Secrets of Below

**Robert Cross** · May 2nd, 2017 03:45 PM

At Alice's admission, Cross lowers his head, seeming to stare at the scarred hands at rest in his lap.

He hopes that, to Longstreet, he seems to be respectfully letting the Seneschal unfold her tale of woe.

But, really, it's to hide his dismay: Why is she telling him this?

Yes, Longstreet is family. Yes, he is Cross's Brother in the Dark Faith.

But such information can be dangerous in the wrong hands. And no matter Cross's loyalties, his first allegiance is to Alice.

Finally, he looks up again: "You are not an animal." He says it quietly, but with firm conviction. "You made a mistake, that's all."

If it could even be called that. Cross has his doubts. But he's not about to contradict the judgement of the Prince and his Reeve in front of a newcomer.

May 3rd, 2017 05:13 PM

So this is why Alice had such a Lady Macbeth feel to her. Murder, remorse and the tentacles of madness: "all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand".
He wonders if her story will end just like in the play. Or if the other Haunt is Lord Macbeth in disguise, with how concerned he seems to be with hiding his eyes.

But the other piece of information is fairly interesting, too, so he decides to inquire about it first.

"Just how do you summon a Damned soul that had not yet fled the body? Did the Prince care to elaborate?"

And when all is said on that subject, it is time to cut the wire on the bomb. Having some more insight on the Seneschal's misdeeds can help - tremendously - but if the phrasing is not delicate enough...
And Longstreet is not exactly the most delicate person.

"The Beast, irrational as it may be, does not howl without a reason. What was it that night? Does this... person have any friends that might want to avenge her?"

He wonders if the Monster within took the opportunity and squeezed some more juice from the Pale Wraith's soul.

"I'm just glad that to hear that your sentence was so... lenient, given the circumstances. It speaks volumes of the innumerable things you've done for this city and it's inhabitants. Are you originally from Sacramento?" Diverting the subject might take some heat off him if he misjudged his ability at discreet questioning.

**Alice Hart** · May 4th, 2017 12:26 AM

Tilting her head towards Longstreet, "By being a Daeva. While we make kine and kindred alike flee, they to the opposite." At least that's Alice assumption anyway.

"A very stupid mistake." She wasn't calling herself stupid (again), but it was close. "No. She wasn't well liked, and around when she was desiccating, the rest of the Carthians seemed to disappear....and that night, she called me with information on the Brood. But she really wanted to try and puppet me around, but also wanted me dead. My ghoul dead, and the Reeve dead. Then she'd desecrate our graves...and she'd get away with it, because she could easily blame the Brood, and the Prince wouldn't dig deeper. Because he needed her."

There's a moment of stillness, where if she still had eyes, they would be rolling.

Lenient? In a way, yes. In others, the Wraith thrashes, and her fangs itch, she'd need to head out soon or she wouldn't have enough in her to rise. "What, exactly do you think my punishment is?" Alice didn't think she mentioned it, but with how unrelenting the Hunger's gnawing was, she might have. "No, I've only been in Sacramento since the January before last." Again, something she believed she mentioned, but perhaps that was only in her head, or maybe to someone else entirely.

**Robert Cross** · May 4th, 2017 08:41 PM

Cross has heard the story of Bea's demise before. Has gone over the facts himself again and again. But it still stirs his Beast to hear Alice detail the Carthian's threats. Still makes him wish he'd been there, if not to stop what had happened, then to help...

"Bea got what she deserved." It's out of Cross's mouth before he can stop himself. Perhaps to hide his anger, he stands and moves a little further into the shadowy recesses of the Caldarium.

Anyway, it's the truth. And if anyone would like to try avenging the bitch, Cross would be more than happy to...dissuade them. In any case, it's good that there seems to be no one in the deceased's corner. One less problem.

Cross turns to face them again, from his new position. Longstreet's comment on the leniency of Alice's sentence draws a searching look from the Burned Man. It's not exactly aggressive, but there's a certain intensity to Cross's gaze.

Lenient? She shouldn't have been punished at all. A sentiment that is best kept to himself.

Instead, he moves on to the next topic of conversation: "I arrived shortly after her," he adds. And how much has changed since then? Strange how a year can seem like an eternity to a creature that's literally stuck in time.

May 6th, 2017 03:41 PM

Good Lord in Heaven, what was Alice not telling him? Daevas were enticing, yes, but to pull someone out of hiding just like that... it seemed to be impossible even for the most potent of Succubi. Or was it?

"Am I wrong in assuming Twist is not the only Daeva in Sacramento? Why her, specifically? And besides, is the power of her Blood so great that she can pull the city's sworn enemy from under the ground?"

Then, as the Seneschal describes her motives for ending Bea's unlife, he comments, strongly surprised that anyone, even a Carthian, would be this stupid.

"Damn. Seems like she had it coming. Sounds like a good reason to bend the Fifth Commandment, if there ever was one. And judging by the impressive bucket list she established, I think it's safe to say she would be ash anyway by now."

He feels the tension rising, both inside Alice's porcelain body, and in Cross' dark gaze. He could forsee as much. It was a delicate topic and a not-so-delicate comment, but if their previous talk had any effect, he only hoped it was that of establishing a link of understanding and non-aggression, however fragile. Forcing himslef to cough, as if to collect his thoughts, he finally answers.

"I don't know what your sentence was, exactly. But you are still here, with no stake through your heart, and still Seneschal. That's more than most would hope for, had they thrown an Acknowledged vampire into the maw of Final Death, however disliked the victim was. One can only assume that you earned such leniency with your deeds, that's all."

**Alice Hart** · May 6th, 2017 06:39 PM

"You are right about Archon Twist not being the only Daeva, there is her Clan Whip, Vivian York. This should have been in the binder I gave you, near the end detailing the officers of the Court, Can Prisci and the like." Honestly the only ones that aren't in those back pages are the newest arrivals, though she needs to get them updated since Ale has given Wood control of Clan Gangrel. "The Royal Archon's tenure in this Domain matches the Prince." which really should explain a lot. "And since His Grace suggested her, I assume she's mastered Majesty." which is the only thing Alice can think of that would be relevant, "Or she's discovered some Devotion that would summon Dirge."

Alice nods, strings lull before being snapped taut. "She did. Though, if I did things differently my ending her would have been sanctioned." but she didn't, and now she has a lesson that the Wraith imprints again, and again, and again with every single thrash.

"I understand, if I wasn't established, I wouldn't have found myself in the position I was in when Bea accosted me, but if I somehow was, I would have ran. Because I know I would have been ash otherwise. Now, the Reeve is my Coterie mate...and 'we are not above the Laws'. She laid down my punishment in front of the Prince. It might be lenient to some, but it's fair and fitting. I fell to Wassail, so in punishment I may not find succor from my Herd, nor my ghoul, and I am limited to hunt in the Barrens." hear that Bishop, you're across from a starving vampire. "If I fall to frenzy again, no matter of fear, or hunger or rage. I will be nothing more then an animal, and I am certain I will be put down like one." Alice lays this down as if she were recounting the weather.

**Robert Cross** · May 8th, 2017 08:15 AM

The Royal Archon. A terrifying figure by reputation. And from all available evidence, her reputation is well deserved. Cross had seen her in action only once, and only briefly, but it was enough for him to know that Twist should never be underestimated.

Cross grunts his agreement with Alice's take on Twist's capabilities, "The Archon is, I'm sure, able to do a lot that would surprise us." Perhaps Longstreet will catch the message Cross's tone is trying to convey: Do not, under any circumstances, fuck with Her Grace.

"If the Prince says she can, then I would assume that she's more than capable of summoning Dirge, or any one of us, into her presence." The prospect is terrifying: one night you set out, not knowing why, into the darkness. Only to find yourself in a place of Twist's choosing. Confronting that elder Beast. It's not hard to imagine how such a meeting would end.

Cross's eyes focus on Alice as she explains her punishment. He's heard this before and sees no reason to add his thoughts on the matter. Needless to say, he disagrees. This is not a democratic system after all. The laws were not voted on, enshrined by popular will. No. They are followed and maintained because the Prince commands it. And, if the Prince, wishes, they can be ignored.

But Asa hadn't wished to suspend his laws in Alice's favor. Hadn't moved to spare his Seneschal punishment. And that tells Cross all he needs to know about their sovereign's inclinations toward Alice. They can't trust in his goodwill.

"Anyway, it's over," Cross says after Alice is done detailing her sentence. "We've just got to get you through it now."

May 10th, 2017 03:51 AM

The Reeve and the Seneschal are best coterie buddies? Well, that explains a lot about Antiniori's concrete-melting tone when she was threatening to eviscerate Longstreet at Court the other night. In a democracy such relationship would probably be considered a conflict of interest when levying punishments.

Good thing that the All-Night Society is nothing close to a democracy.

"I see. Let's just hope that if the Archon actually performs the summoning she will leave some work for us when getting to the shredding part." He never took the Daevas for fighters, but apparently, if you exist long enough you can surpass your Clan's stereotype. Longstreet hopes that when the action starts, he will be in the Archon's corner.

But the Prince figure was quite mystifying. He's barely spoken at Court (which was surprising) and not a word to the new arrivals (which wasn't). Besides, the Dragons rarely assumed official leadership positions - at least that's what he's heard.

"The Prince... Asa Clarke, yes? He's quite the mysterious man. I have to say, Dragons in positions so high are a rarity. Is he the original Prince of Sacramento?" Could be, the River City is not that old, at least by vampire standards. "And what's the story with banning the Kallisti? How did they step on Clarke's toes? You know him longer and better than me, is there anything I should avoid doing or saying when around him? Apart from the usual?"

**Alice Hart** · May 10th, 2017 01:23 PM

To Robert's words on Twist, Alice nods. The Daeva might be slight, delicate even, but that women scared her more then anything she'd seen save the Prince himself. "She will, or I assume she will. It's been a while since anything truly exciting has happened in the Domain that she's been apart of," Yes, Alice is saying that Twist would help because she's bored. "I'll have to speak to her." hear that Robert, Alice could just up and talk to the Prince's Hound. It was still weird and freaky to her too.

Alice hums, a hollow sound. July. The word reverberated through her being. July. The promise thrummed like a heartbeat. July. Then the gnawing, twisting gut wrenching hunger would be blessedly gone.

"The Prince?" Alice's attention returns to the cold gnawing reality, instead of the bloody promise of soon. "His affiliation with the Ordo is fairly recent, a half a year or less. Before that, he lead the First Estate." though that anyone, didn't know that still seemed strange to Alice, but as it wasn't really talked about Alice shouldn't be surprised. "He is not. There have been several other Princes." If there is one thing she remembered from the now inaccessible Annals besides memories of the harrowing night she and Robert discovered more about why her eyes turned to ash, was a few details of the Domain's history. "I don't know the full story, I don't think anyone here really remembers what happened besides His and Her Grace. But the Kallisti are called Ravagers for a reason."

**Robert Cross** · May 11th, 2017 11:09 AM

Cross is struck dumb for a moment. Asa has left the First Estate? It seems impossible to the Burned Man. That the Prince would remain with the Invictus has always been fact to Cross. Full stop.

Change, indeed. Isn't that what the Dragons are always on about? Though he has to wonder just how much this would change the domain, in the end. After all, the Prince will remain the Prince.

"I'm not sure about the Kallisti thing. But I do know this: never use the term Sheriff when addressing his Reeve. Just...don't." And while you're at it try not to look into those eyes, Cross adds silently.

"Really, my best advice is that politeness is prized by His Majesty. Stay respectful. Stay discreet. Do what he asks. And things should go smoothly." Or at least you won't end up ash. Maybe.

Cross is uncomfortable offering much else. Truth be told, he's had very few opportunities to speak to the Prince. Which is just fine by him.

Secrets of Below

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