disobedience! thievery!

-- Possession

When Edmund Mapplethorpe had woken up that evening, he had discovered that his wallet had been missing. He stumbled out of bed, leaving the sheets a mess and the comforters on the floor. He really should have adopted sleeping in the more-than-cozy linen closet, but with the blackout curtains he had installed in the wing he and Naira inhabited, he continued to divulge in his old, mortal habits. Dressing in his usual suit and polished shoes, he collected the things he did have - his wallet, keys, cuff links, and cellphone. He patted his chest where his wallet should have been and scowled, storming out of the bedroom, through Hollowheart Manor, and out towards the full-moon-lit city in his black 1966 Buick Riviera GS.

He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and brought it to his nose. The mutt had also touched his phone... but what could one of his wolves want with his wallet when he already gave them so much? He parked in front of one of the tourist shops as its open side flicked off. If he was going to start searching for this renegade of a household pet, he was going to start at the heart of it all: Swift Street.

Exiting the car and closing the door with a click of the lock, he also produced a whistle from the inside of his blazer pocket, bringing it to his lips to summon at least one of his well-trained guard dogs.

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2014, 08:03 PM by Mapplethorpe.)

She cringed.

She stretched, flinched and contorted her body, as the whistle pierced her ears. He'd caught her by surprise, but there was no mistaking the order- she was summoned and fleetly flew to his side, eyes sharp, and she nodded. She was at his beck and call, as always.

Surprise, surprise... Of course, Sagacity was going to appear. He gave her a fanged smile as she appeared, the full moon shining down on her silver-streaked fur. "Where is my wallet?" There was no use in beating around the bush. The sooner he found what was his the better... "Did you come into our quarters last night?" His nose wrinkled and his brow furrowed, disappointment in his tone.

She didn't appreciate being summoned and then accused, but she knew better than to argue. "I don't know," She said, flattening her ears. "I didn't." She said sternly, but then something caught in her memory. "That new one. Evann." She said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she did."

"I don't know," she answered. He stared across her muzzle at her face, still displeased. "That new one. Evann... I wouldn't be surprised if she did." His shoulders fell and he sighed, "@Evann... the stutterer... Really? Here." He held out the phone that he still had in his left hand and offered it to Sagacity to sniff. As far as he was concerned, all werewolves smelled the same and those under his care carried the scent of hawthorn plants in their pelt, but... for him to decipher just which mongrel was which left him at a loss. "They even tried to get into my phone, who was it?"

"That's the one," Sagacity said. For some reason, telling the truth made her feel as though she was lying. Maybe she'd stolen it- but no, no, she hadn't. She couldn't recall, and knew herself well enough to know that stealing was in her blood...But never from the bosses. And she hated Evann, so why not pin the blame on her?

She examined the phone and her eyes narrowed. "I..." She said, and shook her head. She didn't recognize it, so she inhaled again. There was something fishy about the smell. "Leather. Gloves," She said.

He pocketed the gadget and twirled the keychain of his whistle around his index finger... "Fetch her for me. Now. Recruit anyone else who'll help you."

She hadn't said that she was sure it was Evann; she just didn't like the girl. All she could detect was a scent sheathed under the smell of leather. Someone who had leather gloves...All she could picture was her own pair of faded brown leather gloves, in her pocket. In her coat. And the image of the other pocket, bulging.

Maybe she'd stolen it. She hated her human form...Fingers made stealing too easy.

"Yes, sir." She answered, nonetheless. "Sir-" She said, hoping to ask him one question before she dashed off.

"Come back here in two hour," he firmly instructed. "I will be here..." He checked his watch, and by the time he glanced up, Sagacity was gone. Mapplethorpe pursed his lips. For the two hours she was gone, he occupied himself with hunting down and feeding on some unfortunate misplaced pet. The worn purpled collar, he would give to whoever had taken his billfold.

By midnight, he was back at the car, dropping in a quarter or two just to prolong the timer in the meter. In his hand he held the rhinestone adorned scrap of braided nylon, the two metal tags jingling against the buckle.

He gave her an order, and she closed her mouth. She'd wanted to ask him if he'd seen Mercy, but decided that now wasn't the time. The softness in her features would have given her away anyway, and she couldn't have him see her weakness. Like her namesake, she was gone without a word into the darkness.

It didn't take her long to return. She was breathing in short pants when she found him again, and suspected that he'd been keeping track of the time. She knew better than to be late. "No sign of her," She said softly. "Might've skipped town."

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2014, 10:01 PM by Sagacity.)