Light and Darkness

Feb 6th, 2015 12:40 PM

Warm, low, amber light floods the Solarium following the small click of a light switch. Life, of a sort, has returned to the Mission Revival House of the Dragons and slowly, it reclaims its former glory. Outside, the inky blue-black is only broken up by tiny pin-pricks of light, each holding court for the Moon's silvery-blue gaze.

Tonight, the Grand Wyrm haunts the halls of the House; a teacher mentally preparing himself for a class and a student wondering what he'll learn tonight. The class itself is on the Courses of Light and Darkness, invitations having filtered through the caucus some time ago. For some, the Courses of Light and Darkness are an antiquated ritual given entirely too much weight. For others, like David Regan, it is an anchor and a psychological assessment. One that the Twilight Dragon considers useful to guide the Unsworn of the Academy.

While David's hands idle themselves with a tarot deck, one of the newest Dragons in the Academy trails.

“... And the Solarium,” David announces as he moves into the room and finds a place to sit, finishing a tour of the Chapter House. He pauses and removes a small bag of white and black tokens from his pocket, letting the bag settle on the table before he, himself, follows.

Blue is a theme with the Shadow Dragon: a darker blue vest over a sky-blue dress-shirt and finished off with blue and white striped tie in a meek four-in-hand-knot. As David settles, he unconsciously undoes the button at each wrist, rolling the sleeves to his forearm; a gold band on his finger glinting with the movement.

“Have you undergone the Courses of Light and Darkness, Supplicant?” David inquires curiously, his gaze directed towards his hands.

OOC

**Hildegarde Bingen** · Feb 6th, 2015 05:09 PM

The Castellan is curled up in a corner, cat-like, immersed in a grimoire. She has purloined a low table, upon which are piled a variety of maps; they spill out onto the floor like liquid snap frozen in time. Occasionally, she stops to inscribe scribbles in a notebook.

Lazily, she raises her head at the sound of David's approach Casitive . At this point she offers no greeting - the doll's mask only blinks. This is the Chapter House - a place of reflection, solitude, unity and study. She does not need to say anything. Not yet.

After a long, long, moment, she turns back to the curious text (or texts) and her maps.

Feb 8th, 2015 01:22 PM

Eva's head was on a slow swivel, panning about and paying close attention to David's tour of the Chapterhouse in South Sacramento. What a place it was! Indeed, it would be quite useful for her studies, a fact she most appreciated. Here, the Ordo Dracul could be what it really was - a laboratory of ideas, of personal Change and transcendence of the Curse. Each had their own way, but all strove toward it.

It was rather inspiring, really.

She'd noticed the blue that Regan wore. How could she not? A vest, a shirt, a tie - in the Order, that colour meant something. To wear it so prominently without being one of Anoushka's Sworn would be so gauche. Indeed, blue did not feature prominently in her wardrobe at Ordo Dracul, nor did crimson or sable. Those were best left to those who had earned them.

"A lovely house," she murmured, scanning the room --

--the Beast started, electrocuted from idle tranquility as Hildegarde came into view. The urge for murder, to beat her to death with her own grimoire? You never got used to it. It just was, no matter how hard you tried and no matter how much you expected it every night. She took an unnecessary breath through her nose and let it out slowly, silently, behind smiling lips and slightly clenched teeth. The smile was turned on Hildegarde.

Once she was certain she was in control, Eva replied to the question posed.

"I have, Grand Wyrm, some decades ago. My mentor wished it of me before taking me on as a student." Her tones were quiet, not wishing to make undue disturbance, but her gaze fell to Hildegarde. "Good evening."

She left it at that for now, polite greeting made without requirement for lengthy reply if the studying woman was not of a mind for conversation. Eva understood. When she was focusing on something deeply and wholly, she was not fond of interruptions.

Feb 8th, 2015 02:10 PM

An inclination of his head is offered towards Hildegarde, cat-like and perched on her chair. “Castellan,” David greets quietly. Her beast has grown in the year since he has been here, but so has his. The Shrike still wants to tear it asunder, to impale it and to prove itself superior to hers. Familiar it may be, but familiarity doesn't quell the thirst it has for violence. It never gets easier, but David is prepared and the wall erected keeps the Shrike in its cage.

“Supplicant, may I introduce Enlightened Sable Scribe of Burning Equilibrium, Hildegarde Bingen; Castellan of the Order and Whip of Clan Ventrue in Sacramento.” David's milquetoast manner pervades his speech as he glances fleetingly at the fashionable Daeva. “Castellan, may I introduce a new member of our Order, Unsworn Supplicant of the Void, Eva Edwards of Clan Daeva. I hope you might join us in the discussion, Castellan.”

Pausing, David allows the women to exchange pleasantries as he continues to shuffle the deck of tarot cards, quickly drawing a Celtic Cross for himself. The Tower underlies the center. The question he asks of the cards is lost to the ether.

Sliding the cards back into the deck, David finds one in particular. The Star XVII. It is this card that he settles between them. “I see,” David answers when Eva replies. “Mine,” he states tapping the card with his finger. It means many things to those who know. The Star – distant but burning at unimaginable heat. Far off but a cauldron of emotions for those who dare to reach. A Card valued by two Oaths and yet, from the color, one won him. “What do you think,” David inquires of Eva, “of the Courses of Light and Darkness? What is it you know of them?”

**Tracy Burns** · Feb 9th, 2015 12:41 PM

Tracy joined the group of Dragons shortly after the Grand Wyrm had finished giving the tour to the new Supplicant. She had been patrolling the area surrounding the Chapter House, so she hadn't been there when David had first arrived with the Daeva.

"Hey," she said in greeting, offering a quick grin to all of them. She removed her leather jacket, revealing a black tank top underneath. "Who is the new girl?" The petite Gangrel hadn't had a chance to meet the newest arrival to the academy yet, so she eyed her curiously for a few seconds.

**Hildegarde Bingen** · Feb 10th, 2015 05:29 AM

The Sworn of Lisette was about to return to her studies when Tracy arrived. The sudden press of Beast's was too much, too soon. Hildegarde found herself desiring nothing more than to leap across the room and wrench out the ~~intruder's~~ newcomer's mandible and rip through her digestive system before clawing out through her chest cavity... same for the diminutive Guardian. The Grand Wyrm, as always, was a void, a non-entity on her radar (and if she let the Beast rule her perceptions, she would be doomed to such a foolish assessment).

Hildegarde closed the notepad and carefully laid it down. Deftly pausing to secure the maps and other materials, she uncoiled from her seat and padded softly to join David where he established himself.

"Eva Edwards," she intoned for Tracy. "Supplicant of the Void. What a fascinating choice of Domain. You shall be commended for seeking a path less travelled."

Feb 10th, 2015 03:29 PM

Eva curtsied in genteel salute to the Sworn of Mysteries before her. "Why, thank you, Castellan Bingen," she replied after David was through introducing them, her dimples and the pleasant narrowing of her eyes a sign of the very Coil that had made her of the Void. There had been a time where they had been barely there, little cues lost to the Beast that had since been reclaimed. "It's been a very interesting course of study."

Just a little adjustment here, and a nip there...

Her head followed the lesser Beast as it entered the room clothed in red hair and muscle, nodding to Tracy Burns. "I'm pleased to meet you," she said politely. Of course, that was all it could be - a pleasantry, the necessary steps in the Danse that led to a name and connection, the beginning of something new that could be either valuable or horrible or somewhere in the middle depending on how it went. "What is your name, if I may ask?"

Cards, moving in the nimble hands of the milquetoast male Mekhet who had made the Ordo Dracul his. One was shown to her, one in particular that meant something to him, that spoke of him. She regarded it, then nodded. "The King of Rods," she replied in turn. He'd shared, and so would she. "I think the Courses of Light and Darkness have some value in determining a Kindred's fate. They speak to a Kindred's nature through actions - at least, when the Kindred decides truly based on their nature, of course. However, I do not believe that a Kindred cannot change. Ours is a Covenant that seeks Change - and with Change in choices can come a change in Fate."

**Tracy Burns** · Feb 10th, 2015 03:43 PM

Tracy nodded in response to Hildegarde, who had offered the newcomer's name. "Nice to meet ya, Eva," she said to the Daeva in her typical carefree tone. Some got really hung up with the idea of using titles, but that wasn't really the Gangrel's style. Especially not when she wasn't expected to do so, like in Court. "I'm Tracy," she said to the new Dragon. "Tracy Burns." A grin formed across her lips as she finished the introduction.

"Scholar of Terror, and the Rampant Dragon of the local chapter," added the feisty redhead after a brief pause. While the whole fancy title thing wasn't really her thing, they did serve a purpose within the ranks of the Order. "You here to stay? Or are you just visiting?" Tracy's eyes glanced over at David and the deck of cards for a moment, a slight hint of curiosity in her emerald green eyes.

Feb 11th, 2015 11:39 AM

“Ah,” the sound tumbles almost unbidden from David's lips as he peruses the deck of cards. The King of Rods is settled on the table between them, “A builder and a steady hand?” A flash of memory goes through the Shadow of Aïleen – the Queen of Rods – a support by which everyone could strive. The Dreamer never sought glory, it wasn't in her nature, and maybe she'll forever be misunderstood for it. David knows differently.

Tracy's voice draws David from his thoughts, the challenge her beast presents his, something it longs to take. It wants to know if the red of her blood on his hands would match the red of her hair. The hundreds of hungry, angry maws bey for her blood like some Roman spectacle only David can hear. It's ignored. He will not yield so easily to the Shrike's bloodlust. Not here. Not in this sanctum. “Rampant Dragon,” David greets the Savage faintly, “Supplicant Edwards is settling into the Domain.”

Noticing the curiosity of her gaze the Grand Wyrm invites, “I'm lecturing on the Paths of Fate, would you like to join us, Guardian? Have you had yours read?”

While he asks, David considers Eva's response. “Fate is in our hands to direct,” David starts, “cold coincidence and serendipity are less common than one might think. What people call fate is simply a result of a chain of choices that the people around us make. But, what of the Fate Card? It describes the foundation by which we all start from,” using building nomenclature more for Eva's benefit. “It describes the core of ourselves and where our point of view begins. This may or may not be immutable, at least not without a major Change to ourselves.”

A pause and looking to the rest David segues, “The Courses of Light and Darkness and walking the Paths of Fate allow us to understand ourselves and our Beast at a spiritual and psychological level. This is for the walker's benefit and deception of the questioner will only harm yourself in the long run and is a sin to yourself and to the core tenants our Order values.”

**Tracy Burns** · Feb 12th, 2015 08:20 AM

Tracy nodded at David's words. "Well, I'm glad to hear we've got one that will be sticking around," she said, a little smile forming across her lips. After all, Sacramento seemed to be a revolving door at times. Over the past few months, she could count at least three or four Dragons that had come through the city, but had left shortly thereafter without much of a notice. Maybe this one is really here to stay, she thought to herself.

Her smile widened slightly as the Grand Wyrm invited her to join them. "Sure," she said in response. "I wish I could say that I have, but unfortunately I never had a reading done when I first joined the Academy." Things had been different back then, and perhaps the leadership had been a bit...lacking. Regardless, Tracy looked forward to the opportunity of learning something new, so she remained silent as David continued his exchange with Eva.

Light and Darkness

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