Not quite New York, but...

[Helen Kingsley]

As soon as Helen's done with some of the stuffs lying around in her bunk, she heads out to where she is reasonably sure Bellemy's place is. Not that she's got a detailed idea on how things are going to be going in there, but she has a few reasonable assumptions about what the visit might entail from what she's read in that note she got and is certain she at least knows what she's heading into. Very roughly speaking. Thus, she's travelling light and doesn't bother with most of the small stuffs she normally carries on her person. Just a little family visit after all. She's wearing a light blue t-shirt for a change tonight, the hair's pulled back into a ponytail. Once she reaches the intended door, she pauses and gives the whole thing a superficial last think, before deciding 'what the hell' and knocking.

"Alright, Salinger... You want to talk ? Let's talk."

Then Helen leans against the doorframe with her arms folded in front of her chest and waits for the response.

[Bellemy]

Bellemy was laying on a twin sized bed reading a book as the door opened. The beast ROARED! at the incursion into it's sanctuary. Bellemy smacked the internal creature down with a jolt of willpower.


Tonight the haunt was dressed in a black "The Cure" t-shirt and black jeans. No shoes covered the black sport socks. One toe poked out of a small hole.


Bellemy sat up as Helen entered. Face passive. "Ah cousin, welcome. Thank you for coming. I have something for you."*


The haunt stood and moved to a small wooden dresser. From inside the dresser Bellemy removed a small neatly wrapped package with a little purple bow. The haunt handed the package to Helen. "Please accept this small token of friendship."

Inside the box is a collection of twenty or so world war one medals from around the world.

[Helen Kingsley]

Despite the strong urge not to and the sense she's entering the lair of something she really shouldn't, Helen opens the door, enters and closes the door behind herself. Not the smartest move perhapos, but some small voice in the back of her head lends some help by arguing that she should be able to handle Bellemy long enough to get out of Dodge, if necessary. So she takes a short look around before settling for a nice place against the wall for now.

The Cure, eh ?

"Don't mention it, sounded like it was important to you, so I thought I'd come around and see for myself what all that is about."

Handed the package, she looks at it a little undecidedly.

"Erm, thank you... And here I stand empty-handed like an inconsiderate ass."

Still, something inside urges her towards caution. She opens the package with the help of the pocketknife she pulls from her pocket and looks inside. SHe scans the content for a bit in silence, not too sure what to say about it. She closes the box again and carefully sets it down on the floor against the wall next to herself with a nod.

"A nice collection and an intersting pick, have to say as much. Token accepted, but that wouldn't have been necessary."

[Bellemy]

Bellemy smiled a toothy grin. "I am so glad you approve." Bellemy said ignoring Helen's protestations.

"Please make yourself comfortable." the haunt said indicating two leather chairs. Bellemy chose to retun to sit cross-legged on the bed. A picture in non-threatening posture.

"I feel a need to clear up the matter regarding clan whip." Bellemy started, words coming slowly. "The honest reason I didn't choose you is that I like you Helen. Not because I thought him better."

Bellemy stopped short realizing that the words were not making sense. The kindred took a large intake of unneeded air before continuing. "Whip is a trap. the haunt looked pleading eyes at Helen attempting to gauge her reaction.

[Helen Kingsley]

The ignored protestation is noticed. After she's put the box down, Helen slips off her shoes, puts them up next to the door, walks over to the chairs indicated and sits down in one of them, shifting her weight around a little while until she's comfortable enough. Clearing up the matter of the whip business, hm ? Helen joins the fingers of her hands behind her head and twists enough on the chair to put her legs over one of the armrests in a relaxed pose, although the way she looks at Bellemy doesn't quite fit into the whole picture she's projecting.

"Whip's a trap." she repeats. "How's that ?"

[Bellemy]

Again Bellemy breathed in deeply. A subtle motion to buy time to get thoughts organized. "In my experience, it is. Look at it this way. Conner is now in an impossible position. If he does his job correctly what does he gain? Nothing, because not failing is expected and why would meeting expectations be rewarded? Although if he fails to meet thoes same expectations he will be punished. Of that I am certain.

Bellemy paused to gauge Helen before continuing.

"Also Conner, in his role, will be seen as the face of the family. That will increase his value in the domain. But it is an artificial value. Smoke and mirrors. Ask yourself, why did Jennifer move to have a whip so close to the incident with Kowalsic? Was it perhaps because had there been one to take the fall for him we would still have a powerful and connected Kindred in the family?"

[Helen Kingsley]

Helen makes a throw-away gesture.

"Eh, it's a calculated risk. Trading the safety of the masses for the spotlight. Gets you into hot water faster, but if you can keep up, you'll get promotable faster, too. See merely 'meeting the requirements' as in not falling short as the expected competence you're supposed to show rises. Keep up and do it for long enough and the higher-ups will check that box on the personnel sheet that says 'able to do what asked or demanded, can translate instructions into action and ideally shows initiative and first signs of leadership qualities without fucking up too bad while doing all that'. Not really what gets you a medal, but it's a fast-track to that stuff that really likes that box ticked... Hound, Sheriff, Deputy, Keeper, Tenancy and what-the-hell-do I know else.

Now, Connor's got the additional advantage that him and Jennifer are basically two boots of a pair, and the way I see it, he's her candidate in the first place, so he kinda already knows what she expects from him and that she thinks he can do the job. As do you, for the casual observer, leaving me as the lone asshole who disagrees."

She chuckles on the last statement.

"Not that I care." she adds.

"I did the next best thing. I asked Connor. Asking Jennifer would have been the next best thing, but with her insistence on the whole thing, it didn't seem too smart to ask directly. Seeing how Connor went right to her squealing like a schoolground sissy after our first election meeting, it was also not necessary, although she did talk about that at the family meet. The bit about being in two investigations that are pretty dangerous and having a number two if anything puts her out of commission. Perhaps there's also really some Invictus thing about whip being on the TOE once the clan gets big enough, I wouldn't be too surprised. Bigger size, assistant leader, immediately more neat, more clean and insta-more effective. Or it's a covenant thing. or a mixture of the above and other shit I'm too lazy to think of right now. So several options."

Helen ponders the last bit of the question for a while, looking for some point at the ceiling while doing so.

"Nah, what Kowalsic did was too big and too terminally stupid to pin on anyone else. I guess if they'd really wanted to, they could've used it to take others down as well, but that'd have put Jennifer into the crosshair, because as Priscus, she's at least nominally responsible for shit that happens on her watch. Whether some dumb bastard would've been running around with a t-shirt ID'ing them as clan whip ? Wouldn't have made a difference. Next time or had the Kowalsic business been small enough to fit under the rug ? Perhaps, but then, most of us seem to support the guy and are banking on his success, apparently. Connor goes over the plank, Jenn's going to take a dent as well. We'll see when we see."

[Bellemy]

Bellemy sat silent and listened through Helen's points. When Helen was finished Bellemy simply stated "I see." it only slightly sounded like "agree to disagree". "If you are correct and Connor is Jennifer's chosen pupil than it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. She would have found a way to place him where she wanted in any event." there was a spark in the haunts eyes as Bellemy continued "And just to be clear, I also disagreed, vocally, which means we are both assholes and you aren't alone. I called him out to his face if you will recall."

There was another pause as Bellemy mentally sifted through Helen's words. "But I do see your point of view. Connor has the potential to be witnessed and so gain power and standing. I personally don't think whip is the path you think it is but I will concede your point. More exposure has the potential to be beneficial."

[Helen Kingsley]

"Eh, I don't think Jenn is too hung up about personalities. As long as someone takes the job and as long as that someone's doing a decent job that doesn't put us all the way up shit creek and reflects well on the family, she's good with it. Hell, if he was the best choice available and she could get away with it, I bet she'd make Liam whip, if she had to. So yeah, she has a favourite and Connor's got some headstart, that's for sure. But when the family's on the line, I'm pretty sure Jenn doesn't play favourites that bad just because of that one personnel question."

As Bellemy brings up what she calls her 'vocal disagreement', Helen can't help but laugh out loud.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA !" Luckily, technically not having to breathe has perks, like catching her breath being easier. "Shit, almost got me there. You called him out and disagreed with him. Vocally. To his face."

Helen's face would make her sem impressed, but her posture and tone make painfully obvious she's anything but. As she follows up, she gets a little more serious again, though.

"If that's the definition of asshole, then I'm almost too scared to look up what's the word for someone like me. Tell you what, I think we're talking two very distinct kinds of assholes. Not the same game, not the same sport, might be the same ballpark, if you stand far enough away and squint hard enough. But that's where the similarities between us in that ballpark end, I guess."

[Bellemy]

Bellemy's eyebrow raised at Helen's assessment of Jennifer. In the end the haunt only shrugged in response.

The creature sat unmoving through Helen's mockery with the stillness of un-life.

"It seems that conversation has reached a natural termination." The haunt said flatly. "Would you care to discuss your particular flavour of Carthian or should I just blunder through that too?"