2025.03.16: Cerriphan and Jamie talk for the first time

March 16th.

In the dark of the alley, a boot appeared. A shawl bundled woman appeared, face almost entirely obscured by how much she had wrapped around her face. There were shawls atop shawls, scarfs over scarves.

Cerriphan squinted down the path, walking briskly closer toward the entrance of the Blue Devil, before halting oddly and looking about. Amber eyes roving, twitching, watching. Whatever path she had been taking cut short to stare off at something else that wasn't there.

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
Jamie mills about, once again taking note of the area and trying to make a mental map with all the various places found around. They even take the time to glance and look at alleys for possible feeding areas if needed. They occasionally stop and make notes on their phone. As they walk by, they notice a strange person, bundled in shawls.

They pause, squint their eyes, curiously but also unsure if they should ask. Their face contort, occasionally opening their mouth then closing and they think harder on what to say.

"Uh, hey?" they finally ask.

Cerriphan06/01/2019
There is an extended silence.

Well, that's awkward. Maybe she hadn't heard them. Cerriphan didn't appear to notice much of anything at all, at that. At least, until suddenly she'd whipped around toward them with a soft little "Hello!"

Ah, noticed. Her wide eyes blinked owlishly. "Hello, friend, the newer friend, poking, picking, peeking friend. How are you? The curious eyes always watching."

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
Jamie tilts their head confused somewhat but doesn't say what they're thinking. The reflexively tap their face with the palm of their hand, and seem to completely ignore the motion, as if they've done this often enough it doesn't phase them.

"Uh, are you....ok?" they ask somewhat concerned, somewhat confused "Do you need me to get someone?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"Doris?" The delayed woman appeared be struggling to properly exist at the moment. "Fine, fine, always seeking, never finding. A pretty mask one is to wearing, but not as pretty as the real one. You have seen Doris? I am seeking that one. Always two steps behind."

It may have become evident what they were dealing with at that point.

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"Oh.....IIIIII get it now," they say confidently "Thanks for the compliment, now if only most people saw me as pretty without the mask."

They smile, scrunching their nose somewhat "But I get it, I'm way too pretty so I gotta hide it."

"Sorry, I don't think I've seen a Doris around here recently."

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"All I am to seeing IS Doris around here," the woman whined, "but not the ACTUAL Doris. Needing to finding where the proper one is. Too many phantoms. Always Echoes. Always chasing. Very unfortunate."

Cerriphan huffed her cheeks mildly, "Hiding serving lonely purposes, but understanding; wishing they did, too."

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"Yeah I have no idea what you're saying, you're gonna need to talk to me like im a stupid kid," they say with a tone that indicated that they aren't angry or annoyed just blunt.

Cerriphan06/01/2019
There was a bit of a disgruntled expression, "Cannot finding words that would soothing the proper minds and ending the splitting, searching faces and roving eyes. Helping. To Finding... Doris?"

Well, she's trying.
Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"I...can try to help you find her? If that's what you're asking," they say still a bit confused.

Cerriphan06/01/2019
A scarf was pulled a little bit looser, then a short nod. "Yes! Please to helping me finding the Doris of the now."

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
Jamie shrugs and says "Yeah I can give it a shot. I'm Jamie by the way, and you're....?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"Cerriphan," the woman chirped, "and Jamie. Cerriphan and Jamie. Taking a pot shot, friend. Yes, yes. Somewhere here. Or maybe not here. Just needing to speaking or asking, maybe, don't know." It was going to be vaguely tedious, what with how long it occasionally took her to reply.

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"I like Jamie and Cerriphan personally," they snark "What's this Doris look like? You got a picture or something?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"Ginger nightingale, commander of forces, speaker for the weak, friend and kin and mother. She is to being the Dame! Madam Knight, I am beseeching thee. Queen of the free folks, and their port."

High praise.

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"Wow," says Jamie "Wait.....was she like....good at singing? And about this high?"

Jamie motions to a height for what they remember for the approximation for Doris' height.

Cerriphan06/01/2019
After a moment, the Malkavian nodded vigorously in almost frantic motions. "That! That, that. She. Her."

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"Hm...I might have met her," says Jamie, tapping their face "And I miiiiiiight have, maybe, perhaps, mayhaps, called her leprechaun and told a whole crowd of people about her dating her personal assistant."

Cerriphan06/01/2019
There's a pause, and a stare. And then a loud, stifled giggle. Her eyes crinkled up, touching at Jamie's shoulder a little. "I am not sure if I am able to finding where your lie is," she murmured, "But thanking kindly for helping. We can looking. Helping with looking?"

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"I....wasn't lying," they say smiling "But don't worry about it, I'm sure future me's gonna have to deal with the consequences of past me's actions."

"Last I saw the leprechaun it was at the riverwalk, we can try there I guess?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"Peeking, staring, watching, a brief glance; can confirm or to deny her presence in the real moment. Will seeing fleeting, grasping phantoms." Cerriphan sounded fairly disappointed.

"Good to having confirming eyes."

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"Always good to have another pair of eyes?" they say in a questioning and confused tone "Is that what you meant?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
Wide-eyed silence. And then-- "Yes. Eyes that can see. You are having good ones."

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
Jamie nods, still confused but just accepting it at this point.

"Yeah, I can do that, let's go to the Riverwalk then?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"Leading the way!" The woman cheerily pointed, and then more desperately, she added a little "Please" at the end.

Jamie has gained a companion tag-along, it seemed.

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
Jamie gives a thumbs up and begins walking towards where the Riverwalk would be, according to their navigation skills. Though they are a relatively, "social" individual--at least in comparison to many Nos--they're struggling with this type of social situation particularly.

"So...uh, you're friends with the leprechaun?"

Cerriphan06/01/2019
"Long time companions in a short interval, one who remembers is usually forgotten. A friend here, once nomad, settling, keeping, claiming. The siren casting a net of safety where once no security may having been ensured."

The woman settled into what sounded like casual conversation, clasping gloved hands together and babbling on.

Jamie (huey)06/01/2019
"Uh huh, so she like protects you in ways that you weren't protected?" asks Jamie, trying to understand best they can.

Cerriphan06/02/2019
"Protecting and understanding. Never having had that before in a place. Had no reason to settling. My family wasn't liking it too much, though. They may coming to visiting to see the fuss. Peering, peeking."

## The Seer kept waddling along after Jamie, seemingly intent on following them wherever was needed.
-In Ventrue Territory Streets-

Jamie (huey)06/02/19
They take a deep breath, trying to process what Cerriphan said.

"Yeah I get it I think," they say after a few moments "People are pretty tough to understand and sometimes it's tough to be understood, right?"

They give an awkward smile as they continue walking forward, trying to match the Malkavian's pace.

Cerriphan06/02/2019
While she wasn't particularly slow, she wasn't exactly rushing to always keep up with them, either. Cerriphan's eyes often wandered, and she would need to be occasionally talked back into reality during the walk.

The conversation definitely helped her focus, though.

"Hm, hm... tough to understanding, tough to being understood. Mostly getting people. Having patterns and wants and needs. Difficult to fulfilling them for people, moreso."

Jamie (huey)06/02/2019
Jamie tilts their head and pats their face, trying to figure out what to say.

"Gonna be honest here, I'm not following what you're saying," they say awkwardly "I'm pretty good at getting code but this is like piecing together a different language."

Cerriphan06/03/2019
"... uhm," the Malkavian stumbled just as awkwardly now over her words, "not meaning to being like this. I just am. Can't really helping it. I am to being as straight forward as I am being straight. Can't, really. Can't, can't."

Two steps faster to keep up.

"I try, I try, I try. Hard to finding the right words."

Jamie (huey)06/03/2019
Jamie taps their face more and takes a deep sigh.

"Sorry," they say sounding somewhat defeated "I'm trying to understand. I guess I just gotta switch my thinking.

They smile and say "I guess I gotta stop 'thinking straight' because who cares about being straight."

They stick their tongue out in a teasing gesture.

"So, uh, how long have you been living here? I'm still trying to get my bearings on this place and it's...pretty interesting so far."

Cerriphan06/03/2019
"A while. A little while, long while. Feels like forever. Not yet a year. I am enjoying it like home. It could being home to you, too."

Cerriphan half-cocked her head to the side. Was that a smile? Maybe. A bit of a sideways glance and squint.

Of course, the sideways glances meant not watching very well either. With all the grace of a proper vampire, she trips and eats dirt moments later.

...which is promptly proceeded by a painful attempt to appear mortal in peeling herself off the ground. "How much further to going?"

-In Rivewalk-

Jamie (huey)06/03/2019
"Yeah I hope this is home t-"
Jamie pauses as Cerriphan trips.

"You alright?" asks Jamie while offering a hand, to help up Cerriphan and lead her forward.

"Yeah we're, uh, here. This is where I last saw her anyway."

Doris Ashview (ST Euryale)06/03/2019
There...by the water. Not her usual, but Cerriphan was used to following Doris and thus is capable of identifying dat ass at fifty yards. Talking with a stranger...then Jamie and Veronica walk up...and then Doris is singing...

Cerriphan06/03/2019
"I am being as peachy as a pie," the woman explained in almost slow motion, distracted by Echoes and wandering off the path a little.

Cerriphan could see her. How curious. Was this surely recent enough? That's where they had seen her. Her new friend said so.

Eyes narrowed into slits. Her words started to fall out of her mouth, rambling idle thoughts as if it came unbidden and unwanted.

"Playing with food, tease and whisper and grace oneself with the presence of the Nightingale, mercy given is mercy spared. Later. Not here. Oh, how she croons and fluffs and wraps around digits. This one is strange, barely born, barely known, a titan in ill fitting flesh. Where do they go? I cannot following flashy steel."

Doris Ashview (ST Euryale)06/03/2019
that way...for a little, then crossing back, arm in arm, to a car...then away back into the city...

Jamie (huey)06/04/2019
"Uhhhhhh," Jamie said, not knowing how to respond.

They wait for a few moments, wondering what to do and tapping their face. They place a hand on Cerriphan's shoulder.

"Do you need to take a walk somewhere else?" Jamie finally speaks, trying to offer a solution of some kind.

Cerriphan06/04/2019
"Not here, not anymore."

Sadness trickled up her face, glancing behind her to them. "Having missed her again. I keep missing and waiting and aching. I'll never finding her again, Jamie... a phantom."

Jamie (huey)06/04/2019
"Oh," they say, noticing the sadness on Cerriphan's face.

They pat their face with their other hand, trying to think of what to say.

"Well, I mean, you just keep missing her. Doesn't mean she's not around. I can tell her you're looking for her next time I see her if you're not around. Then it'll be easier for you two meet up again right?"

Cerriphan06/04/2019
"Yes, it could, it should..." Her expression warped a little into something fleeting, confused. She tapped at their hand on her face, smiling at it with a bit of a wide eyed look. "Well.. can always going back to Blue Devils, too, can't we?"

Jamie (huey)06/04/2019
"Yeah, we can definitely," they say smiling "Wanna go now?"

Cerriphan06/04/2019
The woman reached out to grasp at Jamie's hand in a tugging motion, nodding at them a few times. "Okay. Okay, let us going. Quick to fleeing and leaving."

Jamie (huey)06/04/2019
Jamie holds the Malkavian's hand firmly but not tightly, and nods.

"Lets bounce then," they smile and nod as they begin walking back to the Blue Devil.