Playing with Fire [M]

[DragonSong]

"Thank you, Zenith." It was strange to taste his name on her tongue without the mix of blood and passion. She followed him easily, looking around the deserted halls and eyeing the docile slaves curiously as they passed.

Once in the kitchens she slipped past him to begin rummaging through the cabinets, starting to hum softly to herself. "Yes, yes, I'll be quick." After a minute or so of searching, she turned up a bronze bowl that would work passably well- she would have preferred something of better quality, but ah well.

Placing the bowl on a counter, she held her finger to her lips and sunk her teeth into the soft pad, ripping open a small wound so she could drip blood onto the burnished metal. "Could you fetch me some warm water?" she tossed over her shoulder at the dragon, squeezing lightly to force more blood out with a small hiss of discomfort. 

[Zero]

Whatever little dabbling magic his mistress was up to didn't really interest Zenith. He folded his arms and waited impatiently as she began searching for her bowl. The dragon went so far as to tap a claw against the marble floor, causing a soft ticking sound as he remained idle.

At least until Wisteria asked him to fetch her something. Zenith released a sigh, but moved to do what he was told. Getting water, how domestic and boring. He needed something far more stimulating to preoccupy himself with. Still, his mistress had made a command - more like a request - but either way he was compelled to obey.

There was an empty pitcher on one of the counters and filled it from a basin. It wasn't really hot water, but it wasn't cool by any means. "How warm does this need to be?"

[DragonSong]

"Just...not cold. Tepid is fine." She took the pitcher from him and tested the water temperature with a finger, then nodded and poured a bit of it into the bowl.

Holding her still sluggishly bleeding hand over the bowl, she murmured a short incantation that seemed to make the shadows at the corner of the room flicker for a moment. Her eyes glowed scarlet, then faded quickly back to lavender.

Wish took a sharp breath and closed her eyes as though reorienting herself- and she was, now forcing her body to get used to the uncomfortable tugging sensation in her chest. "Alright. We can go, I know where he is," she said after a moment, throwing Zenith a quick smile before slipping back out of the kitchens. She was fairly sure she could make her way back out of the manor.

[Zero]

Zenith watched Wish perform her little blood ritual with only mild interest. It wasn't something he would be doing much of himself. Using the essence of souls wasn't quite the same thing, and above all else fire held the most potency in his magic.

"As you wish." It didn't much matter to him if they found her brother or not, after all. For the time being the demonic dragon was simply along for the ride.

He hated having to have a master to anchor him to this world, but that was the price he paid for getting overly arrogant. Not that his arrogance had improved much since his downfall, but that was just part of who and what he was.

His claws clicked and tapped against the floor, his tail swaying and dragging across the ground as he followed his mistress.

[DragonSong]

As they made their way to the entrance of the manor, Wish paused and glanced back at her new companion.

"This will probably be my last stop in Essyrn before going home- do you have any...unfinished business here?"

[Zero]

"What business might I have here? I am your slave, my only business in this world is your business." Zenith had always been kept in Essyrn, and because of the daytime heat he did enjoy the atmosphere, but there was nothing tying him to this place behind those that owned him.

[DragonSong]

Wish nodded. "Very well then." She fell quiet as she slipped out of the merchant's manor. Sooner or later someone would come across the body, but she wasn't overly concerned about that. She'd probably be long gone from the city by then, if there even was anything to implicate her presence or guilt, as it were, at all.

Essyrn was large, and without the blood spell guiding her, she probably would have been hopelessly lost. As it was, she followed a fairly straightforward path down into the lower districts of the city, ducking easily through the occasional crowded market.

She had a feeling something of the ease of her passage was aided by the massive presence now accompanying her, but didn't pay it much mind. As long as she could finish her business without interruption, she was content.

[Zero]

Zenith was completely unreadable as he followed the woman that had become his Mistress. People scrambled out of their way, but the dragon didn't so much as glance at the humans that shared the streets with him. They clearly feared him, and equally as clearly they were beneath his notice. What did gods care for the presence of insects?

At least until they made a nuisance of themselves.

"Are we close? What business did you have with your brother?" Zenith wasn't sure if he had asked already or not, but he hardly cared.

[DragonSong]

"Well..." Wish frowned slightly as they ducked down a slim alley. "It's...more of an introduction than business, you see. We've never actually met."

She paused, re-centering herself, then smiled. They were close. She strode out into a little side street; they were now quite clearly in the red light district.

"So I suppose we must start with the introductions, then I have a proposition for him. Our father would like his aide. Family matters, that is all."

[Zero]

Introductions and family matters.

"How boring." Zenith would just have to find ways to entertain himself. Hopefully there would be more interesting things going on with his new Mistress later. If nothing else he could always try to bed her again.

That had been a satisfactory experience.

[DragonSong]

"Hm, yes, very boring." Wish didn't feel the need to elaborate on her business with Darius. The less her new companion knew about her family's convoluted nonsense, the better.

Gods, sometimes she wished she was more in the dark about it.

"Ah, there it is!" She gestured to a rather lavish three-story building just a little ways down the street. Compared to the other, similar establishments scattered throughout the city, it seemed almost...high class. Gauzy fabric hung in the open doorway and draped out the windows, the smell of incense billowed out into the street, music and laughter rang out from the many open windows and archways. A rather jaunty sign hung above the doorway, painted brightly and proudly proclaiming the business to be "The Stray Cat".

"This shouldn't take long. Then we may be on our way again," Wish assured Zenith as she strode forward into the building.

Inside was a riot of color, golds and purples and reds from floor to ceiling. Exceptionally pretty men and women lounged around what seemed to be the main room, most dressed rather provocatively but a few in more "modest" garb. They seemed to just be milling about, sprawled across chaises or a pile of cushions, some reading, others drinking and laughing, several clustered around a low table and playing some kind of card game.

Most looked up when the rattle of several beaded strings heralded the arrival of customers, smiling and dipping their heads respectfully to Wish and Zenith. To the dhampir's surprise, they seemed rather bold for Essyrni prostitutes, especially the women. Their eyes roamed freely over the newcomers, clearly sizing them up.

"Hello."

Wish found her attention drawn to an elegant young woman dressed in sensually draped crimson and gold fabric. At first glance she was pretty enough, and incredibly imposing; on closer inspection, Wish realized that she was in fact beautiful, but that the hint of danger to her stance and aura should not be ignored. Save for her crimson eyes and the sharp, thin scars that crested her cheeks, she was the epitome of Essyrni beauty.

She looked between the two of them and artfully raised one eyebrow. "May I help you two?"

[Zero]

"Whatever time you need, Mistress." Zenith said with a bored air as she assured him it shouldn't take long at the brothel. It wasn't as if he much cared one way or another. He was there contractually to serve Wisteria, for the time being.

The dragon let his eyes lazily rove over the inside of The Stray Cat, taking in the sight of the people lounging around the establishment. Some of them were not hard on the eyes, and he smirked when their eyes moved over his form. He shifted his stance slightly as he stood behind his mistress, allowing his muscles to flex just a little.

Zenith did love to show off how intimidating he was.

"My Mistress has business here." He said casually, casting his gaze to the woman that had approached them, giving her an appraising once over before smirking at her.

[DragonSong]

The woman, Tamina, as she brusquely introduced herself, did not seem to be in the least bit either impressed or perturbed by Zenith's presence. Then again, she didn't really seem to react to anything much, either positively or negatively.

When she pressed to know what business Wish had with her employer exactly, and why she couldn't simply deal directly with Tamina, the dhampir cheerfully informed her that she was Darius's half-sister, there for a long overdue reunion. The woman just blinked at her, then closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

"Right. Of course you are. Why not." Quickly she snapped back into her emotionless role and dipped her head to them both respectfully. "If you would not mind waiting here a few moments, mistress, I will speak with Master Darius and see if now is a good time for you to...talk."

"Oh, would you? Thanks ever so." Wish beamed at her, rocking back to rest her weight on one heel and grinning wide enough to show a flash of fang, a hint of crimson bleeding into her eyes for just a moment.

Tamina didn't react. Waving a hand toward the lounge area, she offered in an almost bored tone, "Make yourselves comfortable while you wait." She turned to head up a flight of stairs, then suddenly paused with a soft, "Oh," and looked back over her shoulder.

Eyes narrowed and tone steely, she informed Wish and Zenith, "Our employees are to be respected. You will not touch them without their express permission, you will not leer, you will not make lewd comments unless you have made an appointment and such action is part of the contract. Any attempt to break or bend these rules will result in your immediate expulsion from the premises. Clear?"

Wish's eyebrows crept up, a little surprised that her unknown brother ran such a tight operation. "Transparently," she replied easily, though she cast a quick glance at Zenith over her shoulder, just slightly worried. 

[Zero]

Zenith felt himself growing incredibly bored as his Mistress exchanged words with the woman that had come to speak with them. She was a handsome woman. It was a pity he wasn't allowed to play with her. He doubted his Mistress would subject anyone to his mercy for no real reason other than the dragon's interest being caught.

They were told to make themselves comfortable while they waited for this Master Darius to appear, but he raised a ridged brow when the whore turned back to them to rattle off some rules they needed to follow.

Zenith smirked, more than a little amused. He wondered how she intended to remove him from the premises if he were to break one of her silly little rules. That would actually be quite fun, seeing what the woman would try to do if he didn't behave himself. Sadly that would likely cause trouble for Wisteria, and he didn't feel like ending a contract so soon after forming it.

If his Mistress agreed to the rules, then he would abide by them for now.

[DragonSong]

Reassured that Zenith would follow her lead in this place, Wisteria relaxed just a bit and wandered over to a nearby couch.

"May I?" she asked the young woman who was lounging across half the couch. With a grin, the woman nodded and scooted to the side, allowing Wish to take a seat.

"You and Broody over there here for business?" the woman asked in heavily accented Common, and Wish had to raise a hand to her mouth to stifle a small chuckle. She shook her head.

"No, not exactly," she replied.

The prostitute clicked her tongue and pouted. "Pity." Her eyes drifted over Zenith's form rather brazenly. Wish suddenly found herself wondering if she should interfere in some way-- perhaps warn the girl? Did she really need to?

Before she could decide, the young woman got to her feet and gestured to her recently vacated place on the couch, saying to Zenith, "Why don't you get comfy, love? I've got an appointment in a few minutes anyway, I'd better head up to my room."

Wish nodded to her with a smile as she sashayed her way out of the room, exchanging a few brief quips in Essyrni with her coworkers as they waved her out. She looked up at Zenith, idly wondering what exactly he was thinking about the whole situation.

"Your old master never came here?" she asked softly, voice low enough that none of the works lounging around them should be able to hear. "Never visited brothels in general?" That seemed...rather surprising, given what little she knew about the man.

[Zero]

Zenith didn't follow Wisteria when she moved to the couch, simply stood placidly with his arms folded across his chest and a rather bored expression on his face. He noticed the way the one prostitute looked at him, and smirked knowingly at the woman.

Many human women found him monstrous, but there were others that found him fascinating. Those adventurous sorts were quite amusing.

When the brazen woman rose from her seat and offered it to him, he chuckled lowly as he allowed his eyes to follow her from the room. There was an appreciative glint to his calculating eyes at the way her hips moved as she left the room. They had been told not to leer, but when there was blatant invitation...

The demon settled gingerly on the couch next to his mistress, casting a glance down at her as she asked about his former master. "Not to this establishment, no. This place is too tasteful for that swine. He preferred less reputable businesses, and I imagine cheaper."

[DragonSong]

"Ah." Wish nodded as she leaned back a little into the cushions. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense."

The workers around them were eyeing them with some combination of wariness and interest; a few seemed blatantly afraid of Zenith, giving their little couch a wide berth, but most seemed simply intrigued.

"It really is quite a nice establishment," Wish noted as she glanced around. Clean, luxurious, clearly well organized-- not what she had been expecting, actually. "I wonder how well Darius is doing with this place, really. He seems to be rather strict on his customers..."

Not at all a flaw, in her opinion. But before she could muse much further, Tamina suddenly reappeared beside the couch, arms folded and her lips drawn into a tight line. She clearly did not seem pleased.

"Darius will see you. Follow me," she told them briskly, and without another word turned on her heel and headed for the stairs.