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Darkseeker
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Derek seemed to pause for a moment, lifting his head casting an almost troubled look at Esmeralda. She met his gaze, a slight frown visible on her features. Derek cleared his throat, turning his attention to Evie, "If the wolf is in the sewers, then perhaps we should alert Scotland Yard immediately. Miss Yendell, I cannot, in good faith, send you back to your home until we get this sorted- or at the very least, until we can send someone to ensure that the nearby grate is secure." . Esmeralda quirked one of her signature sharp brows at his statement, "Mr. Graves, surely you don't mean to make her stay in town?" . "If I know Commissioner Trelawny as well as I'd like to believe, then he will see to it that at least the City of London is taken care of by nightfall. He'll have the authority to send word to the other Boroughs, as well, but I don't know how quickly word will travel, so I cannot promise that either of you will be safe on your journey home," Derek turned to Es, "I know I can't exactly command either of you to do so, but it would make me much more comfortable if you were to stay in the city- for tonight, at least." He paused, sighing deeply, "I'll pay for you to stay at a hotel." . Es pondered this for a moment, her slender arms crossed over her chest and her lips pressed into a thin line. While all of this was based upon a hunch- albeit a substantial one- there was no promise that the beast wasn't lying low somewhere aboveground. Then again, the creature only attacked on the streets or in the forest, so being attacked in their sleep was an unlikely scenario. . She thrummed her fingers along the meat of her upper arms before speaking, "Very well, Mr. Graves, I'll humor you. My driver will be staying, as well, so I hope you will make accommodations for him," she began with a soft sigh, looking to Evie, "While I do share his concern for your safety, Miss Yendell, you are under no obligation to stay here if you feel it is against your will," a light-hearted smile crept upon her face, "Though I wouldn't mind the company while I go about town today. The officers at Scotland Yard can be a bit stuffy and uptight. They don't particularly like being told what to do by ladies who know what they're doing." . Her eyes seemed to light up for a moment, realization now plain upon her features, "If I'm to run this errand for you, Mr. Graves, then I need the demands in your handwriting- preferably with your signature attached." The last time she'd gone to the Commissioner with a request, he was less than pleased. Be it because of her gender or her heritage, she wasn't sure, but all the same she'd relished his reluctant apology when he realized that the requests truly had come from Derek. . Derek gave a slight chuckle, "Right-," he said, folding the maps and placing them neatly back into the drawer. He pulled out a piece of stationery and proceeded to write their suspicions, concerns, and their request about the sewers in his neat script before signing the bottom of it, "- Now there shouldn't be a fuss, this time." . Es picked up the parchment, making sure the ink was dry before she folded it and slipped it into an envelope. She grabbed her briefcase and turned to Evie once more, "What do you say, Miss Yendell?" She inquired, tilting her head slightly as she waited for a response. |
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Neutral
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Evie sighed softly as she listened to Derek. She couldn't exactly stay in the city, even if she wanted to. She had animals to take care of back at home, there was no way she could just leave them alone. Her gaze shifted to Esmeralda as she spoke. She was torn now. She could either listen to him and stay in town, or disobey and go back home. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, if they knew when she was able to safely go back home. But they didn't. Evie tapped her fingers on her arm, her gaze troubled. She had also never exactly spent the night in town, maybe only once. Evangeline wasn't too fond of the city, or any city for that matter. Her attention snapped back to Derek as he spoke yet again. Somehow, his words made her feel even worse. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, and her chest grew tight. Mostly, she was just on edge and was slightly terrified. Her gaze grew even more troubled as she zoned out, staring at the floor aimlessly. That was until she felt eyes on her, looking up to meet Esmeralda's gaze. Her features flashed a look of confusion before a small smile tugged at her lips, despite the growing anxiousness in her stomach. Evangeline didn't respond yet, waiting to see what the other two in the room did next. The idea of getting to piss off the officers intrigued her. Evie was never too fond of them, and while she didn't have any personal run ins with them, her family always did. Her father was a notorious trouble-maker, but he always got off the hook due to his wealthy status. That didn't make the officers like her family, though, it just made them tolerate the family. Evie quietly watched as Derek wrote on the stationery, her eyes following every word he wrote. She was about to get up and leave to tend to her horse, figuring this business didn't have much to do with her at this point. That was until Esmeralda turned to her again, inviting her to come along. Evangeline was almost at a loss for words. "I suppose it's better than sitting around," she smiled softly. Before the whole investigation began, she had heard of Esmeralda and and her family through multiple people. She had never quite expected to actually meet her, much less be in the same room as her. You could say she had taken a bit of an interest in the other woman, mainly out of envy. To now be accompanying her was something Evie would have never expected. She wasn't complaining, not at all, she was just surprised. Evangeline rose to her feet, pushing in her chair behind her. She would have to just try her hardest to forget about her animals, particularly the cat. She loved that cat dearly, and he was always the highlight of her day. He slept with her each night, he ate with her at every meal, and accompanied her on her walks in the forest. She had found him as a kitten when she was a teen, and had to beg her mother to let her keep him. Being a family of werewolves, obviously they weren't too fond of cats, and instead had a pack of dogs. They were well known for both their dogs, and horses. They were breeders of expensive Thoroughbreds, hence why Evie has such a lovely horse now. She often considered picking up the business again, but she definitely didn't have enough money to find a worthy stud. Evie walked the short distance over to Esmeralda, once again taking in her features. |
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Darkseeker
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Esmeralda smiled warmly- well, as warmly as she could manage- at the taller woman, her steely eyes having softened considerably since her arrival at the Bureau, though still containing a certain sharpness that couldn't quite be placed, "Lovely," she began, straightening out her street coat and placing the small envelope into one of the pockets, "I suppose we should crack on, then." . As soon as she stepped off, Derek grabbed her arm, "Wait-" He began, unwittingly making contact with the bare skin of her wrist where her coat sleeve had lifted. The remainder of what he said fell upon deaf ears as Es inhaled sharply at the contact, her eyes widening and her body suddenly becoming rigid. She appeared startled, her face frozen in place. . Blood dripping from the beast's gaping maw Fangs glinting in the moonlight An officer's tunic, torn to bits A clawed hand raking across it Blue cloth, stained red A clawed hand… Blue eyes, bright with fury A low growl "Es…" . "Es?" A familiar voice brought her to her senses, and it was as if she had been startled awake. Her briefcase slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor, and she quickly jerked her arm out of Derek's grasp, holding it tightly to her chest, "Esmeralda, are you alright?" . "How long was I gone?" She said softly, her voice sterile, despite her labored breathing. A warm flush painted her cheeks, and she stole a quick glance at Evie, wholly embarrassed that she'd had a vision- or rather, an episode- in front of a stranger, as pleasant as the woman may have seemed. . Derek pressed his lips into a firm line, concern evident on his features. He let out a soft sigh, taking a moment to steel himself, "Only a moment," he finally said in response. In truth, he knew discussing her condition- albeit a farse, though he was perhaps the only one who knew of their true nature- in front of others was a taboo for Lady Dumas. . Esmeralda closed her eyes, an almost relieved expression flashing over her face before it snapped back into a more composed mask, "Very well," she said, her voice as calm as she could manage. She turned her attention to Evie, "My sincerest apologies, Miss Yendell," she began, adjusting her sleeves and her gloves before picking up her briefcase once more, "All the excitement from this morning must have caused a flare-up of my condition," she averted her gaze for a moment before meeting the woman's eye again, quickly changing the subject, "I assume that is your horse outside? A beautiful beast, she is. If you wouldn't mind walking with me, my driver can see to it that she is well taken care of in our absence." . It was a bit of a long shot, she figured, but she wasn't particularly fond of the idea of sitting in a stuffy carriage after such a jarring episode. This was no ordinary wolf, that much was clear from the start, but she couldn't get the image of its furry, blood-stained hands out of her head. |
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Neutral
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Evie nodded her head in response to Esmeralda. She turned her gaze towards the door as the man from the front desk approached. "Yendell, I have a letter for you. From a Mrs. Winters, it seems to be quite important," he spoke in an urgent tone, concern evident in his warm brown gaze. Her blood ran cold. She hadn't heard that name in years, and for a good reason. "Right, thank you sir," Evie responded as cooly as possible. Suddenly, she felt a pit forming in her stomach and she grew grossly nauseous. The world seemed to spin around her for a moment and she almost puked on the floor. She quickly composed herself and turned back to Esmeralda and Derek, steadying herself. Evangeline watched as Derek grabbed the exposed skin on Esmeralda's skin. A look of horror and then pure concern flashed her features as she watched the scene unfold, Esmeralda looking as if she was unconscious and conscious at the same time. She wasn't sure what to do, and looked to Derek with wide eyes. Evie clutched the wax sealed letter in a white-knuckled grip as Esmeralda came back to her senses again. In the moment, she didn't even think about how odd the situation was. She just wondered if Esmeralda was okay. Quickly she shoved the letter into a little pocket on the side of skirt, taking a few steps forward towards the two people. Evangeline didn't dare touch Esmeralda, but she readied herself in the event the woman would fall or something else happened. Her gaze was wild, a frenzied look of fear, shock, and concern. She had never seen such a thing, and didn't even know what she was supposed to think. Upon hearing Esmeralda speak to her, Evie tried to give her a weak smile. It turned out to be a half frown. "It's quite alright.. I just hope you're okay?" she tilted her head, voice laced with obvious concern. Something in her gut told her that wasn't just from some normal condition, but who was she to throw accusations? She just nodded her head, noticing how Esmeralda didn't meet her gaze anymore. It was clear she was embarrassed, or feeling a similar emotion. Evie could wholly understand why, that wasn't something you would want a stranger to witness. Upon hearing Esmeralda speak again, she just nodded. "Yes.. that's my mare. One of the finest in the land. I'll trust you, as long as you're sure she'll be in good hands," she spoke in a quiet tone. It wasn't a lie, the horse was a very fine one indeed. Evie raised her hand, unconsciously reaching for Esmeralda's before quickly snapping her hand back, remembering the event from just moments prior. She couldn't help it. She was a naturally touchy person, much to hers and others dismay. Evie shot Esmeralda an apologetic glance and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I suppose we should get a move on. Thank you, Mr. Graves. It was lovely speaking with you," and with that, she offered a small smile to him and made her way out the door. Evie nodded her head to the man at the front desk before exiting the building, holding the door for Esmeralda on her way out. She approached her horse, who nickered at her as a greeting. Evie pressed her hand against the nose of the mare. "Sorry girl. I hope you don't mind staying elsewhere for a bit," she spoke, and the horse seemed to understand her. The mare rested her head in the cupped hands of Evie, letting out a snort. She did understand. She always did. Evie turned back towards Esmeralda, waiting for her to begin leading the way. |
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Winter 
Day Weather: 
