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Ace crouched down to push aside the old burned-out logs and dig away the wet remnants of the last fire. The cigarette still perched in his mouth all the while. As he worked away he contemplated his next move, mulling over which Kumpania he'd be visiting in the next night or two. One thing he knew for sure was that he was going to need some dry kindling and wood if he was going to get this pit roaring again, thankfully one of the Vardo's usually had both. Good thing he had a lighter. He wasn't about to knock on Martiza's door and ask her for some matches. Ace chuckled again under his breath. Ah, poor Maritza. Two claws came up to briefly remove the cigarette, smoke curling out of his nostrils while he scratched the back of his neck and frowned at the old damp coals. Tongue clicking to chastise whoever let the fire go out in the first place. Irresponsible.

He was so lost in thought about it that he didn't hear anyone approach and when a voice spoke, using his name to boot, he about tipped face-first into the burned-out hole. Ace was on his feet quickly, turning to face whoever thought it was smart to sneak up on him. But when he saw who it was he realized it didn't matter if it was a smart idea or not. The Elder's eyes widened for a moment in shock, Ravnos? He hadn't seen or heard from the Disciple in... well, quite a while. In fact, he hadn't spoken to anyone who had recently either. Ace's blue eyes relaxed a little, but only a little. "Ah, Baro! You scared the hell out of me." He chuckled as the words sunk in and the male gave a relaxed shrug in response. "What can you do but your best with what you have, aye? Even when you're honest the truth can easily cause you problems." He'd replaced the cigarette, securing it between his teeth as he grinned. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Ace's grin turned to an awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his neck again, regarding the Disciple almost sheepishly for a second. "Sorry, Ravnos. It's been a good while since I've actually seen anyone higher on the food chain, y'know? And not everyone is as... let's just say that not everyone has a sense of humor." He had had very few run-ins with higher-ranking vampires within the clan lately, the majority of that done intentionally. Aside from Shenzi, who he couldn't remember ever meeting face to face, it was only Cryso and any encounter with her, no matter how brief, had his gut telling him to steer wide and clear if he could help it. Once some older vampires got their claws into you... kiss your a** goodbye. He didn't mind taking orders, hell it was nice to have a purpose, but that being said not every job was for the good of the clan. He wasn't interested in working against the interests of his people and clan to further the personal ends of some. Not all games were worth playing.

The Elder laughed heartily and wrinkled his nose in good spirits, the tip of his cigarette dipping for a moment as his teeth gripped it. "Ah! I see my calling card is impeccable still. It never fails." He had wondered where Ravnos had been but it really wasn't his business or place to ask. And, as much as it was a relief to finally see him again in person, he wasn't a fan of digging into the lives of others. "It's good to see you. I'm glad you're back." Ace gave a little nod, his claws coming up to remove the cigarette as a stream of smoke snaked from his lips. "As for why I'm here..." He gestured to the dead fire and shrugged again. "I've been spending a great deal of time moving from Kumpania to Kumpania, checking in on the clans and the mortal family. Making sure everything is going well. Aside from the ******** Werewolves it's not too bad a gig and the clan seems to be stirring again, I've seen a lot more Ravnos coming out of the woodwork which is a good sign. That's your Vardo, eh?" Ace whistled appreciatively, nodding with a brow raised. Definitely impressed. "Very nice."

A brow raised slowly as he regarded the Disciple, his meaning lost on the Elder and almost cryptic sounding, even if it wasn't particularly a cryptic statement. What had Ravnos been doing? Again, it was probably better if he didn't ask. Who knew what the big bosses did. The less you knew, the less they involved you in their affairs. As soon as Ravnos responded to his comment about being back, he chuckled and nodded, but his gaze went a little funny for a second. "Yeah.." He turned to the long dead fire to kick a couple half burned logs out of the way, suddenly very interested in the burned out remnants of the pit.

It had been like being asleep, but that wasn't even right. It was like falling asleep and waking up somewhere else, or sometime else. He remembered everything that it had brought with startling clarity. Even more disappointing was that he hadn't forgotten like many others, or that it was fuzzy at best. A nightmare from the past, presented so vividly Ace couldn't forget. Especially not when the outcome was the same. He just got to relive that time again with subtle differences. He wasn't a child this time around, that somehow made it worse. And then the month he lost to Oblivion after it all ended, he was surprised he'd come back at all from the aftermath. Once he'd dragged himself out of that pit, he'd found some actual relief, but the wound was still raw.

Ace shrugged, taking another deep drag of his cigarette and exhaling through his nostrils again. "Aye, it's true. And they all seem to want to be found lately. It makes things busier, but the parties..." He held a hand over his heart and sighed. "The parties have been minunat." The next thing out of the Disciples mouth and Ace's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. He sort of coughed on his cigarette smoke for a second before patting himself on the chest and turning to face Ravnos with a look that said 'are you mad?'. "Baro, no. God no. I... wait.. you're messing with me. Ah, that's a good one."

Ace laughed, a warm, friendly laugh. Hoping to god, Ravnos was kidding. His expression oscillating between knowing it was a joke and not being certain. The last thing he needed was to become a Methuselah. He couldn't even imagine it. "You know who would make a good Meth? Anyone else." The Elder laughed again, casting his gaze to the vardo with the wood before he held up a claw and quickly jogged to gather what he needed, being sure to slow himself enough to not look strange, and then returned with an armful and some kindling. "You remember how to make a good old fashion fire, eh Ravnos?" He grinned over the wood, the cigarette perched between his teeth.

Ace's gaze widened a little as the glint in Ravnos' eyes changed. No, there was no way. I mean yes, he was sure the Disciple didn't take his clan lightly, but there was no way he was making Ace a Methuselah. There were a handful of times in his life when he wondered if his mouth had really dug him in deep, and he was now partially convinced this might have been one of them. He supposed it was a good day for a final death, at least he had a smoke.

But then Ravnos's face broke and the Elder realized he'd sucked in a breath at some point, holding it as he waited for the other cizme to drop, as they said. He exhaled abruptly the moment he realized for certain that his leg was being pulled, his laughter a mixture of nerves and relief. "Oooh.. ohhhhh. M-ai luat bine acolo." He chuckled, resettling the wood in his arms that he realized was becoming unsteady.

Ace was still grinning while Ravnos gave him the side eye, the smoke from his cigarette curling lazily into the night. A warm laugh rolling from his chest followed by a friendly wink. "Nu m-am îndoit de tine nicio secundă." Ace dropped the wood and kindling next to the pit and stepped into the circle of rocks, scraping away the wetter topsoil, pushing it off to the side with his boots. He hadn't remembered it raining when he got to the encampment, but who knew what had happened during the day. It wasn't like they would have thrown water on it, they'd have used it for cooking.

It was easier to maintain a fire than to restart it, everyone knew that. Unless some kid decided they were going to play a prank maybe. Stacking the old, wet, half-burned pieces outside the circle Ace gave the pit an unimpressed look. That would have to do. "All right, Baro. Show me your master stacking technique." He popped out of the pit and dusted his hands off absently, giving Ravnos a nod.

The Elder watched as Ravnos got hands-on with the fire. It never ceased to amaze how individuals could surprise him. He'd never had many encounters with the Disciple, there were always wild rumors and whispers about Ravnos, mostly stories and tales that included him, the mortal families had their legends as well, but he never put much faith in such things. They usually spun toward biased or fantastical. But he was pleasantly astonished by the easygoing attitude of the male. Honestly, it was what he'd hoped the progenitor of their Clan would be like. It made the most sense given the general vibe of the bloodline. Sure, you had your occasional psychos but that was more down to the blood of the progeny and how they were before their Embrace.

He crouched by the fire side, watching the way he stacked the wood and filled it with the kindling. Oh yeah, he knew his s**t. Ace nodded along as he explained, of course he knew, but he was still interested in the technique. There was something cathartic about the process that reminded him of his childhood, watching the fire being built when the Kumpania first pulled into a new place. As the Disciple popped out of the pit Ace took a moment longer crouched by the fireside, simply enjoying watching the fire come to life. The sweet smell of wood as it caught, feeding the infant flames and nourishing them into a blaze. The wood cracked and popped as it was devoured and he slowly got to his feet again. The camp sprung to life by the light of the flame, long shadows dancing outward, the faces of the beautiful Vardo's illuminated in a haunting yet lovely glow.

What did one say to someone like Ravnos? Honestly, he wanted to hear stories. Every Ravnos liked a good story and he was sure the man had lived and seen things he could only imagine. Ace wasn't a spring chicken as far as Vampires went but compared to Ravnos he was still a pup. It was a strange feeling considering the majority of Clan members he dealt with were always so much younger. He was out of his element being the younger one for once. But as much as he wanted to just shoot the s**t he did have some more pressing questions. "What do you need from me, Baro? For the clan?" Ace began, his face turning towards him. "I feel like I haven't seen anyone older in ages and I can only fix what I see on the ground. I could very well be missing a lot. The Juvindo are thriving, but the clan, even with those coming out of the woodwork, seems small to me. Not like it was. It may be the Werewolves killing the young off before they have a chance but I dont think that's quite it either."

It had bothered him, the smaller numbers of Ravnos Kindred, there used to be so many of them and he hadnt found many suitable to the life. He'd heard whispers of a cursed Ravnos Kindred, somewhere deep in the woods, but he doubted their own were moving against them. He didn't trust Cryso entirely either but he also didn't know her well enough to make any serious judgements. However, he hadnt seen her in a long time and, when he did, he kept his distance. The other Elder he'd never met and the only other one actively involved in clan politics was Lillian, but she was an Ancilla and mostly handled fledgling affairs. He took a slow drag from the cigarette, the cherry lighting up his features a moment, before he exhaled and the smoke curled skyward. Whatever Ravnos wanted from him he'd do.

Ace watched the Disciple take a seat and chose to join him, finding a vacant stump to plop himself upon. The light of a well-built fire he'd always found particularly soothing. Shadows cast by the flames reminded him of spirits, and his Grandmothers voice echoed in his memory, as though breaking through the veil. 'A hasty snake risks biting his own tail.' He'd asked her what it meant, too young to understand the metaphor. 'Seek to wound without considering the consequences, and you'll wound only yourself.' Was her reply, a hand cupping his cheek. He still remembered her eyes, the kindness behind them was so strong. She'd know him better than anyone at that age, and she knew what he'd needed to hear.

The line was a bit from a story about revenge. He remembered it clear as day. Any time during his life, when he felt the urge to make an enemy, he remembered the parable and chose a different path. Sure, he'd still ******** up now and again. He'd been a handful as a child, much to his poor mother's detriment. Too much energy, too much mischief, headstrong. Luckily he'd grown out of the majority of it by the time he'd hit his late teens. But his spirit had remained relatively the same throughout his life, and becoming Kindred hadn't changed him too drastically either. It was other events in his life that left the deep scars. He broke his entranced stare into the flames, snapping to the present like he'd just been on a trip. Ace leaned back, stretching his legs and crossing one over the other. Maybe spirits did crawl through the heat of the flames to dance around the fire one last time and tell you the tales of your past. It always happened to him like that. Not that he felt he had any special gifts related to the spirit world. Not his path.

Ravnos's voice broke the silence, and Ace's striking blue gaze slid to observe him. He couldn't help but be impressed by Ravnos. The man had always blazed his own trail in life. He was sure, like the rest of them, he had seen his fair share of darkness and hardship and yet he still had a sense of humor. The Elder smirked at his response and laughed warmly, nodding his head and slapping his hand down on one knee. "l-ai prins." He said, removing the cigarette as a stream of smoke followed the motion, inspecting to see how much life it had left. Eh, good enough. He popped it back between his lips.

"I'll make it happen, Baro. But if I do, there has to be a big party, huge. The biggest Patshiv we've ever had." A grin lit up his face, absolutely smitten with the idea. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to accomplish this particular task, but he also wasnt one to quit before he'd tried. He supposed he was about to be tired as hell in the coming nights. Ah. Small sacrifices. So long as they didn't write his name down in the legends as Ace the Thirsty. There were too many... meanings behind that word that didn't align with his personality. Maybe virile? Ace the Virile. That was dumb too. Scratch the title.