Those nights at the auction house served more than one purpose, not only to buy new stock, but to make a show of strength. Every vampire in that warehouse had a desire to outdo the other one, that one to climb out those ranks on top. These events were a test one another in a subtle but dangerous web of diplomacy, pressing for weaknesses. At least on that balcony, words forever intended to possess more than one meaning. Like blood thirsty sharks circling looking to dominate the weaker link. One did not get to sit upon that balcony by merely money or connections alone. You earned your place there. Just like Risque carved out her place in the flesh of this earth, she made her mark, deeply gouged that not even the sands of time could deny its presence. Better yet, she did it with style and ruthless vengeance of a plague for all the world to see.

Cade was one of the few that had actually carved out his own name for himself but like everyone else, he was a pale ghost in comparison to the wicked temptress herself. A subject who should have been thrown at her feet to grovel, but, like so many before him. He had a taste of power. A delicious morsel and he wanted more, but there wasn't more to take unless stealing it from those around him. Bad little Cade. What kind of false promises did he make to connive those other bars to be at his mercy? Money alone was only part of that puzzle and perhaps she would never learn his manipulation tactics, not even sure if she cared as long as he wound up desecrated and truly dead. The unfortunate part in this is the man was hardly as stupid as he appeared. Somehow that conniving vampire managed to be likable amongst their peers. Even he must have had his weakness, ones that the cunning shrew could slice open and exploit.

She could recall that night with a pristine clarity that seemed so obvious it only enraged her that she had missed it. She had thought he knew his place. He should have. Oh, but he will. Risque would see to that. She would crush those enemies that rose against her to a pulverized ruin. How that thought alone causes something to fester and grow within her both insidious and unpredictable, fueling that darkness in her mind. Fueling those emotions that had already clawed their way to the surface.

Darcy's mind seemed to work in overdrive as those connections were made, triggered in perfect succession, all he needed was a nudge. He suddenly understood it all, everything they had both missed. It was only temporary hesitance, that debris of realization quickly settled. His mind far faster than most. He simply understood.

He spat out his own words, demeaning Cade while smartly agreeing with her in an attempts to appease her. Giving her no reason to hone on himself and rather a far more worthy target, anyone other than him, preferable the enemy they were at war with. That mood shifting again, her cold eyes seem almost searching for a new target off the ledge of Syn. As though looking out into the night as though she should see that man her rage wished to seek out in the city skyline. Rat, what a fitting name for him. "And what does a cat do when they catch a rat?" She those words hold that ominous threat despite how it sounds like liquid poisoned sugar. The question itself one fashioned to be more hypothetical in nature and yet creates a gory feast of imagery regardless. Her gaze returns to her lover left at her mercy, beneath her cruel deliberate hands. He opens his mouth to reply to that insinuation that he needed to be... careful until that threat was eliminated. How she hardly noticed those words of self-preservation for what they were. Where else would something like come from? The only one emotion that would certainly not exist within the putrid devil-woman. Concern. Or possession. She had probably managed to twist that too. After a moment she lingers on his words before she tasted those final words. "There is no other option." That statement uttered with a quick snap of resoluteness.

During times of war her mind became a darker blacker pit of paranoia and kill switch wrath. It was not safe for anyone in these precarious moments when that fallout scattered down upon them like ash after a fire. How rapidly her mind seemed to look for a traitor within their midst, to weed out the diseased weed in her garden. A traitorous swine that could be dealt with and made an example of all the same. Acts of violence did seem to incite fear and that would in turn have them fall in line. Was there anyone that foolish to turn against her? There was always one a weak link that could be scented and removed. How quick he was to offer one up on a silver platter, how quick he was to assure her that they would be dealt with.

Just because her mind had another focus to rip apart, they were still nothing but phantoms. Not actual flesh that she had beneath her right this very second. Darcy's admirably, was quick to dance through those ever-shifting mines in that field that sprawled before them fearlessly. The two vampires seem to take part in a war of their own making, one of dominance and submission at its core and yet it was far more complicated than that alone. His declaration in that very moment. That element of surprise and that very look upon his face truly grips her for that moment. Feelings... she had no idea what to do with. War, well that was easy. That look of expectation upon his face was hardly simple. It was clear he would not betray her, it was clear in that moment that he above all else truly did. There were plenty that feared her, plenty that followed her, plenty that would die for her. But this, was a perplexing thing entirely.

Love was for fools. Love only paved a way to a wasteland, one she had long since been within. Yet.. looking upon this brutal creature with a vile heart that matched her own, he was still capable of love. It perplexes her. Even though he moves through the hell she rules, it never wavered, just like him. These were not thoughts she could dissect and pull apart simply because it made no sense. Surely, for now... this. Whatever this was sordid bond was between them, this toxic semblance of care.. had to be enough. It wasn't even something she could even comprehend. Yet she knew it, she was aware of it, like a madness flitting in and out of existence of her tarnished mind.

Darcy offers her the most submissive position he could offer that vacillating creature, the most vulnerable he could appear to her. He lay himself completely at her mercy and that very gesture revolts against his very nature, the very beast she crafted in an effort to appease her. There was distinctly darkly seductive in that moment that speaks to her. That predator within her relishing in his offering. Complete control, it was no surprise she craved it, in that moment, especially from him. For a moment she relishes in that moment her very movements are drawn out, and her pale eyes look as though she could make a feast out of him. Yet her lips seem to draw a trail of her own making, like she might pivot this tense mood into something else entirely. Instead at the very last moment, another shift occurred and that dominator felt that impulsive need to mark what was hers. In her perverse mind, that mark was a reward. Yet how precarious it still was, that chance that she might be triggered into a frenzy, not that it would have been hard to do. How careful he was to swallow that delicious morsel of pain, yet that muffled sound made her tense as though she could have tumbled off that ledge. That blood that paints her lips was savoured then surely made it easy to.

There was a hesitation, unsure if she wished to cease this twisted, sadistic game of theirs. But that single sane though seems to pull her out of those twisted thorns. Nothing could overshadow the looming threat that still lingers above them, it practically casts a shadow. Just like that, that unrivaled ire seemed to settle within her and she releases him entirely. That chair returning upright, those talons removed from over that heart she considered claiming. Finally, that hold of that chain around his throat released. How easily it could have turned into a blood bath, it was closer than either of them realized. An exhale escapes her, as though releasing that violent tension from her body.

He straightens himself, settling back into an impressive composed demeanor as though this was only a fleeting detour they took to get to this moment where she actually seemed willing to listen to his plan. If he was flustered, he didn't show it. He was just as composed as when they started even despite that lingering edge that could not be wiped clean. This plan that so went against her own desires, her gaze seems to trail toward that blood that blooms and saturates his shirt then as if drawing some kind of inspiration from it. The sight seems to please her. That submission seemed to appease this darkness inside of her, but that anger still lingered, in fact corrodes within her. It would simply not subside until she had her little rat in a cage. Cade would know true suffering.

She drew a breath of that air laced with the scent of his blood as she placed that blueprint upon that table for her scrutiny. She slid toward that table and him, her movements languid and feline-esque in that rolling grace. How aware she was of those eyes upon her form and as always she relished in it, still listening to that carefully concocted plan. It was a crazy plan, one that needed more than a little convincing. She hardly liked the idea of leaving their home vulnerable to an attack. But even she had to admit she could hear the sense in those words. If executed methodically, they would descend upon their enemies like a wound welling with blood. Then, just like that she could envision it. It clicked in place and then all she could see in her mind's eye was a beautiful bloodied portrait, of gore and bodies. They would line the ground and pain the walls. She could envision herself walking through the carnage. In that moment she could taste that victory upon her tongue well before that battle had begun.

Lost in a certain reverie, she reaches out to toy with that wound she made upon him, her fingers feel the texture and groves of those matching puncture marks. He doesn't recoil, simply allowing her to do as she wished. It was like that carnage calls to her, as though he called to her. She coated her pale fingers in his crimson, mentioning a demonstration, she pulls back her tender caresses of that wounded neck. Darcy had never seen the full extent of her powers, she meets his mismatched eyes as that singular word 'Please' escaped him. Such a strange word to leave his lips, yet she hardly thinks upon it as a wicked hint of what could have been a smile tugging upon her blood-stained lips. In an instant those powers are already reaching out to those her power was so eager to claim. She idly drew those bloodied fingers to her lips, a mere after thought, allowing her mouth to clean her bloodied finger.

That power's possessing tendrils scavenge the west with a rabid resoluteness like it could flatten buildings, but in reality it were invisible but hardly passive. Those felines that met that power did not stand a chance against that sway. She could feel them coming, anticipated it. How much her power had grown over the centuries, she could feel it still was. In that intoxicating moment the temptress could sense she could push further still and yet she does not push past the western borders, skipping over Tetradore and his little ragtag pack of miscreants. She wondered if her cherished panther could still somehow feel it, that crashing and controlling power ripping through the alleyways of those streets he called home. She seemed to violate them with every victim that power touched. How good it felt to simply unleash as though she took the most delicious inhale of her undead life.

That idle hand then falls neatly to her side, she seemed almost entirely poised and calm save for that blast of power that only her felines could feel. Although she suspected someone sensitive to magic would have felt that icy grip slice through them, only a fool with a death wish would investigate the source of something so powerful. Darcy seemed to look around, his gaze following to Princess who seemed to be blissfully under her own sway, she does not give any inkling as to what she intended only that something was off. Risque easily filled that quiet easily, changing the subject as they gathered beneath their feet. Even though they moved with haste, it would still take some time before a decent culmination of that summoned army. She could feel her hold upon then fasten like chains, it would make it so much easier to call upon them the next time. Darcy's southern drawl easily reaches her ears in response. She actually let out a bitter, cold laugh that could freeze the sun itself.

"Cade is trying to live up to his ego but he still bleeds. He has no clue what true brutality is, he thinks he does. We will use his ego against him, he won't be hard to draw out. I am sure we will uncover quite a bit. It won't be the first time they have infiltrated an enemies base." There was a reason why she had eyes and ears everywhere. There were many nights she would send out her spies just to see what information they could bring her. Eyes on Tetradore and even Darcy himself from time to time.

After a sufficient amount of time had passed, she showed a great deal of patience. She could feel their presence, feel their hearts beating in time with one another. Those heartbeats beating for her. They were nearly entirely soundless, waiting as if waiting for command, their eyes blank peering up toward the rooftop of Syn as if pining for their queen. Wordlessly, she shifts away from him, sliding through the silvery glow of the moonlight, her exposed skin near glowing in that moment. A slow spreading smile spread across her lips, knowing and perhaps even gleeful from that power that radiates from her then. With a sudden twist of that power they suddenly bowed, no muss or fuss, they all simply obeyed beneath her. She looked out upon the masses, she felt her lover approach appear at her side, knowing he would be curious at what drew her attention to the backside of that building. That expletive spoken in awe escaped him then. She could only imagine what it looked like, but she knew how it felt, intimately. She relished in it.

That power was intoxicating as though it were an endless well she could draw upon. All the things she could do in that moment simply at her finger tips. She was sure she could send them to Cade now... How many could they take out she wondered? They wouldn't be expecting an army of cats to bust through their door. Perhaps she could end this war tonight. It surely felt it.

Her gaze continued to look out upon the sea of servant felines still bowing, their muzzles caressing the floor, she does not turn her gaze to see that look upon his face. She simply basks in that glow, that feel of power crackling inside of her, flowing through her. Her skin seemed to crawl as if brought to life! She did feel the weight of his eyes, felt them upon her as she always did. It almost felt like such a waste to have such power being summoned here and not a source to have that formidable army to descend upon in that very moment. How she yearned for it. The things she could have them do. It was complete control, complete submission at her command alone. Darcy moves suddenly, coming to settle behind her, his hand resting upon her hip, the feel of his fingers felt easily though that thin fabric. He is careful to move her blue-black hair that fell gently down her back to the side, exposing the long slope of her neck to him. She allows him this act, enjoying the feel of that power flowing through her and his trained touches all at once. Like a feline that would tolerate that affection for a time, relishing in those exalted kisses he places with distinct care against her ignited skin. She slides her head so very slightly to the side ever so slightly as she allows him that access. All of that paranoia and rage had been converged into her power that now seeps through the entirety of the west. For now, he is absolved of those sins that he may or may not have been guilty of. Those words uttered with such potent revere and she soaks it up entirely. Allowing those worshiping words and caresses flow through her. She considers in that moment, tormenting his flesh to life, to see what it would take for him to coax that careful control to falter.

"You have seen nothing yet my sweet. You should see what they will do to flesh." She muses darkly. Those sadistic fascinations often getting the better of her just as they did now.

Yet that was only a display of one of her powers. That other power she possessed was one of the mind. Darcy had been one of the fortunate few to be free of such excruciating pain she could inflict with that power alone. It was almost a pity as it was something that aided him. He retreats, not willing to see what would happen if he lingered there just a little bit longer. Apparently, he was not so much the gambling man he claimed to be after a taste of her earlier malicious moods. Pity. He leaned against the railing looking out on the felines below. She began to toy with that affinity as she shared that knowledge she could have more vampire numbers soon. She hardly felt like having that conversation with that theatrical German vampire whose brusque accent was so abrasively thick. She found him terribly insulting. The faster she got it over with, the better it was.

Almost in an absent-minded gesture, she had those felines move in a circle, like a precise spinning wheel, their steps are methodical and eerily in tune. Her finger drawing counter clockwise circles on the railing which indicated the way they moved. Finally, she agrees with him, those pale icy endless depths of her gaze shift toward him. "Very well, they will report to you after I... assess them first." Before the end of the week they would have their numbers along with any intel her spies could muster.

It was that singular snap of his fingers all of those cars in the parking lot roar to life, this seemed to catch her attentions. She would demand to see a demonstration when the preliminaries were dealt with. Those felines then began to move in a figure 8, her finger moving along that smooth metal surface in the same way.

Her gaze shifts toward him as she presses into that railing declaring what she wanted for Cade. It seemed to incite a smile upon to his lips. That battle hardly an issue within her mind, it was the aftermath she desired in that very moment. He makes a promise she will not forget, willing to hold him to that, seemingly pleased with that very oath. This would be the house of death, she could see that now. His words distract her from those pleasant thoughts then, but she listens all the same, willing to envision his organized chaos.

"I do not fear his vile hounds. Felines are more equipped for battle, it will be no surprise when they shred them to ruin. They will be the easiest to pick off. He won't expect so many of my felines working together and I doubt his strength can rival my own." She loathed the smell of canines. She nearly wrinkled her nose in that look of distaste. She paused before adding one little offering that he would probably.. like above all else. "Get more guns if you need them. Just put it on the card." Little did she know she practically gave him the credit card for a shopping spree. How easily he could exploit that rare privilege she afforded him in that very instant.

"We might be able to use me to lure Cade out when we need him." In fact, she was sure of it, his ego far to big to not try and take her out for himself. "He won't be able to resist the temptation of being the one to kill me." Of course, timing would be imperative to that very plan.

She ponders his next words carefully for a moment. How she wished to be a part of the carnage early on, but with so many cats under her control she would need to help take out as many of those numbers. She parted her lips a moment later, a frown that indicated she wasn't sure if she was pleased with her own plan of action. She hardly liked the idea of sidelining herself when the numbers were at the strongest. "I will join the carnage afterwards, I won't be able to control all my cats while I am ripping out throats. The last ones standing can have their chance against me." How that thought seemed to amuse her slightly. Only she could be entertained by the thought of those lesser vampires wanting to kill her. What kind of delusional lies was Cade spreading to further his cause or were they too blinded with the notion of money and power they didn't care of the perils that waited for them?

"Even if some get inside, its designed so that they will get lost. I will have a few traps up in preparation for just this kind of thing. They won't make it anywhere important." How tricky. Most importantly, they won't make it on the roof. The person who possessed the higher ground usually was the victor.

She then sighs facetiously before she admits. "I do think I might enjoy this." Those words never bode anyone well.

Risque

just face the moon and put your death mask on