Elysium After Party The Second

[Valentina Audley]

((OOC Note - if you are not sure if you were invited this time please ask before posting))

Valmont has, as usual, gotten the Quintessence well stocked for a party, though the gathering this night was small and select compared to last time.

On the second floor there are the customary sofas and cosy lounging nooks, a table against one wall has an array of bottles and glasses and there are a few new pieces of artwork dotted about.

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina and Francis are among the first to arrive, Francis gallantly escorting Valentina inside. Once they are in the building they head to the second floor rapidly, Valentina snagging a couple of glasses and a bottle on the way past the table before making themselves comfortable on the sofa, Valentina curling up next to Francis and he with his arm around her as she deftly pours them drinks.

Her manner is lightly flirtatious and her attention is, seemingly, entirely on Francis who seems to be enjoying her company, though an experienced vampire watcher might detect the odd flicker or irritation, it's hard to say if it's directed at Valentina or not though.

[Geoffrey Leigh]

The Lady Violetta arrives with Geoffrey Leigh. He escorting her on his arm in the perfect style of a gentleman.

Leigh greets Valmont at the door with a warm double-handed shake and thanks him for the invite to a less formal occasion than the Elysium. Onlookers will note that Leigh remains a step or two behind Violetta at all times, and is never very far from her side.

Spotting Valentina and Francis heading up the stairs, Leigh escorts Violetta that way. "Ms Audley wasn't it? and Mr Beauclair" he says amiably. "My Lady and I are grateful for this invite to unwind in such relaxed surroundings. May we join you both?"

[Reginald Verity]

Slightly afterwards Reginald Verity arrives hastily. He casts off his long black overcoat which betrays flecks of snow and glares angrily at the attendants.

“You, get me something to drink, NOW!’ he snaps at one of the staff. ‘On second thoughts, no, I will pick up something myself upstairs where I will be found if anyone is looking for me. But be warned if anyone wants a ‘meeting’ the request will not be well received.” Charging up the stairs he stopped only briefly to acknowledge Valentina and Francis on the sofa, a short curt nod of his head in their direction was all he could muster.

Greeted by the familiar denizens of the third floor Reggie felt his anger recede marginally as he sipped on a glass of drug infused vitae. Glancing about he selected a recipient for his renewed vigour and retreated to a dark corner accordingly.

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina smiles amiably at Geoffrey and Violetta and decides Francis can probably cope with some light chatter going on around him for a bit. If he can't, well, she can always invite him someplace more private. Perhaps to examine her poor ankle? The thought causes an impish smile to cross her face as she replies to Geoffrey.

"But of course darlings. I'm sure you are familiar with the layouts of such places and this is, after all, the floor for socialising. Join us and be welcome."

She's about to shift closer to Francis, when Reggie storms through the building. Oh dear... She sighs internally, but without letting it show on her face. The poor lad had had such a trying Elysium. Still, knowing him as she does, Valentina is confident that it's nothing a half hour or so on the third floor can't help with. Francis needs her tact and touch more and so she smiles sympathetically at Reggie's retreating back but makes no move to detain him, instead she snuggles a little closer to Francis and resolves to save her more amusing anecdotes for when Reggie rejoins them.

The tiniest pang of guilt for taking him away from Violetta earlier that night also assails her and so she resolves to guard the pair's time as well, should she be able to. Satisfied that all is well planned in her little world, she turns her attention more fully to the elders before her.

"What did you think of the Elysium? You simply must give us an outsider's perspective!"

[annabelle]

Helen arrives with her ghoul William. She greets Valmont with a warm smile and walks towards the stairs. She suddenly stops and gazes the familiar painting, the one that got her attention almost four months ago. She violently diverts her gaze towards the stairs with anger, trying to supress everything.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, will deal with everything tomorrow.

William’s is staring at her with alertness and a frown.

“Do as we agreed.” She whispers to him and he leaves her heading towards another room.

The kindred will hear her arrival before they see her. The sound of pearls echoing in the room.

She nods politely at Valentina and smiles at Francis but then her smile faints immediately when she sees Geoffrey Leigh and Violetta.

Oh no….Oh no…

With a guilty grin and an extremely polite courtesy she walks away desperately towards the third floor. She didn’t had any more opium unfortunately and the realisation of what she said to him was embarrassing. Such a shame she wasted these words on him really.

When she enters the third floor a wide smile marks her features. Reggie!

He will definitely have some drugs. That’s all I need.

She walks towards him but notices that he might not be in his best mood but she approaches him regardless.
“Hi Reggie, glad to see you here…erm….what are you drinking?”

[Christine Daye]

"...I am a poor wayfaring stranger
A-trav'ling through this land of woe.
And there's no sickness, toil or danger
In that bright world to which I go.
I'm going home to see my sister
I'm going there no more to roam;
I'm just a-going over Jordan
I'm just a-going over home...."

As usual, Christine is heralded by her voice, coming from nowhere, before she carefully drops her obfuscate and pushes open the door of the Quintessence. A proper curtsey and murmured thanks for the invitation to Valmont, then she too makes her way up to the second floor.

Once up the stairs, she looks around, curtseying to all the others present. Her green-gloved fingers twist as she hums her earlier song nervously, standing rigid and to attention.

Everyone already there is so much older than she is. She suddenly doesn't know what to do, and is fighting back the terrifying desire to flee.

[Geoffrey Leigh]

Leigh clears his throat to respond to Valentina, looking slightly awkward.

"I'm afraid I can't say that I do know the layout of such places Lady Valentina. I'm not a terribly frequent visitor to them. This sort of thing is rather lost on me. Perhaps you might enlighten me as to what happens on each floor?"

As Helen looks at him shocked, and recognition crosses her features he opens his mouth with a reassuring look, but she is gone before he can say anything.

"I should certainly be glad to give my humble opinion on Bath's Court in due course..." he trails off as Christine appears at the top of the stairs.

"My dear, please, won't you join us?" he says affably. "There is plenty of room, and i'm old enough to value the vitality of youth" he smiles.

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina carefully does not smirk at Helen's abrupt departure, because that would be rude. She does take a moment to hope poor Reggie isn't interrupted at the wrong moment though.

Instead she smiles and nods reassuringly to Christine. Then answers the question put to her.

"Well darling, Valmont's parties are rather known for being a place where Toreador... Can really be Toreador." She smiles archly, remembering the look on Geoffrey's face at certain earlier topics of conversation. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

"The ground floor is an art gallery. This floor is for mingling, gossip, mild flirtation and entertainment of all kinds, assuming they do not stray over the bounds of mildly risque. The third floor... Is where more, ah, intimate playtime happens?" Her gaze flickers briefly to Francis, a smile for him appearing.

"Only for those willing though. We don't have unwilling players up there, it creates too many problems." She sighs, remembering the last after Elysium party with some irritation.

[Reginald Verity]

A clearly distracted Reggie is able to withdraw briefly from the object of his endeavours and gestures to a scantily clad attendant.

‘Bring...this...pretty...princess...some...drugs’ he is able to muster before returning to the matter at hand.

A mere thirty seconds or so later, Helen is presented with a pristine silver platter with a variety of vitae infused concoctions, as well as selection of pipes and powders.