Gabriela wasn't certain she had ever been this tired, sore, or tender in her entire life.
Muscles ached from the unaccustomed strain that came with practicing basic hand to hand combat and her skin was sore and tender from the scrubbing, waxing, and plucking that came in trying to make her appear presentable.
Now, looking into the mirror before her Gabriela could admit the results were worth the pain.
Her tanned skin appeared to have a soft glow from the lotion and exfoliating scrub. Her hair was shiny and smooth for the first time in, well, ever and her usually frizzy waves were closer to true loose curls.
The soft sheen of the deep blue satin dress added a richness to her light brown skin that was normally washed out by the plain faded t-shirts or the itchy pale blue diner uniform.
The only thing she disliked about her appearance was the pinching and wobbly heels she wore. She supposed they would have been considered pretty on another person's feet, but to her they were death traps.
"Are you sure I have to wear these Bridget?" Gabriela ignored the whining tone in her voice. She was too busy trying to keep her balance just standing still.
The thin straps on the matching deep blue heels dug into her ankles and the toes pinched at her toes as she was forced to the balls of her feet.
Why would anyone wear these things? Gabriela released her hold on the wall only to wobble again before finally catching herself.
"Yes, besides it makes you look almost tall enough to be an adult." Bridget teased in reply as she tugged on her own high heeled boot. Knee high they eliminate the need for hosiery and looked great with the short black skirt and matching corset top.
The black velvet choker necklace combined with heavy smokey make up added to the contrived goth fashion that Bridget cultivated.
"Haha, so funny. I can't help that I am short, besides I am not that short." Gabriela snarked in return. At five feet tall there wasn't much to boast about except that she had just surpassed being classified as a little person.
It wasn't her fault that short ran on both sides of her family tree; well shrub if the type of tree was dictated by family member height. Her own makeup was light, a soft blush that added some color to her cheeks, a sweep of neutral color over her lids and a tinted lip gloss added to the overall appeal of youth and innocence.
"Fine, but if I break my neck, I swear I will come back and haunt you"
"If you break your neck it is just a couple days in torpor and then you would be good as new. Remember, beheading is the only way to actually kill us, not that other injuries don't hurt. They burn like a wicked mother.." At Gabriela's raised eyebrow Bridget cut off her curse word.
"You are going to have to give up on those prim sensibilities. You are going to hear a lot worse than just a few curse words."
"Oh I understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it, so might as well limit my exposure" Gabriela returned. Carefully she turned around, her hand groped for the next steadying surface, the bathroom counter, to assist her in taking each mincing step towards the door.
Her next handhold ended up being the door frame itself. Dubiously she eyed the hallway and then the stairs. She knew that she was going to fall and show off everything under the skirt; which was at least full underwear instead of the thong style panties that Bridget had first presented.
"Come on, and try to walk naturally. You look like a drunk giraffe trying to hobble around." Bridget replied before slipping Gabriela's hand over her arm, allowing her friend to use her for balance.
Downstairs, the subdued muttering of voices indicated they were running behind. The rest of the family had already lined up and waited for Eli to arrive. She feared the both of them would be far later with the tiny steps Gabriela was taking as they made their careful way down the steps and into the hallway.
One in the hall Gabriela looked down at the line-up. Those created by Eli stood in the back row with their newly added additions standing in front of them. Vincent with his three, two of them mean brawny looking thugs, and the third a wiry man with a nervous tick that hadn't disappeared after turning.
Two older female vampires that Gabriela had yet to meet along with their two children, one slender woman with a hard look to her eyes and the other a male who looked like he would be more comfortable in corporate America than the underbelly of the city.
She and Bridget took the spot closest to the door and thus closest to the stairs. Then they waited. Gabriela swayed in her heels as her feet started to ache; feeling like the bones in the balls of her feet were trying to pull apart from the unaccustomed pressure of her weight continually placed on them.
She fought the urge to hunch her shoulders as she felt Vincent's hard gaze on her. Unnecessary, but very needed, slow deep breaths helped calm her enough to stand still despite the slight jerks from side to side as her ankles threatened to give up on the exercise of standing.
The bang of the door opening caused Gabriela to startle. Only Bridget's quick hand under her arms kept her from pitching forward and onto her face as a tall man entered.
He wore a gray pinstripe suit that Gabriela swore was straight from a 1940's gangster movie, complete with freshly polished black dress shoes partially covered with pristine white spats. He was handsome enough, though his outdated appearance with short slicked back black hair, near colorless gray eyes, and skin so pale she could see the faint blue lines of veins beneath the skin.
At his side walked a woman near his height, her deep brown skin was a direct counter to his pallid appearance. Her hair was artfully arranged in tiny braids coiled up into a textured knot at the nape of her neck.
The red dress she wore was simple, hugging down her slender form, and leaving her arms bare except for a fox fur stole. Her eyes were equally dark to the man's colorless gray; so deep a brown that the iris appeared to merge with the pupil.
"Lower your eyes. Look at the floor." Bridget's voice hissed into her ear and Gabriela barely stifled a gasp. Her eyes dropped to focus on the tile in front of her.
The tap of shoes across the hard surface was her only indication that the duo had moved further into the entryway. Nervously, Gabriela curled her fingers into her palms. Her ankles again threatened to wobble and give out and she shifted just enough to keep her balance.
"It is good to see you again, my children." The man, Gabriela assumed to be Eli, started. Her gaze flicked upwards just once more to focus on the couple.
They looked like they had just walked straight out of a vintage style gangster movie if interracial relationships had been legal at that time. Everyone in truth looked like a bit of a character from some overly stylized movie and for a moment Gabriela held to the hope that all of this, all of the past week, had just been a dream.
That somewhere she was hooked up to IVs, monitors, and the quiet reality of a hospital room. Gabriela held hope that she would wake up very human and hopefully soon.
"Bridget, I am glad to see you have finally added a newling to our family." Cool fingers curled around Gabriela's chin and lifted her gaze up to meet those cold soulless eyes. Only Bridget's hand on her back kept Gabriela from jerking her head back.
She managed to look straight up at him hoping to see some clue that her dying or at least very injured brain had plucked something of it from a distant memory of hers. Nothing, just the slight increase of pressure along her jawline as he inspected her like some interesting piece of art.
"Pretty too. Though from what Vinnie told me, not much of any other useful skills"
Gabriela fought to snap at the hand holding her. The image of burying her sharp fangs into his hand burned at the back of her mind as she fought against the sudden urge to commit violence.
She had no idea where the want came from, she had never been a fighter. All she knew was that she resented very much being appraised like a piece of merchandise and that she really wanted to set the record straight.
"Eli, do let the girl go." The velvety voice matched the smooth and polished exterior of the woman in question. The pressure on her face was suddenly released and Gabriela took an instinctive step back stumbling into Bridget.
For a moment they both staggered in a sad parody of a dance, two drunken ballroom dancers as they kept themselves from falling. The soft laughter from one of the other women caused Gabriela's cheeks to heat in embarrassment.
"It is good to see you again Zariah" The cool tone that the third woman, another of Bridget's 'siblings', used implied that it was anything but a pleasure. The woman's new vampire/offering shifted uncomfortably in his suit as both Eli and his companion's gaze turned that way in an eerie sort of synchronization.
"A pleasure as well Annora." The disdain in Zariah's voice told the dislike was mutual between the two of them. Another puzzle to add to this fever dream.
Gabriela fell back into her own theory as the drama played out around her; wondering what parts of this she had pulled from the movies she had played in the background while studying.
"Would you like to look at the rest of the newlings or just the D.I.D there?" Vincent intoned, drawing the attention of the two elder vampires.
Gabriela looked over her shoulder at Bridget and mouthed 'D.I.D' at her friend. Confusion etched over her expression as Bridget's expression turned stormy to the point of murderous.
"A wise point Vincent. Though I wouldn't consider her a damsel in distress just yet. We will give her time." Eli replied smoothly as he tucked Zariah's hand against the crook of his arm.
The pair moved down the line as Eli inspected each new member to his little family. Some earned a second glance or closer inspection but overall Eli seemed pleased over the others leaving just Gabriela as the unknown entity.
"As you have guessed, Zariah's presence here means that we will be forming a formal alliance at the gathering this Winter Solstice." Eli didn't smile, or indicate this merger had any sort of emotional impact.
" Bridget, bring your siblings to the dining room. We have business to discuss." Just like that tension was released from the room. The elder vampires stepped from behind their sired creations, leaving them to stand in line uncomfortably as the elders settled at the table and closed the French doors between the living area and the dining room to give an illusion of privacy.