Around the Bireme

[Bellemy]

"Why thank you. I felt nothing says roaring twenties quite like the picture of a paperboy." The haunt said in answer to the compliment. "My night is progressing at a pace. I have no complaints at the minute." if the monotonous demeanor of the man phased the haunt there was no outward indication.

When introduced by Milton, Bellemy bowed deeply and replied to Wei Lin. "I see. Well it does seem rather gauche for a formal court but I suppose that since you asked I will honour your request, Simply Wei Lin." Bellemy smirked a hideous smile. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well." Bellemy listened to Wei Lin make small talk and answered the Daeva. "Every day of our existence is a costume party. Very few of us embrace our true self and reveal our inner ugliness to the world." Bellemy's tone was flat and maudlin.

Helen received a warm smile from Bellemy and the haunt waited to hear the answer to Helen's question.

[Milton]

"Thank you for the kind words," Milton says to Wei Lin with a little smile. "The inspiration belong to Her Grace, the Prince. Her own passion inspired me to complete this work and offer it up as a gift to her." A nice bit of maneuvering there, rendering himself in a humble light and praising the Prince in one turn of phrase.

His smile becomes a little more enigmatic when the Succubus confesses to her lack of maritime knowledge, "Well, you have done well to retain such information. Those...tidbits amount to more than just trivia." And yet, it speaks to her view of her 'education': it is a collection of useful tools to be deployed. Intelligence is not an end in itself, only one means among others.

He's about to respond to Wei Lin's stated interest in languages when Helen appears on the scene. He turns his scrutiny upon the Haunt, noting the furtive way her outline acts when he glances away. It is unsettling, but also intriguing. The permutations of the Nosferatu curse never cease to amaze.

"Why, Ms. Kingsley, thank you for joining us," he looks to Wei Lin expectantly after Helen asks her question. Studying her reactions to these unsettling Kindred. It's always quite revealing, how someone responds to the Haunts.

Wits + Empathy to read Wei Lin's feelings, 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-11-20 18:00:52	Milton rolls 2 to Wits + Empathy -1 unskilled (10 Again)	10, 4, 2	1 success

Again, to Helen: "Perhaps its...departure from the theme is a message in itself," speaking of the model. "What do you think its incongruity might mean?" Milton knows why it's present. The Prince ordered that it should be. But what might Helen's answer to his query be?

Milton mirrors Bellemy's hideous smile with one of his own, bland as always. "I agree, Ms. Bellemy. We are creatures of continual and habitual deception. Though I have heard it said that truth has the structure of a fiction. Is it possible that our masks broadcast our true selves in ways we cannot perceive?"

[Helen Kingsley]

"Thank you for the invite."

Helen looks at the model, contemplating Milton's elaborations.

"It might mean somebody high enough on the ladder wants it here, thematic or not. Or there's a connection to the theme I don't see because I'm pretty ignorant about the 20s. Some specific interest in the classics or something like that, a collectible piece of art or study in craftmanship perhaps." She grins.

"But that might have come with a little more things on the side, I guess. So I'm leaning towards explanation A."

[Bellemy]

Bellemy nodded to Milton. "I feel that possibility as well Mr. Northbridge. Very astute observation." Turning to Helen the haunt adds "What say you cousin? does the face we choose to show the world speak to truth or fiction?"

The creature listened to the conversation regarding the ship without comment.

[Milton]

Milton listens, patient, a touch smug (as always), as Helen reels off the possibilities that occur to her. Still, he is clearly engaged.

"So, Option A then. And why might...they want something like this model to be placed just here, just now?" He tilts his head. It'd be an unsettling gesture, unblinking corpse that he is, if it weren't for his present company. Another benefit of hanging out with the Haunts. You're never the creepiest one.

A small, sly smile to Bellemy, "The thing I find unsettling is that the truth thus...bodied forth might not be visible to the one wearing the mask. Thinking ourselves hidden, we expose ourselves in a way we don't perceive. Like having something in one's teeth."

A chuckle.

"But I do go on. My apologies. Tell me, how do you pass your nights? I realize now that I know very little about you." Brown eyes move from one Nosferatu to the other, keen with interest.

[Bellemy]

Bellemy mirrored Milton's chuckle. "Oh well said sir, you offer very intriguing insight."

Bellemy looked out the the crowd of kindred then up to the cieling as if seeing the sky. "Oh but that would be telling." the haunt passed a mischievous look at Helen. "I fear this night has waned. But perhaps, should you call on me one night I shall show you." the words were punctuated with a sharp toothed smile.

[Helen Kingsley]

"The face we choose to show reflects the spin on our truth we want people to see. Like Mr Northbridge said, that works only as far as the message that is sent. How its understood is another thing."

Question is how well that works in particular cases. She looks back to th boat and frowns in thought. A it is, then. Funnily enough, theres something that Milton seems to know that she doesn't

"Perhaps they just recently gfot it and wanted to use the next best occasion to display it because they thought it was worth being seen by everyone that matters as well as a few of the kids. Well, it is a nice boat, after all. You wouldn't know where they got it from, would you now ?"

Helen chuckles.

"Well, Bellemy's not wrong. Perhaps we should follow up on that at another time of your convenience ?"