Up to no good? Always.

[Gabrielle de Montespan]

"Évitez Denfert Rochereau! Ils sont encore en travaux!" Gabrielle sighed after glaring at her chauffeur. It always surprised her how she always had to be the one giving him directions, though it was his job to know about this. Her main residence was in Versailles, which still had an important place in her heart, for the few centuries the vampire had been alive. Yet, she kept a penthouse near the Champs Élysées, given how busy her life could be, especially when keeping eyes on a few friends, protégés and sometimes enemies.

"Nous y sommes, Madame." Gabrielle sighed and nodded to her chauffeur as he came to open the car door for her. She still had certain habits from her days as a duchess at Louis the XIV's court. "Merci, Jérôme." She said absentmindedly as she grinned upon the sight of Maison Plaisir. She had been exhilarated when hearing that a certain someone had returned to the French capital. She had made sure to be able to come surprise Arabella as soon as she could. The last time they had met each other was during one of her many trips to London a few years before.

While she liked all that the Maison Plaisir had to offer, she was escorted straight to the second floor, to her favorite VIP area. She smiled fondly to a few of the girls she caught sight off, before taking seat on the comfortable couch of the lounge. She knew that her presence would be known soon enough. She couldn't wait to see the look on her friend's face.

[Arabella Balfour]

On the fourth floor, Arabella was cheerfully flitting around the laboratory where she created fragrances. Some became scents that she sold as parfum exquis. Most she kept for herself, they became personal, as most were associated with a specific memory, or person. The walls were installed with cabinets sealing in the correct atmosphere and light for each delicate essential oil, or blend in every bottle, be it brown, green or clear. The table in the center of the room was messy with vials and disposable droppers, as she had been at this for a while now working on something specific. Fresh grass. Cotton blossom. Daisies, and a few other unrelated specific scents. A kind of starch. Very light touches of lavender and lemon balm.

While moving around the room in her stocking feet, Arabella mouthed, but did not sing, the aria of Rossini's- La Donna del Lago, while it played throughout the space, randomly striking dramatic lovelorn poses as she went. When the music suddenly turned itself down, that was her cue that she was about to receive a message.

"Mistress.." Rose. She would only interrupt her for a handful of reasons, all of them personal.

Most of the duties of Arabella's various businesses had been turned over to her associate recently, today she was merely feeling creative, and relatively restored. Despite the vigor Arabella had today, her health was failing her and she did not wish to waste time on anything that did not bring her pleasure.

"Oui, Rose. I'm listening."

"Madame de Montespan has just arrived. I thought you would like to know."

"Oh, mon Dieu. Je l'aurais accueillie moi-même!"

Arabella shrugged out of the white lab coat that covered her tasteful black dress. Slipping back into her heeled shoes, she stepped quickly for the elevator. Gabrielle de Montespan was not just her friend, she was family. She was also one of Byron's Primogen, head of the Toreador clan in Paris. She knew where to find her. The lounge that the Toreador clan preferred to take up residence in, while in her 'home', was on the second floor. She went without delay.

Coming straight to the eternally beautiful lady herself, Arabella greeted her with a kiss to her cheek.

"Gabrielle, l'une de vos visites est toujours un plaisir. Dêtes-moi ce que je peux faire pour vous?"

[Gabrielle de Montespan]

Gabrielle would have made a big fuss about her arrival at the club, but she had come here to see a long time friend. When she wanted the spotlight, she always had it. Today, she was here for herself and not on official business or to go on a decadent hunt for some bed warmer or luscious dessert. Arabella's establishment was a joy to visit and she never resisted stopping by whenever she could.

In her uncanny and preternatural nature, she was on her feet in one fluid move when the other brunette arrived in the lounge. She smiled fondly to her friend and returned the kiss on the cheek, and a delicate embrace. As strong as the vampire was, she knew how to be tender when she chose to be. "Arabella, ma chérie! Je suis si heureuse de te voir!"

It had been too long, even for them who had a different notion of time than humans. She canted her head to the side. "When I heard of your return, I just had to come see you!" Due to her extended travels to London, she had a French way to make words longer and a little bit of British uptightness in her accent. "Je suis ravie de pouvoir visiter la maîtresse des lieux!" Spending time at the establishment was a treat, but seeing its owner was even more.

"Comment allez-vous?" She asked, the smallest hint of worry in her voice, deep in her throat, as she had deep affection for the brunette.

[Arabella Balfour]

To find that Gabrielle was here just to see her changed matters. A social visit was most welcome. Tucking her arm into the other woman's, she conveyed her pleasure with a genuine smile. Gabrielle had not ever been one in the society of kindred that had looked down on Arabella for the deficit of her own embrace. No one really understood her decision to remain this way for as long as she had, least of all herself. The lack of clan had been a problem for her, only in the beginning. Even if others did not approve of how she lived, being under the protection of the prince silenced the matter.

"In that case, come along this way. I would love your opinion on something.", she invited.

The elevator was guarded at all times, but the attendant stepped aside at their approach. She did not answer Gabrielle's other question until the doors had closed and they were going up. The trouble with running a group of informants was that everyone talked. Her people only talked to who they were paid to, even still, her own privacy was not something she had put into circulation, and they knew the meaning of discretion.

"Today you've caught me on a good day.", she admitted. Her reflection on the mirrored interior of the elevator cab showed a smile that could only be described as suggestive. Being returned to her prince was strong medicine for Arabella, but ultimately it was only a temporary answer.

She refused to dwell on it.

The elevator opened into her lab's workroom, Rossini still playing though turned down to soft background music. Stepping into the room she crossed to her worktable and picked up the vial she had most recently created, knowing that Gabrielle could appreciate her creations as only a Toreador could.

"Something is missing from this one. Help me figure it out..", she invited, twisting free the top of the vial.

She had awoke from a dream of her sister Millicent and had been trying to recreate the feeling in scent. It had been before the debt collectors. Before the yelling and the crying. Before the accusations and heartbreak. They had just been two girls running across paved stones in a garden, in pastel day dresses, covered with stiffly starched pinafores.

[Gabrielle de Montespan]

While Arabella was under the prince's protection, Gabrielle still had a deep fondness for one of the few persons she considered like a friend. Some illiterate humans might dream of eternity making friendships happen more easily, but life wasn't a happily ever after, and one had to fight tooth and nails - and whips and knives and fangs if need be - to create and keep the ever after they wanted.

An almost innocent and child like smile showed on her face when the other brunette led her towards the lift. "Avec plaisir!" She purred to Arabella. The Primogen never really let her guard down but it was as close as possible with a handful of persons, including the owner of the establishment.

As they were inside the lift, she nodded when the other brunette answered her question. She didn't press further, no matter how concerned she could be for her. She lifted a hand and gently ran her fingers on Arabella's cheek, in a tender gesture. "J'en suis ravie." It was all she said, knowing how proud they both were and not the kind to admit and dwell on hardships. They were fierce women and would always be.

As they arrived in the lab's workroom, Gabrielle would have had a bounce in her feet, if her ethereal vampiric nature didn't make her glide on the floor as if the most gracious butterfly. She closed her eyes as she could sample the scent in progress of the perfume her friend was working on. A soft moan escaped her lips, tilting her head so subtly, as she let herself immerse in the scents.

"Les jardins à l'aube, caressés par les premiers rayons du soleil..." She murmured, lost in the scenery the perfume was conveying. "Il manque une touche de cédrat. De l'iris serait trop puissant."

[Arabella Balfour]

"Oui! Le soleil! Le jardin!"

Delighted that her friend had found the very essence she had tried to capture, Arabella inhaled another breath of the scented oil herself. "..but since the sun cannot be bottled. The next best thing."

She agreed with her about the iris, but citron essence might be exactly the thing. It had been a very long time, but she remembered her childhood home vividly. There had been a potted fruit tree of some kind.

Eager to test the theory out, Arabella stepped away from the table toward a cabinet stocked with orderly little rows of labeled bottles. Lifting out the one she sought she returned to the table at once, picking up a dropper. Very carefully she let fall not even a half of one drop into the bottle, not wanting the strong citrus scent to trample over the more subtle tones. Restoring the lid to the bottle, she rolled it slowly between her hands to blend.

"I went to Chicago to visit some friends.", she said quietly. It was rare for her to go anywhere. She had no need or desire to leave, so to go so far had been a rather dramatic move for her. Even she was shocked by what she had done, there was just no excuse for it. "It was nice to see my friends, but I belong here."

Testing the scent again returned the smile to her face. They were getting closer.

"It's almost done, but now it is too much for lady.", she wrinkled her nose. The dream, and the garden in it, had belonged to a little girl. It needed.. something that smelled of dirt and earthy mud pies.

"I know!" Another trip to a different cabinet brought a last little brown bottle to the table. Keeping the label concealed like a sneak, she added a drop and mixed it, before letting her friend test it now.

[Gabrielle de Montespan]

Gabrielle grinned once again looking almost like an angelic child, when she had nothing of an angel, especially to anyone ever crossing her. There had always been something about Arabella's perfumes that invoked these long lost memories, for certain experiences were in the past, gone forever except for how soul and flesh could remember even centuries after.

"Certains plaisirs sont presque aussi chauds et délicieux que la caresse du soleil." She added with a nonchalant smile and lingering gaze in the vague. She watched her friend work. Her passion was contagious! She was happy to see her in a good day, and losing herself into her art.

She nodded when she briefly mentioned her trip to Chicago. "Every time I journey to London or other places, I appreciate the new sights, but... La France est ma patrie et Versailles est mon chez moi, mon territoire." She said, her accent sounding a little older than usual, old accents from noble times showing up by rare and scattered glimpses.

She giggled - something happening every once in a century - as she watched Arabella wrinkle her nose and say it was too much for a lady now. She glided towards her friend once she had added something else again. "It's perfect, Ara-chérie!" She said, taking in the wonderful fragrance. "J'ai presque envie de faire des couronnes de marguerites et gambader dans les jardins de mes parents!" Childhood was a difficult concept to hold onto after so many years and even centuries, but her friend's perfume was a perfect testimony to the memories they kept!

[Arabella Balfour]

"Précisément!" Arabella beamed, pleased that her creation had been a success.

It was not going to be one of the fragrances that she would put into production. Likely she would keep it for herself, along with some other 'bottled memories' that she had made over the years.

"Ahh, I have another idea."

From one of the drawers of the worktable, she retrieved another smaller vial, as well as plastic cap. Once she had filled the bottle with the oil and securely twisted on the cap, Arabella removed the lid to show Gabrielle the rollerball she had installed for touch-less application.

"Pour la petite fille qui gambadait autrefois.", she smiled, handing over the gift.. Innocence, in any form, was a hard thing to preserve in their world. The memory of such a thing might serve them both.

"..and speaking of frolicking about. You should know, I've been working on some new designs.", she said, and she was not speaking of any perfumes this time.

[Gabrielle de Montespan]

"Vous êtes si talentueuse! Vos créations sont aussi parfaites que celles de la maison Guerlain!" It was saying a lot because Gabrielle always wore perfumes from the famous French house. The only times she made exceptions were for Arabella's scents.

She smiled when her friend suddenly had another idea. The other brunette always had a bounce in her step, a glint in her beautiful eyes whenever she had an idea. It was lovely. She squealed as if she still was a carefree teenager and not a powerful vampire lady. "Oh mon Dieu! Merci, merci!" She picked the small item and placed it in her purse, before embracing her friend. "Il faudra que vous me rendiez visite à ma résidence versaillaise!"

When Arabella mentioned new other designs, she canted her head from the side. "New designs? I can never resist your lingerie creations!"