The Blue House with the Jasmine

[Quinn Durant]

"You may compliment, Mr. OBrien, just don't expect anything more than a demure response like 'Thank you.' You have to be careful, and subtle in court. Everyone is listening, and everyone notices everything. Even if they don't appear to respond to it, you should always assume they noted it. While we are not Daeva, surely the subtle art of flirting in court is not lost on you?" She said with a slight hint of amusement into her tone. "I didn't say anything in response due to Twist engaging in court. I figure I would stow the flirting in favor of a proper introduction between the two of you would be more appreciated."

She lowered her eyes and busied herself with petty tasks when he shared about the shared bonds between himself and his last Kindred mate. Decanting the rest of the bottle, even though this particular red is literally made to drink right out of the bottle. Very fruity this one. Easy to drink and enjoy without much pomp or circumstance. Quinn thought of her next response carefully, trying to hide what it drummed up for her.

Composure Roll

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-19 16:48:59	Quinn Durant rolls 5 to Wits 3 + Composure 2 (10 Again)	2, 5, 10, 2, 7, 4	1 success

"That must be quite a tale. I confess I have only seen a mutual blood bond one time in my existence. Two of my coterie, umm...Bettina and Pallas were bound thus. They are sisters and twins at that, so I guess it made sense to me. You know?" See she commented. Just not on the memories it brought up for her. The personal memories were best left in the past where they belonged. Even now the memory haunted her. She was one of the lucky ones. She had come away from that with no blood addiction, but she fucking remembered every single part of it. The blood bond crushed her will, any barriers she had had, were wiped away. Rodger had shown her wonders of what he could do with coils. Showed her the true joy of hunting, instead of being ashamed and horrified at her own needs. In some ways he saved her, but the price was not something a fledgling Childe could have ever understood.

Quinn grinned slightly as he mentioned he loved Italian wine, and she nodded a little in earnest. "I don't drink American wine. I have to be honest. Everything is made better in the old country, unless its homemade. My old Mentor was very very good at selecting the inebriated to drink from. A bit of a lesson or phase one goes through as a young Dragon. To begin to get your mind to accept the idea of Transcendence. You have to feel changes, and one of the easiest ways to demonstrate that fact is through the drinking the blood of the fucked up." She said with a light laugh.

Quinn smiled at the toast, and self consciously laughed. "Once more you hammer home the point of pleasure vs. work. I have trouble letting go, I guess, even when I'm supposed to be drinking wine with a handsome Kindred." She saluted somewhat self deprecatingly and took another drink, letting the wine linger over her tongue, and in her mouth. savoring it for the moment.

[Connor OBrien]

"I expect nothing from telling a beautiful Kindred what I see. I can supply the compliment, the other party can decide if they wish to accept it or not. I could tell you, for example, that I no longer miss the sun, for its beauty would pale in comparison to yours, and you wouldn't be required to do anything." He paused for a moment, watching Quinn's reaction. "Yes, very rarely do we actually flirt with words, Miss Durant. Sometimes it's the forlorn look across the room, or the gentle touch on the arm, that is far more captivating than pretty words. You didn't need to reply to me, Miss Durant, and I did appreciate the introduction to Her Grace."

"It would take a great deal of trust for me to partake in one again." He spoke of the Vinculum he had had with his former mate. "It left me feeling lost for some time after she was gone. There are still moments here and there where I feel the pangs of loss." His own memories of the Vinculum were pleasant, at least until she had met her final death. Even now her name was like acid to his mind, and dared not think it. He had moved on, however, and chose not to dwell on the tendrils of darkness that cloud these specific memories.

Connor nodded as Quinn spoke of her distaste of American wine. "I am the same way with whiskeys, the best ones are from back home. If you enjoyed the sensation of feeding from inebriated mortals you would have loved the 20's."

The Nosferatu smiled a little at Quinn's apparent amusement at his own toast. "I guess that's one perk of being new here. I have no responsibilities yet to keep me from enjoying every second of drinking wine with a beautiful Kindred." He sips his wine again, his eyes locked with Quinn's.

[Quinn Durant]

It was hard not to pay attention to him. It was hard to take compliments from someone as attractive and captivating too. Quinn was more shy about those things than most would guess. No matter the front she put up in court, it was just that. Her sire always told her compliments were empty words meant to elicit favor. While she agreed, it didn't necessarily mean they weren't meant. How to tell the difference was the key.


Quinn's smile stepped up a notch, and she set her glass on the counter, and came closer. Her movements were slow and deliberate. She reached for his hand, slow enough he could pull away if he thought her intentions were untoward. She grasped his free hand in one of her smaller ones and flipped his hand so the back of his hand was in her right palm, and with the left she traced his life line with her finger tip. "This is the life line, in Palmistry. I am known in the mortal world as a Touch Clairvoyant. I handle objects in my hands and can read the psychic impressions from them. It's one of my gifts that I also share with mortals in need of such services. Most of the time I channel surf between their mind and aura because the object has no psychic impression. You see every question someone asks, usually they know the answer inside themselves. Mortals don't trust themselves, Mr. OBrien . It is their biggest failing. I hate to say that I heard this line from a movie, but it is the truth. 'I trust everyone, its the devil inside of them I don't trust.'"


She paused a moment, to fold his fingers back to his palm, and released her gentle hold on his hand. "I can only imagine." She lied. Blatantly. She didn't have to imagine. She knew what it felt like enough to know that him bringing it up even in that much depth meant enough to him that he chose her to share it with. Or perhaps it was just another trap to bring her closer? She measured her words carefully. "My sire talked of many things over our time together. One thing that always stuck with me was his words regarding love. 'Love is the sweet rain which falls down from the One Above. Love is the gift of life. Respect what you are. Your soul requires their blood, remember? Blood is not sweet rain. Our drink takes life. But if ever one of us is gifted with love from a mortal without command, or majesty, or compulsion of our blood, but a love given freely, than that love will be as the gentle rain to even the lowliest of us. It will feed you as if you once again dwelled in the light. It will satisfy your deepest thirst. Heed my warning well. The Children of the light will always hate us again and again, for we are their predators, we are their masters, and they know this deep in their soul. Look not for love among them! They will not give it. Don't be a fool.'"

Roll for Lying you can counter with Wits + Subterfuge

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-21 10:58:37	Quinn Durant rolls 6 to Manipulation + Subterfuge +1 Specialty (10 Again)	2, 8, 3, 8, 9, 2	3 successes

She laughed a little and nodded, picking up her glass again. "I do enjoy a little relaxation now and again. It certainly cost you less when you ply the poor mortals with whatever your secret pleasure is. There are certainly better choices than alcohol to choose from these days." She swirled her glass contents idly. "Perhaps attending a Whiskey tasting. You know I heard they had something called whiskey and ballroom. I was curious for the sake of wondering how they kept the poor kine upright to do any ballroom while whiskey tasting!"


"I think you will find yourself quite busy soon enough. Enjoy the time while you have it. It can go quicker than you think, dahlen."

The Text in red representing my characters Sire's advice, is from an excerpt of 'The Book of Nod', and not my original words. Sounds like something he would say though, so I thought I would include it here.

[Connor OBrien]

Connor allowed the Priscus to take his hand, both out of curiosity and pure captivation. He watched her as she spoke on her abilities as a clairvoyant. "Wise words from a movie, especially considering that we have a more literal devil inside us. I trust that someone as strong as yourself is able to keep the devil in check, and while I can't promise that I am the same, I have definitely had some practice over the years."

Roll to Detect lies

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-21 13:00:46	Connor OBrien rolls 3 to Detect Lies (Wits 2 + Subterfuge 1) -correct roll- (10 Again)	3, 8, 10, 3	2 successes

Something about the way she said it was off, though he couldn't be sure why. Perhaps it was that she didn't agree with blood bonding? She may have been raised Invictus, but she was a Dragon now. That had to be it, of course. "Your sire was wise in that regard. Love is something we'll never truly know again, Miss Durant. We can only strive for a mutual trust that we would have with love. That is love to a Kindred. Someone that we can speak freely with, with no fear of how it will reflect on us in society."

He took another sip from his glass. "Do you dance, Miss Durant?" He cocked his head slightly to the side. "We learned a little in school, Waltz mostly. It still seems to work in today's culture, to some degree, but I wouldn't mind learning more sometime." He dipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew his phone, taking a few steps back into a open area in her living room. His thumb moved across the screen for a moment, then he pushed a button on the side of his phone. The opening to "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith plays. He sets his glass down and holds his left hand out to Quinn, waiting to see whether she takes it or not.

[Quinn Durant]

She tilted her face to the side slightly. A secretive smile formed on her lips. "It's always interesting to hear other Kindred's reflections of the beast." Interest flickered in her eyes. Of course the occult was always interesting, but more than that individual accounts of experiences made up the bulk of what Kindred understood of themselves. She tabled that for another night.


"That is all I am capable of, but I have seen love in Kindred's auras before. It's possible for some, but not all. I suppose it depends on a lot of different things, though I am no expert in matters of the heart, I am a scholar of the Aura. Intellectual pursuits have always been a forefront whereas social were secondary, and physical-dead last. That's pretty normal for shadows though. It's funny how built into our niches we are by The Blood."


She smiled in surprise and chuckled slightly. "It's been awhile. I confess, but yes I remember some Waltz. I think our educations are similar in that regard. I really have little use for dance myself, but you may still need those skills. Being with the Invictus comes with certain expectations of a gentleman. Though dance can be quite a dexterous affair, I imagine it would help with that too." She supplied helpfully, and then one sculpted brow arced when it finally hit her where he was going with all of this. Let's play connect Quinn's blind spots!


That music was beautiful but intense. A major love ballad she recognized from pop culture. The press of his beast and his curse and the intensity of the music was to much. She looked down a moment. When she looked back up at him she reached for his hand and then quietly asked to change the music. "May I pick the song? Something a bit easier to waltz too?" She asked him. If he consented she moved to a small speaker in the corner of the room. Connecting her phone, and playing some music. She lived with a cowboy. She had branched all the way into country music. It was a fitting song though. Especially for a first.


She came back to Connor, and took his hand again. Letting him lead her.

[Connor OBrien]

"It is interesting, some hold the beast in the highest regard, viewing it as a font of untapped power. Others, like myself, have come to accept that it is a part of our life, but refuse to be tempted by the power it promises. And still others yet, do everything in their power to cast the beast aside." He shrugged slightly after a moment of though. Each Kindred was their own person, as different from each other as they collectively were from the Kine.

"The heart is our weakness, physically and metaphorically. The biggest thing that Kindred miss from their years before the embrace is the true grasp of emotions other than fear and anger. Many of us would give anything to feel even the tiniest sliver of true love, just to prove that we still can. I accept the harsh reality of the Danse, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy trust and kinship."

He paused for a moment, only slightly surprised that Quinn knew how to waltz. "I shouldn't be surprised at all, it would be a shame if someone of your poise and grace didn't know how to dance. I admit though, that there is little use for dance, but consider it a scholarly pursuit. All knowledge is useful within the right context after all."

Then when Quinn reached for his hand, a small look of shock crossed his face. The look down, then back up, the request to change the music. "Of course, I only selected it from a list on google. Feel free to change it to whatever you like." He watched as she moved across her home and a country song came on. His eyes locked on hers as she came back and took his hand.

Dancing

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-23 12:36:09	Connor OBrien rolls 5 to Dance (Dexterity 2 + Expression 1 + 2 for Vitae) (10 Again)	4, 2, 8, 8, 4	2 successes

Standing straight, he gently placed his right hand on the small of Quinn's back, his left held her smaller hand. He then took off, keeping in time with the beats of the music, though not as gracefully as he would have liked. It was apparent that he hadn't practiced in some time. His eyes stayed locked on Quinn's though, losing himself within the dance and the depths of her hazel eyes. The hunger he felt was problematic, but could be solved after he left, for now it could wait.

[Quinn Durant]

She smiled that same secretive little smile she had before. "The Mehket believe other things about just what the Beast is, and as a Dragon I have literally faced the beast in my soul and conquered it. I no longer need fear losing myself to frenzy as long as my will holds" It was an enigmatic answer, and while typically Quinn did not do that usually unless she intended to expound, in this case she did not go any further. Perhaps when they knew each other better.

"It always ends the same way eventually. It is our greatest tragedy, and yet it presses us to make the most of the time we have. I'm afraid I have neglected much in the past decade. I have fallen from where I was. I can try to justify that any way I want. The truth remains. Of course that can change in a moment, can't it?" She teased gently.

With a little help from her blood to grease the old muscles, Quinn found she could dance, and did quite well. She remembered more than she thought. The crazy part was Janos was the last Kindred she danced with. She cared more for the Haunt than her own sire. The sense of nostalgia was so strong she wanted to step fully into him. Press close and wrap her arms around him tight. Leaving Janos broke her heart.

Dance Roll

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-25 14:15:10	Quinn Durant rolls 4 to Dexterity 3 + Expression 1 (dancing) (10 Again)	10, 2, 2, 10, 3, 8	3 successes

She put her free hand on his shoulder as they began to dance together. Around and around the space in her living room. She tried so hard to hide what she was feeling. His gaze found her own over and over and over. She could brush it all off most of the time. It never reached something inside of her, but this was to much even for a Shadow. She knew it showed in her eyes. That yearning. She managed a smile to his words, but couldn't speak past the lump in her throat.

Subterfuge Hiding Emotions Roll

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-25 14:52:46	Quinn Durant rolls 6 to Manipulation 3 + Subterfuge 2 +1 Specialty (Hide that shit) (10 Again)	6, 6, 7, 4, 7, 6	failure

[Connor OBrien]

"Then I trust I will never be your prey, Miss Durant." The Haunt's eyes scanned Quinn's face as he spoke, simply watching for any kind of reaction to anything he said. "I, unfortunately, cannot say the same. I still hold it within it's shackles, but the chains always grow weak over time."

"Change is a fact of life," he mused, his face showing subtle signs of thought, "but with change comes the excitement and the rush that anyone, especially anyone who walked this Earth as long as we may, craves. The banality of routine may help keep the beast in check, but it could drive us insane through the sheer tedium of life. And Truth is only True in that moment, Miss Durant."

The Shadow danced with grace that he himself could not match, sometimes forcing him to let her lead for a moment for him to catch up. It was beautiful in its own right, and not simply due to the beauty of his partner. They stepped and spun together for a few moments, which to him felt like it could have been hours, when he noticed something.

Insight

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-06-25 16:07:15	Connor OBrien rolls 1 to Insight (wits 2 + empathy 0 - 1 untrained) (10 Again)	7	failure

There was something there, a yearning of sorts in her eyes. Something beyond the dance, but it couldn't be for him. No. He reminded her of her Au Pair, the Kindred who raised her. She had told him herself. This was a moment he could use for to bring himself closer to his goals with her. A simple kiss on the forehead, some kind words of encouragement and she would be putty in his hands. Could he bring himself to manipulate her in such a way, though, especially after what she had told him of her past? Where would the justice be in that? Despite the advantage it would give him over the Priscus, Connor refused to be the next in a line of Kindred who had manipulated her for their own gain. He had to put the work in with Quinn, and he figured it would be better for him in the future if he did. There would be nothing that could be brought up to ruin their alliance.

He had lost the last few moments of the song while he was in though, and his eyes rested on Quinn's for a moment before breaking off from her. "I believe I should be on my way, Miss Durant. Dawn waits for no one, and I have to grab a bite to eat, so to speak, before that time. I did enjoy our dance though, we should do it again some time, perhaps learn together?" His question was delivered with a slight tilt of the head, that stupid smirk of his, and a small raise of the eyebrows. This was minor manipulation with his looks, something expected of any kindred, even of the Priscus herself. After giving her a moment to answer, Connor would offer Quinn a small bow and make his way toward the door. ​"Good Night, Miss Durant."

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn smiled softly. "I don't claim to be able to predict the future, but I would say that is accurate." She nodded a bit. "Nothing wrong with good ole fashioned self control. I just have a few extra tricks up my sleeve." Just don't reveal the price.

"Change is hard for us to come by. Believe me, I know." She said with a little nod.

The structure of the dance was comforting. Even though his curse and beast were not, the familiarity of the movement came back to her. They danced well together. Perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised? They complimented each other well. The height difference wasn't as severe that was for sure. She had to tilt her chin back a bit to look at him, but they held each other's gaze as they moved.

"Of course Mr. OBrien. I have enjoyed your company this evening." She smiled warmly to him, and tilted her face to the side biting her lower lip slightly, and nodded. "That would be something I would enjoy. I felt we danced quite well together for a pair that has never danced together before, or much. A bit of a creative outlet I think would be promising."