01 [London, February 7, 1262. 8:15 pm.] 01 [It's been two nights since the Malkavians met and determined a general course of action come next court. Moriel is returning home from feeding, but before he decides to retire to do whatever it is Moriels do, he decides to have a turn in his garden. Most of the plants will be dead or seem so, due heavy snows and frost this winter, but there are a few evergreen shrubs and winter vegetables that he had planted for just this eventuality.] 01 [And so, he heads behind his abode to do just that... only in the middle of the garden, seated at the table in the center with her gloved hands folded, is one very familiar Tremere.] 01 [Mini Start!] 06* Moriel stops short briefly on seeing Eliana, but in the next moment his eyes lighten and he smiles. The smile gains the faintest quirk as he says "Good evening, Eliana Casale." And he steps up to the chair across from her and seats himself. 06* Eliana inclines her head to Moriel at his approach. "Moriel MacRae. How are you?" 06* Eliana his hooded. What, it's cold. 06* Moriel 's smile fades and he sighs. "Mm. Well enough." 06* Eliana raises an skeptical eyebrow. There may only be moonlight and whatever flickers through his house's windows, but there is no way he can't see that. 06* Moriel taps his fingertips on the tabletop, frowning. "My clan is - currently - planning to throw their efforts into uncovering the source of power you suggested is likely fueling the Carthaginian enchantment on the garou, in the hopes of tilting the balance in the north in our favor so they may withdraw to other tasks. It is...likely the best plan for the clan. But I'm still concerned about Moloch." 01 Your fears are not unfounded. Ian Hargrave and I have been conducting a great deal of research on the subject. After a discussion I had with my clan's elder under a week ago, I believe the Tremere will attempt to persuade others to consider moving their forces to the Vatican. 06* Moriel 's brows draw down. "What have you found?" 01 That the ritual takes several centuries to perform, and that kine have been disappearing at an increased rate. I found that one of the primary components is the sacrifice of the innocent; for their disappearance to be notable after hundreds of years of work, he must feel the ritual is nearing its completion. 06* Moriel goes still, the tap-tap-tap of his fingers stopping abruptly. Expressions flicker across his face as he assimilates this. "The timing is too neat. It seems likely that Troile's awakening was planned to coincide with the ritual's completion. Though why she wasn't awakened earlier to help...perhaps for some reason she couldn't." 06* Moriel 's eyes have gone distant as his mind continues working. 01 It is, though that would make the opposition combing the ruins for Moloch's remains extremely strange. ...true. 06* Moriel starts tapping again. "If it's not a coincidence, then...we are missing some player. Who on earth..." 06* Eliana shakes her head. She doesn't know. 06* Moriel wasn't really directing the question at Eliana; after all, she doesn't have any reason to know. He was just thinking out loud. But after a moment he shakes himself out of his reverie. "Not immediately material, I suppose. If we know nothing about it, we can do nothing about it, except for to keep eyes and ears open for clues." 01 Mmm. 01 Regardless, the danger is present and, though not as clearly immediate, far greater than the one New Carthage presents. 06* Moriel nods sharply. We shall have to bring it up at Prince Mithras' next conclave. 01 Yes. 06* Eliana shifts, about to stand, then thinks better of it. "Is something wrong?" 06* Moriel blinks. "Ah. No...?" He's clearly confused as to why Eliana's asking. 01 You looked bothered. 06* Moriel sits back ever so slightly, looking down at the tabletop. "Ah." And he sighs. "By Moloch. By the fact that I cannot *do* anything about him. By - by the fact that I *must* do anything about him. I wish nothing to do with this war and yet I cannot simply - " He cuts himself off with a sharp gesture of frustration. Then he looks back up at Eliana and gives her a rueful smile. "It's selfish of me." 06* Eliana laughs softly. "Perhaps. But pure selflessness is an impossibility." 01 Why must you do something? 06* Moriel 's smile widened briefly as Eliana laughed, but at her question it vanishes into a troubled frown. "Because - for good or ill, I am in the position I am. I know he exists. I know he will bring about horrors if he is not prevented. I cannot - I cannot simply ignore that." 06* Moriel slows and finishes quietly, "It would be wrong." 01 But you are frustrated... because of what you must do in order to effectively accomplish this goal? Yes, I suppose. I cannot effectively do much of anything on my own, yet working with others...seems indirect, and often inefficient, as all have their own agendas. 06* Eliana nods and says, dryly, "An unfortunate side effect when working with multiple individuals." 06* Moriel 's eyes lighten faintly as his expression turns wry. "Yes." 06* Eliana reaches up to brush away a few curls that managed to fall in her face. "Then we will do our best to convince them their agendas can wait." 01 One notable agenda is this dagger. But if they can agree to sending a much smaller force after that, as would be prudent regardless... 06* Moriel nods. 06* Moriel adds wryly, "I wonder if it will be us, again." 06* Eliana blinks, considering. "It is a pattern. You, Rolf, and myself. Others join and leave, but..." 01 Mithras is certainly controlling that particular string. I don't know why, however. 06* Moriel shrugs. "We caused some upset. I would guess he simply wishes to control us - and perhaps wishes to ensure no one else does." 01 Both fair possibilities, given our breeding. 06* Moriel nods. The faint grimace that always crosses his face when he's reminded of his breeding appears and vanishes again in the next moment. 06* Eliana regards Moriel with curiosity, but she doesn't press the point. Instead: "At least you can feel assured that I agree with you concerning the danger he presents. Though," she adds, her voice a bit lighter, "I do not promise I have no ulterior motives." 06* Moriel smiles a bit at Eliana. It fades as he visibly wanders down some train of thought, but after a moment he makes an effort to shake it away and smile at her again. "It's rather foolish of me to grow frustrated when others have motivations of their own, anyway." 06* Eliana shrugs with one shoulder. "I don't find it a strange desire, to wish others would share my goals and interests." 06* Moriel smiles with less effort now. "Strange, no. But one may as well grow frustrated with the sun for rising." 06* Eliana snorts. "An apt metaphor." 06* Moriel tilts his head, frowning again. "Eliana...when you say this ritual is near completion...do you have an idea how near? A month? A year? A decade?" 06* Eliana closes her eyes and sighs. "No." 06* Moriel 's face tightens, worry lines etching themselves around his eyes. "Pity. We will have to push for it at conclave, then." 01 Yes. I only hope we can convince them of the danger. For my elder to be as worried as she is... 06* Moriel 's gaze flicks to Eliana's face, intent. "If so, at least she will likely help." 06* Eliana nods. "Likely." She looks up at the moon, lacing her fingers together. "I suppose there is nothing to be done but wait." 06* Moriel nods, though he doesn't look the least pleased about it. Then, suddenly, he blinks. "Was it this you came to discuss? I was so preoccupied, I...didn't think to ask." 06* Eliana snaps her attention to Moriel, and then she laughs, suddenly, her voice ringing in the garden. "Yes." 06* Moriel blinks again. "Yes, it was what you came to discuss, or yes, I was preoccupied?" 01 Yes, Moriel. Yes to both. 06* Moriel 's mouth curls up at the corners in a tiny grin. "Well, I knew the second was true, I just wasn't sure about the first." 06* Eliana replies, amusement still clear in her voice, "If I want to talk to you about something, I will." 06* Moriel 's grin widens a touch, his eyes bright with humor. "True." 01 So I have. Did you have anything you wished to discuss? 06* Moriel shakes his head, smiling. "If I had, I would have come to you." 06* Eliana nods, and she moves to stand. "I will see you another time, then. Good evening, Moriel MacRae." 06* Moriel rises politely with her and nods in return. "Good evening, Eliana Casale." 06* Eliana leaves. Though the weather is nearly as cold as Eliana herself, she still follows the circuitous path out of the garden. 01 [End!]