Opposition Research

[Black Philip]

The Traveler had taken the public bus, strumming their guitar for a crowd of gathered Brazilian kids. They'd accused Tyler of not being able to rap, and the proceeding rap battle between the kids and the guitarist had kept his mind company as he rode along towards the fairgrounds. They parted as friends, with some of the older kids promising to check out the traveler's weekly show at The White Rabbit. Tyler had a habit for making friends in unlikely places, and with a disarming smile and cool demeanor Tyler made a lot of friends. Of course, Tyler also made a lot of enemies, or as was the current case, Tyler inherited the enemies of the local Anarchs. Ben Samson had been misleading at best in their first meeting. It was a real shame since Tyler had liked the guy. However, his read out of Jake's situation had been outright untruthful, and led Tyler to generally believe Jake's warnings regarding Ben.

It made being sent to find Ben and talk to him all the more perilous, as Tyler didn't want to cause any more harm than was needed. Elections could be fair, and if Jake was to lose Tyler thought that was likely the will of the people. On the other hand, this was one of only a few cities where the Anarchs had any real representation, and so far Tyler didn't trust Ben to take care of them. Jake said Ben called them things like mindless followers and insane. Such a person was not fit to lead the vulnerable and the different. It was why Tyler had taken this mission from Lisa-Joe. The traveler wanted to hear from Ben directly, and gain assurances that should Jake fall, that the Anarchs would be respected and included in whatever new government came to be. Officially, he was here to see what kind of event Ben put together, to review his campaign literature, and most importantly to see where he stood on the issues. Tyler had managed to stay out of Jake's campaign directly, and so was appearing here as an undecided voter.

He wore his long tan overcoat and fedora, a knitted sweater underneath the outer layer. Dark jeans, a chain wallet and slicked back hair finished Tyler's look, and he carried his beat up guitar case as he stepped off the bus and moved his ways towards the carnival. After assuring ward security that the only thing in the guitar case was a guitar and that Tyler had heard about the party in a sup magazine, they waved him through. Once inside, the traveler moved through the food stalls, delighted by the humans clamoring for hot dogs and funnel cakes. Tyler might have a bite while here, but first he would do his job of observing.

They ended up in the sideshow alley, and found some stacked egg crates to sit on. They took out their guitar, and tuned it as they scanned the area. Now, they would wait.   

[Trillian]

As the meet and greet drew to a close, the tent wall was rolled back in place. The crowd had thinned out in the last half hour already and as Ben spoke to the final few people hanging around, two of his staff returned to the front to hand out merchandise bags once again.

Ben and Kerr stole away. He'd anticipated they would be stopped on several occasions to shake hands or weather questions but other than his name being called out a few times and being waved at, he was generally left alone.

The carnival was packed with bodies. He'd been told by one of his staff that Brannigans had already received the first refill delivery truck and would probably call out for a second one soon. Vampires were taking advantage of the free blood provided by them and Ben was pleased about that because it meant it was less likely an incident would happen on the grounds. There were a lot of Wardens around though, as well as a private security company Kerr had vetted and hired. If the carnival went well, they would be hired for a lot more events. Ben couldn't rely on the Ward for private functions.

He was looking for members of the Sacrament. He was in their district and had hoped they would show. None of them had come to his first meet and greet but there was still a lot of time left. The night, for vampires, was very young.

He heard the guitar before he saw the person playing it. It had made him think of a long-ago human named Daniel who'd been teaching him guitar, and given him a spark of guilt for not keeping up with his lessons. He would've googled Daniel's name to see how he was doing with his music but he couldn't remember Daniel's last name. Thinking of him brought up a swirl of mixed emotions and he looked up at Kerr, squeezing their combined hands so Kerr would look down and he could steal another kiss. This time there wasn't a woop and he was grateful for that.

The guitarist turned out to be a familiar face and Ben was surprised. Of course he shouldn't be, but he hadn't seen Tyler again after he'd sent the newcomer to Jake after filling them in on the status of the city. He'd thought Tyler had come and gone already.

"Tyler, hello," he greeted, approaching with a smile. The drawing he'd been given by the other vampire was framed and in the library. "It's nice to see you again." He was aware that Tyler was one of Jake's people but their meeting had been civil and interesting and he'd been curious. "I hope things went well with Jake. Tyler, I'd like you to meet Kerr Galvin."

He was smiling, genuinely pleased that Tyler had come.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr smiled on cue and reached the hand that wasn't connected to Ben forward for shaking.

"Hi there, Tyler," he greeted warmly, his gaze travelling over the musician appreciatively. He thought the hat and overcoat were a bit kitschy but they did add to the guitarist's mysterious aesthetic. Tyler probably thought his black suit with his tie matching Ben's jacket and eyes was boring and/or corny, so that would be fair.

Ben had told him of Tyler's visit to the Luminary but Kerr didn't bother recalling details. They were an associate or friend (boss?) of Jake's, that was all that was important to Kerr just then.

[Black Philip]

Tyler ended up being a shade for most of the night, a few stray people being taken in by the strumming of their guitar, but not much else. The traveler noted how populated the event was and considered it a bad sign for Jake. They overheard people saying they lived in the south, north, and a lot in the East. That didn't meant they didn't see Central District folks, but the musician wondered if the turnout from the actual voters would've been higher if he'd placed it at his fancy Luminary building. Jake had mentioned that Ben wanted a city wide election, and it seemed as though that was the campaign he was still running.

What the Brujah didn't know, was whether it was strategy, or if it was simply too late to change plans. Either way, it was something to report back to Jake. They'd missed Ben's speech, simply being in the wrong part of the carnival at the wrong time. However, they did overhear excited listeners chatting about it as they passed.

Omg, he's so young. It makes me feel like I can do something like this one day...

Jake better be worried about this one.

What a cool party. Ben's awesome!

There had been some negative comments too, mostly ancients grumbling about Ben's presentation, his relationship with Kerr and his level of  respective power. Tyler didn't consider power a prerequisite for leadership, but they knew many vampires did. For creatures prone to the darker sides of existence, having a punitive parent was strangely effective, and the vampire had to know that the parent was capable of destroying them. The Camarilla and Sabbat both built their systems of control based on these principles, and from what Tyler understood about the city, so did the Oligarchy and so did the District Leaders.

A powerful witch, an ancient vampire family, a strange and mercurial shadow demon, and a pair of dark angels would be the leader's peers. Jake didn't suffer from this problem as bad as Ben. He was older, but also had a reputation as a fighter. Ben was clearly also a fighter, but as the musician sat locked in dreamy contemplation, they wondered if the city would see it the same way they did. It was in this sound chamber of thought that Tyler sensed a familiar aura approaching. As the young one stopped in front of the traveler, their hands came to a well timed end, the song somehow sounding perfectly in conclusion.

"Hey Ben, nice carnival. The vibe is real peaceful and fun." He smiled slowly, letting Ben wonder how wide it would be. They turned and looked over Kerr, the name fitting the description given before Tyler had come to the city. Mr. Galvin was much older than Ben, but still younger than the traveler. They placed the guitar neatly on top of its case, and took both their hands for a strange triple handshake.

"Nice to meet you Kerr, heard good things from my contacts elsewhere. Your reputation proceeds you."

Out of another's mouth, it would've sounded like lip service, flattery, or perhaps and abundance of politeness, but from Tyler's down to earth, and frankly slow, style of speech it sounded purely factual to their experience. Turning back to Ben, the traveler asked, "hey, you keep that picture?" A big smile beamed as they waited for a response.

[Trillian]

Ben answered Tyler's smile with his own, feeling oddly shy about the drawing even though Tyler was the artist who'd given it to him. It was like being at the receiving end of a serenade or having a bunch of strangers applaud and cheer when getting out of a car... they were positive things but made him feel out of place and awkward. The drawing wasn't anywhere near as extra.

"Yes, I framed it and it's hanging in the library. Nobody's ever given me a drawing before," he said. He forgot about Mandy, who was a passing woman from his movie memories and he didn't associate anything with her. Only Kerr would know that Ben was incorrect.

He looked from Tyler to Kerr with his smile still on his face because he was lost for words. His earlier passionate and confident demeanour was gone.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr's eyebrows lifted and he smiled, pleased that good things had preceded his arrival in Tyler's sphere. That wasn't always an easy thing to accomplish. Having it said to him so openly left him feeling a little embarrassed, in fact.

"Oh! Well, thank you, that's good," he stammered somewhat awkwardly, squeezing Tyler's hand. It somehow felt like very personal and deliberate attention. He noticed a similar sensation coming from Ben and marvelled at the musician's effect on the pair of them as he withdrew his hand and straightened, watching the relative stranger thoughtfully.

[Black Philip]

Tyler smiled appreciatively that Ben had kept the sketch, and felt a little embarrassed it was hanging on display. He had a spark of life in him. He was so young he remembered human feelings and emotions. Tyler had wondered if perhaps this was a good reason for Ben to lead. He was a man of the modern world. For the critiques that Ben's age led to unique inexperience, Kerr's presence offered the insights of age, but seemingly without the baggage of an ancient. There was a warmness that Tyler received from Kerr. It bode well for him.

"Well, I thank you for liking it so much," they said to Ben. "I'll do you next Kerr, if ya like."

Tyler hadn't brought a sketch pad to the event, but perhaps they could schedule a sitting in the future. "Event seemed like a big hit for you," Tyler followed up. "Lots of voters been saying positive things."

It wasn't false flattery, but for now, Tyler left out the less positive things they'd heard. They wanted to see if Ben was open to hearing those things.

[Trillian]

At the comment about 'positive voters' Ben puffed laughter that wasn't quite a scoff but certainly held a tinge of cynicism. "Yes, it's nice to hear from my supporters," he agreed, wondering how long that afterglow would last once the carnival was shut down.

Even if they remained strong voters in his favour, he'd already overheard softly spoken comments (and those said loudly by carnival-goers when walking past his tent) that Ben's tactic of buying votes wouldn't work on them. Jake supporters. Or possibly those who resented having to vote in the first place.

There had been one comment that had stuck with him by someone in the tent, whispered to their friend; 'it doesn't matter who we vote for, we're going to end up with a vampire in charge'. That particular comment had struck home because he had no power to please them. He could talk about his advisors but he would still be the vampire in charge.

"We'll see what happens in the weeks to come," he added shortly, admitting that he didn't think the carnival had staying power in people's minds. If they could forget Jake's invasion of the west, they weren't going to remember a dinky little carnival, even if it was free. All he could hope for were lingering positives and lingering negatives.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr merely laughed and dipped his head towards his shrugging shoulder in an acquiescent manner when Tyler offered to draw him, thinking the older vampire was only being polite and didn't mean it. His demeanour was positive regardless, for Kerr was no stranger to having intimate artworks made of him and it would be rude to refuse such a friendly offer. He wasn't sure anyone ever said no to Tyler, no matter what was being offered, though he couldn't say exactly why he got that vibe from the Brujah.

He watched the interplay between Tyler and Ben; the one flattering and the other dishearteningly demure. His thumb stroked Ben's inner wrist gently, wishing to be encouraging. "So long as they remember when the election is, this endeavour will have been a success," he offered, for that was exactly the point of it all. He doubted the city's residents could forget, considering the amount of propaganda plastered around the carnival grounds; every flat surface sported election posters filled with all the necessary details. If they walked out with their bellies full and that date burnt into their brains, Kerr would be very satisfied.

~*~

Harm came upon Ben quite by accident. He'd arrived at the carnival after his frustrating evening with Trick, clean-shaven, dressed in a fresh outfit, exceedingly restless and thoroughly miserable. He knew he'd got back too late to attend Ben's first meet and greet so he'd been roaming the grounds while he waited for eleven o'clock to arrive. Well, he was stalking more than he was roaming, trying to shake off his hurt and confusion. To no avail.

Honestly, why he'd thought revisiting the place he'd had such a good time with Trick would work to get him out of his head was beyond him. Everything brought up happy and amazed feelings - ooh, the carpark where Trick had talked about the sweetness of their time together, awww, the eating area where Trick had shown him his water nymph abilities in action, heyyy the ride they'd kissed at while waiting in line... aargh! -  which all soured immediately when the dominant memory of Trick practically running out of his apartment overwrote them. He was torturing himself, not distracting himself!

And then, without warning, there was Ben, just standing there in his awesome blue jacket, talking to a guitarist and holding hands with a tall, dark and handsome someone whose matching tie screamed sire/boyfriend. K... eith? Kel? Something starting with K. He knew his name but it was suddenly beyond him at that moment. Harm came to a stop, blinking in surprise as he worked out his eyes weren't deceiving him. The sexy vampire was real and of course he was an idiot to assume Ben wouldn't walk around his own carnival in between his meets. He felt foolish for not thinking of it earlier.

Hrmm. He looked involved in a conversation with the muso. Harm decided it would be rude to interrupt so he stepped back, glancing around to find a better position from which to satisfy his curiosity. His goal had been to observe Ben's relationship in action and this was the perfect opportunity. He could even stalk them along the walkways - from a discreet distance, of course - once they moved on. Or he could be an adult and approach. The problem was, if Ben was nice to him right now, he wasn't convinced he wouldn't cry and start blubbering about Trick. That would not be cool (though getting another perspective would be).

Harm worked his way around, off to the side and slightly behind Tyler, out of direct light and in the shadows. He was in Ben's line of sight but Harm strongly doubted he'd look over and (falsely) thought his cover of darkness would obscure him adequately. He was dressed nondescriptly in a pair of jeans, boots a white tee and a black hoodie with a zip down the middle. It was open because it kept him from overheating - the night was as cool as the day had been warm but his churning emotions were keeping his temperature high - but he wondered if he should zip up and pull the hood on for extra concealment.

Nah, that'd just ruin his hair.

[Black Philip]

Tyler hadn't expected to get this much time with Ben, let alone meet the person that most people Tyler talked to considered this city's last stable leader. The traveler decided to use the access to see exactly what kind of leader Ben would be, and now wondered how much of a role Kerr would play in things. Monarchy had many forms, and handing the keys back to someone who once ruled through marriage could be just as bad as Jake calling himself the Black Prince. Tyler didn't registrar Harm's entrance, or hiding. They were mostly focused on Ben, his face, the way he'd be reacting to what they had to say.

"I want you to know," Tyler began, but paused for a few moments, their face an unchanging smile. "I'm an undecided voter. I should be team Jake, Anrach and all. But after my meeting with him I'm concerned he's not the man for the job. I want to see how the other guy would do it, you."

Tyler wanted to smoke, but considered it rude in this moment. They had no sketch pad, and their guitar was packed away. The lack of distraction showed in eyes that began to dart around.

"I think Jake's a warrior, and if I may say, a damn good person for a vampire, but...," and yet another pause. "I fear his love of power, coveting of it, and desire for more of it. Jake might not wish to be a prince of the Camarillia, but he would've made an excellent one."

Tyler waited for Ben's reaction to that, and for Ben's own personal relationship with power to be revealed. The Anarchs future depended on it.

[Trillian]

When Harm first moved at the edge of his sight Ben didn't immediately notice, for there were many people wandering around. When Harm dawdled in the shadows, Ben's gaze flicked off Tyler to him enough that he recognised the blond nurse and then came back again. Tyler gave Kerr eye contact at that moment, for Kerr spoke about the upcoming voting date and that being the carnival's aim for success (and he was so sincere in that delivery that even Ben doubted there was an ulterior motive - but as far as ulterior motives went, theirs was a positive one).

A secret smile crept upon his lips because of Harm's presence but it was dashed and the mortal forgotten when Tyler declared themselves an undecided voter.

"Well, being here at this carnival you already know how I would do it," Ben said, for he'd made no secret about his Table of Advisors, that he would surround himself with leaders of all species to share the responsibility of leadership. It was in all of his propaganda; on his website, on his flyers, on his posters. "I won't lie, I'm excited about the thought of leading, of making decisions that will improve life for everyone. It also fucking terrifies me, that I'll make a mistake or end up making things worse." This last confession was something only Kerr had heard from Ben, very early in the morning, when they were about to give in to sleep. Ben had made a habit of blurting out his worst fears right when they didn't have time to talk it over, but it would always be discussed when waking the next evening. "But a leader should carry that weight, should feel the gravitas of every decision. We all look at the world through one lens. It makes sense for a leader to see through as many as possible," Ben said finally.

[Black Philip]

Almost at the tail end of Ben's encouraging words, Tyler put forth another question, this one with weight, and a more firm voice.

"How about an Anarch lens," the traveler challenged. "Can you see through one of those as leader?"

Tyler turned back to Kerr, as if he too were expected to speak to the question posed.

[Trillian]

Tyler's shift in tone irked Ben enough to form a sharpened reply.

"The Camarilla are the monarchs, leading from the top down. Anarchs are mediators, allowing everyone to live their lives and constantly negotiating for peace. I would have believed you saw that in me straight away."

Ben had come a long way during his time without Kerr. He'd thrown himself into the Academy, into research, isolating himself and burying his grief into knowledge. Sam's classes were informative, but every book she'd mentioned to read or only in passing (and even those she didn't but were footnotes at the texts she'd recommended) he'd read them all. He'd learnt a lot about the bloodline vampires and their politics, and Charon had taught him the rest about the old European alliances. He suspected his knowledge was still broad and general, but he knew enough to understand that Jake's leadership of the Anarchs was paid in lip service only. He was a poser, a fraud, a Camarilla slumming it with punks and thugs to shield the thing he really was.

A Ventrue through and through.

Ben was closer to the Anarch way than Jake, but he didn't lay a claim to it.

"You and I both know what Jake is," he said. It was as close as he dared speak ill of him to someone who was possibly in his pocket (or, as Ben suspected, the other way around).

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr quirked an eyebrow and pulled a disbelieving face at Tyler when they asked a question that was, in Kerr's honest opinion, stupid. They had to be kidding... right?

Ben had just said his aim was to see through as many lenses as possible, to do his best to meet the needs of a highly diverse supernatural community (amongst which Anarchs didn't rank as particularly exotic, in Kerr's opinion). It was a given that an 'Anarch lens' would be amongst them, they were a significant cohort within the city.

Tyler was obviously looking for a bit of reassurance. To his absolute credit, Ben indulged the question anyway. Equably and insightfully (again... in Kerr's opinion). Kerr didn't take the bait and respond to the prompt of Tyler asking their question in his direction, though. As far as he was concerned, he had nothing of value to add.

The elder vampire had stated that they believed Jake to not be up to the job, that he was a Camarilla Prince at heart. Ben had concurred with that theory by agreeing they both knew what Jake was. A Ventrue cultivating a unique power base to serve his own purposes and at the expense of his true supporters - one of whom Tyler ought to be, surely? Kerr held his tongue, expecting Ben's answer to impress.

He relented enough to relax his expression, though, keeping it neutral.

[Black Philip]

Tyler had hoped to be reassured that Ben would be a fair and good leader to the Anarchs if he won. Indeed, the statement Ben made regarding Anarch philosophy was accurate, although under explored for what was under discussion, but that seemed to be all he had to say on the subject, other than a further indictment of Jake. They did both know who Jake was, but what Tyler wanted to know was who Ben was. Disliking Jake's rule wasn't enough to make Tyler vote for Ben, no matter how troubled they were by Jake's lust for power. What Tyler really wanted to know was if Ben would be any better, or if he too would seek only the furtherance of his own agenda.

On the surface, that didn't seem to be the case. Ben spoke of the gravitates of each decision, of his excitement as well as his fear. The statements suggested at humility, although Tyler wouldn't have minded a more direct dose of it. Ben also made no attempts to explain his earlier statements regarding the Anarchs, the kind said to Jake during the genesis of this cycle of hatred.

The people you surround yourself with are mentally unstable, and instead of seeking professional help, you all make excuses for each other and celebrate how fucking awesome you all are.

True, Tyler hadn't specifically asked about that comment, and doubted they would at least here, but Ben knew what he'd said, and so far hadn't addressed it. It combined poorly with something Ben had actually uttered.

I would have believed you saw that in me straight away.

Arrogance. There was an assumption that Tyler would see something instead of just explaining why Ben thought he fit that mold. That was similar to how Jake saw things. Was Ben too a Camarilla prince in disguise, or could he really be something new? The Brujah still didn't know. Kerr was right to think that Tyler was here for reassurances, and so far he didn't have what he needed. The only thing they didn't know was how much they should probe Ben, and how much of it was Ben's responsibility to sway their vote. Here was a person telling Ben they didn't want to vote for Jake, and asking why Ben thought he was the better choice. This was the kind of vote practically dangling to be snatched, but could Ben close the deal? Did Ben not understand that the Anarchs would vote with Tyler, and that what was really being offered was the destruction of any chance Jake had at winning? It didn't appear so.

"I know who Jake is," Tyler said carefully, ignoring Kerr since he'd decided not to add to the dialogue regarding the Anarchs. "I want to know who you are. Not liking the other guy isn't enough, and while I like some of what I see, I still don't know enough to feel good about casting a vote for you. Maybe I just need time to absorb the information, or maybe I need to see that you will really listen to the people who look to me for guidance."

Then Tyler had an idea, a way to test Ben's metal. "Hey, how about you agree to meet some Anarchs? I could easily arrange an event of some kind. You could hear from some of them directly about what they think the city needs. I can also make sure Jake isn't anywhere near this meeting. Interested?"

Tyler very much wanted this to work out, for Ben to be the answer to what they'd dubbed, "the Jake problem." However, there was something to be said for voting for the snake you knew, instead of the one you didn't know. Tyler knew they could likely control Jake to an extent if he got out of hand, keep him in his proper place. Ben wouldn't provide that kind of access or influence to a stranger. "And I don't want this gig because being in actual power just isn't in the cards for me, but maybe for your council of advisers you should consider a Brujah. It would be nice for my clan to have some access to the new leader. Are you open to something like that? Far as I know, we are the biggest clan in the city."