{V:tM - IC} New York by Night

[Ashrem Bayle]

Gabriel, Hellene, Mazz and Valentine

While Valentine seemed momentarily distracted, Hellene continued, "Why you poor thing, to lose your sire so soon... I know only too well that particular scourge." She paused, thoughtful for a moment, "I'm sure Aisling is keeping you well-informed on our customs, though." A glance towards the door, "Who was he, by the way - I'm sure I'd have known him... after all, my sire gave permission - didn't she?"

Mazz gave a smirk, "Well, Hellene, some of us don't get along so good with our sires." a self-depreciating expression settled across his features, "Sometimes the childe ends up paying the price of disobedience. Somethimes the sire does..." His eyes had Gabriel fixed in them, now. "Right?" That smile again - playful, predatory, or both?

"I'm afraid I never learned his name, or if he told me, it was too much going on to remember. Our haven was set on fire the day after my embrace. I survived. My sire wasn't so lucky." Gabe gave a slight nod indicating Aisling. "Fortunatly for me, I found a good teacher."

He paused a moment, and changed the subject. He had given the two harpies enough to talk about for a while. Now he wanted some answers of his own.

He looked at the both of them. "If I may, perhaps one of you could answer a question for me? If I where to tell you that I was interested in acquiring a bit of blood, already stored, for a rainy day, who might I talk to about such a thing? I'm looking for a reliable......bloodbanker....of sorts that can provide product on demand."

Having given so much personal information, he knew they would feel inclined to give him a few answers of his own. He just hoped he wasn't tipping his hand.

 

[KitanaVorr]

Caitlyn's Performance, Part 1

Taking her leave of Nathan, Max and Vychtorya, the young singer made her way back to the area set up for her band. When everything fell into place, she took a deep breath, whispering the mantra that kept stage fright at bay before turning around to face her audience once again...



Her loose silk dress spun in a rustle of sapphire blue, caressing her curves with the shimmer and fluidity of a waterfall. Even the dim light playing over her delicate Asian features sought the stark contrast of lowered black eyelashes against the clear creamy skin of her cheekbones.

Slowly those lips, darker than a rose, parted and the voice that had charmed the undead began to work its magic with husky luxurious tones.

One day...you're a dove

Her lengthy eyelashes lifted to reveal a dark mysterious gaze directed at Nathaniel.

And the next day...You're a hawk circling above

Tilting her chin lower a mere centimeter, she deepened her gaze with a breath.

Up where...there's a shortage of love
but somehow you get by
how do we get by?

The slender fingers of one hand touched the cold metal of the stand, brushing along its surface as they slid upwards toward the microphone.

One day...you'll be fine

She ran the fingers of her other lightly against the other side of the stand, slowly raising them to join the rest.

And the next day...You'll be trailing behind
By way...of a faulty design

One long dark brow arched barely a centimeter.

But somehow it works out
Somehow it works out...You're just perfect

Warm breath echoed over the microphone as she grasped it with her fingers and brought it even closer to her moving lips, never breaking her gaze with the mysterious man and his oddly mesmerizing voice.

You're just perfect...For the end of this world

 

[Catulle]

Max, Nathaniel and Vychtorya

Nathaniel nodded and indicated the floor to the neonates, "Do not let an old man such as I impede you." He retreated to sit at his table and let the music - and the singer - lead his thoughts.
_____________

Gabriel, Hellene, Mazz and Valentine

As the band struck up again, Hellene gave Gabriel a smile and indicated another seat at their table, moving up to accommodate Valentine as well. It seemed their conversation was suspended, for the time being. Elysium was, first and foremost, a place of art and culture.

Mazz' eyes drifted across to Vychtorya as the music started, the source of his earlier distraction becoming clear.
_____________

Aisling, Carter and Nikolai

Aisling lead Nikolai to sit at a table some way distant from the stage, seemingly rapt in the performance. Carter broke away from the Tremere, however, approaching Qadir by the wall with a sense of urgency apparant in his stride, though notably not in his features.
_____________

(Caitlyn - Cha/Performance - 10,10,9,9,8,7,3,2,1, reroll 7,6 - 7 successes) Though not so vibrant as the opening piece, the more sombre pace of the ballad seemed better suited to the tempraments of the audience, a deeper resonance which was reflected on many of the faces looking up at Caitlyn on the stage. Once more, Cate realised, she had her listeners in the palm of her hand; the feeling of power was quite intoxicating...

 

[Catulle]

Sabrina

Alone and tearful in the limousine Sabrina's senses suddenly registered silence from the TV, the noise replaced by a low hissing sound, though bright figures still chased across the screen. A flash of light from the club door as it opened and shut drew her attention briefly (Was it Jemal? Was he back?), but was destined to disappoint. As the door swung shut, she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

A face was reflected the light from the door, a face visible in the opposite-side window of the car. A child's face, that of a young girl, not unlike her own, in fact. So much so that it was tempting to ignore it; a trick of the light, nothing more. Then the apparition smiled, a strange mechanical gesture, and the eyes were quite dead - cold and soulless behind the mirth. Close, not five feet away, the proximity shattering the illusion of safety within the car.

Then it was gone as the club door swung open again, nacreous light thrown across the car park putting the lie to the shadows. Jemal emerged, the woman on his arm stumbling a little down the steps towards the car.

 

[Vychtorya]

Max, Nathaniel and Vychtorya
Nathaniel nodded and indicated the floor to the neonates, "Do not let an old man such as I impede you." He retreated to sit at his old table and let the music - and the singer - lead his thoughts.

Vych, with her arm still about Nathaniel's, advances her hand down his arm to his hand and gives reverence to him as she speaks with the gentle whisper of a breeze,
"Then given your permission, I shall take my leave of you gentle Sir for all but a brief moment."

Offering her arm to Max to be taken onto the floor, Vych says with that gleam in her eyes again,
"I must thank you Mr. Freigart for indulging my most guilty of pleasures."
She shrugs her shoulders slightly in a somewhat playful manner and sighs,
"If there is music such as this and a gracious gentleman at my side such as yourself, I can not help but to let a most lovely setting consume me in a dance."

Vych has a certain playfulness befriending her smile to Max as they approach the dance floor. She whispers happily to him,
”I am pleased they play modern music. I have not danced to anything else since I was in France. I’m afraid my waltzing would not have been adequate tonight.”

Tilting her head slightly to the left, and looking up at Max through her eyebrows a bit Vych says,
”A slow dance will be most pleasing I think.”

 

[Festy_Dog]

"I must thank you Mr. Freigart for indulging my most guilty of pleasures."

"Please, its no problem at all. Feel free to call me Max by the way, thats what my friends call me," he says.

I hope I'll be able to dance, she makes it hard for me to concentrate on anything really. Very, very attractive.

”I am pleased they play modern music. I have not danced to anything else since I was in France. I’m afraid my waltzing would not have been adequate tonight.”

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Max says reassuringly, "You'd still do better than me I'd wager."

”A slow dance will be most pleasing I think.”

"Whatever you feel like, I'm simply happy to receive an invitation to dance with you," he says with a smile.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Gabriel, Hellene, Mazz and Valentine

As the band struck up again, Hellene gave Gabriel a smile and indicated another seat at their table, moving up to accommodate Valentine as well. It seemed their conversation was suspended, for the time being. Elysium was, first and foremost, a place of art and culture.

Mazz' eyes drifted across to Vychtorya as the music started, the source of his earlier distraction becoming clear.

Gabriel, frustrated that he wasn't getting his answers, took a seat beside Hellene and Valentine. His frustration was soon forgotten as the young mortal woman took the stage.

Between the mortal, and the gorgeous woman that Mazz was looking at, Gabriel was having a hard time deciding on whom to focus his attention on. He could feel his fangs begin to throb and he knew he should have fed before coming.

Finally he decided that it would be more appropriate to focus on the entertainment. The mortal woman looked absolutely delicious. He leaned over and whispered to Valentine. “Is she yours or simply entertainment for the night?”

 

[Catulle]

Gabriel, Hellene, Mazz and Valentine

Valentine leaned in closer to Gabriel, casting a wary glance towards the harpies as he did so. Seeing them engrossed, he whispered, "A little of both... if you catch me?" Then, even quieter, "Well done so far with Hellene, I think you're away clean if Caitlyn up there continues cover for you."

 

[Shalimar]

Sabrina

A face was reflected the light from the door, a face visible in the opposite-side window of the car. A child's face, that of a young girl, not unlike her own, in fact. So much so that it was tempting to ignore it; a trick of the light, nothing more. Then the apparition smiled, a strange mechanical gesture, and the eyes were quite dead - cold and soulless behind the mirth. Close, not five feet away, the proximity shattering the illusion of safety within the car.

Sabrina rubs at her eyes still sniffling at the thought of not being able to go to school anymore. Even though she is still upset about it, it is pushed to the back of her mind at the re-emergence of her thirst. Her attention is caught by her reflection, or at least what the child thinks is her reflection. Well at least she thought it was untill it smiled, Sabrinal really wasn't up for smiling just then.

Despite the souless visage Sabrina crawled towards it over the seats already missing her friends. "Who? Who are you? I'm Sabrina." She says smiling at the other girl until she disappears in the wash of light from the club.

She remains crouched on the seat looking at where the other girl had been until the play of shadow and light on the car told her that her brother had returned. She watches the woman he had brought her curiously as he leads her to the car.

"Hi, I'm Sabrina." she says automatically to the older woman.

 

[KitanaVorr]

Caitlyn's Performance: Part 2

Her heart couldn't stop beating its fluttering rhythm and only training kept her from losing her breath, her words, her music. Intoxication...the only word that could describe the euphoria she felt there on the stage, throwing her heart into her words and voice into the air. Did everyone else feel the same? Could they possibly understand how addictive this could be? Stronger than the most powerful drug, and more dangerous than life itself?

Sometimes the world turns...on its side

Those dark eyes briefly moved from their vision of Nathaniel to wander about the room and gauge the reaction of the rest of her audience. How beautiful Max and Vychtorya looked on the dance floor...perhaps her endearing friend would be lucky tonight and walk away with that lovely red-headed prize. She seemed to like him a great deal.

A roller coaster...and you're sick, from the ride

Valentine, that strange man who plucked her from the night club and brought her to this even stranger place. Thrown her into a den of...of what? Equally elusive and odd people who had so many secrets...what did they know that she didn't?

And the laughter...has you shrinking inside

The metal stand felt like ice against her fingers, but she held onto the coldness, pulling it closer to her,letting it press against the warmth of her flesh just above her bodice. Something about the chill that brought those tiny bumps of gooseflesh over her skin, something about it threw a deeper note into her voice.

but somehow it works out
somehow it works out

Every part of her body wanted to move with the music. To become an instrument beyond just the one that brought such melody from her throat or perhaps just become one with it until every undulation merely became an extension of the song...her song.

You're just perfect

Her lips curved into a smile when she met Valentine's gaze, parting only to whisper the words as if she meant it only for his ears alone. The look in his eye, what was it?

You're just perfect...For the end of this world...
this World...this fickle...world

She closed her eyes for a long moment, remembering every face but when she opened them again, she found herself gazing once more at the elusive Nathaniel there at his table and watching her. What was it about that man that drew her? Creepy...just a bit...his nephew Jemal was far handsomer as was Max...but he seemed to strike a cord within her.

Where no one, and everyone, is beautiful

Oddly enough she wondered if she had the power to strike a cord within him with her music. Perhaps awaken him from whatever dark thoughts seemed to hide behind those old..so old looking eyes.

You're just perfect...just perfect...for this imperfect world.