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[hr][right][i][color=00aeef]Location:[/color] [/i]Ember Grove Park | [color=00aeef][I]Interactions[/i][/color]: Helene [@Ithradine] Marius [@Tae] and Ava [@Pink Khione][/right][hr]
[I]Helene Sinclair.[/I]

At the mention of that name, Veronika stopped in her tracks. 

Mother. Little princess. Sinclair. Piecing those together, this snow-haired woman must have been Catherine's rumored daughter. 

[i][color=00aeef]'Oh?'[/color][/I] A smile tugged at the corner of Veronika's lips, but she was neither happy nor amused by this newly gained information.

The Sinclair Foundation ran one of the largest criminal organizations. Their clan was the polar opposite of what the Night Order stood for, and Veronika disfavored them even more so than Sanguine Moon. They were engaged in all types of heinous crimes. While Alexander and his people were impetuous bloody troublemakers, the Sinclairs were profoundly more immoral and wicked in Veronika's books. 

The Night Order should have squashed them like bugs back in the late 14th century, but despite receiving word of the Sinclairs' criminal activities, they had left them alone in order to keep the hunters' attention elsewhere. This past error in their judgement had allowed the Sinclair Foundation to grow into the powerful clan that they were today, conducting unspeakable crimes around the globe. Veronika felt partly responsible, but despite it, they had achieved the desired effect. It had helped divert the attention of those hunters who began to grow suspicious of the Apothecary Association.

Thanks to that, the Night Order was able to remain incognito. As it was, Veronika was guilty of being a bystander to crime. It left a bad taste in her mouth, but the clan's safety was still of utmost priority. In that sense, they were [b]hypocrites[/b]. But that was a burden to be carried by Veronika and the founders on their own.

Veronika's brows furrowed in contempt, but she immediately dismissed her thoughts and rearranged her facial expression. Before Veronika could ease a step further along the path, a new vampire approached the group with familiarity. There seemed to be no shortage of vampires on this fine afternoon.

This vampire was clearly older and more perceptive than the two. Despite masking her powerful presence, the newcomer had sensed it. Veronika noticed the way her body had tensed ever so slightly - an indication that she had put her guards up. The vampire paid attention to Veronika's presence despite keeping her away from direct line of sight. However, she couldn't hide her growing suspicion from Veronika's keen perception. At the very least, this woman was the clever one of the group. 

During the short encounter, Veronika had deduced the following: Helene Sinclaire was timid and inexperienced. Marius was sly with a devil-may-care attitude. The newcomer was cautious and discerning. They were an odd trio - they didn't mix. They were obviously driven by different motives and interests. Despite having ties to the same clan, Veronika wondered to what lengths they would go to protect each other - if they'd even bother at all.

Without further ado, Veronika casually approached the group. She kept her expression neutral, and her body language didn't hint at anything out of the ordinary. Veronika flashed them an unsuspecting smile before introducing herself. 

"[color=00aeef]Greetings, my name is Rose.[/color]" Veronika's demeanor was not friendly enough to spark suspicion, but she also showed no signs of malicious intent. Her movements were graceful and effortless, and her speech polite. 

It was uncharacteristic of her to approach others and strike up a conversation, but so was coming to Ember Grove to personally asses Alexander's scope of influence. Perhaps it was time for a change of pace. Veronika was starting to grow bored of the monotony of everyday life.

"[color=00aeef]I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I'm just pleased to see others of the same.. [i]kind[/i].[/color]" There was a slight hint of playfulness in her tone. Veronika didn't bother to conceal her British accent. Today, she would play the part of a tourist.