Kings Pawn to ...

[evangeline]

Angel took the drink and looked around like she was lost or looking from some one a smile on her lips as she quickly moved pass a few of the guards. Finding the inner zen as she did to mask the anger that was starting to rise in her. This little tiny vampire better not piss her off or she will crush him and as thought before bathe in his blood, it would soften her skin even more so maybe it was a good idea. She smiled as all the anger she felt drifted to a satisfaction at the thought, she hated the weak spineless fool that was sent.

She moved passed more of the vampires as she sighed shook her head what was wrong with then it was almost to easy. It was almost a slap in the face that they were so lacks on the security here but in the long run she didnt need to run into Demetrius face to face since he was the only on that knew her face out of the group. Johnathon keep her away from Katrina so just in case she needed to do something around her, the vampire would not know her. Smiling as a gaurd moved closer to her as if to block her from going farther this was going to be fun.

"Excuse me...I am lost I was here with this man and he left me...I dont know where I am or why he brought me here. Will you help me?" She said in a faint scared voice that made her body shake to mirror it she was in her element at this moment in time. "I dont know what to do...He is tall wearing all black and has black hair." She said as she watched the vampire look around at all the people that fit what she said and moved off starting to look around for her man.


'Sucker' She hissed in her mind as she moved closer and closer to were she saw the vampires disappear too. Her hearing was sharp so if she could get close enough she could listen and look like a shy girl and not have anyone the wiser. Angel smiled as she was now very close that she could smell them.

[Deleted]

Sabin walked in with his mind focused on one thought, he never asked the vamps for anything. Sabin made it a point to not intertwine himself too deeply with any of the other preternatural races, that in and of itself was a feat. He thought about taking a trip to the conservatory to see what Hiero was up to but that would have to wait for a bit. As fond as Sabin was of Hiero this had more to do with the nest than just city or friend matters. Once he had a handle on what is happening with the out of towners he could see what the pride was up to.

As Sabin walked into the door the smell of death hung heavy in the place, it was decadence and decay. The undead that haunted this place infused enough death into the place that it was a surprise the building could still stand. His thought started to drift to one vampire in particular. Her face, the promised seduction of her walk, the immobilizing effect of her gaze, that was someone else that Sabin wanted to pay a visit too. His heart pounded for a few beats as he thought of seeing her again. Sabin took a deep breath and turned thought of her away. Business first.

The smell of were’s was in the air. An Alpha level were was nearby. Sabin did not know the were so he go on with business. He they crossed paths than that would be fine if not then so much the better, the furry politics were grating at times because we often needed an intermediary when we discussed anything that did not include sex or booze.

[kitty]

Through her oath to Andrius Katrina could feel that his attention while seemingly all here was in fact elsewhere. He played the role of sheer muscle better than most she had ever known. It was close to what he was underneath the polish and deceptions but as close as it was it was not his true self. She knew that of everyone in Chicago that she had the best view of the man and even her nearly unobstructed view was nowhere near the whole of him. she was forced to wonder would there ever be anyone to whom he was wholly honest with.

She knew better than to press him on whatever was brewing yet she truly did want to know. She knew that something was brewing with the guards as he kept his ear imperceptibly focused outwards. Glancing towards the cameras briefly she saw that nothing was amiss. At least not on any of the cameras that were viewable from this faux office. She longed for a trip to the true central command of the club so as she would have access to the width and breadth of the full array of cameras. There was nowhere aside form the interior stalls of the bathrooms that weren't visible. The cameras for their sharpness and focus were incredibly small even so much so that many preternatural never noticed them.

Whatever it was that had his attention was important enough to notice but not important enough to act on directly. That made her even more curious but there was the matter at hand of Demetrius to deal with. Sighing she decided to tackle the matter head on. "Demetrius my friend let us deal with Johnathon's matter then yours. I never assumed he would send you on such a visit could he be changing his ways or is there another reason he sent you." She said sitting behind the desk leaving Andrius by the door and Demetrius nearest to Andrius than herself. The subtle threat of Andrius looming strength should be more than enough to loosen Demtrius's tongue. She disliked such a base manipulation bit the sooner this matter was settled the sooner they could move onto other business.

Watching Demetrius take the chair she felt something else stir within the club. The place was a mecca for mortal thrillseekers hoping to be near or perhaps with the undead. Yet the lycanthrope population tended as a whole to only loosely associate within the confines. She felt two strong lycanthropes in the premises. That was odd as while she couldn't be sure she thought that one of the presences was Sabin. There weren't that many alpha level snakes in the entire continental U.S. and he didn't strike her as one that shared easily. In fact she was sure that for any other alpha level snake to come anywhere near Chicago they would have to either bend knee to or kill the man. That could have been the reason for Andrius' preoccupation but she doubted it. No there was something else afoot. Finally breaking down she reached out to Andrius mentally. Normally she would have waited for his cue but she disliked not knowing more than she feared his later punishments.

'May I assist whatever is going on' She thought at him. She knew that Demetrius would have felt the stirrings between them but not being a master vampire he would just feel the power ebb and flow between them. It might place him even more on edge but in her estimation it would be worth it as well was it might actually help things along. She'd learned form Andrisu thatthe more off kilter a being was the more one could use their own strengths against them. In Demetrius's case it was his decorum. His own penchant for calm. It was a nearly endless well spring but he was already near the end of his calm when he arrived. She could tell as much form his rush to unload his mental baggage on the floor of the club itself. Yes indeed another push might have him open wide like a cracked egg. the delicate thing would be to not allow him to fall completely apart. That she already had plans in place to keep him from shattering.

No one could be as repressed as him without their secrets. His was his closeted feelings. He repressed his urges so as they might not be used as weapons against him. But she had long ago found his particular weakness. She would use that Achilles heel to allow him to heal himself. Afterwards he might think of bathing in holy water but for the moment it would keep him sane. Or sane enough as the case might be. A small smile appearing at the corners of her mouth she leaned forward on the desk seemingly giving Demetrius thew whole of her attentions. Nodding for him to go on she waited fighting the urge to lock eyes with Andrius.

[hiero]

Andrius smiled inwardly as Demetrius attempted to maintain what control he had on himself. the man was a coward at heart. Andrius sussed out the truth of the vampires being in the few moments since his arrival. While he would be a fine addition to the retinue of the kiss acting in a solely administratively function he was useless otherwise. He bored him now and as such he turned his attentions out towards the club. the subtle shift in his attention would go unnoticed by and large. Demetrius would make things easier on Katrina in her role as stalking horse yet the man would not add to any other enterprise. It was a shame really as the piddly information that he was preparing t barter was information that Andrius had already obtained form his spies within the Motor City.

Ah well more was the pity. Andrius however was more piqued by the lycanthrope in the club proper. She was a ball of emotion which called to the monster within him. Her depth of loyalty as well as deceit was like a bright shiny candy beckoning to him. She would be a treat to toy with. Her spiteful intentions born of a love for Johnathon would be a twisted joy to watch and observe. Too bad she was backing the wrong horse in this race. Andrius thought on how best to put her to use without truly turning her to his banner. Even as it was obvious that she harbored an ill will towards Demetrius he found her loyalty to the Master of Detroit amusing. It would be a shame if she were to be completely broken. So he would have to tread lightly with this one he didn't want her as shattered as Chang Hong, nor her bastard son.

Pushing a little power at her he tested at her resolve. Doing so allowed him to taste the hot angry nature of her beast. An Onca that was novel. They were as insular as the Streak as territorial as the Pride and nearly as secretive as the Pard. All in all they were a rather elusive breed of fur. Too bad that there weren't more active within the city. He could already fathom what he would make of them if they had the numbers to be of any real use to him. Shaking his head imperceptibly as he felt Katrina's attention flag. She'd caught that he was focused outside of the office. That was great and not all that well. She was becoming more adept at reading him. He found a new level of respect for her and also a new level of annoyance. She was too apt of a pupil. He immediately fixed her with a look that said many a thing and nothing all at once. In her attempting to reach him he caught that she had wagered her future punishments against her actions and found it worth whatever was to come. She was all together too apt of a pupil for her own good at times.

Smiling he filled her head with the happenings of the bar including the necessity to punish Siegfried for his all too human pity. Though he was a newborn amongst the blood he still was lax in his duties. His feelings of pity just cost him dearly. It was a novel ploy by the lycanthrope yet all in all should have been offset if he had sensed her beast.Instead he was caught off guard by his fetishistic ideal of a small Asian woman. Too much anime watching during his living years. It bothered Andrius all the more as that particular kink should have been alleviated by his change instead it seemed to grow moreso. Sending the dread of death towards Siegfried he slowly permeated the club with a feeling of wary paranoia. It would work better if he targeted the young Onca but the incendiary paranoia of the other guards and patrons would heighten the effect as now everyone would be on pins and needles. He chuckled at the idea of every person feeling as if something was breathing down their neck watching them.It would mean less cash receipts at the bar for the next few moments but it would be interesting and well worth it to see her play her hand.

Ye sit was akin to using a sledge hammer to deal with an ant infestation but the measure of the steel in her would be well worth the loss of revenue. Knowing how she would respond to extreme pressure would be indicative of whether she might truly be useful later. As well as it would heighten the terror for Siegfried later. He could have easily punished him now by taking his strength from him or at least a portion of it but he wished him at his strongest for now. Knowing what mischief he had wrought he sent a silent missive to the Deejay to raise the music as well as the tempo to further add to the feelings floating through the bar.

The noise would act as cover for the happenings building to a head. The mortals within the premises would never know how close they were to actual danger this night. Many of them would come back all the more because of the feelings coursing through them. The fear that was inspired in them would have them flocking back in droves. Their little bit of risk would have them hooked on the place as surely as if it were an actual drug coursing through their system. All the set pieces in place Andrius silently left the office so as Katrina could continue with her breaking of Demetrius. The sexual torments and teases she had in mind bored him even more than the weight and truth of Demetrius did. His hidden urges were plebeian and rather underwhelming. Shame that it was, he'd hoped that Johnathon had attempted some act of duplicity sending an assassin but instead he attempts to foist off his nearly powerless major domo on the City. The play was beneath the two of them. Especially as his actions forced his own covert little minx into the open.

Andrius expected more from the man. It seemed for every step forward he made a leap in reverse to counteract himself. He knew from Katrina that the man was of two minds on nearly every decision he made. The shame of it all was if he merely got out of his own way he would truly be a danger. As it stood he was more of a foil to himself than any other being could ever be. Which in part was why Andrius thus far had made no truly active move against him. Such an enemy helped by consternating ones other enemies plans. Such a lunatic made sure that no one else could prevent their actions all the while making their own actions nearly ineffectual.

Moving with the silence of long dead ages and the speed of thought Andrius was beside the prying lycanthrope before much time had passed. As she lounged seeming for all the world as if she was merely lost he cleared his throat as he seemingly materialized from nowhere. "Perhaps I might assist you in finding your lost paramore, right this way madam.." He said motioning back towards the way she had come. He would play along as long as she did. Being this close to her he felt her beast all the more. She was young yet for such an angry beast but it suited her somehow. The face of an angel and the mind of a demon. The hateful images she had in mind as to what she would do to Demetrius were a particularly sweet poisoned fruit. Yes indeed her stood a she-devil. Andrius smiled as her close resemblance to Hong did not escape him.

He knew as surely as he stood that should he present her an opportunity that she would gladly attempt to feast on his entrails. Yes she was nasty piece of work indeed. Her devilishness was made all the more special as in her eyes it was inspired by her love. Her heart rending love for a monster. What ingenuity did Johnathon possess to inspire such rabid fealty in his agents and yet by turns the complete opposite in others.

He'd felt the Kashyapa enter the premises but he'd expected him to leave as quickly. The fact that he'd stuck around meant he'd come on business most pressing. The only other time he had willingly entered Excalibur was at Katrina's request. The snake was one of those clan heads that he had watched from afar for some time now. He was a curious one at once at odds and at peace with his monstrousness. His presence here now was unexpected and quite frankly unwanted. the man already had within him the tree of paranoia. As well as he was prone to overreactions over the least slight. He easily upset the apple cart. Andrius sighed rubbing his forehead in a most human of affectations. The snake would have to be addressed and dealt with as it was obvious that he had no plans of leaving until he had attained what he'd come for.

"Actually, I'm being called away for a moment but if you would be so kind as to leave the employees area I'll meet you at the bar in what say five minutes," Andrius said a smile plastered to his face. He wouldn't let on that he'd read her like the most open of books that was a trick for later. For now he would allow her to think that she had been effective in her deceptions. Nodding to th e other guards not that far off he sent a mental missive for them to escort her out of the area and to the VIP bar within Vision so as they could better assist her later. As they moved to carry out their orders he stepped back seeming to fall into the embrace of endless shadows.

Stepping out of that same ebon embrace next to Sabin he cleared his throat. "This way if you will Kashyapa. I think it would best if we spoke in a more secluded area." Making sure that the suggestion was understood as so much more Andrius motioned with his arms towards one of the booths removed from the flow of traffic which held a reserved placard insuring that the area would be free of random listeners.

[Deleted]

Sabin Regarded the man for a few heartbeats. His mind quickly accessing images of those that he had seen in the club, as neurons fired his eyes settled on a spot just above the man’s eyes. He could feel the power roll off of him… that’s It Sabin nearly jumped back as the face locked into his mind. He had seen this vampire only two other times. Sorcha had been with him in both occurrences. The dark princess did not play with the weak; this guy had to be a beast with uncalled power. Sabin understood in that second that this man held back a dam with his finger.

“Sure, so you work with Katrina, Is she in, or is she available? I would like an audience with
her if her schedule is open.”

Sabin was unsure why the power being was playing up to Katrina. Unless Katrina was also holding back which would mean that she was never in any real danger from…nah she wields well but she is not on the same level as Sorcha. She has power but she is not even in the same league as the New Orleans vampire. Sabin pushed all thoughts of Kiss power structures out of his mind. He was here on business, if they have the weakest link rule the city or let the strongest rule, it was not his concern. Sabin was one hell of a snake, but he knew that there some that were just more. Some were smarter, others stronger, even one or two that were more ruthless, Sabin had stayed Top Snake and it wasn’t because of lack of effort.

“By the way, the name’s Sabin. And yours?”

“I believe that the I may have some data that may be of some use. “

Sabin looked around to see if he could see any of the others that haunted the Club… actually he was looking for her. She worked here so he had hoped to see the charmer floating around. Even though the timing would be bad because she could make him forget what was important. She would have to wait for another time. Currently Sabin had to deal with this uber bodyguard.

[hiero]

Andrius raised a brow at the snakes summation. He could see the Weres mind working over the nut of him. It was interesting in the abstract. He had intended to get around to having a meeting with this one as well as the lion that had grown so close to him. The time never seemed right as more pressing plans stood in the way. He quickly dismissed the thought of divorcing him from his unenlightened view. Doing so now would more than likely hinder what the man had come to divest himself of.

“She is indisposed for the moment; but if it will ease your mind, speaking with me is much the same as speaking to the Master of the City.” Andrius knew that the Kashyapa was no slouch in the mental faculties. He was sure that such a one as he would have all sorts of ideas floating. He could easily pry but after the near failure with the Chang he wouldn't take any drastic steps lest there was no other options left him. It was an unenviable flaw with the strong willed lycanthropes that they often broke instead of bending. He could tell the snake was one such a being. Shame of it all was with a few minor alterations the snake could prove to be an even greater asset.

As it was his mere presence tended to weed out any of the others of his ilk. The man while not a psychologically defined paranoid ran his clan and any petitioners to it like a despot. It kept the numbers low but only those with sufficient worth and will could or would stay. In his own way he was foisting Andrius's own credo out into the world of the Nest. If he could ever harness that power adequately Sabin would be a true force to reckon with. As it stood he was a minor power and Andrius would treat him as such. Which meant he would overplay his worth appealing to the hubris that came with such things.

“Kashyapa Sabin, I am merely a means to an end. You may speak freely, here, the club is swept for electronic listening devices on a bi-hourly basis. As well as other security measures are in place to assure that what is said within can only be learned from those present." Andrius intoned his voice positively dripping with confidence and truth. He had always been concerned with most vampires lack of understanding with technologies advances. So he had taken precautions to insure that such a pitfall never befell his demesne.

“In your complete privacy you can rest assured. Do go on if it is pressing enough to draw you from your enterprises I am sure that the Master of the City would be very interested in hearing all about it as soon as possible. “

Andrius waited for Sabin to decide whether to invest his faith in such assertions or not. He sat back in the booth they occupied resting his hands one atop the other on the table between them. His body language said that he was completely focused on Sabin and that nothing else in the world was as pressing. It was a pose that had loosened many a tongue. It was an empowering feeling to think that someone waited on each syllable that might pour form ones mouth.

[Deleted]

Sabin looked the old vampire in the nose. He knew well that is vamp should not, could not be trusted. While yes he was in Chicago and that he “worked” for Katrina, as for power it was ludicrous that think that he was good and obedient. Weighing his options he chose his words carefully. He wanted this vampire to ferry the information to Katrina and if he played both sides of the fence he wanted to let the prince of Detroit know his incursion did not go unnoticed.

“ Well… the message that I wanted to relay to Katrina was that it would seem that the Vampire master of Detroit or however territories are divided amongst vampire kind, is sending a full blooded were Snake into her territories. ”

Sabin took a second to see what the man saw within the words. This normally would not be important because Sabin would crush the Snake and have his morning Tea, However this was sent as a message of Vampire politics. And Sabin did not enjoy being dragged into this useless fight.

“ The reason I am giving this information to Katrina instead of squashing this scout for coming into my territories is that all Snakes from Alaska to Peru, knows this is my area and to come uninvited is to be burned to ash.”

Sabin thought to himself who would this rival snake would come to visit as his life’s would become forfeit if he ran afoul of Sabin.

“Secondly it is unknown if Katrina called this being here if so his life is in danger, if she called this snake I hope the message was important because I am…actively seeking him out.”

Sabin could think of only one person that could call him and she may have an answer to why this Snake was here. But before Sabin go seeking her, the Snake had a date with the trunk of Sabin’s car.

“She may not care but I thought it would be… nice to give her the option. Now that I have given my message, I have people to find and things to get back to. “

[hiero]

Andrius watched as the snakelord arranged his face in a fairly decent facsimile of a blank face. The wheels were spinning too fast in his head for the odd bit to not slip through. It was expected one did not gain leadership through a dull mind. At least not normally there was the odd exception. Smiling he listened between the mans words for that subtle slip or hedging and found none. He was here for the mission of his message. That was a refreshing bit for an otherwise unwholesome bit of news. Smirking he reminisced on the days when the messenger would be weighed as part and parcel of the message they brought.

“Thank you for having such loyalty to the city Master Snake. As well as choosing your words carefully so that relaying them to the Master of the City that one might not give slight. Perhaps ther is more you would like to add...”

Andrius paused allowing the snake to find what reason he would before going on. It was a dance of words instead of veils. A peek here a flash there but the whole naked truth though nearly touchable remained out of his grasp. It was a pointless exercise but most tests were just that.

“I am sure that the master will reward your message as well as consider you more graciously upon your next meeting. Hopefully Katrina would not be as busy on your next visit here. I know that she finds you amongst the more interesting beings within the city.”

More flash more tease and yet no more of the whole. While his words were all true he danced between the meaning versus what was heard as lightly as a hummingbird.

“I believe you should seek this interloper out. I believe that such a transgression deserves whatever fate you might wrought with your capable hands. I may seem to overstep but it would be folly to assume that much slips your notice.”

Standing from the booth in a motion too quick to follow Andrius faded before the snakes eyes. There was no doubt that this moment was over. Stepping back into the room he was just in time to watch silently as Katrina began wheedling all of Demtrius's secrets from him. She had worked fast in an attempt to further prove her usefulness. Andrius graced her with a smile before once more taking flight. Demetrius was none the wiser that he had left nor returned. The man was far to weak for anything other than the most superficial level of responsibilities.

Andrius would give him a trial period to prove himself a failure before destroying him.

[Deleted]

Sabin watched the elder vampire fade from view like the ghost of a half remembered dream. He knew in that moment, in no uncertain terms that the message was given and the response was equally as returned. Katrina did not send for the snake so, Sabin being a were of his word would magically make that snake wet his pants on the way to the great nest in the sky. While the thought to turn the guys to his side of the fence briefly entertained him, Sabin knew he could never trust the snake and as such could not take him into his own.

Sabin stood and walked towards the door of the club. A snake needed killing and Sabin was in a mood for the darkness to rain down on him. His darker persona was almost a madness that Sabin could lose himself in at times. As the hour hand on his pocket watch shown midnight it was time.