Post by Regan Kelly on May 5, 2005 16:49:57 GMT -8
Tuesday Night, Vashon Island.
She'd been standing barefoot in the front hall after dropping her high heels to the floor for awhile, leaning against him for support. He'd wrapped his arms around her and let her wind herself down from her outburst, using one of her pauses as opportunity to kiss her forehead.
"Sounds to me like he's touting the same party line he always does."
"Well, he seemed pretty serious." She pressed her face against his chest, closing her eyes as he ran a hand over her hair. "I want to hate him, Angus. He's everything I hated and everything I loved about the Camarilla."
"He's good at what he does, I'll give him that. But he's not us. " His lips pressed briefly against the top of her head.
"You look exhausted, darlin'. Let's pull up a spot on the couch..."
She mumbled against his chest, and he stopped short in his move to leave where they stood in the hall.
"...He what?"
____________________________________________
December, 1890. Nashville, Tennessee.
"He's been doing some checking up on me." She made it a statement, shrugging her shoulders, cloak rustling with the movement. She walked side by side with her companion, both of them hidden under white masks and heavy cloaks.
Randall stopped short beside her, grabbing her hand while he gave her an incredulous look. They were for the most part alone in the snow outside the mansion.
"Josephine, Ventrue don't just check up people for no reason. I know you want to think good of him, anybody with two eyes-"
"Randall, could you stop trying to be helpful?" Josephine pulled her hand from his, glaring at him from behind her mask. "I expected it. It did not surprise me. There is next to nothing to find out. I'm Gangrel and I'm southern, and my sire is prone to wandering." She smiled, a hint of fang flashing in the night. "Anyways. I've never caused trouble that wasn't deserved."
"Josephine..." Randall put on hand on her shoulder, fingers resting on velvet. "He is dangerous."
"You only say that because he's Ventrue. That is so incredibly unfair of you, Randall." She hissed the last, putting her hand on his wrist. "You of all people should be mindful of not judging one on the basis of their clan."
He grit his teeth.
"Josephine, I will ignore that statement and chalk it up to you being abnormally stupid. You have no want of my advice? Then don't listen to me." He shook her hand off, taking a step backward.
"I am just trying to warn you. It may not be pathetically obvious to everyone, but I feel-no, I know you are more loyal to him then the Camarilla. Someone is going to notice that someday, Josephine. You want to play games and get hurt? Fine. But I want you to know that I and my Master do not trust him farther then my Master could throw his manse, and at the moment, I believe the judgment of my Master more then you."
Randall took a deep breath. He watched her frozen figure, as she stood staring at a patch of snow in front of her. His voice softened. "Josephine, I consider you my friend. I have never seen you be anything but cordial to most, in your way. And for a member of your clan.. you're going to be competent, when it comes to politics. But you have gotten yourself into a very dangerous game, Josephine. I don't want to see valuable members of the Camarilla harmed, even if my Master and I have...arguments with some of the Camarilla politics. "
He sighed, unbending some. "I do not wish to see anyone I consider a friend harmed."
She glanced upward with a sigh, and reach out to snatch his hand, squeezing it in her gloved one. "I thank you for your concern, Randall. A woman couldn't have a better friend. But I can take care of myself. And I am not more loyal to him then the Camarilla." She smiled, slightly, in the dark. "Not, I'm sure, that you or Marcellus really care that much about my loyalty."
Josephine tipped her fan upside down and put the handle to her lips, causing Randall to burst out laughing. She hadn't known what the gesture had meant a few months ago, and it had become their private joke.
"You fail to tempt me to such insanity, Josephine." He extended his arm, and smiled when she rested her hand on the crook of his arm.
"I only fail because I want to fail." Her tone was lofty and mocking.
Randall wrinkled his nose at her, glancing down at her face.
"We should be getting inside. He won't be happy that you're late."
Josephine fumbled her fan for a moment as they crossed into the lamp light at the foot of the stairs, and she laughed nervously.
"I don't think he'll begrudge me a few last minute errands, Randall. A woman has to prove she is competent, and sometimes that means arriving late."
Randall gave her a sideways glance. "I see I made you uncomfortable, Miss Kay. I apologize."
Josephine bit her lip, allowing herself a brief, small smile. "Accepted, Randall. So, tell me, what is your Master costumed as tonight?"
"Oh, I don't think I should tell you. He wishes it to be a surprise. But what are you this evening?" He nodded to the tiara on her head, ensconced in her curled, upswept hair. "I never thought you to be the kind of woman who yearned to be a fairy Princess."
Randall waited as Josephine gathered up her skirts, trying to take dainty steps in the costume. The only visible fabric of her dress was a mix of green and gold beneath her cloak. Their heads were bent in concert when a voice spoke from above them, up the stairs.
"She is dressed, Mr. Protheroe, as the Empress Josephine."
Her head came up sharply as she stepped away from Randall as the voice of the man standing above them interrupted their walk up the stairs.
"He wishes to see you in his study before you.. join your associates at the masquerade, Miss Kay."
Randall watched her simply nod, gathering her cloak close to herself as she nearly ran up the last few steps, hurrying the last few feet to the door. He watched her go without a word, before he turned his attention to the man he faced.
"David."
David kept his glance toward the door. His body was still turned sideways, as he neglected to turn even after he watched her dissapear from view.
"Mr. Protheroe, I would like to offer you a piece of advice." He raised his hand, eyebrows raised slightly. "You can even have it for free." He folded his hands together behind him, inclining his head towards Randall. His spectacles glistened in the light of the lamp above them.
"Miss Kay could become a very important woman, given the proper guidance. She's already proven to be a bright and avid student, though she is socially unremarkable in a court as ostentatious as ours."
"Miss Kay is a naive, blinded young woman, you mean."
They exchanged a long look.
"Mr. Protheroe. We are both gentlemen. We both seek to serve our Masters. I would suggest that you would be better served by attending to yours, and not to the lady my Master keeps a more then adequate eye on. If only for your health."
David nodded to him, and turned promptly on his heel. Randall stood in silence as he watched the door shut behind him.
She'd been standing barefoot in the front hall after dropping her high heels to the floor for awhile, leaning against him for support. He'd wrapped his arms around her and let her wind herself down from her outburst, using one of her pauses as opportunity to kiss her forehead.
"Sounds to me like he's touting the same party line he always does."
"Well, he seemed pretty serious." She pressed her face against his chest, closing her eyes as he ran a hand over her hair. "I want to hate him, Angus. He's everything I hated and everything I loved about the Camarilla."
"He's good at what he does, I'll give him that. But he's not us. " His lips pressed briefly against the top of her head.
"You look exhausted, darlin'. Let's pull up a spot on the couch..."
She mumbled against his chest, and he stopped short in his move to leave where they stood in the hall.
"...He what?"
____________________________________________
December, 1890. Nashville, Tennessee.
"He's been doing some checking up on me." She made it a statement, shrugging her shoulders, cloak rustling with the movement. She walked side by side with her companion, both of them hidden under white masks and heavy cloaks.
Randall stopped short beside her, grabbing her hand while he gave her an incredulous look. They were for the most part alone in the snow outside the mansion.
"Josephine, Ventrue don't just check up people for no reason. I know you want to think good of him, anybody with two eyes-"
"Randall, could you stop trying to be helpful?" Josephine pulled her hand from his, glaring at him from behind her mask. "I expected it. It did not surprise me. There is next to nothing to find out. I'm Gangrel and I'm southern, and my sire is prone to wandering." She smiled, a hint of fang flashing in the night. "Anyways. I've never caused trouble that wasn't deserved."
"Josephine..." Randall put on hand on her shoulder, fingers resting on velvet. "He is dangerous."
"You only say that because he's Ventrue. That is so incredibly unfair of you, Randall." She hissed the last, putting her hand on his wrist. "You of all people should be mindful of not judging one on the basis of their clan."
He grit his teeth.
"Josephine, I will ignore that statement and chalk it up to you being abnormally stupid. You have no want of my advice? Then don't listen to me." He shook her hand off, taking a step backward.
"I am just trying to warn you. It may not be pathetically obvious to everyone, but I feel-no, I know you are more loyal to him then the Camarilla. Someone is going to notice that someday, Josephine. You want to play games and get hurt? Fine. But I want you to know that I and my Master do not trust him farther then my Master could throw his manse, and at the moment, I believe the judgment of my Master more then you."
Randall took a deep breath. He watched her frozen figure, as she stood staring at a patch of snow in front of her. His voice softened. "Josephine, I consider you my friend. I have never seen you be anything but cordial to most, in your way. And for a member of your clan.. you're going to be competent, when it comes to politics. But you have gotten yourself into a very dangerous game, Josephine. I don't want to see valuable members of the Camarilla harmed, even if my Master and I have...arguments with some of the Camarilla politics. "
He sighed, unbending some. "I do not wish to see anyone I consider a friend harmed."
She glanced upward with a sigh, and reach out to snatch his hand, squeezing it in her gloved one. "I thank you for your concern, Randall. A woman couldn't have a better friend. But I can take care of myself. And I am not more loyal to him then the Camarilla." She smiled, slightly, in the dark. "Not, I'm sure, that you or Marcellus really care that much about my loyalty."
Josephine tipped her fan upside down and put the handle to her lips, causing Randall to burst out laughing. She hadn't known what the gesture had meant a few months ago, and it had become their private joke.
"You fail to tempt me to such insanity, Josephine." He extended his arm, and smiled when she rested her hand on the crook of his arm.
"I only fail because I want to fail." Her tone was lofty and mocking.
Randall wrinkled his nose at her, glancing down at her face.
"We should be getting inside. He won't be happy that you're late."
Josephine fumbled her fan for a moment as they crossed into the lamp light at the foot of the stairs, and she laughed nervously.
"I don't think he'll begrudge me a few last minute errands, Randall. A woman has to prove she is competent, and sometimes that means arriving late."
Randall gave her a sideways glance. "I see I made you uncomfortable, Miss Kay. I apologize."
Josephine bit her lip, allowing herself a brief, small smile. "Accepted, Randall. So, tell me, what is your Master costumed as tonight?"
"Oh, I don't think I should tell you. He wishes it to be a surprise. But what are you this evening?" He nodded to the tiara on her head, ensconced in her curled, upswept hair. "I never thought you to be the kind of woman who yearned to be a fairy Princess."
Randall waited as Josephine gathered up her skirts, trying to take dainty steps in the costume. The only visible fabric of her dress was a mix of green and gold beneath her cloak. Their heads were bent in concert when a voice spoke from above them, up the stairs.
"She is dressed, Mr. Protheroe, as the Empress Josephine."
Her head came up sharply as she stepped away from Randall as the voice of the man standing above them interrupted their walk up the stairs.
"He wishes to see you in his study before you.. join your associates at the masquerade, Miss Kay."
Randall watched her simply nod, gathering her cloak close to herself as she nearly ran up the last few steps, hurrying the last few feet to the door. He watched her go without a word, before he turned his attention to the man he faced.
"David."
David kept his glance toward the door. His body was still turned sideways, as he neglected to turn even after he watched her dissapear from view.
"Mr. Protheroe, I would like to offer you a piece of advice." He raised his hand, eyebrows raised slightly. "You can even have it for free." He folded his hands together behind him, inclining his head towards Randall. His spectacles glistened in the light of the lamp above them.
"Miss Kay could become a very important woman, given the proper guidance. She's already proven to be a bright and avid student, though she is socially unremarkable in a court as ostentatious as ours."
"Miss Kay is a naive, blinded young woman, you mean."
They exchanged a long look.
"Mr. Protheroe. We are both gentlemen. We both seek to serve our Masters. I would suggest that you would be better served by attending to yours, and not to the lady my Master keeps a more then adequate eye on. If only for your health."
David nodded to him, and turned promptly on his heel. Randall stood in silence as he watched the door shut behind him.
