(1612) Formal Court

[Ishani]

Isahani blinked slowly.

Call?

Yes, you know a phone? Little thing with buttons that go beep beep beep when you push them? The thought had never even entered her mind.

"I misplaced my phone at some point." She said, raising an eyebrow at them both. "And if I am completely honest, I just wanted to get back here, so I didn't really look for it."

Her eyes flicked around the room and she took in all the staring faces. She recognized none of them. Wait, the woman standing with a tattooed female and a very pale female looked somewhat familiar but she couldn't place a name. Then she actually looked at the Kindred in the room and she almost laughed. They were all gorgeous in their own unique ways. She felt like a rose among a bed of other brightly colored, lush roses. She looked back at Twist, the humor showing in her eyes. "I see you two are still attracting the most interesting people. I can't wait to meet them all."

She became serious once again, giving them her full attention. "Truly, I apologize for my abrupt entrance. I wasn't thinking. Forgive me. I am still.......recovering from my long trip. It was a difficult one and I wish nothing more then to return home. To you." She looked from one face to the other as she spoke, squeezing both of their hands for emphasis and relieved to see they were pleased to have her back.

[Asa]

Asa twined a finger through Twist's as her hand brushed his. It was nearly unconscious, the same urge to complete their circle with touch.

He gave in and laughed at Twist's first words, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Still you," he said, bobbing his eyebrows. He didn't have to imagine what Twist was feeling, because he felt the exact same way. And yet? Wasn't simply getting dressed and heading to Court exactly what the practical Mekhet would do? "And you still never have to apologize to us for anything."

It would take time, maybe. To completely close the rift of years. Then more time, after they told her about Victoria.

"This one," Asa looked at Twist with a nod to Ishani and a rueful shaking of his head. "She can't wait to meet all these strangers. Very well. As Prince, you are Acknowledged. Jacob White is your Priscus, Alice Hart of the Nosferatu is my Seneschal, the Gangrel Alessandra Antinori has just been made Reeve, and Twist is still the Royal Archon."

Asa nodded to each named. Curious eyes returned to Ishani to run over her face, lingering here and there before settling on her own eyes.

Because by now, she should have been in his thoughts.

[Twist]

Twist shook her head in a sharp jerk, like Asa- rejecting the apology. Not because she didn't forgive, but that Ishani had done nothing worth needing forgiveness. Her hurt was but a sting to her Pride, and one she would get over with relative ease.

Twist looked up to meet Asa's eyes and chuckled, a faint eye roll and a sigh of amusement. She remained quiet as the official formalities were handled, dropping her frame slightly as she was listed.

Twist's gaze flickered and lingered for an appreciative moment to the eye candy that Asa had been talking with just before Asa's entrance, "I definitely wouldn't mind meeting some of them with you." she murmured.

[Ishani]

Ishani's face smiled at both Kindred, but her eyes remained distant and pained. She did not realize how difficult waking would be or how surreal everything would feel. Part of her mind was still stuck in the waking nightmare that is torpor. She had seen both Asa and Twist destroyed in so many ways in her minds eye she could barely believe they were standing before her now, warm(ish) and real.

Her hand came up and touched first Asa's face, then Twist's, before she turned and gave her full attention back to the large gathering room. "Well," she said, her voice with only a slight shake to it, "who shall we start with first? If I have a choice, I'd like to start with your Seneschaul. I think the most important should come first, don't you?" She smiled back at Asa over her shoulder. "I already know who you are, after all. So she would be next."

She began to move toward Seneschaul Hart, the pale, exquisite, beauty who seemed to glow in the soft lighting of the room. It was good this woman was Seneschaul, her face alone intrigued Ishani. She had to be interesting enough to have been appointed such a position by the Prince. Last she knew he did not enjoy dull people and she hoped that habit had not changed.

Not to mention the woman was standing with some other extremely attractive women. One of them continued to nag at Ishani's mind but she could not place a name to her face. The woman with all of the tattoo's was very interesting indeed. Was that the one Asa had pointed out as the new Reeve? Well, only one way to find out.

[Asa]

Such a Mekhet... and such a Daeva. Where Twist's eyes had gone hardly surprised him.

He was still glancing that way when Ishani reached out, and he almost jerked back in sheer surprise at the foreign sensation of having his face touched in Court. But the touch also brought an electric thrill that might have warmed his cheeks if it hadn't been so fleeting.

Lips parted as the Beast inside howled. Reunited for moments, and they would separate again so suddenly?

"Well, enjoy yourselves. I wouldn't want to put the damper of formality on any conversation."

Asa smiled as they left. It was a charming, open smile that was utterly false and covered the shock he still felt.

[Twist]

Though Twist was expecting the touch about as much as Asa, she had a moments warning. Not that she would have reacted differently had she been caught still watching others.

Inhaling, her eyes closing for a moment, she leaned into Ishani's hand, clearly savoring the touch.

As such, she nearly missed Ishani's next statements, but the withdrawing of the hand, the touch so long absent, brought her back to the surface conversation abruptly. Blinking, she watched for a second as Ishani took a step away, and then another.

She was seriously going.

Twist let a breath and looked up at Asa with a pained expression. And then slowly she untangled her fingers from him and stepped after Ishani.

Ishani was going to make this a very long Court indeed.

Twist and Ishani join this thread.

[Hugh Everwood]

Jesse followed the prince's and hound's interaction with the newcomer with some interest — but also how Asa and Twist reacted to her arrival. Didn't need to actually know any of the three to figure there was more going on than he knew, though he gathered what information he could from it all before his eyes moved to the newcomer again.

Another Mekhet, another one that look-wise was better suited a succubus than shadow. His Sire might not be the only one who favored to embrace out of the stereotypical norm.

His Beast remained quiet when he let his eyes wander over the newcomer — Ishani, as he picked up on as they spoke — which was always much appreciated.

Also hard to miss the three seemed to be close, what with all the open touching in court. Wasn't that interesting to know as well? Worth standing by and watch it all unfold in silence.

With it all over now, Jesse let his eyes wander around the Kindred present again. Partially overhearing what Bea and William were seeking about, he decided against approaching them. Got no desire for any Movement rhetoric. Wouldn't mind being the only rooster in the yard joining the womanfolk, but he got the feeling he'd be intruding there.

Pushing away from the bar, he figured he could test the prince's waters if he wished for a distraction or if Ishani's surprising return left him wanting solitude instead.

"Always nice to have old acquaintances return, isn't it?" Jesse asked the prince when he was close enough.

[Asa]

Asa turned as the Mekhet reappeared, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

Nosy.

That's what he finally settled on. It was either that or --and it wouldn't be the first time-- he was being hit on. Asa credited the other man with enough wit to determine Asa's preferences by the company he'd just immediately kept.

"Indeed. Isn't that why we settle into Domains, though? To make acquaintances and put the constant... inconvenience... of meeting new Kindred behind us?" A euphemism for sure, to describe the murderous rage or blinding terror of the Predator's Taint. Which introduced a third option -- that Jesse simply preferred the company of someone who, like himself, had that stain covered. "But if you're fishing..."

Asa smiled.

"Yes, I've known her for several years. She was one of the cornerstones of this Domain."

[Hugh Everwood]

Didn't seem like the prince minded the company. Never good to annoy the guy who was running the domain of your choosing.

Happened, of course, but Jesse didn't make it a habit. At least not on purpose.

"Hm, never thought of it that way. Reckon it might be why some do it, but I don't ever think it's something to get all that used to. The inconvenience." Now that was one way of putting it he hadn't heard before. "Us gathering in domains — always figured it's about being close to Kine and having others of us around to not feel too isolated. Ain't much a dance if you can't share it with no one who knows the steps."

But yes — Jesse did prefer it when his Beast wasn't trashing about because another predator was projecting and challenging to a measuring competition or something. It was a blessing that there were so few Beasts around as they were, many hidden away.

Didn't mean he didn't like having his kind around.

A grin spread over his lips. Jesse wasn't fishing, though he wasn't minding to get the information either.

"Ah," he glanced into Ishani's direction for a moment, then back at Asa, "now that she's back she could go and become one again."

[Asa]

That was an interesting perspective.

"I've always thought of Domains as the product of stable Hunting environments," Asa answered. "Although the Dragons might agree more than others as to the social value."

He tilted his head slightly in lieu of a shrug.

"Then again, my time in New York has probably colored my views. When hundreds of Kindred compete without a semblance of order in the same hunting ground..."

And eventually the serpent turned inward, consuming it's tail in the form of Elders preying on Neonates. Much like Jesse might find himself on the wrong side of the sunrise if he continued to dwell upon Ishani.

"So what have you found to occupy your time with in shiny and new Sacramento?"