Another Brick In The Wall?

The first word that comes to mind when visiting the Temple is 'raw'. When arriving through the main entrance, one directly enters the ritual room, as is usual with churches. There are several wooden benches around, and an altar at the far end. The walls are decorated (or 'decorated') by what remains of the graffiti crafted by previous occupants. There are hundreds of etchings on the altar, and upon closer inspection they are revealed to be the names of gods revered across the world.

But perhaps the most distinct element of the decor is the inscription painted in red, above the altar:

"THAT IS NOT DEAD WHICH CAN ETERNAL LIE/AND WITH STRANGE AEONS, EVEN DEATH MAY DIE"

A simple wooden table and two chairs occupy the center of the room, one of which is taken by Thomas, clothed in a plain dark shirt and slacks. Nearby, another table is set, with stacks of books and magazines on it. Most appear old or at least slightly used. The majority is perfectly mundane - religious texts, zines dealing with various kinds of magic... some, however, are actual occult tomes. The Acolyte is reading one of them, a leather-bound manuscript that's clearly seen better times.

If one wishes to breathe, they'd detect a faint smell of incense and sage. There's little light in the Temple, provided by several candles placed at just the right distance from one another to make the Beast aware, but not stir it to any... violent action.

@%1; Graham Finley

The exterior didn't quite make the impression that stepping in and seeing the small library afforded to Thomas and, presumably, the other practitioners of pagan blood rites in the city.
Graham can occasionally be cajoled into discussing literature as he is fairly well-read but his understanding of the mysteries and histories preserved by the Circle are beyond even his more than passing grasp of the occult.
So he was pleasantly surprised to see a Lovecraft reference in the midst of what he could only assume were grimoires bound in human skin. A bit of sardonic wit?
He was also put at surprising ease when he saw Thomas out of his courtly dresscode. He suddenly looked approachable - almost friendly, even - to Graham who was himself dressed in a more casual denim and leather affair.
With a smirk he broke the ice borrowing Thomas's familial greeting for his clan mate:

"Hello, cousin. I'll be honest, I'm not sure if there is some sort of hand signal or...passphrase I'm supposed to greet you with, Thomas. Or is it 'Haruspex,' when were in your element? Either way, I appreciate your invitation. Dig the place! it has a certain...je ne sais pas about it."

Making himself quite at home, Graham propped himself against a nearby wall - minding the candles as he did.

Graham's weak Beast prompts a bit of a stir in Thomas' own, but the familiarity of both locale and person makes it that much easier to deal with. The Acolyte Lord looks at ease when the Firebrand makes his entrance.

"Passphrase, ha!" Thomas looks mildly amused at the thought "No titles or honorifics are necessary. This is the Temple of the Forgotten, not an Invictus salon. By the way, that goes for the Farm and any future Circle property as well" He motions to the empty chair "Sit, if you want. We have quite a lot to talk about"

The Ventrue waits for Graham to take a seat, or refuse, before continuing.

"I don't know if you know, but you've been quite a spot of trouble for our Priscus. One of them, I might add, Lady Simmons has suffered some stumbles lately" Strangely, he doesn't appear to be overly concerned with that "But since you are here, I assume all's well between you and her. Have you settled in nicely within the city yet? Found a permanent haven, met the other Carthian?"

He took the seat when it was offered. The effort it took to goad himself into Thomas' vicinity was noticeable, but restrained. It wasn't like he found the other lord repulsive, just that his inner voice could vaguely hear the Acolyte's baying in the distance. Mental acrobatics settled easier when Thomas was speaking. Many points of interest! A spot of trouble? For Simmons?
Graham did absolutely nothing to conceal his delight; He'd return to that after answering the questions leveled at him. When he replied, he laughed at certain times, and sneered at others while he spoke, allowing his expressions to be read for the time being. It was only fair, an exchange for the apparent hospitality.

"Ah, thanks for asking. I have met Seth, yes. As to whether or not he is a Carthian remains to be seen. Anyone can say they are a part of something without actually being one. You know this well, I can imagine.
So far, I haven't ruled him out as a poseur. I'm hoping he proves me wrong in time. As for a haven, yes on that front as well. I've recently found more...permanent residence. Between you and me, I'd been splitting my time asleep fairly between the trunk of my car and an empty hot tub with the cover on.
But hey, I'm low maintenance. Now -"

Pausing, he produced a cigarette from one of his pockets. Just the one, remaining unlit. A sort of affectation he never lost, perhaps? He rested it on his lower lip.
His eyes had a mischievous gleam in their dark centers as they made contact with Boyle's -

"...Please, tell me all about the trouble I've caused. And, in the interest of being transparent, the trouble I haven't."

"I am not one to gossip" Thomas makes a coy smile "Which is why I am not the one to tell you, that it was brought to the Sheriff's attention, apparently by Arturo, that Priscus Simmons refused to acknowledge you. Hindering Acknowledgement is an offense according to the Law, you see. And what, if not that, was an established Invictus losing one's mind because of a bit of Carthian talkback?" The memory was still fresh in his head, as if it happened last night "So, the way Moretti sounded, she was treating it seriously, although I do not know how or if the matter was resolved. A stern warning, perhaps?"

Who could tell? At the end of the night both Moretti and Simmons were officers, it seemed unlikely a new arrival's comfort was a hill either'd be willing to die on.

"But that's not all. In April, the Nox hosted a Formal Court, during which Simmons updated the Prince on some kind of ongoing investigation. Apparently, they caught a prisoner they knew was under Vinculum, and Simmons tortured him for information" The Lord shakes his head, still not believing his Priscus could exert so bad a judgement "Not only has she failed, because of course she did, she described it in Court for all to hear, and even professed to drawing pleasure for the experience" Yes, really "Some of the more sensible individuals present politely pointed out the inappropriateness of what she's done. It was fun while it lasted..."

He makes a dramatic pause.

"Then the Prince stepped in, banging her fist on the proverbial desk and took away Moretti's Regency"

The story is chaotic, and purposefully so. Meant to convey the atmosphere of that fateful night.

"Those will kill you" He says, looking at the unlit cigarette "What, you never heard of lung cancer?" An attempt at humor. Graham seemed an easy-going person, harboring at least some collegiality towards Thomas, but tension is an inextricable part of two Beasts in meeting. It will take time to smooth it over.

Graham listened raptly, both eyebrows raised.
He wasn't privy to everything Thomas described, but he'd heard Harpy Simmons' own description of the events from her side...Well, as much of that field of view as she could grudgingly allow the young Ven to know. The last part about the monarch - This was interesting to him, a Carthian immigrant. His whole shtick in these contemporary evenings was to undermine fascist mindsets whenever and however he could. It blew dealing with that shit alive, and he was far from thrilled at the prospect of enduring it in death.
Perhaps the Unconquered were right in trying to keep him at a safe distance?
Time, and further discussion tonight, would tell.
The cigarette continued to dangle there, nearly forgotten until Thomas sniped him for it.

"HahaI Its funny you should say that. I had cancer once, actually. Bone, not lungs. But still -"

He plucked it from his mouth and examined it, holding it more in the light so that his companion could see it better. It was old; it smelled stale and looked like it had been wet at one time or another.

" - Nah, I don't smoke now. Haven't for a decade. I just...I carry it around because it reminds me that I'm dead, but was once alive. Alive but doing things to make my trip through life shorter. Out of carelessness. Out of youth. Out of sadness.
Sometimes out of joy."

He put it back where it was, letting it sort of dance while he spoke.

"And don't worry. You said at court my garter was safe with you, so you have my discretion should anyone ever ask how this young upstart came to know the things he knows. To be honest when I had my tete a tete with our priscus where she...graciously allowed me to move into the city, she told me that she had been outed voluntarily. I think her telling me was a way of trying to stay ahead of the whole fiasco, to prevent someone like me from finding out on my own and attempting to use it as ammunition. As if I would pick such a pedestrian subject to use against her."

He laughed, bemusedly looking at the ceiling.

"Ye of little faith, right? Anyway.
I know it was against the laws of the domain, you may recall that I'd said as much at that stupid fucking meeting when she slid me the clipboard. So I starved for a month for not eating ass on the first date. Color me unimpressed. Color me dark red though, hearing the rest.
So what's the angel here, Thomas? I enjoy your company, but I know that's not why you had me over, why you're strategically feeding me information. You obviously have my attention."

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-06-07 17:18:08		Thomas Boyle rolls 9 to Aura Perception (Int + Emp + Auspex + WP - 3 for subtle shifts in the mixtures of colors and patterns) (10 Again, WillPower)		1, 6, 7, 7, 8, 7, 4, 2, 1		1 success

As far as I can tell, Aura Perception is resisted by Res+Comp+BP, ties go to the defender

I rolled higher, but I think it would still be fair to say that Thomas at least perceives a faint, pale violet for a second or two.

  3 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-06-07 18:48:02		Graham rolls 7 to Res+Com+BP (10 Again)		4, 3, 1, 10, 10, 9, 1, 7, 2		3 successes

"Oh" Bone cancer? Is that the reason Graham is here? Was he his sire's servant, Embraced out of pity or as means of protecting an investment "All that sounds like a personal story, that is: my favorite kind. I'd be happy to swap yours for mine, if you feel like sharing" He's not going to force anything, however. The necessary trust may need time to grow.

"I apologize if you feel like some kind of pawn in my game, Graham" He says, in a moment of sincerity "But I'm not going to insult your intelligence by telling you there's no... angle, as you say. First, I wanted to get to know you better. No, really. Our Whip may be primarily concerned with his career, but I try to understand the people I'm likely to bump into often, so as to better help them when they need it... or request help when I need it" He says.

"Second, the Domain approaches a time of change. The excesses of the local Invictus are one example of it, but I am certain there's a lot more going on beneath the surface. What is happening with the Dragons, for example? What will Arturo Garcia do to get himself out of the Barrens?" Too many question, too few answers "The absolute worst that can happen is to be blind to the machinations, to be the object rather than the subject of the game being played" Yes, Thomas loathed politics. But if one needed to step into quicksand voluntarily to avoid being pushed into it...

"I am not talking about a revolution. I want to know what is happening, and I want to keep the Circle and the other underdog Covenants above water, with their voices heard. Thing is, I don't have the necessary cards, not when odds are stacked so heavily in the First Estate's favor. That said, I'm perfectly happy with Antinori on the throne if she tones her Covenant's bullshit down. It's a matter of policy, however, and you cannot influence a policy if you don't know it's there in the first place" Thomas is not a revolutionary - it's hard to be one, when you believe all things move in cycles. But if a window can't be opened, there may be a need to smash a wall down.

"That is my angle. Do you understand?"

Any scrutiny, mundane or otherwise, will reveal Thomas is being completely forthcoming in his statements.

"I'm sure there will be time for that later."

He said, as a counterpoint to the suggestion that they swap stories. He was not interested in showing all of his scars at the moment, for comparison or otherwise. Not that he was disinterested in hearing about some of the events that made the acolyte the kindred he was today. In fact the opposite was true;
Graham just wanted to focus on the intended purpose of this meeting for now due in part to the necessity of making the most of the precious few hours left in a Summer night.
A smile returned to his face, although it carried an edge to it that wasn't present before. It likely would have crossed into a snarl if his beast weren't so fearful. He returned to maintaining steady eye contact as he went on.

"No need to say you're sorry, Thomas. In spite of my less than sunny half of the family tree, at the end of the night we're still both Ven. And we're always either a pawn at one time or another, or we're not playing. After all - pawns on the other end of the board can become much greater than the sum of their parts. Who's to say I won't be playing a game of my own, given time?"

He allowed himself the sensation of inhaling. He winced at his ribs straining with the expansion of withered lungs. As he exhaled, a distant wheeze filled the moment of silence between thoughts.

"I do understand, is my point. And I am too new to the scene to claim that I'm much of a revolutionary myself. Prince Antinori has only left an...interesting impression on me, not a bad one. When I briefly met her the other night she was infinitely more welcoming that our Priscus was. Even after what I've heard from you and others, I still feel like I could speak my mind more freely in her majesty's presence that my supposed clan-mother in the domain. I wouldn't help you or anyone else dethrone her if you asked, not until she's crossed me personally. That being said...I am at your disposal. I had a feeling about you that very first court, when I mistook you for Keeper. Maybe you remind me of an old friend, or maybe I'm just a sucker for blondes."

The hardened aspect to his expression faded again. It was clear that Graham believed (or hoped) they were on the same side and was willing to take the risk that came with said notion.

"Did you have a starting point in mind? Other "players" on in your corner?"