The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Andol on 27-08-2014, 01:13:12</h2>
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				Title: <strong>The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andol</strong> on <strong>27-08-2014, 01:13:12</strong>
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				As it pulled up out of the fog of the night, a long black limo seemed to simply melt out of the shadows and into the light of the mansion above. On the hill at the place there was a Masquerade Ball being held for the most exclusive of guest in down, each of whom were stepping out of there of own limo’s as the vehicles lined up to drop off there passengers. This particular had been the last in line, for its passengers where the last guest on the list, but the most important in the minds of the host. Despite the extravagant nature of the party it was relatively private with no one, but other party goers to watch each new person walk down the red carpet arm and arm with their escort. Stepping out of the limo first was a young man wearing a pair of black pants and black dress shoes along with a red suit jacket, frilled shirt, and white cummerbund around his waist. On his head was a black top hat, which was slight dusty and messed up, while in his hand was a cane with a sliver dragon on top that came up in a curl to wrap around his right arm. His left arm though was curled around that of what appeared to be a young women standing. Her faded white and golden dress, had a minor about of frills on it which puffed around her, but there was something about it which seemed slight old. On her hands one of which was intertwined with Charles were golden leather gloves that ran up over her elbows. As the pair started walking forward a sigh fell from her lips,<br><br>“Really now Charles I don’t understand what all the fuss is, and why must these people parade themselves around like animals trying to signal a mate.” A slight hint of masculinity slipped form the women’s tone, as she turned her masked face towards the young man, “Well you see… Carole…” Charles thought to himself as he said it, ‘Yeah that one will work…’. “I believe it is simply a celebration, though why do they go through so much trouble to make it this elaborate, I can’t really answer that question for you dear.” Also stepping out of the limo behind them was a much shorter male, or at least a very feminine one, who wore an all-black suit and red tie with a simple white mask on its face, much like the women who was standing next to it, whose clothing made her seem like she was going to a funeral. The outfit was much like female on Charles arm, but was all black, and didn’t include a pair of gold lined sun-glasses like bifocals resting on the outside of the mask. The pair also was not holding hands like the couple in front of him, and even though they were standing next to each other, their attitudes gave off an air of distance as they followed along behind. <br><br>“Smells like a morgue, or a graveyard… maybe both.” Carole’s words seemed slightly excited at the prospect, when they neared the door keep whom she instantly stepped toward and after hooking a gentle finger in the man’s collar she suddenly started to sniff him. Crouching down and slinking up slowly like a cat she said, “No… nothing unusual here.” The smaller male standing behind Charles face-palmed, “This is never going to work, I told you we should have let Lilith be the master escort.” By this point Charles and ‘Carole’ had already gone inside, as Lilith crossed her arms across her chest and taped her black leather bound digits on top of her arm, “Maybe so, but I think you know how big of a problem that would have caused Raef…” Shrugging the other replied as it slipped its hands into its pockets and the two followed inside to find there comrades, “I get the feeling that ‘Carole’, is going to cause more problems this way than any other…”<br><br>As Charles and his lady friend moved through the crowd she would stop every now and then to take a sniff of the air or of any guest that drew near. Doing so in a manner that made it quite obvious she&nbsp; was inspecting there odors, “Morgue of Saint Judes… One of the Morgues at the Texas Medical Center, very interesting… maybe just a taste would be appropriate?” Charles could see the women’s mask lifting somewhat, and quickly his hand shot up to press it back against her face, “Carole now what did I say. Someone wants to meet us here, and it is quite obvious that this is no normal someone. If that is a good thing or a bad thing, we can’t screw this up. You know my rules about laying low… I will let you know with the time is right.” Giggling playful she turned, so that she was standing out in front of Charles, loosely wrapping her arms around his shoulder, “Well then may I have this dance?” The women didn’t even wait, and Charles didn’t argue, there was no reason to. He was quite sure whoever their host was that they would show themselves in a minute, or whenever the time was ready.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Shyone and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mael</strong> on <strong>28-08-2014, 02:05:34</strong>
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				The mansion had been set, and everything seemed to be in place. The golden decorations that glinted in contrast with the reds and the silvers, even the accented blacks, were freshly cleaned and dusted. The floors had been swept and the foods had been placed out, all steaming hot and ready for the few human guests that would be attending the party. There were wines of all ages and types, white and red, that lined the right side of the main hall, and tables were scattered around the oval-shaped dance floor. This floor dominated the entire room, with the live music being played by various members of an orchestra in the left corner of the vast hall. The mansion was older, one of the original buildings in the landscape of the city, but the upkeep on the home had been immaculate. It was a gem compared to most of the other buildings in the nearby vicinity, and most people were honored to ever get invited inside.<br><br>It wasn't often that people were seen coming and going from this mansion in particular - in fact, only when these exclusive events were hosted did there seem to be a decent amount of traffic between catering a few hours before the guests arrived, and the guests themselves. The moon was full and bright, a perfect moon for the festival of All Hallow's Eve that was supposedly being celebrated by all who were attending this Masquerade ball. In fact, most who were attending were invited every year, as was custom. There appeared to be only a few new names on the list... and the last ones, particularly, seemed to have an important role and had been specially invited by the owner of the mansion themselves. To an outsider, the owner of the mansion could easily appear to be a mystery; with so many people coming and going, it would be hard to pinpoint which vehicle left actually contained the property owner. But it would all be revealed tonight, to those who didn't already know.<br><br>Many guests were already checked in and inside the hall, mingling and drinking the wine in their glasses. Some hovered around the dance floor, while other danced upon the floor. Women were dressed in gowns of all types and sizes, from different eras and in many different styles. The men seemed to all dress in immaculate forms of suits or tuxedos, showing the wealth that they possessed, and the status that they seemed to encompass. However, masks were donned by all, and successfully managed to conceal the identity of those who had attended the ball on this day. It was all for a very good reason, truthfully, but one that wasn't necessarily obvious to the human guests that were mingling so dangerously close to those who hunted their very flesh. <br><br>Some of those humans, however, were <em>very</em> aware of who they were surrounded by: they were often called 'familiars', and they posed to be companions and constant food sources for the vampires they resided with. Some of them were lovers, the vampires in the relationships choosing to wait until the human host was ready to be transformed before completing the typical ritual. There were rumors that some might never change their human companions, their familiars, but those were rumors. Even amongst the community of vampires, rumors and gossip ran rampant. More often than not, it ran rampant much more quickly than in the human race. The owner of the mansion found this kind of talk shameful, and had taught their prodigy to think the same thing. But as a young vampiress... well, sometimes, words slipped through the cracks.<br><br>And currently, this vampiress was flitting about the room, making sure that everything was perfect before the emerging of their host... and her Sire. Her dress was a deep, blood red, accented with black lace that seemed to overlay most of the dress itself. It was tight about her torso, fitting almost like a corset, with sleeves that sat off of her shoulders and draped down to her elbows. It drew out about her ankles, where her black pumps clicked against the marble floors with the pace at which she walked. Her hands, delicate and slim were covered with black, leather gloves that trailed up to meet the deep red of the material on her sleeves, covering all of her pale flesh. Her hair - brown like dark chocolate - was pulled up in tumbling curls at the back of her head. Little diamonds seemed to litter the nest, matching the diamonds that caressed her collarbone. Most of her face, the top half, was covered with a shimmering black mask, delicately adorned with little, red rosebuds. <br><br>At the sound of chiming bells, shortly after the shutting of the large mansion doors, all motion seemed to cease. There was someone at the top of the grandiose staircases - one on each side, curving to meet on the second floor in the middle - announcing the arrival of the host of the party. And then emerged a very tall, elegant looking man. His hair was white-blonde, pale like his flesh, with a dark, blood-red mask that adorned three-fourth's of his facial features. The color matched the dress of his prodigy, and the all-black tuxedo matched as well, and just as nicely. He waved, his hands covered by white gloves, and received a small round of applause before he spoke in a booming, yet smooth voice. "I bid you all to continue enjoying this masquerade ball, on this All Hallow's Eve! I'll be sure to try and come to speak with each and every one of you." Part of his grin was revealed by the only gap in the mask before he descended the stairs, back into the commotion.<br><br>While this was all happening, the only vampire that moved through the crowds was the female prodigy. She approached Charles, recognizing him from a photo that her Sire had showed her, and she made sure to make her presence known without actually having to touch him. Her smile parted her ruby red lips, revealing her pearly white teeth. Shimmering, storm grey eyes gazed at their special guest from behind her mask. "Hello, welcome, and thank you for attending the ball. At some point tonight, the Host would love to have a word with you and your comrades." Her words were smooth like warm honey as she clasped her hands in front of her body, nodding her head to their guests out of respect.<br><br>Her eyes did wanted towards the woman on his arm, having noted a bit of the... strange behavior she was exhibiting. Sniffing the guests was definitely something she could say she hadn't seen before, in all of her years. "I certainly hope you're finding everything to your liking," she commented quickly, a coy smile touching her lips as she seemed to direct her attention from Charles towards Pitou - or, in this instance as she knew 'her', Carole -speaking gently once more. "Is there, ah, something disturbing your... senses?" The idea was almost amusing to the woman, but at the same time, it was her role tonight to make sure that all guests were comfortable. And if someone here smelled strangely, or if the food smelled odd, she wanted to be made awares.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andol</strong> on <strong>29-08-2014, 01:52:49</strong>
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				The pair danced with each other and didn’t seemed to have a care in the world. They stuck out as certainly not the most graceful pair, but this was not in their reactions to each other, yet instead to those around them. Bumping into people and stepping on the toes of other dancers, the man and a women seemed to be in a world of their own as she lead her shorter dance partner in every step. Until eventually the other guest gave them their space, to create what was not a display of dancing skill, but of two people who did not care how they looked, as long as they danced together… the focus on each other was that deep. Up until the very moment that the booming voice and round of applause carried across the room, causing the pair to lose their rhythm and Charles to slip and fall. The human never left the standing position though, as ‘Carole’s’ arms curled about him suddenly and tightly, holding him up against her strong body and allowing him to regain his balance. Pulling himself up the male whispered softly into ‘Carole’s’ ear as one of her gloved hands petted the back of his head, “Thanks for that.” Letting up her mask just enough so that he could see her mouth Charles companion flashed him a smirked, “Don’t mention it Charile boy. Do pay attention though; I think we have a guest.”<br><br>Turning around just at the moment that the mysterious women approached them both, though the group was quickly made into one that contained five as the short boy and older women who had joined Charles arrived behind the human in flanking positions. This two it seemed, actually stayed further back than the women who had escorted Charles in, and even at this very moment had not let go of the young man. Her chin resting on his head as she regarded this new person, with a playful expression that funny enough fit the one on her mask. Her leather coated arms V’d over Charles chest and were clasp in front of the young man’s body pulling him back close to her form. If anything the action displayed possessiveness in every sense of the word, and maybe even a bit of a protective nature given the way she nuzzled her chin gently into the top of Charles head. The other two remained silent, but Carole couldn’t help but speak at what to it was a chance to pick at this girl, since she seemed to have an underling desire to stick to protocol after all, “That is funny… since when did I get reduced to ‘your comrades’. It seems a little rude dear child for you to call your elders ‘Your comrades’. Charles is this a demotion that I didn’t know about?” There was a hint of playful sarcasm there as the women gently squeezed the male she held in her arms. <br><br>Charles rested his hand on the women’s cheek and directed her to look down at him, before leaning up slightly to kiss her. “My dear you know you are way too important to me for me to ever do something like that to you. Now why don’t you just calm down and we can talk to our new friend. For all we know she may even be here to take us to see whoever we are here to see, or at least introduce us to the nicer people.” Carole just made a playful squee as she snuggled Charles tight and hard against her body kissing the top of his head multiple times. “Alright you win, but just so long as they are the nicer children.” There was a certain playful ominous manner with which the women laughed that could send shivers down the spine to those who were not used to such a thing. Then suddenly the women’s focus became completely targeted on the young lady standing in front of her. The question that was asked suddenly had Carole let go of Charles, as she stalked right up towards the other women and grab hold of her shoulder tightly. Then bending down and slinking up slowly as she smelled almost like a cat, Carole then leaned in and took a big whiff of the other’s neck before whispering into her ear,<br><br>“There is indeed… I can smell nothing but the dead everywhere. I can smell the morgues were their bodies are butchered and cut to pieces. I smell graveyards were they are laid to rest and stay buried six feet down like they should. I smell the dead man shot on the battlefield and the dead hooker in the ally, but when I look around I can’t believe what I see. I see corpses dressed up like they are laid out in a casket at their own funeral, but the problem is they all seem to be dancing and having a merry time. Strange don’t you think?” The women pulled back giggling ominously and gave the girl a playful look with her bi-focal sunglasses down somewhat and almost gave a view of its red glowing eyes. She then returned to Charles, and took her spot back up behind the young man with her arms crossed over his chest pulling him what seemed a bit closer than before. Almost like a mother worried over a child… that was the way she seemed to be acting. Behind the pair the other two members of the party observed quietly and, Raef simply face-palmed at ‘Carloe’s’ lack of subtlety.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mael</strong> on <strong>31-08-2014, 03:52:13</strong>
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				Despite her usually confident nature, the young vampiress did know how to feel shame at her mistake. She fumbled a little, eyes widening a bit behind her mask as she realized that she may have offended the guests they had specifically invited. She was caught unawares of how this dynamic worked - the woman appeared to be with the male, Charles, whom she knew was the real target of the invitation, yet there were another two that seemed to hover around his person as if protecting him in some strange manner. Never before had she seen something like this, even in her two-hundred and twenty-five years of being a vampire in this society. Her confidence seemed to falter slightly as she stiffened her back, nodding her head a moment towards the woman. "My apologies, Miss - I didn't mean to offend you in any way." It was a formal apology, but it didn't lack sincerity as the words seemed to reflect the emotions written in the harder line of her lips and the shimmering of her slate eyes. <br><br>And then... this Charles, seemed to be mocking her, as well. Where most would feel offended, or angry, the woman only seemed to retreat once more into her inner shell. She'd warned her Sire that this wasn't going to be a good idea, having her officiate the guests and get them settled in, determining the order in which he visited them, and other little quirky jobs. If they were to mention anything to him, anything at all... she couldn't imagine his wrath. Her formal nature seemed to shut down, as well as her eagerness to meet the guests as she tried desperately to remain composed. Her hands folded softly in front of her and she seemed to take them in as much as necessary, though she wanted to separate herself from them and the rest of the room in those moments. She'd been disarmed; it was something she'd been trained against, but it had happened so swiftly and unexpectedly. Vampires were typical and easy to predict, unless they were the Young ones... but this woman, she wasn't a Vampire. She was unpredictable and shifty, and the woman felt as though she never could have prepared for that.<br><br>As Carole shifted after her question, which had been intended to be polite and almost playfully teasing, the vampiress went rigid when she was approached so closely. And where most would have registered a shock at what the woman was telling her, especially with how she was gripping her strong shoulder, the vampiress only seemed to express... curiosity. A very strong, burning curiosity towards this unknown woman and how she had the ability to smell such things. Yes, some vampires seemed to possess such abilities, things that their Sires transferred over to them, yet... she <em>knew</em> this woman was no vampire. Then what in the Hell was she? The vampiress only seemed to give her a smile, her eyes sparkling back to the woman as she giggled ominously, and spoke right back to her. "Yes, it is quite strange. And despite the smell... none of us seem to be ready to bury. And we really do enjoy to dance." The words were just as playful as she bantered with Carole, only to feel a coolness settle behind her. She seemed to go rigid again, emotions wiping from her face almost instantly as she felt the presence of her Sire behind her. He drew her in easily with just his sheer closeness, but she acted as professional as he'd originally wanted her to.<br><br>"Ah, my sweet. Seems you have found our guests of honor." His voice was smooth and silky, entrancing and practiced as he rested his hand firmly on her shoulder. He stood a great deal over her in height, but her heels helped to level with at least his upper chest. He gripped her shoulder lightly, his gloved fingers playing off the motion as though he were stroking her... quite possessively. She tilted her head back, giving him a light smile. "Yes, I have informed them that you wished to speak to them." The words were carefully chosen as the Sire seemed to smile slightly, nodding his head firmly in the direction of the little troupe. "Yes, but that can wait for another hour, at least! Let them enjoy the ball - no reason to pull them from the festivities quite yet."<br><br>"Yes, of course." The vampiress spoke assuredly, nodding her head and turning her gaze back towards a normal level. Her Sire squeezed her shoulder before approaching the two main occupants of the group, and bowing. "Thank you for attending. Please, feel free to dance and feast and have a... splendid time. Rosalie, here, will continue to be my little dove and come for you at a more... ample time for discussion. If that should work for you all, of course?" He waited for the response, standing before them with a stiff spine and a regal nature that could easily reveal that he was much, much older than most of the guests there. Yet, he didn't look a day over thirty-five. Rosalie was standing back now, slightly at his side and slightly beside him, merely remaining quiet as she occasionally looked around the room at the other guests. This entire conversation seemed to be either unnoticed, or pointedly ignored by everyone around them. The vampiress let out a tiny little sigh, wondering if she'd actually get to <em>enjoy</em> one of these things someday, instead of being her Sire's little messenger pigeon. Her grey gaze seemed to settle on the shimmering adornments - looking almost anywhere but at the pair that had unhinged her so.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andol</strong> on <strong>01-09-2014, 20:48:08</strong>
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				“Offense… What do you mean my dear? You offending me? Why that is absurd. That would be like my dear Charles here causing me offense by something he has said in ignorance. I mean does the Earth get offended by the man who strikes the ground in anger? Does the man get offended by the annoying nature of the cockroach… ok well they do a lot actually, but the point remains the same. You are too small to offend me child, and a bit to ignorant as would be my young escort. Now if he has offended you then that would be a different story.” Very quickly the women reached over and playfully smacked Charles upside the head who then began to rub at the red spot which had been left behind, “You see… he does not mind. Just make sure you let him know if he has offended you, and he will not do it again. As for the Miss… just call me Carole, or we can drop than and call me Pitou. Unless this environment is not an accepting one, then let us just leave us leave up those original pretenses that I am indeed a female wearing these clothes… ok dear?” <br><br>For a moment it seemed like the six eyes that looked at the women in annoyance with her revelation that she was not what she seemed gender wise quickly turned to the girl in front of them to see how she would handle the matter. Charles knew that Pitou had always looked at its own gender to be something that could be changed at any moment that it chose, but that was only because of where it had come from. His friend was a creature born of a crawling darkness, and in complete chaos… whose current form had taken shape only in what his own needs for a partner had been. How that had been decided he was quite sure himself, but that was the answer that Pitou always gave him, even if Charles himself knew that the world could be a bit less accepting at times. Everything was quickly settle by Lilith who saw in the women something she had sense in her daughters many times before, a young women who was simply unsure of herself… and needed a little guidance or back up, however she took it would be up to her. Stepping forward, she turned and stood at the other’s side and rested a gentle hand on the young women’s shoulder, “Do not worry about Carole… she is just playing with you because she is a scientist and you’re her newest mental experiment so consider my warning as me saving you from it.” Carole stared right at the demoness with a look that could almost kill, “Lilith!!!” Her angry yell carried a bit too across the room, making Lilith laugh at the anger which the voice carried as she returned to her spot behind Charles, leaving Carole standing there fuming and Charles caressing her arm soothing. Even he found the scene amusing enough to smirk at.<br><br>Carole’s was not motivated in the slightest to give up on the game that had been revealed to the young women who seemed to be playing the part of their hostess, because to the women it only would add a bit of a challenge to the mind game she was attempting to play. As a large Cheshire like grin passed over her face at the other’s comment, she replied in a playful voice that was meant to tease even more at their hostesses curiosity, “You see that is the entire point now is it? The smell of so much death and yet not a single body lies immobile on the ground. If I didn’t know any better I would say that I am walking in a room that is full of the ‘living dead’. Zombies… Flesh Constructs… or even dare I say it… Vampires maybe?” Given a long pause to see how the girl would react at her suggestions Carole then let the tension out of the moment, as she covered her masked mouth while laughing, “Oh, but such a think would be silly wouldn’t you agree…” Her words drifted off as the man of the hour made his appearance, in such a way that had the two figures who had been standing behind Charles and Carole move a bit closer to them. The two seemed to stiffen slight as though expecting something to happen, and even when it didn’t they still did not relax. <br><br>Charles letting go of Carole stepped forward towards the man and the girl he seemed to hold in such a possessive grip. Holding out his own hand in a very business-like manner, the young man showed that despite his age and what by some standards could be considered a very hobo style of dress for someone of his wealth… that one could never judge a book by its cover. “It is finally good to meet you sir… you can call me Charles… Charles Castex owner of Hydraixon Company. This is my escort for the night the lovely Miss Carole, as well as my associate Mr. Raef and his escort the lovely Miss Lilith. We are honored that you invited us your home for this lovely ball.” Charles reached forward and took the Sire’s hand and gave it a quick shake, giving it a firm grip, but not enough time for the vampire to react and show that it had a powerful grip beyond that of a normal human. Charles had found that certain people liked to play dominance games when it came to given a good firm hand shake, and his policy was that this was simply immature and he refused to give them time to do so. Stepping back slighting he looked up at the man and after a slight bow said, “That should be fine, but if I may ask sir… could Rosalie be allowed to stay? I feel that I have barely gotten to know our hostess if it is proper for me to refer to her as such. This is the first time I have heard her name, but do not blame her, she would not be the first to fall for Carole’s tricks.”<br><br>At this very moment Raef who had remained quite throughout the conversation turned its head to look up at Charles as its eye brow shot up. The fact that its master wanted to spend some time with someone that was not Pitou was an uncommon occurrence, and one that it usually didn’t let go to waste. So it decided that maybe a little intervention into the situation would be in order. Stepping from around the others it moved itself between Charles and the Sire saying absolutely nothing, except to look at the older Vampire with its dead bored eyes. Normally it tried to act the part of being what it seemed, but this time Raef did no such thing, the way it stood and stared backed into the Sires eyes was like one predator recognizing another… two ancient and old forces that knew what each other were. At the same time its influence softly reached out and plucked at strings inside the older vampires mind… sunlight, silver, gold, a stake to the heart, and any other fear that it carried inside. These were plucks that were small, and would not give away the source of the fear, but served only to unnerve the Sire as Raef said, “If it is alright sir, but I would like to speak to you now. A private conversation, unless you have someone I can speak to until then. Unlike Charles I like to be a bit more prepared for any meetings to discuss business, I am sure you understand?” It was trying to make sure that this host of theirs didn’t send Rosalie off somewhere else at the moment, not when its Master seemed interested in talking to her, and funny enough Carole actually seemed willing to join Lilith in teasing some of the males at the party.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mael</strong> on <strong>04-09-2014, 05:04:41</strong>
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				The actions of Carole astounded her, the playful nature of her actions, yet the seriousness she sometimes conveyed. All of it seemed to throw off the vampiress, nothing like what she’d dealt with in her years of being undead. She wasn’t quite sure how to approach the woman, or even really speak to her, simply feeling as though she was being mocked entirely and may not realize it. Rosalie had no idea if she should even be <em>offended</em> because of such things, and the circumstance. It was nothing like what she was used to, and she wasn’t sure if she was more uncomfortable or interested and curious about these people she’d never met. Something was answered, however, when Carole spoke of original pretenses, being called Pitou, and giving away that she was not a female. Sudden clarity appeared in Rosalie’s eyes, and she graced them all with a small smile, managing a gentle nod. At this rate, she’d do whatever this Pitou wanted of her… that seemed to be the only way to really understand what he was going on about.<br><br>If they were looking for her to be surprised, it never showed. Nor was she disgusted in any manner; if anything, her curiosity only seemed to shine brighter in her slate eyes. The vampiress shifted a little on her feet, and she focused back on the woman who stepped forward… one of the party that hadn’t spoken yet, but was choosing to speak up now. Rosalie gave Lilith her undivided attention, smiling slightly before she glanced at Carole and laughed quietly. Though, the reaction from her was so strong, that Rosalie seemed to take a step back – the cry of Lilith’s name seemed to have been what attracted her Sire to the little group, originally, and started the whole conversation between the additional parties. Rosalie stood back, allowing her Sire to have the conversational power and edge on the conversation, while she simply waited behind him for some kind of sign, or command, or errand that he wished for her to run once more. A part of her mind contemplated if she’d get to dance, or spend time with visitors at the party without having some other objective or reason behind it. <em>Probably not,</em> her subconscious cooed quietly, almost as if soothing her, before she let out a soft sigh. The conversation that Pitou had been attempting to have, mentioning Zombies, Vampires, didn’t get a stir out of Rosalie at all. She merely smiled, tapping at the side of her nose with a fingertip, while standing back behind her Sire all the while. “Quite silly indeed,” had been her simple response, before she’d dropped the topic.<br><br>Her Sire smiled towards Charles, as much as the man would smile anyway, and shook his hand in a very firm manner, as usual. His hand was stiff, and the glove conveyed a message of warmth, despite how his flesh would not have been warm to the touch at all. “Lovely to meet you, Charles Castex, the pleasure is all mine. I am Nickoli Zeanou, and welcome to my Estate.” He properly bowed his head to Carole, Raef, and Lilith in order, giving them all a smile. It was an odd smile, almost like it was out of place… or dangerous. Really, a combination of both, Rose found. “I’m certainly hoping you’ve enjoyed yourselves thus far, and will enjoy the remainder of the evening’s festivities,” he drawled, glancing towards the vampiress beside him as he opened his mouth to give her another little errand to run. His arms were casually rested at his sides, his hands slightly in his suit-pant pockets, before his attention was drawn back to the words of Charles, raising an eyebrow beneath his mask. Yes, it couldn’t be seen, but Rose just <em>knew</em> that it was happening. “I suppose my little dove could remain. Most of the night has been taken care of, as it is. Rose, feel free to enjoy yourself with our esteemed guests,” he said, waving a hand to indicate the group with another smile. Rosalie knew that she wouldn’t be chastised, since Charles had suggested it, and for that… she was quietly thankful. <br><br>A smile touched her lips as she directed it towards Charles, giving him a small nod of thank you, deciding not to speak as her Sire was distracted by Raef. The tall man gazed down at him with a smirk, but his eyes danced with interest as he listened to what the man had to say. “I’ve no trouble with you wanting to speak now. I have nowhere else to be at the current moment. And I do understand – we can find&nbsp; more private location in one of the rooms over this way –“ He directed with a hand before he began to walk, making sure to allow Raef the space to walk beside him. He held off talking, understanding that ‘private’ would probably indicate that the entirety of it should be spoken of in another location. Back at the group, Rose turned to look at them and smiled, appearing a bit more relaxed. “Thank you, Charles. You possibly saved me from having to run around for the rest of the evening,” she said smoothly, smiling to him and moving to step a little closer. Nothing to infringe upon his space, but merely to make having a conversation a little bit easier. Assuming he wanted to talk, of course, but she couldn’t see why else he’d want to have her around.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andol</strong> on <strong>04-09-2014, 23:08:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Well it is a most lovely place Nickoli, and I don’t really know if I can properly say if we have enjoyed ourselves… only having just arrived, but I am sure the rest of the evening will be a pleasant one.” To Charles the only worry that was on his mind at the moment was seeing if the other male wouldn’t mind letting Rose off the hook for the rest of the evening so that he could continue talking to her. Has Pitou had kept indicating there was something about this place which raised Charles suspicious, but the human had yet to place his finger on it. This concerned him given that he had a feeling that Pitou and now even Raef already knew what that was, and were leaving him to his own devices to figure it out. In part that was what he saw in Rose, was a method by which he would be able to figure out exactly what it was that was going on her. Nickoli Zeanou was a name he had never heard before, and so the fact that the man suddenly had invited him and his associates to this grand event… was quite suspicious to say the least.<br><br>“Thank you Mrs. Zeanou, your hospitality in this matter is most graciousss.” Charles purposefully extended out the ‘s’ in the word gracious to create a slight hissing sound as he spoke. It was a strange thing, but something which attention would be directed away from as Raef stepped in. The old being was glad that it did not have to push things any further with Nickoli, and that the Sire was willing to cooperate with it. Silently it walked beside the Sire and for a split second turned to look up at him, and where Raef face had been there was a deep blackness, and right in the center was a single blinking eye. This only lasted a moment before suddenly it was back to normally and a gentle masculine, and yet feminine voice that flowed forward with in tone with stops like a sticky substance began to speak in his head, “Now I want you to keep walking Nickoli… we shall both keep walking, until we reach this private room, but this shall allow us to speak privately until we get there. Do not mistake me for one those fools you have invited, and do not mistake my knowledge of your intent for their own. If they die because they don’t know about what you plan to do then that is not my affair nor do I plan on stopping it. Do not ask me any questions about Charles because you will receive no answers from me Nickoli, so consider this a courtesy that I warn you of my presence here. You know the ‘order of things’, and if you or one of your members of your coven tries to touch me I will kill all of you. Leave me alone and you shall have no quarrel with me.”<br><br>What more was said between the two would be simply what Raef wanted to talk about with a fellow being as old as Nickoli. What it would not allow would be any attempt by the Sire to figure out who the other two guest that Charles had brought with him where. If the Master Vampire had no clue that they were not humans before they had arrived, then he would not do so until it was too late. If there was one thing that Raef knew how to do very well, it was to sow confusion in a mind, and to cause anxiety. At the same time it could protect its master’s mind from being read, since it didn’t want the Sire to understand the nature of its own relationship to the human. Leaving the Vampire with questions about its motive for being here with the human it had come with. This was operating under the assumption though, that the Sire didn’t already have this information before they had arrived. Raef was no mind reader, even if people’s fears, worries, and anxieties spoke to it like an open book. This was why it was so interested in having a conversation with the Master Vampire alone. Because it was curious what the man was scared of, since given that it was better able to figure things like that out face to face than simply trying to sense it over a distant… so in a sense… this meeting was a long time in waiting for Raef. <br><br>Back at the group Charles tilted his head as he noticed how Rose relaxed quite a bit whenever Nickoli stepped away, never one to hold back in his curiosity the man asked, “Does Nickoli bother you in anyway Miss Rose? I do hope I have not caused any problems by requesting your presence for the remainder of the evening.” For just a moment Charles looked down towards his feet, and tapped a finger on his chin as though contemplating having done something wrong. Only to notice that Rose had moved closer to him during that short time frame, her words causing an awkward and seemingly nervous laugh to fall from his lips, “Your welcome Miss Rosaile… I kind of had a feeling you simply wanted to get a chance to enjoy yourself anyway, and plus I didn’t want you to be rushed off without getting to know you if we are going to be possibly associating with each other again in the future.” Again that nervous laugh fell from his lips, as Charles pushed up and over one of his ears most of the long black hair that normally covered over his face. The pale feature of which were now lit up with a soft flush as he offered an arm to Rose, “I have to admit something to you my dear, I have never been one who was much for crowds. I spend most of my time with my companions who you saw come in with me, and so I do find they make me anxious to an extent. Tell me is there somewhere more quite we can talk? It doesn’t have to be anywhere private if you don’t want it to be, but simply less crowded maybe.”&nbsp; <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mael</strong> on <strong>08-09-2014, 22:37:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Nickoli didn't seen phased by the transitioning of Raef's words in any fashion; in fact, the man almost seemed bemused. His lips curled up slightly, though only one corner was visible given his current masked state. Rarely did the old vampire have anyone who was willing to stand up to him in any way. The words coming from Raef's lips only seemed to make Nickoli chuckle - not condescending in tone or anything, just simply amused by the immediate suspicion that this man... this creature seemed to develop. His lips quirked slightly as they walked, leisurely strolling through the crowds in order to get to the side with more private rooms. They weren't necessarily closed off areas - simply dips into the woodwork that had small tables and booths that curled around them for more private conversations. His voice spoke smoothly as he waited for Raef to be finished with his words, knowing that he would be true to it. His own words were cool and calm, collected for the moment as he continued to walk them both towards an unoccupied booth. Once they reached the red, velvety seating, he slipped into it easily and then began to speak, drumming his long fingers upon the top of the table. His nails were manicured and strong, healthy, and a few golden rings adorned his fingers.<br><br>"You mistake me and my purpose for inviting your party," he said, smoothly. "I merely held an interest in your... business, the business conducted by Charles. It seems that there has been a little bit of a quarrel between our parcels. You see..." he nodded towards a man, donned in butler attire, as he poured them two goblets of wine. He sipped from his own before he leaned back, relaxing into the softness of the seat while his sharp gaze never left Raef. There was no threatening stance about him, nothing that would suggest anything but friendly cooperativeness. "I partake in a very unique sale of quality... product, to other covens in the area, and some unique small businesses. The life-force that I supply tends to be top-notch, when I can find the right product." He used words simply to save face; there was no reason to simply talk of how he slaughtered humans and drained their life essences in order to ship quality blood around to other covens, local and not. "However... there has been interference with my packaging and acquiring processes. After a bit of delving and searching, I've discovered that Charles, somehow, is tied to whatever is disrupting my business. I was merely curious as to what his business partakes in. Nothing too secretive, here, just curious."<br><br>Nickoli spoke easily to Raef, casually, knowing that Raef would talk with him if he so desired to. If not, then it would remain a mystery... at least, until the Sire felt like taking things into his own hands. He didn't want to, really. He had hoped this would all go smoothly as possible. Charles may not even be aware of the interference, in which case, was a plus for him in the long run. He just had to start the conversation somewhere. And Raef had opened the door quite thoroughly and quickly, without much prompting from Nickoli in the first place. It was rather convenient, really. The ball had seemed like an ample place to strike up conversation and keep the situation a light one. It was not his intention to seem a threat or to make any members of the troupe feel intimidated. He'd merely been... curious and interested in Charles and what he had been up to. He found it odd that they'd never been acquainted before this, after all.<br><br>Rose, on the other hand, seemed to snap to attention when Charles spoke of Nickoli. A smile graced her ruby lips and she shook her head lightly. "No, Charles, I merely like to try my best whenever he's around." It was the truth, in a sense. That, and Nickoli tended to be intimidating to any lower-level vampire. Even if he was her Sire, she never seemed to get too much special treatment and had to work just as hard as anyone else to stay on his good side. She canted her head lightly for a moment when he appeared to get nervous near her, so she took the moment to take a light step back. She had no reason to make him feel uncomfortable, and that wasn't something she desired. A smile touched her lips before she slipped her arm into his, watching him curiously as he spoke of not being one for crowds. "Well, then you and I have that in common, Charles." She smiled at him calmly, and then she began to walk with him, leading him towards the opposite wall of where Nickoli had gone with Raef. This side was open with large arches, leading to outside on a large balcony. There were a few people scattered, chatting around the railings and near the intricately designed floral motifs. She walked him away from the others, smiling softly as she explained herself. "This is the most private spot we could take, and still enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, I'm afraid. If you wish to head inside, we can do so. Though..." her eyes lifted and she smiled. "The moon's quite beautiful. A wonderful, natural light," she said, looking back towards him with a smile. "Was there something particular you wanted to talk about, Charles?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andol</strong> on <strong>15-09-2014, 17:30:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Nickoli I do hope that you don’t mind if I slip into something more comfortable?” Raef’s words might have seemed odd, but it wanted to see exactly where they would be sitting before it decided wither or not it was safe to lose the shell which hid its true form. So as the demon sat down it looked at the booth which they were surrounded in, “I might suggest you ask the rest of your coven to keep away for the remainder of our conversation… for safety reason.” The last part was ambiguous on what Raef meant by this until its form that it held began to slowly lose cohesiveness. Black tentacles popping out along its arms as suddenly without warning the shape of the girl simply melted down into an undulating black pool that covered over the chair. Eyes blinked and small tentacles squirmed, as some larger ones snaked out and secured himself to the panels which hid them from the rest of the party, “Please excuse my paranoia, but I wouldn’t want any of your coven to be driven mad by my true from… as is what happens to most simple minded creatures.” The voice came from a sphere which had risen up out of the pool on the chair, a large crescent grin above which was a large glowing eye ball that stared right at Nickoli. <br><br>As it listened though, Raef began to realize that it was caught in a trap. That being that it had to potentially give away any element of surprise that Pitou or Lilith might gain if this whole thing turned out to be a trap. The demon had a feeling that the male didn’t have any clue about the true identity of its fellow guardians, so that meant it would have to tread very lightly. “If that is the case then why not come and see Charles at his offices? Hydraxion Company is not exactly a secret unlike your little coven. In fact if you have heard of the medical corporation that Charles runs, then you know it has the power of a small nation unto itself, as for the reason why I guess that question has been answered given my presence here.” The demon’s normally monotone voice held a sense of amusement in the last sentence, as it seemed to enjoy that fact, but it did grow slightly annoyed that Nickoli talked in circles around the subject of what they both did on a regular basis, “Your words dear child show the difference in our ages. You dance around the truth as though you are scared to talk about how you slaughter humans for food. As Charles has always said ‘humans lost their chance to be more than animals a long time ago’… so I see no problem in talking about them like cattle. I believe though you wanted to know a bit more about why your business is being interrupted, and who is doing it?” One of the longer tentacles pointed to the sphere that floated above the chair, <br><br>“The culprit I am afraid is sitting right in front of you, so if it is revenge you were look for then I suggest you target Charles or maybe his new ‘odd’ little fiancé Carol. The women does get on my nerves more than that silly boy ever did. The reason if you are still curious, was for medical research, because Charles frankly has no qualms about who or what he uses as a test subject. I am quite sure a few them have even been members of your coven, because I know I captured a few during my raids.” Reaching over the table with one of its tentacles, the demon stroked it lightly over Nickoli’s cheek. Going so far as to make sure the act was completed even if the man pulled away, “Please excuse the suddenness of my actions, but I have calculated that it would be best to mark you now. So the negative effects of my extend presence won’t have any effect on you.” Raef didn’t elaborate further, but simply continued where it had left off from before, “Unlike you Nickoli he partakes in a business that can easily be covered up in plain daylight and has the blackmail to protect it. Frankly it made your stocks of human cattle tempting targets if I say so myself, given that they were going to die anyway.” It was the terminal nature of what was going to happen to Nickoli’s captives that made Raef go after them above other groups such as slaves. It had its own moral code, even if it was a twisted one. <br><br>“I am sorry Rose, I didn’t mean to imply that your presence bothered me…” Charles shyly regarded the other out of the corner of his eye as he noticed that she had stepped away from him slightly. It was not that she had made him uncomfortable it was simply that he was unused the close proximity of anyone, but Pitou and Lilith given that Raef was not one for being close to anyone. The situation was remedied when she slipped her arm into his, “I am glad to hear that, since any friendship is always based on some mutual starting point.” Laughing playfully, Charles let her lead him on his pointer finger nonchalantly tracing circles over the back of Rose’s gloved hand. His tactile nature was on full display at the moment, though he really didn’t mean any harm by it. The male grew even more noticeably relaxed as they headed outside and into a more private area, though her suggestion that they could head inside confused him slightly, “Why would I want to head back inside, we did come out here for privacy after all…” Charles paused for moment as he noticed the others sudden admiration for the moon, he decided that this would probably be the best spot, if she was implying there were any others. Also from here he could keep an eye on Pitou, and so slipping away from her side with a reluctant that was quite obvious despite the fact he tried to hide it… Charles walked over to a rail, and agilely placed himself in a seated position on it. “Actually yes there was, now that I have gotten you away from Nickoli’s rather extended shadow. I was curious about you to be honest if you are willing to tell me more about yourself that you haven’t already said?”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Puppet Masters Of the Night (Andol and Mael)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mael</strong> on <strong>17-09-2014, 17:10:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Again, Nickoli was amused. Raef was certainly an odd creature, and one that could hold a good conversation. The old vampire found a lot of appeal in speaking with a creature who was compatible in his own age range. He adjusted himself a little and then sat back, nodding towards the man while tapping his fingers casually along the tabletop. "You have no need to worry. My coven will not listen. They know better." He had a tight control over his members, especially those in his immediate care and control. Rose was one of those, and while they had freedoms, they all knew their duties and where their loyalties rested. Where most may have been appalled by Raef's true appearance, Nickoli simply seemed enraptured. The man removed his mask, setting it off to the side, revealing strikingly handsome features. He brushed some of his hair from his face and settled his gaze back towards Raef, figuring that if this man was to reveal his true self, there was no reason for Nickoli to further hide behind some decorative mask. <br><br>His next few statements had Nickoli frowning, though his eyes burned with interest. "Do not make this something more complex, Raef. The problem had not grown sufficiently enough for me to make a visit that would seem like an attack or anything hostile - I merely wanted to extend a hand of invitation. I was hoping that we would be able to work out something, opposed to be on differing sides of this business." An eyebrow rose on the handsome man's features as Raef seemed to insult how he was speaking, a sharpness growing around him before he merely chuckled quietly. "My apologies - I only talk in circles simply because I was protecting my business. I was not aware, dear Raef, of all the information you knew of what my coven did behind closed doors." The knowledge was actually a little surprising, and either Raef was an excellent guesser, or he had somehow managed to sneak someone inside. The thought disturbed him slightly, but it never showed on his face. "The humans are slaughtered, yes. And their precious bodies are put to good use, ultimately, in almost every capacity that we can use them." He spoke casually, looking down at his long fingers before raising his eye towards his counterpart.<br><br>"I've no desire for revenge," he spoke smoothly. There was no hint of deception about him as he spoke. "I was merely curious. I find myself often curious, considering the time I have remaining in this world. My interest seems to spread to all corners it can manage." A smile quirked the corner of his lips as he leaned forward, resting his elbows and forearms along the tabletop, eyes sparkling as he gazed towards Raef. The action of 'marking him' seemed to make his curiosity burn, but he refrained from asking about Raef himself - at least, for now. "As for the business.... I've no qualms with sharing a bit of my supply. However, I was wondering if there was going to be a way that, maybe, we could both benefit from the transfers instead of it being more one-sided transactions?" Nickoli watched Raef curiously, a smile on his lips. They were both ancient creatures, and humans were merely pawns and playthings. Nickoli was sure they both had some common interests where their... priorities were concerned.<br><br><hr><br>Back on the balcony, Rose looked towards Charles and then smiled, watching as he swiftly made a seat of the stone railing. She smiled towards him, not minding how he seemed interested in stroking the back of her gloved hand. "I simply wanted you to be more comfortable," she murmured to him softly, unsure if outside on the balcony would have been what he was looking for in terms of 'privacy'. It wasn't necessarily one of the most private places, but she knew that near her Sire would be a bad idea. He was having a private conversation and wouldn't be disturbed unless there was an emergency. And even then, it was iffy. She tilted her head towards the curious man and smiled softly, looking more relaxed as well, watching and standing beside him once the moon let her out of its spell. "Curious about me?" It seemed to surprise her that he was even <em>interested</em> in talking with her. But, that was simply because most already knew who she was, within the Coven. It was exciting for her to meet someone new, someone from outside the familiar ring. "What makes you think that I haven't told you all about me?" she teased with a smile, her eyes sparkling beneath her mask. She shifted and rested against the railing, crossing her arms gently and casually. "What are you interested in, Charles? What do you want to know?" She was willing to answer if it was appropriate, and she really wanted to know more about him, too. <br><br>She shifted where she stood and she agilely placed herself beside him on the rail, sitting comfortably despite her current dress. She managed to slip some of her hair behind one of her ears before she looked at him and smiled softly, a playful look in her eyes. "Did you want to know my favorite things? Like how I adore the color green, or prefer dark chocolate over white or milk? That I love black cats and don't really like bugs?" She laughed a little and gazed up towards the moon, swollen and heavy in the sky, surrounded by the sparkling stars. "Or were there more in-depth questions you had for me?" A dark eyebrow lifted on her face as she turned and looked back towards Charles with a smile on her face, curiosity in her eyes.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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