New York by Night NPCs (nybynightnpc) wrote in nybynightic, @ 2020-09-13 06:04:00 |
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‘Dinner’ was served on two tables. A male and female blood doll that had been laid out on each table, completely naked but for a few carefully and artfully placed pieces of fruit that still really didn’t do much to hide anything, just give the illusion of doing so. Other pieces of fruit that were clearly just for decoration surrounded the kines’ naked bodies, tropical flowers mixed in as well. One was allowed to freely partake of the kine on offering or any of the other blood dolls that walked around with just as much of their bodies on offer.
Amadeus figured it could be worse and there could be a blood fountain to drink from. It wouldn’t be the first time he had seen one.
Most of the night was spent keeping an eye on Dorian and working his way through the party. His focus was on the Ventrue in attendance and collecting hair samples from each for a later spell. He’d wait until their focus was on Ariel before he’d grab it without them knowing it.
The real trick was going to be grabbing a sample of hair from Dorian. He’d need a bigger distraction for that. A better reason to get in close to their host so that he wouldn’t notice what the Sheriff was doing.
Amadeus wasn’t expecting that distraction to come in the form of Micah dropping into the party like the dark fairy who wasn’t invited to Sleeping Beauty’s christening. The Tremere had a feeling it was about to go as well as that had. It seemed the other guests did as well as everyone started gossiping like a bunch of hens the moment they saw Micah moving through the crowd.
The Sheriff almost felt bad for their host that hadn’t turned around yet to see his new guest. Almost. Mostly he felt a perverse sense of joy in it.
In reality there was little reason why Micah couldn’t attend. Personal feelings aside—and Dorian’s feelings counted for less than nothing in his eyes—Micah was still Duke of the city. And Dorian, whatever office he held, was far away enough from Chicago that it didn’t matter. The few guards Dorian had keeping watch at the entrance served as very little obstacle. Micah had come with an entourage of his own, after all; a handful of his most trusted aides. But even without them, he would have strolled in all the same—dressed impeccably in a dark navy suit and that trademark charming smirk.
The people around him shifted, their voices raised in hushed whispers. Micah let them talk. He let the sound of their alarm alert his target to his presence.
“Why, Dorian. What a fancy party you’ve thrown for yourself here.” The words belied the scorn in his tone.
Micah raised a hand slightly, and two of his subordinates that had come with him threw two bound and gagged men onto the floor at Dorian’s feet. “Gifts. For you,” Micah said, deliberately. “I found these two lurking in the area—without permission, of course. Figured they could help to… spice up your party.”
Except the men were clearly not randomly chosen, but Dorian’s own ghouls whom he’d entrusted with the task of spying on Micah’s territory. Clearly an assignment they’d failed in and would now pay the price for.
That more than got Dorian’s attention. The look on his face upon seeing Micah there was one of displeasure. It was one that only grew when he saw the ghouls of his that his long time rival had brought. It seemed that Micah’s need to put his hands on his things had not ended with the last ghoul he had broken.
The one he had sent here and seemed to be purposely eluding him since. It made him wonder just how much Micah had to do with that as well.
Dorian quickly worked to wipe the look off of his face as he looked up from the ghouls to his uninvited guest, but they both knew the look had done been seen. For a moment the Ventrue hosting the party glanced over at the Sheriff as if he expected him to step in but the Tremere just shrugged a shoulder. It wasn’t his place to see to Dorian’s guest list.
So their host just acted like it was all nothing. “Micah. You look well. So glad you could make it.” Even though you weren’t invited hanging in the area between them.
“Oh I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Not missing a beat, pointedly ignoring the words unsaid.
Micah held that gaze, eyes glinting with an intent that only he could decipher, until the whispers around them stuttered and fell away entirely, until he had the attention of everyone in the room through sheer force of presence alone.
“What are you doing here, Dorian?”
The other Ventrue knew exactly what Micah meant by that question. What was he doing here in New York. On territory that was considered Micah’s. It was unspoken that New York belonged to Micah and Chicago belonged to Dorian. Now here Dorian was in New York.
Of course he had no way of knowing that Micah knew just what he had been up to while here. As far as he was concerned he didn’t think anyone had figured any of it out. Right he figured only his trespass was in question.
Dorian pretended to look completely baffled by the question. “Whatever do you mean?”
But Micah was having none of it. “Did Chicago kick you out already?” A laugh with the teeth, bite within the smile. Perhaps in Chicago, the ground would have been equal. Dorian would have had his cronies, his lackeys, his influence at court. But just as the whispers had died down, the ones that had been gossiping earlier were looking at Dorian with the small dismissive, mocking eyes as they had been speculative earlier.
Normally the Ventrue would have been better at hiding his reactions but Micah had always been able to get under his skin like some flesh eating beetle set on eating him from the inside out. For just a moment his eyes narrowed before that fake smile was plastered on. “Of course not. I merely thought I’d come to New York and visit old friends.” He gestured around the room as if this was all it was.
Off to the side, Amadeus watched the pair like everyone else in the room. Dorian was certainly distracted but he was also the center of attention and the Tremere had to worry about everyone else noticing him going for the Ventrue’s hair. However if he played it just right…
Amadeus came up and he placed a hand on Dorian’s shoulder like they were old friends and he was taking the Ventrue’s side. “I’m sure that Dorian means no harm. After all, he did present himself to the Prince like anyone else visiting the city didn’t he?” The words seemed friendly enough but there was a hint of something more under them because while Dorian had presented himself to the Prince, it hadn’t been done until the night before. They both knew he had been in the city longer than that.
Before Dorian could brush Amadeus’ hand off his shoulder, Amadeus removed it himself like he was dusting it off for the Ventrue, collecting a few hairs as he did, then his eyes looked over at Micah before he stepped back.
Micah scoffed—in time to draw Dorian’s eyes away from Amadeus—injecting as much derision into that one sound as was possible, not bothering to point out the point for himself. He did, however, nudge the motionless ghoul on the floor with the tip of his perfectly-polished boot. His implication clear: whatever he was trying to accomplish here, this was not his playing field.
“Every visit has an expiration date.” Humor, acid and dismissive, edged his words. “You’d do well to remember that.” His voice went a notch lower, steeped in threat and malevolence.
And with that he turned, his back against Dorian like he thought nothing of the other’s presence—and indeed he did not—even if all of his entourage that he’d brought with him were still poised and alert for the slightest movement on Dorian’s part.
Two steps away from the door, and with the silent audience still holding their collective breaths, Micah left his parting words. “Oh and do keep a firmer leash around your toys, Dorian. You never know when one of them might wander some place they aren’t meant to... and wind up dead after all.”
And he was gone. Leaving Dorian to puzzle out the meaning of the words he left behind and a room full of speculating audience—their whispers uproarious once more.