Another Long Night

The heavily forested area just outside of the Nagasaki city limits were some of the first territories claimed during the Five Year War against the Kuei-Jin, serving as a strategic labyrinth, a maze of overgrown shrubbery and roots that reached towards the sky before burrowing deep into the wet ground. Even during the day, the light from the sun struggled to reach the moss covered floor, managing only to peek through twisting tree limbs and between leaves. All year round, the forest and it's winding trails appeared ominous to the common onlooker; the legends of missing hikers and monsters that lived in the shadows did not help the reputation, of course.

Yet, to some, the forest was a beautiful place. Once the war for Nagasaki was won, most of the Kindred Clans moved into the bustling City limits to claim blocks of concrete jungle for their kind. The Beast-like Gangrel, however, found a strange sort of solace amongst the darkness. The squirrels chattered together high in the trees, overlooking the tanuki and boar as they hunted rabbits and rodents, and as the bears and wild cats hunted them. Brimming with wildlife, it was easy for the Gangrel to feel at home hidden beneath the canopy of trees.

Every evening, the Clan freed themselves from their havens, most independent, and followed the Beast's instincts through winding trails and overgrown brush. It was as if they were being called, as if the monsters the Embrace birthed pulled at their souls, bringing them all together in some strange, instinctive dance.

Atop a sloping hill, one of the many that seemed to just disappear into the wilderness, a slight breeze rustled the grass of the clearing, disturbing the otherwise still and perfect beauty. All around the hill, the trees grew tall, and if one didn't attempt to look down... it could almost seem as if they were suspended in time and space, something akin to a dream. It was the sense of ethereal beauty, something the animalistic Gangrel often lost as they aged and gave in to the Beast, that first drew Mizuki, Primogen, to the clearing. Every evening, he sat his elderly bum atop on of the three silver-grey rocks that protruded from the grass.

The old man seemed to be in his sixties, perhaps even his seventies, if one were to judge him by the sagging, wrinkled flesh that clung to him. He cradled a tall, perfectly cylindrical walking stick in one hand, leaning his slight weight against it even as he sat. Yet, there was mirth, welcome, within the beady black rat-like eyes that were deep and sunken on his face. The smile that crossed his features was careful, lips covering the rows of triangular teeth, but genuine as he looked over the children that gathered. He spoke to each, addressing them by name and wishing them well in their nighttime adventures. Not a single soul was passed along, untouched by his kindness.

A young man, seeming the exact opposite of the Primogen in every way, stood just behind the hunched and gnarled shoulder he had sworn to protect. Dressed in all black, with a mop of dark hair and even darker eyes, the warden of the Gangrel - the protégé hand picked by the Primogen himself - kept a watchful, protective eye on the entirety of the gathering crowd. While impassive and often silent, most did not find Felix particularly intimidating. He was observant, aware, perceptive, but he mostly kept to himself: a rarity within the Clan of the Beast.

Breaking the calm, even gleam as Felix searched the crowd, a young couple joined Mizuki by his rock in a sudden burst of life and excited glee. Both sliding to their knees at his side, only the Primogen himself seemed completely calm and unhindered; Felix and the others standing close by startled at their sudden appearance and energetic entrance. The tanned boy, with his camera in hand, leaned back and turned a toothy grin towards his Clanmates, assuring them silently that all was well. The female, however, with a fluffy, tan fox tail waving in the air, immediately dove into a tale of such grandeur, her excitement captured the nearby Gangrel, and they all stopped to listen and chuckle. If one were to listen to the brunettes seemingly endless ramble, her evening had been the best evening EVER. She bounced idly on her heels, remaining on her knees at her Primogen's side, and regaled him and the others with what should have been boring, blase: just another evening at the mismatched cabin by the river. Yet, it was impossible not to get pulled in by the magnetic field of charisma that the little foxtailed girl produced. It was literally impossible to be anything less than content when in her bubbly presence, and if one were to look and see the blues of her eyes, they'd find themselves awash in the pure, unfettered innocence of a child, and the sort of all consuming excitement and joy that came with.

Even the imposing presence that stood opposite Felix, burly body half entrapped in shadow, seemed to abandon the stern and stoic. Frizzy blonde pigtails bounced, stray curls decorating her forehead and black eyepatch, as she laughed along with the others. Known far and wide as the woman who trained Inuko Locke herself, Lizzie often maintained the thick, oppressive air that intimidated her enemies into coming down... Yet, to attempt to utilize such a tyrannical force in the presence of a little sixteen year old "fluff-bucket" was just cruel. Not even she could be so mean.

It took only moments and the Gangrel around the rock gathered in piles and groups, laughing and sharing their lives with their brothers and sisters. Others sparred idly throughout the field, getting a feel for the energy and mood of the Clan, and others still climbed the slope to join the party that was just beginning.

It was easy for the stranger to follow the sounds of life that led her through the woods. Her scent - the same smell all Gangrel shared - identified her as friend, despite having no relation to any member of the Clan that had gathered. In fact, most of the couple dozen Kindred did not bother to pay her any time, continuing about their way as she stared at them, dumbfounded. A young girl that chittered through bucked teeth - not unlike a chipmunk or squirrel - carefully dodged the powerful onslaught of a Clanmate, his muscles bulging obnoxiously from beneath the fabric of his shirt.

It was only the small gathering around the rock that looked up at all. Lizzie and Felix noticed her first, both moving to flank their Primogen as best they could manage. The burly blonde glanced towards Rumor, who still chatted undisturbed, and rolled her one eye. She shouldn't expect the girl to notice anything amiss at all: despite being Nuko's childer, Rumor was following the path of the Golconda, and she truly believed that all were friends... and those that weren't just had not become friends yet. Still, it was a comfort to see the beady, almost rat-like eyes dart across the field as Mizuki took her in, and it was less than a human's heartbeat before David's attention followed.

A few others managed to notice the shift in the mood, but the comfort they found amongst themselves permeated. There was no smell of danger on the wind, no threat to force their focus, so after a moment of hesitation, they turned back to their lives. Very few remained curious of the newcomer; they'd all been there, once upon a time, and it wasn't as rare as any of them would like that a new neonate accidentally stumbled into their ranks. Amusement seemed predominant, and a few even offered the stranger smiles before returning to their activities.

It wasn't until after she spoke, however, that the head of one fox-tailed beauty jerked up, and excitement made her eyes - blue as the untouched sky - gleam. Mizuki reached out a wrinkled hand to try and catch her, but it was too late. While Rumor did not share her Sire's prowess and combat expertise, she had inherited her ungodly speed, as well as her pinpoint accurate reflexes. Her agility was abnormally trained, despite having very little more than human strength to back it up. Rumor, after all, would avoid a fight if she could... and it had been quite some time since she had found a fight she couldn't avoid.

Careful to slip between the two brawling members of her Clan, managing to avoid interruption of their fluid movement, she crossed the grassy field across the shortest distance. The overly large sweater she wore over simple, black leggings made her seem even younger, as though she were barely a teenager. Or perhaps it was that mirth that often died after childhood, still printed all across her face. It was almost as if she still believed in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny (and, in fact, she did). While it was shocking, and sometimes overwhelming, the calm that permeated the air all around her made that childlike joy infectious. It was quite literally impossible to cling to negativity admits a wave of pure, unadulterated, untainted love... the kind of love only children could muster.

Tri-colored tail wiggling behind her like a beacon of her happiness, Rumor managed to stop herself before she physically collided with the stranger. Her fingers interlaced and she rested her chin, beautiful gaze fixated on the woman she didn't know. A faint heartbeat pulsed beneath nearly transulescent, pale skin, and her beauty was only overshadowed by the kindness she radiated. It took only a moment, and the very thought of breaking the sixteen year old girl's heart was enough to rally the entirety of the Clan behind her cause. In fact, her sudden approach caught more attention than the appearance of the stranger. Concern mixed with bemused approval; the other Gangrel had many different opinions on what could occur. A few even tightened their shoulders in preparation of the aggression that would have to be frenzy-level anger and soulless rage to dissipate the gentile love that Rumor gave this woman, without even knowing her name.

"Oh my gosh, hell-oooooooo~" she cooed. Her accent was vaguely reminiscent of the New York streets that had trampled her so many years ago, but years around the multicultural Kindred of Nagasaki had softened it. She sounded, instead, like a well traveled individual far beyond the youth of her visage; she looked to be sixteen, at oldest, but sounded as if she had lived multiple lives already. The smile that softened her every feature was genuine: possibly the most genuine thing anybody had ever encountered. "You found us! That must mean you heard it too, right? The song? It sounds like something different to everybody. Mum heard a violin, and David here - that's David, by the way, he's my boyfriend but he doesn't talk much - David here heard the tweeting of birds. But no matter what it is, and you don't have to tell me because I know that it can be VERY PERSONAL, the song is life. It is the sound and essence of life itself, and you followed it here. So that must mean you're new, right? Ohhh... That must be kind of scary... and I guess we do look kind of weird, huh?"

Her tail flicked from side to side and she extended a hand, never stopping to even breathe as she continued on and on. Not a single soul dared to interrupt her, as if doing so might shatter the innocence people so instinctively, irrevocably wanted to protect and preserve. Yet, as she spoke, David moved carefully to her side, looping an arm around the curve of her waist and watching the neonate's actions carefully. He had taken it upon himself to protect her, and here she was, offering her hand as if the thought that the stranger might hurt her hadn't ever occurred (and that was possibly because it hadn't).

"But it's okay, really! If you'll let me, I'll take you over to Mister Mizuki over there, and we can all explain what's going on. Because it is kind of weird! But it's a good kind of weird, honest. I wasn't too sure about it at first, either, but I don't know what I'd do without all of this, now! And I know I was scared, so you must be kind of scared too, huh? Well, don't worry! Don't be! See, my name is Rumor, okay? Rumor Black, and I'm a member of this family! And I promise you, promise promise PROMISE you, that no harm will come to you by our hands! At least, not tonight... Because tonight? Tonight is for learning, for you to learn about us and your new life... and for us to learn about you, okay?" Her head tilted to one side and she gave a welcoming wiggle of her fingers, smile only growing.

"I promise! And you can't break a promise."

As soon as the neonate took her hand, Rumor felt herself beginning to soften. It did not take much for her to become personally invested in some poor lost soul, and something about the way this stranger clung to her as if maybe, just maybe, she could make everything okay... She stepped closer to her, hoping the proximity would bring about some semblance of comfort. The young fox tailed Gangrel had very little to base her behaviors off, and while she loved her Sire and adopted mother with a fierce passion, she often attempted to do the exact opposite of what Inuko Locke would try.

"Is it real?" the teenager said with a playful wrinkle of her nose. Slowly, carefully, she began to lead Yashita across the grassy field, towards the old man that had remained seated through the entire ordeal. As dramatically as she could manage, she swept her tail from side to side, the different hues of gold, brown, and white catching in the minute moonlight, seeming to glow. She even managed to wiggle the very tip of her tail at her new friend, winking so she would know there was no danger in it. "Of course it's real, silly! All of our features are real. It's what happens when we lose ourselves to the Beast."

Still carefully leading, step by step, the Golconda to be focused the entirety of her energy on peaceful, calming thoughts, and the results were instantaneous. Tension was nearly impossible and every member of the Clan relaxed their stance, including Felix and Lizzie who began to trudge back to their previous posts with as much theatrics as they both thought they could properly muster. However, by the time they reached the rock formations and a still-waiting Mizuki, they were sharing in laughter. It seemed nobody, not even the most grumpy of grumps, could escape the mixture of Rumor-charisma and Golconda-magic.

She reached over to place her free hand atop the neonate's, cradling the gift of companionship and trust that had been given to her in such a simple action. In what ways she could, the youthful Gangrel was trying to abstain from her usual energy levels. Of course, it was failing in execution.

"See, you've been given a gift. Well, a lot of people actually call it a curse. It's ACTUALLY called a curse, like if we're talking just straight up. It's called the Curse of Caine, but I prefer calling it a gift. Somebody decided that you were worth giving this to, so now, you're a Cainite! Specifically, if you follow the lines and stuff, you're a Cainite and a child of Ennoia, which means you're a Gangrel like me! But don't worry... We're not like the movies or anything. Hollywood got SOOOO much wrong, you wouldn't BELIEVE! I was so confused at first, too. Like, how can you get THAT MUCH wrong?"

Rumor laughed, a tinkling sort of sound that often transported people back in their own memories, whether that was good or bad. It was easy to imagine the old movie, It's a Wonderful Life, playing in the background, and the little child telling everybody, "every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!" Well, every time the young brunette laughed, people fought the urge to believe much of the same thing. There was such mirth, such innocence, in the way she laughed, that it filled up all who listened with the brightness that was, and always had been, Rumor Black.

"It's silly. And honestly, we really don't utilize any of their vernacular, either. See, Amy - that's the Prince, the leader of the WHOLE City of Nagasaki - Amy doesn't like the word 'vampire.' She'll actually start to spazz out a little bit if you use it around her too much because of all of this awful stuff with her dad. Instead, she uses the word that a lot of us use, and that's the word Kindred. And do you know what Kindred means? It means to be family, to be related. And you're a Kindred now, too! So that means that you're family of, and in relation to, ALL of us! Every Kindred EVER, actually!"

A fortnight? Rumor paused in her bouncing approach, feet falling flat against the grass as she contemplated the implications of such a statement. If memory served, and it usually did, a fortnight was two weeks time... and if this neonate had been around for two weeks... She felt electric uncertainty spark through her every muscle. Her sister, Avice Locke, had only just returned to Nagasaki, so perhaps she hadn't been around at the time of this stranger's Embrace... Still. Not even Finn had come looking for her, demanding her presence at the feet of their Ventrue leader, as was Camarilla Tradition. Did that mean that somehow, she had flown so far under the radar, not even the madman or their Prince knew she existed? Her barely beating heart skipped in fear, but the emotion never reached the blue of her eyes.

It was, after all, easy to distract Rumor Black, especially when she actively wanted to be distracted. Talking poorly of her Sire, Yashita offered a glimpse into the more commonplace style of Embrace that the Gangrel Clan was beknownst to follow. For most of her existence, the tiny girl was blinded to the tradition, as her own Sire kept her close, both in physical proximity and in metaphorical heart. Inuko Locke was, for many years, unwilling to let go of her "little girl," and when she finally had, it led to the greatest tragedy of the rainbow haired woman's life. If Rumor had any plans to bring forth another into the night, Rumor couldn't imagine acting in contradiction to her adopted mother's behavior.

Her head tilted curiously to one side in cascades of brunette hair, already doe-like eyes widening. She wanted desperately to address the hatred and disgust, but the squeeze from the arm delicately looped about her waist - David, seeming to come into sudden existence to save the innocence that made his love exactly who she was, had taken hold of her among the chaos - warned her away from that line of conversation. Even Yashita seemed unwilling to hover there for long as she switched gears, asking questions that Rumor was more than happy to answer. Her love, however, evened a dark look at the neonate for the briefest of moments, giving a shake of his head almost beneath her perception, before he refocused on the Golconda-to-be once more.

"Oh, no, no! Not every vampire! And here, like I said, we say Kindred, because that term could upset some of the older people, and you really don't want to upset anyone, but you want to upset them least of all. They can be scary. Like Prince Amy! She says Kindred, and she'll emphasize that point until she's blue in the face... even though she kind of already is, but that's not my story, see? My story is really with us, the Gangrel! See, the Kindred are split up into Clans, and each Clan is different. We, that's the Gangrel, we take on the animal stuff, like my tail. But it's just us... Other Clans have other stuff that is just for them that we don't get, like how the Ventrue like Prince Amy never grow out of stuff... She still wears her really old clothes.

"But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself AGAIN, huh?" Rumor said with a little giggle, hidden behind pale fingers. "Sorry. I guess I do that, sometimes. See, Amy O'Connor is our leader, here in Nagasaki. She is the one that makes all the calls at the end of the night, but her husband and her Court balance her out, so don't worry about her being super overpowered or anything. But I guess she kind of is, but not politically, at least not in City politics. See, she is really really old, like SUPER old. Like, her Sire is her from WAY BACK WHEN, and she's from an ancient time. And you'll totally see that the moment you look at her, because her clothes tell you ALL about that. She still wears the same clothes. Remember the Ventrue thing I told you about?"

She paused, finally, to take an unnecessary breath, filling her lungs. She was oblivious to the amusement that played across the faces of those just behind her: Mizuki was giving a shake of his head, Lizzie and Felix both standing strong with faces broke out in nearly mirrored grins. The Clan was used to her ramblings and nearly unstoppable tidal wave of information. Rumor knew far too much and simply loved sharing everything she could.

Yet, before she could start again, another squeeze of her waist made her squeak, startling as she turned her focus to her mute lover. He was grinning at her, which immediately washed away any semblance or chance at tension. She seemed to melt in his arms, offering a low purr David felt more than he heard. "Right. I'm doing it again. Oops... Sorry."

Shock painted a strange, almost foreign look across Rumors delicate features as the little neonate started talking about the Beast as if it were some sentient person, somebody outside of the minds of the monsters. The very thought of the Beast personified terrified the tiny girl, and shivers made the fur of her fox tail stand on end. David tightened his arms around her and kept up the glare at the stranger, possessiveness making it easy for him to blame her for the discomfort his Darling was experiencing.

However, that glare was short lived, as Rumors body began to shake with laughter, light and tinkling. She shook her head, grin finally returning and setting the rest of her ClanMates at ease. "Oh, no no no!" She began, but was easily interrupted by the dark haired shadow that stood beside the Primogen.

"Haven't you felt it? The Beast?" Felix asked, stepping forward into the moonlight. His eyes appeared dark, as if the light itself were swallowed by the creature that roared inside his head. "Haven't you felt the pull, the need, the violence?" Just speaking of it made his hand flex, not unlike the Claws of some big cat, feeling the wilderness beneath him. His voice purred the way a panther purred before it struck, his eyes gleaming with the taste of power. "Haven't you felt the Beast tugging at the edges of your consciousness, demanding you do horrible things? The kinds of things only a Beast would do?"

Rumor slapped the air with both hands, just in front of his face, as Felix tried to make it all oh so serious. What did he think he was doing, intimidating the poor new blood like that? Silly man... She huffed at him and, despite his obvious position of power, even the grand panther began to slink back like a chastised child. "Oh, you hush," she murmured, nature still kind. She stuck her tongue out at him and gave a firm shake of her head before turning back to Yashita. "The Beast is the blood of the Kindred that flows through you, and me, and every other Kindred Embraced since the Time of the Ancients. The Beast is the curse, first laid upon our kind when Caine betrayed Abel, way back when. It's not so easy to fight, but our Antidullivian, the guy that started our Clan beneath Caine, he was super close to the vampire curse. So, like, our Beast, as Gangrel... Well, they're different. Our Beasts are almost like people in our heads; these big, hulking things we have to fight. But all Kindred, even Miss Amy, have Beasts. Aaaaaaaaand, speaking of Miss Amy. No, you're not, like, illegal or whatever."

Rumor giggled at the very thought, thinking of Ventrue and their love of formality. If the other Clans would agree to it, she had no doubt that every new Kindred within Amy's City would have to apply for citizenship, including a test and crap tons of studying. It was amusing, imagining somebody like Finn sitting down, hunched over some book, cramming for the hypothetical test in nervous hope that he would be allowed to join the ranks of the Ventrue Prince.

"You have to meet her and stuff, but after that, you're pretty much free as long as you behave. But that won't be a problem, you seem like a good person! And I'm a pretty good judge of character, if I do say so myself!" Rumor puffed up her chest in pride, despite the good natured snickering from her gathered family. "Really, it's easy. I'll even go with you, if you want! After meeting Prince Amy, all you really gotta do is check in with Mizuki, here, and he's real easy on neonates. That means new blood, new comer. Like you!"

A slow, predatory smile crossed Felix's features as she spoke, thinking about all of the nights he had been kept awake by the monster in his chest, long before he was cursed with the Beast. He stared hard at the woman, even as Rumor moved between them, instinctively, trying to break the tension. The tiny, fox-tailed girl hated the idea of a fight, and she knew that the Primogen-to-be was rather keen on conflict. She placed both of her hands on the delicate curve of her hips, a tiny pout touching her features as she stared at the woman for an extended moment, waiting until she felt Felix's metaphorical fur begin to calm and flatten.

She gave a shake of her head, figuring most attention would end up back on her, as it often did. People seemed to fade away into the background whenever she was around. "Are you kidding?" she teased, light-heartedly. "I would absolutely love to! Prince Amy and I, we go way back, actually. You see, she was good friends with my mum, back when Mum was still around. They knew each other from way, way back when, so when Prince Amy came here, Mum decided to come too and help her run Nagasaki. So I came with. Me and my sister, Avice, but Avice is the new Scourge, so she's not around all that much. Plus, I'm pretty sure she lives in the apartment thingy that Mum left us, but I live with David."

Rumor placed a gentle hand on her lover's arm, turning to face him fully for the first time. His protective arms never left their hold around her, but as soon as she looked at him, the boy seemed to relax. They shared an eskimo kiss, rubbing the tips of their noses together in a moment of picturesque romance, the kind printed across Hallmark cards. They shared a smile full of potential and barely-kept secrets, and the look exchanged between the two was the kind that stopped hearts and made them melt. She giggled before turning back to the neonate.

"This is David, by the way. He doesn't talk much. Like, at all, actually. He's a mute, but I talk enough for both of us, and he knows sign language. He taught me, so that we could communicate better." Mostly out of habit, as soon as she started to speak of the language spoken through hands, she began to sign idly, though her hands remained at waist height. "He probably won't come with us, but that's pretty normal. I figured you could hang out with all of us tonight... We meet every month, at least, like this. The whole Clan! So you can meet pretty much everybody here tonight, if you want, and tomorrow night, I can take you to meet the Prince! And then you won't be alone! You'll have me right there, for sure, and you'll have the whole Gangrel Clan right at your back, supporting you! That's what it means to be a Gangrel, after all. Family. We're like... like a pack, or a flock, or a tribe, or a pride, depending on what animal you have."