Rolls
Sidor's time, these days, came at a premium. Between his triple role within family, Covenant and Domain, he spent the vast majority of his time running after one crisis or another, or else planning to evade the next crisis.
He didn't particularly mind. Better than the nights before, when he had been starving and alone, with little else to do than contemplate his existance and stake out his unlife for his principles.
Of course before, there had been other benefits.
He set up the board, and waited. The brief times when his duties allowed him to exist without having to run off and do something for the Domain were to be savoured. For a moment, everything was peaceful- and he was determined to enjoy himself.
Ariana arrived at the Moore House just a little before the time she had decided to meet Sidor. She had been dropped off by Conner before he went to take care of some things. In a normal skirt, dark grey with a deep eggplant blouse her heels clicked on the sidewalk leading to the door. Not only did she enjoy playing chess, but she enjoyed talking with Sidor.
Some people may think chess would be a stressful game. It all depended on what someone was playing for; company or competition. With a smile she entered the parlor area of the Moore House and greeted Sidor warmly. "Dobryj vecher, Sidor Rurikovitch" She said with more confidence than the last time. "How are you this evening?" Ariana sat in the chair opposite the Haunt where the chess board had been set up.
"Dobryj vecher, Ariana Donovana," Sidor replied, in a voice that might have passed for warm if not for the maelstrom of shadows, and his preternatural stillness. It did rather tend to disrupt any expressions he chose to make. "Well, thank you. Busy, as always. Sometimes I think the entire Domain requires our time these nights." His accent, on the other hand, was almost perfect for dry humour.
"Yourself?" The Bishop gestured to the chair across from him, his scarred left hand catching the light. An obvious invitation to join him.
While she sat in the chair, Ariana wished often she could see the expression on the Haunt's face. Even though she knew it was his curse, for someone who was very used to seeing expressions it was always hard to not want. Smiling she replied. "Indeed it has been rather busy lately. Whether it be things going on in the Domain, or my work itself."
Nodding to the board she looked up into his shadowed face. "White or black?" Ariana remembered their last game, still she was not in as much practice as she would like to be. As the Lordess settled into the chair and looked over the pieces while he decided, she thought she would begin the conversation. "Thank you again for inviting me to the Sanctified Mass. I enjoyed it immensely." It was a sincere compliment, but there may have been just a little something that gave away that there was something on her mind about it.
"I prefer black," Sidor said, his voice thoughtful. "As long as you don't particularly mind?" His eyes flickered to the board, the swirling shadows washing away the focus of his eyes. His mind flickered through moves and openings, gambits and tactics. For him, this was relaxing; letting his mind freewheel through a game while he freed himself from other Kindred's problems.
"Did you? I'm glad. It was something of a first time for me, as well," the Nosferatu Bishop added, looking up at Ariana for a moment. "What did you think of the Sermon?"
"No, of course. I have no preference in color." Whether there was deeper meaning behind what she said was uncertain, as her smiling eyes looked over the board.
"I thought it was enlightening. I also thought for those of us who did not know much about the Sanctified that it put things into perspective. I believe it was when you spoke of free will and that the members had a choice was where I was taken back a little." Ariana said as she moved the first pawn. "I had pictured it differently, perhaps it was because of the former Bishop. Even though I never spoke to him, his dour impression was very strong." The Lordess' eyebrows made a slight scowl for a moment. "It would be interesting to know what others thought of the mass. I am uncertain if it was supposed to mirror some Christian cultures or practices, but it seemed to do so for me." Of course this was only half of what Ariana was thinking during the sermon. As she looked into Sidor's shadowed face, she looked as though if she was going to speak again but stopped.
"Some people do not," Sidor said thoughtfully, as he opened with a Knight. "I prefer to watch my opponent's first move." Whether or not that revealed something deeper about the Bishop, or simply emphasised the unerring, terrifying nature of his curse was up for debate. The shadows always seemed to be watching.
"Dour is one word for it. I personally prefer the word 'insane'. Such Kindred are a shame and a blight on my Covenant, and I will go out of my way to repel them from spending time or further tainting our reputation," Sidor's voice was sharp with that, the note of passion burning through his intense voice. "In some ways, there are reflections of Christian Masses. It depends on the Creed. I have seen similar services which more accurate reflected Jewish or Islamic practice. I am, however, glad that you found the sermon... interesting." He paused, studying her as she appeared to be about to add something.
"Was there... something else?"
A knowing smile with a nod in regards to his preference. "The tactical way of course." Ariana commented with reference from a former conversation.
As she moved her own knight on the board as he spoke, the Lordess had a question on her brow. "Do you think you are still trying to overcome the obstacle that Mr. Flores had put in place in more than one way?" Her question was not necessarily something that plagued her, she never compared the two men. Yet she was very curious if Sidor still did this to himself. "And yes, I was curious as to where you got your inspiration for your sermon." Ariana thought it best not to convey what she had thought of during mass, in case she was entirely wrong.
"Flores' shadow is not the only stain on my Covenant, as you well know," Sidor replied quietly. "But he is an excellent yardstick by which to measure the character of our Purpose. Call it... a reminder, if you like." He regarded her advancing knight and began to organise a defensive line, advancing a pawn. "I am a great believer that everything happens for a reason." The Nosferatu paused again at Ariana's question.
"It has been in my mind since the day a newcomer walked into my office and declared that I should take it upon myself to scourge a respected member of the Domain for daring to be a lapsed Sanctified. Suffice to say, that foolish individual is no longer in this city. It was compounded when a certain Gangrel decided to apply for membership, while declaring that we should be pandering to the whims of mortals. It seems there is a tragic misconception as to what the Path of the Centurion even entails. Call it a mission statement if you will."
"Well, one way I have found some overcome monstrosities is to simply rise up and prove to others that you are better than succumbing to their ways." Ariana said with a little nod while surveying the pieces. There may have been a hint that it was something she did herself. "And yes, everything does happen for a reason. There's also an adage 'why do we fall, so we might learn to pick ourselves up again,' I realize it is from a Batman movie but it applies so well." The Lordess moved to take Sidor's pawn with her own.
Knowing who the first individual the Haunt had spoke about, Ariana shook her head slightly. "It amazes me that some wander into this Domain knowing nothing of it and want to make a change without knowing all the facts. Of course, as a reporter for a newspaper this goes against what I believe." Softly raising her hand for a point. "It is much like Mr. Kesom, who thought we needed to prove ourselves to him and provide an incentive for him to be loyal." There was a long verbal sigh to mainly state what she was feeling more so than it was necessary. Ariana surveyed the chess board, then looked up into the shadow's of the Russian's face. "Perhaps it may have been that mass was not long after the evening at the Asylum, there were particular words in which I thought you may found some inspiration." The redhead said casually. Her words were not trying to imply torture with the Sanctified.
"Oh, we're all monsters, Miss Donovan. Some of us are just better presented than others," Sidor replied, his voice holding a note of amusement. "I wouldn't dream of calling myself anything other than monster. Look at me. What else could I be?" Beneath the shadows, his smile was like ice. Present, but cold with his humour. He had always been a monster, even before his embrace. The only change there had been to rob him of his ability to disguise it. He captured the aggressive pawn.
"It's depressing, isn't it? To think that someone could survive so long without learning even the basics of our society. We render ourselves to the bone and they demand incentive for loyalty. As if it were a currency they could pay with, instead of something required of them," his sharply accented voice was unsurprisingly, displeased. "Loyalty is all a neonate has to offer. It was all any of us came to this city with." His thoughts lingered on the agony of travel, and the early days. Exile and rebirth. Had any other Kindred in Sacramento ever managed as he had, to bear such a burden and rise above it?
"As for the Asylum... It is theatre. Staged only for sexual gratification. It bears little connection to real sacrifice... or indeed, real torture. It is a game, Miss Donovan, no more relevant to the pressures of reality than this board is to the reality of the battlefield. And the submissive, not the Dominant, has all the power." The Nosferatu Bishop's tone became more still, and he frowned beneath the frozen, unmoving shadows. "You surprise me. I take both my celibacy and my faith seriously."
Looking up from the chessboard to Sidor’s shadows, the Lordess wondered if she met his eyes. “You have never been a monster to me.” Her sincere words were spoken slowly as if to define the meaning further.
“Considering that is all that is ever asked upon first arrival in this city; indeed it is depressing. I am still appalled by that.” The copper haired Ventrue shook her head in dismay. "Maybe more so because two people attempted to assist him, and he repeated his own history."
One of the reasons Ariana enjoyed Sidor’s company, he treated her as a woman of intellect and did not throw himself at her feet. “I have known you long enough to know that you take your faith and celibacy seriously. Perhaps I should clarify a little. I know it is a game of course. However, it was a choice that night while we were there. The two who participated and those of us who chose to watch because of Free Will. No one was forced anyone to do anything.” Her fingers flexed a moment while they raised to move another piece. “I know you take your faith and celibacy seriously. Both of which I admire you for. Perhaps I do not know enough about religion to have compared the two events and for that, I apologize. I may have made the correlation in my own mind since the events were close to each other.” As she moved her piece again, she looked back into Sidor’s shadows and reading his body language.
"Our friendship does not change my nature," Sidor said quietly. "You see what you have desired to see. You have not watched me plying my trade for the Domain. Do not equate my monstrosity with ill-culture, or the inability to bond." It was, in all likelihood, better that way. Not because the Nosferatu was concerned for what she might see, but because he preferred to keep those who might see what could emerge from those moments at an absolute minimum. And because of all of the coterie, Ariana was the one whom the Man Within posed the most danger to.
"Kesom was a waste of precious vitae. There have been many others. It is always so disappointing to watch, and wonder what fool sired such a neonate," the Nosferatu Bishop added, shaking his head fractionally. "If I were to take that appalling step myself, I would ensure the intended was not such an embarrassment to my blood."
"Ah, I see. You speak of the parallel between the sexual game at the Asylum and of enduring actual torture. The actual results of two very similar actions being entirely different- orgasm or psychological breaking. Hm... Your analogy is not without merit, but I'm surprised it's the one that came to mind. A somewhat... unusual choice," he said quietly, examining her face as he moved his knight. "Forgive me, but it rather implies personal experience. I wasn't aware you knew how to interrogate an individual like that. Or... perhaps you were simply thinking of me?"
“I realize our friendship does not change your nature. I have seen what you have shown me, which is what I showed you when we first started talking; kindness and understanding.” Ariana was not attempting to argue his point, but perhaps after all this time that is what he wanted to be seen as.
“I agree entirely. I wonder if some give off a façade that entices someone to sire them. Yet if that is the case, it is indeed a fool that believed such a veil of deceit.” As she moved another piece she pondered her thought out loud. “I too have not had a desire to sire anyone. Apparently the sires of some do not realize how much of a responsibility it is.” There were even a few currently she could think of who fit this description.
Sidor was slightly type of influence in her requiem that having this conversation felt a little challenging. The Lordess was not ready to mention that she was the interrogated one as he had described as witness. “Everyone will interpret things differently. But at least I was paying attention enough to try and relate it to my surroundings, even if it was not exactly correct.” Ariana gave Sidor a soft apologetic smile. She felt as if she was offending him for discussing what she took away from his mass even though she could not read his expression. Her own had a tone of regret.
"It's amusing," Sidor said quietly. "And very Western, if you'll forgive me, to think that those things preclude monstrosity. Monsters can have manners, as much as anyone." He gave a small shrug. "Even if some members of this Domain seem to think that being Embraced made them the Almighty's gift to Sacramento. Perhaps it is related to the second... perhaps some really are just so careless in their Embraces. I have heard rumours that there have been individuals going around, claiming to be the childer of Princes. As if the childe of a Prince would be in a foreign city if they had not been banished." He gave a small sigh. "I am glad I have never sired. I have enough responsibilities to be getting on with without my blood infecting others."
The Bishop paused over the Board, moving his own bishop after a moment.
"Everyone has their own opinions," he said, and shrugged very slightly. It was mechanical and unusual, as he always was when he moved. Calculated, and strange in all his factors. "I am sure your reasons are your own. But as someone with rather a knack for torture, I prefer not to align it with my Faith. That is why I follow an ascetic path."
“I see your point, and no need to ask for forgiveness.” The Lordess said with honesty. “We are all monsters though. Something I think we forget, or attempt to forget from time to time.” Ariana moved another piece, and as she let go, realized a moment to late that Sidor would capture her rook. "Sadly, some do not find that balance between a requiem and an existence with the mortal world around us." She knew some people viewed the world as a smorgasbord.
“I too feel that I have far too many responsibilities to ever sire someone. Since I never had any natural children, they are a big responsibility. However, it seems that siring is even more of a responsibility than a mortal having a child.” In all actuality, Ariana was more worried that she would turn into her sire, even though that she was further from what that true monster was. “Opinions are what make us unique instead of clones of others. But as I said before, your mass was done well and I thank you again for the invitation.”
Sidor's capture came swiftly, and he took the rook, placing it at his side of the board. Beneath the shadows, a faint smile flickered across his lips, dagger-like and sharp, and gone as soon as it appeared. "Only the weak deny what they are," he said, as if he was quoting someone from long ago. "Fear can rule us all, in one way or another." The Man Within laughed, somewhere deep within his psyche. He ignored it.
"No, I never had children either. I had quite enough to be getting along with, without fathering anyone," the Nosferatu Bishop added, his voice pleasantly languid beneath the maelstrom of blackness on his face. "I have no wish to create a childe and condemn another to the Damnation of a Requiem. It is a grave, if occasionally necessary, sin. As for Mass, you are always welcome. Anyone who would like to observe is. I do not hold with secret meetings behind barred doors for services."
Thankfully, several of Ariana's fears had come to pass. A few still surfaced every now and again, yet there would always be one looming. As the Lordess moved her Knight out into the open, she mentioned in wondering. "I am always curious why some want to sire and others do not. It seems nearly the same question as with mortals." She lifted her hand gently gesturing to Sidor. "Do you think similar risks are involved in only mentoring another Kindred?" To the redhead, it seemed there were but on a different level. "I often think that sometimes the mentor could be held accountable."
"Perhaps I should not answer that question, Miss Donovan, given that I routinely mentor Kindred. Are you trying to force me to incriminate myself?" Sidor replied, his voice faintly amused as he captured the Knight. He doubted she was. His students were in general, beyond reproach. That was why he was teaching them to begin with. "It is traditional that the Sanctified focus quite heavily on education, which I am given to understand, surprises some people in this country," he added after a moment, before pausing, still. He looked frozen beneath the shadows, unmoving and statue-like in the dark.
"I suppose it depends on the nature of the crime. There are some things that even a good teacher cannot remove from a poor student."
The Lordess' eyes widened for a moment. "Oh no of course. It was not a question meant to incriminate yourself." Her brow quirked as the Knight was taken, a miscalculation on her behalf it seemed. As Ariana looked across the board in order to make her next move, she continued. "Poor students seem to be quite common in today's world. So many expect the easy route." Her hand raised in gesture to make a point, while she moved her Bishop. "I do think some forget the value of learning from mistakes. A good teacher helps their student to take that in consideration." Most of what the Ventrue learned about being a leader was from her old editor.
After moving her piece, she looked up to Sidor's shadowed face. "Is the difference between Russian and the United States that great to where it surprises people?" She asked curiously. Ariana had not traveled in her requiem and sometimes she felt at a disadvantage.
"A joke, Miss Donovan, nothing more. I have taken great pride in my students. Both of them are coming along splendidly. Of course, one would be hard pressed to accuse either of them of wanting in their position, given their services to Sacramento," Sidor said quietly, the note of humour vanishing as he became more thoughtful. It had been so faint anyway as to be invisible. Differences. Sometimes, he faintly missed Sverdlovsk, but there was such work to be done here that it was rarer and dimmer each time.
"In American culture I am given to understand that the religious are widely considered to be uneducated and therefore extremely stupid. In Europe, there is a wide tradition of the religious being educators. Strange, but there you are. It is not a uniquely Russian phenomenon, and younger Russians would likely consider my view old-fashioned regardless. The Soviet state left many imprints."
While Ariana went to move another piece, her fingers subtly flexed. As much as she enjoyed Sidor’s company, it was still difficult for a journalist to speak to someone without watching their expression. Even if he had been cleaver at disguising those expressions, it was still a variation from the norm. “I have always enjoyed training people in my career. I think I would enjoy taking on a student of the Invictus myself. Someone willing to learn and one who listens.” Moving her piece and taking Sidor’s pawn as she did. “I know, of course, that it does not always happen this way. Forcing the unwilling becomes very tedious and time consuming.”
The Lordess’ hand raised palm up, gently as she considered his take on local religion. “I can see where that may be a widely shared conception of religion. Those who are very religious only teach others who want the instruction from what I have read and from idle talk around the office.” Raising her hand to make a note. “Our country has separation of church and state, it is not as acceptable to teach things openly. It is generally voluntary to teach and learn the subject of religion. I do wish more people took a general theology class to be more tolerant and respectful of others whether they choose to believe or not.” It was not a requirement when Ariana was in college, but strongly suggested that it was in her curriculum. Nearly ten years later, she was still happy she did. "Did Russia have multiple religious beliefs?" She asked to the shadowed face of Sidor.
"Perhaps it will lie in your future, Miss Donovan. I imagine you would be a very capable teacher, to the right student," Sidor said thoughtfully, his gaze on the board as he made a sharp, defensive movement with his bishop. "I, myself never imagined it would be so. But I seem to be teaching many people these nights. It is strange, sometimes, how things turn out." He paused for a moment, the maelstrom of shadows moving across his closed features. "And I suppose I taught you a little Russian, as well. Perhaps it is natural for me, in some regard." His eyes flickered upwards, meeting hers invisibly.
"Russia had almost as many religions as it has people. It is strange... people imagine Russians are all white, dark haired, tall and dour. In reality, the nation covers so much ground that there are many different ethnic groups, and many of them brought their own faiths into the country long before," the Nosferatu said simply. "It... changed... in this Century, but there are those who still remember. Faith is a bright, blazing thing, and it is hard to put out." But not impossible. If it had not been for one Kindred, his might have been. But that one, simple action had set him on this path. "It is strange, though. In this country, people speak of separation of Church and State, and then proudly declare one nation under God. It seems that religion here matters to the Government, even though the laws say it should not. I never understood that mindset."
Ariana smiled brightly as she looked up to Sidor’s shadowed face. “Thank you. I sometimes hope that a little gentle guidance or advice is useful. For those willing to learn, I do enjoy assisting them; even if it is attempting to overcome an obstacle that they placed for themselves. However, I believe in letting those individuals find their own way with a gentle nudge.” Pausing to move another piece then taking another pawn of Sidor’s. The game was not going entirely as she had hoped. “As much as I would like to explain exactly what they should do, if they have the revelation on their own, it seems they work harder for it.”
The Lordess placed an elbow on the table and gently put he chin on the backside of her hand while she listened. "Perhaps it is naivety that causes people to be so close minded. Often we forget that technology and advancements have joined the world together and brought us past such things.” Ariana then raised her free hand as her eyes opened and she nodded with understanding. “Ah yes. The American government for the most part, seems to balance the separation. That is until groups or individuals push these boundaries and they become national news and upset those individuals who know the balance already. I am sure you know that our country was founded for religious freedom. I believe that is why it continues to be a part of our country. It is meticulous to balance, and at times, I fear some of the politicians do not understand its reasoning anymore.” The Lordess could clearly remember what she learned in journalism classes in college. So many balances between freedom of the press, religion and speech, Ariana wondered how the chaos did not ensue.
Sidor's pawns immediately pounced, pulling the trap tight and crushing the piece that had broken his lines. Beneath the shadows, he smiled very slightly. "Ah, you were a loss to my Covenant, Miss Donovan," he said, quietly. "The Invictus must be intensely grateful that they have someone of your wisdom when it comes to educating the newcomers." The Bishop's voice seemed as genuine as it could be, considering his fearsome, shadowed appearance.
"Sometimes, I think freedom takes more paperwork than totalitarian control," he added dryly.
Ariana moved another Bishop taking his Knight, not realizing it exposed her King. It was moments like these where her fingers gently flexed only wishing to see his expression. "There are some things we do in life or in a requiem that we do because we love it. Gratitude is expressed in many ways and sometimes even silently. I thank you for the compliment, but the true thanks I receive is when someone has their moment of clarity." The Lordess smiled and there was a sense of pride that was on her face.
There was a gentle closed mouth laugh that emitted from Sidor's paperwork comment. "You are not the first person who has mentioned such a thing."
Sidor Wins
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