Ridgefield Bienvenida
#1


Elena gave her director a warm smile and clasped his hand in thanks before departing. Orientations were largely voluntary at her level of experience, but she wanted to start off with a strong impression and get a good lay of the land.

While the topics were old hat by now, Elena still found her usual perfectly maintained attention wavering from the start. So very aware, was she, to being in a claimed territory that she had to ask for an insignificant detail to be repeated. A laugh brushed off the small slip, but Elena grew worried.

In her years traveling she had met a mixed bag of clutches. Each leader, powerful in their own right, had particular ideas as to what constituted a threat and while Elena was a practiced vampire, she had to walk the tightrope of pride and prejudice, same as the rest.

She tucked her bag into her arm and walked briskly into the cold night. Her direction wasn't planned so much as instinctual. If she intended to make her stay in Ridgefield extended, then she needed to locate and make introductions to the area's clutch. Elena had a general sense of where, but not who and that distinction made all the difference.

The only advantage she had was having done this sort of unintended meeting more than once in her life. There was no customary method to this, loathsome as it was. Elena would just have to make herself a wide target for the vampire no doubt circling her location. She stopped and touched eyelashes to cheek. A prayer to the Almighty that this one would not take offense for having to come to her, rather than her requesting an audience.


@Catrina

#2

Outfit



There was a curious new ripple from the sense that’d developed recently. Catrina had taken to following the pull anytime it was brought to her attention to get a better feel for how it all worked. Tonight was no different, her attention set to the streets once things had been seen to at the Collection. A vampire was here, a rogue, one that was staying more than a few minutes and as such was providing an invitation loud and clear, one Catrina couldn’t dare refuse.

With the general direction in mind, paws scrabbled through alleyways and down streets until that feeling of wrong was given a pace, an outfit, a sweep of hair, and substantial power for their position. Considering the blue coat for a moment as she stayed several lengths back, Catrina was grateful to find the vampire simply taking a walk and not causing mischief. As soon as a mid-height stonewall came upon them, she would take the opportunity to leap onto it. Briskly catching up to the woman with her tail held high, the cat matched the stride while side-eyeing the stranger, wondering just how long it would take for them to realize they had company. Not long, surely.
#3
At first, Elena couldn't pinpoint the source of the power. It was more of a continuous pulse than a growing force. One that had her vampiric senses lighting up in all directions. The heels of her boots clicked together as she stopped to scan the small community park just beyond the sidewalk.

They were here, waiting and watching.

It was the burst of movement, quick and practiced that did draw Elena's attention A cat stood poised on the stone wall, eyes alight with awareness and a feline curiosity that reached through Elena's empathy.

No normal cat could accomplish such a presence. They had found her indeed.

"Good evening." Elena opened with a respectful bow to her head. "I arrived here unannounced and hope to make a peaceful acquaintance."
#4
Catrina tipped her head up as attention put the cat in the spotlight quiet quickly, golden eyes narrowing in amusement as she got a proper look upon the woman’s face. Immediately, a polite greeting was given strung along with an apology that was a nice gesture.

Dipping her head in return, whiskers quivered as she continued pace with the vampire. ”That you have,” the cat smiled, lips pulling slightly up, agreeing with both points made. There was no need for anything, but a peaceful hallo so far as far as she could tell. "I do hope you weren't searching for long." She hardly had, but necessities, necessities.

"My name is Catrina,” she announced, tail waving proudly.
#5
Catrina. "The Domina of the territory?" Elena questioned. It was clear but acknowledgment was key.

Her posture would relax more for the sake of speaking with a cat out in the open. It was a rather funny thing, considering. "I am Elena De Silva. Previously of a nomadic clutch that disbanded. Work brought me to Ridgefield." It was all so formal, stating her purpose and full name. Elena smiled pleasantly as she waited.

Further answers were needed, but she would let the Domina guide the conversation. She was after all trespassing in someone else's playground even if unintentionally.
#6
Catrina blinked at the question, something that felt inline with being rhetoric considering it should be an easy sense. Just so the water was clear though, she gave out a purring, ”Aye,” pride swelling in her chest.

The relaxing posture was noted, a funny thing considering her position, but maybe it had to do with actually having a conversation not laced with tension.

The rogue’s name was provided with an interesting tale of nomadic life, something she’d remembered hearing about, but had never personally seen. How the magic and structure differed was interesting to say the least and she wondered if there might be time to ask all the questions bubbling up with it despite the unfortunate demise of this one.

”It’s lovely to make your acquaintance, Elena. Will you be staying long?”
#7
The exchange was going far more smoothly than a few from her past. Elena internally sighed with relief and thanked God for his guidance in leading her to this job opportunity. A Domina who asked questions rather than dead sleeping on sight, good fortune indeed. "Thank you, and of course the same to you, Catrina."

With kindness shown to her, Elena found the obvious pride in the Domina's voice to be not unworthy. For a moment she ached for her previous group. That solace among your own kind had been lost for quite some time now. Whatever sadness that had crept into her un-beating heart was soothed away with the continued delicate approach Elena had to complete. "My assignment with the social programs bureau runs for a year. If you have a policy on rogues I would appreciate us coming to an agreement." Elena brought her hands together, the soft gloves more of a comfort than a necessity for her body.

"I've very open to a compromise although I do wish to remain and live in Ridgefield."
#8
Manners, a good upbringing, and her whiskers twitched upwards in delight at the well wishes back. Someone had taught this vampire well.

Social Programs Bureau was a very official sounding place of work, labeling the vampire walking by her as a member of the government interesting enough, perhaps a therapist of some sort. The ask about rogue policies was very blunt and to the point, no fluff to soften the question and her want was tacked on at the end with the understanding it was merely that and that sometimes comprises indeed had to be made. Luckily, Catrina saw no need to make any of this unpleasant.

”It would be quite hard for you to carry out your duties if there were significant restrictions, I imagine.”

She stepped around a potted plant whose flowers stood straight up as if reaching towards the moon, her fur winding around the ridges.

”I only ask that you do not hunt here or draw attention to our kind.” She pointedly looked towards the woman’s face, a serious expression there amongst whiskers and fur. ”Killing is not allowed.” While for the group they could figure things out, a rogue was a different story.
#9
It was a shame Elena wasn't able to see the Domina's face. She prepared to make her promises if not on similar footing then on similar height. However, if the Domina operated in such a manner then Elena could make do with requesting an audience with a cat.

The rules were equally straightforward. Elena had been pleased to find her direct approach had been of use. In time she might learn Catrina's personal language, but from their short acquaintance, she believed the Domina to favor honesty and quite possibly some genuine flattery.

Elena would hide her wider smile under one that made her lips fuller. "That is more than fair." She had no qualms with the restrictions. They were barely restrictions even. More like simple boundaries that Elena could easily follow.

"I can readily accept unless there are any other rules?" This was a tad risky. Some vampires jumped at the chance for tighter control. Catrina, though, had been very reasonable tonight, particularly forgiving when others would not be, so Elena would take this risk and see.
#10
A smile and agreement was given to the rules, the ease to which they were taken wholly welcome and her gaze would become less intense. However, the ask for additions had her slow and then completely come to a stop. What a loaded pistol this vampire had made for herself in such a simple few words. ‘Unless’ had been stuffed with gunpowder, loaded, and a fuse was lit and quite frankly, Catrina was interested to see the theoretical trajectory of the bullet.

”What kind of other rules were you expecting?”
#11
She wasn't intimidated. Elena knew she held little power here, but this was a two-way street. Elena saw the question for what it was, she could feel the shift in the cat as well. Testing boundaries was good for this to work. Elena had to be interesting too.

"I find that people often express themselves best at the second opportunity and I wanted to make my humility to the circumstance clear." A lock of hair was brushed back and tucked behind her ear. "If you do have additions I am happy to hear them and I'll know with certainty how you operate the territory."

A second opinion as they said in her field. Different in that it might come from the same person twice. Still, Elena wanted to know what type of person the Domina was and she couldn't do so with only a single instance. First impressions weren't always true, after all.
#12
No outright answer into specific rules, instead an explanation as to why it had even been asked. Humility, an understanding of how power dynamics worked, and the opportunity to add an addendum in case she had not been clear enough or had forgotten something, how kind. ”I see.”

Beginning to walk again, she waited to reply as a passerby swept past in a rush, his boots clipping the sidewalk sharply. It was once they faded away that she did land on a particular need of iteration.

”Luckily, I have found no need to shorten your leash more than I already have.” Pardon her if Elena could turn into a dog. ”Though I suppose considering you will be in the territory for a majority of your time, I hope you don’t mind tacking on being respectful to any shifter you find here?”
#13
There had been an addition after all, and one that made Elena raise an eyebrow in a good way. An equally respectful Domina. How fortunate and refreshing indeed. The warm smile remained on her lips as Elena bowed her head in acknowledgment.

It didn't surprise her that shifters lived in the territory. More and more they were becoming known to vampires. Dare she say it, Elena believed they might even surpass the vampire's numbers, but she would not be able to prove such a theory.

"An agreeable request. I will be cordial to any I come across." Their kinds tended to avoid each other, far as she knew, but happenstance did have such a pesky habit of happening.

Elena perked up as she remembered something. Lightly touching her coat pocket, she addressed the Domina once again. "Would you mind exchanging contact information? I can simply give you mine for now." With care, she reached inside and lifted the neatly folded note that held her name and number. She had prepared it earlier that afternoon for this very request.
#14
No ifs or butts, no upstart response, just the rule simply being agreed upon. Elena certainly made this easy and she could only hope that the days and weeks passed this would only prove that the vampire was as authentic as she seemed.

More stone under paw and she looked back towards her company at the request. Contact information was appreciated, as was the notion that it was already in a note, no need to awkwardly figure out how to handle this considering her form. Catrina could change back, but for simply the use of a phone it seemed unnecessary and at this point it was less suspicious for a woman to be seen talking to the neighborhood cat than for two women in the dead of night to be speaking of things in a hush.

”That sounds wonderful, thank ye,” she purred, reaching out to grab it delicately between teeth. Secured, Catrina would mull over an idea for a beat, placing the paper under paw for safety. "If you need to speak with me, head to the Seanchaí Collection, someone there will be able to point you my way."
#15
The note, while old fashion, appeared to do its job. Elena did not except a cat to come calling. However, she also didn't expect the Domina to transform back, for convenience sake, and to keep their true appearance under wraps for now.

Revealing the clutch location or quite possibly Catrina's place of residence was a few steps ahead of schedule. Elena was delighted.

"Wonderful." She rolled the R with her tongue. "Please don't hesitate to reach out as well. I wish you a prosperous night, Domina."

Elena would let the other vampire leave first, before heading toward her new home. She did not have the ability of foresight. However, God had given her the grace to overcome this first challenge and her intuition told her other good things were to come.
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