Bordello of Blood, Part Two!
In we are herded to the Feasting Hall, and while we seat ourselves and get our drink orders (I nearly always get the hot cider, yummy) the whores file in and start filling their appointment books, getting cozy with the patrons. The maniacs, too, roam around, and one of them makes a point of licking me on the cheek every night. It's a good thing he's cute or I'd be offended. I still ACT grossed out, but...it's sort of cute.
So then the Maestro takes the stage for the usual spiel. No smoking, bathrooms are outside, once you leave you'll be seated at his discretion, yadda yadda. On with the show already. Once again the Madame's voice calls our attention, wanting to know where this brave young man is who has come looking for his brother. Sure enough, more bravery than smarts, Ancel comes striding up to her, repeating his previous offer: if she frees his brother, he will take his place.
And will he be as entertaining as his brother, she replies? Ancel looks confused, repeating the question puzzledly. As pliable? Horrified, Ancel starts to ask what she means by that, before she remarks if he will be as easily broken, before seizing hold of his shirt collar and ripping it up and away from under his vest, before attempting to suffocate him with it. She then proceeds to fling him down the main aisle, dragging him upward through an invisible force that is obviously paining him, crowing that he will be such FUN to play with!
"Play?" Olive chimes in from her spot next to one of the chained maniacs. "I like to play!"
"Then you'll love this one!" the Madame replies, and poor Ancel is thrown backwards onto the stage, where the whores come down around him, tugging his vest open to reveal the marks left by the Madame's psychic manhandling.
At this point, the whore in green, Bridget, speaks up that there's just something about the male anatomy that makes her hungry. Surely their guests deserve some food after their long walk through the backstreets of London. Perhaps they'd like some...hot buns. (Yes, provocative butt-wiggling was involved.) So the buns are served, with three different kinds of butter, and we nosh on those as poor Ancel is dragged about and petted and coddled and tormented. Finally, one of the vampire whores drags him to his feet, asking if he'd still like to see his brother? It might be a shock, as he's so different from when he last saw him, but Ancel doesn't care, crying out for Richard persistantly. The vampire, Ally, calls to Olive to go and fetch "Filth".
Thus the two brothers are finally reunited, if only for a few moments of peace before being torn apart again.
For now, it is finally time for the Ancient One, the true power behind the Bordello and the sire of the Madame, to make her appearance and greet her guests. The portrait on the wall does her no justice. Her presence is imposing, her gaze piercing, and her voice commanding all who hear it. She explains the ceremony that is to take place, and that the sacred chalice must be filled with the blood of the most pure and innocent.
The Madame orders Ally and Bridget to seek out such innocent blood. They move through the crowd thoughtfully, before coming across a young woman in the audience, and proclaiming her perfect. Screaming, the girl bolts, only to have the entire coven descend upon her and drag her out the door to be drained, screaming the entire while. (The scariest part is that no one ever tries to help her. Very Theatre of the Vampires from IwtV, and very creepy in its own way.)
Filth is sent after them with a bucket, and returns when the screaming ends, blood trickling down out of several holes and splattering him and the ground behind him with thick red blood. Upon passing Olive, the dainty little thing sticks out her foot to trip him, spilling a good portion of it onto one of the maniacs, who then vomits blood in response. Filth is beaten for his clumsiness, while the bucket is taken away. One of the slighter vampires stamps her foot and, breaking entirely from the various English and Romanian accents employed during the course of the evening, hollars "Hot damn, I do love ancient ceremonies!" in a deep southern accent.
One of the vampires sneers and asks the Ancient One to remind her why this American and her wretched squealing voice is among them. The southern gal replies that she'd rather have a wretched squealing voice than have to sleep in a Y-shaped coffin, which provokes a hiss from the naysayer and howls of laughter from the audience. Then, after asking permission of the Madame and the Ancient One, she introduces herself to us as Belle Bombay, from the great state of Texas.
Turns out she'd been on tour with her dance group, Legs She Can-Can, when traveling through Transylvania, she met a man who "laid a great big prick on my neck...and I've never felt the same since, y'all!" She then seemed to have met the acquaintence of the Madame, who thought she would make a fine addition to the Bordello. The glowers from some of the whores indicate not all were in favor of this.
But it doesn't matter now. The blood has been procured, and now the whores file out of the hall with the chalice in hand, ready to begin the ceremony.
On her way out, Olive decides to steal a kiss from one of the maniacs, who writhes in pain. Drawing away, she spits out a bloodied piece of something or other, before merrily skipping down the middle aisle, singing "Skip to my Lou" as loudly as she can, leaving the maniacs screaming in terror, and Ancel wondering what he's gotten himself into...
End Part Two!