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Nadia carefully regarded him with one eyebrow briefly raised at his response to news of the hunters. She supposed it was a bit of relief to learn he wasn't completely in the dark about their presence. “It is my understanding that this Abraham fellow has lived here for quite some time while Rayna has only recently arrived.” There were stories though just how much truth there were to them was another matter altogether.?

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“It is always a wise move to avoid hunters. So many of the newly turned are far too arrogant or perhaps foolish enough to rush headlong into a confrontation with one and quickly discover the error of their ways.” While she had dealt with their kind a number of times through the centuries and with obvious success she didn't make a practice of seeking them out as it tended to draw the wrong sort of attention.

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“Complex?” She inquired with obvious interest. It was strange to consider but she had to wonder whether this meant the infamous hunter was a bit more open minded than others she’d come across. There was a temptation to ask more questions though it was abandoned when they were joined by her brother.

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Shooting a look toward her brother at his mental response. //I would think after so many centuries you knew me better than that.// It might be considered rude to carry on a secret conversation with another present especially when that person happened to be the subject of it.?

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//But if you insist on knowing he’s merely someone I happened to strike up a conversation with out of boredom. He's alright as company goes.//

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She was quiet during the introductions mostly due to the fact her attention was far more focused what wasn't being said. There was little doubt of the fact her brother was sizing Oliver up though to what end remained to be seen.

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His request for her company was something she figured was done in part out of concern for their mother. “Yes, of course. I suppose there is a great deal we must catch up on.” She cast a glance toward Oliver. “I fear I must take my leave though perhaps we can solve that little mystery tomorrow?” No doubt she would be asked about that as well once she and Mircea departed.?

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Henry Hyde considered for a few moments Rena's explanation and solemnly nodded. "Yes, in and out, in principle sounds like some part of philosophy. I even have that vague memory of one of the ancient philosopher of historians describing some mythological couple of lovers in that fashion. With them being dwellers of the city but also sneaking out of it. It does sound so peculiarly mythological, the situation you are describing, as if it pertains to the distant past.

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Old houses are quaint. I have often wondered what it would be like, to live where a famous writer once dweller, or better yet, a mysterious alchemist. Either prospect would have been delightful, of course advertising the past owner of this kind could reduce the cost of the dwelling, so one never hears about such charming places in a London society. Are they more open minded in the country then? I do find it feasible, although at times I wonder how much sway does an angry priest hold over his parishioners. How much freedom could they really have on the outskirts, and if they are isolated enough to be sufficiently far from any church, would that kind of a place not be a complete wilderness. Ah, so many possibilities we have in this day and age, yet our freedom of motion is so woefully restrained, to the point of almost unbearable, though we do intend to bear it, naturally," Henry hastily reassured, though which one of the two of them, he was not fully certain.

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"Oh, well that stands to reason, that your grandfather is old. Aren't all grandfathers old? I have not seen one yet, the more I think about it, who was not very advanced in years. It is not as surprising that your grandfather is old, as the fact that his deeds from a hundred years ago are still remembered. Me, I sometimes forget what Poole induced me to eat last night. He, your grandsire that is, must have a prodigious memory. The things he could tell me. What kind is he, the studious type, the adventurer? I had no fascination with my own family, they were unremarkable, one may say dull, but older gentlemen who have been through things, those I respect. In fact, I have the honor of having the friendship of one such, Mr Danvers Carew, doesn't seem like much at first sight, but he has seen some?adventures, rumors say," Henry frowned suddenly, trying to remember the precise nature of such rumors and realizing he could not come up with any.

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"The dead smell a little unusual, until you get used to them. It is an acquired skill, like all else. First you find yourself gagging, then you find yourself breathing with a difficulty, but breathing still. Eventually you start noticing it without being bothered greatly, until you barely notice it at all. They say London is not the most pleasant of cities where foul odors are concerned, that could explain somewhat how easy it is to get used to the stench of death,, especially when there is a good reason to develop resistance," Henry shrugged.

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"Single? Oh, I might understand what caused such an impression. Their wives don't inhibit them greatly you see, allowing us to socialize as if we were all indeed single. If that was what you read in the newspapers, that could explain what you thought. Lanyon's wife is unusual, and Utterson's as well. Makes sense for such regular gentlemen to acquire somebody a little different, so that they would not be too dull in their married life, I suppose. Utterson elder happens to be a widower of course, but I take?it you meant Gabriel after all, for?it is to him that my comment refers," doctor Hyde clarified.

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"I am not precisely sure if Utterson senior, can be considered my friend or not. We had legal?matters to work on together, and we are not that far removed in age, but he does not seek my company as much nowadays, when he has retired from the firm.?I don't take it personally of course, the man does not get out much as he was wont to do. A friend, not a friend, perhaps he could be a casual acquaintance," Henry magnanimously allowed, as if the elder Utterson was?craving such acceptance.

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"And yes, of course I will introduce you my dear, it is a natural thing to be sure, wives of friends, becoming friends, or?civil enemies at the very least," Henry promised, only half joking in regards to the later statement. ?

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I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed.
I get along with the voices inside of my head.

Katherine tipped her head as she carefully followed the details provided about what transpired during the space of a few seconds. If she were on speaking terms with Vlad she would ask for his help looking into the matter but between her growing suspicions about her husband's relationship with Teja’ari along with certain other matters it simply wasn't an option at this point.?

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“It could be a matter of a past life or perhaps it's as you suspected.” The instances were few and far between but she had met those who claimed awareness of a past life so not something she would dismiss out of hand unless there were proof to back up the newly turned vampire’s suspicions. But if it were indeed about her then why had the man spoken her name before disappearing as he had? It was certainly perplexing.

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She knew this to be a lot for anyone to process and harder still for someone faced with the reality of having been turned into a vampire and so not much was read into it when Mina shook her head.?

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“Oh, I don't know…I wouldn't rule it out.” She replied with mildly amused smile easily masking her concerns as she thought it best not to make matters more difficult. “You are still quite capable of living a full life…of marrying and starting family should that be what you decide. You just have to be careful who you trust with your secret as there are those who will harm you simply because of what you are.”

“I suppose it would have been harder had we known our sister but sadly most of us never had the opportunity to know her.” Rebekah inclined her head in thought as she once more contemplated finding her brother's coffin in order to remove the dagger herself and she would so if not for the absolute certainty she would be rewarded for her efforts with a dagger through her own heart.

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After all this time it was incredibly strange to hear someone outside her family place the blame where it belonged…with their mother for casting the bloody spell in the first place. “I do believe you're the first person who has ever held our mother accountable for her role.” There was a small pause. “For the most part what people take away from our story is how we are the monsters.”

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She cast a quick glance toward her brother when he took a more active role in the conversation when it seemed as if Ben were putting a few of the pieces together on his own. “In the beginning it was difficult to control as we were clueless as to what was happening to us.” It was best not to be careless when revealing such things. “But after some time has passed we sorted it out.”

Valerie was not expecting there to be understanding when she looked to Klaus or maybe it was more a matter of assuming the expression on her face would have gone unnoticed as things with her so often did. Despite her inner musings she offered an appreciative smile in response.

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“She may require a bit of time to discover those differences as she's barely had the opportunity to live as immortal despite her nearly two thousand years on this earth.” Her words came as what some might call ‘running interference’ as she sought to remove some of the pressure having noticed the first signs of panic rising within the former handmaiden.?

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“Silas once told me that the immortality spell used to create the potion would protect against us from death whether natural or magical.” Amara chose to focus on that particular memory as it had been a far happier one than the night their plans for spending eternity together were discovered by Qetsiyah.

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Her expression saddened as she continued with what little explanation could be offered at this point. “True immortality…” She looked down while recalling the conversation had so long ago. The picture he had painted of their future together was rather seductive in itself not at all what the reality had been.

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There was the slightest flicker of hope as she briefly considered inquiring about his fate but ultimately abandoned the thought of doing so in favor of clinging to the possibility of one day be reuniting with her ‘true love’. These thoughts also inspired a deep sense of anger at the way things had gone…and at Silas.

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“As I come to understand more about myself…I will share this with you.” Her promise was all she could give until all that came with her immortality began to reveal itself, a possibility she found frightening.?

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As the conversation shifted to the idea of her being placed into a trance she shifted uncomfortably looking from one face to the next then at her surroundings as if searching for something…perhaps a place to hide. So much so that she hadn't heard much of what followed.

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Valerie grew a bit concerned at seeing the reaction Amara had to the mention of hypnotism being used to unlock those memories. It was difficult to tell whether the borderline panic had more to do with someone being given that kind of access or the memories themselves. There definitely seemed to be something she wished to avoid.

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Her gaze followed the retreating figure of the good doctor as she considered the possibility then quickly turned her attention back to the others once she was satisfied their host was out of earshot. “I am not sure if allowing him to poke around inside the mind of someone in her position would be wise.” She paused briefly as her eyes moved to the woman she spoke of.?

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“She may have abilities that neither you nor I possess and if he were so inclined the situation could be taken advantage of…he could use hypnotism to sway her to his cause.” These concerns were no doubt a bit paranoid in nature but she knew there was nothing to stop him from making her see them as her enemy.

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Amara took a series of deep breaths as she attempted to calm herself in spite of a renewed sense of fear at what she overheard following his departure. Turning she looked to Klaus while she couldn't be certain she felt there might be a hidden meaning to his words. “His tea?” Somewhere in the back of her mind she recalled it being offered.

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“A bloody werewolf?” Valerie for a moment imagine locking Julian up with one as its bite just might bestow a fitting amount of pain for what he’d done. But there were other dangers and even more questions to be considered, ones decidedly more complicated.?

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“If I were to guess…I would say it was more about hating what her children had become as I would imagine those changes were…unforeseen.” Rebekah absently touched the necklace she had worn for centuries while sliding a sidelong glance toward her brother whose overall silence seemed a bit odd.

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“According to our mother he was a decidedly different person before our sister Freya died of the plague.” Though she found it impossible to imagine him being anything other than the cruel man they had grown to both fear and despise in equal measure.

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“It is difficult to say whether our father ever felt anything at all for us. I mean, I suppose it could be argued that he walled off his heart after losing Freya.” She often wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a sister.

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“One could also survive on the blood of animals though would not be as strong or heal as quickly a thing which could prove a death sentence in some instances.”

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I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed.
I get along with the voices inside of my head.

"I suppose, in theory," Henry Hyde admitted skeptically. "There were large cities throughout history, but their outskirts often became part of the city, and when it didn't directly, it seemingly became the focal point where every unfortunate congregated. I?read Roman historians who described not only Rome itself in such terms, but also Carthage and Tyre..."

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The good doctor found himself almost marveling at his own words. They seemed somehow incongruous, despite being perfectly candid, perhaps because he was talking to a daughter of Eve. There were several progressively minded women in society but he had no reason to assume they cared about the past. He perhaps should not have assumed Rena would either, but if?felt natural to discuss such things with her at any rate. ?

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"I believe Glasgow has a reputation for giving rise to some small towns, adjacent to it?while being separate, yet I cannot but feel it serves as an exception. London?itself is very different, being so massively populated. Of course they do call?the Americas a New World, for a reason, I suppose. With lesser population, it might have given rise to varying conditions, a scholar of men would find?fertile research ground there, no doubt. As for myself, I have difficulty to fathom the outskirts as becoming a legitimate place of habitation, though my upbringing could have contributed to it..." Henry dubiously concluded.

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"Ah, well love for the dead is more apt, I wager. Considering how much appreciation I have for all the secrets they can reveal to me in terms of anatomy, physiology. Oh the marvels, as deep as the barely explored oceans, as vast, as alien to average conception. Yes, a fan of the dead bodies I remain, and my admiration for their services freely confess," Hyde quipped, sardonically imitating the style of an impassioned lover chanting an ode to his beloved.

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Even though he knew Rena might truly be asking another question, this type of answer served well nonetheless. To elucidate his inner most workings, to provide an insight into the enigma that he was, and possibly to imply a word of caution about his darker aspects, all in good cheer of course. It was not that he sought to?steer Rena's affection away, but he did not wish for it to be blind, unfounded, and frustrated, should the truth of him ever be revealed

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?"The custodian, well he was alive, until recently. Several matrons started inviting him to their party, making him a guest of honor. It is common to invite interesting guests of course, to offer entertainment, at least that is the practice here, in Her Majesty's kingdom. We often ensure the sufficiently high stature or remarkable intellect of the presented guest. Alas, I fear the custodian, while lacking both attributes that could recommend him, serves as great fun with his theories.

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I heard something about Lady Winters herself, a notable socialite, inviting both a custodian and a junior official at some ministry, to create an artificial confrontation between them, as the former librarian, without being a rebel like the French savages, naturally, still undertakes this mission of revealing his truth about the affairs of the Government, or its machinations, when referring to his Grey Cardinals.?I don't think the encounter between him and the official materialized quite yet, but several people I know ought to know where the custodian resides, perhaps even Lanyon's wife, she thrives on all the recent goings on in society.

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As for the supernatural, I know not. Only that some people are credulous and ascribe supernatural explanations to what their rational mind is not qualified to explain, but there are exceptions, a colleague of mind is both gifted and has demonstrated some...counter intuitive experiments, to say the least," Henry thoughtfully admitted.