Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Seeing Red

Diane,

Thank you for taking care of the dry cleaning this week.  While I'm certainly thankful that I was not physically harmed, the social embarrassment and damage to my clothing was almost more than I could take.  I thought that my reputation in the city had been ruined before I could even establish myself, but it appears that the others were less interested in my appearance than in whatever shenanigans they were up to.  Ghosts, angels, and Superheros?  In my childhood I would have said that my own kind were complete superstition, so I guess anything is possible.  This I know for certain; The "Superhero" activity is centered around this Club Orpheus that is currently serving as the location of Elysium. Two people I have met may be connected to this. Serendipity, the Malkavian, and Nyxian the owner of the club.  My contacts in the local media have pictures that clearly show someone that looks exactly like Serendipity running around like some comic book buffoon.  I've heard that one of the patrons had a run in with Nyxian, and were soundly defeated.  His powers are rumored to be outside of what my kind are capable of.  He is either something very old, or something else.

I'll need you to assist me in following up on these things. Scout the area surrounding the club during the daytime.  See what the word on the street is.  Check into the real estate records for Orpheus.  See if you can figure out who Nyxian is.  I'll take a look around one evening myself.  There's a whole lot more going on here, but these are the leads I have.

Next, and more importantly, we'll need to start preparing for a party. As the newly named Primogen of my clan, I'll need to provide some excellent entertainment to prove that the Prince's selection was not in error.  Spare no expense.  It should be easy to impress most of the kindred, but it's the rest of my clan that I'm worried about.  I barely know any of them, or their tastes. So lets not doing anything outlandish  yet.  Tasteful and conservative this time.

We'll have the paperwork for the haven this week.  It's certainly taken long enough.  Let's get the rest of the collection moved ASAP.  I don't like the idea of being so far away from it for this long.  I've begun to look around for items that should be added, but I'd like to get everything moved and take inventory before I make any more purchases.

Finally, some good news for you.  Until further notice, I won't be asking you to undertake any more "dirty work".  It would seem that one of my brethren overdid it recently, and I don't have the stomach for it right now.  Mindy wasn't much, but she had value. Her passing could have been avoided.  You have to know your prey, and how far you can push.  Not everyone can figure that out it seems.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

To D.

D~

We are moving the operation to Baltimore.  It may seem like a move in the wrong direction, but the opportunities are too great to resist.  D.C. has begun to bore me, and for all the wrong reasons.  I don't know what exactly happened here, but it can't be good.  Oh well, if it makes me a Primogen it can't be all bad, can it?  I'll need you to find a new warehouse, and make transportation arrangements for the collection.  Spare no expense in this task.  Everything must arrive in Baltimore intact.  Of course you understand this.  You've been with me long enough to understand the importance of my work.  Perhaps it is time to explain why I ask you to do some of the things that you seem to find so atrocious.

You never question me when I ask you to slash their tires.  I believe you actually enjoy the burglaries. Don't think I haven't noticed.  I'm guessing that every time you climb through a window to steal a laptop or a Les Paul that you are imagining yourself as the world's greatest jewel thief.  See the joy I give you?  It's only fair though. I can sense the pain inside you when the tasks are more complicated.  The car crashes, the muggings, the rapes and the killings.  They all bother you I know.  Such is the price of your existence.  I heard you crying after you took care of little Bethany. Only five, not a care in the world.  Why her?  Why did she have to die?  Why did I ask you to do those terrible things to her, and her mother made to watch?

Do you know how art is created?  Where it comes from?  Training?  Raw Talent? Practice? Certainly these are factors, but great art, works worthy of recognition, worthy of my attention set themselves apart because of the inspiration and suffering of the artist.  Alas, I am no muse; how I wish that I were one.  How simple, how pleasant things could be then.  No, my fate lies with pain.  I make them suffer. I make them starve.  I make them curse their own mind, their life, the world that surrounds them.  That is my art.  That is how I inspire.  I bring the artist to the brink of the abyss; and only their work can save them.

Be proud to be part of this.  Every ounce of pain that you inflict comes back tenfold in the creativity of the artist. You and I are not the first.  For many years I assisted my Sire in such acts, as he helped his Sire before him.  Serve me well and there is yet a chance you shall be granted the reward I know you desire. It's not a matter of whether you can stomach the work; rather, you must allow yourself to relish in it.  The day that I can see that you take your greatest satisfaction in the most heinous activities is the day you may finally achieve your Embrace.

Dago