The Talamasca Motherhouse

[.David Talbot.]

"Someone's talking about me," Atticus commented lightly as he tugged on his itching ear.
"What...?"
"You've never heard that old myth?" Atticus smiled, giving Singe's hair a good rustle. It was nice to be filled with blood again, to have all of his vivacity restored. "To David's office?"
"Let's." While Atticus lagged along, walking comfortably along the dank halls, Singe raced forward and burst into the office in nothing flat, his feet planted in the blink of of an eye on the back of Aaron's chair. "Alrighty then. Atticus's eyes need a tune up too. Antha, you should really give 'em an upgrade." He thrust his thumb in a pointing movement over his shoulder at the door through which Atticus soon ambled through.
All Atticus could do was watch amusedly. "It's like a little party, don't you think?" He laughed lightly, taking up a momentary place before Antha with his hands clasped together as if in delight and then prayer. "We should call Nicolas! Can we, princess? Please?"
Singe paused and watched, swaying slightly as his balance wavered. "Yeah, you need to meet him already! You run around the city darting around him and his crew like he's Sleet or soemthin'." From his jacket pocket he pulled out a worn pack of cigarettes and plastic lighter which he quickly put to use.

 

[Vikteren]

.David Talbot.

"Someone's talking about me," Atticus commented lightly as he tugged on his itching ear.
"What...?"
"You've never heard that old myth?" Atticus smiled, giving Singe's hair a good rustle. It was nice to be filled with blood again, to have all of his vivacity restored. "To David's office?"
"Let's." While Atticus lagged along, walking comfortably along the dank halls, Singe raced forward and burst into the office in nothing flat, his feet planted in the blink of of an eye on the back of Aaron's chair. "Alrighty then. Atticus's eyes need a tune up too. Antha, you should really give 'em an upgrade." He thrust his thumb in a pointing movement over his shoulder at the door through which Atticus soon ambled through.
All Atticus could do was watch amusedly. "It's like a little party, don't you think?" He laughed lightly, taking up a momentary place before Antha with his hands clasped together as if in delight and then prayer. "We should call Nicolas! Can we, princess? Please?"
Singe paused and watched, swaying slightly as his balance wavered. "Yeah, you need to meet him already! You run around the city darting around him and his crew like he's Sleet or somethin'." From his jacket pocket he pulled out a worn pack of cigarettes and plastic lighter which he quickly put to use.

Vikteren stirred a little, raising his eyes to give the little circle of people due consideration. "I believe that most 'parties' of this day and age involve less occult discussions and more merrymaking and petty vandalization." he commented dryly. And there aren't enough humans around to make it enjoyable for the vampires. Unless they would not mind sharing. he added silently, although he didn't say it. It would have been in bad taste.  

[Average Doe]

After rinsing the mug, he filled it with water and poured the contents down his throat. He ambled over to the secretary's desk and murmered something polite, sliding a pen from her collection. Jonas scribbled a phone number on the back of his hand, and returned the pen to the company of it's peers, only taking a second to exchange niceites with the woman once more.
Jonas hurried back to his dorm, and flung himself back onto the bed. He rolled over and set his clock to go off in ah hour. Exhausted, Jonas lay back and closed his eyes, fingering the ring on his left hand.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"I've met him before," Antha replied in a state of near agitation, though quickly the feeling dissolved into apathy. "But there's just something about him that I don't like." Sighing softly, she plucked the pack of cigarettes and the lighter from his pocket and claimed one for herself before hopping back up onto David's desk, looking before her at the boy vampire with a thoughtful eye. "At any rate, there's nothing more I can do about Atticus's eyes. I pushed every power and resource I had to the limit making those for him. If you'll remember, I fell ill from fatigue afterwards and lay drugged in Mayfair Manor for a month." She took a moment to light the cigarette before she tossed the lighter back at Singe. "Not to say, Atticus, that it was a bother to me. I was glad to do it for you, ducky dearest." She knew Atticus and that he was terrified of being a pestilence to anyone. Therefore she tried to exercise caution around him.

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"I've met him before," Antha replied in a state of near agitation, though quickly the feeling dissolved into apathy. "But there's just something about him that I don't like." Sighing softly, she plucked the pack of cigarettes and the lighter from his pocket and claimed one for herself before hopping back up onto David's desk, looking before her at the boy vampire with a thoughtful eye. "At any rate, there's nothing more I can do about Atticus's eyes. I pushed every power and resource I had to the limit making those for him. If you'll remember, I fell ill from fatigue afterwards and lay drugged in Mayfair Manor for a month." She took a moment to light the cigarette before she tossed the lighter back at Singe. "Not to say, Atticus, that it was a bother to me. I was glad to do it for you, ducky dearest." She knew Atticus and that he was terrified of being a pestilence to anyone. Therefore she tried to exercise caution around him.

Rynn wasted a moment with a speculative glance towards Atticus, but he quickly returned to the matter at hand. Stepping forward, he turned to Antha. "Invite this Nicholai if you must, by all means. It does not matter to me. But I'd like to know, first and foremost, when the ritual may soonest be performed." Realizing how impatient he must sound, he blushed faintly and added, "I am anxious to return my sister to herself, you understand."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha paused, gave it a moment of thought before answering. "The highest chance of success will come at midnight, the witching hour. Unfortunately we're off by a few hours here." She sighed softly and took a long drag of the cigarette trapped in her spindly fingers. "So it will have to be tomorrow. You and Atticus can get the materials from the storage rooms tomorrow evening while Singe and I prepare the chamber." At this she turned to David, the sweetest of smiles upon her lips. "Assuming, of course, that you don't mind having guests for the day."

 

[.David Talbot.]

"Of course not. The more the merrier." David had to glance at everyone in turn, glowering at everything from Singe and Atticus's simple mindedness to Vikteren's curt comments. His office was turning into a circus.
"I hate drawin' all that junk," Singe whined, jumping down from the back of the chair with a very loud thud. "And I get chalk all over my hands. Make someone else do it."
Atticus looked to him, a puzzled yet thoughtful expression on his face. "But I need Rynn's help in the storage rooms because you always destroy everything and Aaron and David never, never, never go down there and you know they're not going to help Antha when they can sit there writing down her every move." He paused and chuckled to himself for a moment. "So you have to do it."

 

[Vikteren]

.David Talbot.

"Of course not. The more the merrier." David had to glance at everyone in turn, glowering at everything from Singe and Atticus's simple mindedness to Vikteren's curt comments. His office was turning into a circus.
"I hate drawin' all that junk," Singe whined, jumping down from the back of the chair with a very loud thud. "And I get chalk all over my hands. Make someone else do it."
Atticus looked to him, a puzzled yet thoughtful expression on his face. "But I need Rynn's help in the storage rooms because you always destroy everything and Aaron and David never, never, never go down there and you know they're not going to help Antha when they can sit there writing down her every move." He paused and chuckled to himself for a moment. "So you have to do it."

Vikteren raised his head slightly. "If Singe would prefer to spend his time otherwise, I would not mind taking his place." he said, in a quiet voice that nontheless carried across the room. In his time spent with his sire, Vikteren had learned many of the old protective wardings--simple, lacking in subtlety, but immensely effective. He felt certain that he would was capable of reproducing any sigils that the rite might require--and he'd only be in the way, otherwise.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"It's fine with me," Antha replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. "Just as long as I'm not scribbling all over the walls by myself then I'm fine." She gave Vikteren a quick smile, grateful perhaps, before hopping down and taking a good look at the book spines wallpapering the room. "David, ducky, did you move the book Khayman gave you? I need it." Though she knew it wasn't there, her finger ran slowly along the large, worn spines and old leather coverings. David was fascinated by some of the most boring things, or so Antha reminded herself as she glanced over the faded embedded writing.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"It's fine with me," Antha replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. "Just as long as I'm not scribbling all over the walls by myself then I'm fine." She gave Vikteren a quick smile, grateful perhaps, before hopping down and taking a good look at the book spines wallpapering the room. "David, ducky, did you move the book Khayman gave you? I need it." Though she knew it wasn't there, her finger ran slowly along the large, worn spines and old leather coverings. David was fascinated by some of the most boring things, or so Antha reminded herself as she glanced over the faded embedded writing.

You seemed to have no trouble with it in your attic. Or perhaps you are merely more comfortable with scribbling all over floors?
Vikteren's eyes were set on her as she browsed the shelves, the brazen green of absinthe. He hadn't commented on it while at her house--he had followed her enough in there.
Anyways, if it was something he wasn't supposed to know about, it would be impolite of her to set him on fire in David's office.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

There were a few moments, very long ones, in which the air seemed still and the world silent. Antha's eyes focused on Vikteren in a haze of utter fury, the lines in the irises of her eyes shifting strangely in a way that a normal human's irises could not. The windowpanes rattled faintly as if in storm, the papers on David's desk fluttered, and the book held in Antha's long fingers was in danger of complete destruction. How rude. She turned the book around, slid it back into place as her hair fell as a veil over her eyes. You should be careful...Stray Dog will come to gobble up the naughty children, you know. As she turned, made her way to the door, the worn paper in her pocket throbbed powerfully like driven by a heart. "Singe, ducky, come. We'll deal with this on the morrow." She gave one last look over her shoulder as she passed through the door, emerald eyes as hard and shiny as the gems for which they were colored as they watched Vikteren.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

There were a few moments, very long ones, in which the air seemed still and the world silent. Antha's eyes focused on Vikteren in a haze of utter fury, the lines in the irises of her eyes shifting strangely in a way that a normal human's irises could not. The windowpanes rattled faintly as if in storm, the papers on David's desk fluttered, and the book held in Antha's long fingers was in danger of complete destruction. How rude. She turned the book around, slid it back into place as her hair fell as a veil over her eyes. You should be careful...Stray Dog will come to gobble up the naughty children, you know. As she turned, made her way to the door, the worn paper in her pocket throbbed powerfully like driven by a heart. "Singe, ducky, come. We'll deal with this on the morrow." She gave one last look over her shoulder as she passed through the door, emerald eyes as hard and shiny as the gems for which they were colored as they watched Vikteren.

I'm hardly a child anymore.
The vampire couldn't resist the parting remark as she left, his voice lingering in her mind. Four hundred years walking the bounds of this earth, and she threatened him as one might an irritating younger cousin. He would have been incensed, had he not been so very...
Intrigued.
The look in Antha's eyes was so wholly out of character for her that--for an instant--he was tempted to follow the two of them.
Instead, he turned to David, slightly inclining his head. He would let her alone for now. "I beg your pardon--but would it be possible to allow me use of one of your rooms for the night?" he inquired, as nonchalantly as was possible.  

[.David Talbot.]

Singe gave only a small goodbye salute as he flipped from the chair and ran after his princess. "Night night everyone. Don't let the ghoulies gobble you up in your sleep!" He flashed his eyes quickly at Vikteren as he laughed, being the only one besides Antha that knew that he had no idea what she was talking about. As a Talamascan, what Antha did behind closed doors was a mystery to him.
Meanwhile, David, pressed tightly into the back of his chair since the first rattle of the windows, tried to force himself to relax. "Hmm?" In pure distraction he straightened his papers, ran his hand nervously through his hair, let his eyes scan the spine of the book she had held. "A room? Yes, anyone here who would like to stay may do so. I don't mind." He stood, quickly smoothed down his shirt in a movement screaming distraction, nervousness. "Bloody hell, what has her so riled up?" He wasn't entirely aware that eh was voicing these words aloud, or that anyone but Aaron could hear him.

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

In the hallway, beyond closed doors, Antha paused, her hands to her hips, and gave the boy vampire a good, long stare. "You shouldn't be eavesdropping, dear. It's particularly rude." A faint grin touched her lips as she thought on this, drew closer to him. "Of course, you don't even know what I was talking about, do you?" Her head shook from side to side, scarlet ringlets bouncing about like leashed butterflies. "Though I suppose you played it off rather well."

 

[Vikteren]

.David Talbot.

Singe gave only a small goodbye salute as he flipped from the chair and ran after his princess. "Night night everyone. Don't let the ghoulies gobble you up in your sleep!" He flashed his eyes quickly at Vikteren as he laughed, being the only one besides Antha that knew that he had no idea what she was talking about. As a Talamascan, what Antha did behind closed doors was a mystery to him.
Meanwhile, David, pressed tightly into the back of his chair since the first rattle of the windows, tried to force himself to relax. "Hmm?" In pure distraction he straightened his papers, ran his hand nervously through his hair, let his eyes scan the spine of the book she had held. "A room? Yes, anyone here who would like to stay may do so. I don't mind." He stood, quickly smoothed down his shirt in a movement screaming distraction, nervousness. "Bloody hell, what has her so riled up?" He wasn't entirely aware that eh was voicing these words aloud, or that anyone but Aaron could hear him.

"You honestly expect any of us to know?" he said, smoothly avoiding the question as he crossed to the spot before the bookcase that Antha had held, picking up the book and returning it to it's proper place on the shelf. Then the vampire turned to face David. For some reason--perhaps his unsettled state of mind--the natural grace of his movements, too fluid and quick for anything mortal, stood out unnecessarily against the utterly mundane background of the office. Mundane, that was, if you didn't know whose office it was, and where. "Will I need a key?" he asked calmly, attempting to draw David's mind to the matters at hand. Instinct told him that it was not wise to let the Talamascans dwell overlong on the incident.