|
Post by Circe on Nov 9, 2019 17:18:00 GMT -6
The court, still new and in it's infancy was in a state of flux. As the old was set aside to usher in the new, anything that risked disturbing it's equilibrium and tenuous peace was swiftly dealt with. The new Ra and his heir tolerated little if anything that would undermine their positions in the court, and courtiers new and old alike were very swiftly reminded of this. It was not with violence, but with cunning, charm, and at times a not so subtle reminder of just what the old lines were capable of. The courtiers soon came to understand that their mistakes would result in not torture, but starvation and a slow descent into madness after the removal of their fangs. Grigoire and his daughter Catherine, held little affection for the kind of courtier that risked placing themselves and the court in danger. They believed that above all, service to the court and it's ideals was what vampire-kind should be striving for. There were no blood donations, and few consensual donors to feed on; instead Grigoire believed that a vampire should hunt for its meals, like any other predator.
Meanwhile, it had been some weeks since the mistake that had turned Tyrus into one of the Dragon Court's newest fledglings. Most who worked with the mage either directly or passing, thought and said little about the new hours or eating habits as they had always found him a bit eccentric even for the unseen. To ask would have violated one of the Unseen's most cherished precepts, to not ask or tell for the safety of others. It was widely understood that if you knew about the unseen or were involved with the community, that you shared a part in keeping the rest of it safe.
Despite the fact that the unseen had been revealed once again to mankind, there was still a great deal of work to do to put aside much of the confirmation bias that the mundane human world held in regards to it. While film, books, and television had done a great deal towards normalizing some of it, many mundane were still frightened by the fact that the stuff of the fairy tales they were told as a child actually existed. More than likely the vampire courts and their nature did little to assuage this for the mundane, but in many ways it couldn't be helped.
Tonight however, Catherine had decided to put the court's newest member through his paces whether he liked it or not.
"Father is anxious to hear how you are getting along adjusting," Catherine had informed the other earlier in the week over the phone. Meeting in person would have required her to step foot into Broadmoore again, and that was something she was not prepared to do mentally. Regardless of Tyrus appointed as it's newest director, she didn't care to have to entertain those dark thoughts right then and there. After all, they would be waiting for her when she fell asleep and when she woke up, or found herself with little to occupy her mind and time.
"Meet me on this coming Friday the next city over. I need a...hm... benchmark of your skills at the moment."
Catherine had given Tyrus the address of the bar she had selected, it would be full of rowdy drunks on payday. Many of them too drunk to even think straight. The idea was to teach Tyrus how to control himself in a crowd, and how to use the psionic gifts to his advantage in obtaining a meal.
|
|
|
Post by demikara on Nov 9, 2019 17:27:42 GMT -6
Tyrus double checked the address and stepped inside, looking for Catherine. He already had a headache from the wonders of humans thinking entirely too loud, but his shielding helped a little bit with it. It was definitely a test of his skills. Given this was supposed to be a benchmark of his skills, he had removed the talisman he had been using to supplement his skills, though it was currently in his pocket in case he needed relief.
'Catherine?' No need to shout when he could just think and know she'd catch it. He headed up to the bar and ordered a soda, glad that was even an option. This was going to be a test of his skills in more than one way. He didn't exactly want to be an alcoholic vampire after all, but a place like this offered entirely too much temptation.
He intended on passing this test though. Long experience told him he didn't want to upset the Ra of the court. Even though this was a different Ra, he was certain the same held true. Hopefully this test would include a meal. He was getting hungry and would much rather be out hunting for a meal than playing along with a benchmark.
Still, it wouldn't do to upset Grigore.
|
|
|
Post by Circe on Nov 9, 2019 17:48:16 GMT -6
"There you are!" Catherine exclaimed showing up a few moments later. She had known he was there as soon as he had stepped into the building, as it was mostly humans in the bar tonight. Though she could sense a few others, she hadn't yet taken the time to determine what they were or if they would be a problem. "I was afraid you weren't going to show." She commented as she turned to order herself a drink.
Dressed for the bars and dance halls in Ft. Worth, instead of the glitz and glam that Dallas was known for. A pair of tight jeans, boots, and a low cut blouse. Her clothing choice was similar to the other women in the bar, but perhaps there was more of it. An antique gold coin sat on a chain around her neck, calling attention to the swathe of fair skin visible above the low cut neckline of her shirt. "Tonight will be an easy night." Catherine explained to Tyrus. Grigoire wanted her to test him, and so she would, but she wouldn't be nearly as cruel as her father would have liked. The mage now turned vampire was good enough at getting himself in trouble without her help.
|
|
|
Post by demikara on Nov 9, 2019 18:02:15 GMT -6
He smiled. At least they were both dressed more casually for this, whatever this was. When he had found out it was a bar, he had dressed for a bar, looking more like a cowboy than most would think. A stylish one though, and he had skipped the hat and left the majority of his stones at home. "That's good. I've got the charm if I start to get overwhelmed."
He looked around and sipped at his drink. He didn't recognize anyone, but Ft. Worth was a big area. "They're giving me a bit of a headache, but it's more like a background murmur than screaming. So there has been progress." It wasn't perfect, but he could go out in public without his charm and that was a big improvement over the first few days where he had been heavily dependent on the charm and meditation. His work had definitely suffered since he had become a vampire.
Tyrus offered a nearby human a charming smile and she giggled and blushed. He looked away, ignoring her now. Maybe she'd be a good meal later, but he'd rather get the test done with before eating.
|
|
|
Post by Circe on Nov 9, 2019 18:20:00 GMT -6
"That's better than it has been." Catherine commented picking up her drink and giving the bar tender a few dollars tip. "I figured that this would be a good choice, besides they're all drunk and stupid. It's pay day for a lot of them from what I've been able to tell." She added taking a sip of her drink. For now she was content on watching and waiting, she hadn't yet found a meal herself. She wasn't terribly hungry yet and still had Tyrus to manage.
"The headaches go away eventually, but they can come back if you're not careful." That meant being careful to eat enough, and get enough sleep. Though there were times when that was the ideal and one had to settle for whatever they could get. Being stretched thin at times only made matters worse, and she had certainly had her moments with Tyrus. He hadn't exactly had an easy adjustment, despite being raised by the previous court as a human.
Peering at the woman Tyrus had smiled at, she thought for a moment. From what she knew about the other, he wasn't exactly given to having relationships of any romantic sort with anyone at all. "I didn't think she was your type."
|
|
|
Post by demikara on Nov 9, 2019 18:29:27 GMT -6
"She isn't." He said. "But a meal's a meal." And that's all she would be. He tended to avoid relationships entirely. He didn't have time for it and during his more adventurous years, there was no bringing someone home to see the parents. That much was still true. There was no bringing someone home for him, even if he had the time.
He didn't even know if he had a romantic type. He had never felt the urge. "Shielding isn't yet second nature." But he was working on it. Hopefully they'd be satisfied with his progress given he was literally practicing his every waking moment. "Do the headaches stop once it is?" That would be nice. He sipped his soda and debated on getting a beer. One beer wouldn't do much harm, surely, and he'd blend in a bit better.
|
|
|
Post by Circe on Nov 9, 2019 18:45:16 GMT -6
Catherine looked at Tyrus dubiously, but kept her mouth shut and sipped at her drink instead. She found it hard to believe that he hadn't had his own adventures in the department of romance and one night stands, but then again he had almost been as sheltered as she had; except for longer. She supposed that bringing home someone meant that they were likely to be a meal for the previous Ra and his partner, not a night of indulgence for Tyrus. "It will come." She stated dryly. Tyrus was one of the most impatient individuals she'd ever come across, except for Brandon and she had just foisted him onto Tyrus once she figured out how; claiming she wasn't even qualified to teach the boy anything. It had been a lie, but that was during a time when things were still very much uncertain with Izaak.
It was true, she didn't care. Sure enough, Walther had given her hell for not being choosy, but neither were the fae with their partners. They had partners to ensure a lineage didn't die out, but they also had lovers of either sex. It was a hold over from the ancient world where some of these things were less likely to cause an outrage.
"It takes time, and fortunately that is something you have these days in excess." Catherine explained. Long lived creatures like herself saw time as more of a fluid ebb and flow than a strict delineation of space. "Go find yourself someone, see if you can't convince them to go to dinner." She instructed.
|
|
|
Post by demikara on Nov 9, 2019 18:54:10 GMT -6
He had just been ordered to go find a date. Brilliance. "My dinner or theirs?" Moot point. An order was an order and he slipped into the crowd to find a likely meal. Time was something he had in excess and that was something he was going to have to get used to. This felt more than a little ridiculous but it wasn't long before he was talking to a woman, charming her to the best of his ability.
She wasn't his type. He preferred harder bodies than hers, if he thought about it, but she'd be fine for a meal, or possibly a night out. He was hardly going to pick someone up in a bar for more than that after all.
|
|
|
Level Up
Nov 9, 2019 19:22:17 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Circe on Nov 9, 2019 19:22:17 GMT -6
"Really?" Catherine sighed with exasperation. Something she wondered if Tyrus was deliberately obtuse or just that clueless. She watched him go off and blend into the crowd. Catherine just hoped that her confidence in him passing this initial test wasn't misplaced.
Now it was her turn, and it didn't take long before she found what she was looking for. Tonight it was a young man who had been looking at her for most of the night from across the bar, and with his friends goading him on she didn't need any other encouragement.
Approaching him and offering a coy, yet charming smile. Drawing him in was easy, and so was keeping his attention. Soon the pair where twirling and two-stepping across the dance floor. Catherine clearly enjoying herself, her partner none the wiser of his impending fate.
|
|
|
Post by demikara on Nov 9, 2019 19:42:52 GMT -6
It didn't take long to pull her to the dance floor, to flirt and seduce. She was sweet enough and he almost regretted what he was going to do to her. Just enough to make her lightheaded, he decided. He could find another meal if he was still hungry. He should have the control to do that. He hoped. The mage was sure he could do it.
He smiled and took his time. A good meal should be savored, and frankly, she was human and he hadn't been non-human long enough to be truly comfortable with this, despite the mercenary way he was raised. There was a ping of concern and he kept it from his face as he tried to at least make her night. It didn't take long for her to grow tired and he led her to the bar, to give her something to drink and relax a bit more with.
Was this supposed to be his test? Dinner out?
His head was pounding though and his smile weakened. Keeping his shields up with the constant assault on them was difficult. He should have made his excuses, some how. As if excuses would be accepted by the court. "Come with me." He murmured and led the woman outside. The press was a little better out here, and he gently kissed her, seducing her further from the bar and to his car.
She was a fool to go for this, but it helped his headache.
|
|
|
Level Up
Nov 9, 2019 21:41:09 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Circe on Nov 9, 2019 21:41:09 GMT -6
The point of the evening was to test Tyrus's ability to keep control over himself in a crowded public place like the bar, and so far from what Catherine could tell he was doing just fine.
She and her own partner made another round on the on the floor, before going back to order another drink. "You know, you're a really great dancer." She told the man, offers He was young and tall, with sandy hair and blue eyes. The type of guy that some girls would have done anything to be with. To Catherine he was just an easy target and an even easier meal. He just smiled and thanked her, asking if she would like another drink.
Whispering in his ear, she smiled, laughed and feigned modesty. Catherine could easily see the kind things that came to her meal's mind at the mention of certain things; one of them scoring himself more than just a pretty girl on his arm for the evening.
Knowing that she took full advantage, and lead her partner to a dark corner away from his friends. He was too drunk and besotted to even notice that the kisses had slowly moved away from his mouth towards his neck. "You know..." Catherine purred as she allowed her hands to wander across the rest of his body. He was held in a trance, and there was little he could do to save himself from her grasp. "We could always..." She continued, feigning delight in her meal's on wandering hands. "Move outside." Catherine added, giving him yet another coy smile.
She still couldn't see Tyrus, but had yet to sense anything that would tell her otherwise. Catherine felt safe in assuming that her fledgling was doing fine on his own.
Taking her intended victim by the hand, she led him out of the bar and into the parking lot, not far off from her own car.
|
|
|
Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 9:58:09 GMT -6
Tyrus and his meal began to make out and he slowly moved to her neck. A quiet spell kept her complacent and he nipped and then bit, drinking deeply. His victim moaned and he ignored that as he drank. He was so hungry. Unthinking, he kept drinking until a hand pulled him away from her. The girl dropped without his support, unconscious, and Tyrus pulled away, just managing to dodge a fist. "What the hell!" He had been eating here. It should just look like they were making out too.
"We don't appreciate bloodsuckers at our bar." A man said and Tyrus frowned, moving out of range of the man. He bumped into another man and mentally groaned as he looked around. Three men surrounded him and this was not good at all. "This bar is for werewolves, not for filthy vampires. I think you need to learn a lesson." A threw another punch and this one hit, if only because Tyrus had been grabbed by the one he had bumped into.
Seriously, what the hell. He did not need to deal with this shit, and now his jaw hurt. The mage broke free of the vampire holding him and pulled away only to be pushed back in by the third. Three against one when he had to keep the magic relatively quiet was not a battle he was going to enjoy. 'Catherine, we chose the wrong bar.' He snarled and pulled away again, and cast a shield to keep them from grabbing him a third time. It didn't change the fact that he was surrounded but it would help some. 'Werewolves apparently infest this one.'
Some werewolves were just fine. Others were like these three and were total idiots.
|
|
|
Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 10:22:38 GMT -6
Catherine had just about to begin her own meal when Tyrus interrupted it. 'Oh for fucks sake...' She groaned. No one side had a claim on any particular business, bar, or establishment. It had been made explicitly clear that the Dragon Court would continue to enjoy their hunting rights, as would the other courts due to the fact that it did absolutely nothing to the territory of the werewolves. Extricating herself from the meal was a task in of itself, as the man was seemingly unhappy to stop their makeout session that had been promised to lead elsewhere. Catherine promised to come back, but it was a lie and a half. 'How many are there?' She asked.
Claiming territory this far outside of the reach of the pack was worrisome, hopefully it was only just a few juveniles looking for some fun. But given how the Cedar Ridge pack had held an anti vampire or rather anti anyone in the unseen, it stood to reason that this was possibly the same group that had given her trouble earlier in the year. 'See if you can't move them to that empty area back towards the empty lot, I'm on my way.' Catherine's experience as a warden could be useful some days, and this being one of them. She knew that Dallas was currently without a warden or even really specialist group, and no officers were going to respond to a fight with werewolves this late. But she also really had no desire to deal with collateral damage either.
|
|
|
Level Up
Nov 10, 2019 10:33:56 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by demikara on Nov 10, 2019 10:33:56 GMT -6
'Three and I'm on it. ' Seriously he did not like the local pack. They were a bunch of assholes. How the hell did they even think they could claim a bar. This was ridiculous. Tyrus moved and got out of the circle he had been surrounded by, heading to the clearing Catherine had indicated. Like good dogs the three followed behind him, chasing him down. Tyrus decided he was really enjoying the enhanced speed he now had. It made a difference.
"Come on puppies. Catch up." He taunted and stopped in the clearing. He received three snarls for his trouble and he gave them a fanged grin. They ganged up on him again and Tyrus threw himself in the fist fight. He could handle one of those though being out numbered meant he took more hits than he could dodge. Cedar Ridge fought dirty and he was unimpressed by it. Then again, he'd do the exact same thing.
The three surrounded him again and it felt like one hit on them was met by two punches. This was the opposite of fun but it did look like they had some strategic sense. It didn't matter how strong he was if he was out numbered and couldn't wittle the numbers down. He was loathe to use his magic more than subtly though. It tended to be more flashy than was safe at a mundane location.
|
|
|
Post by Circe on Nov 10, 2019 10:51:18 GMT -6
"Brisingr!" the words followed the sound and light of one of Catherine's few favored spells. The oppressive weight and feeling of veil magic wasn't far behind either as a searing flames shot past the three werewolves and dissipated, leaving the smell of heat and ozone. The fire spell was classified as minor on the fae scale of things, and was really just a trick to light fires in a hurry. But raised by a knight and the commander of the seelie armies, Catherine had been taught to use such things in offensive capacities when necessary.
There were few in Dallas who could and would use such magic, and the three troublemakers obviously didn't remember. "I thought I told you three sons of bitches to get lost months ago." She insulted. They obviously hadn't listened, or they wouldn't be there looking for a fight to pick with a vampire. Two against three still wasn't a fair fight. Catherine was obviously pissed off, having little chance at a meal now that she was having to pull Tyrus out of trouble.
|
|