Singha: 10 AM.
The Four Seasons Hotel.
Douglas Coburn: He enters the lobby with
Gennie and approaches the main desk, requesting an audience with Prince Phillipe.
Genevieve Teal: She moves alongside
Douglas, looking around quietly. Her hand plays absently with the gold chain
around her neck and the cartouche hanging from it. The young scholar is all
silence and observation for now.
Genevieve Teal: ((Whoops, Colot change))
Douglas Coburn: ((Yeah. Yer named Teal, use
Teal *G*))
Douglas Coburn: ((I'm gonna git me a
character named Purple...))
Singha: The
concierge looks at Douglas funny and says, quite deferentially "I do not believe
Monsieur Phillipe is a Prince."
Singha: (AAAGHHHH!
No PURPLE!)
Genevieve Teal: ((I'll make one named
Blood...oh, wait,. Singha beat me to it. *G*))
Genevieve Teal: She looks from Douglas to
the concierge, frowning, and back. Was her divination wrong?
Douglas Coburn: He waves a hand idly. "Tell
him ah'm here to see him."
Singha: (*pokes
Troo* THe Prince is Prince Jean)
Douglas Coburn: ((What? I thought Phillipe
said he was a Prince?!))
Douglas Coburn: ((He came out with this
stonking huge title, the first word of which was Prince))
Singha: (( Prince
Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano of
Luxembourg, Hereditary Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma )
Genevieve Teal: ((That was Jean, Douglas.
Singha: (And that's
the shortened version. *G*)
Douglas Coburn: ((Okay. Let's pretend
none of this ever happened and restart, because I could have sworn Phillipe said
to ask for him and gave his name))
Douglas Coburn: A man walks into a hotel. In
a parallel dimension he might ask for the wrong person because his player is a
fucking retard. In this reality however he asks to see Prince Jean.
Singha: (Doug
asked Phillipe, but it was Jean who answered. *hits the restart button, watches
the picture fade and reset.*
Genevieve Teal: And in either reality, she
moves alongside Douglas, looking around quietly. Her hand plays absently with
the gold chain around her neck and the cartouche hanging from it. The young
scholar is all silence and observation for now.
Douglas Coburn: He has a weird sense of
deja-vu, but discounts it. Maybe the Matrix has a glitch.
Singha: Doug asks
for Prince Jean, and a security escort is ready for him, but the concierge must
call ahead and get permission for Gennie to accompany Doug (you guys give
Gennie's name?)
Douglas Coburn: He allows Gennie to give
whatever name she wishes.
Genevieve Teal: She's following Douglas's
lead. When he looks to her, she identities herself as "Miss Teal" with a polite,
nervous smile.
Singha: After a few
minutes of dithering, both are escorted to the elevators and then up to the
Penthouse.
Douglas Coburn: He limps after his
escort, frankly too surprised that Gennie is wearing the necklace to think of
anything to say to her.
Genevieve Teal: She walks along, matching
Douglas's pace so as not to get ahead of him, remaining as polite and formal as
she knows to be. Which is good, but not perfect.
Singha: The
elevator doors open and they are escorted to two double doors, where an older
gentleman with salt and pepper hair and an aquiline nose, dressed in butler's
livery, escorts them into the main sitting room of the suite
Douglas Coburn: He glances around as they
are led into the sitting room.
Genevieve Teal: A small but warm thank you
goes to the gentleman.
Singha: Jean, Luc,
and Alexandra are awaiting them in the sitting room. The Butler introduces them,
then offers them refreshments.
Singha: (per+alert)
Genevieve Teal:
7,5,7,2,
Singha -> Genevieve Teal:
All the window dressings are set with exactly 8
inches opening between the curtains, all pleats quite sharp, shades drawn. There
is a stain on the carpet near one of the doors that looks as if wine or some
dark juice has been spilled.
Singha: (oh roll
awareness, also)
Douglas Coburn:
3,8,4,2,4,8,
Douglas Coburn:
1,9,3,6,
Douglas Coburn: ((Sorry, accidentally threw
my cellphone downstairs))
Genevieve Teal: The quickest of glances
around, and she looks back to the nobles. A moment's pause before she
curtsies...isn't that what one does with royalty?
Genevieve Teal:
9,4,10,1,2,6,
Genevieve Teal: ((Sory, mind ignored that
post. :P))
Singha: Both Doug
and Gennie can sense something tingly when they enter the sitting room. Gennie
gets a vauge idea that it's coming from the royals side of the room.
Singha: (oh roll
awareness, also)
Douglas Coburn:
3,8,4,2,4,8,
Douglas Coburn:
1,9,3,6,
Douglas Coburn: ((Sorry, accidentally threw
my cellphone downstairs))
Genevieve Teal: The quickest of glances
around, and she looks back to the nobles. A moment's pause before she
curtsies...isn't that what one does with royalty?
Genevieve Teal:
9,4,10,1,2,6,
Genevieve Teal: ((Sory, mind ignored that
post. :P))
Singha: Both Doug
and Gennie can sense something tingly when they enter the sitting room. Gennie
gets a vauge idea that it's coming from the royals side of the room.
Douglas Coburn: He bows slightly to them,
then nods to the butler and requests a cup of Earl Grey.
Genevieve Teal: Still the curtsy from her,
and no request for refreshment.
Singha: The butler
gets to work getting Gennie and Doug whatever they request, unobtrusively
setting their requests down on the low coffee table in front of their chairs
before moving off toward the kitchen.
Douglas Coburn: He stands patiently, waiting
for someone to actually speak.
Singha: "Please,
Baron, introduce your guest?" Jean says warmly pointing Doug and Gennie to
seats.
Genevieve Teal: She takes a seat when the
chairs are indicated, and not before. Baron? Who's a baron?
Douglas Coburn: He sits slowly. "This is
Genevieve Teal, a friend and fellow scholar."
Singha: He nods,
smiling warmly to Gennie. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,
Singnorina Teal."
Genevieve Teal: "Hello." She nods to the
three with the excellent breeding. "It's an honor to meet with you."
Douglas Coburn: He rests his cane against
the chair.
Singha: (gonna be
slow while I treat this moronic bird)
Genevieve Teal: She refrains, with effort,
from more playing with the necklace. Not wanting to show her nerves.
Singha: "I am
somewhat at a loss as to why the Baron would bring you to this particular
meeting, knowing the subject which we wished to discuss..." Jean says leadingly.
Douglas Coburn: "It will become apparent."
Genevieve Teal: A small nod in response,
letting the good Baron do the talking at this point.
Singha: Jean lifts
his brow and makes a motion with his hand. "Please. Explain."
Douglas Coburn: "Miss Teal knows as much of
the Grail as I do."
Singha: He raises a
brow, and regards Gennie. "Ah. I see." He studes her more closely, eyes drawn to
the cartouche. His lips purse. He exchanges glances with Luc, who takes control
of the conversation. ~latin~ "Does she speak the language of Kings?"
Genevieve Teal: "I am a scholar, Your
Highness, as he said, and Grail Lore is a...particular specialty of mine," she
offers in clarification, to add to Douglas's words.
Douglas Coburn: He lets Gennie answer
that one.
Genevieve Teal:
4,8,7,7,7,6,
Singha -> Genevieve Teal:
He speaks utterly fluently, an archaic version of
Latin that was known around the time of Charlemagne. It is clearly ~not~ book
learned but spoken with the idiomatic fluency of someone who was ~raised~
speaking it.
Genevieve Teal: ~Lat~ "I do, Sir." She nods
respectfully to Lucian.
Singha: Luc
smiles at that. Tho he appears only 17, he seems to be in charge here, and has a
bearing and aura of competency that underscores his right to claim such
leadership. ~lat~ "Then we shall introduce her to Phillipe."
Singha: He motions
to the butler, who heads off to a bedroom door and knocks. A few moments later
the younger Trevor look alike exits. He looks about 15, with a mild, dreamy
expression. He wears clothes fit for the Middle Ages, with a tunic bearing a
rampant black lion with red tongue and claws on a field of yellow and carries a
bronze shield.
Genevieve Teal: She looks over in the
newcomer's direction, smiling warmly. Umm...new royalty in the room. Should she
rise for him, or stay seated? She's not sure.
Douglas Coburn: He folds his hands in his
lap.
Singha: He smiles
disingenuously at Douglas, and gives Gennie a shy nods. ~lat~ "Pardon, but as
there are those who can change skins involved in this quest, I must ensure your
identities." And with that, he opens his arm up so that he can view Gennie and
Doug's reflections in the highly polished surface of the inside of the shield.
Singha:
8,2,9,3,7,
Singha: (awareness)
Douglas Coburn:
5,3,5,7,
Genevieve Teal:
4,7,4,5,8,8,
Singha: The
genneral tingly sense of the room goes up a notch or two for Doug. Gennie
immediately senses the shield is a powerful Wonder or Fetish of some kind.
Singha: (per+alert)
Genevieve Teal:
5,2,7,9,
Douglas Coburn:
4,3,2,6,9,1,
Singha: In the
reflection. Gennie sees herself dressed in the rags of what were once fine
clothes of an Arthurian period, but are now shredded and filthy with bogpeat,
blood and mudstained. Douglas sees himself reflected as before, with the flaming
image of the Cup of Osiris floating above him. Gennie sees the reflection of
Douglas but Doug doesn't see what Gennie looks like.
Douglas Coburn: He awaits the boy giving the
others the all-clear.
Genevieve Teal: That draws a very intrigued
look from the young woman. She stares at the reflections in the shield, blinking
a couple times at it.
Singha: Phillipe
gasps in recognition at the reflection of Gennie, and glances at her. ~lat~ "You
were on the street yesterday. When we were pursuing Mordred."
Douglas Coburn: He leans forward and picks
up his tea, sipping at it.
Genevieve Teal: She looks up to Phillipe,
blinking, then nods. ~Lat~ "I was with Mr. Coburn, yes, sir."
Singha: "This is
the Baron. And the Lady of the Wood." Phillips nods to the others and goes and
sits beside Andra. Jean, meanwhile, seems distracted by the small table fountain
that's going on the end table beside him, and sticks his fingers into the
stream.
Singha: Luc
considers Phillipe's assessment, lips pursing. In Tarot terms, if Phillipe is
the Knight of Cups, Luc is the Prince of Pentacles.
Douglas Coburn: He gives up on getting any
sense or attention span from any of these insane lunatics but Luc, looking to
him hopefully.
Genevieve Teal: A look over to Douglas, then
back to the Royals. Lady of the Wood...
Genevieve Teal:
3,5,10,8,8,8,2,
Genevieve Teal:
8,
Singha -> Genevieve Teal:
The Lady of the Wood is in some obscure Arthurian
texts and refers to a protectoress of the Grail who is attacked by the forces of
evil but saved by several Grail knights.
Singha -> Genevieve Teal:
During the attack the Grail is lost, but she gives
the Knights good advice regarding the Grail so that when they finally reach it
they know what to do in order to obtain it.
Singha: Luc looks
to Douglas, nodding in encouragement to him. ~lat~ "So...could you tell us how
you obtained the Grail? Where you last saw it?"
Genevieve Teal: Ahh. Okay, that makes sense.
She sits back, relaxing, and looks to the nobles, letting them take the lead.
Douglas Coburn: ~Lat~ "As I advised you yesterday, I cannot guide you in your quest. But I can answer other questions. In return for a few answers, obviously."
Singha: ~lat~
"We do not understand why you staunchly refuse to share your knowledge with your
fellow Knights."
Douglas Coburn: Well, because they're all
bugfuck... No, better not say that. ~Lat~ "Why do you seek the grail?"
Singha: ~Lat~ "To
protect it. We recieved a prophecy that Mordred would use it to raise an army
from the dead."
Douglas Coburn: ~Lat~ "And there's a problem
with this?"
Genevieve Teal: She looks back and forth
between them, placing this with everything she knows, face contemplative.
Singha: The royals
as one give Doug a double take. ~lat~ "Perhaps you do not realize that Mordred
is the Puppet of the Vampire Emperor?"
Douglas Coburn: He rolls his eyes. ~Lat~ "In
the earliest Welsh references to Artur and Camlaan, Medrawt was a hero, one of
Artur's knights. Only latter texts have identified him as a villain, beginning
with the French text "Mort Artu", author unknown, which also introduced the
Incest theme, picked up on a hundred years later by Mallory in Le Morte D'Arthur."
Genevieve Teal: A slight pursing of her lips.
She's highly familiar with the Arthurian legends of the Grail, of course...but
she's more comfortable with the Cup's true origin.
Singha: ~lat~ "We
do not care what fictions are written about Arthur and the Grail. We have seen
truths with our own eyes, and shed blood to protect these truths."
Douglas Coburn: ~Lat~ "Truth is in the eye
of the beholder. You have seen Medrawt become Mordred. You have seen the acts of
Mordred. I have seen Mordred become Medrawt once more."
Genevieve Teal: ~Lat~ "All fictions are based
on fact, Sir." A gesture to Douglas. ~Lat~ "The Baron is right...it is Medrawt
you now deal with, nor Mordred. I've seen it myself."
Singha: Luc grows
rather angry at this contention. ~lat~ "These are lies! Illusions and glamours
cast upon you by Morgan Le Fey and Vivienne, to obscure your sight to the truth
nature of the danger posed by Mordred."
Singha: (true
nature. doh)
Douglas Coburn: ~Lat~ "And of course you all
are completely uninfluenced."
Genevieve Teal: She raises an eyebrow. ~Lat~
"Can your Artifact not see through such glamours, Sir? Would it not detect such
a thing?"
Singha: ~lat~
"We know the truth of his origins, and we have seen the slaughter he left in his
wake. Mordred is a false knight, who murdered his own son in hopes he would gain
even more power."
Douglas Coburn: ~Lat~ "Then it seems we have
nothing to discuss. I wish you well on your quest." He rises slowly to his feet.
Genevieve Teal: A moment's pause, and then
she rises alongside Douglas, looking a little sad.
Singha: ~lat~ "You
know the powers of the Grail, do you not, Lady? If Mordred has obtained it,
would he not be able to shrould his true nature from us?"
Singha: ~lat~ "It
was corrupted by the powers of Darkness. It serves both sides."
Douglas Coburn: He begins limping toward the
door.
Singha: (shroud.
Doh.)
Singha: Phillip
rises, not wanting Doug to leave, nor Gennie. ~lat~ "Let us resolve this
disagreement as Knights, then," he suggests. "By honorable combat. He who
perseveres must needs be the champion of truth."
Douglas Coburn: He sighs softly. ~Lat~ "I
did not come here to fight."
Genevieve Teal: A moment's pause. ~Lat~ "No,
he wouldn't. Not like I believe you may think, Sir. And consider this...if the
Grail serves both sides, and you think Mordred has it...and if he knows you know
he does...why have you not been attacked? Why has there been no such army of the
dead performing evil deeds throughout the city, or even further?" She looks at
them for a moment to let that sink in, then smiles and turns to follow Douglas.
Singha: ~lat~ "Then
why did you come?" Phillipe asks curiously.
Douglas Coburn: He turns, looking to
Phillipe. ~Lat~ "Because I believe your quest is for the reasons you say it is.
Tell me, how did you receive this prophecy?"
Singha: ~lat~
"Because he is a coward who works in the shadows," Luc counters. "He knows he
cannot stand directly against the powers of Good, and so he turns people like
you against us, to worry and weary us, to delay us at your expense. If he is so
noble, why did he not remain to protect you against us, Lady? Why not challenge
to protect his honor, and show his true chivalry?"
Genevieve Teal: A pause, and she turns to
regard Lucian. ~Lat~ "Are you saying I am in danger from you?"