Dropping Bodies: Diving In

[Jennifer Hazelton]

The Nosferatu speaks with her friend, Dirt Nap , who was with her in her Haven.
"I feel like I have a fair idea where to start - cryptids. I do need to start interviewing the citizens of the Domain on what they know about ghouled animals... and other types of animals..." She states.
Jennifer approached the research the way she thought about research - diving in. She had moved the vase from the dining table to the kitchen counter. She had created three neat stacks of her research tomes onto the dining table. There was a neat, dedicated box set on a nearby chair where she would place books judged unhelpful for the investigation. She set herself up at one side of the table, creating a work space with a journal, cloth book marks. The Nosferatu kept her smartphone beside her for reference and to be a point of contact. It was possible that Quinn, Mr. Smith or anyone else in other investigations would need help. It would be possible that they could request her to run down some research while they were out finding the information.

Jennifer made a notation in her fresh, new journal bought for this investigation on the title of the occult book she was checking. She had seen her teacher, Lady Notary Micha, become more scatter brained as her Sweet Eclipse had neared. Jennifer made careful notes so that she would not waste valuable time.

The ghoul Liam was set to the normal maintenance of Jennifer's Danse. He would be puttering away in the background, always with an ear out for the safety of his mistress.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-12 21:35:58	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 6 to Researching Cryptid (+2 occult library - 2 obscure topic) (10 Again)	6, 1, 9, 5, 6, 9	2 successes

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-12 21:36:41	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 6 to Researching Cryptid (+2 occult library - 2 obscure topic) (10 Again)	4, 8, 4, 8, 9, 2	3 successes

Jennifer will continue to research, yet wanting to socialize with Dirt Nap

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap listens and nods. "I'm more of a hands on experiment type. Taking the cat away tends to put some limits on what I can do." He says. "It didn't seem to have a hunger for Vitea though." He says thoughtfully.

"How can I help, Jenna?" He asks softly. He doesn't presume to ask for access to her occult research library outright. If she sends him to fetch things, that's alright too.

[Seryna]

Jennifer's research revealed some information about different breeds judged an aberration from mainstream breeds. Yet she quickly realized that the cat had not demonstrated many traits that one could use to determine a new subspecies. If it was a species, and not simply a ghoul. Although it had shown no interest in Dirt Nap's Vitae...
The books on animals and encyclodpedias were not the correct research for determining what the animal was.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Practical experiments are useful. I definitely want to hear more about the experiement you mentioned in Court. Yet I hear what you are saying."
She valued Dirt Nap for his many skills, but for his loyalty above all else. She wasn't expecting him to dive into books.

"Ugh," Jennifer makes a noise of irritation as a small stack of books are moved into the box on the chair. "Nothing of use found in there. The typical classification of animals are not useful in determining the nature of the cat. It's a standard American short hair cat, by my guess. Yet it seemed too clever to be just a cat. And it was walking right towards a vulnerable victim. Reminded me of a hunting Kindred."
She stretches her arms as she looks over to Dirt Nap. She doesn't need to stretch, being a vampire. Yet she has been learning different things, passing among the Kine more often.

"I wonder if it's simply an animal ghoul. Have you much experience with those?"
After a pause to speak with Dirt Nap, she reaches over and takes a book from the top of the second stack. She makes a notation in her journal of the book title and author, as she has done with the books before it. Jennifer reads the book with the practice of a scholar, yet can converse with Dirt Nap as she does so.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-15 06:23:41	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 6 to Researching Cryptid (+2 occult library - 2 obscure topic) (10 Again)	5, 4, 6, 10, 1, 6, 10, 7	2 successes

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods as Jennifer speaks. Her recognition of the value of 'practical experiments' is unusually open minded in his experience, for someone not of the Ordo Dracul at least.

"Well, the short of it is, I have met a person in my Covenant, in my travels, who Changed his body to be able to react to a full belly of kine food like it was full of vitea. Not that it could use it a fuel in any practical way or even pass it through; they still had to throw it up later, but while it was in the belly, the hunger was satisfied. I've started working on the run up to that Change." Dirt Nap explains.

He nods again at Jennifer's words on the cat.

"That's how I see it too. The cat looked and acted normal enough and didn't react to vitea the way a ghoul would. My theory now is that the Master was using the discipline of Animalism to be in the cat, and bailed out right quick when we caught it. You can get yourself hurt if you stay inside an animal when it's hurt in someway."

[Seryna]

Jennifer has managed to find a correct occult journal after fifteen minutes of searching. Jennifer reads that some witches use familiars as a means of attaining various powers. From the reading, Jennifer determines that she had not seen any sign of being a familiar in the cat, yet she had not looked very closely.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"The Kindred could function with a belly of food? That would be useful. Are you doing experiments to try and change your body in that way?"
I believe what I should do is journal this so that we can reference it if we come across this again. We may be the first Kindred in Sacramento to encounter this creature. Do you have any texts on cryptids or occult creatures in your Chapter House that you could possibly look through?
Can you give me your assessment of the creature that looks like a cat?"

Jennifer sets the book she is looking through on an open space in front of her. Jennifer makes a notation in her journal of her observations on the night that they had encountered the cat.
Cat appears to be a black American shorthair cat of average appearance. Cat evaded one trap. It approached an unconscious woman, which was used as bait to draw the cat.
Cat does not seem to be drawn to Vitae.

The cat was followed by someone formerly referred to as the gray eyed poacher, now known as Angela. Possible relations Kolina Georgine. Angela was in communication with someone, identity unknown.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap chuckles, "I am. So far, like pretty much all the work I do to get in the right set for a Change, it's about making myself uncomfortable. Doing things the hard way, things I don't enjoy. Right now I'm eating kine food in kine places with kine all around. It's not just about putting food in my belly, but doing it the way a kine would."

He listens thoughtfully to Jennifer's insights. "Seems to me the cat could be, seems to be normal enough, just used in a way. I can do that with Animalism, control a cat and make it act unnatural, without changing it. With more study, I could possess a cat and use Disciplines from inside it, even in the daylight, and just leave it and no one would be able to tell anything I did from studying the cat after I left it."

DIrt Nap chuckles again, rufully. "The last Chapter House is gone now. It never did have a library anyways. I'm working on restoring the one that came before it. That's a long term project. Starting with me learning how to do the work myself."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"You will have to keep me appraised, I am very curious. You will be careful?" Jennifer replied to his talk of change and challenge. She had never subscribed to the Dragon's way of risking one's Danse, althought this was curious.

Jennifer entered Dirt Nap's words into the journal that she had started on the cat.
Dirt Nap's Opinion: Normal cat - used in a way. Possibility of it being like Animalism, to control a cat and make it act unnatural, witout changing it.

The journal was set in the pile beside her, to continue having the books she consults notated within. A clear path to follow to anyone who came after them with this problem.
Jennifer picked up another tome, consulting the index. "I don't know much of Animalism. Its beyond my Family. Although I was a touch jealous of you during the stay at my Haven, when others needed shelter, and you could slumber anywhere."I am curious that JC went with Priscus Durant and not you. He was quite open about how glad he was when you returned to the Domain." Jennifer said to Dirt Nap, giving her friend a steady look.

Jennifer surveyed the books and chose the next tome.

[Seryna]

The Kindred speak for a moment, and research waits...