(1508) The Daeva and the Haunt

Shy. A friendly smirk came across his face. I like shy. She responded to his polite bow with a very formal one of her own. It would seem she had very formal manners. In a way it only accented the ominous feeling that came from her. Marco of course never let her appearance affect the smile that almost always graced his face. As a hand is offered Marco returned to his slightly bowed stance and, taking her hand, kiss the back of it.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Marco Fernandez, Myrmidon of the Carthian Movement. May I be the first to have the honor of welcoming such a beautiful woman into Sacramento."

His smile transformed into a sly smirk as he rose from his gentleman's kiss. She may give out a feeling of doom, but he is sure he could overlook that for a chance to take in her beauty

Oksana bathed in Marco's flattery, smirking approvingly as his lips met her cold flesh. She remained collected, exuding the potency of her stature (or at least, her own estimation of it), but could barely contain the rush of excitement. She was absolutely thrilled with her new playmate.

"Well, Mister Fernandez," Oksana replied, her voice now a gentle warble,"it is quite nice to make your acquaintance." Her words were almost too sincere, as if some strident spell meant to penetrate Marco's hanging mystique.

"Tell me," she insisted, again clutching the purse,"What does a man of your prominence do, exactly?"

Oksana had no idea what a "myrmidon" was. Tokyo, Akita, Hachinohe...they were all Invictus cities. Japan was a land of staunch tradition and etiquette, her conventions adhered to by the living and the dead. In fifty years, she had barely heard of the Carthian Movement, but that fair Haunt remembered one thing: they really pissed off the Invictus.

Oksana stood up straight, her demure posture not quite belonging to such an eager creature.

Marco always took pride in explaining his connection to the Movement. One must always revel in their accomplishments. Well Oksana, as of late I provide leadership to the Movement. I interact with the other covenants and provide some stability to the covenant. But I'm more curious about you? What brings you to Sacramento?"

He watched her carefully with a smile upon his face. You never knew what to expect with new kindred, but at least this one seemed to be quite proper.

Oksana nodded wistfully as Marco spoke, explaining his place within the Carthian Movement. She was pleased to learn that she was in the presence of the Kindred elite. Of course, it also reminded her of the sovereignty she had lost. She was a shell of her former self, an iron fist in a velvet glove. The iron had since begun to rust, the luxurious fabric that sheathed it now tattered.

"Ah, a diplomat? I see."

She smirked, pretending to sigh, as if she had really been breathing. It was good to have friends with clout.

"As for me, I just wanted...a change of scenery. The Requiem affords us so much time. There is so much to be done, and I grew tired of being planted, like some wilted tree, in a single place. Sacramento's nights offer something like youth. I'm sure you understand, mm?"

She wasn't exactly lying, but there was no reason to go spilling all her secrets.

Marco nodded in understanding as the woman spoke. "I do understand, quite well. I was seeking change when I left Houston for here and I certainly got that. You see, Houston is a mostly Carthian domain with a large Crone population. It gave me a slightly different perspective than many Kindred I know. But if you're looking for new opportunities than Sacramento is certainly the place for you. By the way, are you a member of a covenant?" he said with an inquisitive look.

Ah, a fellow wanderer.

Oksana could not help but fantasize about what horrors or embarrassments had actually brought him here. She was loathe to share her story, but if she could learn his...

"Indeed, Mister Fernandez. I am a childe of the Crone. Her guidance has carried my ancestors across continents, bolstering our bloodline and ensuring that we inherit our rightful place..."

The willowy Acolyte shifted her weight, a hand posted on her (rather shapely) hip. The other cradled her chin, a perfectly painted dagger gently tapping her cheekbone.

"...and it seems she is not far, now. Houston is fortunate, indeed."

Just like that, she seemed to be whisked away to some daydream. Mindful of her company, she snapped back to reality, taking Marco's arm as if it had been offered.

"Mind showing me around?" she requested, politely squeezing her would-be-suitor's well-dressed limb.

And why wouldn't he?

"Why certainly," he said with a friendly smile. He was not particularly fond of her grabbing his arm out of nowhere, that type of behavior always riled up the beast, but another part of him enjoy how close she wanted to get. Marco did always enjoy when women threw themselves at him, even if they were potentially using him as well. He wondered though why couldn't people mutually use each other?

Before leading her away he realized she never offered a last name. "I just realized you never gave me a last name. Many in court prefer to address people formally.

Oksana's maneuver worked, fortunately, and she trembled to think of the consequences of rejection. The night often favored boldness, sure, but a loss of face was the last thing she could endure this evening.

"Murakami," she replied, glibly, "My family name is Murakami."

Her brush-off was another risky technique, but she wagered that ignoring the apparent social faux pas would render it impotent. It's wasn't that she had forgotten her manners, but that she was being quite cautious, weary of bumping into unforgiving Invictus lords. She decided that, in the future, she would never hesitate to reveal herself at Elysium, even at the risk of saying too much. Luckily for her, Marco seemed quite enamored. Or at least, he was playing along.

"What is that?" Oksana inquired, attempting a smooth transition. She pointed towards some general feature of the club, allowing Marco to take the lead.

"Well senora Murakami," he said with a smile, allow me to show you around."

Before getting far she interrupted to ask about the features of the club. "Well let me just describe the layout as best I can. There rooms off to the side for private conversations. Many times they're used by Priscus for Acknowledgement or other important discussions. There's also offices for the main court positions. Currently Katya Harding is Seneschal and Martha Villiers is Keeper of Elysium, who would be the best person to ask about Elysium itself. Asa Clarke is of course Prince of the Domain. Now, I'd like to take you to meet Seneschal Harding. She's the only member of the Crone I currently know of and she'd be the perfect one to assist you with that respect."

And so, keeping her hand on his arm, he whisked her away to meet Katya.

Marco and Oksana join here