|
Penny Dreadful is a two-story building nestled in a bustling area for entertainment and night life. Inside, it looks like something straight out of Victorian London; all mahogany and tufted leather, the smell of bourbon and cavendish tobacco. There are a few people here and there, perhaps four in the room set up as a little library; there are many more in the room set up as a bar, carousing and generally enjoying themselves.
The Peacock (Peahen?) is sitting in her favorite parlor, the room just off the entrance. With Tiffany lamps and plush chairs, ensconced in low bookshelves and soft music filtering throughout. The room smells faintly of lavender. Rhea herself is seated at a overstuffed velvet chair, studying the spread of cards before her on a polished gilt table. She is dressed, of all things, in a gray linen three-piece suit, complete with a red carnation in her lapel. And she's smoking a pipe, hunched forward with her legs drawn up like a curmudgeonly little hermit. Her hair is up in two braided buns reminiscent of a certain galactic general.
The gangrel walks into Penny Dreadful, with just a few steps into the store, her interest is obviously piqued by the surroundings, by the people gathered here and immediately, there's a light of enlightenment in her eyes, an idea striking out of nowhere, which brings an excited smile and a bounce in her steps. Quickly, she gather her senses about her and proceed deeper into the building, seeking out her intended target: Rhea.
A white shirt, opened slightly at the top, black suspenders and a pair of loose slacks with heeled shoes complete a rather handsome look. A touch of make up highlight her eyes and lips. She approaches Rhea at the table, curiously peeking down at the reading. "Good evening." (Blush of Life)
Rhea puffs her pipe, gaze slowly swiveling upward; she perks up, setting aside her pipe. "Oh! Floretta, isn't it? You found me!"
"I found inspiration is what I did." She gesture around the place with a little flourish. "This is an amazing place, I like the vibe it gives off." she finishes the gesture point a casual pointing gesture toward Rhea. "I was hoping to run into you and I remembered you mentioned this place. So, here I am. Do you have a minute?"
"Oh, thank you! Me too. One moment, let me provide for our privacy." She hops up, padding to the entrance on bare feet; she closes sliding wooden doors to ensconce them in privacy. She returns to her chair, tucking her legs up beneath her. "There, all settled. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm interested in learning more about you, who you are, what you do." Floretta points to another seat. "Mind if I take a seat, it might actually take more than a minute" a little mirthful smile.
"Oui, mon cher - of course, sit, sit!" Rhea gestures to the chair across from her, her smile bright. "Oh, I hope I do not disappoint, then. But - I am happy to tell you about me, and you tell me about you, and by the end, we are fast friends, no?"
Floretta sits at the chair there and smiles at the greeting. "I speak absolutely zero french." she explains. "I noticed you were pretty close to Eyrgjafa and she's important to me, so, figured I'd make an effort to get to know people she likes."
"Oh, I am!" Rhea brightens, her expression glowing with genuine affection. She leans forward to fold her arms on her table. "Eyrgjafa is my sister, by blood and by choice; we share the same maker."
"I've heard mention of her Sire being an ass, to say the least." Floretta leans forward, curious, invested. "Isn't Henevi, or Lamara also from the same sire? I thought I heard something about that."
Rhea settles back in her chair, slinging one long leg over the other. "No; we are of the same lineage, but not as recent as the same maker. His crowning glory was in his childer; he is otherwise a worthless creature." Rhea's tone doesn't even shift as she speaks of her sire; she cheerfully makes her hatred clear.
"Consider that topic closed." Floretta understands it as a message and simple moves on to the next topic, clearly a little embarassed. "I'm sorry for bringing it up it was really not my smartest move."
"Oh!" Rhea's brow furrows and she reaches out, touching her fingertips to Floretta's hand. "Oh no, my dear. Don't apologize! I don't mind sharing what a shit he is. It's no trouble for me, I assure you."
That seems to make Floretta relaxes, her expression softens, her gaze dips at the finger on her hand and she smiles at the sight "Thanks." she leans back into her chair, a finaly sign of her feeling a little safer. "Where did you meet her first?"
"Oh, goodness," Rhea breathes, brows lifting. She taps a finger on the arm of her chair. "When was it? It was not here in Philadelphia. I believe...it was after her Embrace, our sire sent me a letter in Paris that he had found a sister for me. So...it was probably a year or so after her Embrace? It was in Oslo, I think."
"Oh, you're older than Eyrgjafa? Wow." Floretta seems impressed at the scope of the ages spanning before her. "I feel old at 60." a soft laugh.
"Oh, only by a little bit," she laughs, waving a hand. "It means she can stay younger and more beautiful than her wild older sister, no?" Rhea winks. "How do you know Eyrgjafa?"
"I was embraced in her Philly so, I know her from when she came in and started working at the local Academy. I never was much for rivalries so I helped her with her research and her with mine. We've been nerd-mate essentially" Floretta adjust one of the suspenders so it stays on her shoulder. "I like to think we've grown into friends over the years."
"Oh, you share her interest in her work!" Rhea beams, quite obviously proud of her broodmate. "She is very clever, no? Do you have the same work, or do you focus on different things?"
"She's smarter than me in most area honestly" A little chuckle there. "We worked on a lot of the same project, but I've decided to focus on something a little more mundane for a short while, just until some mess gets sorted out."
Rhea wrinkles her nose with amusement; she leans in, flipping a hand. "Don't tell her, but she's smarter than I am too," Rhea confides, with a bubbly, bright laugh.
"Not a word I promise, I like her head the size it is now. Just big enough to tell me when I'm being an idiot." A fond laugh escapes her there.
"Oh, I don't believe that you are any such thing!" Rhea snorts, tucking her legs up beneath her again; she's awful fidgety for a vampire. "What is the mundane work that you do?"
"I'm getting at a stage that my papers and ID don't really match with what my face should be, so I'm worknig through the internet and such. I'm on a few charity boards, mostly for LGBTQ organizations, but I'm also paid for a few position there."
"I see, and what is your topic of interest in this work you do?"
Floretta tilts her head to the side, curious at the way the question is phrased. "I'm not sure I understand what you want to know, I'm sorry."
"Ah, you said that you work through the internet now," Rhea explains. "What kind of work do you do? What is the topic?"
"I see, and what is your topic of interest in this work you do?"
Floretta tilts her head to the side, curious at the way the question is phrased. "I'm not sure I understand what you want to know, I'm sorry."
"Ah, you said that you work through the internet now," Rhea explains. "What kind of work do you do? What is the topic?"
"Administrative work for charities, charities that serves the LGBTQ+ community." Floretta repeats, albeit in maybe a less confusing order. "But I do work during the day, so I can't exactly move over there, so I do it from home."
"Oh, I see!" Rhea laughs, wrinkling her nose sheepishly. "Oh, forgive me. I'm not sure why I didn't process any of that." Rhea tilts her head, though, studying Floretta through her lashes. "Are you a member of that community..?" Her tone is, quite frankly, more than a little hopeful.
"I am." Floretta moves her hand into her pocket and withdraws her phone from there, which is currently in a phone case that sport a blue, pink and white striped flag, "I'm trans." there is just a hint of apprehension there.
Rhea lights up. She sits bolt upright to clap her hands together, beaming radiantly at Floretta. "Oh! Oh! Don't be nervous - so am I!" She points at the phone case, clapping again. "I thought maybe the other night, I saw your phone case - but I wasn't sure," Rhea explains, still beaming that bright, sincere kilowatt smile.
Floretta is hit hard on two different front, confusion first, true, genuine, what-the-fuck confusion as she apparently, did not expect such a revelation but the confusion fades away for a genuine exclamation of joy, bouncing up from her seat in a rather similar fashion to Rhea and reaching for her hands. "Oh my God!"
"I know!" Rhea grasps both of Floretta's hands, giving her a good shake. "I mean, I haven't really - it's a new world, being able to share that with others," Rhea admits; she bites her lower lip, appearing as if she's overcome by emotion.
It's clear there's emotions on her face there and nod. "It's still kind of a risk, not everyone appreciate it, but at least now I can fucking infest their house with spiders if they act a bitch." she says with a mix of fierce and emotional "Hug?" Floretta asks, arms open, ready to just do it.
"Oui, oui!" She scrambles out of her chair to throw her arms around Floretta, embracing her tightly. "I've only told...well, Eyrgjafa knows, of course, and Henevi, and now you, and only one other."
"I'm sorry about the weird face I made, I just... made maths in my head and I had like, three thousand questions in my head." Floretta wipes at her eyes quickly, smiling brightly despite it all. "I'm fairly open with it."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" She clasps her hands together against her breastbone. "I just - I waited so long, and...had to pass for so long, I suppose it's a hard habit for me to break. To tell people of it, anyway."
"Would you mind answering the obvious questions? I'm not going to ask them if you don't want me to, like, this isn't something I want to insist on at all." She takes a deep breath there.
She offers a faint, almost shy smile, gesturing to herself. "How did it happen?"
"Yeah! I did it before getting the dental work." She flashes her teeth in the derpiest, least serious fashion before returning to normal
"I'm afraid...that is a very personal story," Rhea admits. "When others ask, I simply say that all men want happiness, security, power." She lifts an elegant hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "I want what all men want; I just wanted it more. So...I found ways to reflect who I was. Who I am," she corrects, dipping her head.
"Then it is closed." She gives Rhea a heart-shape with her hands there, still keeping a warm, wide smile. "I am... so happy right now I could just... fly."
"Me too," Rhea admits, still beaming from ear to ear. "I am so blessed! I came home to my family, and I find so many....so many reasons to be happy here." Rhea drops her gaze, biting her lower lip. "Forgive me - I am a little overcome."
"I'm crying a bit too, don't worry." she wipes at her eyes quickly. "I'm not telling anyone, but I might need a mirror to adjust my make up before I go, if you have one up."
Rhea scoffs, good-natured; she leans to one side, fishes in her bag, and promptly extends a silver compact to Floretta. "Darling, look who you're asking. Of course I have a mirror."
"Hey, you never know, some kindred I've spoken to can't stand the sight of them." She explains with a shrug, accepting the mirror and staring at herself into it, she uses her portable makeup kit to touch up the eye shadow and mascara just a little. "Thanks by the way."
"Let's see," Rhea commands, and leans forward to inspect Floretta's work. "Perfect, darling. And of course I love a mirror - it loves me back," she laughs, touching her fingers to her lips.
"Thank you! I probably could use a few tips for the more complicated stuff I like to do." she make a round motion with her hand around her face. "My goth look is... amateur at best." she looks to Rhea "I bet they all do, do you know how to make it so you appear in a picture normally?"
"Oh, no," she shakes her head, sighing; it sounds wistful, even as Rhea looks a little sheepish for being so vain. "I wish I could, but..." She lifts one shoulder. "I feel like I would be very good at Instagram."
"It's teachable honestly, Eyrgjafa knows the trick too, look." Floretta quickly work through her phone and shows a picture of both herself and Eyrgjafa with Herbert, her dog, between themselve, inside what looks to be a brightly lit studio with no windows in sight.
Rhea grabs Floretta's phone and makes a noise of indignation, lips parting. "Oh! That's not fair. That cow didn't tell me she could do such a thing!" She hands Floretta's phone back and withdraws her own, tapping in a furious text.
"Uh-Oh...." Floretta winces-laugh at the situation she inadvertantly created. "Please don't be too harsh?" she hides behind her own phone for a moment
"Oh bah," she scoffs, waving a hand dismissively. "I am never harsh with Eyrgjafa. Life is too short to be mean to your sister."
She tap at her screen swiftly, moving to sit down again and smiling. "I'm glad I came down here, that was a great idea." Floretta smiles at the other woman.
"I'm glad you did too," Rhea agrees, folding her arms on the table again. "You're welcome anytime, of course. I'm hoping it can become a haven for like minds."
"Maybe you could hold some kind of seance or gathering around to talk about the strange things that happens around town? Keep a sharp mind about it." She nods. "You know, once in a while to entertain and learn? Eyrgjafa could show off a few things she knows too."
"That's certainly something we can do. I've been looking into this issue of Nereids; it would be easy enough to gather everyone so we might discuss it."
"Did you find anything?" She asks, curious and opening a note app on her phone. "Even if we already know what you found, it's just more confirmation and it's good to know."
"Not yet, but the minute I do I will be sure to disperse it; I am not one to hoard secrets."
"Good to know!" Floretta smiles genuinely. "Do you have any plan for the rest of the evening? Going out or something?"
"Do I have plans?" Rhea hops up, seraching for her shoes. "Darling - we have plans!" With that, Rhea takes Floretta out for a night to remember!
|