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Through the slowly parting lids a set of dark orbs appeared. While they shifted back and forth each inked limb moved slowly until the single bare leg dropped over the side of the bed. Warm moisture greeted her toes and she groaned. Was it really necessary for one of the wild kingdom that had taken up permanent residence within the walls of Vita Bella to leave a recently offering at the side of her bed. Her head pops up and a black silken cloud rises with it. Wreckless long strands of hair are guided back to clear her ability to see what it was this time that she dipped her toes into. Her healthy nude body lifted enough to recline back on colorful elbows. The slide of the high count white cotton drifted over her leg and soon was given assistance by the saliva producing culprit still at large.

“Vader…” The name rolled off the lips like a sleepy warning. “What did I say about picking up Rufus’ bad habits, hmmm?”

A set of brown and white pointed ears moved up slowly like a set of periscopes coming to meet for support in a questionable cause. One twisted back a little while a set of shiny dark eyes surfaced from the plateau of white down lining the mattress beneath her. A sharp yet short bark echoed with the quick exit of what was a man’s best friend far too short for anyone’s comfort. A sigh went with Dominique as she stood up and rolled the slobbered on linen back to the top of the bed instead of the floor. A sweep of a fresh butter tinted tissue wiped the small pool of saliva from the blonde hardwood floor on the fourth level of Vita Bella.

“Typical. Bail now that you been caught."

The petite shadow’s eyes rolled while she moved through the open space interior to dispose of the tissue in her hand. Once that was accomplished she neglected the wardrobe and dressers on the way and headed straight for the refrigerator. The pull of the door had her head to toe healthy complexion glowing like light on a vibrantly inked canvas. Her rose adorned right foot crossed over to rest on the left while she leaned in and pulled out the fresh ingredients for the menagerie congregating slowly at her feet.

“You know the drill, guys.” As the door shut and the light was snuffed out with the hiss of the seal setting in the pack of fur pelts backed up and formed a semi circular pattern and waited patiently with ears twitching and tails wagging. “That’s right.”

Fifteen minutes later the sound of some pulsing club beat emitted from the black iPhone balancing on the marble vanity of the bathroom where a hot shower was going into overtime. HOPE was dripping as it reached for the cell device and brought it into the typhoon of spray above her. She swiped the surface of the screen and glanced at the text standing out against the illuminated background She smiled. It had been too long since she had spent time with Lennox.

Hey you! Of course I am. Been too long.

The text was sent and the cell tumbled off her dripping fingers. With a bounce of the warranteed communication accessory on the black towel beneath the shower resumed once again. This time a voice broke through the soothing sounds of water spraying.

Hit the ground, baby
It's alright now
Hit the ground, baby
Take your veil down

It certainly didn’t sound like Lizz Wright but it sure felt close to it as the words in a blues inspired Dominique’s voice echoed from the subway tile encased walk-in shower. An audience formed as she serenaded no one in particular while the bubbles formed then popped over her skin. A snort of approval distracted her and she glanced over to the only witnesses to her impromptu solo debut.

“What? No applause?” She hummed along to the tune in her head. “See if I invite you guys to opening night.”

Outfit :l: Car

Dominique had a few freedoms in getting ready that she was pretty sure Lennox did not. One was not worrying about what shoes to wear because they could clash with the handbag she would be carrying. If the shadow was ever caught carrying a purse then it should always be looked at as highly suspicious and hardly a positive sign by any means. She chose function above appearance each time she slipped into clothing or hauled anything around in her hands. There was so many layers to who she was and beneath it all was a pearl of a woman who truly enjoyed being one. However, a pearl was designed by the luxury of protection the hard nearly impenetrable exterior shell provided.

That was the case as well for the colorfully and excessively inked woman currently wiggling into the black pants that she realised were likely not hers to begin with when they stretched over the swell of her hips. They had to be left behind by one of the many vacationing over the years in Vita Bella. It was one of those places well known for having guests for extended and semi-permanent stays and it would never change as long as she had something to say about it.

HOPE and LESS came together to work the the slide clip while teetering on shoes that were the only thing that didn’t look like she had recently wore while working in the garage. The shoes were a bit off for her but they would keep Lennox from commenting on the prospects of going shopping which she hated with a passion. The shirt slid over the black lace fit tightly under her ample curves. The outfit was still in her comfort zone and it was going to have to do. She shuffled her hands through the bottom drawer where the outfit was found and pulled out a bag that looked like it went with the rest of what she was wearing. It wasn’t some wafer thin pocketbook meant to carry condoms, Carmex and a sober ride business card. With a tug of her black canvas bag the contents she was known to carry dumped on the top of the bed.

Weapons. Check. Keys. Check. Cash. Check. Small tools kit. Check. Twinkie in its plastic wrapper. Hmmm. She looked at Vader who was observing closely what was making the crinkling sound in her hands.

“Hell no. You know what these little last forever sugar torpedos do to your system.” The Twinkie was tossed into the bag she was taking with.

Twenty minutes later she closed the door to her latest acquisition and set the alarm. It was sleek, fierce with power and she couldn’t resist the stroll around it while it was parked neatly in the Metronome parking lot. The sharp narrow tipped heels beneath her hissed with the crush of the stone beneath the pressure of her otherwise lighter than usual steps.

In her business with Twisted Sister Custom & Design abandonment of such a vehicle over non-payment usually said one thing... it was hot. The custom job she was contacted for included everything interior and exterior wise except removing the VIN. Not that Dominique was above doing that if asked. She had countless times in fact. However, asking was not generally what most felt comfortable doing so she left it in place while the weeks it spent covered in her garage beneath Vita Bella turned into months. When the gangster wannabe didn’t return her calls to pay up and pick up his ride she concluded it was hers. A little time spent on pulling the VIN and filing the right paperwork erased the car from existence and her current favorite wheel clad baby was born.

While approaching the doors to the club she pulled out her cell and took a picture of the sign. A scroll and press of her right thumb sent the image along with the short but direct invite attached.

Tonight? Any takers?

Once the cell was slipped into the strap covered tote bag on her shoulder she made her way through the doors. The first order of business was to get a drink she could savor the taste of in her vivid imagination and feel the effects of more than the average person. Next would be to find the table with the best view of the doors and the dance floor she planned on making use of.

The night was young and the throngs of bodies that moved around her reminded her of that. A slip of her body between a few that were mingling, exchanging small packages between their hands meeting palm to palm, had her looking at both with a small ‘what’s up smile’ as she wiggled through. She adjusted her jacket to get comfortable and to feel the weight in the pockets pulling it down as expected. So far she still had what she came in with and no one was needing to get hurt. The current music overhead was far from what she preferred to listen to and she ultimately ignored it. HOPE danced at the fingertips dropping each down in a slow tap only to bounce back up and repeat. Five minutes and two songs played out before a bartender was finally free and got her drink order.

Sinking into the seat that was closest to both the doors and the dance floor was a great step for her. Miracles come true randomly and the fact Jane Dominique Doe was dressed like she fit into the club she was in pretty much was all the proof those who knew her needed. Usually she would be in the shop, or in the outskirts of the city at Vita Bella working in the garage. Tonight by suggestion of Lennox she was holding down a seat in the Metronome and hoping that she wouldn’t be doing it alone for a whole lot longer.

Just as the drink order arrived the cell vibrated in the bag she was carrying for the first and probably last time. A sweep of her thumb lit the screen up and she found that her two invites were accepted. All that had to happen now was the doors by the booth she had taken up as the spot for her sire, Lennox and her to kick back and catch up if nothing else. LESS slid the cell back into the strap suffocated tote and curled around the glass sitting in front of her. The sound of Lennox arriving gave her a reason to bring it back to the table untouched. Shaking. Hmm. That was a good question.

“So, far nothing but there is always time to change that.” Dominique nodded for Lennox to slide into the booth next to her then snapped her fingers to catch the attention of the server walking by with an empty tray. “Order what you want. It’s on me.”

Dominique raised her glass to Lennox then brought it to her own lips and sampled what she ordered. Whiskey. It warmed the surface of her tongue as her lips closed to let the liquor settle in. The austere brands were overlooked by the bartender and she got exactly what she ordered. Rich Whiskey was worth the hangover from hell it would surely deliver to her. She nodded to the bartender and winked. It would have been a shame to have to get up so soon and return the drink for a proper one in person. His tip was increasing as she took another sip. He knew what she wanted. It was cradled in her hand and worth the tab she offered to be responsible for.

Thankfully she was not condemned to the inability to enjoy it in her own way. Her theory was that the mind was a terrible thing to waste. Science had many examples of amazing feats of the body and mind compensating when one lost the ability to see, or to hear. In Dominique’s case it really was no miracle on how she could tell the difference without directly tasting it. Her sense of smell along with the others were heightened already for obvious reasons. She was able to recall the scent of a storm coming in the polluted air of New York and how much it differed from those that crawled over the canadian woods that surrounded Vita Bella. Her memory was a strength and she kept it in shape routinely with her indulgences. Some things were meant to be savored and never forgotten.

In the case of whiskey she remembered the taste of one too many, of the expensive brands that would dry out her wallet. They stood out even back then from the cheaper versions that proved less than flavorful due to being quickly bottled and neglected to aged properly. The rich layers that would be appreciated by the hot blooded patrons mingling around the club were not entirely lost on the shadow that had the equivalent in her hand.

Dominique was one with the shadows and usually that meant she was denied the luxury of consuming without some consequence which was more often than not a painful revolt of the body going into an excruciating fit of rejection. It varied for some but for whatever reason she was capable of ingesting what she favored before the change. She could drink but was still reminded she was not as she once was no matter how well she blended with her healthy complexion and mortal aura. The heavy mouthfeels the liquid weighed over her receptive tongue would be welcomed slowly, the drink nursed with respect. It was capable of packing a punch to her toxin sensitive system that would have her out for the count before the warm bodies around her could call for a sober cab. She was weak in that regard and her nights of being the last drinker standing ended on New Year's Eve when 2013 rolled in.

“Don’t mention it.” Dominique was glad to feel the space next to her filled with another body carrying the familiar scent of the one who shared more in common with her than the need of a drink and a night of relaxation.

The understatement was confirmed as she gave the question she was asked some thought. Really. What had she been up to outside working and working and of course more work? Not a whole lot except more work. The Night Lords of course. But what her business within them was not up for general idle chat. Their presence in the city was not exactly what she would be talking about with Lennox. Like other parts of her life as she would see it as off limits. Places, people and agendas that are guarded tight with impenetrable walls that would not be broken down no matter how much the fluid in her mouth worked it’s magic. Yeah, that was all there was to it. She needed to be out more and less in the shadows of a garage or on the endless midnight runs.

“Not a lot. Mainly keeping my *** out of trouble.”

Dominique turned her attention to the blonde who asked her and smiled. She leaned in and kissed her cheek then settled back. Her dark wide eyes drifted over the woman’s features taking note of anything about her outwardly that may have changed. Lennox was beautiful, usually dressed to the nines and had the ability to make a hoodie look like a fashion statement that would soon become the latest fad.

“How about you?”