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Renault sits in Elysium reading The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, humming softly to himself. He’s wearing the black suit he most commonly appears in, and seems quite relaxed.
Eyrgjafa strolls in, dressed in a plain dark gray teeshirt and black jeans, a laptop bag hanging from one shoulder. Spotting Renault, she nods politely to the other kindred, approaching him. "Mind if I join you?"
He looks up, tilting his head slightly. “I’m a bit of a fast reader...unless you’d just like to sit with me,” he says with a grin, gesturing to the seats nearby.
It doesn't take Auspex to hear the crash outside. It's enough to shake the house a bit, ratting windows and objects on shelves, and is followed a moment later by the sound of someone laying on a car horn.
ERRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
It simply drones on.
"More the latter, I admit. I need... what the fuck?" Eyrgjafa turns, darting back the way she came.
He stands at the crash, and moves to follow Eyrgjafa outside.
Out in front of the Bala Cynwyd House, at least as the kindred tend to call it, things look more or less exactly as they usually do. It's the less that's probably most troubling. That 'less' is a relatively new model Honda Civic that has been crashed one of the house's front rooms. It wasn't done at too high a speed and the damage is lighter than it could be, but there's definitely a car partly embedded in the wall, broken glass and bent metal scattered around.
When the first of the kindred steps out onto the front porch the sound of the horn stops and a young blonde woman, probably no more than twenty, opens the door of the car and starts climbing out like she was waiting for them. She's dressed in a cute dress and a light cardigan, like someone who might have been on the way to a first date, not someone who was coming to ram their car into a house full of vampires, and though there's blood trickling down her broken nose she doesn't seem phased by it.
There's definitely something off to the way she moves, though.
Renault sighs and steps out into the woman’s path, trying to be the focus of her attention.
Renault can briefly feel his control taking hold of the young woman's mind, and then a moment later it shatters against something far stronger. "Cut that shit out," her voice says with irritation, an accent shaping her words. "I'm currently busy with this young lady, you'll need to wait your turn."
She takes hold of the front of her cardigan and gives it a gentle tug like someone who was used to adjusting the lapels on their suit might. "I thought I would drop to let your Sakima know that I was in town," she continues, disdain for the title dripping from the words. It quite certainly doesn't seem like the woman whose body is standing in the driveway is actually the one speaking with her own voice.
“Ah, my apologies, then,” he says with a little nod. “Forgive the impoliteness, you did crash into an Elysium.”
All the commotion lured the timid Nosferatu out of whatever quiet corner of the house they were lurking. They don't draw too much attention to themself as they step out the front door, stopping on the porch to stare at the car, wide-eyed. "Oh..."
"I'm sure you can all afford the repairs," says the person speaking through the young woman, like they simply don't care about the inconvenience it might cause. "I just wanted to be sure that your Sakima knows that Rihat of Nineveh is in Philadelphia until such a time as it suits me to move on. If you all don't put yourselves in my way I'm mostly content to leave you be. If I get hungry I might need to feed on one or two of you, but if you don't make it a problem for me, I won't be forced to destroy anyone in the process."
“I’ll make certain she’s aware of your presence and intentions, as you have stated them.”
Finley stares at the person, blinking. At the mention of feeding on, Finley shrinks back, closer to the door that leads inside, then looks to Eyrgjafa, baffled. "What's... going on...?"
The little Mekhet that could arrives to the scene on a smol yellow bicycle, pausing when she gets close enough to see the crash and then pedaling real hard to reach the house faster.
"Excellent," replies the person occupying the young woman's body at the moment. "Now, I don't suppose any of you would care to tell me where Adelgrief's library ended up after his destruction? It would let me finish my search more quickly, and save you all the trouble of my irritation as I tear the city apart looking for it."
"Not sure. Someone with no sense of subtlety wanting to send a message to Saagochque, apparently." Eyrgjafa murmurs to Finley.
Anna-Marie enters with a swoop of an... oh god is she wearing a half cape? She's dressed in her cuirass and half cape, her sword on her hip, as she emerges from a car. "What on earth is happening here?"
“Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of such a thing, but I’ll certainly keep my eyes and ears open.”
Finley is practically hiding behind Eyrgjafa at this point, but when they spot Phaedra they perk and move over to her, brows knit with anxiety.
"Mx. Adams! Why is there a car crash at this respected establishment?" Anna-Marie calls, hustling over to Finley. "And why is there a ghoul inside of said car?"
"No? Inconvenient," says the person in the young woman's body. "I'll just have to track it down myself. If any of you feel the need to get a message to me, I'll look to the Cacophony. Have a wonderful night."
He sighs. “Rude fuck,” he says softly, before walking over to the woman. “Shh, you’re ok...what’s your name, miss?”
Phaedra lets out a soft gasp, one hand flying up to cover her mouth as she recognizes the connection, and then she looks up at Eyrgjafa. "I think...maybe...um. Later."
"Figures the Sakima would draw trouble to one of her own Elysiums," Anna-Marie says with a shrug, "Don't worry though, allow me to do some investigation."
Anna-Marie walks over to the lady in the driveway, snaps to draw her eyes and goes to mesmerize her.
The girl's eyes aren't hard to catch as she looks around, panicked, from one of the vampires to the next. She gets out some words before her gaze is caught by Anna-Marie's. "Who are you all? Why... why am I here again?" And then her eyes meet Anna-Marie's and she pauses, still, her hand still holding her broken nose.
Finley watches Anna-Marie anxiously, then glances between Phaedra and Eyrgjafa. "Do either of you know him...?"
Eyrgjafa pats Phaedra on the shoulder comfortingly. "Of course." She glances at Finley. "I recognise the name, but not in any detail. I'll have to check my library."
He looks to the woman wearing the half cloak, looking her up and down. “You must be Cordray.”
"I think I've seen his face. I think I've seen his hands. I think I've seen him working. I think I've seen him...wanted." She shivers slightly and closes her eyes, hands moving as if she's holding a scalpel and performing surgery mid-air.
"Ah, I have a reputation, then! Commissioner Cordray of the Invictus." The way she says that word sounds like a crisp newly minted one hundred dollar bill. "Now, miss. Tell Us Your Name," she commands, her voice taking on an unearthly cadence. "While we're at it Answer My Next Question" She pauses, waiting for the answer before asking, "Where Were You Last? Anyone need anything asked? Four words or fewer please."
Finley blinks at Phaedra's hands, recognizing the hand motions it seems. "...Is he who they're looking for...?"
"Madison Davis," the girl answers numbly, her expression blank as she waits.
"I was on West Mermaid Lane, in Chestnut Hill," comes her answer to the question.
Eyrgjafa arches both eyebrows at that. "What were you doing?"
Finley frowns as they watch, hands fidgeting nervously.
Phaedra flinches at the word Mermaid, before nodding at Finley. "I think so. I'm not sure, though. He was...I think he was doing something to a something. If I describe it to you later, you might be able to figure out what? I...maybe some kind of surgery?"
"Answer That Woman's Question," Anna-Marie orders, casually pointing at Eyrgjafa. "Say, wasn't there some sort of mermaid monster attack recently?"
He fixes Anna-Marie with a look. “I’m not Invictus, Cordray,” he says with gentle emphasis on the lack of title. “And this method doesn’t guarantee accuracy or truthfulness,” he murmurs to himself.
Finley's eyes brighten up, nodding quickly. "Mm, yeah! I'll try..."
Madison turns to look blankly at Eyrgjafa, but waits for the question to be repeated. It doesn't seem like remembering what questions have already passed is within the bounds of her current memory capacity.
"What were you doing?" Eyrgjafa repeats.
"I was walking from my car to the Mermaid Inn," Madison answers dully.
Phaedra glances at the crash and the girl. "We should...um. Probably...get her some help?"
“I’ll get her to a hospital with no knowledge of what has happened; perhaps Cordray can deal with the car and the accident? Unless someone is willing to deal with the police here.”
Finley nods in agreement to Phaedra, but seems too timid to approach the woman currently, shooting an anxious glance towards Anna-Marie.
"Esme's on her way with a nurse she knows, but she might be a while yet." Eyrgjafa speaks up.
"What was your name?" Anna-Marie asks Renault, looking him up and down like a lion might a pork chop. "Of course, I can deal with the car. It is the Invictus's job to ensure the Masquerade, even in this town. In fact, we'd be willing to take the investigation of the Mermaid Inn off of your hands as well. The renowned Knight Sir Phillips and I would be more than happy to ensure that it's no threat."
Phaedra blinks at Anna-Marie, her pale blue eyes as big as saucers. "Be careful? Both of you, please. This ties up into the other mermaids, and the knot at the center is the man himself, I think, maybe, so far, maybe."
Finley shifts their weight between their feet nervously, then steps over towards the woman to look over her wounds.
“My name is Renault Caron, not that it matters to you. If you’re finished, I’ll see to dealing with our guest here,” he says with a gesture to Madison.
As the others talk, Eyrgjafa returns her attention to her phone, sending some more messages.
"Fin? Can she spare, um. A blood sample?" Her voice is tiny and uncertain, and she maintains a polite distance behind Finley. "Might even help with the pain and shock. But if it'd be risky, don't worry."
"Ah, well then, Ren." Anna-Marie turns away from him, heading towards the car. "And don't worry, Miss. The Invictus are always prepared." she says, flashing Phaedra a winning smile.
She's going to quickly look up towing companies that have been under investigation for towing cars they oughtn't have and call one to pick up the wreck.
Finley looks over her for a moment, then pulls out a small plastic case to pop open, which has a few syringes in it. Because of course Finley is always prepared to take blood samples. They're going to try to draw a little bit of blood from her, if she doesn't snap out of it.
Renault watches Anna-Marie walk away, and then squats in front of Madison, getting her attention so he can Mesmerize her.
Finley cleans where she was pricked and puts a bandaid and cotton ball over it, then tucks the syringe of blood away into the case, then their pocket. Zhe steps over towards Phaedra.
"I might need to take it directly to get enough, for my purposes, Fin." This is muttered quietly. "I've never tried it with that little, honestly. Though not sure she's going to lead anywhere important, by herself."
"...Oh." Finley's shoulders slump at having misunderstood. "Sorry. I think she could stand loosing a little more blood."
“Give me a few moments before you drink from her, if you’re going to,” he says to Phaedra. He spends a blood for Iron Edict, and then says to Madison, “You will follow all of my commands.” He taps his chin, thinking a moment, and then spends 2 blood for Lying Mind before he begins describing to her how she crashed elsewhere, and didn’t see anyone of the people currently there, and doesn’t remember why she crashed.
Madison just stares at Renault and listens as her memories get rewritten and alternative explanations are implanted for what happened tonight.
"Oh fuck," Anna-Marie says, more shocked than anyone in this town has seen. With impossible speed, she draws her rapier and stabs it through the camera. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck." She whips out her phone and texts Alex Shaw, "someone may have been spying upon our Elysium. Can you delete files and/or back hack a dashcam?"
Phaedra waits until Renault is done speaking to lift Madison's wrist to her mouth--she only takes the quickest, daintiest of nibbles, closing her eyes as she does so, before licking the wound closed.
Alex responds to the text from Anna-Marie less than a minute later: Probably, if you bring it to me. They're not usually very secure.
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