Hell bent for leather (Zodiac, Chaindog, Tomi)

[Dulce Periculum]

With the soft nudge of a silk covered hip the leather office chair twirled just enough to catch the tall body that settled into the cradle of the seat beneath it. A stretch of a bare feet attached to lethally long legs digging their heels into the carpet beneath pulled Dulce Periculum towards her desk in her office while she sat down a cup of tea next to the keyboard that pulled out toward her waist.

While the blue screen illuminated in the otherwise dark room the tall blonde arranged herself as though she would be settling in for awhile and taking care of some business. Orders that were delayed in their arrival was on a list that was rather long. Checking in on Sada was another. Bringing the hot tea beneath her nose reminded her there was also the long over due call to a best friend that would need to be made. They both had been busy but that certainly was no excuse.

The ballad of Betty & Gretta played through the alluring killer’s mind. It was time to catch up. Dulce’s plump unpainted lips fixed at the edge of the tea cup’s rim and she sipped in the exotic blend she asked Zodiac, the Queen of Tea, to mix up with the leaves she brought back from her recent trip to Borneo. It was quite magical how soothing it was going down leaving the trail of heat to remind her what a rare indulgence a good cup of tea had become. Perhaps this was what she needed. She missed it and she missed Betty. A gentle return of the cup to the wood surface near the keyboard gave her the free hands to log in and check on business first.

Several clicks and bursts of white light and then blue played out through the otherwise dark room as she scrolled through the business lists to find Dragon Gate Inn. It was as she expected. the restaurant was running smoothly and no worries were to be had. Just as she was about to click off the pages she noticed a few listings were new and her curiosity had her tapping each open. Brief skimming of each and their services seemed to fill her need to know until the last popped up on the screen. A finely groomed brow arched as ‘Mistress M’s Leather’ came to her view. She checked for the location and surprisingly found it attached to none other than her Tomi’s shop, Marva’s Mode. Frosty blue eyes blinked slowly at the information in front of her.

Nudging with the heels of her hands at the edge of the desk offered Dulce the space to rise tall and lean over. A tap of her fingertip had the computer shut down and lock while the other hand reached for the receiver of the phone and dialing Zodiac at the shop. She was pretty sure Jennifer would be around. After a few seconds her assumptions panned out with a cheery answer from Jennifer.

“Hey Jenn. It’s Dulce.” Jenn was always a delight as any valued employee should be on the clock. “I am about to head out and wanted to see if Betty was available to meet me over at 8th Dimension Mall lobby for a bit? Nothing urgent just a little get together and some company to check out something that just caught my eye. Can you pass her the message?” Dulce was around the desk when Jenn was letting her know it would be done. The call ended with the return of the receiver to the base and the blonde leaving the room to dress then dart to the spot where they would meet. While she waited she pulled out her cell and took the time to invite another to drop by.

-Dropping by Tomi's shop. She has been expanding. Zodiac and I will be there soon. If you have time meet us- With the tap of her finger Chaindog was sent a text.

[Zodiac]

"...Eighteen, Nineteen......"

Zodiac was counting toads. Normally this would be an exercise in nonsense, but for the cash she paid for poisonous toads to be shipped from South America to Canada, she was determined to be sure all twenty five was in the box alive and well before she signed for it. Poison didn't bother her as a norm, so she gently poked and prodded the colorful amphibians around with her fingers as she counted to be sure.

"Any day now," the delivery person snorted in annoyance. The mystic glanced up at him and flipped him off. It was her money in question, not his.

"..Twenty One, Twenty Two..."

"What do you do with poison toads anyways?" the driver asked. Zodiac fought an urge to laugh at the question.

"You are delivering poison toads to a witch, what the hell do you think I do with them?" she wanted to answer. The IQ of some of the working class (and the world in general) never ceased to amaze her. "That's like asking Michael Jordan why did he order a basketball."

Life, or a close copy of it, was never boring in her line of business.

"Twenty Five." She concluded. All alive and ready to be put to work. She pulled her hand from the inspection port in the shipping box and locked the lid down, then grabbed the delivery man's pen and signed off on the delivery order. When she went to hand the clipboard and pen back to the man, she would swear he was turning green. She drew a question mark in the air.

"You didn't even wash your hands! I don't want poison on me!" He yelled. The girl rolled her eyes and laughed silently. She could have pulled out a book on such creatures and show him the poison did not transfer so easily via touch, but this was too much fun. The gypsy smiled and stepped around the counter and approached the man-holding out his property to him. At once he began to back up.

"You crazy *****!" he stammered as he backed away from her.

"Actually, a witch, but finally-a FACT!" she laughed in her own thoughts as she kept moving in pace with him. When he reached the front door, she used the hand that had not touched the toads and pulled her copy of the receipt free of the clipboard and tossed the board to him. As he caught it, she lunged forward, causing him to lean against the door and fall out onto the sidewalk in front of Pandora's Box.

"No wonder no one wants to deliver to you!" he was shouting as he got up and ran for his truck. Zodiac waved her hands at him as if she was doing a hex, which caused the man to move even faster. Behind her, the phone was ringing.

"Who was that?" her mindspeak reached out to Jennifer after she hung up.

"That was Dulce. Wants you to meet her at 8th Dimension's lobby. Wants you to come help her check out something." the girl replied as Zodiac picked up the box of toads from the counter.

"You can hold down the fort for awhile?" she asked.

"It's what I live for," Jennifer laughed.

"Okie-doke then." She made her way upstairs to put away her new 'ingredients' and mentally let Gretta know she would be on her way shortly.

[Dulce Periculum]

Dulce was warmed instantly with the reach of Zo’s message. It had been a while but time couldn’t change the fun to be had when they came together. It always continued from where they left off. No matter what transpired in the time while they weren't in touch business was always left out of it when they met up once again. That was the key to their friendship. Business never entered it. Neither did any hard feelings. They would always do what they had to do to be true to who they were and if conflicting points of view came up, they agreed to disagree and left it there. Neither wanted to change the other.

What was the lure for each? It was usually beginning with some unplanned adventure with the invitation to stir up trouble that they would always fumble their way through. They couldn’t write comedies better than the mishaps that had joined her to the gypsy. The click of her sharp silver tipped boots echoed behind her as she arrived in the lobby and released a puff of air that glided out her lips. A slow sweep of the space around her brought her eyes to the escalators. As soon as Zodiac arrived they would ride up together and that is when she would fill her in on what she discovered.

[Zodiac]

After a quick washing of hands and a touch up of herself, she was in the mini bus heading the mall. On the passenger's seat Ginny, her cat, laid calmly as if totally used to such sudden trips in the middle of the night.

"I wonder what Gretta is up to?" She knew Dulce well enough to know she didn't just go shopping in the mall. Girl had too much designer stuff in her closet to think she just popped into the local shopping center for a new pair of heels, so shopping was not the reason for this little impromptu meeting. Not that it mattered. The unlikely pair shared a friendship born from a total mishap that had the pair of them stalking each other without realizing who the other was. Now it was pure comedy to think about it, but it had been a serious game when it was happening. Any excuse for the amazing team of Bettie and Gretta to hang out was always a welcome distraction.

A tiny 'reep!' sounded from her oversized purse. On impulse, Zodiac had put one of the toads into a water tight pouch and brought it along. Her Nana had told her once toads were lucky so she reasoned a poison one would be totally un-lucky for anyone who decided to mess with her. "Chill out, little guy." she absently sent her thoughts to the small amphibian as she pulled into the lot. As she walked to the doors, her scarves and skirts swished and flowed in the autumn breeze as she walked along. At her heels, Ginny kept pace with her. The mystic was too well known to raise a fuss about the cat following her around. The large feline was almost a walking advertisement to her own business ventures so most tolerated the animal. (At least the people who did not try to rip the girl off tolerated Ginny anyways)

The doors slid open as the pair (or trio if one counted the toad hiding in her purse) stepped in and looked about. She spotted Dulce at once and slipped up behind her.

"A lighthouse above the crowd on legs for days. Gots to be my Gretta!" she laughed in the woman's thoughts a second before she hugged her from behind.

[Dulce Periculum]

Dulce spun around as the woman she waited for had reached her telepathically first. A rare smile formed at her lips as she cleared the distance between them in a few long steps. The woman stood out in her long black and purple tipped tresses trimmed in eclectic dress and jewelry. She exuded the aura of mystical energy and of course people noticed. Zodiac was not to be left standing alone for very long. She was scooped instantly into yet another rare action on the tall blonde’s part. An embrace of her arms pulling the petite dark female closer to her than most people dared or wished to be with Dulce. Betty was getting a squeeze, kiss on the cheek and released most likely before the gypsy had a chance to protest if she intended to. The brief interaction ended with the release of Dulce's arms.

“I missed you. You look good.” Dulce’s purr of a voice rose between them. “Damn good as always.”

Zodiac could be wearing bunny slippers, a bathrobe and holding a cigar outside her apartment door while collecting the mail and she would be just as welcome to Dulce's eyes. Zo was hunting a bounty that happened to be as easy to get her hands on as her stack of junk mail in her mailbox. Tytonidae, which she was a part of then, was flying in like a gust of early winter wind. That was a memory she would always hold tight. She smiled again looking at Zo. She missed her.

[Zodiac]

‘Hugs are the best natural medicine there is’ her Nana told her once, which suited her natural tendencies to hug everyone she thought anything of. Rather than cringing away, she allowed herself to be pulled into Dulce’s embrace.

”I missed you too, Gretta.” her thoughts replied as she smiled brightly. She glanced down at Ginny and saw the cat sitting and giving Dulce a pointed stare while making a low note of warning noise. It was as if the cat was saying ‘Look, I got your number and you got mine, so let’s cut the crap’. Her cat and the tall blonde never did see eye to eye on anything and one time Ginny had attacked the blonde when she felt Dulce was threatening the gypsy girl. ”Ginny-behave.” she aimed a thought at the feline, then turned her attentions back to her friend. ”So what is so interesting in this place that you need my awesome powers of awesomeness to help you with?” her mindspeak soft and friendly. Zodiac hoped it wasn't assisting in some round of power shopping or anything like that. She had the shopping gene like most women did but this was not the kind of place she enjoyed letting it run free. Take her to an antique mall or an old bookstore and she'd go crazy. But the mall? All plastic, pre packed, no haggling allowed, and items made to break just after the warranty expires?

In a word. 'Yuck!'

[Dulce Periculum]

Dulce followed Zodiac’s eyes down the the feline who had always stood between them since night one. The black ball of fur was constantly underestimated. Ginny did have issues with ehr and she had a curse or a cure for that. However, ginny was a part of Zo as much as anything could be so she tolerated the cat between them with a nod.

“Ginny…” She did not do what most would and kneel and stroke her in greeting. The cat would be seriously drained and likely asleep if not worse if she did make contact. With a sigh of acceptance that she would be side stepping such a greeting she looked back to Zodiac. “I am not being rude but have developed some issue with plants, small animals and really anything not exceptionally hardy and tolerant if I touch it.”

Dulce’s face was deadpanning as the words finished. It pretty much was what had been happening for the last several months. She rolled her eyes then nodded towards the escalator they needed to ride up like any other shoppers to reach Tomi’s latest business venture.

“While we go up I shall inform you that it seems our favorite little fashionista has been successful enough she has started another business venture.” Dulce’s heel clicked on the silver step that continued upward and took her with. She turned around and looked to Zo and Ginny. “This however seems rather interesting. I came across it in the Harper rock business listings attached to her shop upstairs. I thought you would enjoy it. It involves a little leather and the name honors a mistress of some sort. Imagine that?” Her face went unusually perky in its expression for effect. Zo would know the signal that adventure of some sort was about to begin.

[Zodiac]

She nodded in sympathy at Dulce’s admission. Some of their kind had been getting some weird pros and cons as part of being on of the night walkers. Killing plants with just a touch did not surprise her (tho she made a mental note not to have Dulce come visit her private garden again). The old joke about ‘Slow down, I got short legs’ came to mind as she followed the woman. For every step Dulce took, she took two to keep up. Ginny followed them both calmly, but still gave a distrustful glare to Dulce on occasion.

”Wait-what? Tomi is doing good? How is that happening? She robbing all the stores around her or something?” she laughed as the mechanical stairwell slowly took them up to the second level. She had met the girl on a couple of occasions and had been less than impressed with her attitudes and how she jumped to conclusions on the smallest bit of information. “Leather? Tomi expanding into ‘fun’ clothes now?” her laughter turned to cackling. ”Guess I need to check to see if she has victimized my closet like she has yours. I swear I have seen some of your stuff hanging in her shop for sale.”

[Dulce Periculum]

“Oh yes she is. Not really a surprise. She put Gaultier, Dolce & Gabanna and many other names on racks and shelves at prices that scream thievery. I did hear her decor is done so this will be a far cry from her swipe and sell to whoever. I will admit I am impressed and outside the fact I lost a years wardrobe initially it was worth the investment if she is on her feet solid and paving her way in the business world.” The bump of the step beneath her disappearing cued her to step back and then once again so she was firmly on the second floor of the mall where Marva’s Mode was located.

[Zodiac]

"Oh yeah, Gaultier, Dolce and Gabanna all on the same shelf. Such a crime." a hint of sarcasm floated in her thoughts. Zodiac was not a slave to fashion like some women were so she never saw the sense of spending hundreds of dollars (or more) on a single use dress. What 'fancy dresses' she did have served her well on the rare occasion she decided to dress up for the masses at large. Her own everyday attire was a patchwork of resale shop salvage and her own work on the sewing machine blended together in her own sense of style. Some said she looked amazing, others called her a rag-muffin. Personally, the mystic didn't care one way or the other. She was happy and comfortable in what she wore and until someone decided to furnish and pay for her wardrobe, they would just have to deal with it all.

"So nice you can forgive her of cleaning out your closets for you like that." She stepped up off the escalator, followed by Ginny. "Personally, I would have had to hurt her badly if she had done that to me. Of course, what would she find in my closet anyone else would want except maybe my corset collection." Her eyes found the shop she had been to once before to do a blessing of good will and success on. Of course, the girl who owned it had put her own spin on why the gypsy had come to the point of threatening to call the police on Zodiac. 'If she starts again, I'm gonna smack her. End of story' she sighed in silence.