A meeting of minds - Henri's Penthouse

She led the Toreador in through the back, into a lavish parlor.

"May I get you something to drink?  I have blood and blood wine."

"Oh, no thank you. I'm fine for now. This is a lovely place." Areron looked around, but her mind was racing trying to work out what Henrietta's motivations were. She knew so little about her.

She poured herself a glass from the bar, then moved to sit.

"You are, I'm sure, wondering why I wished to speak to you in private. Truthfully, I figured there must be something behind the rumors about you. Perhaps you are not the bogeyman you are made out to be, but surely you are an ambitious woman who is willing to do almost anything to get to what she wants."

"When one plays the great game one must be willing to put notions of morality and ethics aside at times....for the greater good. I'm trying however to regain my humanity and compromise less."

She was supposed to be projecting an image of kindness and understanding. Per Victor's suggestion.

She smiled.

"That is admirable. Truly. And I wish to help you. I will not lie, I see much use for you, but I think I can be quite a help, as well."

Areron tilted her head, "Hm, how can you help?"

"You desire to create art, yes? I will help with that. I will help to give you the time. I will help to retain your humanity, if you truly wish it."

"Yes, my art is above anything else. I can still be better...I know I can improve my talents further." She had a slightly crazied tone to her voice. Her drive to attain perfection was compeltely unreachable and yet she couldn't stop herself.

"Of course I wish to retain my humanity. Who would want to be a cold joyless statue? I love and care about people and I want them to stop cringing from me like I might at any moment reach out and strike them down. I am not Joseph as much as people seem to think I am." Of course about 85% of that was all a dirty lie.

She smiled.

"Do I appear to be a cold Joyless statue?"

"No, of course not." Areron smiled and shook her head. She was careful about blinking, fidgeting now and then to appear mortal, more humane.

She chuckled and dropped into her lower humanity, her disregard for it going lower.

"No. I am closer to my joy now than I was. But if you see it differently, then by all means, we will raise you up the ladder towards saint hood."

Areron frowned, pausing mid nose scratch.

Careful Areron...could be a trap.

"And what is your joy?"

She smiled in a way that said she didn't mind sharing this one.

"Emotions in others. The extremes and the subtleties. Pain currently tops the list."

"Pain...?" Areron lowered her hand cautiously, going very still. "Emotional or physical?"

She smiled again.

"Not yours, cherie. But emotional is most satisfying."

"I enjoy...seeing justice done." Areron said slowly. Carefully. "I find a lot of people are allowed to run around and do as they please without...concequences. I enjoy seeing those people get what they deserve."

She leaned back, watching Areron.

"What form of Justice?"

"Take Mr. Grant for an example. His insufferable ego, his regular casual insults. We were out patroling the north part of anarch domain back when the sabbat were attacking regularily and we found one, I drew my sword and he hit me upside the back of my head and told me the sword was useless. That my craft was useless...it wasn't too useless when I buried a stake so deep in his chest it knocked him into torpor." Areron smiled at the memory.

"That...I enjoyed."

Her eyelids dropped to half mast.

"Oui, that is rather satisfying. But Doc tells me that's not where your Justice ended. Tell me, do you have your sister back?"

Areron looked mildly surprised, "Yes, she is safe and sound. Thanks to Mr. Grant's... sacrifice."

She smiled softly.

"Surely you were aware that my lover is a Wraith and patrols Elysium for me? And I am glad to hear about your sister. Hopefully she is none the worse for her time in that dreadful place. If she is mentally scarred, please bring her to me. Psychology is a specialty of mine."

"She was...rapped. I should have been faster about saving her. Indeed I should have been faster about warning her, but that my failing. I believe she will be fine."

"I did not know that your lover was a wraith..." How does that even work? She wondered.

She nodded.

"If she does not recover, bring her to me. I will help her. And do not fault yourself entirely. Hindsight, is of course, 20/20."

She took a sip from her glass, then set it aside.

"My lover is Doc Maynard. Perhaps you have heard of him?"

"I have heard of him, but, I've never met him."

She nodded.

"I will have to fix that soon. He is currently watching over Elysium for me."