Sunday, 2 November 1800. 9:30 p.m.
Carid stretched a white cloth over her operating table. Yes, that was the perfect spot for it. Right under the window, where the moonlight hit it just perfectly at about midnight. How dare the Tremere suggest putting an alter here?
That had only been the straw that broke the camel's back as far as decorating went. There had been the argument over the bookshelves, and that weird standing candle thing that Carid just knew was going to end up burning the whole house down, then the issue of wall space.
Trying to displace her operating table was one thing. It was another thing entirely to insult Carid's favorite paintings. A man with misplaced limbs and wooden bolts sticking out of his body was the height of artwork, not an abomination! The Tremere had to go. For the moment, at least.
And since she hadn't responded to being ordered out, she had to be ejected bodily. Carid didn't think she had overreacted at all.
Amy sat huddled in a chair in the sitting room. She was not happy. Not at all. Luckily, everyone else was unpacking, arguing about decorating, and otherwise not paying any attention to her. That was just fine. She wiped her eyes, which for some odd reason seemed to be filled with blood.
Oh, who was she kidding? She couldn't do this. She had spent her whole unlife in the safety of the Chantry of Vilnus. She had never even seen battle against the Sabbat. Just because she had a talent for Camarilla politics, the Regent had decided she was the perfect candidate. She had expected to be partnered with the Ventrue or the Brujah or even the Nosferatu. So long as it was a member of the Camarilla. But no. She got a Sabbat. Not just a Sabbat, but the sworn enemy of her clan. A Tzimisce.
And as much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid of that Tzimisce. It had been pride alone that kept her arguing with Carid after the girl had started yelling. It wasn't just her appearance that was frightening, though it was very much that, particularly when the Tzimisce was angered. No, it was her whole demeanor. The undeniable capacity for cruelty and the filth of a corrupted soul that saturated Carid's aura.
Amy wouldn't normally hide from her own bedroom. But she wasn't going back there. She couldn't. She wiped her face again, glad that no one else was here to see her weakness.
"Amy?" a small voice came from behind her.
Amy didn't even bother to be surprised. The other shoe always dropped. It was Murphy's Law. Anything that can possibly go wrong will.
She made a mental note to kill whoever Murphy was.
After trying to wipe her face more effectively, she turned to face the intruder. A cute little girl's face stared back at her.
"Hello, Mei." She said calmly.
"You seem sad." the little Cappadocian seemed genuinely concerned.
"No, I'm alright." Amy sighed heavily. "This all just takes some adjusting to..." She breathed.
"Is Carid picking on you?" Mei asked, seating herself on the arm of Amy's chair.
"Well...if flinging me across the hall counts as picking on me, then I suppose she is." Amy smiled wryly.
"Oh dear....." Mei furrowed her small brow. "Maybe you guys just need to get to know each other better."
Amy sighed. "That would be nice, but there's a little matter of a centuries old grudge....."
"You've known Carid for centuries?" Mei exclaimed, surprised.
Amy stared at her for a few moments. "No, of course not....I meant the grudge between the Tremere and the Tzimisce. I only just met Carid."
Mei looked confused. "If you just met her, why do you hold a grudge against her? Or she against you?"
Amy could not for the unlife of her see where this was heading. "Because...she's a Tzimisce and I'm a Tremere?"
Mei crossed her arms. "That's not a very good reason. If you never did anything to her and she never did anything to you, why fight?"
Amy was unable to think of an answer.
"Unless she insulted your country. Did she insult your country? What is your country?"
"Um...Lithuania."
"Isn't that a part of Russia?"
Amy bristled. "That's besides the point. As far as I'm concerned its it's own country."
"Absolutely! How dare Russia take over another country!" Mei said angrily. "Oh, I get it. Carid's Russian!"
"Er....Actually I think she's....Austrian or German or something." Amy corrected.
"Oh." Mei stopped. "I would understand if she was Russian...."
"I would have thought you'd be on her side." Amy told Mei. "Essentially, the Tremere did to the Tzimisce what the Giovanni did to the Cappadocians."
"But Maria's nice." Mei protested. "Besides, it doesn't mater how hard anyone tries to destroy the Cappadocians. We're going to take over the world anyway, so it doesn't matter. They can never beat us!" She chirped happily.
"Alright......" Amy nodded. Better to just agree with her....
"Well, cheer up!" Mei hopped off the arm of the chair. "And try not to blame Carid for her clan. But if you see any Russians, feel free to blame them for anything." with that, she turned and skipped out of the room.
Amy shook her head. She felt a little better after having talked to someone, but still.....what a strange child....