Sheriff's Estate - The Vault
This room covers almost the entire ground floor of this house. The majority is taken up by a stylish reception area; three chunky, white leather couches places in a neat U-shape, with a low table in the centre. Another corner holds a modern, black table, six comfortable chairs placed around it as though for conference. The final feature is a bar, well-equipped behind it and with a pair of chunky fridge-freezers, containing a variety of synthetic blood. In one corner is a staircase, leading upstairs. On the same wall is a door through to the only area on this floor not part of this room, where sits a small bathroom and the route downstairs, a featureless door, metal constructed and lockable from one side only, though plated to fit with the design of the house.
Three walls are white, the fourth covered in ceramic panels to give some colour to the place. The floor is tiled, in a pleasant, neutral shade. Windows at regular intervals stretch from floor to ceiling, concealed blackout blinds above them. One wall bears a huge flatscreen television, and one aware of their surroundings will spot the speakers concealed at various points in the room. The general feel of this area is a clinical style, a blank, neutral canvas for whatever happens to be going on. Those who know Will generally refer to this area as The Vault, for the round pillars that stretch up to the roof.
The hour is growing closer to the dawn, though it is still at least two hours off yet. Chloe, normally well sated and asleep by this hour, finds herself stumbling up the stairs to the vault. Though there are fridges in the area below the estate, they are filled with blood and synthetic and really what she requires is a glass of ice cold water to help her get back to sleep.
Tip toeing through the Vault, she tries to make her way to the kitchen without disturbing any but the human guards that may be yet on duty. She's not bothered fully dressing, just throwing on an old t-shirt and a pair of women's boxers she keeps in her purse for her 'overnight' visits.
The front door opens with a silent swish; a willowy creature in a white shift is revealed by the move. Followed by her four guards, the Queen of Iowa waltzes in to the Sheriff's Estate, that tinkling laugh of hers filling the large room with playful girlishness. Hair as a riot of red, long ringlets trailing down her back, Tanwen is her usual effortlessly feminine self.
Eyes float over Chloe once, returning in rapid order as her head tilts and she locks on to the mortal. "Chloe," says she, with a wicked smile brought forth.
Effortlessly feminine. Were Chloe the type, she'd be jealous. The sound, and the voices cause her to freeze just as she reaches the fridge. One hand poised on the handle. Body tensing. "You know my name," she says, not yet turning to greet the woman.
Gaining a bit more of herself, she clears her throat. "You must be the Queen of Iowa." Turning, she does the best and most respectful head nod she can muster. There is no mention that the King is out. That would be folly.
"I'm Tanwen, yes," says Queenie, wickedness filtering away as she smiles a little more openly. She sashays closer to Chloe, each step punctuated by a statement. "Chloe Abigail Cornett. Psychic. Claimed by Valentinus. He's told me all about you, my dear." She lets her look float over Chloe's form. "You are easily as beautiful as he says."
"He's told you all about…" Chloe actually seems stunned by that. For Will to actually discuss her, it'd be like he cares. Or at least he considers her to be a prized show dog or something. "All good, I hope?" It's not until she's being looked at under scrutiny that Chloe thinks to hide herself with the fridge door. She's not exactly dressed for entertaining royalty — at least not this particular royal. "That's a great compliment coming from you," she remarks, feeling a tad embarrassed.
"He's yet to expand into your sordid past," teases Tanwen, lightly. "I assume there isn't one?" She comes yet closer to Chloe, closer to the kitchen area. "It's no compliment, sweety. I've had many years to perfect my look; you've done remarkably well in the time you've had. Genetically blessed, it seems."
All about her, yet not mentioned her time in Green Oaks? If Will were here? She'd kiss him. "It's hard to have a really sordid past when you haven't lived all that long," Chloe points out with a grin. Still hiding behind the fridge. "I was… um… about to get myself some ice water. Can I get you anything? There's some bagged blood in here at the back if you don't like that synthetic stuff." Beat. "Thank you again," she adds for the compliment. It's unnerving. She's not used to them.
"No, thank you, I've recently gorged myself," says Tanwen, fluttering one hand in a dismissal of the offer. "So, that aside, how is he? I sincerely hope you're looking after him, making sure he sticks to the straight and narrow?" A brow lifts, questioning and not quite clear if it's a serious question or not. "You'd better keep him well, Chloe."
"Ah, alright." Quickly, she yanks out some ice then realizes she doesn't have a glass. Grabbing one of the clean ones from atop the microwave, she tips the ice into it and then grabs a bottle of water. Carefully pouring it into the glass, she moves behind the bar as she closes the fridge. All to hide her state of undress. "He's uhm… well fine? He was relaxed when he…" Cough. "… Keep him well? A bit hard to do with Marius in the picture if you forgive me saying so, but I do my best."
"Ooh, when he what?" wonders Tanwen, bringing that wicked little smile back. "It's good to see him relaxed; especially if you're helping with that, sweety. He can be so… reserved. It's not good for him, I've been telling him for years." Speaking about the King of Texas as though he's a naughty little schoolboy.
Mention of Marius brings a sudden drop to Tanwen's expression, even a hint of a sneer at her upper lip. "That horrible little German murderer is a blight upon the world," she states, starkly. "Just make sure he doesn't poison anyone with his sadistic tendencies and everything'll be fine."
There's been an awful lot of talk about murder tonight, and it's enough to put Chloe ill at ease. So she does her best to force one of her bright smiles to her face and clears her throat. "When he was up here before." There. That's not saying that Will is currently out of the estate. "I think maybe he was a bit reserved before he turned." Then there was the period of debauchery that he's mentioned a few times. Then reservation again. Chloe can honestly understand why.
"I won't let him poison Will," she replies adamantly. "He… can't. They're too unalike."
"When he was up here," Tanwen repeats, clearly meaning something else entirely and highly amused by it. She tips head from side to side, lips pursing to a delicate pout as she does so. "If only that were the case. Valentinus was trained from an early age to be a merciless killer in the name of his God. Of course, we all idolise Templar ideals, and most of them were good ideals, but after all, they were warmongers and killers. They have more similarities than you'd think; it's just that one has devoted himself to the path of light, the other devoted to his instincts."
Chloe nearly chokes on an ice cube, but coughs and blushes. "Yes, he was up here feeding earlier." Beat. "True Blood." She sets her glass down atop the bar and eyes the Queen of Iowa with a bit of uncertainty. "It will be the case. He'll remain on that path, even if I have to sacrifice myself to keep him on it."
Tanwen nods, once, and brightly. "Good. Sacrificing yourself might be pushing it, sweety, but he's a good man, and needs to stay that way." She pauses, as if for thought. "Tell me. Why do you want to become a vampire? Really?"
"Sacrificing myself hardly seems like enough, actually." Chloe grins, and turns back to her ice water. Letting it soothe her dry throat before she exhales a sigh. "I didn't. Not at first. At first he terrified me." The remembrance brings a smile to her face. "But he grew on me. The idea, I'll admit at first was just because I had nothing left to lose. But he's a smart man. He wouldn't do it just on a whim. I had to consider things carefully." She toys with the ice in her glass and glances over at the Queen. "I want to experience history as it happens. I want to document as much of vampiric history as I can, and I want to do good things in the world that I'd be unable to accomplish with a frail human body." A curious glance is given to the woman and she dips her head in another sort of bow. "Should he decide not to gift me with it after all, my goals will not change. I still want to document things, and experience as much of the world as I can, now that he's shown me I can control my abilities."
"A noble thought," Tanwen replies, with a slow nod. "I see further why you have managed to capture him." She flicks another smile Chloe's way; the interrogation is not yet complete. "When you say 'good things'," she comment, air quotes used and everything, "quite what do you mean?"
The thought that she's captured Will? Just makes her laugh. "I hardly think that I've captured him. I know he doesn't truly love me, but he offers me something which I can't have otherwise." A relationship… and whether he loves her or not, she loves him. "Good things… working with humanity to find a way for everyone to co-exist. Aiding those in need. I'm no Mother Theresa, but…" Shrug.
"Doesn't love you," says Tanwen, with a meaningful pause, "yet." Wink. She has faith, or at least seems to. She ponders the rest, even as she starts walking towards the door to upstairs. "Your plan sounds good to me, sweety. Come visit Iowa some time, and I'll show you some of my tricks." Some tricks she starts to use as she floats across the room with grace far beyond even Will's usual steps.
"You can float!" Okay, Chloe knows a few vampires. She's met a few thanks to Will, atop the ones she already knows. But that? That's a new trick to her, and she's just standing there blinking. Then a thought comes to her. One that she's not really been able to get an answer from on Will. "I've… met a vampire in the past that was once a witch, and kept his abilities intact. Do you think that it's possible for a telepath to do the same?" Or will she finally be cured of the wretched curse?
Tanwen turns her head back towards Chloe as she drifts towards the stairs upstairs. "Chloe, my sweet, you already know the answer to that question." Her smile flits upwards at one corner. "He is your boyfriend, after all. But yes, you may carry your gift into immortality, or they may shift, twist or change after a fashion. There can be no prediction as it is no exact science, it is a mystical touch."
That is what Chloe feared. Fortunately, she's learned well. The smile is held firmly in place. "I appreciate your being so candid with me, Tanwen." Were Marius here at the moment, she'd likely get a backhand for the use of the familiar name rather than a 'Highness' or 'milady' or something. "May you have a peaceful slumber today." She's not going to beg the woman to stay as the dawn grows ever nearer. Instead, she lifts up her glass of water and begins for the basement once more.
"It is also possible that they will leave you forever," Tanwen warns, safe in her assumption that Chloe would want to keep them. "Amongst witches and warlocks, it's rare to keep the magic. Have yourself a pleasant evening, and don't be afraid to call or visit if he's in trouble, or Marius is acting up too badly." She throws forth a beaming smile, as she drifts along and up the stairs.
