Influence (Ondina)

[Deleted]

In a tall-backed booth, somewhere amongst the unceasing din of Club Indigo, a young woman's voice softly chimed, "Thank you, Dread Maiden. It will be done." the young one's eyes shone red as she looked up from the table toward her superior. An adjacent figure, this one a young manw whose eyes matched the woman's, spoke up softly as well, "You have our word. We will not fail."

An approving smile danced across Evie's mouth as her voice replied, equally as soft. "The Void take you. L'appel du Vide."

"L'appel du Vide," the two replied in unison before getting up from their seats, stepping away from the table, and disappearing into the evening crowd.

These last few weeks had been long, and while fairly uneventful for the student-killing terrorist cell Elaine liked to call The Purifiers, Evie had spent much of her free time organizing for the rebirth of her greater calling: The Dread Father Coven. She understood now that she could not have done this alone over a decade ago, right after her original coven had been slain. Her nights had been a fascinating cycle of seeking out new blood ...or unblood... where she saw potential, alluring those interested with the lyrical and macabre proverbs of the Void, turning the ones willing to dedicate themselves, and wiping the minds of those who were too weak to accept the truth. So far, there were two new members of the family: Moira and her twin brother Corwin. The funny part was they had already been turned years ago and were living alone, without purpose... without a real home... without a family to call their own. 

Now enjoying a moment's peace away from the tedium, Evie took in her surroundings. It was a packed night. Even this far in, it would be difficult to find an unoccupied table. Upon further analysis, She realized that the booth seat across from her was the only empty seat remaining in the immediate area. Then, from the haze of shadows, fog, and neon, someone approached.  

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

CLUB INDIGO WAS A DEN OF INEQUITY. Or so Ondina believed. With a constant smog of body heat and spilled drinks, it was not where you might find royalty. But, it was where you could find Ondina. She functioned best at night. When the sun was hidden and the insects tended to rest. An ideal life for Ondina would be one where she could sleep all day, and live in the dark. She looked better in low light as well. You were less likely to see how thick her make-up was, or how pale and thin her skin looked.

So say it was not the most respectable establishment, but Ondina still found enjoyment from visiting it. She could be as nasty and careless as she wished without reproach. Though she gave the dance floor a wide berth no matter the occasion. That particular night drew her for nothing but the desire for frivolous distraction. At the bar she ordered a watered vodka and lime, instructing the tender to have it taken to her table, which she perused the room for and then pointed at. The only one with a single free seat. Ondina hated to share, but the place was pretty packed.

Crossing the room empty handed, she hunkered down in to her coat despite the heat.  She often ran cold unless suffering from a fever. At the table, Ondina gave her new company a quick look before she  sat down. She was familiar. They'd gone on an assignment together. She slid on to her chair, quirking her brows in greeting just as a waiter flew past and dropped her tall drinks glass on the top before them without a single acknowledgement.

"Nobody brave enough to sit, huh?" Ondina broke the silence, a familiar and naturally sly smile hiking her red painted lips. She didn't have to pretend here. "D'you think it's your face?" She leaned back in her seat, picked her damp glass from the top and sipped through a straw, leaving a ruby red ring around the plastic when she set it back down. 

@evie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Evie immediately recognized the individual as soon as they had sat down. The young woman made a quick eyebrow gesture to which Evie responded with a pleasant smile and a briefly raised the glass of blood that she had been sipping on over the past hour. 

Ondina shot her two questions, both of which made Evie chuckle. "It's good to see you too," she said, letting her eyes dance about the girl's hair and face. "Though, you do have a point... for everyone that wants to sit with a lonely 19 year old in a dark club, very few seem to share my interests or choice of beverage." Evie sipped on the blood in her glass and sighed. Her eyes slowly flared a brighter red before returning to their usual cold shade.  "Whatever happened to the days when young handsome gentlemen would readily lend a lady their neck for a while?" Evie made a short chuckle at her own jest. 

"But no, really, you're timing is perfect. I had just finished a meeting with a few of my associates, and was dreading unwanted company. You; however, are more than welcome." Evie set her glass down and sat forward, leaning her elbows on the table. She closed and opened her eyes slowly, fluttering her lashes as she looked into Ondina's eyes sweetly. "Do tell me," she said, her voice smooth. "Does her my-lady-ship send word, may I be of assistance, or to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

BE IT THE DENSE RED LIQUID IN HER GLASS, or the flare of inhuman red eyes, there was always something about that woman that made Ondina sit a little straighter. Peel her eyes back and observe beyond her own reflection. She sat back in her chair as if to assume the position of relaxation, a smirk on her red painted lips.

"Hm, I might be inclined to agree with you, but," She licked her lips, quirking her brows. "You see, that might put my own neck on the line." Of which Ondina had never had any interest in doing, both figuratively and literally. She lifted her glass and sipped the bitter liquid, the rim of the thin black straw stained with waxy, lipstick red.

"Anything interesting?" Ondina inquired curiously, setting her glass down as she eyed her associate across the table. Though her ego was satiated at not being immediately dismissed, she still hankered for something a little juicier. However, Evie appeared to desire the same thing.

Ondina didn't lower her chin at first, watching her lean forward so that she could almost smell the rust on her breath. Dark fluttering lashes and deep, penetrating eyes. Her voice was as smooth as honey. The kind that sang lullabies or performed sonnets. That trademark charm like a finger running down Ondina's spine. She cleared her throat, a phlegm filled thing, before tearing away her gaze.

"Keep that charm for the 'handsome gentlemen'," Ondina said, raising one brow, but when she reached for her glass this time her hand was slick. "I have nothing to report." She said in an effort to draw her attention away. So that her sweet-as-pie voice might recede to the other side of the table once more. "Just... here for the pleasure of your company." Her sharp, red lacquered fingernail ran a circuit around the rim of her glass, tapping against the side when she was down. "At least with you I don't have to pretend to be anything I'm not." 

@evie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

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Ondina's response to the rather flirtatious and seductive actions Evie took just then was one of the reasons why Evie thought so highly of the girl. She seemed strong, but not inhuman. Evie supposed Ondina got that from years of resisting the so-called better judgments of her extended, orange-haired kin. 

Still. This kind of understanding resistance did not mean Evie wouldn't find occasion to speak that way to her again in the future. It was just too much fun. 

"Ah well," Evie said, softly gliding back to her own side of the table. "One will come eventually, I suppose. And I was actually hoping to hear something from on-high soon. I need a distraction from coven-building."

Evie chuckled and sipped at her glass, raising it toward Ondina with a nod. She said, "To never losing the self amidst the act." before taking another sip and setting her glass down and to the side. Evie smiled proudly at the notion that she could be that kind of safe-company. In her early years of stalking meals, she didn't have support that could appreciate her outside of her various acts.   

"But then again, back to your earlier question; right now, I probably wouldn't be interested in any weird normie who tried to sit here with me unless they had a mansion for sale. Got to have one of those if you're going to start a coven, you know." Evie sat back a little. "How about you, dear?" Evie asked. "Up to any fun schemes lately?"

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

ONDINA FULLY BELIEVED CHLOE'S WORDS, THERE would be handsome men aplenty for her. It was that vampire charm, she supposed. Something sticky and drawing that clung to her like club sweat. Though, she hoped the fact that she was aware of it made it less consuming when she was around.

Ondina shifted closer, her interest suddenly piqued. "Coven building?" She asked, drumming her sharp finger nails on the table top at a slick pace. "What does that entail exactly?" She felt a smirk tug at her cheeks. "Do you spin a web, Chloe?" She joked sharply. "Catch flies... and other spiders." There was something Ondina had always liked about the vampire. Well, perhaps like was a strong word. Or maybe not. There was just something about her flagrant displays of vampirism. It was... bold and perhaps encouraging.

Ondina lifted her glass at her toast, sipping her drink daintily. At least she hadn't been brushed off, her pride was safe for the moment. Setting her glass back down, Ondina sat back in her seat slightly, blinking lazily as Chloe spoke. "Well, I'm not in to real estate." She said with a smirk. "But, I'm sure wherever you end up will be quite spectacular."

She lifted her drink again, nursed close to her chest as she considered Chloe's question. One shoulder lifted in a half shrug. "There's always something to be done, right?" She thought of the Ministry and her position there. "Especially being eyes in the Ministry." Ondina threw back the rest of her drink in an uncharacteristic swig. "Though, if I have to push any more papers I will... use them as kindling and set the place on fire." She was still a lackey. Expendable. And it was grating. "What about you?"

@evie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

(ooc: omglife wow :[ I am sorry, fren!)

Evie laughed at Ondina's choice of metaphor. "I suppose walking on walls is one thing, but sucking our food dry is just barbaric," she said shaking her head and failing to hold back a few more chuckles. "More poetic when they can be made to sit and stay and be good little walking food bags ready for future convenience... or better yet! Part of the family."

"The Ministry can be an unforgiving grind, though there are perks once you graduate from the internship phase. That said, coven-building is what I've been up to, besides the Ministry work I am forbidden from discussing. That and my usual rounds of old book collecting, of course." she continued after Ondina's observations about paper-pushing. Evie could recall her own early years in the Ministry, interning and endless reports. It was enough to make her want to cringe, though she figured the young Weasley didn't need that right now. 

"My coven of vampiris sanguinus got practically wiped out years ago, but I am finally in a place to re-establish what was lost. I recently gained the help of vampire twins from Scotland to aid in the acquisition of new..." Evie paused to consider her words, "... talent... while I secure the place to congregate and write up all the by-laws along with new drafts of the old coven psalms." Evie took a sarcastically sharp breath of air. "Tedious work, for sure, but not needing sleep very often is helping immensely. Biggest hurdle is finding just the right mansion with just the right feel to it." 

"Wouldn't it be funny if our leader suddenly took an interest in expanding real-estate?" Evie laughed. "Oh, that'd just kill me."

Ondina Nell Weasley

[Ondina Nell Weasley]

i dare you.

DESPITE HER WORDS, ONDINA WASN'T' SURE IF she believed her. Wasn't that the whole point of being a vampire? Sucking your opponent dry? Perhaps she was wrong, she'd never had very much interest in doing the necessary research. Maybe it was much more civilised than she imagined. So, in reply, she simply quirked her brows and smirked.

"That's... economic of you." She said, her nose wrinkled slightly. Ondina didn't care who Chloe was luring in to her twisted little food families, just as long as it wasn't her. But, at the very least she seemed to commiserate when it came to the Ministry. Ondina was tired of being an underling.

"Well, at this rate coven building sounds much more exciting." Ondina rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "And my patience for these 'perks' is wearing very thin." 'Thin' hissed over her tongue, which she bit hard between her teeth. She had never been one for 'the climb'. Ondina had always preferred instant gratification.

All the coven talk, however, sounded very wordy and complicated when laid out before her. Ondina lifted her brows, half in surprise and curiosity. She'd never had such an in depth conversation with Chloe before, and it was proving very enlightening.

"You take this stuff pretty seriously, huh?" Ondina said, as if it wasn't obvious. In reality, it verged on unsettling. "New talent... are you turning others?" She swirled her drink in an effort to appear only mildly interested. She wondered how the many would feel about that. A sudden onslaught of new vampires running around town. Ondina suddenly felt very settled in the fact that, for now, Chloe was on their side. "I'll admit, it does sound quite tedious." She licked her lips, casting her eyes across the room. As for real estate, that sounded even less interesting until it involved her boss. Ondina shifted in her seat.

"Our leader has a good eye for progress," She muttered, her eyes narrowing briefly. "I suppose if she did it would be for a very good reason." Ondina had always admired Elaine's unwavering eye. Even she could see, if pressed, the merits of taking such an interest. Perhaps she'd broach the subject with Elaine at some time. It could, after all her distaste, be an interesting conversation none-the-less. And Ondina was always looking for ways to gain favour. Even against her better judgement. 

@evie

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Perhaps the young Ondina was curious, but not enough to warrant a much deeper discussion. There were covens that weren't quite as... economic with their drinking habits. The nigh-civility of the Dread Father Coven's feeding practices was something they really should be thanked for. And speaking of thanks, the Ministry was the last place to ever expect it. There was a reason it had a reputation for being more like a machine, rather than some kind of fantastical beacon of magic. It seemed the Dept. of Mysteries was the last hope for fantasy and intrigue anymore. Either way, Evie made a mental note to keep an eye out for Ondina. After all, Evie still went by a different name at work.

Evie had to chuckle at the way Ondina asked if she was turning people into vampires. 

"Oh, only rarely, dear." Evie soothed. "Becoming a Vampire is not only a deeply personal choice, but it is also a prolonged and taxing experience that requires a very special kind of dedication to see through to the end. The search for those who would go through with such a thing -and still be of respectable quality afterword- can be quite difficult for my Coven. The Dread Father prefers quality over quantity."

Evie watched Ondina's body language as she spoke about their leader. Evie had a talent for handling potentially dangerous topics with a certain Sprezzatura, but she got her kicks in the reactions of others. Who would sweat? Who would fold? Who would call? Ondina did well enough, though Evie could tell she might rather talk about this somewhere else. 

With a satisfied grin, Evie downed the rest of her glass and reached for a wad of tissues in her bag which she stuffed into glass to soak up any remaining, sanguine residue. This, she removed from the glass and wrapped in a small strip of canvas material. Thinking on a whim, she looked back up at Ondina. 

"I think I could use a bit of fresh air. Ever been on the roof?"

Ondina Nell Weasley

(fin? Good a spot as any)