Vampire: The Masquerade
Stolen
1.06
False Faces
Beck
Maebh
Maisie
Halloween, and a guildhall in the city hired out for a private party.
Some attending before going on to other events, to XX, to attend personal business.
The first event like this for Maisie Bishop, medical student turned Hecata vampire.
She only knows a handful of the dozens of Kindred here, and their mortal and mostly mortal guests.
A chance to make herself known to the Queen and her court, observing proceedings from a balcony overlooking the hall.
A bar and buffet table on one end, with the VIP guests expected to have already ‘dined’ before arriving.
A dancefloor in a side room, Maebh is there, in ragged layers and made up like the new Frankenstein creature.
Colette and Laurence check in, mention escaping to the club later. She points out Maisie, who helped with her broken ankle.
Maisie has come from work, still in her lab coat. It’s hardly the strangest outfit here. Gentlemen in suits and ladies in evening dresses, a handful of elaborate costumes, a smattering of masks, some in shabby or punky streetwear, a few historical outfits that might be genuine vintage.
She finds herself waiting to speak with Joseph Milliner, discussing something with Novak, along with a man dressed as a Church of England vicar.
“Great costume!”
“Hm? Oh. Not a costume.”
“Ohhh.”
“Reverend Alexander Beck.”
“That’s funny, I’m a Bishop.” Off his look, “I mean, that’s my last name. Bishop. Um. Do you know anyone here?”
“I know most people here.”
“Should I... try to introduce myself to everybody?”
“I would suggest not bothering too many.”
“Oh. Right.” Silence. “Like who?”
Milliner and Novak acknowledge them. Novak looking askance at Rhodes and his circle in another corner, with Astor there with him.
Novak advises Beck to speak with Astor on the matter of religious texts, assuring him that their issues are purely personal... and to tell him what he learns.
Maebh approaches the most prominent of the few Gangrel present, McGann. He warns her that Lowe might be returning for the winter, the local elder of the clan who stands apart from the Camarilla.
She also notices as Maisie tags along as Beck approaches Rhodes, as a student she is under his ‘protection’.
“So how long do you think I have to stay?”
“If it were up to me, by all means go early.”
“So you’re looking for texts and occult books and that kind of thing?”
“Yes...”
“I know a Ravnos, Flynn, he gets me... things I need for my studies.”
“I see. I do wish to cultivate contacts, but they...”
“Oh, I know they have a reputation as thieves and liars and backstabbers and - ”
“More that they’re not generally among the Camarilla...”
They reach Rhodes. (Now Maebh can see Astor and Novak looking daggers. And how many other Kindred around the party are looking at one another like that.)
“Dr. Rhodes.” Maisie steps up before Beck can finish introducing himself.
“Ms. Bishop. Enjoying the evening?”
“It’s, uh... Do you have ritual practices for tonight? Like we do?” She looks past Rhodes for a moment, at something only she can see.
“That has rather fallen by the wayside of in these nights. More something for the Church of Caine lately,” he adds with a nod to Beck.
“We would not with to challenge your authority,” Beck dissembles.
“Have you been given a parish, Reverend?” Rhodes asks faux amiably.
“I have.”
“Is it one of the Hawksmoor churches? I hear those are the prize postings.”
“We have other missions,” Beck grumbles, and Rhodes smiles.
Maisie starts to ask a question, and he tries to silence her with Dominate, but can’t get her to hold eye contact. The Beast takes this as a challenge and he bares his fangs at her, making her shrink away.
Maisie retreats, and goes to one corner where a woman in a black mourning dress and veil sits, with a plainly suited attendant and a black dog with a guide dog’s harness. A few have come and gone to pay their respects but they have been alone most of the evening
Maebh sees this and approaches, curious as well as seeking to check in on Maisie.
Maisie introduces Ligeia Di Giovanni.
“May I say hello to...?”
“Bruno, of course, if he doesn’t mind.”
Bruno allows this.
Ligeia’s cataract white eyes drift around the room. But Maisie can see she stops now and then. She might not see the living world, but can she see ghosts?
Because there are a lot of ghosts here.
Many of them close to particular Kindred, including Rhodes and the Queen, staring in silence with expressions of rage...
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