A thin haze of steam rose from the gold lined shower that stood invitingly in Gabriel's flamboyant bathroom where he currently presided, leaning against the marble counter deep in thought. As the condensation filled the room, clouding up the full length mirror that stood over the counter, Gabriel turned the problem over in his mind once more.

Sorenti was his Sire, whether he recalled it or not, and Gabriel would follow him to his Final Death without question if need be. But he seemed so foreign lately, so out of place. It was hard to accept.

Gabriel removed the dark purple robe that clung to his body, the fabric made heavy from the moisture in the air. It slid to the cold tile floor carelessly, as Gabriel stepped over it towards the shower.

Harder to accept still was the realization that he could not live up to both his duties as Primogen and Seneschal. He had been taking on multiple roles in nights of late, and it was clearly taking it's toll on him. He had even resorted to acting as Sheriff, stalking out rogue Kindred with his staff. The new Scourge had been a welcome relief.

Gabriel opened the foggy glass door of the shower and stepped back slightly as steam came frothing out. His body disappeared into the myst as he stepped in, positioning himself directly beneath the jets of water.

The truth, as hard it was it accept, was the truth. He could no longer dedicate the proper time to his clan that they deserved, and as much as he desired to be lauded by the Camarilla, he desired Inner Clan respect even more. He had worked many hard nights to become Gerousia, a covetted Ventrue title, and he would not have his reputation marred by a shoddy performance as Primogen.

The water cascaded down his pale muscular back, tracing the fine lines of muscle fibers flawlessly. Gabriel sighed a heavy sigh of relief as his trouble seemed to lessen slightly, if only for a moment.

So he would have to choose a successor, but who? Sorenti had certainly proved himself more than capable of the job in his previous stint as Primogen, and there was of course Syd Nowell. There were lesser Ventrue of course scurrying about the city, but no one of real leadership quality. Merely grunts, who enacted the higher Ventrue's schemes.

Liya Montague was supposively back, but he had yet to see her. There was Tara Brimstone, but she like so many had been missing for several weeks. There was Jade Valentine, his own Childe, but she was still very much a fledgling. Alekzandre, while powerful and efficent was suited to the task of a soldier, not a general.

He ran some other names over in his mind briefly, but soon realized that it would have to come down between Sorenti and Syd.

He turned the ornate shimmering handles of the shower and watched as the last traces of water slipped down the drain, creating a miniature whirlpool by his feet. Crossing his arms across a slick wet torso he leaned against the cool marble wall, casting his gaze towards the ceiling.

Syd was brash, and unpredictable at times. He made a good enforcer, but Gabriel had not really seen him as much of a leader. But again he might be a bit more in touch with reality than Sorenti.

The thoughts came in spasmatic bursts as he stepped into the cool air of the bathroom, slipping a towel from the rack and collecting the beaded water from his naked body. He abandoned the robe for a simple wrapped towel around his waste, and headed out in his main bedroom.

He tossed open his closet and stood before a long line of suits, all very similiar in appearance. He smiled slightly to himself.

"Yes it's very much like that...."

Still smiling about the new member of the "family" in its sludge-filled vat, deep in the cellars, Sorenti found weariness creeping up on him. He climbed the stairs to his office and closed the steel door behind him. The mahogany wall coverings were comforting, something about them brought warmth to his soul. He walked across the elegant room, lighting a cigar and studying the various paintings and artefacts. As he finished his cigar, he sat on the red, studded leather chair at his desk and began to go through the contents of the drawers. Finding little of real interest, he pulled a wad of papers out from the bottom drawer and began to look through them.

His concentration was lapsing after a while and his eyes drifted back to the open drawer. He realised that the drawer should be deeper than it looked and investigated further, discovering a false base. After many attempts to find a switch or button, he took the paper knife and stabbed around the edge, eventually ripping the base out. Inside was a document case that he lifted out and onto the desk, looking it over carefully before snapping the catch and opening it.

On top was a photo of a very beautiful woman, Sorenti held it in his hands and was caught by her eyes. He slipped the photo from its frame and smiled curiously as a folded piece of paper fell out. Unfolding it rapidly he read the delicately written words "Forever yours, Ivy" then in his own hand "Keep this safe!" He pondered the words and the photo, something struck him deep inside that he could not explain...tragedy, love, hate, injustice, revenge, devotion...so many emotions mixed that he could not fathom it.

Shaking the feelings off, he returned to the contents of the box, various papers and bank details, then a folder stamped with a Royal Seal..his perhaps? He wasn't sure, but he broke the seal and emptied out the papers, sifting through them quickly. One of the documents he stopped on and read...

"Subject: Gabriel O'Brien
Notes: Young, foolish, low confidence, but highly promising, needs direction and influence, could go far!
Details: Recently arrived in the city, illegal childer through no fault of his own, bright, intelligent and displays true Ventrue qualities.
Result: Candidate for training and possibility of re-siring to protect him from the legal position of illegitimacy.
Addendum notes: Sire must be fairly powerful as Ventrue blood is strong, feel a strong attachment to this one!"

A photo was enclosed and Sorenti held them both in his hands as his mind worked. He searched his soul and knew that he had indeed re-sired Gabriel, he could feel the connection even now. Gabriel had been right in what he had told Sorenti, therefore everything else he had said Sorenti now considered to be true. He had no reason to doubt what Gabriel had said, but it was an awful lot to take in one go. Bill came in to check on him, but Sorenti waved him away, immediately snapping out of his sentimental journey and returning to a more businesslike stature.

((hmmm...that explains a lot...I didn't know that Sorenti wasn't Gabe's original sire...how do you "re-sire"? like just biting and doing the same as when the subject was mortal? if so..what if a very flexible kindred bithimslef and re-sired himself? Can the clan be changed in re-siring? Are all Ventrue PV's? Why didn't Gabe consider Thorp as Ventrue Primogen?...oh...

((lmao....ok re-siring is seriously difficult...it is almost diablerie as the "childe to be" must drain the "sire to be" almost to death....with the sire's permission obviously lol

To re-sire, the "Sire to be" must be fairly old, powerful and lower than 8th Gen or the blood is not potent enough to take hold and the "sire to be" must be able to exist in a severely weakened state for the following night.

Re-siring is very rarely done because of the immense risk involved, both during and afterwards for the sire. All it really did was replace half of Gabe's blood with Sorenti's so Gabe had an equal legitimate sire, rendering him untouchable by the authorities of the Camarilla.

And Thorp for Vent Primo....hmmmmm.....KMA lol :P

With experienced hands, Sorenti quickly replaced the papers in the box, all back in their original folders. As he lifted the box to put it back, he saw again the photo of Ivy underneath with its piece of paper. His mind worked over the words, why would he write "Keep this safe!" on it?

"Hmmm Keep this safe...hmmmm.....safe, safe?"

Snatching up the piece of paper, he burst out of his office and through the hidden halls to his private library, his fingers punching in the various codes as if possessed. He almost attacked the mechanism to open the floor and then wrenched the steel door up from its hiding place. Sorenti flew down the steps and skidded to a stop by the solid titanium door. He ran his hands over the smooth surface until he found the catch to reveal the locking system. Into the small keyboard he punched the words "Forever Yours"... proceeded with the retinal scan the voice asked for and then turned the dial 9 right, 22 left and 25 right. Sorenti stepped back as a minute hiss could be heard, worried he might have got it wrong, he jumped back onto the steps, but was a little too slow.

The great door above powered shut on its hydraulics and sealed itself back into place, the floor slid over and the room above appeared completely normal again. As Sorenti stood there wondering quite what to do, the titanium door in front of him slowly slid back into itself, the cage behind it lifting gently as the lasers underneath shut off. Sorenti took a tentative step forward into the long corridor that now stood before him. Nothing moved or made a sound so he carried on forwards, clumsily walking right into the end of the actually short corridor. Cursing the damn mirrors, Sorenti followed the bends in the passage and gasped as it opened out into a huge room, the size of a banqueting hall.

He stood, unable to move, mesmerized by the sight, half of it was like a museum with exhibits displayed everywhere. The other side of the room had open archways into other, smaller rooms, a couple of bedrooms, a room filled with electronics all flashing away and the main room which appeared to glow. He walked slowly along the museum half, looking in disbelief at some of the items. Some of them were simply originals that had to be worth incredible amounts of money, but the majority were of a very different nature. Some were modern, such as a snub nosed German pistol, labelled "Hitler's Suicide" and an oil Lamp labelled "Florence Nightingale's icon", and some were very old, a sword that claimed to once belong to a Templar Knight, the Shield of Sir Lancelot and a gold, sealed Chalice that was simply named "Holy Grail".

The more objects he looked at, the more Sorenti couldn't believe what they claimed to be. Then his eye was caught by a small room at the back of the museum part, obscured by a tapestry of the Ventrue coat of arms. He held the tapestry aside and entered the small room, it was pretty much bare apart from a desk, chair and two large books on a table. Sorenti walked over to the books and read their titles. The first was not terribly old and was velvet bound, he picked it up, it was titled "I have erred and strayed" at the bottom it was signed in Gold leaf with the name "Paladin". The other looked much older, was far thicker and was bound in tight leather, it simply had the initials O.M. on the front.

Frowning, Sorenti sat at the desk and opened both books at random places, they were both diaries, the first in a strange hand and the second definitely in his own writing. He smiled slightly, sat back in the chair and began to read from the first. When he had finished, he sat for a moment, slightly saddened by the last entry which he had written some time ago. Eventually he picked up the one with the initials O.M. and his eyes sparkled almost immediately with the words he read.

(("Syd was brash, and unpredictable at times. He made a good enforcer, but Gabriel had not really seen him as much of a leader."

Since when Have I been Brash and unpredictable. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

:smile: :beer: :evil: :roll: :idea:

((will be posting soon. and btw, Gabriel gained that from you back in the day, when the Cappa's were encroaching on our turf and Syd was like "LETS KILL EM"

((lmfao :P

((Ok, now we know why he doesn't think Syd would be a good Ventrue leader....but why didn't Gabe even THINK of Thorp?? Huh? huh!?))

He watched in the dusky silence as the birds settled into their roosts just outside his manor. The air was thick with moisture from the surrounding swamps, and far to the west the sky was freshly purple from the sun. He stood there, on a dock quite possibly as old as himself, a sparkling wine glass in his hand filled with thick freshly extracted blood.

As the mawkish feelings of sentiment rushed over him in a wave, Gabriel closed his olive eyes and sighed silently. He took a moment to inhale the musty smell of the water. As he stood, listening to the sounds of flapping wings and rustling leaves, he felt his mind wandering, creeping further into the recesses of his memory...



The sparkle of her laughter cantered through the night air as the carriage shook violently once more. Through the laced windows of the carriage, Gabriel glanced out at the passing French country side. The trees droned by, blocking out the cobalt night sky.

The countess giggled once more, placing a delicate hand on his knee. Gabriel glanced forward, a smile pursing his pale lips. He was truly a beautiful sight to behold. He wore a long overcoat, thick and extravagant, according to the fashions of the day. Bits of frill and lace protruded from his sleeves, and covered pallid, lifeless hands that moved with grace and poise.

His blonde hair hung loosely around his shoulders and his cheeks were finely powdered by servants nightly. He had met the Countess, an older woman of questionable heritage, only three nights previous, but his charisma and charm had endured her ever lasting trust to him. Even now, they rode in her most elaborate carriage with only her driver, drunk on wine and each other's company.

"Est-ce que vous m'appreciez mon es cher?" he asked between laughs, his controlled grin growing visibly wider. She nodded with excitement in response to his question. She was enjoying herself immensely. Gabriel smiled and raised one dainty boot to chest level, the moonlight glaring off it boldy.

With minimal effort he thrust his foot through the carriage door, watching the Countess's reaction to the aggressive action. The door meanwhile, split from it's hinges and shot far into the passing forest beyond.

"Oh mon Gabriel de Monsieur, vous êtes si fort!" she giggled, her face brightening. She was not at all afraid. Gabriel nodded and extended a lone hand to her. He watched as she shot her gaze from his emerald eyes to his hand and then hesitantely took his hand.

"Tenir sur ma colombe!" he cried over the pounding sounds of the horses that drove the carriage. The Countess, somewhat perplexed, did as she was commanded and gripped his thin frame tightly, wrapping her somewhat thick arms around his waste.

Gabriel crouched in the confines of the carriage and hunched his legs. With all the power he posessed he threw himself out the door into the surrounding treeline. As the travel through the limbo of free air, he felt the Countess draw in a sharp breath, her body not allowing her to scream.

He wrapped his arms around her protectively as he felt his body slam up against a tree and the familiar snap of ribs reverberate through his body. The pair fell to the ground in a slump, Gabriel's tattered body rolling slightly through the dead leaves of Fall.

As he regained his balance he could hear the Countess's rapidly increasing breaths as she moved away from his fallen body in fear.

"Gabriel de monsieur! Est-ce que vous sont alright?" she cried between quickening sobs. He heard her feet shuffle as moved through the leaves, obviously trying to make her way back towards the road. He felt his body heal and he emerged from his fake slumber, appearing silently behind her, seemingly from the twisting shadows of night.

"Jamais mieux." he hissed as two wicked points emerged from his smile. He felt her once more draw in a sharp breath in shock, but it was too late. He buried his teeth deep within her neck and began to drink from her pure virgin body.

Her eyes rolled back as her body was undoubtably tingling with ecstacy. It was almost saddening, even to him, when he pulled away and gripped her by the chin. With a precise motion, he snapped her neck cleanly, letting her lifeless body slump to the forest floor.

His job done, he made his way back up towards the road where he had left. As expected the driver of the Countess's carriage had not noticed their departure and had driven on. No matter, it was a short walk back to the last town, where he would surely find his contact waiting. His boon was fulfilled....




Gabriel shook the memory off. That had been over a century ago, but still the memories of evil deeds done haunted him. The blood in his glass had congealed, a wrinkled skin covering the top. He sneered and tossed the glass into the river below. He had to make a decision, and soon....

((sorry, felt like telling a story.

((I dont recall the "KILL EM ALL" Statement, but if you say so, possibly misconstreued or a bit out of context?.......But we probably shouldnt argue such a pointless statement over the mb.....

[ This Message was edited by: syd nowell on 2002-03-18 23:26 ]

((bit risky throwing yourself in amongst trees huh Gabe? only take one branch in the wrong place and you would have been dust lol...bit foolish for a Vent, especially one who's now Seneschal :P :P :P hehe I guess we all do silly things sometimes ;)

((oh shaddup, Gabriel didn't even KNOW Vampires existed until 1978 when he was dealing drugs! lol he didn't know that a stake or having his head knocked off could kill him. he only knew that he had been shot, stabbed, and fallen distances that would've normally kill him :smile:

((and Syd, it might've just been the way i perceived it, anywayz, it's only Gabe's IC thoughts

((I understand, And i want you to know i take know offense, I try not to innertwine(sp) ic & ooc