(1508) Vivian, David, Diana

Aug 11th, 2015 05:34 PM

A steady processional of the dead continue, bringing with them the buzz of activity. Already, newcomers are being 'socialized,' which is little more than a polite term for sniffing around. David's beast cares very little for their beauty, shared languages, or any other commonality. No, it sneers and desires to declare its superiority through the only language it knows: violence, terror, and blood.

It's only slightly better for those the beast recognizes; dark desires and sneers are joined by contempt.

David takes a moment, tightening the bonds of the Beast within the mind. The Beast may be strong, but the Man is stronger. Control, hard-won and clung-to, remains and the Beast is brought to heel. Its desires fall only on deaf ears as the chattering of a thousand little birds in David's blood fades.

“Seneschal Harding,” David welcomes, bowing in Katya ( sumthingpositiv )'s direction.

Following Vivian York , they slide into a nearby space together, away from the entry. However, David's attention is on the rainbow-haired Daeva ( Violet ), “Welcome to Sacramento, Miss Barnes. I hope you are settling in, do you have any questions?” The Priscus' voice is a meek, soft-spoken tenor dappled with the tones of the Midwest.

Aug 11th, 2015 07:24 PM

Vivian bowed with David to the Seneschal. Hopefully she’d meet with her soon, maybe tonight or another. The woman’s dance card was quite full.

It was, so far, a typical evening. Imagining that, like her own Beast, everyone else’s in a tizzy. The amusement that if their Beast’s alone were in a pit, how they would claw and kill each other. But, her thoughts quickly diminished and her demeanor was pleasant the entire time.

“Yes, welcome, welcome, Miss Barnes. What do you prefer to be called?” Vivian turned so that she was facing both the new woman and David while still looking at the Kindred traffic.

“You may call me Vivian if you wish. I’m of Clan Daeva.” Smoothing her dress with her laced hands.

**Violet** · Aug 11th, 2015 11:24 PM

Diana smiles and waves at kindred Martha is trying to introduce her to, but without much luck. She gets swept off by Vivian and David easily enough. As Vivian and David put their attentions onto her, she fights the urge to shrink back. Instead, she stands taller. "Please, call me Diana. I'm of Clan Daeva as well. Its always nice to meet family." she says smiling at Vivian, and she extends her manicured hand.

She makes sure to look at David as well as she does this. When her handshake with Vivian is finished, she says to him, "I've had the opportunity so far to meet with my Priscus and my covenant leader and I talked their ears off of questions I think!" She giggles softly and leans in, "but I have one that isn't pressing business, just for interest. Martha tells me you're both a priscus and a covenant leader. How do you possibly find the time?"

She takes a step toward him, but smiles back at Vivian as she does.

Aug 12th, 2015 05:05 PM

Quite content to play the Shadow of the enticing Daeva at his side, David instead focuses his attention on Diana. The Dragon Priscus carries with him a bubble of calm, quiet stillness that might be welcome in a pit of vipers and sycophants; an eye of the proverbial storm. From his posture, David is methodical and meticulous and not prone to easy smiles and laughs. Will Diana simplify it as 'brooding?'

When the Shadow speaks, it's only after he's given her question some thought.

“When it is important, you make the time.” David answers as he reflects, if a touch cryptically. Kindred in power will either reach down into themselves and find what it takes to lead, or they will be prey for the ambitious. It doesn't come naturally for David, and maybe it never will. But, he is propelled by a desire to wrest the Domain from its stagnation. “When you know it is important, it becomes very clear what to do and how to do it.”

Aug 12th, 2015 10:20 PM

“Ah yes, Family is quite important to me, Diana.” Vivian admitted. Though she didn’t always agree with some of them, they still held a place with her.

“Covenant? To which do you belong?” That was quite curious to her, marked by interested vocal tones.

David’s answer was perfect. After his pause, which Vivian knew came with turning things over in his head. Wise people answered slowly, the Shadow was one she’d consider as such. “I couldn’t agree more.” Mostly because he handled his duel positions quite well. It was curious how that subject sprung up when her cousin spoke with Martha.

**Violet** · Aug 14th, 2015 04:05 PM

"I'm really glad to hear that, Vivian. It seems like our family is quite close here, from what I've experienced so far. My covenant is the Carthian Movement, so I've had the chance to meet with Marco, another family member of ours. May I ask your covenant affiliation?" she smiles warmly at Vivian. She doesn't say anything else about the Movement, or Marco though, trying to feel out the opinions of present company before continuing. She suspected Vivian was aligned with the Invictus, as she knew the current members of the Movement already from Marco, and her name was not among them, and the Invictus seemed to have the majority in this city.

Turning back again to David she is still smiling. One begins to wonder if she has any other expressions. Perhaps she is always like this, or perhaps she is just nervous. "I suppose a lot of it must come with experience as well. Good advice though!"

To both at once, Diana coos, "Thank you for inviting me over here to talk with you! I'm absolutely thrilled to be meeting all these new faces, if a bit intimidated!" At her last sentence, she laughs lightly.

Aug 14th, 2015 04:41 PM

“There's no need to be,” David offers Diana, reassurance in his voice. “If it makes you feel better,” the Shadow states, “remember that everyone else was in the same position you find yourself in now.” Including the quiet man in her midst. David's left hand rises, raking through his brown hair. “I'm sure you'll settle yourself in quite quickly.”

The Priscus still feels as though he is still settling in, two years after his arrival.

“What brings you to Sacramento, if I might ask?”

Aug 14th, 2015 08:58 PM

Vivian’s eyebrows quirked. Close was a relative term. She was trying to work on that. “It didn’t use to be.” But her tone said she cared not to speak further on it. But she also wasn’t about to lie and say they were very close. Some in covenants were closer.

“I have no affiliation Diana. I’m unaligned for the time being.” Stated contently as if she wasn’t in any hurry.

The ethereal woman’s smile at least wasn’t just painted on. She did laugh from time to time. But her comment on being intimidated, it may have had to do with her Blood. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, like David mentioned.”

“I’ve only been here for a few months… No wait. Nearly a year.” Turning to the Shadow, gently touching his arm. “Can you believe it? Almost a year.” But something else happened a year ago right as she had come to the Domain.

“See, Diana? Time flies when you’re having fun. Even more so when you’re Kindred.” Laughing casually.

**Violet** · Aug 15th, 2015 12:53 PM

Admittedly, the reassurances from the two others did help set her at ease. Seeing Vivian's shoes and Richard's bucket hat had only served to make her feel overdressed though, so she was self conscious even after you took the feelings brought on by blood out of the picture.

"A year in one spot and you're still unaligned? A rare bird, you must be." she said warmly. She'd meant it as a compliment, and hopefully it was taken as one.

Diana pauses for a long moment before answering David. She'd told Juan, Martha and Marco the truth of it, so she may as well continue in that trend. On the other hand, Court wasn't the place for airing out your past. Finally she settled on, "Well, of course there is a bit more to it but truthfully.. I wanted to see what California was like without all the bother of the LA lights, or the hubbub of San Francisco. However, being somewhere I could take in culture was important to me too, so I settled on this place. I have no special connection to it though."

One of her Carthian allies had been through Sacramento decades ago and gave it to her on a short list of places they figured would be more or less peaceful. She hoped the information wasn't too old, and it didn't seem so far that it was.

Aug 15th, 2015 08:14 PM

“It's been a long year,” David tells Vivian with a stoicism that masks the man's pain. Everyone wears masks: masks of normality, masks woven from shadows and lies. What is built up over the years are the layers one has to create. Protection, the Kindred tells themselves. David is no different, masking his albatross beneath notions of calm, courtly placidity. The first thing a Kindred learns is how to lie, even to themselves.

Especially to themselves.

Vivian sees the mask for what it is as David turns towards her at her touch. “It'll be my second year anniversary in a little more than a month.”

Gaze swivels back towards the colorful Daeva, multicolored tendrils swaying in air-currents. “My Sire directed me to Sacramento and chose it specifically. He thought it would be a good move for me.” Johan always knows.

(1508) Vivian, David, Diana

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