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Post by Circe on Sept 24, 2020 17:56:42 GMT -6
"That sounds like an excellent idea." Catherine agreed. She didn't relax however, she knew that even though she had dismissed the majority of the courtiers that walls could still be listening. That was something she had learned with the fae, and something that Sir William had taught her. That people were listening and watching, and her words should always been carefully chosen with consideration for what they might do.
She had bought them a week, but a week wasn't enough. She just hoped she could convince Xiaolian to pass off the cause of the storm having been neutralized, for the sake of all of them.
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Post by demikara on Sept 24, 2020 18:04:01 GMT -6
He held out an arm for her to take, largely to guide him, but also to convince courtiers that everything was well. Just a sire and their fledgling, the heirs to the court. They had a week, and somehow that fact kept drumming in his head the entire time they left the court. Catherine had driven them here, and once outside the court, he turned toward the direction they had come out of and sighed. "A week. It's not a lot of time." It still wasn't safe to discuss exactly what they needed to, but that much was safe to say at least.
How the hell were they going to do this? "your guidance tonight has been a lot of help." He didn't say thanks, but it was implied at least. He had noticed the subtle flinch, last time and done some reading. She was practically fae. He could probably manage to convey gratitude without say thanks, right?
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Post by Circe on Sept 24, 2020 18:14:58 GMT -6
"It isn't." Catherine confirmed glancing around for a moment. This was about as private as things could get outside of the family quarters, and even then there were maids, valets, and other day to day staff that kept things running. There was little telling if they were loyal or only loyal to the idea of the court, never mind who was actually in power.
"Consider yourself lucky neither of us are toast then." She added. Catherine had suspected that Grigore would be out for blood about one thing or another, but she hadn't counted on the storm. She had been so exhausted for the last week after everything, taking care of that whole mess hadn't been at the top of her list of priorities.
It had been decades, centuries even, since she had had to actively participate in a court. This court in particular was a beast of its own as well. Given its roots that lead back to the first vampires, it was no surprise that things were different. This Dragon Court was intent on solidifying more territory than it ever had in the past, and it didn't matter what had to be done to get it.
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Post by demikara on Sept 24, 2020 18:19:20 GMT -6
"Trust me, I do. That was tense." That was incredibly tense, and he was back to being on thin ice in the court and the only thing that would save him was regaining his sight and somehow coming up with something to saw about the court. "Do you want to just park at the mirror station and take the mirror, or are we driving out?" He had finally gotten some ATVs in, and while they weren't completely protected yet, they still worked. They just weren't magic-proof. He hadn't let Carter apply the wards to them just yet. Finding the ward set he wanted was going to be tricky enough.
He had it on hand. It was just in his study somewhere. And he couldn't see a thing. Going through the various schema he had drawn up in his study was something that took more time than he liked to admit. He really should declutter and re-organize them a bit more, but right now, that wasn't happening and Carter wouldn't know where to begin.
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Post by Circe on Sept 24, 2020 18:25:23 GMT -6
Catherine rubbed her face thinking, forgetting that she had put on a full face of makeup for this meeting, and grimaced when she pulled her hand away. She wasn't sure if she wanted to risk her car to whatever strange magics were left on the ranch, it wasn't as if she had full access to the court's funds herself either. Both were considered the heirs, but also asked to support themselves somehow outside the stipend that Grigore gave them both. While it was technically more money than Catherine had ever had, it was also less money that Tyrus had ever had.
It's wasn't that MCU didn't pay well, it was that court costs and other things associated with her incarceration tended to rack up the debts.
"We'll drive.. I could use some time to clear my head." Catherine finally said. Things were Grigore were going to reach a head sooner or later, and that depended on just how much he figured out in the next week. She would have to keep a careful eye and ear on the talks about the solstice and speculations for December.
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Post by demikara on Sept 24, 2020 18:29:37 GMT -6
Tyrus considered the stipend to be entirely too little. But at least he was getting one. It wasn't what he was used to, but he did have a well-paying job. He wasn't suffering. He let Catherine lead them to the car, and carefully got into the passenger side. It would be a bit of a drive to get out there. He didn't exactly live close by. But they could both use it. "Once she was in as well, he managed to seat belt up by touch alone, something he was privately impressed with, even if it hadn't been as smooth as he would have liked. "How the hell are we going to manage this, Catherine?" How the hell were they going to stay alive and keep their secret at the same time.
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Post by Circe on Sept 24, 2020 20:07:23 GMT -6
"I'll be honest, I don't know. But we have a week to figure it out." She answered as she put the car into reverse and let it roll back gently before putting it into gear. The next week they would either have to find a way to admit the truth or stall even longer, and Catherine hoped that Xiaolian would at least help. The other seemed to have some inkling of the high stakes at keeping everything under wraps. High level magic users were often exploited or outcast by the very communities they called home; there was a fine line to walk between sharing a few things and tipping your entire hand.
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Post by demikara on Sept 24, 2020 20:30:36 GMT -6
"It's not nearly enough time. We can probably blame the fact that it was the solstice on it all. Maybe something with the ley lines?" He didn't know. But she was right. They had a week to figure everything out. He looked out the window, not that he could see anything. There were shapes he could just make out periodically, and the rare flash of color that they passed too quickly for him to know what it was. He sighed. "There's blood in the fridge. I know we're not supposed to, but hunting is tricky right now." So he ordered from Brandon who was willing enough if very vague on where he got the blood. It was from mundane humans and that was all he knew.
He didn't much want to know more than that. He had a feeling he wouldn't like the answers.
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Post by Circe on Sept 24, 2020 20:40:41 GMT -6
Catherine sighed and considered her next words carefully, "It's possible.. there was a ley line exploit a few years ago. We can get Boyuan or Bronson to confirm it... preferably Boyuan given her allegiance currently." She just hoped that would be enough to throw Grigore off their trail, at least until they could both get the magic well and under control. It was exhausting fighting with it constantly, and it almost made her wish she had the binding to hold everything together in times like this.
"A week will have to be enough time, I've faced worse." She added as the car slowed for a stoplight out in the middle of the county. They had exchanged the fast paced freeways and highways now, for the slower rural back roads as they made their way out to Tyrus's ranch. "And let's be honest.. I don't care how you got the blood. Some ways are better than others, but I don't need to know everything."
Taking her foot off the break, she moved forward again, traveling down the small two lane road that took them deeper into the county and closer to the ranch.
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Post by demikara on Sept 24, 2020 20:45:07 GMT -6
"It's still available bagged, if you know where to look. Despite Grigore's orders to go hunting for our meals." Orders Tyrus had, on more than one occasion, ignored entirely. He had been ignoring them entirely since the solstice. There had been no real choice. At least he could figure out what was a blood bag by touch. At least Carter hadn't said anything while he was assisting Tyrus around the house. He still couldn't full work as well as he'd like, but he was giving it a shot at least, doing the best he could.
Broadmoore was supposedly still doing alright without him there. That was good news.
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Post by Circe on Sept 24, 2020 20:55:51 GMT -6
"Grigore's orders are from a time when things are... were simpler to his mind." Catherine explained. Hunting for a meal certainly had been easier before things like social media existed, but banked blood, even with it's anti coagulants and preservatives was in some ways easier. "He's struggling to adjust to a more modern era is my guess." She had been there and done that before, after getting stuck in some trickster god's garden. While no harm had come to her, it had been extremely disorienting to come back to a world that had sped and progressed along without her.
What Catherine didn't mention, was that she too often had little time to feed and often fell back on a series of mundane take out meals. While it was food and she wasn't starving necessarily, it did her little favors.
Between the court, MCU, and whatever insanity Tyrus had gotten himself into that week; there was little enough time for her to sleep, muchless eat.
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Post by demikara on Sept 24, 2020 20:59:19 GMT -6
"Change can be difficult I guess. Though I can't help but wonder if he did the same sort of shit at his old court." No questions about the old court were permitted. He knew better than to ask. It wasn't worth the trouble of being curious at all. Grigore was stern, at best, and didn't balk from physical punishments of all sorts. He seemed to believe that abuse made you strong. Tyrus had put up with enough abuse as a child to know the opposite was true. "Not that we'll ever know."
He had so little time to hunt that he relied more on the blood bags than on anything else. They tasted terrible, but it was better than nothing.
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Post by Circe on Sept 26, 2020 19:19:34 GMT -6
Catherine just rolled her eyes and didn't respond to Tyrus's remarks, as far as she was concerned the other knew nothing of change.
However there was no telling what Grigore had done in the Florence to get himself relegated to such a middling branch of the court. The Dragon Court had always been home to what was classically considered a vampire, despite other courts having arisen during the length of history; each with it's own predilections and practices. But for the past however long, it had in many ways been seen as inferior despite its noble bloodlines. Grigore however, seemed intent to change this, even if it meant sacrificing others to do so.
Pulling off the pavement and onto the dirt road that would take them to the ranch, Catherine's car skidded and slid briefly as it struggled to gain traction on the loose gravel. This was not on of MCU's four wheel drive SUVs or even one their cars, and instead was her own personal vehicle. It was an older model sedan, mostly reliable, and paid for despite its short comings. However, it's makers had never intended it to see much more than a slightly bumpy city street and the caleechee roads of Tyrus's ranch were no exception.
"The wards, Tyrus?" Catherine finally said to the other as she pulled up to the front gate and stopped.
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Post by demikara on Sept 27, 2020 8:12:02 GMT -6
"Of course." He could see them now at least. He twisted his fingers and watched the split appear. "You should be able to get through now." It always took less time than he expected to get here. Still, he had felt the car move when trying to get on the path. He'd had to figure out how to make it smoother. there had to be some way after all, that didn't involve paving the entire length of the driveway. That was something he had no desire to do. It might invite more guests somehow.
The gate opened when he parted the wards for her. It was a neat trick as far as he was concerned. "I'll add your car to the wards. That way you'll just be able to drive through next time." The gate would open automatically for the car, once it was tagged appropriately.
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Post by Circe on Sept 27, 2020 15:02:57 GMT -6
Catherine urged the car forward gently as the gravel crunched underneath her tires. "No, don't." She said after a minute. The ranch had already been practically invaded by everyone in recent months, and she wasn't about to take advantage of it.
Catherine felt that it was better to maintain some hard and fast boundaries, and at least provide some sort of safe haven for him. She felt like it was her duty to do as such, because if it hadn't been for her this entire situation would have never happened.
"I don't want you to feel obligated to do that, muchless have someone take advantage of that." She didn't say who, but it could be heavily implied that she knew Grigore would stop at nothing to have full control of them both.
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