Description: Immortals have all the time in the world to plot their sinister schemes; there is rarely a sense of urgency. But the fleeting moments of opportunity -- those must be taken advantage of. With the influx of unusual visitors to his alternate dimension, Lord Dohma considers it imperative to make first contact... before one of the other corrupting influences does so.
The Majigen has always been a world of mystery and wonders, the raw savagery of untamed natural environments co-existing alongside refined and ordered bastions of civilization in a bizzare and almost paradoxical fashion. The streets of what was once Metro City's very center stand as a living testament to this strange symbiosis. Monsters both literal and real stalk openly in search of prey, scratching and sniffing like wild animals at the cold stone and brick that has invaded their land.
Eliza shows no fear as she wanders openly down the center of the vacant street, all caution thrown to the wind in lieu of the lack of potential traffic. A dozen or so vehicles lie scattered about, most in various states of disrepair either from crashes or looting or from the monsters using them for chew toys. She walks without hurry or purpose, her long nails drifting gently across the surface of each object that she passes near as if the mere act of touching something within this world brings with it new sensations that she wants to savor.
It wouldn't be difficult to mistake the strange visitor as one of the humans that have been dragged into this parallel world, a lost soul who has simply snapped underneath the pressure, were it not for the horns protruding from her hair. Darkness wafts off the vampire in physical waves as she meanders, bits of shimmering black fire clinging to the ground where her feet have tread, burning the imprint of her fancy high-heeled shoes into the pavement. The flames sputter out within a few moments but rather than vanish they burst apart into tiny motes of inky darkness that sprout wings and flutter up to circle about her in lazy circles like a living cloud of bats.
"How long...", she says, speaking to the air as if the world itself were a living entity that might respond to her question. "How long has it been since I have visited this place?"
Lord Dohma has had his hands busy the past few days, quietly orchestrating the spatial shift that has been ripping Metro City apart. In some cases, there have been... errors made. In most, however, the city blocks have survived their transitions intact -- though evacuations backed by the MCPD and National Guard have limited the number of people transported over. A small pity, that, but... what can you do.
Right now, Dohma is making preparations for a nearby battle. He stands at his full 7'1" height, wings proudly unfurled as they should be -- no need to bother with the short little human form so as to keep from terrifying the mortals. He's given out marching orders to his minions, the ones who would be setting up the tournament battle. All that's left is to see to the building itself, and ensure that it has made the transition properl-
"Hello, what have we here..." notes Jedah, as an unforeseen anomaly creeps her way into his peripheral vision. Nearly all of the inhabitants within this darker, twisted version of Metro City have escaped his notice -- too human, too normal. But this one... her power is quite different than the others. His wings draw in for a moment in anticipation, as his red irises focus onto the darkness-cloaked specimen striding about.
One leap, executed flawlessly with the aid of his scythelike wings. And then his boots land on the ground, as lightly as if he'd simply hopped in place, if it were possible for hopping in place to be as grand and majestic a gesture as graceful leap he had just executed.
He bows stiffly at the waist, extending one hand to his side as he keeps another bent cordially at his stomach. "Good evening. Please allow me to -personally- welcome you to Majigen." His red irises dilate, as he rises back to his full height, wings twisting back onto themselves, folding into more of a cloaklike fashion. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Jedah, Lord of the House of Dohma and master of all you see before you. And you, miss...?"
The Lord of Dohma's gradiose entrance into the young vampire's field of view is met with an equally serene and elegant curtsey. Eliza's long pale fingers lift the hem of her already suggestive skirt, drawing the frilly lace outwards even as she bends her knees and tilts her body forward in a gesture of respect. For humans, such a greeting would be considered strange and archaic, but many of the creatures from the darker world have much longer lives and still hold to traditions that have long since faded from memory or use.
"My lord," Eliza intones in a voice that is somehow both submissive and authoritative. No human alive has ever earned the right to see her show them such a genuine gesture of deferrence. In their world, she is a predator; here she is little more than an outsider. Unlike the pure blood vampires, she was once human, a girl turned into a monster. Her kind tend not to hold much clout among the nobility though she has survived longer than most, as evidenced by the power that radiates from her in waves of visible darkness.
"Please, call me Eliza, if it pleases you."
Lord Dohma is used to people treating him with deference. He inclines his head in response to Eliza's excellent posture, eyes locked upon her own even as she curtsies. As long as she hews closely to the rituals which define membership among the elite upper class, she shall have the respect she deserves from the bloodweaver. Even for a demon lord who could crush a city with little more than a thought, the need to uphold -some- codes of society hold him to a higher standard.
"Eliza, then." The folds of his longcoat and the straps holding it closed in front flutter, a byproduct of the increased airflow between the tall skyscrapers. At times it can be akin to a wind tunnel, but at the moment it's only a mild gust. Lord Dohma seems hardly bothered, at any rate.
"It pleases me, yes," he adds, just in case there was any doubt. "The city would not be complete without a lady of your stature present. Have you been here long? I have been remiss in my... greetings as of late."
If she were still the innocent young village girl that she had once been, the compliment might have set her cheeks on fire with scarlet blush. After nearly one thousand years - or was it two? - of un-life, however, such girlish sensibilities are little more than passing flickers of detached emotion. The corners of her lips turn up in an appreciative smile instead and she inclines her head towards the noble once again.
"My lord is too kind. I am but a humble traveler. I had been seeking out a new residence when the portal opened. It has been many years since I was last able to enjoy the touch of this shadow realm."
Eliza casts her gaze around to take in the surroundings as if seeing them for the first time. Though much of the immediate area is that of Metro Square the rugged hills and twisted shapes that lurk upon its borders bring a welcome sense of familiarity. The wind rustles her own elegant garments but like Jedah she pays it no mind save to enjoy the oddly chill bite to the supernatural breeze.
"It lacks the same sense of urgency and life that I have become quite fond of in the human world," she says. "But it is pleasing to be able to walk openly in the streets without torches and spears at my heels."
The Black Messiah can tell that Eliza is not as young as she appears, but the youngest of the High Nobles of Makai is fully used to ignoring age discrepancies. When the ages of immortals are reckoned in centuries, and slumbering for decades is a common pastime, how one presents themselves takes far more precedence than the passage of time.
Metro City does seem... emptier, in this quadrant, than the booming metropolis was just one week ago. He almost feels a need to apologize for this shortcoming. To explain everything that he has in store for this city.
But that would be telling the ending of the story before the current chapter is complete. And there are many chapters left to tell.
The notion of a ticking clock is a byproduct of the human world. Jedah smiles, pleased to reveal his sharpened, dagger-like teeth without the need to tailor his form for the masses. "Indeed. There are certainly parts of this city that require more caution... but I trust that these people will begin to understand that their fear is only a discredit to their species."
He casts his eyes languidly towards the square, his lips curling back into a more reserved smile. "For now, Eliza, we shall walk the streets, and relish it... for the coming of a new age is upon us." He turns his gaze back to Eliza. "I do hope to bring the... vitality back to this city, but... all in good time."
Once more the young vampire lowers her gaze in respect. She has spent many years of her unlife in the human world living in hovels and caves, avoiding the eyes of the hunters and slayers, those who held no fear of her powers nor love for her kind. She is used to being ignored and forgotten, prefers it, in point of fact. Trouble comes only to those who ask for it. However, she cannot deny the small spark of satisfaction that rises up within her upon being personally invited by one of the great vampire lords to join him in a stroll.
"I would be delighted, my lord."
The dark flames flickering around Eliza dim to little more than a faint nimbus of power, the cloud of ephemeral bats diving into her body to rejoin the whole. She takes a few steps forward to stand before Jedah's towering frame. An arm is extended, her delicate hand hovering in the air so that the lord may take it upon his own. It has been some time since she witnessed formal courtly proceedings but this feels the proper fashion to go about it.
"I look forward to seeing what the future holds."
As someone who has amassed great power over the previous centuries, Jedah allows himself to make certain assumptions. He assumes that others understand the inevitability of his plans succeeding -- whether it comes in a day or a century does not trouble the immortal. He assumes that cooperation is offered from anyone who speaks with deference to him -- and why should he not expect such?
So when the enigmatic demon noble turns to Eliza, allowing her hand to drape along his arm, it is with certain expectations. The Black Messiah can see his glorious plan overlaid seamlessly atop the current reality -- but he does not address it directly. Lesser minds can not contemplate the totality of his grand vision -- only one aspect at a time.
And as Jedah shares one aspect of his plan, he presents the altered, twisted version of Metro City: one mere brick in the foundation. The humans will see what life is like in Majigen. They will reject it, as they have managed to for centuries. But they will soon learn the futility of the gesture in the face of overwhelming force.
And though she believes herself a mere itinerant traveler in this path, Eliza may find herself to be quite instrumental in this sweeping vision of the future.
Log created on 22:54:01 04/10/2015 by Jedah, and last modified on 19:33:38 04/11/2015.