KC (doingmything) wrote in city_limits, @ 2009-04-21 20:12:00 |
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Current mood: | uncomfortable |
Entry tags: | bethany richards, juliet winters, kris michaels |
Trust Issues
It was yet another trust exercise and Kris was tiring of them, knowing she couldn't make a run for it because with one flick of Katherine's finger and she was as good as gone. She'd been dragged from the darkness by her hair and forced to her feet, not resisting the urge to headbutt the vampire. Not that it did her any good, she just got a slap in return.
Apparently Katherine had a job with a big payoff, but she needed the money first before she wasted her time in off'ing the people in question.
The vampire was going to wait outside and send Kris in to collect, tapping the girl's collar with a malicious smile before disappearing into the darkness. How she thought she could keep an eye on Kris when she wasn't in the same place was truly beyond the Slayer, but she supposed the bitch had her way.
She pushed open the door to the club and stepped into the dark, grimacing faintly at a sudden strobe light lit up a stage and a slithering dancer wrapped around a pole. Kris was briefly transfixed before she dragged her eyes away, finding her way through the crowd of men, ignoring the slurred comments about giving her a good time.
"I'm here to see Beth," she mumbled to the tall blonde in a suit. "Katherine sent me."
The man nodded his head and turned on his heels, gesturing for Kris to follow him. He'd noticed the untidy appearance of the woman, but said nothing. He knew when to keep his mouth shut, being Beth's right hand man had taught him the art.
Kris slid her hands into her pockets and trailed after him, ignoring the way in which the collar pressed down against a still slightly swollen throat. At least she could breathe properly again, small blessings.
Holding the glass she had just about finished Juliet saw Ralphael leading a woman across the room, not taking a lot of notice at first until a flash of the strobe on stage lit the woman's profile as Juliet downed the last of the soda water. She almost choked on it when she recognised the face.
Kris??
She glanced back at the stage, Ginger's act reaching the point where Juliet really did have to get backstage. Crap!!! She had sensed earlier that week that Ralphael had been keeping a closer eye on her, and she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to herself by not being ready to go on when it was time, Bethany a stickler for the shows to be exactly what she wanted.
She hurried back, pulling on her costume and was about to grab her phone when she heard the music winding up. Torn between grabbing the phone out of her locker and heading out she realised that another twenty minutes wasn't going to change much, but it would sure as hell be noticed if she didn't go on when her music piece started playing.
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! She hurried out of the change room and up the few stairs till she was in place, Ginger coming off and giving her a small grin between a roll of her eyes and a cough. She was battling off some pretty severe hay-fever and Juliet patted the taller woman's shoulder before entering the dark stage and taking up her position, waiting for her cue.
Kris didn't have a lot of time to wonder on why the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on edge because she was being ushered into the office into the presence of another Slayer.
Just not any Slayer, a Slayer who worked for the 'dark side' and herself. Kris didn't need to know her to know she wouldn't like Bethany Richards, she was a disappointment to the entire lineage of Slayers and she didn't deserve the power.
Bethany on the other hand was loving it, able to tell that Kris was a Slayer bound in chains and forced to do the bidding of a vampire. You had to appreciate Katherine's style and she would have liked to know how the vampire had managed to make a headstrong Slayer so compliant.
"I understand you're here for Katherine," Bethany muttered as she took in the way Kris was stood and how she seemed to favour one leg over the other, she must be hurt. Not that Bethany cared.
Kris clenched her jaw and then eventually forced words out, "Yeah, I am."
Bethany nodded and then tutted softly under her breath. "All work and no play makes a very dull exchange, let me get you a drink." Her eyes lingered on the collar and her mouth begged to ask the question, but she didn't.
"I don't want a-" Kris began, but it was too late. Bethany was gone and expecting her to follow, which she did, Katherine wanted her money.
The music started, the lights causing Juliet's shape to appear as a silhouette against a deep orange screen. Her arm snaked up as the slow sexy sound of a saxophone rose from the speakers around the club's walls. As the music played on Juliet slowly rose, her costume adding to the desired 'serpentine' effect. After moving around the pole she finally slipped up the glowing length, or so it looked with the effortlessness of her moves. A spotlight was now on her, the lights coming up to normal performance strength, giving the dancer the ability to make eye contact with audience members. Without making it in any way obvious Juliet's eyes raked the audience, which wasn't anything unusual, performers adding that to ensure the customer was made to feel they were 'noticed'. It added to the tips, and increased the applause. This time though, Juliet's purpose was completely removed from the normal reasons. She wanted to see if she could see where Kris had gone, and one of the things the pole gave her naturally was an ability to observe everyone, and every corner of the club's main floor.
Kris, where are you?
A cold chill trickled down spine when she finally found Kris, and Bethany was right at her side...
Bethany was indeed right at Kris' side, arm curled lazily around the other Slayer's shoulders as she spoke in low hushed tones, explaining the job in question and the payoff itself. In any other circumstance Kris might have tried to break Bethany's arm, but as it was she needed to seem like she was playing along, to keep herself in one full piece.
Two drinks were delivered on the bar. "Drink up," Bethany muttered. "I get the feeling you'll need it."
Kris picked up the glass put down in front of her and knocked it back in one smooth movement, tightening her jaw as the alcohol stung at the wounds left behind by that scorpion. She'd almost forgotten. "Don't," she muttered gruffly when Bethany's fingers reached for the collar. "I mean it, don't touch it."
Bethany shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, I was only curious." She leaned in close again and took in the sight of Kris up close. "She's really doing a number on you, isn't she?" Red lips curled into a smile when Kris just glowered at her. "I thought as much."
It was almost killing Juliet to continue her performance, making sure it was up to her usual standard, and it didn't look like she was paying too much attention to the two women at the bar. One fortunate thing was there was a group of young men, wealth clearly marked by their clothing and the drinks they were calling for, and they were sitting between Juliet and the bar, so she could pay attention to them, and keep an eye on the two Slayers.
Has Kris turned?? Taken up with Bethany??
She was almost convinced of it until she saw the expression on Kris's face when Bethany leaned in, her fingers drawing Juliet's attention to the collar around Kris's neck.
What in hell is that??
Bethany bit her lip and laughed lightly given the look the other Slayer was giving her, turning away to snap her fingers at Ralphael. He disappeared and reappeared with a bag, a bag that was placed on the bar and slid over to Kris.
"This is half," Bethany explained. "Katherine gets the other half when the job is complete and remember I want nothing left of them."
Kris swallowed hard and turned her head to meet Bethany's cold gaze. "What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said," Bethany remarked with a smile. "You're a smart girl, you work it out."
Kris took a hold of the bag and turned to leave but was stopped by Bethany stepping in her way, towering over her in those heels. "What?"
Bethany reached up and slid a hair of Kris' hair behind her ear. "You might be fucked, honey, but that's no reason to look like crap."
Juliet's routine was only half way through when she saw Kris start to leave, only to be stopped by Bethany. The messages were so mixed to the younger Slayer's eyes, the touch of Bethany's hand to Kris's hair almost able to be described as affectionate, but that was just so not what Juliet could believe she almost lost her rhythm, her recovery of it smooth and simple, feet touching the ground for a few moments as the skin-tight hot pants she'd been wearing were shed down to the G-string, drawing appreciative whistles from the audience and a few stage smiles from Juliet as she allowed money to be tucked into it by some of the men.
Kris' eyes narrowed and it was with a noticeable shoulder-check that she passed Bethany, curling her fingers around the bag containing the blood money.
The blonde Slayer smirked and turned on her heels to watch Kris leave, eyes slipping up to the stage briefly to see how the show was going.
Kris was stopped at the door by a crowd of people coming in and she took a breath, turning her head to look back at Bethany who when she caught her eyes wiggled her fingers and winked.
Ugh.
There was no mistaking the body language in the departure and Juliet almost breathed a sigh of relief, except it was very short lived when she saw Bethany's eyes flicker toward the stage. She turned her attention to the man who looked old enough to be her father, perhaps even her father's father, only glancing up briefly when she saw Bethany moving, the small wave directing her glance across to Kris who was scowling back at the blonde Slayer.
Kris looked up at the precise moment as Juliet's gaze found its way to her and there it lingered until she just gave a shake of her head, disappearing out of the door. Had she been able to send messages telepathically Kris would have, but as it was, she couldn't. Juliet would have to make her own mind up about the interaction.
It took every single strand of willpower for Juliet to finish her performance rather than jump down off the stage and run after Kris, but finish it she did. As the lights went black as the crescendo faded she made her way backstage, tugging the cash from her costume and giving the next dancer the usual nod and info before almost sprinting back to the change room and getting out of her costume and into clothes she could wear out into the street.
Hurrying to the staff's security entrance she headed out, calling out that she just realised she'd left something in the car and needed to get it. Once outside she sprinted around to the front of the Club but as she scanned the people there she couldn't see Kris, no matter how hard she looked. Her phone was in her hand as she quickly sent a text to Hayden and Rhiannon, making sure the message was sent before she returned inside.