Lost and Found

[Hannah]

Hi Everyone,

Myself and some others have been meeting with the individual who has been using Celeste Darken's old account. There is still a lot of getting to know each other happening and a lot of unanswered questions, but I am convinced enough to take this step.

Welcome back Celeste, you have been missed greatly.

Hannah

[Ron Caliburn]

Let's not get too excited yet. I offered her the chance to prove herself, she didn't.

As far as I am concerned I am still the last one to see the real Celeste Darken.

[Grace]

She's trying to prove herself, Ron. Maybe she just doesn't feel she has to prove herself to you, of all people. Considering how you parted ways, one can hardly blame her.

[Daichan]

I'm with Ron on this one. Why are you people giving all these things a chance? Maddie, Celeste... who's next? Khavik maybe? Shall we welcome Cessiel back into the fold as well? Where are you going to draw the line?

[Hannah]

Daichan,

Celeste is a very, very special case. You haven't been around here long enough to understand all that has gone on with her over the last several years, but the Celeste we knew was a good being taken from us tragically. If the circumstances have resurrected her somehow that's cause for celebration, not fighting.

Hannah

[Ron Caliburn]

Seeing as I'm one of the last folks around that knew the real Celeste Darken, I'm exactly who she should be trying to prove herself to, instead of going against my wishes for her to stay away from my family.

[Hannah]

Jeeze Dad, the only person I thought would be happier than you to have Cee back was Ben.

Cut her some slack and be thankful that as bad as things got in the Cathedral they still worked out in the end.

Hannah

[Ron Caliburn]

Forgive me for not celebrating but I am sure the real Celeste would agree that if the story this Celeste is telling you is true, it would be an unmitigated disaster because if one vampire was capable of coming back after being destroyed, others are too.

This means that potentially every vampire that humanity has destroyed throughout history can come back, ready to spread their sickness again.

This includes Boaz and the rest of that brood.

This is hardly the good news you want it to be Hannah.

[Clarity]

_____Hi, everybody! I don’t understand what’s going on here, but I think it sounds important and that I should be careful of what I say. So, please don’t take my fence if I say something stupid, okay?
_____Okay, so I just want to say that I like Hannah. She’s nice and smart and pretty and strong and brave; Cynthia is too. And that’s not just because they’re my sisters, because they were smart and pretty and strong and brave before they knew me. So, I think I’ll wait to see what Cynthia says, but I hope she says what Hannah did. With her own words, though. Because I feel good when Hannah welcomed Miss Celeste back. I’m trying to remember something about that, but can’t. Sorry.
_____P.S. Do you like cookies, Miss Celeste?
_____P.S., again. That’s not what I’m forgetting, though.

[Nemesis]

Well Clare, I can't welcome her back since I wasn't around when Celeste disappeared. And I can't say she's the same individual the old Celeste was either, though apparently she has the same memories.

But it doesn't matter at all. To me she's Lucy and she's my friend. That's all that matters.

[The Councilor]

Friends with a vampire?

Yes, I can see that ending well.

I understand that you are well trained child, but it seems that you have forgotten the proper way to deal with vampires. Allow me to remind you: stake, behead, burn.

[Ron Caliburn]

Councilor,

While I am quite uncomfortable with my daughters' choice in friends and am examining the best ways to deal with this problem I would ask that you mind your tone with my daughter in the future.

[The Councilor]

Perhaps you should use a harsher tone then. And as for ways to deal with it, I believe I have suggested an excellent one.

No matter how noble it may be, or how much good it may try to do, it is still a vampire. Evil has tainted it beyond redemption,and in the end, that evil always wins out. Do the leech a favor and put it out of its misery.

As one who has lost children to the supernatural, I would hate to see it happen to you Mr. Caliburn. Please, think on what I have said.

[LostSeeker]

I have to say that I am really confused here.

From what I understand, Celeste Darken used to be a vampire that fought beside you guys a number of years ago. A noble, by all accounts, soul who struggled against her own nature until the end. Also, she is supposed to have died in battle several years ago, killed by Mr. Caliburn to spare her a most painful death. This is what I get.

What confuses, and alarms me, is this. Awhile after Ms. Darken's death, she was reborn as the person we know as Eilonwy Solstice. So if Eilonwy is Celeste reborn, then what does that make this new Celeste?

While I am new around here, I believe it would be wise to keep a very close watch on this new Celeste Darken, and to find out what the hell is really going on. There are far too many questions surrounding this, and far to few answers.

[Ron Caliburn]

Councillor, I am going to say this once and I am going to say it slowly and clearly so you can understand.

DO.
NOT.
TELL.
ME.
HOW.
TO.
RAISE.
MY.
CHILDREN.


In regards to the vampire there are complicating factors here like Lost Seeker advised. Those factors are enough for me to want to gather new information. If this Vampire is who she says we have indications of something much different at work than before because if she is that vampire I personally staked that vampire and watched her corpse turn to ash in the sunlight. If she somehow came back from that we obviously need to figure out why and determine what permanent solutions are necessary, lest she and others like her return again.

[Nemesis]

Evil has tainted it beyond redemption,and in the end, that evil always wins out.

It makes me sad for you, Mr Councilor, that evil has beaten you.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

Darren, you are right; I died as Celeste and was reborn as Eilonwy Solstice. As conflicting as it is to admit it, she is Celeste Darken. It seems impossible, true . . . but it is. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t watch her, but . . . we need to give her room, too. All this talk of killing vampires just doesn’t sound . . . appropriate. Or progressive.

Councilor, welcome back. It’s good to read you, again. Your advice is indeed effective, but I would question your motives. Forgive me, but your signature doesn’t inspire immediate trust, and your stance seems contrary to your earlier posts about seeking knowledge. Has something changed?

[Cybermancer]

Miss Solstice,

You are no doubt better qualified than any of us to recognize that even vampires must be taken as individuals and judged as such. Certainly they may have certain instincts that are difficult to overcome or control. I never met her but I am given to beleive that Celeste was one vampire who made this attempt.

I have in the past dealt with vampires. In all my past recollections I have personally dealt with one that earned my trust and respect. It did not start out that way and it did not come easily. We had a mutual enemy that was a greater threat than either of us was to the other. Thus we cooperated to mutual benefit.

She died in her (successful) attempt to eliminate a dangerous, determined and cunning foe. It wasn't until after she died that I learned that the respect I had for her was returned.

I say all of this to show that I do accept the possibility of even something so dangerous, predatory and dark as a vampire can occasionally rise above it's nature.

Recent experiences with the individual now posting as Celeste are another story altogether. While others rushed to embrace her with open arms, I reserved judgement.

She is not the Celeste that once posted here. She has an agenda and I believe, murderous intent. After what I have seen of her, I can honestly say that she is far from being my favorite person in the world. Indeed I strongly disapprove of her methods and actions.

At every turn she shows us no trust. Did she come to see Mr. Caliburn when called out? Of course not. She did not even answer him. In my experience those who do not trust are not trustworthy. I assure you, if you get close to her, you will get hurt in some way.

There is no way I could ever work with such a creature. There is no grudging respect to be earned here. There can only be an inevitable show down in which she will pay me back for every wrong done.

My advice to the Lazlo Society is to avoid her. Shun her. Be wary of her words. Do not be tempted lest you become tainted.

As I my predecessor once said about vampires (he was speaking of Khavik at the time) they transform you, and turn you into a monster. You cannot deal with them without being changed in some manner, usually for the worse.

Regretfully, I am getting older and am partially lame. I can no longer fight and hunt as I once did. Now all I can do is take what precautions I can to protect myself and those that I love. And pray that it is enough. Even as I know it can never be enough.

If I were younger and did not rely on a cane, I would be tempted to deal with this Celeste... this wolf in sheeps clothing, myself. Given the disruption she's already caused for some, I can't help but wonder if she might not be working with Khavik, his cat's paw, hurting those that are or are close to his enemies?

Maybe the stress is getting to me. Perhaps I have become paranoid. Too much seems to be happening at once for it to be coincidence.

[The Councilor]

Ms. Solstice, nothing about me has changed, and my quest for knowledge continues. However, I must say that I am shocked at your incredible naivete over this issue. You find talking about destroying vampires distastesful. You, out of all the Society, should best understand the dangers of vampires. They are a plague. My oragnization has stamped out nests of them time after time through out the centuries, yet it never seems to be enough. I respect your desire for a peaceful solution, but with the bloodsuckers there is only one true solution. Hunt them down, destroy them and darken the sky with their ashes.

Cybermancer, should you need any assitance in destroying this leech, my organization is more than willing to help.

[FriarJohn]

From a purely soteriological point of view there is no such thing as a completely lost sentient being. That said, I would be reticent to put to much time in figuring out if a Vampire is going to try and kill me, or others, unless there is some sort of substantial, up front, and fairly convincing evidence before I ever encounter said vampire.

[Cybermancer]

Cybermancer, should you need any assitance in destroying this leech, my organization is more than willing to help.

Thanks for the offer. To be honest though, my hunting days are long past. Which is regrettable.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

Ms. Solstice, nothing about me has changed, and my quest for knowledge continues. However, I must say that I am shocked at your incredible naivete over this issue. You find talking about destroying vampires distastesful. You, out of all the Society, should best understand the dangers of vampires. They are a plague. My oragnization has stamped out nests of them time after time through out the centuries, yet it never seems to be enough. I respect your desire for a peaceful solution, but with the bloodsuckers there is only one true solution. Hunt them down, destroy them and darken the sky with their ashes.

Let me amend my words slightly then, Councilor: all this talk of killing vampires, when a known vampire frequents this site and posts here, doesn’t sound progressive to me.

If my stance shocked you, Councilor . . . well. Your continual insinuation that you and your organization knows what is best gives me pause; so perhaps we’re even in that regard. Your previous signature spoke of gathering knowledge to gain control; your new one would call one of the brightest women I know a fool simply because she indeed believes just that.

So please forgive me if I am hesitant on calling you an authority on anything; absolute statements frequently leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth, especially when they are made without any evidence to back it up. Hundreds of years of research rarely mean anything if the same mistake is made over and over again. The biggest library in the world is seldom useful if the covers are never opened.

[freerunner92]

Yeah, well vampires don't have a particularly positive rep among my kind either, which is why we try to get rid of them.

Maybe, if you folks did your history, you'd figure out that my kind and your kind is on the same side.

[Hannah]

Hello everyone.

Please, please, please give Lusine a chance to prove herself before coming to any decisions. I can't go into details right now but I will say that she has protected life when the opportunity arose.

Hannah

[Ron Caliburn]

Lusine has her chance at the moment, there is an honor debt involved in helping return my daughter to me.

However, that debt does not extend to protecting her from any whom have a legitimate grudge with her. She needs to make amends with those people herself.

Also, that chance is quite narrow, as in straight and narrow. She is being watched and if her path strays she will have consequences.

[freerunner92]

If Lusine was the one squatting in Hannah's old apartment, she done ripped up a few in my tribe good. We definitely do have a 'legitimate grudge' there and we mean to take it up with her.

[Nemesis]

There are two sides to every story. One has a right to protect their person and their home. When invaders arrive that have lethal weapons or capabilities, responding with lethal force is understandable.

Maybe call ahead next time.

[Ron Caliburn]

There are two sides, and probably those two sides need to sort this thing out since those of us that weren't there probably don't have all the details.

It does sound to me like neither side really did much to prevent it from happening though.

[Hannah]

Well, with some appropriate third party mediation.

Hannah

[Cybermancer]

Please define appropriate third party mediation.