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[ SCARY MOD ] (scarymod) wrote in thisdarknight, @ 2016-07-05 08:13:00

undress to impress
Who: Adam Fenn & Antoine Savoy.
What: Adam goes to see his Sire and realizes the trouble he's invited.
Where: The Bourbon Orleans.
When: Following this thread.
Warnings: None.
Progress: Gdoc, complete.

After his visitors departed, Adam retreated to the bathroom to make himself presentable. He showered quickly, washing off the smells of kine and blood and sex that seemed to cling to him. He dressed more carefully than he had before: still in jeans, of course, but with a black button-up shirt he had been told was flattering. He made a mental note to cajole his sisters into shipping some of his belongings down to him, and to shop for immediate needs in the interim. He pulled on his boots and left his room, making a beeline for his Sire's own quarters.

He paused when he reached the door. He glanced down at himself, and ran a self-conscious hand down his shirt front. Then he rapped his knuckles on the door, announcing his arrival.

Savoy's voice rang out shortly after Adam knocked; the elder kindred wasn't in his study, but instead in an adjoining suite where he was dressing for the evening. He welcomed his childe into the space, turning back to a mirror to check his appearance. He smiled at Adam's reflection.

"You're looking much better this evening."

Adam beamed brightly. "Thank you," he said. He gave a quiet laugh. "It helps that I'm feeling better, too. Thanks for sending Em and Megan in. They really helped."

Savoy's brow furrowed, and he turned away from the mirror. "I didn't send anyone to your rooms. They used my name?"

Adam mirrored his Sire's expression without conscious thought. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Yeah. Emmeline, she said. Room 709." Someone else's blood tinted his cheeks. "You really didn't..."

Savoy seemed to think for a moment before his face darkened. "She promised she wasn't doing any recruiting," he said, more to himself than to Adam. His gaze focused on his childe. "What did she say? Did she invite you anywhere?"

"No…" Adam's flush deepened. "She brought a blood doll -- Megan -- and showed me how to feed. I still took too much, but she stopped me before I could… really hurt her." He took a single step closer to Savoy. "What do you mean, recruiting?"

The elder kindred's hands rose to rub at his temples. "As though I don't have enough to deal with lately." He didn't heave a sigh, but the lines of his body spoke to his anger and dissatisfaction with the problem presented. "Emmeline Rothschild -- that is her full name -- was a member of the Lancea et Sanctum not too long ago. She left following some issues within the church; that was around thirty or so years ago, if my mind remembers correctly."

Savoy's hands dropped to his sides, and he sat back on a chair before his vanity. "The Sanctum is similar to the Catholic church for kine. The kindred who are under its thrall believe that they exist to punish unbelievers, and either tempt them away from God or to cleanse them to return to his holy embrace. I wasn't much of a devotee in life, Adam, and you never struck me as one either; the Sanctum recruits from both existing kindred and those who are still kine. Ms. Rothschild seemed truthful when she asked for sanctuary here in my Elysium, but I will turn her out immediately if she thinks she's going to turn you against me."

Adam's shoulders slumped. He crossed his arms over his chest as though it might bolster him somehow. "I didn't... I didn't get that impression. And I'm still learning, but I'm not stupid enough to bite the hand that literally feeds me." He frowned; it was a grim expression on him, out of place on his boyish face. "I barely tolerated church when my parents made me go. I don't see any reason to start going or caring about it now."

In his anger his embarrassed flush had dissipated. It returned now, though only faintly, as he recalled in vivid detail their recent meeting. "I'll stay away from her if you think that's best," Adam said. "But she really only helped me."

Savoy studied his childe for a moment, his anger exchanged for amused epiphany. "Helped you in a number of ways, I see." Adam's embarrassment was obvious; his gaze dropped to the floor. The amusement quickly dissipated. "I'll have a chat with her, but I fear this is something you'll have to keep your guard up about. Others are wondering why I've done what I've done, and they'll seek to use it to their own ends. I'll post a ghoul outside your door if that would make you feel more comfortable, at least in your own quarters. She's more resourceful than I thought, to be able to locate you so quickly."

"No, no, I don't need a… ghoul." He sighed. Another term, another service with which he was wildly uncomfortable. This on top of the realization he had been well and thoroughly used did nothing for his darkening mood. Suddenly he ached to be away, wandering out in the city, distracted from the tangle of his thoughts. "I'll be more careful. Bastion's been a big help, and he's obviously the safer bet anyway."

"Ah yes, the Malkovian," Savoy replied, looking no more reassured by Adam's choice of friends. "I would ask you to be careful with that one as well. I could not place him the last time you mentioned him, but now I wonder how I could have forgotten.

"I will say I do prefer that you enjoy his company over Ms. Rothchild's. At least he is a known entity, and a somewhat controlled one."

"Controlled?" Adam's brow knit. "Do I even want to know what you mean by that?"

Savoy stood up from his sitting position, almost raising a hand to reassure the other man. "Only that he is in my territory, and that he is not under the influence of another. Ms. Rothchild's ties to the church may have been cut, but that was not so long ago in terms of time for a Kindred. The fact that she is back here so soon is suspect."

He took a few steps forward, a hand resting on Adam's shoulder. "If you're feeling up to it, you should go out. Staying cooped up inside isn't wise, but let me send a ghoul with you. New Orleans is not what it was under Prince Vidal, loathe as I am to say so. Until you're more comfortable with yourself and your new position, I would have an extra set of eyes to protect you."

The idea of having an escort was an unappealing one on its face. Knowing it would be someone more familiar with some sides of vampiric life than he, and a witness to the inevitable fumbling Adam knew would come with another foray into the city, made it an even more undesirable prospect. But he had already made one error in judgement; he doubted a second, particularly so soon, would serve him well. So he only shrugged, and hid his disappointment as best he could.

"All right," he said. "I was going to head out soon anyway. Might as well take someone who knows the place, right?"

Savoy's hand gripped Adam's shoulder. "I promise you won't be babysat for long. I don't intend to keep you on a leash; but until I have a better handle on the situation, it would certainly help me rest better to know that you're safe." He stepped back, straightening his jacket and smoothing a hand down his front. "I'm afraid I have to step out. There's a charity banquet downtown, where I have to make nice with some local politicians. If you'd prefer, you could always accompany me to that."

Adam blinked, genuinely caught off guard. "Oh. I don't really think I'm ready for all that just yet." He cast a glance down at his clothes, an ensemble that made him only marginally in line with the rest of the hotel's clientele. Suddenly the assistance of his sisters seemed an even more urgent need. "But thanks," he quickly added. "Once I get it a little more together…"

Savoy smiled. "There's plenty of time, Adam. Go out and enjoy yourself. I'll hopefully see you later tonight."