Scotsman and Irishman: The Right Way -- Jamie/Alex Rourke

Alex laughed, "Oh I had me sisters too. One older and one younger, but o' course, us lads weren't allowed to tussle with them, wasn't very gentlemanly an' all that, regardless o' what they done, to deserve it. But in the end I 'spose it was for the best. Both o' 'em grew up to have wonderful families, still in Boston to this night. Every Christmas I make it a point to go home and check on the family, spend some time with the mortal kin and bring gifts o' plenty. One o' the few honest joys I have in me life."

He couldn't help but smile.

"Aye. But me sister's boys grew up in Scotland, like th' rest o' us. They're still there. Well, her great-great-grandsons, anyway."

Alex nodded, "Aye, I understand how it goes. We all do what we can sto stay close to our kin anymore."

He tilted his head.

"Aye? As it seems tha' many of th' Kindred I ken try t' hide from their mortal families."

Alex shook his head, "Most o' 'em wouldn't try to approach their kin. But I've known plenty o' 'em that watch from the distance, keep their kin safe and well taken care o' least as best they can without drawin' the attention o' their enemies. I s'pose that's the nature o' the beast, though."

He laughed again.

"Aye. But Griselda an' me, we come from a different sort o' family. She an' I both would go and spend time wi' 'em, keepin' an up-close eye on 'em all."

Alex nodded with a smile, "Aye. I'm the same way with my family in Boston. I've got this nephew, Michael, the lad's growin' like a weed and his mother can hardly keep up with 'im. He'll be ten this comin' April."

He smiled again. He really was rather handsome when he smiled.

"Kids. They're th' reason t' keep doin' wha' we do. We've a child here, somewhat. Belongs t' a Giovanni, but she's as sweet as can be. I had t' buy her a pony."

Alex nodded with a grin, "How well do ya get on with the Giovanni family, here in the port?"

He laughed.

"I get on wi' 'em just fine. There's only th' one, an' he seems a pleasant enough fellow."

Alex nodded, "Durante, right?"

He nodded with a smile.

"Aye. He seems a good enough lad, for a Giovanni. I've seen much worse."

Alex nodded, "I think I've seen 'im, back in Seattle. We've never really spoken though. I tend to get on fairly well with the Giovanni and their extended families, at least the Irish and New England ones."

He laughed.

"His wee one, Claudette, reminds me o' me own daughter. He lets me play Uncle Jamie an' buy her presents, so I canna complain much."

Alex nodded with a smile, "About this spy master thing, if I'm going to do my job well, I need to know if there's someone in town who can teach me two abilities, Auspex and Obfuscate. They'll greatly increase my efficiency."

He looked thoughtful.

"Well, I'd suggest ye speak t' James McKay for th' Auspex. I'm told tha' The King in Yellow is good t' speak to wi' th' Obfuscate, but ye can likely speak t' Ra'idah Tahan or even McKay about tha' as well. He'd know more'n I would, at any rate."

Alex nodded, "McKay and Rai it is then."

His head tilted.

"Wha' can ye tell me of Ra'idah Tahan? I've only seen her but once, an' me wee wife did nay like it much."

Alex nodded, "Ra'idah Tahan is clearly beautiful and capable in a vast number of areas. She's an accomplished Assamite Sorcerer. She's fought numerous other Kindred in addition to werewolves and mages. She may even have faced off against Demons. She keeps a lot of her secrets close to the chest and she was apparently close to Griselda at one point in her life. Beyond that, she's loyal to the Camarilla and seems to have simple pleasures."

His brows lifted, and even his chin tilted upward.

"Griselda nay mentioned her t' me."

Alex nodded, "Griselda never mentioned her to me either, however, Ra'idah knew way too much about me. She knew things about me that only Griselda could have known. Things about my company, about my time in Seattle, stuff like that, that I'd only ever told Griselda. I know that Ra'idah isn't her real name. that name was taken after her embrace to be more in line with her clan's Middle Eastern homeland and that she was originally Scandinavian. A farmer's daughter, in fact."

He frowned and shook his head.

"Ye misunderstand. I've known Griselda since I was four. Four mortal years. Old."

Alex looked thoughtfully at Jamie for a moment. "You're thinking that Ra'idah's lying? That she's got some other angle and she's using Griselda's name for it?"

He shook his head.

"Nay, not exactly. Ra'idah Tahan, an' all her information, checked out wi' flying colors. She is who she says she is. Wha' I think, is tha' Griselda may ha' known her under a different name."

He paused and shrugged.

"Or she's lying. I hear tha' vampires do tha'."

Alex's face grew dark, "And that means she lied about how she knows so much about me"