Attached, the clearest headshot that Talamasca has of the female vampire labeled 'Eimear' — she seems to be frozen in time in her mid-thirties, medium height, slender build, a hard expression framed by long, straight black hair. The quality of the picture makes it difficult to see what color eyes she has, but Daniel remembers near-glowing pastel green.
Just assumes tabs are being kept. Does not explain. Sends it, along with:
Armand considers some responses, automatic instincts suggesting to him that he ask why Daniel is asking, where did he get this image, and so on, create the illusion of more distance. Knows better.
Not personally. Marked for death on the British Isles for sedition, drew focus as one of the earlier and more authoritative voices under the Conversion movement some years back. Is she still at large?
He is not far. A block or so down, keeping his own tabs after all that noise. Mostly lurking about the minds of Louis' security detail, his assistant, rather than being too direct about it. He is also not calm, replying quickly, but at least the medium of text message affects a kind of neutral monotone.
The Conversion? That's interesting. And so is Armand's instant reply.
Pretty sure she's a chunky paste in several different parts of the river, so, no, not at large. As far as I'm aware there's no more active threat from her, or anyone who was with her. Best guess is they were all her fledglings. I counted six, five were for sure dead when I left the scene, and the last one was in a critical state. Talamasca says they finished him off, but I can't confirm that.
Who else was talking to her about the Conversion, do you remember? This can be a question you come back later to, for the record, I'm not launching an investigation this second.
Well.
Yes he is, but he's also going to sleep soon, so. Hypothetically, anyway, there's every chance he'll be awake in his coffin until night returns, nerves shot, attention skittering away and desperate to cling onto anything but what he's feeling. He does not send And I'm fine, not because he isn't (he is, he's fine) (he's definitely fucking fine), but because... because. Because it's Armand. Armand is comfortable putting him in fucked up situations, whether or not he's fine is a whatever.
She would talk to any who would listen. I recall some pontification while she was active in Kazakhstan and so I presume had the permission or the apathy of the elders from that area. I would guess at the latter.
Not one for allies. Mainly underlings. You're concerned about reprisal?
He should ask. Is Daniel alright. A dimmer voice, is Louis alright. Pure curiousity, is Lestat alright. Glimpses of the three of them sneaking into their makeshift lair, blood spattered but on their feet. Some urgent feeling in him to know more, where knowing serves no other purpose but itself.
How weakened is this little unit? How shaken by the events that occurred? How protected is Daniel, really, if the other two are going to be insufferably self-involved?
But he has already asked a question. He will wait.
Kazakhstan. Pulls up anything related in the ill-gotten files he has, opening a dozen windows to read and dig through. Doesn't matter what this connective tissue means, or if he's just putting up a conspiracy board with miles of thread. He just has to do something, think about something, besides the unsettled pit that's still open in his stomach.
Not specifically, but it would be stupid not to assume it's a real possibility. Either from her community or anyone who doesn't like what happened on principle.
I have a hunch there's a third party interested in the conflict, too, based on something that popped up.
And so, another photo is attached. Cuffs, like fucking manacles, popped open and with evidence of chains having been snapped off of them.
Flaming bottles, a stolen van, really shoddy terrorist threats, and then a single piece of extremely sophisticated anti-vampire equipment.
Interesting x2. He might have to shove a fork into the Talamasca laptop he has now and see if he can dig out exactly who was trying to block the book's publication. A couple oligarchs being literal bloodsuckers would be on the nose, but flow well enough. Track two diplomacy has always been unorthodox.
I have a few vampire hunter leads. They sound bogus, but there might be a trail of something legitimate hidden in there, so I'll run them down and see what shakes out. Can't really speculate anything with how little I have at the moment.
I assume no one's tried anything with you over it, but just to confirm: has anyone messed with you?
Many reasons why this might be so. Armand had, of course, participated in the interview, and falls somewhere between Louis' outright heresy and reckless challenges, and then Daniel's penning of it, and continued promotion, and the fact that he is a vampire is sure to spread in time. And then there is Armand, something of a hapless villain, lending word to the narrative but undermined by its truth.
He expects his status is nearer to Lestat's in relation to the text, more so than Louis or Molloy. But perhaps the ones who are anxious for war are young, or younger. The old ones, those who could meaningfully punish him, still sleeping.
It isn't about him. But Daniel is concerned. Or trying to gather information.
Notes the Big M. Thinks a little, of San Fransisco; his memory whirring like a satellite trying to find the correct signal. Too much for right now, especially with Armand a) making an offer of aid and b) they. Yeah. That's fine.
Relief in it, too. Armand wasn't so closely observing that he saw every little thing like a creeping Talamasca snitch, wasn't stewing in loneliness just on the sidelines, choosing to stay apart even when shit kicked off. He hadn't even thought about the possibility until now, but—
Maybe they're alright, in a way. Maybe they aren't as fucked up as they could be.
Thank you.
I know. It's not a surprise that something finally happened. You were nearly right on the money with it. Scaling the tower, and all that. I think most vampires are just like most people, and there's an ocean of difference between threatening to do something and actually doing it.
So. No total deluge of attacks, because most of the ones talking shit aren't willing to move past that stage for one reason or another, but there will be more attacks, and maybe a more dangerous, organized effort, if they don't make their own push to discourage things.
Maybe they're alright. Never mind that Armand is practically across the street, and can see no other alternative for himself but to monitor the building once the sun rises. He doesn't offer to do so, he just will do it, and then extract further details of Daniel's itinerary from the relevant humans who have it, and consider how best to continue to trail them all.
He expects there will be a narrow window of time between now and their departure from the city, so he texts,
Were any of her spawn left alive that you know of?
He won't be shocked to know that the other two salted the earth, but if one managed an escape, that might be a fun way to wile away the evening.
'Spawn' is such a horrible word in this context. But Armand finds it disgusting, he reminds himself. What they did the other night—
just the bond fucking with them, and they'll be alright, they just have to not act too weird. Remember that you disgust him, that you ruined his life, that you hate him.
Just the one whose death I couldn't confirm. Hold on.
A couple minutes as he takes some screenshots of the seemingly mile-long list of the Irish vampire's known fledglings. It's sorted by who Talamasca thinks have stayed with her, who they think broke from her permanently, and Daniel has made notes about who he thinks died tonight.
It is disgusting, and spawn is the correct word. Disgusting to turn so many, to dilute the blood in this way. Worse than weeds in a garden. An infestation.
If it lives, I can extract whatever information she decided it needed to know.
Nothing, for a minute, but the silence suggests something more is coming— unlike Daniel to not finish a thought, and this is clearly unfinished. Bitterly wondering at himself that the language concerning fledglings is not actually killing off the instinct to articulate the following sentiment.
I don't want to be insulting.
Uh-oh.
Blame my fucking ignorance. It's not dangerous for you to do any of that, is it?
He's soooooo fine about everything that happened tonight by the way, it's all fine.
Armand writes a message. Deletes it. Writes another. Deletes this one too. He knows he is overthinking it, a determined pursuit for the clearest and most succinct answer that at the same time assumes nothing of Daniel's motivations, and finally lands on,
They will find it very difficult to do me harm that matters.
Fine. Great. That works for Daniel. For a few minutes, anyway, as the rollercoaster not-conversation with Louis clunks around. Contending with the reality that he's going to spend the next eleven fucking hours locked in a tiny box, and there is no possible way he's ever falling asleep.
I have another line of questioning, if you have a minute. Impersonal hypothetical stuff.
Vampires are more susceptible to burning than humans, but in practice, it is a matter of will more than science. It would take a powerful vampire against a substantially weaker one to cause combustion directly.
A delay in response. Daniel considers whether or not to confirm. He doesn't know for sure what happened, so not mentioning it to Louis hasn't been a lie, not even by omission. He's simply decided nothing happened to him.
@ "A"
Attached, the clearest headshot that Talamasca has of the female vampire labeled 'Eimear' — she seems to be frozen in time in her mid-thirties, medium height, slender build, a hard expression framed by long, straight black hair. The quality of the picture makes it difficult to see what color eyes she has, but Daniel remembers near-glowing pastel green.
Just assumes tabs are being kept. Does not explain. Sends it, along with:
no subject
Not personally. Marked for death on the British Isles for sedition, drew focus as one of the earlier and more authoritative voices under the Conversion movement some years back. Is she still at large?
He is not far. A block or so down, keeping his own tabs after all that noise. Mostly lurking about the minds of Louis' security detail, his assistant, rather than being too direct about it. He is also not calm, replying quickly, but at least the medium of text message affects a kind of neutral monotone.
no subject
Pretty sure she's a chunky paste in several different parts of the river, so, no, not at large. As far as I'm aware there's no more active threat from her, or anyone who was with her. Best guess is they were all her fledglings. I counted six, five were for sure dead when I left the scene, and the last one was in a critical state. Talamasca says they finished him off, but I can't confirm that.
Who else was talking to her about the Conversion, do you remember? This can be a question you come back later to, for the record, I'm not launching an investigation this second.
Well.
Yes he is, but he's also going to sleep soon, so. Hypothetically, anyway, there's every chance he'll be awake in his coffin until night returns, nerves shot, attention skittering away and desperate to cling onto anything but what he's feeling. He does not send And I'm fine, not because he isn't (he is, he's fine) (he's definitely fucking fine), but because... because. Because it's Armand. Armand is comfortable putting him in fucked up situations, whether or not he's fine is a whatever.
no subject
She would talk to any who would listen. I recall some pontification while she was active in Kazakhstan and so I presume had the permission or the apathy of the elders from that area. I would guess at the latter.
Not one for allies. Mainly underlings. You're concerned about reprisal?
He should ask. Is Daniel alright. A dimmer voice, is Louis alright. Pure curiousity, is Lestat alright. Glimpses of the three of them sneaking into their makeshift lair, blood spattered but on their feet. Some urgent feeling in him to know more, where knowing serves no other purpose but itself.
How weakened is this little unit? How shaken by the events that occurred? How protected is Daniel, really, if the other two are going to be insufferably self-involved?
But he has already asked a question. He will wait.
no subject
Kazakhstan. Pulls up anything related in the ill-gotten files he has, opening a dozen windows to read and dig through. Doesn't matter what this connective tissue means, or if he's just putting up a conspiracy board with miles of thread. He just has to do something, think about something, besides the unsettled pit that's still open in his stomach.
Not specifically, but it would be stupid not to assume it's a real possibility. Either from her community or anyone who doesn't like what happened on principle.
I have a hunch there's a third party interested in the conflict, too, based on something that popped up.
And so, another photo is attached. Cuffs, like fucking manacles, popped open and with evidence of chains having been snapped off of them.
Flaming bottles, a stolen van, really shoddy terrorist threats, and then a single piece of extremely sophisticated anti-vampire equipment.
no subject
Another message, swiftly after this one;
Or vampire hunters. Why they would work with someone like Eimear, I'm not sure, but perhaps they were stolen from.
no subject
Interesting x2. He might have to shove a fork into the Talamasca laptop he has now and see if he can dig out exactly who was trying to block the book's publication. A couple oligarchs being literal bloodsuckers would be on the nose, but flow well enough. Track two diplomacy has always been unorthodox.
I have a few vampire hunter leads. They sound bogus, but there might be a trail of something legitimate hidden in there, so I'll run them down and see what shakes out. Can't really speculate anything with how little I have at the moment.
I assume no one's tried anything with you over it, but just to confirm: has anyone messed with you?
no subject
Many reasons why this might be so. Armand had, of course, participated in the interview, and falls somewhere between Louis' outright heresy and reckless challenges, and then Daniel's penning of it, and continued promotion, and the fact that he is a vampire is sure to spread in time. And then there is Armand, something of a hapless villain, lending word to the narrative but undermined by its truth.
He expects his status is nearer to Lestat's in relation to the text, more so than Louis or Molloy. But perhaps the ones who are anxious for war are young, or younger. The old ones, those who could meaningfully punish him, still sleeping.
It isn't about him. But Daniel is concerned. Or trying to gather information.
You're going to continue your tour?
no subject
Maybe Daniel has just fucked up enough of Armand's life. Satisfied with the degree of destruction, and not looking for further proverbial blood.
Might as well. It's almost over and it'll get me out of NYC for a bit.
no subject
I can do some listening, to see if there are any reactions amongst the Many to her death.
Yes, he does consciously type that into a device with a capital M.
Word will get out soon enough, even if they killed all of them.
It doesn't occur to him that Daniel might have cleaned up as well.
no subject
Relief in it, too. Armand wasn't so closely observing that he saw every little thing like a creeping Talamasca snitch, wasn't stewing in loneliness just on the sidelines, choosing to stay apart even when shit kicked off. He hadn't even thought about the possibility until now, but—
Maybe they're alright, in a way. Maybe they aren't as fucked up as they could be.
Thank you.
I know. It's not a surprise that something finally happened. You were nearly right on the money with it. Scaling the tower, and all that. I think most vampires are just like most people, and there's an ocean of difference between threatening to do something and actually doing it.
So. No total deluge of attacks, because most of the ones talking shit aren't willing to move past that stage for one reason or another, but there will be more attacks, and maybe a more dangerous, organized effort, if they don't make their own push to discourage things.
no subject
He expects there will be a narrow window of time between now and their departure from the city, so he texts,
Were any of her spawn left alive that you know of?
He won't be shocked to know that the other two salted the earth, but if one managed an escape, that might be a fun way to wile away the evening.
no subject
just the bond fucking with them, and they'll be alright, they just have to not act too weird. Remember that you disgust him, that you ruined his life, that you hate him.
Just the one whose death I couldn't confirm. Hold on.
A couple minutes as he takes some screenshots of the seemingly mile-long list of the Irish vampire's known fledglings. It's sorted by who Talamasca thinks have stayed with her, who they think broke from her permanently, and Daniel has made notes about who he thinks died tonight.
no subject
If it lives, I can extract whatever information she decided it needed to know.
no subject
Hell of a way to spend an afternoon.
Nothing, for a minute, but the silence suggests something more is coming— unlike Daniel to not finish a thought, and this is clearly unfinished. Bitterly wondering at himself that the language concerning fledglings is not actually killing off the instinct to articulate the following sentiment.
I don't want to be insulting.
Uh-oh.
Blame my fucking ignorance. It's not dangerous for you to do any of that, is it?
He's soooooo fine about everything that happened tonight by the way, it's all fine.
no subject
Stares at this message a moment, the two sentences worth of run up, the query itself.
In what respect?
no subject
Don't... like, don't make him admit he has the capacity to be worried about Armand, man. Come on.
no subject
They will find it very difficult to do me harm that matters.
Terrible. He sends it anyway.
no subject
Fine. Great. That works for Daniel. For a few minutes, anyway, as the rollercoaster not-conversation with Louis clunks around. Contending with the reality that he's going to spend the next eleven fucking hours locked in a tiny box, and there is no possible way he's ever falling asleep.
I have another line of questioning, if you have a minute. Impersonal hypothetical stuff.
no subject
?
no subject
Most people are either mostly blood or mostly water. So. What was that sensation, he still wonders.
no subject
Vampires are more susceptible to burning than humans, but in practice, it is a matter of will more than science. It would take a powerful vampire against a substantially weaker one to cause combustion directly.
The function of this hypothetical is ?
no subject
Is there a reliable method to counter it? Just breaking the concentration, or will, of whoever's thinking maliciously toasty thoughts?
Interesting use of question marks. Daniel notes it.
no subject
Eimear made this attempt?
no subject
Because it hadn't, in the end.
I'm not sure.
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