Having decided to meet and discuss a plan for the next court, Ariana was to meet Martha in one of the larger conference rooms. She had been escorted by Lance, who probably went upstairs to peruse for a bite while he kept watch. The Lordess had a her briefcase with her, stacked with pictures and her laptop. The lovely use of technology made things much easier for planning. She took a seat close to the door and peered out occasionally for the petite Shadow. In a black flowing skirt, Ariana was cross legged in a deep plum flowing blouse to match. Of course, she had on her favorite pair of newer pumps. Her hair was in a loose bun completed by two hair sticks, and a particular ring was on her finger.

Martha hurried along, clutching her laptop tightly to her chest as she skipped and limped to the meeting. Wide eyed and excited. Dillon was on sentinel watch near The Stairs. Martha's twin tails bobbed as she skipped to the door with fresh excitement. Dressed in her usual white blouse, red necktie, straw hat and gymslip but was sans blazer and satchel...her C-Leg sported a shoe, though the white kneesock she has placed upon it had rolled to the robotic ankle joint. Smiling and bobbing a curtsy of respect, she chirped, "Goodness, ma'am, I am sorry I kept you waiting!" she paused to study Ariana's shoes and legs with a bashful smile, and admired the plum blouse. "Goodness, I do hope you are well!" she asked, clearly excited by the prospect of the meeting.

Smiling as she saw Martha enter the conference room, Ariana dipped her head into a bow. She waved her hand as she spoke. "No, you did not keep me waiting Herald Villiers. I have not been here very long." It was quite the change to see her skipping down the hall. "Yes, I am wonderful thank you. It appears you are also doing well, if I may guess." She grinned and her head dipped a nod to her C-leg. The copper haired Ventrue rose out of her seat as Martha entered, and she swiftly walked over to close the door. "So it was decided that the theme would be along the lines of Movies. What shall we do for decorations? I do have a few ideas." The Lordess tapped the file folder and then opened her laptop. "I believe we should be able to find what we need." She turned to the petite Shadow. "What did you come up with so far?" Ariana wanted to hear what she had in mind, perhaps they may have been on the same page already.

Martha nodded in reply to various questions Ariana raised. Sneaking a look to Ariana's shoes and legs and then bashfully smiling as she hobbled out of Ariana's way while Ariana beat her to closing the door before gently limping to follow the Harpy-Regent to sit down. Opening her own laptop too. "Motion pictures! Yes!" she enthused, all wide eyed, "Well, a red carpet is obviously a must! Perhaps those lighting things...you know the sort of thing...the three lamp floodlighting standards one imagines to see on the set of a motion picture! Perhaps also drapes...I noticed at recent award ceremonies one sees an awful lot of textiles used in drapery..." she smiles as she imagines the whole scene..."perhaps even a few flats maybe erected...you know...the backdrop scenes one was used to in the theater?" she smiles. Letting her ideas bounce around and watching Ariana attentively to hear ideas and feedback.

While she listened, she envisioned what Martha described. Ariana had pulled up something she had saved from a search into rental places. "I think this was probably one of my favorite layouts that I found." She gestured toward the screen. "It seems elegant and regal and perfect for Court. We can add to it as well." She smiled to Martha, and it seems they were both on the same page. "We can change the colours of course, or keep it as they show it here." The Lordess looked over to Martha. "What type of back drop or flats did you have in mind? Something from classic movies, modern or a mixture?" She smiled as she pondered with her then her hand went up in gesturing thought. "And flood lights. Perhaps smaller ones dimly lit to give the appearance of them. It would make for a nice ambiance in my opinion." Ariana suddenly wondered something, and decided to ask. "Herald Villiers, have you ever been to an awards ceremony like the Oscars or Tony Awards?" She smiled curiously, the petite Shadow was full of surprises one never knew.

Martha rubs at the knee joint of her C-Leg as she listens with wide and innocent eyes, to Ariana talk. She nodded often as she found much to agree with. "Oh, ma'am: quite! All you say is sensible....as always! I feel a more classic feel to the flats...to add to the ambiance...you asked about the award ceremony..." she shakes her head meekly, hanging it low as if admitting to something, "sadly, though: no, ma'am. Though, I have attended other award ceremonies...graduations...prize days...Have you attended such a ceremony, ma'am? The Academy Awards and such like, I mean." she asks gently, risking a shy look to Ariana again as she rubs at her knee once more.

Ariana continued with gestures of her hands while she spoke. Although she was probably not as familiar with the genre's as some were, she did appreciate them nonetheless. "I think if we pick from the iconic movies between 1930 and 1960 it would beautifully suit our needs. Which ones do you think we should use? Though, that is not to say our guests are limited to those genre's for costumes." The Lordess gave a little wink. "I think it will be wonderful to see who and what people come dressed as." Ariana had an amused tone in her voice as she commented with a smile. "It will be interesting to see who people pick to resemble." She thought back a moment as she recalled the one time she nearly went to the Tony's only a couple of years before her embrace. "I nearly went once when I was younger. Although I certainly do not think I would have appreciated them as I would have today." She looked to Martha and gave her a soft smile. "I believe attending such a festivity now would be very dangerous for kind. However, it did teach me to take in any opportunities I am able to." She gave the petite Shadow a hopeful grin.

She is lost in thought as Ariana mentions the breadth of movies from the 1930's. "Goodness..." she says softly, almost to herself. Daintily she rubs at her knee again and tries to narrow the field of her ideas. "There are simply so many to select from, ma'am! I might amuse myself by thinking upon the old Universal horror motion pictures!" she giggled happily, rubbing at her knee again and nodding happily as Ariana mentioned the dangers of cameras. "What ideas come immediately to your mind, ma'am?"

The Lordess truly enjoyed how animated Martha became when she was delighted with a conversation. "Oh, I do like your idea for the horror movies. I think we should mix a little of everything, perhaps? Maybe a particularly famous Science Fiction movie, action movie or a romance movie. Just to name a few. What genre would you like to see?" Ariana pulled a list up on her laptop. "Speaking of romance, do we want to do a little touch of that considering the next day is Valentine's Day?" Smiling to Martha as she asked.

Martha's animation took on a very vivid turn as Ariana hinted at Science Fiction. With a happy smile she mimed running her hands across a piano keyboard and, probably miming the correct chords as she briefly burst into excited song;

"Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man
Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outer space
And this is how the message ran:

Science Fiction - Double Feature..."

With a nervous giggle Martha broke off her singing and waved her hands in a gesture hoping for forgiveness for her levity. "Oh, I say! I was suddenly so excited! Please forgive me if I was...inappropriate. It is just...I do enjoy science fiction and those horror motion pictures, you see!" All wide eyed innocence, "But...you are correct: romance too! I wonder what ideas that might conjure?"

Martha happened to touch on one of Ariana’s guilty pleasures. Her hand fluttered away in a do not worry gesture. She rose from her seat and moved to the side and spoke while she did the actions. “It's just a jump to the left.” She jumped to the left. “And then a step to the right.” Her toe taped out to the side and back in twice then remained shoulder length apart. “With your hands on your hips.” Her hands went to her waist. “You bring your knees in tight.” Her knees pulled in to each other. “But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane,” She moved her hips around in a wide circle. “Let's do the Time Warp again!” One hand flew up at an angle, the other downward at an opposite angle and fluttered for a moment.* Ariana grinned ear to ear and hoped that with her spontaneity, Martha would know that no apology was needed.

She sat back down, and pulled her shoulders in softly for a moment and wrinkled her nose with a smile. “I know it was not the best, but I have been to a few midnight showings of it.” Which was an understatement, it really was one of her favorite secret movies. Ariana did not cut loose very often, but it was only herself and Martha. She giggled a little. "Now where were we? Romance of sorts?"

Martha watched agog. Delighted, she watched Ariana's actions and legs at work...studying the legs and shoes...and the footsteps with wide eyes. At the end of Ariana's antics she applauded with genuine glee. Smiling cheerfully she nodded at the matter of Romance.

In what might seem a non sequitor Martha gasps: "Highwaymen!" as her mind turns to childhood romantic notions of dashing and daring rogues on horseback...and experiences some blush inducing ideas as her mind turns to fantastical ideas about The Wicked Lady with Margret Lockwood.

Ariana gave a bow of thanks with her head, even though it probably was not the best rendition. Her head turned in slight and looked to Martha inquisitively. "Highwaymen? I am unfortunately not familiar with the movie. What is it about?" She asked curiously.

Martha blinked. Dragged from her twists and turns of thought by the question. It never occurred to her that highwaymen might need explanation. "Oh...highwaymen...bandits, ma'am..." she mimes her dainty figures into two pointing dueling pistols in the typical manner of a highway bandit brandishing firearms, "'Stand and deliver!'was their cry! Ah, those daring and dashing rascals...they would hold up stagecoaches in the 17th and 18th Centuries...there were endless stories about them when I was younger...in the manner of the cowboy...and the James Gang, the tales Romanticized a rather squalid truth, but...they were popular in motion pictures and novels too! All their daring deeds! Well, there was one motion picture: The Wicked Lady...with Margret Lockwood...it was based on a true tale too! On the legend and truth of the murderous Lady Katherine Ferrers...a lady of noble birth who disguised herself as a highwayman...mostly for the sheer thrill of the action!" she offers this with wide eyes and converts her dueling fingers to stroke at her twin tails. "Though given that the Ferrers are related to the notorious Devereaux, one can hardly exhibit full surprise at this turn of events." she adds with playful disdain.

Watching Martha describe the movie excitedly, Ariana was very interested. “If I am not mistaken, this sounds like the old west? Perhaps along the lines of a western genre?” The Lordess inquired since this may have been long before her time. “I remember seeing a few movies with John Wayne whom they called the Duke for a reason I do not know.” She laughed slightly. “It seems many of those movies were often predictable with the hero or heroine the victor no matter what the circumstance. You are correct, it was very romanticized. Though it seems they were enjoyable to many.” Her hand raised to pointedly to mention another genre. “There were many musicals like that as well. Top Hat for example with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers seemed to be an unlikely outcome in reality, yet made for a beautiful far fetched tale.”

Martha was about to launch into an excited talk about the inevitability of narrative structure and the formalized, almost ritualized, content of the Hollywood motion picture when mention of Fred Astaire stalled Martha's academic thinking. She paused and watched Ariana with wide eyes. Nodding with excitement.

Oh! I wish I could glide and dance like Ginger Rogers...sail across a dancefloor like Margot Fontaine!

Ariana's words provoked a flutter of Martha hands as she nodded.

"I daresay spectacle is always primary to narrative logic when one is dealing with Hollywood, ma'am." is the best she can squeak as her mind is filled with a fantasy of dance. "The beauty becomes paramount..." she adds, eyes wide with frustrated glee.

Ariana laughed at Martha’s deduction. “Oh yes, I could not agree more. That is what sells tickets and ushers us to the shows, is it not?” She shook her head while she smiled. Her hand raised as she thought of another point. “Speaking of Top Hat and dancing, what music shall we have for the ambiance? Show stoppers from movie musicals, or Academy Award winning songs?” She flipped open a list from the folder sitting on the table. “Here is a little variety of each.” Turning to the petite Shadow at a sudden thought. “You know, now that you have your new leg, perhaps we should both try our hardest to find time for at least one dance during this court?” Her eyes watched for an expression and her opinion of the idea.

Martha was bedazzled by the options and the dreams they inspired. Her wide eyes and sweet demeanor now took on a dreamy look as she fantasized about the dancing. Hands clasped to her chest in the manner typical of her era...it might be a melodramatic gesture, but it was a sincere one. She nodded as she looked to Ariana with admiring eyes. Twin tails bobbed.

"I am simply too excited by the options, ma'am...variety...variety is the key, ma'am...variety and beauty....show stoppers...musicals! Quite so!" she squeaks again. Barely able to contain her excitement, she fluttered her hands as she unclasped them from her chest. Wide eyes searched out Ariana's too as Martha then clenched her fists to show delight...and also discipline herself: resisting the urge to read Ariana's mind for thoughts of dancing. She had no desire to loose another friend that way. Contenting herself with her obvious glee. "...dancing..." she whispered.

Ariana watched Martha's excitement and nodded in agreement. “It certainly does help to have a broad theme. So many ideas to use and find creativity. I think we will be able to put something wonderful together for music.” She jotted a few notes down and pointed to a list that she checked off as Martha watched. "I think that settles it. Do you agree? I am sure if there is anything else, we can find it with no problem." The Lordess leaned in and whispered. "And let us not forget to do a little dancing." She laughed softly and while the Shadow and the Lordess finished compiling their ideas.

*(Yes, that's jazz hands)