Through the Twilight

Coco’s Segment

The episode opens with Coco and her sire Renato his boat as Coco as they reflect on how Coco had to struggle to qualify to become a kindred whereas the other just had to procure a painting for sire. They move on to talk about how to compete and climb the Ivory Tower through favours and debts, with Renato bringing up Julia as being the “pet project” Lasombra and how she is fighting to survive rather than climb in social power.

Coco redirected the conversation back to her sire’s debt to Rafferty where he revealed that Rafferty made sure he was one of the first lasombra to join the NY Camarillia with some concessions. The first being to remain hidden from some members of the court and not make a grand entrance, with the second being to participate in Rafferty’s project, likely The Crescent, and the third being to have Coco join the coterie of fledglings he would create.

While discussing the coterie Renato also revealed he briefly met Keim’s sire Amadeus, however, he has not seen him in about 2 weeks, following a meeting between the two and Rafferty regarding the coterie’s formation. Amadeus stayed behind to express his concern over Rafferty's choices of allies but Renato was interrupted before he could overhear more.

The two move on to talk about Coco’s agreement with Aisling to have an evening with her, where Renato suggests she question Aisling on her thoughts about the Lasombra clan and their prospects in the city. Coco turns the conversation back to her sire asking about his plans where he tells her that he has been hired by Prince Panhard for a service on the Lasombra can provide as was to tell no one about. Though as there are “no secrets” between the two he reveals that “there are certain kindred who wish safe passage from free states to New York” whom he is smuggling in via the water, to which Coco offers support. He reveals that one of the kindred is “not in a condition to make decisions for themselves.”

As their conversation wraps up Renato warns Coco about Khalida and her ability to stab her in the back and invites her to go to a social event with him and for them to discuss the “rumours of war” he has been hearing.  

Brawn’s Segment

The second scene opens on an underground boxing club on the Lower East Side of NY not far from the ferry terminals with Brawn finding his sire Glassjaw in his office reading the paper, and lectures him on having his feet up on the table while trying to “run a professional establishment.” Brawn too asks him about Rafferty and their connection, where Glassjaw confirms he is part of a coterie with Rafferty, Renato and Amadeus originally before he disappeared.

Brawn tells Glassjaw about his trip to the Anarch territory, his fight with Airbox and how he almost “bit it”, going on to talk about how he likes the lack of rules the Anarchs have, reminding him of his life, though he likes the Camarilla as it is different, even if he is worried about meeting the final deal as a result of the mistake.

The conversation moves on to discussing the beast as Brawn talks about how he is beast has his sire’s voice as the beast which causes him anger as it causes resentment to his sire even though he knows they are separate.

Glassjaw questions his childe on his coterie and highlights that Kiếm is dangerous, with Brawn agreeing and then talking about how he expected Coco to hate him though she seems to like him and whom he is learning restraint from. Brawn highlights Khalida as someone he is not sure if he should trust due to her warnings about her sire.

Brawn goes on to take out the cash he won from fighting in the pit and pay Glassjaw back for rent and both discuss how Ogilvie was running the bets and is part of Baron Torque's coterie and then about Nosfurat and other clan abilities and how to learn them - including blood drinking from other kindred and the blood bond as a result.

As they discuss the previous nights and their interactions with other kindred, especially about meeting Aisling, Glassjaw brings up Calebros who was the Prince pro tempore following the removal of the Sabbat from New York, who came in and stabilised the kindred society before abdicating.

As the two discuss the inquisition and kindred affairs in the city the two’s conversation ends with Glasjaw stating how proud he is of Brawn and what he has been able to accomplish, which causes Brawn to feel the emotional as it is ‘all he wanted to hear’ following the words of his beast using his sire’s voice.

Khalida’s Segment

In Rafferty’s inner sanctum of the Sterling Hotel, Khalida and Rafferty discuss the previous nights, including Richter, the Cage and their tanning salon. As they talk about Rafferty’s project, the Crestant, both highlight how it is right on the edge of Richter’s territory, a perfect spot to create a power seat.

Khalida highlights the favours she has collected, including getting Lizzie to follow Argus and the den of serpents that they found in the Crimson, leading to Rafferty admitting to his lack of knowledge on the Setites before and after their rebrand.

As they discuss their individual goals, Rafferty reveals how he has his eyes on the Ventrue Primogen seat if an… accident were to befall the current owner. They later go on to talk about Renato and how if there was the threat of being stabbed in the back, he has Coco in a strategic place to be either used against her sire or killed as revenge and warns Khalida about getting too close to Coco.

They move on to discuss the rest of the fledgling coterie, how Brawn is a very useful weapon, though Khalida notes she will need to tighten his lease when they are near the Anarchs as she can see how he seems to like their freedoms and would prefer to keep him in line with the Camarilla and their rules. As they talk about who Brawn, is close with Rafferty admits he is not sure what to think about Kiếm, and he too says that he has not seen Kiếm’s sire in a while, revealing that he owed him a favour from Las Vegas.

The conversation turns to Lizzie and how she does not care about money or fame, and reveals that the painting indeed did use blood magic. As they discuss the magic Khalida questions Rafferty on his relationship with Aisling, to which he tells her about how he saved an ally, a “trainee witch”, from an indiscretion and made it all go away in exchange for a favour, to which Khalida in turn mentions her favour earned with Aisling.

Rafferty twists the conversation to Margo Walker, and asks if the two met. He initially hides his truth about why he wanted them to meet each other, only admitting that he made a mistake and that it was an act of passion before revealing that Mago is his childe. Rafferty admits that he did not have the right of Progeny regarding Margo, and that he would not get in the way of Khalida dealing with Margo if she was causing problems or impeding Khalida’s progress.

Kiếm’s Segment

When Kiếm awakens in her apartment on the Upper East Side and goes to the large portrait in the middle of her living room, about five feet high with the angel the angel holding a sword on fire with a gate behind it. After admiring it she opens the secret compartment behind it to the weapons cache. She pulls out some hair from her lock from Lizze, separates some of it, ties in in a bow, and places it in a box. Kiếm then grabs a small golden sword and hides in her harness on her back with a white coat over top.

Kiếm leaves her room and heads to the roof, stands on the edge and, as she routinely does, jumps across to the next building and jumps across the roofs over to the theatre district. She waits till performances are over and heads to the exits and becomes lost in the flood of leaving people, reaching out to touch shoulders, backs, arms and hands, going from show to show. Eventually, as the shows have all finished and the distinct is going to sleep, Kiếm notices someone in running gear and a neoprene jacket staring at her before attempting to disappear, to which Kiếm follows them down allys and roads before losing track of them. Using heightened senses she catches the scent of their cologne up on the fire escape and grabs him by the collar.

The stranger chides Kiếm saying her “father would not approve”, and introduces himself as Luc, apparently sent to meet her on her father’s behalf, identifying himself as a servant to which Kiếm remarks he has many of. He informs her that her father regrets that she chose to leave, and reveals that both he and her father know not only that she is a vampire, but that her father has had many deals with the kindred, as friend and foe. Luc states her father believes that if she should have come to him and explained he would have made sure she was safe and no longer alone, but with family. Kiếm rebuttals, saying we are all alone, that staying would have meant she was forced to stay under her father’s thumb, that she does not need her father. When questioned on whether Luc is here to bring her back he answers no, but that her father would like to see her home to Las Vegas. Kiếm angrily asks if he knew that the mission he was sending her on was to kill kindred and if this was the plan for this, to which Luc admits her father knew and had hoped she would be turned, claiming that he always considered her “his angel.” Luc tells Kiếm it was not easy to find her, with it having taken all this time to do so.

Even when questioned if he wants to die at Kiếm hand, after asking if she will kill him, Luc just says he is a humble servant, and live and dies for her father. Luc reveals that he does not know where Amadeus is, having also lost track of him after he believes Amadeus met with Rafferty, though he does know who he is or if he is kindred, and questions if Kiếm thinks Amadeus has met the final death. Kiếm yells at him, angrily asking how a human knows so much grabs him, with Luc barely reacting to Kiếm threatening his life, as she accuses him of lacking life.

Luc tells Kiếm that her father instructed her that Luc is hers now, with a specialisation in surveillance and investigation. Kiếm questions how she could know if he is loyal, and Luc reminds her of the blood bond to ghoul him. Kiếm remakes that she was never allowed a pet, and Luc interrupts her musings to ask if she knows what the Sabbat is, having apparently interrupted a few communications using the word, including numerous conversations between Amadeus and Rafferty. Neither know what the word means, and apparently neither does Kiếm’s father according to Luc.

Kiếm uses her sword to draw blood and bonds Luc to her, making him her ghoul. Kiếm uses this new bond to get information from Luc on whether her father wishes to be turned, leading Luc to reveal that not only does he wish so, but it seems he had hoped Kiếm would do so to save him. Kiếm rejects this, claiming she wants him to die and waste away with a human death.

Kiếm explains she has a group now and Luc realizes he knows them all by name, even calling Brawn Derek, and tells Kiếm that he is part of an illegal boxing establishment in the Lower East Side as a coach or instructor, with other kindred involved as in the operation. Kiếm expresses her irritation at Brawn being treated like a plaything, to which Luc rebuttals that this is the way of the kindred. Remarks that she too was once a tool, but now she holds the sword.

Upon expressing her displeasure at not knowing the secrets of kindred society, being too new, Luc offers up information that Rafferty was a “ringleader of a conspiracy group of Kindred like-minded who seek power” that Amadeus was part of, referring to the fledgling’s sire’s coterie, and suggests that Rafferty likely killed Amadeus. As Luc informs Kiếm of the older vampire’s coterie she becomes irritated at the possibility of both her own and the older coterie being in the know of this conspiracy and leaving her in the dark.

Kiếm reminds Luc of his tenuous existence and threatens to make “art” of him if he displeases her or is no longer of use, remaking that “blood is a very pretty colour.” Kiếm informs him that he is to investigate the older vampire’s conspiracy and, upon seeing her anger at everyone having possibly hidden information, Luc reminds her that the rest of the fledglings may too be in the dark.

Luc informs her that her father instructed that a message be sent to him upon Luc finding her. When Kiếm brushes this off he tells her that her father will just send another in his place, to which Kiếm relents and tells him to pass on the message that “he should prepare for death one way or another.” Luc asks to guard her during the day and relatives that he knows where she sleeps.

Kiếm leaves Luc in search of a mortal to drink from, and upon finding one, drags him into an alley, and drinks from him, choosing not to kill him, and uses this as a teaching moment for Luc on a possible future for him if Kiếm were not as nice.

Camarilla Coterie

• Coco
• Brawn
• Khalida
• Kiếm

New

• Glassjaw
• Luc

Returning

• Renato
• Rafferty

Mentioned

• Aisling Sturbridge
• Amadeus
• Ogilvie
• Margo Walker
• Lizzie
• Ritcher
• Airbox

Core Cast

• Noura Ibrahim (Khalida),
• Cynthia Marie (Coco),
• Xander Jeanneret (Brawn),
• Michelle Nguyen Bradley (Kiếm)