I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path.

One thing I have to say about the past month here in Boston is that it has been exceedingly snowy and slush-ful. As a child in York I have fond memories of the few snowfalls we would see each year, as though some sort of magical weather faerie had dusted the countryside with confectioner’s sugar and set it all sparkling in the sun. Snow in Boston, whether because I am now an adult and no longer look at the world through a child’s wondering gaze or because it is Boston, is thick and heavy and very quickly turns a dull sort of grey.

Or perhaps you will believe that the mundane nature of Boston snow has more to do with my present state of mind than it does the comparative quality of snow in New versus Old England. Perhaps you are right. But there is very little that is magical about recent Boston weather and I fancy that you would be hard-pressed to find someone in this city who would disagree.

The weather has allowed me to miss some of my otherwise semi-weekly meetings with the members of the Dante Effect, and I confess that there have been some of those weeks when I was not entirely disappointed to miss my encounters with Stone. However I must say that last week’s meeting was a pleasant surprise as Ste.Croix had set out a very proper tea for herself, Ms Velazquez and myself. I do not often have a chance to speak with Ms Velaszquez, who is also decidedly unimpressed by this winter, and it was quite possibly one of the most pleasant conversations I have had with either woman since beginning this project. It gives me hope that not only will their future ventures continue to be successful but that I might in time come to not despise the other members of the company. With the exception of Stone and Ritter. I will for the time being withhold my judgement about Engel.

It is at any rate something hopeful in a dismal winter that has yet offered very little promise of a pleasant spring.

–VKB Angell

I’m very pleased to be able to have my first post of the new year (admittedly a bit behind the times) be a piece of good news!

The Dante Effect will once again be presenting ‘Dust and Shadows’ on 26 January 2013 at our familiar old stomping grounds at the King’s Chapel Parish House, 64 Beacon Street. I must confess to being rather fond of the building, as I know it was the residence of Dr Lloyd Vernon Briggs, a pioneer in mental health in the late nineteenth century.

As I understand it, Ms DuMort will be on holiday in Paris, and I must confess that I am not disappointed at the prospect of working through this process without her. That woman is beyond irritating. I am fortunate that Dr Ritter, too, will apparently be absent, due, apparently, to his passionate hatred for my presence in this process. Ste.Croix hinted that he had repeatedly threatened my safety and that she was unequivocally forbidding him from attending unless and until he had come to accept that I am a part of the proverbial team.

As I understand it, Stone will still be a part of the production, and I cannot say that I am thrilled by this news, although given the audience’s love for him, I suppose it is a smart tactical move on the part of Ste.Croix. He will be joined by Ste.Croix herself, of course, and by Mr Braxton Carroll, with whom I have had fewer although far more pleasant encounters.

Tickets may be purchased from the Dante Effect Website – here!

–VKB Angell

Well, I, at least, have survived ‘Dust and Shadows’, and done so without needing to resort to throwing Ritter, Stone or DuMort off the John Hancock tower.

I suppose the same cannot be said for all of us. Blood, I have learned, is very difficult to get out of white lace tablecloths.

For those of you who attended ‘Dust and Shadows’, thank you. Your attendance helped to make the run an absolute success. I am sorry I was unable to attend all the performances, but I understand that they all went quite well – at the very least, none of the patrons were in any danger (per Ste.Croix’s promise) of physical harm, although I am given to understand that both Stone and DuMort made any number of illicit offers that threatened the virtue of various attendees.

If you came to the show, you will soon receive an email from me at Ste.Croix’s behest. I am as uncertain about what to do with it as you – let me know (here, in comments or via email) what you make of it.

–VKB Angell

I can honestly say that attending a Steampunk Convention is one of the singularly most bizarre things I have ever done. While my belief that the audience for such an event would be similar to that I am studying, I had not realised the strangeness and extremity of the personality types in evidence.

The show itself was a smashing success from the perspective of the Dante Effect. From my perspective, however, the audience was more interesting – and arguably disconnected from reality – than Ste.Croix, Stone and Ritter. And that is making quite a statement.

One particularly memorable individual went by the moniker Cobra Commander and wore what appeared to be a navy blue space suit and helmet, which he refused to remove, even under the ministrations of a particularly persuasive (at least to the male sex) member of the Dante Effect whom I had not met, or even heard of, before. Ms Delilah DuMort will be the subject of a later entry, but suffice it to say that her… assets were certainly sufficient to keep several of the males in the room sufficiently entertained for most of the evening.

One would naturally expect, then, that Xavier Stone would have been more than enraptured with Ms DuMort, but there was clearly a rather difficult history between them prior to the night’s events. She treated him with scorn, and he reciprocated by castigating her for her admittedly rather loose moral restraint.

The story of the evening claimed justification for DuMort’s animosity, although – as with any of the events I have witnessed pertaining to the members of the Dante Effect – I remain unconvinced that the story presented is true to the facts. I believe wholeheartedly that DuMort thinks herself egregiously wronged by Stone, and that he likewise despises her, either for blaming him or perhaps for feeling aggrieved at all. Stone is the sort of man who believes that the past should be allowed to dissipate and is entirely unconcerned with the emotional repercussions of his actions. It is easy to see that had he emotionally harmed DuMort in some way (by jilting her, perhaps? Cheating on her with another lover?), he would be not simply unconcerned for her feelings of bereavement, but uncomprehending about why she would remain injured after a few hours or days.

Furthermore, the image of DuMort’s relationship with Ritter was equally interesting. Ritter, like Stone, was derisive toward DuMort, particularly with regards to her intelligence (which even I must admit appears to be not of the sharpest edge). The scorn he directed toward her sarcastic attempts at flirtation did not have quite the cruel cut of Stone’s but was rather that of a man who has been putting her off for many years and knows that her advances were meant more as a form of aggravation than made in any seriousness.

Ste.Croix’s reactions were the most fascinating of the three. Like her compatriots, Ste.Croix was dismissive of DuMort’s intelligence, but not cruelly so until pushed by DuMort’s own antagonism. It was equally clear that DuMort resented the power imbalance between herself and Ste.Croix, who was clearly in command of the room. Both men seemed willing to permit Ste.Croix dominance (despite one minor incident of rebellion, over which Ste.Croix had clear control); DuMort, while allowing Ste.Croix the position of superiority, clearly objected to being subservient to the more quiet woman. DuMort is accustomed to getting what she wants, most likely through the use of her sexuality, and seemed frequently frustrated by the fact that Ste.Croix was entirely unaffected by either her feminine ‘charms’ or her antagonism.

At the end of the night, what I did notice was the clear dominance Ste.Croix has over the Dante Effect, a quiet assertiveness that extended to include the audience as well. Psychological power is a very real thing, and Isabella Ste.Croix is a master of it – this bears consideration.

–VKB Angell

With the flurry of Valentine’s Day pink and red fluttering in every shop window the theme of love and romance can hardly be far from anyone’s mind, mine included. But I am not at present interested in exploring matters of my own heart but rather those of the acquaintances I have made at the Dante Effect.

I have been privileged in the last several months to spend enough time with Ste.Croix, Ritter and Stone to get a sense of the push and pull of romantic tensions that exist – or not – between them. Certainly anyone familiar with this project is aware that Stone believes himself quite the lothario. What is perhaps surprising is that his ‘charms’ seem to have had some impact on Ste.Croix. Perhaps the characteristics that I find insufferable are for some reason not unattractive to her. Perhaps they are simply an exterior shell put up as a defence mechanism which subsides when not in the presence of interlopers such as myself.  What is most interesting is the utter lack of a triangularity between Stone and Ste.Croix as a (potential) pair and Ritter as ‘the other man.’ While he certainly has an attachment to Ste.Croix, it appears to me to be entirely platonic in nature, if somewhat of a maternal-replacement compulsion.

Of course I have no definitive proof for my assumptions. I can only say that they are based on my years of experience and human observation. Part of me wishes them the best – if there is hope even for them, then there is hope for all of us.

– VKB Angell

I began, as regular visitors here have read, by trying to find out some information on my unwitting assistants, Ste.Croix, Stone and Ritter. I decided to profile them as I intended to profile my true subjects – the crowds they would hopefully be able to gather. (You can find their full case studies on the links on the sidebar to the right.)

However, it seems that they are less interested in being upfront with me and more interested in indulging their own fantasies. This is not to say that they are delusional in the classic sense; if anything, their amusement belies the fact that they are entertaining themselves by persisting in their illusory personae as they conduct their interviews with me. Perhaps they want me to promote their show as though it is real…

It is not a bad strategy, if that is indeed their motive. The subjects they will attract by not ‘dropping character’ (as the turn of phrase goes) will likely be more invested in the fiction they are creating – and more fitting subjects for my study.

The Dante Effect seeks to draw in an audience wanting to attend a ‘séance’ – their intention is to make the show as realistic as possible, and I suppose their adherence to their false identities is a part of this type of interactive theatre.

But I have to confess that there is a part of me made uncomfortable by their refusal to admit to me who they really are. As an observer of human nature, I wish to be ‘in’ on their secret so that my observations might not be disturbed by the ‘surprises’ set up for the audience. However, I get the sense that Ste.Croix and her compatriots are more interested in performing for me as for my subjects. I think they enjoy the power they have over me when they withhold the truth of their identities.

But I am not without my own abilities to guess at their origins. Ste.Croix has the tell-tale accent of a native New Englander. Stone the strange multi-tonal accent that belongs to a long-time traveller. And Ritter’s accent is entirely unplace-able, other than to denote his American origins.

Ste.Croix and Stone claim to have met in a bar, an assertion which I do not at all find unreasonable. I would even believe that their partnership began over a game of cards, although how it has evolved from there I will not yet speculate. Ritter refuses to comment on how he first encountered either Ste.Croix or Stone.

Ste.Croix has been generous enough to give me a preliminary interview, although I confess it ended rather differently than I had expected. Soon enough the others have promised me more extensive interviews. Perhaps they will drop more clues about who they truly are – if they do not give up their game and tell me outright.

–VKB Angell

[Continuation of Interview with Isabel Ste.Croix]

Victoria:  So you studied the occult.
Isabel:  I suppose you could term it as that, yes.
Victoria:  And what drew you to it?
Isabel: It was my… profession.
Victoria:  I beg your pardon?
Isabel: My profession, dear.  My means of occupation.
Victoria: I understand the phrase. What is unclear is how, precisely, the occult functions as such a means.
Isabel:  I am going to assume that you are familiar with the movement that later evolved into transcendentalism in western culture.  The… I hate the phrase as I find it simplifies things, but I believe they termed it ‘spiritualism.’
Victoria:  I am.
Isabel:  It was the public face of many other deeper working organizations with similar underlying concerns and interests.
Victoria:  Secret societies.
Isabel:  Mm.  Another phrase I dislike, but for that, there really is no other ‘nicer’ term.
Victoria: Cult is another option.  And why did such organisations draw your fascination?
Isabel:  I was a professional medium, dear.  I can see you attempting to curb your comments this time.  Just decide in your mind that this is all part of my ‘act’ and move on.
Victoria:  You claim to speak with the dead.  Well, that may be the strangest thing I’ve ever put down under the ‘Occupation’ section…
Isabel:  Wait until you interrogate my companions…
Victoria:  Oh, oh, I’m sure they’ll prove to be even more fascinating.  Very well. Since I assume there is no formal schooling for such an occupation…  Excuse me.  Let’s continue.  You said you were a… professional medium.  Past tense.  What is your current occupation?
Isabel:  I have no need for one, as I have enough holdings to provide for myself and my companions.  Although minding after said companions and keeping track of their… activities… is more than a full time commitment.
Victoria:  So you would characterise yourself as the ‘leader’ of your troupe?
Isabel:  I suppose you could say that, although I dislike to think of it in those terms, they do ‘answer’ to me, yes.
Victoria: Why is that?
Isabel:  Respect, fear, I would hope fondness.
Victoria:  Fear?
Isabel:  They fear what I am capable of doing to them.
Victoria:  Which… would… be…?
Isabel:  More ‘lies’, Victoria.  Don’t waste your time prying into things that will only anger you further…
Victoria:  As you wish. Marital status?
Isabel:  Single.
Victoria: Any non-marital relationships at present?
Isabel: Not as such.
Victoria:  So you and Xavier..?
Isabel:  Are very complex.
Victoria:  I see.  Have you ever been married?
Isabel:  Yes, once.
Victoria:  May I ask what happened?
Isabel:  He passed away.
Victoria:  I’m… sorry to hear that.
Isabel:  I am sure you can share in the sentiment.
Victoria:  I beg your pardon?
Isabel:  Never mind.  His name, if you were wondering, was William Eli Barker.
Victoria:  You chose to return to your maiden name?
Isabel:  I am sure you can understand the impetus for such a thing.
Victoria:  I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Isabel:  I changed my name back out of respect to William… And I will not explain that further, so do not pry.
Victoria:  How did you and… William… meet?
Isabel:  In the Athanaem, actually.  We were attempting to procure the same copy of Liber Tertius and it sparked an argument.  A rather vehement argument, at that.  I instantly despised the man.
Victoria:  But you eventually married?
Isabel:  Such was the fashion of the times.
Victoria:  So the romance novels tell us.
Isabel:  Again, very clever.  No.  William and I were prone to passionate arguments throughout our years, but I loved him.  I loved him deeply, and he and I worked very closely in the similar ‘underlying interests and pursuits’ that I mentioned earlier…
Victoria: So you worked together in… the occult…
Isabel:  He was better than me.  I’ll admit that, he was brilliant.
Victoria:  It seems you really did love him.
Isabel:  I did.  But, there is always a need to move past such things, else we turn our lives into what you find at the bottom of a pill bottle, isn’t that true, Victoria?
Victoria:  Again, I beg your pardon?
Isabel:  Grief can be the impetus for such horrible and strange things… drug addiction, a move across the ocean…
Victoria:  This is the end of this interview.  We’ve run out of time.
Isabel:  Indeed we have.

[End of Interview]

Victoria:   All right. ‘Dante Effect’ formal interview one, Isabel Ste.Croix. The date is 15 January 2010, time, 7:12pm.  Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.

Isabel:  Of course.

Victoria:  First we need to establish a few things for study protocol. Could you please state your full name?

Isabel:  Isabel Rose Ste.Croix.

Victoria: And your real name, since that, as I understand it, is the identity of your character?

Isabel:  Ms. Angell, we’ve been down this avenue of conversation several times up to this point.  If you wish that I pretend to be lying as to make your evening more convenient, I will do so.

Victoria:  It’s Dr. Angell. And I am simply asking you to state the facts, Ms Ste. Croix.

Isabel:  Then you will have to settle for what you do not believe, if you prefer I tell you the truth.

Victoria: Very well. Date of birth?

Isabel:   November 12th, 1859.

Victoria:  Just to clarify, you are stating that you are over one hundred and fifty years old?

Isabel:  Again, I don’t expect you to believe anything.  Whether you choose to believe me is entirely up to you, and makes no difference either way.

Victoria:  Very well.  1859.  Let’s move on to your family life.

Isabel:  None surviving.  They died of old age.  Well, mostly.

Victoria:  I see. Perhaps you could explain your longevity?

Isabel:  There are several versions of a response I could give you, Victoria, measured in inverse degrees of the truth and the satisfaction they would provide.  I will, then, simply state, that if the world were still populated by everyone from the mid nineteenth century, civilization would have become incredibly complex and mildly awkward by now, don’t you think?

Victoria: While I appreciate your adherence to the fiction of your character on an intellectual level, it is not particularly useful to me as a researcher. While I respect your wish to keep that information concealed, I ask that you consider telling me the truth off the record, so to speak.

Isabel:  I won’t repeat myself, Victoria.  I suggest we continue on.  And I would sincerely recommend that you do not press my companions on the subject of the seeming falsity and improbable nature of their lives.  They will not react with the patience that I have.

Victoria:  And what, exactly, are you intimating, Ms Ste.Croix?

Isabel:  A warning and a recommendation.  My companions are not as mild-tempered as I am.  While they are under strict instructions, they may, if pressed, feel the need to tempt my anger.

Victoria:  And those… instructions… would be?

Isabel:  Not to kill you.

Victoria:  All… right…  Let us simply continue for the time being. Perhaps we will return to this later.  Where were you born?

Isabel:  This one should suit you.  I was born in Lexington, raised in Boston.

Victoria:  Your parents’ names were?

Isabel:  My father, Byron Ste.Croix, and my mother, Lydia, her maiden name was Rose.

Victoria:  Siblings?

Isabel: Yes, two older brothers.  The eldest, Byron, and the younger, Maxwell.

Victoria:  And they are all now deceased…

Isabel:  Correct.

Victoria: What was your family life like, when you were young?

Isabel:  Not terribly fascinating, to be honest.  I was the youngest of three, and the only daughter.  My mother and father cared for me, doted on me well enough.  When I was five or six, my brothers were called off to war, and -

Victoria:  Vietnam or Gulf?

Isabel:  Civil.

Victoria: Ms Ste.Croix, if you are not going to tell me the full truth, I am willing – if unhappy – to accept that. I would ask, however, that if there are any questions you feel uncomfortable answering, that you simply decline rather than concocting or promoting fictions that are clearly impossible.

Isabel:  Tell me, Victoria, why do you continue to challenge me on the reality of the answers to your questions?  Do you honestly believe that if you express your doubts at every answer, it will eventually prompt a different response?  Why not just settle happily into your already established belief that you think I am some actress playing a very dedicated role, and continue on with your questioning?

Victoria:  I am hoping to get the truth out of you.  Ms Ste.Croix, I’m here to study your audience, but an aspect of that study is the interplay between that audience and the performers. A part of that interplay is the sympathetic bond generated by their joint psychology. In addition, I am interested in why you and your compatriots are attracted to this genre. While I do not intend to make you the focus of the study, there might be value in a comparative analysis between those who produce such work and those who pay to view it. I was hoping that for the sake of producing an accurate and comprehensive study, you and your cast would be willing to allow me ‘behind the scenes’ in order to facilitate my work, and allow me to help you with yours.

Isabel:  I am being as candid as possible.

Victoria:  If you say so. Please continue.

Isabel:  Maxwell returned, wounded, and while he shared the mental toll that many of the survivors suffered, he was otherwise fine.  My eldest brother, Byron, returned, but, in a pine box.  Sadly it seemed that my mother blamed my father for this, and their relationship became largely loveless after that.

Victoria:  How do you feel about your brother’s death?

Isabel:  It has been a very long time since that happened, and I was young.  I mourned him at the time, as would be expected.

Victoria:  And the rest of your family? Is there a history of illness?

Isabel:  My father died in his late fifties, I believe, from what specifically I am unsure.  My mother died several years after, of ‘malaise’ as the Doctor at the time termed it.  Maxwell died in his forties, unfortunately unmarried and with no children, at least that we knew about.

Victoria:  Were you close to your parents?

Isabel:  Yes, of course.  I had no issues with them.  They may have paid me little attention and left me largely to my own means, but I understood, even at the time.

Victoria:  So you didn’t resent your parents for not spending as much time with you as you perhaps would have liked?

Isabel:  I was not neglected in any way, so I had little to be bitter about.  I had everything that a lower-upper-class family could provide, which, at the time, was plenty.  They spent little time with me, but I found ways to entertain myself.

Victoria:  Such as?

Isabel:  Books, mostly.  I spent a great deal of my time at the Athanaeum.

Victoria:  Were you drawn to a particular genre? Fantasy? History?

Isabel:  Western Esotericism.

Victoria:  A little bit of both, then.

Isabel:  Very clever.  Tell me, is there some particular reason you must always prove yourself as intelligent?  Specifically, what is it that you are attempting to prove to me? That you are too smart to “fall for” whatever you believe I am attempting to put past you?  Were you badly tricked once before by someone, I wonder.

Victoria:  I am here as an objective observer. A scientist. My psychology is not currently under scrutiny. Should you wish to discuss my personal background, I would be more than happy to do so over a cup of tea rather than during a background interview.

Isabel:  Of course, forgive me.

[End Part One; to be continued]

What is most important to note about the Opening Gala is that everyone involved survived and that from the audience’s perspective, at least, it was a rousing success. From mine it was perhaps less so.

It was, however, quite illuminating as to the character of some of my erstwhile compatriots.

Ms Ste.Croix was her usual composed self, handling every turn of the evening with casual aplomb. It is most likely thanks to her that the audience remained blissfully entertained by the ridiculous antics of Mr Stone and another member of the company whom I did not meet until the evening of the event itself – one Dr Augustin Ritter, about whom I will have more to say momentarily.

In addition, Ms Ste.Croix had also brought Mr Stone’s half-brother, Mr Braxton Carroll, with whom I did not have much chance to converse. I hope to interview him soon; if he is in fact a relation (or even a close friend) of Mr Stone, the perhaps he will be able to provide some insight into the ludicrous behaviour of his step-brother during the event itself. At the very least, Mr Carroll might be able to enlighten me as to whether such actions should be expected on any future theatrical or formal occasions.

The final member of the Dante Effect company present at the Gala was one Doña Miranda Velazquez of Spain, whose familiarity with the English language indicated long-term residence in the United States, although she did indeed seem to be a native of another country (if not Spain, then another Spanish-speaking nation).

At some point in the future I would like very much to speak with both the Doña and Mr Carroll, but for now I more than have my hands full with Mr Stone and Dr Ritter.

Mr Stone’s kick-off to the Gala was particularly memorable, involving a bottle of wine and shorts bearing a leopard-skin print. Dr Ritter’s contribution was to ensconce himself in the kitchen with a chemistry set from which vantage point he could howl insults at cast members and guests alike. Fortunately some guests were entertained by the prospect of being insulted, and enjoined in playful banter with both Mr Stone and Dr Ritter throughout the evening under the mitigating influence of Ms Ste.Croix and – to a lesser extent – Mr Carroll and Doña Miranda.

To the great entertainment of the guests, Mr Stone and Dr Ritter were simultaneously inseparable and unable to be in the same room with one another – not only was there the now-infamous sword-versus-biscuit-sheet fight which I understand was scripted and rehearsed without my knowledge, but there were multiple verbal arguments between them that had more than a tinge of genuine animosity. Certainly the escapade with the gun in the yard was contrived, as was the ‘poison’ they gave one another at the end of the evening.

How much of the night’s debacle was intentional and how much the consequence of egotism and volatile emotions I cannot be certain, but at least at the end of the evening, the audience left happy.

–VKB Angell

I sat down with Isabel Ste.Croix first. Although neither of the others defer to her in public, it seems that she is the proverbial brains – or at least imagination – behind the operation. A woman in her twenties or thirties with thick dark hair touched by white at one temple (in a thick streak that seems more intentional than caused by stress or nature), she seems to have suffered from severe cataracts or some other ocular disease fairly early in life. I do not think she is completely blind, as she seems more than capable of navigating the complex streets of Boston on her own.

She is shorter than I, but she has the presence of someone much taller. You get the sense from her, as you speak with her, that she is accustomed to commanding a room. That she is not afraid of anything. In my experience, such people are effective leaders, if quiet ones. Ms Ste.Croix may not be outspoken, but she is not about to allow anyone to overrule her.

She did not tell me who she really is, although her natural response to the name ‘Isabel’ makes me think that perhaps she has kept at least her natural given name. But beyond that, there is little I can believe of her story.

Ms Ste. Croix claims to have been born in Boston in 1859. While the former seems possible there is an undertone to her accent that implies much time spent away from the area, if not origins farther a-field than Boston. Her claim of having two elder brothers is also plausible; Ms Ste. Croix’s determination and assertiveness may well be the product of many years spent under the kind of affectionate torment that elder brothers often inflict upon their younger sisters. However, the apparent apathy with which she discussed her eldest brother’s death may indicate a fictional origin rather than the age gap of a decade she described.

Her interest in the occult – a term she seems to dislike profoundly, preferring the rather Prosperian term ‘The Art’, which indicates a leaning toward pretension and patronisation behind her otherwise cool exterior – is genuine and deep-seeded. She has clearly spent an extensive amount of time and resources researching the field of Western esotericism and the history of the time period from which she claims to hail. Ms Ste. Croix is clearly intelligent, well-read, and highly educated – at least at the baccalaureate level if not beyond – and proud of her intellectual accomplishments. Perhaps this indicates a hidden desire to please some authority figure in her life – a parent, most likely, or a mentor she feels she was never able to impress.

Beyond this her story seems entirely fictional.

The invention of a husband – one Mr William Eli Barker – indicates a desire for intimacy on a personal level of which Ms Ste. Croix herself seems incapable on some level. The description of Mr Barker is one drawn from a tawdry romance mingled with a Victorian penny-dreadful mystery. The story of her initiation into a defunct secret society is simply ludicrous, but reinforces her already-evident desire to be included as a part of an affectionate social group.

Furthermore, her claims of ‘great proficiency in the Art’ begin to become irritating as she clings tenaciously to a fiction that cannot possibly be true. I almost begin to believe that Ms Ste. Croix has managed to convince herself that she is somehow ‘special’, or perhaps even endowed with extrasensory perception or the skills of a medium. Such claims are not uncommon among people who feel marginalised by their peers or ignored by the figures of authority in their lives.

Fundamentally, however, Ms Ste. Croix’s desire for company and companionship is clearly what has led her and her companions to form the Dante Effect. Despite her seeming coldness, Ms Ste. Croix’s role in initiating the Dante Effect is a clear indication of her desire for human interaction. Certainly, she also exhibits the kind of clear wish to be the centre of attention intrinsic to most egotists, but that is not an unusual trait in a trained performer.

Most importantly for this project, Ms Ste. Croix is open to allowing me to do my work within the parameters of the Dante Effect. She is willing to open her doors to my inquiries and permit me to interact not only with herself, her business partners, and her staff, but also with the patrons of their performances. I think that perhaps she enjoys the attention my project affords, but I would also like to think that she harbours some small level of basic friendliness toward me, despite my need to analyse her intensely. She has asked to review these posts, and I think it is a testament the ultimate goodness of her character that she allows them to pass unedited into the wider world.

– VKB Angell