Chapter 5: The Others

Sebastian LaCroix's Ghoul

Chapter 5: The Others

Damn, he looked good.

There he was, proud as any noble, in his crisp black suit and freshly combed over hair. There was something about him that made me straighten up instantly, my feet sliding together and my hands moving to clutch my forearms loosely behind my back. "Good evening, Prince." I said, my voice at its most formal. Mercurio seemed to feel the same way, cleaning up his already great posture and making sounds of greeting. LaCroix nodded in return. "Thank you Mercurio, I shall take it from here." the vampire said. As Mercurio left, LaCroix beckoned for me to follow and went back into the room. I stepped inside, and had to stop.

If I thought before was opulance, I realized that the rest of the penthouse was a barn compared to this.

A beautifully patterned wooden floor of cedar and oak stretched before me. The center of the room was sunk three feet into the ground with steps leading out on all sides, and held an ornately carved black and white colonial chairs and a low black coffee table. On the wall to my right was a huge mounted flat screen T.V., much larger than my own, and on the left was a door (presumably leading to a bathroom), a massive mahogony wardrobe, and a large free standing silver edged mirror. The lower right hand corner had a sort of museum setup, and the opposite corner had a desk similar to mine, except it was made of mahogony. On top of it sat an opened expensive laptop. And centered on the far wall was huge four-poster bed made of cedar, covered with black silk sheets. I almost shook my head in wonder; everything here was so big.

LaCroix, who had been pouring himself a drink while I stared, straightened up. "So, what do you think?" he asked. I spoke without thinking. "Impressive and beautiful both come to mind in equal haste." and nostalgia comes close behind, I finished in my head, and tensed up. I could not believe I had just spoke like I came out of a Shakespearian play! Where was my self control? Usually I could dilute the 'old talk' a bit when I thought about what was I was going to say after being stunned like this. I clenched my teeth, waiting for the awkward silence and words such as "Okay..." or "Right..." to come out of his mouth.

But they never came. Instead, he simply nodded with a considering look on his face. "I'm glad you think so; I spared no expense when building my private chambers."

No kidding.

"Uh, sir, is there something you needed to talk to me about?" I asked hesitantly. LaCroix nodded. "Yes, there is, but first I wish to show you something."

He turned and walked towards the corner of artifacts, and I followed. A really old fashioned army uniform stood in a glass stand, and on several tables lay a rifle, a bayonette, a long knife, and other old tools of war. I wracked my brains, trying to remember what was happening in France 200 years ago. It all looked familiar somehow... and then it came to me.
_

"With respect, sir, I would never have thought that you were a soldier once. An officer, right?" said the Old Soul.

Sebastian thought fast on how to continue. Damn, this girl threw him right off his stride! One minute she was a 21st century teenager, and the next she was from another age and another life. And her intuition! Merde, he didn't expect for her to know at first glance who's uniform was sitting on that stand!

Giving himself a mental shake, he smiled pleasantly.

"Yes, after I graduated the Royal Military Academy, I joined Napoleans ranks. I was Embraced by a Belgian noble shortly after Waterloo." He paused. "What gave me away?"

She seemed to think for a moment, unsure, because for all she knew that could have been the Emperor's own regalia. Finally she replied. "Who's else could it be? And if it wasn't, why show it to me?" A fair enough observation. But was it because it actually did look like he could have worn it, or was it some inexplicable moment of insight? Sebastian didn't know, but if she could keep making these sorts of connections on a regular basis, especially around his enemies...

Oh, the possibilities.

He allowed for her to study his old equipment for a few more minutes before leading her over to his desk. He pulled up a few pictures, then looked meaningfully at her from across the desk.

"The pictures that I am about to show you are of one of the thirteen vampire clans that I told you about. This clan is Nosferatu. Their curse twists and deforms their bodies until they are hideous and terrifying. They are, unfortunately, walking Masquerade violations because they are so obviously monsters. They almost always stick to sewers and back alleys to avoid detection. However it is because of their mastery of stealth that they are a most valuable source of information. In brief, if you want someone watched, or need something found, you go to them, if you can pay their price." He took an unneccesary breath. "The images I am about to show you may be disturbing. I suggest you take a moment to prepare yourself."

He turned the laptop towards her.

He expected screaming. He expected fainting. He did not expect for her to simply raise her eyebrows and widen her eyes. Sebastian didn't know whether he felt thankful or offended. He supposed it was a bit of both.

After a moment, she took a deep breath, as if to steady herself, and said, "It is hard not to pity them. I imagine that they are a very bitter people. I don't blame them." Sebastian nodded in agreement. Yet again, she had impressed him. He sighed. "There is a specific reason why I showed you this. Do you remember how last night we were interupted by an emergency?" When she nodded he continued. "Last night there was a raid made by enemies of the Camarilla. During this raid, one of the Primogen were killed, the Nosferatu Primogen. Now obviously such an important member needs to be replaced soon, so in a week I shall be holding court so that I can review the possible candidates for the job. I thought that I should prepare you in advance so we don't repeat last nights' incident." she blushed a little, and the tiniest hint of an embarassed smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Sebastian glanced at his rolex. "Well, I suppose it is high time for dinner." he gestured towards the door.

"Shall we?"

With a surprised blink, the Old Soul went out the door with Sebastian close behind.
_

As LaCroix and I headed for the elevator, I thought over what I saw. The Nosferatu... I pitied them. Forever hiding in the shadows, probably never recieving the full respect of others because of their looks. I guess the many kinds of prejudices that people carry in life often carry over into undeath.
_

The restaurant within the Tower was incredibly fancy, as per usual with everything else I found here. LaCroix proved to be a pleasant dinner partner, serious but not boring, talking about this and that but nothing terribly important. I found it hard to believe that the young looking man in front of me was two hundred years old, but as I watched I realized a startling detail: his eyes were like mine, old and mature beyond the supposed years of their owner. But there was something else there too, a predatory intelligence that was coldly calculating everything. It sent cold shivers of fear down my spine and a pleasant jolt of adrenaline through my body. Unfortunately it was very hard to pay attention at times, as it seemed that everyone elses conversations were carried directly to my ears. At one point, i saw a well dressed middle aged man enter the mens room, and LaCroix excused himself and followed. After a few minutes he came back, looking satisfied. When the middle aged man came back out, he looked a little bit dizzy, but otherwise no worse for wear. And there were no puncture wounds in his neck.

Near the end of the meal, LaCroix took out a piece of paper and gave it to me. On it was the list of guests that would be attending the funeral in the next couple of days. I was delighted to see many familiar names there, including my boyfriend Johnathan and my best girl Lydia. At first I was a little confused because of the group of executives that were invited, but then I realized that LaCroix would need people to feed upon. I was secretly pleased that he was bringing these people instead of feasting on my relatives and friends. As I read, LaCroix outlined the schedule. First we would go to St. Michaels Church for Mass, then we would go to a nearby graveyard for the burial. Lastly we would go to a local lounge for the memorial. And it would all start at eight o'clock at night, just in time for LaCroix to attend.

Dinner finished, we stepped again into the elevator, and stepped out again in the lobby of Venture Tower. High ceilings made of the dark granite that covered the whole lobby sported white lights that gave the impression of stars. A dramatic stairway curved around the security desk. And behind that security desk was an obese security gaurd who looked like he had just dozed off. LaCroix stopped in front of the desk and frowned. Actually, it was more of a glare. I dearly hoped that I would never be on the recieving end of one of those glares. It seemed to be able to get someones attention even in their sleep, as after a few seconds the gaurd woke up with a disgusting snorting noise, realized who was there, and seemed to shrink back into his seat.

"Having a good rest, officer?" LaCroix said venomously. The gaurd paled. "I'm t-terribly sorry Mr. LaCroix, it won't h-happen again, I promise!" the man stammered. LaCroix gave a sigh that had a faint, annoyed hiss in it and beckoned me closer. "Ms. Kepler, I would like to introduce you to the, night shift lobby sergeant, Officer Krantz. Mr. Krantz, this is Ms. Kepler. She will be staying with me here at Venture Tower, so I'll be needing that security card I requested." As the Officer feverishly dug through the desk for the card (no doubt terrified for his job) I inwardly chuckled. But I was sobered by my pity for the poor man behind the desk.

Finally Krantz found the card, and LaCroix handed it to me. "This is your way into the Tower and into my penthouse. All you need do is show it to the gaurd here, or slide it into the card reader beside or in the elevator to use it. It will also provide you access to many other areas of the building." I slid the card into my back pocket, making a mental note to ask about getting a new wallet, and replacements for all the documents I lost during the mugging. We headed out the double doors.

It was full dark outside, though the city lights of downtown Los Angeles made it seem like day. I almost stopped (yet again) at the sight of the giant holding the door of a black stretch limo open, the same giant that was with LaCroix in the alley. The creature must have been nine feet tall, with broad, broad shoulders that looked about five feet apart. A huge sword was strapped to its back, and it wore what looked like elephant skin as a coat. I waited until LaCroix and I were settled in the car and the door was closed until I hissed "What was that?" The vampire looked amused. "He is the Sheriff, my iron fist. Where words don't work, I send him. He hauls law-breakers to court, or simply deals with them... the hard way. The less one sees of him, the better." "But wouldn't he threaten the Masquerade? He's huge!" LaCroix sighed, almost chuckling at my concern. "My dear ghoul, do you really think I wouldn't notice that and take neccessary precautions? If you must know, I purchased a certain item that, when worn, only allows nonhumans and ghouls to see his true form. Everyone else sees a stereotypical modern bodyguard. I assure you that the Masquerade is quite safe from being broken, though it is gratifying that you take an interest in such matters."

The ride to the Skyline Apartments was short and uneventful, the two of us sitting in silence. The elevator up to the eighth apartment was equally uneventful. We stood outside the apartment for a few moments, with LaCroix giving me a bit of a pep talk before we went in. "Now, the agents you are about to meet are all vampires from several different clans. Members of each clan tend to act a certain way, so I hope that this experiance will help you to identify which clan a vampire belongs to. Knowing what a vampire's clan is can be helpful when dealing with them in many different ways, such as predicting how they will react to a situation." He turned and knocked on the door. It immediatly swung open, and we went inside.

The room was full of vampires, not one of them looking a day over 25. A beautiful woman with pale, pale skin and short red hair lounged in a stuffed leather chair, looking fashion oriented in her purple overshirt and white camisole. A dark skinned man with dreads closed the door behind us, his every movement reminding me of something wild. In one corner sat the Malkavian Stacey and a young man who must be her brother. He already creeped me out, and it wasn't just because of his freaky hair style or pierced nipples. In the opposite corner by the door was Matthew Baily and his sister, a regal woman with short brown hair and a bored, "I have better things to do" expression on her face. But as soon as the Prince came to a halt she stepped forward fluidly, saying in a formal voice, "Welcome, my Prince." "Yes, good evening." LaCroix said, seeming to address everyone at once. The woman drew back, a barely discernible disappointed and frustrated look in her eyes. Interesting.

At this point LaCroix introduced me to the rest of the group. "This is my newest attendant, Alice Kepler. As she will become an important member of my court, I need her to become familiar with my best agents as she may come in contact with you often." He pointed to the woman in the chair. "This is Isabelle Rosette. Her clan is Toreador." "Hello, darling." the woman drawled, giving me a lazy smile. LaCroix continued. "Hers is the clan of artists and visionaries. They are also world class manipulators." "Now now, my Prince, I'll not have you spoiling the cream for this young one." the woman - Isabelle - said with a warm, cocky smile. She rose to her feet, the definition of grace. All I wanted to do was watch her, to listen to her every word as she came over and shook my hand. Summer sky blue eyes met mine, making me want to please her, to make her happy...

I gave myself a violent shake, unnerved by how easy it was to fall for her. I made a mental note to watch for those 'symptoms' when dealing with the Toreador. "My clan is also known to be the most humane, and because of this we blend easiest with the mortal world." she said, linking my arm with hers. She leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Ventrue are so critical and boring, don't you think?" I stiffened, sure that everyone, including a certain important Ventrue, had heard that statement. But LaCroix seemed to ignore her, moving on the the next vampire, the one with the dreads.

"Andreas Areli is from clan Gangrel. They are the clan most in tune with the Beast within." "Beast?" No one mentioned a beast before! The Gangrel snarled, sounding not quite human. I flinched and took a step back. Then I was briefly annoyed when he laughed, but he stopped as soon as he noticed LaCroix's frown.

"All Kindred are subject to the Beast. It is the animal within us, the most basic part of any creature." said the regal woman beside Matthew. "Kindred not only drink blood to keep from withering, child, but also to keep the Beast from taking over in times of fear and pain." "Ah, yes, and this is Jane Baily, Matthew's sister." LaCroix continued. I went forward to shake her hand, but a certain wariness wanted me to deny her the formality. I shook it anyways, and was mildly surprised that she only returned her physical greeting only as long as strictly necessary, though she seemed to try to hide it with a warm smile that wasn't really warm.

"And last but not least, is the Malkavian's brother, Joelle." The creepy looking guy stepped forward with a solicitous smile on his face. He ran his tongue along his top lip, looking hungry. Stacey abruptly slapped him across the face, glaring at him. "Show the old one some respect, little brother!" she snapped. Joelle glared back at her, then sighed petulantly and raised a hand which I shook. His grip was so strong it almost threatened to bruise my hand. When he let go, I stepped back to my position beside LaCroix as fast as possible while trying not make it look like I was fleeing.

A few seconds later, LaCroix announced that he needed to speak with Joelle and Andreas outside for a moment. I wondered briefly if they were getting in trouble for their actions, but I could already hear the Prince outlining a plan of sorts through the wall. I tried not to gulp visibly as the door closed behind them, sealing me in with the others. But as soon as the door closed, Stacey bounded over to me (she actually jumped the long way over the coffee table) and gave me a painful hug, looking like the happiest child in the world. "Oh, happy a time it is to see you, Little Widow! Welcome to our haven!" she sang, failing to notice that I was trying to break free of her vice like grip. Luckily, Isabelle intervened and pried me out of her arms, and sat me on their sofa.

"Would you like anything to drink?" she asked. "We keep a small stock of pop and whatnot in the fridge, just in case one you people come over." I glanced at the clock. Twelve thirty already. "Ummm..." I hesitated, thinking back to all those times when my mother had prohibited caffeinated drinks after eight. But what the hell. I was already getting the idea that as a vampire's attendant, I was going to have to get used to wacky times like this. Besides, at twelve thirty at night a vampire's 'day' was really just starting. I said yes, coke please, and a can was brought over right away. Drinking the cold liquid, I began to get to know the agents a little better as they each told the story of their Embrace.

Isabelle had been attending The Los Angeles Film School ten years ago when one day her night class professor asked her to speak with him after the lesson.

Stacey had been working at a strip club in the sixties until she went into the back to do a private dance.

Her brother Joelle had been a male prostitute and was barely getting by when his Sire found him a few years later.

Andreas had been out walking his dogs when he met a mysterious stranger on the street just three years ago.

Matthew and Jane's stories were the same: office interns both belonging to old money families who decided to go over to their bosses house for dinner one night and ended up the meal.

As the stories were told, it disturbed me more and more how random and sudden these events were. I soon realized that this could happen at any time, anywhere. The thought of how easily it could have been me brought chills to my spine

After a time LaCroix returned, saying that he and I should return to Venture Tower for the evening. As I said my goodbyes, I could see that the clock read three thirty in the morning. On the ride back, LaCroix offered some small talk about my 'bonding time' with the other agents, but for the most part seemed to brood in his corner of the vehicle. That was fine with me, as I myself had some thoughts to mull over.

Isabelle in my mind was the definition of the modern vampire: beautiful, sensous, dazzling, and deadly. I could see it in her eyes that, despite her humanity, she had done her own fair share of killing. But I couldn't help but admire her ability to bend people to her will with a smile and a well placed word. I could come to really like her in time, once I got used to her manipulative side. Andreas I could get used to, but probably never truly feel comfortable around him. Our brief interaction, I admit, scared the shit out of me. He had sounded so... inhuman, so animal like. I would have to be careful around him, though he probably had no intention of actually hurting me. So far.

Jane and Joelle, however... Jane I could feel was next to hostile with me, like the nasty girls that so often populate school. I would have to be extra watchful with her. Joelle... well, lets just say that I never want to have to deal with him again.

I almost escaped to my room for some much wanted rest, but LaCroix seemed to feel that it was necessary to make me stand here while he simply told me that I had a free day tomorrow. Recognizing that I was getting grumpier by the second, I said my goodnight as fast as I could without being rude, though somehow I still felt a sort of reluctance to part. I walked through the corridors, first finding the kitchen and grabbing a quick drink of sugar free pink lemonade before heading off to my room. It still gave me shivers, knowing it was mine, but I quickly got over it for the night and changed into my pajama's and crawling into bed. But the last things that were on my mind before I passed out were two questions.

What sort of important position was I supposed to hold in the Princes court?

And why does Stacey keep calling me the 'old one'?
_

Jane settled back into her chair, inwardly seething. She had done everything right, shown LaCroix the proper amount of respect and affection, and he still didn't look at her any differently from the rest! Goddamnit, she tried so hard to make her fair haired Prince happy, to make herself stand out, but it was always a waste, always! And that little blood doll of his, standing beside him like the well trained puppy, in Jane's rightful place, having done nothing to deserve that spot but be in the right place at the right time...

The Ventrue's nails pierced the leather like razors.

Oh, she would have to find a way to deal with this pretty little blood doll. She was only human, a lowly ghoul, a blood whore, she had nothing on one born of the Kingship Clan. She would find a way to eliminate this rival, all she needed was time...