Thread: The Kiss of Moonlight (For Drum and Menarae)

Viktor checked the cuffs of his jacket and the collar of his shirt, which was flipped up around his throat in the style of the era he was dressed for. He grinned to himself as slowly well slowly for him, anyway ascended the front steps of the large house. This was exactly the sort of venue for his debut to this new city, and he intended to make a splash. To that end, he was dressed entirely in clothes he had bought in the early 1800s, complete with top hat, cane, tails and riding boots. The outfit itself could be considered a valuable antique. He considered that as this was an benefit auction, perhaps he should offer his clothes as a surprise item. It was an amusing thought, and Viktor's grin broadened. He pressed the doorbell at about eleven o'clock and was pleased when he found that the home owner throwing this benefit was the one who answered the door. He smoothly pulled the top hat off his head and made a polite bow with polished, practiced grace and greeted the host, Ah, Mr. James, it is a pleasure sir. My name is Viktor Krauss. I apologize for bothering you on an evening when you're throwing a party, but I happened upon a story in the society pages discussing your upcoming benefit and was quite moved by the sentiment of the cause behind it. I know that I'm not on your guest list, but I was wondering if I might at least make a small donation. He straightened up and smiled at the bewildered man who seemed quite bewildered at the eccentricity of the vampire greeting him. It was, of course, no surprise when Mr. James, with a slight grin of amusement, invited him in instead of simply taking a donation. Viktor thanked him politely and followed him into the foyer of the house, removing his hat and gloves, which Edgar took from him with another grin, and ran his fingers through his carefully styled dark brown hair. The host introduced him to a few surprised guests and then excused himself to attend to other host duties, leaving Viktor on his own. He moved about the room, joining conversation circle after conversation circle as people, particularly women, seemed to feel the need to introduce him to friends that were on the other side of the room. It was almost too easy, truly. There had been too many years to perfect the charm and air of mystery. After half an hour, he had already made contact with half of the city's leading businessmen and a good number of the higher ranking politicians. He was genuinely startled when he turned, in the midst of a discussion on what Edgar Allen Poe was like in person whom he had actually only met once, to find another of his kind was already here. There was a brief pause in his speech, accompanied by a raised eyebrow as he took in Carlotta from the considerable distance between them, but he returned to speaking so unnaturally quickly, that most of those listening to him didn't notice a thing. At the next break in the conversation, he politely asked the woman closest to him about the vampire in the garden. He found out only that her name was Carlotta and that she didn't often attend parties. Viktor briefly considered introducing himself, but from the looks of her, she seemed that she was quite lost in thought or her own private reverie. He decided he'd wait until later in the evening to seek an opportunity. After all, surely she'd participate in the auction, and there was still more work for him to do in the room.