Down to the river to pray - Open

[Christine Daye]

Have I come to stab them in the heart and cast them to the sea? Lady Avon, will you aid me?

Christine, dressed property in her traditional green, gloved and with her top hat veil pulled to shade her face, looked out over the weir, listening to the white noise of the water as it fell. Idly she hummed, weaving her voice with the sound of the water, high, low, imitating the noises she heard around her.

All the while her gloved fingers were twisting around each other, clenching tight.

...black is the colour... I know my love is an arrant rover... I wish I were on yonder hill... and I run from wolves... bury my heart underneath these trees... down to the river to pray...

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius emerges out of the shadows. He had been hunting for something to eat, his specific tastes were catered for in an establishment not far from here. He hadn’t expected to see Christine on this outing, or any vampire at all to be frank. But not wanting to let an opportunity like this pass he decides to make an appearance.

On approach he nods his welcome, not wanting to disturb the singing and politely waits for her to finish.

“Magnificat Miss Daye! I am not sure if you were performing for anyone in particular, but you would forgive me my presumption, such words deserve an audience. It dawns on me that every time we speak it has been in unusual circumstances, would you be happy for us to converse for some time?”

[Christine Daye]

If, perhaps, she had not had her senses heightened, to better hear the

...ripples in the waters of the rock pools son...

she might have been startled by Lucius' appearance. Might have literally jumped, fled, disappeared into the darkness. As it was

... I had word of your coming... this is no surprise...

she simply turned to face him, dropping into a formal courtesy, as befitting a neonate to an elder. When she rose, she smiled, bright and fae.

"Elder, what a delightful surprise! Of course I would be pleased to converse, and I am sure the conversation will be pleasant. How do you do this evening? I have come to give my respects to the Lady of the Waters...." she slips again into soft song "... I can feel the tide pulling in the rain and the wind is surely rising..."

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius matches Christine’s curtsey with a bow. He wasn’t used to doing it. In fact, the pomp and pedantry that accompanied this era Lucius found entirely unnecessary, as if deliberately thought up to suck the life out of social interaction. But, clearly, Christine thought differently and politeness is one of the few social norms that was truly timeless.

“What do you see in these waters?” Lucius asks with visible disgust. “I see the same sight I see in every city of this age. Polluted water that makes a mockery of Danu, her love, sensuality, and fertility. I suppose from one point of view there is an analogy here for the way the kine, are treating the world. But I am Ventrue, the ability to garner truths from abstract portents present in polluted waters is not in our blood. I would welcome your own incite if I may be so bold as to ask?”

[Christine Daye]

At first, Christine treats Lucius with the deferential wariness that is proper and expected to be due to an elder from a neonate, nevermind mind the... special circumstances... that hover around this particular neonate, like the lingering notes of her harp. But when he mentions the Goddess, she smiles, absolutely and completely delighted, and her wariness evaporates.

"What do I see?" she murmurs. "I will tell you, and you may mock if you wish, and I will not get upset, for it is not fashionable to speak of what I will speak of...."

She looks out across the waters, watching how the lights reflect in the ripples, even as the scum is carried away downstream. In the night there is no colour to the water, only a flowing, oily darkness.

"I see hope. I see Danu's blessing. I see that even though man pours its waste into the waters, they still flow. Even though man constrains with walls, the waters still flow, still break the banks, still flood. Even though there are those who would bend their will to poison or break or defile us, we endure and will flow ever onwards... ever... until the sea... as near to heaven by sea as by land... so we sail to seek our fortune in the New Age..."

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius looks thoughtful. “There is a truth to that. I forget the proto-ino-european root of Danu, dʰenh₂ is to run, to flow. The tenets of Danu are deeper than the nomenclature, I am well aware and I don’t mean to denigrate her by suggesting otherwise. But the many aspects of the goddess are often transitory, in flux, like this river. To be like this river, even in its polluted state is to embrace her tenants.”

Lucius smiles,

“Thank you, Christine. I saw but did not see, perhaps I spend too much time in the company of my clanmates. It has dulled my mind somewhat I think”.

[Christine Daye]

Christine smiles.

"Dulled your mind? Oh no, I doubt that very much indeed elder. And I am old enough to realise that wisdom can be found everywhere, in the ripples of the waters and the flight of the birds... yea even in the meanderings and machinations of the Clan of Kings..."

She flings her hand out in dramatic fashion, spins on the spot, laughing, her skirts flaring out at the hem as she spins. But then she stops abruptly, and smoothes her skirts, restoring herself to proper decorum.

"... ahem... yes... but what do I know...? For I am just a mad woman with a harp and a voice to make mortals weep..."

She tilts her head as if listening for a moment. Then:

"If I may, what brings you to the river tonight? Are you seeking something? If so, may I assist?"

[Lucius Servius]

“More than mortals I seem to recall. There was nothing, in particular, I wished to discuss, by coincidence I spotted you and simply wished to converse. I apologize if I have disturbed your contemplation – but speaking selfishly I don’t regret it in the slightest.”

“Before I leave is there any assistance or incite I may provide you? Consider it recompense on my behalf for disturbing you.”

[Christine Daye]

Christine laughs.

"Oh, you do like playing on the edge, don't you? To make such a sweeping offer to one such as I? I could ask for so many things... the colour of your hair... your true name... your deepest desire or most trivial secret... I could ask for the crescent moon to adorn my hair... or a rose from the Queen's own gardens... or a blank page from a Usurper's private diary..."

She laughs again, then suddenly goes very serious.

"But there is no obligation here, only time passing like the waters below. Tell me a tale... that is my request. Simple or complicated, it matters not. For all tales are true, if one has the wit to understand."

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius knelt in the grass, considering Christine’s request.

“I’ll tell you a story that was passed to me long ago. It concerns a man in far off but noble kingdom. Our protagonist was nobly born. In fact, he was born of the highest mortal aristocracy and was destined to be a leader in their republic. However, this land had a strange custom, one that may seem odd to many a civilised person. It was the way in this society for women of significant strength would have their pick of males as mates. So it was that our protagonist was selected by the most powerful of woman. However, for all her undoubted strength she was not of his land, and had no respect for its customs and traditions. In this backward society, our protagonist served his woman as best as he could, with everything he could. However, for all his dedication his woman did not love him back, exploiting her mate for his political influence and planting the seeds of desolation. So it was that the republic that our protagonist so loved and cherished was destroyed ironically through his own deeds. As a final insult his mate released him from her service casting him adrift to find his own way.

Lucius pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts.

“So this is what our protagonist did. He traveled to a far and distant land, as far from his mate as he could go. Here he had heard that one had taken the name of an empire our protagonist had helped build though fire, sword and speech. It was in this land that he discovered the degeneracy of this fraud who called himself the bull and conferred onto himself the title of Godhood. Witnessing the rape and public flogging of the wise king’s daughter, our protagonist did slay the one responsible: the Bulls child Artorius Castus. In recompense, he pledged himself to the wise king providing him with the body of the Bulls child. Unfortunately, evil was to prevail and the wise king was to be struck down, however, whilst all the wise kings followers were to dissert him only our protagonist remained loyal. For he was unable to accept that good should not prevail over evil, so to this day remains loyal, waiting.”

Lucius laughs playfully “Sorry, perhaps a little on the nose?”