(1703) Gallery Formal Court

[Yumyumcrow]

Eternal Court

The Nox Populi Nightclub.

In the heart of downtown Sacramento there is a place of intrigue, excitement and entertainment. The modern flare of this venue is host to exclusive parties. The seduction of this establishment may take you away as you drink, dance and socialize. There are private services available upon request. The best DJ’s in town are in line to play a wide variety of music. Some of you may dine…as long as you have your VIP pass.

As Kindred arrive at Nox, they are discreetly met and led to the back of the club; some may recognize the area leading to rear stairs upward. The space downstairs is decorated in dark, rich woods and expensive furniture. There's a coat room that will also hold one's 'unmentionables'; namely, weapons, at the foot of the stairs. There are also private areas, dark, and furnished with soft couches, as well as meeting rooms with conference tables and chairs, and an area with several televisions. The Court area is decorated with long black and purple silken drapes cascading from floor to ceiling. The lighting is intentionally low, and the dull throb of music upstairs creates a low, rumbling pulse. Small symbols note areas for Kindred only that branch off of the Commons, which will be necessary once those Kine privileged enough to see behind the Masquerade filter in: ghouls, herd members, or even devotees.

The decor has changed again.

Now the Commons are home but to one seat - a simple, yet elegant, black chair with beautifully tooled green leather upholstery. The only other furniture are the strategically placed easels. Two easels are placed to the left and the right (and slightly behind) this lone seat. To the right, a spare man with a reptilian gaze stares out haughtily from a plush leather seat; to the right, a shadowy horror hugs the dark enshrouded depths of an alley, illuminated only by the slash of light from a street lamp; his pose is reflective. These figures are nameless now, for only a select few would recognise Tobias Straiphen and Freddrick, previous Princes of Sacramento.

Paintings, framed and unframed, now dot the landscape of the Court Commons. They depict sunrises and sunsets; a witches sabbat; an interrupted meeting in a baroque and smokey room where business men and glamourous molls stare hard at the viewer. They depict stranger things too: a maiden in medieval garb combs her hair, staring longingly into the mirror and at the monstrous visage reflected there; blood splatters across a background of white, grey and cream; light cast on a wall throws a monstrous shadow - the viewer's own if they study the angles properly; a close up of a pair of lips with an elegant chin and neck, upon which a mosquito sips, supping on the blood red lips with lascivious discretion.

No doubt these works could do well in exhibition at the museum or city hall.

Here among the hungry dead, the works have... A different meaning.

The Commons is empty for now. Soon the players will appear and weave their Danse upon the floor. For some it will their first, for some it shall be their last. After all, this is the Prince's Elysium, and subject to the Laws of the Domain.

This is a Formal Court. Its also a good place to get Acknowledged and mingle without ripping each other to shreds. We hope.

[Alice Hart]

Alice didn't know what she was wearing. Not an unusual stat of affairs, but one she dealt with with a meticulous system of braille tags describing her outfits, and if that failed, her ghoul, Lyssa would helpfully describe what a bone pale hand painted at. This time, for this Court, Alice had Lyssa order a dress she'd wear and send it off to be tailored to fit the Blind Haunt like a glove. Only, Alice has a more then a suspicion that Lyssa failed to order the simple black and white pattered, and textured dress she'd specified.

For one, the dress wasn't lace, it didn't fall to her knees, and her shoulders were not covered. Instead the dress fell to the floor, and rested off her shoulders, and secured with a corset styled lacing. When Alice asked for the reason why she wasn't wearing black and white knee length dress she'd wanted, Lyssa returned with words in her oh-so-golden voice, like 'saw it', 'knew', 'beautiful', 'radiant', 'please' and a damning 'my' that was cut off by another heartfelt 'please', but Alice, the girl who once was hidden away, then was Embraced and thrown away, A Doll-like Haunt, now with hollow sockets where her eyes should be, had never been called 'radiant' before.

So she wore the corset backed, near ballgown, she still didn't know the color of. Lyssa, however told her it was inspired by nature. Which, wasn't much help, nature encompassed so many things, and so many colors.

Descending into Elysium, the sharp click of heels, Lyssa helpfully told her matched her dress in color, but still wouldn't tell Alice just which color it was, could be heard under the primal pulse of the music thrumming around them. Lyssa's golden voice turned to describe the area around them, and Alice wondered, not for the first time, just who kept rearranging the decor.

[White]

He had to admit, the idea intrigued him. A gallery for Kindred, it should be a pleasant diversion -- and an excellent topic of conversation. He wore black dress pants with a crease here or there, and a v-necked sweater with a dress shirt and tie underneath. The tie was a steal, a single dollar at a thrift shop -- the tip was ripped but nobody would know.

He wouldn't be drawing many, any, eyes tonight. He rarely did. He descended the steps, bracing himself for the Beast, but only Alice; he was spared for now.
"Lady Seneschal Hart." He bowed, more for the ghoul should Alice ask, while some distance away. He doubted she wished to converse and choose instead to begin observing the works arranged for assembled.

Well, the assembled with eyes.

[Bea]

There was no indecision when it came to what Bea would wear when she went to the Nox. There were only two outfits that Bea owned, after all, and they were exactly the same. Black suit jacket, black blouse, leather belt, black slacks, and highly polished VΦLKL combat boots. An understated uniform. Comfortable, simple, and not without a sense of style. At least, in Bea's opinion.

And, to be frank, she couldn't give less of a fuck about anyone elses opinions. Not when it came to something as meaningless as fashion, anyways.

So the steady tread of Bea's footsteps echoed down the stairs of court, the Daeva's head held high, for tonight she was freshly armed. Not with the firearms she usually wore. No, she'd left those hidden within her vehicle on this night. No, rather, the weapons that Bea carried with her tonight were printed on both plastic and on high quality card stock, and to be frank, again, she was quite looking forward to using them.

[Alessandra]

Court, once again. But it was Formal this time, which meant putting a little more effort into looking presentable. Not that she had a problem doing that, but Formal meant a dress for her, and she really didn’t like em. But, it was Court, and she was Reeve, so shopping was in order. She wanted a new dress this time, maybe something besides black for a change.

Look at her, trying color!

So a white, yes white, dress was found that was both Formal, and a little different. From the fabric to the cuts to the design on the fitted top. Yup, it was fun and she loved the way the fabric moved with her as she walked.

Leaving her office and entering the gathering area, she was a little surprised to see the decorations had changed, again. She was going to have to ask Alice if she kept changing them, not that it really mattered, it was just weird. And the chair with the pictures, well, she was just going to leave that alone for now.

The presence of the one lone pathetic excuse for a Beast was felt. Eyes find its owner, and she wasn’t entirely surprised. Oh how tempting it was to give into the demands of her Beast, to rip the whelp limb from limb and paint her white dress red with its weak blood. The thought brought an amused smile to her face, but she wouldn’t give in. Not now, and not yet. It would only look bad for her to end that Danse without a reason. Well, a reason that Asa would find acceptable anyways.

But it didn't stop her finger tips from aching to let her claws out. And she feels them flex and curl, but now claws would be exposed.

So her attention was turned to the others. Jacob gets a bow of her head, he was a Priscus after all.

"Priscus Maddox, good evening." she wasn't sure if he was going o join them for conversation or not, but she still offered a smile.

But it was Alice that caused pause.

That dress! She was no Daeva, but that color looked amazing with her pale skin.

Walking over to her, she stops to curtsy, “Seneschal Hart, good evening.” greets the Savage, “That dress and its color are bellissimo! I love it!” she gushed. It wasn’t a color she would attempt, but damn.

[Alice Hart]

Lyssa's golden voice whispers into her ear, mortal lips lightly brush against it as she speaks. Placing names to footsteps, even when voice and Beast do likewise. The Wraith's icy coils slither up, and up and up and up, coiling, twisting, hissing, wanting-always wanting. Half wanting her to flee. To push Lyssa in front of the monstrous presence of the Savage, while it's fangs descend, ready to slip into the rude Daeva's flesh and tear her to pieces.

Practice, make perfict and Alice presses the Wraith back behind cold iron bars.

"Priscus Maddox," Alice head ducks in a deferential, but jerking, always jerking strings-pulled motion. Lyssa presses a finger to her back, a silent indication that told Alice who cared to respect the Blind Haunt, and just who, had not. "How are you this evening?"

"Madame Reeve Antinori, I hope the evening finds you well." another deferential, but always jerking nod. "Thank you." though Alice wished she could ask her Coterie mate about the color, but Alice doubted that she could find a way to ask in Court without looking like a fool.

Bea's careful treads mark her location so a ribbon covered stare (colored to match, or was that complement, her dress) could turn to the weakling of a Daeva. "Miss Connolly. Good evening to you as well."

[Asa]

Without a Keeper, or a Seneschal who could see, Asa had left the Court decorations up to Nika. Which meant he only had himself to blame when he first descended and saw the garish display of art that had come from Freddrick collection. Irritation roiled and seethed with the added insult of the lesser predators milling about like jackals and the predator within scratched and clawed at the opportunity to wipe slate clean. Or wipe it red. Blood red.

He didn't. He exhaled slowly, made easier by the touch of life that already had him breathing and fought down the rage at the sight. Slowly he inhaled and flashed a charming smile at those present.

As he walked around glancing at the paintings and the outlandish display of the chair by the former two Princes, he wondered if anyone had told the Seneschal about the decorations. He'd have to have a word with Nika about what sort of message she might be sending with a room full of art a blind woman couldn't appreciate.

[Bea]

Slowly, the distinctive tread of the young Daeva came to a halt, and then Bea froze. It was difficult, at times, to be as nonchalant as she intended to be when that fragment of the Beast reared its head. Stupid, insufferable Beast! She didnt need its reminders of danger. And so she did her best to ignore it, and once that spine tingling urge to flee had passed, she acted as though nothing had ever been the matter.

Bea looked one way, and then another, and finally turned to meet what would have been the blind Seneschal's shrouded gaze.

"Oh, you were speaking to me, Seneschal?" Bea finally replied.
""Ah, I'm so sorry, You must be mistaken. I have an alias that uses the last name of Connelly, if that was what you were referring to. Of course, I also have Brackhaus. And Khan. And Desoto. Those are all Kine names, however. Meaningless outside of databases the blood bags keep. Bea is the name I believe you've been looking for. Miss Bea would do fine, of course."

[White]

It was not the initial response, but the follow up that surprised him. "I am well, and you?" He was far enough away that leaving would be acceptable, but close enough that it wasn't terribly awkward.
Instead, it was only a little awkward.

"Good evening to as well Madame Reeve Antinori." He gave a shallow bow to Alessandra.
Luckily there was a painting to mask his testing of the waters. He gave the Prince a silent bow as he entered.