First time Visiting

David's eyes were scanning and he was starting to get bored. Yes there was rules but he had to at least talk to someone and that was when his eyes caught a ravishing dark beauty that appeared and he was fixated. At first he did not move she was definitely older he could feel that. But the dress and everything oh now that was tempting. Shifting a bit he caught sight of the color of her eyes and his smile grew and right now he did not care. She looked very interesting....ravishing and logical since she had a book with her.

No hesitation. He slowly leaned off the tree and quietly made his way over to this alluring woman. "Excusez moi ma chérie (Excuse me my darling.) Is this seat taken by chance?" Very polite and cordial with a hint of suave in his voice. He was not going to use his abilities no this was just him speaking.

"Forgive me but this is my first visit and it appears that I do not know anyone here." Bowing and smiling.

David's eyebrow raised when she spoke and in his native tongue. Oh this was getting more intriguing by the moment now as he nodded and sat down next to her smiling. Once more speaking in his native tongue. "It seems then we share a common accord in not knowing anyone here." As he looked around a moment and sighed. "Beautiful architecture. Reminds me of home honestly." Slowly David looked back to her and paused for a moment looking into her eyes mesmerized but remaining a gentleman as he was 300 years ago and not being his usual hedonistic self right now.

"David....David Alexander. My honor to meet you my lady." Another graceful nod of respect from him to Mary.

"Where did you learn to speak my native tongue if I may ask?"

(All in French)

David slowly turned never taking his eyes off of her and as she extended her hand to him gently he cupped her hand and gave the top a gentle kiss taking in her scent and oh he was in heaven but restraint as he gently released. "It is my great honor to have met you Lady Del Belmonte this visit." Smiling and respectful bow. The rings were an interesting touch as he had noticed but for now would not ask yet as he had his father's signet ring upon his finger. "The high seas? Now that is a life I have missed. The winds, letting the compass guide you, the stars and the thrill of a good chase." He smiled remembering when he was a first mate as a privateer.

"I hail from Saint Malo in northern France." David was quiet for a moment as to the last part of the question because he wanted to answer the best way as to not get himself killed or worse.

"My politics are my own honestly my lady. I remain neutral as I was as a mortal so long ago." He respectfully answered her. "May I ask where you hail and your politics?" Never once breaking eye contact.

(All in French)

David was silent and observant as his sire had always taught him to be. The shadows gently exploring and he did not flinch not once as he took note. She definitely did not remind of the monsters of shadow he heard of during his many journeys. "My sire for as long as he could he and I were upon the seas and loving every moment spent there until a new course was done. I have for a long time now found my way into music. Such a sweet instrument to broaden with mortals. It....it calls to them deep within." He smiles and relaxes a bit now.

"London.....now that was a rather interesting city to behold but so many years have passed since I have sampled their....menus as you could say." Now the teaching thing caught him off guard a bit but intriguing. "Teaching...what area of study do you teach Lady Del Belmonte?" Asking curiously. Sabbat yep she said Sabbat and he knew in his minor dealings with the sect to mind himself and not get them angry in the slightest.

Shadows and Sabbat, now the picture was clear to him what clan she hailed from. "I always respect the brothers and sisters of the shadows." And he meant every single word of that. Even with him being a slight heighten she still intrigued him. "I am currently on the other side of the world in New York."

David was enjoying talking to a Sabbat Lasombra and he was not actually scared to death, this was definitely a first and very glad that he had restrained himself this visit. "I would very much agree with what you say of music. Not only calming the soul but a definitive tool to be used to the masses if harnessed properly though I play no instrument my voice however is the instrument of my choosing." He smiled and damn if he could not stop looking at her beautiful eyes.

"The world wars I was lucky you could say. I slept through both so I never had to deal with them." He answered honestly about the world wars. "As to battle itself I have held my own since I was turned so I have never truly back down from a fight before. There are many ways to win a battle without fists as I have learned." Chuckling with a sigh and remembering.  "Forgive me....not quite human...I do not follow."  he asked curiously to her profession.

And there it was the question he had been asked so many times. He had never told anyone he was a Son of Discord. They were not even a clan but a bloodline. "A Toreador you say a Toreador I am my Lady Del Belmonte." He gazed respectfully.


(In French)

"I have walked in darkness for a very long time my Lady Del Belmonte. As to why now after all this time honestly I thought this wonderful place was nothing more than a myth like all others I have ever heard in my travels. But this one kept resurfacing so....call it intrigue or pure curiosity was what brought me to this place and I must say the architecture is beautiful but the honor of this trip I will say is meeting such a beautiful and intriguing lady that for once in my existence that yes I am mesmerized but talking with you thus far has given me a satisfaction that I thought I would never find." All of his words rang with truth. There was just something about her and he was really enjoying himself in her company.

"Perhaps my sire was right all those years ago. There comes a time for every vampire when the thought of eternity becomes momentarily unbearable. Immortality seemed like a good idea, until you realize you are going to spend it alone." After he spoke he was quiet and deep in thought. "Please forgive me if I come off wrong with that saying. I am by no means a man seeking a relationship. Too much work and time wasted in my opinion and as I have witnessed always end the same. But companionship. To find one that understands. Now that to me is what his saying means to me."

His eyes returned to her eyes. "Please do not take me as hitting on you. You are very beautiful and alluring and I could list all the more to describe you. Just speaking with you I have never felt this before. Something...I do not know how to place to words. I am drawn yes without a doubt but it is not out of lust surprising....it is something else entirely." That was the best he could describe what he was feeling. Never had he ever just talked with a mortal or a vampire like this before.

There is a voice from a balcony above. She was standing by an arched doorway under a line of extremely old oil paintings. She looked almost medieval in style, her accent was that of old style Bohemian-Moravian-Slovak. She was -gorgeous- [[appearance of 7 - which denotes she is something more than human capability of beauty]]. Her long black hair was tied back and decorated with pearls, her fingernails immaculate. You can hear her voice over the castle in surround sound. "Welcome to The Castle of the Vampyres. I am the monitor, Elezandra. I was once Prince and am no longer, I am simply watching over this place."

On the wall over the bar downstairs (Yes, a bar), another portrait of her was hung on the wall. It looked painfully old, its edges peeling away at the gilded frame. "You have entered an Elysium for all of our kind, those who are beginning their struggles, those who are losing their struggle, and those who have found peace with their inner masters." She walks along the banister looking down.

"I was once the prince here, but the castle currently has no such power. All who take it will uphold its dignity and responsibility. However there is a curse to such a position. The one who takes Regent cannot leave, until it is relinquished. Such is the burden."

She looked like she was toreador, or would have been at one time. Her presence was out of this world and commanding, it is impossible to ignore her when she was making such a display to get all of their attention.

All of you are welcome to come and go as you will, but you will not harm one another. Not physically, the burdens you place mentally upon yourselves will be your own and not of the Castles Concern."

"The rules are thus, basic Elysium Etiquette." 

"No violence is permitted on the premises."
"No art is to be destroyed on the pain of Banishment."
"Elysium is neutral ground."
"It is bad manners to arrive at Elysium hungry."
"Do not change the castle in any way without asking me first."
"All have safe haven in these walls, no matter status or sect."

"Ignore these rules set forth by the monitor and you will find yourself removed." Elezandra leans on the railing looking down at them, "Any questions?"

She quickly adds,

"And yes, you may make haven in one of the rooms. The castle, you will find, can be very accommodating."

"Myths remain myths until proven otherwise." David whispered as he listened to Mary with what she spoke about.

"I am going to disagree with you Lady Del Belmonte." Before he could finish his thought her mask fallen and David just stared. Did it scare him yes but like his sire always told him about Sabbat never ever show fear to them.

David slowly now listens to the woman that appeared and was silent and would remember the laws spoken about this place and take them to heart.

Now he was going to take a risk. It could go two ways one good and one bad but that was thrill of it.

"We all have the beast that claws, gnaws at us. Some of us we are closer to it than others. But as I have learned which yes would be a blink of an eye for you. In the end no matter politics, no matter clan and even who we are. In the end we are alone and wish companionship."

One more turning to Mary. "Show me what you wish, darkness, hedonism it matters not. Deep down we all do not want to be alone."

It was then he finally got a very good look at the host of the castle and slowly stood up now with his eyes fully fixated on Elezandra.  "Who........who is she?"  Whispering and it felt as though everything stopped and played to her alone.  As he was entranced by the beauty above him the one song that he hated to play for crowds rushed into his mind.  His own lyrics flowing and slamming him instead of his own voice targeting an audience.  It was like his own disciplines were reversed on himself right now as he listened to her voice.

Maria nods to Elezandra, and her comment, as the ancient walks down the stairs.

"I agree, Madam. We have only ourselves. Even a Cainitemcompanion can have an extraordinary finite existence." She looked at David .

"That is Elezandra Masarykova, an ancient Inconnu of the Toreador, I believe, who keeps this Elysium. It is wise to listen to her, at least about this place. And, as she has any more years than I, she holds wisdom in a great many other things, too."

Maria listens to the piano, closing her eyes for a moment.

"It is good to be here again."

Maria watched as Elezandra captured David's interest. It always happened. The young, even the not so young, who still had hopes of love and lasting companionship, they were drawn to her charm and beauty. Such amazing everlasting beauty. Eventually, though, they were used up and spat out like all the rest.

When David turned to her with his briefest of comments, she was surprised by his words. Not only that he had told her, but what he had told her. That he had chosen to confide in her left her somewhat pleased. Nodding, she lightly rested her hand on his shoulder as she stood.

"Play carefully, but dance brightly." She whispered into his ear.

Then she departed Elysium for the evening.

David watched Mary leave and remained where he was for a moment listening to the notes of Elezandra's music. When the next song began to play David slowly rose up and turned now looking directly at Elezandra and honestly did not care if others were watching him. Slowly he walked closer as she played and paused and let every note sink into him. He could tell, it was a story being told...the notes themselves as it was with his lyrics the words that any reader would sink themselves into. Again he could feel the pull and sighed contemplating should he approach and speak or just be a silent observer.

He made his decision when the song ended and slowly he approached her now but kept a respectfuly distance and gave a gracious bow. "Your music is very beautiful my lady. I have never heard anyone play a story quite like that before." David spoke and his eyes never leaving her face but you could tell he was a bit hesitant.

"From one music performer to another. I very much enjoyed what you played this evening."

"I understand what you mean my lady. I too have my own songs that are....I call them my originals that I hide from the world." Except for the one time with the gangrel at the club in New York. "They speak my stories ones that I do not want heard by others." David whispered to Elezandra. He shifted a bit now when she spoke once more. "I assure you that I would never bring such things to this beautiful place." When she spoke of god David just sighed. "God....." And he left that one alone because he had his own views, he was already damned.

The music she played his eyes gazed to her fingers upon the keys and was mesmerized again and she was playing without looking at the keys as he looked right back to her once more. Something began to stir in David as he gazed. This was weird and at first he could not place this feeling that was building and he looked very confused at the moment. A blood tear fell from his eye and he slowly raised his hand and wiped staring at the blood on his fingers now as the flood began to grow inside of him.

What was he feeling right now? His eyes never left hers as very old feelings long since gone since his embrace were in essence awakened in him after over 200 years of nothing. He dared not move right now. He did not want all of this to stop at ever. The flood of emotion growing stronger in him. He was feeling almost like his old self before his embrace. The lover, the privateer, the father.

""David....David Lione Alexandros....thought I have not used that last name......." David paused trying to understand what was happening, hell he had never told anyone his actual name let alone his actual last name. "I feel......regret, shame, longing...." David's mind flows with everything and the flood gates burst on him as another blood tear fell down his cheek. "My wife........my son.......what have I done...." David staggered a bit and finally after a moment caught his balance and looked right back to her.

"Gift? Why are you giving me......." He stopped more emotions flooding him. "We were attacked.....on the high seas. I was the only survivor. They captured me and.....the first time I spoke......the captain had me brought to his cabin and that night...my life ended and...." David closed his eyes with the next memory another blood tear. "I was told to never speak to my wife and son ever again to forget them......I listened without a thought and now........" He lowered his head.

"I regret it all. I should have.......but no I became so vain, so about me, my music, my voice, all about me......." Slowly his eyes opened. "I want a second chance to feel love, family.....it was all taken from me..." The last part was pure hatred of the man that turned him, emotion for his sire he never showed because he was told and trained. "Since my embrace.....I have never cared about anyone, only what I could get to satisfy my desires and cravings and using my voice to get what I wanted....." Whispering.

"What have I done.......The man I was.........that man loved so much in everything and now...." After all of this David could not believe he was saying all of this, all of this came from him. "I do not come from a clan, but a bloodline."

David was completely silent after all of Elezandra's questions directly to him. No one not even his sire had ever given him the choice before and now here it was. His memories going back to the man he was before his embrace. He was a privateer, anything he ever brought back was given to his wife and to anyone that needed it more then him. He always helped others when he could, it was the kind of man he used to be not this vain creature he was now. He always wanted to be the best father for his son, to set the example for him and that now yes it had been over well a long time his son had to had children and so on. He still had an example to keep for his descendants.

"You are right. We can not love anymore because we are damned but that does not mean...." He was trying to find the words in the emotions and the memories. "We can still do certain things as we did before the embrace." He whispered. "My voice is my instrument as the piano is yours. I can use it to do what I should have been doing." He continued. "What I believe is that I have descendants out there somewhere and in the end the example of the man I was still has to be done." David spoke boldly.

"I can protect and give back as I did as a mortal. My voice the weapon drawing in the ones that wish to do harm to others......" It started to become clearer to him. "I could rid the world of all of them just by using my voice, luring them in and let death take them where they belong. Then continue to help the needy in their time of need."