Burning Man's Little Sister

[Cayce]

Sorry, wrong account

[Floki]

Floki was surprised by the blonde's immediate agreement, but followed after the dead woman with the glowing skirt without another word. Perhaps this one had had been trained for obedience in the beginning of her unlife. In her years walking amongst the dead, Floki had met many who were all too willing to crush others beneath the weight of their Blood, their Magic, or their gossip...

Still, the group of the dead waited ahead. It was possible that the man was simply their chosen Prey, but that seemed monumentally stupid to her, considering the small population of the festival. More likely he was like her, though she doubted he shared the same flat teeth.

Ah, yes, and he seemed to know her guide. Ashley, was it? And Blackbird, and Kara. She hadn't caught the painted man's name yet.

"It's true that I am her friend," Floki declared, her voice soft against the music, "if it's also true that we're all friends here. And it's good to meet you, Kara. And Ashley," a nod, "and Hrafn."

This last was said to Blackbird, a small smirk twisting Floki's lips.

"As for you," she continued, turning to Theo, "I'll trade you your name for mine. Unless you'd rather we make up names for each other, and then meet again, properly, at the Nox."

She paused, to see if there was any reaction for the others.

"I hear that's the place to go. At least, that's what they say in LA and San Fran."

[Ashley Cohen]

"Blackbird." Ashley parroted with a nod. "A pleasure."

When Theo mentioned the friend, or stranger, Ashley glanced back to the woman. The possibility of a breach was fleeting, as it seemed like her discernment of them all was guided by the same inner demons that drove the rest. Still, it was an interesting mystery.

With Kara's compliment, Ashley glanced down to the fabric, manipulating it with her hand. "This? I ordered it online." She lifted up her left foot, to the strobing LED soles. "These too."

When the mystery woman was mentioned once more, Ashley glanced back to her. Ashley was perfectly content with the façade of familiarity between the stranger and herself. After all, such a perception benefited introductions and Ashley was absolutely fine with that. If her guesstimate, of the stranger, was wrong , she could deal.

Ashley couldn't help but smile, hearing the mystery woman's words. She still held that mystery close to her chest, though it seemed to be to divine another mystery. Ashley didn't know the man's name either, having been wrapped up in other affairs. Ashley gave a smile to the stranger, impressed so far.

[Blackbird]

Blackbird shrugged to Theo's question, she didn't care what the group talked about, so long as it didn't turn into a pissing contest about lineages or privilege. Though she worded it differently:

"So long as I can speak normally and I don't have to remember your titles, I don't care."

I came here to relax.

Then came the compliments of her name and Kara's finger. Blackbird's body twitched lightly at the sight of the digit, but she refrained from a full recoil. Glancing up to the colorful Kindred, Blackbird's smile relaxed a bit. Either Kara was patronizing her or offering a light form of tease or praise. Blackbird felt it might be the latter. And even if she wouldn't admit it, she liked the attention. A little.

Then came the tall stranger's nickname for her, 'Hrafn'. The smile remained on the neonate's face, but her eyes narrowed in jest at the word. She had no idea what it meant, but could assume it was related to her name in some fashion.

Funny.

Nonetheless, Blackbird supposed she should find it endearing. This was the second time someone afforded her a nickname. She was 'petit oiseau' to Clara and now 'Hrafn' to this newcomer. In her mind, she must have made a good impression. After all, looking at the stranger, Blackbird figured that if she wanted to call her a bitch or a weakling, she'd probably do so in a language that Blackbird understood. She had that air about her.

Then the stranger mentioned the Nox.

You just got a lot. More. Interesting...

Blackbird was intrigued by the stranger and that much was clear in her expression. The neonate's eyes locked unto the strangers first and a smirk of her own danced at her lips. Tonight was going to be interesting. And Blackbird was one of the few that got to see it first.

A momentary nod was offered to Ashley as she spoke, "Likewise." Then the eyes went right back to their earlier fixation, studying the details of the new woman's face and, later, noting her attire.

[Floki]

"I'm disappointed, Theo," the rakish woman replied, her lips peeling back to reveal flat, sturdy teeth. "I was looking forward to getting another alias, but I'll survive, I suppose. I'm called Floki."

She crouched down next to the kindred sitting on the sand, her arms resting atop her knees, heels flat on the floor, looking comfortable as could be. It was likely innocuous to most, but to some, it was a sign of where Floki had once come from. Chairs had been a luxury.

How far she'd come...

"And no, I wasn't told who I should speak to. Probably some shadowy individual."

Floki's eyes drifted over to wear the glittering Kindred, Kara, sat, like a jewel freed from the embrace of the cold earth.

"I can sympathize with your reason for coming. I was having a grand time in LA, but unfortunately, I seemed to have made a few people upset. I spent a few years locked up," she explained, raising a fist to her chest, as though it held a stake, before dropping the hand.

"Seemed smarter to move on once I was set free. But what of you, Rainbow Brite?" Floki asked, though it was Ashley Cohen she was addressing. "As you said, it wasn't the shops that brought you here."

[Ashley Cohen]

Ashley's eyes were off to the colorful display on stage, the lights, the lasers, the liquid crystal display backdrops behind the DJs. "It is the State Capital, as quaint as it may be."

"Though here? Just a whim." Ashley's arms folded across her chest, as looking at the herd that lay between them and the stage. There was something nice about being lost in a crowd, such as this. "Seems like a rather good show, not disappointed."

[Blackbird]

Kara recieved a genuine smile from the young neonate. "Thank fucking god." There was relief in her voice. Happy to remain informal, Blackbird would lazily lay in the sand, digging her toes into it as she brought one of her hands beneath her head to allow herself. She was content to ride the wave of her buzz, minor as it was. "The Nox can be exhausting."

Glancing to the others, the neonate would first look to Theo, providing a soft smirk as he asked those assembled about her past. Then her eyes moved to Kara. It seems their circumstances were similar. Sounds like they ended on better terms though.

Then the stranger, Floki, spoke. The neonate would smile again, not bothering to mask her interest as Floki's tale simple caused it to increase. Simply put, Floki seemed of a physical nature, one which Blackbird herself was sorely lacking, but bore an interest in. Perhaps in time the shadowy woman would prove a useful ally, her temperament thus far suited the young vampire just fine. She loved mysteries.

Then Blackbird realized that, save Theo, she was the only one who hadn't shared. Theo was unlikely to share unless she did and, well, it was only fair. Blackbird's smile faded, just a little as she contemplated what to say. There was such a thing as oversharing. And showing weakness.

"I guess my reasons are, um... pretty close to Kara's. I mean I was with my sire before this, but it was time to go." There was a slight sadness in her voice, but that is all the little Daeva offered. Nonetheless, her tone suggested she chose to leave on her own. "When I said I wanted to leave, he suggested Sacramento. I think he thinks I'll go back, but there's no chance in hell that's happening."

After a pause, Blackbird regards the Herd in the distance, her smile returning to its previous prominence. "But here? I came here because its out of Sacramento, but not like, really out there. I needed the break... Seeing as I'm the youngest there as far as I can tell, the Nox and feeding grounds can just be suffocating a lot of the time." Then a glance to Kara and Ashley, "I think like I am here too, but... at least you guys aren't, y'know..."

True, Blackbird did not know how old they really were. They could be diablerists as far as she knows, but she erred on the side of caution, assuming the potency of their Beasts which had fomented fear and her own indicated greater age.