Word Count Minus Names: 1,542
Clooney: *The large wolf was laying by a den, snoring shortly*
Gabrielle: *Stands at the entrance to his den, prepping herself wit ha few deep breaths, recollecting her thoughts - couldn't waste time or mess up! At length she steps in, rapping her claws against the stone purposefully, affecting an impatient sort of air* Lord Clooney. Clooney, sir, wake up.
Clooney: *There was nothing slow or lethargic about the wolf as the sounds of the claws nudged him into a state of consciousness. Her voice only pulled him further and once fully away, that was within seconds, he scrambled onto his paws, fangs showing and fur bristled, clearly about to spring onto whoever was intruding on his den. Upon spotting the girl, however, he calmed himself, not about to let his controlled persona slip further than it already had.* State your business. *He recognized this one. He wasn't sure how...she was too young for him to have toyed with and she wasn't one of the slaves.*
Gabrielle: *For a moment she had been frightened and took a step back, not having expected such a quick reaction to her presence. Her ears flattened against her head when it looked as if Clooney was ready to spring at her, hackles stiffening, but the lord hastily collected himself, leaving her with naught but seconds to regain her composure* I-I - I seek a trade, Lord Clooney, that must be attended to immediately. My servant Vahrenheit has been far too insistent upon aiding my every need that it has driven me mad. I believe that if I send him with you, he will learn discipline quickly and learn how to show us proper respect and fear. As I know you have a penchant for enjoying causing terrors, I believe you are in need of a fresh piece of meat to tenderize; your current one is currently so soft that you must be bored with him, no?
Clooney: *His eyes narrowed slightly while he listened to her proposition, intrigued by how forward she was in expressing her opinion.* Hmm, I'm not so sure we have a deal just yet. If you'd allow me, we could maybe swap for a day. If I find I don't care for this Vahrenheit I'll call of the trade...and if I do enjoy his presence, well, I may allow you to take the whelp. *He wasn't sold. Not by a long shot. While Kerai wasn't perfect, he provided enough entertainment that Clooney had kept him around this long. Clooney was never one to let something go so easily, being more a hoarder than one to flat up abandon.*
Gabrielle: *She hardly trusted his word and so very wanted to not agree, but to do so meant losing just the one day; and that alone was a stretch. Though she tried a different option* And what if I threw in a second slave for free? You could have them scrabble at your pleasure, or whatever it is you do with servants. Certainly a lord with more than one slave at his command would garner more attention than one who pleasures himsef with just the one. It would show your dominion is capable of being stretched over more than just one mind.
Clooney: *He raised a brow. Her offer was tempting, but he still wasn't sold just yet. How could he be sure this second wolf existed? And what if he wasn't something Clooney wanted to waste his time with?* Who is this second slave?
Gabrielle: Adrieal, sir. The scowl-faced one. I have reason to believe he thinks he can make it as a warrior if he "tries hard enough". *smirks a little at this* I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone: making sure that Vahrenheit doesn't grow so eager as to inflate a possible ego and cause us problems as well as either tempering a possible soldier to add to our ranks or allowing someone the pleasure of putting a servant in his place. Either way, you gain status, a second pair of paws to do with as you wish, and fodder for your energy should you feel like . . . venting. *She had the feeling that Clooney was more than just passionate beatings, and felt her fur crawl imagining the poor wolf in that situation*
Clooney: You present a very tempting proposition, girl. *He answered, his eyes not meeting hers for a moment as he stared into the wall of the den, their spark of gold swiveled as he thought. What she said was true. And wasn't there fun in breaking a slave? That was the whole point, wasn't it? Still, the supple black wolf was a treasure he wasn't quite sure of getting rid of. But to have two? While that had many obvious benefits, he could see some problems as well.* One is hard enough to handle, how do you expect me to take charge of two? Hmm...well, I do like a challenge. I will take your offer. Mind, if I am displeased with either of the two you send me, I /wil// wrench Kerai from you before you ever get wind he's gone. The slave that displeases me won't be so lucky as to be returned to you.
Gabrielle: I've seen your strength, sir, growing up; I think you can handle these two especially. *nods, keeping a straight face in spite of the threat* But of course, if they displease you, punish as you see fit. Neither of them are very likeable ones anyway, so a few bruises won't be harped over; one of them might even welcome it. *Which was odd, to think that a wolf who wanted to be so helpful could be viewed so negatively. But then Gabby thought of Var as a suck-up, plain and simple* I will give them fair warning tomorrow morning. Forgive me for interrupting your sleep, sir, and rest well. *slinks out, inwardly sighing a breath of relief that it had gone better than expected*
Clooney: Okay, good. *He answered, having truly nothing more to say. He lay himself down, still staring at Gabrielle intently, wondering if his decision had been the right one, and upon deciding yes, he allowed her to go without any protest from him.*
Gabrielle: *restrains her giddiness as she returns to Kerai, only breaking into a grin when she was sure she had not been followed* I've struck up a deal, so let's pray it works. But for now, you are my servant, Kerai! *Funny how in this situation it was happy news, as opposed to weird, awkward, and possibly . . . no, weird and awkward captured the emotion*
Kerai: *The wolf had nodded off where he sat, his head bobbing up and down as his body tried to balance itself. His tongue hung from his maw and occasionally a drop of drool would hit the ground. When Gabrielle's presence woke him, he snorted, pulling up with an embarrassed upturn of his brow* Wha? What did you say? *Springing to his paws in one bound, he pranced around the slightly smaller female, ignoring the fact that others might be prowling about. He gave a joyful yip.* Eeeee!
Gabrielle: *couldn't help but give a small squeal herself in return, egged on by Kerai’s excitement* Eeee! So for right now, yeah, we're good. ^^ We'll have to pray that Var and Adrieal don't get him too mad too fast, though I imagine the former will make him feel like a king in his own right. Ooooh, it actually worked! *beams, pleased with herself* Alright, Kerai, head back to the slaves' quarters for now. I don't think putting you in the same den as me is a good idea, but if there's a way to get you out of there and in better living conditions, I'll see to it. For now, though . . . *yawns* I need a nice long sleep. Dreams beckon me onward.
Kerai: *He continued to prance until she suggested sleep, and slowing down, he gave her a warm, almost shy smile.* Thank you Gabrielle. I don't know how to thank you more.
Gabrielle: Oh, eh, s'nothing. *looks a little sheepish at his smile, for a moment not noticing the words coming out of her mouth* That's what friends do, right? Help each other out. So, um . . . er . . . *clears throat to look more professional again* Head off to sleep, Kerai, and have sweet dreams~ *He deserved some, she thought, after what he had been through – after whatever he might have been through prior, such as the unknown events with the chains . . .*
Kerai: Hum..*closing his eyes and putting on a dumb grin, his tail wagged and he gave a nod* Okay. Have a good night too, Miss Gabrielle. *He turned on his heal and trotted off, feeling both anxious but a true sense of relief as well*
Gabrielle: *”Miss”. She never got used to that, not from him. Despite her physical tiredness, her mind was quite alive, and as she laid down at the back of her den, it was left to wander long before Gabrielle finally hit dreamland. And, for once, it was an actual, honest-to-God, good dream. One where there was no mention of dead siblings, no mention of her psychotic and reclusive mother, just . . . freefloating.*
