hell to pay Who: Jezebelle and Saoirse When: Late afternoon Where: Jezebelle's home
It had taken a while for the information Saoirse needed to finally reach her ears. She had immediately spread the word to trustworthy vampires that she was looking for a vampire woman in the area named Jezebelle, and when someone finally came back to her with an address? Saoirse went immediately. She should have asked around a little bit more, tried to determine what house this Jez was from, but in the end? She was too stubborn, and too territorial. This shit had to end. Graham would probably not come back to Scarlet Oak, but if he did? Bitch needed to stay away.
Which was how she ended up at the new home of one Jezebelle Marino, standing on the front step and wondering how this was going to go down. Probably not well. But she'd try anyway. She didn't think twice about ringing the bell.
Jezebelle was awake and in a fabulous mood. Having Graham stay with her the night before meant that she was not only well fed, but that the windows were open and the sun was shining in. She'd gotten up earlier that morning and worked in her garden, determined to get her personal life in shape before worrying about her shop. It was still in the process of being rebuilt anyways. Now her roses were in pristine condition, the scent drifting in through the open windows. After showering and getting dressed for the day, Jezebelle had settled in her living room to read for a bit with the plan to go out later that evening.
She wasn't expecting any visitors, though, and looked up at the door with a touch of apprehension. Graham wouldn't call on her so soon after leaving, and Lex surely knew better. Maybe Nikita had decided to drop by? Rising from her chair, Jezebelle slipped on her heels and went to answer the door. "Maybe I help you?" she asked, instantly realizing it was another vampire before her. The lack of a heartbeat made that clear as day.
Saoirse hadn't been sure what to expect in this Jezebelle. The house itself had been a bit of a surprise. She supposed she had been expecting a crack whore. Not a well-dressed, dignified looking woman of high society. No, that in itself didn't annoy her, not at all. "I hope so," she answered, offering an apprehensive smile. She was going for pleasant and polite - for as long as possible. "My name is Saoirse Shaddock. I'm looking for Jezebelle Marino." This woman was obviously a vampire, but she didn't know if she lived alone or not. "I apologize if this is a bad time. I was given an address, not a phone number."
The name didn't ring a bell, but that didn't mean Jezebelle let down her guard. This was twice now that someone had been given her address and she knew she'd have to put a stop to it soon. "I'm Jezebelle," she said with a polite smile. For a moment she considered inviting the woman in, but paused, deciding it was better to find out what she'd come for first. "Now's fine. What can I help you with?" Saoirse didn't look the type to be there buying drugs, but she'd long ago learned not to judge a book by it's cover.
Alright then. Saoirse paused as she debated how exactly to start this, and eventually went right for it. "I'd like to talk to you about Graham," she began, "And your business arrangement with him." That ought to get her attention. Here went everything.
Well, that changed things, didn't it? Jezebelle's lips pursed together unhappily and she took a step back. If this girl wanted to talk about Graham and her "business arrangement" with him, she wouldn't be doing so on her front porch. The last thing she wanted was the neighbors being made privy to her secrets. "Step inside, Ms. Shaddock, and we'll talk."
Saoirse had figured that'd do it. Offering another little smile, she nodded and accepted the invitation. "Thank you," she said, flipping awareness as she did. If she was going to be in this woman's house, with no witnesses, she wanted to see anything and everything coming. "I won't waste much of your time, I'm sure you're very busy. Cutting straight to it, I'd like to know if there is any way you could be persuaded into staying away from Graham."
There wasn't much for Saoirse to see-- Jezebelle had just moved in, and was still in need of furniture in many places. While she had the essentials, there were no knick-knacks around the room, leaving it feeling slightly bare. Jezebelle was pleased with it, though, considering it was far better than nothing. "Regardless of the answer, that's none of your business," Jezebelle said, growing cold. "Is that all you're here for?" She didn't know who this bitch was, but last she checked Graham didn't have a keeper.
"Pretty much," Saoirse answered, not missing a beat, at least in that. She had expected for Jezebelle to get pissed, even before having any idea of what she was actually like. "I would ask you to hear me out," she went on. "Graham didn't know what he was getting himself into, and in my opinion, he still doesn't. He's in over his head, and I'd really like to do what I can to keep the asshole alive. I believe his arrangement with you endangers that desire." To say the very least. "You know, the arrangement of your drugs for his blood? Among other things. I can imagine how interesting the authorities would find that. And it wouldn't be very good PR for vampires in general. I think such a thing becoming public knowledge would make a good deal of vampires very angry, don't you?" Holy shit, I'm threatening her. I'm actually doing it. She said it all perfectly calmly, and conversationally, but were she still alive? Her heart would have been pounding.
Jezebelle might have been able to keep the conversation civil, but once Saoirse threatened her reputation, her livelihood, and her house-- because that's what would come of this-- it was no-holds-barred. "You dare to walk into my house and threaten me, bitch?" Jezebelle snapped, raising her arm and backhanding the girl as hard as she could across her left cheek. She didn't wait to hear the answer, instead moving over to the fireplace and grabbing the poker from beside it. One second she was there, the next she disappeared into the nearest shadow, reappearing in the darkness behind her front door-- which slammed shut seconds later. "I guess we need to talk, don't we?"
Saoirse turned her head and covered her mouth with her hand, then briefly flipped awareness again to see if she was bleeding. Indeed, she was. She flipped again immediately - just in time to see Jezebelle take a weapon and then fucking disappear. The fact that she reappeared behind Saoirse didn't do a lot for her confidence. At least she saw it happening. She stepped away and turned to face Jezebelle again, at least appearing confident and calm. "Indeed we do," she agreed. "I should first say that if I don't return to my home and work today? My friends and housemates knew I was coming to see you." Seemed terribly important to get that shit out of the way.
Wonderful. Just peachy. Bitch had a big mouth and thought it was going to save her. Jezebelle rolled her eyes. She'd spent a hundred years side-stepping the authorities and was certain she could do so again, if necessary. "Bad move, pretty. I'm sure they're expendable," she smirked, swinging the fire iron into her hand as she moved closer. It was too bad it was mid-afternoon and the sun was still out. This fight would be far more exciting with a few more shadows, but Jezebelle would make due with what she had to work with. "You threaten me in such a way that threatens my house. Your well-being is no longer my priority." Again, she jumped to the shadow behind Saoirse, immediately whacking her across the back with the fire iron. "You need a lesson in keeping your mouth shut!"
Saoirse saw it coming, and was able to brace herself for the blow, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. It served well in bringing out her temper - not to mention survival instinct. She whirled around, slamming her elbow into Jezebelle's face. "I can appreciate a little house pride, but you don't know who you are fucking with," she hissed, jumping into a well-lit area. The shadows seemed to be what spurred on her teleportation. "My house could ruin you. Play me very carefully."
Jezebelle stumbled backwards with the blow, then immediately regained her stance. One hand lifted to her nose and popped it back into place with a scowl. There was blood on her face-- Graham's blood-- but that was of no concern to her at the moment. As she'd been taught, Jezebelle was totally focused on the fight and in making sure that she came out the victor. "It's not pride, darling, it's fear, and you'd do well to feel it a bit yourself." Jezebelle wasn't scared of her elders, but she knew the value of keeping her loyalties straight. She also knew what would happen to her if she publicly tarnished the reputation of The Shades; she wouldn't make it through the year. "Let me make this clear to you-- what Graham and I do is private and, most of all, consensual. Your house, are they backing you on this? Because if they decide to wage war on my own, it will end badly."
For a moment, Saoirse's world narrowed around the scent of the blood. Graham. Anger flared inside of her, and she wanted nothing more than to shove that poker down the bitch's fucking throat. She was apparently very familiar with Graham's cock in there. "No," she managed to force out, positively glowering at Jezebelle. "I act independently. And I am going to make things very difficult for you, at every... fucking... turn."
That was a huge relief on Jezebelle's part-- that Saoirse had not already brought her house into the issue-- though she did nothing to indicate as much. It simplified things, keeping the argument between the two of them, which was how she preferred it to remain. With a swing of the fire iron, Jezebelle stepped back into the shadow, jumping several different places this time before returning back to where she'd been just moments before. It was enough of a distraction to give her the opening she desired, and she shoved the fire iron through Saoirse, blood splattering on the floor behind her. Such a shame; it was brand new. "Try me, darling. It's been a while since I had a good fight." Unless she counted the one with Lex, but Jezebelle didn't think stabbing him with her stiletto counted.
Saoirse gasped, though the sound died short. She stood frozen in place, paralyzed; she probably would have fallen over if Jezebelle was not still hanging on to the other end of the poker. Saoirse had been aware of this particular weakness of her house - staking paralyzed them until it was removed. But she'd always imagined it would have to be a wooden stake. More, she had never dreamed of a situation where she would actually be staked for any reason. And now here she was. Unable to even blink, despite every fiber of her being fighting desperately to move. As a human, she'd been strongly fae blooded, with a strong aversion to iron. As her other allergies had carried over to her vampire life, this one did as well. The iron in her heart burned, and she wanted to scream in pain. But she could not. She was helpless, and utterly terrified.
The lack of a scream surprised Jezebelle, so much so that she paused, then examined Saoirse carefully. The other vampire didn't struggle, even when she should have been fighting to pull the poker out of her. No, more than that-- she didn't move, not at all. Jezebelle racked her brain, moving through the list of all the lines she knew until she came to one that fit. As a Shade, Jezebelle made it her business to know the weaknesses of the other houses. Some died by being staked, but only one that she knew of became paralyzed in such a way. "Azrael," Jezebelle smirked. "You'd just love for us to disappear." If she wanted to kill Saoirse, now would be easy. But it would create a mess for her to clean up, and Jezebelle wanted to stay out of politics for a while if she could. With a hard jerk, she pulled the poker back through, stepping away from Saoirse as she did so. "Don't fuck with me, pretty. You try to make my business public and I will not hesitate to finish this off. Understand?"
As soon as the poker was removed from her heart, Saoirse finished what she had started doing - gasping in a mix of shock and pain. That, and falling hard to the floor. The wound wasn't even beginning to heal, and Saoirse knew that it probably wouldn't for a while. This was worse than that time she'd been stabbed with silver. Earth elemental blood would heal that. This? She was completely on her own on. She wanted to kill Jezebelle. No doubt about it. More than she had ever wanted to harm Zachary. But she was incapable of it now, and she knew that. She had to get out of here. "This... is not over," she warned, managing to pick herself up off of the floor. This was going to get worse before it got better - and she needed to get out of here before that happened. So with the remains of her strength, she sprinted for the door.
"That's unfortunate," Jezebelle sighed, and let Saoirse run. She didn't expect the girl to beg forgiveness, but threatening again? It was stupid at this point, at least in her eyes. Jezebelle was already watching her back due to Lex's threats; adding Saoirse to the list shouldn't be overly difficult. What she found infuriating, though, was that she'd come in defense of Graham-- the one human Jezebelle would go out of her way to protect. With that on her mind, Jezebelle knew who she'd be calling on next... just as soon as she got the blood off her carpet.