Invictus Meeting

[Twist]

At the lobby to the theater a number of BDN employees stand waiting, silently and patiently. The men are in black slacks and a white shirt, the women a simple black dress. Nothing obviously fancy but any one with an eye for clothing can tell that there is money in the clothes. Subtly gold flashes were there at the cuff links of the men and the ears and necks of the women.

When ever one of the Invcitus arrives, one of the mortals will step forward and bow or curtsey before leading the way through the maze of the theaters backrooms to a single door. The will open the door for them but do not make any move to enter, simply pulling it closed behind the Kindred once they are out of the way.

The room itself is simple, a long table dominating most of the space, though by no means crowding. A black tablecloth draped elegantly over the table, a single red silk runner extending along the length of it. Around the table heavy wood chairs sat, their seats made comfortable by cushions made out of black crushed penne material.

The chair at the head of the table was different, it's back taller, the arm rests having a stylized curve, and the cushion matching the runner instead. Currently it stood empty.

At the corners of the room stood thin black wrought iron endtables, each one having a black vase, in which there was 3 long stemmed red roses. It was enough to add a splash of color but did not overwhelm the room with 'rosey-ness'. The walls were decorated with weapons, but unlike the traditional imagery that comes with such, because of the weapons choice there was a subtle grace in the decor. A touch of feminine, which was no surprise. Along one long wall, a spear. A black and red ribbon tied just below the blade to trail elegantly along the wall. Along another, a collection of dagggers, hanging point down, the gold of their pommels looking well worn. The remaining wall (as the fourth had the door) had throwing knives, each one an obvious work of art.

A black rug covered most of the floor, the elaborate design picked out in gold.

There were no place cards, leaving it up to each individual kindred to choose their own seat.

[Thomas Connor]

Thomas made sure to arrive promptly for the meeting where his fate would be decided and had done his best to fit the ideal of what would be expected of a potential member of the First Estate. He made sure to hire a car service and not a cab to drop him off, made sure that he wore the proper colored gloves to hide his missing right hand and most importantly made sure that his suit fit perfectly. It had cost most of the cash he'd made in the last month but in his opinion it was money well spent and he seriously hoped he would not be the only one to think so. He had spent over a month thinking on this decision, turning it over in his head again and again each night knowing that there was no going back.

The Mekhet Whip made his way inside the theater and followed a member of the staff to whatever area had been set aside for the potential members. He found a quiet place and his mind again turned itself on as this time he thought of his former Covenant. It had never really been his choice, in fact he'd never made a real choice during his whole Requiem until he decided to get involved here, in sleepy Sacramento of all places, and his path began leading him to his very spot. He had hoped they'd understand that this had nothing do to them or politics or any external forces, that this was about where his path, his first real choices had taken him. One or two of them might understand and accept his decision, one or two of them might not and call him a traitor to their cause. It wasn't the first time Thomas had worried that he was selling his soul and it more than likely wouldn't be the last.

Still Rachel had done it and become successful, finally had the power to do what needed to be done. She had wrote that she had seen that ability in him, once, decades ago. Told him to find it within himself again and become the man she'd chosen for the embrace. He found himself wondering how she would react to the news, most likely she would be shocked but also feel a little bit of pride. She'd been right after all, they did share something profound in common other than their command of the Shadows.

What he's wearing ....

[Yog-Sothoth]

The beautiful brunette had spent much of the evening getting ready, checking and rechecking every detail to make sure it was perfect. Her dress had arrived from the tailor several days in advance and she was quite pleased with the results. However, she could only hope that others would be as pleased with her selection as she was.

The fact that the Invictus was meeting officially was exciting and important news. Victoria looked forward to the event for several reasons. The first was in part because of several topics she expected to be addressed for the evening, and secondly that after such a long period of nonactivity she would be able to see and assess the other members of the First Estate. She wasn't sure who all was still active and this gave her a chance to see the way that the current stage was set with her own eyes.

Arriving a little earlier that she would have liked Victoria had decided it best to ensure she arrived early enough to keep an eye on things and converse. After her driver dropped her off she wordlessly followed the attendant to the back room. Then as the attendant closed the door behind her she noticed an unexpected face. The Ventrue gracefully made her way over to Thomas and paused a short distance from him and admired the decor for a brief moment waiting to see if the man would take the initiative.

Victoria's Outfit

[Thomas Connor]

Thomas bowed respectfully, very respectfully in fact, to the Seneschal and spoke up despite his nerves. "Good evening Lady Seneschal Stamford, may I say that your dress looks magnificent on you." The compliment is completely genuine, it really was an excellent dress and the Seneschal did it justice. When he addressed by the woman he met at Reverence a little while previous he turns and gives the Daeva a bow, respectful and gentlemanly, and greets her. "Good evening Lady Dawes, it is a pleasure to see you again." He had enjoyed their meeting that night and been disappointed when he had to leave.

When his fellow potential members arrive he greets each of them in turn, Ariana is met with a smile and a polite nod. "Good evening Miss Donovan." He did not wish to appear too forward with the woman but hoped that his smile conveyed that he was indeed glad to see her. Conner is greeted with a polite and firm nod. "Good evening Mr. Greyson." After all they were men and Mekhet, emotion did not have much place in their dealings.

[Victoria Stamford]

Victoria nodded politely to Thomas as he addressed her. "Thank you very much Mr O'Conner. Might I say you look rather handsome yourself?"

Victoria smiled pleasantly as Cassandra approached and then as the woman addressed her she found the woman's choice of title to be curious. She silently considered the woman's demeanor not hinting at any displeasure or interest beyond the usual social interest.

"Lady Dawes, it has been for too long and is good to finally see you again. I hope you have been well?" Victoria asked with genuine interest.

As Ariana walked into the room, Victoria smiled and couldn't help but notice. The woman had an a noticable presence about her and looked very much the ventrue she was.

While Ariana approached she turned to Cassandra. "Ah, Lady Dawes, this is Miss Donovan of clan Ventrue a new arrival to the city and one of two Invictus hopefulls I've invited." She turned to Ariana when she stopped and continued, "Miss Donovan this is Lady Cassandra Dawes. I was just telling Lady Dawes about your recent arrival."

When Conner arrived she watched him approach and seemlessly moved to introduce him as well.

"Lady Dawes, Miss Donovan, Mr Greyson is a an established member in the city of clan mehket and here at my invitation as well," it was clear the explaination of the fact that Connor was not new to the city was mainly for Ariana's benefit. "Mr Greyson this is Miss Donovan. She is also here at my invitation." The unspoken command of play nice hung in the air.

"Mr Greyson I believe that you and Mr O'Conner are already aquinted. Miss Donvan, this is Mr O'conner, the current mekhet whip. He isn't a member of the Invictus I assume he is here at someone's invitation?" Victoria turned and asked while looking to O'conner for confirmation.

[Thomas Connor]

"Lady Seneschal, I am here at the invitation of The Good Judex Twist." Thomas hoped he had gotten the Archon's title perfectly correctly and in fact was probably more nervous at this moment than he had been at any point since his Embrace. Even when he was almost in Torpor, had lost his right hand and was down to just his .45 in his shaking left hand during the Bypass Fight, he had not been as nervous as he was right now. In fact the last time he had felt like this was when he was still alive, back during the War. Thomas was now convinced that something inside of him had really changed during his short time in this city.

[Twist]

For a final time the door swung open, this time lingering open for longer than usual, before with a soft click it fell shut. At the door stood Asa and Twist. For a breath they stood there, as though posing for a photo. Her dress an elegant match to his suit. But then smoothly Twist stepped forward and the illusion slid away. A pleasant smile on her face she made her way to the head of the table. Settling her dress she sat, waiting for everyone else to follow suit. When the rustle of clothes ceased she glanced around those at the table, seeing who all claimed or sought to claim allegiance.

"Good evening, thank you all for coming this eve. I know it was shorter notice than I usually offer for such gatherings. It has been some time since we sat together as one though, and I am glad to see so many of the city's elite amongst our numbers. Saying such, I am sure many of us have matters ever pressing so I will not delay in getting started."

"Amongst us there are those though who do not belong." Twist glanced pointedly at those who were calling tonight their first night, save Asa. "Who brings them to this meeting and why?"