Cruel Beauty

Black & White

'Do you have a light?' The mystery woman asks another guest who hands her a match, you watch leaning over the banister. She drops the match bursting into flames, the crowd gasps and you stand up right your eyes widen. The flames vanish and the woman stands unharmed in a blood-red frock with statement black and white hair. 'Get her.' You only just hear Victoria instruct her guards. 'This doesn't have to be a scene.' 'It really, really does.' The woman chuckles at the guard, you smirk a little. That line was worthy of Victoria herself, okay, moment over. The young woman is using her cane and successfully defeating guard after guard, as she does she is getting closer and closer to Victoria. You whistle and the Dalmatians come to your side as you walk down the stairs. They flank you. 'I'd like to remind you all that I'm doing this in heels.' You hear the mystery woman as you move swiftly to Victoria. The crowd is in awe as the petite woman takes down each guard effortlessly. John finally apprehends her you frown he looks at her a little too long...or did he? 'Oh, for heaven's sake, just bring her to me.' Victoria instructs she sees at the same moment you have arrived by her side, she gently touches your upper arm. 'It's okay.' she whispers.

You purse your lips not happy but this isn't the place to defy the Baroness, you incline your head and take a step back you point the dogs away. 'That's a bit much.' The mystery woman struggles against John's grip, you frown trying to get a proper look at her face.'Nothing to see here.' Victoria speaks loudly and the guests go back to mingling. 'Who are you? You look vaguely familiar.' John remains close by but you'd rather be the one keeping an eye on the situation, so you flutter about haphazardly like an unwanted extra on a film set. 'I look stunning. I don't know about familiar, darling.' You roll your eyes, she's laying it on a bit thick, Victoria smirks, great another woman to compete with. 'Your hair, is it real?' Victoria queries. 'Black and White Ball. I like to make an impact.' The younger woman replies causing Victoria to give a thinly lipped smile. 'Right. What was your name?' You listen closer. 'Cruella.' the woman purrs. Victoria looks impressed, steam is practically pouring out of your ears. 'Oh. That's quite fabulous. And you designed this?' she gestures to Cruella's frock.

'You did, actually. 1965 collection.' Great the girl is a Baroness groupy. 'Oh, no wonder I love it, it's mine.' Victoria smirks. 'I fixed it.' The young woman replies cockily and you see Victoria's nostrils flare, you relax, this bitch has no chance now. 'Oh, sit. Do, I insist. I'm intrigued, and that never happens.' The Baroness saunters away and Cruella follows, as do you, just quietly and inconspicuously so as not to draw attention. As the two women sit you hear the Dalmatians growling which immediately puts you on edge, they sense danger. 'Yes. Aren't they gorgeous?

And vicious. It's my favorite combination.' Victoria speaks a little louder and locks eyes with you as you pretend to arrange flowers. A blush spreads over your face as you realise she is actually talking about you. The younger woman looks uncomfortable around your dogs, and Victoria is eager to move the conversation along. 'What do you want? I mean, you clearly wanted to get my attention.' she smirks. 'I want to be like you, you're a very powerful woman.' The stranger replies and your eyes flick up to look at her as you pull a face. "Could she be any more obvious?" You think to yourself looking her up and down, Victoria sighs with exasperation, of course, she wants to be like her, everyone does she touches the woman's gloved hand condescendingly. 'Let me give you some advice if you need to talk about power, you don't have it.'

The mystery woman smirks back at her. 'Well, I don't have it, which is why I need to talk about it, which is why I'm here. Am I going to have to catch you up a lot, or can you keep up?' You blink in surprise no one would dare speak to the Baroness, who is this woman? 'Where are you from?' The Baroness sips her drink, you notice the young woman now looks distracted and oddly not by the beauty of the Baroness. 'Oh. Up... north. Well, sort of. It's a bit south, really, of north, which is basically west.' The mystery woman is stammering you frown trying to see what she is looking at above that has her so distracted. You walk over a little accidentally bumping into a waiter carrying a silver tray. You both apologise and he firmly keeps the lid over the tray getting out of your way. 'All right, that's enough. I've loved our little chat, but I'm afraid that now I'm going to have to have you arrested, um, for trespassing.' You notice above a man, he definitely isn't a guest judging by the attire. 'Is that a rat?' Victoria is screaming you snap around in time to see the mystery woman reach for Victoria's cleavage grabbing her necklace. (Personally not what I'd have grabbed) You see a rat leap from the serving tray onto her lap, Jeffrey the Baroness's other assistant screams even louder than she does.

'Oh, my God! Get it off! Get it off! Get off!' Victoria whimpers and screams the place to the ground begging for help. 'Victoria!' you rush over to the Baroness knocking the rat from her she reaches for you without thought, falling into your arms. She's trembling and you tug her tight. The guests are screaming, its chaos all around as people clamber to leave rats running manically over the floor cameras flash catching Victoria's humiliation. The Baroness pulls back from you but keeps a firm grip on you with her left hand she touches her chest and then looks up at you. 'Someone's stolen my necklace.' You tighten your hold on her, fuck the necklace, at the same moment the man you saw from the balcony drops into an oversized cake causing more screaming. Your eyes widen, Victoria jumps, cake splashes all over the room you keep a firm grip on her waist. Smoke starts spewing from the fumigator on the man's back filling the air with a disgusting toxic gas. Victoria squeezes your arm and points at a scruffy little dog who snatches up the necklace in question. 'That dog. Stop! Thief!' What the hell is going on in here tonight you wonder.

Victoria spies the glint of her whistle, possibly the best gift you have ever given her she blows the whistle and the dogs immediately take action in hunting down the furry thief. You lose sight of Cruella, when you turn she is gone. You see the look of heartbreak and embarrassment on Victoria's face, but the toxic smoke is getting heavier. Not that Jeffrey, John, or any of her ladyship's team had bothered to check she had gotten out safely she looked woozy. Without thinking you lift her into your arms and carry her keeping open a door. The gas burns your throat and you take a breath of relief when you are greeted by the cold night air. You carefully place her ladyship on her feet, the other guests have run for the main exit, and you both choke catching your breath. Victoria grips the wall for support catching her breath, she looks up at you tears stinging her eyes of anger and embarrassment. She sniffs. You open your arms and she immediately grips onto you her body shaking.

'It's okay, I've got you, your safe.' you close your eyes as you hold her. Victoria grips onto you for dear life and it's like old times.