A Gangrel and a Nosferatu discuss...

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer leans back as she takes in the enormity of the situation. Pen and notepad are casually discarded onto the coffee table.
“I .. I am glad that you told me, Dirt Nap. Um. Uh, it's important for me not to step on Mr. Heinrich's toes in this. You see... um.”

She replies, somewhat strangled and her voice more impeded than usual. Jennifer had been thinking that with the Invictus being a meritocracy, this opportunity was likely intended to test Mr. Heinrich. Interfering could hinder his upward progress.
A pale hand grasps her neck, hidden beneath her scarf. The details of the ghoul had seemed small on the overall fear regarding the Breach until it suddenly hammered into her breast a sense of panic. The memory of when Jennifer herself had been in a similar situation. Jennifer closed her eyes tight, willing herself to become calm. It did not happen.

Jennifer finds herself recalling the scene that she herself had witnessed on her twentieth birthday. Traveling via bus, Jennifer had missed her stop and finds herself in an unfamiliar area of town. As she had moved along closed businesses, darkened windows and became increasingly alarmed at the general unease that permeated the area, she noticed an unusual amount of homeless sleeping along the alleys she passed by.

At the mouth of one alley, she had heard a frightened yell. Peering within, she saw two men in what appeared to be an altercation. She yelled for the aggressor to cease or she'd call the cops when *something* happened. She recalls only an image of flashing teeth before primal fear took over. To this day, she's not entirely sure of the course of events. She recalls sinking onto a bus bench, exhausted, terrified and in quite a state of dishevelment. She had lost a shoe and sported a nasty bruise on her arm, a scrape on her leg.

Jennifer attempts to redirect her thought back to her friend, in the present, but her mind becomes entangled in the violent memory. Her fingers probe the scarf, feeling the wretched, awful scar that had been inflicted upon her not long after this initial sighting. Her first glimpse of Joshua.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods at Jennifer's expression of appreciation. And her concern about interfering.

"I understand, Ma'am. The last thing I want to do is interfere in anyone else's business, or ask you to neither." He says softly.

Then Jennifer seems to become distressed, or to be reliving something distressing, or something like that.

Dirt Nap is respectfully silent for a few moments, and then he asks, softly, "Ma'am? Are you alright?"

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer nodded to Dirt Nap's reply about interference.

She remains still and quiet for a few minutes, her mind playing out the traumatic attack. Yet she had addressed this, and the silver lining of finding her inclusive family in the Nosferatu.
"I'm sorry." Jennifer didn't seem to be able to stop trailing her fingers along her scarf, ensuring that she was covered.

"It's just a... its a personal thing. I hadn't realized it when you brought it up, but this is very similar to how my Sire found me. I'm sorry." She looked away, not meeting his eyes.
"This is embarrassing."
Jennifer attempts to focus her attention on Dirt Nap, tilting her head to stare down at the notes that she had taken. She can't focus on the words.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap is still, and watchful, staring and observing intensely.

When Jennifer says she is embarrassed, he stands up, looking uncomfortable.

"I am sorry, Ma'am. I didn't meant to trouble you. Would you prefer it if I left you alone?" He offers.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"No, no...". Jennifer protests, shaking her head.

"It's just a memory. It's already happened. I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable, Dirt Nap.
If you want to leave, I would not be offended."

" I appreciate your coming by and appraising me. I'm very curious about what Mr. Heinrich plans next.
If you get stuck, please know that you can call me.

If Mr. Kowalsic does pose a considerable threat- I would advise you group to appraise her Grace, Duchess Twist. Daeva priscus and Archon of Sacramento."

She looks at Dirt Nap closely.
" It's a political quagmire." she mused quietly.

[Dirt Nap]

"Huh." Dirt Nap says. "Well, I don't have to leave...if you don't want me to." He is still for a time, considering Jennifer's words.

"I don't rightly know even how to contact 'Her Grace, Duchess Twist'." Dirt Nap muses. "I kinda figured it'd be up to Mister Heinrich to do that. I guess I'll ask him about it. Should I call her that, by the way, me being an outlander to the Invictus?"

Dirt Nap is standing, looking like he's trying to figure out whether it's okay to leave, or whether he would be abandoning a friend, a thing he isn't willing to do.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"It was something that I thought that I had already addressed. That I had already moved through." Jennifer says quietly. "That is why I was embarrassed. I trust you, Dirt Nap. I trust that I can be vulnerable with you and know that you would not see it as a way to take advantage."

For she loved her Family, loved being a Nosferatu at her Core. "Years ago.. lets say ten years ago... I had been timid, attempting to prove that I was willing to do anything for my Family. I wrote letters and essays, so overtaken by my Curse. Then I did well in an investigation and felt my confidence swell, if just by a bit. I had Priscus Grigoriev to advise me. A good friend in Ricardo to support me. The Triumvir to teach me Invictus Protocol."

I returned to Sacramento and found the Family without a Priscus. The position somehow not taken again. So I took it. Just laid out my lineage and told them that they could address me as Madame Hazelton, or Priscus."

She smirked. "Looking back at it now, I was a bit.. grandiose. But it was how I knew to bend others, to make them respect me. I didn't know these things either, Dirt Nap. I made mistakes. But I kept moving forward and lost my timid nature. "

Jennifer relaxed into the conversation as she explained about her Grace, the Duchess Twist. This was comfortable ground.
"Yes, you could as it is a title, like calling me Lady. Except that it is a title bestowed to those who accomplish a great thing, more than my title. His Grace, former Judex and former Prince Asa Clark, bestowed it due to all of Duchess Twists', the Archon of Sacramento, hard work in establishing the Invictus of Sacramento. To be safe in this setting, I would likely say 'Duchess Twist, Archon of Sacramento." As you will likely be speaking to her in her role as Archon for the city."

Jennifer plucked up her notepad, turned a page. She wrote down the contact details that she had for Twist from memory and tore off the page, offering it to Dirt Nap. She had it memorized. Was she attempting to social climb for an in with the Duchess, or just needed to have her contact information?

"Your instinct regarding Mr. Heinrich is right. I would let him handle contacting her. He is more versed in Invictus protocol."

Then why did she want Dirt Nap to have the Duchess' contact information?

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap pauses, listening intently, even staring though not gaping as Jennifer talks about her feelings and her past.

"Well." He says after the silence has stretched on and on. "Ma'am. Lady Hazelton."

Dirt Nap is quiet and then breaks the silence again. "I'd have to say, I consider it an honor and a privilege to have your trust. And I won't never do anything to break it, on purpose at least. I don't know that I am the best at keeping things hidden, though, Ma'am, Lady Hazelton." He says. "So...you might not outt to tell me things that you would suffer for, if I slipped up somehow."

Dirt Nap accepts the paper carefully, without commenting on the apparent contradiction between Jennifer's words and her actions, and with no hint as to what he intends to do with the information.

He folds it up into a small square and puts it in his pocket. It seems like his hand is empty by the time he puts it in his pocket though.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-11-05 21:26:42	Dirt Nap rolls 3 to 1 successDirt Nap rolls 3 to hide a folded up note with Obfuscate 1 (Wits 2 + Larceny 0 - 1 + Obfuscate 2) (1s Subtract)	6, 7, 8	1 success

"I guess...it's time for me to head on out." Dirt Nap says simply. "It's been a pleasure, Ma'am, Lady Hazelton. Like always."

Okay, good to close when you are, but only because of that other scene to advance. Thank you for the fascinating and fun scene!

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"I know." Jennifer nods as Dirt Nap shares his thoughts. She trusts the Gangrel, even as he does not seem to be able to hide his thoughts or concerns. Jennifer interprets this quality of Dirt Nap's as earnestness. She smiles slightly as he says he is not the best at keeping things hidden and secreting away the paper with the Gift of obfuscate. Kindred could be such contradictions. She almost says something more, but sits back into her seat. The Nosferatu studies Dirt Nap closely for a moment.

"Be well until I see you again, Dirt Nap." Jennifer bids him good bye.

I could scene wit Dirt Nap for ages, yet you are right. Dirt Nap is on a time crunch. Thank you for the fun scene!