A Worn And Dusty Traveler Part 2

[Black Philip]

The traveler left the Luminary building and rejoined the cold night, with its whipping winds rustling their overcoat. Ben had given them directions, and with the destination in mind, the traveler made their way towards the Anarch bar. He was looking forward to seeing what this city’s crew of misfits, malcontents and punks were like. Every city had a different vibe, and a different set of rules, and as Tyler moved through the various blocks that were between him and his destination he wondered how he’d be received. Should he give his name? Even if he did, would this local crop of Anarchs really believe he was the fabled Tyler? Their contact would be there, and that would help bring some legitimacy to the claim, but Tyler had met many others claiming to be him, and he was always amused by their attempts at subterfuge. It was an honor to be emulated, but there was also a danger in it. Any yahoo could destroy the reputation he’d built. It was yet another reason for them to just blend in and talk with the regulars. It was often the best way to get information.

As he passed an off license, about ten blocks from the White Rabbit he decided that wouldn’t work in this case. Ben had made it seem like the problems facing the Anarchs weren’t severe, but his contact had made things seem dire. They’d never known Manuel to be hyperbolic. The guy barley spoke most of the time, and so for him to call in a panic meant shit really had to be bad. A third idea entered Tyler’s brain. Perhaps things had stabilized on their own. It was known to happen, and it meant that his stay in this city would be short. Still, it was probably better to go straight to McCloud and get his side of things. They’d met twice, and the first time they’d barley looked at one another. They were both too busy fighting. The second meeting had been more interesting, and Tyler thought guilty about how’d he left McCloud with a vicious case of blue balls. Tyler considered Jake might be salty about that. He smiled at the memory of messing with the little “hot shot.”

The traveler turned a corner, and was now only a block away. He slowed down and looked around the neighborhood. It was a more run down part of town. The flashy lights and sky scrapers had given way to brownstones with graffiti, homeless people and broken streetlights. Tyler was pleased that an Anarch bar was nestled in a part of the city where it looked like real people lived. One set of streets looked to continue into an even more run down part of town, a street sign read, Brazilian Quarter. However, Tyler was headed another direction, a quick turn down a side street. The fire escapes and dumpsters made the alleyway feel even smaller than it actually was, and the traveler gave a homeless man sleeping on a pile of trash a clean five dollar bill. Once he was out of the alleyway he spotted the bar. Two muscly bouncers dressed like bikers stood guard. The ivy growing along the building’s side was a nice touch, and Tyler appreciated the distinctive image the bar was selling. Humans dressed in leather, studs, and black stood smoking outside, but were clearly in the know. They were ghouls most likely, but if Tyler was unsure he was in the right place, their presence confirmed he’d arrived exactly where he intended.

He approached the bouncers, both of whom were Brujah. They recognized him as a member of their clan, and moved to let him enter. One of them gave a closer look, and said nothing, but was clearly trying to figure out who he was. It wasn’t every day that a vampire over five hundred from your clan just dropped into town. Still, he said nothing and so Tyler entered the bar. The first thing he noticed was that it was busy. Death metal played through the PA, and customers sat at the bar or played pool. Others huddled by the bathrooms, and stairs led up to a second floor where Tyler heard a dance beat that suggested at a different kind of fun. So far the traveler approved of what they saw, and moved towards the main bar. Lisa-Joe Hampton was cleaning glasses, and looked like she was in as good a mood as Tyler had ever seen her. He placed his suitcase and guitar on the ground next to him and sat on the stool.

“Can I get something red, hot and tasty,” he asked to the bar owner. Lisa-Joe looked up from her work, and dropped the glass. It shattered on the floor, but in the loud bar the sound was lost. Lisa-Joe came out from the bar and hugged the traveler like an old friend.

“Who knows you’re here brother,” Lisa-Joe whispered, trying her best to look like the traveler was nobody important. It was mostly working, as any funny stares Tyler received were more focused on his wardrobe than anything else.

“Just Manuel, you, and some kid I met a few minutes ago when I first got in town. I was hoping to talk with Jake.” Tyler was happy to see his old friend and fellow clan mate, but they could catch up after Tyler had gotten the rundown of what was going on. Lisa-Joe nodded her understanding and waved down a young member of the clan. The young punk girl with pink hair moved over in a disinterested fashion, one hand texting.

“Amy, please go locate the prince and let him know he has a guest, and tell him it’s not someone he’ll want to keep waiting.” Lisa-Joe’s instructions were met with skepticism. Amy looked over the traveler, and a large pink bubble exited her mouth before popping back into gum. Tyler bristled when Lisa-Joe said prince, and gave her a confused look. Why had she called Jake a prince? That was a Cammy title. Amy noticed the confusion too, and looked at Tyler like he was an idiot.

“Looks super important,” she insulted. “I’ll go find him.” With that, the youth headed off towards an elevator and disappeared. Tyler turned his head back towards Lisa-Joe and cocked his head to the side. “Did she call McCloud a prince?” His tone suggested he hoped he’d misheard, even though he knew he hadn’t. Lisa-Joe looked somewhat sheepish and looked to make sure they weren’t being overheard.

“Jake goes by the Black Prince. He did when he was Baron of New York too,” she explained, knowing the answer was not likely to please her audience. Indeed, Tyler looked unimpressed. He looked around the room at all the Anarchs and couldn’t believe they tolerated something so un-Anarch. Lisa-Joe looked guilty and so Tyler followed with another questions he’d hoped she’d answer no.

“Anything else especially Camarilla like?”
Lisa-Joe looked defeated, and like she’d much rather not be having this chat. “Listen, we do things a bit different than most other Anarch states. We’re running the biggest and most populous of the domains. It meant we needed a bit more structure than you’re used to. I think you better talk to Jake before I say anymore.”

On that Tyler agreed. Jake McCloud had some explaining to do, and the Brujah crossed his arms and made a grumpy face while he waited for Prince McCloud to receive him.

[Idrial]

It had been quite some time since her fuck up with Jake at the Academy opening, she still felt bad and embarrassed for her stupid actions. They had finally reconciled and she had to go and fuck it up, like usual and blow it all to hell. Murphy probably thought she was nuts and Ben, how could she do that to Ben? A feeling of thick sludge washed over Sam, she didn't mean to insinuate that Jake was not fit to rule the central, as Maria explained later, her feeble attempt at helping caused more harm than good. Maria made Samantha see the light of her lack of finesse for words. Sam had lost some control again, she was the one to blame, and it was a hard blow to accept that reality. Blaming her clans bane in her mind wouldn't solve anything. Sam could feel the winds of change coming for her, whether it be for better or worse was up to Samantha, she hoped that had been a thing of the past.

But, as Maria had pointed out she was no longer human, rather she walked near the path of humanity, and a new set of challenges awaited Sam. It was something all vampires went through, no matter the age. But she feared it more than most, the person she worked so hard to become was at jeopardy. The beast she had mastered and contained as a mortal now had its cage weakened, a novice again, prone to darker desires that hid in Sam. The hunger that always clawed at you, you were never truly full, just enough to quiet the beast. Sam had noticed it the older she had gotten, and it bugged Sam a bit but that was to be expected. However she didn't bring it up to Jake just yet, she was just increased her blood intake and it worked for now.

Sam was focused on trying to make up for her mistake at the Academy by keeping Jake calm throughout this whole election, his nerves were a wreck, he needed support and comfort; even if that meant putting herself off for a bit. She was grateful that Murphy was such a big help, wishing she could thank him, but she didn't want to push it, still embarrassed for her outburst. Sam had promised Jake that she would spend time with Murphy, but with campaign underway, somethings got pushed off to the side. Murphy was clearly a good influence on Jake and Sam wanted to give them space, Murphy had a busy schedule and he couldn't always see Jake. Sam could find Jake anytime since they lived together.

While Jake was gone and Lisa-Joe was occupied some of the caitiffs, thin bloods and a few Brujah members invited her for a game of cheat; a card game specifically designed to cheat in order to win the game. Sam was last seen on the second floor and snuck her way down after she got the invitation, making sure she wouldn't be seen by Lisa-Joe. That was a tough feat, but she managed to sneak past when she went to grab something from the office, she wanted to play with older patrons so badly. Sam was still a fledge, whether she liked it or not and almost everyone was older than her, and it sucked just a little. Plus she needed a break from the world of academics and politics, wanting to be just one of the blue collared guys instead of the typical blue-blood. Sam wished she had access to a shop to fill up her time building various objects, something to keep her hands busy; and one more thing to keep her down to earth.

It was almost like peering into the not so far past, where everyone made it a joint effort to make The White Rabbit their domain. Everyone for the most part got along, whether they be full-blooded vampires, or thin-bloods or caitiff.. And those who didn't manage to figure it out themselves; in extreme circumstances the would come to Sam. Sam did not lead, rather she asked the advice of everyone, trying to treat it more as a democracy involving the people, rather than a select few making the rules. It put a smile on her face to reminisce about the past. She enjoyed the smack talk between the group, Sam didn't say too much, trying to stay quiet, besides laughing and out of sight. Jake nor Lisa-Joe did not approve when Sam played the game with the older patrons in the bar; it almost always ended up in a playful brawl. They had her hidden in the corner of the booth where Sam wouldn't be seen, feeling a little squished but happy to play.

"Throwing down a pair of two's," the young Brujah female in dreadlocks announced. Clearly using a prosthetic in place of her missing a left hand, and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

"Bullshit! I call cheat!" A young male Brujah barked, sporting a dark blue mohawk and leather vest with a black wife beater. His eyes staring down the female with malice.

"Well if your so sure, look at what I threw down," leaning in close and ashing her cigarette. Giving him a sly smile to match.

Hastily the male grabbed the cards and flipped them over, swearing as a result and now had he to pick up all the cards off the table. Everyone erupted in laughter as the turn continued, pissed he was now at the bottom of the totem pole. The male taking out his frustration on the cards as he tried to reorganize his hand best he could, the poor devil. It even got one of the older Brujah to crack a smile, Sam had to slap a hand over her mouth she was laughing so hard. Fuck if she kept laughing like this it was only a matter of time Lisa-Joe found her, quickly and quietly saying what she was throwing down to move the game along. This game to seem to last forever when suddenly one of thin blood snapped his cards on the table.

"Trip' fours and two pair of kings. I'm out I win muther-" suddenly the girl and dreadlocks called him out. He was wearing a dark leather jacket with a Guns and Roses T-shirt, his hair slicked back with a red bandana; a well-liked thin blood.

"No way! You cheated!" Turning over the cards and the look of shock on her face made the table erupt in laughter again. Now she had to pick up the whole stack on the table and count them against her person. The point was to have no or very little cards at the end, and the blue mohawked male and female with dreadlocks failed miserably. Sam didn't win either but she was just glad they patrons still thought to include her from time to time.

Waiting for the two to count there cards Sam bummed a smoke off the older Brujah that cracked a smile, this was going to be interesting. Both frustrated now and the final tally was in, the male had won and the female had lost. The male pointed at the female and laughed and then boom! She had taken him to ground with such force you felt the floor shake, everyone stopped on a dime to watch. Both had a smile and were arguing back and forth, and she was kicking his ass with one hand, it was funny. Sam along with others still sitting at the table were busting a gut laughing. There was no point in trying hiding Sam now, she had the loudest laugh out of them all. This had more than likely gotten Lisa-Joes attention and Sam just shrugged her shoulders and then gave her some jazz hands with a wide smile.

It was more than likely Lisa-Joe would call her over but she wasn't so sure, seeing someone sitting at the bar. Sam wasn't sure if Lisa-Joe was still having a conversation with this person or if it had ended? Sam stayed glued to her seat, unsure of whether to approach the bar and she waited for Lisa-Joe's official reaction.

[sully]

The heels of her large black leather boots made a loud clacking sound as Eva walked casually through the night. She was dressed in an XXL black sweatshirt that went to just above her knees with the slogan "Fuck Off and Die" written in all caps across the front. Her long black hair sat lazily underneath a dirty grey beanie. Her wrists were covered in dark black metal bracelets and multiple faux earrings were placed haphazardly on her ears. Both hands were stuffed into the kangroo pocket of the sweatshirt while she held a cigarette firmly between her teeth, blowing the smoke out between drags. Anyone passing her on the street would have guessed she was an overenthusiastic goth girl on her way to try and sneak into a bar.

And truth be told, she was on her way to a bar; the White Rabbit in fact. Last night Benny had given her the initial details on the job, but had insisted she'd meet him at the White Rabbit the next night to receive her first assignment. The meeting was scheduled for four hours from now, but Eva had decided to arrive early. If she was going to be working for Benny and the Black PRince, Eva wanted to be sure she had enough information to keep her safe. She did not expect either to betray her, but after two hundred years in espionage, she'd learned to gather as much information as possible before it's too late. Besides, after the news Benny had given her, she needed a night somewhere loud and raucous, with the chance of getting to enjoy a good stiff drink (or as close as she could get). She jogged across the street and came to the front of the establishment. The ghouls hanging around the entrance gave her a hungry, longing look that made her insides turn. Eva hated ghouls. Their desperate desire for blood made them worse parasites than vampires themselves. At least the latter needed blood to survive. Ghouls just wanted it to feel good, to feel more powerful. She felt that the other clans only kept them around because they liked the attention ghouls showered them with in exchange for a few drops of blood.

"ID." One of the bouncer stated, neither of the two looking her in the eye as she approached. They probably think I'm just some fang banger wannabe. Eva thought to herself. A twisted idea then popped into her mind, an opportunity to start this night on a good note. "This enough?" she replied as her mask dropped for the briefest of seconds, displaying her horrible white eyes, large hook nose, and sucker mouth turned up in a smile, before turning back to her more human form. The bouncers recoiled back slightly in shock and she heard various ghouls behind her gasp in astonishment and fear. Probably never had the pleasure of seeing a Noz before. Happy to be the one to give them that gift. She thought mischievously. The bouncer who had spoken to her said quietly, "You know you're not supposed to do that right?". Eva cocked her head to the side, gave them a big shrug, and pushed passed them into the bar while saying "Hey, you asked for my ID. I was happy to oblige."

The sound from the bar hit her like a freight train as she walked through the door. Eva couldn't remember the last time she'd been in a place like this, but was very happy to be back. While many of her kind preferred the shadows, Eva enjoyed being in the thick of things. Her human life had been spent locked away from the world and even two hundred years could not erase the childhood feelings of isolation and the desperate desire to be apart of something. She scanned the room, her eyes stopping briefly at the bar where Lisa-Joe was talking quietly with a man dressed in traveling clothes.

Eva knew a little about Lisa-Joe, mainly her age (roughly), her ownership of this establishment, and her close ties with the Black Prince. But this lack of information was not due to a lack of trying. She'd found that Lisa-Joe's history was a well kept secret even from her own methods. Eva had wondered whether it was worth digging deeper, but came to the conclusion that someone going to such lengths to hide their past was someone who’d kill to keep it hidden. Besides, the closer she integrated herself into McCloud’s circle, the easier their secrets would be to uncover. She did not recognize the man Lisa-Joe was speaking with, but immediately noticed that there was more to the man than his appearance as a traveler. She turned her eyes away and scanned the rest of the room.

Eva’s eyes eventually landed on a rowdy group playing a very expressive game of cards. Wandering over, she watched two members of the group grow increasingly animated until they tumbled to the floor and began to enthusiastically wrestle one another. Eva smiled and began to walk towards the booth; she enjoyed a good game of cards, especially if it ended up in a fist fight. Her meeting with the Rat wasn't for a few more hours so she'd have plenty of time for a game or two. As she arrived at the booth, she noticed a young girl tucked away inside the booth, seemingly hiding from someone else in the bar. She smiled at her, cigarette still clamped between her teeth, and then turned her smile to the rest of the group. “Mind if I play a round?” Eva asked through a heavy Russian accent.

[Idrial]

Sam turned her attention to the goth lady that had approached the table, her eyes were welcoming towards the newcomer and Sam loved the sweatshirt she was wearing! It was blunt and to the point, she had never seen her before, but Sam could already see that she would fit right in with the White Rabbit.

"Sure! Sit down or pull up a chair," Sam responded with excitement in her voice. There was room in the booth now that the other two had started a play fight. And they didn't call seat safety so the booth was open, too bad for them.

"I'm Sam. Did you have a certain card game in mind?" Flashing the newcomer a beaming smile. Maybe she had a new game Sam hadn't heard of that could end up in a little play fight.

Sam was up to playing all sorts of card games, she found with the older generation it was more popular. And they didn't have to play cheat again unless this lady wanted too, then Sam had no problem playing another round of cheat. It was simple to explain and they could easily play a fast game of a mock round, sometimes people learned better seeing the game than Sam explaining it.

[sully]

Eva nodded at the young girl's invitation and slid into one of the unoccupied spaces in the booth. She took the cards from the table and began dexterously shuffling the deck as she turned back to the young girl and said "I would be more than happy to play another round of your game," Eva gestured towards the two still wrestling on the floor, "especially if that is the usual end result. Besides, most card games I know are from my country and they are just about as fun as our winters." Everyone at the table would understand she was making a joke, but her delivery was flat and blunt. Eva took no notice of this however and continued shuffling the deck until she felt satisfied with her work.

As she passed the cards back to the young girl, Eva reached out her other hand towards her, saying with the cigarette still clamped between her teeth; "My name is Eva. It is lovely to meet you Sam." Eva seemed to ignore all the other occupants of the booth, acting as though it was just her and the young girl. "I do apologize though. I am not familiar with this game and will need some pointers from a much more knowledge source such as yourself."

[Idrial]

Sam giggled at her joke and she loved Eva's Russian accent, "It is lovely to meet you too Eva," taking her hand and giving Eva a firm shake with a grin.

"Don't be sorry, we all gotta start somewhere, right? Plus you look like a sharp lady, it'll be easy for you to learn so don't sweat it," giving her a little friendly wink. Getting a little more serious as she explained the rules.

"First we deal all the cards till the deck is gone. Don't show anyone your cards" nicely throwing the cards to everyone at the table. Sam continued to explain the game to Eva in a chipper tone.

"Name of the game is Cheat," still dealing out the deck. "The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards first and too literally cheat to help win you game," a sly smile creeping up on her lips.

"Now you have to call out what you are throwing out, a pair of two's, triple fours, whatever doesn't matter, you just can't throw out more than five cards at a time, and always place them face down. Now the other people get to decipher whether your cheating or not," the deck had been dealt and picked up her cards.

Only Eva, an older Brujah and the thin-blood remained, the other two fighting had given up. The had wandered off in different directions, their still fuming about their loss at a stupid card game. Sam couldn't held but smile, almost done explaining the rules.

"Now lets say you throw something down Eva and I say cheat. I can look at the cards you just threw down. If I'm right you have to pick up your cards and the whole pile on the table. If I'm wrong I pick the pile, or I can say nothing and let the turn go to the next person," now looking at Eva head on noticing she was short like Sam; Eva was a tiny bit taller but not by much.

"At the end of the game you count your cards left in your hand, face cards count as ten points, everything else is five points. Whoever has the most points is crowned the loser, everyone else its a draw. And of course, the winner gets bragging rights. Sound pretty straight forward?" Excited to get the game started and curious how well Eva would fair at this game. If she didn't have any questions Sam would give Eva the option to start.

[sully]

Eva smiled and nodded as Sam explained the rules. As she listened she realized she had played this game a few decades back and had a vague enough recollection of the rules. But she enjoyed the excitement radiating from the young girl as she explained the rules so she kept silent. In the same moment she also recognized who the girl was. Her investigation into the Black Prince had revealed that he had sired a child a few years back, a young girl who looked remarkably like the one in front of her. Eva hadn't researched further, assuming that she would not have the chance to meet the fledgling, and was happy to finally put a name to the face. Again, she kept silent on this information. The girl was having a good time and it was contagious. Eva was content to play a few rounds before continuing her investigation.

Once Sam finished explaining the rules, Eva looked through her cards briefly before placing one card face down. As she laid the card down, she looked to each of her competitors in the eye, giving each a sly smile before simply stating, "One seven."

[Idrial]

Sam was glad Eva understood the rules of the game, and was delighted that Eva started the round off. Taking note that Eva alleged that she laid down a seven, a sharp eye and a sly grin to match, it could be plausible Eva laid down a seven. Or maybe not? It was too early in the game to tell and Sam didn't say a word, neither did the others and the turn was passed on.

"Pair of kings," putting on her straight face as she laid down her cards. Leaning back in the booth and crossing her arms, Sam this time was not cheating and she would give everyone at the table the opportunity to accuse her of cheating before her turn moved on.

[sully]

No one declared cheat and the game continued. As the thin-blood began to lay do a "pair of threes", Eva barked "Cheat" immediately as the cards touched the table. The thin-blood jumped back in surprise and meekly replied "You're... right...", revealing only one three and a king. He reached out towards the table and grabbed his new cards, leaving the "pot" empty. The older Brujah, a gruff Asian woman chomping on a thick cigar, laid down a queen, prompting no response from the other three players.

Eva peered at her cards for a few moments, working through various strategies in her mind. Eventually, she selected three cards from her hand and placed them on the table. "Three Kings." she said, her voice seemingly emanating from the cigarette smoke that escaped between her clenched teeth.

[Idrial]

Sam couldn't help but crack a smile when Eva called out the thin-blood, she was excelling at this game and a good guess on Eva's part. Still leaning back in the booth Sam's gaze switched from each of the players, the older Brujah laid down a single card and like the others, Sam was silent, at least until Eva's turn. Something seemed up, Sam played a pair of king's that the thin-blood had now picked up, deciding to take a chance on the odds that really was not three kings like Eva announced.

Sam turned her head like an owl and looked Eva straight in the eyes. "I call cheat," smiling at Eva.

[Black Philip]

Tyler was in a hushed conversation with Lisa-Joe when Manuel came barreling from the upstairs bar. Those who knew Manuel were startled and some nervous whispers were exchanged as to the Gangrel's heightened state of emotion. He made his way across the crowded bar, growling at the few idiots who got in his way. His destination looked like Lisa-Joe Hampton, and indeed the Harpy stood ready to answer whatever Manuel needed or wanted. However, he didn't stop in front of Lisa-Joe at all; he stopped in front of the traveler. The bar went silent, which was a rare thing indeed A tension filled the space, and the only sound was the spinning of a spoon in someone's cocktail. Tyler turned in his stool, and looked at Manuel with utter revulsion. After a few moments, the traveler got up and stood almost a foot shorter than Manuel. For some reason they looked equal, a certain dominance exuding from the eyes of the the traveler. The pause that took place felt like eternity, but finally Manuel addressed his target.

"You're late, you stupid, miserable, guitar strumming, fuck wad." Manuel's voice had a gravel like quality that likened it to a growl, and right now it sounded like glass was being gurgled. It was a violent voice, and his anger filled the whole space. Tyler's eyes widened in a mix of shock and disgust. The two men were now only inches from one another, and Lisa-Joe looked positively mortified.

"You look fat," Tyler replied, pointing to Manuel's torso first stance. "And why is my guitar strumming a bad thing," he followed up. The pair's eyes stayed lock for a few more seconds, before something truly never seen before occurred. Manuel smiled! It started as only a tiny upwards tilt of his mouth, but before long yellow teeth proudly stared back at Tyler, and the smaller man was overtaken in a bear hug and a laugh.

"It was the best I could come up with on short notice," he explained. Tyler felt himself warm at his old friend's touch and he gave some of the hug back through a few slaps on the back and punches in various soft spots. Manuel, now double-overed, and wheezing  managed a quick, "Glad you made it."

The bar slowly resumed it's normal movements. The music resumed, conversations restarted, and only a few continued to stare at the old friends. It was indie music night and a few musicians began warming up on stage. Tyler, Lisa-Joe, and Manuel began to whisper to one another. For the first time since entering Tyler felt a sense of home. This bar was an Anarch bar, whatever else could be said of it. It was good to see his old friend, and the fact that he'd made Manuel smile had been the greatest honor of his more recent days. He didn't expect to see it's likeness for another five-hundred years. The live music began to play. First, was a brother-sister act doing MsMr covers and some original stuff mixed in. They were decent. Tyler looked to the elevator and didn't see the punk girl Amy coming back.

Manuel needed to go back to the bar upstairs, but the pair made plans to talk later. Lisa-Joe similarly had to work to do and pointed out Jake's fledge, Sam, playing a card game. Tyler wondered what a Anarch Ventrue would be like, especially one that hadn't ever been part of the Ivory Tower. He picked up his suitcase and guitar and moved over to the table. He knew the Asian woman with the cigar. That was Anya Chang. She hit like a freight truck. Anya didn't know Tyler as Tyler, but did spare a knowing nod and a quick, "thought I left you to die in those fighting pits. Glad you're not." The thin-blood was unknown, as was the vampire in the goth wear. Tyler grabbed a stool and took off his jacket, making sure to make eye contact with everyone.

"Mind if I watch for a round our two," he asked the group, not giving importance to any particular person.

[sully]

Manuel's abrupt entrance cut Eva off as she was about to respond to Sam's accusation. The four players all turned towards the commotion at the bar, their game forgotten for a brief moment. The Bruja gave a quick glance to the two men and then resumed smoking her cigar and looking over her cards while the other three remained glued to the action. Eva vaguely recognized Manuel, another of the White Rabbit's staff and an ally of McCloud's. Like Miss Hampton, she had been unable to dig up much on the Gnargel's history, only that he was an anarch and, most likely, would side with Lisa-Joe over McCloud if push came to shove. Guess that's what you get when you try to run the Anarchs as a Ventrue. she thought to herself.

And even stranger still, Manuel seemed to know the Traveler just as well as Miss Hampton seemed to. Who was this mysterious man with seemingly nothing to his name, yet could claim people like Lisa-Joe, Manuel, and possibly McCloud, as friends? For the first time since arriving in the City, Eva felt nervous. This Traveler seemed like a powerful chess piece on the board of political power in the City, yet he was completely unknown to her. She made a mental note to ask Benny about the man's identity, but Eva feared the Traveler might be a mystery even to someone as connected as the Rat.

As the tension between the two men disappeared with their improved moods, the players returned to the card game. Eva flipped the three cards over, showing that while she did indeed have two kings, she'd placed a four of diamonds there as well. In obvious feigned surprise, Eva said "Oh dear! Thought I was going to get away with it." and let out a deep, raspy chuckle. Eva was happy McCloud's fledge was not afraid to call her bluff. It would make for a much more interesting game. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the Traveler slowly made his way over to their table. She smiled at his request to watch the game and gestured towards the cards at the table. "Are you sure you would not like to join? We have only just begun and you seem like an interesting man to play cards with." She looked around to the group "However, I do not mean to speak for the rest of the group if they would prefer not to start over."

[Idrial]

Sam was glad that 'lovely' display of anger ended in friendship and not in a brawl. After the heated but friendly exchange, the four went back to there game, Sam's eyes shot upwards in surprise, revealing her guess was correct. Sam didn't have a smug or cocky look on her face, it was a pure surprise and a comical look at that, scratching the side of her face, her head slightly cocked as she spoke to Eva.

"To be perfectly honest I'm surprised I was right. That normally does not work out for me,"  smiling at Eva all the way. Sam was glad the newcomer had no qualms about cheating in this game, you could play fair but where was the fun in that?

Caught off guard by another man approaching the table, oh shit did Lisa-Joe send him over? He was just at the bar, the one who made Manuel smile; that was like pulling teeth. Sam thought for sure the game was over and she have to go back upstairs, to her own shock he wanted to watch a few rounds. Taking a great interest in Tyler's guitar case, it made Sam think of her clarinet. When Eva suggested they start over Sam jumped on that bandwagon quick, warming up to Eva faster than anticipated.

"I don't mind starting over at all. I don't speak for anyone either but I'm down," Sam shot Tyler a warm and inviting smile.

This was turning out to be quite a night! First Eva and now this vampire, she loved to see new faces in the bar. If Anya and the thin-blood were down for starting a new game then the more the merrier.

[Black Philip]

"I'm winning. Travis can wait," Anya the Brujah said, referencing Tyler. The gruff but beautiful Asian woman caught the support of the thin blood - because Anya was terrifying - and quickly agreed moving forward was best. Tyler chuckled lightly. He played p.oker, so he knew how to bluff, but he really just wanted to see McCloud's fledge in action. They nodded at Eva in thanks for the possibility of inclusion.

"Just make sure to beat this bitch," they said, pointing to Anya. Anya in turn looked grumpy before tossing a cigar Tyler's way. "Smoke that and shut up," she teased, and it was clear the game should resume without Tyler. The traveler lit the cigar and took a deep puff. It stunk to the high heavens, but Tyler had to admit it was a nice change from cigarettes. After creating a toxic cloud of smoke around himself, he turned to Eva.

"Nice shirt," he complimented. "You an Anarch?"

To Sam, he didn't ask that specific question, but leaned in and whispered something softly. Anyone who dared to try and listen would get an icy death stare. This message was obviously meant only for Sam.

[sully]

Eva gave a small shurg in response to the Brujah and thin-blood’s decision and said through her heavy accent “Then I believe it is Sam’s turn”. She reached out and brushed the pile of cards over to her and began adding them to her hand. The pile was small so Eva had not minded going for a risky play before. But now, it was time to play for real.

A small chuckle slipped through her lips at the Traveler’s question. “I am when the pay is good. But if the shit finally hits the fan, I’ll be the first one in line to watch those Camarilla cunts meet the sun.” While it was true Eva had worked for various Camarilla governments and individuals in her career, she’d never enjoyed it. Most Cammies saw Noz as second class citizens, only sharing their company when they needed something. She eyed the Traveler, interested as to why such a question mattered to them.

When the Traveler turned to Sam, Eva went back to examining her cards, choosing to remain uninterested in the clandestine discussion in front of her. The Traveler was still a complete unknown and possibly eavesdropping might make him angry enough to do something unpredictable.