The Translyvanian Experience Exhibit
The doors were almost ready to open. Everything was almost perfect.
Roisin Murphy and her band were setting up in the attrium courtyard for this evenings performance. The singer, Roisin, owned Chryseis a favor. They had encountered a run in with each other in a seedy club a few years back. Roisin's voice was sultry and different than Chryseis had ever heard before. Her music didnt really fit into a catagory although most classified it as electronic. It was light and jazzy and at times a bit dark and gothic.A good combination of melodies and a good fit for an exhibit opening that featured a more gothic theme.
The exhibit itself was off to the left of the main entrance. A large black banner hung over its entrance. Silver letters scrawled across it - The Translyvania Experience -.
Inside the exhibit, straight at it's center stood a pedstal containing a holographic image of Vlad the Impalers face. After fifteen seconds it switched to Gary Oldman's face as he looked in the movie Dracula.
Chryseis heard voices behind her. She blinked as Gary Oldman switched to Vlad, the doors had been opened and the first guests were arriving. She could hear one of the museum directors speeches.
As you may well know, author Bram Stoker based the title character of his 1897 novel Dracula on an actual human being, or should we say inhuman being. Stoker's vampire, while being loosely based on Vlad the Impaler, is nowhere near as threatening, nor as sadistic. Stoker's Dracula is a mysterious, somewhat sensual character who kills and feeds to survive, much like any being in nature. In fact, as much as there is reference to the evil of Dracula, it can be reasoned that all of his actions were motivated by survival. Vlad the Impaler, on the other hand, killed not to feed, but to revel in his own power, and just for the sheer pleasure of seeing the suffering of his numerous victims. Some would say that the more modern 'vampire' kills for both these reasons. Depending on who you ask and what movies you watch.
Chryseis grinned. She walked along the walls of the large exhibit checking each photo and painting. It was close to halloween and the exhibits opening fed off of the season and its peaked interest in the dead and undead for that matter.
In actuality it was a tribute to Vlad III of Romania. A very sadistic and horrific man who's history and reign of terror was very interesting and the basis for all vampires. Movies vampires at least, the ones the public knew about. Chryseis wished she had met Vlad, but unfortunatly she had missed that oppertunity.
During his reign, Vlad Dracula also had people decapitated, had their eyes gouged out, had them skinned alive, boiled, burnt, dismembered, eviscerated, or sometimes just physically disfigured for his own amusement. In one particular incident, Turkish ambassadors who had refused to remove their Phrygian caps in his presence were asked why they insulted him in such a manner. When they replied it was because their hats had to remain on their heads according to custom, he graciously honored their tradition by ordering their hats permanently nailed to their heads, never to be removed again.
The director lead the guests near a particularly bloody painting of castle Dracula and it's fence of the impaled. Quietly slipping past the crowd, Chryseis made her way out into the foyer. She could hear the band starting up outside and she grabbed herself a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
(ooc - feel free to wander around! directors commentary from www.vladtheimpaler.com)
Passing by a few people she smiled at them as she mingeled with the crowed, making her way into the gardens she watched the band play for a moment, the music was nice, some kind of modern jazz, picking up a glass of white wine from a passing waiter she walked towards the paintings, studying each of them she payed attention to every small detail, some made her smile slightly as she shook her head at the sillieness of humans.
She climbed from her car, adjusted the strap on her black shoes , smoothed her dress and made her way inside. She hoped Alec would be able to join her, but since they hadn't had a chance to talk yet that day she wasn't sure what his plans were. All the same she'd left one of his nicer suits laying on the bed with a little love note next to it.
Inside there were groups of people being led around by tour guides, as well as little brochures that let you give yourself a tour. She opted for self-guided and picked up the shiny paper, along with a glass of champagne offered by a smartly dressed waiter. She hoped this would prove an interesting evening.
The doors opened before him as if on cue from two suited women who had grins plastered on their faces from ear to ear. He walked past them and immediatly spotted Chryseis. Her back was turned to him and she was speaking with another uniformed worker.
Champagne sir? a voice besides him piped up. Without a glance he reached sideways and grasped a slim flute filled with bubbling rose champagne.
Thank you.
His pinstripped suit was freshly pressed. There wasn't many reasons to dress up so he took advantage of the oppertunity. He brushed his hand down the front of his jacket as he spotted a familar face inside the exhibit. He made his way over to Alexandra, approaching her from behind.
A visage of beauty stands before me. Could it be the painting or the woman who gazes upon it?
Smirking she licked her lips, the painter must have known about vampires to have captured this moment, hearing a voice behind her she froze for a moment, who..
A visage of beauty stands before me. Could it be the painting or the woman who gazes upon it?
Turning around in a swift moment she came face to face with Panos, looking him over she put her almost empty glass down on a passing waiters tray, steppin closer to Panos she took hold of his face before pressing her lips firmly against his.
God it was good to see him, she hadn't even realized how much she mised him until she saw him, breaking the kiss she run a finger along his jaw.
"Hi there"
Smiling she looked him in the eyes.
Looking about, he not only perused the paintings, and statues, but the people attending as well. When his eye landed on someone familiar, he nodded in greeting, and was somewhat surprised to see he knew as many people as he did. Time in Nachton had proven to be a lot more social than he had remembered.
Seeing Alexandra through the doors leading outside, he was just about to go after her to say hello, when another more recent acquaintance was spotted. Ginnie.
Taking one of the brochures, and then a glass of bubbly, he casually strolled along until he was standing right behind her. Not knowing what it was that had caught her attention, he merely leaned down and greeted her with a warm hello, just to the side of her ear.
"Well, if it isn't the cute brunette from the club. I see we share more than one similar interest."
Nic had written Ginnie off as a conquest, or even possible interest, after their short but pleasurable meeting. However, that never stopped him from flirting. In fact, about the only thing that might stop Nic from flirting would be death. And even then he suspected he'd have to give the angels a go.
She felt warmth at her back, just before a familiar voice spoke in her ear. A slow smile curled her lips, but she did not turn to greet the man.
"Hello Nic. I'm not too terribly interested in art, but a girl tries not to pass up an opportunity to dress up if she can help it."
That wasn't true. Ginnie was here to network, she was certain several of her business contacts would be here, not to mention other vampires from other clans. It was important, at least to her thinking, that she know as many claned vampires as possible. With the way the world was at the moment, she just might need their help.
Wello hello, I was just admiring this lovely piece of artwork, where did you come from? He grinned devilishly.
How have you been missy. It has been a while. Are you enjoy the exhibit?
He had missed her, more than he had thought he would miss anyone. The look in her eyes and the kiss told him she had missed him too. He had been worried that she would of forgotten him or worse, had another vampire at her side. Another enemy for him to deal with.
"I'm doing good, you know me, always getting myself into trouble"
Laughing softly she looked behind her at the painting she was just studying, there were many interesting pieces around, she wondered about the artists behind them, were they human? vampire? did all of this come from fantasy based pictures or was there some truth in all of it?
"The exhibit is fun, especially since it's a human look on vampires"
Tangling her fingers with his she gave him another smile, guiding him along some of the paintings she didn't speak for a while, looking at a painting which showed a torture champer she wrinkled her nose before turning back at him.
"How have you been? no longer hiding I see"
"And you do clean up real nice, Ginnie...although, since I've only seen you 'dressed up', does that mean you do this kind of thing a lot...not the art part...but going out on the town?"
Was she looking for her dinner, he wondered? Though it seemed pretty a pretty elaborate way to go just for a bite. And since she had admitted herself that she wasn't an aficionado, he had to think there was more to her being at the museum, than the desire to dress up.
"Come on...fess up...you were hoping to run into me again, weren't you?"
He resisted placing his hands on her, for fear of what he might do then. She was quite a tempting vision in her pretty little strapless dress...quite tempting.
She was sure if Nic was looking her in the eye he would see her turmoil clearly, as she just hadn't had enough experience with the emotions to know how to cover them up. Fortunately she did know how to school her voice no mater the emotions rolling through her.
"When the mood strikes me."
A soft chuckle vibrated in her throat as she moved down to the next painting, blinking slowly hopefully wiping the guilt from her eyes. It was not a far move and Nic was close enough that she could keep her voice low, and he could move close to her again if he chose.
"Be careful or your ego will not fit through the door with you."
Ginnie let gentle sarcasm color her words, and she felt that their previous encounter made it so that genteel pleasantries were not necessary.
Ahh well yes you could say that. Hiding has become quite the bore and i figured what have I got to lose? I think i may have been missing out on much more by being away.
He pointed to a Bella Lugosi movie poster and shook his head.
Thank god that's not what we look like. Can you imagen if that was the "norm"? Lord. Chryseis has put on a very...interesting display. No doubt to lure unsuspecting silly believers in. She's getting lazy, not even going out to get her own food, she's bringing them in. He paused and then realized Alexandra had no idea who he was talking about. This museum is run by my aunt I had told you about. Her name is Chryseis. She is here this evening if you would like to meet her. I warn you though, she is not sunshine and rainbows.
He smirked and pulled on her arm bringing her closer to him.
"Sure if you want to introduce me that's fine with me and don't worry I'm not sunshine and rainbows myself unless i'm with someone i really like"
Winking at him she leaned into him as he pulled her to him, locking eyes with him her breath hitched in her troath as she saw the intense look in his eyes, she really had missed him.. more then she was willing to admit.
With everything that was going on with her she had been too busy to think about Panos, the job for Taiji, Sam.. Sam.. he was probably wondering where she had gone off to since she left his apartment the other day.
Thinking she should give him a call later she chewed on her bottom lip, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear she managed a smile on her lips.
Right this way then, she's just outside the exhibit.
He turned and lead Alexandra through the gallery until they had finally exited. Pausing he took a quick glance around the large foyer that was filled with mingling people. Spotting Chryseis was easy, she stuck out like a apple among greens. Everything seemed to move fast around her as she moved slowly and deliberatly.
He lead Alexandra once more through the people until the came upon Chryseis's side.
Hello dear aunt, I see your exhibit has opened well.
Panos, how good of you to come and you even cleaned up for it. I see that your not alone, would this be the Tacharan women you had mentioned? Her eyes shifted lifelessly towards Panos's female companion.
Yes, and her name is Alexandra. Alexandra this is my "lovely" aunt Chryseis Angelique. She enjoys hiding much more than I do. Usually behind a stack of papers or books.
When they stopped at the side of a beautiful woman with the lightest eyes Alex had ever seen she manged to smile at her, her cool words directed towards Panos made her raise an eyebrow slight.. wait did she just say Panos had talked about her?
She held back the urge to extend her hand, instead she just smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Panos has told me about you"
If it hadn't been for the warm weather Alex would have shiffered from the cold look in the other womans eyes, she took hold of Panos' arm leaning into him a bit a smile still gracing her lips.
When she moved on to the next painting, Nic moved along with her equally smoothly...almost as if they moved as one...dancing. Her jibe at his ego made him laugh, and he did move back from her a little then. He didn't want to chortle loudly into her ear. He did have a healthy ego, but rarely did many take him seriously. It was nice that Ginnie hadn't either.
"You are a beautiful woman...I am a decent looking guy...is there really any reason to pretend otherwise?"
Nic studied the painting and while he appreciated the artistic technique, the subject matter was much too dark and depraved for his tastes. While there maybe some of his own history tied to the scenes depicted there, Nic just couldn't bring himself to acknowledge that. Nic had been lucky, and had never found any reason for inviting such horrors into his life. This was something he appreciated, just as he did the ability he had for making money. It was what had helped carve him into the free wheeling, laid back guy he was now.
"Pretty gruesome, yes? I hope you don't see any memories in any thing being shown here."
With his beautiful date on his arm they made their way through the crowd to the show. "So Kitten, shall we say hello to Chryseis first or tour the exhibit?"
"Nice to meet you, Panos has told me about you"
The woman looked young and she was beautiful.
'At least this one is a vampire' She thought to herself.
He has , has he? Hmm, interesting. I hope you don't tell everyone we're related Panos. Having your reputation linked with mine, that's a scarey thought. She paused for a brief moment and looked back to Alexandra. So, Alexandra. How does the house of Tacharan fare these days? Even with the removal of it's orignal tasteless leader Ellis it still seems to be floundering.
With a large grin he quickly answered her smart remark with one of his own.
You know I have that 8 week long ad in the Nachton News announcing our kinship. Plus that banner I had made last tuesday. It wont be long before the entire world knows our blood connection. And are you hassling Alexandra about politics already?
He cocked his head towards Alexandra.
You'll have to excuse Chryseis, she's very into the clans. If we had the time she could lecture us on who's the best and why. But then again immortality doesnt reserve enough time for that sermon.
He could feel Chryseis's eyes burning holes into the side of his skull. How he enjoyed harassing her. It didn't take much to annoy her. He hoped Alexandra wasn't too uncomfortable by their banter.