Chaos Theory

[Existentially Odd]

As it happened, the Luminary and his fledglings landed in the city (after a subdued flight back from Austria) just after nightfall.  It was the eleventh night since they'd left and the first sign that something was not as it should be was that they exited the jet in their private hangar and found two sleek, black Oligarchy cars waiting for them.  Drivers were visible through the windscreens but only one of them was flanked by a very large demon in human form.  Bralik.  Head of the Mimics.

He stepped forward as Kerr descended the stairs of the jet, ahead of Ben and Ichabod, and he gave a small nod of acknowledgment as Kerr's leather dress shoes touched the shiny floor of the hangar.  "Ride with me," the demon said in his deep voice and from the way he turned and steered Kerr towards one car - via polite fingers on his elbow - it was understood that Ben and Ichabod were to travel back to the Chambers in the other car.  Kerr cast a frown over his shoulder to see that they were alright but he was quickly whisked into the back seat and his sedan drove off immediately.

Bralik wasted no time with his tale.  He didn't have much to spare for there was a lot to be done.  Kerr happened to have worn a smooth black double-breasted suit tonight, over a cream shirt with a dark red tie.  There was a neatly-folded red kerchief poking elegantly out of the breast pocket on the left side of his jacket and his cufflinks mirrored the deep red colour at his wrists as well.  He'd dressed for his resignation, planning to convene a meeting when they got back and officially resign his post but when Bralik started speaking, he knew that wouldn't be happening after all.

Not long into the journey, he was handed his phone, thoughtfully reclaimed from Vomas' care.  Kerr had used Ben's phone on the return flight to alert his acting replacement that they would be there within a short time; it was how Bralik had found out that it would be convenient to meet him at the airport and assure himself some personal time with the Luminary.  The first thing Kerr did with it was phone Conner, head of the Oligarchy's Spy Division.  The second thing he did was send a text message to every Oligarch and significant heads of divisions within the organisation, simultaneously.

Be at the Oligarchy Chambers in one hour's time.  Main boardroom.  No exceptions.

He didn't sign it, for they knew who the message came from, yet it only took a couple of minutes before his aide was calling him, asking why he was getting phone calls about an emergency meeting.  Swearing softly, Kerr apologised for not thinking very straight, explained he'd called an emergency meeting and if anyone else called his aide, he was to instruct them that he knew nothing and advise they follow the text's instruction.  Be at the boardroom in an hour; he'd be in his office until then.

Bralik was silent for rest of the ride back and Kerr appreciated that, taking the time to look out at the city as they drove through it and ponder the consequences of the news he'd been given.  By the time they reached the Chambers and he'd whisked Bralik up to his office, the questions were flowing out of him, his concerns aired and addressed with welcome decorum by the Mimic Demon.

They used up the rest of what remained of the hour secreted away in his office, planning and insuring.  As the meeting time approached, Kerr had only long enough to call Ben to check that he and Ichabod had reached the Chambers.  When he found out they had, he calmly instructed his lover to take his bag, Ichabod and a car from downstairs and drive to somewhere in the city that wasn't the Chambers or the Capital.  He would call later when he knew more but he wanted Ben and Ichabod where they wouldn't be found.  Just in case.  He hated hearing the panic in Ben's voice when he demanded to know why, but insisted he wanted to tell him face to face.  There was little to say after he'd begged for trust and obedience and he hung up.

When he walked into the boardroom, an eerie hush fell.  Where before there had been open curiosity, whispered conversations and even bombastic theorising, as soon as he was sighted, silence fell like the ripples moving across a pond.  By the time he'd reached his seat at the head of the enormous table - capable of seating all currently-serving Oligarchs and Conner, the only significant 'extra' employee present - every eye was turned on him.  The proverbial pin dropping or the first crack of a chick hatching out of its egg could have been heard.

Though he pulled his chair back from the table, he didn't sit, for he needed some room to move while he delivered his message.  "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, fingertips resting, lightly-splayed, upon the surface of the enormous desk, "I thank you all for your promptness in responding to my summons.  As a pre-cursor to the news I have to share with you tonight, I would firstly ask that you respect these rules that I lay before you now: do not speak over another member, indicate that you would like to speak by standing and wait to be acknowledged, and keep all of your responses brief.  We're not here for posturing.  I assure you, we are here tonight to decide - together - how to face a very dire situation indeed."

Kerr let that sink in, waiting to see if his preliminary rules would be tested and allowing people to get anything off their chest that they simply couldn't hold in any longer, before he continued.  He looked around at his gathered council members one by one to be sure they were ready to listen to what he had to say.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner hated to leave Scott and Bryant just then, but Kerr himself had called - not texted, but called - in an extremely urgent manner. Without explanation or elaboration, a simple instruction and no room for argument. It hadn't been easy; he'd felt he'd been on the verge of truly healing the rift that had grown between himself and Scott, and hated leaving Scott alone to deal with a newborn fledgling without the assistance of any friends. He'd done what he could, though, and Scott had been understanding, given the circumstances.

He pushed the thought from his mind, focusing on the task at hand. He made sure his mental barriers were solid, which was something of a task in the current situation. Reviewing his appearance, he decided he was only slightly underdressed for the event. Black slacks and a button down shirt with a deep crimson tie, pinned in the front with a slim steel clip. He was wearing his nicer leather jacket this evening, instead of his older one. Shined black combat boots with steel grommets matched his black leather belt; he was fond of dark colors, and tonight he was all red, black, and steel. It fit the mood of the meeting, he felt. His hair was mussed from the wind whipping at it on the bike, and he hadn't taken the time yet to fuss over it. He'd instead spent that time instructing Scott in the care of a newborn and then, when he'd returned to his offices on the way to the meeting, issued the necessary orders to recall all agents. As a precaution, he'd ordered all agents both active and inactive to report in and await instruction. Even now, his aides should be wrapping up the last calls.

Conner listened with some trepidation to Kerr's announcement, trying not to let it show on his face, but knowing that the Oligarchs would probably all be able to read his expression easily. Instead of schooling his expression, he focused on fiddling with the cuff of his jacket, his eyes roaming back and forth between Jake and Kerr. He'd been listening to the whispers, and it did not seem to bode well. So he played with the cuff of his jacket and kept a level head, steadfastly ignoring the new psychic input in the back of his mind. The best way to serve his new family was to serve the Oligarchy. That steadied him and gave him strength enough to not lose his cool when the meeting came to life.

[pinkroses]

Dominik looked relaxed in his chair at the table, his elbow propped up on the arm of the chair and his chin, covered in a thin layer of stubble (he’d shaved that morning but that was about eighteen hours ago now), rested lightly against his fingers. His long legs were stretched out underneath the table and he sat quietly as the other Oligarchs chatted and gossiped, trying to guess what was about to happen – Dom guessed they would probably all be wrong in their assumptions, so didn’t bother giving his input.

It wasn’t a full moon tonight so Dom had been planning on a night at home. He’d been on his way to his car in fact when he’d received Kerr’s text, so he’d done an about turn and headed back upstairs, calling Carrie to let her know something had come up. He didn’t really expect this meeting to affect him all that much, most people ignored the werewolves and their role in this society, thinking of them as vermin, cursed. But he hadn’t been about to argue with the Luminary about whether or not he was needed at this meeting when no one knew what it was about. Hopefully it would be over in ten minutes and he could go home to his lover, baby and bed. At least in the hour he'd had spare lingering in the Chambers he'd managed to find some food when helped his mood a little.

He was tired and really just appreciating a few minutes to sit quietly now – what with the clamour at work (with the Luminary gone people seemed to have been making appointments over the smallest matter just to try to get a glimpse of what was happening in the Chambers) and at home the new arrival wasn’t exactly making things relaxing. After the hasty delivery Carrie and the baby were doing fine and Dom had never been so happy – when he wasn’t ready to rip his hair out with frustration and weariness. The first time the newborn had shifted had been scary for Carrie, but at least Dom had been there to help her with the bundle of fur – shifting took too much energy for her to be able to shift too often though which was a relief at the moment. Taking her out in public was going to be a risky business.

The shifter sat up straight to attention as Kerr entered, bringing his thoughts back to the table, alert and ready to pay attention. He straightened his grey tie which was worn with a black shirt and a tailored grey suit before leaning forwards slightly, resting his elbows on the table and fixing his grey eyes on the Luminary, content to sit and listen for now. What was the point in speaking up and arguing against the rules before they had heard anything else?

[Trillian]

Quin was dressed in his pyjamas.  They were striped light blue and white, with yellow moons and stars scattered throughout.  They were childish pyjamas, and in the store when he'd seen them in adult sized, he'd laughed so hard he just had to buy them.  Every time he wore them to bed (as long as he didn't have company), he would grin.  Going to sleep happy was always a good thing.  He'd gone to sleep quite happy about three hours ago.  Now he was awake and unhappy.  He was unhappy because he was awake, and he hadn't managed to find a bottle of anything in the car.  He was extra unhappy because he was awake and sober.

He was slouched on the chair and squinting at everyone, giving whoever showed up dressed immaculately a scowl.  Did they all live here or something?  Oh, he knew some of them were rostered on, and for the vampires this would be much like the early afternoon for them.  But it wasn't afternoon, it was the middle of the fucking night and he'd only gone to sleep three hours ago.  He'd only managed two hours before his ringtone had awoken him (and it had been his own hilarious idea to make Kerr's phone a clanging emergency siren sound, something he hadn't appreciated the humour of at midnight).  Because he lived a forty something minute drive away at the far reach of the city's limits, he'd had to jump in the car and head straight in.  He hadn't showered or brushed his hair, and after rooting around in his car in the garage below, had only found seven empty bottles of alcohol.  Not even a dribble inside them!

When Kerr looked at him, he peered up at him through his lashes with a grudging expression, but the seriousness of Kerr's countenance had him sitting up properly and squaring his shoulders, folding his wings tighter against his back.  He gave Kerr a nod of acknowledgement to his words, and started to chew on them.  This was the first time he'd had to haul himself over here on the double, and until now, he hadn't wondered why.

[Saiketsu]

She had been in the middle of enjoying some pleasurable company when the text made her phone vibrate on the bureau across the room. It disrupted her orgiastic rhythm enough to make her partner groan, though to this she paid no mind. Instead of stopping to check it, however, she lifted herself back off of the young Spaniard who lay beneath her soaked in his own putrid sweat and odor until he groaned again. It was only then that she placed herself back onto him and renewed their sense of desire.

When the boy had collapsed after a pathetic version of orgasm, Zoheret rose casually with a refreshed sense of energy and retrieved the phone and its message. Lazy human hands pulled at her flesh as she easily pulled herself away from the young Romeo once she returned to her own bed. The angel shrugged the boy's hands off until Kerr's message finally sank in and she frowned indelicately at what she saw. A pulse of annoyance struck her and she threw the human's filthy hands off of her body, despite his claims of wanting more of her. The boy was lucky he didn't receive a slap as the angel's once pleasant mood faded into one of irritation.

She despised being interrupted, especially by some ignorant creature who thought he ran the world. Kerr Galvin was nothing more than a bug beneath her boot and his apparent lack of concern for this fact made Zoheret angry. Certainly, the Luminary had done nothing in particular to make them enemies and on the surface she had always given him the respect he seemed to believe he deserved. But never had the vermin ever gone so far as to command her to do something. This was simply unheard of - some vampire, a lifeless revived corpse ordering around a powerful independent servant from God simply because he thought that his manhood was long enough to do so! Yes, the Luminary was going to hear about this from her the minute she stepped into that boardroom!

She had only had five minutes to ready herself and get down to the conference room where no doubt the other Oligarchs would be waiting. The nerve of that damnable bastard! And while she readied herself, pinned her hair until only a few strands hung around her face. As she croutched rummaging through the clothes that had ended up scattered on the floor, she cursed Kerr silently. She managed to find the purple silk robe she had been wearing when she had first summoned the human boy to her chambers and slipped into it without a word of what was happening to her human companion. The angel tied the thing in the front, slipped on her earrings, and once again refused the groping hands of her Spaniard - until he unknowingly scraped her invisible wing. The feeling sent a ripple of angry heat through her body and without warning she grabbed onto the human's hip, giving him a terrifying pulse of searing pain. Zoheret left the Spaniard writhing -  naked and flaccid - as she slammed the door to her suite and went downstairs.

As she entered, she made no eye contact though most of the other Oligarchs looked up at her as if she were Kerr himself. She felt the eyes of a few of them linger on the dip of her cleavage or the hem of her robe as it slid against her legs right above the knee. An icy sneer was given back to whatever beast let their eyes catch hers and Zoheret sat down in her usual chair to the left of the Fae, Quin. She didn't look at any of them, but sat with her legs crossed until the Luminary came in a moment later, her cheeks red and her nostrils flaring.

As Kerr finished spouting his dramatic excuse for an introduction, Zoheret simply raised an eyebrow and kept her lips tightly closed. She was hoping that this ridiculous excuse for a meeting would be over promptly so that she could have a private word with the Luminary and not worry about petty things such as mortal problems as this undoubtedly was about.

[Black Philip]

Jake had hated to leave Sam, but this was important. Jake had wiped the humans memories and told his progeny goodbye. He'd instructed her home and then in a flash of speed he rushed off to the chambers. He'd arrived early, and so headed to his chambers for a change of clothes. He'd ended up picking a blue pin stripe suit with a matching white shirt and gold vest and tie for good measure. He put on black dress shoes and made sure his hair was fixed after the quick run to the Oligarchy. He waited in his chambers for about fifteen minutes before descending to the board room and taking his seat.

Many of these people were strangers, but he had friends here. He smiled at Quin and gave him a nod as a hello. Conner stood bye and Jake acknowledged his friend warmly but silently. He looked troubled. Conner, so subdued and normally under control was fidgety and uneasy. Jake frowned. If his own mental blocks had not already been firmly in place, he would have asked Conner what was wrong through telepathy. Jake thought how others might assume he was asking about Kerr's message and that was not the impression Jake wanted to send.

Kerr's summons had surprised him, as in all the time Jake had worked at the Oligarchy he'd never seen them all assembled under one roof. Jake was not scared, but he was smart enough to be wary. Kerr was not an easy man to shake up. He'd helped Jake repel a Sabbat invasion, and anyone who was that brave should be listened to when called to action. Jake placed his hands folded on the table and nodded his understanding as Kerr finished speaking. He had no objections to Kerr's rules and sat back; looking between Quin, Kerr and Conner, hoping something would become clear soon enough.

[Existentially Odd]

Tau had already finished his work for the night and returned to his tumultuous den when he'd received his summons message.  He hadn't been entirely ungrateful to get away from his fatherly duties, as four yowling, hissing shifter children were never the most soothing and loveable company and his mate tended to glare at him a lot for reasons he could never truly fathom.  He always did what she said though, for he knew that much was in his best interests.  Leaving one of the children vomitting up the remains of day-old mouse on the lounge rug hadn't been his most stellar parenting moment but he had dutifully alerted Alec to its presence before he'd hastened out the door and into the car he'd recently mastered the art of driving.

He pulled away from the action-packed apartment with a sigh of relief, hoping that whatever this meeting was about was important enough to warrant the lashing he'd get from his mate when he returned later.

When he got into the boardroom, he found he was the first to arrive.  He had responded enthusiastically and he didn't live far out of the city, he supposed... he looked around the vast table and chose the seat farthest from the Luminary's, to his right.  As he sat, Tau hoped that Dominik wouldn't end up too close to him (and he'd likely move if he tried) because a bear-smelling shifter that reeked of werewolf bitch and pup was not something the cougar wanted to spend a meeting sniffing.

He'd stripped out of work clothes when he'd got home some time earlier, so he'd managed to dress in some loose jeans (that really should've had a belt) and the white business shirt he'd had on earlier (the top two buttons undone) to return to this meeting.  He couldn't bring himself to put shoes on again, though, so he was barefoot.  That only became apparent as time passed and others entered the room to find him in various states of sprawl in his chair, though.  Once the Luminary entered, he sat up straight with both naked feet on the carpet, toes wiggling and one knee bumping in a common display of agitation, watching alertly and listening carefully to everything that was being said.

[Saccharin]

Vomas had taken a chair near the head of the table, so he would only have an Oligarch sitting to his left, rather than one at each side. Now that he had the end of the table to himself, he didn't have to be concerned that his many belongings (his iPhone, leather-bound notebook, two fountain pens and an untouched glass of blood) might spill into someone else's space. He also didn't have to worry about bumping anyone with his elbow as he took notes since he was right-handed.

In his open notebook there were already a few lines written in neat cursive, and his pen was poised to write more. He was compiling a list of things he wanted to discuss while they were all gathered in the same room. Not because he needed the reminder, but because lists allowed him to impose order on the world - they made him feel in control, and that was exactly what he needed at the moment.

Half an hour before the Oligarchs were to meet, his lover and aide approached him at a dead run, his face even more pallid than typical. The library was gone, he'd stammered. Just gone. Samuel had been there when the books disappeared, leaving nothing but thousands upon thousands of empty shelves. It should've been a small mercy that everything they'd managed to scan still remained in their database, but they had been nowhere close to finished. They'd needed another decade, maybe two, before they could've uploaded everything to their private server. What they did still possess only acted as a reminder of everything they'd lost.

Then, he'd received a call from someone in one of the basement storage areas, and they had a similar tale to share: all the magic artifacts and relics kept there had just... disappeared. They'd been there one moment, and then the next, they weren't.

He, of course, had immediately called Kerr, but the Luminary had been frustratingly evasive about the whole thing. He'd reassured Vomas that everything was fine, and that he'd explain at the meeting.

So there he sat, expressionless in his custom-tailored charcoal grey Brioni suit, waiting just like everyone else to figure out what the hell was going on.

[Existentially Odd]

After looking around carefully at everyone - and noting the unfortunate absence of his Oligarch for Demons - Kerr decided it was time to proceed.  They didn't have perfect attendance but that couldn't be helped and there was certainly a quorum present who could help decide their fate.  It would be enough.

"Right," he began, "I need to inform you all that, as of a few minutes ago, the Oligarchy stands undefended against any and all enemies.  The Mimic Demons have gone."  He paused to let that sink in, his fingertips brushing lightly over the surface of the desk, subconsciously seeking some sort of grounding.

"You may have noticed their numbers dwindling over the past couple of nights.  That's because two nights ago an article was published about them in a supernatural publication that gave details of their species.  Some of you may even have read it.  It was a fluff piece, I suppose, never intended to do any harm, but the information in the article was false.  It stated that if a certain ritual was performed on a new moon, a Mimic Demon might be summoned.  The truth of the matter is, that if anyone had performed that ritual under the new moon we're going to be graced with tomorrow night, they wouldn't summon a Mimic Demon.  They'd bind them.  In servitude for a thousand years.  Our good friends and faithful protectors have therefore abandoned us for their home plane, unwilling to stay here and risk being bound against their will, when they are unable to break the binding magic.  The Oligarchy is vulnerable.  Risk stands unprotected.  We no longer have an unbreachable line of defense in this city.  Anyone old enough or masses rabid enough could breach us, once they hear of this news.  I want your thoughts on how you all feel we should proceed."

Kerr pulled his chair close and sat in it at last, surrendering the floor and thereby allowing others to stand and say their piece or ask questions.  He'd barely skimmed the surface of the information he had to give but the heart of the problem had been stated.  Essentially, all they had to decide now was how to continue forward, rather than worrying about looking back, but he doubted anyone would immediately leap upon that, while they were still processing the facts.  Truthfully, he'd asked plenty of questions himself, while in closed discussions with Bralik over the last hour.

[Trillian]

As soon as Kerr declared that they were undefended against all enemies because the Mimics had gone, Quin took the moment's pause that Kerr gave them and stood.  He could feel a number of eyes on him, but that didn't matter.  He moved out of the way of his chair, didn't bother to push it in, and walked out of the meeting.  He supposed he could've said "I resign" or words to that effect, but he really didn't want to make a scene - he just wanted to leave.

Quin walked the length of the table (because he'd sat himself quite close to the head, only three down), and to the double doors at the end.  He hadn't noticed the lack of Mimics around, they were more subtle that one could properly realise, but it was likely because he was almost always sloshed.  Right now he wasn't in his cups, he was dead sober, and he intended to hide himself away at home and have a drink while the rest of the Oligarchy sorted itself out (if there was to be one).

Feeling eyes at his back, but not caring, he opened the left hand door from the double set and slipped out.

[Saiketsu]

She watched the vampire explain what he seemed to think was his dire situation without empathy. Next to her, the Fae walked out. Good riddance, too. Let all of the mongrels leave the city - the fewer demons, fae, and vampires the better. Why should she care about these monsters? Nothing but a nuisance anyway in her book.

With the grace of her species and an impatience that was all her own, Zoheret stood and waited until all of the eyes of the board were on her - or at least the ones that mattered. "I don't see what the big problem is," she stated brutishly. If any eyes had landed on her, she had ignored their incredious looks. "You are all immortals, after all. Don't tell me you've been relying on those creatures to keep your personal safety?" She gave a bitter bit of laughter. "You're all lords of the city, rulers of the night! You are the defense of this city. And you're afraid of a few uprisings, Luminary? Squash them. It's as simple as that." She sat down and returned to her cross position that she had found herself in before, glaring daggers down the table for this ridiculous disruption by this cur.

[Black Philip]

Jake was ashamed of Quin as he left and made quite the face as the coward exited. Jake was rarely wrong about people,  but Quin had always seemed more brave. Jake was not unconcerned, but viewed this as a minor setback, not a total failure of government. He stood as the dark angel finished. He'd never met her but liked her style and her bravery.

"I agree with Zoheret," He stated. "The mimic demons were not our only tools. We still have a large number of very powerful and very old vampires who are faithful to us and especially to you Kerr. I expect challenges, but none that we can not crush if we act quickly. Most people who would challenge us are like the Sabbat, mad rabbles of fools with a vision and little real power."

He sat, waiting for people to respond to his statement.   

[realworldweirdo]

The news of the mimic demons' departure struck Conner hard, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. He agreed with Kerr in that their lines of defense were no longer unbreachable, and it worried him for a number of reasons. Chief among them was the fear that now the Tremere might feel it within their power to take him from the city by force. No time for that, though. He pushed it from his mind, realizing he'd fallen still and had developed the thousand-yard stare. His best option was the same as before; serve the Oligarchy, keep it strong.

In a moment of silence, he stood and waited to be acknowledged. When eyes turned to him, he took it as tacit permission to begin speaking.

"Before we proceed further, I'd like to give a brief status report. I've already issued orders for all of our agents, active and inactive, to return to the Chambers immediately and report in," he stated crisply, falling back on the ingrained hierarchical behaviors he'd learned as fledgling. "In the next two to three hours, all but the last stragglers should be reporting in. Beyond that, the perimeter enchantments that will notify us of supernaturals leaving or entering our borders are making progress. Within several weeks time, they should be in place. This should provide us with additional security from outside dangers. As things stand within the city, no large groups seem to be a threat at the moment. I'll be sure to brief everyone should that information change."

Looking directly at Kerr now, he continued. "There seems to be no immediate reason, to my knowledge, that we should be concerned about our ability to hold the city. Even without the mimics, we are a formidable organization with formidable resources. If you like, I can have a list of potential peacekeepers on your desk by dawn."

Conner sat again, nodding slightly to Jake in a belated greeting as he did so, hoping his information would be received well.

[pinkroses]

Dominik lightly tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully, running past what the disappearance of the mimic demons would mean. Yes, they could be attacked by another group wanting to take control of the city. But it sounded like Connor was all over that, they would have fair warning if anything like that happened. Dominik didn't usually pay much attention to the vampire politics in the city - but there had been a lot of vampires at that ball. Even if their outside defences were strong and warnings were in place out beyond the city, what about those inside? Dominik had no idea if any of them would be interested in attempting to take over though. He couldn't see the appeal in launching a battle against a ruling force when things seemed to be working well as they were. But it had happened throughout history, it would happen again.

But vampire politics aside in relation to his side of the job… the cages downstairs were strong and they rarely had problems, but woven with magic. Demonic magic. Without that to strengthen them the cages may well give way. With the systems and routines they had in place most werewolves were somewhat sedate during their night in the Oligarchy - but if one got worked up, one got out, it could stir up the others and all hell would break loose.

He waited until a few people had given their input before standing up himself, still pressing his fingers against the table, the tips white with pressure and his grey eyes focused on Kerr.

“You said that the ritual must be performed on a new moon. Is there any chance the mimic demons will return once the new moon is past and then return to safety each month?” It worked for the werewolves, but Dominik had no doubt there could be many variables at play with this demonic ritual. He sat again to wait for the response to his question, clasping his hands together as he waited. If the mimic demons didn't come back there were going to have to be some huge changes and Kerr's words hadn't even had the slightest glimmer of hope in them, but it was worth considering perhaps. He'd never been all that politically minded, he did his job which had fallen into his lap through hard work rather than him trying to raise himself politically.

[Malkavian Riddler]

[ooc] How many are paying attention? [/ooc]


At the same time, in the penthouse suite of the Capital apartment building:

Ash closed the door after his sire's visit and was furious.  It took him quite a while to wind down, in fact, and even after an hour of pacing and re-living the conversation between them, he couldn't stand it any longer and just had to vent.

"Fuck you very much, Kerr, for the fucking warning!" he screamed up at the ceiling.

Even though Kerr was busy with his political stuff, and they'd not really kept in contact all that much as a result, and their relationship had minimilised to simply texting every so often, he still considered Kerr a friend.  Tonight he'd been blindsided by his sire's appearance in the city (which he should've felt, but at his age he couldn't tell distances so well), and then found out that Isaac and Kerr had had themselves a cosy conversation at the Oligarchy Chambers!

He grabbed his mobile off its charger and texted furiously, pressing send before re-reading what he'd written, before flinging the phone across the room where it impacted the wall and then fell harmlessly to the carpet - surprisingly still intact.

Kerr would receive the text in the next few seconds:  What the hell is going on?  I only just found out!