Big easy living or hard dieing

Gates stood watching the road that led past The Convent. His eyes taking in each and every movement up and down the street. His arms folded behind his back his head barely moving if one was foolish enough to enter the grounds it would have been easy to believe that the suit clad vampire was in fact one of the statuary that abounded the grounds. The movement of his eyes would have been the only tell tale sign that there was a living intellect within the stock still shell. gates was old world enough where the idea of allowing someone entrance without greeting them at the door personally was anathema. As well as it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

As the car he'd sent rolled down the street it took some measure of will to not pry open the mind within. Calliope. A martially gifted tool of the European Council sent to accomplish some goal within the confines of New York. He wasn't choosing to wage war against the city. That was merely a by product of his nostalgic goal of tweaking the nose of the Council at every chance he found. Even as he parkayed for an armistice some urges were too strong to not vent. Even as he'd slept away the lifetime that waged unending war against them he was still very tempted to assault them. So he did so now with the lightest of hands. This was such a one.

Gates watched her approach. He was of a mind to reach out to her but held himself in check. Her features harkened back to times long forgot. He was pleased by her look and angry for her mistreatment. He had no clue as to the details of said treatment, but he knew the games of the Council well. He was sure that because of those selfsame features the Council had put her through paces better left unthought of. Her deference was a thing he understood. He had not taken any pains to hide himself from her. He had taken no steps to be anything but what he was. He was sure that she expected some show of force some show of dominance.

Instead he wrapped his arms around her embracing her as if she were a long lost childer. Laying the lightest brush of his lips upon her neck he poured power into her. Wave after wave of power buffeted them as he focused his laser like attention on her. Through her he traced back every tie that weighed on her. Her creator, the Masters that came after, all of those hands, those minds driving home the fact that she wasn’t free. Her life was not in fact hers. He poured his aura into her severing those ties as surely as a child would pluck the wings from a fly.

It was not an easy thing each layer of fealty reinforcing the other. Gates however was a diligent man scouring away each vestige of forced servility. Taxed but stronger for his efforts he held her moments longer insuring the gauntlet he’d led her on did not in fact tax her too much. Nodding his ascent at her strength he slowly released her.

“I would have you come willingly not of need or fear of death. You are free to choose your path in truth now. No one may compulse your obedience. No one may draw on your life forces. No one has hold of you now but you.”

Turning he moved towards the Kisses abode opening the door himself he bade her enter. He bade her to be welcome. He bade her to find home freely of her own choices, her own will.

The kiss on his cheek was unexpected but he took it in stride. He had not shared any real emotion with another being in so long he was momentarily stung by the brush of her lips against his skin. It was an unbridled show of emotion almost as much as the stain of her tears. Having been an empath in life he was still moved by others feelings it seemed. Nodding he moved into the home of the Kiss. He gave her a moment to look around to feel the ebb and flow of energies coursing through the house. He also gave her time o adjust to the Christian symbols lying around. As the crosses were in fact faux and unblessed they held no harm in them. Even if she were to unleash the fullness of her aura or attempt to use any of her vampiric strength they would not glow.

He knew seeing such apparent holy items had caused some to leap to their defenses believing he in fact was leading them to their deaths. One such visitor now lay below them inside the penitents room. Gates insured that he was in fact fed yet his decade was not yet over. A decade of punishment for attempting to kill the Master of the city was as lenient and foolish a thing as ever. Yet Gates knew also that he had been compulsed so he spared his life. There was however the cost to pay for his exertions. Which was why the vampire was placed thusly.

Not thinking on his other guest Gates merely moved at a glacial pace allowing Calliope to soak in the environment. He wouldn’t rush the moment. He knew that it was a lot to take in as well as her new condition as well. He knew what the yoke of indentured servitude felt like. He would not rush her into joining him in the Kiss just yet. She’d just freed herself by taking the steps to join him here. There would be times yet for oaths to be exchanged and her employment to begin.

Raising his hand to silence the apology  Gates looked down the hall as he sent a silent missive to those on premises for that exact purpose. Sundering her oaths had taken more form him than he would let on. He wasn't ravenous but he was close enough that someone viewing his internal state wouldn't know the difference. Having planned for this occasion he had allowed far more volunteers within the premises. They'd waited just out of sight in the den. It was a sumptuous space where they mingled partied and otherwise waited to be called upon.

Now was the time. He smiled as he said "I was hoping that the donors would be of use to you." He motioned with his hand before them as the hall began to fill with the donors he'd allowed for this evening. " No need to explain this is New Orleans your needs will be met and maybe even a few of your wants. Take your pick I would suggest choosing two so as to not deplete them as they will give until it hurts."

He felt the stir of her emotions but dared not ask. the realization on what they'd done would surely have occurred to her soon enough. Mores the better that it happened sooner than later. Nodding to four of the donors that waited near the door not showing themselves completely he retired to his rooms knowing that the other donors would show her the empty rooms that she could take as her own. " I will leave you to nourish yourself. Then we will tour the city together."

Holding his own hunger in check he made his way purposefully to his rooms to freshen up and nourish himself. He wouldn't leave her alone too long just long enough for them both to feed.

Samantha was one of his favorites. He hadn't pommed her as he didn't want to place that burden on her. He knew that as much as she enjoyed visiting him here that she was one of the few that had a head on her shoulders. Well that was cold but she had an actual head on her shoulders. She had thoughts of more than simply being a walking feedbag for a vampire in mind. She as attending college and while being one of his Pomme's didn't have to interfere with her education it would. As surely as he knew the sun would rise with no help from mankind he knew that if she was taken as his Pomme her school work would suffer.

He was far more famished than he would have liked and as such took a little heavier than he'd wished. Not enough that she or any of them would have ill-effects for longer than a day but still all in all more than he'd wished. He wouldn't be able to use them again for at least two weeks. As they languidly lay in his bed he changed his shirt and brushed his teeth. Having removed his jacket prior to feeding it was still fresh enough to wear. His shirt even as no blood had touched it was not. Slipping in his cufflinks he shrugged on his jacket leaving his bedroom as silent as a whisper.

Moving to the parlor he found her awaiting him. She sat lost in thought. He gave her a moment clearing his throat as he came more into the room announcing his presence. "Calliope, are you ready to depart." He would save the Chapel for last as that was where far too much business took place. Sex tended to make even some very old Vampires nervous as such he hid a good deal of moments there. It worked also in establishing his cover as one of Belle's line. He wasn't and never had been but she was too proud to tell anyone otherwise.

Gates watched her as she thought on matters that he couldn’t see as always it was so tempting to eavesdrop to pry to enter those thoughts. He retrained himself instead looking beyond her at the tapestries that needed some restoration. He knew they were in fact works of art requiring attention and skill that was most costly to preserve them. Putting the cost out of his mind he wrapped his hand over hers as she took his arm. Moving to the waiting car he gently guided her in before him. Silently sending a mental image to the driver he settled himself next to her. With the two of them properly sated he could feel the warmth of her. "That is good." He finally said in regards to her being ready as well as to her use of a tongue he had not heard in quite some time. It was a tongue the traders from the south used in his time. He cursed himself for never learning it.



During his living years he had been busy as a slave and warrior, during his unlife he was busy warring against immortal enemies and hordes too numerous to ever gain the scope of. Now too much time had passed he was no longer that man. Though hearing it was a touch of another time. Realizing that he had gone stone still he straightened his cuffs and turned to her. “Calliope…,” he began stopping his head cocking askew. Turning back to the window the streets passing them by. He thought again on her.



As more streets passed his eyes ever outward even as he was lost in thought he spoke. “ You are called Calliope and duels amongst us have been fought for names. You earned the name as well as held it due your own strength. But it is not the name you were born under.” This much was said absently. Turning back to her he spoke more directly. A thing he rarely did but in the here and now there were just the two of them and he spoke to her only. “What is your name? I would call you the name of your family not that of your previous Masters.”



In the olden days the Council would gift names to stop any feuds being fought over such. They still happened as the Soudre de Sangs often played a game of one-upmanship allowing their progeny to do to each other what they would in turn wish upon the other. The Mother of All Darkness kept them from waging war openly so they used pawns in a game of powerbrokering. He was sure that if things were to be believed that Calliope was one such pawn her skill and muscle tone spoke of many nights fighting in her masters stead. He would have her sword arm but of her choice not of any sense of indentured servitude. For him those days were gone. He had stood against the Harlequin, the European Council, and even his own sire living to tell the tale should he wish. He would have the same in those that were part of his city, his court, his kiss.

Gates plain. he was there in the village much like his own in feel. It was what the modern world would call hardscrabble. The tribes lived in harmony with nature but fought over resources. Slavery was a way of life but not as it would come to be there was no truly owning another person. They were still people. It was far harder on the mind knowing this person this being was beholden on your words your strength to live. Yet there was music. A musicality that the world had lost. Technology had improved the human condition right o the point of instant communication and constant isolation. Forcing the malaise of his age out of mind Gates absently said " Chidera... " It rolled off his tongue with the music of times long gone by. Her name was similar to his birth name he took it as a sign.  A Temoin named Raven and a court of beasts acting in accordance with him instead of at the beck of the Kiss. He was struck strangely by an old song One for sorrow, Two for mirth; Three for a wedding, Four for birth; Five for silver, Six for gold; Seven for a secret, Never to tell; Eight for heaven, Nine for hell And ten for the devil's own cell. He wasn't sure why it came to him in the moment but it did.


He knew what strength it'd taken to pierce the veil of time. To after so long in the unlife of vampirism be reminded let alone embrace the past. He smiled sadly knowing how much it was a bittersweet the moment was. " So you were a blessing from the beginning. We will see whether we can help you return to that in some ways."

Nodding in thanks to her for sharing such a memory with him freely. His gaze drifted thinking of what was in store for the remainder of the evening. "So Chidera, our first stop is The Tailor. The family has been dressing the dead and undead in New Orleans since the first Master of the City." There was of course a story there but as he was more prone to collecting them he would only go on at her behest.