Title: intercoven relations
Description: a diplomatic meeting
Lilla - April 28, 2007 03:06 AM (GMT)
Lilla had never been to The Sinister Puppet. As she pulled up to the building in the back of her Rolls Royce, she realized why. Not enough class, in her opinion. However, to her credit, she knew that with her agenda for the night, class didn’t feature on the menu.
She turned to Eric, sitting beside her nervously, and resisted the urge to reach out and adjust the collar of his black suit. “You don’t have to come inside.” She reminded him.
“I know.” Was the closed off reply.
“Fine.” Lilla said gruffly under her breath. “Driver, go around the block once and return to wait outside. I’ve no idea how long this will take.” Receiving a nod in response, Lilla waited while the driver left the vehicle and opened the door for her. Lilla exited the vehicle, pausing to adjust the skirt of the dress she wore once she was standing outside the Rolls. She then stepped aside and Eric exited, awkwardly holding a shiny black leather briefcase.
The driver slammed the door after Eric, got back inside, and drove off.
It was still early in the night, and Lilla didn’t expect the club to be busy yet. She glanced over her shoulder at Eric and, aware of his position, walked into the building. Eric walked after her, a few steps behind and slightly to the left.
At least he knew his position, even if he wasn’t cheerful.
Nafretiri - April 28, 2007 08:20 PM (GMT)
The club was oddly devoid of patrons tonight. While there were still a few trying in vain to capture the ‘dark magic’ that usually flowed in with the liquor, it was lacking. Or, if you wish, there was just too much of it, and that’s what was driving away the customers. Something crept along the walls, unseen, incorporeal, breathing down their necks and whispering lies in their ears. It made the Sinister Puppet seem more dangerous than usual, like all those who entered were trespassing.
Like it would devour them whole if they let it. Some wanted it to. They wanted to embrace the sweet oblivion, the darkness that matched the self-loathing they had on the inside. These were the people that stayed. Anyone who really loved himself or herself wasn’t in the vicinity.
There was a hallway, just past the bar. Beyond that hallway, there was a room. It was better lit than the rest of the club, letting anyone who wasn’t human see perfectly. It was, for lack of a better word, a lounge. There were old-fashioned looking divans and chairs, all covered in a fading green on green pattern. Pillows with tassels were strewn about on them, and in the corner there was a phonograph playing a wailing rendition of some opera.
Something else made tonight strange – Euthalia wasn’t dressed. She wasn’t naked, having a dressing gown of grey silk wrapped around her small body, but although her hair consisted of perfect ringlets, she was somehow less perfect than usual. She sat on one of the divans, simply looking out into the room, a look of subdued concentration on her face.
The door opened, and someone walked in. Euthalia head cocked slightly.
“Still?”
“Yes,” he said.
She nodded slightly. “Good,” she replied, her voice distant. “Thank you.”
Trying not to look surprised at the thanks, he left the room.
Euthalia’s eyebrows frowned slightly.
Lilla - April 29, 2007 04:05 AM (GMT)
Once they had entered the building Eric paused, and reached out to grab Lilla’s arm and halt her, as well. A panic rose in his throat as he realized how few patrons were there tonight. Lilla had never been to The Sinister Puppet, but he had, and he knew how many people there should be. The lack of people caused him to feel a slight dread, they could be walking into a trap.
“Lil, something’s not right, there isn’t enough people. Let’s go back, ple-” He began to plead with her, but she cut him off.
She wrenched her arm from his grip and turned her upper body enough to hiss her reply. “You know what I’ve done, it deserves an explanation. The success of this business is of no concern to us. If you don’t have the courage to follow me, go wait in the car.”
She turned back straight, and headed right for the bar. With a flick of her wrist, she had one of the bartender’s attention and told him whom she was here to see. The male, a sickly looking young vampire, smirked and left the bar to knock on Euthalia’s door.
“The Ennnashe woman is here.” He said, loudly enough to be heard on the inside. The slight sneer on the Enashe name signaled his distain for the coven.
Eric, meanwhile, had crossed the floor to wait behind Lilla at the bar. She drummed her nails against the hard wood surface in impatience, waiting for the bartender to reappear.
Nafretiri - April 29, 2007 04:39 AM (GMT)
If the knock on the door was soft, the voice on the other side was loud enough to make up for it. Euthalia closed her eyes, the skin on her face becoming taut for a moment. She exhaled, and her face went back to normal. Opening her eyes just a little, she said loudly enough to be heard, “Come in here.”
The door opened slightly, and the sick looking fledgling entered, looking full of himself. She wouldn’t even turn her head to look at him completely, but instead glared at him through the corner of her eyes. It was obvious that there was something… off about the Tarepha leader tonight. Where she was normally as immaculate as she could manage, as cheerful as she could pretend to be, tonight, for the first time in a while, she seemed old. Not tired, not senile, just… ancient.
“Now,” she said, “I would appreciate it if you would speak to my face.” The threat in her voice was razor sharp, and the boy seemed to realize it despite his inexperience.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Euthalia closed her eyes. Her voice was distracted. “Now, tell me what you were yelling on the other side of the door.”
“The Enashe leader is here to see you.”
“And you left her out there waiting?”
He seemed at a loss.
“Go get her,” said Euthalia, her voice a whip. A thin line of blood trickled down the boy’s face, and he hastily moved back out into the hall, just past the doorframe.
He waved at the Enashe leader to come.
Lilla - April 29, 2007 05:14 AM (GMT)
Lilla moved forward at the bartender’s beckoning, Eric moving quickly behind her. He looked like a puppy dog, staying close to his mistress out of fear of his surroundings. He tried to look calm before he entered the room, but he knew Euthalia would probably see through the façade, and that thought only made him more nervous.
Lilla, however, was icy cool as she slipped past the bartender, who stepped back to hold the door open for her. “Thank you.” She purred, aware of the punishment on his face. She almost seemed pleased at the sight of his blood. Eric didn’t look at him as he passed and shut the door behind him.
He stayed on the periphery of the room, out of respect for the power of the two females. Lilla moved forward into the heart of the room, to stand a few paces before Euthalia’s divan.
“Good evening, Euthalia.” She said with a slight nod of her head that conveyed respect for the hostess without demeaning herself. “I should have given you more notice of my arrival, I could return if you are unprepared for company.” She said, noting Euthalia’s dressing gown in place of the child-woman’s usual wardrobe.
Lilla herself wore a wrap dress with three-quarter length sleeves in royal blue; simple yet business like. Sapphire studs glimmered at her ears through her blonde curls when she moved her head in certain ways; a sapphire ring glittered on her right hand to match. Eric wore an inconspicuous black suit. The flashiest thing about him was the shiny leather briefcase that he held in front of him.
Nafretiri - April 29, 2007 05:51 AM (GMT)
Euthalia’s eyes were closed when the Enashe leader entered, although she heard it. She was looking at the scene playing out on the insides of her eyelids, and it gave her a distant look, like she was somewhere other people couldn’t see. In a way, she was. The part that was her – the part that some religions would call her ‘soul’ but that she never would – pulled back from where it was. It snapped back into its regular place.
Eyes the colour of Caribbean seas snapped open, and a faintly sarcastic smile drifted onto her lips. From somewhere down the hallway, someone screamed. They screamed like they couldn’t believe their own mind.
Placing her hands decorously in her lap, Euthalia schooled her features to be more friendly, and succeeded fairly well. “You were one of the last people I thought to see here. I never dreamt I’d be honoured with your presence – especially not here.” The girl-woman looked down at herself for the first time, her mouth curving into an O of surprise. “It seems I forgot to get dressed today.” One small hand brushed the words out of the air. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
Looking to the door, the boy was still standing there, staring. “Close the door,” commanded Euthalia. “I didn’t tell you that you could listen. Next time, I might not be in such a mood as this.”
The boy did as he was told.
Beaming, Euthalia looked at her guests. “Nonsense. I am happy to have you whenever you choose to come.” This wasn’t entirely the truth, and there was something dark floating in the seas of her eyes. Some monster that would eat you up if you got too close. “Unfortunately, you seem to have caught me on a day where I am experimenting with a new toy I seem to have picked up. Forgive me.”
She didn’t sound particularly sorry.
Smoothing out her dressing gown, she said, “Now, I assume that there is some reason for this. You and I have never been friends – I don’t think that’s an insult, and merely an observation, am I correct? – so you wouldn’t be paying me a visit for no reason.”
Lilla - April 30, 2007 04:48 AM (GMT)
Lilla noticed the monster in Euthalia’s eyes, and caught the half-truths in her speech, but she proceeded. Indeed, she moved to a chair that was near Euthalia’s divan, and settled herself comfortably.
“Yes, you are correct. This is not a social call.” She smiled briefly, a laugh almost detectable as she continued. “I’m glad you’re so straightforward, I wasn’t sure how long I’d have to dance about the issue. Perhaps we should be better friends.”
She shifted slightly, crossing her legs at the knee and brushing her hair behind a shoulder before resting both hands on her top knee. Pleasantries aside, she got down to business.
“You may not have been aware of my absence, but I have been away from Demaitre for a number of months. I received word of tensions that were straining my coven in the United States, mainly in Detroit and Memphis. I traveled to both cities to restore order, and tracked the instigators to Chicago. Chicago holds one of the largest Enashe covens, and three members of the Tarepha were able to persuade, terrify and threaten a substantial number of Enashe to revolt against the governors I had installed there. The rebellion had spread to neighboring cities, and I admit I had quite a task to put everything to right. Once I had, I found the Tarepha, who had fled to New York, and I dragged them back to Chicago, where I proceeded to slaughter them to set an example.”
She paused here, to let her little speech sink in before she proceeded.
“I came here tonight to offer you the courtesy of hearing about their deaths from me.”
She was not sorry, she was not confessing to something she had done that she considered wrong. She was simply being polite, whatever her motives.
OOC| I have no idea why I made Eric be there... Lilla could carry her own damn briefcase... :rolleyes: |
Nafretiri - April 30, 2007 05:20 AM (GMT)
When Lilla smiled, Euthalia smiled in return. Even though it was small and hardly the exuberant smile native to a child’s face, it still somehow managed to make her look more or less innocent – at least on first glance. She could never truly pull it off unless she were masking her eyes. Still, it was close.
“I have never seen the reasoning behind flowery words. I have been told that they can be used to speak without saying anything, but that can be accomplished with few words just as easily.” Her smile grew a little, and it was a bit more cynical. “Maybe in the future we shall be, Ms. Colwyn.”
It was far from likely. Although pleasant enough on the outside, Euthalia had no real desire to be overly friendly with the Enashe. If the proper incentive showed itself, something might be arranged, but she wasn’t the type to form alliances without anything to be gained.
When the woman in front of her started to speak again, Euthalia’s head cocked to the side. Her eyes were wide and fixed unblinking upon Ms. Colwyn’s face. It made her look like the inhuman thing she was. It made her look like the dolls she collected.
“You killed them?” asked Euthalia, her voice soft. It wasn’t angry, and it definitely wasn’t sad, but there was wonderment in it. The word ‘slaughter’ had been used in a sentence said by the leader of the Enashe herself, in reference to herself. That in itself was strange enough, but to find that she had slaughtered not her own people, but the Tarepha…
Well, of course she did. She would probably never want to sully her hands with Enashe blood if she could help it.
“Tell me.”
Two words. They weren’t an order per se, but almost a demand.
OCC: Because Eric is awesome? Perfect accessory?
Lilla - May 1, 2007 12:28 AM (GMT)
“I should have known you would want all the gory details.” Lilla replied with a laugh in her voice. She paused for a moment, as if to reorder the events in her mind.
“As I have said, there were three of them; two males and a female, less than a few hundred years old between them all. The female, I removed all her limbs. I began at her fingers and toes, and worked my way towards her torso, chopping at each joint – knuckles, wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, and shoulder and thigh. I removed her breasts, nose, and ears, and placed them all in a neat little pile before her, which I then burned. The two males I strung up by their feet, slit their throats and bled them. I then roasted them, still hanging from the ceiling, over a large fire pit for several hours. At that point, I’m not certain if any of them were still alive, but I tossed them out into the courtyard of the manner which houses my coven in Chicago. They, along with the half dozen Enashe that participated in the rebellion, were chained in the center to turn to dust in the sunrise.”
She uncrossed her legs and leaned back more comfortably in her chair. She seemed pleased to have gotten the details of her exploits accurate and out in the open.
“Any more questions?” She asked, quite politely for someone who had just confessed to gruesome deeds.
OOC| Maybe I should start renting him out, make some money for myself. ^^ |
Nafretiri - May 1, 2007 02:14 AM (GMT)
Euthalia leaned back against the cushioned backing of the divan. Because she was so small, however, it gave her the appearance of slouching like an annoyed child. Her face was blank of any such sentiment, leaving a simple blank slate.
On the inside, her gears were turning. It had always seemed to her that the Enashe were all of a sort. She'd respected the leader - she respected them all, even Marcus (in his own way) - but she'd never expected such violence. She supposed that if her members, and these Tarepha vampires had caused enough trouble to warrant such action, it must have been grievous indeed.
There was just one thing that she couldn't wrap her head around. If the Enashe (or even just Lilla Colwyn) were capable of such violence, why did they hide behind humanity? It wasn't an easy question, and it wasn't something she was about to ask. Euthalia had tried to be kind once, and it had backfired at her. She had to be a fearsome thing simply to survive.
And, somewhere over the years, the larger part of her had realized that it loved the blood, the pain, and the death. It was where she felt the most at home.
"I always appreciate sharing the details of our kills," said Euthalia, with a small, almost embarrassed sort of smile. It was a complete lie, that embarrassment, but it served its purpose. "I have no other questions at this time, thank you."
There was a pause, and Euthalia sat up straight again. "Forgive me, I have been terribly lax in my duties. Would you like something to drink? Someone?" The smile bloomed on her face into something perfectly angelic.
Lilla - May 1, 2007 11:56 PM (GMT)
“If you think of any further questions, I am at your disposal for answers.” Lilla returned Euthalia’s smile, yet it wasn’t quite as fake. Lilla had unburdened herself, confessed what she had come here to confess, and it was going well. She was feeling satisfied, and, truth be told, slightly relieved.
Eric, still hovering near the door, however, looked far from satisfied or relieved. He looked sick. He’d known Lilla had killed the Tarepha who had started trouble and the Enashe who had rebelled, but he hadn’t heard the details. Evidently, he had less of a bloodlust than Euthalia or Lilla. He tried his best to look composed, and to his credit he managed to pull it off rather well.
Lilla shook her head lightly, declining Euthalia’s offer. “No, thank you. I fed before I left.” She carried the pinkish tones that her skin warmed to after feasting on live blood. “However, before I leave, there is one more thing.” She turned her upper body to find Eric, the first attention she had paid to him since chastising him in the doorway earlier. “Eric, please?”
He came forward then, his eyes focused on his mother’s face. He stood next to his chair, facing Euthalia. He nodded to her in a silent greeting, then opened the briefcase and held it open before Lilla. She reached aside and removed a small velvet box, after which Eric closed the briefcase and took a few steps back.
Lilla opened the box to reveal an antique golden chain with a dollar sized emerald pear-cut pendant. She stood up from her chair and took the few steps to Euthalia’s divan. She sat, and turned the box for Euthalia to see the contents.
“A gesture of goodwill. To be honest, I did not expect you to take the news quite as well as you have.”
Nafretiri - May 2, 2007 12:45 AM (GMT)
Euthalia's nod was distant, as they usually are when one has much on one's mind. "I may very well do that," was her reply. She would not say she was out of sorts at the moment, but neither was her mind at its most agile. That she could contact Ms. Colwyn at any time concerning the deaths was a good thing. Otherwise, she might be seen as the monster come out from under the bed to terrorize the just.
Her eyes fastened on the man near the wall, a soft frown tugging between her brows even as Ms. Colwyn continued to talk. There wasn't a mind reading ability in the whole of Euthalia's being, but there were times where she could almost make people believe that that wasn't the case. The lines smoothed themselves out, only to be replaced by the twitching of Euthalia's mouth. He might not know it, but some small part of her was laughing at him.
Even when he came closer, she just looked at him. She had the niggling suspicion that it would unnerve him, and call her petty, but she wanted to be a frightening thing.
She tried not to look too intrigued as the jewels were pulled out, instead cocking one brow towards her hairline. "I am not quite so big a monster as that, Ms. Colwyn, that you need to bribe me," she said, her voice soft, but there was amusement underneath it. Euthalia wiggled her way to the edge of the divan and stood, smaller than Ms. Colwyn even though the woman was sitting still. Walking forward with slow graceful steps, she intended to demonstrate without words that although she might not be so big a monster, she was still one.
The day a mortal child could walk like that was the day they were born mature.
Shaking her head, her curls flounced about. "It is customary to exchange gifts, for my coven did you wrong even as you did it to us. Unfortunately, I doubt very much that I have anything you would wish to have." The moment the words were out of her mouth, she looked like she would like to take them back.
She walked to the door and opened it, peering out. One of her members was coming down the corridor. The front of him was drenched in blood. She gestured him closer.
Hands on hips, Euthalia said, "I hope you didn't kill him, Raphael."
The vampire looked down at himself and grinned. "He did this to himself, ma'am. I don't know what you did to him, but he's half mad now."
One small shoulder shrugged. "Go to my room, and fetch Lolita."
Without waiting for him to reply, Euthalia turned back to her guests, smiling happily. "I believe I thought of a gift to give you in return."
Lilla - May 2, 2007 01:36 AM (GMT)
“It’s no bribe. Simply a gift.” Lilla explained with a slight smile. The unnaturalness of Euthalia’s movements was not lost on either the Enashe leader or her fledgling. Eric lowered his head to stare at his shoes, but Lilla kept her little smile and met Euthalia’s eyes. She was used to being around vampires as powerful or more powerful than herself; they were all unnatural and intimidating if you allowed them to be. Eric hadn’t learned that yet.
“It’s not necessary to reciprocate. Of course, I would be glad to accept a gift from you, Euthalia.” She was hesitant when she heard the name ‘Lolita’, but she kept her composure in order to preserve the balance they had struck.
OOC| So apparently Spellchecker says ‘unnaturalness’ is a word… I wouldn’t think so... Sorry it’s so short. And have I mentioned how much I love the name Lolita? I want to play the maracas whenever I hear it, for some reason… |
Nafretiri - May 2, 2007 02:13 AM (GMT)
Euthalia shrugged like she couldn't really see the difference between the two. That was probably because the only gifts she usually gave were to get something in return even if the recipient didn't know that. Her eyes flickered to Eric for a moment, and a small smile flickered onto her face.
She moved back into the room and leaned against the side of the divan. There was a moment's silence before loud footfalls announced the return of Raphael. He walked into the room, dark eyes moving to Ms. Colwyn and Eric, and then back to Euthalia. One eyebrow was raised in question, but to his credit, he said nothing, and merely handed Euthalia what she wanted.
To everyone in the room, it looked like a mass murderer giving a present to a lovely little girl.
What Euthalia held to her bosom was an antique doll. It had been dressed in a pristine white dress - much like the ones that Euthalia herself usually wore - but now it looked like she'd had a particularly messy feed as blood from Raphael was down the front. Instead of looking annoyed, Euthalia looked pleased with this. The doll's eyes stared out blankly from under blonde curls, blue eyes unnervingly blank. The only thing wrong with it was a slight crack through the face that made her seem somehow... wrong.
"I was given Lolita years ago," said Euthalia, "by someone who has since... died. I understand that their value has gone up enormously in the past few years. Antique dealers love them." She smiled, and held the thing out to Ms. Colwyn. "She is for you."
Raphael, walking backwards out of the room, made a sound like a laugh turned into a cough.
OOC: Spellcheker is weird. Really, really strange. Haha. I didn't know that you loved the name! I got it from Vladimir Nabokov's book, which I'd been reading before it was due at the library. <3
Lilla - May 4, 2007 02:59 AM (GMT)
"Thank you, she's lovely." Lilla thanked Euthalia prettily, more pleased with the gift that was most likely expected. "She almost resembles me, doesn't she?" She held the door up next to her face, and indeed the hair colour matched, and the royal blue of her dress had chased all traces of grey from Lilla's eyes. "The only difference, of course, would be the little crack." She placed the doll in a sitting position in her lap, the same way one would hold a toddler. "All my cracks are on the inside." She said with a cutting little smile; the closest she would come to admitting a weakness.
"Well, we shouldn't keep you any longer." Lilla stood and held the doll close to her, on the crook of her hip, despite the blood down her front. "I much enjoyed our little chat, I believe we both learned quite a lot." She added, reaching out to shake Euthalia's hand with the hand that was not holding Lolita.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Eric spoke up, for the first time since he had protested at the door. To his credit, his voice was strong and sounded unafraid. Now that Lilla was leaving, and he could see them escaping without harm, he was both relieved and angry with himself. He had insisted he accompany Lilla; it wasn't so much that she required his protection - or even that he thought he could give it to her - it was that he needed to offer it. An attempt to mend fences in the storm between them, if you will. "Ms. Colwyn, I'm sure the car is ready for us." He addressed her formally out of respect for the company present.
Lilla managed a tight smile in his direction, but in Euthalia's she quickly rolled her eyes heavenward and sighed through the smile. It was an almost camaraderie-like gesture. She had dropped most of the business-like facade. "Rest assured Lolita is safe in my care." She said, "Have a good night, Euthalia."
Nafretiri - May 5, 2007 02:15 AM (GMT)
What had Euthalia really expected? She wasn't sure, really. Part of her had hoped that Ms. Colwyn might be at least a little shaken by the gift, but it seemed that was not to be. The woman before her just kept raising the bar higher and higher. If she kept this up, Euthalia might end up coming close to liking her. It was an odd thought, and Euthalia wasn't quite sure she wanted to be thinking it.
"Cracks are better on the inside," was her reply. She seemed oddly sure of herself. "It's better that no one can see them - especially for the leader of the covens, I think." That's where all hers were - cracks that she'd never admit to anyone she had. Instead, she'd bury them deep inside.
Euthalia merely nodded at Ms Colwyn, and offered a strange sort of smile to Eric. "Very well. Have a safe drive home." It never hurt to be polite. "I doubt this will be the last time we meet." Her smile grew with Ms Colwyn's eye-roll. "You too."
