"I'm well aware that some are considering me weak, but they don't know the cards I'm holding. Sometimes the best way forward is to encourage your opponent to let their guard down. Make them think they've already won."
Qui grimaces and brushes his long hair back behind his ears. He looks at his watch. "You'll have to excuse me for a moment, Agad the Imperishable," he says absently. "I have to speak with someone outside. I'll be back up soon."
Next
Below the glass of the mezzanine, the mortals begin to flock in from the main entrance, clustered into groups as they take in the exhibits below. They seem almost confused for a few seconds, as the first display appears to be an entirely blank canvas.
Bouchard disengages from a newer vampire you've never met before and slinks toward you. He gives you a pointed look. "There's a stairwell opposite the one you came in. That will take you down to the basement where you can find Ichiro. Make sure he dies tonight. And don't be seen." He looks down at the crowd of mortals and laughs. "Give them a minute and the fools will be explaining its meaning to each other. And don't be afraid to watch closely; the overlook window is one-way glass." The Sewer Rat gives a raucous chuckle and extends a boil-pocked finger toward another installation of dubious art—a rotting apple nailed to a piece of driftwood. "A Piece of Eden, she calls it!" He dabs the edges of his eyes the way a mortal would wipe tears of laughter. "I'm not one to pay compliments to a Diva like Ms. Grey, but I'll be damned if this isn't the most entertaining show I've been invited to for a decade!"