The Empresse's New Clothes (Ai)

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari made her way to the address her father had given her. It was a fashion studio and she was a bit confused by his request. She still kept it on hand but it was pretty vague. He wanted Ai to make her something that was modest, easy to move in and befitting her station and the gala he wanted her to attend. She had looked at him in confusion because he was the one who had told her not to go out due to her pheromones and his reply had been, "I'll be there so don't worry. Besides if it gives me a few more business partners its of benefit to me to have you seen."

She shuddered quietly and bit her lip gently as she approached Ai's shop wearing a basic track suit of all things for ease of trying things on. She'd been told that he had called ahead and let Ai know about of her limitations. He had warned her that Ai was a vampire but that she was a graceful woman who had a quiet control about herself. She exhaled and clutched her cross that Trenton had gifted her with and shook her head to clear it of the loneliness she felt with his absence.

Peering about, she pushed her glasses up on her nose and cautiously made her way to the front where there was a desk one could sign in at. She put her name down and folded her hands to wait quietly, not trusting this place to lose herself to a magazine or her ipod touch. Quietly she exhaled and cleared her mind of negativity and let calmness fill her. Allowing her to be at peace and not disturb others with her worries. She'd found that this new form made it easier to not fret as much. Things that were of her own mind bothered her less; it was those of others minds she picked up on easier.

[Ai Yomato]

Once again one of her girls interrupted her sowing. Ai growled and looked up at the girl looking like she was about to fire someone. After being informed it was Sinclaire’s daughter Ai growled again. “After getting Trenton by the balls…” She threw her scissors down and marched to the door or her store.

Her heels clicked angrily against the floor for a full minuet as Ai took her time walking across the floor of her fitting rooms and show floor to the front of the salon. She glanced around the wall and took a deep breath. The more easy to sway of their kind were starting to lean to support Ai. She made no secret that she was ready to take Trenton out for his weakness towards the Demons, but Ai didn’t want to show that towards Trenton’s little girlfriend. Ai might be able to turn the little girl towards an ally.

Ai walked out smoothing her sarong and smiling. She held her hand out. “You must be Reginald’s Daughter. My name is Yomato Ai, it’s nice to meet you. I hear you’re going to a gala with him soon and need a gown?” she asked her smiling as friendly as she could. Something was pulling, but at the same time that infernal buzzing was ringing in between her ears that it wasn’t normal. The girl knew what was happening, and Ai wasn’t going to fall for what had happened to Trenton.

“What were you thinking about for the gown… I know what a man you’re father’s age was thinking, but I hear you’re a bit younger then even I so, what do you want?” Ai asked her and pulled out the pad to take notes so she could decide if she had anything for Marina, or would be forced to make it.

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STARRING : Ai & Marina
OUTFIT : Ai's wearing this. For the sake of RP, just pretend that Ai designed her clothes herself.
Notes : Ai’s first meeting with Marina.
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Marina could sense the anger that Ai was feeling and she could sense it was directed loosely at her. She didn't step back like she wanted to but she did respectfully place her hands in front of her, she did know Japanese and if she needed to she would use it to show proper respect. She'd learned the predominant business languages in her time in school and it did help she shook Ai's hand briefly, <<Yes, I am Marina Sinclaire, Lady Ai. I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to see me. Forgive me if this is an inconvenience to you. My father is not a man I like to keep waiting but I understand that the rest of the world doesn't share his schedule.>> she did a bow and looked a bit sheepish, <<I tried to dress appropriately for trying things on. I'm a bit slow." she blushed and indicated her suit, <<I mean no disrespect to your fine establishment, Lady Ai.>>

<<Yes, Miss. I don't know what you have on hand on such short notice. My father wanted it to be modest but elegant and accommodate my disability. I myself...I don't know, Ma'am I don't wear dresses much in public and only at my fathers insistence. I am clumsy and so its hard for me to say. I like purples and other jewel tones.>> she offered as she flushed again making a half step back with a respectful nod, <<I just don't want to fall on my face on the dance floor, Lady Ai.>> she admitted honestly to her, <<I don't want to be an embarrassment to you or my father.>>

She knew Ai was annoyed and was inwardly uncertain why so she decided to address it, <<Lady, Ai, Forgive me for being too forward, but I'm an empath and I sense you are displeased. Have I done something to insult you?>> she knew she had to give a little trust to gain a little and she was really just trying not to anger any more people.

[Ai Yomato]

Ai sighed and nodded. “Of coarse Miss Sinclaire… I’ve heard about your father; I’m sure someone stuck under him would want to avoid any confrontation.” She bowed back, then realized that something wasn’t right. “No, no. I appreciate the intent… But did you at least bring the accessories so we could make sure that your shoes would work, or are you looking to do shoe and accessory shopping after the dress?” She looked over Marina trying to get a feel for the woman’s style and needs in this gown.

“No worries. It won’t be difficult to whip something up for you. What time period of dress do you like… We could go with something more your father’s era, or perhaps something a little more modern…?” Ai started eyeing Marina’s measurements. She waved Marina back to the dressing rooms and show room. The girl was being polite, but Ai still suspected… Reginald had used her to hoodwink one Vampire already… Ai took a deep breath and recentered herself again. “My dear if you trip in any of my clothes, it’ll be more of an embarrassment to yourself then me,” Ai pointed out frankly.

She was beginning to suspect something fishey, her girl was looking at her funny. “Ms. Sinclaire, if you stand over there so that Amber here can take your measurements.” She pointed to her girl She looked up at Marina and shook her head. “Please, do you call Louie ‘Mr. Vuitton’?” Ai waved her hand. “I’m Ai.” A second later she looked up and shook her head. “It’s your father. Him and his relationship with a group of my associates.” Ai let the subject hang, her tone ominous about continuing the point further.

The girl handed Ai a list a measurements and disappeared again. “So let me se what we have here… I’m guessing he wants a gown and not a formal pantsuit huh?”

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STARRING : Ai & Marina
OUTFIT : Ai's wearing this. For the sake of RP, just pretend that Ai designed her clothes herself.
Notes : Ai’s first meeting with Marina.
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

"I was looking to buy the accessories after we had the dress." she murmured softly to the other woman as she sorted herself away from Ai and her feelings. It would do no good if she reacted to the emotional bleed over that the vampiress was dealing with. Inwardly she centered herself and tried to smile reassuringly, "Thank you for understanding." she said with relief in her voice. She winced as if slapped by Ai about the comment that she would only embarrass herself.

"I was thinking something a little more modern fabric wise but older style wise." she said gently as she looked at the other woman and moved were she was directed, "Ai. If I didn't call someone by their surname and my father heard me it would go very badly for me so yes, I would call him Mr. Vittan until asked to do otherwise because to slip up in front of my father would make him angry." After she had moved to the rooms in the back she changed out of her pants suit and moved to where she was requested. She lifted her arms softly and stood still while her measurements were taken.

"I am sorry if my father has upset you." she exhaled softly and looked contrite, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes briefly and tried to shake the anger that seemed to keep flooding back. She exhaled slightly and her skin paled as she felt a headache building. "My father was looking for a formal gown, Ai." she said quietly as she tried to keep herself from getting the brunt of Ai's anger. She slipped into the changing room and got dressed.

"I'm sorry if you are distrustful of me but I'm an empath and I cannot shut it off. I do not mean to insult you in any way I'm just trying to get a gown for this gala that my father insisted I attend. I don't even like large gatherings." she said softly as she felt her headache building, "They overwhelm me." she closed her eyes and felt her head pounding. "Everything I've liked my dad has hated, Ai. He sends me on shopping trips with a personal shopper to make sure I get appropriate things. I wish I could articulate better than I am but I don't know what works. I mean if it was up to me I'd have an empire waisted gown with long sleeves and done in a nice lavender with a gold accent but that's because purple is my favorite color."

It was because of growing migraine that she looked at the woman and met her gaze squarely, "Do you always judge people before they've walked in the door or do you actually give them a chance to open their mouths before you make a snap decision about them?" the question was said gently but there was an honest sincerity there, "Because I have been picking up on aggravation directed at me since I walked in the door before you even saw my face and while I don't know what my father has done to anger you so I will assure you that I am not him by any means. His dealings are his own and I have no control over them. If they displease you I can arrange a meeting between the two of you though I will not be permitted to attend because it is never my place to know of his business dealings. I am sorry if this is a bit blunt but negative emotions make me violently ill and I'd rather clear the air before things get to the point that I have to run to the bathroom."

She dug around in her purse and pulled out her small bottle of Excedrin and a water bottle, pausing to take two of the pills and swallow them with a swig of water, "I'm sorry, I just have been under a lot of stress lately and am trying to prevent a migraine. I've been ill with a headache for the last two days and it has made me a bit less diplomatic than I would like."

[Ai Yomato]

Ai sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose… This girl was a multi-tasker huh? She put her head against the cool metal of a rack. “Okay… I’m a bit obsessive about getting one thing done at a time, let’s deal with this…” She walked around the store front a couple of times looking at Marina’s messurements and pulled a couple of gowns down. She put them on a wall at first then handed a purple one to her. “I didn’t release this one with spring line, I had planned on it for this winter. It would give personal shoppers for the stars a little while to buy it during the award sessions. But I suppose your father’s paying me enough to up its debut. Try it on for me…” She handed her a purple and silver dress. It had a plunging but tasteful neckline, off the shoulder three-quarter sleeves with straps that held the dress up. The bust and sleeves of the dress were purple with silver embroidery done in geometric paterns covering almost every inch of the stiff fabric. The body of the dress cosited of panels of shear purple fabric layered so that it didn’t look shear. The front of the dress was open to reveal a shiny silver slip that slit along the leg to give both some sex appeal and movement for her feet.

“Modern for you, modest and tasteful for your father… And I can alter it for you if you or your father isn’t comfortable with the slit. I can guarantee that anything here is going to be to long, so we may have to do some alterations anyway, unless you like the extra length.” She shook her head. “And about him telling you how to dress. My father’s generation hated everything that mine wore, and I’m sure if my mother were still alive that she’d have a few choice words about me still being single and how my clothes look.” She walked across the floor and grabbed some silver accessories and a hand bag. When she came back she looked at Marina, “As long as it’s made well, you feel great and beautiful and you, and its modestly in your budget, screw what other people think. If you don’t dress you, people will just think you’re trying to be a poser.” She handed her the accessories too. “These with it I think. You’ll have to find the shoes on your own I’m afraid. I haven’t yet found a shoe person I like enough to sell their things here with my clothes.”

She showed Marina into a changing room and sat down across the door from it. “And about your father.” She sighed again. “This is the way things go in my world.” She stopped and snapped at her assistant again. “I’m in here working, you ought to be where?” She looked back at Marina’s dressing room, “You have been dating one of my associates named Trenton… Day’s after he made a bit of a fool of himself at a meeting for not being attached to or interested in the going ons of those that aren’t like us, Trenton was caught with you repeatedly. Now I’m hearing rumors that your Papa, a major rival, has whipped our second in command and has him by the short hairs.” She stopped for a moment to rub her nose again. “I’m nothing in not loyal to my people Miss Sinclaire. You can imagine that knowing that your father being who what he is having control over someone so powerful makes me just a little bit irritated. And then, the day of a gala he has the gall to have one of his servants call me and demand that I personally see to you. The only reason that I didn’t tell you to flub off, is that the same people telling me about Trenton and Reginald have told me You’re not all that bad. I didn’t think it’d be fair to you.” She leaned her head back and said to the ceiling, “How’s the dress?”

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STARRING : Ai & Marina
OUTFIT : Ai's wearing this. For the sake of RP, just pretend that Ai designed her clothes herself.
Notes : Ai’s first meeting with Marina. Ai's dress for Marina with the accessories she picked from her collection.
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari took the gown gently and held it up, "Its beautiful, Ai." she said in awe as she stood there and looked between the young woman and the gown, "I like the slit. I think he will not mind it since he is going to be there at the gala with me. He's just leary of my clothing choices when I'm not with him." she offered as she thought about what her father might like. "I'll ask him to be sure but I think it will be okay." she gently took the accessories and nodded, "I'll probably be in some variant of a ballet flat because I can walk in it and ribbons can keep it from sliding off my foot." she nodded at the mention of her father, "He's very...particular. I generally spend most of my time trying not to annoy him. I tend to want to shop all over and if I like something it doesn't matter where it came from. My dad...well in his mind if you didn't spend a fortune for it you're being cheap." she murmured as she shrugged her shoulders.

She got undressed and folded her clothes neatly in a pile while she examined the dress to see how it went on, speaking to Ai as she did so, "Trenton is a bit of an oddity...I met him while waiting for my father to pick me up from the library. Originally I think he was going to make a meal out of me but something stopped him. I'm not sure what. I just talked to him and then I went home. I guess something about it stuck with him. A few days later I was in the hospital and recovering from surgery and Trenton shows up in my room while I'm high as a kite from Morphine. He said he was worried about me. He starts asking me questions about my life and being so drugged it didn't occur to me to not tell him. I guess something about it made him think or something. My father arranged a meeting with him while I was still in the hospital and the next thing I know is my father telling me Trenton is going to be keeping an eye on me. The next day after that Trenton asks me out on a date just as some love spell goes off and makes the city go a little wild. I asked him if the spell was affecting him and he said that the spell made him more protective of me." she sighed, slipping the gown on slowly, "I haven't seen him in three weeks. I don't know what is going on beyond that. I mean I know my dad wants Trent to marry me but I don't know what Trenton thinks of it because he hasn't even mentioned anything like that." she adjusted herself in the dress and wiggled with the swish of fabric. "I've heard Trenton could be a bit of an ass but the one time I tried asking about what it was to be a vampire..we were interrupted by a vampiress named Anneliese." she straightened her hair a bit and sighed, "My father is a very strong personality. I didn't realize he was a rival of any sort. I mean I've grown up around demons and vampires my entire life. The woman I think of as a step mother is Diana McKensie and she's a vampire so it just never occurred to me that there would be a separate set of politics. I'm sorry if I'm a bit obtuse about it all. I do know that while standing up to my father is not something I can do because it would be seen as rude and impertinent and get me slapped you or any other person CAN stand up to him and should. I mean he's a freaking incubus. He's dangerous to humans but he really can't hurt anyone else unless they let him. I don't know why Trenton has caved into him. Maybe he has a bigger plan and not told me or maybe my father has something he can blackmail him with but I just know that if you meet with him and talk to him he'd back off."

She turned and opened the door, "I like it. I think its very nice." she admitted as she looked down at the dress and then at Ai, "What do you think?"

[Ai Yomato]

Ai scoffed at the mention of Anneliese. “Oh yes. Her and I share a mutual acquaintance. You don’t have anything to worry about from her anymore… Believe me. As for that twit… Trenton’s been a little AWOL. If you see him, let him know that something’s up with Noah…” She shook her head and bit her tongue.

She sat back and blinked… She hadn’t known that Diana McKensie was in town… She knew the name by rumor… But of coarse that’s all she knew about anyone, she just let them prove the rumors right or wrong on their own. “Well the issue is that he’s such a powerful demon, and pulling what should be such a powerful vampire by the short hairs. As far as I’ve seen, no one has been able to best one of us older then myself.” Ai chuckled a moment, “But don’t worry. The Elders are a fair bit secretive about just how strong we are… The only person our Elder’s are concerned about is the Trinity Brothers… I think that’s why he hasn’t dealt with the relationship between Reginald and Trenton himself…”

When Mari came out of the dressing room Ai stood up and popped her back. “I’m getting to old for this chair... You look great… I’m starting to second my choice in the accessories, but a pair of shiny silver ballet slippers would work… Though I would wouldn’t pass up a glittery pair of strappy sandals too…” She placed her fingers against her jaw and inspected her. “You really like it? Okay. Do you love it? If you don’t love it you won’t rock it. If you don’t rock it, it won’t matter what your father thinks when you wear it.”

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STARRING : Ai & Marina
OUTFIT : Ai's wearing this. For the sake of RP, just pretend that Ai designed her clothes herself.
Notes : Ai’s first meeting with Marina.
LYRICS USED : USE SOMEBODY - KINGS OF LEON
BANNER CREDIT : TANA

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

"I'll let him know that Noah is not his usual jovial self." she said dryly as she looked over at her, "I'm supposed to meet Trenton for coffee today to catch up on things." she sighed and felt the weight of this conversation on her shoulders.

"He's not got him by the shorthairs. Trenton is trying to keep him from beating me to death but if he chose he could kill my father and not have to worry about it. He's trying to help me. If that makes him weak then we have a different opinion of things. I would think his ability to see past himself was a benefit to the race. After all sometimes you have to experience something to understand it." she said softly.

"Diana has been my father's lover for 19 years. WHY are you so worried about Trenton? It makes no sense to me why you're concerned about this when I've been practically raised by the most powerful vampires in the city. Diana was like a mother to me, Robert Lovelace is my god father and you know about Trenton. My father raised me to help the vampire community because he didn't want me to be left to twist in the wind if something happened to him. Up until I changed about two days ago his plan was that I'd get married and turned. While I don't agree with it, it was my fathers plan so I wouldn't die of old age. I realize vampires are a unique and powerful species but not every vampire sees things the same way. Especially not the more powerful ones." she sighed softly and leaned against the door of the dressing room.

"Assuming my father had gotten what he wanted I'd be a fledgling and have no say in vampire politics. Depending on what happens it might still happen. There is no telling what the future holds." She folded her arms gently and looked at the older woman, "I think you are seeing things that aren't there." she sighed and sagged with weariness. "I didn't know Trenton needed permission to date someone."she said softly as she bit her lip and rubbed her temples.

"I do love it. Its beautiful." she said as she looked back at her, "I've got a set of slippers to go with it." she murmured happily as she turned around gently to see how it moved, "I think its gorgeous." she softly said as she smiled and looked at her with a flush on her cheeks, "Thank you for making such a lovely gown."