Characters: Delia and Charlotte Setting: A bench in the park, November 22 after dusk Content: Worksafe. PG Summary: Two women seek shelter on a bench and find they have much in common
Winter was beginning to set in, or had it been here for a while? It was difficult to tell, but there was a chill to the air. Not that such things mattered to Charlotte, but she still dressed for the weather all the same. Any chance she could take to show off her wardrobe and her own beauty as well as her social rank. Charlotte was more than a little vain at times, which should not be all that surprising given the family she was from. Combined with her status as a hive queen, that only compounded her relationship with vanity. She had wealth and power, and she was not one to hide either. Though she did tend to be careful where she exercised her power. One in her position could never afford to be reckless, and she refused to head down that road.
Charlotte was calculated in her approach to things, though every so often she didn’t have a plan in mind when she went out. Like this evening, she merely wished to take a walk. She had no business that couldn’t wait until later. She did enjoy taking advantage of these types of nights. They didn’t always come very often.
Tonight she’d decided on walking in Hyde Park. It wasn’t that far from her residence, and it had been a little while since she’d last walked it. It was times like these that Charlotte really enjoyed being a vampire. There were fewer people to run into after the sun set. While that was partially due to human nature, Charlotte was also fairly certain some amount of fear for the supernatural sect played into it. Though none of that mattered to her right now.
Finding a bench, Charlotte moved to sit down. Closing her eyes, she took in the sounds and smells of the night, ones that had become so familiar and comforting to her over the years. As she sat, she maintained perfect posture that was partially helped by the fact she was wearing a corset underneath her dark green elegant dress. Sometimes it was necessary to sit down and simply take in the comforts of the night.
Unfortunately in this case for Delia, she was a chimera and not a golem. Sometimes she envied the way they didn’t feel much at all. It was true that emotionally, she came across as rather stunted. She didn’t even think of herself as alive half the time, but she could still feel the cold sting of the wind against her face when she was outside. That didn’t stop her from being outside, after dark when the cold was closing in on those around her.
After dark was the only time that she had to herself. The freak show was over, and she had time to herself. After bundling up completely as much as any woman could, she decided to take a walk through Hyde Park. No part of her was scared, thinking that she might run into something nasty. Nothing supernatural tended to pay her much attention. She wasn’t real after all.
Today had been a bit hard on her. Every day was. She loathed being in the Court of the Air now, though she’d been there for so long, she was something of an institution. People barely came to see her now. She was yesterday’s news and it showed. Not to mention that she was just tired of performing. Always being on the stage. She wanted something else. A home. A family. She had neither.
Walking through the park, she spotted a woman sitting on a bench. Interesting. If she saw anyone at all at night, it was usually a man. Up to no good of course. It was rare that she saw anyone of the fairer sex. “May I join you?”
Charlotte heard the other woman’s approach before she spoke, her enhanced senses serving her well here. Looking over at her, she didn’t give much thought about the situation. She doubted there was any danger to come from the woman, though Charlotte was more than aware females could be even more violent than males. But this woman did not give off the sense that she had ill will towards Charlotte.
“Of course you may,” Charlotte responded politely, a polite smile crossing her face. She always was one to mind her manners so long as those around her minded theirs. The way the other woman was dressed immediately told Charlotte that she wasn’t of the upper class. As much as Charlotte may have the upper class habit of looking down on others, it wouldn’t stop her from being polite so long as the other woman was as well.
“You are out late this evening,” Charlotte commented, “and unaccompanied.” She noted the lack of an escort, which tended to go against what society dictated. Which made Charlotte wonder if this woman was supernatural at all. Or perhaps she was something else that could take care of herself. Or, going further, perhaps she simply did not wish to abide by social etiquette. Charlotte, for the moment, was more curious than she was condescending about it.
It seemed logical that Charlotte was on her guard. Delia was on her own guard, as much as she could be. She understood logically about making sure that she was safe, and watching out for those that might harm her. But she wasn't very good at reading people. Even after all these years. Maybe she was a little bit gullible, but she didn't exactly have many social graces. People tended to stay away from her when she wasn't on the stage.
The woman had money, she could tell. It figured that's why she brought up the fact that Delia was unaccompanied by a male escort. "Thank you, madame." She curtsied and then sat down on the bench. At first she thought to say that she could say the same about Charlotte being unaccompanied, but figured that was impolite. "I am afraid that I have never had a chaperon in my life. Only myself. In the evening is the only time I have time to myself."