The Famn Damily. {Altaire}

[Katerina Teresi]

• Tonight was the night. Granted, it was only a few nights in the works, but still. The young vampire was excited. Katerina was to be hosting a party for her family tonight. She had rented out a small ball room/lounge and had been busy setting it up when she looked at the time on her phone. Oooh. Only a couple hours. she thought to herself. So much for doing it the normal way. Rotating between using Super Jump and Celerity, she hung all the drapery and chandler before arranging all the furniture to make a sitting area, as well as make a small dance floor. She took a step back to check over everything. It was a small space, no more than a few hundred square feet. The hall was decorated in golds and burnt reds, with hints of a matte dark purple here and there. The lounge and arm chairs were arranged to make for easy conversation. She had even thought a head to reserve a handful of “blood dolls”. Because it would be too much of an exposure risk, she skipped on hiring a band and instead chose to purchase a high quality sound system and filled up a memory stick with several hours worth of classical and contemporary music. It wasn't her usual Queen and Motly Crue, but it would suffice for the occasion.
  
  Looking at her phone again, she cursed and hurried off toward the bathroom where she had stored her dress and makeup. She stripped out of her clothes and applied her makeup. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she caught herself examining flesh for anything that would need extra coverage. The woman had near flawless skin and she couldn't for the life of her think of why she might have such a fixation for covering marks that weren't there. She shook away the feeling before finishing her foundation and powder, and moving to coat the lids of her eyes with a shadowy purple with a soft silver on the inner corners. After her eye liner was applied she brushed on a touch of blush and then a soft nude color coated her lips. She fished her curling irons out of her back and plugged them in before going and unzipping the bag to slide it off of her dress. She then went back and curled large ringlets in to her long hair. Thiry minutes, a few dozen hair pins, and a travel size bottle of hair spray later, she deemed her hair acceptable. Next her dress was slipped on and fastened and her crystal adorned stilletos were strapped to her feet. She was done. And not a moment too soon. She heard a group of girls come though the double doors. She hurried out to greet them, and instantly took pity on them. They were little more than skin and bone, and although freshly washed and clean, still looked passable *** junkies. After learning each of their names she hurried them back to the back room. She had purchased each of of the three a dress, matching, for the event. The next hour was spent giving them mini makeovers to freshen up their appearance, styling their hair, and getting them in to their dresses and matching shoes. “You girls look lovely!” she said taking the sight of them in. And they really did. They were beautiful young women, and it was a shame that their life had led them to their current careers, but there was little Katerina could do about it besides pay them well and remind them of their worth, if even just for a night. They might be the menu, but none of her guests would harm them more than feeding. She would see to that.
  
  The time had come. Her guests would be arriving soon, or at least she hoped they would, and she moved to the foyer to greet them as they came in. Her girls stood behind her. It would be a disappointment if nobody showed up. She couldn't wait see her sire all fancied up and in his suit. Before she left she made sure everything was laid out for him so he wouldn't have the excuse of saying he 'forgot' something. She even stuck his tie in his suit jacket pocket so she could just knot it when he got here. And his sire, Phoenix, had picked out an amazing dress. It was so stunning on her. Yes, tonight was going to be a lovely evening.

[Roderic]

"Thirty-nine, forty, forty-one."
I look down at the project I was working on for Pyper and shake my head.
No, this just wouldn't do.
I turn it around to inspect the edges, then around to the other side and finally the other where I find a place to put another stitch in.
"Forty-two." Good. I nod my head.

A timer goes off and I sigh.
The damn party.
I was just getting comfortable with participating in these things when Thing Two decided to throw in a wrench.
Formal affair. Suit and tie. Dresses and heels.
This vampire was going to kill me.
Suits were too constricting for my work.
Or fleeing if I ever needed to flee.
She'll be the death of me at some point.
But part of me doesn't mind.
Because like every other night I hear the calling of the abyss; the Umbra.

I put away my equipment after cleaning it off. Not once, but twice.
Everything was arranged from the smallest piece of equipment, to the largest in the drawer.
I hope she likes it.
If not, I could try something else again later.
If she brings me more pelts.

I reluctantly put both hands on the chair I was sitting on and push off it to stand.
An arm moves to my back and scratches at it before I stretch out.
I'd been sitting for hours, finishing this project for Pyper, thinking she might come tonight because I let everyone know there was going to be a get together that Thing Two and I were hosting.
I take a look around the shop, grab the wolf fur lined item, stuff it in a backpack and head to my ebony colored beauty.
I hop on her and head over to the location of the party.

I park the cycle outside, a block down.
I have a few enemies. I don't really want them knowing which place I might be at tonight.
I get a few looks, mostly because I'm sure I don't exactly fit in with the people here.
"Thing Two?" I call out as I enter the ballroom.
I might be a few minutes late, but at least I showed.