(1509) The Martha Show

[Phoenix]

Another beast entered the arena and the monster within Gabrielle beckoned for a fight. Also the way she broke into the conversation without even introducing herself was extremely aggravating for the beast inside. But keep cool Gaby, keep cool. It certainly wouldn't do to beat some respect out of the strange looking kindred in the middle of court.

The Toreador tried to smile to Josephine but it was a bit more feral than intended though not obviously so. As the newly arrived kindred refused to tell her name, the daeva will have to show the good example by doing so.

"Greetings there. I do not believe we had the pleasure to meet before."

She said to Josephine trying to keep the conversation civil.

"My name is Gabrielle d'Orleans, recently arrived from the city of Toulouse, of the Toreador clan. What exactly did you mean by your words earlier ? "

[Josephine Sterling]

"Enchanté, Mademoiselle d'Orleans," Josephine replied smoothly back in French. "Je m'apelle Soeur Josephine Sterling du Sanctifiés...pour le moment. Alors, je suis la Priscus des Ventrue...toujours." A smile curved its way upon the black painted lips.

"Oh, and thank you, Diana," she digressed, switching back to English, "no, I did not feel like feathers this evening, though they will be appropriate for another evening soon. And I cannot say that I am terribly fond of the surrealists. I dislike absurdity, you see, though I am familiar with several of Magritte's pieces. As is Keeper Villiers, it seems."

A nod was given to the Shadow in recognition of her actually getting the joke. Or the allusions, at least.

"And yes, Marco," the Pale Lady continued, turning to the Daeva, her smile widening to a flash of white teeth, fangs descending. "Treachery. You have betrayed yourself, you see. I see now that your words are naught but cobwebs which trail out from that empty space inside your skull. Such a shame."

Translation of badly written French

"A pleasure, Miss d'Orleans. I call myself Sister Josephine of the Sanctified...for the moment. Though, I am the Priscus of Ventrue...forever."

[Martha Villiers]

Oh, shots were fired!

Martha had often wondered about that term and now she can speak of seeing it in social action.

Martha pondered her puny efforts to throw up enough smoke and flak so that Marco...didn't expose himself to further salvoes of robust and accurate metaphysical plunging fire...

At first glance Josephine was admirable and intimidating.

A sleek, trim and streamlined hunting warship.

The Ventrue Sister packed serious and obvious intellectual firepower along with the fangs to support it. Wit and mental agility were also in her armory and she is obviously not here to take prisoners.

But, Martha felt that Jo revealing her descending fangs in the Elysian Field was a bit uncool. Almost tantamount to brandishing a weapon and she needed to make more social smoke before things got unpleasant...

"Oh, I see, sister. Well, Surrealism isn't for everyone..." she concedes merrily. Though holding a strong allegiance to the School of the Absurd herself, Martha felt no need to defend it with return fire of her own just yet. Instead, she offered Jo questions;

"One is tempted to ask which Art you do enjoy and admire, Sister Josephine, and I shall..." she smiles sweetly, nodded in sincere recognition, Martha added carefully; "... yet one cannot fail to notice that your intellectual prowess is as sharp, intimidating and bright as your fangs, Sister Josephine!" she chuckles sweetly. Hoping cheery good humor will diffuse Jo's edge towards hostility, before happily adding, "I now see it could be more instructive and fascinating to first ask a wider question..." she smiled again, more keen to engage Jo, not in a duel, but in dialogue, "I welcome your indulgence, Sister, but I wonder; do you hold Magical Realism in the same regard as Surrealism, Sister? Do they posses an indistinguishable sense of the absurd for you, or would you differentiate between the, one may argue, two Artistic approaches in some meaningful way?" she asked sweetly, eyes wide and sincere in her inquisitive posture.

"I ask, you see, as I've seen some critics and commentators regard Surrealism within a cultural and limited geographic context. They argue that Surrealism is primarily a European movement and many see Magical Realism as somehow.." she frowns as if hesitating to use the next word in some way, "... more... more political."

Martha pauses to settle herself on her cane and look to Gaby and Diana as if inviting them to join in the artistic discussion; "Many argue that it, Magical Realism, I mean, is perhaps culturally superior; and somehow more potent within the spectrum of the dialectic of counter-Colonial politics as it, in a sense, enables and permits for a wider inclusion of radical, alternative, fantastic and less orthodox elements of the magical. More richly folkloric. Thus, it becomes, in some political manner, like a Robin Hood figure. A literary mode, actively hostile to a largely European-allied social and cultural elite who possess mostly rational and empirically inclined perspectives on phenomena and events addressed in their narrative and Artistic traditions more generally..."

"Would you regard a socio-cultural and physical geographic perspective to be an adequate arbiter and methodology of distinguishing the, arguably, two art forms when they appear to share so many other charasterics, Sister?"

Martha held her cane closer to her chest and remained quietly ready for battle if Jo turned her firepower to more literal hostility. Odd things happened at Court and Cody's fall into Darkness under malign and remote influence was never far from Martha's mind...

[Violet]

Diana's bright smile doesn't falter. "Oh, sorry then. My mistake." she says to Josephine. "The feathers though, I'll be glad to see them back. I've always been pretty interested in the symbolism associated with some of them, especially ravens. Intelligent creatures, but too curious." she pauses very briefly, stealing a glance to Martha and Marco before continuing back to Josephine.

"At one time, it was thought that Apollo had cursed his raven servant to be black forever for not pecking out the eyes of another man, and that is why all ravens are black. A curiosity. I'd rather love to talk about it with you some time when you're less distracted."

Martha's words cascade over the conversation, and Diana listens politely. Her hands ball into tight fists and she takes a single step backward during the long commentary on art. Otherwise she stays totally composed. Half of what Martha says is lost to her, the words washed away by her internal fears. Eyes locked on Josephine, Diana places a foot firmly on the ground, eager to find purchase if the situation devolves further.

[Josephine Sterling]

The look Josephine turned upon Martha was considering, yet held no warmth. To her ears, the Keeper's question was more challenge than request for discussion. To acquiesce to the proffered topic of discussion would not merely be agreeing to a diversion, but also agreeing to relinquish control, and for the moment Jospehine had no wish to do so.

"The trouble, Fernandez," Josephine began, fangs retreating as she turned her gaze away from Villiers and onto her victim, "is that your insults have not been directed at me. Thus I cannot pardon you for them. So do not trouble yourself with attempting to wheedle your way into my good graces. If you truly seek to atone, however, then merely wait for the the official gathering of the Court. I believe that is when I shall wear my feathers again."

Indeed, then they would be most appropriate, marking her as the one who would finally guide the Daeva's damned soul into the afterlife.

"I assure you, however, that Apollo would be the furthest thing from my mind. Not that I do not find that myth interesting," Josephine continued, nodding to Diana, "but it belongs to a different reality. Speaking of which, that is where I draw the distinction between surrealism and magical realism. Surrealism seeks to change our perception of reality through alienation. Magical realism, on the other hand, seeks to portray different realities interacting, layers of experience and perception colliding and destabilizing the idea of the homogeneous."

There. Now Josephine had said her peace, and Martha could have her discussion.

[Violet]

Diana looks between Marco and Josephine for a few moments more. "Sister Josephine, please. Would you tell us who it is that Mymidon Fernandez has slighted? I'm sure he would like to talk to that person and smooth things over as best as possible. When you say that he'll have to wait for the official gathering, should we take that to mean that this involves a person in a very official capacity?" she asks, the smile on her face still there, but more polite. Serious, even.

For the moment, Gaby and Martha are totally forgotten to her.

[Cayce]

"Patience. All shall be revealed in time. For the moment, let us speak of more...diversionary things. That is what you would wish for, isn't it Keeper Villiers?" the Pale Lady asked, turning a cool smile to the petite Shadow.

[Martha Villiers]

Martha blinked as Josephine steamed through the smoke and dazzle, she'd hope to throw into the battlespace to confound the attack on Marco.

Jo was effortless.

Nothing was stopping her. Martha began to think that Jo was now also laying mines and depth charges for careless ships to wreck themselves upon.

Her attempt to rescue Marco had failed. Josephine was clearly determined upon his ruin.

"Well, I am always in favor of preserving, protecting and encouraging social harmony and peace within His Majesty's Elysian Field..." she smiled sweetly.

Clutching her cane, Martha smiled again, nodded to Marco and Jo and made a mental note to speak to Marco soon. Foreseeing another challenge of Monomacy ahead, Martha nodded to Jo and the others once more, adding swiftly;

"Layers..." she added to define the break in topic. "Well, few can deny that Surrealism does certainly possess layers. Both Magical Realism and Surrealism share essentially metaphysical, ontological and existential approaches. The more you spoke about Magical Realism, Sister Josephine, the more I was prompted to consider those strange horror themed motion pictures. Whereby ghosts and malign spirits interact with unprepared or skeptical folks. An utter disruption to the status quo is inflicted on those involved in the story... Given the clash of perceptions, the frequent use of the supernatural and bizarre interacting with an alternative Reality in the narrative - frequently tormenting victims and survivors from an opposing social class and realm; could an argument be made for many horror novels and motion pictures to be considered as an unexpected branch of Magical Realism...?" she asks.

"Just to specify, the Gothic typical relies on exposing the supposed mystery as having an unequivocally rational explanation. So, I would resist including most Gothic novels falling into the domain of Magical Realism. Would..." she looks to Marco, Gaby, Diana and Jo, as if seeking their thoughts on the topic, "... the stories written by Mr King and Mr Straub fall into the definition Sister Josephine outlined just now? I am keen to hear other examples, or counterarguments...?"

It seemed as good a diversion as any whilst she calculated the price of Marco's train ticket to safety.