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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume ?/10 BP 5/5 WP "So she was wearing clothing, then?" "Yes, but her outfit had come out last season. And another person was wearing the same exact outfit. Benjamin, are you not paying attention?" Trent said. "No, I am. I'm just trying to understand the rules here. My shoes, for example. I bought them back in 1985. I have had them resoled twice. I polish them occasionally. They still work. But I should buy new ones every four months?" "No, not quite. It's different--" "And we're both wearing black sport coats. So are those men over there. And that woman. And her too." "Yes, but we're not trying." "We're not?" Trent sighed. "Look, the point is to look like you're not trying, but still try to look good, but not look like you're trying to look good." "We both look like corpses." "Good looking corpses." Trent smiled. He's trying to be nice, Benjamin thought. Always appearances. It wasn't enough to know things, or to do them correctly. One had to perform. One had to dress up nicely, be it in the first clean suit Margaret could find in the building, or in the one eyed glasses and top hat of the spirit of the dead he ritually imitated in seeking knowledge. They always dress up corpses for funerals. Making a good impression. Wonder about the genealogy of the word there, to impress, to dig into something and leave a permanent mark. Wouldn't want the dead to look bad the last time you see them. Benjamin noticed the strange, wide-eyed looking fellow across the room staring. It seemed as good an excuse as any. "Trent, if you'll excuse me for a moment." Crossing the floor, he walks right up to the stranger, hand extended, making direct eye contact, as friendly a smile as he can make. "You know, if you stare at something long enough, it tends to lose all context and meaning." You can roll for me, and I'll take the d10 worth of blood.
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Jul 22, 2014 21:27
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume ?/10 BP 5/5 WP "It's more of a philosophical quandary than an actual problem, not that I haven't experienced that unnerving sensation of repeating a word over and over until it becomes just a sound, you know? Study, on the other hand, that's something I can get into." It's a well-practiced handshake, even if there isn't much force behind it. "Benjamin. Pleasure to meet you. New here, seeing who's who. Reading anything interesting?"
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Jul 23, 2014 05:50
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "I thought sunglasses at night were cool?" Benjamin asks. He gestures to the regular glasses on his face. "My own are purely cosmetic. Even after the embrace, I couldn't get used to not wearing them. Silly, isn't it? There's just so much to remember and keep track of. Trent here has been showing me around and making sure I don't make a complete fool of myself. He's a real dear."
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Jul 24, 2014 21:10
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower Benjamin can't help but overhear Alistair's speech. So, perhaps it's not so different here after all? The public crowing begins. Another will shout a response, they will taunt one another, their wrists will be bound and they will slash at one another with knives until one cannot stand or they are siblings. But then again, no: Protecting the humans? Fearing them? Keeping them happy? "This man is a politician?" he asks his two companions. "Running for prince in the next election, perhaps? Wait, no, that's foolish. I'm sorry. The prince isn't elected. I know that. But with talk like that, I'm glad I'm not on the outside anymore. Still, handsome fellow, isn't he?" This is blending in, right? This is what they sound like? Benjamin had his doubts. Why, of all people, did the Hand want a researcher to play secret agent? Sure, they played all sides now, but surely they had people better at these things. They couldn't even bother telling him what he was looking for and why? He could be at home, working. At least the conversation was different; Margaret mostly lectured or interrupted when he tried to explain the (inevitably) complicated answers to her questions. Still, for all he knew, by wearing a three button jacket rather than two or double breasted, he'd accidentally signaled membership in some secret cabal or faction and his every off-handed comment was being over-analyzed for possible double and triple meanings. It was worse than dealing with obscurantist occult writing, these political subtleties.
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Jul 25, 2014 05:11
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower Sometimes the best thing to do is keep your mouth shut, pay attention, and learn something. So that's what Benjamin does. Though what, exactly, remains to be seen, because Trent really does seem to have an edge to him, doesn't he? Real streak for playing politics where it wasn't needed. Benjamin had met more than a few professors like that, with egos that needed departments of their own. Have to file that away for later, for all the good it might do. The madman on the other hand, well, he wanted something, clearly... But what?
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Jul 27, 2014 05:42
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "Why not? The old legs could use a stretch, if you're amenable," Benjamin says, nodding. "Anarchs. What would a bunch of bomb throwing malcontents want with scholarly translations?"
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Jul 31, 2014 16:38
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower Inwardly, Benjamin sighs. Nothing like not knowing the proper social cues to make for an awkward exit. He nods goodbye to Trent, and follows Roshan. "So, are we beginning the search tonight, or should I give you my number and let you call, or...?" feeling nothing so much like he's trying much too hard to fit in. Benjamin did take a good look at the Cappadocian Roshan is interested in. Anyone Benjamin has met before or knows of?
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Aug 4, 2014 05:22
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "Ah. Yes. Very good, then. If they'll be accompanying us, I ought to know who I'll be working with, yes." A very calm looking bald woman and a skittery looking young man? More Malkavians? Well, that's alright. Some of the nicest people Benjamin's ever met were Malkavians. He follows, and introduces himself at the appropriate time.
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Aug 4, 2014 16:42
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "Thank you, thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you both." Benjamin takes in the mission with a series of nods. Of course, why wouldn't Malkavians be hanging out at the morgue? Still, best to be polite, and it's not as if he's one to throw stones, gives his research agenda. "That sounds fun, actually. I haven't been down to the morgue in, gosh, five years now?"
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Aug 8, 2014 18:17
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I was formally of the impression that our kind weren't welcome in the Camarilla. Benjamin, nice to meet you. So who are we looking for--" His phone begins to ring. "My apologies." He futzes with it for a moment as he steps off to the side, tapping the screen, holding it at different angles, finally sliding it in a way that it likes. "Yes? Yes Margaret. Yes. No, not, not that one. Yes, I'm fine. Later, yes. No, with people. It went fine. It's still going fine. I have to go. In the middle of something. The screen's blank, you need to hang up. Yes, I tapped it. Nothing happened. Wait, now it's just showing a blurry picture of you and, look, it's just easier if you hang up first, alright? I'm talking with the sheriff, I don't have time for this. No, the important one, not the human one. We'll talk later. Good night. Did you hang up? Hello? Good." He slides the phone back into his pocket. "Sorry. Stupid thing. Never can quite get it to work properly. Almost more trouble than it's worth. My assistant and the phone, I mean. So, the morgue. You'll all have to fill me in, I'm not quite up to speed yet. Who are we looking for here?"
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Aug 16, 2014 04:38
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "Oh, would you look at that? You beautiful thing, what have they done to you?" Benjamin rubs his hands together, helps himself to an apron, rubber gloves, and tools, and then replaces his black framed glasses with a pair of black sun glasses that have the right lens punched out. "Any ID on the body? A name would be especially helpful, then I could get a bead on what killed it." Using Intelligence(3)+Investigation(3)+Medicine(2) to examine the corpse for oddities under the surface, determine the true cause of death, determine if it's actually a vampire, etc. I can toss in a little Occult(2 + Necromancy) if need be, too. Benjamin also has the Trained Observer merit, if that will help at all. If a name can be provided, and the corpse is a vampire's, Benjamin will use the Death's Echo ritual to relive the vampire's final moments and gain a better insight into the creature's state of mind, and perhaps the identity of it's killer. Benjamin continues to make small talk as he works: "University of Rochester, huh? I went there as a undergrad. Pretty good school. Never got to go to graduation because, well, the whole necromancy thing got in the way. Funny how they never consult you beforehand, eh? How'd it fall into the hands of the Anarchs? But it has a custodian on our payroll? Ooh, come on now, don't stick on me here, there we go, nice and smooth, that's better. Soupy little guy, aren't you? Where did all these little lesions come from? What did they do to you? Or what did you do to yourself?"
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Aug 17, 2014 08:20
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "The... Giovanni... you say? That's interesting." Benjamin bristles a bit, then strips off his gloves and apron, and goes to wash his hands. He seems to take a bit longer than would be necessary, considering there isn't a fleck of blood on him. He seems a bit more composed when he returns, settling his sport coat, buttoning the cuffs of his shirt, and replacing his regular glasses. "Well. I think a resource as large and useful as the University shouldn't be left lying there for things like our friend here to wander about on. If the current caretakers can't handle it themselves, perhaps it's time for some new management? Who knows who sent this poor fellow? He's got all the markings of a failed shovelhead, driven insane after a few decades underground. How could it feed itself with a mouth like that? But perfect for clearing a place out: fire and forget. Perhaps our brothers and sisters in the Sabbat have decided they want the place? Lots of easy prey, lots of empty crawlspaces and disused classrooms... Taking out one of these fallen things can pretty heavy work. I don't like the Anarchs chances if they decided for a full on assault, let alone the trouble we'd have covering it up." "Though, on the other hand, if one of them did bash this poor fellow's head in," He pauses for a moment, cocking his head to the side with an audible snap. "It might be because there can't be two savage and mindless apex predators in the same territory." The VII huh? What does Benjamin know about the VII?
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Aug 26, 2014 00:48
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 5/5 Willpower "I'm sure we can get the job done," Benjamin says with a smile. "By the by, is there any chance I could... have... this? For research, I mean. It's rare one encounters a corpse like this, and I'd like to see what makes it tick a little more in depth. As would some of my aunts and uncles. We could get you more information than a cursory once over like this can grant. I could arrange my own transport, don't worry." Manipulation 3 + Persuasion 2, with a willpower point tossed in if you want a roll here.
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Aug 31, 2014 05:18
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Benjamin Van Eyck-Hume 6/10 Vitae 4/5 Willpower Benjamin thanks the sheriff, and will arrange things when the UofR things are complete. "Of course. I may not be as skilled as yourself, but I am able," he replies. "Where on campus do we wish to start?"
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Sep 10, 2014 14:27
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