Going Down

[Ivy Dee]

The ride had been a silent one, and Ivy refused to look at Zel as they drove up the long road that led to Midnight's black gates. She was absolutely enraged about this entire situation, this whole stupid ordeal. Who the hell was Ricky to demand she sell her only pet at the time? She growled inwardly. This stupid Rajar had better be worth it, she thought angrily to herself.

When they arrived, she knocked her driver out of the way as she kicked her door open. "Hurry up," she snapped at Zel, not even looking back as they approached the doors. She was going to sell this animal to the first person she saw; she didn't even care who, at that point.

Fortunate for Zel, perhaps, was the form of Alisoun gliding through the lobby as Ivy entered.

[Marisol Ramirez]

The ride had been rather horrible. Zel had sat still and stared at her shoes the entire time while anger buzzed around her, almost a physical force.

When they got there Ivy slammed open the door and then snarled at the shifter to hurry up, though she had been grabbing her small bag even while she did it. She looked rather downcast as she climbed out of the car. She didn't like it when people were mad at her, and she'd been trying so hard!

She followed behind Ivy, still looking down, being very careful to keep the right amount of distance, trying to be as quiet as she could (and that was very quiet). So here they were. What now?

[Emile Fawkes]

Alisoun was on her own. Cynthia had gone to find herself a pet, and Alisoun had excused herself from Ian in favor of doing a little more exploring of the new Midnight. Philip was in her rooms hanging up clothes and hating himself for his blunder. It made Alisoun smile. Her brother's jealousy didn't bother her; it had just been an excuse to patronize him for fun. But she had been serious about getting another Pet. Philip was loyal and obedient, but that seriousness of his could get dull. Alisoun wanted a Pet that was exciting, entertaining. Something she could play with like a toy.

The Lobby door crashed open, drawing Alisoun's attention back to it. She entered to find a female vampire striding angrily inside. A little shifter followed her.

"Good afternoon," she greeted the other vampire, as though the other's eyes weren't shooting angry sparks. "What brings you to Midnight?"

[Ivy Dee]

The petite Japanese vampire's entire demeanor changed, and she shifted as she stepped, angry stomps becoming graceful strides. Midnight perhaps commanded some degree of control from her, at least until she was behind closed doors, anyways.

"I'm looking to sell my Pet. I figured this would be the perfect place for her," she said. She snapped her fingers, no doubt Zel ran right to the spot on the floor where she'd pointed for her to stand.

"She's young, but extremely obediant. She is very careful to do what you say, although sometimes I believe she gets a little too excited and that is when, of course, she will step out of her bounds; all in all she is a fine Pet. Also -- " she paused.

"Zel. Shift."

As the girl rendered herself a small white fox, Ivy raised a brow to Alisoun. "I had a hard time finding one who wasn't obstinant and in need of severe training. You don't know of anyone who would be interested in taking her off my hands, do you?" she purred. She had a suspiscion the woman herself may have enjoyed the fox. The well-trained pets did well as little 'toy' pets, Ivy had to agree, there.

[Emile Fawkes]

Alisoun laughed inside; was this what was meant by Fate? Here she was, looking for a Pet, and the perfect little toy was dropped right in her lap. She listened attentively to the woman's description (while carefully NOT giving any visual indication as to what she thought of the other vampire's fashion sense) and nodded noncommittaly. Her eyes were drawn to Zel as the fox shifted, and the spark of interest showed in her face.

She looked at the vampire. "May I?" At Ivy's consent,* Alisoun went to the little fox and crouched down beside her. "Hello, sweetie." Her hand was held out before Zel to sniff. "My, aren't you a lovely one," she said gently. Alisoun had practice obtaining the trust of small animals.



((*Angie, let me know if the powerplaying isn't okay, and I'll edit.))

[Ivy Dee]

"By all means," she said, stepping to the side. "I'm going to pop off for a moment and have a chat with someone. Zel, you be on your best behaviour for this nice lady," Ivy said.

She left the woman to become acquainted with the fox at that.

~~

Gerp, short post, LOL

[Marisol Ramirez]

Ah, now Ivy didn't have to tell Zel that. She already liked Alisoun, and she showed it by delicatly sniffing at the hand that was held out to her, and then licking at it and nuzzling under. She wanted to be petted, though if the vampire didn't want to pet her... well, that was all right too. It would be a little dissapointing, though.

She yipped softly up at the vampire and looked up at her with large eyes, one blue and one green. Pet? Please?

[Emile Fawkes]

The smile on Alisoun's face could not have been more tender. She made a small sound of happiness at the lick and cuddle, to let the fox know she was welcome in her affection and to encourage more of it.

The bumping of the little white head beneath Alisoun's fingers sent a clear message, which she obliged. She had never felt fur so soft or fine. It was like furry silk, or velvet. And those eyes; what pretty, unique eyes. Alisoun scratched Zel's ears for a bit before running her hand all the way down the length of the fox's body, including the tail. Then her hand went right back to the head. No funny stuff, only one hand, no sudden movements. Little animals trusted you if they thought they could predict what you would do. The little fox would not trust Alisoun if her first impression of the vampire was of hands that grabbed her.

Everything about this shifter was perfect. How lucky Alisoun was to have been here at this time! Now all she had to do was convince the shifter that going with Alisoun was what she wanted more than anything in the world.

"You have beautiful eyes," she told the fox, still smiling that gentle smile. "And I've never felt such soft fur. You must take very good care of yourself." She rubbed Zel under the chin. "I would love to take you home with me..." A flicker of saddness. "But I'm not sure if I can."

[Marisol Ramirez]

Zel wouldn't take much convincing, really. She already liked the wonderful, kind lady who was petting her and talking to her and telling her she had pretty eyes. At the mention that Alisoun might not be able to take Zel home, her tail and ears drooped and she looked down.

But still, if that wasn't what she wanted....

Then again, she'd only said that she wasn't sure that she could. That wasn't a definate no. Zel looked up at her with big soulful eyes, and then took a few steps back before shifting again. "Why?" she asked, looking almost sad and almost hopeful at the same time. "Is there something I could do?"

[Emile Fawkes]

By playing right into Alisoun's hands, Zel was setting herself up to be liked by the vampire even more. Alisoun put a hand to her mouth. "Well, it's complicated." A delicate sigh. "I have another Pet, you see, and he gets very... jealous. I'm afraid he wouldn't be nice to you..." If Philip didn't like Zel, Alisoun would put him in the dungeons for a month and cut off all contact. What he thought didn't matter one way or the other.

Alisoun pretended to consider Zel very carefully. "You're such a sweet girl, and I think you could get along with anyone... But you shouldn't have to put up with something like that, it wouldn't be at all fair." A pause. "Do you want to come home with me?"


((Gah. Didn't think that through. Lame. ))

[Marisol Ramirez]

Zel blinked up at Alisoun, confused and innocent. "But... but shouldn't he want what you want?" That was what she was supposed to do, anyway. Maybe it was different for this lady's other pet?

She looked down at her hands and absently twisted the tip of one of her fingers as she thought about it. That must be it, she decided. No need to assume that the rules for her would apply elsewhere, after all.

"Do you want to come home with me?"

Zel looked back up with her big, odd eyes. "Yes, Milady," she said with a smile, and then hesitated. "If you want me to. If you don't then... well, I hope you find something that you do like."

[Emile Fawkes]

"But... but shouldn't he want what you want?"

For a moment, Alisoun's smile was mysterious. "My Pet is... special." Zel as she was would be perfectly fine. There was nothing wrong with a pet whose only goal in life was to be an extension of her Mistress. Alisoun allowed Philip his own little petty angers and jealousies in order to use them against him, such as she had in the hallway earlier with Cynthia and Ian. Buying Zel would stir his silly feelings of jealousy. Although Alisoun would never allow him to hurt another Pet of hers, and Philip knew it, it didn't mean she wouldn't torture him by keeping another Pet around.

Her attention returned fully to Zel. She smiled at the shifter's eagerness to please. "I want you to come home with me. Now I'm going to go talk to your Mistress about letting you do just that. I hope you'll wait for me right here until I get back?"

[Marisol Ramirez]

Ah, it was as she'd thought, then. He did have different rules then Zel did. She nodded to herself. Still, that was no reason that she couldn't try to react as the lady would react. She still needed to work at that, but she was getting better, she really was!

Zel nodded at the request. "Of course! Thank you, milady!"

[Ivy Dee]

Right around then Ivy came back into the Lobby, on the phone with Ricky. She was speaking in Japanese, and fast - so fast it almost sounded like nonsense more than anything else. She said something a few times in a row, and then shouted it (hold on was what it was), lowering the phone.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Does she please you?" Ivy tilted her head. She inwardly hoped that Alisoun treated Zel well, but she'd never say it, and even the mere thought of it angered her. She just wanted to be rid of that stupid fox so she could get the Rajar, and then she'd be happy again.

Her idiot brother had really wound her up this time. If the Rajar wasn't everything he'd promised, she'd sell them both into Midnight.

[Emile Fawkes]

Even Ivy's language was annoying. Alisoun waited politely for her to finish, then inquire as to what Alisoun thought of the fox.

"She pleases me very much," Alisoun replied. "What is her price?" Even when money was not an issue, Agni had impressed upon her the importance of haggling every last penny out of a deal that she could. Wasting what you had meant you ended up with less, and before long what you had was nothing. Alisoun refused to be a pauper vampire. She had not lived as a pauper since the end of the Black Plague, and she would not start now.