Rattlesnake {Tag Angelica}

[Victoria Kelly]

Odessa did not recognize Angelica for a Crimson hunter, and in truth, almost did not recognize the woman at all, if it weren't for the colouring that they shared, despite being from opposing ends of the shifter spectrum. It was Angel she knew her as - a wraith, much like Odessa had made herself, doing very dark things for very high prices.

She approached her stealthily, weaving through the crowd, having a toast, laughing with some, exchanging shallow kisses on the cheek with others. She managed though, to bring herself to Angel's shoulder, her back turned as she raised a glass of champagne.

"I have a proposition for you," she said into the glass, knowing that the snow-white raven would hear her well. Like Odessa, Angel was fueled on ambition, greed, power, and just a dash of fun, and that suited her just fine. Sometimes you just had to take what you wanted, and where was the shame in that? Absolutely none at all.

To the onlooker, it seemed as though perhaps the White Viper had grown somewhat bored of the ongoings, and isolated herself to the corner, though she was well placed behind a group of taller people who were carrying on so loudly it was a wonder anyone could hear at all.

[Remi Smith]

Angelica was there, naturally, making sure that the party stayed fun and violence free along with most of the other hunters in all of the guilds. Thus far, this seemed to consist of sitting around, watching people walk by and eating gourmet food. Man - her kind of assignment. The one thing that was annoying was this thrice-cursed enchanted fog that clung around everything blurring shapes and appearances - and scent, she presumed, but had no real way to test that. She, after all, hardly had the nose that some of these other shifters did, nor any of the vampires. It was a pity, admittedly, as she'd thought several times in the past, but when it came down to it she didn't really mind. She wouldn't trade her wings for the amazing sense of smell that a wolf or even hyena had any day of the week.

She felt someone come up behind her before she heard them speak. "I have a proposition for you."

"Excuse me?" Angelica asked, politely enough, twisting around in a motion as lithe as the cat she was dressed as to see who was talking to her. What kind of business was being talked of? She wasn't going to say much identifying either way until she was sure. She hadn't made it this far with so little notice by making assumptions of any kind. She enjoyed her anonymity, and wanted to keep it. It made life a wee bit safer, when you played these kinds of games.

[Victoria Kelly]

The White Viper finished her drink and set it on the tray of a passing waitress dressed up as a bunny, and then glanced to Angel, who was ironically enough dressed as a cat. "Something not yet here, something very... unique. Something only you or I could stake a claim on," she trailed off. "It's a precious little gem, I assure you. Something someone would pay a lot to have."

She turned abruptly as another hunter passed by, immersing herself into a plate of exotic cheeses that lay across the table beside her. When the coast was clear, she turned again, shifting her stance to be again blocked by the ever-moving, dancing crowd that had come their way again. Her eyes fell upon Angel again, the stunning emerald and sapphire hues now ever-present as she waited for the response. Hopefully the woman would get the hint; if not, she could try to explain it in a more blunt way, but not here.

[Remi Smith]

Get the hint? Oh yes. Trust it? ... not quite yet. Angelica - or Angel, as it seemed like that was who this stranger had recognized and approached - let her gaze flick quickly up and down the other's form as she slipped into a slightly different business mode then the one she'd been wearing previously. It was a cool, calculating look that she gave her. Assessment of this other pale woman. "You're in the gem business, are you?" she asked, voice quiet but not secretive. The fastest way to make people pay attention where they shouldn't was to act as though something was up. And while she could probably just kill them and then say that they'd been being troublesome, she didn't want to have to deal with that.

"I assume, then, that you know of my interest in them." And it was even true - Angel did like precious stones. Didn't wear them as often as she might, because of business, but she liked them all the same and had a small collection of jewelry. Tonight her neck was afire with a necklace of black opal and silver. It bore some similarity to a cat's collar, which was why she had decided to wear it. But she liked money and liked to spend it and certainly had it to spare - a hunter was rarely strapped for cash, and she had the added income of her... side business.

[Victoria Kelly]

"Of course. I also know that you have several buyers of such products that enjoy having them set in fashioned in their own... private collections," she said with a smile. Now it would become hopefully clear to Angel what Odessa meant. She flicked strands of her blonde hair away and wiped her hands on a stray cocktail napkin to rid them of crumbs.

"I expect my shipment to be coming in soon, but the person who carries it is local. I wonder if you'd like to see them and decide for yourself if it's worth your time?" she asked patiently. She had other fall-back ideas of the alabaster raven had better ideas, but she would enjoy working with someone who was so similar.

[Remi Smith]

"Oh?" Angelica asked, eyebrow cocked. "I must admit I do know several buyers who match that description; very selective tastes and know exactly what they want. Occasionally it's difficult to find exactly the right bauble, but I have managed to track down a few more... exotic, perhaps, items for collections that lack little. You perhaps heard of my interest in such from one of them?"

"I expect my shipment to be coming in soon, but the person who carries it is local. I wonder if you'd like to see them and decide for yourself if it's worth your time?"

"Oh?" she replied with another curious look. "I believe I would like to see them - I'm always interested in gems about to go on the market. Sometimes it's so convenient, seeing them before others get a chance to snatch them. When would you like me to meet you?"

[Victoria Kelly]

"Whenever it's convenient, darling," she said with a blue-blooded laugh into her glass. "The jewels will be here for a whie, as I have understood they are seen at our leisure. I don't even think the owner is aware half the time that people are even observing the collection. They're... not really used to the fast pace of the market yet."

She smiled to the cat-bird, something glimmering wickedly in her emerald and sapphire eyes. Delightful, Angel was just divine.

[Remi Smith]

"Yes, it can move quickly, can't it? Especially the gems fit for an Angel, which I assume from what you've said thus far these are." She inclined her head to the other a little. "Shall I call you, then, when I'm available for a viewing? I shall, of course, need a way to contact you."

Intrigued? Yes. Angelica was still playing cautious, of course, but that was simply her nature. If this conversation was to attempt to trap her into something, then someone knew far too much for comfort already. And she was fairly sure she would have heard if someone got this close to her - heard something, at least. She had enough ways of gathering information for that. Or she had better.

Still, it seemed more likely that this other pale creature had simply recognized her as Angel, or the Angel. Which, now that she actually thought of it, wasn't that surprising. She had, after all, heard of another pale mercenary who would be willing to do almost anything if the price was right. Not that Angel worked only for money, but she was quite willing to admit that having your bank account in the state that she had hers in was always pleasant.

[Victoria Kelly]

Odessa smiled. "Of course," she sang. She pulled one of her many cellular phones out of her clutch, and read the number to Angel. She was sure the woman knew it would only be active for a certain amount of time, thus displaying her sense of urgency.

"I'm sure I should get back to the party, now. I wouldn't want to keep you from your rounds," she said with a smile. "Call me when you feel the need."

She cleared her hair away and smiled, and then turned and excused herself into the crowd, seeking out the blonde vampire she had previously been engaged with.

[Remi Smith]

"New phone?" she asked with a slight smirk. It was probably a ghost, Angelica knew that she had enough of those. Still, she was careful to memorize the numbers before actually using them for however long she would have them, at least if she was going to be giving out the number much. Angelica pulled her own current phone (she was carrying two, and good thing) out of a pocket and typed the number in under Jewel. She was hardly going to wait until she'd forgotten what that meant before thinking of calling, after all. And it was a nice, innocent enough title, easy for a name. An old fashioned name, perhaps, but still.

"You'll be hearing from me," she promised, slipping the phone back into her pocket and briefly wondering what the other had meant by rounds. Surely she didn't know that Angel was a member of Crimson. Did she? Of course not. Strange choice of words, that was all.

... Angelica hated things like strange choices of words. She sighed, snagged a glass off a passing tray, and downed it. Champagne, it tasted like. Now here was one of the advantages of being a shapeshifter; drinking on the job had more or less no effect, so she could do it. Poor little humans.