The Baron of Hollywood

[Malkavian Riddler]

Isaac Abrams had made an appointment to see the Luminary, but it was quite possible he\'d be fobbed off onto an Oligarch instead.  This outcome had been made clear to him when he\'d shown up at the Chambers of the Oligarchy to make his appointment, the night he\'d arrived into the city.  The earliest appointment to make had been in a couple of nights time, and Isaac was forced to find temporary lodgings, feeling it wouldn\'t be appropriate to rent himself a more permanent residence until after he\'d met with someone who was in charge of the city.  Two vampire Oligarchs, he was told, due to the great number of vampires in the city.  The Luminary just happened to be a vampire too.  Isaac was interested in the fact that this council spread to other supernaturals, and his mouth twisted when he discovered that there was no Oligarch to represent the humans of the city.  A raw deal, if ever he saw one.

He\'d found a respectable hotel in the city central - the Warwick.  He\'d rented one of the regular rooms, even though something grander was more to his station.  He liked simplicity, however, and there was nobody from his part of the world to see that he was in a small room.  His fledge would turn his nose up at it, no doubt.  If Isaac didn\'t have the blood bond pulsing between them to follow and find Ash Rivers, he had no doubt that his childe would have found himself the biggest penthouse in the tallest building.

Now he sat, waiting, with a newspaper folded in his lap.  The Herald, it called itself, and he\'d scanned the social pages to try and find his fledgling\'s face.  He found another\'s instead, a young man turned vampire named Ben Samson who\'d been noted as Kerr Galvin\'s fledge - the Luminary.  It looked like the leader of this city had a single fledge, like Isaac, but he doubted that the circumstances of their siring had been anything alike.  The photographer had captured Kerr as well, but only Ben\'s face had been turned towards the camera, for he\'d been speaking to his sire and the photographer had only managed to get the back of Kerr\'s head.  They were both dressed smartly, at some kind of cultured locality.  Interestingly, as Isaac had scanned down the page, he recognised the back of Kerr\'s head once again (did he do this on purpose?) and a most lovely looking woman was upon his arm. When Isaac read the caption, he only learned that Kerr was escorting \'a friend\' to the ballet.  In the grainy black and white picture, Isaac had no way of knowing if she was vampire or not.

He looked up when his name was called, by the young lady who would\'ve looked human if not for the scarlet wings folded at her back and her scarlet tail wrapped around her elbow, hooked there like it could be an umbrella growing out of her backside.  He noted that she had specially tailored pants, with a slot for her tail to fit through.  She\'d caught him looking at the beginning of his wait and had scowled at him, thinking he was pervert of some description, likely, instead of mildly curious.  He didn\'t bother to correct her assumption, however.  It didn\'t matter what she thought of him.

Isaac didn\'t open both doors at once, but he imagined what kind of vampire would.  His fledge, for one.  Ash loved grand entrances.  Isaac opened the door on the right and stepped in, checking back to make sure the door wouldn\'t slam, and hearing the pneumatic sigh as it began to shut behind him.  He let it go, due to that sound, and it shut itself quietly.

With a quick look at his surroundings, he noticed the demonic guards positioned around the room, looking more like ivory statues than the living things they were.  He\'d heard of them, these Mimic Demons, but only upon entering the Chambers and being warned about how they could keep him in line if he \'tried anything funny\'.  They were fascinating to him, but he didn\'t stare (though his gaze lingered on their curled great ram-like horns and the sexless mound between their legs, their massive bat-like wings and cloven feet - they were certainly impressive guards!) and approached the semi-circular table that had a number of empty chairs at it, and some occupied ones.

His gaze automatically went to the chair directly in the centre, guessing that it belonged to the Luminary, to see if it was empty or filled, which would let him know immediately if he would be speaking with Kerr Galvin or one of his vampire Oligarchs.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr wasn\'t sitting in the central chair, Oligarch Tau Leander was.  Kerr was seated at his left, leaning forward and writing furiously, the pen in his hand a blur as he scribbled something on the paper that was in front of his leonine companion.  The pile of papers beneath the pen was thick and cushiony, the file extravagant even by Oligarchy standards.  That was why Kerr had been present in a non-vampiric case meeting - he hadn\'t intended meeting his friend\'s sire and the Baron of Hollywood here, in such a stiff and formal setting, but it hadn\'t been avoidable.  Tau had needed his advice and presence during the case that had just concluded (traumatically).  Now, Isaac had been let in and he\'d have to improvise.

"There.  That should do for the time being," Kerr mused, laying the pen down as he glanced up at Isaac and smiled.  He stood, ready to greet his guest but was given pause when Tau - who\'d been so fascinated by the rapid movement of the pen he\'d not managed to speak sooner - thanked him for his assistance.  "Any time," he reassured his employee, looking down and meeting his lovely blue eyes with his smile even as he clapped a hand upon the broad shoulder closest to him and gave it a squeeze.  Then he was off.

"Mr Abrams!" he exclaimed warmly, instinctively smoothing the thigh-length coat of his pitch black Nehru suit as he approached the point where he\'d be able to lean across the table and shake his visitor\'s hand in greeting.  Knowing they\'d be meeting tonight, he\'d taken extra care with his outfit, feeling that this suit, with the deep red shirt beneath peeking out only at the square collar, was just the right mix of formal and dashing in which to meet Ash\'s sire.  Truth be told, he was slightly intimidated by the prospect, and he\'d needed the extra confidence boost of knowing he looked good to bolster him.

"I\'m Kerr Galvin," he introduced himself, still smiling as he managed to clasp the other vampire\'s hand in his own and give it an enthusiastic squeeze before he let go.  "I\'m very pleased to meet you!  I\'m sorry that I\'m down here, I really didn\'t mean to be but I was needed, so... " he trailed off and gave a shrug to show that his presence in the boardroom simply couldn\'t be helped.  "I\'d prefer to speak with you in a less formal setting but thought - would you like a tour on the way back to my office?" he asked encouragingly.  As he spoke, he made a sweeping gesture that started at Isaac\'s feet, curled around the expansive table and finished pointing at a discreet door in the back of the room - a staff entrance.

He was assuming Isaac had seen all the public-consumption parts of the building but was offering him - as one leader to another - a more intimate tour of the premises, starting with an exclusive exit from the room and concluding in his office numerous floors above.  Kerr figured they could get to know one another as they went but he also wouldn\'t be offended if his offer was declined.  He was being a gracious host, he didn\'t mind if his guest had a more rigid agenda he wanted to stick to.

[Malkavian Riddler]

Secondarily, Isaac looked around at those seated in the other chairs, noting Kerr\'s furious writing, and dismissing him as a council-appointed transcriber.  He could sense a vampiric scent in the air, along with an animalistic one - it was a higher note upon the nose, and reminded him a little of wet cat.  There were several similar lingering scents, but he was able to tell that most of them had vacated already.

He made the incorrect assumption that the man watching the transcriber was probably Kerr, though was momentarily confused by the obvious fact that the transcriber was obviously vampiric, working at such speed.  Were all of the feline smells belonging to those who\'d been in this room before him broaching the council?  Did they really linger so strongly?

When the transcriber spoke, Isaac\'s auburn eyes found the owner of the voice and focussed intently upon the man now laying down the pen, the brief interlude between the two co-workers interesting to note but nothing to do with him.  His name spoken aloud caused him to stand more rigidly on the spot, however, and raise his eyebrows expectantly, a polite smile finding its way to the corners of his mouth but not reaching the calculation in his eyes.  Ever watchful, intelligently observant, and always thinking, Isaac took a couple of steps closer to the one approaching him and changed his mind about who he was an instant before the introduction was made.  So this was Kerr Galvin, who didn\'t sit at the head of the table.

An interesting notion.  Isaac wondered if there was more behind the seemingly innocent gesture.  He shook the other\'s hand and nodded acknowledgement but said nothing for Kerr continued speaking. Isaac took advantage of the momentary pause, which ended vaguely and implied more was coming, so he kept his own comment brief.

"Not at all," he said, his voice lilting yet ruminative.  He noted that he was only slightly taller than Kerr, which meant the other likely stood a couple of inches over six feet, which had him taller than most men.  Ridiculously, Isaac approved, as he often did with tall men - something he intellectually knew they had no control over, but he liked it all the same.  Kerr was dressed impeccably, much more smartly and fashionably than Isaac in his own nondescript grey suit (though tailored, rather than off the rack) and crisp white business shirt.  Isaac took note of this fact also, and believed it was likely his fledgling Ash would approve of this man\'s attention to clothing - though he didn\'t yet know whether Kerr Galvin even knew his fledgling.

The invitation to a tour ending in a more private and informal setting came quickly, and Isaac nodded as well as answered aloud.

"It should feed my curiosity well," he replied, his smile warmer and reaching his eyes this time. "You have quite the establishment."

When people wished to meet with him on vampiric-based business, it was often in the back office of his jewellery shop.  Only the Camarilla had such things on a grand scale.  He wondered if the Luminary would want the same things as that other organisation did.  One hand lifted naturally to hold his jacket lapel in a manner Ash accused as being \'old fashioned\'.  Isaac could afford to look this way, given his apparent age.

He took the trouble of walking by Kerr\'s side, feeling that he was neither inferior nor superior to this man, though was as respectful as he could be both in tone and manner.  After all, he was being afforded the same.  He supposed it would\'ve been easy for one in Kerr\'s position to understand who his visitor was, but at the back of his mind he still wondered if Ash had something to do with this vampire\'s knowledge of him.  Kerr seemed quite ready to invite an unknown quantity to a tour and most leaders of large establishments weren\'t risk takers by nature.

[Existentially Odd]

"One I\'ve inherited and cannot take credit for creating," Kerr answered quickly, always keen to defer credit to where it was due; Halen.  His smile turned somewhat bashful as he walked with his guest towards the door in the back of the room, thinking of the man who\'d been the Luminary (in his opinion).  It was almost embarrassing to be compared to him.

"The mind behind the Oligarchy was much older and so much more wiser than me, and he had a knack for objectivity that I envied.  Brutal objectivity, as it was.  This establishment was his life\'s work and, ultimately, it was what forced covetousness and took his life from him," Kerr mused humbly.  "It is lovely, though," he conceded almost cheekily as he opened the door in the back of the boardroom and gestured for the Baron to precede him into the non-descript (though rather broad, to accommodate demons travelling along it) hallway beyond.

They were able to walk side-by-side down the corridor and Kerr took Isaac\'s almost regal silence as his cue to continue speaking.  He was unnerved by the man\'s appearance, as well as his demeanour, and he knew he was talking too much, but he couldn\'t help it.  He couldn\'t imagine this man with Ash; did they sleep together often?  Ash had advised him to ask relationship questions of Isaac but.. he couldn\'t imagine doing that now!   The fact that Ash\'s taste ran to older-looking vampires surprised him, too, as the ex-movie star had never indicated a preference for such, yet his sire had obviously lived more life than Kerr had before he was turned.  Did Ash consider him old?!  Isaac was older altogether than Kerr, though, for the Irishman could sense superior age, and thought it might be a few centuries more than he\'d obtained.

"There\'s a mix of rooms back here - mostly offices and some archives.  It\'s really just a transitional place, for employees to do some work, access something on the network, get files, move into the boardroom discreetly, or for \'guests\' of the establishment to be taken away, if I wish."  Again, he smiled, though there was a conspiratorial element to it now, as he shared his insights with another organisation head.  As they walked, he continued to give a brief description of the rooms they were passing, until they reached a couple of elevators set away from the ones Isaac had travelled down in.

"These are the only all-access elevators in the building.  They go all the way from the basement carpark a floor beneath us, to the penthouse where I live," Kerr informed his guest as he swiped his access card and they waited for the lift to descend.  The Luminary\'s hands were then grasped behind him, resting in the small of his back while he regarded the older vampire shrewdly.  "I used to live in the Capital Building before I was Luminary.  On the second-top floor," he said pointedly, fishing to see if Isaac had done as Ash had predicted he would, and come to see him as soon as he got into town, rather than reuniting with his fledgling.

Kerr\'s plan was to skip the next two floors - though tell his guest what was on them - and stop at the offices then the library before they ascended the stairs to the floors above, briefly looking at the services available on the ground floor, a conference room on the second or third (the grandest, in all likelihood) and then his office on the third floor.  By that stage, he hoped to have figured out a little more about Isaac and Ash\'s relationship, for his interest had well and truly been piqued by his past lover\'s cryptic comments.

[Malkavian Riddler]

"Yes, Dragons are brutal," Isaac agreed ruminatively.  He\'d heard rumours about a copper dragon named Halo being responsible for the Oligarchy in this city.  It would be typical of dragon politics - to lasso all species together against mankind, but to veil their true selves.  Dragons could shapeshift, he\'d read, and he wanted to know if his very unreliable source had spoken truth and if so, had Kerr come into contact with Halo himself?  It was likely, seeing he\'d been named Luminary once the dragon slayer had dethroned the beast at the head.  There was a fluttering of excitement in his belly that his outward appearance did not betray, and he was watching Kerr carefully even as he smiled at him.

Isaac\'s smile was polite but had returned to its former state of being nothing more than that.  Kerr\'s conspiratorial hints of secretive leadership sat uncomfortably on Isaac\'s shoulders, who couldn\'t help but be reminded of the Camarilla once more.  Oh, but that organisation adored their masquerade and shadowy behind-the-scenes play.  Isaac understood there was a necessity for such things and had participated in it himself, but to crack wise about the issue did not lend him humour.

Isaac was very interested in the architectural structure and layout of the building and the varied and multiple purposes of its rooms.  He played the grand guest, nodding along and asking the odd question as Kerr described something of particular interest.  He\'d asked about the security cards that worked the lift, and once he got the topic around to the security demons that helped prevent the Oligarchy from being overrun by those personalities crueller and stronger than Kerr\'s own or his lackys, he failed to let it go.

The term \'Capital Building\' passed him by without the idea Kerr had dropped the name of the residence Ash had taken for himself.  He was still musing on why the Mimic Demons had sworn fealty to Kerr when they were so much stronger and seemed impartial to the politics that run this city.  Kerr would know by Isaac\'s lack of response about the Capital, that he had not yet discovered where Ash lived.  All he had to do was follow the pulse of his blood bond to his fledgling, in order to find him.  No other information was needed.

When Isaac saw the library, he was rendered speechless, and his mouth hung open momentarily in combined shock and wonder.  It took him a long moment of gazing about at the books before he could say anything at all.

"My word," was all he managed, and once Kerr managed to shepherd him out of there, he cast one last hungry glance towards where he\'d spied many shelves full of old tomes before joining the Luminary once more and finally reaching his office.

None of their conversation had come around to discussion of Ash, though now that they had reached Kerr\'s office, it was time to figure out why Isaac had sought audience.

[Existentially Odd]

For Kerr\'s part, everything he\'d said to or answered for Isaac had been tainted by convoluted plans in his overactive mind to bring the conversation back to where it had begun - a moment had passed him by before he\'d registered properly, and he had moved the conversation on without noticing, damn him! Isaac had mentioned  a dragon\'s brutality and he\'d been distracted by doors and room descriptions before he\'d had a chance to comment on that amazing inference.

It seemed Isaac knew what Kerr had only suspected and he was desperate to have it confirmed but the timing had been screwed from the beginning and had definitely not been right since then.  He held out hope, though.

When they entered his office, Kerr gestured towards the settee arranged just inside the door, around a coffee table sporting one of Halen\'s treasures - a statue of Themis.  The lounges were covered in chocolate brown leather and consisted of a three seater and an armchair at either end of it.  There were two comfortable executive chairs positioned opposite his desk at the far end of the room, of course, but he felt that he and Isaac were only here to chat, rather than do business, hence he indicated the less formal seating area for them to occupy.

"Shall we sit?" he queried with a smile, ensuring the door was closed behind them and anticipating acquiescence to his request.  If Isaac agreed to settle in the living area portion of his office, Kerr would position himself at one end of the three seater couch, angled towards where Isaac sat with one leg resting casually atop the other.  If he declined the casual placement, he\'d lead the way to his work area, past his floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and personal objets d\'art and sit behind the expansive wooden desk.  Isaac wouldn\'t be able to see the photos of Ben and Ichabod he had facing him there, but he\'d see that Kerr\'s laptop was open and his desk covered with enough papers to indicate that he actually worked there, rather than just filling in time.

[Malkavian Riddler]

He was pleasantly surprised by the statue, for he hadn\'t figured Kerr to be the type who coveted sculpture or paintings.  He would\'ve been incredibly surprised if he knew the ambivalence Kerr felt towards the library below.  He\'d assumed that the extensive collection meant Kerr felt great affection for the tomes and information held within those shelves.  The Chambers still had Halen\'s stamp upon it.

He thanked Kerr for the invitation to a seat and moved obediently to the couch, seating himself at one end and watching as Kerr sat at the other.

"This is quite appropriate," he began, crossing one leg over the other and shifting on the cushion in order to angle himself towards Kerr.  His fingers linked together and rested on his suited knee.  "I haven\'t come here for business," he said, and kept his stare on Kerr to see if the other vampire would be disappointed to learn such a thing.

[Existentially Odd]

"Oh!" Kerr exclaimed, feigning surprise even though he was quite pleased for Ash that he would be visited by his sire and that Isaac wasn\'t here just for business.  He wasn\'t quite ready to speak about his friend and ex-lover, though, in case he didn\'t get another opportunity to resurrect one he\'d already lost.  He could see a tie now, and it was tenuous at best, but he was going to take it.
 
"Have you done business in the city before?  With the original Luminary?  Is that how you knew he was a dragon?" he asked, unable to feign casual interest when he was so eager to discuss Isaac\'s knowledge.

[Malkavian Riddler]

"This is my first visit," Isaac said shortly, having the dragon rumour confirmed.  He would be amused if he knew both he and Kerr were simply confirming suspicions rather than retaining absolute knowledge.  "I never had the chance to meet Halo personally," he continued, speaking with obvious regret. "Did you see his true form?" he asked, bending forward at the waist slightly, not letting go of the grip upon his knee.

[Existentially Odd]

"Halo," Kerr repeated, his gaze drifting off with his thoughts as he believed he, too, was receiving confirmation of his suspicions.  His stare found its way to the original Luminary\'s statue on the coffee table as he answered, his voice somewhat dreamy.  "No.  I only ever knew him as Halen, in his human form.  I  wonder... if Lazarus saw it when he killed him, though," he mused, falling quiet for a few moments.
 
Looking back at Isaac once his reverie broke, Kerr offered his guest a tight smile.  "He stole Halen\'s ring when he did it, which blocks mental powers, so I can no longer read his mind nor have any sort of upper hand with my predecessor," he explained, realising belatedly that he might need to give a little more information.  "Lazarus did a poor job as Halen\'s replacement though, so the demons ousted him and nominated me to take the role.  I could hardly refuse."

[Malkavian Riddler]

"Lazarus," Isaac said, tasting the name and knowing he should recognise specific things about it because he\'d heard the name.  He hadn\'t had the pleasure of meeting him either, but he sounded quite the ruthless and intelligent type, if he\'d managed to slay a dragon.  Such a thing wasn\'t easy.  "A dangerous fellow," he guessed, though it sounded more like a statement.  "The demons are rather unified and independent, by the sound," he declared after hearing Kerr\'s fascinating and too-short summary of events.  Isaac would\'ve loved to hear the details, though no doubt it was a very long tale.  "Nice for you that you have their approval," he commented, thinking anybody that roused Kerr\'s ire would find it a hefty mistake.

He had no intention of messing with someone who held that kind of power, regardless of how benevolent he was guessing Kerr to be.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr chuckled as he nodded his agreement.  "Flattering," he concurred, for he didn\'t feel the demons\' faith was necessarily placed correctly but he wouldn\'t argue it, especially in front of a man who seemed impressed by it.  That would seem boorish and ungrateful.
 
"They\'re also the only effective weapon I have against Lazarus, since his ring protects him and he\'s so old.  Two thousand years or so.  I have nothing close to the strength or speed he has, so... demons accompany me everywhere," he confessed grimly, one side of his mouth drawing back tightly.  It wasn\'t something he was proud of, needing protection because he\'d created enemies but it was necessary.  He wondered if Isaac understood such things, being a luminary of sorts.
 
"He is dangerous.  Unfortunately, he\'s also very recently taken up residence in the same building one of my fledglings and yours live in, the Capital," Kerr told Isaac, one sire to another.  His concern over this fact was apparent, though Ichabod had refused to be swayed by the fact his old lover was downstairs and didn\'t want to move out.  They\'d yet to encounter each other, of course.

[Malkavian Riddler]

Isaac was interested in the setup Kerr had, surprised that he would share so much of his security behaviour to a complete stranger.  The trust Kerr had in him wasn\'t misplaced, for Isaac would never compromise Kerr\'s safety by sharing such information.  The reason why Kerr was sharing so much, however, became known sooner rather than later.

"You know who my fledgling is?" he asked, for all he\'d told Kerr Galvin was that he was in town not for business.  The reason could\'ve been anything, and the fact he knew Isaac even had a fledge, let alone where he lived, meant he knew Ash.

[Existentially Odd]

"Yes," Kerr answered, and this time, when he thought of Ash, his smile was infused with warmth and mirth. "We became good friends when he moved into the penthouse above mine at the Capital - I wasn\'t in a relationship then, nor was I Luminary, so I had plenty of time to get to know him. He warned me a few nights ago that he sensed you getting closer and that I was likely to see you before he did, since you\'re a man of honour and protocol."
 
His smile was still friendly as he complimented Isaac; technically, Ash hadn\'t said his sire was honourable but Kerr had inferred it from speaking with the man. He shifted position while watching Isaac, uncrossing his leg and lifting it onto the couch slightly so that he could face his guest better. His right elbow went up onto the back of the seat and he leaned his head against his raised hand, his expression polite and thoughtful.
 
"I was... surprised. He implied you were coming to collect him and when I enquired about your relationship, he said it was twisted and that I should ask you for your viewpoint." He raised his eyebrows questioningly, encouraging Isaac to feel free to share, if he so desired (but doubting that such a gentleman would).

[Malkavian Riddler]

With an expression that felt on his face like he was trying to force a smile but only came out as one of dissatisfaction, Isaac pondered the \'twisted relationship\' description that Ash had told Kerr in confidence only to have it thrown in his face.  He was forced to look away from Kerr\'s gaze while he collected his thoughts, for the other had shook him rather deeply with his ruthless and intense imparting of information.  If he\'d been hoping to unsettle Isaac, he\'d been extremely successful.  It made him a great deal more wary of the other vampire.  He was less like a Ventrue and more a Brujah.  Once he thought he had an appropriate response and a more polite expression on his face, he looked back at the Luminary.

"I can see how you and Ash are friends," he said, attempting to make light of the situation.  What sordid tales had Ash spun to Kerr in order to make the other disparage him so?  Why else would Kerr smile and yet say such things?  "Admittedly we don\'t have the easiest relationship, but I have always accommodated my fledge," he said, feeling as though he had to justify himself to Kerr, due to what the other must think of him.  "Even when he wants space."  He said the word with a hint of disdain, for he\'d believed Ash would be gone a few months, rather than a few years.