Embrace of Shadows

[Quinn Durant]

"It is what it is Mr. Heinrich. It's history at this point. There is nothing that can be done about it now. Emotions don't change it. Though I appreciate the sentiment behind your stance, even if I no longer share the accompanying emotions attached to it." She finished smoothly, easily even. It was easy for her to push it all away, and look at it critically and coldly now.

She took a drink of wine, and set her glass down. "First time for everything!" She said to give a little encouragement. Smiling gently to him, watching him. She sat up a bit on the comfortable couch, and leaned in just enough to rest her hands into his. "All you have to do is think about the events. Pull them up in your mind, and I will see it just as you do, from your perspective. Try to keep intrusive thoughts to a minimum if you can. I know its not usually something we discipline in a social situation, but unless you want me to know it, try to discipline your thoughts."

Her gaze became more fixated upon him. The intensity turning up, as all of her mind was brought to bear as she met his get directly. Her pupils expanding like a cats trying to devour the light to take in every detail of him. He heard her voice in his thoughts soon after. Her tone was softer there, more melodic, and had an underlining steel in it. There were many kinds of strength and Quinn's was of the mind.

"Now show me what it is you wish me to see, and know I will probably see more than you may consciously be able to control, but such is the nature of being inside someone else's head."

[Edward Heinrich]

Edward nodded to her words and looked out over the city while she took a drink. When she leaned forward, he set down his glass and returned his thoughts to the night in question.

The problem, one he had thought about for some time, was just which night? How far back did he want to go? To his mind, there were three approaches: one, return to the second oath signing; two, catalogue the various provocations; three, return only to the moment of his shock.

The first was easily dismissed, no matter how angry he was with Jennifer, Edward was not about to reveal secrets of the First Estate. Not if he could help it. The second was dismissed, but not as easily. The reasoning was simple, he was not an especially spiteful person. That wasn't to say he didn't have a temper, he obviously did, but when the anger passed, it left nearly no residue.

And so, when Quinn took his hands, and her thoughts joined his consciousness, Edward pulled from memory the night of the punishment. The memory began at the top of the stairs, the night in question had Edward on edge...

Small details, like his wondering after Jacque's absence were missing, a fact lost to the flaws of remembrance, but most were present. His respects properly paid, his choice and reason for why he approached JC and Dirt Nap, and especially Jennifer's repeated stares.

The first and second, Edward weathered, as the familiar annoyance embedded in the memory demonstrated, the staring was already a pattern. Only, this wasn't quite true, the alternation was a victim of revisiting the memory in anger. The truth was, at the time, he just didn't want to have a fight.

Then came the punishment, and his memory was rich and vibrant. The rapture of witnessing righteous reprisal. To see it done by Twist herself. Interrupting the heat of that memory, among a sea of those facing the punishment, a lone face turned to stare at Edward, Jennifer.

Her third stare, which Edward did not weather, and as if Jennifer were waiting for it. Which she obviously was. A flicker of experienced, rather than remembered, embarrassment further interrupted the memory, apologies, Priscus, I did not mean to add commentary.

A mental clearing of the throat... and as if she were waiting for it, the familiar event played out. What shortly followed was the heart of the matter: Edward's genuine confusion and his words reflecting that. He cut the memory off. I do not regard the remainder of that night as relevant. Is there another occurrence you believe pertinent to review?

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn's minds eye was filled with the events from Edward's perspective. Quinn remembered that night, and she knew this was not the moment this all started. It was the first night he went too though. Interesting.

"There is something I think you have mistaken for aggression with Jennifer. Those looks weren't to provoke or demean you, or start a fight, they were invitations to apologize for the very real insults you have paid her, as everyone was uncomfortable enough to witness here. You failed to acknowledge her as a Priscus, and one of the valued Kindred in our society. You snubbed her. That was back in August Formal Court, Mr. Heinrich. Long before the night it came to a head with Kowalsic's punishment. Which I believe means we must go further back still...don't we Mr. Heinrich?"

There was a bit of a pause and Quinn reversed the feed so to speak. So he could feel what she felt. There was a strong desire to resolve this conflict between her Jennifer and himself. A moment flashed quickly through his mind, like a movie only from Quinn's perspective. A Kindred accused another of something that they were innocent of. Quinn knew she was innocent because when she had shaken the accusers hand she used her power on his ring. She saw the truth, and wanted to speak out but a harsh voice inside of her mind thundered. Telling her to stop. That she couldn't explain how she knew. She was just an unreleased childe, if they knew she already had enough power of sight to perform those kinds of tasks he feared what the despotic Prince would force his childe to do to undercut his own power. She had to stay silent and watch someone go through all of that. Unjustly. It ended eventually with the accused Kindred being ran out of the city. Quinn felt like she was watching things happen all over again....

"Now let's move forward to some recent nights. I often find these types of personal spats happen due to lack of perspective and the persistent avoidance of accepting any blame for ones actions on either side of the fence. Let me show you Jennifer's current perspective. She was a lot more forthcoming than you on this subject."

"You fear betraying others I would imagine, but there are things about me you don't know. My sire is none other than The Right Honorable Alder Abel Wilkes, Viscount of Carmel, and Knight and Senator of the Invictus. I knew the first night in the domain when Jennifer introduced herself to me that Oaths were used in Sacramento if they had their own Notary...."

[Edward Heinrich]

Edward received, holding back internal judgement. Most of the poker face was actually stopping the feeling in the first place, but that didn't mean it was easy to hide emotions from a mind reader.

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-08 20:30:49	Edward Heinrich rolls 8 to Repress Reaction (Composure+Subterfuge) (10 Again)	3, 10, 8, 10, 10, 4, 4, 6, 4, 10, 5, 1	5 successes

That being said, Edward wasn't exactly trying to prevent Quinn from knowing his feelings of lassitude and rage, he was just trying for the mental equivalent of not 'talking over' her. When Quinn finished, Edward gently removed his hands from hers, closed his mind, and spoke aloud.

"Allow me a moment to consider both your words and what you have shown me."

It wasn't clear to Edward what she was attempting. Her judgement about Jennifer's look was possible, but her reasoning was obviously faulty. That aside, her phrasing was unabashedly rhetorical and more than a little patronizing. In this vein, he consulted his memory, feelings, and judgement. Minutes passed while he sipped and reflected; it was only when he set down an empty glass that the silence was broken.

"Thank you for your patience, Priscus Durant. I increasingly find myself taking pages from Dirt Nap's book, for those who are kind enough to wait, his method of prolonged silence is immensely helpful for someone such as myself. Your thoughts, and of course the memory of Priscus Hazelton, provoked unpleasant feelings, and I would hate to have allowed my family curse to rule my side of the conversation."

Edward grasped the bottom of the bottom with one hand, "would you enjoy a top-up, Priscus?" He refilled her glass if she wanted, and then filled his own.

"I would hate to presume to advise you on most matters, Priscus Durant, however, on the matter of myself I do hold some modest expertise." His lips briefly quirked as if holding back laughter, "you will find if you are direct and sincere, that I am in fact, an extremely pliable man. However, statements such as 'as everyone was uncomfortable enough to witness' will serve only to provoke defensive tendencies within me. It is embarrassing to admit, but my family curse often has me feeling like a testone poisoned youth. No matter how conscious I am, distortions enter my thinking."

"If after revealing that her gazes were an invitation to apologize, you had then ended with 'to apologize for the insult you paid her in August' my first reaction would have been positive. I would have begun by thanking you for introducing an unconsidered explanation for her gaze, and then I would have suggested that it is unlikely for her staring in July to be caused by my actions in August." Edward did not dwell on Quinn's error any further.

"But, before I go any further, you are owed an explanation for my withdrawing from the connection. I previously offered to subject myself to your abilities in order to confirm that my shock was not a deception. I mean no insult, but I am a private man, to have someone else in my mind is unpleasant to me."

Edward drank from the glass, "before speaking further, by considering your thoughts, the memory you choose to show, and other factors, I am tempted to conclude you believe this affair's blame, if not entirely, to primarily lie at my feet. I do not wish to ascribe belief to another, however. As I am not a mind-reader," he gave a strained smile, "I am reduced to asking. Is my conclusion regarding your belief accurate?"

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn swayed slightly for just a second as the connection was broken, closing her eyes, to quietly re-orient to her own mind. Blinking for a few seconds, and taking an unneeded breath in and out. Like she had been under water. She nodded politely to his inquiry for more wine. Content to let him speak his peace. She squelched any emotions she may or may not feel coming out of such a state.

She took a drink and listened to him until he finished. Patience was a virtue Quinn could afford in this situation as it really didn't have anything to do with her. Other than the fact that she was in a unique position to listen to both perspectives. Being willing to listen is an awfully underrated talent amongst the Kindred.

"So you think you are on an island with all this between you two and it effects no one else? Let me just refresh your memory a little bit about what I mean when I say 'everyone is uncomfortable.'" She listed them off on her fingers. What the domain sounded off on and what opinions were going around. As if he didn't know?
"Surely at least you heard the Prince on this matter? You disrespect Priscus Hazelton again in court and she's gunna be all over you like white on rice, or really anyone of recognized status for that matter."

"You seem awfully concerned with how something is said Mr. Heinrich instead of the content and truth involved in what is being said. You claim to want sincerity and truth, yet balk when its spoken. This is going all the way back to when you left the Invictus. Which is why you claiming in court you had 'no idea' why Priscus Hazelton was behaving the way she was vexed so many people who actually pay attention. Which is how this meeting came to be....not over your 'shock.' Everyone was shocked her Ladyship chose that moment to audibly call you out in court. Arguably something that I found appalling myself. In that...you are correct. I think she should apologize for trying to usurp a moment for punishment of her own clan to shift the focus on her personal spat with you. The Prince also had an opinion on that as well and it was harsh to hear, but she wasn't wrong in her criticism of Priscus Hazelton in how she tried to address it and when."