This is Why We Shouldn't Overlook Things (Marvin) - Marvin's Haven

There came a horrible racket of knocking at Marvin's door.

He opened the door "Whoa, Cass calm down."

"I wouldn't waste your breath telling me that," she is holding two large books under her arms.

"Can I come in? Just for a minute? We need to talk worms..."

"Come, sit make yourself uncomfortable. And tell me what you think the best way to do an evil scary clown is?"

"Huh and what?" She walked in.

"I can't stay long... Just figured I would remind you of what the worms in your vision said. We never touched on it. We should have, but we didn't. You need to give what they said some thought."

she shook her head.

"What do you mean scary clown?"

"Ok, shoot on the whole wormy vision. And yes. Clown. I pissed off the harpy he wants me to dress as a clown for two weeks. Because yano, Malkie acting strange. Not sure anyone will even care. But ok."

"It's not about anyone caring, Marvin. Harpy's record your reputation-- if he thinks you were a clown about something, this is how he's showing your reputation," she grimaced.

"I'm sorry..."

She shook her head.

"Go to an arts and crafts store, they have books and face paint... That's really all I can offer you."

"Eh, ask me if I care. Because really I don't. I'm trying to decide how much satisfaction to give the Harpy. So, tell me about these worms."

"A word of friendly advice-- don't fuck with the guy that holds the key to making or breaking your rep, huh?"

She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Welcome children, gather 'round,
To heed grim tales of whispered lore—
As twilight falls, dark shadows rise
To haunt the night for evermore—
For ghastly things lurk in the dim,
Beneath the shadows of your bed—
Waiting till you drift asleep
To fill your dreams with mortal dread—"

She pinched the bridge of her nose as if trying to stave off a headache.

"I feel as if whatever this is, is being told to us there. It's a kindred, that's for certain."

"There's not fuck with, and there's not giving him the satisfaction. I'll figure it out. And yes, I remember what they said, I have a pretty good memory. Yes, that sounds like Kindred. What exactly got your g string in a wad over it?"

She'd been fucked with enough tonight, she was getting damned tired.

"Being laughed at by the elders of clan Tremere, that's what fucking got my g string in a wad over it," she spat at him.

"Trust me, I would rather have your problem right now than mine. You got God damn Victor doing his thing--- oooh hunters... oooh... Christian rituals... And who the FUCK talks to his elders? I do. Fucker brought me info to look into that had nothing to do with this shit."

She sighed, regaining her composure.

"I don't want to be caught up in the machinations of the Tremere and yet... here I am. Fuck me for being the damn messenger."

He blinked.

"Ahh well then, that makes two of us who are the bitches of the Tremere. Victor confirmed that this does involve the Tremere, but I think it still involves the domain... and fuck me did you say the Tremere Elders are speaking to you?"

He sighed "The vision I had... two actually. One showed me the symbol of Clan Tremere and warned that the danger is real. But what is the context? Is the danger coming from the Tremere, or is it as Victor suggests the Tremere are helping in this? Meanwhile I've seen some Christian symbology that suggests conflict outside of all of this, and don't forget the visions I had when I studied each of us in the room. The Tremere have a roll in all of this but I don't know what. And the Sheriff and her people are so biased against the Tremere I can't get a proper opinion from them. Because yano, Assamite and Nos will give the Tremere a fair shake."

He sighed "Maybe I have an odd view. But they are just Tremere. Powerful warlocks and worth treading carefully around, but my family has no beef with them. Anyway, my second vision concerns you."

"Remember that night we had the little spat, and misunderstanding? After you left, I heard an ancient and powerful voice warn me not to annoy that which was not mine, and then it showed you being taken up by a hand from the sands of the beach. Whatever it was, it was warning me not to cause you grief. Someone is watching you Cass, and if it's that Elder, I'd really like you to tell them I'm not out to hurt you."

Cass listened to what he had to say-- no, she really did.

And then he spat out the vision about her. Her face contorted-- not into anger, but into fear and she took a shakey breath and let it out slowly, willing herself to calm down.

"I can't do this tonight, Marvin. This is too much," she looked as if she really would cry. "Everyone has a role, yadda yadda yadda... Well I don't know what my role is. But you're getting visions that have to do with me now?"

She screamed. She really screamed.

"FUCKING UNCLE!"

He put his hands on her.

"Cass... Cass listen to me. Don't frenzy on me, because I don't have a stake handy and that means I either do really hurty bad things to you, or get into your brain and turn you down a few notches, and that can last up to six months. Please."

His tone was unusually kind and warm.

"Cass I had a vision from someone that was concerned enough about you where a little spat like we had made him warn me from causing you any problems and showed that he would protect you. I'd say if I was gonna be protected I'd want an ancient tremere doing it."

Her chest heaved. She'd staved off the frenzy for now.

"I never... ever... wanted to be on someone's radar. Never. And now ancient Tremere are..." she bit her lip and shook her head.

"For what purpose. What role do I play that they are withholding for their own AMUSEMENT? And why does it require me to be protected by them? Protection always comes with a price. Always."

Tears began streaming freely down her face.

He blinked, and pulled out a handkerchief for her.

"Yeah... well for better or worse you are on their radar. You know, I'm not sure they have all the answers either. Do you think powerful Tremre Elders have nothing better to do with their time than sit around and muck around like this? Trust me, visions aren't easy, they may be crowdsourcing the domain. They have a vision, they know it applies here, but they can't figure it out. So they leave as much information as they can behind in the hopes the minds of many will figure it out. Not too unusual. "

He wound up putting his arm around here as he continued.

"So... we know they are using you for whatever reason as a messenger and an intermediary. They could have used Victor, but they chose you, not even a Tremere. We don't know why, we also know they are protective of you. Given how weird shit is getting, I think I'd enjoy that one. Given how much blatant hostility towards the Tremere the Sheriff and others have, I'd say that's a very good thing. She told me to quit working on this, otherwise she wouldn't promise I could be protected. Consider that one."

"So tell me, what was it that had you excited about the worms?"

"I can't think, Marvin."

She shook her head.

"Look, the worms. We never touched on them. That's all. It was like a poem, talking to children about the things that lurk in the night. The boogie man, nightmares. I had a hunch... Perhaps what we are looking for is in story. I've said it before. But... Now I was thinking Grimm's stories."

She handed him the book in her hand-- both volumes-- and sniffled.

"But if it's kindred... If it's a kindred doing something to another kindred, we have to figure out what and to whom. The clues we have are paths to the answer. But we don't have all of the clues yet. The list of items yet to find has gotten longer."

She opened the book.

"The Golden Key, the Ear of Corn... I can't tell if it's a coincidence that these stories exist or if it's part of it. Not hunters, Marvin. Not hunters. But we need the rest of the clues to get the whole path."

He blinked.... "And what if the clues are coming from both parties? Two different sets of clues from two different Kindred, and we don't know who's side is which and... fuck me running. So is Victor the good guy, or the bad guy? If he is the crucified... you know I really hate our sheriff right now. There is a fifty fifty shot Victor is the bad guy you know. And I hate this."

"The items are all coming from the same party, from what I have been told," she frowned, wiping at her eyes.

"It's confusing, I know. It takes time, though. That's what I have been told. It will reveal itself in time."

"So the other question is, should we really care which of the two kindred are right?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't know anymore. But if there is a kindred doing something to someone else like... torturing or something like that, I would want to fucking know. Right now, there is just not enough info to go on in regards to that or who the bad guy is."

"Let's add another twist to this. Victor was crucified in the vision, assuming this represents the sacrificial god, that means Victor would be being setup as a fall guy, so there is a possible third element here that might try to make the Scourge look guilty."

"I don't think this is what you think it is... The path leads to the answer-- but it's just that, a path. Unless you want to think that if Victor speaks for his clan here, it's one of his own that doing bad things. But even then... It makes me pause."

"The vision is a representation of the grand scheme of things. Beyond that, I cannot say for sure. But it's not worth discounting that there may be more than just the path. What else is along the path?"

"Unknown, Marvin. They refused to reveal anything else."