Monster House (Leila)

Leila rose to stand on her bright red four inch heels. She walked under the gentle guidance of her grand-sire and stood to face her sire. Her eyes flirted over the calming lines of Tantra's face while Elie spoke over her.

"Thank you! I am so happy for this moment!"

Leila was excited but her tone was calm and fitting for the environment. She looked to Elie with bright hopeful eyes.

"Did either of you require anything else of me?"

Tantra replies in her calm and controlled tone of voice.
"Yes childe, you're not excused yet. We have plans for you"

Elie looks at Leila curious about what she was about to says giving a certain look to Tantra calming her down.
"Why do you ask Leila?"

Leila's voice showed her surprise at the announcement of plans, but she did expect there to be more to the meeting so she wasn't entirely caught off guard.

"Oh plans?! Well, I had some questions, and I of course wanted to get to know our other brother's and sister's of the blood. But I am a happy to discuss your plans."

Elie returns to his desk and takes a sit.
"You may take a sit"

There was a moment of silence during which Tantra took a chair for herself and sat over it in perfect mute and posture.

Elie and Tantra were waiting for Leila.

Leila took a seat in front of the large ornate desk, feeling their gaze on her as she sat and added a few more seconds to the silence.

"Well, I think I have an idea of some plans that you have for me Tantra. I know that you are training me to be a warrior, but what I do not know is the nature of the war. 'Know thy enemy' as the saying goes."

She chuckles once at the reference she made and looked to Tantra for clarification.

Tantra smiles and looks at Elie with a message that escapes from Leila's intuition, Elie looks back with an almost unexpressive gaze and nods so slightly that Leila could have easily imagine that he did so. Tantra's smile fades out and returns her eyes to stare at Leila as she was trying to understand a vital point she forgot of.

Few seconds after Tantra says.
"Seems that you have accepted that you have a warrior in you Leila. I find that though unsettling, are you ready to go and risk your existance for others? for us?"

Leila saw the rage burning inside of Tantra's eyes, her gaze was terrible to bare, her blazzing blue eyes judging and staring at her with infinite desception. Elie as consumated warrior was in the brink of jumping over Leila, like the ultimate predator about to defend his ground, destroying the transgresor.

Fear and regret instantly flashed onto Leila's face. Her sire staring at her incredulously and her grandsire ready to rip her heart out. She froze as if in a daze, almost as if she was willing to accept her fate. She was speech-less and her eyes had an empty glossy look. Her body began to shrink into the chair sheltering itself to the barrage of pain she knew would come.

Tantra looks to Elie and then back at Leila.
"Childe, what's wrong?" her voice was obviously soothing and showed concern about her.

Leila snapped out of her daze at the sound of Tantra's voice.

"Please don't..!"

The words escaped her lips out of protective instinct before she realized that Tantra's was concerned for her.

"You're not, you're not mad at me? When you looked at each other, and then at me, I thought you were going to attack me."

She spoke slowly, waiting for the lash out.

Tantra stares at Leila somehow confused by her attitude but she quickly resolves to continue with the important affair they were discussing.
"We were not Childe. Answer the question!"

"Right, my apologies then. Regarding myself, as a warrior..."

She looks between the both of them reassuring that they indeed were not hostile towards her. Then she turns to speak to her sire with the occasional glance at Elie to cement points.

"There are a few factors regarding myself and my purpose for the great Father. I believe that it involves more than being purely a warrior. At this time, I know that there is a great deal to learn in the ways of combat. In my prior life I had never needed to really use those skills. I feel like I can be far more subtle than that though.

I noticed from the incident at the Dolce Store that the Toreador there thought me harmless. It was an interesting assumption, for now that might be the case, but what if I played to that? Continue to hone my combat skills while unsuspecting enemies thought me to be of no danger to them. It has been difficult for me to be subtle and cunning, The princess mentality has been harder to kill than the rest of me."

She laughs a bit thinking of her ways and how more often than not that is what she'd gotten into trouble about.

"So while I do not think myself ready to be an all out warrior, I think it is something that I can tap into. I am ready to serve my clan as it needs Tantra. And I believe you and Samuel know best where my strengths lie."

Tantra's gaze softened after Leila's reply, may be Leila's perception had over messured Tantra's and Elie's hostility to her, but that change on her sire's look made her think that it had some truth in it.
"I see" Elie said.

"It's interesting... you have already changing your view about how to communicate, aren't you Leila? All reports I've got so far told you your almost stubborn determination to be honest and direct in your comments. Per haps this blatant manipulation of your is a good change in your ways. Is it not?

If that is the case I salute that change Childe." Elie seem sincere but still his voice was hiding something per haps agressivity to Leila.

"It is something I have noticed... And something I am trying to change. But I am confident about my new perspective."

Her eyes still showed her apprehensions towards him in particular but she'd pretty much calmed down to a normal state of being. Having grown taller in the chair, by the mere act of straightening her back. Leila turned to Tantra, interested to see if she had more to say about that subject.

Elie nods.
"Very well I'll allow it, Tantra you have my permission to train Leila as a warrior. Still this is not an order, feel free to reject this pupile now or whenever you think she is not worthy."

Tantra nod in a similar way to a bow but sitten.
"Understood my Lord. I'll talk with Stain, I'm sure he could have a job or two where her abilities can be useful." Tantra's tone of voice seem to be challenging Leila almost implying 'if she can survive that'

"I must warn you Leila that Stain is involved in traffic and slavery, he is the most vicious snake among us and his darkness may engulf you if you're not careful. Are you willing to take this risk?" she says implying 'or you prefer something milder to handle first'.

Leila's expression changed when her sire spoke of Stein and his darkness.

"Traffic? Like sex trafficking of young girls?!"

The slaves she could stomach, but if he was trafficking young girls, it would take her a lot of processing to get over her trauma's

"I have many personal affects tied to such a practice. I will need more time to consider working with him however. Perhaps one night soon, I will be agreeable to such training."

She looked at Tantra, hoping her words did not disappoint her sire.

Elie says.
"Now we must continue with our agenda...

The next step is your presentation before the other Followers, we will use this party to introduce you properly. The only thing that is expected from you is to be at the party until the last vampire leaves, during it you may try to stretch boundaries and make ties with others of our kind." with explanatory tone.

"Do you have any questions Leila?" Elie asks.

"No, I understand that quite well. I am happy to meet our other brothers and sisters."

Leila explains herself shortly and to the point as well, she truly was interested to know more about the group of kindred that had become her new family.

(Translation: Welcome!)

Then the silence opens some room for Leila to speak up.

And then moments later she was jolted. News of her human family?! Leila's heart would have stopped if it hadn't already. Her mind jumped instantly to her mother but before she could even start to process the trauma, Tantra came in. She stood up and allowed herself to be escorted her mind racing over the possibilities. She'd certainly wished her father ill over her lifetime but she was questioned that even now as the real possibility of such an occurance had happened. But the girl was once a princess and as she had done many times before in her life she didn't let the adversity show on her face. She walked with pride between her sire and grand-sire. A beautiful sight to behold in her black cocktail dress with red accents and stunning diamonds adorning her ears. Her eyes greeted each and every face in the room without much effort.

She looked to Elie while he spoke, she was poised and respectable as her ear was lent for him. Soon enough her moment had arisen and with it she was thrust forward to the center. Her smile brightened as her lips parted to reveal her perfect teeth.

"Shukran, my brothers and sisters. A most kind welcome. And thank you for your introduction Elie. I look forward to getting to know everyone of the blood tonight. I am honored to be among you and in service of our Father Seth."

She concludes, not feeling the need to say much more for now. Her interest was in the individuals. She'd already met so many personalities in the clan, and wanted eagerly to meet more. But then the thoughts returned, of her mother, grandfather, and that monster. Why hadn't he waited until the end of the evening to tell her such news.

"Cross, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Leila kept her hands at her side in case she was being too forward. She smiled widely though and tilted her head to acknowledge him.

"And Pillar, thank you being patient with me earlier. I am still navigating my way through the nights."

Leila looked at them both finally seeing them together sparked her memory.

"Why do I feel like this is not the first time either of you have seen me?"

Her cheeky grin flashing between them.

"You were both at my rites, the chamberlain's correct?"