Where to Start
40717
THREADID
41
POSTS
21 - 30
DISPLAYED
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Prosper seemed focused on a novel situation for the undead experience: the lack of ability to indulge the senses. He's asking Mable what she does to feel comfortable with her Curse. He's asking if she's one of those 'Feral Gangrel' due to how she presents (detached from society/trying to re-enter). It's a blunt question, so he's trying to be nicer about it. The police addition seems pointless, maybe just for nesting the coded language?
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"Well, yes...ummm. The accident did transform my life quite a bit. But it was fairly easy going on me. The transcendence to a higher level of life was worth it all. I was pretty solitary even before the accident."
"Sometimes I do wonder why I decided to join the different clubs we belong to. I have never been a joiner. Seems like bad luck happens to anyone I get close to." She looks away trying not to remember.
Looking back at him. "I do work with the police sometimes. I am a forest ranger and work closely with all the pubic services in the city. It is a very collaborative effort. Means I get to have friends in high places, lots of them."
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Prosper taps his fingers along his glass as he listens, clearly not one to sit still for long. If Mable had shown any hesitation or confusion, he didn't seem to pick it up, "Well, it is good you found a niche that allowed you to empower yourself outside of isolation. We are stronger in groups once the nipping is over and done with. Family scraps happen, but we live long lives," he said, looking beyond the lights. Sometimes not. There was a reason the Savage didn't dive into the aspects of Protean like his cousins.
At the reveal that she was a forest ranger, he snorts a laugh, "Oh God. That actually is perfect; you found a way to be paid to stop people from ruining the environment? Better than eco-terrorism, I suppose," he chuckled before meeting her gaze again. A break was needed sometimes with the weight of her Blood pressing on his anxiety. Eye contact could transition to challenge in a blink, and Garrett measured when he played that game. "You have a personality that I would never have guessed you were a loner. The fact that you have made so many connections are a great asset that I am glad Sophia has rewarded. It is not easy for our people to maintain strong links and they take a lot of maintenance," he wiggled his phone, "This has double my assets. Way easier to keep things flowing than having to overcome your business partner a little offended that their primary shareholder could be your grandson. You have to win them over for them to talk to you, and then get mean for them to listen." For Feeding it was a boon, but in the world of Kine business, looking as he did, Garrett was always hammering at that road block. He blinked slowly as he regarded her,
"Did you know the person who brought you back after the accident?" To public ears he could be referring to a medical professional, or a Good Samaritan.
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Mable listened. Garrett was getting to know her, scary but necessary she reminded herself. "I had helped her briefly right before the accident. I was working one night in the woods. She stumbled upon me lost. I offered her a safe place til morning. We talked all night. Then the accident happened. We hung out for a little while as I recovered. Then she had other's to assist. And I continued my work." Mable shrugged.
"It's safer...Better alone. But I needed to follow my calling so here I am, trying to protect...the trees." She looks up at the stars. Feeling a light breeze she relaxes a little.
Looking back at Garrett, "How about you?"
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Prosper listened with interest. Mable's Sire sounded like a Serial Embracer, and she has spun creating more of their kind as 'helping'. He wasn't sure how working with the Domain helped her territorial stewardship, but it wasn't a curiosity to dive into in public. At her own return of the question, he gritted his teeth automatically thinking it was directed at his own Embrace circumstances. She isn't being rude, he chided himself. He erred on the side that the question was as vague and general as it sounded.
"I uh- grew up in Heidelberg. It is this reputable university town that is regarded as a scientific hub in Europe for its research facilities," he explained, still unsure if the city would mean anything to her. The history of that place was extensive from Luther defending his 95 Theses to the siege of the city and fall of Frederick V sparking the Thirty Years' War. And, you know, being the stronghold of the NSDAP, but he didn't care to think about that too much.
"I am not sure of your familiarity of the rise of Hitler. My family history was heavily impacted, though I feel they were unaware until the completion of the Thingstätte amphitheatre, and obviously Kristallnacht," he traced his hands along the edge of the table, skipping the details. The odd transition from 'history' didn't matter much to him, "For myself, I was volunteered for military intelligence on some operations I cannot talk about," he laughs, "You know how those confidentiality forms works. I can tell you I would be doing anything from negotiating passage through contested hot zones with the local powers that be, to guerrilla sieges that involved a lot of fire." They weren't above using Kine soldiers on one another either, but he wasn't going to get into that at a restaurant in Sacramento, not explain to Mable that it was the Circle of the Crone committing and receiving war atrocities at the Invictus' permission.
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Mable looked interested. Tilted her head, "Isn't there a castle by that name in Germany? The trees around it are so beautiful." Her voice wistful.
"Of course I know about the rise of Hitler. But I don't know anything about the thingamagig theater or the chrystalnight?"
"Military intelligence. Somehow that does not surprise me. And please no details. I have seen movies. If you told me you would have to kill me." She gave a little giggle, if nothing else it would seem like he was amusing her and flirting. "Please continue, I am finding this fascinating." And she was, she loved hearing about what happened places. How else could she learn?
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"That is the one," he said in regards to the castle. A sad smile at her assertion, "I did not mean to come off as condescending. I was more speaking of the finer details with the economic conditions of the country, the political atmosphere," he trails off waving a hand dismissively.
"Um- Kristallnacht marked the pogroms of the Jewish communities, where the authorities looked on without interference while paramilitary forces and average civilians rioted and destroyed structures tied to the people. That was one of the most open displays of ethnic cleansing with the amount of arrests sent to the concentration camps," he explained, oddly detached as if reading a weather report. The fact that she scoffed at his assumption of her lack of knowledge but also waved one of the most nightmarish events in his country's history left him unsure on what to broach from there, so he just left it.
"In regards to my military experience, we were an unwelcome presence, and thus had to walk a line of remaining valuable to not be ousted, not overstay our welcome, and secure our own outposts in enemy territory. I was not a smooth operation," his mouth twitched. "There was a reason I took such offense by Clay claiming that I have no experience in keeping people alive." Calling Prosper a coward and unwilling to get his hands dirty was a quick way to launch oneself up his shitlist.
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"Kristallnacht," Mable tried to pronounce it correctly, "Sounds horrible and sad. A lot like this movie I can't even try to watch called the Purge. I'm so sorry." She didn't know how he was connected but she was sure it wasn't good. "My roommate has told me similar stories based in Russia. I can't even imagine."
"Your military experience is also why you are so good at remaining calm and in control." Things were clicking into place a bit more for her. And how her decision was most likely the correct one. "Well, keep me alive and I will follow your lead. I see I have a lot to learn." Maybe she can learn how to keep people alive.
"So what can I do to help?"
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Prosper would have coloured with embarrassment if he were still alive. Mable didn't mean anything by it, but he felt foolish approaching such a complicated topic with her. His brow cinched, simply nodding as he poured himself more alcohol.
His attempt at laughing it off is stilted, "It should not be hard, you seem strong," she took down some Kine armed with Hunter weapons at least, and Alessandra hinted at her role in defenses. "Most of it is understanding what you are approaching. To be blunt, it fucking sucks going in blind. You do what you can to control the environment and tilt the situation into favourable odds. Politics is like a fun little mental exercise of moving pieces to create the reaction you are looking for. Bonus that no one dies, sometimes just social stings. When you asked at that first meeting about non-violent measures, for me my social engagements is how I lessen my boredom. Boredom usually means one starts looking for trouble. I am bad at sitting still," he says wryly. It was a nice way of dancing around PTSD and the sadism that the Beast needles into your actions, becoming more and more acclimated with age.
"Uh, help?" Prosper tilts his head, "You have been doing just fine so far. You are engaging in your talents with your position and forging a niche. Do you have any other interests besides your ranger activities and your spiritualism?" he didn't mean to take her practices with the Crone in such an umbrella term, but he honestly didn't know what else to dub it in public. "With my security side job, I will be sure to ring you when we need an actual officer."
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Mable smiled at the compliment that she was strong. "Because I am not good with words, I have been trying to say as little as possible. Seriously, it's just a fact with me that I tend to speak from the heart and people just either can't take it or don't understand what I am saying. I have noticed that in general, people put their own slant on my words. Like maybe they are twisting them to either suit their own purposes or just where their knowledge base is at."
"Okay, I know this may sound weird to a smart guy like you... but a lot of my understanding comes from watching TV and movies. These are my reference points because I spent so much time alone working in the woods." Did that all sound like a normal Kine thing? Mable didn't know but she took a sip of wine. It coated her tongue but she liked the kick tequila gave her whole mouth.
"Please do call me if you need help at anytime."
Hobbies? Interests? She chewed on her lip, it was an old response she had been able to maintain when she was thinking. "Well, TV and movies. I enjoy reality shows and old movies. I also like to go to the club and hit the bag or get a really good match going. I like to win." She got a wolfish grin at that thought.
"Sometimes I go into town to this cute coffee shop and do Karaoke. And I have started to do this thing Parkour. Oh and yoga." She laughs lightly at her weird hobbies.
"Is those the types of things you mean? I tend to be a workaholic so I have been making an effort to find things to blow off steam in a healthier way. I certainly don't want another issue of getting super frustrated and freaking out."
She tilted her head again, "And you? Do you have interests which help you to relax or blow off steam?"
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