Phoenix rattled and fidgeted with the car keys in his left pocket as he entered the tent. There weren’t as many people inside as he had feared, but there was enough. He felt their eyes on him and although he kept a calm façade his snakes writhed and hissed around him in agitation. He hadn’t wanted to out himself like this, to become a mass public spectacle, but his sister had put her foot down, and she was right. It’s not like he kept what he was under wraps at the club and word would have been spreading around town about their existence in the city, but still, walking around the carnival and then coming to meet these people like this made him feel like an exotic zoo animal on parade for the entertainment of the masses.
He flicked his gaze over the blond vampire Saraekiel started talking to, he was cute, a little too pretty and youthful looking for his taste but cute nonetheless and you could cut diamonds on his cheekbones. So, this was Benjamen Samson, the club was abuzz about him and this election, the demons were certainly rooting for him, apparently, they hated the other guy. He smiled wry as he studied the election favourite some more, hated might be too nice a word, the demons despised the other guy.
As the people around them started to focus on what they were saying and less on him and his sister he felt himself relax and he started studying those around him. As his sister and his name was mentioned he noticed a woman scribbling madly on a notepad. He was about to lean in and ask Shae if she knew who she was when the man next to her stood up and joined Benjamin Samson.
Kerr Galvin…the name tickled his memory; he had heard it before he was sure. He would ask Shae later; her birds were everywhere supposedly.
Shae ignored Ben’s and Saraekiel’s chitchat and studied those around them, plebs for the most part. Ben was doing a good job with them, entertain and feed them and they would worship the ground you walked on. His proposed political reforms were also interesting, they certainly had a lot of people sticking their heads up and paying attention at any rate. She flicked her eyes towards Saraekiel and wondered if he would support or oppose them if Benjamin managed to steal Jake’s crown. For a Dark Angel he wasn’t too bad, he was honest to those within his circle, his loyalty was true and steadfast; once earned, and he protected and defended those he cared about, though it also couldn’t be denied that the people he chose to take under his wings were always of a benefit to him and tended to add to his power pool, herself included, but under all his darkness there was still a kernel of light and she found herself wondering and not for the first time, will all this District Leader stuff kill it, or feed it?
She was tired of standing around and so rolled her shoulders and neck impatiently. Saraekiel was taking too long; she was hungry and getting bored. The smell of freshly cooked popcorn was wafting into the tent, carried by the gentle yet cool night breeze, causing her stomach to grumble softly with its desire to consume copious amounts of it. Saraekiel was waffling on so she coughed into her hand and shuffled her booted feet loudly enough to gain his attention and to tell him to hurry things up, she wanted to go play on the bumper cars already.
At Ben's call for his partner however she turned her attention in the direction Kerr was sitting in and noticed the woman and her note pad. A reporter? And not one she recognized or knew. She narrowed her eyes slightly, memorizing her face before returning her attention to the vampires before her.
At Ben's greeting she smiled and offered him her hand, but for a kiss rather then a shake and a playful wink to go with it. “No Mr Samson, the pleasure I assure you is all mine." She said in response to his greeting. " I must say, you certainly know how to get the city talking.” When he turned his attention to the gorgon's she turned towards Kerr
“Mr Galvin.” She said as she stepped towards him after being introduced, her hand extended for a handshake, a warm and genuine smile curving the corner of her lips upwards. “It is an honour to finally meet you and to have you back with us. The city missed you during your absence” She gently wrapped her other hand around their combined ones so that she was holding his hand within both of hers and took another closer towards him. “I was impressed with what you were beginning to achieve with the Oligarchy” she said softly, “It would have been interesting to see what you might have turned it into.” She offered a regretful smile and a small shrug of her shoulders before releasing his hand.
Saraekiel had heard her words to Kerr and it took all he had not to roll his eyes. It was one of the...many...things he and Shae disagreed on. Kerr may have tried to change things but his time there was too short to achieve or change anything. his predecessors had used the Luminary and the Oligarchs to rule the different supernatural groups in the city with an iron fist and to suppress, torture and kill anyone who disagreed with them, defied them or tried to stand up to them. Fuck the Oligarchy, it was nothing but a set up and tool for tyrants.
As Shae turned her attention to Ben he smiled warmly at Kerr and offered him his hand to shake. " A pleasure to see you again Mr Galvin, as always." he narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked the vampire over. "You've cut your hair since last we spoke. It looks good on you. Very now." he was going to say more but he noticed Phaedre was stepping forward to meet the ex luminary and Ben and so made to step aside. "We should get together again sometime soon and have a chat." He said with another smile before moving aside before Phaedre shoved him out of the way.
Phaedre ignored the stares, originally she was going to take it in her stride and turn it to her advantage. her brother thought they should keep their nature to themselves, but she planned to live here, stay here, make her nest her and expand their clan. She would be the first American gorgon Queen and she didn't want anyone to be able to accuse them of being dishonest for hiding their nature. let them see them and know them for what they were. Descendants of Gods.
However, her attention was now focused on the amulet dangling off the necklace around her neck, it had started thrumming against her chest as soon as they had entered the tent and had turned green the closer they got to Ben, but the pupil of the eye looked towards the side of the room where a few people were sitting instead of on the vampire Saraekiel had brought them to meet. When Kerr had stood up to come and join them, the eye moved with him.
She put the eye's interest in Kerr aside as she stepped towards Ben and offered him her hand, dismissing her snakes and returning her hair to their chocolate and copper kissed curls and her eyes to their human state and colour.
“A pleasure to meet you Mr Samson and you are kind to ask, but no, my brother and I don't hold any special title. We may have been born the status of being royal but the only people amongst our kind who have titles are the Queen and her eldest daughter the Heir .” She smiled with good humour as she indicated her brother and herself. " It prevents the rest of the royal brood from becoming uppity."
