1862/=A Chance Meeting

=A Chance Meeting
Date of Scene:	27 May 2020
Location:	Little Italy
Synopsis:	Lyle, Ella, and Daimon meet in Little Italy
Cast of Characters:	Daimon Hellstrom, Ella Normandy, Lyle Marston

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Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
Late afternoon in Little Italy. The place isn't bustling exactly, it's a bit warm, but not yet oppressive and muggy. At a little cafe, Caffe Napoli, with patio seating...the Devil enjoys a light caprese with a glass of red while he waits for his chicken rollatini. His 'dinner date'? Well, not exactly, but one could be forgiven seeing the couple dining together. They draw eyes, these two. When 'Ella reached out, Daimon was quite willing to meet - someplace public, but busy enough they could speak freely. The fact that he wove a little spell of obscuration after ordering doesn't hurt either. They'll be remembered as being here, but there's just a little 'fuzzing' at the edges should anyone overhear their conversation.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella wouldn't have been happy with the black magic, if she'd known about it. The Marys had been on her ever since Daimon 'escaped' her, and while she can avoid mortal detection, she has no idea what capacity the Inquisition has to detect black magic. Lucky for her, she doesn't know. She's an entirely different woman from the one who tried to kill Daimon days ago, dressed like a human (albeit at the limit of good taste, even for early summer heat), smiling brightly, catching every eye as she cheerfully walks up to Daimon's table. She takes a seat without waiting to be offered--ah, there's a hint of the focus she had when ready to kill--and stows her purse beneath. It threatens to totter over; she corrects it with one heel and smiles at Daimon like they're old friends. The smile colors her voice bizarrely, making the next few words sound dissonantly cheerful:

    "I don't kill people I owe, unless I have to. If you plan to keep showing off you're a demon, I might have to."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
The half-demon chuckles good-naturedly, "That might be a bit harder than you'd imagine." Daimon replies smoothly, "Try the francese, by the way, perfect spring fair." His eyes take her in, as before, there's the typical way a man looks at a beautiful woman, but there's much more to it as well, as if that's there more as a formality - it's assessing, probing, "There's a time and a place for subtlety, and sometimes one has to engage in base exhibitionism to get a point across. It gets the word spread a lot faster."
A pause, a sip of wine, his eyes half-lid for a moment, "My followers need to understand the limits I impose. I will not promise omnipresent protection, they can get into their own damn trouble, but I -will- provide retribution if it's called for, and potentially correct their mistakes." after a moment he adds, "You don't -entirely- know exactly what I am, do you?"

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Still smiling, elbow on the table and chin in her palm, Vampirella shakes her head as much as she can in that posture. "No." She doesn't bother adding that categories have never been useful to her, outside of the oldest one: predator and prey.

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle Marston, the best-selling author, and the newest superstar for Herman and Scotch Publishing Firm, was trying to enjoy a peaceful night out. The Caffe Napoli came heavily recomendded by his literay agent, Dunwall, and so far, Dunwall was right. Lyle had just arrived at the Cafe and the waitstaff had him sit in the lobbey while waiting for space to clear up. While sitting, ideas for his next novel, "La Raton and the Cavern to Hell", were floating around in his head. His publisher wanted a series, something he never dreamnt of doing when he wrote his first "La Raton" novel.

For his next novel, Lyle had decided to pit his dashing Robin Hood-like thief against the sinister Lord Hornwell, a sinister Yorkish nobleman and a worshipper of the demonic, more specifically Lilth. As the brainstormed, he peered out the window, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw a familiar face, Daimon Hellstrom. Hellstrom, while not a friend of his, was cetainly a collegue of his. His book, "A Comprehensive List of Demons", a rather large demonology book was Lyle's main inspiration for his second book. The man himself was also a interesting conversationalist, with Lyle oftten finidng himself wasting hours of time talking to him. He appeared to be on a date. But, wanting to catch up with his esteemed "literay collegue", Lyle stood up and walked briskly to his outdoor table. When he got close enough, he cleared his throat and said with a voice that had a hint of a Scottish accent in it,

"Daimoon, Daimon Hellstrom is that you?"

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
Daimon's ears practically perk up as he's addressed...now who could? Ah. Far from annoyed, he's actually somewhat amused by the interruption. It will certainly irk the woman 'Ella', she seems oh-so-serious and it's a thought...why not? Sometimes impulsive decisions pay dividends. He wants to see how she comports herself in this situation. That and, to be frank, a little educated, literary conversation is never a bad thing, "Lyle! Lyle Marston...it's been a bit, hasn't it?" he calls out and stands up after a moment, beckoning the man over, "Well, you did say you wanted to chat about something you were working on and serendipitously, here you are."
Daimon is a mystic, and that ilk does not tend to ignore coincidence when it occurs - "You simply must join us. Don't worry-" he prepends, "This is a colleague. Just a little shoptalk." he can pass her off as theologist if need be.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    It's funny how much a foreign accent stands out in a crowd, at least to Vampirella's supernatural ears. She spares a glance to the man who addressed her companion, lifting her chin from her palm while never losing the sunny smile. Say what you will about Vampirella, she's been working at blending into the herd for a long time. She offers her right hand, wrist carefully limp to show this new man her weakness (men notice and hate a strong woman) and greets in her own thick accent, "Hi, I'm Ella Norman." One letter short of normal, that's her. "Nice to meet you."

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle grinned widely as he approached the table. The invitation to sit down was greeted with a nod and a brisk thank you from Lyle. When Ella Norman, the rather attractive woman Daimon was with offers her hand, Lyle smiles and takes her hand, shaking it gently. He then says,

"A pleasure to meet you Miss. Norman."

He then casually takes a wine listing and starts to read from it while saying," As you know, my publisher Herman and Scotch want me to make my novel a series. Book two is called "The Cavern to Hell", so you can guess why i wanted to speak with you Daimon"

If you were attentive enough, you would notice that Lyle failed to bring up the name of his soon to be novel series.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
Daimon nods amenably at that, "I'll want an acknowledgement, you realize." he notes, "And I've time. 'Do as Thou Wilt'-" he pauses to explain to Ella, "A book on self-actualization through the exercise of moral precepts embodied in modern LaVey-style 'Satanism' as opposed to the self-denial of conventional Christian, Catholic specifically, precepts. - Is finished its tour and all I have to really do is rake in the royalties." He pauses to tuck into his caprese for a moment, "But I'm always up for an exchange of ideas across genres."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella smiles at Daimon as if she'd read the book and agrees, "Oh, I'm a fan." In truth, she doesn't understand why humans need to construct such elaborate philosophies to justify doing what they were always going to do anyway, but maybe being in touch with your nature is the difference between humanity and vampires... or demons... or aliens, or whatever the hell she is. Doesn't matter. The lie is all that matters. "Am I in the way of the discussion you two need to have?"

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle nods at Daimon's request and says,

"No need to worry Daimon. I'll give you credit once the book is published. Will even give you a copy for free. By the way, did you get the copy of book one, i told Dunwall to ship to your address."

He then turns to Ella and says, "No, no. You are perfectly fine. Just discussing a matter of fiction with my old collegue here." He then turns to Daimon and leans in conspiratorily as he almost whisphers," My new book involves demons and their cults. As a "authroity" in demonology I figured talking to you directly will help give me the inspiration i need for "Lord Hornwell", and his horrid cult."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
"Not at all." Daimon replies to Ella, "This should be interesting to you, I think." He then answers Lyle, "I did. I rather like the moral ambiguity of the whole concept. It's hardly Robin Hood, is it? But it's not so simple as 'rob from thr rich and give to myself' is it?

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella shrugs slightly, smiles, and waits for the part where she can contribute, then. And for an opportunity to finish warning Daimon.

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle grinned and said, "Thanks Daimon, i appreciate the praise." He then adapted a more business-like face as he said," In this sequel, as I already told you, my hero is facing against a Lord Elias Hornwell, a Yorkshire nobleman and practitionar of the dark arts and worshipper of demons. How much do you know about the demon Lilith? She is to be a central character in my story, as a sort of figure that Hornwell "reveres".

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
"Oh, it depends, to some extent, on the particular mythology 'family' we're talking about." Daimon says smoothly, "Judeo-Christian has some specific Bibilical apocrypha, but she predates that. You can see echos of her in the Hebrew 'Mara', for example, and even similarities in the Greco-Roman Echidna." He smiles a bit, this subject he warms to, he really does, "You can look at that in several ways. Imagine, if you will, that certain entities occupy a 'conceptual space', a philosophical territory, a portfolio, if you will. Inasmuch as you see certain patterns in 'sky-fathers' or 'sun gods', you get such patterns in a 'Mother of monsters'." he watches Ella for a moment, to see her reaction.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    "Archetypes never interested me," Vampirella says apologetically. "To me, what's interesting about Lilith is that she refused to lie beneath Adam, so she was cast out as a whore and given to lay with the monsters that populated the world outside of Eden. Think about what that implies. Only Adam and Eve were created in God's image. Everything else, the tribes Cain found to lay with after he killed Abel, those all came from somewhere. Lilith isn't just the mother of monsters, she's the mother of the people Cain bred with to eventually create humans."

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle puts his finger on his chin and nods, as in deep though. He then turns towards both Elle and Daimon and says,

"Thank you for the insight into Lilith's character. I think I now have a clear picture for my novel." He then leaned back on his chair, and beckoned the waitress over and ordered a glass of white wine, leaving Elle and Daimon free to speak.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
"Which means-" Daimon picks up the thread from Ella, "-that humanity, as it stands, is still partially divine, but most certainly 'adulterated', if you want to imagine that Adam and Eve were 'divine' to begin with. Which is very debatable, given that their defining characteristic is -ignorance-." He goes on, "They never did get a chance to -act- on their knowledge, there very existence of it was threat enough. Which -does- fit the Lilith narrative, doesn't it? 'Don't question, don't even dare know -how- to question.'" He smiles slowly, and can't suppress a small laugh, "You know. There's a supposed artifact with the lamentable name of 'The Fur Journal'. it's supposedly bound in the skin of Adam Ka'admon." He should know...he took it from Stephen Loss when he burned the demon-hunter down in his own home.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    "I don't know what moral ambiguity you were talking about, but think about how the first woman was declared a whore for not wanting to be submissive to a man, so now all women are dismissed as sex objects," says the barely dressed vampire, unconcerned with the seeming irony. "Think about how the first woman took her vengeance, so now all women have fury like a woman scorned. Men can't tell the difference between women, so every villainy Lilith had or was assigned to have is assigned to all of us. Why does your Lord Hornwell worship the first slut-demon? Does he understand she has an agenda outside of the fixation on sex that her persecutors have decided she must have? Does he recognize her power might be greater than his own? Is he sympathetic to her troubles? Those are questions I'd want your book to answer," Ella calls after Lyle's departing back, though her gaze is icy and fixed on Daimon.

Lyle Marston has posed:
Lyle nods at Ella and suddenly looks at his watch, his face going pale. He suddenly jumps up from his chair and starts rushing off, saying as he does," Sorry to leave you so soon Daimon, I just remembered I have a appointment across town. Will consider your questions Miss Norman." He then rushes off into the evening.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
"I'm sensing a bit of hostility still." Daimon says idly to the near-vampire. Now that Lyle is gone hs goes back to speaking more freely, "I know a bit more about the subject of woman and expectations than you might imagine. My little sister happens to be a succubus. We're human on our mother's side." the way he says that...there's a most definite hint of guarded -fondness- in his voice when he mentioned his sibling. For all that they are and how they were raised differently, a part of him cannot help but still conflate the dangerous, cunning creature Satana is with the bright, curious little girl he remembers. Oh he -respects- her as a threat, but still...

Ella Normandy has posed:
    People might be looking. Vampirella allows the false smile on her lips to climb to her eyes, and she laughs like Daimon said something funny. "You're missing the point," she says, fond tone. "This isn't a pissing contest. I'm saying we both have jobs to do, so staying out of each other's way is smart unless you want a conflict."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
Daimon hmmmms softly, "Then perhaps I should, maybe ironically, be honest with you." He leans back a bit, regarding Ella carefully. Again, her soul is...unusual, very 'nonstandard'. Not cobbled-together, but hybridized in a unique way, and again...not evil. Not entirely good either, but not wallowing in sin and dark secrets, "I am -not- some haphazard spawn of an overamorous devil-worshipper and some lickspittle who thinks he could use a pawn topside." he inhales slowly, then exhales, it's an interesting thing to just -tell- someone, be he thinks in this woman's case, a little honesty may get him what he needs, a little distance, a little consideration, "I and my sister are the deliberate product of a greater Hell-Lord's attempt to create servants on Earth that need not be summoned and cannot be banished. An 'antichrist' made-to-order. I was raised primarily by my mother, my father taking my sister when we were young. He came to me just before I was to be ordained into the priesthood, awakened me to what I am." he pauses, taking a long sip of wine, "He regretted that. The kingdom of Marduk Kurios is now mine, and I am...mapping out new territory, let's say. My nature allows me the ability to make choices the others won't, or -can't- make."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella smiles and nods, still playing along for observers. "The Inquisition won't care. I let you go last time because I owed you, and I'm not hunting you now because I owe you, but if you keep showing up in hellfire with tridents, they're going to keep coming after you and keep sending ME after you. I'm trying to make that not happen."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
"The problem is, insofar as -that's- concerned," Daimon replies, "in order to effect change, I have to gather up enough followers for my patch of afterlife real-estate to matter. Everything my father had is mine, but my philosophy is...distinct." he gestures broadly, slightly downwards, "Sin is one thing, new conceptual territory is something else again. The rules on how souls are divvied up are arcane, complex, -decidedly- unfair, and subject to the beliefs of the hellbound. Not everyone is suited for one of the 'Heaven' realms, but they're not deserving of damnation and torment, either. Remember the old hat about homosexuals?" he knows, as church agent, you're familiar with all -that- nonsense, "That aside, that's where I've decided to stake my claim. Territory the others can't touch. To do that, I need to 'spread the good word'." His smile broadens, "I should think Mother Church would be a bit understanding about an itinerant wandering about, dispensing miracles."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Well, Vampirella has done all she can. Daimon will play his games however he chooses, and will reap whatever rewards he earns. Vampirella nods and rises from the table. "Good luck, then. I have a date I want to keep."