<strong>For Ingrid:</strong><br/><strong>"If you have a plan, clear it with Helena and then put it in motion if she allows. We may not live in a mystery novel, but don't underestimate the machinations of any kindred in this city, particularly where the acquisition of power and resources are concerned. The powerful haven't remained powerful because they've been uninformed on the goings-on here, and when large sums of money begins changing hands, it is liable to get someone's attention,"</strong>Cohn says.<strong>"You want to transfer any funds in secret? Fine. Let's say you can pay your security firm's employees without anyone being the wiser. You'd have the IRS breathing down your neck as soon as they notice several of your employees living reasonably well with no reported income, or a reported income that doesn't match their growing bank accounts. If you don't think that the IRS team of lawyers is chock-full of Ventrue ghouls, I am at a loss of how to advise you. And how long do you think it would be before Vitel himself knows about your security firm if a lowly Ventrue ghoul picks up the scent, no matter where you're stashing them?"</strong><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=200315.msg10115802#msg10115802">Quote from: Miroque on 13-06-2014, 05:13:29</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><strong>"I think you just look the big picture, through an tiny window. Local tiny window... where I watch it outside the house. We belong to one of the strongest clans in Camarilla, why are people still fearing to ask help when they need it? Thats why we are House and the Clan."</strong><br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div>Cohn sits up and puts his shoes on again.<strong>"I'm not sure I follow what you mean about people fearing to ask for help."</strong><br/><br/>The door opens and in walks Helena in her elegant white evening gown, looking almost regal.<strong>"Ingrid, it's good of you to have come to the Chantry. I hope you will enjoy it here. I see that you and Cohn have been getting to know each other,"</strong>she says, glancing at Cohn and then back at Ingrid.<strong>"I hope you don't mind if I join the two of you."</strong><br/><br/><strong>For Barir:</strong><br/>The Sheriff ignores his brief questioning of her reasoning, and she and the dogs follow along. When Barir points out the claw marks, the Sheriff leads her two large German Shepherds to the tree and they begin sniffing around it and up on the trunk.<br/><br/><strong>"Are you sure those claw marks couldn't have been made by a kindred?"</strong>She holds up her hand to them for a size comparison, curling her fingers as if she were going to try to use her nails to climb the tree.<strong>"They're not too far apart. We could be looking for any kindred who can use Protean, or maybe a particularly sharply clawed Nosferatu. Then again, this could also be a Garou, though I can't smell it and usually they have an easily noticeable smell."</strong><br/><br/>The dogs seem to have trouble picking up the scent, possibly because whatever it was travelled from tree to tree through the fairly dense forest. The Sheriff and the dogs continue following Barir as he leads them to the location where he felt the strange presence earlier.<br/><br/><strong>"Yes, I can feel it,"</strong>she says, and almost simultaneously the dogs begin to growl. The Sheriff draws her Bowie knife out of her belt holster. The blade is sharp and curved with serration on one side.<strong>"Whatever this is, it's close,"</strong>she says. Suddenly, there's a crashing through the trees above their heads and the sound of claws raking against wood. Though it's hard to see what exactly it is,<em>something</em>is moving very quickly through the trees overhead, lunging from tree to tree.<br/><br/>The dogs give chase, as does the Sheriff.<strong>"Come on, it's got to come down eventually, or run out of trees!"</strong>