City of Shadows Mux City of Shadows Mux

August South Praxis Court
Players Brennan, Salvatore, Marigold, Roman, Elizabeth, Kumanhi, Cumani, Faith, Lilith	South Praxis Elysium 13 August, 2022 South Praxis Court
+----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Court is late, giving people time to wake up, pop open a warm one, and get gussied up - if they're the gussying sort. The medieval look and feel of the old slaughterhouse has been ehanced with the Edison style lights and their dim, flickery golden glow. Off to the side there's a line of dapper, perfectly groomed gentleman in basic suits. And opposite them, across the hall from the men, are an equal number of beautiful woman in a variety hair hues - all impeccably groomed. Rather like a line of well loved 4-H cattle waiting to show for their chance at a blue ribbon. Raul, himself, is at the far end of the hall from the entrance, pacing slightly, brows all scrunched up, hands clasped behind him as he paces. +----+ Elizabeth +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Elizabeth prepares herself for important business. She arrives at the South Praxis court dressed in her black two-piece business suit that she wears to anything formal. Her escort tonight is Salvatore, the Hat Man, with his shadow following behind them. She finds a small area to themselves for now, She says to him, "Anyone you know here that you can clue me in on?" Obviously she knows the Prince, but haven't met too many others yet. +----+ Kumanhi +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Arriving at the old slaughterhouse on the back of an antique motorcycle, lovingly maintained, Kumanhi shuts the loud thing off and patiently checks his phone. Bedecked in sleek black leathers he's custom altered to suit his tastes, he kind of ruins the look of wannabe Hell's Angel by slinging a Fersace leather backpack over one shoulder and applying some pink lip gloss. He fires off a text letting his sister know he arrived first and she, therefore, is the rotten egg, then heads on inside of the creepy, old slaughterhouse. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith has put some effort into her appearance for the night, which is to say her face is still kept mostly hidden. The expensive jeans and sneakers remain as usual, but rather than a large hoody, she's chosen a long-sleeve black shirt, all the buttons done up. Over this is worn a long hooded jacket, with the hood up, keeping her gaze just that little bit downcast to keep the shadows clinging to her face. She slips in alone, and quietly, finding a spot to settle in unobtrusively and see what's what and who's who. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ It's not long after everything was set to start that Cumani arrives, half visible expanse of leg, gazelle like for such a short figure, half clad in Givenchy haute couture and redbottom Loubi Queen stilettos that are shining red leather to match the satin minidress with it's heavy fringe of bejewelled chains. Professional makeup artistry has rendered even a cool figure looking almost dewy despite a distinct lack of the Blush of Life. Her gait is long, stalking strides that set the chains in shivering motion with every step, relentless glitter beneath the hundreds of dim yellow lights. Stopping short, she waits, just inside the main hall of the Slaughterhouse, studying the various tapestries, first, then looking further in at the array of flesh on display all impeccably lined up and groomed, before shifting further in, toward Raul, wrinkling her nose as she looks at Kumanhi and laughing as she shakes her head. "To the core." She rests an hand on the inside of Brennan's forearm, her own tucked up around inside his to rest there as they walk in together. +----+ Marigold +--------------------------------------------------------------+ As thick as thieves, Marigold and Roman enter together, the shorter of the pair giving a playful hip-to-thigh check as she grins up at him and says in that Bostonian accent, a quiet cheerfulness there in her tone, "My, our first Court in what feels like an age. I wonder what to expect." Tonight, the dark-haired Crone comes dressed in a simple cream-colored off-shoulder peasant-style blouse hanging loose and untucked, a flowing patchwork skirt, and a pair of wedge sandals. A warm, floral scent clings to her, and the dim light catches at the lone piece of jewelry she wears, an etched bullet casing wrapped in golden marigolds. She pauses in their walk to look around at the faces gathered, checking for any familiar faces. +----+ Brennan +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Dressed with decidedly less care or sense of drama than the woman he enters with, Brennan is wearing a thin hunter green henley, buttons undone and sleeves rolled high up along his forearms. Long legs are covered in dark denim jeans and a pair of old cowboy boots that resound notably against the floor. His hair is slightly more tamed than usual but windswept notes remain and errant curls haphazardly pop free. Body language at least somewhat tense, his expression remains muted as his eyes betray clear interest in the setting. Head not exactly on a swivel, he does make sure to examine as much as possible, the tapestries earning a brief furrowing of brows into a v shape. Once further into the room, his gaze levels and he offers a nod to those present, Kumanhi getting a subtle but warm smile in addition to the more simple greeting. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "A few" Sal says towards Elizabeth as he arrives within the Slaughterhouse with his associate. "Some you should know, some you may not. This should be an interesting Elysium if nothing else. It has already been an entertaining evening so far, remind me to tell you after. We have a new friend." +----+ Roman +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Crouching somewhat as per usual, Roman gracefully folds all six foot nine of himself through the front door with an animal like fluidity. When he scans the room and feels that hip-check landing on his thigh from Marigold, his lips pull back in a wolfish grin and he lets out a soft laugh, one hand still gripping the top of the door frame before he steps further in. "I like it," he growls in his usual snarl, laughing deep in his expansive chest before he gestures for a spot near the front. He wears old and tired leather and denim, practical and broken in as it clads his figure. One hand grips a sledgehammer which he holds lightly against his shoulder, the large tool looking like a toy next to his oversized body as he looks over all the others in attendance so far. "Look," he mutters low to Marigold as he points towards Brennan, "It's the pup... Brennan, right?" +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Please, have a drink, be seated, get comfortable." Of course, the old, heavy wood benches and the table don't look inviting, but the wood promises to be silky smooth, worn to such point by decades of use - the objects probably outdating the Prince himself. "There are several things to talk about tonight. Including the open priscus and primogen positions, and some of the more intensive roles that will need to be filled. The events of the city, and a recent explosion." Raul settles his pacing, turning to square up with the room. "Does anyone have any word to bring or report before we get to the juicy bits?" +----+ Elizabeth +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Elizabeth nods to Salvatore, "I see a few." She looks around the room for a few moments, taking in new people's faces. Her eyebrow raises at the talk of an explosion. She shakes her head and looks back to Sal to say, "Shall we go find a seat then?" She gestures over to the table for appropriate seating arrangements. +----+ Kumanhi +---------------------------------------------------------------+ There is little, very little, that Kumanhi knows about Kindred Court politics, rules, or expectations, he merely follows his undead heart. And so, even if it eventually embarasses him or makes him stand out, he does what he will. The few he recognizes, Salvatore and Elizabeth, receive quick nods, Brennan, Faith and Cumani quick, familiar grins, before he's heading towards Raul. Stopping a couple meters shy, he drops to a knee in deference, bowing his head low. "Prince Raul. Kumanhi Bellecourt, newcomer to your Praxis, Serpent Acolyte of the Circle and... " a small, disbelieving huff of amusement, "At the heart of the Chatham explosion." He doesn't rise or continue, or lift his head, displaying the artistically entwined barbed-wire ouroborus on thr back of his leather jacket to the rest of the Elysium. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Nodding his head, Salvatore leads Elizabeth towards the seats and assists her in sitting down before removing his hat and taking a seat beside her as Kumanhi approaches the Prince. "Oh this is going to be interesting.." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith has found herself a spot at one of the tables, a hand running over the surface for a moment as she glances from beneath her hood at the people coming, noting familiar and unfamiliar Kindred alike. Her hands clasp together when Raul starts speaking, giving her full attention, though once more keeping her gaze lowered. At least until Kumanhi speaks up, that gets a touch of a glance up from her. GAME: Lukas has connected. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ There is a look from Cumani over to Kumanhi at Raul's words, after a glance to Roman at his mention of Brennan, eyes curious. Spotting Faith, she greets, "Madam Wilson, it's a pleasure to see you here tonight." She gives a thoughtful look over at the Blue Ribbon Kine lined up, before truly Kumanhi approaches Raul, and then her attention is there. Intent. +----+ Marigold +--------------------------------------------------------------+ "So it is," Marigold says as her dark eyes slant toward Brennan before she glances back up to Roman. "We should say hello; it's been a minute since we last saw him." She doesn't start toward Brennan, not at first, as Raul speaks up again, her gaze shifting readily toward the Prince. The mention of open positions makes a spark of curiosity flare in her eye, but it dampens swiftly at the news of an explosion. "Interesting," she murmurs before she reaches for Roman's hand, fingers seeking to interlace with his. "We should find a seat." Marigold squeezes Roman's hand before she makes her way toward open seating, angling toward where Brennan is located. Still, there's a looseness to her movements that expresses her willingness to settle anywhere as Court starts off in earnest now. It's movement that draws the Serpent's gaze when Kumanhi strides toward the Prince and speaks up, Marigold's attention turns that way, that spark of curiosity blazing back into life as she studies the other Acolyte with open interest. No comment comes, but her smile turns sharper, and that heavy weight of her gaze lingers there as she watches and waits. +----+ Brennan +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Following Cumani in the direction of Faith, he offers a slight bow of the head and smile, "evening, Madam Wilson." There's a glance at the mention of his name and he first nods to Marigold and then shoots Roman an amused glance. Once the giant is close enough he gives a pointed glance at the sledgehammer and remarks in a tone matching the earlier glance, "you being this big wasn't enough of a statement?" Ease in his expression fading as Raul begins to speak, attentiveness is replaced by a concerned frown watching Kumanhi approach. +----+ Roman +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Roman's attention shifts to Raul as he welcomes them and summarizes the night's topics of interests, but only the slightest bit of interest flashes in his gaze before Marigold has his focus again. "Lead the way," he encourages her before allowing her to guide him towards the seats, his attention swinging distractedly between Raul, Kumanhi, and the various groupings of Kindred as he blindly follows along. "Statement?" Roman asks Brennan in passing, his lips quirking upward in a fresh grin of amusement as he tilts his head in curious examination of the other Savage. "I just thought there'd be a need to smash things tonight is all, and I was really looking forward to getting involved." His gaze flicks with a predator's glint towards the scene playing out in front of them between the Prince and the Explosion-Prone Kindred and his grin broadens with a dark excitement. "Looks like I might have been right." With a final wink towards the newer Kindred, he moves on, continuing in Marigold's wake in search of seating that can accommodate his size. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ There might be a reason to smash things. Raul watches Kumanhi's approach, looking genuinely puzzled, then surprised, and then wolfishly amused. Perhaps not the range of expressions one was expecting for such a thing. Pacing forward, he pops his eyebrows at the people that are gathered, sliding his hand into Kumanhi's hair and seizing tight hold before forcing him to look up. "Lamb. To. Slaughter. You owe me your life. To the tune of twenty coins paid to a pack of wolves to clean up the fucking mess you made." Raul snarls, displaying fang before he gives Kumanhi a shove. "Anyone else want to break the Masquerade and the Accord?" +----+ Elizabeth +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Elizabeth takes her seat with Salvatore and looks about the room once more, looking at the tapestries that were drawing everyone's attention. Her head snaps back over to the Prince and Kumanhi when Raul speaks. She is almost unable to hide the surprise in her eyes about the payment to be made for said explossion. After Raul's question she doesn't make a sound even as she considers getting a drink that was offered. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith was about to reply properly to Cumani's greeting, and Brennan as well, but with her attention upon the Prince and the Daeva that approached, she doesn't. Not right away. There's tension, and her gaze remains fixed upon them completely. She does glance aside once Kumanhi is shoved, quiet and thoughtful. +----+ Kumanhi +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Looking up at Raul from his back, Kumanhi's expression is briefly one of confusion and suprise, but as he's rising from the dirty floor and fixing his hair, his face becomes a painting of jaded disappointment. Shoulders and head low, he turns towards Cumani and starts towards her table, though, he glances back at Raul, once more, in search of something more. Not finding what he was seeking, he frowns and nods in simple acceptance, "I understand. Thank you," a soft, resigned voice. The Fool takes a seat beside his twin and opposite Brennan, expression dead and lifeless. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Leaning in close, Cumani murmurs something in Brennan's ear, the sharp spike of her stilettos bringing him within only eight inches or so of the taller Kindred's height. Her eyes remain rapt on Kumanhi and Raul, now, after a brief look at Roman and his hammer, painted features schooled to an inscrutable neutrality as she watches the her twin at the front's hair grabbed, quiet listening to Raul's words. Others might look surprised. She looks anything but. She gives Kumanhi a faintly sad little smile when he goes to sit. (OOC: feel free to page if you have acute senses and want to know what the whisper was) +----+ Marigold +--------------------------------------------------------------+ There's a flash of a smile toward Brennan as Marigold murmurs, "Talk after court, hm? If not, then soon, I hope," before she's leading Roman off to find a place to sit that can accommodate his larger-than-most size. "Ther's always a nail that needs to be hammer somewhere," is murmured to Roman with a flicker of a glance toward his hammer. Once satisfied with her companion's own comfort, Marigold returns her attention to the drama unfolding in the form of the Prince and Kumanhi. Her expression remains sharply focused, that total weight of her dark eyes left upon the Acolyte as he is sent to the ground. Mari watches as Kumanhi metaphorically tucks his tail and slinks off, giving his companions a curious look before she looks back toward Raul, assuming that at least one part of tonight's agenda has been dealt with. +----+ Brennan +---------------------------------------------------------------+ The amused bearing he was carrying remains until Roman passes and then Brennan is clearly considering the use of that hammer. There is the flicker of a gaze down beside him at Cumani, eyes snapping to attention and body going deathly still when Raul begins to move. The only following movement is a faint sagging of the shoulders as the cost of Kumanhi's actions is announced. Matching Cumani's initial neutral tone, for once, there isn't anything in his normally expressive eyes while observing her twin. +----+ Roman +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Roman of course notes the various glances he and his hammer receive after his statement, and it only makes him grin wider. Yet, he doesn't linger, and is instead easily lead away by Marigold to find a place to accommodate him. He drops heavily into the chosen chair, sets the head of his hammer down between his feet, and rests one hand on top of the end of the haft as he leans back and lets out a yawn that is utterly unnecessary and completely performative considering his lack of Blush. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "Well that was...something." Salvatore shakes his head slightly before looking over towards Kuma and Cuma as they converse quietly before offering a small grin at Brennan before looking back at Raul as he speaks to Elizabeth, "Never a dull moment at these things." +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Since there seem to be no takers to the sharp tongued bait, Raul motions one of the ghouls towards Kumanhi, "Make sure we have his number and address, won't you?" The ghoul, given instruction, is quick to move to try and exchange contact information with the Daeva. "Now then, as it were. Positions need filled for primogen and priscus seats. I'm also looking for information regarding the Pure. The un-Accorded wolves that Tillo was using to contain the breach in the Undercity. And the fire beast that escaped." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ After that moment has passed, Faith offers a rather quiet, "Good evening," to both Cumani and Brennan, because she just can't let a greeting go unanswered like that. There was a sidelong glance as Roman and Marigold passed nearby, contemplating that hammer as well, before her attention settles on Kumanhi for a long few moments, watching his reaction to the display that just happened. She remains quiet, listening and watching to see who will speak up. +----+ Kumanhi +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Kumanhi might of heard his sister, might have not, for all the response he gives. The leather-clad twin merely sits, dead eyed and watching, motionless save for when Raul asks for information. Then, Kumanhi makes a subtle 'staying' gesture with a flat palm towards his sister, flicking blue eyes towards Brennan. When the ghoul approaches, he offers them a simple piece of cardstock, something hand-written upon it, not really looking over at them. Rather he casts a glance around to see who trades information freely. +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Offering a twitch of a nod at Kumanhi, Cumani does indeed, nod still. She settles with both hands beneath the table, as if folded in her lap. Phone set to vibrate, the faint light of the screen as a text is sent causes a faint glow to play across the fringes of her dress briefly, before disappearing. She gives Faith a small, soft little smile, eyes still almost wistful rather than smiling. "You look very well put together this evening," she offers softly to the Nosferatu, tone soft to little above a whisper herself. The outfit is loud, but her actions... muted. +----+ Elizabeth +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Elizabeth is curious to hear more about this fire beast, still not sure how that's gonna be handled in the forseeable future. She looks to Salvatore to ask him in a low voice, "The Pure?" The thought of un-accorded wolves makes her more nervous. She picked the best time to arrive in the city recently. She eyes Kumahi for a bit and watches other interactions for the mean time. +----+ Brennan +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Though remaining otherwise still, there is a slight softening in Brennan's eyes as he shares a brief look with Kumanhi. They then scan the room as new topics are, thankfully, raised, expression interested as to what others might have to say. He takes that time to nod as respectfully as he can to Faith after her response but his focus does not linger for long. +----+ Marigold +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Marigold isn't so absorbed by the politics at hand, despite that glint in her eyes at the mention of open positions needing bodies to fill them that she missed that glance from Faith. It takes her but a moment to return the curious look with a gentle incline of her head before she's looking back to Raul. A lean of her head soon has her eyes slanting toward Roman as she murmurs to him, "I haven't heard talk of the Pure for some time. The more I keep hearing, the more I'm certain Chicago was the right choice to land." Her eyes narrow faintly as her brows knit lightly, but whatever private thought Marigold has falls away quickly. She looks around the room, this time watching for any changes of expression or those who step forward to offer any information about any of the subjects set forth by the Prince. +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Anyone? Anything? Beuller? No? Alright, then." Raul moves back to his place and starts to pace again - slow and methodical versus caged animal. "What's known about the Pure is that they were hunkered down in Riverdale, in the Far Southeast - which is why I wanted to try and get my name stamped on it more firmly. I was hoping to leave Tillo's ass in a sling when we could bring the hides of them to the next Allthing and get a bounty from the Blue Moon pack. They are eager to pay so that the wolves can stay out of the politics, you see. Now they've moved and the Steelmaws are pissing on everything down there. Fuckers. But Tillo seems to like them, so for now, we bite our tongues and let them do what they want. We will, eventually, need to solidify our claim down there or we risk losing a chunk of the praxis to the dogs. Not the best outcome. They scare the sheep." A flippant motion towards the very still and very pretty people lined up along the walls. The snacks, if you will. "As for the thing from the Undercity, rumorhas it that it's starting fires and spilling out rage, poisoning everything it touches with both. It's why Central is plagued with fire. I don't know much about it. Tillo's a tightlipped prick and Enrico doesn't know shit about anything that doesn't involve hookers, blow, and credit cards." +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Thank you," Faith says quietly to Cumani, tilting her head just slightly, still keeping her gaze mostly downcast and her face hidden. "Pure, huh." She then offers as the Prince sets to explaining some things, clearly having no real idea what a Pure is, other than some kind of wolf thing. When Raul turns to talking about the thing starting fires and the like though, she does tap the table a moment, gesturing to Brennan, "You mentioned something about this too, didn't you, Master Llyr?" That is said just a touch louder than her usual soft tone, clearly meant to be overheard. +----+ Kumanhi +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Rising from his seat, like a schoolboy addressing dear teacher and the class, Kumanhi asks aloud in feigned confusion, "I am new to the Accords, and Chicago... of course." He glances around at the other Kindred, attention landing on Faith suddenly, his brow furrowed and head canted, "Is this how things are done? Prince Tillo pays the Steelmaw dogs coins for information on Prince Raul, but Kindred run back and forth spying on each other for free?" He turns his focus upon Raul now, frowning deeper in disappointment, "And we pay exorbitant amounts to the dogs without ever verifying a breach of masquerade? Why they're even laying a bill at my feet too, seems we're being double charged and for..." He pulls out his phone abruptly, checking it quickly, "Yes, for literally no progress." He glances around quickly, then gestures to where he hit the floor, "Does one such as me just spill everything I know of another Prince, to my debtor? I've already made a... seemingly massive mistake." He straightens his posture, as if his dignity could be regained, "I don't wish to make another." +----+ Elizabeth +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Elizabeth listens to the spiel brought forth from Raul and ponders for a moment. She begins to say something as Kumanhi stands and makes his own speech. She lets him finish and adds after he is done, "I may not have much information on the topic concerning the breach, but I would say an explosion would get alot of people talking, and not just our kind." She looks over to Raul to ask, "If the Pure have moved, should we still track them down and deal with them? I have my own little birds throughout the city to find people or things. I would simply need a place to start." +----+ Cumani +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Cumani's silent attentive glacial gaze wanders, before looking back toward the Prince when he begins to speak. Her features again register no surprise, but contemplation at least. And then for some reason, Kumanhi's talking again. Her eyes follow him, softening a touch, before she fusses at the fringes on her dress, pretending to be distracted by a bejewelled chain. Her lips press into another straight, inexpressive line, and this time, she's looking toward the door consideringly, before she looks back to Raul and Kumanhi, between the two. A hand rests lightly on Brennan's knee. +----+ Roman +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ When it appeared that Kumanhi would be escaping the encounter with Raul without any bloodshed, Roman's face falls a bit. He doesn't appear to have anything necessarily against Kumanhi -- in fact his attention barely passes over the other Kindred once he steps back. The lack of violence is what really seems to get him down, and he lets out yet another performative sigh as he reclines a bit to the loud and groaning protest of his chair. Yet when Kumanhi rises to speak, Roman perks up a bit again and looks to Raul, his wolfish grin once more in place as he rocks the hammer back and forth on its head. +----+ Brennan +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Listening raptly to Raul's initial information, Brennan shifts his attention when the other Princes are mentioned, gauging reaction as best he can to the comments made. It takes a moment for it to register that Faith addressed him and, on impulse, one of his thick eyebrows raises. Surprise is present but also a glimmer of annoyance as he shakes his head and leans towards her in a softer tone than she used, "nothing beyond what was already said..." But then Kumanhi is bringing all of the attention again and his face registers, first, relief and then more muted concern. +----+ Salvatore +-------------------------------------------------------------+ "Riverdale my dear, he said Riverdale." Sal says to Elizabeth with a soft chuckle before patting her hand gently, "We will start in Riverdale and see what we can discover from there. If nothing else, it would be entertaining to see what a pack of un-accorded mongrels can achieve now that they are let off their leash. I'm almost curious what would happen if they came top side." Laughing to himself, he turns to look towards Kumanhi and tilts his head slightly. "You obviously dont seem to understand what has happened here. Sure, the Prince has lost some coins due to...situations, whether real or not...but he's also tied a thread to a wolf pack. Tillo may have even paid for information...true. Which is the larger sum...Prince Rauls? Or Prince Tillos? They're mongrels who share borders with the South, and now...the Prince has a reason to poke his head into their affairs." Salvatore pages: because...linear thoughts is common sense in politics. a plus b equals c +----+ Lilith +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "Potentially. Keeping an eye on them and knowing where they land might prove profitable. And we can use a buffer." As he speaks, Raul casually saunters back in Kumanhi's direction, attempting to sling an arm around the lad's shoulders with a completely faked companionable smile. "You ARE new, aren't you? Let me explain. The wolves come to me, telling me tales of how a certain youngling decided to court a certain young lady. And how these wolves had warned the gent twice before about hunting on their territory without so much as asking for a 'by your leave'. Now, it seems the young lady was not in the mood to be courted, nor aware of what any of us are. And somewhere in the mix, she made a bomb and blew up a building in the wolves territory." "Now, little miss made the big kaboom, but a certain someone decided to instigate that. Now I don't know what happened, but I DO know that pulling the wool out from over a sheep's eyes is a pretty big situation. Breaks out laws, breaks the Accord. And someone has to clean up alll that shit from the news and the streets and take care of the breach. And it was all done on pack territory within the umbrella of my praxis. By a vampire. So the wolves, they come to me, looking to be made right. And I? I come to -you-, looking to be made right after paying to keep them from tearing your pretty little head off." Another companionable little shake. "On the upside, if you go missing, I am gonna tear that pack apart to get every coin I paid into cleaning this mess up back. Because you, my darling, are mine now. Bought and paid until you get me twenty coins. Isn't it exciting? I half hope they lied to me, so I can have a cool wolf skin cloak like Tillo." +----+ Marigold +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Once more, Marigold's attention slithers back over toward Kumanhi as he rises to speak with the Prince once more. His words don't seem to kindle much in her beyond a brief flicker of realization. But when Salvatore speaks in answer to the chastied vampire, she turns to regard him. Something he says earns a soft chuckle and shake of that head. A head that soon tips as she looks back to the Prince for his response. Between all of this, she lays a hand on Roman's knee and gives it a squeeze as she breathes out, "It's almost like Boston all over again," before falling silent again, nearly as bored as the large man at her side. +----+ Faith +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ Faith doesn't seem to notice Brennan's annoyance, because once again her eyes are upon Kumanhi. "Information asked for doesn't mean it needs to be given away for free," she supplies softly when he asks the question. "If you want to talk about the other Princes and what you know simply because you're in debt, that would be /a/ choice you can make. What it's worth would be up to the Prince." She leans back a little, finally glancing aside to Brennan and giving him a slight shrug. +----+ Kumanhi +---------------------------------------------------------------+ For the first time since entering, Kumanhi smiles, and at Salvatore of all people. Not at what the man said, but at what the Daeva has found in the crowd. He points vaguely at the other Kindred, making a mental note to himself and turns his attention to Faith, but Raul is upon him, arm around the Daeva's shoulder, making him wince with anticipation. Kumanhi follows along with Raul's words, nodding more and more emphatically, mumbling, "I see. Oh... I see. Ah... yes, I see." Thrice he claims to see, but near the end of Raul's expectations, after being called 'darling', Kumanhi Bellecourt's eyes shoot up and he fixes his gaze on Raul's, boldly looking him in the eye from inches away. With an eager, excited grin, he confides in the Prince, "/Now/ I understand. I am so eager to serve you for Her." His eagerness is palpable, and if he's released and not stopped, he follows Raul like a fly on shit. +----+ Elizabeth +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Elizabeth watches the exchange between Kumanhi and Raul again as the Prince threatens him and the pack concerning the incident with violence. She nods to Salvatore and tells him, "I think it is about time we go get some work done." She rises from her seat and gives a formal bow to the Prince before saying, "My apologies for not introducing myself earlier. I am Elizabeth of Clan Ventrue. Also newly arrived to the city but settling in now. I will look into these Pure and see what can be found out about them, and maybe any rumors I hear about this fire beast while I'm at it. Unfortunately I am needed elswhere at this time." She addresses all present this time. "A good evening to you all as well, look forward to meeting each of you." With that said she awaits for Sal to follow.