Planning in the dunes

[Charlie Tanner]

Tanner listens with polite but focused attention, for the most part. He is silent, at least. He raises his eyebrows when she confirms that this mysterious Kresimir is Tzimisce, and therefore likely also Sabbat, despite whatever he may claim. Tanner isn't sure whether it's a good thing or not that Kresimir knows to expect extra company at this meeting, yet, but it's Fleur's casual recollection at the very end of her explanation that really catches him off guard. He can't help but make a sound that covers an entire spectrum of feelings when she mentions that her mother is staying with Kresimir at this very moment. Shock, amusement, disbelief, annoyance, it's hard to read them all clearly.

Tanner mutters under his breath, something that sounds like swearing, as he runs a hand over his face and looks away to think this over. He clears his throat as he looks back to them. "I already told Duncan, but just so we have it on the record- I think this is a really stupid idea," Tanner says, smiling apologetically. "Besides which, I don't know this Kresimir but bringing along a pair of Brujah... you might as well set a shotgun on the table and tell him to his face you don't trust him. For what it's worth. That being said, I'm still here- and I don't have a better idea. Your mum's there and presumably you want her to survive this, so what can you do?"

Tanner turns slightly, to let the warmth dry him from another angle as he runs his hands through his hair to help it dry as well. Following on to Duncan's question, he adds: "And what are you hoping to get out of this? Just to hear him out and survive that? Or more, like rescue yer mum... if she indeed needs that."

[Fleur]

With a big sigh Fleur sits down next to Vid, seeking the warmth of the heater and his touch.

Why isn't Kresimir leaving us alone

The questions come and all of them are good ones. She was afraid they would ask about her mother, so afraid. But she couldn't not tell them, with this kind of stuff they need to know almost every detail.

"I believe he is intrested in me because he sees a potential and a power...." the whole look on her face and in her body shows that she doesn't believe him at all. "He might want to give me another lesson, the last one was very usefull and it gave me alot of insight in this world"

She looks at Tanner and a small smile appears on her lips "Yes it is stupid and he knows I dont trust him, if I would go alone he would only be disappointent that i didn't learn anything"

Fleur licks her lips and thinks for a second giving Vid some time to anwser if he wants to
"I hope that I can convince him to help us, to help save people and make this world a better place. I believe he is lonely and just needs a friend"
Her cheeks get red, yes this sounds way more naive then she wanted to make it sound.

She cant tell them that her plan is to kill him if he is still a monster...
Again her mother, the last time she saw that face...
Her eyes find the ceiling this time.
"I dont want her to fall in his hands, in this world"


If the prince is a monster, what would she have to call her? A nightmare? Hell on earth? Ice cold hatred?
She cant remember a time Diana said 'I love you Fleur' or maybe even 'Well done my girl'.
Never a hug, or a kiss. Yes only for those perfect family pictures and gatherings. Sitting silently on a chair in a perfect dress, not allowed to get it dirty.

Fleur can feel a tear wanting to escape but she would let it, no they dont need to know.

[Vid]

He knows a bit of the relationship Fleur has with her mother. Or the lack of one, rather. But he's also seen what was in the basement of that villa in Leiden... He shudders subtly at the recollection. Pressing Fleur's hand in sympathy, the traveller adds, "No one deserves falling into darkness." The 'not even your mom' can be heard with the heart.

Explanations. Say something about the level of danger. "We met Kresimir before Fleur sold her house. That's over a year ago, in Leiden. He greatly values the rules of hospitality, and I expect will never harm a guest who breaks no rules..." That's either a weakness or a strength, depending on how you look at it. "I've tried to get close enough to strike, but he's careful. And strong enough that giving him chance to fight will result in death or worse." Again that shudder, more visibly now. "He used to have a basement filled with.. experiments, but those are gone now." On that thought, "he likes art. Has a major stake in the museum of Leiden.. you know, where we all met."

[Duncan Ackerley]

After having listened quietly, he rubs a hand over his face and groans softly. The more he hears the more he starts to agree with Tanner on the fact that this is a crazy, stupid plan. Usually, Duncan isn't one to ask about details that are none of his business, but this time, it is hard to keep the questions to himself. After all, if he finds himself in some Tzimisce's company soon and he's not properly prepared, they'll all have a bigger chance of fucking it up.

"So, Tzimisce, old, powerful, likes art, is aquainted to your mum, sees potential in you," he summarizes as his gaze wanders from Vid to Fleur, where it stays. "And you 'ope to convince him to make the world a be'er place?" His face twists in an expression close to one of agony with that thought alone. He knows that she wants to help people and tries to see the good in everyone, but what she's asking of him right now goes a step too far. "Fleur," he starts, a pained expression on his face. "Tzimisce are fockin' scary-ass motherfuckers. What the 'ell makes you think he'll want to do any good? Convince me. Try."

[Charlie Tanner]

Tanner makes an effort to keep his facial expression open and friendly, but he is watching Fleur sharply with every movement and word. He has picked up by now that there is more to this story than even Duncan told him beforehand, likely because he didn’t know either, and it makes him uneasy. Tanner doesn’t know why Fleur would lie, or what she would lie about- even accidentally- but he feels like he’s missing puzzle pieces.

Even what she does tell is worrisome. The interest of a member of the Sabbat cannot be a good thing, he fears. “A lesson…?” Tanner echoes, arching a brow in a non-verbal request for elaboration, clearly curious about what a Tzimisce might’ve been teaching her.

He does at least nod approvingly when Fleur assures him that the Kresimir fellow is aware she doesn’t trust him and won’t be offended by their presence. Claiming that she thinks he is lonely and needs a friend makes Tanner look away, however, mulling over some difficult thoughts to himself. He knows he shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, knowing what loneliness has driven him to do in the past, but it is a difficult thought to swallow. And will likely make extracting her mother more difficult, if she's right.

Vid’s claims that the Tzimisce would never violate the rules of hospitality are at least a tiny bit comforting, even though Tanner knows there are always exceptions to every rule. He can’t shake a deep-seated feeling of inexplicable unease, however, that leaves him falling into a brooding silence. Tanner is glad when Duncan picks up the ball, effectively- if crudely- summarizing what they’ve heard so far, and asking the tough questions. He merely watches out of the corner of his eye, listening quietly for her answer.

[Fleur]

This whole situation is starting to look like a distant memory, one she doesn’t like at all. It is hard to sit still.
“Yes, I want to try and teach him a lesson, give him a chance. He taught me how most vampires think, and his lessons helped me survive that lovely court of Haarlem.
I don’t know if either of you have realized what a monsters were walking around there. We are lucky that we survived that bloody attack but there is no hair on my head that feels sad to see those murders dead.”

Fleur can feel she is getting angry or maybe it is just her beast that feels attacked. She gets up again, it is impossible to sit still when so many emotions are running through her.
“Don’t think that I don’t know what kind of monster he is and what kind of terrible things he is capable of. But the simple plain fact is that of all the vampires I have met that are clearly monster he is the only one that hasn’t tried to hurt me in any way. Yes his views of the world are completely fucked up”

Fleur looks at the three guys “So are ours. Stealing, lying, fighting and much more horrible things. Can you honestly say you have never done anything terrible to another person, maybe even to your own advantage?
He is surviving in his own hell and maybe, just maybe, we can give him a bit of light”

[Vid]

He has never condemned Kresimir personally. All vampires fall eventually, but those in the Sabbat do so more spectacularly. And everyone deserves saving. So he smiles at her explanation.

There's no need to respond on certain topics. She believes one can own a piece of land, while he doesn't. He believes need determines how much a person deserves, say, a coat, while she doesn't. They've agreed to disagree but still sometimes bicker about it. And that's not the point today.

Extending one arm, he cradles her elbow in one hand. "He hasn't hurt you yet. I think we all agree that we want to keep it that way. And I feel that he's taking steps towards the light, and that we can help him understand humanity again." One way or the other.

[Duncan Ackerley]

Everything about this sounds dangerous and stupid. He knows jack shit about kindred politics but he sure as hell knows that 'keeping your friends close but your enemies closer' doesn't mean you should try to let them redeem themselves when they turned people in chairs from the get-go. If things can't get any worse, when Fleur blames them of their world views being just as fucked up as that Tzimisce's, he can't help but let an angry snarl escape his throat in response. He can't believe it; after all the things he tried to keep himself out of, now she's blaming him of being a monster just as well. He might've chosen this path, but it wasn't because he wanted to do evil with it.

It's only because Vid interrupts him that his eyes are torn away from Fleur and now start to stare into the fire instead. The man is making a good point, about wanting to make sure Fleur doesn't get hurt. That's the only reason, at least that's what he keeps telling himself, that he's willing to listen to her ideas in the first place when it comes to visiting some psycho.

"I'm no' gonna help 'im unders'and any'ing," Duncan finally growles, anger visible in his eyes even as he keeps avoiding people's gazes. "The only fockin' reason I've 'eard so far, 's because I wanna make sure you don' get turned into fockin' furniture, 'r worse. Tha's all you're go'a get."

[Charlie Tanner]

Tanner listens with a fascinated sort of interest, like watching a tragedy unfold before him unable to look away- except that he is part of it, now. He doesn't seem to know whether to look insulted or amused when Fleur suggests they are unaware what kind of monsters they share the streets with, but since Duncan already appears to be working up into a real sour mood, Tanner decides to leave it be. His expression says enough, Tanner can't help that bit of arrogance that comes with age: he thinks he knows better than her what kinds of monsters walk among them.

Therefore, he also doesn't have a lot of hope that she'll be able to change the mind of this apparently older Sabbat, Kresimir. But who knows. As Duncan points out a few moments later, that's not what they came here to do. Still, he has to bite back comments, clearly bristled by Fleur's provocative questions as to whether they've done terrible things, troubled by how quickly and emotionally she seems to defend this person. Then again, Tanner has killed so many people- mostly when he was mortal- that he lost count. Even if he never wanted to, then or now, and still wants to protect humans. He knows he is a monster. They all are- or will be, one day.

So, he won't begrudge Fleur telling him not to judge this book by it's cover. It's not nice. But he's going to. This is not his story, but it might be his fight. Tanner obviously takes it seriously, because he doesn't even laugh at Duncan's comment about her getting turned into furniture by the Tzimisce. "We're here to make sure everyone in this room gets outta there in one piece, and that's it, 'kay? Like Duncan says," Tanner declares. "Whatever else you want to achieve there is on you. If that suits ya, we're in."

[Fleur]

The idea of maybe being in the same house as her mother is turning her slowly into a nervous wreck. Snappy, unreasonable and on edge.
The memory of those two… Dr. de Wit… What was the name of that guy again… Robbert?

She crosses her arms in front of her belly taking a more protective stance towards them pushing away those demons of the past to face the one she wants to meet.
“That is all fine for me. I understand it is complete idiotic behavior to even try this. But if no one ever tries something for a hopeless case. Then why do we have eternity?”

Fleur desperately wants to do good, she hasn’t undergone this change to just sit still and watch how she will turn into a monster.
Clearing her throat, she starts to talk about a subject that is more in their interest “Kresimir can turn into a different creature, huge with wings and big claws. He is also capable of putting things on fire with his mind. I believe he has magical wards around his house and can feel or see who is in or around his house. But that is just something i suspect.

He is very good at playing mind games, he will try to charm you in such a way that it feels all too easy to give him answers. He does like good conversation and nice things. Last time I visited him he gave me this bracelet”
She picks out the most beautiful piece of jewelry, filled with blue and white stones that shine in dim light that the fire gives the bunker.

She continues talking as she gives the bracelet to Tanner to look at, the inside is engraved with a text they can’t read.
“Kresimir is filthy rich, he offered a private airplane for us to travel with. His ghoul wants to start making arrangements. Her name is Luxuria. She is quite friendly but a bit cold. She is very loyal to him but she is truly a sweet woman”