Quarterly Evaluations (Dominique)

[Zodiac]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

<Zodiac> "Well, this was going quicker than I thought it would." Zodiac sat back in her chair as she closed another folder. The quarterly reviews were progressing smoothly and it looked like she might actually have them all done before Halloween. Being the week before, she had let all who worked for her dress up if they felt the urge, and she was no different.

<Dominique> Dominique walked into the hall and wiggled a little which did absolutely no good. the store was in costume this time of year and though it was her first Halloween employed there it was a chance for Dominique to be her favorite super hero, Batgirl. This ensemble was a sweet little number that took her a full bottle of baby powder and fifteen minutes to get into. It was a latex casing that was so tight her piercings were nearly clear as day if you looked close enough. Didn't bother her any. She just felt like she wrapped tight and there was no way she was getting out of it anytime soon. She rubbed her left ankle against the right and felt like a cricket when the latex squeaked.
If the review took too long then she would just started channeling Jiminy Cricket and see how quickly Zodiac dismissed her. Summoning up the courage to get it over with she curled up her fingers and knocked on the door

<Zodiac> She glanced up at the knocking and slipped on the purgatory of heels again and walked to the door of her office. When she opened it, she made a mock show of fangirl screaming at the site in front of her. "Oh my god! It's Bat-Minx!" her laughter dancing in the girl's head. "I am glad to see that actually fit!" The gypsy stepped aside and waved for Mini to come inside.

<Dominique> She took her time walking past Zo in the shiny costume her employer bought for her. The platform black boots were a bit to get used to but she certainly had no problem making it appear as if though she wore them every day of the week. She held her hands on the belt around her hips and nodded at the beautiful version of Elvira as she stepped into the woman's office. "Thank you and it was not easy getting into. I am thinking it will be more of a treat getting out of."

<Zodiac> "She walked into Smokey's one hip at a time.." she laughed as she closed the door behind them. She kicked off the heels and walked around her desk to her side and took a seat. She cocked her head at Dominique for a moment. "Are you feeling okay?"

<Dominique> She watched Zodiac make her way around the desk and settle in getting comfortable. As soon as Zo asked if she was feeling okay she started to wonder why she asked. She patted her cheeks then brushed 'HOPE' across her forehead. She didn't have a fever but the truth was she did feel a little off. She was crediting the recent increase in hospitalizations as draining her energy and creating the continuous nausea. The food really did suck there. "I think I am okay." She slipped into the seat across from the desk and Zodiac and made a few squeaks as she did. "I love your costume by the way. Looking good." She winked then attempted to cross one leg over the other which created more squeaking.

<Zodiac> "Next time, leave your pet mice at home," she giggled. "And thank you" She pulled the folder from the pile marked in the woman's name and opened it. She glanced over the paper inside for a few moments in silence before speaking again. "Talking straight here? I have cut you a hellava lot of slack recently, girl." she sighed. The pair knew what each other was. The problem was, the vampire-who logic would suggest would be the one getting into all the trouble-was living a nice, quiet life. Mini, the upstanding Paladin and protector of humanity however, was making quite the scene to the world at large.

<Dominique> She could hear the message loud and clear even if the ventilation system was making more noise than her boss was. It was a fact. Zodiac had been very accommodating to Dominique with all her recent leaves of absences from work. It likely put both her and Jennifer in a situation searching to cover shifts left vacant while she spent her time hanging with Rupert the door man at the hospital. At least that is what she believed he was. Who would stand at the front door of a hospital entrance otherwise 24/7? "Yes and I do apologize. I can tell you now though I don't think you will have to worry too much about me being gone again for any length of time. Whatever was in my system is finding its way out and I will be flying under the radar from here on for quite awhile."

<Zodiac> She nodded at the words she heard. "All your 'outside activities' aside, when you manage to be here I don't have a single complaint about the quality of your work. I ask, you do and do well. I admit some of the things you get asked to do are pretty dull stuff, but they pay the bills around here." She leaned back in her chair and thought for a few moments more. "Are you sure you feeling okay? Your aura is kinda out of focus right now."

<Dominique> She was relieved. Her overall performance seemed to be what was expected and the woman across from her seemed happy with her productivity when she was able to get her bandaged up body through the doors to clock in. Her warm chocolate brown eyes fixed on Zodiac's as she seemed to be eyeing her with a look she had not noticed in quite some time from her employer. "Everything with me has started to seem out of focus. I think it's my giving up the Monster Energy drinks. Takes awhile to adjust. It wont effect my work." She added that last bit in because it was true. Her giving up energy drinks wouldn't be the reason she arrived into the hospital again and missed more work.

<Zodiac> She shook her head> "No, I doubt its energy drinks." She stood up slowly and approached her craft person and held out her hand. "May I?" she asked as she gestured for Mini's hand. "Something is different about you right now and its not a lack of Red Bull in your system."

<Dominique> Dominique was ready to do whatever it took to keep Zodiac confident that she didn't make a mistake in hiring her despite what she was and Zodiac was. She wouldn't imagine what it would be like leaving the woman's office having to hunt for another job. It was getting close to the holidays and most positions would be filled. She was sure of it. She extended the hand that Zo seemed most interested in and smiled a little though she was confused more than ever. "Sure."

<Zodiac> "Thank you." She gently took her hand into hers and turned it palm up. Her other hand's fingers began tracing the lines in her palm for a few moments as she appeared deep in thought. Part of her got lost in the warmth of Mini's hand in hers. Not an urge to feed, just the feeling of living warm in her cool hands. She cocked her head then looked the woman directly in the eyes again, as if she was studying a bug in science class. "Oh good Goddess!" she exclaimed in the Paladin's head.

[Dominique]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--


<Dominique> Dominique watched the cool hands that held her own. She could really use another mouthful of TUMS and it wasn't because of Zodiac. She was likely dealing with the left over antibiotics that were simmering in her system. It was what it was and for the moment it wouldn't be cool pulling out the handful of the pastel chalky discs she tucked into her bat belt pouches. She was patient as she waited while Zodiac examined her palm. However that all changed when her head was throbbing with the exclamation. "What?" She squeaked as she unfolded her gray latex covered legs. "That doesn't sound good. Let me guess I am going to leave here and get ran over by a bus or knocked over the head by a falling tree, aren't i?"

<Zodiac> "It was that animal, wasn't it?" Zodiac was suddenly in a flurry of motion now. Fussing over the girl like someone would over a dying person. "That man of yours sounding off on the forum like he was William Wallace or something." Gently her hands held the woman's face between them as a look of true concern flowed over the mystic's features. "Mini? Where was your head at? And if you dare say 'under the steering wheel, what does that have to do with anything' I will put those heels back on and kick you square in the hoo ha."

<Dominique> Okay, there was a few things that the paladin knew about vampires. None of which explained whatsoever was going on with boss or the fact she had dropped her palm and cupped her face while taking about having her head under a steering wheel all of course while she was sitting there wearing latex and the boss her self looking like Elvira. Dominique was sure she missed a whole lot of conversation or mind chat or whatever it was that Zo did that kept everything pretty much silent except for her own voice. "Eachann?" She said more in question and guess than out of certainty. "I haven't stole any cars lately. Hell I haven't since I got here. As far as Eachann goes, I highly doubt he would even know how to. Why you missing a car or something? And just because I used to steal them doesn't mean I do now!" So much for moving beyond her past. Figures. She was not there for a work review. Someone was missing a car so naturally ask the former car thief. She shook her head with her lips bunching up into a pink flesh bow the the right side of her mouth. She gave that hoo ha reference a little more thought and realized Zodiac was threatening to kick her in the ****. Who the hell threatens their employee with a crotch kick. Her work performance was THAT bad?

<Zodiac> "You honestly don't know, do you?" She stood up and went to the sideboard in her office and came back with a glass of water. Placing it in Dominique's hands, she sat back against the edge of her desk and considered how to say what she had felt. "Before I say anything, I promise you I will do all I can to help you through this. I promise." She ran her hands over her own face for a moment and looked sadly at her. "Dominique? You're pregnant." Before the girl could say a word, she continued. "No vampire magicks told me this. You forget, I grew up in a commune style of environment where everyone helped everyone with everything. I learned fast as a kid how to tell a woman was with child, and dear one? You are with child."

<Dominique> Dominiques face went from confusion to total and complete disbelief. A sour expression formed as if she locked her teeth into a lemon plucked and sliced in half right there. She sniffed the glass of water then looked to her boss without taking the drink offered. She wasn't trying to be insulting but she certainly was beginning to belief she walked into the Twilight Zone. In fact she wouldn't be surprised if Rod Serling came out from closet and started explaining how this was all part of another realm of who knew what but certainly not reality. Not the one she was in. She looked at her palm that Zo had been focusing on. She rubbed it quickly over her latex covered thigh as if that would make everything back to normal. "I don't doubt your abilities and certainly don't question your powers but this time you are so far off base even a snail will have crossed home plate and won the series before you ever find the ball. I have been in the hospital for the last couple weeks. Not the case. Trust me there is nothing farther from the truth." With nothing left to wipe off her hand or to hide behind while Zodiac continued to look at her, she finally took a long slow sip of water from the glass offered.

<Zodiac> "Oh, so that is what you think, eh?" She reached over her desk and grabbed her purse and pulled a twenty dollar bill from her wallet and laid it on one of Mini's latex covered thighs. "Then humor me. When you leave later? Stop by the drugstore and get one of those home test kits and try it out. You bring me back a negative result, I will close down everything, sell my stock, find me a plot of ground and open myself my own commune." She stood up and grabbed Mini's file and a pen and began to go over the check boxes. Answering the questions quickly before writing in the comments space at the bottom of the sheet. "For once, I hope I am wrong. I really do. The kind of life you insist on leading is nothing for a child to be thrown into. I am just glad your lover is human. If it was one of us," she tapped her chest before she started writing again. "I would not want to think about it."

<Dominique> Dominique felt that slow boiling in her gut simmer into knots as watched Zodiac return to her file and do whatever it was that she did with them. She swallowed slow as a lot of what she had no interest in sharing about her and Eachann went through her head. There is only one and that obviously was the flying Scotsman. No way in hell she would be in the sheets with a vampire. Twilight Zone or Twilight. It was just not going to happen. those three days spent with him were it but she was hoping like hell it wasn't it-it. She wouldn't give any hint to Zodiac that there was the slightest possibility even close to what she was suggesting. She reached down and tore the banknote in half and slid it over the desk back at her boss as she stood up. "I appreciate your concern and the thought behind it but I will assure you that I will be at work and fitting into this six months from now and even longer. I wont hold you to the shop or all within it." She winked and folded up the half of the paper she was left with and raised it enough as if it was an in the air toast. "I will keep this always to remind me you cared enough to tell me what you thought was to be true. No chance in hell I can be. Not now or later." Dominique was in off stage summer theater workshop two summer vacations in a row. She used every last delivery skill she could to make what she just said sound believable. She made her way to the door and stopped. "Thanks for everything." She smiled and tucked the half bill into the small pouch on her bat belt and pulled out two TUMS. "For the road." She popped them in her lips and went out the door and closed it. Once outside she felt her heart sink. In that moment she never felt more scared in her life. Forgetting she had the shoes from hell on she ran down the hall and out the doors and hightailed it as fast as she could back to the corner store where hopefully Gertrude was working and wouldn't ask any questions.

<Zodiac> She blinked in confusion. "Hey! You gotta sign and read this before you go!" She hopped off the desk and tried to grab the woman's hand before she got too far, but was blocked by the door closing. "God daminit, MINI!" she shouted as she stepped out of the office but saw the woman had fled. She stood there for a few moments and dropped the folder on the counter. In the comments space she had written...

"...excessive absence due to medical reasons. excused...."

Why had she said anything? "Because you are Zodiac, that's why' she could swear she heard her Nanna talking behind her now. It was what she did. She could not help it. Just when she thought she was gaining some ground with the girl, now she runs off.

"I really liked your outfit," her thoughts barely a whisper now.

Her back was to the door as the chimes rang. She took a deep unneeded breath and counted to ten before turning around. Gone was the look of despair. It was hiding behind her normal smile as she bowed her head in greetings to the people who had entered. Her senses telling her that mortals had come to her. Quickly she picked up a dry erase board and wrote smoothly.

Greetings, and welcome to Pandora's Box. How may I help you all this lovely evening?