Re’vamping’ Demon City
Thomas Nordenheim couldn’t believe where she was, or what she was doing, but nonetheless, she was doing it.
"A little to the left," Briar Dallas said, squinting at the heavy painting Thomas was holding against the wall. They stood in an echoingly empty art gallery, still smelling of fresh paint and stone dust, with heavy canvases stacked about the massive rooms. A handful of paintings had been hung, set to best use the available light in the building, and many, many more awaited placement. Briar stood calmly, her hands trembling from the abuse they’d suffered as she’d somehow painted over thirty items for the gallery in less than three weeks. Thomas glanced at her as she adjusted the frame, frowning slightly.
"Briar, go drink some more of that smoothie Bertram made you. You’re still shaking," she said, holding the painting easily with one hand as she marked it’s placement with the red China marker. The medium scampered over to the thermos, taking a few swift drinks as her eyes skipped from painting to painting. The majority were strong, nude men posing with powerful creatures, but a large number were landscapes which evoked both loneliness and power. A couple of paintings seemed to contain ghosts in the landscape, but being so incorporeal, it was difficult to make it out. One of the largest paintings was of Iris Foster, an older version, sitting quietly in a large oak tree. The painting exuded tranquility and seemed to radiate an aura of peace. A single sculpture was already in place on a dias, shrouded and awaiting the proper angle for lights. The building itself was huge, taking up two stories and nearly two acres of space, with opulent marble flooring and thick plaster on the walls. Briar looked around with satisfaction. At last, here was a space which she could use to the fullest degree. She was already planning more art, imagining a life-sized sculpture of Marius, wings extended, sheltering someone like Kearna, who had the fine-boned beauty Briar liked to use for swooning heroines. The thin mortal smiled as she set the thermos down, blinking away sudden tears of pride. She was going to be in a museum.
Thomas, adjusting the hang of the painting, smiled at Briar’s back. She was very fond of the mortal artist, and often found herself helping Briar in a number of small ways. Perhaps it was the understanding of what it was like to be an insignificant mortal, for Thomas herself, as a mortal, had been very…invisible. She turned back to the painting, then sighed silently. It was one thing to create an art gallery in Brandenburg, but the fact that most of the city’s important citizens were here in Willington, West Virginia, (commonly known to Brandenburg inhabitants as ‘Demon Central’), made her a little uncomfortable. Granted, the majority of the Rough Riders had stayed behind, and Marius was keeping his eye on the city, but for everyone to be in Willington like this…it was just creating the perfect scenario for disaster. Thomas sighed again, moving with vampiric grace to lift the next heavy painting. If things weren’t bad enough, now the idea of a Halloween masque had come up, as a way of advertising Willington and possibly enticing a few demons into Luther’s reach. While Spider’s idea of a ‘fake’ public execution was a clever one, Thomas couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. Parties were one of the worst things to throw in Brandenburg, especially masked balls. She couldn’t help but wonder what a Halloween masque would be like in Demon Central.
Figures, she thought as she lifted another painting into place, Luther would have to take on the city he hates most as a challenge. Why in the world do we get into these situations? She adjusted the painting’s hang, glancing out the window at the lightening eastern sky, then smiled suddenly. Oh yeah, that’s right. Because we’re all crazy.
Briar blinked when she heard Thomas laughing, but smiled herself as she went to cover the windows, protecting the vampire from the daylight. She was happy to be back in her home city, and even happier that the Brandenburg team had decided to revive Willington.
After all, the better the city, the more people come to view the art.
And more demons come for Luther’s claws.