Leaning a bit more heavily on his cane than usual and brushing dirt from his shirt and hair Ambrose stumbled into the manor. He might be undead, but it was still possibly to feel a bit on the stiff side after getting thrown from a horse. If he were honest he wasn’t thrown, he fell. His riding was getting a lot better, almost back to where it was when he had ridden every day. However, he still occasionally forgot to compensate for missing a limb and today was one of those times and he had met the ground rather hard, and fairly awkwardly. At least his leg had stayed on and his horse had cooperated and let him put her away with out incident.
Generally he went riding with Belle, but being out alone with the horse was necessary. He was less self-conscious and it gave him no one to growl at but himself when something like this happened. Knowing he was in a growling mood due to the fall, he was also half avoiding his other half. What he wanted was to go back to his rooms take a shower and collapse on the sofa, but he wasn’t sure if Belle was out or not. Instead he was just looking for an out of the way place to sit.
When he finally looked up he realized he had no clue what room he was in but there sure were a lot of plant. He settled into a small wrought iron chair, to assess the damage and give him self time to set himself up for running into Belle. Pathetic, that’s what it was, 150 and change and he was intimidated by a woman; granted she was six times his age or so but still. As he sat Ambrose was fairly certain some one else was about, but damned it he didn’t care. Let them talk or not, he was giving them the first move. They wouldn’t be in the manor if they shouldn’t be so no reason to worry. So, while he’d wanted to hide he’d deal with a random person about.
He pulled off his right boot and shook out some more dirt and a rock or two. Damned rough night, and he didn’t even get to shoot any one.
Restless (open)
The Manor was huge. There wre rooms aplenty with various activities for the residents. Music, reading, working out... all were easily accessable. Hell, even horses were availble if one wanted. But nothing worked to distract Trinity for more than 5 minutes. And that was a serious irritation.
So here she was wandering the halls... or maybe prowling them was a better way to put it. Even climbing up to the roof and playing up there had been pointless tonight.
Her mind would not settle to anything. In the past, she had always found it easy to lose herself in activity, freeing her mind to just stop thinking. Thinking was not something she relished - not that she was stupid, she just wasn't into soul searching and examining her motivations. She did what she was told and was very good at doing so.
The aroma of jasmine caught her attention and she frowned, looking around. Somehow she'd ended up in the conservatory. With no memory of how she'd gotten here. Walking lightly, she explored the darkened room, wondering if she should light the candles. No - the semi-darkness felt right and for the first time all evening, she relaxed.
After leaving Steve, she had returned to the hunt, finding a petty drug dealer in a back alley who had kindly donated a bit of dinner. Generally speaking, she preferred to not feed from druggies, but she had noticed over the last decade or so that those who sold the drugs rarely used them. And those that did were easy enough to spot - and avoid. Having taken care of that bit of business, she returned to the Manor, intending to relax and hopefully contact Sir John.
It had taken her a bit to figure out where he was and then determine the time difference - and realized that he would undoubtably be asleep. So that avenue was closed to her, at least temporarily. Restless, she had left her suite, still wearing her hunting leathers (though without the duster) and wandered the manor, looking for distraction.
Now she settled onto a stone bench, partially hidden in a small alcove of trees and attempted to relax further.
(open to anyone who wants to just chat!)
Ambrose
16 years ago
Trin
16 years ago
Contemplation of a jasmine bush was interrupted by the arrival of another person. Trin watched their distracted, limping progress down the path, a slight frown on her face. She did not recognize him, which was a bit surprising, but then there were a lot of people in the Manor, both clan and staff. And a fair amount of turnover on top of that. She doubted there had ever been a time she had known every person currently in residence.
A bit closer examination led her to believe this one was not staff. Rupert would skin any staff member wandering the Manor in this state of dishevel. Bits of dirt clung here and there and, if she wasn't mistaken, there were grass stains on his pants - though that could just be the uncertain light. She wasn't sure if he had seen or sensed her and she debated for a moment whether or not to disturb him. Concern won out over discretion. If he was okay and wanted to be left alone, she could respect that. But she was betting he was Clan and at the very least she should introduce herself.
And she could use the distraction of someone to talk to, even if only about the weather.
Rising, she walked softly until she was within easy conversation distance, but not intruding in his personal space. She also made sure to stay just outside reach of the cane. Even if he were disabled in some way did not mean he couldn't do damage with that thing. If she startled him, she didn't want to get smacked for her troubles!
"Hello, I'm Trinity. I don't mean to be rude, but, well, you're looking a bit on the rough side. Is there anything I can do for you?"Â?
A bit closer examination led her to believe this one was not staff. Rupert would skin any staff member wandering the Manor in this state of dishevel. Bits of dirt clung here and there and, if she wasn't mistaken, there were grass stains on his pants - though that could just be the uncertain light. She wasn't sure if he had seen or sensed her and she debated for a moment whether or not to disturb him. Concern won out over discretion. If he was okay and wanted to be left alone, she could respect that. But she was betting he was Clan and at the very least she should introduce herself.
And she could use the distraction of someone to talk to, even if only about the weather.
Rising, she walked softly until she was within easy conversation distance, but not intruding in his personal space. She also made sure to stay just outside reach of the cane. Even if he were disabled in some way did not mean he couldn't do damage with that thing. If she startled him, she didn't want to get smacked for her troubles!
"Hello, I'm Trinity. I don't mean to be rude, but, well, you're looking a bit on the rough side. Is there anything I can do for you?"Â?
Ambrose
16 years ago
Ten points to Ambrose, he had been fairly certain there was some one else here. He hadn’t, however, figured on it being a woman. The fall must have jolted something inside because Ambrose stood up, slightly awkwardly and with one foot clad only in a sock, and nodded. If he’d been wearing a hat he would have tipped it.
“Ma’am.”
There was a brief and furious debate about her question. He could have just brushed it aside. But she had taken the time and trouble to check on him, which was quite neighborly. That and he could use this as practice for telling Belle.
“No thank you ma’am. I took a bit of a fall is all, my horse went one way and I went another.”
He admitted ruefully.
OK that had slightly wounded his pride, but it hadn’t killed him. Good enough. He offered his hand.
“Ambrose Townsend.”
“Ma’am.”
There was a brief and furious debate about her question. He could have just brushed it aside. But she had taken the time and trouble to check on him, which was quite neighborly. That and he could use this as practice for telling Belle.
“No thank you ma’am. I took a bit of a fall is all, my horse went one way and I went another.”
He admitted ruefully.
OK that had slightly wounded his pride, but it hadn’t killed him. Good enough. He offered his hand.
“Ambrose Townsend.”
Trin
16 years ago
Trin accepted his hand with a friendly smile, remembering at the last second to firmly shake, not curtsy. "Pleased to meet you."
Falling from a horse would explain the limp. She'd done it herself on more than one occasion, usually when the damn thing spooked for no real reason. Though needing a cane just from a fall... then she remembered that there had been a time when canes, needed or not, had been fashionable - it was entirely possible he was from one of those eras. Not to mention canes could be used to conceal a variety of weapons. There was one in her own collection, though more as a curiosity than for actual use. She still preferred shorter blades.
"You enjoy riding? There are some lovely trails on the property. I know a spot where there's a bit of a cliff. When the weather's clear and the moon is up, it's rather romantic. I can show you some time if you'd like."
Trinity realized what she had said and blushed. Criminy, she must need to talk to someone if she was babbling like this. With any luck it wouldn't come across as flirting. "How long have you been at the Manor?"
(ooc - she's not flirting, honest - just distracted and babbling!)
Falling from a horse would explain the limp. She'd done it herself on more than one occasion, usually when the damn thing spooked for no real reason. Though needing a cane just from a fall... then she remembered that there had been a time when canes, needed or not, had been fashionable - it was entirely possible he was from one of those eras. Not to mention canes could be used to conceal a variety of weapons. There was one in her own collection, though more as a curiosity than for actual use. She still preferred shorter blades.
"You enjoy riding? There are some lovely trails on the property. I know a spot where there's a bit of a cliff. When the weather's clear and the moon is up, it's rather romantic. I can show you some time if you'd like."
Trinity realized what she had said and blushed. Criminy, she must need to talk to someone if she was babbling like this. With any luck it wouldn't come across as flirting. "How long have you been at the Manor?"
(ooc - she's not flirting, honest - just distracted and babbling!)
Ambrose
16 years ago
Damned, he should fall off his horse more often, it apparently made him irresistible. Of course, Belle would have his head, and she’d be quite within her rights. Misreading her blush, he offered his best cowboy smile, 5/8th dangerous bad boy 3/8th schoolboy ‘aww shucks ma’am’.
“I’d take you up on that but I’m not quite ready to be thrown off a cliff so how about I take a rain check instead.”
There was another chair next to his and he gestured, offering it to Trinity. He wanted to sit down but damned if he would until she was settled. Once you committed to manners you had to stick it out.
“I do enjoy it though. I used to ride a great deal, I’m only just getting back into it. Yourself?”
As she moved into a different subject Ambrose started to think maybe, he wasn’t irresistible after all. It had been a nice feeling while it lasted though.
“Oh, a while. Not to terribly long, spent most of my time on the west coast only moved her a year, maybe two ago.”
He was fairly certain she was new to the manor; at least she’d arrived somewhat recently. It was entirely possibly she’d lived her for decades if not longer and just recently returned too.
“I’d take you up on that but I’m not quite ready to be thrown off a cliff so how about I take a rain check instead.”
There was another chair next to his and he gestured, offering it to Trinity. He wanted to sit down but damned if he would until she was settled. Once you committed to manners you had to stick it out.
“I do enjoy it though. I used to ride a great deal, I’m only just getting back into it. Yourself?”
As she moved into a different subject Ambrose started to think maybe, he wasn’t irresistible after all. It had been a nice feeling while it lasted though.
“Oh, a while. Not to terribly long, spent most of my time on the west coast only moved her a year, maybe two ago.”
He was fairly certain she was new to the manor; at least she’d arrived somewhat recently. It was entirely possibly she’d lived her for decades if not longer and just recently returned too.
Trin
16 years ago
There were advantages to dealing with older vampires, she noticed. Courtesy and gallentry tended to be alot more prevalant, gestures that she tended to appreciate. She accepted Ambroses's unspoken invitation to join him and settled gracefully into the offered chair.
"A raincheck it is. I look forward to it!" Damn - she was flirting again. Not that it was difficult - he was a rather good looking man. "I use to ride alot - I actualyl miss it being the usualy form of conveyance. Granted, you get places quicker in a vehicle, but..." She wasn't sure how to express the intimacy lost when you could get so quickly from here to there without actually experiiencing those miles. Trin shrugged. He'd either understand the idea she couldn't articulate or not.
"I've lived in the Manor fairly continously for about 200 years, though I just got back from a sort of vacation. I should probably get out more and socialize, but the Order has kept me fairly busy until lately. Thank goodness things have quieted down for a bit." Though that same quietness had probably contributed to her current little mess. "I'm not surprised that we haven't run into each other before, though I must apologize for taking so long to meet you." She smiled again, then blushed once more. What the hell was wrong with her tonight?
(ooc - yeah, she's a new charrie, but because of quirks in her bio, we've decided she's been here all along so play it however you like - he could have seen her in passing that sort of thing!)
"A raincheck it is. I look forward to it!" Damn - she was flirting again. Not that it was difficult - he was a rather good looking man. "I use to ride alot - I actualyl miss it being the usualy form of conveyance. Granted, you get places quicker in a vehicle, but..." She wasn't sure how to express the intimacy lost when you could get so quickly from here to there without actually experiiencing those miles. Trin shrugged. He'd either understand the idea she couldn't articulate or not.
"I've lived in the Manor fairly continously for about 200 years, though I just got back from a sort of vacation. I should probably get out more and socialize, but the Order has kept me fairly busy until lately. Thank goodness things have quieted down for a bit." Though that same quietness had probably contributed to her current little mess. "I'm not surprised that we haven't run into each other before, though I must apologize for taking so long to meet you." She smiled again, then blushed once more. What the hell was wrong with her tonight?
(ooc - yeah, she's a new charrie, but because of quirks in her bio, we've decided she's been here all along so play it however you like - he could have seen her in passing that sort of thing!)
Ambrose
16 years ago
And they were back to irresistible. Ambrose couldn't help but grin as he sat back down. It never hurt any one's vanity to have a cute little thing flirting with you, even if you weren't going to act on it.
"I have yet to have the relationship with my truck that I had with any of my horses."Â?
Ambrose agreed. He didn't need her to explain what she meant, it was simple enough for him to fill in the blank. Even though he hadn't ridden from the time he lost his leg to just recently with Belle Ambrose had always enjoyed being around horses in one way or another. He liked them, they were companions, partners and good to have around.
She'd lived here for 200 years or so? Ambrose started, then frowned trying to remember. You'd think he'd have seen her, and maybe he had but their path's had never crossed. Funny how easy it was to have that happen even over the course of several years.
"Which order?"Â?
He asked politely. The three ordered still fascinated Ambrose, he was glad he was following his heart, his calling, but that didn't decrease his interest in the others.
"Oh I'm not much better am I? You'd think in a year or two I'd have run into you if you hadn't run into me."Â?
The blush was really quite becoming. It must help a lot when hunting, hell it might even help with order work. Damned sight easer to trust someone who was blushing than someone who was scowling... he'd know. At least about the scowling.
"I have yet to have the relationship with my truck that I had with any of my horses."Â?
Ambrose agreed. He didn't need her to explain what she meant, it was simple enough for him to fill in the blank. Even though he hadn't ridden from the time he lost his leg to just recently with Belle Ambrose had always enjoyed being around horses in one way or another. He liked them, they were companions, partners and good to have around.
She'd lived here for 200 years or so? Ambrose started, then frowned trying to remember. You'd think he'd have seen her, and maybe he had but their path's had never crossed. Funny how easy it was to have that happen even over the course of several years.
"Which order?"Â?
He asked politely. The three ordered still fascinated Ambrose, he was glad he was following his heart, his calling, but that didn't decrease his interest in the others.
"Oh I'm not much better am I? You'd think in a year or two I'd have run into you if you hadn't run into me."Â?
The blush was really quite becoming. It must help a lot when hunting, hell it might even help with order work. Damned sight easer to trust someone who was blushing than someone who was scowling... he'd know. At least about the scowling.
Trin
16 years ago
Trinity couldn't help but laugh. "I think sometimes I forget I'm in my Jeep - I talk to it the way I would to my horse! I must have just missed you in the stables earlier while I was... prowling."
She was relaxing again and distracted. Double bonus. As long as she talked she wouldn't think. Sir John had given up decades ago trying to get her to train her mind to some semblance of logic or control. Those paths just weren't there for her to follow.
Her soft voice contained a touch of pride when she she answered his question regarding the Orders. Her acceptance into her mentor's order had been a glorious night for Trinity. "The Night. It was a wonderfully good fit for me, for all that look like a teenager."
Her extremely pale skin had caused her problems at times, but she'd learned to work around it and even use it to her advantage. It had fooled Steve into thinking she was something she wasn't - and she doubted much got by him. He'd be downright scary with vampiric abilities. Part of her mind wandered off, wondering what Order he'd fit into... and what abilities he'd gain.
She regarded Ambrose levelly, a teasing smile twitching the corners of her mouth as she attempted to appear serious - and failed. "Good Sir Townsend, if I forgive you for not having met me before, will you forgive me for not having greeted you upon arrival?"
She was relaxing again and distracted. Double bonus. As long as she talked she wouldn't think. Sir John had given up decades ago trying to get her to train her mind to some semblance of logic or control. Those paths just weren't there for her to follow.
Her soft voice contained a touch of pride when she she answered his question regarding the Orders. Her acceptance into her mentor's order had been a glorious night for Trinity. "The Night. It was a wonderfully good fit for me, for all that look like a teenager."
Her extremely pale skin had caused her problems at times, but she'd learned to work around it and even use it to her advantage. It had fooled Steve into thinking she was something she wasn't - and she doubted much got by him. He'd be downright scary with vampiric abilities. Part of her mind wandered off, wondering what Order he'd fit into... and what abilities he'd gain.
She regarded Ambrose levelly, a teasing smile twitching the corners of her mouth as she attempted to appear serious - and failed. "Good Sir Townsend, if I forgive you for not having met me before, will you forgive me for not having greeted you upon arrival?"
Ambrose
16 years ago
Ambrose’s lips twitched in a faint smile. He’d never talked to any of his cars, he swore at them occasionally but never talked to. However, he also wasn’t about to point fingers it could be hard to overcome some habits. Especially when you preferred the old to the new.
“It’s a good place to prowl.”
Ambrose had been known to stalk through them when agitated. Being around the horses forced him to stay somewhat calm and the familiar sounds and smells were soothing.
“A backstabber, eh?”
He teased. Like all the orders, it was a valuable one. It was an interesting bit of information about Trinity though. He wouldn’t have guessed she belonged to that one, perhaps that was why he ultimately had ruled it out.
“I’d imagine looking so young would be quite an advantage. People either ignore because you’re young or get lose lipped because they don’t think you understand what they’re talking about. No matter how you slice it being underestimated can have some perks.”
Of course, being accurately judged as a cripple was not a perk and something Ambrose was still working on coming to terms with.
Ambrose was hard pressed not to laugh out right at her game. Ordinarily he would have been stimmed as to how to reply but his lady had managed to pound some manners into his hard head.
“Unequivocally my fair lady Trinity but it is I who should implore your forgiveness for being such a mule of a house guest.”
Eloquence was not Ambrose’s strong suit and even when he tried he often fell flat.
“It’s a good place to prowl.”
Ambrose had been known to stalk through them when agitated. Being around the horses forced him to stay somewhat calm and the familiar sounds and smells were soothing.
“A backstabber, eh?”
He teased. Like all the orders, it was a valuable one. It was an interesting bit of information about Trinity though. He wouldn’t have guessed she belonged to that one, perhaps that was why he ultimately had ruled it out.
“I’d imagine looking so young would be quite an advantage. People either ignore because you’re young or get lose lipped because they don’t think you understand what they’re talking about. No matter how you slice it being underestimated can have some perks.”
Of course, being accurately judged as a cripple was not a perk and something Ambrose was still working on coming to terms with.
Ambrose was hard pressed not to laugh out right at her game. Ordinarily he would have been stimmed as to how to reply but his lady had managed to pound some manners into his hard head.
“Unequivocally my fair lady Trinity but it is I who should implore your forgiveness for being such a mule of a house guest.”
Eloquence was not Ambrose’s strong suit and even when he tried he often fell flat.
Trin
16 years ago
(ooc - well that bites. not having my own computer for posting is seriously messing with me!! I already replied to this and now I have to remember what I said!!! ack!!)
Trinity drew herself up primly and leveled a glare at Ambrose. "A backstabber, hmm? Well I never!" She couldn't keep a straight face, though, and ended up giggling for a moment. "I've hear the Night referred to in a lot of ways, but never like that! Rather appropriate, from a certain point of view! Let me guess which Order you're in - or at least considering if you haven't chosen."
She settled back into the chair and regarded him thoughtfully. Assuming or a moment that the cane was actually necessary, most would probably discount him as a candidate for the Hunt. But he didn't strike her as the type to enjoy sifting through piles of information and making sense out of them. No, he struck her as the type who preferred to do something, not ponder an action. And it would be easy to underestimate someone who appeared handicapped as well, whether they were or not. Elder Mai was known for seeing in others what they did not see in themselves. Trin had never been able to decide if that was just her special gift or that she just looked at the world for a truly unique perspective.
"I'd say the Hunt." She waited expectantly, wondering if she was even remotely right. And if he'd be offended if she were wrong. She hoped not. She rather liked his mix of charm, manners and humor.
Trinity drew herself up primly and leveled a glare at Ambrose. "A backstabber, hmm? Well I never!" She couldn't keep a straight face, though, and ended up giggling for a moment. "I've hear the Night referred to in a lot of ways, but never like that! Rather appropriate, from a certain point of view! Let me guess which Order you're in - or at least considering if you haven't chosen."
She settled back into the chair and regarded him thoughtfully. Assuming or a moment that the cane was actually necessary, most would probably discount him as a candidate for the Hunt. But he didn't strike her as the type to enjoy sifting through piles of information and making sense out of them. No, he struck her as the type who preferred to do something, not ponder an action. And it would be easy to underestimate someone who appeared handicapped as well, whether they were or not. Elder Mai was known for seeing in others what they did not see in themselves. Trin had never been able to decide if that was just her special gift or that she just looked at the world for a truly unique perspective.
"I'd say the Hunt." She waited expectantly, wondering if she was even remotely right. And if he'd be offended if she were wrong. She hoped not. She rather liked his mix of charm, manners and humor.
Ambrose
16 years ago
And this was why he would have been a terribly fit for the Order of the Night, or the Rose for that matter, no sense of politics. At least she’d taken it with a sense of humor that could have very easily gone awry.
Leaning back in his chair, he gestured that she should go ahead and guess. It wasn’t that he thought Trinity lacked perception, it was more that he though most people would automatically dismiss him as a member of his chosen order. The cane was obviously more than an accessory and most would see this as a weakness. So, when Trinity hit the nail on the head he started slightly.
The momentary surprise faded into a wry grin. Apparently every one could see this side of him, he was the only one who had dismissed it. Damned strange thing.
“My stunning grasp of politics and subtlety gave it away did it?”
Granted there was a one in three chance she’d have been right. Hell fifty-fifty as she was in one of the other orders and could probably rule him out from that one. Still she’d made her guess with conviction so either she was a good bluff or not just another pretty face. Ambrose studied her for a second and decided both were probably true.
“Either way remind me not to play poker with you.”
Leaning back in his chair, he gestured that she should go ahead and guess. It wasn’t that he thought Trinity lacked perception, it was more that he though most people would automatically dismiss him as a member of his chosen order. The cane was obviously more than an accessory and most would see this as a weakness. So, when Trinity hit the nail on the head he started slightly.
The momentary surprise faded into a wry grin. Apparently every one could see this side of him, he was the only one who had dismissed it. Damned strange thing.
“My stunning grasp of politics and subtlety gave it away did it?”
Granted there was a one in three chance she’d have been right. Hell fifty-fifty as she was in one of the other orders and could probably rule him out from that one. Still she’d made her guess with conviction so either she was a good bluff or not just another pretty face. Ambrose studied her for a second and decided both were probably true.
“Either way remind me not to play poker with you.”
Trin
16 years ago
Trinity clapped her hands in delight. Either centuries of associating with intelligent thoughtful types was rubbing off or she was finally maturing into a sort of wisdom of her own. She hoped the latter - it would make dealing with Steve alot easier. Ambroses's reaction to her guess didn't surprise her - and confirmed she was right before he said anything. So the cane was not just for decoration. Curious as her cat, she wondered why he needed it. Manners forbid her from asking outright - Sir John would have her head on a silver platter if he even knew she had thought about asking something so personal of someone she had just met.
"It was definately your grasp of such skills that gave it away." Shaking her head, she chuckled. "To be honest, I was fairly certain you couldn't be Night or we probably would have run into each other or worked together already. And you don't strike me as the kind who would enjoy mucking about in the archives with Elder Morrigan. Made it a bit easier to narrow the field." She gave him her most innocent "who, me?" look. "And I haven't played poker in decades. You'd probably have to remind me of the rules."
She pulled her foot up onto the chair and rested her chin on her knee, considering him. "Just out of curiosity, what are your preferred weapons? I find I'm in need of learning a bit about guns and my own preference is for blades. A new... friend... of mine is more than a little fascinated with them and it would be a huge help to not be completely clueless in that area."
She wasn't sure if she should tell him exactly how she knew Steve, though once he was officailly her familiar it would not be that big a deal. Not having sorted the whole mess out in her own head, though,made her even more reluctant than usual to share that type of thing. Since Ambrose was Anantya, she automatically placed him the general "to-be-trusted" category - but there were still courtesies to be considered and one just did not unload all their problems on a near stranger.
"It was definately your grasp of such skills that gave it away." Shaking her head, she chuckled. "To be honest, I was fairly certain you couldn't be Night or we probably would have run into each other or worked together already. And you don't strike me as the kind who would enjoy mucking about in the archives with Elder Morrigan. Made it a bit easier to narrow the field." She gave him her most innocent "who, me?" look. "And I haven't played poker in decades. You'd probably have to remind me of the rules."
She pulled her foot up onto the chair and rested her chin on her knee, considering him. "Just out of curiosity, what are your preferred weapons? I find I'm in need of learning a bit about guns and my own preference is for blades. A new... friend... of mine is more than a little fascinated with them and it would be a huge help to not be completely clueless in that area."
She wasn't sure if she should tell him exactly how she knew Steve, though once he was officailly her familiar it would not be that big a deal. Not having sorted the whole mess out in her own head, though,made her even more reluctant than usual to share that type of thing. Since Ambrose was Anantya, she automatically placed him the general "to-be-trusted" category - but there were still courtesies to be considered and one just did not unload all their problems on a near stranger.
Ambrose
16 years ago
The child like expression of joy made Trinity appear even younger. It also made Ambrose genuinely laugh.
“I did paper work in a former life, never did care for it.”
He’d also kept track of things for Damaris while she was teaching him. Lord, the IRS was easier to deal with than his maker, she was meticulous in all her records.
As she protested her, unfamiliarity with poker Ambrose fixed her with a hard stare. The lady could try that game with another mark. Most guys would probably believe it, but he wasn’t going to take the bait at all.
“You find two or three other pigeons and I’ll help you pluck them. But let’s keep my wallet out of the equation shall we?”
The kitten had claws, literally. Ambrose appreciated the skill and nerve it took to deal damage so intimately. It wasn’t like he couldn’t use a knife, but it was not his favorite thing. If he wanted to get that close to a victim… well there’d be a meal involved.
“Shooter myself. I still prefer my Colt but I’ve learned how to handle most of them. Don’t care for automatics though, they have their place and all but given a choice I’d just as soon not deal with them. I guess I’m old fashioned that way.”
There was an art to shooting; the draw, aim, fire. It was something that needed to be respected and understood. Ambrose felt that automatics cheapened that. If you were going to do something, god damned it do it right.
“I did paper work in a former life, never did care for it.”
He’d also kept track of things for Damaris while she was teaching him. Lord, the IRS was easier to deal with than his maker, she was meticulous in all her records.
As she protested her, unfamiliarity with poker Ambrose fixed her with a hard stare. The lady could try that game with another mark. Most guys would probably believe it, but he wasn’t going to take the bait at all.
“You find two or three other pigeons and I’ll help you pluck them. But let’s keep my wallet out of the equation shall we?”
The kitten had claws, literally. Ambrose appreciated the skill and nerve it took to deal damage so intimately. It wasn’t like he couldn’t use a knife, but it was not his favorite thing. If he wanted to get that close to a victim… well there’d be a meal involved.
“Shooter myself. I still prefer my Colt but I’ve learned how to handle most of them. Don’t care for automatics though, they have their place and all but given a choice I’d just as soon not deal with them. I guess I’m old fashioned that way.”
There was an art to shooting; the draw, aim, fire. It was something that needed to be respected and understood. Ambrose felt that automatics cheapened that. If you were going to do something, god damned it do it right.
Trin
16 years ago
Trin grinned without shame at pretending innocence where poker was concerned. She wasn't what some would call a card shark but she could hold her own fairly well. "We'll have to see if we can find a few. It's hard to bluff other clan members when half of them have abilities that make reading you so darn easy! And where's the challenge if you leave your wallet out of it?"
It took her a moment to connect Colt with the conversation as part of her brain was still on the horses they had discussed earlier. She shook her head a fraction at her own silliness. Ambrose's reasoning made a great of sense and was alot of what was behind her own preference.
"I think I've handled a gun maybe a half dozen times in my entire life. Most of them just had too much of a kick for me to handle effectively with my size, so I never really spent the time I needed to use one."
And she knew that Steve would use that against her until he saw what she could do. It wasn't so much a matter of needing to be better than him - it was more a matter of not wanting him looking down on her for any reason than he was damn near a foot taller. If he saw her as cannon fodder and nothing else, they were going to have some serious issues if they ever found themselves in a bad situation.
It took her a moment to connect Colt with the conversation as part of her brain was still on the horses they had discussed earlier. She shook her head a fraction at her own silliness. Ambrose's reasoning made a great of sense and was alot of what was behind her own preference.
"I think I've handled a gun maybe a half dozen times in my entire life. Most of them just had too much of a kick for me to handle effectively with my size, so I never really spent the time I needed to use one."
And she knew that Steve would use that against her until he saw what she could do. It wasn't so much a matter of needing to be better than him - it was more a matter of not wanting him looking down on her for any reason than he was damn near a foot taller. If he saw her as cannon fodder and nothing else, they were going to have some serious issues if they ever found themselves in a bad situation.
Ambrose
16 years ago
“Nothing says the pigeons have to be part of the clan, although it might be… … interesting if they were.”
Interesting as in it would be entirely possible to ruin any and all possible political alliances, not that he cared. Aside from the politics, Ambrose didn’t relish the idea of a no limits game with people who had been alive and kicking for several more centuries than he had, compound interest alone gave them an unfair financial advantage.
“Alright we can put my wallet back in the game, so long as yours is in there too,
but I’m a poor man,” relatively speaking, “we’ll have to negotiate the stakes ahead of time.”
Slowly, carefully and very thoughtfully he sized up the small woman next to him. He wasn’t sure if he was or wasn’t surprised she didn’t know a lot about guns. Sometimes blade fans didn’t care for a ‘less personal’ approach. She was a vampire, at least he personally was sure she wasn’t some errant familiar causing trouble, so it wasn’t a strength issue so it must be a comfort issue.
“Well,” He began slowly, “It all depends on what gun you were using then and what you want to do with it now. Where a lot of people go wrong is they pick a small gun because they’re a small person. The thing is they don’t have a lot of power so it’s hard to get the job done and you tend to get a bad muzzle flip so it gets to hurting after a few rounds. I might be able to lend you a hand with things, if you want.”
And if she was serious. One thing Ambrose had no patience for was a flip half assed person dealing with firearms. Trinity didn’t strike him that way but you never knew.
Interesting as in it would be entirely possible to ruin any and all possible political alliances, not that he cared. Aside from the politics, Ambrose didn’t relish the idea of a no limits game with people who had been alive and kicking for several more centuries than he had, compound interest alone gave them an unfair financial advantage.
“Alright we can put my wallet back in the game, so long as yours is in there too,
but I’m a poor man,” relatively speaking, “we’ll have to negotiate the stakes ahead of time.”
Slowly, carefully and very thoughtfully he sized up the small woman next to him. He wasn’t sure if he was or wasn’t surprised she didn’t know a lot about guns. Sometimes blade fans didn’t care for a ‘less personal’ approach. She was a vampire, at least he personally was sure she wasn’t some errant familiar causing trouble, so it wasn’t a strength issue so it must be a comfort issue.
“Well,” He began slowly, “It all depends on what gun you were using then and what you want to do with it now. Where a lot of people go wrong is they pick a small gun because they’re a small person. The thing is they don’t have a lot of power so it’s hard to get the job done and you tend to get a bad muzzle flip so it gets to hurting after a few rounds. I might be able to lend you a hand with things, if you want.”
And if she was serious. One thing Ambrose had no patience for was a flip half assed person dealing with firearms. Trinity didn’t strike him that way but you never knew.
Trin
16 years ago
Trinity raised an eyebrow at the claim of being a poor man. In her experience, most clan members had managed to stash fairly sizable nest eggs away over the years. Of course, the size of the egg was still relative...
"I suppose it'd be something of a catch-22. Playing against other clan members has the potential to put us at a disadvantage, though playing against humans gives us what could be an unfair advantage... either way, my wallet is fair game!"
Trin thought back over the few guns she had handled. Most had been rifles of one type or another. One had been longer than she was tall and only the extra strength from her vampire nature had allowed her to even pick up the thing.
"I think I'd like to learn if you're willing to teach. It never hurts to have a new skill. At the least, we could try out a few things and let you judge if it's a talent I could acquire."
"I suppose it'd be something of a catch-22. Playing against other clan members has the potential to put us at a disadvantage, though playing against humans gives us what could be an unfair advantage... either way, my wallet is fair game!"
Trin thought back over the few guns she had handled. Most had been rifles of one type or another. One had been longer than she was tall and only the extra strength from her vampire nature had allowed her to even pick up the thing.
"I think I'd like to learn if you're willing to teach. It never hurts to have a new skill. At the least, we could try out a few things and let you judge if it's a talent I could acquire."
Ambrose
16 years ago
Ambrose grinned a cat that ate the canary smile and half shrugged. He had a fair idea what Trinity was thinking, but then again he did still sort of work for a living… sometimes.
“Done deal. Now we just have to find the marks; maybe one or two of each. Just to be fair, well as fair as possible.”
He’d put out a few feelers and see if there was any interest. It shouldn’t be hard to get a game together. For a brief second he wondered if Belle would approve, he just wasn’t sure. Well they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
“Shouldn’t be a problem. There are two shooting ranges around here I like. Better to learn at a range and then get creative. What kind of shooting were you looking to do?”
“Done deal. Now we just have to find the marks; maybe one or two of each. Just to be fair, well as fair as possible.”
He’d put out a few feelers and see if there was any interest. It shouldn’t be hard to get a game together. For a brief second he wondered if Belle would approve, he just wasn’t sure. Well they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
“Shouldn’t be a problem. There are two shooting ranges around here I like. Better to learn at a range and then get creative. What kind of shooting were you looking to do?”
Trin
16 years ago
Now this was nice - it had been awhile since Trin had just chatted with someone, making plans to be social. It was rather enjoyable.
"It really has been awhile. Do you think we could pull together a sort of practice game? Maybe a penny poker type of thing?"
Her expression this time showed she was not trying to pull one over on him - she really had not played for a few decades and a refresher game would be good before they got serious. Another thought occurred to her - it would give her a chance to see if she could find his tell - though if he was any good she was running the risk he'd learn her's as well. There were many reasons this was called gambling, she mused.
"I'm not sure." Her brows creased in thought. "Mostly I've used rifles and it was with limited success. If a weapon isn't going to help keep me alive, I prefer not to rely on it. I would guess a handgun would be the better option - if only because it's easier to conceal." Practical was a reasonable way to consider this, though it seemed odd to look at weapons of any kind from that standpoint. If it could be used to kill, then she used it. "I guess we'll just have to use your better judgment and see if we can come up with something that suits."
"It really has been awhile. Do you think we could pull together a sort of practice game? Maybe a penny poker type of thing?"
Her expression this time showed she was not trying to pull one over on him - she really had not played for a few decades and a refresher game would be good before they got serious. Another thought occurred to her - it would give her a chance to see if she could find his tell - though if he was any good she was running the risk he'd learn her's as well. There were many reasons this was called gambling, she mused.
"I'm not sure." Her brows creased in thought. "Mostly I've used rifles and it was with limited success. If a weapon isn't going to help keep me alive, I prefer not to rely on it. I would guess a handgun would be the better option - if only because it's easier to conceal." Practical was a reasonable way to consider this, though it seemed odd to look at weapons of any kind from that standpoint. If it could be used to kill, then she used it. "I guess we'll just have to use your better judgment and see if we can come up with something that suits."
Ambrose
16 years ago
Ambrose grinned wolfishly as Trinity backpedaled a bit on the poker game. Now if he could just fine a few more people who didn’t know how to play….
“Penny ante? You’re kidding right, I’ve got a reputation to uphold you know. Maybe we can compromise and set a table limit though.”
That would be fair enough, five-dollar ante, twenty max; something like that it would work for both of them.
“Let’s start small and get you up and running with a hand gun, start with a revolver and then work your way up then we can work on concealing.”
At least she was practical about it. Most people did want to go straight to tiny so they could hide it but that didn’t do much when push came to shove. He was grateful not to have to fight that battle.
“If you can get some good habits it makes learning to handle new types easier.”
“Penny ante? You’re kidding right, I’ve got a reputation to uphold you know. Maybe we can compromise and set a table limit though.”
That would be fair enough, five-dollar ante, twenty max; something like that it would work for both of them.
“Let’s start small and get you up and running with a hand gun, start with a revolver and then work your way up then we can work on concealing.”
At least she was practical about it. Most people did want to go straight to tiny so they could hide it but that didn’t do much when push came to shove. He was grateful not to have to fight that battle.
“If you can get some good habits it makes learning to handle new types easier.”
Trin
16 years ago
Trinity's eyes narrowed at the predatory grin that Ambrose displayed. She had the feeling she was going to take a beating here and decided to turn the tables on him a bit.
"A table limit sounds like a good idea. I'd hate to clean you out on the first go round. Now to find those pigeons we need..."
From the little she knew about guns, his suggestions made sense. Concealing something had more to do with not drawing attention to it - but had to be done in a manner you could actually use it. Didn't do you much good to have a weapon on you that you couldn't even get at the weapon for whatever reason.
"You said you knew some places around here where we could practice? Do I need to get anything?"
"A table limit sounds like a good idea. I'd hate to clean you out on the first go round. Now to find those pigeons we need..."
From the little she knew about guns, his suggestions made sense. Concealing something had more to do with not drawing attention to it - but had to be done in a manner you could actually use it. Didn't do you much good to have a weapon on you that you couldn't even get at the weapon for whatever reason.
"You said you knew some places around here where we could practice? Do I need to get anything?"