What We Do In The Shadows: "Jen..."
Summary: There are unexpected consequences when Laszlo seeks a new human familiar...
Part LXXXXII…
About 11 am…
"Oh…Ma." Jacqueta Zeller in Ginny Zeller's office eyeing her mom nervously modeling her gown for the gala reception. A long, black affair, cut low, with long sleeves and some black lace…White satin sash…
"Oooh la, la…" shakes head. "You're not gonna wanna be seen with us…" grin.
"There's one for you and Ellie…Same style, choice of sash and lace." Ginny shrugs at the boxes on office floor. "I just hope you like them."
"Ma…?" Jacqueta, a bit stunned. "I guess this thing must have been important to you." Moving to the box her mother indicates as hers, opening.
"Wow." Lifting gown out…
"You don't have to wear them…If you don't like 'em." Ginny sighs.
"No…It's incredible. But…Ma? It must have cost a fortune."
"Gift from the Cravensworths." Fond smile.
"What? Oh, geesh. Can we accept?" Jacqueta stares at Ginny who grins.
"I already did…For all of us."
"My God…That is…Wonderful." Jacqueta, lifting gown from box and holding up to see fit in the office's wall mirror.
"I don't feel worthy…" grin.
"Me neither, to be honest…" Ginny smiles.
"Ma…You grace anything. And won't Rich be blown away?" shrewd look.
"I sent him a photo a moment ago." Coyly shy grin. "You think Ellie will wear hers?"
"If she don't want it, I'll take it. I can have it cut for my girl…" Jacqueta grins. "But I know El, she'll take it."
"Ok, so I booked a hair stylist and for nails at the same place at 1, so we need to grab a quick lunch. Ellie'll meet us at lunch and I hope she won't fuss about the hair place, it's her favorite."
"That one? It's as expensive as Croesus…You'll be spending all our ill-got gains in one afternoon, Ma." Jacqueta shakes head.
"They did do a lot for us, honey…I wanted to show we appreciate it. And to do something nice for you two guys."
"Well…You can do this for me any ole time." Jacqueta grins.
"You know…Brittany's included in this invite…And there's one more gown for her, though I had to guess at size." Ginny notes.
"Ma…?" shocked stare.
"Well…She's family or will be, right?" smile. "She was gonna meet us at lunch, still? She's booked after too if she doesn't mind a 'bourgeois' hair salon experience…"
"Thank you!" fond hug. "I'll call her right now and make sure she's got the afternoon clear."
"Tell her to hurry if we're gonna eat and make everything. We might need to see the tailor for hers…I've got one standing by."
"You do?" Jacqueta stares, blinking.
…
Colin, in his bedroom now…
"Taking a couple from the office, in part for Gwendolyn's sake…Ginny'll leave it up to me if I want to hang on. Probably not, it's a bit small for my fishing pond…Though the girls are wonderfully energetic…Or were." Smile.
"Sorry if I was a bit cute before…Things get busy. And big doin's tonight, eh? You bet." Nod, thin smile.
"I may just go hop in the pool and float though…I get bored at parties. People mellow, everyone stoned and likely to die if I drain 'em. Dullsville without the buffet. Nandor should be a hoot in his old uniform though. Maybe he'll offend Dracula or some nobody human who dislikes Ottomans and the Christian sellouts who fought for them?" smile.
"Oh, I'm wearing a new suit…" he points out laid out beige suit, exactly the same style and color as all his suits.
"Yeah, really wanna celebrate the new place and the new era…Party on." He offers brief very mild fist raise.
"I know I expect to have a lot to celebrate soon. On the personal level…" Calm smile.
…
The home of Jennifer and David…About noon…
"Oh my God…!" Jennifer, hand to mouth…Setting down a lunch dish in sink suddenly… "Davy!" At the beaming Dr. David Chu, resplendent in their kitchenway, in a quite nice reproduction of an ancient Chinese general's uniform, with black lamellar armor pieces sewn together and complete with black cloaking and helmet. "Oh, honey! You look fantastic!"
"Well, you did say Mr. Relentless was going for a medieval outfit…I thought if he was really going all out, I might as well get into the spirit. So I pulled a few strings among my posse of nerds and…" he stumbles as she grabs at him, pulling him close.
"Thanks so much…" she cooes, kissing him. "It's so neat of you to get into this. Ma…Mr. Relentless'll be so pleased. Though he would have loved your regulation dress. I mean to show pictures." Proud arch.
"Well, they did do a lot for us. I know I've groused about the work and the hours you've been putting in but it is something to have Susie's college set and a nice retirement fund out of this."
"You married well…" nod.
"So I did…" smile, kissing her. "So, what are you wearing to match my nerdy elegance?"
"I splurged a bit on my gown. Though it's no Chinese emperor's suit." Arch look.
"General…Soong Dynasty. Mr. Relentless will probably know, so be on your toes."
"Wish you'd told me. I feel like I should be in an antique gown to match. Like something out of 'Raise The Red Lantern', chief concubine."
"Empress, or at least the warlord's wife, babe. Always. And a nice modern gown sounds great."
"Just don't go off with Nandor spouting military jargon all night."
"I'm no strategist or tactician. Now if he wants to talk history or Harry Potter or Star Trek…Or even molecular epi…" grin. "What time do we need to be there?"
"Seven-thirty, so get that thing off and lets take a shower…" she grins. "Susie's asleep and we got hours before Ruthie comes to watch her. Then you can feast your eyes on my modern elegance…" grin.
Please let this end well, she thinks, beaming at him in his innocent pleasure…I'd rather die than have to kill him. I'd never want to fail in my duties to the Master, but…Let me die first, if it comes to anything like that, please.
For the love of God, God…Help me here.
…
"And we're back…" Devious notes to his own camera, now Unmanned by Lloyd…He wishing Lesley, in gown, hair styled, to join him for this possibly epically important interview. She reluctantly standing by him…
Love…And a cowardly desire for Immortality, non-vampiral…What it makes us do, she sighs to herself, while trying to attend to his request for a bright smile for the camera…
"The Vampiric Council has issued its…Invitation…To my friends, my dear, dear, dear…So dusted…Friends. And tomorrow night will see the culmination of my efforts…"
Really? Neal, Lloyd, Ray watching think…
Isn't it the Vampiric Council killing them?
In the right way, natch…Leaving them condemned forever…
"Our friends will face the ultimate Justice. And will pay for their foul stench of Humanity, reeking from…No offense, sweetheart…" To Lesley… "You know despite your foul Humanity, I love you, dearest."
"Yeah, yeah…" she puts up a hand.
"…themselves and leading them to kill their own kind. So it is charged."
Say what? Lloyd blinks.
"And there, isolated from their miserable human would-be saviors, the Hunters…See, honey? I kept my word about protecting your friends." Simon to Lesley, eagerly.
"Yeah, yeah." Roll of eyes…
"They meet their doom. And eternal damnation. To Hell. Which is not a nice place, even for our kind…It's why we struggle so to stay here, really. This is Paradise for us, which admittedly seems a bit much…Even unfair, really." Simon muses. "But it is the plane on which we struggled and fought to achieve Eternal Unlife, so. And I like it…" shrug.
"Yes, Van Helsing's and Dracula's schemes will be thwarted at last. No 'Redemption' for these three idiots. And…Bonus! My erstwhile partner? Colin the C-man Robinson, Mr. Beige. Mr. no doubt waiting to betray me at the first chance. Dead as well, in Hell."
Didn't he actually want that? Lioyd thinks, pulling from camera a moment.
To be trapped in Hell with them forever as his vengeance on the Relentless guy?
"Well, of course, Robinson did always plan to end up there with them. But he wanted control of the process and he ain't gettin' it. No, I, Simon the Devious, call the shots." Simon, firmly.
Rappula Severus was right to duck out of this one, Neal thinks. I should be so outta here with Pat and Harry. 'Call the shots'? Is he kidding?
"I see some of you are wondering about this scheme and how I can claim dominance here?" Simon eyes the group about him and Lesley.
"Actually…Yeah." Ray notes. The relief of his back trouble engendering in him a new assertiveness.
"I arranged the whole thing. The Nouveau Theater invite? My idea." Simon fumes a bit. "I always said we'd have the Council do them in. This gets it done, right?"
Right enough…Lloyd shrugs, focusing.
Pity I don't know how to record on this thing…He's giving me some good stuff here. But I didn't ask for Samarta's job. He just said "Here, Lloyd. Unman the camera in Samarta's place or I'll have you cleaved into sections and burnt in the sunshine."
"Ok." Ray shrugs. "But what if they don't show? What if they're redeemed tonight? Van H's a ghost, right? Miss?" respectful nod to Lesley… "Your great uncle x 30's a ghost, right? He probably knows all about tomorrow night. And his guys may be circling in right now, ready to redeem or dust or whatever. Right?"
"I've no way of knowing…" Lesley shrugs. "Except that I don't think my friends want to attack tonight. There's no sign of it."
"See." Simon, archly. "Expert opinion in my favor."
"She says she doesn't know, Simon." Ray frowns.
"You know Ray…Your negative energy is fouling my aura. Get you gone! Now!" Simon rages.
"Wait, guys! I didn't say all of you!" he calls. "Wait…Come on, we're on the brink of triumph! Guys! Please?! I'll give your names to the Council as plotting to warn them if you go, you jerks!" he cries.
All but Neil pausing…
"Come on, for the heck of it…You're dust if the Council gets the bad word from me. Neil! Don't abandon the cause at our moment of triumph."
The cadaverously terrifyingly grim Neil frowning in hallway, turning back…
"Thanks, Neil." Simon beams.
"No, I'm just thinking I should help the others kill you." He notes grimly. As the rest all grimly face the couple in their midst…Several others from the shadows stepping forward…
"No…You won't." Lesley, taking stance, stake pulled and out now from folds of gown. "You guys have all tried me before and you won't take me now."
"What my girl says!" Simon, from behind the chair he'd dashed behind. "Come on, guys. Lets not fight. We won't have to fight tomorrow either. The Council is gonna take all the risks, right?"
Point there…Lloyd eyes the others.
And it would be nice to see that annoying bastard Robinson fry in agony…
