Coming Together for a Common Goal [Elders] [Open]

[Elizabeth Constance]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Many countless nights had been spent with Antonio and her mind was running a mile a minute. She paced about her home in West Tower. It was ages since she left the comfort of her home at the gallery and she hadn't been to her West Tower home since Robert pulled the biggest betrayal of falling in love with her sire. He was her ex and thank goodness for that but she still had to hire someone to change the cameras in her home in case he was lurking and spying on her. He wasn't her keeper and she would make sure he knew that if he still breathed some sort of life in the city. Looking at the camera as she stopped pacing by the front door and flipped it off. Yeah if he was spying...he definitely knew how she felt. He placed cameras in all of her homes but her new ones and made the point of flipping them off as she passed.

Shaking her head as she needed to keep her mind on task and began pacing again. How was she going to get many of them in a single space to talk about the problems of the city. It needed to be a place that would hold them all and she needed someone to pull off the ritual to keep them all safe even from the gruesome human world that tried to keep them down like disobedient dogs. The place...where would she have it. Couldn't be at Solace as many of those that she might ask to come worshiped the opposing God to her Lux...Nox. While she was never in a religious war with the other faith, she wanted them to feel comfortable. What other place did she control that had enough room? The gallery! That was it, she head city wide Christmas parties at the gallery yearly as a fundraiser for the orphanage while providing the perfect Christmas for those children. It was the perfect place! Her eyes glanced at the window and it was still mid-day. She had time to set it up for this evening.

Rushing upstairs and flipping off the camera that guarded the stairway, she rushed to her desk and grabbed all of her notes. Topics, list of people both human and vampires, items needed and a message that she would post on the Crownet for any fledgling that would want to attend to see how their elders handled tough situations. It was hard to imagine that the younger ones might consider her their elder but she was much older than them but her goal was to bring those that created them all with a single bite of the second generation vampires. Lizzie herself was turned almost as soon as the Elders made their escape from the Realm of Shadows but how the lines flowed, she was a third generation but that didn't change that she had knowledge that was passed down. That she had worked closely with the Elders when they had the Enforcer group. There was much to learn from those that had experienced the holocaust once before. This was our common goal....prevent another holocaust.

Looking at the names upon her list and sent each of them a message that was identical to each other with the exception to Amalea who was one of the humans that she considered an Elder because she knew much about the vampires and what they had endured. She was special and could be trusted. Each message was sent with her using her telepath powers to send them to each of their devices but not leaving a way that the source could be tracked.

Greetings,

I do hope this message finds you well. I have a simple request to meet with each of you. I would like to have a meeting with the minds of this great city that we have seemed to lose control over. We have a common goal to overturn these events that keep us from living our normal lives. Please meet tonight at the Gallery of Solace otherwise known as the Modern Art Gallery. It will be safe as a ritual would be performed to avoid violence. I hope to see you all this evening. We will meet when the sunsets.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Constance Llewellyn

To Amalea only:

P.S. Amalea, please perform Eirene's Will to protect us and invite which humans you feel could be trusted to help.

As soon as the message was sent, she then sent off an email to her staff at the gallery know that they would have the evening off as the gallery would be closing at 5pm and everyone is to go home and enjoy the night off. She then followed with another message on the Crownet for those that she didn't have names for, possible fledglings that might be able to think outside of the box and help the older vampires with ideas to help given they were now effected by due to their recent life change from human to vampire. All needed to be protected in her mind while coming together to work towards a unified world.

Once she was finished alerting those in the city that might be interested in attending, she rushed to her room and pulled out one of her many power suits and changed out of her jeans. This was an important meeting and she would look professional. When it came to doing actions that would be on the dirtier side of things, she would rethink her outfit choice but this was simply a meeting to get started. Looking herself over in the mirror, she nodded before she slipped her petite feet into a pair of black 6" stilettos giving her that extra height that she always desired. Perfect! Sending a text to Molly to prepare the main floor of the gallery for guests and set up all of the chairs they had for events while she stopped for refreshments.

Watching the window and the minute the sun started to set, she rushed out the door and kept to the shade to avoid attracting attention to the smoke that would billow off of her skin that her Daywalker ability didn't save her from. Dipping into a liquor store, she made the purchases to provide beverages for the humans that might attend and then at the shop that many vampires visited for blood should any of them come hungry. Her errands were quick and when she arrived at the gallery, she opened the packs of blood and placed them in decanters and set them next to wine glasses. Lizzie placed the liquor on the next table with glasses so that each guest could help themselves.

As she entered the gallery and looked around. It was great but the chairs were too close together. Looking up at the clock and took note of the time, she sighed as she would be cutting it close. Getting a tape measure, she began to help Molly set up the main hall of the gallery so that the rows were six feet apart from each other, with a low stage placed at the front that she used for choir concerts for the children so that she might be able to speak with them and see each of their faces but no podium because she was equal to them and would not give them falsehood that she was placing herself as superior. If each speaker wanted to stand on stage, they were welcome to. A microphone was set up that would feed though the speakers about the room. It was all set but one thing and she looked at Molly. "Please print off vampire and human labels for the chairs. Three chairs for vampires in between every one human." Molly ran off and did as she asked, soon it was all complete and Molly went to care for Lizzie's human daughter that hide away in the residence above.

The Gallery was ready. Lizzie hoped they would be as well.

[Amalea]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

It had become a bit of a ritual for the red-head to take up residence on the couch with a glass of wine as she looked over Auberouge’s paperwork for the day. She counted herself lucky that there had only been relatively small dips in revenues which she attributed to the fact that the corporation was composed of several essential companies. As well as the fact that she had started shifting employees from the nonessential portions to other tasks rather early on; well before any official stay at home order was given in North America.

Her attention had just turned to the day’s production and donation numbers when her phone vibrated indicating an incoming message. Sighing softly, she set aside her paperwork so she could nab the offending device. She could have simply tapped in with her mind, but she tried to avoid that when she had physical access to a device. “What the…” Whatever she has expected while opening the message, it wasn’t to find an invitation to an event. Much less one from a woman she had thought long dead along with her husband; that was if the message was from whom she believed it was. The reference to Solace seemed to indicate that was the case and a quick telepathic peek confirmed her hunch. That she was no longer bound to Pratt was news to the red-head.

Amalea’s nose twitched as she considered the request for a meeting. It was no secret that Elizabeth wasn’t quite all there, but the blood thief had to wonder if the woman had thought things through given the pandemic sweeping across the world. Sure most vampires wouldn’t be affected by the virus, but there were some that weren’t immune to diseases just like their human counterparts. It was risky - she could acknowledge that - but necessary. If any progress could be made towards gaining rights for vampires, it would be worth it. Hitting the reply button, she typed up a quick reply.

Greetings Ms. Llewelyn,

I would be delighted to attend this evening’s meeting. Invitations will be extended to others that I know to be of a like mind. In addition, the Eirene’s Will requested will be performed before the start time.

Best,

Amalea

Having sent the message, the red-head hummed softly as she considered whom to invite. Flynn was a no-brainer. A quick ‘You should come to this’ message was rapidly typed up and sent. She even fired off one to the group chat despite the majority of participants being vampires. There was no harm in ensuring that they were aware such a venture had been planned. After a couple more moments of thought, she sent out a couple more messages before posting a coded message on a secure site she managed on the sly.

Satisfied with her work, she dropped her now-empty wine glass in the kitchen before retrieving the items required for the ritual from one of her hidden stashes. Once in hand, she delicately weaved her way through the maze to the altar. The items she carried were set upon the stone as she considered the task at hand. With a deft hand, she set them to order ensuring each piece was present. After a brief moment’s meditation, she opened the vials of blood using them to coat the bone as well as the antique piece the demi-fae seemed to prefer for this sort of thing. Carefully, she placed the items into the circle before stepping into her place.

Picking up her ritual dagger, she pricked the tip of her finger. As the blood welled up, she smeared it on the hawk’s eye before tossing it in the circle. Additionally, a drop of blood was squeezed onto the bundle of plants. Picking it up, she carefully and clearly called forth the demi-fae by name, ”Seus, I summon thee.”

She waited for the demi-fae to appear before tossing the bundle into the circle and continuing. Each time she got to a spot where she wasn’t sure of the word to use, she’d test them out till the demi seemed to respond positively. Despite the demi’s attempt to escape, the ritual passed without incident. As soon as the items she had placed in the circle disappeared, she smiled knowing that the demi had accepted its appointed task.

After a quick clean of the altar and circle, the red-head hurried to get ready for the evening. A shower and quick change of clothes later, she was ready. There was no need for fancy attire as there was no real need to impress so jeans and a simple tank and shirt combo was her choice for the evening. Feet were slid into comfortable sneakers as she pocketed her phone and keys. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and retrieved one of the boxes of cloth masks her employees had made. They weren’t fancy medical grade ones, but they’d offer some protection. With the door locked, she concentrated on her destination - an alley close to the Gallery - only to find herself there.

A quick step across the street brought her to the Gallery proper. Knowing she was at least a half hour early, she tried the door. Finding it unlocked, she entered being sure to call out as she did so. ”Elizabeth?”

[Segreti]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

It was a lot of work to try and create peace. He was still preparing for another attempt at a meeting, this time however he intended to make use of a certain ritual he was getting help with preparing. Something called Eirines will, it'd prevent people from fighting during the event, making a much greater level of safety than last time. This way, people could discuss more freely. He'd still require ID's at the entrance, but they'd be handled discreetly. And no one would be required to reveal if they were vampire or human. But, that was for another time.

Right now, there was a similar issue. But likely with far less humans. To say Segreti was excited would perhaps be a little bit of an understatement. While the level of true fascination the man had with the supernatural was sometimes overwhelming, it seemed to stay behind this reserved smile he kept for the situation. The situation was quite serious though, and as a result, he pushed the smile mostly away, instead trying to calm himself. Elizabeth Constance, a vampire who he'd had quite a long discussion with recently on the problem of human and vampire relations, was having an event of sorts. Although he understood there'd be "elders" there potentially. He had to stop himself from just...asking a thousand questions and resolving nothing.

The man wore a suit, which was probably what he was most often seen in, it was hardly a surprise for anyone who knew him. It wasn't like he was pretentious about it, but he liked to look formal for business reasons. And you can carry far more things when you have good jacket pockets. Phone, wallet, tissues, a gun if you needed, maybe a small gift, you never know what you'll need it for. He already confirmed that he'd be coming to the event, and was in his car simply driving on his way. It was important to at the very least be on time, he wasn't the first here, but he was perhaps a little early.

He breathed in again, trying to calm himself. And reminding himself of the seriousness of the topic. He was very optimistic about this meeting, the only issue was what would it actually solve? He didn't know how vampires behaved in groups, he had only truly met a few of them and so had limited understanding of them. He knew of the lionelli, he'd had to have dealings with gangsters in the past so it was important to know of them. But they were people to avoid, not to try and discover truths from. This however, this might be different. He'd go on to see if the doors were open, if not, he'd knock first.

"Antonio Segreti here, may I come in." he asked patiently after he found the door to be unlocked, simply standing near the entrance with his head inside.

[Ashwood (DELETED 13180)]

Mrs. Halax, the housekeeper of Dragon’s Rose was to be commended. She had understood that Ashwood wanted to be kept aware of all the important goings on in the city. And while she didn’t know all the details, she was well plugged into the local gossip group. So, when she had told him that one of the upscale galleries was closing for a private function this evening, He began to make preparations as she inquired further.

Within the hour she had returned with news that there was to be a meeting, the topic of which was to be, making peace. Ashwood was in his room ironing his black shirt when she arrived back. “I have been assured that a ritual has been enacted to ensure the safety of those attending.” She finished her report with. Ashwood nodded his head. One more thing to include in his research, rituals. “Thank you, Mrs Halax, I do believe I shall be out all evening. And thank you for keeping me aware of the events in the city. Please take this.” Ashwood held out to her a folded set of bills. When she took it, she nodded her head to Ashwood and left him to his work preparing for the evening. Ashwood always felt that good work should be rewarded swiftly and with funds or like. It often led to similar actions in the future. While housekeepers and other menial labourers might be overlooked by many, they often held clues to actions high over their heads if one knew how to cultivate them properly. And one should never assume anything about the minds around ones’ self. How often is the true mastermind the fellow or woman one would never account for? It was not a trope without reason.

He took his time to carefully iron his black linen shirt and tie. Carefully going over his suit, vest and pants he smiled to himself. Once everything was ready, he began to suit up before looking over the fittings that matched his clothing. If he noticed the ghostly hands in the mirror as he got dressed, he didn’t startle. The black faced watch of course, the silver tie pin. But when his fingers traced over lapel pins, he paused for a moment. He did have something packed away still. His fingers slid into a back tray where they found the teardrop black onyx pin with its chain. Amused as he thought about some of the meanings of black onyx, he fit the pin in place. He gave one last look over his outfit and found himself pleased with the results. Moving to his selection of canes he lifted out the ebony evening cane with the blown glass head. The royal blue hue of the cane top standing out vividly against all the black.

Leaving the room, he reached the bottom of the stairs, the cane and his soft shoe steps pausing when he reached the front door of the house. As he pulled the royal blue tuxedo cape over his outfit Mrs. Halax appeared from the hallway. “I’ve called for a town car to take you to the gallery.” She spoke as she looked over his outfit. From her pleased smile it seemed to pass her assessment. This amused Ashwood as he was sure his own standards were higher, but it was gladdening to see this woman who was the start of his network of information and contacts beginning to take investment in his own appearance. Maybe he had already begun to grow upon her. “Thank you, Mrs. Halax. That was perfect timing.” He pulled the from the hall closet as hat box and removed his town shell hat. A much more formal hat that he felt would be fitting for this evening. The polished fur was perfect to complete his look. He patted his pockets as was his habit to ensure that he had all the smaller little items he would need over the course of the evening. “well, I shall be off Mrs. Halax. Enjoy your evening, I shall see you this morning, if I shall be late or detained otherwise, I will try and send word.” And with that Ashwood stepped outside to the waiting town car.

It was a short while afterwards that he once more placed his cane on the street and stood from the vehicle. He closed the door and the car began to pull away as he took a calming breath. Then he stopped as he spotted a second man with just his head inside the building. He was likewise in a suit, finely tailored and well fitting. Ashwood heard him asking if he might come in and he gave a slight smile. “Ask if we can both enter.” He called with a bit of humour as he stopped a few feet behind the man. “I’m sure we are unreasonably early, but I’d rather be that then forgotten.”

[Every]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

“Touch mine again, and I’ll make you wish you could die.”

She ran her tongues over her fangs, the taste of blood still lingering on her teeth before she allowed them to retract and finally began focusing on the transit stops.

Her anger still radiated even after some of the wounds had been healed, although the thinning line across her throat remained as did the pair of holes beneath her shirt where she’d been stabbed through. It had been a long time since the name Elizabeth Constance had been mentioned on her phone - and had it not come from Amalea, she doubted she would have bothered. She liked the woman, don’t get her wrong, but as Every knew her better as Lizzie Pratt, there were still memories that she hadn’t quite gotten over.

But, Every didn’t fault the woman, either, for the past.

Her reflection - or Mercy’s reflection, or at this point, was it really hers? - showed glittering gold irises that showed no sign in returning to their usual hazel. One. Two. She counted, bracing herself and exhaling quietly. She should have just had her friend summon her, it would have been a lot easier in the end. When the train stopped, Every felt her body jostle. She felt the pull of repairing muscle and the protesting aches that followed as she set her forehead into her arm. Her jaw pulled, shifted and when she was ready, Every shifted past the minimal crowd that dared to get off at the Wickbridge stop.

She didn’t step in that side of town often, leaving it to Chadwick and Doppel to hunt zombies while she worked in River Rock on occasion. Frowning, she summoned her wraith to her side and winced before saying, “Go on ahead of me, Zachary, and look to see if there’s anything to avoid.” After a few moments of rest, Every continued on and listened through his mind. A soldier called out for her to stop only to receive a middle finger in response. She shuffled around the corner, disappearing into an alleyway and made it to the Modern Art Gallery just in time to hear the two men at the door discussing about being invited in.

“It’s a public event.” She said, her tone flat as she reached out and pressed her palms to their bodies, giving them a shove, “In a public setting. If you’re looking for an invitation, you’re **** out of luck waiting for one.” It was the closest thing to polite that anyone short of her friends would be getting out of her for that evening. Every didn’t wait for either man to recover before she slipped into the gallery.

It had been a long time since she’d been inside last.

Longer, since she’d hunted the woman hosting it all.

As she passed a few things, Every recalled the offer for a private touring that she’d never made good on. She recalled Azariel setting a swarm of insects on Robert Pratt for his shadow striking her, and her lips pulled into some semblance of a smirk as she set her hands into the pockets of her blazer. She slipped up behind her favorite human before blowing briefly at the back of Amalea’s head as she said, “Boo.” And prepared herself for the lecture before she telepathically reached out to the hostess for their evening to say, “You’ve got guests arriving, Llewellyn.” before she furrowed her eyebrows.

Every had been to enough town meetings to know that they typically didn't end well, but she hoped something could be a bit more beneficial that time.

Dice rolls regarding the shoving of Ashwood & Segreti:

Every Another PC Moderate Physically demanding Ashwood shoving action Succeeded
Every Another PC Moderate Physically demanding Segreti shoving action Succeeded

Wearing with a black blazer: this

[Kira]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

It was short notice this meeting, Kira wasn't one who could simply be awake when the sun was up. It forced her to sleep, even with day walker, which only meant she wouldn't burn if she was caught outside. Something that didn't happen unless someone threw her out of a window.

It didn't take her long to get ready. She had a pile of hand made fabric masks laying on a desk. "Dave.." she said, picking one up. "Put this on, you're coming with me."

Dave tilted his head, her thrall, he most likely wondered why he would be going to it. Kira wasn't sure if the spell was off of him, would he still stand by her side. Their relationship was rocky at best when she first enchanted him. She had to take a lot of the blame. Her emotions were lacking, like that of a killers, but over the years she had grown rather attached to him and considered him a friend. But without the spell, where did he stand? If his mind was free would he be part of the people wanting to get rid of vampires.

"You're clearly overthinking something." Dave spoke, snatching up the mask. "You think there's going to be enough humans there to be worried about social distancing?"

"Never know." Kira shrugged, what if vampires could carry it and give it to humans? She certainly found herself using hand sanitizer when dealing with humans. She had some very bored workers who she was paying to make masks to pass out to as many humans as she could. "Trying to think of who we could bring.."

There was that robot kid but she had no way to contact him other than through Windy or Nimmy. And she certainly didn't know where Windy stood, he could flip flop. He had been part of the Order at one point but it seemed his sole focus was on her. Or messing with Lexy. And Nimmy, he was the kind of human who needed to be protected. She wasn't sure if bringing him to this meeting would be good for him or not, or helpful for that matter.

"I don't know who to bring." Kira muttered, her workers were pro vampire but she wasn't wanting to bring them on this field trip.

"I'm going. I'll meet you there." She heard her wrath speak up, had they been there the whole time?

"I'm sure some older wraiths might have some words of wisdom so why not." Kira replied, at least Marcus was in control. He would be the better one to talk to.

Kira took a hold of Dave's arm and teleported there within a block away. She had done charity work, a whole big concert dedicated to raising money for the homeless and trying to show that vampires weren't all that bad. What more was it going to take? If vampires really wanted to fight back, they could. No human government can force a vampire to do anything.

"If more time had been put into this, could have offered up the temple as a meeting place. It is neutral space." Kira said, she couldn't remember if she had been here or if it would be big enough for a group of vampires.

"You would need chairs.." Dave replied, shaking himself out. He hated being summoned or teleported.

"I could get chairs...easy enough." Kira muttered as they moved towards the art gallery. Her green eyes looked over those gathered at the door. What was with everyone at the door? She stepped in behind after the males were shoved forward. "Have to agree with her." she said with a grin, her fangs always there to be seen. She tugged Dave on with her into the building past them.

She looked around at the chairs, "Do we need labels?" she asked.

"I have to sit between vampires I don't know." Dave grumbled.

"Just one, I'll make sure I'm on one side. But I admire the social distancing space between chairs." Kira said, she handed him a bottle of hand sanitizer. "Be on the safe side."

"Yes mother." Dave rolled his eyes and took a seat labeled human. He may think Kira was being too careful with his health. But Kira wasn't sure what she would do if he were to get sick or something were to happen to him.

"I'm just going to stay near you. Not sure if wraith voices are wanted here." Marcus spoke softly. Kira wasn't sure what he was thinking, surely there was going to be someone else beside her that knows he is here.

Kira moved over to the refreshments, she didn't need any blood so she took a normal drink and sat down in the chair labeled vampire that was on one side of Dave.

[Mike Barone]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Mike sat at his desk, a pile of homework on either side. He had a lot to catch up on still and now classes were online which sucked for many of the classes were hands on. His apartment was littered with parts of robots, half made.Only one robot was 'alive' and that was Rude Robot who wasn't so rude anymore after being powered back up from his deep sleep in a storage unit. The little ball with legs was trying to clear a path through the room.

"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor!" Sparks yelled, flapping his wings.

Mike hit his forehead, his bird had learned a lot of bad things while Windy was taking care of him. Many of it was Kira this, Kira that. The man had a problem.

He tried to focus on the math involved in this chapter but he couldn't. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. He eyed his cell phone as it alerted him of a message. Something he didn't get that often, most times it was texts from the University. He picked it up and opened the next. Amalea? He hadn't heard that name in some time. He read the message about a meeting about what was going on in the city, what they were doing to the vampires. They were defiantly getting a raw deal with the government.

When he was hacking he normally got rid of police files that dealt with vampires, unless it looked like they were a bad vampire. Just as humans, there were bad ones.

He scrolled through his contacts, who else would be interested in this? Nimmy...he wasn't sure if he should be involved in this meeting but he knew the man liked vampires. Then there was Windy. He had no idea whose side he was on and if Kira was there, that would be awful. Nope, not inviting anyone.

This meeting was certainly short notice. He got up, threw a jacket on.

"Where are you going?" Rude Robot asked, shoving some more parts off to the side.

Mike blinked, "Out..." he said, why was he being questioned.

"Well, put that mask on. Do you not watch the news?" he seemed to huff.

"Oh, right." Mike said, he grabbed the mask from his desk and headed out of the apartment. Could super humans get the virus? He had to heal himself a few times from being shot soldiers a few times. He wasn't a normal human.

He slipped the mask on and headed down outside. He knew for sure he had never been in an art gallery, it wasn't his scene. He'd been to every computer cafe there was though. He quickly got on the train and made his way there.

He eyed the door, there were people showing up. He knew the bulk of the people here would be vampires, it didn't bother him any. He headed inside, taking a look around, he noticed how the chairs were set up. He quickly found a chair labeled human and sat down.

[Charlie]

Outfit

Charlie stood at the top of the stairs at Wickbridge station and gave a sweeping glance of the surroundings. The map application suggested that she walk straight and take the second left turn, presumably at the grand casino where a number of soldiers were seemingly parked, and signalled that her destination would be on the left-hand side thereafter. The allurist glanced across the street at the Metronome Club, a place she had spent many a night both as a human and, later on, as a vampire. If this meeting turned out to be a headache in the making, she could always empty her mind at the club afterward. She smiled, content with the bargain she appeared to strike with herself, and crossed the road.

Instead of following the map’s suggestion, Charlie opted to go the long way around and took the first left. She could never be sure how her evening would turn out when she crossed paths with Harper Rock’s uniformed men: there’d once been a time a soldier was as likely to end up in her bed as he was likely to shoot her on sight. Of course, the latter seemed far more probable given the current state of affairs in the city, and that was why she’d decided to come to this meeting.

Her expectations for the evening were low, the memory of her sire’s rants about Harper Rock’s self appointed elite still fresh in her head after all these years. Yet, curiosity had gotten the best of her and she couldn’t fault the host, Princess of Light (Jesus ******* Christ…), for taking issue with the turn in politics and atmosphere. What good would talking about it do? Well, that remained to be seen.

Charlie wasn’t optimistic that the military–industrial complex would be so quick to renounce its purported advantage, and a power dynamic where one party had managed to keep the other down like dogs hardly seemed befitting a platform upon which to build a relationship. As if that weren’t enough a reason to be cynical about this little shindig, she had yet to hear any heartwarming stories about Harper Rock’s vampire community coming together for a unifying cause. It seemed, rather, that any chance for upheaval and discordance was seized with gusto.

The long way around was indeed a very long way around, but as Charlie walked past the dormant factories and empty lobbies of brightly-lit office buildings she failed to draw the attention of soldiers and was suddenly glad for her decision; there were a number of businesses she’d never have known existed, which she committed to memory—with ease—and decided to visit at a later date.

It appeared as though many shops remained open past sundown, and it led her to believe that things couldn’t possibly be as dire as Princess of Light claimed them to be. It was possible that these shops were all owned by vampires who privileged their kind for both patronage and/or employment and had significant influence through taxation, but surely if the government wanted to completely strip vampires of their rights then they’d be a lot more heavy-handed about it, prohibiting business or outings after hours or stripping all venue licences and carrying out raids on a massive scale.

Fixing her headband to secure the dark wig she wore beneath it, Charlie stopped short of the destination and watched a few people entering under the watchful gaze of nearby soldiers—those same soldiers that she’d seen earlier in front of the casino. The gallery was meant to be warded for the protection of those attending, or so the post had said, but still the allurist was glad for the weight of her tome in her back pocket: a quick escape should there be cause for it.

After silencing her phone and exiting the map app, Charlie dropped her arms to her sides and walked in, casual. There were no familiar faces—ah, save for one perhaps, she hesitated, eyes drawn to a young man wearing a mask. It was hard to place the familiarity given half his face was covered, but she was never one to forget a name or face.

Intrigued but not pressed for time, Charlie slowly walked around the room to get a sense of the setup. Her eyes slid back towards the young man every few steps, which was how she noticed the note taped on his chair: Human. She glanced down the row of chairs then and snorted, inelegant and loud. This kind of absurdity never failed to delight her; she was suddenly so ridiculously pleased to have come.

Smiling wide, the allurist lifted her arm, spun her phone into landscape mode and snapped a picture. Before moving towards the table of refreshments, she forwarded the photo to Marisol with the caption Princess of Naff

[Elizabeth Constance]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Looking at the now labeled chairs, Lizzie frowned as it was in a was segregating the very people that she wanted to bridge the gap between but then again it was placing them together to keep humans safe from the horrid pandemic that was happening in the world. They couldn't very well bridge the gap between races if part of the group ended up getting sick with the possible death. She was one to turn people when they were on the verge of death to save them but only with permission. An entire room of humans would drain her and she knew that not all of them would welcome the option so their safety was important. Checking her messages quickly with her mind, there was a relief that the ritual was going to be performed. Her security detail was always at the ready and she would message them if the meeting went south to ensure that everyone got out and home safely.

Her eyes glanced up at the door as she saw movement and took notice that the first guest had arrived and early. She was glad that the room was set up and ready to go so that she didn't look sloppy or ill-prepared. Walking up to the woman that entered, she took a quick appraisal of her and smiled. "Amalea, thank you kindly for doing the ritual and for attending. How are you this evening?" Lizzie had known of the woman as she had been around as long as she had for what she could remember. The fact that she had taken the time to attend the meeting filled Lizzie with hope that ideas might emerge and proceed to progress for a better future as no one wanted to repeat history or so she hoped.

The attention remained on the woman before until movement at the door caused a light gasp escape her as she saw the two men get shoved through the door. She thought she had heard someone ask if they could enter but it was a public venue with a public event. If they weren't welcome, she wouldn't have sent out invitations or posted it to the CrowNet. Soft blue eyes followed the woman across the room that had shoved the poor souls through the door. As the woman approached and the gentle words danced upon her mind, Lizzie tilted her head as she studied the woman before appraising her as well as she wasn't familiar to her. Confusion filled her as she discovered that it was Every. She knew her well come either meetings with Azraeth or Worthington outside of the frequent visits to kill her. "Every, it is good to see you again but we might have to meet another time so you can tell me the tale on how you look different. Though please excuse me for a moment ladies, I must greet our other guests."

Carefully she stepped away from the two women and gracefully moved across the large gallery to the men at the door. She would offer a shake of her hand but was unsure who might be weary of the disease that was plaguing the world so she kept her hands to her side. "Good evening Gentlemen." She nodded to Antonio before she let her eyes rest upon the man that she hadn't met before. "Please to meet you, I am Elizabeth Llewellyn. I have refreshments if you care to indulge and seating is arranged to provide healthy space to those that might fear catching the plague that sweeps the world. Take a walk around as we still have some time before the meeting starts."

Kira was the next to enter and she remember the woman from 5th Column and Worthington. It was good to see former acquaintances appear for what she felt was an important meeting. She had a human with her and nodded towards the male before her attention was on Kira who had claimed a pair of seats. "Good evening, Kira. It is good to see you. I hope you have been well." The woman was spunky and rarely was alone but that wasn't a bad thing and the woman was sweet from what she could remember or at least Lizzie never fell on the wrong side of her attitude if there was a darker side.

Mike was the next in and it had been ages since she had seen him. Nimrod was typically with him but he was alone this evening. She had hoped that she would see Nimmy this evening and had gummy bears in her desk in case he was to ever come around but knowing how many people she anticipated, probably was a good idea that he didn't come as she remembered he was never good with crowds though there were large statues on exhibit that he could hide behind. She gave the man a wave as he took a seat before her eyes drifted to the next person. People were showing up on time and so far there was a semi-decent turn out. There was still time before they started that she made sure there were still enough refreshments but Molly could always step away from her daughter to make a quick errand run. That probably wasn't a bad thought since there were humans and they might get hungry. She would wait for a moment to get a feel on how urgent snacks might be.

Lizzie did take notice that the woman that had now entered, she wasn't familiar with so she was glad that her message on the CrowNet had done it's job to bring other patrons that were beyond those that had been in the city for ages. Walking over to the door to properly greet the woman, she smiled kindly as the woman snapped a picture with her phone. "Welcome, please come in. There are refreshments of all types." She gestured her hand toward the table. "Mingle if you like or you can find a seat. We will get started shortly."

It was coming together nicely and she was pleased with the current turn out even though guests had only begun to arrive. There were still a few more that she hoped would attend but only time would tell. She was sure that this would be a long evening but an evening she had hoped would bring thought and a plan for the future of their city. It was what she hoped because the opposite outcome couldn't happen. Closing her eyes for a mere second as she pushed the thought of doubt down within her gut, pushing it back so that it didn't help the meeting turn for the worst. Positivity would produce positive actions, or so she hoped.

[Sullivan (DELETED 11708)]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Sullivan is throwing on his war-shred leather jacket when the text comes in from Amalea; the scent of blood and ash are so deeply woven into the fibres by now that they can’t be washed away. He checks his phone and sends her a quick reply to confirm that he’s on his way. Tonight’s plans are going to be changed for good, but, he doesn’t mind at all. As a matter of fact, he’s actually excited at the idea of attending the event - even if it’s just to see Eve again, and from a distance, and they never actually get to talk because she’s busy doing vampire stuff. He understands that he’s the odd one out in their little group, but, he doesn’t seem to mind that either. Sullivan accepts it with the nonchalance assigned to the spare wheel in the trunk. There’s no point getting mad about things you can’t change.

Before leaving the apartment, he makes the last minute decision not to wear the jacket; his casual Levi’s tee and jeans says that he’s not taking this meeting all that seriously, though. Since the silver cross pendant hasn’t pissed off any of the vampires he knows so far, he keeps it around his neck as a sign of his wayward faith. After he heads out, Sullivan pulls up a map to get him pointed in the right direction, because a Paladin hasn’t had any use in visiting an art gallery since he’s gotten into town and he fits the stereotype of being the graceless, uncreative brute. He reaches into his jeans’ pocket as he’s walking; there is a packet of slimline cigars calling his name and the nicotine helps transform the long journey into a quick one.

The streets are quiet, but, that’s to be expected. The order’s been put out to the public to stay at home and there’s enough people taking it seriously to make him and everyone else walking the streets look conspicuous as hell. The military give him wary glances as he passes and they swing their bodies to announce how armed they are. Tonight, Sullivan’s heart wants out of his chest. It pounds like it's going to crack a rib. His senses are on high alert; every colour is brighter, every noise louder, every stranger a cause to make his heart beat more fiercely still. On the surface, he looks as cool and collected as he normally does; his face stern, yet peaceful and his movements purposefully casual.

Sullivan locates the gallery easily enough and watches as a woman slips inside the place after checking her phone. After outing his cigar, he follows in a good twenty seconds after she’s entered because he hadn’t been stalking the woman - it was just coincidence - and he finds himself standing behind the front row of chairs in one gaping mouth-hole of a room. There are too many odd things to list, but, he thinks he can start it off with the fact that the building just opens the way it does, and then there are the chairs which were labelled. Sullivan feels himself transported back in time to when well-meaning teachers would have you sit boy-girl in a feeble attempt to bring order. He dryly recalls how these teachers also wanted you to refer to them by their first name, too, like it made you equals. A frown stitches to his face, but, the irritation lifts cleanly when he spots Every.

“You look good in white,” he says. Sullivan makes sure to stand as close as he can to her side without physically touching her. He wears a drunken, happy grin that makes his brown eyes glitter and he leers over the woman like she’s the only person in the room. Finally, like it’s a second thought, his shine dulls and he smiles a friendly smile at Amalea. “Hey Amalea. So. What brings us here?”