Ivy Darling

From Cam-Wiki

Character Information
Clan:	Daeva ••
Covenant:	Invictus •••
City:	Canberra ••
Player:	P. Saunders
Storyteller:	Mitchell Hatherley

This page - except where noted - is composed of information that is considered to be available to interested parties IC, with minimal investigation; i.e. this page represents public knowledge about the character. Obviously, as in all things, player discretion is advised.

Curriculum Vitae

Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills.
It is not the effort nor the failure tires.
The waste remains, the waste remains and kills.

It is not your system or clear sight that mills
Down small to the consequence a life requires;
Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills...

Not to have fire is to be a skin that shrills.
The complete fire is death. From partial fires
The waste remains, the waste remains and kills.
- William Empson, Missing Dates

Sire: Her Grace, Bishop Zaragoza of Melbourne

Bloodline: Unknown.

Apparent Age: Early 20s.

Liege: The Right Honourable Marquise Galiana al-'Aliyya, Alder Prince of Canberra

Coteries/Societies: Domus Fervidus, El Familia de la Lanza, the London Court, Kandy Kindred, Casualties of Kensington.

Concept: Raging against the dying of the light

Quote: "We are all on fire, but some of us are lighting the landscape."

Relevant Quotes

• "Last night was an A1, tip-top, clubbing jam fair. It was a sandwich of fun on ecstasy bread, wrapped up in a big ball like disco fudge. It doesn't get much better than that, I just wish that sometimes I could control these fucking mood swings!...so, what did youse two do last night?" - Tyres, Spaced

• "Melancholy is at the bottom of everything, just as the end of all rivers is the sea. Can it be otherwise in a world where nothing lasts, when all that we have loved or shall love must die? Is death, then, the secret of life? The gloom of an eternal mourning enwraps, more or less closely, every serious and thoughtful soul, as night enwraps the Universe." - Henri Frederic Amiel

• "'Wouldst thou,' the helmsman answered, 'Learn the secret of the sea? Only those who brave its dangers comprehend its mystery!'" - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

• "I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me." - Hunter S. Thompson

• "It is such a secret place, the land of tears." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

• "Eternity begins and ends with the oceans' tides." - Anon

• "'Now you understand the Oriental passion for tea,'" said Japhy. "'Remember that book I told you about; the first sip is joy, the second is gladness, the third is serenity, the fourth is madness, the fifth is ecstasy.'" - Jack Kerouac

• "The cure for anything is saltwater - sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isake Dinesen

• "Lips that taste of tears, they say, are the best for kissing." - Dorothy Parker

• "Reality is a crutch for people who can't cope with drugs." - Lily Tomlin

• "These are the times of dreamy quietude, when, beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean's skin, one forgets the tiger heart that beats beneath it, and would not willingly remember that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang." - Herman Melville

• "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red." - William Shakespeare

• "Thou hast the keys of Paradise, oh, just, subtle, and mighty opium!" - Thomas De Quincey

• "Lay us to rest in your red river; you will drown in shame. You cannot see you are the water, not the victim - it is victims that you claim." - Phoenix Mourning

• "Kings, Queens, Knights, everywhere you look, and I'm the only pawn. I haven't got a thing to lose; that makes me dangerous." - Alais, The Lion In Winter

• "I've never had a problem with drugs. I've had problems with the police." - Keith Richards

• "Something about her eyes or voice has always suggested the hint of a free spirit, trapped in a Peck and Peck cage, dreaming of making rude noises at public gatherings..." - Jeff Greenfield

• "Thank God we're hot chicks with superpowers." - Faith, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

• "Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!" - Bill Watterson

Titles

Complete Official Introduction: Lady Ivy Darling of Domus Fervidus, Advocate, Baroness of Yass, and Vassal to The Most Honourable Marquise, Alder Galiana al-'Aliyya bint Tariq Altair, Amira of Canberra.

Formal: Lady Baroness (Invictus).

Familiar: Lady Ivy.

Submissive: Most Impressive and Elegant Baroness Darling.

Intimate: Ivy (commonly used by close allies and family - also, non-Invictus acquaintances), Ivita (used by her Sire, an affectionate - and hated - diminutive), Ives/St. Ives (used by 'Dozie and potentially anyone else who was a member of her old mortal crew).

Disparaging: My good Baroness, my Lady Ivy, Childe, Girl.

Physical Description

The first thing any observer will note about the young Daeva is that she is always having fun. Given to near-constant smiling and unashamed laughter, Ivy seems able to enjoy herself regardless of the occasion, contrasting her sharply against the standard, dour Kindred - a revelry into which any companion quickly finds themself drawn - and it's a serious situation, indeed, which sees the humour go out of her lovely face, though when an occasion turns sombre, she is capable of eerie stillness. A compelling, alien beauty, Ivy has been laconically described as looking "like Helen of Troy, dipped in paint". With skin the shade and texture of carved marble and long, silver-white hair, she resembles nothing so much as an animate statue. Large, distant blue eyes which turn pink under direct light are the only points of colour in her face; conscious of the effect, she generally dresses all in white. Under the stark, arctic colouring, her features are breathtakingly lovely, and her voice is sweet, soft and strangely melodic, like the inside of a seashell. She is warm, charming and welcoming, without the extreme levels of charisma that make so many of her Clanmates rather intimidating (SL 4, Pres 3). Exquisite Ivy seems either oblivious or blasé to the attention she draws. Her large, slanted blue eyes don't seem to quite focus on any Kindred she speaks to, always looking through or just past them. She is always impeccably groomed, and dressed artfully to allow her to move among the Kine without undue notice, and also to encourage admiration without blatantness. Ivy is always a perfect lady, if extremely tactile, with the perhaps notable quirk of generally being coked up to the eyeballs; however, everyone who encounters Ivy finds themselves powerfully attracted to her, regardless of their usual inclinations, including Elders who haven't felt a twitch South of the border in centuries, and those who are otherwise completely asexual (Sexualised). It is not uncommon for Kindred who find their regular preferences or lack thereof challenged by meeting her to find the experience, and thus Ivy herself, deeply discomforting.

OOC Timeline For Link Purposes

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Follow the white rabbit. ;-)

Information

Velvet Glove of the de la Lanza family, and formerly favoured childe of its matriarch, Gabriela Magdalena Zaragoza y de la Lanza; the rift between them is deep and bitter. The young Daeva seems to be a Fervid of the old stripe, driven and hungry, which has set her at odds with her controlling Sire.

Ivy Darling is an avatar for the new wave of party-hearty young Kindred who work as hard as they play, and simply see the Danse Macabre as another way of furthering their eternal revelry. Scratch her, or any of the countless others who make up her tribe, and you will find a young idealist whose ambition serves her soul-deep ache for emancipation; not only is the view better from the top, but that's where she believes - whether accurately or mistakenly - the freedom is, so she intends to get there as quickly as she can. She's enough of a dreamer to have cause, and also just enough of a realist to be effective. If she has a fatal flaw, it is that she has very little idea just how much older Kindred hate her, all her ilk, and everything that they stand for.

The young Baroness is an undeniably accomplished individual (having finished her Manumissions inside a year and made herself an indispensable asset to the Covenant very shortly thereafter) and commands a respect among her Covenant-mates that is phenomenal for one of her tender years - and, some of the more insecure Elders would argue, inappropriate, regardless of her achievements.

Ivy's still very young, and it shows. Though she does have an uncanny sense for the weaknesses of others, she's still largely a little naive in the darker ways of Kindred - the Invictus realises that a great deal of Ivy's charm, and thus her value, stems from her dreamy romanticism, and so have taken pains to shield her from some of the darker realities of the Kindred condition. She travels with handlers and bodyguards, who tightly manage who she speaks to and what she sees. Thus is preserved her youthful idealism, and tendency toward the quixotic. She is unfailingly ladylike, but also brash and impulsive, hot-blooded and outspoken, and she tends to chafe at the control exerted over her, straining always against her structured existence.

Ivy is most notable, however, not for anything specific she does, but for the effect she has on all who come into contact with her. She can provoke a visceral reaction, a spike of emotion, in even the most apathetic Kindred, and it tends to be of a polarising nature; one either admires or despises her, is enamoured or envious, intrigued or enraged. Whatever the effect, Ivy is impossible to ignore, and the memory of her stays with all acquaintances long after they have left her company, regardless of how hard they may try to shake it off.

Inspiration

• Marie Antoinette
• Octavia, Rome, both seasons
• Satine, Moulin Rouge!
• Ophelia, Hamlet
• Amber Sweet, Repo! The Genetic Opera
• Gilda Besse, Head In The Clouds
• Margeurite de Valois, La Reine Margot

Soundtrack

The Soundtrack represents the character's private emotions as they relate to the world around her, and may not be representative of public appearences; thus, contents of this section are considered OOC knowledge only.

• Showbiz by Muse - her House: "They make me dream your dreams, they make me scream your screams."
• Black Sheep by Saliva - for her Family: "No, you look the other way - I'll spit right in your face, because I'm the black sheep of the family."
• Marry Me by Simple Plan - for The Invictus: "When I'm beheaded, at least I was wedded and when I am buried, at least I was married; I'll hide my behaviour with wine as my saviour, but, oh! What beautiful things I'll wear! What beautiful dresses and hair!...My life is arranged, but this union's deranged, so I'll fuck who I choose, for I've nothing to lose."
• Fame (Baby, Remember My Name) by Irene Cara - for Kindred society: "I'm going to live forever, so, baby, remember my name."
• My Goddess by The Exies - for Gabbie: "I was knee-deep in a sick love, I was cross-eyed under your drug. Schizo saviour, mad messiah - fatal worship, you inspire. Go! I don't believe in you, now; I've seen too much. I don't believe in you, now, my Goddess. You were counting on a freefall. You laid your bet I would lose all. Chalk up one less crucifixion; I kicked that sick, old addiction."
• Don't Believe Anymore by The Whitlams (originally by Icehouse) - for Roley: "I never counted on this. I guess that's the way that it goes. You used to be someone I knew, somebody I could understand - now, I don't know what to do and I don't know who you are. All those things, I hear you say; you talk that way. I'm a stranger to you."
• There, There by Radiohead - for 'Zeke: "There's always a siren, singing you to shipwreck. Stay away from these rocks; we'd be a walking disaster."
• Call Me When You're Sober by Evanescence - for Charlie: "Don't cry to me; if you loved me, you would be here with me. If you want me, come find me."
• Building A Mystery by Sarah McLachlan - for Orin Deshayes: "Give us a tantrum and a know-it-all grin, just when we need one, when the evening's thin. You're beautiful; a beautiful, fucked-up man."
• It Can't Rain All The Time by Jane Siberry - for Xiao York: "Do we have faith in what we believe? The truest test is when we cannot see...when I'm lonely, I lie awake at night and I wish you were here; I miss you. Can you tell me, is there something more to believe in, or is this all there is?...last night, I had a dream - you came into my room, you took me into your arms, whispering and kissing me, and telling me to still believe, until I felt safe and warm, and fell asleep in your arms. When I awoke, I cried again, for you were gone."
• Our Love by Rhett Miller - for 'Dozie: "Richard Wagner's letters to his lover, Mathilde, were a mess; he should have quit before he had written the address. They made love on the mezzanine, her husband was his friend. Vienna, in a fugue-state, working on a thing that when he finished it took almost seven hours to sing; he still found time to write to her his heart-exploding words. Our love surpassed our love so fast, our love's all wrong - our love goes on and on."
• Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge - for Darius: "It's only just a crush, it'll go away; it's just like all the others, it'll go away - or maybe this is danger and you just don't know, you pray it all away but it continues to grow...either way he wanted her and this was bad, wanted to do things to her; it was making him crazy. Now a little crush turned into a like, and now he wants to grab her by the hair and tell her, 'I want to hold you close, skin pressed against me tight. Lie still, and close your eyes, girl - so lovely, it feels so right. I want to hold you close; soft breath, beating heart, as I whisper in your ear, I want to fucking tear you apart.'"
• Dirty Little Secret by All American Rejects - Jay: "Let me know that I've done wrong, when I've known this all along...I'll keep you my dirty little secret; don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret. Who has to know?"
• Falls On Me by Fuel - for Bethy: "I've seen you hanging around this darkness where I'm bound and this black hole I've dug for me, and silently within, with hands touching skin; the shock breaks my disease, and I can breathe, and all of your weight - all you dream - falls on me, it falls on me, and your beautiful sky - the light you bring - falls on me, it falls on me. Your faith, like the pain, draws me in again. She washes all my wounds for me."
• Finding Myself by Smile Empty Soul - for Archon Cameron Moran: "I don't care anymore if I let you down; I believe that I need to be free. I'm so used to my life with you around, I don't know anymore the real me, and I thought that I found myself, today, and I thought that I had control. All the chains in my life just fell away. For a moment, I didn't need you. All these tears that I've cried; you must be tired of taking care of me, but it is what you do best and I'm a liar, because it really is what I need."
• Senzafine by Lacuna Coil - for Alder Marquise Galiana al-'Aliyya: ""Tutto ciò che sarai era già stato scritto. Se davvero esiste, questo dio ha fallito. Ogni parola pronunciata sarà lo specchio del tuo dolore, riflette la colpa, alimenta l'odio. Madre, il mio destino scelgo, se riesco a resistere. Sono ancora in piedi in questo istante di pura follia, non so piu' se desiderare il bene o il male - anche se il peccato forse piu' mi da'."
• Meaning Of Life by The Offspring - Walter Zachariah Jacobson: "By the way, I know your path has been tried, so it might seem like the way to go; me, I'd rather be found trying something new."
• Fear by Disturbed - for Omen Novak: "Reject, are you no-one? Feel you nothing? You know, I'll bet you think you have a good reason to be living in the limelight of the fortunate ones. You're too weakened by the poison that they feed you in the living lie...I don't understand why you don't like me; why don't you like me? Am I so different from you? Now, does it scare you that I'm able to discern what to love and what to burn? I'll add your fuel to the fire, now. Stand back, brother, take your hand back, leave it and I might crack more than a smile or two; you see, you don't judge what you don't understand - you can't deny what has been given to me."
• Rose Red by Emilie Autumn - for Prince Quartermain: "'Rose Red, Rose Red, will I ever see thee wed?' I will marry at thy will, sire - at they will. A thousand years gone by; too late to wonder why I'm here alone. Within my darkest hour, she rose that fell a flower. I should have known. 'Rose Rose Rose Red, will I ever see thee wed?' Only if you can capture me. Tell me no more stories and I'll tell you no lies - no-one wants to hurt me, but everybody tries."
• Back To The Wall by The Divinyls - for Zhou's corsairs: "Don't push me too far; you'd better run for your life."
• Polyamorous by Breaking Benjamin - for Zero: "They've come to get me, again; the cloud is over my head. My polyamorous friend, he got me in a mess of trouble again..."
• Bound To Violence by Hatebreed - for Pete: "Violence begets violence, pain begets pain; haunted by a dying hope, subconsciously needing the agony - when will you face this? Why do you run? How will you ever heal, if you've lost the ability to feel? Bound to violence, gagged by pain, drowned in self-regret; this grief is the sentence you face."
• Just Dance by Lady Gaga - for Trafalgar: "I’ve had a little bit too much; all of the people start to rush (start to rush by) - a dizzy, twisted dance. Can’t find my drink. Oh, man, where are my keys? I lost my phone. What’s going on on the floor? I love this record, baby, but I can’t see straight, anymore. Keep it cool. What’s the name of this club? I can’t remember but its alright, alright. Just dance!"
• So High by Starchaser feat. Lo-Fi Sugar - for Amiee Todd: "It's been a long day; oh, but the City waits. It'll come to you, if you don't hesitate...got a feeling so high. You're held against the times. We can chase the night divine."
• You'll Ask For Me by Tyler Hilton - for Gabriel Maitland: "I hope you let your intuition precede my reputation, because I have one. Well, I am what you see, I am not what they say, but if I turned out to be, could you love me, anyway? Standing in anonymous, hoping your heart will just wake up and ask for me by name. Maybe someday you'll ask for me by name, but not today."
• Uninvited by Alanis Morisette - for Bishop Aulus: "Like anyone would be, I am flattered by your fascination with me...but this is not allowed."

Ivy.

• Very Good Advice from Alice In Wonderland (Disney cartoon): "Oh, dear - now I shall never get out. Well, when one is lost, I suppose it's good advice to stay where you are...oh, good advice; but that's just the trouble with me, if I'd listened earlier, I wouldn't be here. I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it. That explains the trouble that I'm always in...well, I went along my merry way, and I never stopped to reason; I should have known there'd be a price to pay someday."
• Old Man River by TISM: "I'm on the drug, I'm on the drug, I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix...I saw his body thrashing 'round, I saw his pulse rate going down, I saw him in convulsive throes; I said, 'I'll have one of those!'"
• You're Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring: "Show me how to lie; you’re getting better all the time, and turning all against the one is an art that's hard to teach. Another clever word sets off an unsuspecting herd, and, as you get back into line, a mob jumps to their feet. Now, dance, fucker, dance; man, he never had a chance, and no one even knew it was really only you, and now you steal away - take him out, today. Nice work you did; you're gonna go far, kid. With a thousand lies and a good disguise, hit 'em right between the eyes, hit 'em right between the eyes! When you walk away, nothing more to say, see the lightning in your eyes."
• Sexy Bitch by David Guetta feat. Akon: "They say she needs to slow down; the baddest thing around town. She's nothing like a girl you've ever seen before, nothing you can compare to your neighbourhood whore. I'm trying to find the words to describe this girl without being disrespectful...damn, you's a sexy bitch."
• Black, Black Heart by David Usher: "Something ugly this way comes, through my fingers, sliding inside. All these blessings, all these burns; I'm Godless, underneath your cover. Search for pleasure, search for pain - in this world, now, I am undying. I unfurl my flag, my nation helpless. Black, black heart. Why would you offer more? Why would you make it easier on me to satisfy? I'm on fire. I'm rotting to the core. I'm eating all your Kings and Queens, all your sex and your diamonds."
• Silence by The Tea Party: "Lie in the bed you've made, Ophelia; dry are the lips that lost their taste of love. Drown in the waters that would give you life. Cry as this lamentation thrusts its knife."
• Cocaine by Eric Clapton: "If you want to hang out, you've got to take her out - cocaine. If you want to get down, get down on the ground - cocaine. She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie - cocaine."
• Carry Me Away by Chris Lake feat. Emma Hewitt: "Down, the water holds me down; it’s like I have no weight and, now, I'm floating with the tide, the sun is on my face and I hear you talking. I hear you speak. Someone's talking, saying something, but I’m on my own - there's nothing left to say. It carries me away, and you call out; I can’t hear you, I can’t feel you, no, I can’t feel nothing, and you all look the same."
• My Skin by Natalie Merchant: "I've been treated so wrong, I've been treated so long as if I'm becoming untouchable."
• When The River Runs Dry by Hunters And Collectors: "Good news for the beautiful people, watching the world go by. Make love in the middle of a warzone - yeah, you're never going to die."
• Thank God I'm Pretty by Emilie Autumn: "Thank God I'm pretty, every skill I ever have will be in question. Ever ill I'll ever suffer, merely brought on by myself."
• Lost by Sunlounger feat. Zara: "Forget the peace inside; you’ve given way to the Gods of destruction. Full of desire, you feel afraid that there’s nothing left. The ocean is dry - do you feel hollow? Nowhere to hide, and nothing to swallow."
• Toy Soldiers by Martika: "When you hear temptation call, it's your heart that takes the fall. Won't you come out and play with me?"
• The Call of the Nymph by Priscilla Hernandez: "It's so silent down here, I can only hear the hissing murmur of the distant river. It's so freezing, so cold; come to me my dear, my dear..."
• These Shoulders by Signalrunners feat. Julie Thompson: "With a smile to melt a thousand hearts, you’ve become a gift to all, but will your everything be enough? Run away, time to take the way they unwind - sworn to silence, just a helping hand. Stand in line; they come. Oh, how they want you, but who’s the one you call when you fall? These shoulders are holding the weight of the world."
• Rake At The Gates Of Hell by The Pogues: "If any should escape above me, I'll beg and cheat until they trust me; drag them down to be Damned with me - laugh at them, as they forgive me."
• Lorelei by Ella Fitzgerald: "I'm treacherous, yeah, yeah. Ooh, I just can't hold myself in check. I'm leacherous, yeah, yeah. I want to bite my initials in a sailor's neck."
• Toucha Toucha Toucha Touch Me by Susan Sarandon: "I've tasted blood and I want more. I'll put up no resistence, I want to stay the distance; I've got an itch to scratch, I need assistance."
• The Sweet by AC/DC: "She's got girls, girls all over the world. She's got men every now and then, but she can't make up her mind on just how to fill her time."
• When I Am Queen by Jack Off Jill: "When I am queen - sweet girl scout's face - not a one will fall from Grace, if all their hearts I could replace, but until then I'll have to drown, drown, drown myself."
• Alisha Rules The World by Alisha's Attic: "She's an angel but she sins sometimes; dressed in white, gets drunk on red...wine."
• Celebrity Skin by Hole: "I'm all I want to be; a walking study in demonology."
• She's Got To Be Loved by Jenny Morris: "She has to be loved, she wants to be needed - don't want to be hated, just loves to be wanted."
• Everybody Wants You by Billy Squier: "Putting on the eyes until there's nobody else, you never realize what you do to yourself; the things that they see make the daily reviews. You'll never get free when everybody wants you."
• Don't Cross The River by America: "Don't cross the river if you can't swim the tide; don't try denying living on the other side. All your life, you were on your own."
• The One I Drowned by Flowing Tears: "Water, water, relieve my pain and let me in. Water, water, take on your child for dying. Father, father, I never promised you I'd swim."
• It's A Sin by Pet Shop Boys: "At school, they taught me how to be so pure in through and word and deed; they didn't quite succeed. For everything I long to do, no matter where or when or who, has one thing in common, too; it's a sin."
• Changes by Three Doors Down - for her Embrace: "I'm not supposed to be scared of anything, but I don't know where I am. I wish that I could move, but I'm exhausted and nobody understands. I'm trying hard to breathe, now, but there's no air in my lungs."
• Maneater by Hall and Oates - for hunting: "She'll only come out at night, the lean and hungry type. Nothing is new, I've seen her here, before; watching and waiting - she's sitting with you, but her eyes are on the door."
• Voices by Disturbed - for the Beast: "'Wake up! Are you alive? Will you listen to me? I'm gonna talk about some freaky shit, now. Someone is gonna die when you listen to me - let the living die, let the living die!...Can't you imagine how good going through this will make you feel? I promise, no one will ever know; there will be no chance of you getting caught. They never loved you anyway.'... Save me, God! I can hear the voice, but I don't want to listen. Strap me down and tell me I'll be alright. I can feel the subliminal need to be one with the voice and make everything alright."

Lineage

Great-grandSire: Nikolai the Impulsive

GrandSire: William the Insatiable

Sire: Gabriela Magdalena Zaragoza y de la Lanza

Consanguinous: Roland Fitzroy, Ezekial de la Lanza, Charles Beckett, Francois DuPaix (deceased).

IC Opinions

Your PC's thoughts on Ivy.

• "A sculptor wields the chisel and the stricken marble grows to beauty."
  • "Gently, she shows them what she is wearing. Pearls of pain and the fine-spun veils of patience." - both by Amira Galiana al-'Aliyya.

• "Lady Darling is an exquisite woman, one might say a work of art. Like most such works, she requires years of expertise and study to fully appreciate. So, unless you are willing to commit a decade or two to this endeavour, I'd suggest you not do anything to upset the lady... what, me, jealous of your intentions towards her? *deep chuckle* Oh, even if I did have feelings for her, it's not me you should be worried about. But if I get to you first, your Requiem will last just that little bit longer..." *walks away, still chuckling, quietly shaking his head*
  • "You're a dangerous woman to know, Ivy. You get under the skin." - both by Archon Moran.

• "I shall both pity and envy Sir Moran. Though he must bear the pangs of closeness, he too may reap the sweet rewards. I have spent the majority of Lady Darling's Requiem acting as a sort of de facto protector. It was I who watched her spill her own sweet blood to placate the Acolytes. It was I who stormed after the kidnappers that seem always and forever to be straining to put their dirty hands on her pristine body...she is a prodigy of the first calibre, and were she not so young a fledgeling, The Most Callipigian Lady Darling would be eminently marriageable."
  • "Remember that it was I who said that. Wasted skin and withered heart, deformed, disfigured, unwanted. Remember that even the Nosferatu crave to touch such beauty, and that we are, as always, hidden just out of sight." - both by Sir Hargrave.

• "Mine. Just don't need yet." - der Gewalt.

• "I had heard rumors of the Darling of the Court of London. She puts me ill at ease. She holds two titles of function, and is yet to reach a half decade. I hear rumors that she is using unconventional methods to move up within the Covenant. Indeed, she warms the blood; her very appearance does so. Her draping herself over my throne will be an interesting perk of Praxis." - the late Commissioner Elias Stanthorpe, Alder Prince of Melbourne.

• "Fascinating. Where can I get one like that?" - Cassius.

• "No man strikes my sister, but me." - Confessor Roland Fizroy, hand on sword.

• "One guard. One pursuer. Within moments, all this she accumulates. This pallid creature. I see hands greasy with oceanic flesh. Fists pounding the grasping Spindrift. Fingers stretching fearlessly through crushing depths. Towards luminous gossamer. So Tactile. Precise. Soft. White. Hidden. I say beware: admirers and guardians both. Ivy chokes all it grows upon." - Spindrift, to Gull as they watch from the bow those who voyage.

• "A most eminently worthy lady, and a damn fine fencer. Never thought that posh stuff was useful till she showed me how to do that thing with the wrist. Yes. I am most certainly impressed."
  • "Do you know why I like this woman so much? It's not just because she's one of the most beautiful creatures I've ever had the pleasure of seeing, it's not just because she's witty and entertaining company, it's not even that she taught me some tricks with a fencing saber. It's that she makes me feel more alive whenever I'm around her, and she makes me think completely outside the box when it comes to my work. Do you have any idea how valuable that makes her?" - both by Regimental Colour Sergeant Simon "DoW" Fyrsmythe.

• "Whatever. Fucking pretty... which means fucking useless."
  • "Appreciate the backup and shit. Still, don't mean I won't rip your perty li'l fuckin' face to shreds if I get the chance..." - Omen Novak, sneering.

• "Wearing such things in public - scandalous! I would suggest some tutelage under an appropriate etiquette mistress would improve this young lady's disposition. I'm not even sure she can play the piano! And, indeed, if this is the case, then what respectable young man will want her? A woman must make a strong alliance in this regard." - Walter Zachariah Jacobson, gentleman butler to Galiana al-'Aliyya and Victorian-era fuddy duddy extraordinaire.

• "Swimming with her was...one of the most amazing experiences...so deep..." - Lillian Slaughter, unable to articulate her thoughts.

• "I was in attendance that night as both a guest and guard; it came as some shock to witness the ferocity with which this barely-Embraced creature threw itself at its task. *pauses to swallow* I still wonder, having sparred with Roland on a number of occasions - if she had bested him, would I have been able to protect Victoria?" - Father Malachai O'Leary, reflecting on the recent past.

• "Ivy? Of course I know her. Porcelain white skin, silvery hair, a figure that is simply amazing; she is, quite simply, the epitome of beauty. Of course, the fact that she is my sister does not sway my opinion in the least." - Ezekial de la Lanza.

• "She is viewed as an object by those mealy-mouthed sycophantic fucks who surround her. To them, she is but a spectacle clad all in white, to be paraded about, and then whored out for favours. And do you know what makes this such a tragedy? She knows. Somewhere deep in her empty heart, she knows. Perhaps, one day she will break free." - Brother Deimos.

• "I have nothing, Ivy. I was wrong. I was foolish and let a beautiful creature die through my ignorance. And it shall be a long time before I forgive myself for that." - Sir Charles Beckett.

• "Ivy is as dangerous as she is random. We both lead a double life. Of all Kindred I've met, she's the only one who truly comprehends the meaning of the word 'unlife'. Neither living nor dead, most live in a stasis, a mere simulacrum of existence. Yet she, like I, jumps from one to the other - cannot remain too long among the living, afraid to be too long among the dead. Her respect for me will only be as deep as my resistance. Her attention kept, only as much as I give in. From one to other, no half measure." - Zero .

• "The Putih Perempuan, Manis Kecil; she has haunted my dreams and my waking moments for the last twenty-five years. Her life, I have witnessed from across the oceans. The Dewi have shown me Manis Kecil, and therefore she must be important. But to what end?" - Ketut.

• "I apologise for not making time for a Neonate I've barely heard of from a House I have no interest in. Clearly, rather than attending to matters of Clan and Covenant, I should have been paying attention to you."
  • "You're a well-trained pet, and an attractive one, but you're still a pet. I tell you this not to make you feel bad - there are plenty of kindred, particularly of your blood, who started out the same way - but rather so that you understand our respective places in the Plan. I bear you no personal malice, but I'll not be spoken to in that manner by an ornamental kindred. Speak to me like that in public again, and I'll have you abasing yourself and begging for whatever scraps of approval I can be bothered handing out, are we clear?" - both by Caius Metullus Coriolanus.

• "Aunt Ivy...tripping the light fantastic, I see. Where did you acquire your...medication?" - Lord Orin Deshayes, encountering Ivy in a more...liberated state.

• "She spent most of an evening sitting next to one of the oldest vampires in the room. She either wanted to be noticed or protected as others were in place to serve." - Al-Nasr, in reference to the first national gathering since the Plague.

• "See how she spins her pretty webs before she drains the life from her smiling victims? I'd be careful around someone who spent all their time in the Princes gathering watching people's throats when she spoke to them. Ivy? More likely the Unconquered's very own black widow." - Jaagup Rebane, to Marja Lind.

• "Okay, she's pretty, but you could see she was laughing at me; laughing at everyone, behind her eyes." - Jeremy Phillis, to Alexandra Hamersley.

• "But look at her...she is as she is named. If you must laugh at people, then do it from behind lips made for kissing and inviting hands. She is demure, charming and precise in the face of her Elders, but the blood within her is still hot, and that makes her unpredictable - and tantalising. Watch her moving, boy, and listen to the edge in her voice. She knows just what she's doing to people, and she's going to use that to the best advantage of her Lady and herself. Remember that." - Alexandra Hamersley, in reply.

• "Such beauty, such bearing; not unlike the rapier, it may look slight and thin but when wielded correctly it shall find the chink in any suit of armour. But remember, my son - a rapier may break when not used correctly or cared for." - Solomon Reece Quartermain, to his childe, at the gathering in Canberra.

• "This is curious creature. When she cried out my sire's name in despair, I heard some familiar note in her scream. Perhaps I see something of Spindrift reflected in her eyes, something of arctic plains we once raced across and below. I pray that next time our Requiems cross we may speak, and I may learn what Spindrift had seen in this predator." - Bishop Verdigris, called Thrice-Damned.

• "This? This is your Prince's second in command? This childe is your leader? *turning to Ivy* Oh, you poor little thing. Your arse is far too young to be sitting in that big chair." - Left, messenger of the Unbound Elder, Murad, upon storming into the Melbourne Court and demanding to speak to the person in charge.

• "Ivy's gorgeous, truly. La Belle Dame sans Merci. She could kill with a smile. Hell, I'd know; I was one of the first to go. You want to know the sad thing? Here I am, letting her do it again."
  • "Ivy...Goddamned Ivy Darling. You have to be fucking kidding me." - both by Darius Asquith.

• "Ivy - she's the pale girl? Hells yeah, she can bust a move! Damn, I remember that night in Canberra. Oooh, that was a wild one! Shit, I gotta call her up more often; we should totally hit the scene again!" - Amiee Todd.

• "She has stones, I will give her that. At the end of the day, though, she is still just an Invictus flunkie, even if she is slightly higher up the totem pole then most." - Peter Edmondson.

• "The minute I saw her, I knew she was special, and when we talked, it was all perfect. She's closer than any Kin, any friend and any lover I've ever had, and probably ever will. My Fiocce di Neve." - Mendoza Sangiovanni.

• "You know what you are to your Covenant, kid? I don't think you do. You're a gambit, a wildcard; useful for now, but ultimately disposable as soon as your Elders find bigger fish to fry, and, once your house of cards comes down, it'll be my head on the block - the moment they want me dead, they'll murder you to have a reason. Don't think for a second that they won't go through you to get to me; everything that you've got, everything you've worked so hard for and are so proud of can be taken away the instant they decide you're worth more to them as a dead sacrifice than a living postergirl. Sure as Mary was a Saint, you'll be the death of me, even if I never lay a hand on you, and that's why you spook me."
  • "Well played, kid." - both by Pokerface

• "Has hope. Can you not see how wondrous, how horrific, how utterley insane such a thing must be, for our kind? Of the conversation, I believe the incipient revelations involved are not exclusive to the named personage. Truly fascinating; it would be a most grievous irritation to the currently-engaged lesser work if survival was not ensured until an appropiate analysis can be arranged." - Xiao York

• "Oh, I have no doubt that in a hundred years or so, Ivita will make an excellent Prince. But now? At three years old? No, no. Look at the childish tantrum she threw at being denied her way. This is why she would not make a good Prince now. She would be dead before the year was out. She needs to grow up before her potential can be properly realised. I fear for her greatly, that her tendency to tantrums and brash incivility will get her torpored or worse before that happens." - Bishop Gabriela Magdalena Zaragoza y de la Lanza in a private conversation.

• "I believe in putting my childer into situations that with challenge them, and therefore make them grow, but what has happened to Lady Darling goes far beyond that. She is nowhere near experienced or old enough to carry herself correctly on the throne, and it has shown through, clear as boar scent. She is clearly prey. She should not be put into positions where entire rooms full of Kindred will be staring at her throat with open desire, and speculating how best to twist her weaknesses into their advantages." - Alexandra Hamersley, after the events of the December Scavenger Hunt in Canberra.

• "Such a shame; the very first time I managed to sit down and talk with this oddity, just as the small talk was over and we were about to get down to the important business at hand, we were informed that for our safety we had to leave the building. Our intention had been to speak again when able to address the matters at hand, but every time I saw her after that she was flitting about instead of dealing with matters of the Unconquered. Ah well, the matters of the First Estate were resolved without her. But such is youth. She is one even younger than I and even I would not put on the airs or make the presumptions that she does. Bright candles burn fast. I will sit and smoulder in the shadows and allow the moths to be drawn to her bright flame." - Tilottama Vasuman

• "Run. Run as far and as fast as you can. Get out of here, Ivy. I've seen what your family turns into - Nikolai, Dem, Fitzroy - but you somehow have some decency about you, and that's why you need to get away from here before you turn into what they are. Run." - Gabriel Maitland

• "Survival is about sacrifice. The funny thing about sacrifice; there will come a time when you will have to lay down all that you are to see what you believe in continue on. Why? Because out of our sacrifice comes a greater strength, not just for the Clan or Covenant - but, by its very nature, that sacrifice makes us stronger. To deny this is folly and to think that we are better than what is asked of us is sheer impudence. Remember Darius, because she seems to have all but forgotten, no matter how important, how strong, fast or tough you think you are, there is always - and I really do mean always - someone, something out there better than you in every way. And so, my son, as for the rapier, she will either be used like the weapon she so perfectly embodies and become what is needed, or she shall rust and become pitted, and what use is a rusted weapon to anyone? What becomes of such a wasted treasure? That's right, my son, nothing! It is all but forgotten." - Solomon Reece Quartermain to his childe Darius Quartermain after hearing of Ivy's discontent at her Elders' plans for her.

Rumours

• Galiana's beautiful favourite is admired by many, but possessed by none - a strange state for a celebrated Daeva. Is it her Liege's will that prevents her from taking a lover, or the remnants of her puritanical Sire's authority?
  • Ah, there it is. Ivy's Liege is in talks to marry her to the heir of the Prince of Adelaide, to cement an inter-domain Invictus alliance.
    • No-one's asking Ivy, of course.
• Wherever Ivy goes, chaos follows at her heels; loyalties are discarded, and allegiances betrayed in her wake. Whether by machination or nature, she brings instability and conflict with her - just look at the mess she left the Court of Melbourne in!
  • And, indeed, look at how swiftly Melbourne became stable once she'd left the City!
    • Does Canberra's Prince know the storm she's invited over her threshold?
• She has a hotel, complete with five levels of restaurants and bars, named after her in Sydney.
  • Not to mention a mountain range in Perth.
• Has anyone ever noticed she has a real habit of making dangerous friends?
• She's such an exquisite whore, she could corrupt the soul of a Priest...
  • Or two.
    • Or three...
• The Invictus' favourite little doll is beginning to...crack.
• Ivy's such a sybarite, she deals controlled substances at Court, and once knowingly fed off a mortal another Kindred was possessing.

OOC Information

Things Ivy Darling Is No Longer Allowed To Do In The Invictus...

"Unconquered. It's, er, a political movement. We're having a costume party upstairs. I'm a ghost." - to a drunken guy at the bar who wanted to know what my Invictus pin meant.

If this all looks terribly familiar, that's because this character is both a deliberate deconstruction of the "irresistable Daeva sex appeal" cliché and a subversion of the "all Daeva are dirty whores" stereotype. I, however, decided to do something a little different from the norm, and focus more of the "demon" aspect of the Succubus concept.

Player: Pamcakes
AU2003100615 (I had a 2001 number, but I ated it)

Location: Canberra, Australia