Eve came back to the hotel nearly an hour later.

"What took you, Love?" asked Julius. "I was starting to ge... oh. What have we here?"

He had just noticed that Eveshka was dragging along a staked vampire.

"Didn't you do that once before?" asked Julius with a wry smirk.

"Mmhmmm," said Eve. "Seemed to work once. Why ruin a good thing?"

Julius got up and walked over to the man. "Yes, but last time I seem to remember you'd lopped off his limbs and made him all stumpy. So. Who might you be?"

The man said nothing. Julius smiled. "Oh goody, this will be fun." He got up but Eveshka held out her hand to stop him. "Whaaat?" asked Julius in a mock whine. "I don't get to play?"

"I want to play," said Eve. "I've not gotten frisky with a prisoner in a while. My way lets us use him afterwards."

Julius raised an eyebrow. "That is... if you don't mind whatching me 'do' someone else?," asked Eve. Julius was amazed. She was actually ASKING him for permission to seduce someone. Before, she would have just gone ahead and done it and damn the consequences.

"Well," he said, with a hint of reluctance. "Since you asked."

Eve carried the man over to the bed and lay him on it. She turned his head, after propping it on a pillow, so that he was looking right at her. She saw the his eyes focus on her. When he had done this, she dropped the glamour that disguised her from recognition. His eyes widened in both fear and awe. She used up several blood points radiating such a powerful Presence that the poor man thought he was in the presence of a Goddess. She pulled out the stake and he merely sat there like a teenager staring at the body of the woman who would take his virginity. She mounted him and started whispering in his ear, all the while gently grinding her pelvis into him. Alternating licking his ears and kissing his neck she asked him, "Who are you, baby? Why were you following us?"

At first he did not speak but as she removed articles of his clothing until he was nude he began to at least make moaning sounds. He opened and closed his mouth as she licked up and down the length of his masculinity. Julius looked on in mild annoyance, but rather great envy. "Tell us, lover. Why would you be following me? What could a helpless little girl like me possibly have that you could want?"

"Yuh..... you," he stammered. "Want... you."

Eve smiled and purred as she slid off her spandex pants revealing her sex in all its glory. The man's eyes widened, but there was something else in his eyes that was not there before. Apart from the desire that would have been understandably present in any man's eyes if confronted with such a being as Eveshka in seductress mode, there was also an odd cloudiness to them. He was not being merely seduced, he was being utterly dominated.

"And you can have me. Just tell me who sent you...."

"C...Can't," he said.

Eve slid back on to him and gently massaged the tip of his manhood with her sex. Her facial expression changed to something of longing as she looked into the face of the Arabic man beneath her. "Please, baby, I need you, but I can't have you until you tell me." Her eyes conveyed a sense of animalistic urgency. Nothing else existed in the world except this Arab. Nothing else mattered in the world except this arab.

"Ishh.."

Her vagina slid slightly farther down his shaft. She tilted her head with a pained look on her face. "Pleeease," she whispered in his ear holding his head tightly in her arms.

"Issshhtar," he said finally. She completely engulfed his manhood in her sex and left their pelvises touch. She slowly began to girate her hips. Julius sat down on the couch and watched, he was struggling with his emotions. The fascination of what Eve was doing to this poor Arab was rather strong, but so was the urge to turn him into coffee grounds.

Eveshka pulled the man's head into her ample breasts. She was using every bit of skill she possessed. She could tell from his aura and the "feel" of him that he was very powerful in his own right, probably powerful enough to resist an outright domination and potentially powerful enough to resist Julius' brand of interrogation.

"Where is she?" Eve asked gently stroking her sex up and down on him. She moved her lips down to his nipples and sucked on them. "Where is she?" she asked again. She sat up a bit and gently took his face in both her hands and held him. Their eyes locked and she had him.

"Her Tower," he said.

"Can you show me?" asked Eve with a smile.

His hands were grasping either side of her hips as she moved in fluid girations. He groaned as the desire to fight the seduction arose again.

She moved her left breast within reach of his mouth and whispered..... "Drink, My Love. You are hungry." He bit into her nipple and began to drink her potent vitae. Suddenly she pulled away and slid off of him. He looked at her like a hurt child.

"Tomorrow, I promise," she said. She returned with the stake and slid it back into his heart while kissing him. He went limp. She took Julius by the hand and led him into the adjoining room and closed the door. She had some making up to do.


This process was repeated two more times...

[i:89d36e095c] On the Third Night [/i:89d36e095c]

Eveshka was on her back clawing the Arab's back while he assailed her sex. She wriggled and writhed in seeming exstacy. "Drink me, My Love..... Drink me and be MINE," she screamed as she arched her back. And he did.

As soon as he drank her in she saw his eyes change. She stopped writhing and pushed him onto his back. She straddled him but did not let him enter her. He looked disappointed but did not say anything. "Can you show me where 'her Tower' is?"

He looked at her for a scant second and said, "Of course, Mistress, I am yours." Julius, who had been sitting there watching raised an eyebrow and was impressed in spite of himself. Eveshka climbed off of him and put on a robe. She walked over to Julius and kissed him on the mouth. He kissed her back but not as strongly as she'd have liked. "So... he's yours," he said in a whisper.

Eveshka held his face in her loving hands and whispered, "And I'm yours." Julius smiled at the sincerity of her statement. "Shall we go find Ishtar?" asked Eve. Julius nodded.

The Ventrue and Tzimisce paced the mansion, for the most part staying behind the protective safety of the task force's lines of offense. They wandered curiously from room to room, watching the Ventrue marauders burst through doors, released abrupt volleys of gunfire, secure the area, and then move on to the next room.

Behind the smoke, and bullet pocked walls, Gabriel could almost see the beauty that must have surely been present in the charming seaside abode. It was truly a risky habitat for a rabble of kindred to live in, dominated by wide, gaping skylights that invited the moonlight in. In the daytime this place would be a deathtrap, forcing possible Kindred intruders to cling close to walls and shadowed corners.

At last they arrived at the mansion's final wing, where the remaining Assamites had apparently put up something of a last stand. A grand staircase led to where Gabriel hoped he would find his answers, the masters quarters. Great heaps of furniture had been piled at the top of the staircase as a makeshift barrier, the points of gun barrels protruding through the random cracks and holes and spraying their deadly fire.

Intrigued, and perhaps hungered by the scent of the goal, Gabriel stepped foward over several dead bodies. A group of Ventrue soldiers sat pinned behind a corner, two of them laying down suppression fire every few moments before retreating behind the safety of the wall. The Elder Ventrue walked up to the group and gave them a curious stare.

[i:b866ba1661]"How old are you boys?"[/i:b866ba1661] he asked and was instantly met with shocked expressions. Such a question at a time like this? Luckily enough for them, they didn't speak English, so no reply was expected. Gabriel decided to use the universal language.

He held out his hand towards one of the agents.

[i:b866ba1661]"Give."[/i:b866ba1661] he said plainly but distinctly. The air crackled as blood magic took effect and the soldier obediantly handed over his weapon. Gabriel propped the assault rifle on his shoulder and drew his katana with his free hand, relishing the chance to use both arms in battle once more. [i:b866ba1661]"Let me show you something that comes with age boys."[/i:b866ba1661]

The soldiers merely continued offering blank, uncomprehending stares as the Ventrue enacted his upmost level of fortitude and stepped into the hallway before the staircase.

Immediately the Assamites fire zeroed in on the easy target. Concentrating on keeping his level of fortitude at it's peak, Gabriel walked in at a slow nearly crawling pace. His clothing leapt and danced as it was shredded by the surrounding bullets. Bits of the plaster and wood flew at him, as the hallway was rivetted with gunfire. Gabriel returned the greeting, holding the assault rifle before him with one arm and letting loose a deadly round of his own that tore through furniture and struck several of the gunman onto their backs.

Determined, he began the slow ascent up the stairway, taking one step at a time. The thickening smoke of gunpowder began to cloud his view as he approached the barracade. At last, the assault rifle empty, Gabriel cast the gun aside and gripped the katana with both hands. A blinding swing drove the katana through the barracade, splitting the massive collection of furniture into two pieces, and creating a pathway through which he passed.

Several swift movements later and the Assamites lay dispatched at his feet, and several squads of Ventrue soldiers were converging upon the final room of the house. Gabriel decided to let them do their job and waited through a rather violent gunfight for the final vestiges of the mansion's defenses to be put down before entering the room.

A man stood regally in the firm grasp of two Ventrue soldiers, staring with disdain at Cyrilynn and Gabriel.

Their eyes met and their wills locked, like one man accussing another of cheating at cards. Neither man said anything for a moment, intensely peering at one another through the settling dust. Even though the thick particles of brick and plaster hung thick in the air, the man's startling gray eyes stood powerfully, almost regally, plainly visible like two great moons, never leaving Gabriel's own.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Are you in charge here?"[/i:adc9e692c6] Gabriel asked at last, never drawing his eyes from the man's. He motioned to the surrounding room in a sweeping gesture meant to indicate ownership. [i:adc9e692c6]"In charge? Leader? Ask him Cyrilynn."[/i:adc9e692c6]

Before the compliant Tzimisce could translate the question, the somewhat bloodied man spat a copious amount of blood onto Gabriel's shoes, offering an equally loathful sneer along with it. The Ventrue followed his gaze from his now sticky reddened boot to match gaze with him once more.

[i:adc9e692c6]"I don't need your filthy translations. I am Imbrahim ibn Farouk, servant of Salah al-Hudin, the owner of this estate and the one who will very soon be bathing in your blood and decorating with your entrails."[/i:adc9e692c6]
Although his words rang with the fire passion, other than his sterling eyes, his body failed to follow suit. Blood stained his red robes, and created great clumps of matted hair in his black beard. He shook the Ventrue guards off for a moment, and Gabriel raised a hand as a signal for them to let him stand on his own...for the time being.

[i:adc9e692c6]"And where is your master...this Salah al-Hudin?"[/i:adc9e692c6] he asked, trying to recall where he had heard that name before.

[i:adc9e692c6]"No doubt planning your elaborate and painful deaths...filthy pig dogs."[/i:adc9e692c6] he spat again, this time to the side of Gabriel, apparently not wishing to push his luck. The man was brave, but he was no matyre. Perhaps that could be used to their advantage.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Hmmm...so it was he who was responsible for the attack on our hotel?"[/i:adc9e692c6] Cyrilynn offered, straining to keep her vast array of flesh instruments from forming and plunging joyfully into the Assamite's tender skin.

For the first time, the prisoner's eyes faltered, growing wide and wild for a moment before he shakily recollected himself. So...he had no knowledge of the attack, Gabriel mused. Perhaps a bluff was in order...

[i:adc9e692c6]"The last one claimed to be working in the honored name of Salah al-Hudin."[/i:adc9e692c6] he said, taking a step closer to the now trembling man. The Assamite clamped his eyes shut, and shook his head ferousiously.

[i:adc9e692c6]"LIAR! FILTHY MOTHERLESS SON OF A THOUSAND WHORES!"[/i:adc9e692c6] he ranted, blood sweat beading heavily on his darkened brow. The guards grabbed his arms immediately, and pinned him against the wall, with Gabriel following. The Ventrue pressed himself close to the Assamite, gripping his throat with a tight hand, their eyes now a mere breath away.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Why would a dying man lie Imbrahim? What are you hiding? Where's Salah?"[/i:adc9e692c6] He saw the man's will snap like a sword with two much tension, and the pieces shatter in his eyes.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Y...you must let me go!!! In the name of Allah, let me be!!! H...he's coming for me!! I did not know!!!"[/i:adc9e692c6] he thrashed with the rage of an untamed animal fighting for survival against the stronger Ventrue oppressors. [i:adc9e692c6]"How could I have known?! I thought him dead...the blasphemous wizard and mongrel...I did as he commanded!! What good are diadems and rubies to those who have already met Final Death?"[/i:adc9e692c6]

[i:adc9e692c6]"So you WERE responsible for the artifact heist from the Oracle?"[/i:adc9e692c6] Cyrilynn's voice was venom fueled, but Gabriel could sense her excitement, having at last closed in on her prey.

[i:adc9e692c6]"I didn't know he was alive! Why would a master not tell his poor servant?! I sold them to the museum! I wanted only to further his estate...honor his name!!"[/i:adc9e692c6]

Gabriel waved the guards away, and they let go of the broken figure. The man slumped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, now entirely sure that he was destined to die a dishonorable death. He wept openly, his blood tears stark red in the dust settled about his feet. The creeping warmth of passion began to ebb it's way into Gabriel's soul, but he shut it out.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Where are the pieces now?"[/i:adc9e692c6] he asked firmly.

[i:adc9e692c6]"I...I don't know...the diadem we sold to the museum in Athens I believe..."[/i:adc9e692c6] Imbrahim moaned, having no reason to hold the information back any longer.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Liar! We've been there...there's no diadem there!"[/i:adc9e692c6] Cyrilynn hissed, unable to stop her right hand from forming a wicked spear that hovered ominously inches from Imbrahim's downturned face.

[i:adc9e692c6]"...kill me if you wish...I am already dead."[/i:adc9e692c6] he looked up pitiously at Gabriel. [i:adc9e692c6]"...and why would a dying man lie?"[/i:adc9e692c6] The blonde haired Ventrue nodded, and believed him.

[i:adc9e692c6]"Perhaps we can come to an agreement Imbrahim..."[/i:adc9e692c6]

The council had started at 9 sharp. They had discussed what was to happen for the mission to succeed and now Hassan and Salah were standing around Mundug who somewhat reluctantly picked up the horn of the satellite connection phone. After he had entered the number he had received over a year ago, the phone rang a few times before it got picked up.

'Julius Darrant?', Mundug asked bluntly.

'It is him you are talking to, what can I do for you, Mundug', Julius answered in a friendly voice.

'Yes, it?s Mundug, calling from?somewhere in Iraq.'

'Yes, hello Mundug, what can I do for you', Julius repeated in his unchanged friendly voice.

'Well?uh, could I see you and Eveshka Shuvolov.' It?s important.

'Very well, could you find your way to Antioch, Turkey.'

'Antioch Turkey, that should not be a problem, I think.', Mundug looked over his shoulder at Hassan, who gave him thumbs up,'Yes, that should not be a problem.'

'Great, well, give me a call when you?re there, then we can set up a place and time.', Julius replied.

'Good, I will call you when I am there.'

'Good, was there anything else?', Julius asked, very well knowing that there was more going on than Mundug cared to tell him on the phone.

'Nothing that cannot wait till I am in Antioch, I hope.'

'Alright, when may I be expecting you then?', Julius asked.

Mundug looked at Salah and Hassan, who held out two fingers in the air: 'Two nights from now, probably.'

'Okay, I will see you soon then, thanks for calling and good bye.'

Okay.', Mundug replied and hooked in.

Hassan nodded and spoke: 'We will bring you to the airport now. Take this phone, it has all the numbers you need programmed in it. Once you land in Izmir, one of ours will provide you with a vehicle and directions to Antioch, his name is Umar. Salah and I will lead our forces to the area around Antioch and hopefully we can be there within a week. We will contact you in advance and you should contact us to update the situation in Antioch with your friends. Go now and good luck.'

Salah nodded Mundug to follow him. 'We'll take the helicopter this time.'

Salah's black Bell-Hughs UH-1 helicopter, Mundug remembered it all too well, last time he had seen it he was running on the roofs of the vatican and he had been shot at with the heavy machine gun that was anchored at the passenger compartiment, by Jerra.

Mundug made a fist of his hand...he still had some unfinished business with Salah. Things weren't just forgiven and forgotten yet. But it would have to wait...

The BMW turned the corner and disappeared from sight, leaving only the faint smell of exhaust fumes and a low, distant grumble as an indicator of it's existance at all. Inside, Cyrilynn went over the past few days events in as exacting detail as she could muster. The Ventrue machine, once set in motion, was truly a sight to behold. For all the squabbling and power games they played, she was coming to realize that once you stand before Clan Ventrue as a whole, you're days are worth precious little.

In the driver's seat, Gabriel sat fat with content. He let go a silent prayer of thanks for being born into the Clan of Kings. How easily the Assamite had buckled...and at the fault of his own master! This Hudin must be quite a character, he thought, to have scared this man witless. Tyler respects me and in part fears me, but would never crumble completely before me.

The successful attack on the compound was now a week past, and Gabriel had watched the events of the next several evenings unfold with rapid pace. Imbrahim had agreed to their terms in return for the Camarilla's complete protection from the master he imagined was returning to consume his immortal soul. Within a few nights, documents were drawn up and forged, planted, and then revealed by Archons. Paperwork describing a detailed plan to set off explosives underneath the very streets of Athens in an apparent revenge attempt on the Nosferatu for some past indiscretion.

Account balances too, were manipulated, sending some of the Prince's personal stock to the Assamites, and spreading the payments out and faking the dates. The result was either convincing enough for the Archon's to buy, or was at least not apparently transparent enough to for them to pass on the oppurtunity to remove a Lasombra from a seat of power.

With Imbrahim's testimony that the Prince had indeed agreed to aide them, in an apparent plot to destroy a Nosferatu rival, Sebastion's fate was sealed. Gabriel had watched with particular relish, as the snooty Lasombra had been dragged from his parlor, shrieking and striking out. The Ventrue were now in power in Athens, and Gabriel and Cyrilynn had their next goal...the Athens museum.

(OOC: Due to my RL mail server being down all day yesterday, this peice falls in front of Gabriel's last posting. :) )

Lady Cyrilynn had never been more impressed in her unlife! Even the ex-Scorpion was dragged, kicking and screaming, into a dawning realization that Sir Gabriel was [b:772bb242fd]MUCH[/b:772bb242fd] more than was apparent. First, her colleague had literally braved a storm of bullets that would have stopped her in her tracks, let alone caused her an untold amount of inconvenience in blood and healing, and she hated waste. She mentally grinned at the image of Tyler, his ghoul, having fits when he learned of the "rags" that now covered his master's body.

Then she was hard put to remain impassive at the even more spectacular display of the Venture in his element as he skillfully maneuvered their captive, Imbrahim, into a corner where he would have to pay Gabriel's price if he wished to leave it.....in one piece. It was too damned bad that her partner was a Ventrue. He would have made a much better Tzimisce than even her own ghoul, Serai. She might just have to teach him the finer points of interrogation, her style, and have [b:772bb242fd]him[/b:772bb242fd] teach her the more subtle points of misdirection. That and how to pull off that Superman illusion.

She listened impatiently as he continued to manipulate the Arab, while she was attempting to refrain from just crudely chopping his head from his overburdened shoulders. That the stupid fool had had the temerity to sell the diadem back to the museum was the height of arrogance and, instead of bringing them to the end of their quest, had shoved them another step away from it! All of a sudden her thoughts melted away like water down a drain as something caught her attention.

[i:772bb242fd]"Wait a minute...."[/i:772bb242fd] she scowled menacingly in Imbrahim's direction, [i:772bb242fd]"....you're lying. There were [b:772bb242fd]NO[/b:772bb242fd] rubies stolen from that collection. There were none mentioned in the reports we have nor has anyone we questioned disclosed that fact."[/i:772bb242fd] Their captive glared at her. [i:772bb242fd]Are you saying I'm lying, mistress? I held the headpiece myself, in my hands, and such a wondrous gem it had. All the flash and fire of hot blood! It's like will not be seen again in this world, should it be destroyed!"[/i:772bb242fd] Cyrilynn accepted the truth of his declarative statement as she used her meager Auspex on him. It didn't stop the growl that escaped her lips.

[i:772bb242fd]"That jewelry held a diamond, not a ruby! I'm sure of it."[/i:772bb242fd] she hissed at Gabriel in French, hoping Imbrahim had never studied the language. The ex-Seneschal sent her a fulminating look and she nodded decisively, once. He went back to dealing with his prisoner and she went back to tracking her thoughts on this new piece of information. It meant that she and the Ventrue were going to have to steal it back ..........right out of the museum!

Imbrahim had told the truth, unfortunately. They returned to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens just in time for the opening week of the new exhibit which featured Python's diadem as one of the stolen goods. The added mystique of a recovered antiquity made it quite popular....and crowded. That, under normal circumstances, would have been something to avoid but given the need to see the security setup in reality, it presented a world of opportunities for Cyrilynn. Here [b:47990acd7e]she[/b:47990acd7e] was in her element.

She successfully toured the exhibit itself seven times and raised no suspicions of the museum guardians by utilizing her ability to alter her appearance, height, sex and bone structure. The rest of it was merely tricks of disguise to make it more believable. All of which took almost the entire day but was, in the end, worth the effort. Gabriel had seen the exhibition chamber with her only once but his focus was the guards. He set about using his own skills to gain them access to the securities main control room.

Considering it a wise move to make, Gabriel acquired them a room, together, in a lesser known hotel, closer to their target. Once the diadem was in their hands, they would leave Athens as quickly as possible, leaving behind any further chances of assassination attempts. The Tzimisce voiced the fact that she hoped the diadem was the item Julius was looking for. Otherwise, all the effort and hardship will have been for nothing!

Once they had each fed and retired to their room, Cyrilynn sketched out a crude map of what she had seen and the placement of the security cameras, of which there were plenty. Gabriel added in what he'd discovered through his own skills of domination, auspex and enhanced hearing senses. They came up with a pretty good summation of the whole operation.

During the day armed guards patrolled or stood guard in the gallery. A hexagonal cabinet, made of reinforced plate glass, dominated the room and a walkway allowed the public access for the showing. Although the visitors weren't allowed to stand and stare, but must keep moving, the Tzimisce had managed twice (once as a pre-teenager awed by the place and once in a tottering old woman aspect) to stop long enough to surreptiously scan for the more sophisticated traps.

Cameras were definitely in obvious use. And their lenses never slept so they were likely to be the the control booth's night eyes. Gabriel's own reconaissance of the guard's schedules verified this. Cyrilynn picked up the telltale signs of laser trips near the cabinet and criss-crossing the floor. Anyone setting any part of a body in their fields would trigger an alert.

Suspended above was a steel-barred, iron cage. While this could not be hidden from public view, it was up high enough that most of those passing through would never look up and take note of it. The exquiste beauty of the main exhibit itself made sure of that and everyone wanted their money's worth, so why waste it looking elsewhere! The ex-Scorpion also made note of what seemed to be vapor jets in the walls and ceiling. She was betting it was likely a soporific they'd use in hopes of making sure to capture, and question, anyone who somehow managed to get past all the other safeguards. The exhaust fan, high up on one wall, lent certainty to her experienced guess.

Gabriel added that he'd discovered the floor and ceiling were reinforced with steel and concrete but couldn't get the specifics, which really was moot, since they weren't going to have enough time to dig in from underneath nor attempt to blow a hole downward from the rooftop. But he did convey the information that the target rested on a carefully calibrated base, wherein shifts in weight or even a trembling would also trigger the sirens. All of which was contained beneath the diadem, in the base's interior. She wouldn't have seen or known of them but it was nice to know her speculation on this was backed up as well.

One of The Ventrue's sources had imparted that the hanging cage would slam down, trapping all within it's reach, should [b:47990acd7e]any[/b:47990acd7e] of the traps be activated and that outside legal manpower would be there within 4 minutes time. A piece of precise data his partner had not expected to get, but was delighted to have. As Cyrilynn had exited the room several times, she was able to ascertain that the room itself was built like a big safe, with thick steel doors that barred the entrance and exits. As a last thought, she was willing to bet that there was an infra red system too. Wouldn't hurt to include it in her plans.

Gabriel looked to his Tzimisce colleague and frowned. [i:4539e22227]"I'm afraid that I'm fresh out of ideas as to what to do with this new information. As it is, you seem to have the skills for these sort of things, because it looks like we're going to have to do a bit of cat burglary."[/i:4539e22227] Cyrilynn had her eyes glued to the file of data they had regarding the museum's security measures, and a creased furrow now graced her brow. She gave an audible and deliberate sigh, then gazed up at him with swirling, pearl-gray irises. [i:4539e22227]"No....."[/i:4539e22227] she spoke slowly, "[i:4539e22227]....not[/i:4539e22227] cat....[b:4539e22227]snake[/b:4539e22227] [i:4539e22227]burglary".[/i:4539e22227] She waited for her colleague's reaction.

A decided gleam of puzzlement darted behind the Ventrue's eyes before settling into a derisive stare. [i:4539e22227]"Care to explain that?"[/i:4539e22227] He drawled. She turned away from him and stood up from her seat to begin a slow pace around the room. Her hands moving up and down on her arms as if she'd taken a sudden chill. She stopped at some point and was elsewhere for a bit before she frowned at him over her shoulder. [i:4539e22227]"I've formulated a possible plan, Sir Gabriel, but...."[/i:4539e22227] she paused in disquiet, [i:4539e22227]"It won't succeed without your help."[/i:4539e22227]

This time the confusion was evident in the wrinkles on her Cainite partner's forehead. [i:4539e22227]"What do you mean?"[/i:4539e22227] Lady Cyrilynn turned and faced him fully. [i:4539e22227]"I mean, Sir, that the flaws to my plan are the times when I will be vulnerable and entirely dependent on [b:4539e22227]you[/b:4539e22227] to do your part. One misstep and the whole thing will come down around our ears or even result in either of us meeting Final Death. The least that could happen is a lifting of the veil of the Masquerade. As it is, I've never worked with another person in all of my missions, I've never needed to. It looks like I must break with my traditions and I seem to be doing quite a bit of it lately.. I will need to [/i:4539e22227]"trust"[i:4539e22227] you, as Julius says."[/i:4539e22227]

Thoughts and ideas stormed through Gabriel's head as he processed this information rapidly. [i:4539e22227]"Alright. What's your plan?"[/i:4539e22227] She told him all of it in a steady tone, step by step, including the areas where she would have to rely on him to fulfill his part of the setup. [i:4539e22227]" I see. Well, it's certainly crazy enough to succeed, and [b:4539e22227]if[/b:4539e22227] nothing goes wrong and you are willing to, as you say, "trust" me, it just might work."[/i:4539e22227] The Tzimisce looked at him, saying nothing, her face stoic. Even behind that gaze he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Her visage suddenly rippled minutely and she quelled it with an effort and, before he could turn away, she continued, [i:4539e22227]"There's one other thing...."[/i:4539e22227] Her voice broke fractionally, eyes widening and beginning to go glassy. Knowing what that signified, Gabriel barked! [i:4539e22227]"What?!? What is it?"[/i:4539e22227] She started, then tried to go on. [i:4539e22227]"In order for me to change into that form..."[/i:4539e22227] She struggled again. [i:4539e22227]"...I must access the Python's memories and....."[/i:4539e22227] This time a fine tremor started at the back of her spine and sped down the length of her body. For someone already dead, Cyrilynn looked even more pale then before.

The Venture stood, intending to step over and shake her by the shoulders, to break the trance she kept sliding into. His movement seemed to stablize her momentarily because she finished, in a quick rush, before he could reach her. [i:4539e22227]"....create the shape. It will take some time, first, because I've never done this before and, second.....because I will have to sift through [b:4539e22227]ALL[/b:4539e22227] of her memories, Python's memories, to find what I need."[/i:4539e22227] Blood sweat popped out on her brow and she reached a hand to swipe at it, then stared at the smear of red across her fingers as if she'd never seen such before.

Gabriel calmly took out a hankerchief from the pocked of his jacket and wiped her hand and then her forehead. The person, behind the eyes that looked up into his face, searched his like a child asking her father to make the fright go away, to protect her from the monsters in the night. Keeping his voice level and smooth, he instructed her. [i:4539e22227]"In that case, why don't you go into your room and practice this shapechanging. Take your time at it."[/i:4539e22227] He, somehow, knew that she needed the privacy to come to grips with whatever it was that was eating at her.

[i:4539e22227]"I have some arrangements to make, if we're to pull this off, so I will be back in an hour or two. I will lock the door and place a [/i:4539e22227]Do Not Disturb[i:4539e22227] sign on the knob of both our suites. That should ensure you a modicum of time to work on your "project" without any unwarranted interruptions."[/i:4539e22227] She nodded a couple of times, then turned away, like a sleep walker, and entered her room, quietly closing the door behind her. Gabriel shook his head and walked over to the hotel's phone, intending to place some calls and do some research. If his assistant could deliver on her end, they just might manage to make this work. It was too crazy [b:4539e22227]not[/b:4539e22227] to!!

The room was steeped in darkness and gloom with only wayward starlight allowed to drift through the slitted drapes. It disregarded the limp and defeated figure on the bed, in a comfortless corner, curled in towards the wall. There was only the sound of soft, desperate panting. Blood sweat soaked the sheets and clothing of Lady Cyrilynn as she gathered her remaining reserves for yet another try at breaking the barrier that stood between her and the information she sought.

Just one more minute, she thought to herself, then I'll try again, just one more minute. A hand cupped her cheek and it was a testiment to her exhaustion that she didn't take exception to the familiarity from her partner and cut the impudent appendage off.. She turned wearily on the rumpled covers, [i:fdf29d3925]"I've nothing to tell you, Gabriel, please go away and leave me alone."[/i:fdf29d3925] There was no answer but the caress continued down the column of her throat until it rested just above the pulse point in her neck. She sought the face, attached to the arm, but was greeted only by shadows.

[i:fdf29d3925]"Ah, Venus, why do you make things so hard for yourself? Have I not taught you to set aside your feelings and emotions and see the situation only from an intellectual point of view? What has that upstart Tremere done to you? Tsk, tsk."[/i:fdf29d3925] The voice soothed and enervated the frustrated Tzimisce, as no other could have. [i:fdf29d3925]"Toisol? I can't see anything, I can't see [b:fdf29d3925]you[/b:fdf29d3925]!"[/i:fdf29d3925] She struggled to sit up but the hand on her chest prevented the action. She gave up and lay back, frantically searching the murkiness for his familiar form. Even given her vampiricly enhanced sight, she could see nothing!

A sigh reached her ears and that alone was enough to give her peace for the moment. [i:fdf29d3925]"Why are you here, beloved?"[/i:fdf29d3925] There was a pregnant pause followed by an inelegant snort, [i:fdf29d3925]"Because, my little toy, you are once more making mountains out of molehills!! As much as I dislike this new master of yours, he is an essential part of the world's events and if I don't help you, you will not fulfill your end of this quest and that would be a disaster. I dislike the thought of my childe claiming the title of "Bringer of Disasters"."[/i:fdf29d3925] His tone went dry and sarcastic. Cyrilynn shivered at his ultimate displeasure.

[i:fdf29d3925]"You have three choices before you, my dear, and you must choose. You may try to overcome your incapacitating fear of being bound into Final Death and hope you are in time to complete your mission, [b:fdf29d3925]if[/b:fdf29d3925] you succeed. You can admit defeat and your mission [b:fdf29d3925]will[/b:fdf29d3925] be incomplete. Or, you can endure my assistance and pay a price."[/i:fdf29d3925] He paused long enough to allow the import of it all to sink in.

[i:fdf29d3925]"What is the price?"[/i:fdf29d3925] Cyrilynn arrowed straight to the heart of the matter and, although she couldn't see it, she could feel his pleased grin. [i:fdf29d3925]"The price is two fold, my pet. First, for the service of walling you away, for a time, from the impediment of your fears and allowing you the ability to craft yourself into snake form, I will have to release the pressure of that dementation at a later time, when you are in a less precarious position. I am unable to say when that would be, just that it would happen rather suddenly."

"Also, I will ask of you, at some time in the future, the use of your essence, mind and body for me to command. I can only do this if you are willing, but I will not ask unless I have no other choice. Trust me, it would be for your own protection."[/i:fdf29d3925] Toisol's childe didn't even hesitate, her trust of her sire was as great as her sorrow at his quietus. [i:fdf29d3925]"Done."[/i:fdf29d3925] There was a stilled silence like the calm before a storm. [i:fdf29d3925]"Are you certain of this?"[/i:fdf29d3925] It hurt that her single agreement wasn't good enough, but she understood the need for the affirmation. [i:fdf29d3925]"Yes."[/i:fdf29d3925] She spoke it conclusively.

The palm resting atop her torso left and she felt coldly bereft until the fingertips rested lightly on her eyelids and slid them closed. [i:fdf29d3925]"Let us begin then, time grows ever shorter."[/i:fdf29d3925] His lips touched the beating vein where his fingers had originally held her and then his fangs slowly sank home. The piercing pain dissolved into a fogged euphoria as he drank lazily and, immediately, she was Python once again. But this time, it was as if everything was viewed from a distance, she was both herself and the snake goddess together. The memories poured through her consciousness at a rapid rate and she struggled to sort them out.

Once begun, it wasn't hard to quickly reach the one memory that would contain the data for the snake form that the Antediluvian knew, for she'd tried them all in her vain attempt to escape her magical bonds before the sun finally caught up with her. The Tzimisce could feel the dread of [b:fdf29d3925]HER[/b:fdf29d3925] Final Death, could feel the sun creeping up with it's harsh and burning rays, the terror. But it was kept at bay, an acknowledgement that it was there, but would not reach her. Not yet. She snatched at the information, rending it away and locking it inside her mind, the cocooned fear linked to the knowledge, dormant. Later would be soon enough to deal with it. She floated away on the tide of her ecstasy.

She awakened abruptly and sat up. She and her garments stank of the cooling scent of blood and she wanted a shower badly. Grabbing the linens she'd lain on, she made her way into the bathroom and proceeded to wash all evidence of her recent failure down the drain, the water turning from red to pink and then to clear streams of liquid. She left the bedding in the stall as she stepped out to dry herself off. Let the hotel's maid deal with them. She quickly dressed in a clean outfit and went to inform Gabriel that she was ready for the main phase of their operation.

The large triangulate head of the Royal Golden Python reared up from the back seat and swayed there gently, just over the driver's shoulder, it's eyes reflecting redly as the artificial illumiation from the streetlamps reached them while the BMW streaked through the quiet night. For a change, the engine was muffled, it's usual bellow a muted purr as the wielder kept it to the speed limit. Gabriel glanced up in the mirror and nearly jumped out of his undead skin, even though he knew what was back there.

[i:f4adf3d6f9]"Keep your head down!"[/i:f4adf3d6f9] He hissed at the female reptile. [i:f4adf3d6f9]"If anyone sees you, even in this light, you could be the cause of an accident. I don't want [b:f4adf3d6f9]anything[/b:f4adf3d6f9] that will cast suspicions in our direction!!"[/i:f4adf3d6f9] The forked tongue flickered past his ear and tapped feathery touches before sinking into the shadowy depths of the rear seat. The Ventrue slapped at the empty air and then glared at the rearview, only to be met with the usual picture of a seemingly empty seat. He could have sworn he heard the susurration of hissed laughter.

The silver vehicle settled against the curb of a back street, one block over from the museum's building, like smoke coming to ground. Gabriel stepped from the interior and swept the immediate area with his auspex, searching for observers. Luckily, it was late into the night and few people, if any, were sticking mainly to the lit areas and those that clung to the shadows were busy elsewhere. Except for a couple of tom cats busily courting a queen in heat.

He walked around and opened the door, allowing the large body in the back to exit under it's own power. Eighteen feet and two hundred and nine pounds of rippling scales pooled at his shoes and the head rose up to the level of his eyes, a head the size of a football, only in a wedged shape. Even in the murky shadows it's mottled patterns gleemed auric. Gabriel's whisper was on the wry side as he requested a change. [i:f4adf3d6f9]"I realize that this was the only pattern you could come up with on such short notice but do you think you could dull the color a bit? It's like a neon sign!"[/i:f4adf3d6f9]

A minute ripple started at the back of the head and, like a shutter going down on a window, the yellowed shine became a nascent shade of it's former glory. The coils shifted in impatience, making a rasping undertone, and the head turned in the direction of their goal. With a tersely muttered [i:f4adf3d6f9]"Let's go."[/i:f4adf3d6f9], the Ventrue glided into further pools of gloom and stalked the museum's structure. The weaving head of the snake dropped to the ground, like a cut line, and sinously kept pace with the Cainite.

Arrowing in on their intended goal, it didn't take them long to reach it. A rounded duct in the side of the stone wall, about eight feet up and a foot and a half wide. Barely large enough for a small child to climb into, but no obstacle to a large snake. A sound of annoyance issued from the fanged mouth as the serpent beheld the brand new screen across the hole's entrance. Bits and pieces of a bird's nest protruded through the mesh. Rearing up, the ophidian's tongue ribboned out and wove itself in an out of the airy slits in the metal covering.

Gabriel was surprised to find his leg the anchor point, as the tail whipped it's self around his limb three times before squeezing tightly enough to hold but not to injure. The cylindrical belly pressed against the concrete facade and the entire upper portion of the scaled body *yanked* the protection from it's moorings with a metallic popping sound.

The kindred winced and then swore luridly, in a whisper, scanning the immediate vicinity for anyone wanting to investigate the slight disturbance. For an assassin, the ex-Scorpion didn't seem inclined to be very quiet! Maybe crafting herself into this snake form had some drawbacks that she had yet to overcome. Both of them held a listening pose for several seconds before the reptile's body lowered itself and it's burden to the ground. The tail released it's stranglehold on the Ventrue's shin and moved away. The vent covering lay abandoned in the grass, the forked tongue had returned to it's own housing.

Once again, the python's body rose up to confront Gabriel. It's eye's staring hypnotically in to his own. The tableau held like that for a moment until a car's distant backfire shook the Cainite from the trance. Anger built fast and he almost withdrew La Magra, tempted beyond measure to strike it's head from it's spine. But just as he placed his hand upon the hilt, something intelligent, and stunned, flashed in those cold orbs and the head sank to the level of his chest as the eyes angled downward. It made no other moves and it was a few minutes before he released the sword from a death-like grip.

Tight lipped, he rasped out. [i:f4adf3d6f9]"If you ever do that again, I will slice through that golden scaled neck of yours! You can achieve Final Death as a snake as easily as if in your normal shape"[/i:f4adf3d6f9] The head lowered slowly to the ground and then slumk it's neck under the toe of his shoe. The gesture obviously one of acknowledged paramountcy and contrition for her action.

The Ventrue relaxed, ire giving way to the suspicion that she struggled with more than just maintaining the shape she had chosen. Perhaps there were other memories attached to the accessed data that were instinctual rather than practical. Such memories could spring up, unfettered, and interfere rather than aid. She'd been doing a decent job so far, he admitted reluctantly, but how long could she keep this up? Best to get on with the next part of their mission. He might not enjoy the fact that she was Tzimisce kindred, but he liked her other "forms" far less. They weren't natural.

Deciding to get on with their assignment, Gabriel steeled himself for what was coming. If she could trust him to retrieve her before disaster struck, then [b:09621fefaa]he[/b:09621fefaa] would have to trust her now. It was made harder by her earlier aberration but he felt he had two things going at the moment. One was, that in her current body, she couldn't change fast enough, even as an undead reptile, to come up with those deadly weapons of hers. And he was sure that some of her disciplines wouldn't work as well as she'd like, if at all.

The other was the reoccuring fact that she was Julius's thrall. Which meant she'd face [i:09621fefaa]his[/i:09621fefaa] wrath if anything happened to the Ventrue. Not that Gabriel would be around to take satisfaction in her punishment. [i:09621fefaa]"Alright, let's get you up and in there so that I can be in the security booth when you're ready. Give me about 15 minutes once you are in place."[/i:09621fefaa] The kindred prayed he'd not take more time than that. A lot could happen in just that small span of time.

The python's head rose up and butted gently just underneath his now empty hand before sliding across his waist in the back, then curving around to the front. The tail, once again, anchored itself to his lower leg and she made another loop around his middle. Gabriel stiffened as the coils pressed inward and he fought the urge to peel her off of him. He'd insisted on allowing his arms to remain free when she'd discussed this tactic. If nothing else, he'd be able reach La Magra. Maybe. Otherwise blood magic would have to suffice until he could.

The long barreled body rose up and entered the ventilation shaft, bypassing the desicated nest. The upper half began to coil and fill the eighteen inch by two foot hole, pushing the debris out and away, the major portion of the form filling the duct tightly, to keep from falling out. The feeling of being in an enclosed space slammed into her but, once again, it was walled off and away from her mind. Just one more part of the price she was incurring. There was also the fear that someone would see the tail end and wander over to investigate, then there would be an unwanted hue and cry that could scuttle all of their plans! Timing was essential now.

Once the snake had abandoned him as a launching post, Gabriel hurried around to the front of the building to begin his own part in this escapade. Time to get to work. After checking over his disguise as an overweight securities specialist, that Cyrilynn had insisted he adopt, he approached one of the guards that were slated to begin patrolling the grounds about then and had him radio that he had arrived for the "surprise imspection". It had been ordered for later in the week but this night crew wasn't aware of that.

Flashing what [i:09621fefaa]appeared[/i:09621fefaa] to be a badge, one of Cyrilynn's creations which would only pass scrutiny if linked with domination, he followed the man up to the security center and then thanked him for guiding him there, leaving the mortal with the warm feeling of having pleased a superior. Gabriel promptly set to work on the single guard manning his post, in the main control room, at this late hour of the night, and began mentally preparing him for the coming drama.

Cyrilynn eyed the exhaust fan and it's overlapping blades that blocked her passage into the chamber where her prize reposed on a pedestal, in a state of protected veneration. The one thing she had to be grateful for is that there was [b:7cc5944786]no[/b:7cc5944786] interior mesh covering into the room proper. Perhaps the museum owners felt the outer one to be adequate enough. It was certain that only an emaciated contortionistic mortal (or kindred!) would be able to fit in the snug little cylinder she utilized as her entrance.

Then they still had to make it past all the other traps laid for thieves. The ex-Scorpion allowed herself a touch of smugness, in the back of her mind, for coming up with something they'd never anticipated. Expending a touch of blood, she strengthened her jawline, spine and most of her overly large, pie-shaped head, to something that was a bit more durable then the steel of the fan's paddles. In the meanwhile, she began mentally counting down the minutes, by which time, her partner would be in place and doing his part of the job. She pressed the point of her chin up against the metal and started pressing steadily at it. The mishapping of the propellers would be slow and subtle. The guard shouldn't even notice them, after all, who would think to watch the gas vent?

Once she had enough of an opening to begin her descent, she poked her head thru slowly and cautiously. By now, Gabriel should have his target involved away from the cameras. She scanned the room quickly, rotating her head evenly. Keeping to the outlined plan, she sinuously reached out with her head and neck for the railing of the viewing walk just below her and began winding her torso around it, the remainder of her body now coming through the duct to join the rest of it on it's tubular branch.

She had chosen this form for the very reasons that snakes, as a general rule, are cold blooded, and while there was a chance the a real snake could and probably would trip the infra red and heat sensors, she was betting that an undead snake wouldn't trip any of them. So far, so good. Also, by coming in the vent from the outside, her limbless body would fail to trip the floor lasers. Thank the powers that be, they hadn't yet gotten around to the lasers that criss-crossed the entire room! At least something had been in their favor!

Now that she was fully into the room, she had to act [b:7cc5944786]very[/b:7cc5944786] quickly to trip the overhead cage and the sedating gas. But first she had a performance to accomplish. Of everything they'd learned about this set up, there was one thing she would never be able to fool or get around. The cameras. Those unwinking eyes that saw everything that went on in this room. So if you can't use obfuscate or illusion on them, then it was time to enter "stage left".

Slithering her way around on the rails, she raised her head to move past the cabinet that contained the diadem, reaching for an opposite railing. As if she had seen a reflection of herself, she whipped her head around to stare into the glass and then bobbed a couple of times before giving out a great hiss. Large quantities of blood, suffused beforehand, into the muscles, skin and bones, was instantly burned as it annealed them into something hard enough to hopefully crack a hole in the surface before her. In a blindingly fast move the Great Golden struck out at the "other" snake in the glass before pulling back rapidly and rearing her head again for a return strike.

(([b:2cf4e29545]OOC:[/b:2cf4e29545] The reason for the massive amount of posting, is that I've had these all ready to go once a certain point in this thread had been reached, not because I couldn't stop, once started. :D

AND, I'm by no means finished. There will be more in a timely fashion. hehehe However, it will have to wait until Sunday or beyond as I am busy with game orders (for my PBEM), a mage schedule (for the same) and getting ready for the Vampire Reunion on Saturday. :)

I hope to see most of you there. Cheers! 8) ))

((I completely screwed up the location in Turkey where Eve and Julius are/were at. I was thinking ACRE, not ANTIOCH. Acre is on the Mediterrenean which is where I had Antioch being. Antioch is inland a bit with no harbor. The reader will kindly erase the image of lovely beaches and rolling breakers out of his or her mind. INSTEAD... picture a dusty one horse shithole of a town with ruins of fortifications and a citadel perched atop a rather high promontory with a lovely little river running beneath it. Thank you and enjoy the show)).

((c'mon! lets keep it going!