Charles, the Herald, and a Deputy

[Martha Villiers]

The Avalon. In the cellar vault, away from the press and bright lights of the nightclub it is quieter. Only a soft voice can be heard speaking.

Here the lights are low. The atmosphere is one of calm. Recessed lamps cast a soft glow and the scent of lavender fills the air.

Tiny Martha sits on a sofa in the Commons area of the Court...allowing her a fine field of view to cast a watchful gaze over The Stairs and alternating her attentions to a copy of "Fighter: the true story of the Battle of Britain" by Len Deighton, from which she is carefully reading to Dillon. Dillon sits at the opposite end of the couch. Tall and strong and dressed in a blazer, casual open necked shirt and black dress pants. He looks very much at his ease with one arm resting across the back of the couch as he listens.

"...Kesselring later said that these promotions took place only because Hitler believed that the war in the west was virtually ended. In fact it was about to begin, and it was a daunting prospect by any standard."

As can be expected, she sits meekly and sweetly attired in an English school uniform: a neat straw boater, a black blazer...a pair of scholarly spectacles are perched on the end of her nose, she wears a long gymslip shows her crossed legs to mid calf...her blond hair is tied into neat twin tails, each with the red ribbon bow. She wears a white kneesock on her flesh leg and a pair of carefully polished Oxford pattern shoes thanks to her C-Leg. A crisp white blouse is obvious where the gymslip reveals it, as is her red necktie tucked neatly into her gymslip. A satchel and a simple metal walking cane rest at her side, propped on the couch.

Though she was reading carefully, tiny Martha looks over the pages of her book. Lowering the book to investigate the noise of the descent at The Stairs, she peers over the rims of her spectacles and shares a smile to Dillon and pauses in her reading.

[wibblywobbly]

Charles Oxford style shoes hit the floor as he made his way down the stairs, breaking the near silence of Elysium. He wore a black three piece suit and a gold tie in his hand he held a brown leather brief case. Charles bore himself as any noble Invictus gentleman would, with confidence and dignity.

He made his way over to where the Herald and Deputy were sitting, and bows to them both.

"Good evening Herald Keeper Villiers, Deputy Connery, I hope the night finds you well. Forgive me if I am interrupting."

He says cheerfully, obviously in a good mood tonight.

[Martha Villiers]

Charles' Beast caused Martha to rest her book down with a little more firmness than she may have liked. Reaching for her cane, she gripped hard at the handle with a small pout as she gained control of her Beast. Holding her cane close to her side now, she stayed seated and nodded in greeting to Charles. "Good evening to you too, sir! I am well, thank you. I hope you are too!" she smiled. Nodding to the seat opposite the couch by way of invite, "Please, sir...do be seated! You have something you wished to discuss? Do not be afraid to speak in front of Deputy Connery...I dare say whatever you wished to say to me, you may say in front of him too." she is all sweet and chirpy smiles now. "Unless the matter requires the gravest of privacy!"

[wibblywobbly]

"Thank you, Herald Keeper, And no no the Deputy is more than welcome to stay I would value his input as well."

Charles smiles and takes a seat on the sofa she had pointed to.

"I wished to discuss with you more about the matter of my establishing a business within the domain."

He sets his brief case next to him and rests one arm on the arm rest of the sofa the other on his lap, Obviously in not rush to hurry into the more detailed part business just yet.

"I have been looking around the area for available property, as well as giving more thought as to what sort of business I shall establish. I would like to show you what I have come up with, and hear your opinion, as well as the Deputy's if he so wishes..."

Charles adds a polite nod to the Deputy.

"...on what I propose. For it is my most sincere hope, to create a business that will not only be beneficial to myself, but as well as the domain and its security."

He says proudly.

"However, first if I may ask, what were you reading just a moment ago?"

His tone changes to something more friendly. Business could wait, why not enjoy the moment,they do have eternity after all.

[Dillon Connery]

"Good evening, Mister Black." Dillon's polite, lopsided smile is friendly, even if the challenging Beast behind it is anything but. The threatening growls aren't quite as menacing this time, however, as it is coming to recognize the other.

The Gangrel is mostly quiet for the exchanges, only cocking an amused eyebrow as Martha suggests that only the gravest of private matters should be kept from him. Which is sweet of her. The expression is further supplemented by a widening of his smirk as Charles gives a Deputy permission to stay and fulfill his duty as the Herald's personal security.

It might not have been intentional, but it sure is funny.

However, Dillon's responses to the conversation are not exaggerated enough to interrupt, or call attention to himself. He simply listens with interest, allowing them to continue until he has relevant input, or his opinion and insight is required.

[Martha Villiers]

With a gentle smile Martha carefully holds up the paperback book so Charles can see the cover.



"It's an interesting and well written analysis of the competing and opposing tactics, strategies and technologies that came to ahead in the summer of 1940. Mr Deighton served in the RAF Intelligence in a technical capacity and is very much able to grasp the subtle points of aero-engineering. More to the point, he has a knack of making them comprehensible. Even to someone like me! One could make a compelling case for saying the Battle of Britain was very much a turning point in the struggle against the murderous Nazi menace." she says with solemnity and she rests the book in her lap and happily watches Charles to see if he, being a fellow Briton, wishes to add anything or engage in a discussion about that topic.

[wibblywobbly]

"Ah yes, the Battle of Britain, I had long sense left Mother England by that point in time. However, I am inclined to agree with you, needless to say if our homeland had fallen to the Axis powers, it is very likely the Allies would have lost the war."

Charles shifts in his seat, smiling to himself and adds.

"It's interesting, If there is one good thing to be said about the Kindred condition, we do get the chance to not just study events in history, but also become apart of them, World War Two, the American Civil War, the Great Depression, all long past events in human history, are still fresh in the minds of some kindred."

Himself being included with that number. Charles had not payed much attention to World War 2, it didn't effect him directly, aside from a change in business. At that time period the two biggest things on Charles's mind was first dealing with prohibition, the second being the growing tension between him and his sire.

Charles continues to smile friendly.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha nods and smiles and was about to rub at her C-Leg when she caught herself and, instead, set her dainty hands under her thighs to prevent fidgeting. Nodding to Charles with a gentle smile.

"Quite true, sir." she feared that the conversation might take a gloomy turn, so she nodded to the briefcase, "I wondered, sir...have you come to discuss whatever is in there, sir?" she asks with a happier smile.

[wibblywobbly]

Charles nods placing his briefcase on his lap.

"Yes Herald keeper I do. As I mentioned before, I would like to gain tenancy within the domain, so that I may start a business, and as we have also discussed, perhaps my petition for tenancy could be my business proposal. So I have brought with me a presentation of what I would like to purpose to gain the right of Tenancy within his Majesty's domain, to you as his Majesty's representative. Shall I begin?"

He asks politely he was aware that there was now a Seneschal and he was unsure if the Herald was still the correct person to speak to. However, he was not going to our right question her on where her responsibility began and end. Such a thing would be rude.

[Dillon Connery]

Dillon is glad that Martha changed the subject. He was fairly numb to to academic talk of Hitler and the war, but some of the things he'd seen behind the scenes in Europe... well, he doubted many knew of the other horrors that had occurred in the dark background while the kine were fighting for their lives. Needles to say, war effects everyone and everything.

Never looking uncomfortable for a moment, though, Dillon props a foot up on his other knee, gripping the ankle of his dress boot casually. He's not trying to feign interest to cover boredom. Rather, the Deputy is ever vigilant. Not looking merely for threat, but information. Detail. Any business opportunity or venture that could contribute to the welfare of the Domain, he will gladly pay attention to.

Though, Dillon has to physically resist the urge to slip the butterfly knife Martha had given him for Christmas off of the side of his boot and begin idly playing with it. That probably wouldn't inspire the greatest amount of confidence.