Russia - Late 1700s

[nott_caine]

Russia was perhaps one of the most ideal places for a vampire. The winters long and the sun barely out. For a fledgling, this was also a perfect place for feeding. The locals often went to bed drunk, sometimes staying out far too late into the night, stumbling through the alleyways alone. It was here that Selene could perfect her abilities, to find a way that to cut through her anger and hostility, to reach that part of her that needed to be allowed free reign. Not Caine, not the devil, but Selene's first chance for freedom.

There was little to interest visitors in terms of amusement. But for those who knew where to look, there were several gathering places for locals and vampires. The gaming halls for one, filled with opium, whores, and true bon vivants.

After the French Revolution, people wanted to live, to party and smile. They needed a distraction from the coming wars and their own mortality. No one more than the vampires, the ones with the ever present reminder that life was short and their demons on their trail.

Choosing her best dress, Selene found one of the nicer establishments, seeking to try something that she was never allowed in her mortal life. Gambling. It was a hobby frowned on for ladies, but there was little reason to be afraid anymore. All it took was a bit of practice and the right teacher.

Sitting at the first craps table, Selene watched one of the more skilled players collect his winnings. She sat across from him, watching his expert hands roll the dice and let them fly. Dark eyes expertly watching as others joined his bet, eager to back a winner. There was a surge of energy and power from him, the indication of an old and strong vampire.

Selene leaned on her hand, catching his gaze for a moment. With a small smile, she placed a bit of her coin on top of his, a challenge in her expression. Let them see if he could replicate his good luck.

Comments

[dirtyandtrue]

Russia was the perfect place for Matthew to wile away a few years while the heat of London simmered back down into something manageable. He'd fucked up and he knew it but Russia was a frozen wonderland and the Frenchman was interested in only drowning his problems in liquor and opium and women. That was something else that Mother Russia held to her bosom for Matthew to take.

Dressed to the nines in a red suit jacket with broad black lapels, there was a small crowd starting to form around him and he loved the addition of bodies to the girls he'd hired for the night. It bolstered his already astounding confidence.

The dark haired beauty that joined the table was given an idle glance before the dice were cast and the table erupted into a cheer at his continued luck. Grinning like a mad fool, Matthew collected his winnings and set out another bet, laughing under his breath at the amount of support he was getting. The woman caught his attention again as she added her coin to his and it was here he gave her pause, noticing her supernatural beauty and the familiar pull of Kindred blood against kindred blood. She was a vampire but since she didn't look like any hunter he'd been running from, he flashed her a brilliant smile and offered his dice ridden hand for her to blow her luck on.

[nott_caine]

This was a dance she was at least familiar with. Flirtation not being something that she had participated in during her mortal life, she had at least witnessed Diana doing it. The response was still foreign to Selene, but tonight was for trying new things.

So with a wry grin, she leaned forward and blew on the dice, holding his gaze with hers. She was still innocent, despite the blood on her hands. Though she tried to seem sexier than she was, it still wasn't as skilled as the women at Matt's side.

The attention shifted to her momentarily, curious to who the lucky and handsome man was paying attention to. But as soon as her part was over, everyone was rushing to watch Matt win once more.

Selene relaxed, looking over her shoulder as a guitar began to play, accompanied by a singer. This place was far more elegant than she had first expected.

[dirtyandtrue]

The crowd cheered again as Matt pulled in yet another win but there were a few Russians at the end of the table that looked much less pleased then everyone else. Matthew's luck inspired envy, despite his good nature and rousing voice calling for fun and peace. Their looks were his que to find a new table or different entertainment. He'd been winning too much and didn't really want to get kicked out or accused of cheating.

Laughing, Matthew shoved his winnings into his pockets and glanced at the woman who'd blown on his dice with a wink before sliding an arm around the woman next to him and heading towards the bar. The woman broke off and went her own way about halfway there, allowing Matthew to order himself a drink and one vodka for the pretty vampire. He leans on the bar, sipping his scotch and once his dark eyes find Selene, they don't leave.

[nott_caine]

She had tried to replicate Matt's luck, pausing at the roulette table and placing a bet. But her winnings were easily squandered and gone before she could blink. The rest of the games were confusing and hard to follow for a newcomer. She watched for a time, soon moving on to other interests.

There were eyes on her, a dark, intense stare that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Turning away from the sight of the opium corner, Selene cast her gaze towards the bar.

There was that man again. Handsome and dangerous in his presence. If her heart beat,it would skip at the sight of him. His companions were seemingly gone, now he was alone. Why was that comforting and disconcerting. Hesitantly, she approached him, feeling nervous at what he might say or think of her.

"You don't seem like the type who would be abandoned." She said with more boldness than she felt.

[dirtyandtrue]

The Elder watched her squander what little winnings she'd gained and as she wandered between the tables. He was idly curious about her - she was young, obviously, but what was she doing in a place like this? Was there no Sire to guide her hand? Surely she'd at least been presented, with how well she dealt with the hot flesh that littered the room's mainly dead or supernatural population.

He wasn't surprised that his brazen attention got hers and as she came closer, Matt smiled in a casual friendly way but didn't shift from his half leant position.

"I'm not," he grinned. "You don't look like the type that usually comes into places like this."

[nott_caine]

"I'm not...usually. I was told that ladies don't gamble. But tonight I want to try new things. Everything is changing and I want a chance to experience that, however silly that is." Selene said, shrugging her shoulders.

Looking about, she noticed his former companion across the room. "You aren't usually abandoned, but you are here alone. Why is that?" She asked with a smile.

He was handsome and charming, most women flocked to that. If he was alone now, it was because he chose to be, but she couldn't imagine what would prompt that.

Despite his apparent age, she felt comfortable talking with him. Clearly he was expertly skilled in his presence. "Your French? She noticed his accent, her British one apparent as well. I was just in Paris."

[dirtyandtrue]

His grin slipped back into a conversational smile as she explains herself. It wasn't silly at all. It was the way the world worked and it was important to see the next generation trying new things. The woman was no doubt brought up under the Masquerade and ignorant of the way things used to be. It was better. Her earnestness was almost adorable.

"Which question shall I answer first?" he laughed out. "Come, sit and have a drink with me, my treat, and we shall sort it out, hmm?"

[nott_caine]

She looked at the drink hesitantly before nodding and taking the glass. "Do you wish to speak here at the bar? Or should we find a remote corner to converse?" Selene asked him, suspecting that he was the type to prefer privacy. Though there was likely an exhibition streak in him, given the attention he was basking in earlier.

Glancing at the drink he had ordered her, she gave a small smile. Vodka. Something she had slowly begun to love was alcohol. Never had she had much of it in her mortal life. This was becoming a pleasure for her, one that offered a great deal more fun than the normal ladylike life she was expected to hold.

"Why not start at the easiest and then work your way to the most shocking?"

[dirtyandtrue]

There was an exhibition streak in him but Selene wasn't any other human girl. Picking up his glass, Matthew slipped to his feet. "Let's find a table that's not right on the edge of the excitement, hmm? I wouldn't want to miss a word." His hand hovered at the small of her back, but he wasn't breaking her barriers, merely encouraging her with a gesture of his glass ridden hand towards the back of the room. There sat a few high backed tavern booths. They would have their privacy there.

Once she headed that way, he followed right behind her and let her choose the side she wanted before slipping himself right in next to her with that same charming disarming smile.

"Alright then. Yes, I'm French but I didn't come from Paris. It is quite the jewel though. The theaters there are one of my favorites. Where you there for business or pleasure?"

[nott_caine]

She was glad at least not to be in too private of a setting. Despite her desire to try new and shocking things, she still had the inherent sense to act proper. A lady would not be alone with a man, not fully. Though it irritated her that she still thought by those standards. She was often alone, what did it matter if there was another person with her? Or if she took a lover? She never had one before, not even as a mortal. She wanted a taste of real freedom.

Settling into the booth, Selene gave a small shrug. "Business first, pleasure later." She said. "We unfortunately arrived at the start of the revolution, my sister and I. It was a pity to not experience everything Paris was known for. Instead, we had to contend with blood thirsty mobs, and not in the fun sense."

She took a sip of her vodka, giving a small shiver at its strong flavor. "There was little point in staying. Our neighbors were arrested in succession and then guillotined. It was time to move on." That of course not being the full story, but she wasn't about to share stories about her sister's failed wedding and the fight between their Sire and Selene.

[dirtyandtrue]

"Yes, that's some nasty businesses going on at home, I'm afraid. Really quite terrible to hear that the country is still in so much unrest." It effected more then just the people that lived there - Which Matthew did not. He had seen the Revolution coming and hit bricks. No way was he going to get swept up into that storm of chaos if he could help it.

"Beheadings tend to encourage travel, I've found," he said with a light tone and a somber but light smile. Beheadings weren't something one could make light of. "But you're here now, in the cold arms of Mother Russia. Though her fruits aren't as delicate as the ones back home, hmm? She's been very generous though, if you know where to look."

[nott_caine]

She smiled at him, enjoying the sound of his voice. Though she wasn't certain how much she should reveal about her reasons for going on her own. She had caused so much destruction to this country with Caine. She couldn't risk one of the hounds finding her or punishing her. This country was wide and opened, it allowed her to get away with so much more, to allow her beast full reign before retreating from exhaustion.

"I am here now." She nodded, agreeing with him. "When you have spent a great deal of time in one place, expected to live a certain role, you have a desire to roam and see the world." Selene said, certain he would understand.

"I've only now been given the opportunities I didn't have before. So I want to enjoy myself. Even if that means frequenting places that ladies aren't supposed to go." She would blush if she could. "Does that shock you?"

[dirtyandtrue]

"Not at all," he grinned brightly at her. "I think that if a woman is kept in a role and she gets a taste of freedom, she should have as much of it as she like. After all, our stations and titles do not define us - they shouldn't restrict us either."

He took a small sip from his glass before continuing. "I'm surprised you're here alone, with out escort. Is that of your design, or is it just my lucky day?"

[nott_caine]

Station. That was something that she had married into but didn't belong in. She didn't know the role she was supposed to play as the wife of an Earl. Not that it mattered anymore. He was dead and she was thought to be dead as well. Only Eve knew the truth.

However, his flirtatious comment made her smile brightly. "I have been traveling by myself since arriving in Russia. I haven't found a suitable escort...yet." She grinned at him, taking another drink.

"Your lucky day? I thought you already have a woman on your arm?"

[dirtyandtrue]

Her bright smile made something glitter in his eye. It was always rewarding to make a beautiful woman smile and no number of years would diminish that pleasure for Matthew. He grinned back, glancing over to the crowd behind them and the woman that had been on his arm was still sitting at the bar, talking to someone else.

He shook his head. "Merely company for the card table. She also fetches me drinks when I've run out. Like a very expensive tavern wench, but it fosters a certain air that the people here respect. Next to you, she's an ugly little mouse." A small lie, but a very workable one. The woman was beautiful, as all his companions were, but she was just a whore and a human which made her disposable and leave able. Especially when put next to a vampire.

"You're much more interesting by far."

[nott_caine]

She didn't believe his compliments. Beauty wasn't her gift. It belonged to Diana and even to Artemis. She had never been called that before and doubted that it would ever be offered genuinely. Compared to his other companion, she knew that she was the little mouse, still emerging from her hiding spot.

"You don't have to say these things to me." She said bluntly, looking away to watch the flow of people about the room. Selene wasn't skilled with the game of seduction, but she didn't want to be presented lies to gain her affections. "It's not as though I am going to be offended by the truth."

She knew his type. The handsome, charming man who always had willing companions on his arm, each more beautiful than the last. It was flattering just to have his attention for a moment. It's not something she would normally be gifted with, this was more than enough for her ego.

[dirtyandtrue]

Matt's smile fell and his brow furrowed at her rejection of his compliment. He clucked under his breath with a shake of his head.

"You don't even know my name and yet you call me a liar. You are right though, I don't have to. I choose too and it's my truthful prerogative." She was beautiful but Matthew couldn't put her above or below the whore he'd dismissed. Well, she was already above the woman, being a vampire.

"Matthew," he says, offering his hand out for her to shake. There's chance that she's already heard of Mad Matt as nothing more then one of many upstart vampires, but he was already starting to fasten himself to the underground fame that would explode as he aged.

[nott_caine]

"I didn't say you were a liar, I think you are just being overly generous." Selene said with a small shrug. She couldn't really fathom herself as a beautiful creature at this time. She could see a monster and she could see a devil, but never beautiful.

She took his hand, offering her fingers for him to kiss as a lady should. "Selene." His name didn't ring any bells, but she had never been part of Camrilla society. Her preference being unaligned and happy.

"Tell me, why have you come to Russia?"

[dirtyandtrue]

Matt kisses her cooler hand and brushes a thumb along her skin before letting her go, letting the previous compliment and it's argument to the side.

"I've come to Russia because London wasn't holding my attention anymore. I'm afraid that the years has tarnished the shine on her; a break was needed and I had some business that needed my attention here. I figured I might as well spend some of my time here, seeing how fat I can make my purse."

[nott_caine]

"I lived in London when I was..." she broke off, not about to say allowed that she was a vampire. He knew what she meant, she suspected. "I'd say that you've done pretty well in filling your purse." Selene grinned, pushing aside her empty glass.

"Do you always have that kind of luck or is it a skill that you pick up?" She asked, wanting to learn to play as well. "I've never done anything like this before and I would like to know more. To give it a try."

[dirtyandtrue]

He arched a curious eyebrow at her stopped sentence, but yes, he understood. Information was often caught by passers by and with as many vampire as was already in here, there was no need to risk the Masquerade.

Chuckling, Matt turns his glass on the tabletop as he looks at her. "It's skill, mostly. Some of it is luck - some of it is a keen eye and a sharp mind. And numbers. Are you educated at all?"

The times being what they were, women being educated was still a nearly unheard of thing, unless you were well off, but card numbers were easy enough to teach, even if they knew nothing.

"You know," he continues, tilting his head with a suggestive undertone, "I could teach you, if you're interested. That way you can at least make your own way at the tables."

[nott_caine]

"I was educated," Selene said with a laugh, knowing most women weren't generally. "My father was a professor. I got the basic schooling that a woman was expected to for when she became a wife. Accounting, numbers, sewing, music, and so on. Though my father taught me some languages as well." Gaelic, but there was little use for it besides communicating with Diana.

His offer was a kind one and she was very eager to have a teacher. "Could you? I'd be very grateful. I'm afraid my purse has lightened a great deal since arriving here. I would prefer not to be so destitute. Little reason to sell my jewels...for now at least."

She grinned, glancing towards the opium addicts. "Have you ever tried that?" Selene asked, pointing to the men.

[dirtyandtrue]

That meant she came from class and he nodded approvingly with a gentle smile. It meant that she would learn much more quickly, with an already basic understanding. It made his offer more lucrative and easy for him, and Matt loved that.

"I could, I could. No doubt a few hours together and I can have you counting cards like a professional."

He looked over to where she pointed, face breaking out into a happy grin. "Oh yes. Opium is quite the little ride. Have you had your pleasure at it?"

[nott_caine]

"How do I repay you for such generosity? I assume a share of my winnings?" Selene laughed, leaning her chin on her hand. "But certainly you could earn more than I can in one night?" She asked him, nodding to a nearby waitress to bring her another drink. She had a fondness for vodka, but maybe that was due to the company.

"No, I haven't had the opportunity." She said, allowing her naivety to show. "I have only recently begun tasting more than wine or champagne." She would blush if she could.

"Perhaps you could show me this as well?"

[dirtyandtrue]

"I'll only be so brash as to ask for you to share some of your time," he grinned, thoroughly enjoying their conversation. "And while you're sharing it, I would consider it an honor to show you whatever you might be curious about."

He winked and lifted his hand to the waitress, calling for a second drink of his own.

"I can show you a great many things, it seems. What do you say, my Lady? Feel like taking a chance?"

[nott_caine]

"Why do I sense this could go into very sinister and wicked places?" She asked with a laugh. Leaning over the table, her eyes taking on a flirtatious gleam. "Are you the sort of man to find trouble easily?" She was enjoying the sudden boldness running through her, caused by the vodka and the handsome face staring back at her.

"You must be if you are spending your time with me." She traced over the rim of her glass lightly, her fingers slow and deliberate. There was a level of truth to that statement, but she imagined this Matthew was capable of finding his share of danger.

"What I want to know...is whether there is anything I can show you in return?"

[dirtyandtrue]

"Because secretly, I'm a very wicked man," Matt teased with a suggestive smile. "Trouble usually finds me, but yes. That's why I was given long strong legs - so that I could outrun it." Hr grins, chuckling under his breath as he fiddles with his glass.

Her question had him tilting his head a little, considering it and he glanced down before looking back at her from under his lashes and eyebrows. "There are many things you could show me, my lady, and none of them suitable for open public."

He'd be inviting her to his room soon, once he was sure she'd be willing to come without fear or concern.

[nott_caine]

"I somehow suspect you aren't the running type." She said with a cute grin. "Wickedness and trouble go hand in hand, in my opinion. I think they do rather well together, given time and experience." She slowly gets to her feet, giving him a suggestive smile.

She had never bedded a man that wasn't her husband. The idea was still foreign and wary to her. With the right incentive, she had little doubt she would give in. But some of her mortal values were still running through her veins. She wasn't Diana and couldn't throw herself into the arms of a stranger. Not while inhibitions were still high.

Stopping at the pipes, she fingered the shaft of one slowly, looking over at him with a grin. "Why do I suspect you have one of these in a more private setting?" Selene asked him, stepping closer as she met his eyes. "Perhaps you show me that and I might be persuaded to show you something in return?"

[dirtyandtrue]

He rose with her, charming smile full of promise and dark eyes alight with the prospect of showing her new things. There was a freshness that came from seeing it through inexperienced eyes and Matt was already at least two hundred years older the she was.

Following her towards the pipes, he stopped nearby, letting her keep her personal space. He wasn't one to lay it on too heavily and come off creepy or forceful rather then anything but charming and polite in his wickedness.

"Hmm," he considered with a cocky smirk, one hand reaching out to ghost his fingers up the side of her wrist and forearm. "You suspect it because you're an astute woman," he complimented. "And you're absolutely correct."

Bending his elbow out to her, Matthew winks. "Come my dear, I'll show you everything there is to see and experience - as far as you'd like."

[nott_caine]

She grinned as his fingers brushed along her forearm and wrist, her eyes closing momentarily. Lust and desire sweeping over her face as she considered the night ahead of her. He was handsome and charming, a man that she had never known before, even in all her travels. There seemed to be no one like him.

Her hand reached out, taking hold of his elbow as she stepped closer. The promises he made were intoxicating and alluring. She was making a deal with the devil, surrendering what was left of her mortal life to embrace the world of darkness. It was beautiful in her eyes, opened for the first time by a tantalizing stranger.

"I have a feeling that I will follow you anywhere."

[dirtyandtrue]

"Then I will lead you on the merriest chase of life." Grinning, Matthew lead her through the throng of people that were filling the room to the door. His room wasn't far away but they would be going out into the considerable Russian cold.

Stopping at the coat counter, Matthew smiled at the woman behind it and called for both his jacket and hers. Of course, he left space for Nott to describe her own outerwear but as soon as they were bundled up, his arm was held out and he was leading them to the street.

"But we'll start the merry chase tomorrow. Tonight will be some small indulgences - testing the waters of your tolerance and capability." Glancing around, Matt noted that there weren't any people on the street, making it safe to talk a little more openly. His voice was kept low, like a lover telling secrets, but the Masquerade had to be held, despite his desire to know more about her.

"Now that we're away from prying ears... Tell me a little about yourself. You're a young one, I can see that much - but how young?"

[nott_caine]

She wrapped her coat tighter around her, following him out into the night. His ability to sense her age and lack of experience was flustering, but it likely was apparent to anyone with a number of years under their belt. Instead, she turned her face to the side, looking out across the frozen landscape.

The moon shone down on the snow covered streets, the ice and cold blue in the night. Stars glistened above them, as beautiful and delicate as the crystals that had fallen from the sky earlier that evening. It was magical, a winter fairyland that Diana had always whispered about as a child whenever they woke to such a landscape in England.

But there was something more. The ancient beauty of this land seemed to make everything see more large and intimidating. There was strength in the soil, in the people. Russia was a force, lying beneath the fragile beauty of the snow. There was so much she wanted to see and do, now she had the years ahead of her.

"I was turned in 1777," she admitted to him, finally looking back at him. "My father... he was my sire, though...I have not seen him in some time."

[dirtyandtrue]

The sky had long lost it's drawing luster; Matthew preferred to keep his attention on those around him. He would never see them properly and they served only to draw a mocking attention to his lack of stature. If there was one thing Matthew wanted for himself, it was comfortable wealth and a moderate power that was befitting his station. He was secretly something of a priss but it was getting more tolerable the older he got.

He let her have her silence and arched an eyebrow as he guided them down the street. "Your father.. And he's just allowed you out into the world with no protection?" The frown that formed between his eyebrows showed his displeasure at the thought. Sires could often be horribly cruel, but perhaps hers hadn't been like Gina.

"You're but a child to this life.." Upon passing a collection of men that leered at the heels and bit of dress poking out from under her jacket, Matt gave them an abrasive look and put his gloved hand at the small of her back. "No worries," he continues with a smile, meant to banish away unpleasant conversation, "What your Father has laxed in, I will happily help fill in the spots, as well as I can in one night, hmm?"

He wasn't going to assume that she'd be with him long.

They never are.

[nott_caine]

She glanced over her shoulder as the men passed by, instinctively lowering her gaze and turning her face away. But a small glimmer of fire raised itself from her core, causing her to growl at their leering. A warning that she should not be touched, at least not by them.

His comment caused her to chuckle. She didn't feel like a child, but she was certain that compared to him, it was obvious.

"And what would you teach me tonight?" Selene teased him, looking up to meet his eyes as small flakes of snow fell against her brown curls. "Whatever education I have had, it is miniscule and moderate. You seem to be one to take chances and have worldly eyes. I imagine it would take much more than just a single night."

Not that she expected anything more than just this. This alone might be enough.

[dirtyandtrue]

"Hmm, well how to play poker and smoke opium, of course," he promises with another tilt of his lips. It would take more then one night to share everything he had to share and for whatever self ideals she had that labeled her not a child, she very much was, not that he minded.

"Perhaps by the end of it, you'll be asking for more." The building he lead them to was multi-storied but it suited his upper-middle class lifestyle and after nodding to the doorman, Matthew lead her to the stairs and up.

"And whatever else you'd like to add to the list of 'to learn', I'm sure we can fulfill. You must promise to go easy on me, now, if you get better at poker then I."

[nott_caine]

She laughed, pulling her shawl tighter. It was a great step forward into a more brazen life style for her, to even be entering a man's home without an escort. This would be the first man she was alone with that wasn't family or her husband. Matthew already was leading her into unfamiliar and enticing territory. Whatever else followed was icing on the cake.

"You are rather certain of yourself, aren't you?" She remarked, giving him a cheeky grin. "I see my greatest lesson tonight will be in how to hold that swelled head up high."

Selene grinned, "We must gamble for something. Though I imagine my money is not as interesting as other things. Perhaps we should find something more...enticing to wager?"