The Woman, The Vampire, The Linguist, The Hunter.
1961, in a quiet subburb of New York, well times were different then.. Noelle was brought home from the hospital by her 'loving' parents. They were, by outward appearances, the perfect family. Mother, Father, older brother and little sister.Her brother died when he was 13, a car accident, then it all fell apart. Her father hit her mother and her regularly, not even caring to make sure the bruises didnt show anymore. Her Mother eventually ran off and she was sent to live with her paternal grandmother, who only spoke french. She was a strict woman, who wasn't very impressed her only grandchild didn't speak french, and it wasn't long before Noelle picked it up as if she had been speaking it all her life.
She was 11 at that time. and it was difficult. By highschool, she was more settled. She did well in school, went to college, studied archeology until she discovered she had more of an aptitude for speaking the words in the books than digging through dirt for pottery, and switched to languages. It was the 70s, and things were exciting, changing. Women were doing more. Classes were welcoming their female students. There was no way she was going to be like her mother. Uneducated and a housewife. It wasn't for her. She threw herself the classes. One of her professors. Dr Valerie O'Neil, was an inspiration to her. A strong woman, educated. She travelled the world, which was exactly what the young Noelle wanted to do. She didn't want to be tied down. She mixed her interest in ancient civilizations and langauges, and thanks to Dr O'Neil, she was able to learn some of the more obscure languages. As a feminist, the good Dr was a force to be reckoned with and as she had taken a shine to Noelle, she opened as many doors as she could for the young woman and took her on some of her travels as her assistant.
Landing a job as a translator when she left, with only a little help from her mentor, she travelled all over the world as she intended, adding to her linguistic skills in different countries. She picked them up easily, they rolled on her tongue as easy as english. SHe soon gained a reputation. Amongst archeology groups, politicians, and people just wanting her services in companies. In Europe she worked for a politician translating french and german for him. A job she stayed in for a year in Paris. But still it wasn't everything she wanted it to be.
When a vampire wanted something translated, he found her. She doesnt remember what it was she had translated, she figured that had been wiped from her mortal memory years later. But the vampire, Adrian Mitchell, who hired her saw a potential in her. He ghouled her and kept her. He was her everything. He was an archiologist, an archivist. Understanding what he found is where she came in. She was dutiful, But she quickly learned about her Domitor and his clan.
The Lasombra are rather secretive, this is true. It's on a need to know basis, and you dont need to know should be their motto, even amongst themselves they dont tell everything. Maybe moreso, the Antitribu Lasombra, where they had to watch their back from many a member of the Camerilla, as well as the Sabbat who refused to acknowledge them as part of the Clan. Adrian moved, and whereever he went, she went with him. Be it universities, or out in the field.
Her embrace was a moment she would never forget. That instant you open your eyes, feel the thirst for the first time. Her cravings as a ghoul had been nothing in comparisson. The events leading up to it had been a roller coaster. Her sire had taken his then ghoul on yet another failed mission. She had translated perfectly, yet his quarry still evaded him. Though he didn't tell her, she gleened from the passages he had her translate in various books, his holy grail was the mask of Ontai. She poured over books, searched every scrap of paper on the subject she could lay her hands on, eventually finding the clue he searched for. He took her with her, deep into the African Jungle where he found it with her directions. A joint effort maybe. Though her sire took the glory. His ghoul was embraced into the clan as a reward for her part. It was only the first part though. He intended on seeking out the medicen bag of the former shamen and who knows what else was on her sire's list. He was a little obsessed. Believing wholehearted he was of Ontai's bloodline. In finding these items he felt closer to the first child of Lasombra.
Lavigne Translate was a small company, they generally hired out translators to the police, court. But occaisionally, there was the odd commision to work translating ancient texts. She was fluent in Sanskrit, a rare language, given the infrequency the text was found, she was rarely called upon to use that skill. But it put her names in circles which she could be called on for other work. As an example she translated alot of Aramaic for similar groups in universities who wanted a reliable translator.
But that was not all there was to know about the mild mannered translator in her business suits. She learned some things in those books. Hidden messages which had her taking vacations to far off countries. She found money in finding antiquities. The dead didn't need their treasures, but she could use them, sell them, and make herself a tidy profit to live by. In africa and India, golden treasures found in the graves of the ancient wealthy and powerful, brought her enough cash to roll at least 2 treasure hunting trips a year. She didn't give up on her sire's globe trotting ways. Some habits you just dont want to break.