Shopping Spree - Ekaterina & Natalya

Ekaterina had actually started to like Natalya a bit and had even been prepared to join this cabal she wanted to start once she was 'free'. But she was starting to rethink that opinion. She considered the fact that she hadn't been told about this partial bond until after she had entered this place nothing short of base treachery on the part of Natalya and her sire, for she certainly would never have come here had she known about this beforehand. She had been slightly mollified by the explanation she'd received that a bond would have been better than the alternative, but now they were back to the same subject where even as inconsequential a thing as being allowed to collect a few creature comforts to make her house arrest more bearable carried such a steep price that she wondered if she wouldn't rather suffer the withdrawal from her earth instead. But she was sure that would lead nowhere. Even if her sire was destroyed, Ekaterina was certain she would never leave here unless she were bound, and hated herself for believing so foolishly that she was going to be given fair treatment here.

She sighed and looked straight into the other woman's eyes. Her strong Hungarian accent didn't sound melodious and rolling anymore, but harsh and bitter. "You seem determined that I should be bound to your elders, the way I see it set as the condition for any small thing I ask for, and make no mistake: asking to be allowed to fetch a toothbrush and some underwear while under guard is a very trivial thing to deny someone if there is not a very good reason for it, and so far I do not see one. If you are afraid I will tell someone about this place while on that trip, I will leave my mobile here and I will allow you to remove all of my clothes and search me to satisfy yourself that I have no papers I can write on, or anything else that I could use to leave a message for somebody."

"But I do not think it is even about the security of this place, seeing as how you offhandedly dismissed the possibility of an attack when I expressed concern over it earlier. I can only conclude that the Tremere mean to have me as part of their pyramid, or as their pet Tzimisce to show off to their Camarilla friends, or what have you, and now that I have so unwisely wandered into their lair they are determined not to let me go without my being bound closer to them than I ever was to my sire. If this is the way it must be, let us dispense with the false pretenses of this being for mine or others safety and get on with it."

Natalya raised an eyebrow. "I trust you, Ekaterina. My sire and his peers do not. While I would be perfectly happy to go with you to get your supplies for your haven. I fear that my Sire would not allow you to leave without taking his blood twice as mentioned beforehand. He sees it as a way to guarantee you'd be unlikely to reveal this place to his enemies." she smiled "While they would have ways of keeping you in check, ultimately these ways are fatal. So, if you wish to leave and gather your belongings we can do so. Or...alternatively, we can stay here and hope they forget about you. The location of her haven will earn much in the way of credibility and trust. You should also note that while I hope they forget about having you drink twice....I can't guarantee it. If we do stay here, then we can go shopping online and have it delivered overnight."

This was getting worse by the minute. Ekaterina supposed she should be glad that she'd been able to read between the lines there, but that didn't mean she liked what she was hearing. She didn't like it at all. What did they mean, she was too valuable to risk? She'd told them everything she knew, she was really just a liability until her sire was destroyed, always assuming, of course, that the Tremere even intended to keep their word. It might be that they didn't really intend to let her go at all. That perhaps she would be allowed more freedom, once her sire was dealt with, was an ominous sign.

Then they wanted to bind her fully, not just partially, if she intended to leave here. Well that wasn't going to happen if she could help it. She'd rather stay here and suffer the sickness brought on from being separated from her native soil for too long, than suffer the indignity of being bound. But perhaps there was still a way to save the situation.

"My sire's haven is on a ship", she said offhandedly. "If you provide me with a map I will show you where it is." She leaned forward a little in her chair. "I am not asking to go out alone. I know that you don't trust me farther than you could throw me, even if your elders might manage to throw me very far indeed. I meant that you should accompany me as I collect a few things from my storage area, and I think it should be quite safe. My sire does not know where I keep my emergency supplies, just as I do not know where she keeps hers. That way, you can... keep an eye on me, as it were. Surely the vast powers of the Tremere would suffice to keep a single little Fiend in check, no?"

"I know...it's just the nature of this club. I'd have let you deal with the situation as you saw fit, but thanks to the club, I had to intervene. Dragon's good favour might evaporate very quickly if it had developed any further. I choose to intervene solely to make things easier....for both of us." Natalya sat back on the bed watching Ekaterina. "Well, aside from the usual things, where does her power base lie and the like, they also would like to know where her haven is. In fact, that's the major question they have for the time being."

She stood up from the bed walking over to Ekaterina, she placed a hand on her shoulder "Ekaterina, I highly doubt they would let you leave the club today. You're too valuable to risk. Once your sire has been.....dealt with then perhaps you will have more freedom. There is also the fact that at the moment you are not bound. You could bring others back to this place. I'm sure Dragon would not permit you to leave at the moment. I'm afraid we've been putting it off, but to leave here, you'd need to be bound." She looked around the room "If we stay here and order online, then we can delay it for another time and who knows? Perhaps they'll forget."

Ekaterina's face reddened involuntarily at the mention of her disastrous first attempt to seduce Linda. She wasn't old enough to have lost such small remnants of her humanity, though she would very much have liked to temporarily lose that one just now. "I am not usually this clumsy. Perhaps I was hungrier than I thought and got carried away; in any case, it won't happen again."

She shrugged in an indifferent sort of way regarding her sire. "Ask away, though I do not know how much more you hope to extract from me. I've told you everything I know about her plans and her associates, though you are, of course, more than welcome to continue asking."

She shot a sharp glance at Natalya when she was asked to undress. She accepted the reason for the request, though it was clear that she didn't think that was the only reason for it. "There is no need to go through that kind of trouble. I maintain several caches of emergency supplies around town, and there is one not too far from here. All of them contain clothes, a space to sleep, and various other necessities. It would surely be much more convenient, not to mention cheaper, to simply go there and gather what I need for a few days stay."

It did bother Ekaterina to let someone else know of the existence of her auxiliary havens, let alone the location of one, but it couldn't be helped at the moment. She needed that earth, and she could, and would, move it to a new location once she was free from here.

A polite knock sounded at Ekaterina's door. Once answered Natalya entered the room. She walked around the room and smiled with satisfaction to see Ekat's prey lying asleep.

"I trust she was more amenable to you?" Natalya strolled around the room, noting how small it appeared to be. "Well, you'll be staying here for at least a few days. I'll pop in to check up on you from time to time. In the meantime we need to figure out exactly what you need to make yourself comfortable here. I'll also be asking occasional questions about Tatiyanna as we go. I suspect most of your clothing may be ordered online."

Natalya moved to the bed and sat down at the feet of Ekat's dinner.

"I'll help you get what you need. Please take your dress off and do a twirl." Natalya looked up from the bed "Oh...I'm not interested in you sexually, I'm just trying to figure out which clothing styles would suit you best." Her eyes looked professionally over Ekat while she was wearing her dress, but there was a definite hint of curiosity behind her eyes.

Ok. Cat is a mod. She can edit this thread as needed. This scene is for the two of you. It's basically, from the way I understand it, Natalya coming back to Ekat's room, and then, whatever and wherever the two of you go from there. I had thought Ekat needed some stuff. Just let me know if you have questions, cool?