Directly continued from The Gift of Work
Tiny Martha sat back in her chair. Having talked at length over details of the contract and the expectations of the Alder Prince, she had fallen quiet to reflect on events so far. She smiled to Alice. Offers her a happy smile as she plays happily with the trail of black silk that cascades from the torso of her top hat.
"I am glad we resolved that, Whip Brown...Alice!" she smiles bashfully.
'Oh me too, Miss Villiers! Oh...' Alice shakes her head, the golden hair floating around for a second, 'I've so many ideas coming into my head right now, I'm not even sure if one year has enough nights to accomplish all of them..' A genuine smile had been on her face for quite a while now.
Then she laughs, 'And of course I will keep you informed!'
Tiny Martha watches Alice toss her hair with wide eyes. She rubs at her stuff thigh. "Goodness, miss! I should very much like to hear of even one or two ideas, miss!" she asks, clearly eager to hear. She sneaks a look to Alice's boots before watching Alice proper again. An eager smile.
'Well first,' And Alice crosses one leg over the other, searching a position in which she could talk a while, 'there will be the Gold Rush Days soon, in Sacramento. I thought to bring a little western theme into Club Ember. And we could use the stage for duels, with paintball guns of course.'
The Daeva sounds excited about the whole plan, 'This will bring a whole different public to the Club, so perhaps some folks will come back later. And the final winners of these duels will get a VIP pass, encouraging others to buy one as well.' She nods proud of the economic factors she already thought about. 'Next to that I want a grand opening to announce myself as the new manager of the club, and since the whole city is dressed up in spaghetti western outfits, the dancers could just as well be turned into cowgirls! Of course if you can add a great idea to theme I will consider it with all eagerness.'
Martha watches as the sleek leg is crossed one over the other. Wide eyed, she listens...her attentions straying to the boots then Alice. Nodding. "I see! A splendid notion! What about those exotic saloon girls too, Whip Alice! River boat gamblers! Ah! The possibilities are endless! It sounds tremendous fun!" a happy smile, she sits back and seems to be eager to listen to more plans and Alice talk generally.
'Indeed indeed.' With a heartily laugh Alice nods, 'Well some other quick ideas that came up should still be sorted out, but we'll have to see how the audience reacts to themed parties. We wouldn't want to lose them to a casual nightclub as Avalon.' The Daeva grins at her own irony.
Martha laughs along too, delighting in the good mood and company. Smiling, she nods. "Quiet so, Alice! Goodness! I am looking forward to Gold Rush weekend! I have a parasol selected for the festival too! Oh, Alice! What a lark it shall be to stroll with a parasol and see a stagecoach again!" all smiles, she rubs at her knee. "Will you be requiring the Harpy to advertise the event, Alice?" she asks, wide eyed as the practical thought occured to her.
Alice ponders that for a moment, then nods, 'Yes we could do that, although it's not necessarily something related to our kind...' She falls silent as she realized what exactly Martha had said, 'My apologies if this is far too personal... but you lived during the time of stagecoaches?' The sudden change of subject made Alice look like a little girl who was impressed by the stories told by her grandma. It was just innocent curiosity that played a role now.
Martha smiles happily, nodding eagerly at Alice's comment about the Ember and stagecoaches too. "Indeed I did, Miss Alice! Yes...stagecoaches and all manner of horse drawn conveyance! Does that surprise you at all, Miss Alice?" a giggle. "Ah...I shan't pretend life was any simplier then...far from it, but it was certainly sootier and dustier!" another giggle. "The rattle of steel rimmed wheels on cobbles...ah...a sound I miss, I confess." she sighs, wistfully, rubs hard at her stiff knee and hip.
Alice shrugs, 'Well... it seems all further back in the history because I'm born in England. There was no wild west there! It's a thing I've only seen in the movies.' She chuckles, it must have been romantic times, exciting and all. 'But I can imagine that! I miss things from my past. Like the times I was a courtisane al la Moulin Rouge!' She exaggerates her French accent a little.
Again she inclines her head, 'Tell me, were all the men so tough? And and... were there really all the exciting duels on the streets!' In a quick tone she suddenly fires all the questions to Martha. She claps in her hands twice, 'Oh we should go horse riding sometimes!' Yes, the child in Alice had awakened.
Martha is a bit surprised that, with her English accent, Alice seeks from her insight into the Frontier! But bfore she can offer any anecdote of her own Alice's talk of the Moulin Rouge gets her attention and causes a deflection of reply; "The...Moulin Rouge? You performed there, Miss Alice?" wide eyed, tiny Martha looks to Alice with respect, excitement and admiration. Not every dancer and performer is allowed on stage there! Scandalous it might be: but as a hallmark for excellence.... A glance to Alice's legs, then Alice again. "Your were a courtesan at the Moulin? With...Mistinguett? Collete and...well...others?" she gasps. "You performed the can-can?"
First she nods proud, but as the Herald continues she shakes her head with a smile, 'Those were great women before my time, unfortunately. Yes I can do the can-can, but I wasn't the headline of the shows there. I learned to dance in Paris, and already "young" I could go on the stage. Well, I was already embraced by that time so I cheated a little with my age.' She grins while she shrugs to Martha. Hadn't they all done those things that only a vampire can do?
She raises her hands a bit defensively, 'So I can be proud to say I danced there, but I wasn't that one big star in the spotlights.'
Martha watches Alice with undimmed respect, if anything, as she talks of the can-can, Martha becomes excited, eager to hear more. "Goodness me, miss! Such excitement! Such...panache! Such a life you live!" she enthuses, gripping her crippled knee with a growing and dangerous tension. "I should never tire of hearing of your dancing skill and..." she looks to Alice's boots and knees with wide eyes, then back to Alice, "...experiences there, in Paris! Ah! The stage! Ah! Pah to the headlines act and names! The delight you, miss...so angelic...must have given so many! No doubt they kept you in the chorus line from petty jealousy!" tiny Martha is clearly excited and impressed! When silent, her gaze follows to Alice's legs again, then back to Alice. All wide eyed.
'Oh please Herald.' Alice chuckles, she wasn't used to so much admiration. 'I don't know what to say.' She rolls up the sleeves of her shirt and crosses her legs. She had dreamed of being the big star in the Moulin Rouge, once she wanted to be a world celebrity. Those dreams would never become real anymore, yet Martha acts like Alice is a big star. 'I'm sure with the help of a strong gentleman you can be a dancer of the highest elegance, Herald Villiers!'
Martha looked to Alice with wide eyes as she mentions dancing. Speechless. She blinked, something solid was complaining under tension as her hand gripped harder at her knee joint. She gulped, after giving it all a lot of quiet thought, she asked meekly. "You...you really think so, ma'am...you believe I...I could have the grace of a dancer?" her voice quiet and humbled, her grip on her stiff knee continues.
Telepathy on Alice
Well, maybe I shouldn't have said with the highest elegance. She is so friendly, but I can't always find something nice to say back... Alice smiles while she nods, 'Where there's a will, there's a way, Herald Villiers! And there is lots of different dances. You see, often in classic ballet a man supports the woman, that would mean you'd only have to hold it up instead of dancing, you can do more artistic dances, or a style using canes...' with her hands on her chin she thinks a moment, Maybe I can give a good example... hmmm... I just can't come with the names of those styles. Would she mind if - Then her thoughts stop, confused she looks at Martha. Alice feels someone intruding her mind. As much shocked as surprised she jumps from her seat, 'What are you doing?' Her fangs are visible while she pushes Martha out of her mind, she doesn't sound so friendly anymore.
Detection roll, WP spent
Martha is surprised too, wide eyed, she recoils from her seat. "I...I...I meant no harm!" she gasps, clearly upset and shocked. Raising her hands in dismay she falls apologetically to her knees. It's a hard fall. Something sounded like it broke with the impact. "I...I meant no harm, miss...I am sorry if I alarmed you...please...please forgive me!" Her eyes betray only sorrow and apology.
A cold humorless laugh is heard in the room, 'Of course you meant no harm, Herald Villiers.' How pathetic. Alice clenches her fists trying to control herself, to control her Beast. It was a lioness making her cage shake. And a prey laying on the ground didn't matter to a lioness.
Alice's tone is emotionless, her eyes are angry and sad. 'With all due respect, but I believe this meeting is over. I can't give forgiveness if my mind hasn't even had the time to process this insult.'
The slamming of the door makes clear the Daeva is gone. She felt betrayed.
Leaving Martha on the floor to weep.
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