(1607) Formal Court

[Alessandra]

Smiling, “A beautiful dress Vivian. We do need to catch up sometime.” She replies to the enticing Daeva.

A respectful nod was offered to David when he appears. The silence his Beast seems to carry is certainly welcome in this underground Court.

A more powerful Beast then approaches, and her own steps back, trying to shrink within the shadows of her mind. Quietly, but urgently, it tells her to run away from the stunning woman.

But Ale won’t run, instead she offers a friendly smile,

“Welcome back to the Domain Lady Stamford. I’m Alessandra Antinori, Whip of Gangrel.” Says the Italian.

It was hard not to notice when Josephine entered a room from her presence and her own Beast rising from the shadows wanting to put the challenger down. A slight bow of respect was offered, the woman was Reeve after all.

And while there may not have been a Beast to announce Twists entrance with the Prince, her sheer presence and beauty was enough for Ale to notice. They made quite a power couple, and she wondered how deep their connections to each other went.

A deep bow was made to each of them in respect to their positions.

Her adorable Cousin brought her out of her thoughts, as her Beast dared showed itself. How easy it would be to rend her body.

Not tonight, “Brittany! Brittany Good evening to you as well, love the dress!” she greeted. “Maybe we can talk a little more tonight, I have some ideas I wanted to run by you if you don’t mind.” While there was new faces she should be meeting, it had been too long since she talked with Brittany.

Seeing Konrad enter, Ale bows her head in respect. And while she wanted to talk with him too, it seemed he had other plans.

And then it was like a train slammed into her. Eyes quickly find the one with the powerful Beast, the fear running deep within her. Her own Beast quivered and cowered. The magnetic one, the European beauty, her Beast reigned supreme right now. It takes her a moment to relax not only her Beast, but herself as well. This tall woman was terrifying. And yet Ale wanted to know her.

Before any decision is made, a pungent odor of perfumes washes into her. The urge to vomit rolled in her stomach as she spots the woman. The womans Beast also made itself known, as her own eyes its prey. It wondered if it sliced into her body and ripped her in two if the nauseating smell would end.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

“Miss Hastings,” he said simply to the Gangrel. Demur as she tried to look, he knew she was a threat. One he’d like nothing more than to destroy. It would be easy. All he had to do was set fire to the Caldarium and lock the entrances, the Beast whispered. He shut the stupid thing up and smiled with closed lips. The door would never hold against a Savage’s claws anyway.

Speaking of which, Konrad was ascending the creaky stairs with his characteristic smirk.

“Hello Priscus Roth. I expect you’ll find the Necropolis much improved since last you came.” Kenneth’s eyebrows creased slightly at the mention of wanting a private meeting. “If there’s time, the Dark Temple should be able allow privacy.” He nodded as Konrad continued down.

“Lady Maskelyne,” even if her calling him Mr. could be seen as permission to call her Miss, he had already made the mistake of not using her title before. So even if it was more familiar, she was still the Lady of Lords and he’d recognize that. “I think you’ll enjoy what we have to offer. Caretaker Hart and Whip Marlon have worked tirelessly to make a place all Kindred can enjoy.”

The Prince’s Hound arrived, her delicate and seductive frame hiding the deadly creature Gilroy knew lay just beneath the mask of tranquility. He cringes bows to her and Asa as the Prince enters and dominates the meager space. For a few terrible seconds, Kenneth feared Clarke would simply turn around and leave.

“Good evening Highness. I hope you find the accommodations to your standards,” sniveled the High worm. Though it would be more accurate to say he hoped for at least a balance between inoffensive and too big because the Prince could easily demand it either all be torn down or turned over to his control.

As the Ventrue leader of the Domain moves past him, Gilroy relaxes a fraction of a hair.

With the Prince having arrived, Kenneth checked his watch. He would give any stragglers a few minutes and then he would close the door. Carrigan was still nowhere to be seen. The Haunt Priscus pulled out his phone and checked it quickly to see if any messages had been left. And for a second he had hope that Jack had indeed tried to contact Kenneth while his phone was on silent.

But no, it was Robert. Who had apparently noticed Jack’s absence as well.

Gilroy typed a message quickly and sent it before anyone else could arrive and accuse him of being an inattentive host.

Text to Cross

He is not here. I will be down shortly.

Court will be closing to new arrivals within the day. You have been warned.

[David Silver]

David is apprehensive to go to this court. Gilroy and himself had rarely gotten along, and he was headed into his stronghold. Would this be the night of a Crone purge to show the supremacy of the Nosfeatu Bishop?
No. David refused to give in to the fear, but instead held to it tightly. Fear would keep him alive, but only so long as he used it, and was not its slave.
So he dressed impecably well. White flowing robes and freshly washed hair, with a small hint of lavendar. Not that most would be breathing to notice it, but it was the effort that counted.

He approached towards the dilapidated house, disappointment in his mind as he entred through the broken structure. But as he proceeds down, he catches sight of the Bishop.
"Good evening Regent Gilroy." Tonight was his night after all, and David wasn't going to besmirch him that. And if there could be a lack of gunfire as well, that would be truly swell.

He proceeds down to the main area, and focuses on the press of beasts, demanding that he dive into the pool and swim to the bottom, to go so dark and so deep that none could find him, that he could be safe.

Instead he smiles, and walks towards one of the pools to admire the effort that they had put into the area's construction. He holds tight to the fear that grips him, for despite everyting, he knows that he is Not Safe here.

On the way, he offers a bow to Prince Clarke as he enters. To the king was the king's due.

[White]

Well, it had certainly been a while. Teetering on the precipice of the abyss, or the staircase, either works; Jacob idly straightened his tan dinner jacket before teetering off the edge. While he had left the city for a short time he was unsure if protocol demanded he make his presence re-known. Frankly, he doubted many, if any, realized he had left at all.

Never the less, he scanned the crowd letting the fear pass over him as his body shook ever so slightly. Zeroing in on his esteemed Priscus Jacob made his way over with forced leisure in his strides.

Jacob joins this thread

[Alice Hart]

The Lady wrapped betwixt black and white, like some inverted parallel to the doll herself, was not the last of the monsters kindred that arrived that kept her spine iced over, while she valiantly tried to thaw it, while placing the Wraith once more in it's cage - bars brittle and frigid, but as hard as it's hissing in her ear proves that it is weak. And Alice sets those brittle bars closed over the frightened hissing.

The Reeve arrives, drawing Robert and the newly arrived Konrad to her side, and once more the doll notices that this monster is adorned in her preferred color scheme. Pale dead flesh under her sharp black fabric...

Alice offers the terrifying figure in monochromatic tones a curtsey, as she tried to leave those disquieting thoughts behind her as voice rose and fell in conversation. It was sounding like any other Court she'd attended. That was...good wasn't it?

"Whip Marlon!" Alice beamed up at her milky eyed cousin. "No, no thank you! I doubt I would have been able to complete the Caldarium in time without your help!"

Like the others Haunts, Alice's unreal eyes noticed one glaring exception amidst all those gathered...'Where's Jack...? Is he upstairs with Gilroy? Hopefully.'

Then the Prince and his Royal Archon arrive, shocked frozen at their appearance it takes the doll a moment to fall into two separate but deep curtsies. Murmuring a soft 'your grace.' to each in turn. Even though this was a Formal Court, she still hadn't thought that they would Be Here.

"Thank you Vivian." Alice murmured as she tried to decide if she should drift over where a few others had began to gather, or leave herself open for others to approach her...

"Thank you Priscus Regan." Alice says in that same soft hollow tone when the shadow complements the work done.

Deciding that the night was still young, once she'd made herself available if any needed her in her capacity as Caretaker, then she'd have the time to socialize.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The second David arrived as another representative of the Crone.

"Good evening to you Mr. Silver." He watched him go trying his best not to pounce on the Circle member now that his back was turned to the worm.

Jacob Maddox came next. Kenneth hadn't even thought he was still around. The Mehket walked by Gilroy without even so much as a greeting.

"Good evening Mr. Maddox," he whined at the receding Kindred. The urge to attack while his back was turned was still there, only this time it was the higher thought process and not the Beast's instincts.

Gilroy checked his watch again and pinched the bridge of his nose. Any longer and his absence in the main area would start to be missed.

The worm poked his head out the door, checking in both directions but he didn't see Jack or sense any other threats approaching. He allowed himself a small sigh as he stepped back and locked the Haven's door. Then he turned and descended into his Domain, the wave of hatred and fear washing over him all over again as he stood for a second at the top of the stairs and took in the throng of enemies out for his Blood. Again, how easy it would be to get an accelerant that couldn't be put out with water and kill them all. He bit the inside of his lip and walked down the stairs.

It's been seven days. Court is now closed to new arrivals. Prisci, please note who of yours is missing and in need of reacknowledgement.

[Alessandra]

Brittany and Ale continue here

[Josephine Sterling]

Stalking away from Konrad and Cross, Josephine paced to the rough center of the room before raising her voice to address the assembled kindred.

"Listen to me, all of you!" she called, her voice harsh and strident with barely suppressed rage. "Lend me your ears, lest I take them from you, you simpering fools! Do you have any idea just how much peril you are in? Do you realize that, even now, your food is being stolen from you, your homes are being infiltrated, and the very guises that you hide behind will all soon fall!?"


Fangs descended and she turned her doll perfect face, contorted in a snarling mask, around the room, fixing each of the infuriating decadents with her wild eyes.

"Who here among you believes that they have the luxury of playing at being human? Who here among you believes that you are entitled to the life you lead? And who here among you wishes to have that belief challenged?"

[Robert Cross]

Cross drifts from his place by the pool in the wake of the Reeve's departure, to better attend to what she's saying. Or so it seems.

In reality, he's a bit worried by what can only be called a very delicate situation.

Anyone can see that the Reeve is angry. More than angry. Cross would say on the edge of control. Which is the Reeve's right. There's no law that says the Reeve must keep her temper.

On the other hand, she is addressing the entire domain, the Prince included, with challenges that might be taken as threats and lessons that might be taken as insults. In other words, things might get very ugly, very quickly.

So, seeming to lend the Reeve his full attention, Cross draws himself a little closer, and then stops to watch the situation unfold. While she speaks, his eyes flicker around the room, landing briefly on each of his family members. Don't forget you have a job to do, he thinks each time, as if they can hear him. His regent gets a glance that is slightly more questioning, but then Cross's flat, blue eyes are on the Reeve again.

What is she after right now?