tend to be more blunt and not concerned for feelings. Sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s not, but it is what it is. You need to give yourself more credit for how far you’ve come and how far you have yet to go. I know it’s hard to see the growth when you’re more concerned with how you’ve failed or how you could fail.” Alice was seeing a more caring side of Ale that not many had seen. And not many would.

[Alice Hart]

"it's still so strange to me...to think that I've become so different, confidant, and that others can see it too." Once upon a time she'd been a lost little girl, and now...now everything was very, very different. "Lonely, yes. I really was. Even when I first arrived I thought I'd only be here for a handful of months before I moved on, maybe get good points in my favor if I ever came back....even after everything, I'm very glad I stayed." Kicking her feet in the water. "I've learned to read Braille, and I've begun to gather my collection again, Lyssa's been translating those that we can't find....but it's different, and the same. I can still feel the pages, more so then I could, I can smell them. The words still take me away, allowing me to journey far and wide. I can dip my toes in whatever strikes my fancy....which is usually sometime light. Unlife, it's full of enough death and blood that I don't need it in my off time." Alice says with a hollow, if faux happy laugh.

Kicking her legs in the water, "I can tell you that having a place to just submerge yourself and just be. Can be a wonderful thing." But Alice is fairly sure she scared Lyssa half to death when the women came upon her at the bottom of one of the pools not breathing.

"Sorry." Alice whispers, apologizing for bringing him up.

"Me too. Not to say that I didn't expect it to be enjoyable, but I'm enjoying talking to you more then I have speaking with anyone in a long, long time." Alice tells the Savage honestly. "I...don't want to be anyone but me. That got me into a lot of trouble with my mom....how I got out of trouble, and what lead to my Embrace was me conforming, becoming the picture of what my mom wanted, a copy of all the other perfectly demure rich girls....I didn't like it. At all." Alice fall silent as she listens to the rest of what Ale has to say. "Thank you. I-I tried my best. I didn't want to dance around the issue, but I didn't want make it seem like it wasn't an issue too. I'm just glad I did alright." a hollow laugh, "Bunt...I've noticed, but like you said it can be a good thing, and a bad thing...maybe I need to learn how to be a little more blunt if I ever need to make a point absolutely clear."

Alice's head turns to 'look' at the Italian. Strangely, Alice thought of the paradoxical moments where Ale was softer then she normally was as a Mama Bear, trying to be delicate towards her cubs. A softness, only seen by them, and a roaring, mess of fangs and claws to anyone who dared threaten that. Alice was very, very happy to be the cub in that scenario even if that made her out to be a child.

"It's hard. To just look at things, I can see you and see how far you've come, but seeing the same in myself...its just...hard." A shrug. "I'll try, maybe I need to make a list or a chart or something to map it all out."

[Alessandra]

“Yeah, I get that. I wasn’t expecting to stay very long either. Maybe there’s something in the blood, making us want to settle here for a couple years or longer.” She says with a chuckle.

“But I’m glad to hear you’re still reading your books. It sounded like something that was really important to you, so glad you still have it. Has Braille been difficult to learn? I find it fascinating how it works, but suppose it isn’t one of those things you’ll never really understand unless you need it.” She hoped that didn’t come off as insensitive or anything.

Grinning, “Isn’t that the truth. I hear my Herd sometimes talking about a new horror movie and how awesome all the blood and gut are. I feel like saying…if they only knew what dealing with stuff was really like.” But whatever.

“I might call you up and ask to use the pools sometime. It must be a lot safer here than out at the lake. But that’s of course up to you and I’m not worried if you say no. This is kinda your place, your Clans place and I wouldn’t want to impose, or be somewhere not intended for others.” Maybe Alice would let her, maybe she wouldn’t, but she wouldn’t hold it against her if she didn’t. It could be a sacred place for Haunts after all.

“Sorry? For what? Mentioning Konrad?” why would she be sorry for that? “Don’t worry about it. My issues with him are mine and mine alone. I’d never ask or expect you to dislike someone simply because of my own feelings about them, not how I work. Please, always feel free to talk about who you want, it doesn’t bother me, really.” She knew he probably still had friends within the Domain, hell, someone tipped him about the Blood Hunt.

“And you shouldn’t be anyone but yourself, and never try and change to fit what someone else thinks is best.” Her mother tried to make her into a house wife who hosted charity events and kept her mouth shut.

“Well, the thing with being blunt is not everyone appreciates it, and it’s easy to make enemies and hurt feelings. But sometimes the situation calls for it and you have to not worry about hurting someones feelings.” It wasn’t for everyone.

Laughing, “Looking at yourself and seeing positive change is hard. We’re so used to seeing where we fail that it’s hard to recognize when we succeed. A chart huh?” she smiled, “Well, can’t say I’ve ever heard of someone making a chart for something like that, but if it works for you, why not?” some people were visual and seeing their progress made it easier to accept.

[Alice Hart]

Alice hums, nodding. She new there was a wanderlust in the blood of the savages, but she didn't think it was the same for Haunts. She'd moved, ran out of fear, and not for want of new environments.

"It was...interesting. Difficult, because I'm so used to reading with my eyes and not my fingers. It took me a couple months, but I did have some incentive to learn." She wanted to return to her books when Robert left, and she'd been made Seneschal as well.

The doll laughs, "Maybe you should! If they think all the blood and gore in movies is real, or if they don't think it's serious, because they've been desensitized because of the movie, they could easily get themselves in trouble." There was more then just vampires out in the night, and finding some hapless kine that thought they understood, but really, really didn't, was easily their favorite prey.

"As long as it's just me representing Clan Nosferatu, you can come here." Alice offers, even knowing that because of the Savage's Blood she wouldn't truly understand, or even experience the pure serenity that the Caldarium invoked in every single Nosferatu that stepped into the space.

"Okay." Alice nods, believing Ale. "I...I just didn't want to bring up any bad memories, or feelings."

Alice nods. Slow, and strings pulled, but there's a hint of a mockery of something heartfelt there. "I think...that after finally after a few years...I'm finally starting to get it. I just want to be me. Even if someone else doesn't like it."

Another nod, "True enough," Alice pauses trying to think of more to add, but couldn't.

A laugh, they were just talking about being themselves, "Apparently I have weird word choices, and a verity of other 'weird' things...why wouldn't I also enjoy making a chart?"

[Alessandra]

Shaking her head, “Oh I hope they don’t get themselves in trouble. It’s hard to find good Kine for a Herd, and I’ve worked hard to building some type of relationship with them that works.” Or maybe she was just too picky about her Herd. Whatever it was, she hoped they didn’t get in trouble then expect her to bail them out.

“Thank you.” And once that changed, cause surely another Haunt would come to the Domain, Ale would simply go to the lake. It just meant being a little more careful, which was fine.

Chuckling, “Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s all good.” It was simply respecting her Coterie Mate’s opinion, nothing more or less. And while it did stir up her feelings, she knew that those feelings would be there until she got her claws into him, and perhaps after as well.

“You can’t please everyone and not everyone is going to like you. It’s just how it is. Once you stop trying to make everyone you meet happy, things get easier. And in my opinion, if everyone likes you, then you are doing something wrong. It could just be me, but in my experience, there is always someone who is not going to like you for whatever the reason. Plus, people will try and walk all over you, thinking you are easy going and don’t like conflict. So screw em, be you and they can either get over it, or not, and then it's on them.” If you have enemies you were doing something right, least that’s how she saw it.

Laughing as well, “There are quite a few words I still find weird, and it could be me still learning the language and how to properly word things. Hey, if a chart works for you, go for it. I’m sure I have weird things I do or say, but I think being weird adds character.”

[Alice Hart]

Alice hums once more as she nods. "I hear you there." Alice had only thought about setting up her own Herd recently, and luck and the Gods would have it, Lyssa was the leader of a coven of kine women who thought themselves witches. It was simply perfict.

"No problem." It would be nice to have more then herself and her ghoul in here.

"Cool." another nod, Ale was being really cool about it, and with what she knew of the women, she wondered why she ever thought that she needed to step around the 'Konrad Issue'.

"That's what I'm coming to realize." She'd say it's taken her long enough to figure it out, but Alice was Embraced when she was twenty three, four years, even ones spent as a vampire, weren't all that much. Maybe it was only natural for to realize something like this now. "And, I'm sick and tired of people walking all over me. So. This is me, tell you and the world that I'm completely okay with making waves." the Haunt declares kicking her feet in the water to extenuate the point.

"Hmm, I forgot about that. I know that English isn't your first language, but, you speak it so well that it's hard to remember....and it doesn't help that sometimes my word choices are weird, so it would make it doubly weird for you, or anyone else who's English is their second or third or whatever language." Kicking her feet, "I'm a little weird, and I'll probably get weirder. But I'm okay with that. I'll have tons of character, and writing it all out will help me see. Er, you get what I mean."

[Alessandra]

Ale looks at Alice, really looks at her, when she talks about making waves. This wasn’t the same shy, hesitant Haunt she saw a year ago. “Good for you. I have to say, you are most certainly not the same Haunt I saw over a year ago. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees the change.” Obviously Asa had seen the strength in Alice.

Laughing, “Well thanks. I know my accent sometimes makes it hard to understand what I say, so it’s good to hear my English is improving. Though I still fall back into my native tongue every now and then, it’s not as often as it once was.” She hoped to never lose her accent, it was important to her. A part of her past that she could hold onto. “Hey, being weird is a great thing! If we weren’t all a little weird, well, we’d be really dull.” There was a chuckle, “And yeah, I get what you mean. Do whatever you need to do for yourself, screw what anyone else thinks about it.” While it was easy for her to disregard others opinions about her, she knew it wasn’t so easy for others. “Plus, if anyone gives you a hard time about it or anything, just send em my way.” There was a wink added, and she hoped the gesture would be expressed in her tone.

Did you want to start wrapping? We've covered a lot of stuff

[Alice Hart]

"Thanks!" Alice chirps. Or what would have been a chirp with anyone else's voice. For the Blind Haunt, it's packed full of false cheer. "I feel different...well. Sometimes...other times...." Alice trails off, either she really was different, or she was just a good enough actress to make even the Prince think she was competent.

"I like the way you sound...and I guess I'm used to it, to forget that English isn't your first language." Alice comments in the dark.

"Lyssa? A toast please!" Alice calls into the dark, pleased to hear the movement of her ghoul who understood what the Blind Doll meant.

"If I can't handle them, I will most definitely send them your way!" Alice says while kicking her feet in the water.

Alice falls silent as Lyssa contniues her task, Ale will see the women cutting open her wrist and filling two glasses with her blood. After banganging her wound, Lyssa brings both glasses to the women by the pool. First she hands a glass to Alice, then she hands the other to Ale.

"Thank you Lyssa." Alice's bone pale fingers wrap around the glass. "To being weird!" the Haunt says raising her glass to the air.

We have indeed covered a lot! Great Scene!