(Acknowledgement) In which Miss Star meets the Herald and a Deputy

[Martha Villiers]

The Avalon. In the cellar vault, away from the press of dancing Mortals and bright lights of the nightclub it is quieter.

Only the sound of a single 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 with Dillon ( Wolven Pryde ) on a leather sofa in the Common area of the Court...allowing her a fine field of view to cast a watchful gaze over to The Stairs and alternates her attentions to a copies of various large maps of Sacramento and printouts of PDF's stapled and piled neatly on a coffee table close to where they both sit.

The duo seem to have broken off from consulting maps and paperwork and tiny Martha is reading to Dillon from one of the papers she holds. In a clear English accent she is reading some extract from a print-out to the taller gent by her side;

"...the town was renamed in his honor. He died the year before the Sacramento Valley Railroad sent the first train west of the Rockies from Sacramento to Folsom on September 22, 1856. With the completion of the railroad, Folsom became a transportation hub to the Mother Lode with stage and freight lines meeting the train. Sutter Street was a center for hotels and commerce. From July 10, 1860 until July of 1861, Folsom became the western terminus for the Pony Express. During the gold rush..."

Martha 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 legs to mid calf...her ebony black hair is tied into long and 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 above the knee 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 and are propped against the couch.

On sensing the arrival a new Beast, the small lady pauses in her reading, grips at her cane with her free hand and turns to study The Stairs and investigate the new arrival...

[Dillon Connery]

Dillon sits on the couch slightly turned toward the little Herald. One hand rests on the ankle of his leg that is propped to allow for his turn, and the the other is idly rubbing his lips and chin, elbow propped along the back of the sofa. This partially conceals a sort of permanent smirk of friendly amusement on the Gangrel Deputy's face as he listens intently to the history being presented. He's either serenely enjoying the sound of Martha's voice, has some sort of college schoolgirl fetish, or is just kind of silly. The truth is anyone's guess.

In contrast, the Beast emanating from the man is a vicious, threatening nightmare of hellfire and brimstone. Angry, snarling, canine. Three voices growl in challenge to any other it can sense... and sensing nothing from Martha, it grows frustrated. Dillon keeps calm control of the mental leashes that hold it at bay.

Dressed entirely in black tonight, he cuts an impressive silhouette, regardless of the expression on his face. Tall, broad-shouldered, and intense, he looks over to the stairs when Martha stops reading to do the same.

[Velma]

The sun was already down, fully engulfed under its dark blanket when Velma Star made her way to the Avalon. She picked up a cab and left it right in front of the Avalon’s door. After excusing the taxi driver she made her way to the door, no queue for the long legged beauty with the bright blue eyes. She smiled to the doorman who promptly made way for her.

Once inside Velma was greeted with the frenetic kaleidoscope of lights, she enjoyed the lights and the music and took some time to imbibe the vibrant energy of the place, it made her feel alive again.

As she traversed the dance floor several eyes followed her silhouette, the revealing dress showed enough white and emaciated calf to let imagination do the rest…

After a while she noticed the way downstairs.

Hands gently placed along the handrail, her fingers slowly touching the cold metal, her red nails making a stark contrast with the metal grey. Step after step she gracefully made her way downstairs, carefully placing a stiletto in front of another, their sound heralding her descent into the court room.

Today the Daeva was clad in a provocative red attire, the color of passion and frenzy. In her left hand she brought a hand purse with lipstick a hand mirror and a pack of cigarettes. As her path came close to an end she steeled herself, least not her beast slip from her grip. Her blue eyes gazed towards her source of distress, a tall kindred with a louder and roaring predator… Velma’s beast recoiled and a sudden urge to leave the room invaded her.

Against intuitive advice she decided to stay, Velma inhaled softly after her inner turmoil ceased to cause her reason to remain immobile. One step forward and she was moving again, elegantly and confidently towards the small beastless girl and the smirking broad shouldered kindred.

[Martha Villiers]

Oh my! is Martha's initial thought. Her Beast had a few more things to say and suggest and Martha struggled hard to contain those impulses.

It manifested in the shake of the papers in her hand. The placement of them to the coffee table and the heavy rubbing of her crippled knee joint. Martha did all this while not for a moment taking her eyes off Velma.

Velma's legs and feet, to be precise.

Watching the improbably stunning lady descend The Stairs was an arresting moment.

A bashful smile is offered to Velma.

Feeling utterly ungraceful and dowdy by comparison, Martha simply watches Velma for a long moment. Watching the visible hint of her legs...the high heels...the sweep of the gown and recalling the sheer grace with which Velma made her entrance.

Goodness, goodness me...

Biting at her lower lip in a meek pout, Martha blinked and peered at Dillon over the rims of her spectacles...trying to see what she guessed my be his reaction to so stunning a creature.

Steadying herself, Martha made a dainty fingertip gesture to adjust her spectacles and, once done, gently smiled to Velma.

"Good...Good evening, Miss. My name..." tiny Martha meekly cleared her throat as she looked again to Velma's legs and shoes and back again to Velma's eyes, "is Miss Martha Villiers. I have the honor to serve His Grace, Alder Clarke, the Duke of Sacramento and Prince of this Domain, as his Herald and Mistress Keeper of his Elysian Fields. You are welcome if you come in peace, Miss." another steady smile. "This fine gentleman at my side is Deputy Connery, a fine Deputy to the Reeve...this is Elysium...please...approach. How may we help you, Miss?"

Martha again rubbed hard at the knee joint of her C-Leg as she watched Velma and tried another smile.

[Velma]

Velma heard the petite and innocent looking girl in front of her making her presentation, the way she expressed herself and the way her body communicated her emotions and the turmoil inside her was clear.

Her blue eyes calmly looking towards Martha, she produced an effortless and soft smile as she heard the words Herald and Keeper.

At the herald’s invite to join her she carefully answered and gracefully moved closer towards the duo:

“I believe I’m in the right company then.” Velma said with a soft melodic voice as her smile widened a bit.

“I’m Velma. Velma Star.” The kindred said answering the welcoming Martha Villiers in a quiet voice.

The Daeva paused for a while to take note of the deputy and offered him a smile to.
And turning to Martha again continued:

“Thank you for welcoming me Herald and Keeper Villiers.” she said as she curtsied, her knee bending slightly, the left leg slightly behind the right one, the motion was soft and casual and the bright red sequins of her dress made the movements all the more hypnotizing.
“Deputy Connery.” she offered towards Dillon’s persona smiling all the same.

After that Velma Star took a glimpse over the table and finalized:

“I hope I’m not disturbing, no doubt you are quite busy with domain chores.” She said quietly and politely, leaving the duo some room to keep pursuing their duties if need be.

[Martha Villiers]

Watching the curtsy with great interest, Martha replies happily; "Goodness me, Miss Star! Our work for the Domain is no chore...rather it is an honor...and I doubt that you disturb people in the conventional sense, Miss Star!" wide eyed Martha chirps, all smiling and twirling one of her long twin tails about a dainty finger in a very shy gesture. "Or rather...at least not with anything other than the most positive and startling first impression!" she giggles bashfully and cannot help but study the lady's legs and shoes again. Martha was about to add something but, once more her hand rubs at her artificial knee and she instead glances over to Dillon, Martha is trying to see what he makes of Miss Star.

[Dillon Connery]

Having settled with his Sire in the Windy City for several decades, starting in the early twenties, Dillon knows Velma Star before she ever introduces herself. As it was with Josephine, sometimes he feels like the whole City is following him to Sacramento. And he can't quite figure out if that's a good thing, or a bad one.

He can't shake that odd feeling he gets when he sees someone that he doesn't expect to, decades later, and they both look exactly the same. The only difference between Dillon now, and the few times he was a part of her audience, is the clothes he was wearing. Or the style of his hair...

Of course, he didn't pack around the same kind of gun anymore, either...

Once again, Dillon is caught in the middle of other thoughts when he notices Martha staring at him over her little glasses. He gives her a private sort of smile, before looking back to Velma with a polite and friendly nod. "Good to see you again, Miss Star. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to learn that someone Embraced you."

And a Daeva too, I'll bet.

Dillon was just another face in the crowd, back then. And it's more likely that she would remember seeing Adonia or Corbin before him, but she should be used to people remembering her.

  3 successes on recognizing the singer

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-05-31 10:32:21		Dillon Connery rolls 7 to recognize Velma Star (Wits + Composure +1 (10 Again)		8, 1, 8, 1, 2, 6, 9		3 successes

[Velma]

Velma chuckles lightly at their words, genuinely happy and amused.

“You are both too kind.” she offers, her eyes bright and beaming.

The Daeva pauses for a while to regain her composure, only to proceed slowly, almost intimately.

“Well Deputy Connery, let me compliment you on your memory. I can't describe how it feels to have someone remembering me from so loooong ago.” The bewitching Daeva closes in, her index finger running along the table hinting an ever present promiscuous intent…

“I hope I made a positive impression back then.” She smiles and winks one of her eyes in a comely fashion to the Herald in friendly pantomime changing the tone of her speech.

Now this was Velma, it was all part of the show…

Now in a more serious register. “It’s good to be recognized Deputy Connery, from what I get from your words you spent some time in the Windy City?” she offers in her crystalline tone.

“You know… back in the days?” The Daeva finally adds.

[Martha Villiers]

Velma's wink to Martha provoke a bashful smile and innocent blinking as she peered over the rims of her spectacles at the entertainer.

It seemed that Dillon knew Velma. This was valuable information and Martha felt no need at all to interupt their encounter. Instead tiny Martha offered them both another gentle smile and rubbed harder at her prosthetic leg while beginning to watch Velma's own perfect legs and shoes and feet with increasing frequency and interest.

[Dillon Connery]

Dillon nods again, attempting to see the present rather than the past while he speaks. "My Sire and I made a way for ourselves in Chicago for some time, starting in the early twenties." He doesn't feel the need to specify which century, obviously. Velma knows the time period they're talking about, and Martha knows how old he is. Besides, Chicago itself has also only seen one decade of 'twenties'. "We were in your audience more than once." And more than enough to remember the actual number. That is, in a roundabout way, his compliment. They'd been to see her sing more than once, and it wasn't always just because the clubs and lounges were a good place to hunt. Strange, now that he thinks about it, that he or Adonia never fed on her.

That might be kind of awkward, now, if we had...

"But that was some time ago. What's brought you to Sacramento, Miss Star?" Finally turning in the couch to sit properly, Dillon straightens his propped arm along the back of the couch. Martha is within arm's reach, but he doesn't invade the little Herald's personal space. As she is Mistress of Elysia as well, he always offers her the utmost respect.

Noticing Velma's mannerisms, he thinks Gotta be Daeva, before gesturing toward one of the cushy chairs opposite the couch. An offer for the Singer to make herself comfortable, since Martha seems slightly too flustered to do it at the moment.