Black and White Night

[RebornSeas]

Lydia Thaler walked into the Asylum with a fair amount of Awe. The red and black velvet of the upholstery, the hints of stone walls and iron rings, the swinging bodies hanging above the bar hanging from hooks in the elastic of their skin… it was a Scene, almost a masquerade.

She hummed, glad that she’d come across a Theme Night flyer declaring that tonight would be all about Black and White. She never had the money for fetish gear, but she did have a white dress and black jacket that would work well as a magician’s outfit with a black tophat and mask-like CV Dazzle design to hide her face from the cameras. Of course, it wasn’t such a complex or effective disguise the people who knew her couldn’t recognize her.

It didn’t matter much, as she had come here tonight mostly to watch.

[Claire Edmonton]

Miss Claire had been reluctant for some time with regards to investigating all of the venues Sacramento had to offer. She quite simply lacked the sort of casual acquaintances to accompany her such places, and The Asylum had a reputation about it that suggested one should not be alone there. Of course, she was one of the things that went bump in the night, so perhaps it was an unnecessary degree of caution. She was never one to be easily spooked, anyway, but sometimes she wondered if she should be. She certainly tried to stay out of trouble.

So, she arrived on the night of a theme that was easy to meet. Her favorite black and white, bold striped dress was stretched across her, beautiful leather ankle boots contrasting with the pale skin of bare legs, she was quite comfortable on this summer night. And just to be sure she met the dress code, she'd brushed temporary black coloring into her hair before fluffing it up to its typical mane-like appearance. Just in case anyone said anything, she'd brought a black and white masquerade mask in her purse. Not that she particularly cared to wear it.

The scene immediately struck her as bizarre, but she did not say anything. She merely let the reality of the scene sink in, absorbed the decor, and surveyed who was here. No familiar faces.

[Alice Brown]

The Asylum. A place for one's strangest pleasures. Alice used to work here, as a part of her deal for feeding rights. When Victoria Stamford left the Domain, Alice quit her job here to start as a manager at Club Ember. Although a fetish club likely has more to offer, a strip club is more about beauty. That is something the Daeva can appreciate.

That doesn't mean she shouldn't visit the Asylum once in a while. So here she is, dressed in a black leather trench coat, obviously to hide something underneath. She steps inside wearing her mask of arrogance. Her eyes carefully scan the crowd. BDSM and other fetishes always surprise Alice, somehow. She might end up with a whip in her hand, but that's almost a limit already. It happens more often that she ends up sinking her teeth in someone's neck.

After a minute wandering around, she notices another Beast... Damn, it is hard to remain calm in a club with so much pain mixed with pleasure. She wants to destroy it. The home of all Sacramento's sexual fantasies, that's where my Duchagne Blood gets loose most easily.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha blinked as she entered the main area of the Asylum. Though she was more out on Patrol than any desire to revel, she was always keen to explore something playful.

The never ending variety of fetishes never ceased to catch her imagination too. There was always something fresh and exciting.

So, seeing that the evening had called for black and white themed attire, she'd made an effort...




A small dab of red lipstick...a careful application of rouge to the cheeks...Martha had even dyed her long hair and spent time arranging the regulation buns rather than resorting to a cosplay wig. The white gown, she hoped, fitted the overall theme. Taking care with her cane, she limped heavily along through the nightclub...cautious of her uneven footsteps...wide eyed...you simply never knew whom, or what, you may find!

-1 Vitae for wise application of Blush of Life

[RebornSeas]

The Magician in costume watched the flow of the crowd, the thrum of people, eyes lingering the slightest bit longer on the women in the crowd and longer still on those who did so with power. A particularly tall example, drew her eyes for the longest, shaking her resolve to merely watch for the evening. Eventually, however, Lydia turned her eyes away, and almost immediately started as a familiar figure entered the door of the club.

There was no mistaking that limp and cane or the kind features of that face. Though the hair had posed as a surprise. Then again, Lydia wasn't wearing the wig she usually wore at work to avoid giving a start to any priests or grieving families. Funeral manners? Yes, I suppose I should go greet her.' Sliding away from the bar, she walked up to her diminutive boss with a cheery smile and a teasing look in her eyes. "May the Force be with you, Princess Villiers."

Unfortunately, Lydia wasn't as familiar with the movies as she thought, and was holding her hand in Star Trek's "live long and prosper" sign. For all her memory was infallible if she wished it, anything she didn't consider important quickly fell into the rubbish heap.

[Claire Edmonton]

Surveying the crowd, Claire did seem to notice just a bit of staring she'd received. Rather than bring her gaze to bear and melt anyone, though, her eyes caught Martha arriving in...

Ugh. How tacky. It's that damned cheesy sci-fi thing. Well, I supposed nobody else is perfect, so perhaps I should speak with her anyway. And that starer seems to know her, as well.

Claire did, however, roll her eyes at the unknown woman repeating some sort of catch phrase and gesture, presumably related to some terrible film, as she walked over. The gesture was fleeting, however, as she was more interested by the prospect of conversation. Otherwise she would feel as though she should just leave, the night wasted. Waste not, want not.

Claire stalks over to the pair, quite obviously looking for their eyes as she approaches, and offers a greeting, "Good evening, Martha. How are you this evening? Care to introduce me to your friend?"

[Martha Villiers]

Out of the dazzle of lamplight came Quincy. Martha smiled at the greeting and returned the Vulcan symbol with a more conventional wave.

Leaning on her cane she took a chance to examine Quincy's clothes and smiled her delight. "How splendid to see you! I do hope you are well!" she asked...and seemed to be genuine in her interest too.

Taking a moment to smile at Quincy again, she had not yet noticed Alice's prowling patrol but Claire made herself known from out of the leather clad throng.

Martha barely had time to examine Claire's boots and legs before the questions began; so she replied with cheeriness, "Ah...this delightful young lady is Miss Lydia Thaler! She works at the Cedar Fields!" she explained with obvious pride in her newest recruit. "...and, from what I can see; she's doing a most splendid job too!" she nodded respectfully to Quincy to show her words weren't idle praise.

"Miss Thaler..." she began, taking another moment to rub at her crippled hip, "...please may I introduce Miss Claire Tunt...Miss Tunt is a friend of mine I met while at another nightclub!"

Martha smiled. It wasn't a total fiction.

[RebornSeas]

"Well enough, Ms. V-" Lydia had a brief flash of concern as Tall and Commanding clearly knew Martha. Hopefully her earlier staring hadn't inched into being rude.

But Martha's introductions put that concern aside. She raised her eyebrows at being called young. "You can't be that much older than me considering you look a decade younger, Miss Villiers." Well, not unless she was an acanthus or other supernatural being. 'Did she ever drink that Lemonade she poured herself? And the interview - don't be ridiculous, Quincy. Speculation isn't evidence.'

It is, perhaps, in Claire's fortune that Quincy's thoughts were distracted from her name just enough not to notice it's unusual formation"Ah, It's nice to meet you, Miss Tunt. I couldn't help but notice your presence, though I'll admit being able to converse with you wasn't something I expected to happen."

[Claire Edmonton]

This woman asking the Herald about her age was unfortunate. It seemed Claire was now presented with an opportunity to address at least 2 issues at once, distracting the woman away from asking awkward questions and finding out if there was any particular motive for her stare. Not that there had to be one - Claire had certainly stared menacingly at people just to see what they might do in her younger days as a form of too-subtle youthful rebellion. Well, as subtle as a girl of her size could be.

"Ms. Villiers is just blessed with being baby faced," she said, musing, One down.

"Do I have an admirer so soon? To think I had been reluctant to come here for so long," she added, steering the conversation towards herself. She was doing so all for Martha Villiers' benefit, of course. "I believe myself to be rather more approachable than the popular mythology suggests. If one were to ask me, anyway." And if her words did not serve to divert Lydia away from questioning Martha, perhaps being this close to her intense expression of interest might.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha giggled playfully and was amused that she was felt to be youthful. But before she could pacify any interest in her age, Claire's intense and speedy intervention rendered Martha fully silent.

Tiny Martha smiled and nodded often. Leaning on her cane while remaining playful and genuinely attentive, all Martha felt she could sensibly do was watch Claire and Lydia interact for now.