Forsythe
RPM
Achronum
kittyluna45
Scrawl Banditta
Not a Sayan
KazAlkemi
Neziul
Location: Outside Almack's ---> Crypt Townhouse Near the Strand, London
The carriage ride passed in relative silence, as Virginia was lost in her own thoughts and the driver certainly was not going to make any attempts at conversation, as he was incredibly tired due to the lateness of the hour. Her thoughts flickered back and forth between Millicent and Mosi, the one who had lost and the one who was lost. And while Virginia was normally one to draw strength from the melancholy, the night's events brought no smile to her face. Perhaps if it had been strangers or mere acquaintances, yet it had been her dear friends who suffered. They were not fit to walk in the shadows as Crypts could.
"Welcome home, my lady," Alfred greeted, opening the door to the troubled household just mere moments after Virginia's carriage arrived. "I surmise you have had a most eventful evening?" Alfred observed, eyeing the tattered state of Virginia's once fine gown as she exited the carriage and entered the townhouse.
"Yes, there was a tragedy at Almack's as was expected," Virginia explained as the door closed softly behind her. "How is the little Viscount, Alfred? I hope he caused you trouble." There was a morose smile on her lips as she stated mannerism common in her family. While other homes perhaps wished that their children behaved as angels would, that was not seen as desirable to the Crypts. And Virginia had no intention of raising James to be normal. It was his birthright to delight in the macabre.
"He entertained himself with your scientific instruments, my lady," Alfred responded, a hint of weariness in his eyes. James was quite a handful, just as his elder sister had been at that age. Yet Alfred loved them as if they were his own children, despite the chaos Crypts tended to unleash at a young age.
"I'm glad to hear of it," Virginia replied, slipping off her shoes. She always did enjoy to feel the coolness of the ground through her feet. It was quite centering. She headed for the staircase, motioning for Alfred to follow her. She would need to divulge to him the night's events and seek his counsel on what actions to take. In her eyes, he was as old and wise as she was young and foolish.
"Alfred," Virginia then began with a pause, once they had reached the second floor of the house. "Millicent Wyndham is engaged to a ghastly man as of this evening. One of her sisters has been killed." She then turned away, in order to hide any hint of shame from her face. "Mosi Crane's life was claimed as well." Virginia's fists were clenched yet her hands still trembled as those words fell from her lips. "I fear that Mosi's blood has stained my hands, Alfred."
Alfred's countenance fell. The tattered state of Virginia's dress and her sorrowful state fell into context. The news that Miss Wyndham had become engaged was no great surprise to Alfred. She may have been a year Virginia's junior, yet it was the age of weddings for the pair of them. It was the proper age for Mosi Crane, as well. And of course, Virginia's friend Mary Hale had already been wed to Christ. No, it was the deaths that troubled Alfred.
"Then we will mourn for them, my lady," Alfred finally replied. He assumed that Virginia's distaste for Millicent Wyndham's engagement was likely unfounded. He had much experience with the various moods of the Crypts, finding that at their core they were hardly any different than any other human being when it came to matters of the heart. "And if I knew anything of Miss Crane's character from your recollections, my lady, she would not wish for you to blame yourself."
"...I know that you are right, dear Alfred, but...but what am I to do for Millicent?" Virginia asked quietly, turning her head to face him once more. "She has lost so much this night--loss that perhaps could have been prevented."
"You cannot make choices for others, my lady. You can support Millicent in her endeavors and you can be a friend to her," Alfred responded, looking at his almost daughter with compassion. "I know you have no desire to save this world, yet you instead yearn to save your friends. But you must make peace with the fact, my lady, that their battles are theirs to be fought, whether they conquer or are conquered. All you can do is support them until they call upon you for more, my lady."
Virginia nodded, smiling through the pain. "Thank you for your counsel, dear Alfred," she replied, bowing her head slightly. His words echoed in her mind the rest of the night. They remained with her as she attended to James and ensured his safety for the night, and as she returned to her own chamber and dressed for bed. Only once her eyes closed and sleep claimed her did the words cease their repetition in her mind.
