2. Amber Hart, again
Siveri's arrival at Aventure (or anywhere, really) is always a quiet thing. He doesn't make a lot of noise or fanfare, but the energy of the room changes. You can feel how all of the attention just shifts. How a new player, a new predator has entered the space. He's tall and pale, with aristocratic bone structure that wouldn't look out of place in a Baroque painting. And when he comes over to Amber's couch and plants himself firmly next to her, one arm over the back of the couch, those gathered around aren't quite sure just what's happening. Except Kev, who's a little too drained to notice power dynamics, and is pretty sure about enjoying the afterglow and Amber's presence.
"Ambarina," he greets her in a rich, cultured voice that holds a rich hint of his accent when he speaks in English. "A pleasure seeing you here." As if he didn't come here specifically to find her. As if this was just a chance meeting.
Amber shifts over, making room for Siveri on the couch, forcing Kev to move to the side if he wants to stay next to her and on the couch (which he most certainly does). It's still her couch, but... well, for once she's paying as much attention to someone else as people usually pay to her. "The pleasure's mine." Her smile is real, but with a something slightly pained behind it. As if she'd rather not show it in front of all these people, but can't help herself. She takes his hand and kisses it, Kev completely forgotten for the moment.
Siveri smiles, just a little, just for her, at the gesture. He would never be so crass as to demand it. And he knows she would never be so crass as not to offer it. There's understanding in that. A protocol to be followed, an exchange of respect. When her lips leave his cold skin, that hand twists and runs down Amber's cheek, just for a moment, brushing an errant lock of hair behind her ear. And now that they've gone through all the proper rituals, business can be discussed. "I heard the most interesting rumor the other night, and I thought you might be just the woman to ask." The gaze from those dark eyes is hard to hold. The force of Siveri's attention is almost a physical weight. "Can I get you something to drink, since I'm clearly intruding on your evening?"
The flush of life is still in her, though fading with time, and so his hand finds warmth in her cheek, and her flesh a pleasant chill in his fingers. She shivers at the touch. "No, thank you. I was just thinking it might be time for a change of scenery," she absentmindedly rubs Kev's hair, leaving it tussled with affection only partly feigned. She wasn't lying when she called him cute, but he's not particularly important at the moment.
"Bueno." He says with a smile, rising and helping Amber to her feet with all the gentlemanly grace one would expect from Victorian romances. Amber sees several people throwing her envious looks as Siveri leads her away and outside, speaking in the cold evening air. "There's a term among our kind. Plague rats. Those who are... enthusiastic return visitors, but who carry one of the few diseases that will survive in dead blood." He says it contemplatively, as if speaking aloud for his own benefit.
"I didn't know we could catch anything," she responds quietly, waiting for him to go on and asking for more information without actually asking. She still has a great deal to learn.
"We can't. We would not even notice. But... it would persist in the blood for a time. Anyone we kiss may have it spread to them."
She nods understanding. "Plague rats. You want me to look into some of them?" In all honesty, it will be good to have something to occupy her time beyond playing with her new state and learning about it. Getting out will be a welcome change of pace. She might even make some new friends beyond Silvari's influence. She quiets those disloyal thoughts and refocuses her attention on him.
"Si. But the situation is more... complex. I would send a private detective if I only wished to find someone. You will be solving the problem." He gives Amber a once-over look that sets her temporarily-living body shuddering in... something between arousal and fear. "I have faith in you to handle the issue." It would be gauche to mention the other side of that coin, of course.
"What are some of the... complexities?" She mirrors his inflections in the way people do when they feel close. She used to do such things unconsciously, and be unaware when others used the effect on her. No more. She's aware of so much more than she used to be, of the ways she's used and uses others.
Siveri gives her a look, one to let her know that he noticed but then he nods, barely, in approval. "The... what is the term... Patient Zero was likely on the campus. You'll have to act quickly in tracing the source. Fortunately there are very few ways this disease can be spread beyond blood."
"Can doctors treat it?" And beyond the question of 'can' is 'should.' She very much hopes the answer is yes. Amber hasn't killed anyone. Yet, the word comes unbidden.
"It's an option." He considers Amber for a few moments. "Maybe your new friend can help." He says neutrally, a little poke at Kev's presence, an incursion at the ordered borders of their world.
She waves off the jab with a dismissive gesture, the poke not finding any feathers to ruffle. "Perhaps. Any information on what symptoms mortals betray?" Someone on campus being sick is precious little information with which to begin an investigation, but she'll manage if she must.
"At first, nothing. Later, fevers, vomiting, and then vomiting blood. The incubation period is lengthy, and it is perfectly treatable in that time. You would be best served starting by looking for those who are acquainted with our kind. I know there's at least one blood doll who is infected."
"There are more of our kind on campus?" She's a bit surprised, but on a moment's reflection, dismisses the question as already answered. Obviously there are, with such a rich source of young prey. And they need not have anything to do with the university itself to have blood dolls among the student body. "I'll start tonight."
"Excellent." A hand rests on the small of Amber's back for a moment, turning her towards Siveri. He looks down at her, thinking for a long moment. He leans in and kisses her for just a moment, lips cold against her temporary warmth. "I know you won't let me down," he murmurs.
Her lips part under his, inviting more and closing slowly when he withdraws without providing. "Never," she agrees in the same low voice.
The Old University Hospital
When NYU spent $50 million on their state of the art new university hospital a few years back, the old hospital wasn't demolished, just sealed up. There was talk of renovating it as an annex to the new building, but the funds must have never materialized, since it's stayed sealed. Naturally, students break in every year to do drugs, fuck, and perhaps stranger things. While there isn't much in the way of equipment left, the beds, some mundane cleaning supplies, and other furniture remains, and it wouldn't be hard to make some of the rooms sterile again... If the place wasn't so creepy, more people might have done so.
Unlike the old building, the University's new hospital is a gem of modern architecture, ten stories high and taking up a massive amount of campus. Satellite labs are dotted around the central building, and ambulances come and go even at night, keeping the place busy 24/7. Amber comes up to the hospital just as an ambulance pulls up, and a bleeding young man is hustled out of the back of the vehicle and into the building. The tempting scent of blood hits her like a punch to the gut, but as well-fed as she is, there's no real urge to chase him down, even smelling as delicious as he does.
Amber taps the side of her nose, trying to decide precisely how she wants to approach this. It's a human gesture, intentionally so - though no longer the unconscious habit as when she was alive, it feels necessary. Human habits are important to maintain if she wants to hold onto her place among them.
Patient privacy laws aren't something she wants to try working around with simple social engineering, but fortunately she has easy enough alternatives. She enters the lobby and heads straight for the receptionist. At this time of night it should be quiet enough that she doesn't have to waste any dignity waiting for attention.
The receptionist in the lobby is obviously tired, likely kept going by coffee and the pressures of a high-stakes job like working in a hospital. She looks up at Amber, blinking a few times to focus. "Can I help you, ma'am?"
"Yes. I need to look over the admittance records for the past several days. Can you do that for me?" Amber gives her a confident smirk, looking down at the seated woman. Gazes lock. Amber's obviously someone of authority here, and a friend besides. No stranger would just... ask for that, would they? No, certainly not. And how pleasant it would be to just do what she says. You wouldn't need to think about it at all, just go along with it... Of course she can do that for Amber.
The receptionist smiles gratefully. "Oh, it's good to see you. Let me just pull those up for you. Here- come around." The woman types at the computer for a few moments and then stands from her chair, gesturing for Amber to sit and review at her leisure. Somewhere more private would be ideal, but it's the middle of the night - unless someone decides to review security footage it should be fine, and she's not planning any mischief that would cause such a review.
The records are easy to read, and Amber scrolls through them, hunting, hunting... she's so engrossed in her work that by the time she's found a pair of students admitted to the hospital for anemia and blood loss, she hasn't noticed the university security guard approaching her until he taps on her shoulder. "Excuse me. I think I need to see your ID." The man says seriously.
"Oh, sorry. I was just checking my email while I wait for her shift to end," Amber apologizes, quickly hiding exactly what she had open. "Jeannie said it would be ok," She checks her "friend's" name tag quickly, nodding and ensuring that Jeannie will nod along with her. Poor girl's probably going to get written up for this.
The guard sighs and looks at Jeannie. "C'mon, Jeannie. You know the rules."
She seems a little perplexed at the whole situation. "Well I just thought..."
"Alright, alright. Just... go on and clock out and I won't say anything, alright? This time." The guard says it severely, then looks back at Amber. "Have a nice night, ma'am. And in future, you shouldn't use hospital computers. It's a confidentiality issue. Alright?"
"Sorry, sorry." Amber pushes back from the computer and stands up, moving her way back around to the 'permitted' side of the desk. "I've just been worried about my friends. Lots of people missing class these days. First Marie and then Carlos. Starting to feel like the black plague around here," she exaggerates shamelessly, the way a student completely unused to actual hardship might, who consider every little inconvenience to be the end of the world.
"I'm sure your friends are fine." The guard says, rolling his eyes a little at the typical young person response. "You'll probably see them in a few days, if they're here and not at the trauma center downtown."
She considers making more of a fool of herself for the sake of her persona, but decides against it. No information to be had from this wall of a man that isn't better asked of Jeannie. "Come on, hun. Clock out and let's get you some dinner and a bed." She pushes her stressed receptionist friend in the direction of getting out of here. She looks like she actually does need some attention, and no reason they can't both get what they need.
After grabbing a purse, Jeannie's massaged and tired mind accepts the command easily, and she follows Amber out of the lobby without much thinking about where they're going, who this is, or why she's following this woman.
Amber leads her to the hospital cafeteria and gets them a secluded table. She orders Jeannie a nice sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate - nothing for herself, of course, she's already eaten. "Eat," she orders the receptionist, interrupting her now and then with questions as she does so.
Jeannie accepts and follows the commands, eating robotically and always pausing to answer Amber's questions in full before getting back to eating. While she's wearing unflattering scrubs, Amber notices that Jeannie isn't half-bad looking, flyaway hair pulled back into a messy bun with full lips that draw the eye when she speaks.
"We had a nice chat. We made friends. I'm sorry I got you in trouble." Amber reaches over to flick her lips playfully. "You need your sleep. Relax," she concludes her interrogation, leaving the girl to rest off her stress - and the lingering remnants of her encounter with Amber - in the cafeteria. Carlos, she decides to pursue one of the names she found in the computer. Perhaps Marie has caught something and isn't showing symptoms yet, or perhaps it's unrelated. NYU's a big campus, it wouldn't do to go assuming connections where it could just be coincidence.
She has to wonder, though, why Silvari has her running around looking into this. If he knows there's a plague rat running around, he must either know the vampire infected or one of the mortals - and yet he didn't tell her anything. A test? Busywork? She's eager to prove herself, but it's hardly her area of expertise... she sighs and shakes her head. Can't go after Carlos tonight, not since she already spooked the guard.