<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/01/1314109481901.jpg)</div><strong>Joanna Kyleson (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=199856.msg9761793#msg9761793) - Follower of Set<br/>Appearance 3 - Status 1 - Blush of Health<br/>Tagging:</strong>Barir bin Yasha<br/><br/>"Oh, the Camarilla is open to everyone," she said with a smile, her expression maybe a little too forced, with her eyes shifting a little in the classic indication of a half-truth.  "I mean, the entire reason is for having Kindred being able to maintain the Masquerade instead of the usual shovel-head practices and all that nonsense.  Why would you want everyone to know about you when you still have to sleep all day?  Of course everyone should be allowed."  Her next sentence, however, held no evidence of deception or holding back.  "I've shown how hard I'll work with the Masquerade both for myself and others, and a lot of other Setites would want to join as well if people didn't..."  With a sudden clearing of her breath, she stopped herself from speaking and changed topics.<br/><br/>"Oh, that's anime," she said in regards to the style.  "Japanese, and currently in style.  I like it primarily for the eyes, because it gives a good excuse to sell contact lenses that have golden slits and just coincidentally look a bit like a snake's.  If another Kindred loses it, it helps a lot to be able to explain away the eyes later that it was just the contact lenses they were seeing."<br/><br/>As they talked, she looked behind her to follow his glance, seeing the window.  Although she kept her eyes on him, she didn't show any expectation for conventional eye contact, or distaste for his focus on security.  Perhaps, being a Follower of Set, she was all too used to people not looking her directly in the eyes.<br/><br/>His question of her Blush of Health required a notable amount of consideration on her part.  She hadn't actually consciously thought for some time about how she chose to keep herself breathing, flushed and human.  "It helps fit in," she explained.  "It took an awful lot of blood when I first started, but now that I'm practiced, it doesn't really seem to take any more than if I didn't try.  Perhaps it's just habit, since blood is so plentiful here."<br/><br/>A thought occurred to her, with her voice and expression becoming much more sympathetic.  "If you're used to a hot and dry climate, though, I can see how every drop of water would be precious, and blood the same way."  One might have expected her to simply squirrel away the thought instead of be open and empathetic, but instead, "Not to scare you away, but if you do have an interest in trying out some of the more plentiful aspects of existence here, and aren't sure how to go about it, just let me know."<br/><br/>It wasn't something for which she expected an answer, however.  On the contrary, she continued on in the conversation and allowed him just to bring it up again if he did.  That way, if he didn't, it never need be mentioned again.<br/><br/>His question about the Camarilla brought a smile to her face, perhaps not as joyous and delighted a smile as she'd displayed earlier in the conversation, but a smile nonetheless.  "Oh, you know," she said a little evasively.  "Most people are really nice.  It's not like I..."  Whatever she was about to say, she abandoned it for another attempt, but that didn't seem to go well either.  "Well..."  Instead, she just reverted to an earlier statement, with slightly more emphasis on the first word.  "Most people are really nice."  This time, though, even the thin smile wasn't quite as pronounced.  Most likely it just wasn't as forced.<br/><br/>Her eyes drifted downwards just a little, as if in anticipation to have to defend herself a little, or trying to do so without as much ability.  The next words from her mouth came out just a little more gently.  "I feel like, if everyone was as nice as they are to the big seven, maybe more Setites would join the Camarilla.  It's just..."  She took another deep breath, looking back into his eyes.  "You ever wonder how many stereotypes in life are self-sustaining?  Like if how most people don't talk to Nosferatu because they're hard to approach and tend to stick close together, so people believe they're unapproachable and rarely try to talk to them, so they quit trying to reach out?"<br/><br/>Another few seconds of pause went by as she reviewed the thought in her mind, then shook her head.  "Forget it; I'm just babbling."  She looked back to him, adding, "I also wanted to request that if you can stake Serpents of the Light and bring them to me, I can get you favors for them.  I know it's a weird request and you probably won't be able to tell, but..."  She raised a single hand as if to make the offer for something so ephemeral, unsure whether it would be accepted but at least trying to give what extra help she could.