10:11 <Quaker> ——— 10:11 <Quaker> ———— 10:11 <Quaker> ------------ 10:11 <Quaker> ——————————— 10:12 <Quaker> Badawi is waiting in line for an audience with the High Table. “Do you think those monkeys have a guitar?” 10:12 <Quaker> She’s looking at the orchestra. 10:15 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's standing behind her, looking over her shoulder. "Are you going to ask them to play something?" 10:16 <Quaker> “I was going to borrow their guitar.” 10:18 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Oooh." 10:18 <VoxPVoxD> "To play?" 10:19 <Quaker> “I was thinking about it, yes.” 10:19 <Quaker> “Isn’t that what you do at parties?” 10:20 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Depends rather on the party. What would you play?" 10:24 <hrolf> Rolf is standing by a tree, casting a roving eye over the people enjoying themselves. He notices the rest of the crew and walks over. “All clear? ‘Aven’t noticed any security issues yet meself - bit surprised given all the 'igh level of freaks and whatnots around.” 10:25 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "There's so much magic under the Tatterdam you'd have to be mad to attack it. Are you enjoying yourself, Mr. Hughes?" 10:25 <Quaker> Badawi: “I don’t know. Something Mexican, probably.” 10:26 <hrolf> Rolf runs a hand over the back of his neck and grimaces. "Not me crowd, to be 'onest. Plus its 'ard to enjoy yerself and do security at the same time. One or t'other." 10:27 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Well, I think our employment here is rather nominal. What they wanted was to take our measure." 10:27 <Quaker> “Who would attack it? Everyone’s representatives seem to be here already.” 10:27 <VoxPVoxD> "There aren't any demons," Willie points out. 10:28 <Quaker> Badawi: “Do they maintain a very public profile?” 10:28 <hrolf> Rolf: "Nominal or not. But if someone - or somefing - does set somefing of, not going to look good on us if we were goofing off, hey?" 10:30 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "No, I think all the properly sociable creatures are here. But there are an awful lot of antisocial creatures." To Rolf: "And yet, if we just stand around waiting for something to happen, everything that actually happens will pass us right by." 10:31 <hrolf> Rolf: "Distribution of labour, innit. Some of us do business development. Others keep the watch." 10:32 <tom> Bob's having an intense-looking discussion with Sumi and Mari over by the taps, having just peeled off from drinks with the good Doctor Blackfin. He's stalking back over to the others now: "Do I need to paste a wizard for you, Agostina?" 10:32 <VoxPVoxD> Willie rolls her eyes and sips the drink she's queued up with. 10:33 <Quaker> Badawi: “Do I need to schedule a therapist for *you*?” 10:34 <VoxPVoxD> Get his ass. 10:35 <tom> The wolf-man gives a shittly little yipping giggle. "You'll have to have me committed. I am sworn to never murder an innocent, that's part of my deal now," no it isn't. "-But there's nothing that says I can't make a real fuss while they drag me off." 10:35 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Who decides who's innocent?" 10:36 <hrolf> Rolf spots a man with what appears to be gills. He stares a little too hard - the fishman notices, and gives him the bird, walking off. Rolf shakes his head and scoffs. "This place is full of wankers. Bohemian grove types." 10:36 <tom> "They won't tell me until I go Clear or whatever," Bob grumbles at Willie. "It's more like a meetup for Bohemian Grove victims with on-the-nose aesthetics but yeah sure." 10:37 <tom> Obviously he's careful to lower his voice and make sure nobody who spent a dime on the other side is close enough to hear that. 10:37 <Quaker> Badawi: “So is this like a new job? Or more of a new club?” 10:39 <tom> "Shit, I didn't-" Bob scratches his furred head, as though the thought never even entered his mind. "I mean it's like a thing I'm doing now, yeah?" 10:40 <Quaker> “Do you have to take orders from the King?” 10:40 <tom> "...I guess?" 10:40 <tom> "He isn't gonna like, pranked, kill your teammates." 10:40 <Quaker> “And are you allowed to turn down the orders?” 10:41 <tom> "I better be." 10:41 <Quaker> “You didn’t ask beforehand?” 10:41 <VoxPVoxD> Willie sips her drink very slowly. 10:42 <tom> The wolf wobbles a bit. "Hey can we maybe talk about this some other time insteada during the party," He glances over his shoulder. "Nobody's doing anything fucked up, okay," 10:42 <tom> "Things are allowed to be chill." 10:42 <VoxPVoxD> How wobbly is Bob? 10:44 <tom> He's been drinking water for an hour. Really. 10:44 <Quaker> “I’m not grilling you. I’m just curious.” 10:45 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's going to find a Spring fae to clean Bob up before midnight. Something to ask Mari or Sumi about. 10:45 <tom> "My people," shit, they really are now, aren't they, "generally don't make a fuss. Like they aren't going around chest-beating starting fights. They mostly keep to themselves." 10:45 <Quaker> “Anyway, I was asking Willie but I think you’d have a better idea. Are the other Courts looking for hires, too?” 10:46 <Quaker> “Well, not hires, but you know what I mean.” 10:46 <tom> "I only got an in because I knew Mari, really. They wouldn't'a, you know, I think I'm a special case." 10:47 <tom> "I don't think so. I haven't met any other normies. I mean, I guess it's hard to tell." 10:47 <hrolf> Rolf: "Don't get too pissed in case they have a final fing for you to do before you're in." 10:48 <tom> "Oh I'm not about to wild out over it." 10:48 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I do think there's an appetite for our services among the Hills. So the opportunity to earn their favour ought to be forthcoming." 10:48 <VoxPVoxD> Willie smirks a bit at the duality of interpretation of the word 'pissed' between Bob and Rolf there. 10:48 <Quaker> “And then we can all be odd fairies, together.” 10:49 <VoxPVoxD> "I got someone to harvest off me earlier," Willie tells Bob. "Interesting experience!" 10:49 <hrolf> Rolf: "Speaking of fairies. Doesn't this mark a target on your back, like? If the 'edge folk come for them, now they come for you too?" 10:50 <tom> To Rolf: "I hope so." 10:50 <tom> "The looks on their fucking faces." 10:50 <tom> The wolf shakes his head, trembling with mirth. 10:50 <tom> "I am going to give them a very bad time." 10:51 <tom> He turns and kinda slouches onto one of the tables piled with trays of seasonal fare as he takes in Willie's words. "Yeah, I found it really evens out the edges." 10:52 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "It's very benzodiazepene." 10:52 <hrolf> Ah, youth. You need an army and a state behind your back to earn that level of arrogant confidence. "Yeah mate, haha..." 10:53 <Quaker> “I think you’re being a little overconfident. But have fun with it tonight.” 10:54 <tom> "There are worse things a person can drink than tears, you know, I dunno what it's like to have your happiness gobbled up. But sadness I can do without." 10:55 <VoxPVoxD> So she does eat his feelings. "Yeah, like beer, for instance." 10:55 <tom> He coughs. Right, this is a party. "I've fought weirder things than elves, Mrs. Badawi." 10:55 <tom> "It's just another job." 10:56 <Quaker> “A job you can’t quit, after all.” 10:56 <Quaker> “So when’s the wedding?” 10:56 <tom> Bob coughs up some water through the wolf's muzzle. 10:57 <VoxPVoxD> Willie cackles. 10:57 <tom> "I uh, look I dunno, I haven't even met the 'rents." 10:57 <Quaker> “When are you meeting her parents? Do they know about you? Are you getting a nikah?” 10:58 <hrolf> Rolf: "A what?" 10:58 <Quaker> Badawi: “A nikah.” 10:58 <Quaker> “An Islamic marriage license. Like the Jews have.” 10:58 <Quaker> “Well, more of a contract. The terms of the partnership.” 10:59 <tom> The wolf panics for just a second. "Offering to give up bacon to win her dad's favor is basically the only card I've got left to play." 10:59 <hrolf> Rolf: "...you're not Converting are you Bob?" 11:00 <Quaker> “Her parents will want you to convert.” 11:00 <Quaker> “Do you need a referral to a sheikh, if you don’t want to use hers? I know a few around here.” 11:00 <tom> The wolf is kinda wary as it regards the Human Office kneebreaker before turning to Badawi: "...I mean it's just some more silly words and shit." 11:01 <VoxPVoxD> Would Mari even want a nikah? She's hardly observant... 11:01 <tom> "You know what yeah let's go back to talking about being sad or whatever that's chill." 11:01 <hrolf> Rolf: "Aye it's all fun and games till you have to follow sharia everyday..." 11:01 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's not sure how you have an experience like the seelie folk have and come back wanting to pray to a God that let it happen. 11:02 <VoxPVoxD> To Bob: "Did you know Letty Barrowsmith was here?" 11:02 <VoxPVoxD> "She came swarming towards me and Sergio with a carpet of corpse-eating bugs." 11:02 <tom> "Yeah! Wow, she is really scary. Did you know she can you hallucinate being eaten by maggots and flies?" 11:02 <tom> "Oh hell yeah same! Same!" 11:03 <tom> make you* 11:03 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "You saw her? Did she seem upset?" 11:03 <tom> "Damn I am gettin' spooked a lot these days." 11:03 <Quaker> Badawi: “What do you mean, she made you hallucinate?” 11:03 <Quaker> “She drugged you?” 11:03 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "It was illusory, I think." 11:04 <VoxPVoxD> "Otherwise everyone'd have seen them." 11:04 <tom> "Nah, nah, it's like how Suzie can make seeing illegal." 11:04 <Quaker> “But not illusory to the party assaulted, I don’t think?” 11:05 <tom> He steadies himself with a hand on the concessions table. "You know it's like that one shitpost. How is cyberbullying real, dog? Just close your eyes!" 11:05 <tom> "Oh I think I earned it." 11:05 <Quaker> “What a bunch of…” 11:05 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "What did you do?" 11:05 <Quaker> “They really are unprofessional.” 11:05 <tom> He rubs the back of his neck. "Maybe I was too flirty." 11:06 <Quaker> “I was with a bunch of children the other day and they wouldn’t dream of acting this badly.” 11:06 <Crion> "Absolutely." 11:06 <Crion> Aster has walked up. "Who are we talking about?" 11:06 <tom> "Ghey Aster." 11:06 <VoxPVoxD> Willie looks scandalised. 11:06 <tom> "W-what's, what's up man?" 11:06 <Quaker> “You are too flirty, though. It’s very enraging and you should stop.” 11:06 <Crion> Unimpressed: "You're a wolf, not a pig or a rabbit." 11:06 <Crion> "Do act a bit more the part." 11:06 <Quaker> “Also, aren’t you engaged? Why are you flirting so much? What would Mari think about that?” 11:07 <VoxPVoxD> Enraging is such a strong word. 11:07 <tom> "Who told you we were engaged?" 11:07 <Crion> No, Aster is siding with Badawi here. 11:07 <VoxPVoxD> 'Aggravating' seems more appropriate. 11:07 <tom> "I met her in August, dude! That's way too fast-" 11:07 <Crion> Aster: "What have you all been doing that has Barrowsmith making you see maggots?" 11:07 <Quaker> Badawi: “You would look like an idiot if you broke it off after all this, wouldn’t you?” 11:07 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I wasn't doing anything." 11:07 <tom> "I already look like an idiot." 11:07 <VoxPVoxD> To Bob: "What were you doing." 11:07 <tom> He sips his water. 11:08 <VoxPVoxD> "Robert..." 11:08 <VoxPVoxD> "Dearest..." 11:08 <Crion> Aster: "I feel that in some senses what Bob is doing here tonight is more significant than marriage. Certainly could have more dire consequences for reneging." 11:08 <VoxPVoxD> "...did you by any chance talk to the Councilor?" 11:08 <tom> "I just danced with her ok!" He rears up, defensive. "Yeah a bit I guess it's not a big deal or anything." 11:09 <Quaker> Badawi: “Wow. At a party your fiancee is at? You really are growing a curly little tail lately.” 11:09 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's voice is tight and bright. She's smiling. "What was discussed?" 11:09 <tom> "We're not engaged! Wow, why is everyone bullying the hell outta me." 11:10 <Crion> Aster: "I don't bully. I scold." 11:10 <hrolf> Rolf: "Is Barrowsmith the vampire copper? You were trying to pull 'er? Brass balls, mate." 11:10 <VoxPVoxD> "He was trying to twirl her." 11:10 <Quaker> Badawi: “But you are *going* to ask her at some point in the future?” 11:13 <tom> The wolf quails a bit as Willie speaks. "Oh y'know, normal shit. Human sacrifice. How cool her blood court is, just regular ice breakers..." 11:13 <tom> At Rolf: "I have wanted to dance with a vampire since I was fifteen." 11:13 <Crion> Aster makes a face. 11:13 <tom> And finally: "...I hope so." 11:14 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Did you happen to mention anything about... certain proscribed organisations that don't actually exist, legally speaking?" 11:14 <hrolf> To Badawi: "No 'arm in dancin with another lady, 'e's not sharia yet innit? Saw 'im an' Willie 'ere dancing together too." 11:14 <Crion> Aster: "Honestly, Hughes, do you have any idea what Sharia law even is?" 11:14 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "And I'd do it again." 11:15 <Quaker> Badawi frowns at Willie. Or at least, her mask turns to look at her. 11:15 <tom> "No." The wolf squeaks. 11:15 <tom> He slumps, defeated. "Yeah." 11:16 <Crion> Aster rubs his temple. "I cannot believe you. Well. Yes I can. I suppose this was only a matter of time." 11:16 <Crion> "I'll be left to clean it up." 11:16 <Quaker> It turns back to look at the rest of them. “It’s not - ‘sharia law’ is redundant. It’s just sharia.” 11:16 <Crion> "I'm going to have e-mails tomorrow." 11:16 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's anger deflates just a bit at seeing how sad Bob gets. The urge to protect this weird, fragile little man overwhelms her desire to wring his scrawny neck. "It's fine. Sergio handled it very well." 11:16 <hrolf> Rolf: "Yeah mate, it's the fing the have. Hadith and whatevr, innit? They got their own courts in Birmingham - not sure 'ow that's legal. Taking the piss out if you ask me." 11:17 <VoxPVoxD> Willie looks back at Badawi. "Lots of people are switching partners. I'll dance with any of you." 11:17 <tom> "It's just," Bob shakes. "She'd look so cute in that little shawl." 11:17 <VoxPVoxD> "Christ." 11:17 <Crion> It's very difficult to tell whether or not Rolf thinks Muslims are supernaturals like vampires, mages, etcetera. He certainly speaks like he does. 11:18 <VoxPVoxD> Maybe they are. There's this one wing of the Jesuits... 11:18 <Quaker> Badawi looks back at Willie. “Yes, but think of what Mari might be thinking. Or worrying about. She’s not very old, and is already under a lot of pressure. It’s not fair to make her worry, even if you think you’re not doing anything wrong.” 11:19 <VoxPVoxD> Willie blinks. "Worry about what?" 11:19 <tom> The only thing Bob notices is that Willie's anger has curdled into something more like profound embarassment for him. Which is honestly worse, but at least she's playing it cool. He might survive Samhain yet. 11:20 <Quaker> Badawi: “Anything. You know how young people are. I’ve seen a young woman become enraged at her husband because he received a valentine telegram in another woman’s handwriting — that she forgot she ordered for him.” 11:21 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I'm pretty sure she's older than I am." 11:22 <Crion> Aster frowns. "Samantha needs me for something. Hopefully not another dance...probably another dance. I'll be back." 11:22 <Crion> Then he's off...already rolling up his sleeves. 11:22 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "See, why can't you be quietly horny like Aaron?" 11:23 <tom> "As far as I know, you leave Clown Town with basically the same appearance you went in. I didn't ask, because I'm not... I'm not an asshole!" 11:23 <tom> The wolf's got a manic sheen in its dead little eyes. 11:24 <tom> He watches Aster walk away, deflates: "I'm gonna have to cross off gettin' yelled at again." 11:25 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Nobody's yelling." 11:26 <Quaker> Badawi: “So did you actually do anything to warrant her attacking you? Because I’m filing a complaint with the King, and if you really do feel it was unprovoked you can add yours to mine.” 11:26 <tom> "It was kinda lame if I'm being real with you, miss." Bob chuckles. "You just close your eyes and it's gone." 11:26 <hrolf> Rolf gives Bob a look. "I changed me mind. You need to get more pissed." He calls over a frog-shaped server hopping around with a few glasses on a tray, picking two of them and proferring it to Bob. 11:26 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "No, I think she was entirely in-bounds." 11:26 <tom> "Oh noooooooo spooky bugs." 11:27 <tom> "Please dude, no," 11:27 <VoxPVoxD> "There was some chance we were actively double-crossing them to coup their government." 11:27 <VoxPVoxD> "I'll take that," Willie bravely snatches the glass from Rolf's hand. 11:27 <hrolf> "I insist. It's your day lad!" 11:28 <tom> "Really, I'm- I'm fine dude. I gotta not be sloppy when they do the thing in- shit, less than an hour now..." 11:29 <VoxPVoxD> Willie's got two glasses now. She hands the other one to Bob. "Here. Hydrate. It's just lemonade and bitters." 11:30 <tom> "Thank you, Mi-sses Wellesley." 11:30 <VoxPVoxD> ...good save. 11:30 <tom> He gulps the lemonade. Precious, life-giving water. Awful, terrible, life-giving water. 11:31 <Quaker> “Are they going to do something to you at the ceremony?” 11:31 <tom> "...I don't think it'll be anything I can't manage. When it comes to their bullshit you just gotta roll with it." 11:31 <tom> "Oh man I hope I can take you guys to Premson's island sometime." 11:32 <tom> "It is so damn pretty." 11:33 <tom> "...This isn't lemonade." 11:33 <Quaker> “What’s it like?” 11:34 <tom> "...It's like a lemon soda, Badawi. What is wrong with this country?" 11:34 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Oh my god. You are so American!" 11:34 <hrolf> "Fahckin yanks." 11:35 <tom> "I'm sorry, you're right. This lemonade is delicious. We have always been at war with Eastasia." 11:35 <tom> It is pretty good. 11:37 <hrolf> Rolf: "I 'ad yank lemonade once. Visting miami when the 'ammers were on a pre-season tour. Met a few cuban lads - not bad, for er - those types. 'ad a lot to say about Castro. Anyway the lemonade was sweet as 'ell. Made me sick." 11:38 <tom> "Oh yeah we put corn in everything dude. It's not even real sugar." 11:38 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "You can feel your pancreas trying to get out of your body." 11:38 <tom> "That and every other organ." 11:39 <Quaker> “No, I meant what is Premson’s island like?” 11:40 <tom> Bob goes stock-still for just a second, seems to flinch, then he realizes Badawi is talking and relaxes: "Oh man, it's like those big ass chalky cliffs they've got on the Channel, but it's a tropical jungle. Dude's got a cozy little home set up." 11:41 <Quaker> Badawi: “They own an island?” 11:42 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Real estate's a lot cheaper in the dreamworld." 11:42 <tom> "I don't know if it's real, actually." 11:42 <tom> "I was still coming off the dextroamphetamines pretty hard that week." 11:43 <tom> "I'm pretty sure that bit was real though." 11:43 <Quaker> Badawi: “Oh, a dreamworld.” 11:43 <Quaker> “I’ve been there. It’s nice.” 11:43 <tom> He offers to fist bump her. 11:44 <hrolf> Rolf has knicked a glass of bubbly off another passing server. He raises it in a toast to Bob. "'ere's to you lad. 'hope your initiation goes well. Better'n mine in the iCF at least. Now that wasn't a pleasant un." 11:44 <Quaker> Badawi pats his hand. 11:44 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "So you won't dance, but you will drink?" 11:44 <tom> He looks deeply sad for just a moment. 11:45 <hrolf> "Well, if you call it a drink. I'd 'ave to 'ave a lot of these to get sloshed." 11:45 <tom> After she's done he withdraws his hand. Turns to Rolf. "Yeah man, I know all about unpleasant runs." 11:46 <tom> "Sometimes we should swap war crimes." 11:46 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I want to be there for that." 11:46 <VoxPVoxD> "I love storytime." 11:46 <tom> "No you don't." 11:46 <tom> He just shakes his head. "No you don't." 11:46 <VoxPVoxD> Indignantly: "Yes I do!" 11:47 <Quaker> Badawi: “Just think, Bob. Somewhere, someone is condescendingly offering to kill you after hearing about what you did do their friends.” 11:47 <tom> His chest rises as he in-hales. "I earned that one too, yeah." 11:47 <hrolf> Rolf: "Well, not much of a story there. ICF initiation was pretty simple - they just checked if. you were 'ard enough to tango wif other fans. One of the ICF lads would come over an kick you in the bollocks. If you could stand after a few minutes, you were in." 11:47 <tom> "...I think I will have another beer actually." 11:47 <Quaker> Revenge is a dish best served cold! Aha! Thought I forgot about that! 11:47 <VoxPVoxD> "Bob..." 11:48 <tom> "No it's fine, I gotta... I'm gonna go find the bathroom." 11:48 <tom> He rubs the back of his neck as he stalks off. 11:48 <VoxPVoxD> Willie looks slightly pained. 11:51 <VoxPVoxD> ...she'll find him later. 11:52 <VoxPVoxD> She looks at Rolf. "Did you make it in?" 11:53 <hrolf> Rolf, proudly: "Yep. Set a record too. I fink it was unbroke till abouts 1996 when me mate Baz's cousin - little Baz - did it a few seconds better. Course he's in gaol now after punching a copper's horse." 11:53 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Naturally." 11:55 <hrolf> "What about you? What'd you 'ave to do to get in with the Satan worshippin' crowd?" 11:59 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "There were three trials. You have to take powerful drugs and let them induce a very bad trip, to demonstrate mental fortitude. You have to make it through a large, vertical obstacle course to demonstrate physical fitness. And at some point, during your stay, someone tries to get you to betray a friend. And you have to show your loyalty and character." 11:59 <VoxPVoxD> "The Terror, the Tower, and the Tempter." 12:00 <VoxPVoxD> "All of that before you get any demon secrets." 12:00 <hrolf> "Loyalty to your friend, or to Lucifer?" 12:00 <VoxPVoxD> "To your friend. We're antagonistic towards Lucifer." 12:01 <hrolf> Rolf's curiosity is piqued. "So 'ow'd they tempt you, then?" 12:03 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "......it was a man." 12:05 <hrolf> Rolf waggles his eyebrows. "Ain't that always the way? Still - if someone told me I 'ad to pass a test by not betrayin' a mate, it'd be piss easy. Simply don't cross anyone till the test is over. And then Bob's your uncle." 12:05 <VoxPVoxD> "I'd gotten quite close to one of my fellow students, but a couple of weeks into my stay in Milan - there was plenty of history and so forth to teach, so it wasn't wasted time - I met a man who... knew my friend well enough that I began to suspect they knew each other. My curiosity let me to discover a sort of manufactured backstory, where my friend had done this man a terrible wrong." 12:05 <VoxPVoxD> "I did legitimately feel quite ambivalent!" 12:05 <VoxPVoxD> "Ah, Mr. Hughes: I was only told there would be two tests." 12:06 <hrolf> "Wow! That's clever of em." 12:07 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I actually felt quite foolish at the time for not anticipating it. But yeah, in retrospect, considering you're dealing with, you know, people who are unusually emotional even for teenagers, pretty good." 12:07 <hrolf> Rolf: "But that's one of em moral dilemmas innit? Like the tram problem. If your friend really 'ad done this bloke wrong, wouldn't the right fing to do be take 'is side?" 12:08 <Quaker> Badawi: “Then she would have been unreliable.” 12:08 <Quaker> “They don’t care if you’re a good person.” 12:09 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "There is also a moral component. We have a policy of giving the damned every possible chance at redemption." 12:09 <hrolf> "Like, me mate Baz. 'e's put 'is life on the line for me. Solid lad, best in the world. But if we found 'e was a nonce, 'e'd be found in a gutter somewhere wif his throat open. You know?" 12:09 <VoxPVoxD> "They make sure it's not that bad." 12:09 <VoxPVoxD> "But yeah, like Agostina says. It's as much a test of culture fit as it is of character." 12:10 <VoxPVoxD> "The willingness not just to take sides but to commit to them." 12:10 <VoxPVoxD> "The ability to discern friend from foe, in a way we find agreeable." 12:11 <hrolf> Rolf takes another sip from his glass and eyes her through the bubbly. "So 'o's side would you say you were on now? If it came down to choosing between the night watch and your lad's fang gang?" 12:12 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "I will not betray you." 12:12 <VoxPVoxD> "But if it comes down to sides in that way, I'm not going to get to pick." 12:12 <VoxPVoxD> "They're just going to kill me." 12:13 <hrolf> "Would they? i'd reckon they'd fink you're too important to kill." 12:14 <VoxPVoxD> Willie snorts. "To whom?" 12:15 <hrolf> Rolf: "You're famous innit? In the papers and everyfing. You got connections. Poshos. Satanic magics. They'd draw the heat. The rest of us - we're a bit more disposable." 12:16 <hrolf> "Maybe that's why we're a bit more risk averse, like." 12:17 <VoxPVoxD> Willie grows silent for a moment. Something unpleasant occurs to her. Banishing the thought with the rest of the champagne, she says, "I think you misapprehend them, Mr. Hughes. Now my status means that... some restitution may be owed, somewhere down the line. It won't be viewed as a success. But it works in their favour as well." 12:18 <VoxPVoxD> "With my notoriety comes a certain reputation. Nobody would be astonished to read in the papers that I had died of an overdose. Not here, not home, not in Milan. If they're feeling very gracious, they might not let it get into the papers, and then it would merely be an open secret." 12:18 <hrolf> "Right. Like what happened to Epstein?" 12:19 <VoxPVoxD> Stiffly: "That is not the comparison I would have made." 12:19 <VoxPVoxD> "But... it's not a terrible one." 12:20 <hrolf> Rolf raises his hands defensively. "Just an example. No offense meant, marm". But then: "You ever meet 'im?" 12:20 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "..." 12:20 <VoxPVoxD> "No." 12:21 <Quaker> Badawi: “They really are arrogant, aren’t they?” 12:21 <VoxPVoxD> "The vampires?" 12:22 <Quaker> “All of them.” 12:22 <Quaker> “They’re so used to being in control of their little terrariums.” 12:23 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Yes. But it comes at the cost of making their worlds so very small." 12:23 <Quaker> “They would be shattered in an instant if any real attention fell on them.” 12:23 <hrolf> "Everyone gets theirs in the end. Sod's law." 12:23 <Quaker> Badawi laughs. “It’s just that…haha…” 12:24 <Quaker> “Sorry.” Her laughter is entirely genuine. “Ha.” 12:24 <Quaker> “I was with some people the other day. Perfectly normal people. As far as you can imagine from all this.” 12:26 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Did you have a nice time?" 12:27 <Quaker> “And it just occurred to me how stupid this all is. All the threats, all the death, all the paranoia. Nobody real would put up with all this if it wasn’t so well hidden. Do you really think that people would put up with this for a second if they knew? They only put up with all the actual bad things in the world because of…what, ideology? Mythology? But these are just nasty little worms. Nobody would blink an eye at destroying 12:27 <Quaker> them. Who would tolerate it? Let their kids live in the same world as all these people thinking they don’t have to follow laws or morality? When they don’t even have any myth to excuse it?” 12:27 <Quaker> “I did have a nice time.” 12:30 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Do you really think it's that different from ordinarily wealthy and powerful people? People will suffer through a great deal quite openly before a breaking point is reached." 12:31 <VoxPVoxD> "The same is true of the night-city, as the Revolution of '84 demonstrates." 12:31 <hrolf> Rolf: "People put up with a lot of fings. Where I grew up wasn't so nice. And it wasn't because of bloodsuckers or ghouls or spirits or anyfink, just other people. An it got worse for a lot of em. Some didn't make it. Other succeeded. That's life innit? Survival of the fittest." 12:32 <Quaker> Badawi: “It’s very different. There’s an entire buffering layer of myth around the wealthy. And the hope you might become one.” 12:33 <Quaker> “And of course, people don’t really put up with it forever. It’s just that people like Rolf are paid to kill them when they stop putting up with it.” 12:34 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "There's a great deal of myth in the night-city. And there are people who dream of becoming, you know, they call themselves Kindred. They may be distinct, but there is definitely some overlap." 12:34 <VoxPVoxD> "And of course they have their own Rolves." 12:35 <VoxPVoxD> "It would change, certainly. It would be a huge upheaval. But would it end? I'm very skeptical." 12:35 <hrolf> "There's only one Rolf Huges." 12:37 <Quaker> “It’s just a question of scale. How many Kindred are there in the country? A thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? How many bullets can even an elder absorb? The only thing protecting them is this cloak of silence. They do guard it jealously. And even if there are millions of human parasites, hangers-on, people who get rich off it, they can get rich off of it without the need for all this theater. Or the Kindred.” 12:38 <Quaker> “One day it will all just end, suddenly. And be forgotten.” 12:39 <Quaker> “Mortal after all.” 12:39 <Quaker> Badawi picks a champagne glass off a frog waiter. “Cheers.” 12:39 <hrolf> Rolf: "Well if the veil was lifted, do you fink they'd all be killed? i'm sure we'd 'ave the wokes in the street, saying protect the vampires!" 12:40 <hrolf> "But what about the victims, eh? No one finks of them." 12:40 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "The cloak of silence is vital to their society as it exists, but I don't agree that it is the only thing protecting them. They may go extinct, but it would be in the course of, I don't know, a social upheaval so vast that the world would be unrecognisable afterwards. Or it would run alongside humanity's own extinction." 12:41 <VoxPVoxD> "They're just people. No matter what pretence they hold to the contrary, and no matter what hunters tell themselves to get out of bed every morning." 12:41 <VoxPVoxD> "They're not worms. They're not gods. They're just people." 12:43 <Quaker> Badawi finishes the drink. “Maybe. But I’ve seen places much worse than this. Evil places. Truly evil.” 12:43 <VoxPVoxD> Willie nods. 12:43 <Quaker> “A nightmare more than a place. Hell on earth.” 12:44 <hrolf> "Slough?" 12:44 <Quaker> “And the funny thing was, nothing supernatural about it.” 12:44 <VoxPVoxD> Willie slaps Rolf's shoulder gently. 12:44 <Quaker> “We don’t need them for anything, good or bad.” 12:44 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "On that, I agree. The reverse is true." 12:46 <Quaker> “There’s literally a place called Slough here?” 12:46 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Suburb of London." 12:46 <hrolf> Rolf: "Yeah. You don't want to go to there. 'orrible place full of 'orrible types." 12:47 <Quaker> “What an awful country.” 12:47 <Quaker> “No offense.” 12:47 <VoxPVoxD> "It's majority-minority, and it has a high crime rate. Very unpopular with Mail readers." 12:47 <hrolf> "Best country in the world mate. But nobody's perfect, yeah?" 12:49 <VoxPVoxD> "I actually don't know what the etymology of Slough is. It might be a coincidence, like Crapstone." 12:50 <VoxPVoxD> "But it might be exactly what you think it is, like Shitterton."