Victor wore black almost every day, but even this verged on too much for his eyes. The sea of mourners piled in through the doors, faint indications of shoving and pushing towards the front could be heard from where he stood. Victor brushed off some dust that had stuck in the pauldron's divots. Today, he'd opted to wear the shoulder armor that had belonged to his grandfather. It was more ornate, as well as a good deal heavier but Victor enjoyed it.
Many of these people he'd never seen before, neither had his grandfather, probably. Victor had been fortunate to not have to plan the funeral, much of it had been arranged long before Victor would have been entrusted with any kind of responsibility. Leave it to a Hanayashi patriarch to plan their own funeral before they're even in the quadruple-digit age range. A large assortment of refreshments and snacks had been arranged by the house servants but aside from the fried potatoes, Victor took no interest. He rubbed his thumb on his right fang surreptitiously. He'd not fed in a while.
Some more guests trickled in. He paid little attention to most of them. Behind a demon wearing her hair in twin drills, a familiar face entered the Hanayashi home. His face underwent no expression or color change, but only because he was well-guarded against that sort of thing. Victor scratched his chin as he leaned against a Corinthian column near the grand stairs. For now, he'd have to get up and give an introductory speech. As soon as he was done with that? Maybe he'd go have a chat.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. This means a lot, to the old man. To me. So, thanks. I'm Victor, for those who don't know. You could say I was close to the old man." the vampire joked. He could have been more refined or verbose, but the circumstances were special. "I, I want to start with a toast to my grandfather, a man among men, who..."
Victor scooped up some more of the fried potatoes for himself, munching one by one. The speech had gone swimmingly enough. He was going to go talk to her now, he just had to make sure he was certain in what he'd say.
The vampire, through the crowd, brushed past the angel Council Adviser, who threw him a nasty look. A smile began to work its way onto his face as he approached. It looked more like a smirk, but that was just Victor. It really was her.
Clearing his throat to make his presence known, he took a small bow before speaking, "Hey, I wanted to thank you for coming, have you had a chance to check out the refreshments?" he asked her.
She was the only one among the sea of inky black figures to walk in with a dress of crimson. Red was the color of blood, celebration, passion…life. Everything her grandfather was thought to hold in high regard by those of the Vampire elite. He was a prime example and highly respected individual for what a truly powerful man could achieve among their race. Granted…she would never deny that the man was charismatic, clever, and wickedly intelligent. He was also an absolute monster, not that it was something she openly would dare to divulge to anyone. The trauma she suffered was her own form of battle scars and that was how she intended to keep things for now.
Her eyes scanned the crowd as she followed behind one or two other members of the council. She didn’t pay any of ceremonial customs much mind beyond the rare greeting to family members she knew or was greeted by. Though the man who called himself Victor was certainly a direct and elegant speaker. Perhaps a grandchild she never knew of? There was much of that information kept from her. She didn’t even know if her own twin was still alive or dead. The name Hanayashi was tightly woven into her identity, but she wouldn’t let the weight of only a portion of her lineage pull her down. S
he came to rest near one of the pillars of the space. The area itself was relatively empty and would allow her a few moments of reprieve. Though the irises of her eyes were now starting to shift between a delicate violet hue and a deep garnet. When was the last time she drank? She couldn’t remember… The smell of potatoes quickly filled her senses as she looked up. She was being greeted by the man as he snacked. The mention of the refreshment table caught her attention. Perhaps she could deflect the urge for blood with a bit of sugar for now. Though it seemed the collection of desserts were somewhat limited in favor of fried and salty snacks or fresh ingredients.
”Oh…you’re quite welcome. It would be disgraceful for me to miss my own grandfather’s ceremony. He was…quite a mighty man.” She smiled nervously before turning her gaze towards the painting of the old man at the front. It was the same portrait that glared down at her from the staircase when she was growing up and an image that would never leave her for as long as she lived. ”Victor was it? Quite a unique name choice among the Hanayashi line.”
"Mighty. Mighty, indeed." he nodded in agreement. Victor sniffed innocuously and smiled again, "But, uh, yep, Victor would be me. I think I'm flattered that you think of my name as unique." He cocked his head to the side at her, retaining his closed smile. "He told me I had my head up my ass for it." Victor chuckled, eyeing the same portrait she had looked towards.
As his eyes returned to her, the vampire took a sip of his drink, using his glass to obscure part of his expression as it had softened via looking at her. As he lowered the glass, his smirk returned like it had never gone.
"You said 'disgraceful', that it'd be so for you if you missed this? I don't know about that. I think a lot of these people have got you covered." His gaze scanned about the packed foyer. "Probably fair to say most people here are enjoying the cognac more than they ever enjoyed the old man. So, I wouldn't hold it against you. But it's my pleasure to have you here, trust me."
Victor turned his glass over in the air, noting its lack of contents, before setting it on the passing tray of a server.
Aria watched the vampire’s reaction to her words. He seemed to be very comfortable and even confident. Did he know who he was speaking to? Well possibly…or not. To many of the Hanayashi she was an outsider now. Leaving home was something her grandfather frowned upon deeply, but she didn’t hesitate to jump at the chance. Even just being on the property for the few short hours that this day had afforded her…it was suffocating.
Her eyes widened in recognition at the familiar tone that Victor spoke in. The words and even delivery were so familiar to the deceased…it was surprising…and funny. She laughed loudly before covering her mouth with her hand. She was a woman with class…such sudden outbursts were not becoming of someone in her status. ”I can imagine. He wasn’t very forgiving to the idea of being unique.”
She turned towards the server that took the cup. She waved the man down and walked towards him. Quietly she whispered her request in his ear. It was simple, but a private one none the less. She wanted grape juice. A small glass would be enough to let her mix the small vial of blood in her bag with it. It wouldn’t completely take away the thirst…but it would help her dull it until she finished here.
”Well disgraceful is what I supposed I relate the failure to live up to his expectations as. He held rather unrealistic expectations for those of us in this family, but a disgrace is something I’m sure he viewed me as.” Aria twirled a curl around her finger. Though the way many of the people in the room were celebrating she was certain it was due to what some hoped to gain with his passing, but even more the fact he was dead. Though it was more like the celebration of a warrior’s life…not a violent monster. ”Would you mind joining me for a bit in the gardens? I’m finding the atmosphere here quite suffocating…”
Hearing her laugh was soothing. At the very least, it meant he'd not made too poor an impression. Victor leaned against the column once more as he listened to her talk some more. "I don't know. Unrealistic is putting it lightly," Victor sighed and scratched his head before continuing, "Saying 'disgrace', however, is just outright harsh to yourself, Councilwoman." Victor gave a light smile.
The vampire adjusted his necktie a bit, tugging at the knot lightly. Outside of minding the guests, chatting with them, Victor had finished his duties to the funeral service. The other speakers would do their bits later on and it would lend a sense of solemnity of Victor was standing near the podium as they were to speak but he figured no one really cared.
Asked to the garden, Victor raised his eyebrows. "The gardens haven't been tended to in a while. But, yeah, let's go. Come on." The ancestral home being suffocating. That was a good way to put it. That, was a good a way to put it.
He walked ahead of her to the door and, after tossing a look behind his shoulder to watch for any nosy guests, held it open for her.
He really was quite blunt about the topic of her calling herself a disgrace. Saying that the term was strong didn't feel right. She had no other way of gageing her worth to the family she had essentially abandoned some time ago. Escaping to the lineage that herolded her father rather than suffering from the forceful hand her grandfather often guided her with. Though calling her a disgrace was the last thing the old man ever said to her...she did not need to convey that to the man before her. Instead she hid her negative memories with a smile. "Thank you. You're quite kind Victor."
The server brought her over the desired glass of grape juice after many long seconds without it. As Victor stepped away to lead her towards the door she dumped the vial of lukewarm fairy blood into the fruit juice and returned the container to her pocket. She quickly moved behind him and swallowed her drink before setting the glass by the door. Her eyes then quickly shifted from the deep crimson shade back to their typical blue. Though she made a disgusted face at the metallic flavor on her tongue.
"Thank you for taking me out." She smiled softly before walking with him out the door and towards her favorite space in the gardens. Though the space itself was clearly not as meticulously maintained in recent years. It still smelled the same and offered Aria the familiar sense of comfort that she learned to love. They moved past small collections of tiny fairies as they worked on the plants and some distinct animals which wandered the somewhat untamed grounds. The hem of her dress fluttered lightly around her ankles as she moved with her hands pressed lightly against her waist.
"I used to love walking through these gardens when I was small. They were so vibrant and beautiful...filled with all kinds of flowers. It had been something precious grandmother...that was perhaps the only reason he humored their constant need for care." She smiled with a fond expression as they continued to move further from the house. "It is such a shame to see these gardens in such a state..."
Her reminiscing was genuine, as genuine as could be had in this house. Victor listened happily. Ducking below a stray branch as he walked further in, he admired the foliage that had found the perseverance to bloom despite adverse conditions. "Cercis siliquastrum, strong damn trees." said Victor as he pointed a finger at the blushing pink five-petaled flowers adorning several trees. "I thought they were just okay. But seeing them now, still here, it's a bit of something else. Really, just happy I can show the place to someone who likes it."
Greenery, overgrown yet verdant as ever, surrounding them only helped make Aria's deep red dress stand out even further. Victor ran a hand through his hair and lamented the lack of healthy red rose bushes in the garden. Would've made for a prettier picture, if even possible. "The, uh, cynic would say that the garden," he drew in a breath before continuing, "Was the only place in the home where surveillance was impossible. So the old man kept it around for all sorts of dealings. But I'm partial to your explanation." he smiled, unfurrowing his brow. Victor took his jacket off and rested it on on the back of a stonework bench.
"There's certainly a world where I try and get the garden fixed up again. I don't know. Last thing anyone would want is for it to be restored and then go unappreciated." He leaned against one of the ivy-covered marble columns dotting the path towards the garden's gazebo.
She gazed up at the tree above them. The folded pink petals were beautiful. The name that slipped off of Victor's tongue was quite distinct. The Judas Tree. That was the name her grandmother said when explaining the plant's position in the garden. It was a memorial for a traitor to their kind...but it also showed the beauty which hides pain. Even a traitor could cry for the one they loved.[break][break]
She walked over to the tree and took one of the delicate flowers into her hand with a smile. "This tree was one of my favorite parts of the garden. Though I do assume that Grandfather would look at it this way...he never cared much for the sentimental things." She sighed softly before letting the flower go and turning to Victor once more. "It seems we've had a similar situation with him. I hope you're able to have some fond memories though...." She noticed his jacket on the stone bench and slowly walked over towards the fountain by the gazebo. The water had dried up some time ago and the stone was mess. Still she sat down on the edge and adjusted the skirt of her gown.[break][break]
"I do miss how elegant this garden was...I would come to look at it everyday I was permitted in that world. I'm sure it would even be much more incredible with roses and lilies....lilies are my favorite flower...but they're quite stubborn plants." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before looking up at him once again. "So Victor....where is your lover? Surely your story is much better than mine....I would like to meet them if they're present."[break][break]
"Some fond memories. Yeah." Victor remarked. "They always say that similarities crop up anywhere and everywhere, don't they." He looked at the toe of his boot to observe the small spider crawling along it. With delicacy, the vampire dipped his heel, letting the spider slide off harmlessly into the wild grass. Seeing Aria approach the fountain's edge, he almost protested, not wanting her to sit on the dirty surface, but relented for reasons not wholly known to him. Victor exhaled through his nose and his smile grew yet.
If he'd paid closer attention to the conversations some of the Elven guests had drawn him into earlier in the day, perhaps he would've liked to ask for a portrait of this moment from that one up-and-coming Elf, whatever their name was. Her azure eyes gave the scene a serenity that the fountain's water never could have, at any point by Victor's estimation. Nevertheless, seeing it bone-dry didn't help its case much. "Well, I guess I should make plans for the restoration, then," he turned away for a second and then looked back at her, "You'd be the first one I'd permit in. And lilies, they can be real fickle, yeah. But I'll figure something out. Basal rot, blight, I can figure them out."
Victor hadn't realised how fast time was truly moving. Her question about a lover had caught him by surprise completely. Thoughts of where to purchase clean, healthy flower bulbs left him as quickly as they'd arrived. Gathering what to say, he stiffened his back a bit, standing up straight. "A, uh, a lover? I think I'd like to meet them too. Lemme know if you find them, won't you?" Victor joked, flashing a silly half-smile.
"The running joke in a lot of the speeches that, quite frankly, I'm very okay with having missed with you is that I'm married to the estate here. I don't like the idea of it but it makes for a hell of a joke, I've been told." He eyed the ground again idly. "I think... That that's about the best part of my story up until now. My suggestions for the Deoclepia Monthly Reading List tend to get accepted though, that's a nice feeling." Victor deflected humourously.
Living in a dystopian society, seven mystic races are trapped due to their own selfishness. Tensions rise between the races and the different social classes, leading up to the constant struggle for power, with no end in sight.
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4/11 - With the Ghoul Purge complete, Pavane's fear shifts from the goddesses towards the Council. Check out the aftermath here to get an understanding of the current situation in the plot.
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