The soft rhythmic sound of the horses hooves beating against the cobblestone street of the crowded city filled her ears. The murmurs of the crowds jeering; laughing, crying it made her head ache. She lifted a thin pale hand to her forehead gently rubbing her temples in a stressed manner. Her cool crystalline blue eyes shifted as she allowed a dull sigh to escape her thin lips rather bored by the morbidly gray sky. She shifted her weight crossing her legs one over the other, her long well made dress fluttered slightly. She was on her way to Velvel Rose Manor to attend a tea party of sorts, on the advice of a friend of hers. She could only hope that the tea would be good, let alone the conversation to be engaging.
She coughed slightly, covering her mouth with a neatly with a napkin that she kept neatly tucked away in her small purse. The carriage rolled to a stop, she smiled as the door was opened gently by a footman. She slowly exited opening a parasol over her head, just in case the sky at long last decided to relive it's burden and cause this day to be even more morbid by raining. Eli wore a thick white lacy color about the base of her thin neck hiding it away, wrapped around it was a silver rosary. She straightened her purple stripped dress making certain it was neat. She took a moment and studied her reflection in the window making certain that not a hair was out of place. She straightened the pair of short white gloves that she wore over her thin pale hands, and then stepped forward. Her cutely designed high heal boots clicked against the ground as she was helped gently out of the carriage. The servant gave her a flirtatious smile, she returned his smile ion a polite manner. She reached back and fetched her long finely made winters coat, and wrapped it about her shoulders to protect her shuddering thin body from the cold of the December month.
Eli suddenly shuddered feeling a pair of eyes burn down on her, well not her exactly but the outside world in general. She slowly looked upward spotting a what looked to be a man in the window, gently touching the cool window pane. He was beautiful, surely it was some sort of painting she was gazing at, no man held such a perfect beauty. Could he? She cutely cocked her head to one side in a curious fashion. "Fascinating.." She mused softly to herself. "Shall we madam?" Questioned the footman who offered to take her hand, snapping her back to earth. She snapped her head down looking over at her servant. "Many thanks." She replied as she gave him her hand and he lead her inside the large manor in a polite manner.
The door swung open gently, the servant bowed to her, she politely acknowledged her servant with a short bow of her head. Her nose was immmediately greeted by the many scents that lingered in the large manor, she blinked as she calmly took it all in. Catching the thick sent of smoke, fine wine and well made food. Her perfume, honeysuckle, clung tightly to her skin not venturing any further do to the other oppressive scents that ruled. She was greeted by a waiter. "Hullo." She greeted softly her English accent thick. "I'm here to have a bit of tea, I was informed by a friend of mine that you had excellent tea here." The servant bowed to her and smiled. He motioned her to follow with a gloved hand after taking and hanging her coat, and umbrella neatly in a nearby closet.
Her heals softly clicked against the well maintained floors in a gentle manner as she followed after the waiter wearing a curious look across her face. She clutched her small purse, ever wary of any thieves. It was quite, the walls blocking out the sounds of the city, immediately she felt her headache ease. She smiled rather pleased with that turn of events.Perhaps this place would become her new regular visiting grounds. Her old tea shop was becoming quite crowded and loud. This one was enormous, she did her best to memorise which way she was going, not wishing to get lost.
forbiddenabode
The ears could only listen to the surrounding activities that his staff and clients were undertaking. Sounds could be misleading on their own. The power of sight was needed to confirm that everything was satisfactory. So it was time to disembark from the comfortable setting of his office out into the labyrinth of familiar corridors and hallways. He preferred to lounge back in the plush armchairs in his office where he could secretly indulge on wine, cheese and rare teas. It was gluttony but a little sin didn’t do anyone any harm. He thought of it as a way of rewarding himself for his supreme leadership qualities and diligence. The office space was his refuge from the sometimes incompetence of his staff. At least the hallways were lovely to jaunt through. Every inch was full of priceless, exotic objects. The full suits of Spartan armour were his personal favourite. They just looked formidable; truly masculine objects. The majority of the paintings were pretty meaningless to him. Each beautiful face on the masterpieces was the faces of strangers. When giving tours of his abode he would tell elaborate and exciting stories about some of the characters in the pictures. There was a painting of him somewhere in the mansion. Vi did not make any fuss about it though. He was a confident vampire not a vain one. As servants stroll pass with backs as straight as bookends they gave him bows of deference. They were clearly sucking up to him. This behaviour did not flatter or impress it. It just demonstrated that they had respect and proper manners. So far, so good everything seemed to be fine. A tray full of lots of meats with sauces and jellies looked absolutely divine.
On his way he came across a charming little mortal. It was obvious that she had never graced his building before. Her aroma was fresh and new. New scents were extremely exciting to him. Each new scent promised flavours never previously experienced. It made his often dormant taste buds want to tango in his mouth. Eli was clearly a lady of fantastic taste. The sweet smell of her hair oils and pomades perfumed the air. These were used to style the hair and keep it neat. Eli had lovely gold tresses. It was like someone had stolen rays from the sun and weaved them into fine thread for her hair. Strangely she wasn’t wearing a decorative hairnet that was all the rage in high fashion. He had seen many young ladies wearing elaborate versions were made of thin strips of velvet or chenille (sometimes decorated with beads). Vi was actually fond of the hairnet. He enjoyed the sensation of removing it and observing the hair cascade over the shoulders. The colour was certainly daring but suited her pale complexion. It was the type of dress described in artistic circles. Clearly she was a fashion leader and not a follower. Yes the sapphire eyed belle was a beautiful example of a human; so lithe and dainty.
In the traditionally gentlemanly fashion he bowed to her. His hands gently enveloped hers as he placed a kiss upon it. With each movement his hair swished in compliment to it. “Greetings madam and welcome to my humble abode. My name is Lord Vivial Dorset. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I have to say that you look ravishing my lady. My compliment could be considered crude and forward but I believe in commenting upon beauty in all forms. If the moon is a silver gemstone in the sky then I will sing its praises. If a rose has exquisite petals then I will worship it upon the altar of soil it is planted within.” Vi neatened up his attire accordingly. The bow had ruffled his collar slightly. “My lady I apologise that my servants are not smitten with your desires and needs. I sense that you are lost in this giant labyrinth. Please let me escort you to the tea room. It has a marvellous view over the well kept gardens and the lake. You even see swans gracefully floating across the surface.” As etiquette dictated he offered her his hand so that he could lead her to the desired destination. “I am also rather vexed that no one has garnished you with a copy of the events calendar.”
On his way he came across a charming little mortal. It was obvious that she had never graced his building before. Her aroma was fresh and new. New scents were extremely exciting to him. Each new scent promised flavours never previously experienced. It made his often dormant taste buds want to tango in his mouth. Eli was clearly a lady of fantastic taste. The sweet smell of her hair oils and pomades perfumed the air. These were used to style the hair and keep it neat. Eli had lovely gold tresses. It was like someone had stolen rays from the sun and weaved them into fine thread for her hair. Strangely she wasn’t wearing a decorative hairnet that was all the rage in high fashion. He had seen many young ladies wearing elaborate versions were made of thin strips of velvet or chenille (sometimes decorated with beads). Vi was actually fond of the hairnet. He enjoyed the sensation of removing it and observing the hair cascade over the shoulders. The colour was certainly daring but suited her pale complexion. It was the type of dress described in artistic circles. Clearly she was a fashion leader and not a follower. Yes the sapphire eyed belle was a beautiful example of a human; so lithe and dainty.
In the traditionally gentlemanly fashion he bowed to her. His hands gently enveloped hers as he placed a kiss upon it. With each movement his hair swished in compliment to it. “Greetings madam and welcome to my humble abode. My name is Lord Vivial Dorset. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I have to say that you look ravishing my lady. My compliment could be considered crude and forward but I believe in commenting upon beauty in all forms. If the moon is a silver gemstone in the sky then I will sing its praises. If a rose has exquisite petals then I will worship it upon the altar of soil it is planted within.” Vi neatened up his attire accordingly. The bow had ruffled his collar slightly. “My lady I apologise that my servants are not smitten with your desires and needs. I sense that you are lost in this giant labyrinth. Please let me escort you to the tea room. It has a marvellous view over the well kept gardens and the lake. You even see swans gracefully floating across the surface.” As etiquette dictated he offered her his hand so that he could lead her to the desired destination. “I am also rather vexed that no one has garnished you with a copy of the events calendar.”
Somehow in some way the poor lady was separated from the servant who once led her. I believe it was because a portrait on the wall caught her fancy. She stopped for but a moment to admire it, only a short moment. She then turned back looking about, where did the servant go? She continued to walk, more curious then frightened of this large manor looking to where she should go. when she was greeted by a looming dark figure, she wore a surprised look on her face. It was the man she saw in the window., the man she had mistaken for a portrait. She gasped slightly as he spoke, suddenly she had lost her voice. She was most uncertain of why, she could merely curtsy to him gracefully as he bowed to her.
She gasped slightly as his bitterly cold long hands enveloped her and she felt his cool lips gracefully touche the pale of her skin. he was beautiful, unearthly beauty for a moment Eli felt as if she had wandered into some sort of dream. That was until his kiss snapped her back to the reality that stood before her. His smooth dark voice then escape his refined lips, at long setting free her tongue so that she could speak and react. She gave him a smile as he gave her his name. "Hullo my lord." She greeted him softly, relieved to at long last found her voice once more. "I Am Lady Elizabeth Bella Dergun. Those who know me, call me Eli. It is a sincere pleasure to at last meet my host." Giving him her full name, which was odd. She rarely ever gave her middle name to anyone, but it was certainly rather far fetched to believe that he would refer to her by it, like that other once did. She barely knew this man, yet she felt ever curious about him, and needless to say she followed her curiousity for better or worse. She felt a smile escape her lips as he complimented her on her strange beauty. Most men did not find the small, pale, short haired, dainty woman attractive at all.
She paused on that note and allowed herself a moment to study the strange and mysterious lord who stood before her. She took in the sent of his cologne breathing in the air in a gentle manner. She liked the way his long silken hair moved with him ever so gracefully, much like a woman's dress when she was dancing. His strange red eyes gave him an exotic feel, he dressed superbly well. His outfit reminding her of someone who perhaps was in the service of the queen. Perhaps he was the son of a soldier, or a soldier himself. One could only guess, either way it added to the mystery of the lord which suited her fancy. Quite frankly she was rather tired of being able to see right through those she met. She had always had a knack for being able to pear beyond the plastered smiles, and painted faces. His pale skin reminded her of the porcelain dolls her father used to get for her, cold and smooth to the touche. A feeling that always made her shudder, just a small bit.
She found this to be rather pleasing, and could not help the the soft smile that graced her usually calm face. "You flatter me sir." She replied smoothly in return and with a certain degree of humbleness. "I suppose I am not used to receiving such a high praise, most men consider me like a farmer would a common weed. Something to be rid of. So please do not apologise for your compliment, I find it rather lovely that someone in this world has the time to see the beauty of a common weed." She chuckled as he apologised on his servants behalf. "You needn't worry nor apologize, my good sir. All is forgiven." She waved a hand to the side as if washing the sin of his servant's misdoings away. "For you see I was once led by a servant, but I was captured by a lovely portrait and had gotten myself separated from his side. It truly is my fault, no one else's that I have gotten a bit lost. I would be most honored if you could spare a weed the time to find a bit of sun." She mused with a small smile she slowly took his hand, bitter cold as it was and wrapped her gloved fingers around his. The coldness of his skin seemed to bite through her thin glove in a odd manor. Eli lifted the hem of her dress so that she could walk forward along side of him as he led her forward and spoke once again. She chuckled softly, "I am as well, if I had known that you had such a thing, I would have surely asked for it." She replied. She then paused for a moment, pushing a stray hair gently behind her small curved ear. "My Lord, are you quite alright? Your hand is a bit cold, do you need a jacket?"
forbiddenabode
Well she was perfectly charming, her manners were impeccable and speech eloquent. Her posture resembled that of royalty; so prim and proper yet diverse and controversial. Humility and modesty were considered to be quite desirable. Eli had displayed this in abundance when she responded to his fluttering compliments. As she mentioned his cold hand he gave a gentle laugh. The poor naive thing was clueless about his race. Well since enlightenment was all the rage he would help to fill the gaps in her knowledge. “My dear I do not feel cold. I am thankful for your consideration though. It warms my non-beating heart. All the employees of this establishment are vampires. We are not living beings. I died at the hands of another vampire and the same vampire who killed me, reincarnated me. This means that I am breathless and my heart is unmoving. Because of this I am eternally cold. The dead do not need to be warm.” He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “At first the sensation of the coldness can feel rather odd. However as your hand becomes familiar to mine then the sensation of touching a vampire can become alluring. Your hand will start to tingle and delightful shivers of obscure pleasure will surge up your spine. Many gentlemen who come here play for a half an hour hand holding session just because they find the touch fascinating and addictive.”
She was escorted into the main tea room. The table she was seated at had been enhanced in decorative fashion by a spray of roses from the garden. Only the minimum of cutlery and dishes had been used to allow room for the charming ornate blush pattern tea set and the delicious hors d’oeuvres. These includes sandwiches, lemon and poppy seed cake, French lemon tart and raisin scones. The places had been set with neatly folded napkins, cups and saucers, dessert plates, dessert forks, tea spoons and butter knives. The forks were on the left, spoons and knives on the right. The knives with blades pointed toward the plate. Because finger foods were served there was a finger bowl of warm water garnished with a lemon and sprig of mint.
Telepathically he had instructed a servant to bring over an events list which had been handwritten. “If the art enchants you here then we have experts who give guided tours. Of course it is impossible to cover everything in one tour. We have many wonderful curios here. Please do browse the other events. We have magical exhibitions, poetry readings, feasts, musical shows and historical walks and tours. It is possible to request much more confidential forms of entertainment as well. These include one on one readings, bloodletting, hypnotising and simple touch requests.” The food on her table looked very good indeed. He was certain that she would enjoy the moisten cakes and creamy butter. “I shall leave you to dine in peace now. If you need anything then just ring the bell and either myself or a waiter will come and serve you.” With a bow he departed to the hectic kitchen space. It was a general quality control exercise. He would taste some of the gourmet foods to check that they were meeting his high standards. He sampled a few scones and mouthfuls of soup. The conclusion was that his staff was excellent. As he smiled slightly and commanded the kitchen to “carry on” a sigh of relief filled the room.
Meanwhile out on the lake were two strange looking swans. They were affectionately known as the vampire swans. They had feathers as black as the darkness coalmine. The red eyes were as radiant as the Queen’s jewels. Fangs peered out of their beaks. The arrangements of the feathers on the wings were unusual. They were shaped like a bat wing. The two swans were mates. When swans mate they mate for life. Affectionately one swan kept nuzzling its beak against the others slender neck.
She was escorted into the main tea room. The table she was seated at had been enhanced in decorative fashion by a spray of roses from the garden. Only the minimum of cutlery and dishes had been used to allow room for the charming ornate blush pattern tea set and the delicious hors d’oeuvres. These includes sandwiches, lemon and poppy seed cake, French lemon tart and raisin scones. The places had been set with neatly folded napkins, cups and saucers, dessert plates, dessert forks, tea spoons and butter knives. The forks were on the left, spoons and knives on the right. The knives with blades pointed toward the plate. Because finger foods were served there was a finger bowl of warm water garnished with a lemon and sprig of mint.
Telepathically he had instructed a servant to bring over an events list which had been handwritten. “If the art enchants you here then we have experts who give guided tours. Of course it is impossible to cover everything in one tour. We have many wonderful curios here. Please do browse the other events. We have magical exhibitions, poetry readings, feasts, musical shows and historical walks and tours. It is possible to request much more confidential forms of entertainment as well. These include one on one readings, bloodletting, hypnotising and simple touch requests.” The food on her table looked very good indeed. He was certain that she would enjoy the moisten cakes and creamy butter. “I shall leave you to dine in peace now. If you need anything then just ring the bell and either myself or a waiter will come and serve you.” With a bow he departed to the hectic kitchen space. It was a general quality control exercise. He would taste some of the gourmet foods to check that they were meeting his high standards. He sampled a few scones and mouthfuls of soup. The conclusion was that his staff was excellent. As he smiled slightly and commanded the kitchen to “carry on” a sigh of relief filled the room.
Meanwhile out on the lake were two strange looking swans. They were affectionately known as the vampire swans. They had feathers as black as the darkness coalmine. The red eyes were as radiant as the Queen’s jewels. Fangs peered out of their beaks. The arrangements of the feathers on the wings were unusual. They were shaped like a bat wing. The two swans were mates. When swans mate they mate for life. Affectionately one swan kept nuzzling its beak against the others slender neck.
A vampire.. Dear god above, what would her mother say?! That is if the devote catholic where still alive. She looked over at him the fires of curiosity burning in her cool eyes. This was the first time she had met one, in fact she merely thought that such creatures where myth. But it did explain quite a bit, for example his unearthly beauty. "How intriguing.." She mused softly in return hungry to learn more about his race. She felt a small blush raise to her cheek as he rubbed the back of her hand rub the back of her pale hand in a gentle manner. he was not lying the sensation was rather strange, odd, and yet additive in a sense. She forced her cheek to remain pale, she would not be so easily swooned, not this time.
She smiled, how interesting this man was. She would definitely have to go to the library later to find books on vampires. She smiled as he led her into the large tea room, every thing was just too beautiful for words. "My lord your home is very beautiful, i feel as if I have somehow entered heavens gates." She complimented him as she was seated in a soft plush chair. She smiled as she gently took the long list of which he handed her the list of events ever so neatly written. "Thank you my Lord, I look forward in participating in some of these events." She replied to him politely, bowing her head to him politely. Unfortunately there was little time she could spare this beautiful place, for her long lost uncle had returned. And now the man had the gall to try and rule her life, and the only way to keep her rightfully gotten fortune was to marry. And so she had to meet with several bachelors. Of coarse she was fighting his control in the courts, however she was woman and still looked down on by the elderly men who ran the courts.
She softly smiled as she pushed in her chair sitting ever so neatly in her chair, much like a painted doll. folding one leg over another. "Thank you very much my Lord. Everything here is just lovely and beautiful. I feel very honored just stepping foot into this place.." She commented in a breathless fashion. She frowned slightly as he excused himself. "So long then, have a good day Mr. Dorset" She watched him leave and she sat alone in the tea room wearing a pleased smile on her face. She sighed as she set the list gently on the table and opened up her purse. She fetched out a pair of thin rimmed silver reading glasses and gently shoved them onto her small curved nose as she silently sat and read the list of activities to participate in. She gently lifted a tea cup to her thin lips, and shuddered nearly spitting it out. It was far too sweet, she suavely reached for a napkin and covered her mouth as she swallowed it down. She shuddered, whoever made this cup of tea was a bit too generous with the sugar and honey. Then again she was never one for sweets, they brought back old memories long forgotten, that she would prefer to keep in the dark recesses of her brilliant mind.
Eli tapped a servant on the shoulder gently. "Sorry to be a bother, but this tea is far too sweet for my liking. Just set a empty cup and a tea pot. I find it's better if I serve myself." The servant nodded in understanding and bowed whisking her cup of tea away. She smiled as she relaxed admiring the lovely roses that decorated the garden, she herd a noise and jolted slightly. She turned her head spotting the strange pair of ducks, "Oh, how beautiful." She murmured softly. She smiled and bowed her head to the servant as he returned and set a pot of hot tea on a silver tray with a empty cup, with a bowl of sugar and honey. Eli daintily poured herself a cup of tea neatly deep in thought, and added a small bit of honey stirring it in with a small silver spoon. She then lifted her teacup sitting ever so properly holding her pinkie out. The silver of her glasses glinted in the light as she read the list, trailing a thin finger. Trying to decide what exactly she had time for.
