Meeting on a road of lies

Roxine glanced round her warily as she waited.
She hated having to call gang meetings so far from the city centre - this one was held on a road in the outskirts that they had first used to reach Chicago.
She let out a small sigh of relief as Hestia walked up to her; six girls following obediently. All the girls nodded to Roxine in greeting and respect, and the girl smirked back, nodding a little. She motioned for them to wait, whilst all-but dragging Hestia off the road to chat.
"Roxy? What's wrong?" Hestia asked, knowing something was wrong if Roxine first called a meeting and then pulled her away. Roxine rolled ehr eyes.
"Nothing too deadly." she assured her. "But I need you to help me with something - Hestia, there's an avian called Jade Bauermeister. I want you to keep an eye on her. Nothing too suspicious, but just check up on her every twelve hours or so. Make sure she stays in Chicago and out to the Hills at the most."
Hestia raised an eyebrow. "You like her?" she asked, though it wasn't really a question.
Roxine nodded. "Very much. She's got talent and I like her, Hesti." she explained, dropping her voice unnesessarily. "If she gets hurt on your watch I'll...well, I'll be disappointed. You're my best girl, ya know?"
Hestia did know. She'd prided herself on being Roxine's 'best girl' for almsot all her life, and was not about to let the other girl - who was like her sister - down.
"She's safe with me." she assured Roxine, winking knowingly at her.

Xcelia walked along, her boots echoing off the dry ground. She spotted a group of girls up ahead and smirked playfully, could it be time for tea already? With a swish of her long velvet traveling cloak, she alerted them to her presence.
"Hello ladies." Xcelia smirked. "Bit of an odd place for a meeting isn't it? Most people tend to meet more centrally to Chicago."

Roxine had heard the boots echoing before, but had assumed it was merely one of the last girls just arriving.
Apparently not.
Stepping in front to mark herself as leader, she glanced the woman up and down briefly, smirking a little. "Hello." she replied calmly. "What brings you here so late?"

Xcelia smirked. "Oh you know." She took a few steps towards her. "This and that." With that she bowed a little. "Xcelia Le Phantom." She sniffed and then paused, looking the leader over. "You stink of Avain...Yet your not Avain..." The vampire trailed off, looking at the leader doubtfully.

Roxine growled lowly, putting up her guard at once. "Stink? You are clearly vampire, Miss Le Phantom." she sneered at her, barely holding back from letting the girls attack her.

Xcelia smirked and bowed. "One vampire, at your service." She stood. "Well not really, but you get the general idea."
Still smirking Xcelia began to circle the leader, her infamous smirk on her face.

Roxine stepped forwards so the woman could circle her, motioning slightly for the other girls to back away. Her eyes followed Xcelia mistrustingly yet her body remained still, slightly tense and ready for attack.
"What's you business here, Miss Le Phantom?" she asked calmly, her voice carrying a little.

Xcelia continued to smirk, still circling Roxine. "Everything." She disappeared and then re-appeared directly in front of Roxine. "And nothing. So tell me...Roxie, what's your business here?"

Roxine's eyebrows rose in anger. Roxie...?! She hoped the woman meant Roxine.
"It's Roxine." she replied coldly, her tone clipped and gaze glaring. "And my business here is my own. However, if you must know we're having a meeting. Care to join us?" the last part was hardly a question and Roxine knew it. However, she was still too annoyed at being called 'Roxy' to care.

"Oh I know what you're name is. I simply prefer to dub people with nicknames, makes it more personal." Xcelia's smirk grew. "Dontcha think? Or is that only what that Avian can call you?" Her eyes flashed black for a moment before returning to their normal deep brown.

Roxine growled again, her own green eyes flashing furiously. Who is this woman?! "Call me Roxy again and I'll have you gutted like a fish." she told her. "And as for the Avian - back off."

Xcelia chuckled darkly. "Gutted like a fish you say?" She flicked her wrist and a double sided sword appeared out of nowhere. "I'd like to see you try."

Roxine's eyes locked on the sword, making a small hand motion to Hestia behind her back. She had no doubt that the woman was aware of this anyway, though, and tried to remember where she had seen a fighting style like her's before.
"You're out-numbered." she reminded the woman calmly, keeping her voice strong determinedly. "Although I'll admit that's an interesting trick you played there." Her trademark smirk was back in place, her head cocked to one side slightly as she flicked bangs of black out of her eyes.

Xcelia smirked and flicked her other wrist, causing another sword to appear. "Out numbered perhaps, but that doesnt mean I cant still kill you all." She took a step closer to Roxine. "Do you want to put these girls lives in danger?"

Roxine's eyes narrowed as she tried to assess the situation. Her eyes could barely be seen as they flickered from Xcelia to somewhere in the surroundings to Xcelia and off again.
"...Did you come looking for a fight?" Roxine asked at last. She'd rather be the one asking questions, yet she felt a little relieved when she saw Hestia gathering the more experienced girls at the front, the idiots towards the middle.

Xcelia smiled a little and flicked her wrists again, the swords fading away into thin air. "No I didnt. I came to see who it was Jade was so smitten with." Once again a smirk made its way onto her face.

Roxine raised an eyebrow, now less-inclined to kill (or attempt to kill) a friend of her girlfriend. "And now you've met me. Are you a friend of her's? If so I'd rather remain on good terms. I fight with Jade enough as it is." she joked.

Xcelia paused. "Not so much friends..." She trailed off, looking distant for a moment.

Roxine's laugh stopped, the light smirk she'd been sporting dropping into a frown. "Then please do explain." she replied, tone clipped once again. Anyone after Jade would have to go through her first.

"Oh it's nothing. The past is the past." Xcelia smiled fakly.

Roxine's eyes narrowed. "Then at least tell me if you intend to hurt her." she replied firmly.

Xcelia held up her hands. "I assure you I mean her no harm."

Roxine's expression stayed unreadable for a few seconds, as she studied Xcelia. "...I believe you. If you wish to pass then I ask only one thing from you." she replied, gesturing further up the road as she mentioned it.

Xcelia frowned. "And what's that?"

Roxine grinned. "You forget the gutting comment."