A Woman Scorned [Plot Post: OTA]

[baisant]

((ooc: plotting thread here, for reference!))

Because of the nature of Guilty Pleasures itself, Jean-Claude had not noticed that anything was afoot at first. Saturdays are Ladies' Nights (not when they invite the ladies as clientele like most other clubs would use the term, but rather when they invited the female dancers to participate as well). For a weekend, it brought in a larger array of people and thus more revenue for the club itself. And thus because Cherry was not due for another full day yet, it was not until he was pulled aside by her on again, off again lover and fellow dancer, Zane, that he understood what a grave error he had made indeed. For Cherry was not answering Zane's texts, and even though they were not currently sleeping together, she would never go the day without at least letting him know why she was so quiet.

It did not bode well. The fact that Millicent had issued the statement earlier in that day that in celebration of her victory, her vampires were given permission to hunt, feast, kill, and turn whomever they so desired, and the ensuing chaos that had begun in the wake of that is hardly a coincidence. Nor is the fact that Cherry, Jean-Claude knows for a fact, had been the dancer he'd chosen to play Millicent in his little display of politics the month previously.

No, it doesn't bode well at all, and after Jean-Claude's own attempts at contacting her are met with a phone call gone straight to voicemail and text messages about payroll left unanswered (which would never happen for anything short of a disaster), he knows that he has a kidnapping on his hands. And he need not exercise too much imagination to understand who it is that might have taken her. The trouble is, how to get her back without landing himself in even more trouble with the Duchess herself. The answer? Crowd sourcing.

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha rolls up from where she was waiting a block down when she sees them come out, meeting them right in front of the door. She didn't have any trouble finding the car, and there was something comforting about both the time alone, and the act of driving it. It puts her in a better headspace. Gives her something to focus on.

She doesn't say anything until both Cherry and Evie are inside and she's pulling away from the curb.

Her bullet wound has closed, though it took more time than it ought to.

"We all good?" she asks as they get into motion.

[freelife]

"We're good." Evie slid into the front seat after getting Cherry situated in the back. "Head to the club- we'll want to debrief Jean-Claude." That was what Evie had been introduced to him as, and that's what he'd remain to her.

With Cherry in the back, Evie turned to her newfound driver, her voice low: "You alright back there?" There was concern in her green eyes as she looked Natasha over.

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha glances over at the question, her expression tightening a little. She didn't expect her situation had gone unnoticed, but she wouldn't have mided if it had.

"Yeah," she says, her eyes going back to the road. Her tone is casual as she continues, bother for Evie's sake and because there's no knowing what Cherry might report back to Jean-Claude. "Nothing I couldn't handle. Hopefully you weren't worried?"

[freelife]

Evie turns her eyes on the road ahead of them.

"Worried enough." She'd noticed, and she'd try to figure out what it was. "Any better now?"

[outstandingbalance]

"Better than I was," Natasha says, her answer on the flat side. "I'll be better in a while."

After she gets something to eat. Animal blood isn't as satisfying as human and doesn't do as much for her, but at least it will keep her going. Give her some fuel for the healing she did.

[freelife]

"I'm counting on it. I'd hate for my partner to have been irrevocably injured in the line of duty." Some vampires changed their style of speaking as the times came and went. Evie was not one of those.

"I'm sure Jean-Claude has something, if you need it." Blood- that always helped with the healing. And she looked so thirsty.

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha frowns at the suggestion. She doesn't doubt that Jean-Claude would have something—someone he could call, somewhere she could sneak away and feed and come back refreshed. And it's so tempting, the temptation made worse by the fact that it's the most pragmatic choice.

Her own insistence on not feeding on humans feels irrational at the moment, in light of the way it means disadvantaging herself.

But Natasha can be stubborn too. The priority here isn't to be stronger. Her resolve hardens, and a moment to late, she responds, "You're partner's doing all right. Just a through and through, already healed." Her tone is wry, covering her conflict. "My sleeve's the only casualty."

[freelife]

"Your poor sleeve." There's a note of dry humor in her voice as she shakes her head. Alright, so she doesn't want to talk yet, that's fine. They're hardly friends, after all. But Evie does believe they make a good team.

"Let's just get to the club, then." At least there wasn't much by way of traffic tonight.

[outstandingbalance]

A smile plays around Natasha's lips at that and she lays her foot a little more heavily into the gas pedal. It's a nice car. No reason not to take advantage of it on the drive back.

It's not that far to go.