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Dr. Swift smiles, "Senescal Donovan, it's good to see you this evening. I trust everything is well with you?"
He glances as Brother Raluca enters, quircking an eyebrow at the chosen garb. His smile, if anything, widens. "And Brother Raluca, I am surprised to see you here, but pleased. Welcome to the Temple of the Crone."
The monk turns a little and returns the Doctor's smile with his own. "Doctor Swift, it pleasant to see you again. I am trying to get 'out and about' as it goes." In Athens at least he knew the Spears would never allow any Crone to own, let alone use a church for rituals. And in Romanian? Well, not in the Carpathians. he thought darkly.
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*Max bows his head in greeting to the Heirophant. Wooding had a more open and welcoming demeanor than his predecessor, and he was interested to see how that personality would affect the night's proceedings.
As Chris makes his way over to Max's fellow Dragon, he turns his attention to the beautiful woman beside him, a soft smile parting his lips as he speaks.* Good evening, Madam Seneschal. A pleasure to see you again.
*He watches as she moves to take her place, he's more than a little surprised to see Teodor here. He wondered what a self-proclaimed Brother was going at a Chrone meeting, but decides it was none of his business, so long as his fellow Mekhet behaved himself. Of course, Max would have chosen something different to wear...
He gives a nod of greeting to the others, a slight grin parting his lips as he makes his way over to the man that waved to him.* Hello again, Dr Swift. I can't complain; and I'm eager to see what you all have in store for this evening. I appreciate the Circle opening tonight's ceremony to the city.
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Dr. Swift nods to the monk. "That is a motivation I understand, Brother Raluca. I myself constantly fight reclusive impulses. But we must constantly seek interaction, development, and change, lest stagnation and darkness claim us, no?" Swift's attention includes Mr. Heinz as well. "We are pleased to have you here. It is a new year for us. The night lengthens and tonight it shall overcome the day. It is a time to celebrate and none should be unwelcome."
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While some Kindred start talking Chris keeps looking at the door, like he is expecting someone. All Acolytes were here, but the Hierophant hoped for someone else to come as well. Too late. As if on cue he steps towards the entrance and closes the doors.
'Good evening everyone.' He speaks a bit louder now, clearly about to begin. Slowly he walks towards the alter. 'It was two summers ago that David Silver became our Hierophant. All Acolytes were symbolically Woven into a Circle. The Circle of the Crone.'
He arrives at the altar and turns around, with a contented smile. 'Tonight things will change. Autumn is a time of balance and transition. The Woven Circle remains but I am here as the new Hierophant. Balance is even in the slightest of things. Which is contrary to the summer season, where the sun shines brightest,' perfectly in control, Chris uses a match to light several candles on the altar, 'the season where Death rules us, when fear rules us, when the heat of conflict has cost us lives and brought only chaos.'
The Hierophant steps aside to a wall to turn off half the lights in the room. He stares into the candles. 'I open this Autumn Equinox by mourning for all that we lost during the summer.' He walks back to his position before the altar, then looks straight into the eyes of James and Robert, they would know how to react.
"We mourn for all that we lost during the Summer."
He closes his eyes and hopes to hear the others repeating him. Some of David's traditions could remain.
'But we cannot mourn forever. We move on, after learning from experiences both good and bad. Very recently I was revived from torpor, yet here I stand.' Chris grabs an athame from several things on the altar. He holds his hands above his head, the athame slightly cuts in his palm. 'I have learned from my mistakes, and so shall you all. We survived the summer.'
"We turn our back to the Sun and welcome the Shadows."
In a circling move he lowers his hands, until the athame that he holds in his right hand meets his left palm again. Blood drops fall on the single stair that leads to the altar. At the time it hits the floor, hell breaks loose outside. Heavy rains comes down on the temple's roof and soon thunder breaks the silence.
The Hierophant blows out the candles, the room is now dimly lit, a perfect balance between light and shadow. He smiles.
frenzy check, ritual
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"We mourn for all that we lost during the Summer." Dr. Swift echoes the Heirophant's words in the familiar call and response fashion. David had always spoken of those lost the last transition. I never thought he would be one of them. Where is David tonight? Change. It's always about Change. David, I hope you are struggling and seeking the Wisdom of the Crone. Do not fall to stagnation.
"We turn our back to the sun and welcome the Shadows." Swift lets the smallest smirk form on his lips. Was that a subtle way of welcoming yourself to the position, Chris?
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Jim's attention is rapt on the words of the Heirophant. "We mourn for all that we lost during the summer," he repeated. Some things never changed... and the call and response was a time-tested ritual. It was strange that they were all that was left, that so many had been lost over the last year, and even since his arrival, David Silver was gone. It was easy to mourn such a man. He had done much for the Circle in Sacramento.
A small grin crosses the Taifa's face as Chris states that they had survived the summer. In many ways, their survival had come from teamwork, from close research and knowledge of one another. Eolas was strong. The Circle was strong. And now the short nights were behidn them. "We turn our back to the sun and welcome the shadows," James called back.
The sounds of the storm beating on the roof suddenly brought a broad, momentary smile. The Heirophant had such power. The ability to call a storm... amazed James. He understood the basics of their magic. But the complexities... there was much to learn yet.
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ooc
The sudden downpour makes Swift smile. It calls to mind the first offering he brought as a member of the chorus. It would seem that given enough time the rainstick had worked.
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OOC
*Max smiles slightly, nodding his head in agreement with Swift's words.* Well, you have certainly made me feel welcome. I had spoken with the former Hierophant about attending one of your... *Services? Rituals?* gatherings. I'm quite keen to see what's in-store for this evening.
*Max turns as Chris speaks, giving the Hierophant his full attention as Wooding begins the night's festivities. There's barely a flutter in Max's dead chest as the candle are lit, the tall Mekhet bowing his head at a call to remember those that had been lost; both because he did not know if it was his place as an outsider to echo the call and because he couldn't remember losing anyone important to him the past few months. Max wasn't the kind to shed tears for those that meant nothing to him...
He watches as Chris continues the invocation, smiling slightly as he recognized the knife the Heirophant takes up. It seems the Circle and the Order shared a common sense of symbolism.
Even after what had occurred not so long ago at the Bella Notta, the sound of rain takes Max by surprise. The curious part of him couldn't help but wonder what forces the Circle could call on; he knew all too well there was more to the Universe than modern Science acknowledged.
Such question would have to wait for the moment, Max bowing his head to the other Kindred.* If you'll excuse me, I think it's best I find a seat... *The Grand Wyrm sets down a few places down from Ariana. Not close enough to imply anything, but not so far away he wouldn't be there for her in case something happened.*
Ariana had smiled softly with a short nod as Max sat next to her. She truly appreciated the Grand Wyrm presence. Sitting contently as she listened to Chris, it was quite a different tone than his predecessor. This was enjoyable to the Lordess for many reasons. Though open to all there was a ceremonial effect that it had unlike David’s.
As the new Heirophant began deeper into the ceremony she thought back to when he was the Vala. Chris had always been the face of this covenant from the start, whether he would ever believe it or not. A revered nod moved the head of copper hair as she didn’t repeat the cantor, but still respected the words.
And then the rain came.
Ariana looked up to the ceiling as she heard it begin to fall. She remembered how it fell on her face the night at the Ballo Della Notte. The relief it brought to a night that could have been much worse. The Lordess always loved the rain, now it was just one more reason to appreciate it. Requiem saving. She would always be thankful.
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