Anywhere I Wander

Sep 6th, 2019 05:52 PM

With time finally on his side, Thomas feels confident to invite Dirt Nap to that long overdue talk. Although not as spirited as his Valkyria, the Lord is very curious as to what has been happening with the Order Supplicant these past few months. The Sacramento he left is not the same one he was returning to. Was the man also different, though? How? Why?

The decorations from Court have already been disassembled, but the paintings on the walls remain, as does the Lovecraftian quote:

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

The altar room is lit by candles, creating a fantastical play of shadows and lights, giving the place a feel decidedly more sinister than that of the Farm. Thomas waits for his guest out back, in the small library and meeting room. Lining the walls are bookcases filled with volumes mundane and occult, zines, newspapers and various artifacts one could find at a flea market - clocks, coins, pottery and the like, all old or broken in some way. Around a central table there are couches and chairs to sit on. Thomas sits on one of the chairs, facing the door. Unlike in the main room, the lights here are warmer and electrical - a testament to the solar panels on the roof.

Thomas hums a melody to himself as he applies the finishing touches to a handcrafted model of a ship - one that those well-versed in history will recognize as the USS Constitution. Making sure all is in place and admiring his work, the Ventrue waits.

Shipbuilding!

**Dirt Nap** · Sep 7th, 2019 03:10 PM

Dirt Nap arrives on a noisy dirt bike with an obviously bad muffler. He parks it at the property line, and walks to where Thomas Boyle waits.

"Eve'ning, Hierophant." he says in an amiable tone though his expression looks a bit wary of the new surroundings."You sure do seem to have come up in this world. Congratulations."

Sep 7th, 2019 03:30 PM

A distant echo of the roar reaches him even here, breaking the Temple's silence. Announcing the Gangrel's arrival.

"As the fish got bigger, the pond got a bit smaller" He says in response to the Dragon's praise "Whatever successes I can claim, perception has got my back the whole time" People going, new appearing. All of a sudden Thomas Boyle was not a 'new arrival' anymore, but someone native "Good evening, Dirt Nap. Please, sit" He indicates te chairs and couches.

"I suppose the question of the hour is: where have you been? Although I suppose the more interesting a detail is, the more classified it will get" He was a mysterious fellow, Dirt Nap, in a Covenant very protective of its privacy.

**Dirt Nap** · Sep 7th, 2019 07:16 PM

"Thank you, kindly, Hierophant." Dirt Nap says, taking the offered seat.

"My, my." Dirt Nap says, smiling like they're old friends, or like they're friends anyway. "I never thought I'd hear you eating humble pie. Sure, the pond got smaller, but that doesn't explain this!" he looks around pointedly at the temple. "I mean, sure, as far as I can tell I am the only one around in my Covenant, but I didn't get a new job or fancy digs!" he says in a sincerely impressed tone.

He goes still and silent for a long moment, and then Dirt Nap shrugs, "You'd be sorely disappointed, I think, to find out that the details I keep private are not very interesting. Somehow, the fact that I tend to keep things to myself seems to make things out to be a lot more mysterious and sneaky then they are."

He chuckles, "I'm not actually any good at being sneaky, at all. It's something I'm actually going to have to work on a bit, just the physical part, that is. I just find the less I say, the less I tend to regret something I said later."

Dirt Nap pauses again, and then says, "I went to Houston to take care of some things that came up, sudden like, and couldn't wait. I wasn't sure I'd be back, but I am glad to be back. What did I miss? Seems like half or more of everyone and all the excitement that was going on when I left is disappeared."

Sep 8th, 2019 03:58 PM

The Hierophant smiles.

"I am not humble. I am, however, a realist" It was a trade, this Temple. He got something, certainly, but that also meant missed opportunities "This place came at a dire cost to my studies. That is not to say I consider raising it a mistake - as a Hierophant, I am responsible for the Circle's well-being, and part of that responsibility is making sure the Acolytes' voice is heard, their presence seen. Anything else can wait" As the name suggests, Hierophant is "he who shows sacred things" - to his charges, but to outsiders as well.

"I am not surprised. With things not spoken of, imagination tends to run wild. It's a gift, to be able to steer that imagination with a few carefully selected words" As all Ventrue should know. The Voice is a weapon far more blunt, but with same principle of operation "So, Houston? Order business, I assume? And trust everything went well, if you were able to return?" Then again, with the Gangrel's power to vanish into the wilds, it could've been a tactical retreat.

"The biggest bit of excitement you missed was, perhaps, the Court in June. We've had some new arrivals, all of whom seem to have left the city. Jack tried to resolve his issues with your cousin Madcap, and it backfired so badly he was forced to leave the room" The memory makes him smile, and it's a crooked, acidic expression "My cousin is something of a solipsist, it seems. I hoped it would be a learning experience for him, but" He shakes his head slowly, makin, and makes a 'tsk tsk' sound with his mouth "it wasn't" And if the Herald doesn't start to learn and soon, there'll be consequences. With Thomas there, munching on popcorn "Other than that, not much of note. Particularly, I am not aware of any new threats the Domain faces, and the silence is disconcerting to say the least" Noise means dangers can be faced head-on. Silence is a sign you need to start looking everywhere for the stalking predators.

"While we're gossiping, though: do you have any thoughts on Mitnick?" The Hierophant sounds curious.

**Dirt Nap** · Sep 8th, 2019 09:29 PM

Dirt Nap nods as Thomas Boyle says he has sacrificed his studies for the good of his Covenant.

He nods again at his guesses, saying, "Yes, Hierophant, it was for the Order, though there was a bit of personal debt in it too. It turned out well enough. I shouldn't have to do it again, anyways."

"Huh." he says at the description of Domain events in his absence.

At the question about Derek, Dirt Nap seems to ponder. "Interesting he's the one you ask me about." he says. "I guess, since Lina Moretti had him as deputy, he's not someone to underestimate. Can't say as I've seen him in action, though."

Dirt Nap pauses and then says, "How about Bishop Patience? I didn't have much pleasure from the Bishop before her, Exlibrist I think? She seems to be a different type than he was, though. What do you think of her?"

Sep 9th, 2019 05:06 AM

Interestingly, the conversation shifts naturally away from either Thomas or Dirt Nap and towards people not in the room. Gossiping, indeed.

"Mitnick is an interesting person. I know little about him, although I suppose he'd make a poor Mekhet if it was otherwise. My interest in him is... utilitarian. Mitnick is one of the few people left in the Domain that are both studious and actually clever. Acutely aware of his shortcomings, he neither makes a show of them, nor denies them. In a completely hypothetical scenario of me trying to build a coterie of scholarly Kindred, he'd be on the guest list" It's high praise for someone with whom Thomas has only spoke once at any real length, but the Ventrue feels it's deserved "And you would be right next on that list" He says and makes a pause.

"But" The Lord continues after a moment "I find it hard to believe you know nothing about him. He's publicly expressed interest in joining the Dragons, and I have reason to suspect his talks with Moretti were underway before she left. So, he hasn't reached out to you?" If that's the case, maybe Mitnick was an opportunist after all? Joining the Order for its safety in numbers and status, retracting where now the Secret Estate had neither?

The Hierophant looks intensely at Dirt Nap, opening his third eye to the subtleties of the Gangrel's aura... and the tell-tale signs of deception.

5 successes

6 successes

"Patience is... angry. It permeats her being, just as it did Garcia's. She's also zealous and bitter, but not unreasonable. In fact, if my private talk with her was any indication she has a high tolerance for heresy when discussed in an academic sense. And a nose for politics, too, even if she denies being interested in the mundane goods and honors. We were able to reach an agreement, so that the Church and the Circle stay away from one another's backyard" Her rugged manners and appearance were a mask, Thomas was sure of that. Even if the Haunt herself believed the mask to be her actual face.

I rolled 3 dice too many on the Aura Perception roll, so it's only 4 suxx. Resistance is Res+Comp+BP;4 successes needed to negate. If Dirt Nap wants to lie/evade it's a standard Subterfuge roll with a target of 7 successes, because it's mundane Empathy, only strengthened with Auspex

**Dirt Nap** · Sep 9th, 2019 12:48 PM

Dirt Nap's naturally strong resistance to the Aura Perception is evident, but his naturally open nature and lack of deceit undermines any real ability to conceal his true feelings and state of mind from the Hierophant.

Thomas can plainly see that while Dirt Nap is not lying, he is uncomfortable revealing the full extent of his interactions with Derek, particularly as it touches on Derek's interest in the Ordo Dracul.

Dirt Nap sighs, "Hierophant, you know of course that I am not going to talk about the business of my Covenant with you." he says. "I did not say that I didn't know the man at all. I only meant that I haven't seen him in action, the way I did you when we were taking care of those ghouls a while back." he explains.

After a moment, Dirt Nap says, "The fact is, I met with Derek, to ask him if he'd be willing to teach me. Your former Hierophant before you was teaching me a bit of a discipline I was interested, and with him not available, I wanted to see if I could work out something with Derek that he'd be agreeable to. I agree with you, he's sharp, and discrete. I will try to honor that by being discrete too." he says with a soft chuckle.

Then, more seriously, he adds, "I can tell you in no uncertain terms that as the only one representin' my Order around here that I know of, the Ordo Dracul is not one of those 'hidden threats to the peace of the Domain' you were talking about a minute ago. My aim is to lie low and not raise any fuss over any kind of power, except for power over myself, and if there were to be any other members, and I had anything to say about it, their aim would be the same, to gain power over themselves, and not anyone else."

**Ruach** · Sep 9th, 2019 01:03 PM

wrong account. *sigh*

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2019-09-09 12:34:49	Dirt Nap rolls 8 to resist aura perception (Resolve 4 + Composure 3 + BP 1) (10 Again)	5, 7, 9, 2, 5, 2, 6, 4	1 success

Sep 10th, 2019 04:02 PM

"I admire your integrity" But Thomas' assumptions were pretty much confirmed. What trade other than the Coils could Dirt Nap possibly make? The Lord didn't presume to know the Mekhet well, but he didn't seem like the kind of person interested in animal whispering, sleeping in the ground or thickening his skin. And the Gangrel had nothing material to offer, so... "I just hope, after reading that announcement, that it's returned by Mitnick. After all, Reeve is an Invictus title" He wondered if Dirt Nap will take the bait, tonight or in the future, and if yes - what'll come out of it.

"But no matter" He said, dismissing the previous topic with which Dirt Nap was obviously uncomfortable "When we last spoke, you mentioned a planned experiment. Or trial perhaps would be a better word... a self-exile to the Barrens to live off of rats, I think?" He asks curiously "Did you get to complete it before you left? And if yes, what's the next step?"

I'd also like Dirt Nap aura colors, please!

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2019-09-06 17:24:56	[04] Thomas Boyle rolls 4 to Building a model ship (10 Again)	8, 6, 1, 4	1 success
2019-09-06 17:24:56	[03] Thomas Boyle rolls 4 to Building a model ship (10 Again)	4, 9, 9, 6	2 successes
2019-09-06 17:24:56	[02] Thomas Boyle rolls 4 to Building a model ship (10 Again)	1, 4, 5, 5	failure
2019-09-06 17:24:56	[01] Thomas Boyle rolls 4 to Building a model ship (10 Again)	8, 9, 9, 2	3 successes

Anywhere I Wander

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