The I-Bomb

[Trillian]

BEN HAD ALREADY BEEN BOILING water in a pot when Conner arrived.  He'd shown him in, told him he was warming up some blood bags and invited him to take a seat in the lounge with the promise of returning in a few minutes.  There was a coffee table photography book about castles in Ireland and Scotland that Ben had purchased some weeks ago due to the addition of Kerr's property within. His property, now.  It was an old edition, first printed some ten years ago, before he'd even been fledged.  Whether Conner chose to look through it or not wouldn't matter - Ben was true to his word, and a few minutes later he had two hi-ball tumblers filled almost to the brim with hot blood.  He personally liked it well heated because the consistency wasn't as viscous.  He didn't like the sludgy quality blood took on when it was tepid or cold.

Because he was meaning to spend time in today, he wore a simple navy striped rugby sweater over blue-jeans with thick maroon socks and no shoes, though he didn't feel the cold.  Wearing wintery clothes in winter was good practise for blending in.  He thought it should be a lifestyle habit, and one that should come naturally.  If he made the effort now, in his early vampiric years, he would follow the seasons without thought in his later years.  There was climate control available throughout the house, but it wasn't switched on.  There were no mortals here to feel the chill in the air, though outside on the windows there were a few specks of rain, signalling that there might be a downpour later that night - and the sky was darker for it.

"I've put some money into a fund towards the Academy, and have already set it up with my lawyers," he said, not pulling punches after he handed Conner his glass and then seating himself on the armchair diagonally to Conner's left.  "You'll have to go in and sign some papers, but essentially you'll have access to the fifteen million I put in there to go towards setting up and initial running costs," he said rather glibly.  Because he'd been thinking about it for some time, it wasn't so hard to simply announce the figure, though he did watch Conner closely for his reaction.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner's sour mood seemed lost on Ben; it was a shame. He'd been cultivating his own personal storm cloud like a bonsai tree for weeks, and it was something of a disappointment that he couldn't find anything to take it out on. As usual, he'd dressed to match his mood - meaning today, he looked fit to storm Jake's bunker/office by himself. Black tactical pants and a black military-issue sweater, complete with a belt hung with several handy implements; most notable of these were two knives that might have looked innocuous at, say, a SCA convention. Combat boots were his usual footwear, but today they weren't even polished, leaving them matte instead of gleaming.

His time on the couch was spent brooding quietly, politely enough, but he was glad when Ben got back with the blood. Fortunately, he launched right into the meat of the matter.

Conner blinked, and his carefully crafted miniaturized thunderstorm evaporated in an instant. Fifteen million was more than the entire's Ward's annual operation budget. By nearly twenty percent. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said that the Ward had gotten the scraps when the Oligarchy dissolved. He had been reaching for a glass of blood, but froze at the number and tried to process what exactly could be done with fifteen million dollars. They could have their own building.

They could have their own building.

Wait.

"I hate to be rude, but I'm quite good at it," he said after a long moment of holding still as only a startled vampire can. "What's the catch? I understand that you're.... comfortable. No matter how comfortable you are, that's not a small amount of money."

He considered giving himself a pay raise on general principles and immediately dismissed the thought. Fifteen million?!

[Trillian]

Ben, being the perceptive being he was, hadn't missed the combat-ready clothing that Conner wore, nor the surly expression on his face - he just chalked it up to Conner's being Conner.  He'd always thought the other vampire didn't operate on the same social scale as everyone else, and even though it was intimidating, Ben still found him oddly approachable.  There was something refreshing about the fact Conner didn't try to hide his anger from people - it had worked for him in a way that it hadn't worked for Ben, though he supposed mild contempt was less acceptable than blunt rage.  It had been an eye-opener.

He'd figured his news would stun Conner, but he'd also correctly assumed Conner was very busy, and knew the trip out here was a long one and took him away from his offices.  It showed Ben that he had some sway already, because Conner hadn't known the extent of the funding.  And now he did.  The question posed him was valid.

"Kerr was a multi-billionaire, and he left everything to me.  The fifteen million is coming out of various cash accounts, so I'm not liquidating anything, if that's what you're asking."

Damn, it felt good to confess this stuff, and to talk about it reasonably with someone who wasn't hyperventilating or fainting or doing some other overtly emotional response.  Hell, even Ben had been in some shock at the announcement, but he'd got over it and was thinking practically fairly quickly.

"The way it's setup though, you're to forward all relevant bills to my lawyers and they'll pay them.  So you won't be able to get that Ferrari you've always wanted," he joked, though it was humourless.  "But that's not the catch."  He waited until Conner said something or indicated that he should continue before he outlined it.  "Obviously I'm going to be able to sit in on any classes I like once it's set up, and I want the same for Ichabod.  He's Kerr's fledge too, but the invitation for him to do so should come from you, not me.  I'm not his favourite person right now.  Also," he added, now launching into the thing that he thought Conner might have a problem with.  "I want you to hire Murphy in some way.  Either for the Ward or for the Academy, I don't care.  He's an investigative reporter, I'm sure he has skills you can utilise."

He'd spoken quickly, and now took a big drink out of his glass, and was pleased that it was still very hot.

[realworldweirdo]

"I prefer Subaru. They're more practical," Conner stated, missing the joke entirely while his mind churned on options. New building, or expand and completely take over Haven Crest? Buy a library or.... no, THAT was too expensive even given that budget. He'd have to see what had become of the Oligarchy's library. He thought it was in Vomas' care, but he'd need to double check. Perhaps they could work out a sharing agreement, or perhaps digital copies; he recalled that there had been a project for scanning the books, and the technicians at the Ward were always running around with those damnable tablet devices.

Then Ben mentioned the problem. The Murphy.

The fucking Murphy.

He let the rest of it hang for a moment to address that.

"I will not," he stated flatly "have that walking, breathing security breach involved with the Ward in any way. Not after what he did nearly by himself to everything that held this city together. The City Ward will not be allowed to go the way of the Oligarchy. Have you forgotten how that ended for-" he cut himself off sharply, suddenly glaring at the wall, furious emotions leaking out from behind his shields. He had been going to say for Kerr, but realized just in time what he was going to throw in Ben's face. The only reason he'd caught himself was because he knew how much it would hurt if someone threw Hesiod's betrayal in his face, and Ben's wounds were far newer.

"It would be better if you found a position for him with the Academy, if that's what you think is best," he ground between his teeth. "I won't have him for the Ward."

[Trillian]

Conner hadn't needed to finish his sentence for Ben to finish it correctly in his mind.  For Kerr, of course.  Look how things had ended for Kerr.  It couldn't have been 'the Oligarchy' because Conner had already named the organisation, so it stood to reason he meant the leader of it.  Ex-leader.  Ex-vampire.  He was angrier that the sentence had been struck down before being spoken - like he was some kind of soft creature that couldn't bear to hear his sire's name.

"No, I haven't forgotten how it ended for Kerr," he said meaningfully.  "And Murphy didn't do anything nearly by himself, he did it with help," he pointed out steadily, knowing that he was damning himself.  "I'm sure you don't want me working for the Ward either," he added with chagrin, before moving on to the permission (of a kind) that Conner had given.  "So we'll both work towards the Academy."

He set his glass down upon his lap.  It was still half-full, and Ben was tapping at the glass with his fingernails, making a chinking sound as he asked his next question.

"Kerr had arranged for a massive recreational complex to be built into the cliffs near the lighthouse, did you know?" he said, supplying information while watching Conner closely for any surprise or clues that maybe he had knowledge of it.  Ben certainly had none, until the lawyers had shown the plans to him and he'd driven out to look it over.  There was a lot of activity going on, and as he understood it, the work was being done in shifts so they were working on it around the clock.

[realworldweirdo]

"I know he had me look over his crews and to do extra background checks, but other than that, I wasn't privy to the details. I know that there's been a major construction project going on out there, but haven't been able to trace the exact sources. Kerr didn't share everything with my department."

He let Ben's other statements and assumptions be what they were. They were right, he was right, and frankly Conner agreed. He gave Ben more leeway than he did Murphy, but Ben hadn't been the one to publish the information. Finding secrets, fine, that was something he could empathize with. Humans sharing vital secrets of the supernatural community was something he couldn't tolerate.

"Why mention it now?"

[Trillian]

Ben was disappointed and frustrated with Conner's answer.  If he'd explained that he only knew what he'd investigated of Kerr's records after the fact, then this would've made Ben feel better.  The fact that he'd checked over things before construction had been underway meant that he'd known about the project before Ben himself.  He hadn't had a clue, until the lawyers told him.

"That's it? He didn't mention why he was building it?" Ben prompted, needing to know more and also knowing that his further questioning was unlikely to yield results.  Conner's question of him was valid.  Why mention it now?  Because now was when he'd found out about it.

"I thought you might be able to tell me about it, considering your, uh, position.  First I heard about it was when I inherited it."

All of a sudden Ben was swamped by a wave of emotion so intense that he started to dry swallow, for fear of losing his cool.  To hide the swallowing, he reached clumsily for his glass and it very nearly slopped over the rim before he gulped it down.  The manoeuvre paid off because he was able to control himself very quickly.  Perhaps it had slipped Conner's notice.  Even if it didn't, it was possible the other vampire might allow him the mercy of ignoring it,

[realworldweirdo]

"Kerr had me do some background checks. It was something we did a lot of, one of our most common tasks. I didn't even know what he was building or where; he just wanted me to vet the crews."

Conner noticed Ben's sudden clumsiness, but decided against reading into it. The conversation was veering in strange directions, and he wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on.

"I don't have resources to spare right now to look into it, unless you think something's suspicious," he pointed out. "Do you think something's amiss?"

[Trillian]

Ben frowned and shook his head, not intending to mislead Conner down a path of subterfuge and accusations.

"No, nothing like that.  I just didn't know about it.  Kerr kept it to himself."

He was a bit sorry that Kerr hadn't included him on the business side of things, but more sorry that he'd never been interested in the business side of things too.  Now he had it all, and if he'd paid a little more attention to how Kerr managed his money and why he'd invested in the companies he had, and why he'd bought the properties he did... then Ben would've felt a little closer to him instead of dumping it all back with the lawyers and letting them continue to manage it.  Kerr had been more hands on, they'd said, but Ben didn't have a clue why.

He had a more pressing question to ask.

"What's going on with Zoheret?  Is she setting up a headquarters?  Should I move before she finishes?  She never gave me a second look, at the Chambers.  Do you think she'll care about me now?  I mean, does she hate vampires in general?"

A lot of questions fired rapidly, but all revolving around the same topic of his district leader.  He figured Conner would have more answers than anybody else, as he had his spy network still.  Unless resources weren't spare to keep an eye on the ex-Oligarch for Dark Angels, and if he wasn't taking care of that, then what the fuck was eating up his time?

[realworldweirdo]

[ooc - I need to coordinate with saiketsu so I know what Conner knows on the subject. In the meantime, I'm going to stick to Conner being unsure and her security being good/activities being unclear]

"As far as Zoheret is concerned," he replied slowly, making the phrase a meditation on the convoluted nature of politics "The situation remains unclear. One informant says one thing, the next says another. I have a lot of information, but nothing that I'm going to share outside of the Ward for the time being. Right now, she's either got good security, or she's rather directionless. Zoheret being who and what she is, though, I'd suggest relocating to one of the vampire districts. Just in case. She hates anyone having power over her, and some people view you as being Kerr's heir."

He stroked the handles of one of his knives for a moment and realized that he'd never quite gotten around to actually drinking his blood. He leaned forward and scooped up the glass, and finding it still warm, took a couple of sips.

"I never said I didn't want you in the Ward. You assumed," he pointed out in an abrupt change of subject. "There are still positions that need to be filled. Badly. Also, you might be interested to know that Ward employees are under the Ward's district neutrality policy as far as I'm concerned. So if you're worried about being at Zoheret's mercy, being an employee would bring you under my umbrella instead. No matter where you live."

[Trillian]

Ben thought about Jake, then Vomas, and believed he might be better off in a neutral district, like the one Vincent lived in.  He'd seen the districts scrolling across on the Risk TV screens recently, where he could see that quite a few were under Conner's control.  He was fairly certain that the laws had remained the same under Conner's direction, and that the vampire that had looked up to Kerr wouldn't change them.  He trusted this vampire sitting in his lounge room a great deal more than he trusted the other two.  In a pinch he would live in the city, under Jake's rule, but he would prefer to just be out of everyone's way.

He nodded along to Conner's suggestion, though he would be looking for property on the west side.  He'd always liked the cobbled roads in that area, as long as he was closer to the city rather than further out in the suburbs where Vincent lived.  He liked the haphazard way it was structured, and the ivy that grew on old-fashioned houses, with wrought iron gates and narrow architecture with small towering rooms.  Yes, he liked the gothic look, and he liked the idea of a neutral zone.

Ben studied Conner with a sharper edge due to the topic return to working at the Ward.  Double standards, much?  He was resentful on Murphy's behalf, but it was a grudging resentment borne of obligation and loyalty to his friend rather than anything bitter directed at Conner personally.  The next few comments piqued Ben's interest also.  It would doubly keep him safe, if he was employed by the Ward as well as being in neutral territory.  This meant if someone claimed the District (he could always move, if the leader was terrible) he would still be under Conner's charge.  Really, if things started getting too bad in this city, he could just move to one of the European properties that Kerr owned.  He'd have to start learning Italian in a hurry.

"What kind of positons?" he asked, figuring Conner would have a better idea as to where Ben would best fit.  It also allowed him the space to think it over.  He'd also been mulling over on his mostly extinguished modelling career - just for something to do, but it was a part of his history with Themba and he didn't know if he could do it again so soon after coming into contact with the Ancient (and believing that he had something to do with Kerr's death, also).

[realworldweirdo]

"Nothing dealing with sensitive information," he clarified, frowning. "You'll have your hands full with the Academy, too, so you probably won't want anything too labor intensive. If you're willing, I need someone to visit the District Leaders - all of them. Someone to discuss their positions on working with the Ward so that our agents don't run afoul of each other, work out compromise conditions between the laws of the Districts. Go to the leaders of Strongholds and form connections with them. More than a courier, but less than an ambassador."

His body language, hunched over and brooding momentarily at his glass, put his frustration with the topic on display. Zoheret was up to who knew what. Jake was sure to be doing as much fortifying as governing, while Vomas was probably up to his eyeballs in preparation to document things. It seemed obvious that Dominic had his hands full with merely juggling security for the full moon and his personal life. He knew he was caricaturing the District Leaders and being uncharitable, but things were shaky and he didn't like it. Ben was Kerr's oldest progeny and had a certain inborn neutrality because of that fact that Conner's representatives couldn't quite match.

[Trillian]

Ben blinked slowly, taking in what Conner was saying.

Soooo...
I should move house to keep away from Zoheret
but you want me to be a not-quite-Ambassador to her
and Vomas and Jake
because I would be so well received
and I'm extremely well known for my diplomacy

"Not a good fit," he said finally, not wanting to insult Conner because he was the last vampire in this city that thought he was worth anything (and that had been before he'd known about the substantial amount of money, thereby already having proven himself).  "What else is there?"

Conner didn't trust him with sensitive information, which frustrated him even though he could understand it, as it was terribly demeaning to be treated like he wouldn't learn from the biggest fucking mistake in his entire life that had cost him dearly on a personal level.  And even though he thought he would be a fantastic negotiator (or possibly too hard of one, because he didn't like compromising his own goals) he knew well enough from his history that he very easily offended people and that the current District Leaders had already formed an opinion about him.  He was surprised Conner had even suggested it.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner mulled this over, settling his glass back on the table and leaning back into his seat. He couldn't offer Ben one of the still vacant Directorships, partially because he didn't have the experience and partially because he hadn't proven himself after the Mimic Demon debacle. The envoy position was something Ben was uniquely qualified for, even if he didn't want to do it. If he didn't want it, though, there probably wasn't much point in pushing. He eyed Ben speculatively.

Some of the positions he wouldn't be qualified for; others would be so low as to be insulting. Ben didn't need the money, he wanted something to do with himself, or else he wouldn't be interested at all. Conner mentally flipped through the options in his mind, trying to find something suitable, his face creasing into a mask of concentration as he worried at the idea. What did he know about Ben? He'd read his file, even helped compile it during the days of the Oligarchy when Kerr had asked for increased internal surveillance.

"One of the magic teams is a man short," he offered tentatively. "You're young, it would be easier for you to learn the skills than an older candidate. The training would be intense, hours would probably be long because you'd be learning on the job. Pay isn't anything to get excited over, but I doubt you care about the money."

Fifteen million!

"You'd be able to learn a lot, though, if you like."

[Trillian]

Magic?

Ben mulled on that word, wondering what 'magic' might mean to a supernatural.  Powers, talents, species-specific abilities, yes.  Magic?  He associated them with the Fae genealogy.  A broad scope if there was ever one.

He knew it wasn't pulling rabbits out of hats, but was he going to sign up for something that might take him away from his vampire-based training with Vincent?  That was only two nights a week though, and only then for a couple of hours before it took its toll on him.  Plus, Vincent and Owen would want to patch up their romantic relationship without him around.  Giving him something else to focus on would be really good, and learning something new that he wouldn't normally have access to (before the Academy opened its doors) excited him.

"What does a magic team do?" he asked, circling the main question 'what kind of magic' because he might glean it from their tasks anyway.

[realworldweirdo]

"As I recall, mostly they do maintenance on standing enchantments. Keep the security net around the building charged, dispel cursed things that cause trouble in the city. They're one of the more fractious teams, but they do good work. I'd have to double check on the specifics, things get moved around a lot when I leave the building for a night."

By fractious, Conner meant that the vampire half didn't like working with the fae half and the feeling was mutual. There was a reason most of the teams were species segregated. Their magics mixed in interesting ways and worked well, so he kept them together and on a short leash. In the Ward, though, all assignments were effectively temporary. Things were still too unsettled. Ben might be able to calm down the volatile mix of races in that team, though. He'd seen students have that effect before.

In another century, but still. It might work.

Leaning forward, he spread his hands. "I can ask Loraine if she knows of anything else, but that's all I know of right off hand. I don't want to put you in the field, of course. You're too well known anyway, so it's not really an option."

[Trillian]

He was interested what kind of magic he'd be able to perform, with his lack of knowledge on the subject matter, as well as a low skill level (he assumed).  So low it was non-existant... but the idea of performing magical tasks and being taught how to wield it was enticing.  If it was possible, then it opened the door to lots more things.  Really, this was what Conner had mentioned when they'd been talking about the Academy - crossing abilities over, but Ben had thought it was just theories, for he'd seen the Academy as a purpose built University for supernaturals within their own fields of species, and learning about others for the sake of not being ignorant.  He'd failed to imagine the possibility of learning Fae magic, he'd only managed to grasp the idea of learning the abilities that the bloodline vampire species could do - the bloodlines like Conners, which he still didn't fully understand.

Not being in the field also sounded appealing to Ben, since he'd be learning the job and didn't like the idea of being thrown into the deep end.  He'd thrown himself into the deep end a number of times, with mixed results.  There was no point taking further risks now, that he seemed to be getting his life back on track.

"I'd like to do that.  It would help me understand the potential for the Academy, anyway.  Do you think a six month deadline for getting it up and running is too ambitious?" he prompted.  If they were using an already established area - at the Ward - then he didn't see why gathering resources when they already had a location would be difficult.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner's mind shuffled the information around, processing Ben's tentative acceptance and how it would influence the group's abilities. He knew from personal experience that certain things could be performed relatively easily by even young vampires, with proper instruction. He pulled one of his business cards and a short pencil from his pocket, scribbled a name and a number on it, and fiddled with it between his fingers.

"This is Loraine's number. She helps me with.... well, pretty much everything at the Ward. She's functionally the second in command right now. Call her to set up the details, she'll see to it that everything gets sorted out if you want to join the team. That's team four, for reference." The other teams call them Nitro, for nitroglycerine, behind their backs but he'll find that out soon enough.

On the matter of Ben's rather ambitious six month schedule for the Academy, he frowned pensively. Acquiring a library was a big leap. Establishing a curriculum would be another. The matter of finding instructors was sticky at best, despite the generous funding Ben was providing. Advertising for students would take six months at the very least unless they just started pulling fledglings, and with them their sires, off the streets. Things would have to be shuffled at Haven Crest; he couldn't know what Jonathon would make of this, he'd only mentioned it in passing. He scribbled another number and a name underneath the first.

"Six months is fast. I don't know if that's possible, but if you want to push hard it's just optimistic. The second number is Jonathon's office number. He owns the Haven Crest building and a few other properties. We'll have to arrange for space and facilities with him in order to have the Academy at Haven Crest. With the Ward there too, it might be a little hectic, but I'm sure it will work. If we crowd out the mortal businesses there, that would be fine with me. They're an impedance. So, tell me what you've got put together on your end so far."

[Trillian]

Tell Conner what he had so far?  Ben blinked and was silent for a moment.  He felt like an idiot.  All he had were designs on who to contact and what he would say.  All he had were notes on his laptop and ideas how to get started.  All he had were concepts and dreams.  How could he tell Conner that with a straight face?

"Just outlines.  I was thinking of setting up a couple of basic rooms with chairs and desks.  The biggest thing I need to do is talk to some people and find out if they'll be teachers.  Maybe hire a counsellor with supernatural... um, authority, to be available at the Ward for a few hours and take whatever appointments come their way.  Then I was going to place an ad for expressions of interest from potential students, first couple of classes free if they contacted us with their details.  Find out how many students we'd get and then set up the classes with the teacher and then give the students times and dates.  My biggest problem isn't setting up, it's getting the material to teach.  Could I make it so simple as to just leave it up to the teacher in question?  To simply tell them: This week is about mental domination, talk about how you do that.  Or, this week is about levitation, talk about how you do that.  Because if I manage to bring in a werewolf teacher or whatever, I wouldn't know the first thing about what they do other than scratch and howl."

He gave a little smile at the end, indicating he knew his last couple of things could be interpreted humourously, but this was a serious topic and Conner struck him as a serious guy - and Ben didn't have anything to offer him except his ideas.

Oh yeh, and his money.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner pondered this with unrestrained ambivalence. There was no precedent that he knew of for a supernatural school with anything like a classroom setting, and although he'd been out of the loop for a couple of centuries, he doubted he'd missed something like that. He'd been hoping that Ben would know more about how to manage the whole project than he did, but he guessed he'd been wrong now. Conner knew logistics, even if he didn't know modern academia. If they looked for students and teachers at the same time, who knew what ratio they'd end up with? Probably not the right one, whatever that was.

Then came the questions of the species, disciplines, sub-disciplines, and the complications of all that. Magic and telepathy were different fields, as were telekinesis as most beings used it and then there were the innate talents of certain species. How to organize that body of information seemed a monumental feat, and very few people possessed the scope of education to approach the task. He could, given the time - that was why he and Ben could make the attempt - but he didn't have the time to do it while running all aspects of the Ward.

"I need you to help me fill the Director positions at the Ward," he announced bluntly, having arrived at a suitable conclusion in his own mind, and he spoke with firm conviction. "You know everyone. I can't keep doing four jobs anyway, and certainly not while working on the Academy. It doesn't really matter if they don't like you, I'm sure you know someone I can at least call. Then I can devote some of the free time I gain to sorting out some of the academia for the curriculum structure. You don't seem to grasp how broad the fields involved are. They're staggering, so you know."

He took a sip of his cooling blood when he finished speaking and waited for Ben to agree so that they could move on.

[Trillian]

Ben stared at Connor as he spoke, concerned that he hadn't even attracted his opinion on what Ben had said so far.  He wouldn't even have cared if his ideas would've been shot down, as long as he knew if he was headed in the right direction or not.

"I know everyone?" he questioned, because this was news to him.  "I know of everyone.  I did my best to keep my head down at the Chambers, to not get involved.  Every time I made my presence felt I would offend someone else.  Weren't you the fucking spy?  Weren't you supposed to know everyone?"

It could've been the stress talking, it could've been grief.  It could've been Ben's natural go-to emotion, because he seemed to feel angry and hostile all the time.  As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted it, because this was the one guy who he wanted to keep on side.  Vincent had been right after all.  He was punishing himself, burning bridges wherever he went.  What the hell was wrong with him?

"Sorry," he said, breaking eye contact and staring at the coffee table in front of him.  His tone had shifted dramatically to humility.  "I'll help you where I can.  I'll approach whoever you like."  Now that his offer had been made, he looked back at Conner and changed the topic back to the matter of the Academy.  "I think you're thinking too far ahead.  I think we should start with just one class.  We only need one teacher, and a few students, to get going.  Fledgling training, to start with, because I understand it, and what's needed for it.  There's a lot of young vampires in this city.  I need one older vampire to train them.  We can't offer everything, all at once, at the start.  I know the scope.  I studied at the Chambers library."

Before the Mimics took it away with them

"We can add as we go, and where we see demand."

[realworldweirdo]

"They weren't supposed to know me though," he retorted, eyeing Ben as he spoke. "I know everyone. Including what and who they ate. I have files on who they spent their free time with, too. Where they slept. What they drove. What I do not have," and he leaned forward slightly for emphasis "is even the slightest goodwill from them. Remember it was my job to violate their privacy as much as possible. Nobody likes that. They're more likely to appreciate a young vampire with good bloodlines who shows that he's growing up."

He glowered sideways at Ben for a moment, then leaned back in his seat, placing his glass back on the table with psychokinesis rather than leaning forward to do so. It was little things like this that kept him advancing, and he was aware of it. The only reason he had the level of power he did was two hundred years of brute force training; he didn't want to lose that edge. With that thought running through the back of his mind, he spun the blood idly in the cup as he spoke.

"One class is too small, I think," he said flatly. "I don't think it'll get any attention, unless it's in a specialty field. Well," he paused. "Huh. I hadn't thought about it. There are a.... a LOT of very young vampires in this city without sires watching over them."

Thank whoever for Loraine and her population statistics.

"Did you have anyone in mind as the instructor?"

[Trillian]

Of course.  Conner's explanation made him feel like an idiot.  Not only had he been an angry little prick, but he'd also been wrong.  Conner was a good dose of reality.  Good bloodlines, he might have, but Kerr's influence sometimes stopped there.  He wasn't doing his sire's memory justice.

"I have a few people in mind," Ben said, thinking of Vincent but unsure if he'd go for it.  Just because he'd offered Ben training didn't mean he'd want to teach a whole class.  He also didn't want to lose out on his own personal training.  He also thought of Sam, who he knew didn't like him very much, but the ex-librarian might be interested in teaching needy fledges in a classroom environment.  There were also some of Sam's assistants, who he'd said hello to a few times but never really talked to.  He'd have to look up Conner's files on them.

"So who do you have in mind for me to approach about the Directorships?" Ben asked, thinking it unlikely Conner would have their details with him, but considering how important the positions were, he might have the information stored in his head.

[realworldweirdo]

A list of possible candidates - some less likely than others, but he was willing to take long shots at this point - was indeed available in Conner's mind, but he didn't have their contact information memorized. Some would have to be approached very carefully.

He brought the glass floating steadily back to his hand and took a drink before speaking, staring off into space as he thought. Would Ben be able to approach all of these individuals? Yes, with the backing of the Ward, he would. Whether or not he'd be able to convince them was another matter, but he had the advantage of being Kerr's progeny on his side and his bloodline's natural submissiveness to elders would serve him well. Provided he was escorted by guards. Which he would be.

Conner would just have to call it an entourage. Hell. What was being a politician doing to him? That thought never would have occurred to him four years ago. He grimaced at the idea, but held onto it as being useful.

"I'll provide you with the relevant information from their dossiers if you'll come by my office," he finally said. "Their qualifications, their background, et cetera. Also, the compensation we're willing to offer for their services. It's not as good as the Oligarch pay was, but we're a smaller organization" with a percentage of their resources "and the scope of responsibility is more limited."

"If you'd like, I can have someone pull up files on potential instructors, as well," he offered, looking helpful and guileless.

[Trillian]

He'd been consumed by his thoughts of networking and approaching different contacts as well as vampires who he'd met that fit the bill if Vincent said no (or if he decided not to ask Vincent at all - he might run it by Owen first as a show of good faith, in fact).  There was Sebastian, and Jenna herself - but he didn't know if she was capable of teaching her skills considering Kerr had mentioned she was fairly new at learning them herself.  She might have some names to give him though.  It seemed his list of contacts was greater than he'd thought.  Initially he'd noticed but not paid thoughtful attention to Conner's skills with the glass of blood, but now as his thoughts turned a corner and began approaching a different topic, he had time to notice the incredible mental feats before him, and to remember in hindsight what he'd already seen demonstrated.

He was grateful and suddenly awestruck by this seemingly simple man before him.  A good-looking, loyal to Kerr's memory and helpful guy who'd not taken Ben's shit but at the same time been gentle in his smackdown as well as not taken it personally.  He also hadn't let Ben off the hook about being a real contributor.  He was someone that Ben felt he needed right now, but he didn't feel like he could make an easy friend out of Conner.  They were both socially awkward, in an entirely different way to the usual.  Capable, intelligent, brutishly honest, socially able yet awkward guys.  It was a front, a facade to Ben, and there was a weird feeling that Conner was the same.  That Conner's professional face was the smooth exterior that Ben managed to also convey when he spoke to people calmly - even forcefully - but was an insecure mess inside.  He doubted the ex-Spy shared this personality facet, but there was a connection between them no less that had Ben feeling like Conner got him, that he understood where he was coming from.

He very suddenly didn't want to let that go, and it felt like things were winding down, with requests to pull up files and numbers and names being exchanged.

"Did you want to see the place?  I mean... Kerr built this house.  He renovated it, actually.  There's... stuff here you might find interesting.  If you had ten minutes to spare, I mean."

Ten minutes for a tour of this house?  Get real.  More like thirty minutes, if they didn't dawdle.

He gave an easy smile, but at the same time he felt -

Awkward.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner blinked, not sure how to take the change of subject, but he decided to take it as agreement. Partially because it was convenient to do so, partially because it seemed like Ben was actually willing to cooperate. He felt like he was, anyway.

"I planned on being out of the office for a while, actually," he replied after a slightly disoriented pause. "Needed time to relax a bit, before I threw someone out a window. I'd like to see it, since you're offering."

Something that didn't cause stress, involve dealing with Bryant's unpredictable needs, or a tedious rainforest's worth of paperwork would be welcome. What it was specifically didn't matter, and a tour sounded pleasant enough. He finished off his glass and placed it manually on the table again, then rose to his feet.

"At your leisure," he invited, settling his knives and equipment to more comfortable angles on his belt.

[Trillian]

Ben smiled genuine pleasure at being told he would have Conner's company for longer.  It was nice to have another vampire peer.  As wonderful as Murphy was, he couldn't provide the kind of educational sustenance that merely being with Vincent or Conner could.  He didn't know why it was important to him, it just was.  Perhaps he was missing the Oligarchy.  He certainly felt misplaced, and now that he was in a more advanced stage of his grief, he recognised that his displacement was due to more than Kerr's death.  His entire world had changed.

"Why do you carry those?" Ben asked, gesturing at the weapons once they were both on their feet.  All Ben could see were liabilities to having such items in plain sight.  Conner wouldn't be able to walk down a busy street unhindered.  They'd only be useful against mortals and younger vampires, as older vampires and other supernaturals wouldn't be affected greatly by them.  Unless they were magic - and with what little he knew of Conner's background, he suspected there was more to the story, which is why he asked his simple question and kept his mouth shut.

[realworldweirdo]

Conner glanced at his belt, considering. He didn't usually think about why he wore what he did, or carried certain items. It was thoughtless, almost reflexive. Two daggers, a canister of pepper spray, several small silver spikes that more closely resembled large nails, and a couple of small ammunition pouches that held a few objects he could use to his advantage against certain varieties of supernaturals. He followed Ben's lead as he considered why he carried the things he did.

Then why he didn't think about why he carried such things.

"I carry anything I think I might need depending on how I feel," he admitted. "I don't give it much thought. During my exile, I never had to explain to anyone why I did anything. Why I looked a certain way, dressed a certain way. Any sentient being I encountered, I killed or fled. Appearances don't matter much in those circumstances, and I spent a long time doing that. It took me a few years time before I started paying attention to dressing presentably again, and longer than that to care about my appearance. Scott used to help me from making mistakes, but Bryant doesn't give me as much feedback. Or too much."

The end of his explanation took a distinctly bitter tone, one edged with promises of pain for someone, when he mentioned Scott's name.

[Trillian]

Ben didn't know the story of Conner's exile, and he wasn't sure if it was a topic that was supposed to be talked about.  He was curious, and Conner had brought it up easily enough.  It was the way it ended, with the mention of Scott and Bryant, that he wasn't sure where the pain was coming from.  Ben didn't know the people behind either of those names, so that was something he certainly would avoid.

He started walking, gesturing with his head for Conner to come with, and they headed for the stairs.  Unlike Kerr's tour of the place, which had ended with the top-most room, Ben intended on starting with it and then making their way down.

"You look good," he said with a smile as they walked, then thought maybe his words might be taken as a flirt or meaning something beyond the simple words they were.  "I mean, I don't accessorise with weapons, but there's nice flashes of silver."

Like jewellery?
What the fuck are you talking about, Benny?

"Um, I guess you could just mind-wipe any cops that find you threatening to the general public, right?"

It was his roundabout way of asking Conner if he'd had any trouble because of his choice to wear his weapons on his body in view.  He glanced over at Conner beside him who was matching him step for step, already on their way up.

[realworldweirdo]

"Thanks," Conner replied with a small smile. "I guess it might be a little.... threatening, now that you mention it." Why the hell didn't he realize that he'd basically decked himself out in tactical gear before walking out the door? Not paying enough attention. Hell. Not really used to leaving the building, come to think of it. The drawback of literally living at work. "I could, but I don't usually run into trouble. People tend to think I'm human, and young, and that everything's some kind of prop. I get asked what game I play a lot. Usually I only have to use domination on police when I hit triple digits on the motorcycle, doing something for business."

He paused, taking in the house as they walked even though Ben wasn't pointing anything out yet. "This place is.... big," he observed, obviously somewhat impressed. "Maybe you should set up an armory in a guest bedroom or something. You know, in case you ever need some accessories."

Accessories? What the fuck is.... maybe he'll think it's a joke. Was I joking? Uhg.