Cris shrugged. "Not a lot really. I do not think he went into great detail about everything. She said that he told her the circumstances surrounding your creation and how he had set out to find your trail through the desert but it had gone cold. Instead of doing his utmost to find you like a good Creator, he left. Duty and other demands... He has not contacted you since then and found Aishe to explain before doing something presumably more dangerous than usual.â€
He looked over at Kem. "Does that sound about right?â€
The Egyptian's Creator was not the worst that Cris had ever heard of or even actually seen. Some of the worst were sick and demented individuals who did their best to warp and twist their vampire children. Some, especially in ages past,believed they were beings of pure evil or some other nonsense and therefore whatever atrocities they committed were to be blamed on their 'nature'. They couldn't help themselves; they passed that belief on to their children.
Kem's Creator was the immortal equivalent to the dead beat dad who runs away instead of taking responsibility for the vampire he made. That was not the worst thing to have happen but certainly not the best. Cris knew that tracking someone through a desert was difficult but there were arcane ways to track a person if necessary. He would also imagine that a new, hungry vampire wouldn't make it very far. They also did not tend to be very subtle so an ordinary trail of bodies or people weak from blood loss should have been easy enough to pick up on once more for the truly dedicated.
If there had been duty that had been incredibly urgent then why did he not try to find Kem afterward? Cris had left Aishe fairly soon after her creation, not immediately, but close enough as far as he was concerned. He still came back and could not conceive of just abandoning her, even if he were ashamed by leaving her for so long.
Anantya did things differently, that was for certain but he was also sure they had strict rules about their creations. Not so much then, but certainly now. Of course, Kem was hardly a wet behind the ears vampire in need of his Creator these days.
"What do you think of all this?â€
((OOC: He doesn't think Amir is a bad guy here. He figures there is more to the story. He just doesn't understand why Amir never went to Kem once he knew where he was. ))
Calling in a Favor (attn: Cris, Xeph)
Kem leaned casually against the corner of the side street that led to the vet clinic owned and run by Aidan Xephier. Due to his status as one of Nachton's wealthier citizens it was a very popular place. Apparently, even though the werewolf was officially off the marriage market his clinic still attracted a number of clients. Many of them single women. Kem hadn't seen this phenomenon for himself but that was the rumor on the streets and in the tabloids, and he had no reason to doubt it.
The sun had only just gone down, even though it was nearing nine pm. Summer was his favorite season, but sadly, the one during which he got to enjoy being outside the least. For that reason he'd arrived slightly ahead of time and was simply waiting for Christian to arrive, enjoying the night air. It had made sense for Kem to arrange this meeting. Of all the Evenhet he probably had the best relationship with Xephier, and he wasn't sure it could rightly be called a relationship, so much as a tentative arrangement not to slaughter each other's kind until such time as that became impossible.
He wasn't sure how long that would last, given the nature of their visit tonight. Kem knew how he would react if someone came to him and told him one of his Clan was viciously murdering children and vampires alike. He did not, however, know how a werewolf might take such news. Of course they didn't know that the killer in question was one of Xephier's but he had to belong somewhere. Furthermore, when given the choice between defending a vampire and defending a werewolf, Kem suspected Xephier would choose his own kind regardless of Pack affiliation.
Then again, Xephier had always demonstrated a sense of fair play. Kem decided he simply couldn't predict the werewolf's behavior. They would just have to be on their watch. He was glad Christian would be along for this, nonetheless. The Security Chief would know better how to proceed. Kem wasn't fooling himself; he was just the door ticket. He knew that. Still... his role was plenty important. He wasn't sure Xephier would have agreed to speak with them at all if it hadn't been for their past interactions. The werewolf had mentioned, via email, that he owed Kem a favor or two. Why, Kem wasn't entirely clear on, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Christian Bern
12 years ago
Kem`Raaisu
12 years ago
Walking away from Xephier's clinic with his hands in his pockets Kem nodded at Cris's assessment of Aishe's encounter with the vampire named Amir. "As far as I know," he said. He hadn't been there either, obviously, and he wasn't sure if he was glad about that or not.
The next question was not unexpected. Six years ago, before Aishe had come to Nachton so impetuously to do what she'd done, Kem might have had a different answer. Her presence in his life had changed him somewhat. Being more active with his own Clan had changed him somewhat as well.
So he sighed at the question and said honestly, "I don't know."
He walked on for a few steps more before elaborating. "There's a part of me that's so used to hating him that I want to cling to that picture and keep right on hating him. For the things that happened afterward, I wanted him dead in return."
Then he shrugged. "It's hard to let that go, but I'm trying. There's no point in clinging to such feelings but they became a part of me. Now I'm not sure if I want to see him at all. He has no place in my life, nor I in his."
He could still feel that seething hatred churning away under his skin, and he reminded himself to get rid of it. He could chase his tail over it until the sun came up but the facts would still be the facts the next evening and nothing would have changed. Aishe was right; it was time to let it go. It was just difficult to break a sixteen hundred year old habit.
Looking at Cris Kem considered for a moment. Surely it couldn't be wrong to ask his opinion? They were similar in age but their experiences had been vastly different in their lives. He did wonder what the stoic Security Chief would have done if their positions were reversed. "Do you think I should talk to him? Confront him? Get closure, or whatever it might do?"
Was the man even around at all? Aishe said she hadn't seen him since that night, and Kem certainly hadn't either.
((ooc: We are enjoying the picture of dead-beat dad Amir, lounging on his front porch in ripped jeans and a stained wife-beater, half-empty can of beer in one hand, other hand tucked into his pants, cigarette dangling from his lips, yelling for Mara to microwave him a TV dinner. He looks appalled at this image.
))
The next question was not unexpected. Six years ago, before Aishe had come to Nachton so impetuously to do what she'd done, Kem might have had a different answer. Her presence in his life had changed him somewhat. Being more active with his own Clan had changed him somewhat as well.
So he sighed at the question and said honestly, "I don't know."
He walked on for a few steps more before elaborating. "There's a part of me that's so used to hating him that I want to cling to that picture and keep right on hating him. For the things that happened afterward, I wanted him dead in return."
Then he shrugged. "It's hard to let that go, but I'm trying. There's no point in clinging to such feelings but they became a part of me. Now I'm not sure if I want to see him at all. He has no place in my life, nor I in his."
He could still feel that seething hatred churning away under his skin, and he reminded himself to get rid of it. He could chase his tail over it until the sun came up but the facts would still be the facts the next evening and nothing would have changed. Aishe was right; it was time to let it go. It was just difficult to break a sixteen hundred year old habit.
Looking at Cris Kem considered for a moment. Surely it couldn't be wrong to ask his opinion? They were similar in age but their experiences had been vastly different in their lives. He did wonder what the stoic Security Chief would have done if their positions were reversed. "Do you think I should talk to him? Confront him? Get closure, or whatever it might do?"
Was the man even around at all? Aishe said she hadn't seen him since that night, and Kem certainly hadn't either.
((ooc: We are enjoying the picture of dead-beat dad Amir, lounging on his front porch in ripped jeans and a stained wife-beater, half-empty can of beer in one hand, other hand tucked into his pants, cigarette dangling from his lips, yelling for Mara to microwave him a TV dinner. He looks appalled at this image.
))
Christian Bern
12 years ago
Cris listened to Kem's thoughts on the matter of Amir and watched his feelings. There was still seething anger running through his aura. Clearly a thousand plus years had not made much difference as far as his emotions went.
At the end of it, Kem asked what his opinion was on what he would do. Cris thought about it and shrugged slightly. "Closure is something that is rare for us after so many years. There are people and events I will never have the ability to make peace with because I was stubborn and let the opportunity pass me by.†Many a soldier learned not to hold a grudge with a friend. You never knew if he might die the very next day on the battle field. In times of war, petty arguments seem like trivial things. It took a lot longer to learn not to hold grudges with enemies. He looked over at Kem. "I am not saying forgive him. I would just consider talking to him. You can make up your mind about whether you want to continue hating him after that. If you want to kill him and are successful at it then please give me some plausible deny ability. You know, like he attacked you in a blind rage and you were defending yourself with that shovel, repeatedly.â€
Stopping, he turned to Kem. "He might have been a horrible Creator. It would have most certainly been different had you been given a choice.†The Egyptian might have still chosen to become a vampire but he would have gone into it knowingly and that would have changed his vampiric beginnings and therefore much thereafter in a domino effect that would have led to a very different person standing next to him. "He made a mistake, perhaps an unforgivable one, but maybe he had grown in these past one thousand years. Perhaps hearing the why from him might fill in more of the story of how and why, Kem, one day Elder of Evenhet, came to be. You may think you do not care about what he has to say but you might be surprised.†Kem was a curious man. He and Alfarinn had that in common. The needing to know the answer to something had been the beginning of more than one adventure that Cris had been part of as Alfarinn's shadow. The Egyptian liked to know things; he liked history, all of it, from all angles. It was important to a scribe of Kem's caliber to get the unvarnished truth. Cris thought if Kem let go of some of the emotional turmoil long enough to think about it from a place of academic interest then he would realize that Amir could tell him why he had changed his life that night. He could tell him a vampire's view of his homeland and perhaps the inner workings of the place he had lived his human life. What had an Anantya been doing there? Had there been others? Perhaps there had been mechinations going on that the human people had simple taken as chance, fate or whim. Amir was in a unique position to remember Kem's very own home in a way that Kem had never gotten a chance to see it. The Huntsman was probably one of the few people around who could say that.
Turning to continue toward his car, he added. "Whatever you do. We are all better for you being here so perhaps Aishe, Evenhet and I should thank him.†Cris glanced sideways at Kem before letting a slow smile spread across his face. "I'll have to remember to toast him at our next get together.â€
((OOC: Bring out the mason jars and the solo cups. We're toasting Amir, Daddy of the Year ))
At the end of it, Kem asked what his opinion was on what he would do. Cris thought about it and shrugged slightly. "Closure is something that is rare for us after so many years. There are people and events I will never have the ability to make peace with because I was stubborn and let the opportunity pass me by.†Many a soldier learned not to hold a grudge with a friend. You never knew if he might die the very next day on the battle field. In times of war, petty arguments seem like trivial things. It took a lot longer to learn not to hold grudges with enemies. He looked over at Kem. "I am not saying forgive him. I would just consider talking to him. You can make up your mind about whether you want to continue hating him after that. If you want to kill him and are successful at it then please give me some plausible deny ability. You know, like he attacked you in a blind rage and you were defending yourself with that shovel, repeatedly.â€
Stopping, he turned to Kem. "He might have been a horrible Creator. It would have most certainly been different had you been given a choice.†The Egyptian might have still chosen to become a vampire but he would have gone into it knowingly and that would have changed his vampiric beginnings and therefore much thereafter in a domino effect that would have led to a very different person standing next to him. "He made a mistake, perhaps an unforgivable one, but maybe he had grown in these past one thousand years. Perhaps hearing the why from him might fill in more of the story of how and why, Kem, one day Elder of Evenhet, came to be. You may think you do not care about what he has to say but you might be surprised.†Kem was a curious man. He and Alfarinn had that in common. The needing to know the answer to something had been the beginning of more than one adventure that Cris had been part of as Alfarinn's shadow. The Egyptian liked to know things; he liked history, all of it, from all angles. It was important to a scribe of Kem's caliber to get the unvarnished truth. Cris thought if Kem let go of some of the emotional turmoil long enough to think about it from a place of academic interest then he would realize that Amir could tell him why he had changed his life that night. He could tell him a vampire's view of his homeland and perhaps the inner workings of the place he had lived his human life. What had an Anantya been doing there? Had there been others? Perhaps there had been mechinations going on that the human people had simple taken as chance, fate or whim. Amir was in a unique position to remember Kem's very own home in a way that Kem had never gotten a chance to see it. The Huntsman was probably one of the few people around who could say that.
Turning to continue toward his car, he added. "Whatever you do. We are all better for you being here so perhaps Aishe, Evenhet and I should thank him.†Cris glanced sideways at Kem before letting a slow smile spread across his face. "I'll have to remember to toast him at our next get together.â€
((OOC: Bring out the mason jars and the solo cups. We're toasting Amir, Daddy of the Year ))
Kem`Raaisu
12 years ago
Kem gave a soft, dry laugh of agreement at Cris's opinion on closure. It was very true; closure was not something many of them got a lot of. He wasn't sure talking to Amir would give him any closure... how did you get closure over the things that his turning had caused? He might be learning to forgive himself now, so very long after the fact, for the deaths of his wife and unborn child, but he wasn't sure he really could. Perhaps acceptance was the best he could hope for.
His lips twitched up again as Cris made his request. "Noted," he said mildly. "I will make sure to do so."
Kem stopped when Cris did, and turned to look at the shorter man while he spoke. Not only did Cris seem perfectly sincere, but it might also have been the longest Kem had heard the Security Chief speak at once. Well... perhaps not, but it was still surprising for Cris to have so much to say. He gave it thought; Cris made a compelling point. He did feel heat rising to his cheeks, though, when Cris mentioned the position Kem now occupied, a position he had simply fallen into by virtue of being in a convenient place at a reasonable time. Others would have been more suited to this job than he, but it had been entrusted to him upon Alfarinn and Cris's arrival home and Kem would do his best.
Cris turned, presumably toward his ride home, and Kem found himself speechless. He didn't think Aishe's Creator felt so favorably toward him. However, he also didn't think Cris would say such things just to give him warm fuzzies. He found himself glibly saying, "Uh..."
Then he sighed, and reached up to run his fingers through his long hair before smiling softly. "Maybe let's not go that far just yet but... well... I'll think about it. You're right. Aishe was right. I don't like all this," he gestured with his hands and made a 'yuck' face, "rightness. But maybe knowing how and why would be good."
Eventually. None of them had seen or heard from Amir since Aishe's little chat with him. It did make him wonder if Amir had done something or gone somewhere, where he hadn't expected to return. Kem shook his head. Then he looked at Cris.
"Thank you," he said, "for your thoughts. And your opinions. I know there are other things on your mind."
He reached out and let his hand fall gently but firmly upon Cris's slender shoulder. "Everything will be all right."
There was no false sincerity in Kem's voice. He meant what he said. The Clan was throwing every resource it had into finding this werewolf and keeping Rowan safe. They would find a way... to keep both Cris and Rowan safe.
((ooc: Both out))
His lips twitched up again as Cris made his request. "Noted," he said mildly. "I will make sure to do so."
Kem stopped when Cris did, and turned to look at the shorter man while he spoke. Not only did Cris seem perfectly sincere, but it might also have been the longest Kem had heard the Security Chief speak at once. Well... perhaps not, but it was still surprising for Cris to have so much to say. He gave it thought; Cris made a compelling point. He did feel heat rising to his cheeks, though, when Cris mentioned the position Kem now occupied, a position he had simply fallen into by virtue of being in a convenient place at a reasonable time. Others would have been more suited to this job than he, but it had been entrusted to him upon Alfarinn and Cris's arrival home and Kem would do his best.
Cris turned, presumably toward his ride home, and Kem found himself speechless. He didn't think Aishe's Creator felt so favorably toward him. However, he also didn't think Cris would say such things just to give him warm fuzzies. He found himself glibly saying, "Uh..."
Then he sighed, and reached up to run his fingers through his long hair before smiling softly. "Maybe let's not go that far just yet but... well... I'll think about it. You're right. Aishe was right. I don't like all this," he gestured with his hands and made a 'yuck' face, "rightness. But maybe knowing how and why would be good."
Eventually. None of them had seen or heard from Amir since Aishe's little chat with him. It did make him wonder if Amir had done something or gone somewhere, where he hadn't expected to return. Kem shook his head. Then he looked at Cris.
"Thank you," he said, "for your thoughts. And your opinions. I know there are other things on your mind."
He reached out and let his hand fall gently but firmly upon Cris's slender shoulder. "Everything will be all right."
There was no false sincerity in Kem's voice. He meant what he said. The Clan was throwing every resource it had into finding this werewolf and keeping Rowan safe. They would find a way... to keep both Cris and Rowan safe.
((ooc: Both out))