It was a typical day here in the city. She was wandering around as usual, with earbuds in her ears, though not really listening to anything, keeping to herself as she passed by the other people who occupied the city sidewalks. This was how she lived every single day, especially as human society grew and preternatural society became more and more hidden. It was always better to look like one of them, that way no suspicions were raised. Unless someone knew exactly what it was they were looking for, there was no way to tell that she really wasn’t human.<br/><br/>To live in the shadows had a lot of meanings. Most people thought it meant staying out of sight, and they wouldn’t be wrong. Staying out of sight was the most important part of such a lifestyle; it was one of the first things that one needed to master once they decided to take up such a lifestyle. But it was more, oh it was so much more. It was about blending, honing the senses, and understanding the environment. More importantly, it was about adapting.<br/><br/>Oh, she was very good at adapting. She has lived for a very long time, and anyone… or anything… who lives that long is bound to pick up a thing or two.<br/><br/>At one point, she might have been able to freely expose herself. In a time where humans had a better understanding of the creatures around them. But as time went on, humans only had eyes for their own kind. The preternatural creatures decided to hide away for the most part, and those who did not hide were usually killed.<br/><br/>She looked over her shoulder and ducked down an alley way. Someone was waiting for her there.<br/><br/>“Ah, so you must be Gabrielle… you’re late,” the man said.<br/><br/>The woman, ‘Gabrielle’, pulled the earbuds from her ears and sighed heavily, “Late? I thought we had agreed on this time, and we [i]did[/d] say ‘give or take a few minutes’, did we not?” She folded her arms over her chest, “You asked to see me, and I rarely take requests, so don’t complain. It’s my day off and I would rather spend it how I please, not on someone else’s schedule, might I remind you.” Her tone was sharp. She liked getting right to business, rather than shooting the breeze, especially when dealing with humans.<br/><br/>A human that might be able to lead her to some… rare and exciting things.<br/><br/>“Whatever, lady. I just I won’t regret reaching out to you. I would hate…”<br/><br/>Gabrielle cut him off by grabbing his arm and yanking him toward her to where the noses almost touched. “Human,” she began slowly, a low growl in her voice, “I suggest you mind your tone when speaking. Do we need to discuss what happens when people do things that displease me?” She looked the man dead in the eyes, a shadow the dragon she truly was emerging briefly, watching as he shrank back a little. “I’ll tell you anyway,” she continued, “they get burned.”<br/><br/>Not only did she not like when people were rude to her, she disliked the way they treated each other… Including children. There was nothing worse than someone who harmed children.<br/><br/>Years ago, she had saved a little boy from certain death. She still remembers the incident like it was yesterday, and very few usually stuck in her mind. Maybe it was the way the boy looked at her. But she often finds herself thinking what became of the boy, if he was staying out of trouble. He had not told a single soul about her, that much she knew. If he had then she would have been hunted down, captured and taken to some government facility, perhaps becoming experimented on or worse.<br/><br/>Something that Gabrielle never liked to think about.<br/><br/>“Alright, alright, whatever you say,” the human said finally, putting his hands up in surrender.<br/><br/>“Good!” Gabrielle said, letting him go. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, “Here, this should have all of the information you need, who you will need to contact and the best places to find what might suit my tastes. Things we could not discuss over the phone. When you do contact anyone, do not ask questions.”<br/><br/>The man took it and looked it over, giving a nod of approval, “Alright, got it. I’ll be in touch.”<br/><br/>“No so fast… I expect to hear from you again in a week, exactly seven days from now, not a day later. I also expect you to mail everything we discussed prior to this meeting,” she said with a smirk, turning her back to him. “One more thing, I trust this will remain between us? I would hate to hear that my operation has been compromised because I placed trust in someone a friend of mine spoke highly of.” The human nodded. From the look on his face, she was sure he wouldn’t but she could never be too sure. Humans did not often reach out to her kind, so she would just take it with a grain of salt.<br/><br/>Gabrielle left the alley briskly, not wanting to stick around too long. It was almost time for her to grab a bite to eat.