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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:05 pm
   CANON ARRIVALS: Ciel Phantomhive & Sebastian Michaelis
”The Crystal Palace is certainly beautiful, don’t you agree, young master?” Sebastian softly said, admiring the human efforts that filled the edifice. He understood that there was an exhibition to be held; Ciel’s mutterings and signed documents for the past week were sufficient enough to inform the Demon Butler. His eyes flickered to the building’s greenhouse top and ascended down its magnificent panes of glass and iron--how lovely. Usually, he gave little effort in respecting anything human-made, but the attention this specific premise was gathering was impressive in itself. Despite that the Queen was not making an appearance, the mass gathered warmly nonetheless.
However...he was slightly irritated by the obnoxious crowds that seemed to flow endlessly in and out of the building’s entrances, and it became clear to the Demon as of why more than one entrance required. People didn’t stop incoming. The rich, the poor, the common--an amalgam of humans, and the smell was intoxicating. Sebastian wasn't altogether so sure he liked the outside of the exhibition much anymore, though the inside itself was something new he could sample.
Beside him, Ciel grew restless, his staff trembling in his hand. Sebastian chuckled at his master’s futile attempt to conceal his excitement, though he didn’t quite understand he needed to at all; it seemed that all the faces around them were filled with impatience.
”The unveiling of the sapphire and ruby rings are starting soon,” Ciel whispered loudly, shoving through the crowd with ease after Sebastian paved the way before him. The Demon Butler acknowledged this with a nod and a ”Yes, my lord” before the duo managed to slip in into the building’s main hall. Inside, a line seemed to have taken formation--a rather expanded one. Ciel’s frown deepened at the amount of people in the building’s interior--he’d thought that there would be less inside, not outside.
There were five pedestals aligned horizontally in the main hall; the main exhibition no doubt. Upon each of them were square-like boxes with a satin drapery covering their contents from view.
”There!” Ciel said, his uncovered eye widening. A smirk blossomed over his features, and he shook his head. ”Finally, our efforts have come to fruit.”
Sebastian couldn’t quite see what “there” was, but he deduced that it was in one of the satin-covered cases. His smile returned when the event began: a woman appeared, her face veiled. She was dressed in a rather flamboyant fashion, though the colors of the dress were modestly reserved to black-and-white pinstripes. When she moved, the rustling of the fabrics could be heard distinctively. Ciel seemed dismissive of her, he was more interested in the contents of the exhibit.
”Good evening, London, the Crystal Palace’s exhibition is proud to present to you England’s finest ruby and sapphire rings! However, before the unveiling is to be conducted, I must inform you that they have come a long way from their original protected location--but today--they will be revealed to all of England!” she cried, and applause flooded the establishment.
”Her voice seems unsteady, don’t you think, young master?” Sebastian inquired, but Ciel was too preoccupied to answer.
The woman continued.
”Ladies and Gentlemen--the Phoenix Ruby and the Leviathan Sapphire!” she said with zeal, and Sebastian swore he could feel the excitement from her voice--though something was still odd about it. Her fingers plucked the satin from the case covers, and the ruby and sapphire ring came unveiled.
Sebastian blinked.
He expected smaller gems, but the sapphire and ruby “rings” where massive.
”Just as expected,” Ciel commented, though Sebastian disagreed.
Expected? They were the size of bracelets--the gems themselves were relative to the size of human eyeballs, no doubt. At least, it became clear to the Demon Butler as of why his master worked so hard to ensure their protection. Their value was obvious--their immense size.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:34 pm
DOLLS The Crystal Palace was large in size and even more impressive in its sheer amount of glass that sufficed as the roof and surrounding walls. It was a house of exhibition, a museum to show all the marvels of the world from the Orient to the Americas. Today, that was especially true with the unveiling of the ruby and sapphire rings. Such things were very rare occasions like seeing a solar eclipse or unearthing a fossil. It was only with that type of reasoning that Scarlet left her manor with Leland.DOLLS Why are there so many people here? Well, it was a rhetorical question. Scarlet knew why, but it made her uncomfortable to brush up against so many other strangers. It made her scoot closer to her son who seemed rather stoic to everyone, only focusing upon the covered box. Despite being younger he was more socially sound and it subtly showed in situations such as this.DOLLS "Are you okay mother?" asked Leland, who took a moment to glance up at Scarlet. He could feel her hand tighten around his and despite his expression, his eye showed concern.DOLLS "Oh of course," Scarlet said, brushing off Leland's concern, "let's just enjoy the unveiling. I'm sure it's starting soon." She let her hand sag slightly as a woman emerged.DOLLS ”Good evening, London, the Crystal Palace’s exhibition is proud to present to you England’s finest ruby and sapphire rings! However, before the unveiling is to be conducted, I must inform you that they have come a long way from their original protected location--but today--they will be revealed to all of England!”DOLLS Applause could be heard fueling the hype around the hidden objects, everyone even more enticed to see the woman lift back the cloth.DOLLS ”Ladies and Gentlemen--the Phoenix Ruby and the Leviathan Sapphire!”DOLLS "It's huge," Scarlet whispered, clearly astounded by the eyeball-sized gems. They weren't merely rings. They were much too large for that. DOLLS Leland only nodded in agreement as his focus shifted over to the flamboyantly dressed woman. Of what he read about the event, such size was to be expected, however the actual sight was still something he was excited by. He wanted a closer look.
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Punani chans Vice Captain
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knife effect Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:50 pm
 
"I think it's quite awesome," Rook corrected, slapping his master's head with a swift gesture. "Move along, there is much to see inside, I am sure. Why you even bothered to come is a mystery to me."
At this, Horatio was miffed.
"Why I wanted to come? YOU wanted to come, I merely nodded in my sleep. It isn't fair to ask me for favors while I'm unconscious, idiot!" the detective boy snapped.
"I just wanted to see..."
"Yes, and that is why we're here. We'll be on our leave as soon as this rubbish ends."
"Certainly, my king."
"Hmph."
The duo entered the interior with ease, in contrary to what Horatio had believed beforehand--but only with Rook's impressive shoves. Horatio hid himself behind the Demon's profile, afraid of people identifying him with his butler's rudeness. He didn't even care much for the inside, there could be dancing monkeys for all he knew--it wasn't anything he was dying to see. Unless, of course, it was a dead body. Morbid, but justly so.
The unveiling had already began by the time Horatio and Rook stepped foot in.
"Ahhh, they're colossus...are you sure they are rings, young master?"
"Bollocks. What else would they be?" Horatio snapped, wanting to leave. The size of the gems wasn't the reason why people were intrigued by them, were they? If so, the reason for the exhibition's appeal was rather inane. Why it perplexed his diabolic butler so, Horatio didn't understand.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:00 pm
DOLLS Leland stood on his tiptoes, barely able to see over the shoulder of the man in front of him. Ack! He was hoping that with the rings now revealed, the crowed would dissipate. However, that was not the case. They stayed in awe of the massive stones even seemed to move closer to the glass case.DOLLS "I wanna see! I wanna see!" cried out one child, whose words reflected Leland's feelings.DOLLS "Excuse me sir, could you move?" Leland asked, "I can't see the exhibit."DOLLS The man, barely paying attention, only gave a brief glance before going back to viewing the gems.DOLLS Scarlet frowned before gesturing to the right. "Let's see if we can see the gems better over there." With Leland in tow, she walked over towards the right of the museum, past a tall, white haired man.DOLLS'Is this any better?" she asked. They were at an area where the crowd was more thinned out, but it was still fairly full.
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Punani chans Vice Captain
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knife effect Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:11 pm
The child was shorter than Horatio by a little more than a head; Horatio was already tall for his young age. The boy sported bandages wrapped over one of his eyes, and Rook already felt a shy sense of pity slipping into him. He'd been observing the boy and his mother for a short while from his peripheral vision, and left Horatio's side abruptly--
"Rook--where are you going--HEY!"
Horatio struggled to keep up with his Demon Butler's strides. When he got there, however, his lips sealed shut. What in the name of the good God and all things holy...
Rook squatted before the child, his face kind.
His face kind.
Horatio blinked. What...is that idiot doing?
Nevermind what Rook was doing, what was Rook's face doing?
"Here, allow me," Rook offered, lifting the child over his head so that the his legs dangled over Rook's shoulders. He smiled at the mother, hoping that she wouldn't be distraught by his sudden act of kindness. "Is that better now?"
The Rington boy could only stare.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:21 pm
Mirage decided to go to the Crystal Palace to see the exhibit. She had heard a great deal about the Ruby and Sapphire rings, but she figured she might as well see them with her own eyes. When she arrived to the palace there was a mass of people outside, if there were so many out here she couldn't imagine what it was like inside.
Nonetheless, she mad her way through the crowd silent and dignified. She would receive odd looks from those she passed, but none said a word. One single glance and they held their tongues. They could tell she was not one to be trifled with and her confidence alone showed those that would question that she was of a Noble family.
She received some polite looks and greetings even a few of the children that she tutored were there and would greet her in kind. Mirage held her smile for them, but once past it fell again to a somewhat emotionless expression. Soon she made her way inside and the crowd was even thicker.
The rings had been revealed already and from what she could see they were quite large, too large to be rings. She imagined for a moment how nice they would look against her darker complexion, especially the Ruby. There was no better color then a deep blood red. She slowly made her way to get a better look, only to find the crowd locked shoulder to shoulder.
"Pardon me good sir, but might I be able to get through? It's very hard for me to see.", she lightly touched the gentlemen right in front of her shoulder her smile back on her face and the look in her eyes enchanting. The man turned slowly and was ready to object, but with a simple bat of her eyes the man stumbled over his words, "I..Of coarse miss, do excuse me."
"Thank you very much sir.", her smile was soft as the man slowly moved on, his gaze lingering on her for a moment more before he disappeared in the crowd. Now at the front she could fully see the gems, the size of bracelets really. She slightly extended her arm and pictured the Ruby adorning her arm, it would be perfect for her indeed.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:35 pm
Daphne, above all other things, did not wish to be here tonight. Alas, when the acursed invitation had come in the mail, she'd dutifully reported to both her Papa and Grandpere', and both had agreed she should represent the family as any upstanding Lady would and SHOULD do. They simply didn't understand. She didn't want to be anywhere near these cold as fish Englishmen and their prissy, easily bested harpies of women, and she certainly wasn't sure if she could control herself considering the beauties on display this fine evening.
A jewel unveiling. Could her family have picked a more perfect torture? It was as if they were testing her, pushing her limits just to see what she would do. Well, they'd just have to be sorely disappointed. She'd dart in, make an apperance, and dart back out, that was simply that. But oh, when she caught sight of those massive, beautiful creatures her breath hitched in her throat.
Touching the lace collar at her throat with the bearest whisper of fingertips, her bright eyes grew wide in awe. They were beautiful. Each as large as a fist.
"Mon dieu, ma beautés. Êtes-vous pas froid éblouissant Ma jumeaux," she breathed in adoration, muttering to herself in French, for who would care to listen to the soft ramblings of a Frenchwoman? It was amazing the sorts of things she got away with saying at these sorts of parties because the English were too pigheaded to learn any language other than their own unless they did business overseas, and to be honest, the vast majority of these pampered layabouts had nothing to do with their respective family fortunes. They simply lavished in the opulence their ancestors worked hard for, squandering it like spoiled children.
Look at them, gawking at such obvious beauty, but every last one of them too meek and mild to truly drink in the sight of the jewels. Too frightened to show any amount of passion, too stupid to realize that it was the cold stones in front of them their eyes should be lusting over instead of the young girls with plunging necklines. Daphne could not stop herself, she simply MUST have a closer look.
Weaving in and out of people as expertly as she would have in a busy London alleyway, careful not to touch anyone for any long period of time.......well, she did brush against ONE woman, but only to pocket that exquisite broach and bow she'd had attached to her skirt so carelessly. It was not until she got near the front of the herd that she started paying attention to the mumblings and quiet conversation going on, both about the gems and the people attending this evening. Rolling her eyes, she couldn't believe the gossip-mongering had ALREADY begun. Yet, one sound in particular she picked up on. A man whispering to another, eyeing someone across the way that was staring intently at the gems. He was a tall man in a dapper suit, with jet black hair, though his eyes were far enough away that the Creole could not tell they were red.
"Woof woof." the man uttered softly to the other, and Daphne's senses were on full alert. She couldn't afford to be so completely besotted and befuddled when there were no other amusements for the evening to keep the Queens Dog at bay if that's who the man was. True, she'd always wanted to steal from the Crown, both English and French, but to do so in front of one of her trusted hounds? That was a level of stupidity her pride would not allow.
Letting a forlorn, longing sigh escape her, quite nearly like a jilted lover cheated out of a passion filled night of excitement, she tore her eyes sadly away from the gems. No, there would be no crisp, cool feel of cold cut stone against her skin tonight. More's the pity.
As she turned to leave, having made at least a short apperance, and wanting to save herself from a night of longing, aching torture and need, she found herself bumping into a man with a child on his shoulders and her eyes grew wide. Not only had she bumped into someone, something she was NEVER unawares enough to do (street rat rule number one, never let anyone touch you unless you want to get ripped off) but she could have put the little boy off balance.
Cocking her head with an apologetically gracious smile, she let out a 'oh silly me' chuckle.
"Ah! Forgive my absentmindedness, sugar, it wasn't my intention to run into votre frère," she apologized, looking straight up to the little boy with a small smile, then affording a considerably less warm, but no less polite smile to the elder man. They didn't LOOK alike really, like she and her own brother did, but surely no Englishman would take a child on their shoulders if they were not related. At least that's what she'd gathered from this colder than death country so far.
"It's naice......seeing such an attentive frère, I haven't seen hide or hair of a warm family since the moment my feet touched English soil, thank you for the treat, ma beau morue," she smiled, trying to keep the mirth out of her voice at the veiled insult. Aaaaah, it had been too long since she'd antagonized an Englishman. An English WOMAN would have been even better, she conceded, since those harpies always got so flustered when some southern peach swept in to usurp them.
((Daaaayum. Long post is looooong. = 3= I apologize. ))
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:28 pm
The crystal palace was an impressive structure to be had and it’s ornate designs left the woman admiring it in complete awe. The woman who was admiring this place was a celebrity in her own right and her name was Svetlanna Petrova. While she really wasn’t one to venture out unless her audience was requested she thought it best to give herself not only a break from her practices and allow herself a bit of change when it came to her day to day routine. Already she found herself regretting that decision when she noticed just how many people had arrived to witness the unveiling of the exhibit. In fact it took almost everything in her to keep from turning around and returning home. She knew very well that she couldn’t keep hiding herself away as it was not healthy for her socially or mentally. In attempts to calm her nerves, she took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled through her nose. While that small task did help some, it did not cease her trembling hands and so she made the decision to entwine her fingers amongst each other and hold them at her waist while she moved along with the crowd as they entered the grand structure.
Much to her dismay, there were as many people inside as there had been outside if not more. Still she was determined to enjoy this one in a life time event and despite her discomfort with the overly large crowd, she simply dealt with it. To give herself a bit of breathing room, she managed to maneuver through the crowd until she was able to catch a clear vision of the display. As of right now, the only thing of interest where square boxes whose contents was concealed by satin drapery and that alone piqued her interest. Just what could they be hiding from her eyes and just how extravagant where they where they needed to be hidden away in such a manner. For the first time, in a very long time, Svetlanna could feel the twinge of excitement warm the pit of her stomach and send chills along her spine. The anticipation was almost a bit too much for her to handle.
”Good evening, London, the Crystal Palace’s exhibition is proud to present to you England’s finest ruby and sapphire rings! However, before the unveiling is to be conducted, I must inform you that they have come a long way from their original protected location--but today--they will be revealed to all of England!”
Emerald eyes journeyed away from the boxes to catch a glimpse of the person to make the announcement and yet again Svetlanna found herself in awe, though not nearly as much as she had been when she had been admiring the building. Before her stood a woman whose face was veiled from sight. Her attire, though colors modest was rather flamboyant but one could surmise that the flamboyance was more so for the event taking place and not to gain attention…or perhaps it could be the other way around.
”Ladies and Gentlemen--the Phoenix Ruby and the Leviathan Sapphire!”
Once again her attention focused on the boxes only to grow larger when the satin drapery was removed, exposing the treasure of the boxes. Never in all her life did she ever think that she would have the opportunity to see such beauty. The size of the stones and the size of the bands that they nestled in was simply breath taking and brought her to wonder just how in the world did they manage to bring such pieces to England without incident. Her lips parted slightly as she was about to murmur her own thoughts of the treasures before her but she heard the voice of another chime in and essentially broker her chain of thought.
"Excuse me sir, could you move? I can’t see the exhibit.”
Svetlanna looked for the owner of that voice and unfortunately caught sight of them a bit too late. All she could see was their retreating form. Ah well, perhaps they had caught sight of a spot where they would have a better vantage point. Nodding her head, satisfied in the fact that she had her chance to see something so remarkable she was just about to leave her spot to allow another to take her place when she felt the presence of “something” next to her. The sensation was an odd one to be had and while it piqued her curiosity it also brought her to feel a bit anxious. When she turned to see just what the source was she saw it was nothing more than a white haired man holding a small boy up so that he could get a glimpse of the magnificent jewels before them.
Witnessing the look on the boys face brought to smile before she moved away, offering her spot to the man assisting the young boy. It was only fair after all. She had a chance to catch a glimpse and so now it was time to “pass the torch” so to speak.
“Excuse me.” She uttered softly hoping to be heard as she maneuvered her way through the crowd.
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Patron Saint Of Farewells
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:07 pm
He was wearing a cravat and it itched.
They always itched; he had always thought they were the most pointless piece of attire that one could wear, but unfortunately, for tonight's proceedings, he had felt it necessary. Necessary to dress his finest, to look impressive and daunting, despite the very obvious fact that he was, in fact, not. Though his practice was very prestigious, usually he avoided the high end events such as this one - a jewel exhibition. But something about this one had drawn his eye.
Quill Bates was curious - very curious. He was also hungry, having not eaten much at dinner the hour previous, but his curiosity was rapidly overcoming that hunger.
"The West Gate, if you please, sir."
There was a sharp snap of reins, a clatter of hooves as the carriage lurched forward. He would have walked, but his slightly heeled black shoes were not made for distance, nor were his legs and it was, at the very least, a ten mile ride. So instead Quill had asked his driver to take him most of the way. He much preferred the quiet solitude of the carriage to the loud, bustling voices of the streets from Blackwest into London as it was.
It took less than a half an hour minutes to reach their destination. "Stop here, please."
A squeak of wheels on cobblestone. Quill handed the driver some money, along with instructions to return when the evening was over.
The horses whinnied uneasily as they trotted away. Just a short block down from the Crystal Palace (it had been difficult getting closer, what with all of the business at the entrance already) . Quill reached a hand up, black gloved fingers brushing against the short cropped brown hair. He was hoping he was not overdressed; a black suit, a red vest underneath with its tiny pinstripes a deep crimson in color. And finally the cravat, (a pale cream in color), held a red jewel in the center, pinned to hold the silk fabric in place. A gold pocket watch on a slender chain tucked into his pocket completed the ensemble, along with the black silk gloves.
Quill glanced first to the left, then to the right. Pulling his coat tighter around him, he began to walk towards the gate, the only sounds that of the wind, the soft tapping of his shoes on the pavement, and the clack clack clack of the black cane he held in his hand. His breath was visible in the cool air as he slowly made his way down the street. After several minutes he saw the crowded entrance, giving a nod to those he passed, and stepped into the building.
The Crystal Palace certainly lived up to its name; the building was enormous, its marble white walls stretching upwards and outwards in seemingly endless directions. Thick, plush cushions held several of the jewels on display - which were nearly as big as Quill's hand should he curl his fingers into a fist. Stepping towards one particular one - a large sapphire that winked merrily under the lights of the palace - he marveled at the sheer perfection of such an object. He moved back after a long moment, his shoes making a clicking noise on the smooth floor beside his cane and reached a hand up, rubbing the back of his neck.
Quill's eyes scanned the room. It was quite filled, nearly to its capacity, and almost overwhelming. Words filtered in and out of his ears, soft and gentle accents at times, thick, rolling English at others, a subtle French delicate on the listener, and several other dialects and languages which he could not distinguish properly at the current moment. He stepped towards the wall, not wanting to be swept up in the cacophony of noises and leaned against a pillar, hands tucked neatly in front of him.
At times like these, he much preferred observing to actually interacting.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 11:25 pm
DOLLS "Here, allow me," Suddenly, Leland found himself lifted up by a much taller man, grasping at the man's white hair to stabilize himself. "Is that better now?"DOLLS The sudden lift was enough to cause Scarlet's instincts to head into maternal territory. Her mind flooded with angry questions of "who are you?", "what do you think you're doing?", and even a "let go of my son!" and her mouth, could barely keep up.DOLLS "What are you doing to my so-" She cut herself off once she realized that the man was simply giving her son a boost. Suddenly, she felt silly for concocting mental images of kidnappings, dropping Leland, or any other sort of attack. It was a knee-jerk reaction to what seemed to be a normal occurrence in the social world and something that she should have been more privy to.DOLLS "Thank you mister!" Leland said, grateful to be able to see the gems in a much closer view. From his six foot and three inch high view, he could see above the heads of many other men and women and into the display case that carried the two shining jewels. One of the sadder things about having (essentially) eternal youth was the lack of growth that came with it. He envied the taller man for being able to see so high and idly wondered if Scarlet would ever extend his arms and legs.DOLLS "Ah! Forgive my absentmindedness, sugar, it wasn't my intention to run into votre frère."DOLLS Of course, being tall did have its disadvantages.DOLLS Scarlet raised a brow at the woman who bumped into the taller man, scrutinizing her for a small moment before shrugging. French was not an uncommon language (though Scarlet rarely heard more than a few scant words), but the Creole accent was mildly jarring. In the interest of politeness, she kept a smile on her face and focused more on the tall man and Leland. She was glad that he was having a nice time on the older man's shoulder and even more glad that he didn't seem to mind. It allowed her to focus more upon the jewels (though their novelty was quickly fading).
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Punani chans Vice Captain
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knife effect Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:47 pm
He sized up the Demon Butler.
Checkered and diabolic in design.
"You should practice carrying yourself with more care and attentiveness, there is a child on my shoulders," Rook said, his tone even. His jet-crimson eyes darkened a shade, and he reinforced his grip on the child that he balanced. Perhaps it was her foreign presence that disembarked him so, but he was certainly offset by the small contact--reasonably so because he was carrying a public member's child that was not his own. Naturally, the paranoia and "what ifs" surfaced in his mind. "Additionally, you are welcome."
Horatio had forgotten all about the Frenchwoman, and it was only in the moment in which Rook spoke to her, that the detective was reminded of her presence. What escaped the Chess Butler's lips confused the boy, however. Horatio couldn't quite determine if the tone in the Demon's voice was cool or impartial, it sounded rather arcane--esoteric perhaps--but nonetheless different with how he spoke to the boy on his shoulders. Whatever the underlying definition, it certainly wasn't brotherly. Usually, Rook shared smiles aplenty with women, but this one wasn't fortunate enough to receive the same Adonis experience. Of course, it could be that Horatio was being quite imaginative with the entire observation and his Demon was simply being...simple.
Horatio remained stationary where he stood, amused in the distance.
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Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:55 pm
""
"Oh, normally I am, sugar, I absolutely hate physical contact mahself...... ya'll have a grand evenin now,"' she smiled pleasantly, plastering the sugary-sweet demeanor on her features while she nodded her head in respect.
As quickly as she'd arrived in their company, she left, sweeping past the woman who was watching the child intently (and whom Daphne assumed was his mother) sliding the broach and bow onto a bunch of fabric at the womans waist, as a sort of silent apology. Mentally she sighed as she weaved further away from the small group, it was always a pity when her conscience came in for the occasional cameo. She'd so liked that broach too. Ah well, there would be more pretty things from more undeserving people to steal, she was sure. Drifting to the outskirts of the crowd, she sighed softly, leaning back on a pillar. At least she couldn't see the jewels well now, less temptation, and if she couldn't see the jewels, then the Yard and the Queen's Dog couldn't see her. Not that they'd know to suspect the young Lady Lafitte anyways, but her mild paranoia of being found out always got the best of her. Tapping her high heel once....then twice, simply for the comfort of the sound, she blinked, looking over and realizing she was not alone in her retreat from the masses and temptation.
A man was standing against the pillar next to hers, and while she didn't crane her neck to look at him, she watched him from the corner of her eye. A small glance or two before looking back ahead, or at the ceiling. He was a plain man. Nothing like the one she'd just bumped into, who had been admittedly very handsome, albeit very cool and collected. He'd seemed like a bore too. She couldn't abide by boring men, having had enough of them with the neverending stream of English boys that her father and grandfather sent her way for little 'visits'. She'd had to forcibly have the last one removed, as he'd been stubborn and squatting at her estate for over a month now, intent to tame her, but Daphne would have none of it.
This man was obviously just as boring as the last, and probably the next. Plain. Simple. Stoic. Cold. A typical Englishmen, with no passion, and with no chance of being an equal match for the firey Lafitte girl. Though, in retrospect, at nineteen she was really no longer a girl at all. Soon the suitors would stop coming simply because they were married ALREADY, and had no need for an older wife. But in truth, while the thought gave Daphne a passing worry, it came and went in an instant. Thievery was much more exciting and passionate than any man she'd ever come into contact with, and the dingy, dirty streets of London at night had become her sanctuary of sin. No man could understand the excitement the dark and gritty underworld of England gave her, nor understand that she wanted to delve even FURTHER into its black abyss, until she was so entrenched that it needed her as much as she needed it. Yes, she had decided she would become important in this dark and beautiful world, somehow. She just hadn't figured out the HOW yet.
Looking around at her surroundings in the Crystal Palace, her hands which were neatly tucked behind her in a very delicate fashion against the pillar, twitched, as if grabbing hold of some invisible treasure. Her shoulders rolled a tiny bit, and she had to bite her lip a moment to quell the coil in her stomach that was wrapping around her oh so painfully slowly. The 'itch' was coming on again, no matter if she could see the jewels or not. Perhaps giving that woman the trinket had been a bad idea? Or perhaps she just needed some cold blooded fish to taunt and tease and seduce into a stupor before disappearing. Glancing over at the man next to her again, she huffed softly, looking away.
Nope. Still far too plain to even curry her interest to spark a conversation. At least the last Englishman had been incredibly handsome. This man wasn't ugly by any means, but he was classically handsome in such a way that she'd seen a million times in the upper class of England. She craved sin, destruction, and chaos. The thrill of not knowing your next move. She needed to escape this dazzling prison of social obligation and alight to the streets of London, gone to cause mischief and mayhem that no one would notice until the morning came.
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Patron Saint Of Farewells
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:48 pm
Finally at long last, Svetlanna was able to leave the crowd that continued to grow in numbers and make it to one of the many walls in this building that provided some space. It was not much granted, but it served its purpose and gave her some room to breath. She had seen what she had come to see and now she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps she should leave or maybe if she should continue to linger. If she left now, she could very well avoid congestion on the way back home as well as a possible but if she lingered, once everyone was good she could once again catch a glimpse of the treasures that had been put on display and be able to enjoy it a bit more since she wouldn’t be so crowded. A sigh left her lips and her brows furrowed in slight irritation at the fact that she couldn’t make such an easy decision. Oh how she hated indecision especially now of all times. With a huff, she allowed her emerald colored eyes to roam across the expanse of the room and survey all those who had come. About six feet to her left stood a man who leaned against the pillar saying nothing nor seeming to attempt to engage anyone in conversation. If anything he looked to be doing exactly what she was doing right now. Observing those within his sights.
Some feet away from him, was a woman leaning against a pillar next to his and something about her seemed off. She was rather fidgety and never did she allow her eyes to linger on a spot too long before casting her gaze in a different direction. Perhaps the crowd was getting to her, perhaps she too was trying to decide if she should stay or go or maybe she simply felt bored. It was understandable, after all no one really was conversing with each other with some purpose. If anything they were vocalizing their admiration for the jewels that had been revealed only for someone else to chide in about their beliefs some seconds later. Well she had enough pondering and excitement for one night and it is now that she felt it was a best time to leave. She turned to her right hoping to find a means of exit there but there were entirely too many people in the way and she would most certainly hate to travel all that way for nothing. She then looked to her right and spied that while there were large groups of people, there was still some room for her to make her way to an exit.
With her mind made up, she maneuvered her way through groups of people and passed individuals that managed to distance themselves from other all the while excusing herself. However, the further she journeyed the more tight knit the groups became and eventually she found herself stumbling forward when someone made the mistake of stepping not only on the back of her skirt but on the back of her heels as well. She tried her hardest to catch herself but to her dismay she bumped into the man leaning against the pillar and felt utterly embarrassed.
“I am so sorry sir. Please forgive my clumsiness.” As quickly as she could, she composed herself all the while backing up a few steps to give the man his space.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 7:27 pm
The event seemed to be picking up; there were voices cascading in from all sides, mixing and melting together like ingredients in a pot. Quill folded his arms across his chest, absently tapping the cane held in one gloved hand against his arm. Brown eyes narrowed slightly, curiously glancing surreptitiously over at the young woman who had chosen to recline against the pillar next to his. She was wearing a dress of a most elegant scarlet, tastefully subdued with a black band across the middle, though the neckline was a tad lower than what most ladies would consider appropriate. However she carried herself with a confident air, one that implied she was quite aware of not only herself, but her surroundings as well. Small, slender hands were tucked neatly against her back, and though she clearly believed her own glances towards him to be discrete, Quill, staring straight ahead, had seen her eyes move to him once or twice out of his peripheral vision. Not that he particularly cared, or thought this unusual; after all, he was, in a way, doing the same thing to her, as were many of the other people around the room. In a place such as this - an exhibit of this size and grandeur - people took extra notice of those around them. Or at least, most did.
He tilted his head and slanted his gaze towards her, offering her a serene smile, a glint of mischief in his eyes. Someone jostled against his side, and automatically Quill's hand shot out to grasp the person's arm in an attempt to steady them. It was a woman near his own age, perhaps one or two years older than he, with glossy auburn hair that fell in seductive waves against high cheekbones.
"No need to forgive," he replied to her embarrassed apologies, dropping his hand from her arm and ducking down in a small bow. "I must admit, I was lost within my own thoughts and was quite unaware of my own surroundings at the moment."
A brief glance towards the young woman at the pillar next to him. Quill's lips twitched with amusement, then he turned back to the woman in front of him.
"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" he asked her pleasantly. "The exhibit is quite stunning, wouldn't you say so?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:30 pm
""
The longer Daphne stood still, the worse the itch became, so much decadence around her, and nothing interesting to focus on. It shouldn't be possible, and yet here she was. She'd all but forgotten the Englishman on the pillar next to her until she caught the tail end of him speaking to someone.
"The exhibit is quite stunning, wouldn't you say so?"
She had to bite back a snort of derision as the man made small talk with a girl a few years older than herself. Woman, really. Spinster, if you wanted to get technical, since Daphne spotted no wedding or engagement ring. Once you hit twenty-two you were pretty much damaged goods, and would have to be happy with either a life of solitude, or whatever poor sap would take you off your family's hands. The Lafitte girl could not help but laugh mirthfully in her mind, bringing her black gloved fingertips to her mouth graciously to hide a small smirk, feigning interest in the frescoes on the ceiling, worked into the crown molding intentionally to frame the architecture of the building.
Poor, pathetic, dreadfully boring woman. Not only would she have the title of spinster, but Daphne could live easy and carefree knowing she would NEVER worry about that status. As the only daughter of a household with TWO estates, and only ONE male heir, she was guaranteed to garner an estate of her own. Probably the one here in England, and possibly a share of the crops on the plantation in Louisiana. Neither were anything to sniff at, and to be honest, as many suitors as came by the house Daphne never had an unending stream of unwed or widowed old men, looking to poach a young woman in her prime simply because she did not get married by sixteen. Dainty fingers ran through honey hair with a hint of strawberry lurking underneath, and she smoothed a line in her dress for something to do.
No, while it was true, some of the MUCH wealthier suitors that were near royalty didn't come knocking (as if they ever had, the scandal! Their mothers surely wouldn't live it down if their sons married a French woman,) but heirs of large companies looking to merge, or companies where competition would not be an issue but needed more exposure, and even wealthy but largely ignored nobles whom needed a titled family member to get notoriety still flocked to her door. She turned them away, of course, and eventually, she knew, there would simply be no more men in all of England left TO court her. Alas, she'd simply have to move on to France, or perhaps Germany, whichever sparked her interest first. But there were no doubts in her head she'd never become a spinster, despite her nighttime hobbies.
It was almost a depressing thought, really. In the next two years she'd choose SOMEONE, she was sure, perhaps four or five if she could keep her beauty and stave off enough Englishmen to entice a French nobleman or German Entrepeneur. They didn't mind slightly more......experienced.......wives. Youth came with a price, and Daphne had found many newly wed husbands she had turned away, only to see them wed the next closest fifteen year old that their wives were completely incompetent at fulfilling their wifely duties. Many of those men, she noticed, cheated excessively and turned to perverse acts on an almost nightly basis just to get away from the torture of being married to, quite literally, a whining child fresh from their nursemaids lap.
Yet, while she knew she and the other woman were in nowhere near the same leagues (or at least she perceived them that way), her eyes fluttered over to the boring man who'd spoken up. The woman had a strange accent, and Daphne had not cared to pay attention to what she'd said, only that it became a game to keep his attention while he spoke to another woman. At least it would help assuage the 'itch' to play a little game for a while.
With a coquetteish half-smile, she caught him glancing at her and managed to flush her own cheeks, her eyes slanting away from his stare. As she looked away, she stretched her neck to one side, as if leaning more heavily on the pillar, and exposing ever so slightly more of her collarbone while absent-mindedly twisting the black ribbon of her dress around her fingers, weaving in and out of them rhythmically. Glancing from the corner of her frosty blue-grey eyes from underneath thick lashes, she glanced towards the other woman, biting the corner of her lip ever so demurely, as if she thought herself bested.
It would be a very short, unsatisfying game if he came to her immediately, forgoing the other womans company, and so Daphne reigned herself in, turning her head sharply away in faux frustration, successfully covering that little bit of exposed collarbone with strawberry-honey hair. She mentally cursed herself. She felt more hair than intended. Damn. She hadn't meant to knock her own hairstyle so loose. It HAD been put up ever so nicely in a broach at the back, with a curled ponytail cascading over the top, but with enough hair wrapped up so as to look polished. Now, not only were there strands by her ears, and in her face, but a large part had fallen in the back to cover the collarbone.
Fussing with it quietly, she frowned, forgetting the game momentarily, and teasing some strands on the opposite side to fall as well. If not the look of a 'polished lady' anymore, she still looked pleasant, and her hair wasn't lopsidedly all over the place anymore.
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