(Nexus I) Angel, Asa, Twist, Mhairi

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Her eyes go wide, she trembles, shivering. It wasn't from Fear, oh no.

Could he have smelled the Wyrd in her blood, the Glamour on her skin? "Would I taste different then a normal mortal?" she asks, eyes alight, she'd heard rumours and chased lore, but two actual vampires!

Oh! her fingers flutter, dancing around her stomach. Oh, her questions.

But not quite yet. She offered to show him, but she'd really asked if he wanted to see her.

She closes her eyes as she burns through her store of Glamour, every, last, ounce, the fleeting motes, and shivering droplets of Fear clinging to her heart. Her skin lightens, glowing faintly, like the moon above, her hair shifts, sparkling, twinkling, a galaxy in each strand. Her fingers drip quicksilver, burning away before the droplets hit the ground, and her eyes. Oh they are still closed.

Those fell flames hidden.

She wonders a moment of vampires and fire. If there was a truth to that.

She wonders then, if she wasn't herself she would have tried to warn them, warned him. Maybe when she was a flightless, voiceless thing she might have signalled like a canary, but Asa had not chose that bird for her Word.

Maybe deep down he'd know, or maybe it was the Wyrd.

But now. Now, she was herself. Mhairi Ankaa, Once Dread Queen of Sacramento, her Mantle had not waned. It was a heavy omnipresent thing, forceful even now as out of Season as she is. Manifested Fear, solid and cloaking. She was safe in terror.

"No, it doesn't bother me." she says, as she opened her eyes, her flaming fell fire eyes, the Autumn in her wondered if they (no not they, but him, just him) would start, if she would see fear bloom and spark and ignite.... Dose this bother you?"

.

Only using the 5 Glamour Power Icon. So I'm not bogging the thread down with Glamour spends. Mhairi has no more glamour to spend for this scene!

[Angel]

Angel shivers, but not from cold.

Cold, dread, death, these are the things of spooky tales and horror movie. And here they are, those things manifest, sharing a polite conversation on a Sacramento night.

"From cold alabaster to warm skin. From warm skin to the Dread Lady Incarnate." There's that shiver again. Angel courtesy's to the Autumn queen, but doesn't know why, it just feels right.

Eyes dance up from dripping quicksilver, thoughts of pools forming and cooling into frozen lakes of fire, and fall into the vacuous orbs of fell fire. Locked there, frozen for a moment, pose or fear or something else. The couple from the Undead Us Weekly cover, with their omnipotent presence, take a back seat for the moment while the the true horror of Autumn is revealed.

[Asa]

"Did I?"

The wicked grin flashed at Mhairi ought to mark exactly what those two words were in response to. Normally he was a bit more discreet, but he has no secrets from his sister. As for Angel? She's increasingly reminding him of one of those over-Conditioned pets; devoid of anything but innocuous platitudes, existing mainly for their owner's personal amusement. That, or one of thoe doe-eyed Kindred in Court asking about Regencies like Oliver Twist after they've already devoured their first bowlful of Tenancy.

He leaned forward. Her hair wasn't immediately obvious; already being black and it being night, but then it twinkled and moved. It practically invited a closer look in that, unlike the night sky, one could get closer -- or wrap a spill around a hand to bring up to his eyes.

That's not so bad. Pretty, even.

Asa stiffened in surprise when her eyes opened... but the Beast was silent. Or as silent as it every was purring at Twist's presence with occasional hisses and spits thrown Lenora's way to remind him of the offense of her existence. Whatever the shrike's eyes were, the predator within didn't recognize. It didn't mean the Man didn't find the sight disconcerting. He'd seen all manner of grotesqueries with the Nosferatu, like Freddrick, but never anything so... inhuman.

"It's one of the most unique sights I've ever seen."

[Twist]

There were so many phrases that Twist struggled with. Lingo in the English language that touched on pop culture or lullabies. Catch phrases that played on word sounds or actions from decades long past.

But there was an entire subset that Twist did know. The words and puns and phrases that had to do with the bedroom. With carnal actions. With sex.

Most would assume it was because she was a Daeva. But that wasn't the reason.

She hadn't always been the owner of a prominent theater.

And so the quick glance that she shot Asa of sparkling astonishment that he actually said it out loud, was full of knowing exactly what he meant with those two little words.

But then Mhairi was changing shedding glowing. Dark eyes wide, mouth open in a small oh of wonder and awe. Fingers with the capability to feel danced, itching to touch moonlight and the night sky. Would the liquid silver burn or was it cold like it's color?

Wonder flashed to fear though as Mhairi opened her eyes, an indrawn breathgasp as she jerked back from fire, her mind slamming shut against the inevitable ... surge ... of ... her ... beast?

Or ... not.

Nothing happened. Blinking, swallowing the now instinctive fear she glanced to her side, to Asa, confirming that the world hadn't turned upside down for just her. The soft words of Angel breaking the momentary silence that such a reveal is owed, and Twist's lips quirk into a wry smile.

"Leaving only your change unknown," she comments with a quick glance toward Angel before being inevitably drawn back to metal, fire and a night's sky.

"Ohhh," she says with dawning understanding. "Star," dancing fingers return, reaching out but not touching- wanting, but not touching- to trace the outline of the night and then sparks of fire-not-fire that escaped, "fire."

She grins, the joy of a child solving a puzzle, repeating Mhairi's first name "Starfire." Suddenly she looks to AngelAngel's shoulders, eyes narrowing in curiosity, "Does that mean you ...?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

She hadn't Harvested off of Asa, despite what bounty she might have found. She wasn't a Spring. That, is of course the reason it takes moment for her mind to reorientation itself. Connecting the dots, those around her know exactly when it does. Her moonglow skin, stains a satin pink galaxy upon her cheeks, trailing down to her collar, and all but one wouldn't know exactly how far it travels.

She laughs, eyes crinkling as small motes of fire escape and twirl around. She'd forgotten under that easy command, there was that wickedly racy humour.

Her fell flames flicker at the Ice Sculpture, her lips twisting into a smirk as the Winter curtsies. It had been a while since someone had bowed to her. Maybe it had been the Coronation where they had received refugees from the Bay...she remembers that imposing Autumn, with her Raven Wings, and the Shadow in her shadow.

As her hair's in his grasp, she's close enough to see that wait for Fear, the brace of it, but there is no catch. No true flame and no true tinder. She smiles again, the flash of her teeth against the pink of her lips. She too had braced for Fear, cultivated her anticipation of it.

...but, she's glad she doesn't see it in his eyes.

"It's obvious now, why that name came to mind as quickly as it did. Though, I'm afraid it also shows my...lack of creativity." she admits, but doesn't say one way or the other for Angel's name. It was up to the Winter if they wanted to reveal themselves. Though, Mhairi was already surprised that any of the Silent Arrow had made the choice to come to the Nexus.

"Is that a good thing or not?" she's seen many a unique sight, and more then most were things she didn't wish to see again.

[Angel]

Curiosity peaked, Angel feels like a voyeur witnessing the intimate moment pass.

The beautiful corpse demands a secret from Angel in turn.

With only a gentle smile, eerie cold blue light begins to leak out around her eyes and nose. Clouds of cold water vapor escape parted lips. Her mask cracks and shatters, revealing a body colder than any corpse. An ice sculpture of perfection, a single tear forever frozen on its face.

Angel strikes a pose, and in the stillness seems more an ornament then a person.

"I'm afraid I'm an Angel only so far that I might resemble a statue of one."

A tilt of the head, "how long have you been..."

[Avis]

Continued from Nexus I...

"Hey, evening," Avis said as she approached the small group of women clustered around the towering man whose presence drew the eye even more than the vision of the night sky made manifest. Not that Avis' eyes didn't linger on Mhairi's exposed form, nor that she didn't enjoy the sight of the delicate, seductive beauty beside him, or the androgynous model, though the tyranny of the flesh was what it was. Thankfully, she didn't need to stare at him with her eyes. No, instead her eyes could look between the four, though if her mind's eye lingered, well, guilty pleasures.

"If we're interrupting, please don't hesitate to say so, though I think we could use your help. You see, my friend here," Avis continued to explain, wrapping a scarred arm across Guru 's shoulders, "is a little naive. He thinks short tempered cartel soldiers are the scariest thing on this earth. Maybe you'd be willing to help me educate him?"

Her smile was positively evil.

[Asa]

It was one of those lost --but not forgotten-- pleasures: astonishing the Sheriff in the same way he just had Twist. And again his hand was there for the Daeva's, with just a brush of fingers to help ground her if she needed it. She'd been left to stabilize the First Estate while they studied Change but Asa was hardly surprised when it was unnecessary.

For all that the shrike had changed, the flush said nothing at all had. His grin widened into the soft exhale of a silent laugh. He might have teased her more if not for Angel's curtsy, which his eyes flickered over to register before arching an eyebrow at Mhairi. It was discomfiting to look into the bright green, flickering void and he eventually told himself he did not because of the after-images spotting his preternatural eyesight. She'd said something, though. Something about power. Now it had a new context -- one he found terribly intriguing.

Asa's lips parted... and there was nothing. For once his sense of decorum had fled completely as he searched for a diplomatic way to say...

"I do prefer the way you were," he admitted. "But that isn't to say this is bad. Just... different."

Angel's change was less radical and almost even... familiar.

It was no surprise they might catch onlookers; drawn like fireflies or will-o'-the-wisps, given the exotic transformations of two beautiful women. He might have found the drab brunette's appearance intrusive if not for the odd request and...

...Something. Something memorable about blandly unmemorable self. If it weren't for the accent...

"I might consider it," Asa drew out as his eyes shifted to the man. He looked fit. Strong. The sort of physique that always begged the same question that proved event The Man was only so civilized. "If he consented and..."

His eyes went back to the brunette with small smile.

"...You promised not to try to spit on anyone."

[Guru]

Continued from Nexus I...

He was a couple steps behind Avis stopping beside her, his pupils already dilated to the point the iris’ were almost nonexistent. It was almost surreal what he’d just walked into, he had to blink twice just to make sure what he was looking at was real. He had to make sure it was real.

What. The. Fuck.

He was looking at what appeared to be a statue but it moved and something that seemed to almost be bleeding light. He had no idea what they were or where to even begin guessing. Then they moved over to Twist and Asa and of all of them he found drawn to Asa as he spoke. There was a living statue but statuesque was the only word he could think to describe him. When he spoke his voice drew him in, the cadence almost ensuring he was listening to every word.

“Hey. I’m the Padawan tonight apparently.”

His smile was still bright but there was trepidation in his posture and hidden behind those drug addled eyes which darted to Avis when she made her statement.

That hadn’t been exactly what I said but fuck it, you’re here. In for a penny right? Also a Colombian neck tie is pretty fucking threatening.

“I’m following her lead on this one so if that’s what she wants I’ll consent, you’re good. No hard feelings. I have no doubt she knows what she’s doing here.”

He flashed Avis a smile before his attention turned back to the group, he knew he was going to regret this, that it was a mistake. But mistakes were worth making so long as you could take something away from them. Well, except for the one that kills you but then you have nothing more to worry about do you?

[Twist]

It was hard to hide the flicker of dissapointment that Angel had no wings. But if their reveal held none of the suspense that Mhairi's had, it was no less fascinating for being a reversal of what she and Asa had done themselves.

Perhaps she should have known better. And yet, she couldn't fault herself too much. After all, her name was Twist. Or at the moment Myah Torsione. But it still applied. And Mhairi did have stars in hair and fire in her eyes. So it was that she waved away Mhairi's self judgement on creativity with a light chuckle, "Not at all. Besides, I tend to lean towards direct words and names myself."

Still smiling, she looked to Angel and tsk'd "I thought every one knew that you shouldn't ask a lady her age. Perhaps I can answer a different question?" It already felt... strange, to admit to being Kindred amongst non-Kindred or Kine she meant to Herd. But that didn't mean that all the rules were out, and habits were good.

But if she hadn't said a number, still there were plenty of clues to say that she wasn't a child. Such as the lack of any sign of jealousy that she had when she turned back to watch the interplay between Asa and Mhairi. Because that was what it was after all. A conversation of two in a crowd of foursix.

Looking over the new arrivals, her eyebrows lift in surprise at the request. His eyes didn't seem as flashy a show as either Mhairi's or Angel's, but he wouldn't have been able to get in without being other so he should know somewhat of the true dangersmonsters of the world.

Looking toward Asa she made a small motion of granting him the stage. "I would be afraid to hurt him," she said simply, almost apologetically.

It had happened once before.