10601/Restarting Fresh

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Restarting Fresh
Date of Scene: 29 March 2022
Location: Hellstrom Manor, Long Island, NY
Synopsis: Daimon brings his sister, Satana, home.
Cast of Characters: Daimon Hellstrom, Satana Hellstrom




Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Tiramisu was creamy and oh so dreamy. So few words could be exchanged during the delight that was the classic Italian dessert. Yet, the gist was established; Satana would be allowed to do as she wished within the new Hellstrom abode. Daimon is only trying to re-establish a bond with his once wayward sister. And that it's his hope that they can find common ground within this very uncommon family. If it works, then excellent. If it doesn't, then it wasn't meant to be.

    Soon thereafter, they departed the Italian restaurant and he teleported them to their new home.

    Just off the north shore of Long Island, attached to Reeves Beach, Daimon has obtained land and built a home nestled in a wooded region where pasture was carved out for the Demonic Horses. A stable was built behind the home alongside the acreage as well. The manor home house stands 2 to 3 floors with a basement. It is isolated within the trees and other houses cannot be seen from the circular drive in the front. He teleports directly to the front stoop giving them both a view of the front of the brick and stone structure.

    He intones, "Home Sweet Home". There's a garage off to the left side of the structure with 6 slots (closed). The front door is arched and heavy wood. Satana can sense (if she so chooses) the wards and guards around the windows, doors, and even the walls. The place is quite secure from intrusion of the mystical, celestial, or infernal nature.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     Ah, horse girls. So many of them grow up without being able to return to the comfort of their steeds, the power of being in the saddle with the world rushing by. And it's emphasized more when you're flanked by fire and cackling maniacally as your mount gallops over your enemies. The thought has certainly crossed Satana's mind. It was a pretty big lure for her to step out of her self-imposed exile to explore the attractive property that her brother is cultivating.

     Satana looks up to the home's exterior, noting all the supernatural security that lurks in every nook and cranny. Full of food, she is rather calm. It was a good idea for him to feed her first.

     "This place is lovely," she says, trying not to show her hand too quickly, to remain calm. "How long have you been working on it?" There might be a little shame at the back of her mind that she hadn't noticed.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    "Come sister. I will show you around." He approaches the heavy front door. Deep mahogany reinforced with iron. It opens to reveal a half naked succubus. She wears a sheer gown with lingerie beneath it and a collar around her throat with a heavy iron ring shaped in a D for attachments. The collar is indeed magical. Like a potential restraint. Her hair is dark, tiny horns upon her brow, and a swishing tail behind. She says, "Welcome home, master." She looks to Satana and gives a bow to the queen of the Succubi. She intones, and Satana can hear the fear in her throat, "Mistress. I was not aware you would be joining our master. Forgive my appearance. I had not prepared for your arrival."

    Daimon says, "Sister, this is Naamem. She and her three sisters serve /us/ here. They are, Elizeth, Avrat, and Lilacia."

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     Growing up in Hell can desensitize a demoness. This is pretty tame compared to some of her lessons. "I have missed having servants," Satana admits. Last time she was booted out of Hell for whatever transgression, she did have to start over. And that meant doing things on her own, getting her own little cults here and there, all the work from the ground up. Never the most fun.

     It's so nice to hear the fear in someone's voice from the get-go.

     "I see that Daimon has definitely been keeping busy," she laughs, giving him a little nudge. "Aside from preparing the home."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Naamen steps to the side as she opens the door fully for the two siblings to enter. Daimon leads Satana within.

    The first floor of this grand manor clearly has entertainment in mind. The large foyer has a floor of Italian marble, carefully polished to a mirror sheen that reflects the light from the chandelier overhead. A large Persian rug with an ornate design brightens up the area with its predominantly red and green pattern. Matching runners, custom made no doubt, cover the dual staircases that gracefully sweep upward as they frame the large archway that opens into what looks like a ballroom. The walls along the stairs are lined with small gas lamps that were retrofitted with electrical lights and oil portraits of remarkable quality, and halfway up the stairs on each side is a small alcove containing a black urn with silver trim.

    Aside from the archway into the ballroom and the stairs leading upwards, two mahogany doorways with sliding doors lead into rooms on either side of the foyer, at the base of the dual stairways and the front door which leads out to the street. One door is set into each wall as it curves toward the archway leading toward the ballroom, adding to the symmetry of the foyer.

    When Satana passed through the main portal of the house, she can feel the shift of energy from outside to inside. Inside is clearly more 'infernal' in nature. It isn't just a 'feel', but also the energy of the infernal magics within. She can also sense where tweaks can be performed to sure up the wards, to make them stronger and more stable. As she was always stronger in magic than Daimon himself.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     If she had a clipboard, she'd be taking notes immediately. And thus she remedies the situation, hand up to summon her favorite means of note-taking. The skull clip at the top adds to her brand power, a quill starting to scratch away at the paper as she looks around, "All right, we'll be adding a bit there, there, and there," she says, pointing as the quill does a pretty bang up job of sketching out a layout of the interior- perhaps further charged by the presence of so much infernal magic.

     "I have a few things at home I can bring over to tidy up the spells on those wards, get them up to my standards," she says. It's not an insult, really. Her standards are just very high. Especially if she'll be living somewhere new. "But overall, a solid job." She flicks her fingers and the quill scoots aside as she shows her notes to her brother. "I'll do a full sweep to check for any weak points. The two of us together are a much juicier target than we would be separately."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    While Satana jots down various items, Daimon states to Naamen, "While I show Satana around our home, you are to be sure that my sister's room is spot on perfect. Even with a little mint on her pillow."

    Naamen responds, "Yes, Master." then address Satana with a bow and a whispered, "mistress" before scurrying off to see to her sisters and the preparation. Daimon's attention is drawn to the notes on the paper and he nods, "Look at us. Working together, again." and he offers a toothy smile before noting, "I would appreciate all that you can add to our domicile. Now, shall we..." and he motions toward the dining room.

    A dark cherry wood table that can comfortably seat twenty guests is the focal point of this room. The chairs surrounding it have high, ornately carved backs, plush seat cushions of burgundy velvet, and legs carved to resemble a lion's paws. A sturdy ebony china cabinet with glass doors holds full service for twenty people, with plates of the finest bone china and sparkling crystal glasses. A black vase with silver veining stands in the center of the table, holding a generous arrangement of exotic flowers that serve as a stunning centerpiece. The ceiling of this room is 13 feet in height and has an ornate metal appearance to it. The walls are of a very dark wood. There is also a large fireplace in the room to offer warmth in the winter months. Former gaslight sconces have been converted into electrical fixtures for additional or mood lighting when the chandelier isn't used.

    Two pairs of sliding doors open up the dining room to the foyer, and another door that swings freely on hinges is presumably used by the staff to access the kitchen. There are great windows that look southward toward the front lawn of the estate. Most times these windows have the large drapery covering them, but when they do not, the view is most excellent.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     "You have lured me in with many things that I love," Satana admits. Though if he's among those things is not made clear. Would she really be a succubus if she didn't leave anyone wanting?

     She examine the room like a wolf sniffing out her territory, mindful of every detail and committing them to memory. "It does feel very official here. A seat of power amid so many mortals. And our servants... I do so love that word," she reiterates. "I've been working with mortals on occasion to fill in the gaps- fetch quests, what have you- and it's difficult to get them to do as I like entirely. Sure, there are those with slavish devotion, but they came up short in many ways. Losing things, begging for forgiveness, you know the drill," she says as she lets her clipboard go, allowing it to float behind her, ready to start writing again at her slightest inclination.

     She rests her hands on the back of one of the chairs, feeling the weight to it. "Are we taking tea? Or shall I spook your servant by appearing in my room, making sure all is up to my standards?"

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon moves through the room as Satana looks about. He positions himself near-to the next exit and watches her in her movements and excitement. He's entertained by her dialogue regarding her place in the world. Though he doesn't comment on his own achievements. She can see them all around her. She would also recognize many of the articles from their Fire Lake home. Some transferred, others obtained afterward. When she gets to the query about the succubus (succubi), he states, "Oh no, no tea, and don't torture them too much. They only mean to serve. They are working off debt for a transgression. So come... The kitchen is next. Though it is a place I rarely frequent. It connects to the servant's quarters and the ballroom. He leads the way.

    ?A kitchen that would practically make Martha Stewart herself green with envy. This room is easily twice the size of a conventional kitchen, and is amazingly modern in comparison to the Neo-Classic feel which dominates the rest of the manor. A large, industrial sized refrigerator and freezer take up one half of a wall, the rest of which is compromised of ample cabinet and counter space. A spacious island, perfect for a central preparation area, is in the dead center of the room, and above it hangs a rack with assorted cast iron cookware. A gas stove and dishwasher take up part of another wall, and the counter space an pantry are home to more assorted kitchen tools than most people will ever use in a lifetime.

    He doesn't spend much time in here, in fact, he just walks her through into the Ballroom.

    This ballroom is larger than most houses and even more breathtaking than the views from the foyer could ever hint at. The parquet floor of this ballroom is a pattern of alternating diamonds that spans the entire room and is kept spotless by the domestic staff. The tall windows are covered by translucent white curtains flanked with heavy drapes of purple velvet. Marble pedestals shaped like Corinthian columns with are placed between the windows to add a classical touch to the room and also showcase a variety of statuettes and vases. Although there are probably no windows on the other south, west and east sides of the room, curtains are hung in a matching pattern to preserve the symmetry of the ballroom. The north wall has vast windows on either side of the grand hearth that burns in the winter to keep the room warm. The windows, when not draped, peer into the back lawn of the estate and a vast patio, with swimming pool along with stables and other ornate and modern affectations can be seen. The ceiling soars some twenty feet overhead, then rises into an indirectly illuminated dome that is carefully painted to match the deep indigo hue of the midnight sky and sprinkled with glittering stars.

    This is where he pauses and says, "If you have friends, or people you wish to impress, this would be the room."

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     "Fiiiiine, I won't be too mean. How much do they have to work off, I wonder?" she grins. She imagines that there are plenty of household tasks that need attending to, and that the quartet of succubi are kept rather busy. But there is more to see, and she whisks through this him, pausing in the kitchen, perhaps imagining the feasts and parties that can radiate out from the gorgeous room.

     And then, the ball room. This place can certainly serve as a backdrop to all manner of affairs, and she's eager to try it out. She glances up to see the ceiling, all those pretty stars shining above. "Yes, this would be the room. I have to admit, all I want to do is throw events here now that I've seen the place," she says. "Normally I snack in places that are just... not exactly ideal. But ah, to imagine the glamor, and the taste..." she wiggles a bit, her attire shifting to a sleeveless red dress that pools on the floor but clings to her curves and matching gloves. It looks just a little too visceral in some places to be harmless, the material with a sheen to it that might question what it's made of. A masquerade mask appears on a slim stick, held between two fingers. Red, with little horns, held in front of her face for a moment to look out at him.

     "Sometimes the temptation is hard to resist. It would be a buffet."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon adds to the commentary, "I've only held one engagement here. It was quite the event. Not quite the buffet you seek. However, I'm quite sure something along those lines can be arranged. Which brings me to the succubi. They opted to be enslaved to me instead being cast to the boredom of my little corner of hell. Here, they can still engage with humans and not be strapped to a whipping post for decades. They will work until I am bored with them and cast them off to other tasks."

    His attention is brought back to Satana when she creates and 'wears' the mask. He smiles, "Ah, the true face of my sister. Such beauty." then he motions toward the Library. He will open the sliding doors to that particular room where she will feel the radiation of magical tomes that are scattered within the room. They aren't the most powerful books in the house. They are mostly research, some practical use, and basic instruction. Plus countless other tomes of fiction, non fiction, and other elements.

    Books. Thousands of them. Every inch of wall space in this spacious room is covered with bookshelves practically brimming with volumes of variable age, from ancient-looking leather-bound tomes to some of the latest hard covers and paperbacks. A rolling ladder is attached to a brass railing that runs the entire perimeter of the room to permit access to the higher shelves which rise to the 13 ft ceiling. A large globe dominates one corner of this room; although it has the appearance of an antique model, the political boundaries on it are up to date. Several comfortably padded leather chairs are arranged around the room to accommodate readers. A marble fireplace and plush burgundy carpet give the room a warm, homey feel- like a favorite bookstore, but far nicer in decor. The exits from this room are South to the Conservatory, East to the Study, West to the Ballroom and North to the Great Room. There are no windows in this room and very likely, due to the age of this structure, secret doors behind bookshelves.

    He will give her time to scout around and point as she does, "Through there is the conservatory, over there is the office, and that other exit is the Great Room where I spend most of my time.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     She smirks, casting away her dress and mask in favor of more casual attire, her favorite leatheresque jeans and a red sweater. "I love to dress up, what can I say. And yes, we do like our human engagement. I can't imagine staying in Hell as is for too long these days. It wears on me," she gripes as they make their way into the library.

     "I see myself spending quite a lot of time in here," she says as she walks in like she owns the place. There's a lot of confidence behind every movement she makes. She walks up to the globe, giving it a little spin, "I'll have to add my own collection to this massive one. I've been lucky in finding a good number of useful resources, and I do feel better looking at walls of books rather than bare ones," she says, moving to the shelves, trying to find passages by tugging on a few volumes. "I hope my bedroom connects to this room," she grins, though she moves towards the exit to the Great Room.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Hellstrom follows and he comments regarding her bringing her own books - she does find many things familiar. "That would be quite welcome. As you may have guessed, I cleared out the family home of all the important relics, tomes, artefacts, and heirlooms. As for your room.." he smiles, "It's upstairs, and I've quite the surprise for you."

    She steps into the Great Room: This particular room is designed with family in mind. Physically, it is wider (E/W) than it is deep (N/S). The east wall presents with two main affectations, a grand stair that rises up and around a massive hearth. The north wall is mostly all triple paned glass that reaches from floor to ceiling and allows spectacular views of the rear estate and its adornments such as the stables, the patio, pool, tennis court, and wooded areas. The west wall lends access to the patio and into the ballroom while the south wall has a doorway into the library as well as the study. All the proper walls are made of a dark cherry wood and are hung with family paintings and other portraits. The furnishings of this room are divided into various cloisters. All the furniture is a classical, yet comfortable leather bound hardwood with sofas, chairs, small tables (for board/card games) and other areas for sitting and talking or reading. The 13 foot ceiling is pressed metal plates with lovely craftsmanship which helps to disrupt loud sounds. The lighting of the room is also versatile. There are two chandeliers as well as various wall sconces and a few lamps in the middle. Normally, lighting is kept low, and in the winter the hearth provides much illumination via fire. The west wall also presents with a wet bar and stools.

    The hearth comes to life, an instant gulf of flame within the stone and brick half box, and then flares down to a gentle crackle as the flames lick upward toward the flume. He states, "As noted, I spend a lot of time in this room, relaxing, reading, and entertaining.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     "Did you get me a hunky servant of my very own? Is that the 'mint on my pillow'? How thoughtful," Satana teases as she walks through the great room, investigating portraits, smiling as she sees some of the items from their Fire Lake home brought here. "It's odd to see them in this context. Sort of bridges the gap, doesn't it? Things from the old house," she says as she looks from painted face to painted face.

     "I can see why you'd spend a lot of time here, though our definition of 'entertaining' is pretty broad, isn't it?" she asks of him as she peers out the window on the North Wall, then up to the ceiling to inspect the craftsmanship.

     "How much of this is new work? Were you fortunate that a lot of it is original, or have you had those four ladies working their tails off staining and hammering away at the structure?" she asks, illuminated by the hearth.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    He takes a seat on one of the great leather chairs nearest the hearth. He states, "There was a fire. So much had to restored or replaced. As noted earlier. I had been drawn to this area due to the preternatural events. And of course there were the angels which plagued the city. I thought it best to reside in the general area. Those angelic interlopers should stay up in the Silver City where they belong and not tread upon human affairs."

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     "Yeah, we do much better when we play with human affairs," Satana agrees, or thinks that she is. She slides into a chair of her own, happy as can be. "You've done quite a bit, the place is gorgeous. And I'll admit, it's been lonely on my own," she says as she wiggles a little, the leather squeaking as she gets comfortable. "I just stayed out of the way of the unwelcomed guests. Though I might have been bolder with some back up," she says, stretching her legs and then crossing them. Ever the lady.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon smirks with the regard to them messing in human affairs. Which is something he often fights against. It's his calling, to stop all infernal and celestial meddling within humanity's right to free will. However, to exact that, one has to meddle. So, it's a double edged sword in his regard.

    Daimon notes, "Don't get too comfortable. Behind me you will see the left of the hearth. There is a sconce. Twist it counter clockwise. I'm sure you'll be thrilled to find what is on the other side."

    Her senses cannot penetrate the shielding that separates her from what ever is on the other side of the hearth.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     She reaches out with her senses towards the area in question. Satana feels that blockage, and curious, rises back up from her chair to almost climb over Daimon to get to the sconce. She twists it, (oh, how she loves a good secret!) and awaits the surprise. "Always keeping it interesting, aren't you?" she asks.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    A secret stone door opens allowing passage through a narrow dark hallway. The moment the door opens, she can sense the dark and infernal energies.

    Daimon stays in his chair, letting her explore.

    Beyond the hallway she will find a Necromanteion: This concealed room has one purpose in mind, magic and rituals. Here, the caster can find resources of which to focus their magical abilities. First and foremost, the floor is of a unique black stone with a pentagram painted in a special paint and occupies the majority of the room's center. Each point of the pentagram has a place for candles. Then on the far east end of the room, almost connected to the pentagram is a encircled triangle with a pedestal within it for books or components. The room is slightly bigger than the two circles and offers shelving on all the walls, a few chests, and other tables that are well used. The shelves and containers are all filled with reagents, objects, various trinkets, artifacts, relics, and the like. The room itself has a distinct magical feel to it and for those that detect magic, it's rife with it. The ceiling is 13 ft tall and covered with glyphs, sigils, wards, and symbols. The walls are also adorned with such markings and there are various sconces to offer light either through torch, electricity, or even gas. There are no windows on the dense walls and only two ways out of this room. West to the hidden door to the great room, or south to the office.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     They draw her in. She can't help herself, it's too wonderful. Even as she enters, she can feel her focus narrow to a point, extra thoughts and distractions fluttering away. She does an inventory, fingertips roaming over the ingredients at the ready, the artifacts, the relics - her own collection at her hotel so much smaller. It's humbling, but not in a way she likes, and that anger will surely be unleashed on someone in the near future.

     Maybe they'll like it.

     Her eyes scan over all the sigils, each instantly recognizable to her mental catalogue. She's in there for a while, before she finds everything to her satisfaction and then re-emerges. "I take it that didn't come with the house," she grins.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon is standing by the bar when she emerges from her jaunt into her personal heaven. He is pouring scotch in to both glasses and says, "Oh no. None of this place is original, except for the imported stone and brick. Everything was repurposed to my design." Then he breaks from behind the bar and walks toward her to offer the glass within his right hand so that she may share in the drinking.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     She accepts the glass, mood continually elevating throughout the day. Not a big surprise, really. It's going well. If this has been a trick, it's elaborate. Too elaborate. And so she sinks into comfort with the glass in her hand, "I love it, Daimon. It's just perfect for our purposes. Any purposes we'd like." She might not be as altruistic as he is, but she can often be convinced.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    "Then..." he raises his glass to salute, "...to our purposes. Whatever they may be." and he drinks from his glass. Then states, "Oh, and then there's the final surprise. Come, sister..." He'll sit his glass down and then take the route back through the ballroom back to the foyer and up the grand staircase. Where they will rise to the front hallway. He'll show her the various guest rooms, the solarium, around to the master suite and other guest rooms. Then back to where her room is positioned, sequestered on the far east side of the house (accessed through top left down that hallway where I didn't cut a door - duh). He opens up the door to her room and says, "Here is your room." (It should be noted, that they did not see the succubi, they stay hidden until needed and called for)

    The entire floor of this room is covered with wall-to-wall burgundy carpet with a pile so thick it practically begs to be walked on barefoot. The walls are covered with dark paneling on the lower half and the walls and ceiling above are painted in a shade complementary to the carpet, giving the room a warm, homey feel. A stained-glass overhead lamp provides illumination, and there are other smaller lamps (actually old-style gas lamps refitted with electric light) which can brighten the room whenever necessary.

    As spacious and rich-looking as this room is, it is still laid out in a functional, tasteful manner. There is a large armoire in one corner, across from the bed and near a door that presumably leads into a closet. The bed itself is a solid-looking canopy model, its black curtains open to reveal a pile of down pillows and a thick comforter. There is a mahogany desk and two barrister's bookcases arranged against the far wall. Flanked by heavy drapes is a bay window that looks out onto the Upper East. The arrangement of pillows on the window's wide ledge and the reading lamp nearby hint that this is the occupant's favorite nook.

    On the south side of the room is another door/exit (aside from the personal bathroom (as with all bedrooms having their own bathroom)).

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     Oh, she'll fill that closet right up! And thankfully she has her own bathroom for all her ritual (and bubble) baths that no one needs to know about! Even the reading nook is perfect for when she's ready to curl up with a good tome and really dig in. The room is warm and dark, a perfect den for a monster such as she. A classy one on both fronts.

     She strokes her hand along the bedding, then gazes out the window, appreciating the view.

     "You really did put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?" she says. They haven't always gotten along, but perhaps this is a nice olive branch in their household.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon pauses for a moment considering the answer and he goes with the truth. "To be honest, I allowed the girls to decorate. I had no idea of what you would have appreciated. Nor was I even sure you would show up on the earthly plane." He moves across the room to the second door and opens it. There's an elbow hallway that has tiny windows looking out into the side lawn. He says, "And then there is this..."

    He opens the door to the playroom. Which is decorated in dark tones, leathers, mahogany, and has all the wonderful toys of pleasure and pain that any demonic girl could love. He states, "The walls are double insulated. No one will hear the screams."

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     "I may change it up a bit just to be sure they obey me, but I like it," she says. "It' good to be back here. It's interesting," she says as he moves to open the second door.

     "Oh! Well isn't this charming," she says as she looks over the room in question. "So you would have kept all this for me just in case I showed up? Pretty generous," she purrs.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    He shrugs. Daimon says, "I wanted to be prepared - just in case. You know, had you chose to join me as opposed to trying to kill me. Contingency plans.". In closing, he offers a considerate smile. Then turns and exits the playroom while saying in his departure, "Try not to break the girls. They've done a good job here - so far. Other than that, I'll leave you to it."