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Raph let out a shallow breath – more of a mechanical reflex from his past life than a voluntary action of his present one. As a rule, the dead don’t breathe unless they’re pretending to be one of the living. Yet some habits do not die when their owners do.

Looking to his right, Raph instantly locked eyes with his gigantic dog, her massive head sticking out from the little space between the Hyundai’s front seats. Djobi sensed her owner’s discomfort and stared up at him with a look of both inquiry and apprehension. A fraction of a smile crept up in Raph’s face, trying to reassure his canine ghoul that everything was okay – and trying to reassure himself as well in the process.

[color=7bcdc8]“Don’t worry, old friend. I’m sure it’s nothing serious,”[/color] Raph said as he gently stroked the thick hair of the dog’s neck. Djobi did not protest, but she was hardly convinced. Whether it was the blood bond or just pure animal intuition speaking, Djobi knew that Raph’s words did not match what was going on in his heart.

Raph sunk back to the driver’s seat as he pulled out his phone, his slender fingers working their way back to that cryptic email – Edwina reaching out to him at this time of the year? And what’s this “urgent matter” meant to be?

For all the time that had passed since his departure from the manor, Raph could not posit that his “adoptive parents of the night” could be in some sort of danger there. Their estate seemed like the safest place on earth for a vampire like him after decades spent on the road and barely surviving to see the next sundown.

By the looks of it, the manor remained as impregnable as it was when he last left it. A small reassurance, he thought, one that yet made him question the urgency of Edwina’s invitation even more. The possibilities racked his brain as he finally opened the door of his car, parked before a long and very familiar driveway. After he let Djobi out, the two made their way to the grandiose manor. A face they both had not seen in a long time greeted them by the front door.

[color=7bcdc8]“[i]Monsieur[/i] Quentin! [i]Mon Dieu,[/i] it’s been so long!”[/color] The French vampire immediately rushed to hug the proud butler, who for all his unnatural strength would not break from the tight hold. Djobi was much more reserved in her greetings, as she usually is towards vampires, but even she could not fully hide her excitement at seeing an old acquaintance. [color=7bcdc8]“My apologies for being late, the traffic in Brooklyn is a mess tonight. Edwina's home, I presume?”[/color]

With a nod, Quentin stepped aside and motioned toward the door. Dog and Ravnos entered the closest thing New York City had to a Kindred “orphanage,” a safe haven for the weary and disenfranchised. Raph fit that bill all too well in the past; walking into the living room released a flood of memories, an acute nostalgia mixed with a sense of the helplessness he felt when he first walked into that home.

And then he saw [i]her[/i]. Edwina. The matriarch. The motherly figure in this atypical vampire family.

For an instant, Raph forgot everything and everyone and just stood in awe, the flood of memories snuffed out by the Toreador’s sheer presence. He could swear he felt his long-dead heart contract at that moment. Djobi stood beside the young Ravnos unimpressed, proving yet again she was actually the more sensible of the two.

[color=7bcdc8]“Hello, Edwina.”[/color] Raph opened his arms wide, inviting the matriarch for a hug he hasn’t had in years.

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Raph came out of the manor even more tense than he was when he went in. Tears of blood swelled in the corner of his eyes as he tried not to think about what could have happened to Ludwig. The patriarch of the family had been a mentor to him; he was – [i]is[/i] – a powerful Brujah in his own right. Who in New York could rival Ludwig in strength and age? The Prince? An elder from the Sabbat? An ancient Methuselah? Or perhaps even-

Raph shuddered to think of an answer. Ever since he arrived in the city, he had heard rumors about what kind of monsters New York was harboring. Could it be that one of these creatures was behind Ludwig’s disappearance?

With a soft purr, the grey Hyundai moved away from the manor, its new destination being this club named Sheol. Raph struggled to remember if he had been there before; the way seemed familiar to him anyways. His foot squeezed the accelerator as he deliberately ignored stop signs and traffic lights. Reuniting with his “siblings” and finding Ludwig was paramount; US traffic law would have to take a back seat this time.

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[color=7bcdc8]“What do you mean, they [i]left[/i]?”[/color] Raph’s voice struggled to rise above the loud music, even as he stood right in front of the bartender. A back-and-forth of helpless yelling and hand motions left Raph with a bare hint – according to the bartender, he heard the group mention going to Lower East Side after nearly getting in a fight with some of the patrons. Raph left the club just as fast as he came in and drove out into the night once again, hoping to reach the other four vampires before they could go somewhere else.

The trip to the old apartment was quick, in no small part due to Raph’s determined (read “reckless”) driving style. The black Toyota he saw did not ring any bells in the Ravnos’ mind, but Elizabeth’s old Honda Civic was unmistakable. Parking a little ways ahead, Raph hopped out of the Sonata and allowed a rather bored Djobi to do the same. The Anatolian Shepherd lunged out of the car and in the direction of the other Kindred, following a particular scent of undead she had not come across in a very long time.

[color=7bcdc8][i]“Djobi, arrête!”[/i][/color] Raph followed his ghoul in suit, trying to keep Djobi from launching herself into danger. The mad race seemed to have drawn the attention of a man in the black Toyota, but Raph could not be sure.

Turning into the apartment, both dog and Deceiver appeared just in time to witness Enzo cry out in pain as he clutched an afflicted hand. The poor boy offered an explanation to Ian while trying to recover from the daunting experience.

Djobi interjected with gruff barking, as if sensing the violation of natural law in the air. Raph walked right behind with a smirk.

[color=7bcdc8]“[i]Bonsoir[/i], my brothers. Sister.”[/color] He glanced at each of his “siblings,” as kids do to measure how much the others grew since they last saw one another. [color=7bcdc8]“I have to say, I expected a much better venue for our little reunion.”[/color] Raph did not want to admit it, but he was happy to see them all together again – even in a place as old and decrepit as that one.