An Introduction...

[mlle_claudia]

A small hand, pale and infinitely graceful in its movement, reached up to take the handle of the door, pausing only briefly before pushing it open and stepping inside, the clicking of her shoes seeming to echo into the night that lay behind her. Pushing back the heavy cloak hood that partially covered her face, she glanced around with an expression

Comments

[greeneyed_louis]

[[Typist: Hello! I have Louis set in post QotD canon right now... perhaps our characters should stay in the time periods we have given them, just to add to the confusion, you know? ;-) Although really, any time period works.

It was only a moment before he turned a corner that Louis sensed the beating of her small heart and knew that this was not a human in front of him. Upon seeing one so similar in likeness to Claudia- for it simply couldn't be her, could it?- his next thought was that this was some sort of vision. His daughter, here? Impossible. Yet the sight of her yellow dress, achingly similar to the one she had worn on that last night, her soft pink lips, the jaded expression in her piercing blue eyes... how could it be anyone but her?

Louis tried to speak, but found that his throat had closed up and he barely managed to gasp out her name. "Claudia...?"

[mlle_claudia]

Typist: Hii! That sounds good, feel free to message me on AIM whenever you feel like it!

Pausing in her walking, Claudia studied Louis with eyes that did not reveal her true thoughts, her lips set in the slightest semblance of a frown, though at the same time it appeared as if she did not even understand what she was seeing, the confusion barely there but perhaps only noticeable by Louis. Her hands shifted where they were clasped in front of her, as if she'd lift her hand to brush at her curls again, but then continued to remain very still in her studying of him.

"Louis." Claudia narrowed her eyes a bit more as she watched him, though only in a thoughtful way, and then took a step forward, her hands coming down to hold the edges of her cloak as if having the thought to pull it around herself to guard against the elemnents. "What is this place?"

[greeneyed_louis]

[[Typist: Wonderful! I shall most definitely take you up on that offer, although due to a rather busy schedule you'll probably be seeing me around here more than in chat and such.]]

"Claudia..." Louis said, a definite note of sadness in his voice. He had indeed noticed her small signs of confusion, although it was not just that which gave his eyes a distinctive red sheen. Blinking quickly, he knelt down so as to be at Claudia's level and opened his arms slightly in invitation, as Louis could not quite bring himself to reach out and touch her. He could hardly believe that she was here and did not want to break this illusion, if it were such a thing.

"What is this place? Oh, my darling, who knows? It has brought you to me, after all this time..."

[mlle_claudia]

It was very obvious after Louis spoke to her that she did not know what he was talking about, though she tried very hard to hide this, her entire body becoming still and her eyes hardening slightly. Claudia glanced down at one of the hands he had extended to her, then to him again, studying his clothing as well as his expression, and frowning she took a step forward, though not to him completely, seeming almost on guard now, confused as well.

"What do you mean? I saw you only a few...." She cut off there, as if not knowing how to explain any further, and then became silent, though her lips stayed parted slightly as if forgetting she should close them.

[lestat_the_lion]

After the recent reappearance of Nicolas, anyone might assume that Lestat would be less stunned to see Claudia. It wasn't as though he had not encountered visions of her before, and for a moment the sight of her small form in the hallway made him believe that it was simply another -- not possibly real at all. Yet he could hear the beat of her heart, and as he drew closer, the familiar scent was not something that he could ignore. The dress was unfamiliar, but he knew that it was her nonetheless. He paused, and stared at the way her golden curls fell down her back, his eyes slightly narrowed in contemplation. He stood entirely unmoving, a slightly ominous figure if she would have turned

[mlle_claudia]

Had started to turn to look at Lestat when he approached her, sensing him but at the same time not fully realising who...hmmm...and when he swung her around her eyes had widened to an almost impossible degree, flashing with a light that is anything but natural, though once she is down and staring at him face-to-face she appeared completely calm, despite how large her eyes remained.

Claudia looked Lestat over for a very long time, not moving at all to get away from his hold on her, not seeming at all as if anything about what he is doing is bothering her at all...hmmph. Tilting her head to the side she studied him a moment longer before speaking, her voice very quiet and without any tone to it to indicate her mood or what she thought of all this, though at the same time it was obvious she was not being unkind.

"It is new." As if that explained anything. "You..." She frowned very faintly, the only indication that she found this entire situation very...off.

[lestat_the_lion]

"Oh?" Lestat inspected the dress with a critical eye, his hands still on either side of Claudia's arms. He held her like that for a moment, inspecting everything about how she looked silently, but then his eyes meet hers again. He didn't speak, but looked back at her wide, calm eyes with a thoughtful expression. After a moment he tilted his head, smiled, and then straightened. He moved his hand as if he would take Claudia's, but then seemed to change his mind and lifted her back up in his arms. Her weight against him was a strange familiarity that he'd almost forgotten, and his eyes briefly flickered to her face.

He didn't at all seem shaken by her presence, as if he'd waited for her to come through the doors and they now had somewhere to go. With a smile, he turned to continue down the hallway they stood in. "Have you seen Louis? I spoke with him earlier." Lestat reached up to pat Claudia's hair lightly with his free hand, his voice quiet and completely carefree.

[mlle_claudia]

Claudia stiffened in Lestat's arms when he first picked her up, her eyes again becoming wider and wider until it seems they might never shut again, but forced herself to relax after a few moments. It is still hard to determine what she is feeling at the moment, her eyes narrowed in a studying way and her arms hanging limply down by her sides as he carried her.

Answers him in a guarded tone, now obviously not at ease with the sitaution but does not move to get down from his grasp, almost leaning against him the longer he walked. "Yes." Does not say more than that, as if finding it unessessary to share a converstaion between herself and Louis to Lestat, after all...she has not seen him in so long.

Bringing a hand up she appears for a moment as if she'd touch his cheek, her fingers curled slightly in a hesitant way, then finally does press her hand against the side of his face, her skin warm from the recent kill, and says in a blunt way, seeming almost wary but at the same time wondering. "You look different."

[botticelliangel]

Unexpected sights are not exactly uncommon at the mansion but Claudia's arrival is enough to give Armand pause. He hovers unseen for a long moment, torn between acknowledging her presence and continuing on his way, but steps forward after this brief moment's indecision, inclining his head in a polite if meaningless gesture and leaving the burden of speech up to her.

[mlle_claudia]

Frowns with something like annoyance upon sensing and seeing Armand, though the expression smooths away almost insantly, as if never having been there at all, and does nothing then but to stare at him, her bright eyes wide but without any trace of surprise. Seems for a moment as if she would also incline her head in greeting, her face tilting ever so slightly, but then is still, the gesture never following through and the thought to do so is not present in her mind.

Blinks and examines Armand without seeming to even see him, standing perfectly still as if frozen in place, and if she thinks to speak to him it is not obvious in her expression or thoughts.

[botticelliangel]

He raises an eyebrow at her stillness, remarking dryly, "Your conversational skills are rather more lacking than I recall."

[mlle_claudia]

Does frown then, letting her feeling of unease becoming known to him, and does not move or speak yet, as if in defiance of what he's said.

Shifts after a moment, seeming as if she'd step forward, but only blinks and tilts her head up slightly, studying him in an almost questioning way, her thoughts focusing on him and how he now appears to her, anything else she is thinking seeming quiet, or simply guarded.

Almost smiles, though there is no humour to her cold gaze, and replies quietly, "Is that so?"

[minaharker10_2]

*Mina can see that Claudia is not human, but is unwilling to belive immediately that such a young child could possibly be...she doesn't dare think it* Hello, are you lost? *she asks, her tone friendly and yet carefully not condescending*

[mlle_claudia]

"Good evening, Madame." Speaks in a very soft, silvery tone, her lips barely moving as she discreetly studies the woman who had approached her. Grips the sides of her cloak for a moment and then politely clasps them in front of her, nodding her head in a form of greeting, and then looks back to Mina with a hint of a smile, though her eyes are almost cold...predatory, even. Doesn't seem to remember that Mina has aksed her a question, just appears pleased to see her, though for what reason it is not obvious.

[minaharker10_2]

*Smiles, though hesitantly, because the cold of Claudia's eyes makes her shiver, though, really, she musn't think such things about a child!* Good evening to you too. My name is Mina.

[mlle_claudia]

Nods in a polite way to Mina, still watching her in a faint studying way, and does not seem to notice the hesitance in the woman's smile at all, just continues to smile calmly herself. Inhales slowly as if she'd speak but then just steps forward, though continues to stand a polite distance from Mina, having only just met her, of course. Unclasps her hands and lifts one to brush back at her soft curls, then holds her hand out to the woman as if to let herself be guided somewhere, or to find whoever she has lost, though does say a word.

[queens_revenge]

*Clytemnestra has a fondness for children, and so her normally stern expression softens when she sees Claudia. Her voice is gentle, though cautious, as though grown unused to gentleness* Have you lost your family, child?