(0909) Court

[Arnoud Giessen]

The street leading up to Court is cast in a soft and kind light by lamp posts reminiscent of the days of the bygone culture so renowned for its sophistication. The Sterling Hotel, the site for the September Court 2009, is located in the heart of downtown Sacramento and upon nearing the building one can clearly see the elegant Victorian architecture, accentuated by the lights illuminating key portions of its exterior.


Walking up the stairs, up to the entrance of the Hotel, early arrivals are greeted and escorted by Carthians who direct them to an immaculately groomed and well-mannered gentleman who courteously offers to store any items or articles of clothing before directing his most honored guests to the ballroom. Later arrivals are greeted by this gentleman.


The ballroom itself is a tasteful combination of elegant atmosphere and extravagant styles. The white marble of the ballroom floor gave way to the walls, covered in lush blue crushed velvet curtains rippling mesmerizingly, with the purest white roses affixed at intervals near the top, symbolizing stars in heaven.

Beneath this heaven lay the skyline of Venice, painted matte black.

Additionally, the wall opposite the ballroom entrance was home to an elevated space in the form of a faux bridge, presumably for the Prince and other luminaries.

The subtle sound of music created by the greatest of Austrian musical genius invites one into the room. A series of both beautifully and expertly crafted hardwood chairs form a large aisle for dancing. The Prefect stands at the beginning of this aisle and greets new arrivals with apparent glee.

[Schon]

Lenny waited patiently at the Sterling, wearing a neat black tuxedo and the same mask he had worn to the Daeva party at The Asylum.

He looked for people to begin showing up being particularly attentive to when his Priscus would arrive so that he could speak to her.

[Heathcliff Staley]

Heathcliff parks his vehicle on the street a couple blocks away from the Sterling, having received the new location from Reeve Culler. He felt it wise to show up early, as this was the first Court as an Official of the Domain, and, also, he worried that the Prince might show up before him, and might feel slighted, as though Heathcliff was too busy to get there earlier. He also didn't want to show up too early, and have it appear as though he's giving undue respect to the Carthians, whose Prefect had had a Blood Hunt declared upon him and his bastard, beautiful Childe.

What to do?

Heathcliff, as every night he has awoken since the Embrace, compromises. Getting out of his car, he dips into a nearby alley first, and after confirming there is no one about, he pulls the Night to him, around him, wearing it as a Cloak...

Cloak of Night

2009-09-14 16:41:17 Heathcliff rolls 7 to Cloak of Night (3+3+1) (10 Again) 9, 3, 5, 8, 10, 7, 5, 1 3 successes

...the Darkness obeys him, as it should. Satisfied, he makes the rest of the trek on foot. As he approaches, a young couple exit the hotel lobby, laughing as they made their way to the taxi the bellhop had summoned for them. They trigger the automatic door, and Heathcliff slips in and walks around the lobby with his hands in his pockets, noting the decorations, directions to the ballroom where they'd have their function, before returning keeping vigil by the entrance.

He'll wait for a Beast or two to arrive before he goes to the bathroom to remove the Cloak. If he sees the Prince or his ghoul arrive before any others, however, he will make haste to the event room and uncloak there.

[West]

Mister Arnold Culler, Reeve of Sacramento and Priscus of the Nosferatu, arrives at the Sterling hotel. He's dressed in a black pinstripe suit and fedora, with a wilted white rose in the jacket's lapel. He had considered tracking down a mask, as had been suggested to him, but decided against it at the last minute.

He enters the ballroom, looking around to find that he's among the first to arrive - even though the designated hour for Court had passed a short time ago.

He can't help but smile.

He's still smiling when he walks up to Arnoud, who he suspected must be the new Carthian Prefect now that Jack was gone.

"Good evening, sir." He says.

[Yawgmoth]

Dr. Ith Lazarus

When Harold drove up and the doctor exited the automobile, those already at the Sterling Hotel would notice the Warden's same old wrinkled lab-coat and same expressionless mask.

Waving Harold away to wait for Court to be over, Dr. Ith Lazarus makes his way inside the Sterling Hotel. Eying Reeve Culler first, the doctor approaches him -- despite obviously being in conversation with someone else. "Mister Reeve Culler, it's been some time now since we've last met." The mask does not impede the doctor's low raspy hiss of a voice much; he seems used to speaking through masks.

Taylor McCoy

Taylor arrives to the Sterling Hotel dressed in a white suit with bold red pinstripes. Covering his/her face is a white and red mask with a swirl pattern, as he/she walks inside the long blond hair framing the mask seems to flow in an almost perfect way with the air. They vote me out, then move court. It's a surprise anyone's here at all.

Rather than immediately conversing with anyone, Taylor looks around inside at who has arrived then stands outside the front door to greet arrivals as they arrive. He/she offers them no more than a handshake and a minor bow of the head followed up with a sincere statement. "Welcome to the September court, please come inside and make yourself comfortable."

[West]

Arnold turns to the darkly dressed Lazarus "Mister Warden Lazarus. Good to see you. It has indeed been quite some time. Since our family last met, I believe."

He looks around, noticing Taylor. At least the Nosferatu were arriving.

Looking back to Lazarus he says "I hope the night finds you well."

[Yawgmoth]

"The night finds me well indeed." Lazarus replied before looking around to see if anyone nearby was listening. Once satisfied with the privacy of their conversation, the doctor spoke again. "Madam Mieser Wells and myself have made further discoveries concerning the toxin used during the Lost Nights."

[West]

Arnold seems interested. "Really? I haven't had an opportunity to meet the Meiser, as of yet. What kind of breakthroughs have you made?"

He turns and begins to walk and talk with Lazarus, guiding the conversation away from the spot where the Prefect was saying.

[Yawgmoth]

Lazarus follows Culler. "In short, the toxin appears to have been dispersed through the air. While I cannot speak this to an absolute certainty, this would appear to be the only effective means of spreading it across the entire city. Also, the evidence supports this from the autopsy showing primary entry points through the lungs."

[Rosyn]

When Lori hung up the phone after talking to Circe she looked around her. She discovered that she was on a quiet street, dimly lit by the light of the stars and occasional street lamps. Needing a way to get to the meeting, she takes the first car she finds unlocked. Before starting it up she knocks the previous owner's ridiculous beanie baby of the rear view mirror of the plain, white, sedan then takes off. She drives to the first costume shop she sees that's open later than usual.

After making a couple purchases she drove toward the Sterling and left the hunk of metal parked on a curb a few blocks away then took a walk. In an alley half way there she stripped down to her black bra and panties and slipped into her evening attire. A ballroom costume she had bought thinking it at least nicer than the dirty bride's maid dress she wore last time.

Picture on the kit of Lori's Costume

The shop keep had even suggested to her that she try a gold masquerade mask to accent her 'fabulous' red lips and so she wore it instead of the plain black one that was in the kit with her dress. No one told her some may wear masks to the meeting, she wore it plainly because it went nicely with the costume ballroom dress.

Lori in her mask

Lori walked the rest of the distance, her costume heels clicking on the side walk and up the stairs of the establishment chosen for the meeting. The first thing she hears was some music she found unpleasant that lead her to the ballroom. A little smirk forms on her face as she takes in the decorations but she contains her feelings about them, since the Carthians probably wouldn't appreciate them.