Marriage-go-round (Tiamat) Part Two

[Zodiac]

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

<Tiamat>: Tiamat pulled her red Corvette into a parking spot of the market where Zodiac's shop was located. She shut the engine off and stepped out onto the cold pavement. She was clothed in a black and red printed outfit with red heels. She pulled pen the door slowly and entered the building. "Is Miss Zodiac in? I'm here for my appointment."

<Zodiac>: Jennifer turns at the sound of the door chimes and listens to the woman speak. She holds up a finger for patience and checks the appointment log. "Miss Komlinov? Yes, she is in. If you will wait a moment, I will tell her you have arrived." She smiles before walking down the hall to the session room door and knocking on it.

<Tiamat>: Tiamat sat in a nearby chair and crossed her ankles as she waited for Zodiac. She toyed slightly with the keys in her hand before dropping them into her small black purse. She put her headphones and started up the music on her iPhone. As Halestorm drifted into her ears, started singing quietly to herself. "You don't know that I know, you watch me every night," her voice hauntingly lovely sang out in the waiting room.

<Zodiac>: She looked up from her studies at the sound of the knocks. When told Miss Komlinov was here, she asked "Which one?" Jennifer replied 'the shorter one with dark hair'. "Oh great, debating with a goddess" she thought to herself as she put her journal in the desk drawer and locked it away.

"She sings nice" Jennifer added. Zodiac could hear her as well. "Give me a couple seconds and send her down, please" the mystic grabbed her files she had started of the two and her note pad and took a seat in her favorite corner of the couch in the group session room. She lit up a smoke in reflex. The cigarette didn't do a thing for her, but the motions of it helped her center herself when she was dealing with more 'stubborn' subjects, such as a woman with delusions of being a goddess incarnate.

<Tiamat>: Zodiac's assistant came back into the waiting room and motioned for the dark haired woman to follow her. Tia paused her music and set her items back in the purse. She was left in front of the door to the room. She knocked on the door before opening it slowly. "Good evening Miss Zodiac.

<Zodiac>: She glanced up and smiled. "And Good Evening to you as well, Miss Komlinov," she whispered to the woman's thoughts. A quick glance at the clock before turning back to her client. "Prompt and on time. I approve. Take any seat you feel comfortable in and we can begin."

<Tiamat>: She sat down and set her bag on the floor next to the chair. She crossed her ankles and sat as straight as the chair allowed. "I despise being late. Tardiness is very rude." Tia laced her fingers together and placed them gently on her lap. "So where do we begin tonight," She asked with a slight smile on her face,

<Zodiac>: "Well, when you both were here last, I asked the pair of you to think of five things that you do that you know will annoy each other but you do them anyways." she began. "We can discuss the nice stuff later on, and I am sure there is plenty of it but if we want to figure out what is the issues you two are having, I think figuring out why you do things, knowing they hurt the other, is a good place to start." Zodiac adjusted herself and got comfortable, then gestured to the side bar along the wall. "If you feel the need for something to nibble or drink, please feel free. I try to keep this as informal as possible."

<Tiamat>: "Okay well, I always try to make Ivy go out and meet and people. I never do what she tells me to. She keeps insisting on making a family, but I don't like being called "Mama" by a woman who's about fives years younger than myself. I wear dresses. That's about as far as I could figure." She tucked some stray hair behind her ear and tilted her head slightly at the other woman. "I ate before I got here , but thank you for the offerings."

<Zodiac>: Writes down the points. "Okay, when you say you never do what she tells you to, is this an issue of you choosing not to listen to anyone in general or you think what Ivy is asking is pointless? Can you give me an example of such a conversation between the two of you?"

<Tiamat>: Tiamat leaned back against the back of the chair. "It's certainly not that what Ivy says is pointless. It's that everything comes from paranoia. Or from her obsessive need for a family. I've never liked being ordered around." She leaned forward slightly and looked into Zodiac's eyes. "When the little Crow's power weakened and that one group went on their killing spree, she refused to allow me the joy of sitting on the roof of our apartment building and watch the show. She was so certain they would come."

<Zodiac>: "Okay, hold part of that thought and let us try this. How did you act when Ivy was trying to teach you the ins and outs of this new state of....existence you are in now? I am sure she must have given you some clues on things. Did you ignore her and find out she was right on things or not?"

<Tiamat>: "She was dead for most of it. Aside from the beginning where I was trying to avoid her. And the ten days i was...locked away." a slight shudder ran down her body at the memory of her first week. "I had to mostly figure things out on my own."

<Zodiac>: "Why were you avoiding her?"

<Tiamat>: "She dumped me. For Elizabeth Pratt's pet human. After leaving me trapped with...Him." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. She was clearly unhappy with the current topic of discussion. "I had to live in the sewers for at least a month to escape."

<Zodiac>: Jots notes quickly. "I see. Earlier you mentioned this family Ivy wants to form. Who was calling you 'Mama'?"

<Tiamat>: "Some girl Ivy found and brought home some time ago. Ivy called her Helena . I don't think she had a name before, or just didn't remember it. She kept calling us both 'mommy' or 'mama'. It's very irritating."

<Zodiac>: "Human or turned?"

<Tiamat>: "Ivy turned her into a vampire."

<Zodiac>: "And this child is how old?"

<Tiamat>: "She was eighteen or nineteen. Now, I don't know how old she is."

<Zodiac>: "Well thank the gods for that much at least." continues to write for a few. "Okay, what is wrong with dresses? I prefer them myself."

<Tiamat>: "They're not tactically suitable according to her. I don't like how pants feel on my legs."

<Zodiac>: "Personally I don't like them because why should I shrink wrap my *** and put it on public display, but that is just me." She grins a bit. "So tactical. Ivy would prefer you wore something more combat-ready, is that it?" She begins drawing a few lines to parts of her notes and adding additional notes to the side.

<Tiamat>: "You've seen her outfits. She wears combat pants, boots, and an armored wetsuit. All the time. She never dresses up and always criticizes the fact that I put so much work into my looks."

<Zodiac>: An eyebrow raises now. "So for the sake of conversation here. If you were in a situation where wearing such gear as Ivy chooses to wear would actually help save you from a trip to the Shadow Realm, your response would be 'I don't like how it feels on my legs' and choose not to dress accordingly?"

<Tiamat>: "Yes. I'll simply be reborn again. Death is no longer something to fear."

<Zodiac>: "Well, trust me on this. None of us leave a good looking corpse behind when we go. You could be dressed to the nines, have your hair done and perfect make up and you gonna fall into a nasty pile of dust when all is over." Zodiac stopped writing and laid her notes to the side. "I do not want you to feel like I am challenging everything you say here out of meanness or whatever. I am not taking Ivy's side in this nor yours, but I ask these questions to figure out where you are coming from and trust me, Ivy will get the same in her turn as well."

She lit a fresh cigarette and took a long drag. "Control is more than just a watch word with you, isn't it?"

<Tiamat>: Tiamat raised an eyebrow at the question. "I don't understand your question right now." She kept her hands folded on her legs as she spoke. "You're trying to figure out what makes me tick. I understand that. However, what exactly do you mean by your question?"

[Tiamat]

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


<Zodiac>: "Fair enough. Let me show you what I have gotten so far. Most of your objections to things centers around Ivy herself. She won't go out and meet new people. she is paranoid, she insists the Cold War never ended or whatever and wants to be ready to make whoever tries to hurt her and hers pays for it dearly. I am not even touching the family bit for now. In one context, there is a lot of wrong in her, but when you consider who she is, where she has come from and what she has been made into then all of these things ring very right. I have no clue what that so-called sire of hers put her through, but I am familiar with how the Soviets think and raise their soldiers. Are you with me so far?"

<Tiamat>: "I am. What exactly does it have to do with me and control though? That's the question that I have right now. I need Ivy to understand that things aren't always the way she thinks they are. " She adjusted her position uncomfortably at the mention of Ivy's sire. "That sociopath you mentioned and everything he holds dear needs to burn in hell fire. It's the very least that he deserves."

<Zodiac>: "Okay, then answer me this much. A two part question. What do you think Ivy would have to do to make things better, and what would you have to do to make things better? And yes, I agree with you totally on the sire in question."

<Tiamat>: She smiled and relaxed against the chair. She uncrossed her ankles and changed position of her feet as she re-crossed them. "Ivy would need to learn how to lighten up and start letting go of her paranoia. I'd like to actually go places and see people without her attempting to murder everyone we meet. I guess I could be far more understanding of her. I don't know if you truly understand the depth of that man's depravity. I'd be impressed if it hadn't been for what he did, and tried to do."

<Zodiac>: "Could be understanding," she tapped her pencil a bit. "See, this is the vibe I am getting from you." she flipped back into her notes. "Quote: Ivy would need to. She is paranoid. and a few others. Quote: I guess I could be. You seem to be pushing all the faults onto her and not mentioning how you might be complicating things with your own actions and reactions. You gave me a strong impression when the pair of you came the first night and I am still getting it now." she flips thru her pages again. "Something you said within five minutes of getting here. Quote: ' I never do what she tells me to ', and ' I've never liked being ordered around '. So this is why I am asking you, control of the situations around you is a big thing with you, isn't it?"

<Tiamat>: "So basically I'm to blame for everything is what you're trying to say? I know I complicate things. I know I make it hard for her. It's not something I do for fun. It's who I am. It's what I am. I'm sitting here in this room because I don't like seeing her get upset because of what I am. Yes, control is a big issue with me."

<Zodiac>: "Oh no, stop right there." she gestured to the woman. "I never said nor do I feel it is all your fault at all. I can imagine being with someone like Ivy would be taxing at times. But, you have yet to even suggest that any of this might be due to things you do. So far its all been Ivy. What I am wondering is, do you try to control the situation to a point that Ivy just keeps doing what she is doing in defiance of you. Two Alpha females are gonna butt heads constantly, but the same one can't always win especially if they are considering becoming bound in such a manner."

<Tiamat>: "Given how our first session went, I didn't figure I actually needed to point out my faults in all of this. Perhaps I do try to exert too much control on her. Perhaps I have a multitude of issues. I don't know anymore."

<Zodiac>: Nods. "Has been my experience that when people begin to discuss such things, they also begin to think about it deeper. Sometimes people will realize things they may not have before in the process. The fact you had said nothing at all like that made me wonder a bit." glances over her notes again. "But I do see a pattern in what you are saying about Ivy as well here. Unless you can add anything to what you have told me so far, I think I have enough to work with when Ivy comes in. I am sure she has her share of complaints about you as well."

<Tiamat>: "I'm certain that will be a fairly long session if you an get her in here. I'd suggest making a house call but you'll more than likely wind up with a bullet to the face. I'll try to get her to have her sit down. She doesn't like going out. She'll most likely be armed too. That's one of our bigger fights."

<Zodiac>: She laughs a bit at the woman's statement. "And you think I am not?" Zodiac pulls the hem of her skirt just enough to show the gun holstered just above her ankle. "I get all types in here and sometimes they refuse to accept my answers or the fact time may be over or decide the little girl is an easy target." She lets go of her skirt and lets it fall back into place. "I will have Jennifer try to contact her and see what and where we can manage to set up a meeting. And if she tries to shoot me? Surprise! I shoot back! Sometimes I take my share of verbal abuse in these situations but I do not take physical."

<Tiamat>: Tiamat raised an eyebrow and rose to her feet slowly. "I only use mine to get out of the house. other than that I don't carry it on me. I shall be heading home now. Is there anything else I should be doing?" She leaned forward and picked up her purse.

<Zodiac>: "Outside of giving some serious thought to what you might be doing wrong, no. Once I have talked to Ivy we will get the pair of you in here again to try and see what common issues you both have and try to work some solutions to the rest." Zodiac stood as well. "Thank you for your confidence and your visit. Please pay Jennifer on the way out and blessings of the night to your and yours."

She watched the woman leave and then flopped back down on the sofa. Quickly adding to her notes while the session was fresh in her mind.