The Talamasca Motherhouse

[Vikteren]

Vikteren crossed over the threshold and took a seat. Django.
He'd never met anyone with the name, but that wasn't strange. He wasn't exactly an extrovert, even among his own kind. But he knew what it meant. I awake. A gypsy term. And for Sleet and Persephone--one of the other leaders of the clans in Osiris City, wasn't she?--to involve themself with him--for Sleet to become so agitated by his presence, as Antha described it--he must be strong.  

[.David Talbot.]

"I'm sorry, princess," David said softly as he saw Aaron stand and make his way around the desk. "But it's over now. Sleet won't ever lay another hand on you. You rule him. Remember that, ok?" He had to look across the room at Vikteren with these words, his expression suggesting he was looking for some vague sign of reassurance. From the corner of his eye he watched Aaron gather Antha to himself and carry her back to the large armchair, cradling her with a certain intimacy David preferred not to think on. "Do you think Django might still be here?" he asked Sabata next, "If he's in league with Persephone, it might be trouble. She's a pathetically weak thing but she has just enough cunning and resources to do major damage."
Aaron, meanwhile, had blocked himself out of the following conversation, focusing only on Antha as he held her tight to himself. "What exactly were you thinking tonight, waltzing into his crypt? Your companion obviously isn't very reliable. Why risk so much? Or are you just that arrogant?"

 

[Vikteren]

.David Talbot.

"I'm sorry, princess," David said softly as he saw Aaron stand and make his way around the desk. "But it's over now. Sleet won't ever lay another hand on you. You rule him. Remember that, ok?" He had to look across the room at Vikteren with these words, his expression suggesting he was looking for some vague sign of reassurance. From the corner of his eye he watched Aaron gather Antha to himself and carry her back to the large armchair, cradling her with a certain intimacy David preferred not to think on. "Do you think Django might still be here?" he asked Sabata next, "If he's in league with Persephone, it might be trouble. She's a pathetically weak thing but she has just enough cunning and resources to do major damage."
Aaron, meanwhile, had blocked himself out of the following conversation, focusing only on Antha as he held her tight to himself. "What exactly were you thinking tonight, waltzing into his crypt? Your companion obviously isn't very reliable. Why risk so much? Or are you just that arrogant?"

Vikteren obviously heard the last comment, but he did nothing more than direct a cold green glance from the corner of his eye at Aaron. It was more effective than any retort could have been in depicting his utter disdain for Aaron's opinion. And it wasted less time.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

As strange as it was to Antha that Aaron was being so openly affectionate, she made no protest to his actions. "He can't win," she replied simply, "So I went for my revenge. Vikteren had nothing to do with that." As she spoke her eyes focused loosely on his own, the smallest traces of a pout to her face. Don't provoke him! she scolded. Is it too much to ask that you be nice to Vikteren? Tell me ducky, what did he ever do to you?

 

[ninja of Persia]

Sabata listened to all this then was silent for a while, digesting everything. Presently he rose. He looked ovwer at David, "Thank you for all your help, I look around the city and see what I can find." He then turned to Antha, "I apologize, my search brought up some painful memories for you, I am sorry. Good night." With that he turned around and left the motherhouse, vanishing into the darkness of Osiris City.  

[.David Talbot.]

David watched silently as Sabata took his leave. Then, finally, to Antha and Aaron, "We need to find it, don't we? If one of the more devious vampires gets their hands on the artifact...God knows how much trouble they'll get into." Sighing, te finished looking over one more page in the red file before carefully setting it aside. "So, was Atticus able to help? Or was it too severe for his experience?" He smiled quickly at Rynn.
I don't trust him, Aaron began in the plainest manner he could muster, trying still to be discreet with his mental waves as he sent them at Antha. He's an outsider, and he's already angered Sleet. He'll mean only trouble for you.

 

[Rynn Calais]

.David Talbot.

David watched silently as Sabata took his leave. Then, finally, to Antha and Aaron, "We need to find it, don't we? If one of the more devious vampires gets their hands on the artifact...God knows how much trouble they'll get into." Sighing, te finished looking over one more page in the red file before carefully setting it aside. "So, was Atticus able to help? Or was it too severe for his experience?" He smiled quickly at Rynn.
I don't trust him, Aaron began in the plainest manner he could muster, trying still to be discreet with his mental waves as he sent them at Antha. He's an outsider, and he's already angered Sleet. He'll mean only trouble for you.

He looked up. "Hmm?" Then his memory shoved the question before him, highlighted, and he colored. "Oh! Yes. Um. Antha said that it might be a--" he looked questioningly at Antha, to make sure he got the word right. "An umbra? And you suggested a ritual, since...my sister is currently incapable of recieving visitors...using my blood instead of hers, correct?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha gave a quick nod of her head, smiling softly at Rynn. "Precisely. Using the blood as a medium, the umbra can be tricked into believing that you are your sister and it will come instead to you. In that way, we can dispel it without first having to go chase it down." Quietly Antha stood, giving Aaron's cheek a quick kiss so he wouldn't resist, and she began a sort of pace across the floor as the scenarios ran through her head. "It'll be up to you, though, to get rid of it. The blood bond is too delicate for any of us to intrude upon once it's complete. But of course that's not to say we can't help."

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha gave a quick nod of her head, smiling softly at Rynn. "Precisely. Using the blood as a medium, the umbra can be tricked into believing that you are your sister and it will come instead to you. In that way, we can dispel it without first having to go chase it down." Quietly Antha stood, giving Aaron's cheek a quick kiss so he wouldn't resist, and she began a sort of pace across the floor as the scenarios ran through her head. "It'll be up to you, though, to get rid of it. The blood bond is too delicate for any of us to intrude upon once it's complete. But of course that's not to say we can't help."

Rynn raised his head slightly.
"I can do it. Tell me how." he said, and he plucked the buttons at his cuffs free and pulled back the fine white fabric. He held out both wrists towards her and David, his veins a blue net against the white of his skin. His eyes settled on her, briefly, then David, and his jaw tightened. Rynn didn't like the idea.
But if this would work, he would do it.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha's eyes settled uneasily for a moment on David and then very quickly on Rynn's wrists. "I wonder...do you realize how much you're putting at risk?" Gently she grasped his wrists in her own hands, glossy black nails pressing just slightly against the veins, and quietly dropped down before him, legs folded beneath her as if she were merely sitting down to rest. "There are so many variables---the particular flow of your blood, the strength of the spirit, your own power, the willingness of the spirits loyal to our kind..." She paused briefly, her entire hands closing around his wrists as if to shield them suddenly. "No...forgive me. Perhaps I'm being too dramatic." She looked quickly up at him, gave a little smile. "The risk of injury runs high, unfortunately, but the risk of death, though ever present, isn't nearly so great." There was another little pause, in which she looked momentarily thoughtful, before she proceeded. "Let me explain. We have to use your blood, as well as your inevitable mental chains to your sister, to draw out the spirit, confuse it, and lure it here. We can assist in this much, but it will be primarily up to you. You are the one who must call out to the umbra and order it forward. Should this much succeed, David, Aaron, Atticus, and I can handle the rest." Her eyes glittered with something wicked, a common look that rested upon her, as presently she turned her attention to David as if he should continue.

 

[.David Talbot.]

David rounded the desk, watching the two until he stood leaning agaisnt his desk with his arms crossed and picked up on her hint to continue. "Between Antha, Aaron, and me, there are enough powerful umbra under control to form something of a net in which this dark spirit can be captured and from which Atticus can efficiently trap it." He glanced at Antha, questioningly. Do we tell them about Atticus's eyes?

 

[Rynn Calais]

.David Talbot.

David rounded the desk, watching the two until he stood leaning agaisnt his desk with his arms crossed and picked up on her hint to continue. "Between Antha, Aaron, and me, there are enough powerful umbra under control to form something of a net in which this dark spirit can be captured and from which Atticus can efficiently trap it." He glanced at Antha, questioningly. Do we tell them about Atticus's eyes?

He turned his eyes on David, questioningly, and was unable to quite hide the note of incredulity in his voice as he asked, "Trap it? Why? For what purpose? Is this thing not deserving of immediate destruction?" His fingers curled in upon his palm, the tenseness in his hands able to be felt in his wrists where Antha held them. It was understandable that he might wish destruction upon this creature that had caused such harm to his twin, but the level of cold hate for this umbra was beyond understanding.  

[Average Doe]

Jonas woke with a start, sloshing his now luke-warm coffee onto the floor. With his free hand he rubbed at his neck. After blinking several times, Jonas's eyes adjusted to the light, and he realized that the small office was full of poeple. His cheeks colored.
He rose quickly from the chair, and nearly fell again. The migrane was now in full swing, and the sudden change in blood flow was enough to make him moan. But he managed to keep silent, making a strenuous effort not to disturb the conversation.
Once he reached the doorknob, he turned slightly and flashed Mr. Talbot an acidic glare. He then left silently, wishing that someone had the courtesy to atleast nudge him awake and return him to his dorm.
He flushed again, and gave the receptionist a stormy glance, dumping the last of his coffee in tha water fountian.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Spirits, being pure energy, cannot be destroyed as physical matter can. But that is why we have Atticus." Her eyes flashed something thoughtful, dimly watching the grumpy Jonas depart, before continuing. "If you'll recall, Rynn, I mentioned that the eyes Atticus has are not his own. They are instruments of my own design. They function like any normal eyes, but because they are almost entirely separate from his body they need separate energy. With the help of a witch to make a spirit visible to these eyes for him, Atticus can freeze it and draw it into himself, using the pure energy to keep his eyes fresh and functional. When it is used, the energy is dispersed very slowly into the atmosphere to join with other accumulations of energies and become a brand new spirit." Her attention wandered across the lawns of the motherhouse, the forest circling the city, merely looking for Atticus and Singe.
((Sorry it took so long. I've been a touch sick.))