A Haunting Return

[Alessandra]

An Uber had been sent to pick Alice up, it really was a convent service. Even though she was excited to see Alice, a lot had changed. A lot. And had Alice changed? Had torpor affected her mind? Seemed she would find out.

She had made sure the other office doors had been closed. Her door standing open, soft music coming from inside.

The center of the room contained a desk that was a rich dark mahogany. It was large enough for her to work on multiple things, but not too large to overshadow her.

The butterflies were placed here and there, adding her own unique style to the room.

On the desk was the standard items on it, papers, small lamp, a computer. There was also a tall glass dome. Beside the glass dome was another one, this one held the same brightly colored butterflies, but had a darker, sinister twist to it. There was a skull in this one, with the butterflies placed artfully around it. Another skull with butterflies on it was placed on a shelf behind her.

There wasn’t really art on the walls. But there were shadow boxes placed around the room with various colors of pinned butterflies. Some blue, some green and some a mixture.

Maybe not something you would expect from the Savage, nor would many expect or know that she pinned them herself. Next to cleaning her guns, it relaxed her.

Playing softly from speakers placed around the room was Beethoven.

On one of the shelves sat two vases, no flowers in them, but they were filled with an ashy substance.

The wall behind the seating area had a new painting on display, called A Witches Sabbath. Which had only recently arrived.

Two chairs sat in front of the desk, new chairs actually. They looked quite comfortable, but the selling point for Ale? They were skulls. There was also a seating area was set in one of the corners. Which had two chairs and a couch around a coffee table. There were lamps on that offered a soft and comfortable glow, nothing too bright.

Leaning against the desk was Ale, Cain ever present at her side, head on his paws. Appearing to rest, but his ears gave away how aware he still was, always listening, always ready.

The Savage was casual in a sheer gray colored loose shirt. Her long hair was down and her Beast was ever present.
Alice Hart Saber Sloth

[Alice Hart]

Lyssa was at her elbow, unseen by the Haunt, devotion shone bright in the ghoul's hazel eyes. Pleasure thrumming in her heart, with every delectable, tantalizing, pump. Alice wasted no time in securing her ghoul to herself once she could think beyond the hunger.blood.need.

While the women kept up a commentary, Alice listened with only half an ear as they were driven into town. She had lost a whole year. More, in truth. Nearly two. While that wasn't over long to some. It was to the Doll. Days and weeks and months were all things valid, used as a measure of time. If she thought ahead, in wasn't longer then less then what she had lost.

Did people discover Asa's leave taking? Was the Court hiding it still, hoping that the man was return with no one else the wiser? How large was the Domain, there would be new voices to learn, new monsters to put in their place, but who would be left. Who would she remember, did something happen to Robert? Had something taken him, so Lyssa had taken her...?

What happened to Dirge?

Obviously something had. That battle was why she had been rent between competing jaws. Ale was okay. Safe, still had an office, even if it had moved....

Alice shakes her head, feeling the twitching, jerking movements. Stepping out of the car, Lyssa already directing her to the back entrance. There was really only one way to find out.

Lyssa had placed her in purple. Some, summer hue. Because it was summer now, not winter. The Solstice had passed her by once (twice) again as she slumbered. Flats, and a matching pair of sunglasses. Amethyst like her once eyes had been. In her hand her cane. Wavering in front of her, more as a disguise then for her to manage her environment.

With ease and memory, Alice finds the stairs, and descends.

The primal pulse of the nightclub's music fights against the softer lines of the classical piece that Ale had playing. A siren song for the Morlock to follow. Lyssa's commentary picks up again, as they approach. Telling Alice, where the new office was....what the interior looked like. The care and effort put forth. Something Alice would have loved to imagine in shapes and colour. If she wasn't frozen in place. Ice and water. A frozen fire, creeping up her neck, the Wraith's fangs clamped upon her neck, her vertebrae popping, as she fought to stay. Never mind moving forward.

She needed to run, and run and run. To never look back. She wouldn't just sleep through what this monster could do to her, she didn't want to wake only to die.

"Ale?" Alice asks, voice small. Weak. Faint. More like an echo of an echo, then something that came from the throat of a girl stood in the doorway. "Is that, is that you?"

[Alessandra]

As the pale wraith entered, wearing purple, a nice color on her, Ale knew it was really her. Her pale beauty unchanged. But what of the quiet Beast that lay within?

Pushing herself off her desk, she offered a smile and nod to Lyssa, even though she wanted to rend the woman. She was the one that took Alice. Took her friend. Without a note or reason. But she hid her feelings for now.

Cain stood, and sniffed, Alice and Lyssa were new.

The smile softened, “Hello Alice.” Says the Italian, “It really is me, in the flesh so to speak.” She doesn’t approach, but motions to the seating area, looking to Lyssa, “Did you want to sit so we can talk? We have a lot to catch up on.” Was the Savage being cautious? Absolutely. Torpor fucks with a Kindreds mind, and she didn’t know in what state Alice’s was. “There’s been some changes.” she moves towards one of the couches, Cain right on her heel, "But tell me, how are you?" when she sits, he does as well.

[Alice Hart]

Peace in oblivion. Freedom in terror.

Alice repeats to herself, a mantra steady as a beating heart. Steadier, for a heart could fail. Alice moves a bone pale, bloodless hand to her chest and presses down. It's nothing like the pressure of the Weight. But this almost, and the writhing terror of the Wraith it was closer to acceptance. Epiphany, reverence.

Alice hears the nails on the floorboards before the scent of dog enters her nostrils. She takes a step back. Remembering the gnashing teeth and tearing jaws. The slobber and the howls. She meets Lyssa'a warm body and forces the words into her mind.

"A..." she starts, stopping, "Dog. You, have a dog?" she hopes she does not sound a pitiable as she thinks.

Knocking her cane against the doorjamb, Alice gains a small awareness of the room. Even as Lyssa attempts to direct Alice to the skull chairs. Alice finds the seat. Plush, comfortable, new.

"Thing are certainly new, yes." said, as she dismisses Lyssa. The women who stole her away. An investment, a disciple. An aid, and more. Alice didn't know what this meeting would bring, but. Alice knew Ale once set her to torpor, without Alice fighting it, yes, but with Lyssa absconding with the Doll, Alice, knew that anything that might lead to that, wouldn't be...agreeable to her ghoul, and time and time again, Alice knew she didn't want to kill her. "I'm....confused." she settles for. There were many reasons for her confusion. It was a...safe answer.

[Alessandra]

It hadn’t even dawned on her about Cain. Dirge’s own hounds had sent Alice into torpor, and here was Ale, with a hound of her own.

“I should have said something sooner. But yes, Cain. He’s an investment, someone I can always have at my side. A necessity.” Protection for when Twist couldn’t be there. “I’m sorry." she could offer to send him out of the room, but she wasn't sure about Alice yet.

Even though she knew Alice couldn’t see it, the Savage nods her head, “Very new. Things in the Domain have changed.” She begins. “But lets talk about you. How long have you, uh, been awake? I won’t lie, I was upset when you were taken from here. I could have protected you, even when I failed you before.” Yeah, she still felt guilt over what happened that night. “How can I help with the confusion?” to be honest, she wasn’t sure how to have this conversation. She could be herself with Alice, or at least, she used to be able to. Could she be Ale the Prince with her now?

[Alice Hart]

"Cain?" Alice repeats, an echo of an echo. Waving off the apology with a too large smile. Freedom in Terror. "As in, 'and Abel'?" She asks, a smirk to large and too painted on appearing. Of course the Italian Savage would choose something like that.

"Things always change in the Domain. In every Domain, but especially in Sacramento. The River flows, nothing is static. Save what is caught in the reeds. You, your new friend." Alice's face turns to where she assumes the dog is. "What breed is he?" a small moment waiting for an answer before she continues, "I assume Twist," if anything could sway the Daeva away it would be Asa. "...and the Prince?" she asks.

[Alessandra]

She was going to have to get used to how Alice was again. The too large smiles, much to large. But, part of her. “Well, there is no Abel. Yet. I’ve been toying with the idea.” One Hell Hound was good, but two were exciting.

“They seem to change nightly. From one Court to the next, new faces and some not appearing again.” It was how Kindred were. “He’s a Rottweiler, about a hundred and twenty-five pounds.” A big boy, but he sent the message loud and clear. “She is still here, still Archon and Judex.” Then came the Prince part. “Well, you’re speaking with her. With the absence of our previous Prince, Archon Twist put her support behind me to assume to position. It will be two years in February.” And it had not been without its difficulty.

[Alice Hart]

Alice's head tilts as she takes in that information. Strings taut on one side, slackened on the other. "Do you use your Savage gifts? Animalism? To communicate, or is it training? Something else?" She asks, focused on questions with answers, instead the memory of jaws and slobber and teeth. "Beautiful breed. So misunderstood. I thought about...maybe a pit bull myself...before, um." she stops, not wanting to bring up those jaws and teeth and torment. "My I?" she offers her hand, reaching out, but halting with a jerk. She would remember teeth and fear and terror, as she would remember understanding, acceptance, the splintering wood of the stake.

"Archon and Judex. The First Estate still thriving?" she asks, a segue that perhaps would lead into talk of the various Covenants. Until it became clear that it wasn't Asa but her Coterie mate(?) that bore the crown to this River Kingdom.

Alice is silent. Mind whirling, Taking in the movements, the tone, the tempo of the conversation.

"Priscus, Reeve, Prince." she begins, face tilted upward. Making a strange play of light and shadow upon her bone pale face. "Alessandra, defender of mankind." She bows her head, as awkward of a movement as every other the Doll had done, "It suits you well. You've worn that name for a long time, and you have defended the domain with fist and fury. Embodying the Laws, now making them. The Wheel turns, as it ever has and always will."

Alice hopes that despite her lack of sight, she might have known what temperature this reunion held, and it's only her faith, that allows for this facsimile of impishness "Do I have to call you Prince in private?"

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-08-22 23:16:26		Alice Hart rolls 4 to Read the Room (Wits3+Empathy1) (10 Again)		7, 9, 2, 1		1 success

[Alessandra]

When you haven’t seen the movements in a while, they were a bit unsettling. It was going to take some time to get used to them again. “I do actually. I can use Animalism to communicate with him, and he is also trained to respond to commands from me. But he is a Hell Hound, so he is driven by my blood in his body.” It was weird talking about Hell Hounds with her, after what happened. “He is, and I think he knows it.” She tries to joke. “But they do make a very loyal protector, and make others seriously think twice about approaching.” Which was part of his purpose. “I wouldn’t. He has bitten before, another Gangrel, who attempted to give him a treat. And I don’t want you hurt.” There was concern in her voice, she really didn’t want to see Alice hurt.

“The First Estate has always been prominent in Sacramento. Our numbers, like other Covenants, membership numbers change over time.” But they would always rule Sacramento.

A soft chuckle, “Not sure if I would say defender of mankind. We can’t forget about my other profession.” Cause there were others who would fight that claim. “And thank you. It’s been, well, a challenge.” There was something else in her voice. Frustration?

The Savage sounded guarded, but also happy to see her. The smile was clear in her voice, “Not in private.” Private was, well private.

“Do you intend to stay in the Domain? Reestablish yourself? I can provide you what I know about your family and Covenant. And anyone else you had questions about.” To the best of her ability anyways.

“But it’s good to see you.” Her tone had nothing but honesty in it.

[Alice Hart]

Alice's hand retreats. Not wanting to entice the creature into biting her. "A ghoul'd hound? I heard possibilities, but I hadn't meet one...well. Other then," she allows the silence to build, a frown slight and brittle, appears just for a moment, before it disappears into the petal pink twist of her resting mask. "Have you needed someone to warn off those who approach?" how had Ale's rule gone if she needed a fierce and viscous protector as a hell hound, bound by her own blood?

A strings pulled nod. "I would like know what's become of the Circle, and of Clan Nosferatu. I've already gotten Lyssa to make a list and begin calling so I can reestablish the Necropolis."

A lack of movement, showcasing her surprise, "Alessandra means defender of mankind, I....heard that from somewhere. I think...?" she shakes her head, jerking and twitching, "I thought it fitting. It's. No matter your work, and the ties that hold you there, you are our defender. Embodying the Laws. Upholding them, making them, and with your ties to the less, reputable, you have a finger on their pulse. If someone would to make noise about arms, and those fiery rounds....you would know, and we would know to secure ourselves against that possibility. Yes?"

A laugh, a hollow empty sound, "It's good to 'see' you too. May I still call you Ale?" she asks, wondering if that was too far, to personal. "And, our we....still a Coterie?" were they keystones? "What's happened to Vivian?"