La Souffrance Éternelle - "Victorian" Horror - A/O

[The Original Jitterbug]

( crying Tears on my pillow crying I've been waiting for this forever!!! blaugh )  

[greendragonfly52]

((Well...I might as well get the ball rolling...even if it is kinda short. >.< Anime please don't hurt me for posting first. T.T ))

Alexander took one remaining look of his clothes reflected in the guilded mirror of the bedroom before turning to his Duchess. The Duke of Nosfera wore an impeccable black suit, his crimson waistcoat peaking out over his jacket. His dark eyes fell to her face as he approached, the angel of his blood stained world. "Our guests are waiting my dearest. Will you come greet them with me?" He gently reached up and stoked her cheek as he spoke. The anxiousness would be clear enough in his eyes to begin the night. He had let his thirst build for these new arrivals, had spent his sleepless days imagining the means of ending their lives. Everyone more creative then the last. There was the flash of his fangs over his bottom lip as he smiled. Alexander offered his arm to his wife, so he might escort her to their awaiting guests.  

[M3Gnificent]

{I don't mind at all. ^.^ I was honestly having a little block concerning my entrance. Also, for anyone who cares, I will introduce Vadoma after other humans are introduced and after the Duke has his say to them.}

As for Maxine herself, she wore an extravagant gown of golden embroidery embedded into luxurious, maroon silks. To be perfectly honest, its obvious quality and appearance were not what made her preffer it so. More than anything, it was how comfortable it was and how easy it was on her stomach, considering her condition. She gladly accepted his arm, flashing him a similar smile. "Certainly, beloved."

{Sorry for my shortness as well. I will improve in both length and quality as time goes along.}

 

[greendragonfly52]

Alexander held his wife's hand in the crook of his arm as he led her through the chamber doors, into the hallway of ornately carved wooden walls. They past by priceless paintings and other works of art on the way to the exquisite dining room. He had asked the servants to deliver their expectant guests to the dining room for their first meeting together before the fun began. He had also asked for the long banquet table to be fully equipped for a feast, complete with almost every type of food any decent Englishman would enjoy, and various bottles of vintage wine and spirits.
Alexander led Maxine through the side door of the dining room, and the Duke and Duchess made there entrance. "Welcome, everyone, to Castle Nosfera." Alexander proclaimed as he moved further into the room. His eyes fell on the mixture of faces, ranging from confused, to fearful, to angry. "I'll explain why you were invited here in just a moment. But before I do, help yourselves to this glorious feast." Thinking of his wife first of course, Alexander led Maxine over to the table so that she might have a seat. Better to save her strength for the night to come.

((Thought I would give the guests a chance to introduce themselves first before we got on with why they were there. ^.^ ))  

[ScuroFenice]

((yay!!! It has officially started))

As the butler led Ariana towards the dining room, she took a chance to study her surroundings. The last time she was here, she hadn't had the time to enjoy all of the exquisite decorations and expensive tastes the place had, plus she had been in a completely different wing of the estate. Her thieving training had her automatically looking for possible exits as they continued deeper, finally ending at a large set of doors. The butler bowed to her and opened one, inclining a hand to the room inside.
"My lady, the Duke and Duchess will be with you soon."
Ariana nodded and with a soft rustle of skirts, walked past him. The first thing that she noticed was the heavenly smell of food and she turned her head towards the table situated in the middle of the area. With a small smile, she walked closer, studying the different dishes.
'Wow, they really outdid themselves.' the girl thought as she turned back around and headed towards a couch she could recline in while the other guests arrived.

((I'll just do an entrance for my character until the others write smile ))  

[M3Gnificent]

"Thank you." Maxine gently sat herself down, emitting a glow of motherly pleasantness in appearance. She glanced about at the others seated at the table, holding no particularly malicious aura for the moment being. Quietly, she pondered the sins and personalities of each of the guests. She looked forward to the upcoming main event. It would most certainly be a festivity to die for.

Vadoma certainly felt like the odd one out amongst the currently attending guests. None of her family members had arrived yet, if they would be arriving at all. This meant that she was the only one of her kind here, the only one dressed differently from the others. The only one that looked just as she did. This did not matter, though, for Vadoma had already spotted plenty of beautiful trinkets and doodads she planned on helping herself to later in the evening. (When nobody was looking, of course.) The only thing that kept her from eating all this delicious, extravagant food was the possibility of being smacked or hanged as a thief for touching any of it. When told that she could, however, she immediately began to chow down - elated to have some food that she didn't have to hunt for or steal.

 

[The Original Jitterbug]

Already seated at the table, Will greeted both the duke and duchess, remarking: "I trust you two had a nice respite? It was TORTURE for the rest of us waiting on you to awaken..." He teased, lightly sipping a bit of wine.  

[ScuroFenice]

Seeing one of the guests start eating, Ariana followed, slowly walking over to the table and picking out a few fruits, a roll and some meat for a snack. She went back over to the couch and sat down, taking a few bites as she studied the Duke and Duchess. The girl turned as she heard a new voice and tilted her head to the side, confused. She hadn't noticed the young man sitting down on one side of the table.
Hearing another sound just outside the dining room doors, Ariana assumed it was another of the inhabitants, but she wasn't expecting a little girl about the age of nine or ten entering the area. With a little giggle, she skipped over to the Duchess and curtsied, then sat down next to the young man.


((lol, a bit short but here's Clarity!))  

[Iradesca]

You wanna fight? Then bring it on!

~Arin Decoorum~

Arin had been very observant as she was lead towards the Dining Hall. But then, she always had been. She memorized the appearance of the butler that guided her, as well as of the servants that bustled back and forth down the adjoining hallways. She tried to discern the job of each, so that she knew which hallway was used for what, and so that she wouldn't end up in the wrong place later if she needed to take extreme measures. When the doors to the Dining Hall opened, she quickly memorized the appearance of each person inside, though only glancing at the Duchess. She was already experienced in that field. Noticing one of the girls curtsy before the Duke and Duchess, she did the same before taking a seat towards the middle of the table. She waited until someone else had begun to eat before she did, not wanting to appear rude, and slightly suspicious that the food had been spoiled. "The only people you can trust out here are yourself and your kin, and the forest itself. Always remember that." Her father had given her this advice when she had begun hunting at the age of six, and she had lived by it ever since. It came in handy when she took on jobs to bring in a little extra money. She glanced about the room once more, making sure that she had never met any of them before, or worked with them on a job.

Once I'm through, you'll see I've won.

((Yay! It's finally started! blaugh Sorry I took so long to post. Life decided to catch up to me.))  

[greendragonfly52]

Alexander took his seat at the head of the table for a moment. Being a vampire, he had little need for human food, though he did help himself to a glass of vintage red wine. Only the best for such an occasion. After a few moments he could see that his guests were settled and helping themselves to the meal. It wasn't poisoned, that would have been too easy. Nosfera hunts could go on for days and the last thing he wanted was for them all to die of starvation.
The duke allowed a few more moments go by before lightly tapping a silver spoon against his glass. Standing up, he couldn't stop the smirk sliding on to his lips. "Honored guests...it is time to announce the reason you were all brought here. You see...my wife and I, invited you to play a little game of sorts. You all were brought here for a different reason, from thievery, aiding my enemies, to impersonating those closest to me in a form of trickery." The duke stepped away from his chair, and began to walk towards the guests. "For such deeds, there are consequences." The duke spoke no further from there, preferring to teach by example. With a swiftness that only a vampire could possess, he moved towards the girl closest to him (NPC) and grabbed her by intricately braided hair, pulling her head back and to the side, exposing the delicate flesh of her neck. There would be a blur of motion, and the next thing people would see would be Alexander's fangs embedded deep in the girls neck, and blood gushing down the front of her dress. Newly fed, the vampire raised his head, blood dripping from his lips. "Run." He ordered. The games had begun.  

[ScuroFenice]

Wh-what the....!!!Ariana bolted up from her lounging, taking a few steps backwards away from the Duke. Her eyes wandered briefly to the poor girl, laying in a heap on the floor, a dark puddle of blood quickly surrounding her body. She'd never expected he was one of the night dwellers.
How could he have known about her contract and that she was the one who held his ring? No one but her even had the truth. Swallowing, Ariana instantly turned and sprinted for one of the exits she had marked earlier and emerged into a long hallway illuminated only by brackets of candles mounted on the walls. Keeping as quiet as she could, her thieving skills kicked in and she began walking, not staying in one place for long.
The duke had talked about it being a game and she realized all of the inhabitants were players, hunters if one wanted to get technical and she and the other guests were the prey.
Cursing silently as her dress hindered her movement, the girl made a mental note to figure out where her luggage had gone and dress into her thieving outfit. She would need as much mobility as she could get

"Awwwwwww." Clarity pouted, placing her elbows on the table and her chin in her lifted hands. "I wanted one to play with me and Dallian but you scared them all away Sir Duke." She glanced back behind her shoulder where her silent guardian was and smiled. She wanted so badly to see what the guests would have done if she'd walked in with him in full view, but her orders were strict. Don't give anything away at all that this place would be their tombs or to make them wary, so she had reluctantly given in. But now that the games had officially begun, he could appear. Still, one of her best lures was to act innocent, like the girl she was supposed to be so she would wait until they came across the playroom. Woe to all who invaded her space, she'd want to play with them and might not let them go.  

[N K Cake]

Neill had been quite excited when entering the premises. From both outside and in, the establishment was impeccable in every detail. He felt at home in an environment of such high class and, honestly, he had been very eager to meet with the Duke. If they could come to an agreement, Neill felt he would be financially secured for the rest of his mortal life. It was an important point in his career as an entrepreneur and as a man of influence.

The man had dressed as was only appropriate for such an occasion, donning long deep-blue coat over his black waistcoat. He wore dark dress pants, shoes of the same color, and on top of his red head full of hair sat a black top hat. All items of quality, certainly expensive, and carrying high name brands.
Neill, more out of fashion sense than necessity, also walked with a firm wooden cane in hand. It was deep red with a silvery sphere at the handle end. This, as well as the hat, he set aside once he had arrived at the dining room, and took a seat.

Neill only found himself more and more hungry as he eyed over the contents on the table. Such exquisite foods, such grand aromas, he could almost taste them just by looking at the various edibles. Hopefully the Duke would enter soon, for who could eat without word from their host first? His gloved hands lay on his lap and nervously rubbed at his knees from time to time as he waited.

The selection of guests that joined him in the hall was quite pleasant to say the least and served as a good distraction. He observed far more young, well dressed ladies coming in as opposed to men, and it did not bother him in the least. Oh it was an odd trend, but perhaps the Duke had a son he was looking to marry off and these were the hopeful candidates.

Then, the doors opened once more - this time revealing their host and hostess. The Duke and Duchess went together truly well and their outfits were stunning. Neill was quickly up off his seat and bowed to the couple in greeting. "A marvelous evening to you, Duke Alexander, Milady." He replied calmly and smiled. The other guests seemed generally well mannered in their own greetings to the man, such a pleasant sight.

Neill sat back down when they were invited to dine on the magnificent selection of food and drink. It was such a relief, his stomach would have thanked the host personally if it could speak. Neill carefully collected select pieces of food, a glass of red wine, and began eating. He would raise the subject of his business proposition later on but first he felt, no he knew, he should warm up to the Duke.

Neill paid little heed to the other guests while he was eating, but he halted instantly once the Duke spoke again. Neill revealed a white handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped his lips with it carefully. He watched the Duke, who looked most excited, and listened. It all went sort of awry after the mention of games, when he went on about thievery and the like. You see, up to this point Neill's opinion of this event, of the location, of the Duke, of everything, had gotten better and better and risen ever higher. All expectations came crashing down and his smile went upside down as if it had fainted with his good mood.

There was no more confusion, something sick was taking place. He did not have to understand how the Duke did it, but that person was dying, and the blood was all over her clothes and then the floor.

Neill shot up out of his seat and glared at the Duke furiously, his green eyes threateningly dim. He picked up his hat, slammed it back on his head and grasped his cane - then turned all his attention to the man. "Duke Alexander! What is the meaning of this!?" Neill bellowed, infuriated and confused. Run? But that woman... "What of her, w-we need a doctor." His voice trailed off at the end, this was just overwhelming and so extremely sudden. Neill's anger and facial expression was replaced with a combination of shock, fear and disgust. This did not bode well, it was best he simply left this instant.

Neill grumbled curses under his breath as he turned for the door which he had come through. His walk was brisk, almost a run, and his feet hit the floor with ferocity at each step. Neill headed directly for the entrance hall, the finding of which would have been problematic had the way there not been so linear. He felt he could easily get lost in such a large place, with the hallways so similar at every turn. He just needed to come to a crossroad to be confused with his direction.
Neill did manage to come all the way to the exit and laid his hands on the beautifully engraved wooden handles of the double doors leading out. The magnificence of their craftsmanship seemed spoiled now however, the same had been for all the stunning paintings he had passed - what the Duke had done violated all the glory Neill had witnessed. It was all now tainted and dangerous.

Neill quickly discovered that the doors were not opening. There was no gust of wind to greet him, no fresh air striking his face. While lost in his thoughts he had not sooner realized that all the pulling at the door handles was useless. It would not budge and the reality that he was sealed in here with that mad man was sinking in. To play their game, this was why they were here, and the one thing they were to do - was to run.

"Dear god..." Neill let out, his voice weak, sunken in misery.  

[ScuroFenice]

((hey just to let you all know, I won't be able to post until at the least, Sunday night smile hope to see you all soon!))  

[Iradesca]

You wanna fight? Then bring it on!

~Arin Decoorum~

Outfit for Jobs and Fighting

Arin watched with horror as the Duke revealed the purpose of his invitation. He wanted them to run? Fine. But she wouldn't run for long. With one hand, she grabbed one end of the tablecloth and flung it towards the Duke, sending food and dishes flying in all directions. With the other, she reached beneath the neckline of her dress, drawing a knife and flinging it towards the Duke. She wasn't about to let him think she'd just follow his plan. She hesitated for a moment at the door, looking back at the girl now laying in a pool of her own blood on the floor. She thought of running back and grabbing her, but knew it was too late. By the time she would get to somewhere relatively safe, the girl would be dead. Instead, she ran, as the Duke had instructed. She followed the route she had been brought along to the dining hall. She did not bother trying the door, she knew it would be locked. Instead, she turned to the side, where she had seen a cloakroom. She quickly found where her bag had been stored and changed into her outfit for jobs and fighting. She transferred all of her knives to each of the storage places on the outfit and cautiously stepped outside. She saw another of the guests who had been at the table, a gentleman with a top hat and a cane. She brandished one of her knives. "I don't suppose you are in on this game?"

Once I'm through, you'll see I've won.

 

[N K Cake]

'Game?! A GAME!? The host of the party brutally murdered someone in front of the lot of them and now seems keen on hunting the rest down. The only word for it was... sickening.' Neill thought instantly upon hearing those words. He would not be drawn to the level of that freak and go along with this foolishness.

"Listen-" Neill started as he turned around from the door, ready to express his distaste at the situation. His face changed instantly to fit an expression of surprise, and he blushed madly. The woman was wearing pink clothing which completely revealed her arms and most of her legs. Not in his lifetime had he planned on seeing such an outfit being worn out in public.

Neill turned his head to look at nothing in particular, frankly anything but the girl. Oh it was not like he had never seen a woman with... let's just say less clothes than regular on her before. But there was a code of etiquette in high class society, which this seemed to break entirely.

There was a single group of people who might dress that way outside, and even considering her one would be an insult. "W-who are you?" Neill asked quickly with a small stammer. He struggled trying to hide his embarrassment.

Maybe it best not to draw attention to it. There was also the very immediate fact that she held a dangerous looking knife in her hand. Neill's grip on his cane tightened while considering the fact that she was armed. "Look, I want no part in whatever this is, I'm leaving as soon as I find a way out." He still did not manage to look the person in the eyes even when talking to her.