He has managed to weasel the space out of Cesare one way or the other -- perhaps with promises of grandeur, perhaps with a rather large check written discretely on the side. Regardless he has managed to procure their gathering a private room. Unlike Raymond's gathering before, there will be no public feeding at this party. Though Jean-Claude does not discourage feeding itself. He merely wants to be respectful of Cesare's bar and the fact that the better part of it is still open to the public on such a night as this.
Guests are welcome, of course. Those who had not participated in the siege, accompanying a vampire who had done so or not. He does however have one of his Guilty Pleasures bouncers (called in from his night off) staged discretely by the door to let them in as they come. And to see any saboteurs off before they may ruin this gathering.
For that is what it is, of course. A gathering of minds. Probably the first of its kind, all of Jean-Claude's supporters all together, all of those carefully collected and gathered at his side to stand strong against Raymond Harris. The first time they are gathered together themselves without a battle in the midst. They are able to speak as freely as they might ever do in such a public place with so many people. There are drinks at their own private bar, and other refreshments if they so desire but they are vampires for the most part so of course the selections are rather sparse.
The message overall however is clear. Tonight, we celebrate who we are. We celebrate our unity. For the time when we must take a stand is fast approaching and who knows what the future may bring. So let us enjoy ourselves while we are able.
Jean-Claude, for his part, has claimed a standing table on the edge of the room and is nursing a glass of deep red wine that is more for the aesthetic than anything else. He is dressed tonight in his usual leather pants and thigh-high boots, white linen shirt with laced collar and cuffs left mostly open to expose the smooth, pale line of his chest. Accompanied by a sapphire blue overcoat, tonight. To accentuate his eyes. His hair is immaculate as always, in luxuriant curls draping about his face and shoulders. He looks every bit the perfect portrait that he desires. It is only those who know him that might see the strain here and there, in the flash of his eye, in the set of his shoulders -- a little too straight and posed to be natural. It is too bad that there are probably few who would be able to pick that out these days.
[OPEN] CELEBRATING THE VICTORY
Guests are welcome, of course. Those who had not participated in the siege, accompanying a vampire who had done so or not. He does however have one of his Guilty Pleasures bouncers (called in from his night off) staged discretely by the door to let them in as they come. And to see any saboteurs off before they may ruin this gathering.
For that is what it is, of course. A gathering of minds. Probably the first of its kind, all of Jean-Claude's supporters all together, all of those carefully collected and gathered at his side to stand strong against Raymond Harris. The first time they are gathered together themselves without a battle in the midst. They are able to speak as freely as they might ever do in such a public place with so many people. There are drinks at their own private bar, and other refreshments if they so desire but they are vampires for the most part so of course the selections are rather sparse.
The message overall however is clear. Tonight, we celebrate who we are. We celebrate our unity. For the time when we must take a stand is fast approaching and who knows what the future may bring. So let us enjoy ourselves while we are able.
Jean-Claude, for his part, has claimed a standing table on the edge of the room and is nursing a glass of deep red wine that is more for the aesthetic than anything else. He is dressed tonight in his usual leather pants and thigh-high boots, white linen shirt with laced collar and cuffs left mostly open to expose the smooth, pale line of his chest. Accompanied by a sapphire blue overcoat, tonight. To accentuate his eyes. His hair is immaculate as always, in luxuriant curls draping about his face and shoulders. He looks every bit the perfect portrait that he desires. It is only those who know him that might see the strain here and there, in the flash of his eye, in the set of his shoulders -- a little too straight and posed to be natural. It is too bad that there are probably few who would be able to pick that out these days.