From his table far back on the upper deck of the Toreador's establishment, Cameron Hastings was able to watch much of the activity on the floor. He could see Xavier Vega and Tyler DeFaulte smiling and chatting; he was certain they were up to something. That they had virtually everything to do with the protest rallies against Project Brightstone was obvious. The fact they seemed to think they had that particular struggle won was really quite comical. He and his line had put that project together far too meticulously to be brought down by a handful of mortals with a few sandwich boards and some construction paper glues to a couple of two-by-fours. The only really hard part of participating in this project for Cameron was the tedium of having to access it through back channels via Vancouver and then back to him from Ezekiel. It was important for it to appear that Ezekiel Hastings of San Francisco was keeping his word to Xavier.

There was Tabetha Toussaint, doing her best to stay out of Mark Oxford's line of sight as she traded verbal slings and arrows with Fenris, who was without a doubt on some errand for Therese. He made a note to himself to find a pet Gangrel sometime soon; or even better to make sure he kept his pet Nosferatu in line.

And there was Kaila; slipping out from the backstage area and making her way to where Xavier and the Big Guy were chatting away. Cameron was right; Walker did manage to catch up to her and corner her just last night. From what she told him, the entire experience was nerve shattering for her; she couldn't even dance properly she was so badly shaken. Most of the night was just the two of them; he comforting she. This was even with his warning. Still, the evening wasn't a total loss; not in any sense of the word. In their time together, he learned that VV was ultimately reaching farther than just the dual role of Keeper and Harpy; according to Kaila, she was looking to usurp the Court altogether and start a new Praxis under herself. Also, that Miss Velvet Velour was planning to step up her campaign tonight; here at this 'concert'. This was the real reason why he was here. He wanted to be present to see her plot thwarted before it really began. As a bonus, Therese would then have no option but to accept Danielle DeVries as Harpy. For her role in making all of this possible, Cameron intended to endorse Kaila to be Keeper of Elysium.

Knowing what he now knew, Cameron wasted no time in contacting Dmitri, who had survived the Brujah extraction of Damsel. While it was true that the extraction had diminished the ranks amongst the hunters he had in his pocket, both Dmitri and Mercurio were able to gather up enough to still be a force to be reckoned with. The plan was hastily made, but it would suffice. As Kaila conferred with her Primogen, the Brujah, and now the Sherriff as well as the Keeper, Cameron glanced up at the skylight that loomed above the floor proper. He imagined that proved to be a lighting nightmare for shows and was surprised that X had not renovated it out yet. For his own part, he just hoped that Dmitri and his crew did not decide to exploit that obvious security weakness; this need not to look like one of those stupid hero movies. Besides, Cameron had no doubt that Damsel would be bright enough to ensure that way was blocked.

It was all bound to happen soon. Meanwhile, Cameron had a little time to reflect:

Everywhere Cameron went, he kept hearing the same sort of thing; it seemed as if everyone was griping about Privilege. There was Male Privilege, Straight Privilege, White Privilege, Class Privilege, and everyone who was not at least one of these things had something to complain about. It wasn't that they were not absolutely correct; it was true that there was this thing Privilege in how the world was run, and that was how it should be. Those whom were born under the right conditions should be treated accordingly. The fact he was born a Caucasian straight male of the elite class gave him the right to be deemed better than most; he was better than most. He had no problem with accepting that, and that the lesser people would take umbrage with their lot only made sense. It wasn't his fault that so many of them went about trying to change their plight in all the wrong way.

Cameron was born into wealth and into a family line of world renown. As he so entitled, he attended all the best schools in order to excel and flourish as a rightful heir to the Hastings Dynasty known most commonly for their excellence in the Hotel business. Born in the Vancouver, British Columbia chapter of the family only served to add to his prestige; it was the Hastings family that was primarily responsible for Vancouver's reputation as 'the Jewel of the West'. Of the Hastings, Daniel Hastings was the most recent mogul in Vancouver, and by far the most highly regarded to date. Much to his fortune, Cameron was virtually raised by Daniel- whom he knew at the time as Uncle Daniel. It never really occurred to him that he only saw Uncle Daniel at night; or if it did he thought nothing of it. Daniel was running the business affairs for the family in a rapidly growing Metropolis, and making it a globally recognized destination for all; the elite and bourgeois alike. Still, Uncle Daniel taught him much; and was very pleased with his progress. When the time came for a more practical application for Cameron, Daniel sent him to Los Angeles to oversee day to day affairs under Naomi Hastings, a distant cousin.

...or so he was told...

For five years he toiled tirelessly and ruthlessly in the City of Angels. Naomi's Hotel, the Pleasant Tower of Anaheim, saw its best years to date; and was even now, fifteen years after he took over affairs, one of the highest ranked resorts in the Nation –exceeding even the Hastings Arms. Back then, a man named Sebastian LaCroix was really making the scene; even he was impressed with Cameron. He seemd a little too fond of Naomi for his liking, but then during those prosperous five years, he and Naomi grew very close; much closer than should have.

Then the night came; the night that changed it all forever.

"I have something to show you..." Naomi had whispered in his ear in the aftermath of love. A sharp pain followed as she bit into his flesh; and then a dull throb which faded slowly as his life drained easily away into her in a bizarre ecstasy. Then all was darkness; soft and warm and complete.

Following this, a strange coppery taste filled his mouth. It tasted blue. Life sparked back and he opened his eyes to see Naomi seated in an easy chair directly across from the bed the two of them had been together in, wearing only her Victoria's Secret wear. Once he was fully re-awakened, Naomi began to speak. She welcomed to the ranks of the undead and the damned. She began to give a rundown of what's what and what it all means.

Fortunately for him he was a quick study. She got out a bunch of basic training stuff; explaining what he was now, and how the Hastings Family had a long standing tradition; where one in each generation gets selected to come across. She laid out some key rules that their Kindred society lived by; the most important one being the Masquerade, which said that no mortal can ever know of the existence. The reason it was fortunate that he was such a quick study was because she had barely finished explaining these basics the door to the hotel room burst open and a giant of a 'man' (he looked more like a gorilla) came crashing in. Like lightning he threw a large wooden stake into the hearts of each of them; first her and then him.

"Good evening..."

He had recognized that soft toned posh voice immediately as he came to; it was Sebastian Lacroix. It became clear double quick that LaCroix was someone of importance here; he had apparently gathered a considerable group together for a gathering of high priority. He, along with his sire and perhaps a dozen other people were on a stage, kneeling in front of an audience. Lacroix was also on the stage, pacing to and fro while giving a speech; using terms like Kindred and Embrace and how it was his duty as Prince to ensure the Traditions are upheld. It turned out that seven of the Kindred on their knees were embraced without any consent or even a request- a clear violation of all the traditions, really. That was why, LaCroix argued, he had no choice but to sentence the elder seven to death. He expressed much regret over this, as these seven had been previously so very loyal. He begged their forgiveness as he watched his goons decapitate each of them in turn, including Naomi. LaCroix had then begun to speak of the children when a rough-looking farm boy called him out on his bullshit.

LaCroix was slick; Cameron had to give him that. He announced that, if Mr Rodriguez would let him finish, that he decided to let the younger Kindred live under his care and protection. Obviously he then had himself a task force of seven errand runners. In the weeks that followed, several errands were run. At one point LaCroix even told him that he had no intention of harming him; not that Cameron believed a word of it. Cameron figured out soon enough that most of the errands were meant to end with each of the 'Super Seven' as they got to be called meeting final death. Cameron devised a plan of his own that should have ended with the tables turned entirely on LaCroix; the Camarilla supporting him and his Family name. It almost worked, too. The only thing he didn't count on was the bomb Jack had planted in the sarcophagus. It was just as well that the Malkavian Marko Oxford did.

"Care to share your thoughts, lover?"

Cameron snapped himself out of his reminiscing to find Kaila seating herself opposite him with her dancer grace. He barely managed to suppress the urge to leap out of his seat to adjust hers. Instead he stood like a gentleman until she was settled.

"I was just reminiscing, dear." He informed her. "Nothing you need to worry yourself about."

She pouted playfully. "You always keep everything so vague," she said. "Is that a Hastings trait, or are you setting yourself apart from your roots?"

"I'm just being truthful." Cameron assured her. "I could never lie to you. If you must know, I was remembering how I bested the former Prince LaCroix; treacherous bastard that he was."

"Wasn't he a Ventrue as you are?" She asked him; surprised. "I always thought there was a great deal of solidarity and fidelity in your Clan."

Cameron grinned. "That solidarity is largely based on honorable competition." He explained. "Sebastian LaCroix was competitive, but he had no honor; not only did he have my sire slain only because she was a threat, but he got into bed with the Quei-Jin."

"So he betrayed his own Kind in the name of personal gain?"

"Precisely."

"Then you really are a hero amongst us, Cameron Hastings." She cooed at him. "And I am so very fortunate to have earned your favor." She reached her hand across the table between them and he too it.

Then she closed her eyes; her beautiful, deep green eyes and inhaled deeply. She held it for a moment, and then exhaled sharply.

"I'm sorry, lover;" she said. "My Auspex is all but screaming at me that there is a potential threat at my haven." She held up her other hand, palm towards him. "Please, before you offer to summon the Sherriff to investigate, let me handle this on my own. There are a few... personal items at my haven that I would rather not entrust into the care of a Brujah. Some of them are really quite fragile, and the so-called Learned Clan is not know to be gentle about such things."

"Very well, my dear; I'll leave you to it." He allowed. If was honest, he was rather relieved to know she would safely away from the ugliness that was about to hit this rat-hole of a club. To call it the Pit was very fitting indeed.

She leaned forward and kissed him before standing up to leave. "Enjoy the show," she implored him. "Norton is quite the performer, and I have no doubt you'll find his act very amusing."

I likely won't be seeing much of it. None of us will if this goes as I have planned.

"I'm sure I will." He agreed vocally.

She giggled lightly as she stood up and turned to leave. He watched, moon-eyed, as she skipped playfully away – almost as if channeling a little bit of Jeanette's way of moving. Not that Cameron was complaining; to his mind Kaila did it better. He watched as she departed to attend to her haven. As he watched, he found himself a little conflicted; he hated to see her leave, but so loved to watch her go.

It was really just as well. The show, the real show was about to begin.