The Talamasca Motherhouse

[Rynn Calais]

.David Talbot.

Aaron set his eyes upon Rynn, a quite nearly puzzled expression to his face. "I want to record the process," he said simply, as if it were somehow implied. "As Singe said, there's nothing in the archives about how one might disperse a phantom. This may very well be the only chance we ever have to record a method." Quickly he turned to Singe, making a small motion for him to stand. Only grudgingly did the boy consent and rise to his feet, hands shoved in his pockets for lack of anything to do. "Go fetch Atticus and ask him for some candles and a ceremony goblet." Singe, seeing this as his only way of escape for some time, raced off down the hall before Aaron changed his mind.

Despite himself, he smiled. "My youngest sister would've liked you. She was forever ensnarled in a web of her own making--she loved secrets and intrigues and forbidden knowledge, and it got her into a lot of trouble amongst our brothers and I. She wanted to join the Talamasca when she grew old enough." It was strange to speak so plainly of Mary, in this fashion, to an utter stranger who wouldn't hesitate to take down every word he said for future reference. But it didn't matter, did it? They didn't even know who Mary Calais had been. "She would sit in the library for hours, reading through huge musty old volumes of--" a brief laugh, "--horrible rituals. It was never too gruesome for her, since she regarded even the most sadistic as scientific above all else."  

[ninja of Persia]

Sabata reappeared floating over the motherhouse. Gently coming to rest in front of the great doors. He glanced behind him and entered.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

The moment Antha threw open the doors she returned instantly and instinctively into the cunning little occultist form of herself that all the members of the Talamasca outside of her little court so loathed and feared all at once. "David!" she called out loudly as she approached the stairs, her hand resting momentarily on the rail before she turned and set her eyes fixedly on the witch boy she had never met before, a wicked smile touching her lips. "I hope you don't mind, Aaron," she said softly with a little gesture of her hand towards the doors, "But I brought a friend along." Why, Aaron, she began teasingly in the little mental voice that drove him crazy, He's just adorable. I'm surprised you haven't locked him up to keep him all to yourself. But then, that would be selfish. She laughed aloud, though very vaguely, and flashed her eyes at him. "Vikteren, please come meet Aaron," she began suddenly, voice softer than it was only moments ago.

 

[ninja of Persia]

Sabata had just enterd when he saw Antha and the other person enter. Quickly moving over to one side, he watched her talk to Aaron. Even if he wasn't one of the oldest and most experienced vampires, he would have been able to tell that something was going on between the two of them. He hoped this wouldn't turn into a fight, it wasn't that he couldn't hold his own in one, but he didn't ant that to happen this close to his goal.  

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

The moment Antha threw open the doors she returned instantly and instinctively into the cunning little occultist form of herself that all the members of the Talamasca outside of her little court so loathed and feared all at once. "David!" she called out loudly as she approached the stairs, her hand resting momentarily on the rail before she turned and set her eyes fixedly on the witch boy she had never met before, a wicked smile touching her lips. "I hope you don't mind, Aaron," she said softly with a little gesture of her hand towards the doors, "But I brought a friend along." Why, Aaron, she began teasingly in the little mental voice that drove him crazy, He's just adorable. I'm surprised you haven't locked him up to keep him all to yourself. But then, that would be selfish. She laughed aloud, though very vaguely, and flashed her eyes at him. "Vikteren, please come meet Aaron," she began suddenly, voice softer than it was only moments ago.

Standing a little ways from the pair of them, Rynn froze, tensing at the entry of the red-haired girl. Immediately, almost instinctually, he drew every tendril, every questing strand of his power back into himself, weaving it into a fine, tight mesh of don't-notice, don't-touch, don't-look. Antha Mayfair. The one person that he hadn't wanted to run into, and the first one they summoned. He had hoped that she would ignore the summons, disdain to be at the beck and call of such an institution as the Talamasca, but no such luck.
He could feel the faint--harmonics was the best word, he supposed--of telepathic speech, but he didn't try to listen in. It would be rude. And Rynn really didn't want to draw attention to himself.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha paused momentarily, eyes lingering on the boy before quite suddenly she had made her way over to him, standing hardly 6 inches apart. With the tips of her fingers she lifted his chin very slightly, smiling half to herself before the faintest little laugh passed through her lips, only loud enough for the boy himself to hear. "But mon cher, you're only drawing more attention to yourself," she whispered softly to him. Silently she was forced to admit to herself that she could do little more than skirt the borders of his thoughts without completely tearing his mind apart. Of course, it didn't stop her from using every little piece of information that she could gather from him there.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

The moment Antha threw open the doors she returned instantly and instinctively into the cunning little occultist form of herself that all the members of the Talamasca outside of her little court so loathed and feared all at once. "David!" she called out loudly as she approached the stairs, her hand resting momentarily on the rail before she turned and set her eyes fixedly on the witch boy she had never met before, a wicked smile touching her lips. "I hope you don't mind, Aaron," she said softly with a little gesture of her hand towards the doors, "But I brought a friend along." Why, Aaron, she began teasingly in the little mental voice that drove him crazy, He's just adorable. I'm surprised you haven't locked him up to keep him all to yourself. But then, that would be selfish. She laughed aloud, though very vaguely, and flashed her eyes at him. "Vikteren, please come meet Aaron," she began suddenly, voice softer than it was only moments ago.

If she was desiring a dramatic entrance on his part, she was to be disappointed. Vikteren had followed behind Antha quietly up until this point, keeping his inhuman grace in check, his gait to the human norm, and his hands tucked faux-casually in his pockets. For all the world, he might have been an ordinary college student. Keeping strange company. Aaron? he asked Antha, even as he gave the man a polite little nod. "Hi."
Even the usual cadence of his speech had been scrapped, reversed to reflect a 21st-century dialect and cant.  

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha paused momentarily, eyes lingering on the boy before quite suddenly she had made her way over to him, standing hardly 6 inches apart. With the tips of her fingers she lifted his chin very slightly, smiling half to herself before the faintest little laugh passed through her lips, only loud enough for the boy himself to hear. "But mon cher, you're only drawing more attention to yourself," she whispered softly to him. Silently she was forced to admit to herself that she could do little more than skirt the borders of his thoughts without completely tearing his mind apart. Of course, it didn't stop her from using every little piece of information that she could gather from him there.

He flinched back from the sound of her voice, but covered it well by tilting his head and producing a charming smile. "Miss Mayfair, is it? Forgive me--I did not mean to distract you from your conversation." His father had taught him to always be polite, even to his worst enemies.
Not that Antha Mayfair was an enemy. But nor was she an ally.
Best to play it safe.  

[.David Talbot.]

Once finished with Grave, having transferred the recorded interview to Sara, David immediately stepped outside into the smaller reception room that was meant solely for those who were assured admittance to his office. It was such tiring work sometimes, having to listen carefully for tone and watch for subtle signs while picking apart the story being told to him. Sometimes he hated it. This tired slump didn't last long though, for the distant call of Antha drew him forward like a moth. "And what, pray tell, is the princess doing here?" he asked calmly as he stepped down from the last stair, eyes searching out her figure.
Aaron was quick to take his place at David's side, whispering in his ear that when a witch boy looking for a way to get rid of a spirit had come, he had sent word for Antha. "She's at it again," the man sighed, patting his boss on the shoulder in a token of brotherly affection. Antha, the boy's not as easily swayed as most of your lovers, he replied wearily, making sure David didn't catch it lest he become offended, Please, stop harassing him. He needs your help.

 

[ninja of Persia]

Sabata noticed David enter. His eyes narrowed on the man. I NEED to speak with him. Otherwise I can never get into the files. He almost rushed over, but was stopped by the auras of the other people in the room. He could sense the power coming from Antha and her companion, as well as the other man. He decided to stay back until things cooled down.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

You're a terrible actor, she told Rynn calmly, a brief little laugh emitting from her otherwise silent lips. As she stepped back a few feet, turning to look upon the majority of the room, Antha was forced to smile a little to herself, wickedly perhaps. So many voices, so many clashing personalities and purposes...it was amusing already. "David, why were you harassing Lawrence? You know Mayfairs won't answer the phone when it's you." Again with her smile, wicked yet charming, just the way David hated it.
While David received her full attention outwardly, she was quick to turn all other attention to Vikteren. Oh bother! Not even a little of a show for them? What's the fun in this if you don't drive them insane with curiosity? They like to devour vampires like you, old world things with any hint of class. As soon as her words had been spoken to David her eyes were on Vikteren again, flashing subtly and the color rapidly becoming a pure poison shade of green.
To Aaron she directed not another word, nor any other form of acknowledgement. It was best he think she was upset over his opinions and assumptions, for that was when he stopped watching her like a hawk.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

While David received her full attention outwardly, she was quick to turn all other attention to Vikteren. Oh bother! Not even a little of a show for them? What's the fun in this if you don't drive them insane with curiosity? They like to devour vampires like you, old world things with any hint of class. As soon as her words had been spoken to David her eyes were on Vikteren again, flashing subtly and the color rapidly becoming a pure poison shade of green.

He shot her a glance that could be interpreted as clearly as a paragraph. Odd as it may seem, I prefer to keep my history private, rather than flinging it in the face of just such an organization as this for them to copy down and file away for any hapless buffoon with the right credentials to peruse for their own amusement. Vikteren didn't worry too much about whether Antha would choose to tell them what she had picked up. What he had told her was barely the tip of the iceberg--he'd been alive for a little over four hundred years, after all.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

I won't tell them anything, she began hastily, as if she hadn't even considered the idea. I'm more loyal than you might believe should one give me reason to be so. And still, it's just terrible. Of all people, David would appreciate you, yet you won't let him see you naturally. She paused, pouting just slightly, before she drowned in one of her little dramatic fits and flung herself into David's arms, having caught onto his curiosity as to the night's events. "It's such a wretched situation!" she complained to him with a forced tone of despair to her voice, "What a wicked creature Sleet is! As soon as Vikteren leaves me, you know he'll come and drag me back to his pathetic little lair." She clung tightly to him as she spoke, the folds of his shirt clutched in her frail fingers. She stole one quick glance at Vikteren as she finished, the action only visible to him. Her eyes were, rather than hopeless as they should have been given her tone, bright and thoughtfully wicked.

 

[.David Talbot.]

David was used to such reactions from her so, though he was mildly shocked for a moment, he hooked one arm around her waist and stroked her hair to calm her fake fit. "Can't you ask Khayman for help?" He had never known the great Khayman---barely glimpsed him for a few quick seconds---but he knew of his caring towards Antha and his hostility towards Sleet. "And Sleet...he isn't so very dumb that he would kidnap you again, I don't think. Unless perhaps he were completely and unforgivably outraged." He could very vividly remember his first meeting with Antha, she sitting in her hospital bed with the partially healed puncture wounds in her neck, the rope burns and blisters around her wrists, and the flesh all over her body sliced in deep cuts.
Aaron was the one to step in, grabbing David's shoulder to drag him away from his little trance. "We should work on the problems at hand first. Antha's ordeal can wait; her little undead lover can protect her for now." There was a split second in which he regretted his words, knowing very well the extent of Antha's wrath and David's slight tendency for jealousy.

 

[Vikteren]

.David Talbot.

David was used to such reactions from her so, though he was mildly shocked for a moment, he hooked one arm around her waist and stroked her hair to calm her fake fit. "Can't you ask Khayman for help?" He had never known the great Khayman---barely glimpsed him for a few quick seconds---but he knew of his caring towards Antha and his hostility towards Sleet. "And Sleet...he isn't so very dumb that he would kidnap you again, I don't think. Unless perhaps he were completely and unforgivably outraged." He could very vividly remember his first meeting with Antha, she sitting in her hospital bed with the partially healed puncture wounds in her neck, the rope burns and blisters around her wrists, and the flesh all over her body sliced in deep cuts.
Aaron was the one to step in, grabbing David's shoulder to drag him away from his little trance. "We should work on the problems at hand first. Antha's ordeal can wait; her little undead lover can protect her for now." There was a split second in which he regretted his words, knowing very well the extent of Antha's wrath and David's slight tendency for jealousy.

The temperature in the room dropped.
Several degrees.
Vikteren turned, slowly, his face excrutiatingly emotionless, and said in a tone as cold as ice and contemptuous as a count, "Pardon?"
It wasn't possible to see him move. One second he was standing several feet away from Aaron--the next he was in the middle of a full-scale invasion of his personal space, eyes green and bright as emeralds and boring into Aaron. "I don't think you meant that." he said, without changing his tone. "Because it would be extremely distressing if you did. To both Antha and I. And while it may be no more than I deserve, I believe you owe her an apology."