Down to the river to pray - Open

[Bronwyn93]

Angelina had been out, enjoying the spring evening air, the subtle fragrances that betrayed the change in the seasons. The soft still of the evening only punctuated by the occasional voices brought on the breeze. Was that singing too? A few notes had caught her attention but it had been cut before she could seek out the source.

However the slight raised voices in the air seemed to come from the same place, and the neonate frowned, starting in the direction it had come from. They didn't go on for long, but even once they had stopped Angelina continued in the direction just to make sure everything was alright.

When she was close enough she started to recognise the voices, and smiled, though one voice in the mix nearly made her turn to leave as she heard it. It would be fine. It would be.

Once she was close enough to see them all standing talking, she did hesitate, cautious to intrude on what was potentially a meeting or something.

[Lucius Servius]

Lucius visibly winces at Christine’s use of modern Latin.

“So you are Rona…just Rhona? Well, Neonate Rhona of no family or titles as I did you the courtesy of asking for your name, I am not simply ‘elder’. I am Elder Lucius Servius, Grand Childe of Artemis, although Elder Servius would do just fine for the moment. Further, common to most in in this domain, you seem to lack for all social decorum. So I will reiterate to you as well. Outside of whatever swamp you crawled out of it is polite to address a lady by her last name unless the lady in question has given you leave to do otherwise. ”

“I’m sure the goddess cares not for any honor given by a non-believer. But it is true, the topic you do speak off has power even when uttered from the lips of the ignorant, especially in modern nights. Tell me, who was speaking of such things with you?”

Lucius doesn’t yet notice Angelina's approach.

[Jean-Jacques]

ah we have a further audience, our presence, or rather the song upon the water has called out like a siren perhaps sire, I wonder will there still be music beyond the stars

Jean-Jacques briefly glances towards where Angelina is stood, slightest of frowns as he briefly focussed then turns to Christine

Waiting for a pause, he address the earlier question

“Neonate Daye, to bathe in rippling waters indeed...a fine question, I shall consider that i am immersed though whether I am breaking toward the surface or diving deeper, I shall not know for the experience is rather...novel to me”

“I shouldn’t wonder on the powers of the flowing river, though I too profess no experience of such matters of divinity, or trinity or otherwise, but the river is a sight to behold whether in gentle flow or the torrent as is laid before us here”

“It carries forth, suspended, the detritus of the city, whilst the surface writhes and sparkles, below all is dark.....it is as if the sky at night, stars that glisten on the surface, the dark sky the deep torrent, is reflected in its mirror “

[Rhona]

With a grave nod, Rhona dips her head again before turning to Christine, still smiling warmly with a cordial and well-natured note of apology. She waits for Jean-Jacques to finish before she speaks.

The river would be a darned sight better off if it didn't happen to meander through such an up and coming city, but such an obvious observation was besides the point. She wondered if the fish choked in the murky waters closer to the main town, or whether they had just left completely - maybe some night she would try and find out. She had never tried calling on fish.

"My sincerest apologies for speaking out of turn, Miss Daye - it was my mistake for believing we had reached such a stage of familiarity from our many past conversations. Your voice and countenance a delight, as always."

She made her way a little closer to the group, taking a moment to gaze into the waters before readdressing the Ventrue. "Elder Servius. If I may, such topics have rather been the talk of the town since the night-that-shall-not-be-named. I am not from any noble stock and have poor education on the matter, so I prefer not to speak of what I do not fully understand - out of respect for powers beyond my comprehension."

[Christine Daye]

Christine notes for future reference Lucius' wince at her modern Latin.

She smiles at Jean-Jacques.

"We are all swept along by the river that is time... what only seems to remain is whether we fight the current or flow with it... sink or swim...break the banks and flood... or meander in slow stillness... but in the end all rivers flow to the sea..."

She loses the thread of where she was going, but it doesn't matter. She looks confused at Rhona for a moment.

..."from our many past conversations..." oh botheration! Have I lost memories again!?

Still, she nods in acknowledgement and acceptance of Rhona's apology, but before she speaks further, her attention gets caught by Angelina's figure.

"... oh..." she breathes. "...she has come too... the lady of the roses... no... come away oh human child... to the waters and the wild... with a fairy... hand in hand... for the world's more full of weeping..."

She raises a gloved hand in greeting.

"Miss Fontaine... what a pleasant surprise!"

[Bronwyn93]

Angelina saw that Jean-Jacques had glanced at her, but looked away. She took that as the meeting being private and had been about to leave before the singer called out to her and she paused, hesitating for a moment before moving over as well, giving a polite smile. "

"Good evening Miss Daye, Elder Servius, Miss Rhona. Jean-jacques it is good to see you." She greeted, moving over slowly. "It is a beautiful evening isn't it? I hope I wasn't interrupting, I thought I could hear singing and came to see." She explained lightly.

[Lucius Servius]

“Jean-Jacque, Rhona it is a mark in both your favour that you do not speak on that which you do not fully understand. Along with a clear lack of impropriety lending credence to the saying ‘the ignorant have the most to say’ seems to also be commonplace in this domain.”

“The goddess of which Miss Daye speaks is Danu. To the ignorant she is simply a water goddess, possibly laying behind the ancient name for the river Danube, Danuulus, a word present in both Scythian and Celtic languages. That is what any Tremere could tell you. But the Tremere are a young clan, I spoke with the eldest of their clan when they were not yet considered kindred and I assure you little has changed about them in modern nights. Even those washed up scholars they trott out as elders are but a mixture of stolen knowledge and unnecessarily esoteric speech. So, no Tremere scrolls will tell you of Danu. Danu predates the written language of the Brythonics. In Norse mythology she was Nótt, in Persian society Ahriman, and in the avestan-language Angra Mainyu, she is the main adversary in Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna as it was known in my time, either of the Spenta Mainyu or directly of Ahura Mazda. She is a mother goddess, the first and last spark of creation to be both adored and feared. That is the Goddess to which we refer.”

Lucius lets the words settle before he abruptly changes the subject. “Neonate Rhona, I understand a large number of Gangrel are meeting in a field somewhere outside of Aquesulis – I am curious what the reason for this is? Please don't retreat behind clan secrecy or I shall take offence”

[Jean-Jacques]

As Rhona joins the group, Jean-Jacque gives a polite nod

“Neonate Rhona, a pleasure”

He listens intently as Christine speaks , then follows her gaze and hailing of Angelina

Ah so she wanted to join us, surprising...

As Angelina approaches he offers her a similar greeting, a polite nod...and something of an apologetic smile

“Neonate Angelina, a pleasure to see you out enjoying the night airs”

His attention is quickly rapt on Lucius as he portrays Danu in various guises

The gods, spirits, such are deep into the layers, Lorcan we should know them, they touch this world, yet are they astride it or entombed as we are....

As Lucius changes the subject his expression changes as he casts an expectant smile toward the gangrel.

[Rhona]

Rhona's smile regained it's warmth and brightness - as it always did when asked a question she could not fully answer. She dipped her head apologetically, a small submissive gesture to at least stroke his ego a little.

"It pains me to disappoint you, Elder Servius - but I cannot give you many details because I truthfully do not know. I am surely looking forward to finding out, but such things are veiled in secrecy even from us before the event takes place. What I do know is that it won't be in a field near Bath, it will be taking place far from here - in fact I will be leaving shortly with the rest of my clan to travel."

She paused, waiting for him to respond to the information, however poorly. Feed them just enough to satisfy, distract them from the ommission of the whole truth where you can.

It was true she had been paying more attention to her sire's teachings - scant as they were - of late...almost as if she finally understood him a little better now she had become so much more intwined with the court. She never lied when she could help it, just told selective truths.

Angelina was a welcome distraction, and Rhona was about to call out a jovial greeting before she stopped and checked herself. She did not think she had heard the neonates surname before, and certainly didn't wish to be admonished by the Ventrue again. She waited instead for his greeting, hers could wait.

[Christine Daye]

...one interrupts or corrects elders at their peril...

Christine's expression goes distant, as Lucius speaks, a common expression for her, and her lips form words, as if she is singing. She looks over at the river and curtseys deeply, hand pressed to her heart.

...and I said... hold my hand... oh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river... hold my hand... oh, baby, it's a long way down, a long way down...

The news of the Gangrel Moot shocks her to stillness. She looks at Rhona, wide-eyed, then to Angelina, her hand going protectively to her throat.

"... far from here... I am glad to hear so... if you can provide any more information about the direction or the time... i would take it as a kindness... i was... we were... unexpected guests at the Moot last year..." unspoken, the definite subtext that the visit did not go well "... and I would not wish to intrude again..."

Her words fade into soft song:

"...wolves will chase you by the pale moonlight...drunk and driven by a devil's hunger... drive your son like a railroad spike... into the water, let it pull him under... don't you lift him, let him drown alive... the good Lord speaks like a rolling thunder... let that fever make the water rise... and let the river run dry..."