Satis House

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha looked at first quite shocked by his words, stopping abruptly where she stood, and then suddenly she again looked quite pleased. "I wonder...observant or talented?" she mused, looking Vikteren up and down before continuing with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Gathering information is tricky business, you know. It just so happens to be Sleet's specialty---he knows where to find it and what to do with it. If one should be so lucky as to retrieve information from him that could turn the tables in his favor, one should be careful to make sure it is never taken again." She took several steps forward, halting only to take another careful look at Vikteren, and proceeded to the window where she flipped the little latch and threw open the glass panels to allow the winter breeze inside. As horribly cold as it was, it felt good to fold her arms on the windowsill while the cold air streamed in and stare out at the fresh snow on the ground. "The bottom line is I did nothing to harm anyone so does it matter, Vikteren?"

The vampire pointedly ignored her first question. "No, of course not." he said at last. Vikteren ran a hand through his hair, a little unsettled by his own reaction, even if he didn't show it. "I was only a little--surprised. I wanted to know what you had been doing." It wasn't true; his words hadn't been prompted by rational, logical though, but rather by pure instinct. But she didn't need to know that.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Then calm down. Really, you look like you've seen a ghost." Antha had to give a little laugh at this, connecting it to a million stories in her head. The people of Osiris City loved to imagine ghosts wherever they went for the mere fact that it was just about all they hadn't seen in their city. "But I wonder...if I were to do something that might hurt someone, what would you do?" She withdrew from the window, stepping back a few inches and turning to face him directly with this question, a rather anxious sort of curiosity in her expression. "We're not the kindest of creatures, after all. Rather, we're quite cruel when put to the test. Or at least the majority of us."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"Then calm down. Really, you look like you've seen a ghost." Antha had to give a little laugh at this, connecting it to a million stories in her head. The people of Osiris City loved to imagine ghosts wherever they went for the mere fact that it was just about all they hadn't seen in their city. "But I wonder...if I were to do something that might hurt someone, what would you do?" She withdrew from the window, stepping back a few inches and turning to face him directly with this question, a rather anxious sort of curiosity in her expression. "We're not the kindest of creatures, after all. Rather, we're quite cruel when put to the test. Or at least the majority of us."

"It depends on whether I believed they were deserving of that punishment." he said, with a half-smile. "It is a simple enough philosophy." Around the 1800's, he had decided to stop mucking about with complicated systems of judgement and go with his instincts on such matters. They usually worked out better than any pre-meditated principles. "If I thought you judged them harshly, I would oppose it."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"And what would you do then? Would you punish me for my misdeed?" For a moment she stood silently staring at him, a rather helpless and childish look to her face. "I'm not a good person, that's the simple fact of the matter. There are...going to be things..." She couldn't bear to finish. Instead she took a step toward him and let her head hang hidden from view behind her hair. In place of words she directed her thoughts strongly at him, the image of she and three others---faces all hidden by old paper bags crudely illustrated with red crayon---digging hastily in the ground beside Mayfair Manor, fitting a rough wooden coffin into the ground, lifting the bloodied white sheets with the pale arm hanging limply from it, tossing the entire thing into its final resting place, and the same type of old yellowed paper as the note in her pocket tied to the front gate with the same rose in red crayon along with the words 'The Funeral' scribbled across it. "Morals have no place in my family," she said softly, warding away her own memories, "Just look at our history, the rumors; the first thing they ever taught me was how to get rid of our enemies."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"And what would you do then? Would you punish me for my misdeed?" For a moment she stood silently staring at him, a rather helpless and childish look to her face. "I'm not a good person, that's the simple fact of the matter. There are...going to be things..." She couldn't bear to finish. Instead she took a step toward him and let her head hang hidden from view behind her hair. In place of words she directed her thoughts strongly at him, the image of she and three others---faces all hidden by old paper bags crudely illustrated with red crayon---digging hastily in the ground beside Mayfair Manor, fitting a rough wooden coffin into the ground, lifting the bloodied white sheets with the pale arm hanging limply from it, tossing the entire thing into its final resting place, and the same type of old yellowed paper as the note in her pocket tied to the front gate with the same rose in red crayon along with the words 'The Funeral' scribbled across it. "Morals have no place in my family," she said softly, warding away her own memories, "Just look at our history, the rumors; the first thing they ever taught me was how to get rid of our enemies."

"No. I would not punish you." he said quietly. "You were raised in a different manner, have different values than I. That-which-binds is the only entity capable of fully judging any existing being. Our feeble attempts at judgement are rarely accurate, and above all, presumptous. But I would stop you, if I could. If I felt it necessary."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Again Antha stood in pure confusion, her head tilted a bit as if to convey this as softly she asked, "'That-which-binds'? You've mentioned that before...what is it?" She didn't expect an answer---or at least one she could understand---but she asked anyways. Vampires tended to be vague in replies to such things, and from what she could tell he was certainly no exception. Rather, he seemed quite good at it.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Again Antha stood in pure confusion, her head tilted a bit as if to convey this as softly she asked, "'That-which-binds'? You've mentioned that before...what is it?" She didn't expect an answer---or at least one she could understand---but she asked anyways. Vampires tended to be vague in replies to such things, and from what she could tell he was certainly no exception. Rather, he seemed quite good at it.

He blinked. "It's difficult to explain. Vampire senses are different than human's." Rather like trying to describe music to the deaf. "...That-which-binds is a-- a entity of sorts. It is immortal, and powerful, but it is not a god, and has no jurisdiction over matters outside it's domain. Humans, that is, unless a vampire is involved with them." He looked up, considering. "It sees that debts are paid and that promises are kept, and it punishes when they are not. It keeps my kind within our boundaries, that we can cross no boundaries that we are not invited within, that we may take nothing that is not given freely." Vikteren glanced back down at her. "Does that make anything clearer?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"A bit," she replied softly, settling herself down into an old armchair in the corner. She couldn't help but to think as he spoke that David would absolutely love Vikteren, everything from what he knew to how he spoke. "The Talamasca will be stalking you soon, I imagine," she noted calmly, an effort to lighten the mood perhaps, "But hopefully you won't become an obsession." She paused, her eyes taking on a momentary look of deep thought. "Do you know of the Talamasca?" Given not only that he wasn't used to Osiris City but also that they valued secrecy, she imagined he wouldn't. However, he was a vampire and word of the Talamasca tended to spread through the rogues.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"A bit," she replied softly, settling herself down into an old armchair in the corner. She couldn't help but to think as he spoke that David would absolutely love Vikteren, everything from what he knew to how he spoke. "The Talamasca will be stalking you soon, I imagine," she noted calmly, an effort to lighten the mood perhaps, "But hopefully you won't become an obsession." She paused, her eyes taking on a momentary look of deep thought. "Do you know of the Talamasca?" Given not only that he wasn't used to Osiris City but also that they valued secrecy, she imagined he wouldn't. However, he was a vampire and word of the Talamasca tended to spread through the rogues.

He gave a curt nod. "I have. Only a little, mostly from those who have not had personal encounters; thus my knowlege is a little...skewed. They are--gatherers of sorts, are they not? They seek knowledge--only knowledge, or so they claim." He frowned. "Although at times, it seems they prefer to take quite the active role. I have heard of hunts carried out against my kind." He shook his head and added, "Although why you believe they would be interested in me, I do not know."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha's expression took on a little smile at this, which gave the impression that she had expected such a reply. "The Talamasca are interested in anything that might be considered abnormal or supernatural. Their only purpose is to gather information and store it away where it may very well never see the light of day again. And, despite what you've heard, they're alarmingly civilized and against violence. Even so, a hunt against vampires or even witches would be against their own rules, seeing as how there are both vampires and witches in the Talamasca." She paused, overtaken by a thoughtful expression. "Here, let me show you something," she said softly, rising and taking his hand to lead him off down the hall and to the small area the stairs were located at. "This is the 'Memory Room'," she explained as she dusted off the front of an old, dark door,"Pictures are kept here." The room beyond was small, dark, and littered with fallen cobwebs. Each wall was shielded by a solid layer of photo albums, some old and some new, and a wooden ladder lay discarded on the floor amid many towers of newer albums. "It's easy to spot a Talamascan if they make contact with you," she began as she propped the ladder against the wall opposite the door and climbed up a few rungs. "Their mindset is different from most witches. They're more...settled. Also, they'll try to mask questions about you if you speak to them, and their minds tend to be well blocked." Finally, leaning over about as far as she possibly could, Antha drew out a thin blue album from the mass and returned to Vikteren's side. "Here we are. See these two?" As she spoke, she pressed the tip of her finger to one picture of two men, one a teenager and one nearly middle aged. Underneath it in Antha's quick, curly handwriting were the words 'David and Singe---March'. "These two are to be trusted. Unlike the others, they know what they're doing." She hesitated only momentarily before continuing. "If you stick around long enough, you're sure to run into both of them. Though don't be surprised if Singe threatens to dissect you, he's been saying that since he joined the Talamasca but he's just plain too lazy to do so."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha's expression took on a little smile at this, which gave the impression that she had expected such a reply. "The Talamasca are interested in anything that might be considered abnormal or supernatural. Their only purpose is to gather information and store it away where it may very well never see the light of day again. And, despite what you've heard, they're alarmingly civilized and against violence. Even so, a hunt against vampires or even witches would be against their own rules, seeing as how there are both vampires and witches in the Talamasca." She paused, overtaken by a thoughtful expression. "Here, let me show you something," she said softly, rising and taking his hand to lead him off down the hall and to the small area the stairs were located at. "This is the 'Memory Room'," she explained as she dusted off the front of an old, dark door,"Pictures are kept here." The room beyond was small, dark, and littered with fallen cobwebs. Each wall was shielded by a solid layer of photo albums, some old and some new, and a wooden ladder lay discarded on the floor amid many towers of newer albums. "It's easy to spot a Talamascan if they make contact with you," she began as she propped the ladder against the wall opposite the door and climbed up a few rungs. "Their mindset is different from most witches. They're more...settled. Also, they'll try to mask questions about you if you speak to them, and their minds tend to be well blocked." Finally, leaning over about as far as she possibly could, Antha drew out a thin blue album from the mass and returned to Vikteren's side. "Here we are. See these two?" As she spoke, she pressed the tip of her finger to one picture of two men, one a teenager and one nearly middle aged. Underneath it in Antha's quick, curly handwriting were the words 'David and Singe---March'. "These two are to be trusted. Unlike the others, they know what they're doing." She hesitated only momentarily before continuing. "If you stick around long enough, you're sure to run into both of them. Though don't be surprised if Singe threatens to dissect you, he's been saying that since he joined the Talamasca but he's just plain too lazy to do so."

He looked at her blankly. "I am one of many. I still do not understand why they would find it necessary to take an interest in my actions." He turned slowly, examining the room. "Certainly they cannot hold files on every paranormal entity in this city." He glanced over his shoulder back to Antha and added, with a trace of uncertainty, "Can they?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

She gave a quick laugh and thumbed through the rest of the album, all the pages of which bore pictures of Singe, David, and a slightly younger Antha along with other miscellaneous people. "Ducky, they have files for creatures all over the world. Of course, I'm sure they've overlooked quite a few...but it's still a very impressive collection. Thirty-seven underground archives, 17 libraries, and a plethora of offices all in the one motherhouse outside of the city, all devoted to their one purpose." She paused briefly, realizing her knowledge of this might seem suspicious but in the end not giving a care. "Besides, whether you realize it or not you are somewhat special among the vampires here. Not only were you brave enough to enter Sleet's chambers, a fact they're sure not to overlook, but you've also befriended a witch---a Mayfair witch. They're absolutely obsessed with us over there." Again a laugh issued from her, something that must have seemed a bit crazy but, given both the person and the situation, hardly unusual.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

She gave a quick laugh and thumbed through the rest of the album, all the pages of which bore pictures of Singe, David, and a slightly younger Antha along with other miscellaneous people. "Ducky, they have files for creatures all over the world. Of course, I'm sure they've overlooked quite a few...but it's still a very impressive collection. Thirty-seven underground archives, 17 libraries, and a plethora of offices all in the one motherhouse outside of the city, all devoted to their one purpose." She paused briefly, realizing her knowledge of this might seem suspicious but in the end not giving a care. "Besides, whether you realize it or not you are somewhat special among the vampires here. Not only were you brave enough to enter Sleet's chambers, a fact they're sure not to overlook, but you've also befriended a witch---a Mayfair witch. They're absolutely obsessed with us over there." Again a laugh issued from her, something that must have seemed a bit crazy but, given both the person and the situation, hardly unusual.

Dark brows drew together. "Certainly it is not that unusual." He protested mildly, wandering over towards the wall. "And I do not see how your ancestry has anything to do with the company you keep." He examined a portrait critically. "Incidentally, I'd be much obliged if you will cease to call me 'ducky'." Vikteren straightened and turned to her. "Why does your family name fascinate this organization, then?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha gave a minor start when he spoke, a rather gloomy and dismayed expression overtaking her. This showed as she spoke, her voice being drained of any emotion or enthusiasm she had shown before, "Mayfairs are easily the greatest of all witches. Naturally, if one is going to study witches, they should pay the most attention to the most powerful. But Mayfairs have always found them annoying and some even considered them a threat. Several Talamascan who have attempted to contact members of the family were never heard from again. So they've decided in the backs of their minds that we have something to hide, and that makes them want information on us even more, regardless of how much we try to ward them away." She stopped here, a little sound emitting from her as if she had attempted a new word but it had died in her throat. "As I've said---as anyone in this city will say," she continued immediately, "Between most vampires and witches of this city, it's war. There's a natural hatred that just won't die within some." She did finally stop here, standing still with uncertainty for a moment before turning and departing the room, leaving the door open for when Vikteren chose to emerge. It was hard to say if she was upset or angry; her emotions were for the most part quite well masked.
Instead of turning and heading for her room, Antha started up the stairs and finally into the attic, a large and decaying room where the sheets over everything were stale white and the wooden floors and walls glowed a ghostly gray. Behind her the door creaked slowly closed, left but a couple of inches ajar, as she stalked over to the middle of the room where a gathering of red crayons had been discarded. "Utterly frustrating!" she complained in a whisper as she came to her knees and took a crayon in hand, setting straight to the task of scribbling across the floor. It was not only her work, apparently, as many words had been written in hands quite different from her own nearby, all surrounding the same sloppy rose.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha gave a minor start when he spoke, a rather gloomy and dismayed expression overtaking her. This showed as she spoke, her voice being drained of any emotion or enthusiasm she had shown before, "Mayfairs are easily the greatest of all witches. Naturally, if one is going to study witches, they should pay the most attention to the most powerful. But Mayfairs have always found them annoying and some even considered them a threat. Several Talamascan who have attempted to contact members of the family were never heard from again. So they've decided in the backs of their minds that we have something to hide, and that makes them want information on us even more, regardless of how much we try to ward them away." She stopped here, a little sound emitting from her as if she had attempted a new word but it had died in her throat. "As I've said---as anyone in this city will say," she continued immediately, "Between most vampires and witches of this city, it's war. There's a natural hatred that just won't die within some." She did finally stop here, standing still with uncertainty for a moment before turning and departing the room, leaving the door open for when Vikteren chose to emerge. It was hard to say if she was upset or angry; her emotions were for the most part quite well masked.
Instead of turning and heading for her room, Antha started up the stairs and finally into the attic, a large and decaying room where the sheets over everything were stale white and the wooden floors and walls glowed a ghostly gray. Behind her the door creaked slowly closed, left but a couple of inches ajar, as she stalked over to the middle of the room where a gathering of red crayons had been discarded. "Utterly frustrating!" she complained in a whisper as she came to her knees and took a crayon in hand, setting straight to the task of scribbling across the floor. It was not only her work, apparently, as many words had been written in hands quite different from her own nearby, all surrounding the same sloppy rose.

Vikteren watched her go, expression unreadable, debating over whether or not to follow her. If he had offended her in some way with his inquiries, or brought to mind unpleasant thoughts, it might be best to let her alone. Yet there were still so many questions to ask. Vikteren had not been in a large city like this for quite some time, and so much had changed... He remained unmoving for several minutes, listening to her move about overhead. But there wasn't any point in staying here. The vampire did not feel--unwanted, but there was a sense of discomfort lingering where so many Mayfairs looked on. And it took quite a lot to discomfort a vampire. Finally he left the room, went into the hall, and watched the stairs.