8/26/06⚠ <p>
Jen pulls Mai aside to speak with her as Mai looks around the Scarab Club. Many of the out of towners have gone and she keeps hearing whispers of the book and how scandalous it is. This is death to a harpy. This is social death to any vampire. Whatever Jen wants now seems much less troubling in comparison.
But Jen is reluctant to speak, so Mai leads her to her car where she shows her the copy of the book she was given and tells Jenny that they are named. Jenny in return seems less disturbed and this and tells Mai that Randolf made a terrible mess in Manfred's basement. She seems stunned by this... why? Did she not know if you feed a starving vampire...
Oh, hell, nevermind. Yes, it's terrible but can't dwell on that. It was the right thing and Mai tells Jen that, only to realize as the words escape her lips that this is not what Jen wants to hear. Jen wants to be punished. Damn. Well maybe Manfred will be good for that.
They find Manfred. He doesn't yell at her either.
The three of them repair back to Pages of the Ages to clean the mess. Jen and Manfred begin a conversation again, or debate rather, about who each of us is. Mai cleans in silence wondering how Jen could have such a fit about the messy murders but then forget it so promptly once there's something to theorize about. Mai finally tells them that it doesn't matter who they are... that they are their own people... oh, and that they're named in the book.
Manfred wants to see. Mai goes and retrieves the book from her glove compartment and Manfred flips forward until he sees their names in the last pages. He reads a short but telling and disturbing paragraph about each of us.
Jenny: the test tube baby.
Aiden: the one who is worthy and who ⚠ <i>consumed⚠ </i> her sister.
JT: ⚠ <i>(like his sire) ⚠ </i>the one whose family and friends were destroyed.
Randolf: the one yet to be tested ⚠ <i>and may not be tested until afterwards⚠ </i>.
Manfred: the replacement for the one who went insane.
Mai: the poet's child who was enslaved and experimented upon.
The poor use of the word "nobel" in relation to Marcellus has Mai searching for whiteout, but alas... there is none to be had. We are making the same mistakes the others made but it is us, says the book, who will see the release of the great one.
Mai is confused but this work of fiction is already packed with lies. Nobel! Ha! At least Mai takes some small comfort in that her sire is not named. She can still believe he was not part of this.
JT is called but he doesn't answer and we sleep at Pages of the Ages. ⚠ <i>JT watches as Randolf and kine head to the Jefferson home. JT waits...and then when Randolf appears to have not continued a ravenous rampage nor been attacked by A's minions; heads off and goes to ground near the graveyard of the Cathedral.⚠ </i>
In the evening we part to don our costumes and meet again at the Scarab Club. The hoity toities are gathered in a back room, but Calisto sees Mai and approaches her. He asks about Jen and Mai asks if he wants something with her. He says he has been called upon to perform a favor.
It dawns on Mai that the clan head of Lasombra is asking after Jen who now believes herself to be a Lasombra. At just this moment, Jen enters the ball and Mai is forced to excuse herself to track Jen down. How to warn her without Calisto noticing?
Mai tells Jen that she is wanted by Calisto and tries very hard to say the words lodged in her throat... that belonging is not worth locking yourself in. That she's been free and she should run while she can. That Alicia wants this for a reason and likely not a good one... but all Mai can squeak out is something along the lines of "It is very difficult, Jen". Jen says there is no avoiding it, which is true. Things must be balanced with Alicia and themselves.
Mai sighs and leads Jen toward her doom. Calisto questions Jen and has the temerity to ask Mai if Jen is ready to be part of a clan. "Of course not!" Mai wants to scream, but she holds her tongue and says nothing.
Calisto makes the announcement and the value of this trade suddenly becomes apparent as Mai hears the wood of Prince Godkin's chair creaking as he clasps the arm rests in anger, restraining himself by a hair.
No, this is not a good night.
And further, there's that matter of the couple that asked Mai where to eat. The deputies are now reporting that the building they were sent to burned down. Mai does not know whether they are to blame or whether they are victims. Either way, they do not arrive at the ball.
Being a stupid girl, Mai wants to know which it is, and approaches the 800 lb gorilla (JT) about it. He thanks her for incriminating herself. Well, he's bound to be an asshole for a while now that she knows what he didn't want her to know.
This is definitely not a good night.
Oh and Adam from New Orleans is here.
(sigh)
Then the Sheriff Bishop himself arrives, dragging Tom in by the ear. The Sheriff is proclaiming that Tom wrote the book that breaches the masquerade. But Bonheur himself said the night before that he knew Irving had written it! ⚠ <i>The 800 lb gorrilla and the Bishop escort Tom to the group of elder Kindred in the back part of the room.⚠ </i>
The room turns to watch the impromptu proceedings.
Jen Speaks:
I am reluctant to speak with Mai about the depths of the insanity I have seen tonight. Eventually, I start talking, which leads to a break down of my resolve not to get to emotional about this, but...
I even tell the sad story over again to Manfred, when he shows up. Am I guilty? Of course! Will I be punished? Perhaps, some day, by Randolph, but not by Mai or Manfred, at least not tonight. Manfred helps me out of my funk, and several different topics are addressed. I feel that, perhaps, something may have been accomplished after all.
Eventually, after the mess is cleaned up, we hide in Manfreds bookstore from the sun.
New evening, same day. Manfreds "safehouse" has several fine gowns, in my size, so I put on one, and leave for the ball with Manfed. Unforunately, he gets a call from JT. Deputy duty, and I'm dragged along. At least, Manfred assures me, there are several sets of coveralls in the trunk. Sure glad he thinks ahead!
We arrive at the club I had talked with Mai about the previouse night, and I determine that 3 kindred where inside it when it was burned down earlier tonight. 3 out of town Kindred, now gone. Not a good night for the prince! I recover the ashes, Manfred preserves them, we take off.
We stop to clean up, then arrive at the Ball. Mai warns me that Calisto wants to speak with me, and I ask her to introduce me to him. She is hesitant, she seems to think me being accepted by Clan Lasombra is a bad thing. While in many ays I agree with her, I tell her that there is really no choice in this matter for me, that what will be done is best done.
Calisto and me speak. He seems surprised that I am candid enough to admit I know little about being a Lasombra. However, eventually I accept his offer, and he anounces my acceptance to his clan to all present. Just what kind of political game Iam now openly in, I'm not sure, but I do head directly over to the prince and swear my alliegience to him. First time I've ever done that for Godkin, especially so openly. I only hope it can help him. While I might not like him very much, he is the prince. I'll be dammed if I'm going to do anything to weaken his hold on that!
I then approach a certain 800 pound monkey by the door, and give JT a "shadow" knight. He has been, after all, my champion, so to speak. I only wish that Cayle was here tonight.
I speak breifly with Calisto, who agrees I need to know more than I do, and he indicates we should speak of this latter. I then begin to approach the Tourador Primogen, hoping we could speak in private, but...
In comes the Bishop, with Tom in chains, claiming Tom had broken the Masquarade. All hell is about to break loose...
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