Visitor! (Darius/Cassiel) - Darius and Crew

She pressed her cheek into Cass's knee.

"I'm sorry."

He nodded.

"No idea where he or she might be? No note, nothing like that?"

On instinct, she put her hand on Bethy's head and ran her fingers through her hair. And very quickly just looked completely sullen. And then she shook her head to Darius.

"The sheriff is looking into it. But no note, no hint. But he is Gangrel... the current theory is that he simply left, having an urge to wander. It's really less of a deal than I am making, I'm sure. And I'm not looking for help. I told the sheriff I trust her to do what she thinks she can. And I do."

He frowned.

"Do you truly think that the Sheriff -- a Tremere -- is doing all that she can to make sure your Gangrel friend is safe? I know some of the history of the Gangrel and the Tremere; I would not be surprised if she had a hand in his disappearance."

She looked at him, for a moment looking almost horrified at the thought. And then the expression faded.

"I don't know what I think anymore. Other than I'm feeling the need to wander, myself."

He sighed at that.

"I can understand that. It is one of the stages of grief, running away from the memories of what hurts."

She frowned.

"Have you tried summoning him?"

"I've always run. But never from the memories. Those I keep-- they hold purpose."

She then nodded to Bethy. "I have, yes. It doesn't work. Nothing happens."

He nodded.

"Therein lies part of your problem, I think. One person can only hold so much grief and pain, Cassiel. It is bound to boil over and explode eventually. And Elizabeth has a good point -- have you tried to Summon him?"

"I've tried to no avail," she said brushing her fingers through Bethy's hair gently once more.

"Look, I've already been told that I'm unstable. How is that supposed to make someone feel?"

He leaned back and thought about that.

"My guess would be... in a nutshell... brushed off. As though someone thinks that you aren't worth it."

"Yeah, it does. And in the same token, I shouldn't feel that way."

She wrapped her arms around the Toreador's waist.

"Cass is good lady, should not feel brushed off. Should feel loved."

"I do," she kissed the top of her head. "By a handful of people here. It's not many, but it's enough. But I don't want to burden them with this. It doesn't effect them."

He shook his head with a frown.

"That's where you're wrong. It only doesn't affect them if they do not care. That's the difference. People call themselves 'friends' or even 'allies' if you prefer a more sterile term, but if they don't really care about what is happening in the lives of their 'friends' or 'allies', then they aren't paying attention. And they don't want to. It's a selfish thing, but Kindred are, by and large, selfish creatures. If they were your friends or allies, they would be with you, sharing the burden of your missing Gangrel with you, rather than saying that they will look into it with no word."

He smiled.

"Or am I mistaken and the Sheriff has called to tell you where he is already?"

"She can't do that if she doesn't know where he is."

She then shook her head. "But they'd had a falling out, so..."

Cass had only been stalling herself. Inevitably, she knew she would be on her own with this.

She looked over at Darius.

"We can help, can't we?"

He nodded.

"Yes, we can. Cassiel, can you let me borrow something of his? It can be small, something that he gave you, even. And I know for certain that, if she were any Tremere worth her salt, she could have done the same in thirty minutes or less."

Fucking Tremere.

She took off her jacket and then proceeded to take off the much too large button down shirt she was wearing over a t-shirt. It looked expensive, though wrinkled from her night's wear of it.

"This is what I have with me..." If he could do it then... what would it hurt, right? She handed it over.

He nodded and rose from the couch.

"Elizabeth, would you be a dear and get us all three something to drink? This won't take but a few minutes."

He held up the shirt and moved toward his bedroom, not even looking over his shoulder.

She rose.

"Cass, you drink blood only, yes?"

"Yes, just blood," she nodded to Bethy, looking a little nervous.

She nodded and moved to the kitchen. She came back with two beers, a pint glass, and a knife. She set the beers on the coffee table, then put the glass down, too. She held her wrist over it, and cut the vein, skillfully making sure the blood when right into the glass, and only into the glass.

Oh, God...

Cass stood up, not letting her put much into the glass. She didn't object, she didn't want to be rude. But... "Oh, that's plenty, thank you."

She filled the glass half full, then closed the wound with the knife as she healed it.

"Okay."