Full Tides and Full Moons [Closed]

[Captain J. Aubrey]

((Takes place at some point after DT 1 but don't worry too much about timing. Pls keep to a posting order and maybe 5 PCs roughly? No strict limit <3 ))

Jack was acquainted with Hector House by this point of his tenure in the South West. He was not at all fond of high society but he had long since accepted that maintaining a presence in such circles benefited him in his position no end. Acceptance did not lead to enjoyment in this case, however. This particular evening, he concluded his business in the dining hall as quickly as possible without causing offence and then he headed directly to the seldom-used library. With a hearty sigh of relief, he found it entirely empty.

With no small measure of satisfaction, Jack set himself up in one of the grand bay windows with a small, well used notepad, a drawing pen and his collapsible scope. Cracking the window and focusing the lens on something in the clear night sky, Jack passed quite some time without noticing. Every now and then he would pause to note something down on the paper, but always he returned to his observations without pause. He did not stand out quite as much as he usually did, as he was dressed in civilian clothing for once - red breeches, hessian boots, a buck-colored waistcoat and grey jacket. Still, the cut of his clothing harked back to century-old fashion, even if the cloth seemed to be quite new. Anyone who knew him would recognise him from his silhouette alone, and anyone who didn't was bound to consider the man quite eccentric in appearance - even for the patrons of Hector House.

"Damn," Jack muttered, his pen between his teeth as he tried to balance the long scope on the open window frame - clearly failing from the string of dated expletives that fell from his lips, "Blasted thing."

[alanwrotethis]

Dukes steps into the library. He readies to announce himself, halts out of habit to tally the shelves and their contents. His eyes drift over to Archon Aubrey, and he can't help but smile. The man was a noted soldier and gentleman of action and command, seeing him staring at the night sky and taking notes was a reassuring reminder of human nuance, something many kindred lose over time.

"My Lord Archon," Dukes says. "Apologies for interrupting your studies... meteorology? Astronomy?"

He steps into the room. Compared to their brief meeting at the salon centered around the Lupercalia, Dukes had now returned to his thick woolen coat and far-too-long scarf.

"I am elder Dukes, Sheriff of Bath. You and I have spoken before, but under rushed circumstances. I was hoping to make introductions under less pressure, don't like to rush these things, and perhaps give you the opportunity to compare notes."

He glances at the scope.

"You are, of course, at liberty to refuse or reschedule, I can see that you are undertaking intellectual pursuits and I abhor getting in the way of such things. It must be hard to find the time with your duties so pressing."

[Captain J. Aubrey]

Jack had heard the footsteps approaching but had hoped he would no be interrupted. When he heard the kindred presence behind him address him by title, he immediately looked over his shoulder with a deep scowl furrowing his brow. He glared at the man for a while as he listening to his speak but despite himself, he couldn't prevent his features from softening into vague amusement as he processed the formality of the introduced.

"Aubrey is just fine, Sheriff. Ain't anyone's Lord, never was."

His tone had a hint of castigation in it but it was clear to see that he was fighting the urge to smile at being addressed as Lord Archon.

"I remember you well enough, sir. Pity about the circumstances. Nasty business."

Jack sniffed, glancing back at the night sky momentarily before collapsing his spyglass.

"Eh? Ah, a bit of both since you mention it. Thought I was going mad a few months back - that or just letting time run by without note. It seems we've observed too many lunar cycles in too short a period, lately. It's had a devilish effect on the tide. Well, some tides. None of it adds up, you see."

Jack's frown returned as he glances at his notes before putting them away inside his jacket.

"Good form of you to introduce yourself a second time. Or bad form, eh? Hoping for a second chance to make a first impression?"

A hint of his devilish good humor flickered at the corners of his eyes before being replace by the same standoffish expression and posture.

[alanwrotethis]

"Well, can't undo a bad meeting, just hope the next one goes better."

Dukes approaches the window, squinting at the night sky.

"Someone's been moving the moon eh? That's... concerning."

He blinks.

"Not being blase Aubrey, I mean that. Bad connotations, normally when I accuse someone of moving the moon, I mean that they've driven someone to lunacy with cruel words or.... other means. I wonder if this is a side effect of those other means. The clan of the moon have been living in interesting times lately."

He mutters under his breath, sliding beads on an abacus in his mind.

"Will you be working in the city in the near future? If so, I feel I should offer again to avail you of my own notes and investigations. A lot of events lately, too broad in scope for a Sheriff to pursue, too many domains need crossing to do so. But if anything I've learned can be of use to you, please ask."

He looks back to the window again.

"A lot of old stories about the moon, very few of them good in the long run. A fair few are tied to hunters. Artemis of course. Another springs to mind, from China, of two doomed lovers. The noble archer who saved the gods, and was given fruit of immortality as a prize. His lover prepared the fruit for him while he hunted for their dinner, but a rival attacked her to claim the fruit for himself. To protect who she loved, she ate the fruit, expecting her lover to carve it out of her belly when he returned. He would not hurt her, would not cut her to keep her close, so instead he watched as the fruit took effect, and his lover became a god in the heavens, the moon itself.
"The moral of the tale eludes me. Was it that you must be willing to sacrifice yourself to protect the person you love? Or that love only shines when you let it go? Maybe... it's just a cruel story. I do not know."

He shrugs.

"Has no bearing on your studies tonight, my apologies. Have you ever traveled to the Orient Aubrey? I tried to once, failed utterly."

[Valentina Audley]

With her Prince ensconced in meetings that wouldn't be appropriate for an Ancilla to tag along to, Valentina was restlessly wandering the hallways of Hector House. Dressed in the now familiar black, with her two white roses tucked into her waist sash and her blonde curls tied up with a black ribbon, her appearance is as sombre as her mood.

Hearing voices as she nears the Library door she pauses in the entrance, aura brightening slightly as she sees it's Jack and Dukes.

"Good evening, Sheriff Dukes, Archon Aubrey. Am I intruding?" She asks softly.

[Marcus Falco]

A faint tune echos down the hallway sung in a rough bass, the lyrics couched in even rougher solider's Latin, clearly sung by someone who is not expecting company. A few minutes later Marcus potters into the Library. he looks up startled to see the other kindred present the cracked old lines of his face visible for a moment before, almost without hesitating, the old kindred lets his presence draw a fuzzy veil over his wizened appearance.

He dusts off an old smoking Jacket, "Aeo Zeus! I had not expected to run into such august company, I do hope I'm not interrupting such august company. Good evening Master Dukes, Mr Aubrey... His head bows low... and the lovely Miss Audley". His brow furrows, "I was just looking for some old book, I hope I'm not interrupting, do tell me to bugger off if you gentlemen have matters of law and order to attend to".

[Captain J. Aubrey]

Jack's frown deepened as the Dukes' conversation veered off on a tangential rabbit hole, his fingers drumming against the collapsed spyglass in his hands in mild irritation

"Has no bearing on your studies tonight, my apologies. Have you ever traveled to the Orient Aubrey? I tried to once, failed utterly."

"I have to say, sir, you've rather lost me there. All I can add is that I would have expected the tides and the weather to be effected much more than they have been if 'someone had been moving the moon', as you say."

Jack shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable at being caught off guard by mythological ramblings that he had no knowledge of.

"The Orient? Yes, several times. I had the good fortune to be orders all about during my service and even now, my position allows me a great deal of freedom - geographically, in any case."

When Valentina and Falco entered the room, Jack looked up from his confusing conversation with obvious relief. A trace of a frown crossed his features when he noted Valentina was still in black - he thought she was much prettier in her white Chemise a la Reine - but otherwise he seemed pleased for the company, even if it only served to dilute the presence of the Tremere in the room.

"Ah, Miss Audley! No, not intruding at all - Oh, and Falco too. My, you are a polite bunch."

Jack looked momentarily baffled at the Sulis kindreds' attention to manners, looking around the room briefly as if at a slight social loss.

"I suppose we should sit and not stand around like a bunch of galley boys."

Jack chuckled, guided Valentina to a chair that she was perfectly able to find herself and then sat down quite heavily in a sturdy armed chair himself.

"The Sheriff found me taking observations of the moon - have either of you noticed anything amiss in the night skies lately?"

[alanwrotethis]

The Sheriff nods in sympathy - tracking his thoughts is hard for himself, it must be maddening for others.

"The line between metaphor and reality is blurring, I'll explain better about the moon, I mean-"

He halts as the other visitors arrive, the slightest tension notable in his shoulders. After a moment a smile appears on his face.

"Elder Falco, ancillary Audley, my pleasure. Please, welcome, your input, as archon Aubrey says, is appreciated."

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina gives Jack her sweetest smile and murmurs her thanks as he guides her to a chair, settling herself in gracefully and folding her hands neatly in her lap. She's aware of the Sheriff's tension. Drat the man, she wished he'd just out and say what was on his mind, if only so she could see if it matched her suspicions.

To the question of the night skies, she thinks for a moment then shakes her head regretfully. "I have noticed nothing amiss, though I must confess both to being greatly preoccupied with the death of my childe and not being a scholar of lunar studies beyond occasionally admiring the stars." She says softly.

[Marcus Falco]

Marcus frowned thinking carfully.

I cannont say I am fully familiar with its patters here, Luna has ever beem a fickle maiden and it certainly seems her pull is very strong on this area". He cast his gaze at Jack, "only the English would put one od their major ports on such a tide locked place".

Marcus scrwthes his beard thinking "Irregularities jn tides or lunar cycles have ever been an ill omen although i think i would hardly need the moon's council to tell me that there are stange things afoot in this realm. Elder Dukes you have more experience of this than me, coule this bloody great malkavian be drawing lusty glances from Luna affecting the sea's behavior?