Arista

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Stella looked a bit older then Delta, though no white fur decorated shining silver yet. His words had her crouching down to be eye level, hand offered but not immediately reaching for her. Calvin's words echoed in her ears and she couldn't help but agree with them, even now three years later Delta was her world still.

The hand being offered to Delta had Ellie internally grimacing, though she trusted her partner wouldn't lash out unnecessarily. Instead Ellie had to bite back a laugh when Delta turned her head away, nose held high in a way Ellie had rarely seen before. "Her name is Mishka." Ellie replied with a small pet to Stella's head when she pressed into her hand, a smile on her lips.

The comment had her shaking her head, a finger lifting and wagging in a reproachful manner. "You mean three." She chided before standing, Delta moving forward as Stella mirrored her until they were nose to nose.

She could admit he was gorgeous, if a little forward and too flirtatious for her liking. Hands curling together behind her back, she glanced up at the sky only to blink in confusion at the looming dark clouds above.

"I was promised food." Ellie chirped out with a practiced grin on her lips, facial muscles beginning to strain at the edges. The dog's were circling each other with their ears perked and tails wagging, friends already in such a short time.

Delta barked once and spun in a circle, gently nudging Stella's muzzle before she was focused on them again.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

A frustrated groan left her lips as soon as Calvin was out of the room, hands reaching up to press into her cheeks. Mentally berating herself for agreeing to even meet the man for lunch of all things, she exhales a huff of breath and glances up. Julie is working on Delta again but this time to wash away the soap, no doubt ready to move on to the next task at hand. "All I can say isn, work." She says with a wrinkle of her nose, tone irritated and brows furrowing, lifting her phone into her hands she unlocks the screen with a tap.

"I'll let the Manager know. Some warning would've been nice though." Julie adds with a huff, glancing up Ellie witnesses the girls hips wiggle as she stores the hose attachment away. Clicking her tongue once she stands and moves towards the window that overlooks a little garden, leaning against the wall with her ankles crossed. Sending bother photos to the group chat labeled K-9Fam, she locks the screen and returns to collect her bag.

"I'll be out front." Ellie murmurs with a grimace on her face, Julie snorts at her before waving her away. Delta comes running ten minutes later with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth, fur shiny and smelling of kiwi. Opening the bag she pulls out a collar that her brother, Dimitri had brought a week ago from a trip overseas. Dark green with gold on the inside, it was decorated with flowers that she didn't know the name of. Slipping it on now with Delta waiting patiently, Ellie released another exhale through her lips in the silence of the room.

Rising to her feet she pats the knees of her pants twice, then shakes her head and turns to the front door. She'd be taken by surprise by his sudden appearance, but now she'd had time to collect herself and with it came her usual calm demeanor.

Peeking outside to make sure the vans had gone, she stepped out into the sunlight with a wave towards the Manager. She needed to act perfectly, to see if she could get any information from Calvin that could help the case move forward despite her accomplishment from last night.

Spotting a figure not too far ahead, she lifted a hand and let a practiced grin lift her lips up. "And who's this gorgeous one?" She asks as they draw closer, Delta's tail thumping against her leg at the sight of the other dog.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Julie had asked for a story, while her hands worked through Delta's fur until she was completely coveted in suds. So Ellie settled in to tell her about the time she and her siblings decided they wanted to skate on a frozen pond not too far from hone. And how they'd left the house without a word, wore non-appropriate clothes for an outing in Russia and made the trek down a rather large hill.

To say they'd all gotten terribly sick despite having grown up in Russian before moving to LA, was an understatement. The lecture they'd received by both their parents had been overshadowed by the one their grandparents had given them once they'd recovered.

Julie was doubled over in laughter, hands and face covered in suds until it had Ellie's lips lifting into a smile. Discreetly taking a picture and then another of Delta who looked unimpressed, she was just debating on if she should post them on her Instagram or to the group chat she shared with Delta's siblings owners when a new face appeared.

A voice almost cooed at Delta, her ears dropping and face the epitone of a dog not at all enjoying the groomer. Half-focused on her phone she didn't pay much attention, legs stretched out before her as she waited for Julie to finish.

The name being blurted out into the air had her head snapping up, muscles coiling tight as she came face to face with someone who she never thought she'd see again. Before she could think of a reply, not that she was sure what exactly that would be Calvin Crawford was speaking once more. "Italian? Not on your life." She replied with a twist of her mouth, hand discreetly slipping her phone between her thighs to keep it hidden. His next words mentioned lunch and it being dog-friendly which had Delta barking in agreement.

"You had me at bistro and dog." She replied with a smile lifting her lips that felt half strained, a hand lifting to point at the overhead clock just above the bathing station. "Julie will be in done in about...twenty minutes? If you'd like to go ahead I can meet you there when she's finished." Julie was giving her a very confused look, Delta remained quiet but her ears were pricked in attention.

She needed time to collect herself, to get her bearings and tell these two as much as she could without spilling it all so that Director D'Angelo didn't rip her a new one. She had to tred carefully, act just right until this encounter was over.

God she needed a drink.

"I-I know the place you're talking about! You also just adopted a dog, right? Let me get this beauty finished and then your new friend and then you can get some delicious food." Julie was wide-eyed as she spoke, emotions so clearly written across her face it was almost painful to see.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

The moment they stepped through the door, Ellie felt her shoulders relax. She hadn't expected camera crews to be crowding the front, Delta hadn't been too pleased either but had kept quiet. Now her tail was wagging with so much force it made a breeze, lips pulling up into a smile at the sight.

"Well! Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes!" A voice chirped seconds before she was tackled into a hug, a grunt leaving her at the added weight. Her nose was filled with floral perfume before she was let go, and Delta became the subject of her attention. Julie's hair was violet and tied high in a bun, last time it had been pink if she remembered correctly.

"I wasn't expecting the cameras." Ellie muttered dryly, Russian accent peeking through and coloring her words a bit more weary. Julie waved a hand while her free hand pet through Delta's thick coat, loose hair lifting into the air.

"Some big shot businessman came by to drop off a donation or something. Right, Mrs. Roberson?" The name had Ellie glancing up to meet the managers gaze, Delta wiggled happily on the floor with her paws batting at the air. Offering her a wave a grin, she was offered a smile in return and a nod.

"Hmmm, interesting." Ellie replied disinterestedly, not one to really mingle with those if money unless it was family or close friends. Julie jumped up and led them down the hall and to the empty grooming room, chattering happily as she gathered what she'd need. "I forgot to ask, have you seen any of Delta's siblings?" She's seated on a couch Julie has set up so new adopters can watch how to properly groom their pet, a throw pillow held in her lap. Though they have bi-weekly playmates when their schedules line up, she doesn't keep track of the others with how busy she is.

"I have! The other day Magness stopped by and my goodness has he grown! And then I saw Jax and Iris at once and they were so big they nearly drowned me with affection. Now here comes Delta while Alphonse and Luca are scheduled in the next two days." A tab of her fingers agaisnt the metallic tub has Delta obediently jumping in, Julie pets her head before sliding the door closed.

"We'll be meeting them all next week, let them all tire each other out." Her accent curls around the words, a habit she's never been able to break when she's with people she knows. She's trained herself out of her accent not because she hates it, but it pops up easily when she's in a familiar atmosphere.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

She awoke to bright light and a heavy weight on her chest, remnants of a dream or her childhood home fading before her eyes. Delta is sprawled across her chest in a way that she hasn't done for awhile, flanks rising and falling slowly with even breathes. Inhaling as best as she can, she stretches slowly until her spine pops satisfyingly.

"You, Missy need a groom. Look at all this fur." She mutters with a shake of her head, spotting the black-brown fur decorating her blanket. Regular grooming sessions keep her apartment clean and her colleges from complaining, but they also mean visits to the human society that had visited them with a box of six puppies barely a week old.

Brown eyes blink at her slowly, before a tongue lulls out and licks along her nose. Snorting softly Ellie shifts and Delta jumps off, stretching before shaking herself once. "Let me schedule with Julie and then I'm going to clean everything until it all sparkles." She mutters as she sits up, a hand running through her hair. Then she's up and moving towards her bathroom, Delta following behind with a toy in her mouth.

The director of the humane society had pled with them that the pups needed a place or they'd be put down, which is how she'd ended up with her furchild three years into her career. Her siblings were trained like Delta had been, and placed within jobs not only in the FBI but LAPD as well so they had playmates often. Now as she brushes her teeth and wills sleep to fade, she mentally reminds herself to do just that.

Julie's text is a flood of emojis and a time when to drop by, which motivates her to begin deep-cleaning her entire apartment. Sure she could hire someone to do it, but she found it only soothing to work within her own space and know it was her own hands that had left it clean.

When her alarm blares just as she finishes wiping down her stove, Ellie exhales a pleased huff as she scans her gleaming kitchen. Showering quickly and changing into black jeans and a white sleeveless shirt, she braids her hair before moving towards the door. White tennis shoes complete her look, a white backpack holds her wallet, phone and a few necessities for walks. Grabbing Delta's leash but not putting it on, she opens the door and locks it behind her, then she heads down the hall with a wiggling pup not far behind.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

The written out words before her eyes had her baffled, each passing streetlight illustrating them until they were imprinted in her brain. She'd even double checked by turning on the little overhead lamp, brows furrowed at what should be simple text and nothing more.

There wasn't a sixth floor to that hotel, Ashton and Director D'Angelo had both assured her after looking at the building schematics that it only went to five before she'd left. A heavy head settled on her croased knees at the next red light, tired eyes blinking twice before slipping the card into her purse. Hand settling into soft, warm black fur Ellie let out a soft sigh.

The remainder of the drive was quiet except for the hum of the engine and the occasional car horn. She awoke when a door closing rocked the car sometime later, eyes squinting at the harsh lights of a parking garage she vaguely remembered they kept their rented cars in. Slipping out with Delta not far behind, she's met with a familiar looking dark-gray SUV with its back door behind held open.

"You've done well, Agent Hale." Came D'Angelo's voice with pride echoing clearly in his tone, he appears around the SUV with a grin on his lips. He's followed by another male with a beanie covering his hair and a laptop case slung over his shoulder, he's dressed in a white button-down shirt and brown pants. "I'm pleased with how both you and Agent Goldstein handled tonight's event, your first time out in the field." The praise settles something in her chest, her lips lift into a small tired smile as the young man beside D'Angelo straightens and lifts a hand to rub along the back of his neck.

"It was all Ellie, sir. I just watched through the cameras." His voice was soft and it clicked together like a missing puzzle piece, she recognized that voice and now she knew the face and person it belonged to.

"I'm glad we worked well together." She replies with a thumb hooked over a shoulder, moving towards the car with her eyes never once leaving Ashton's lanky form. "Thanks again, Ash. Sir, I'll see you in forty-eight hours." She added with a half wave of her hand, slipping into the back seat with a grimace as her feet shifted within her heels.

She heard a squeak before it was drowned out by booming laugher, then it was silence as she pulled the door closed. Her apartment was a welcome sight as the car parked before the main doors, Delta hoping out with a jingle of her tags the second the door was opened. The lobby was quiet as they entered, the ding of the elevator as it arrived nearly deafening. Delta wiggled as they ascended to their floor, no doubt ready for dinner and some down time. A glance at her own phone which had been handed to her the moment she'd stepped into the limo, held notifications she had no energy to even open.

The sound of her front door clicking shut behind her was a blessing, her head thunking agaisnt the wood in relief. Her mind flashed back to Cal for whatever reason, his innuendos not hard to miss despite how focused she'd been on her task at hand. Hanging up the purse she used the door to aid her as she removed the blasted heels, then the dress as she moved towards her room. Maybe she'd run into him again, a carefully crafted story would need to be prepared if that did happen. But in a city as large as LA she highly doubted that would happen, not to mention her work kept her busy enough as it was.

Clad now in soft pajamas with her hair loose and free around her shoulders, she filled Delta's bowl with food, washed her hands and sat on the counter while she reheated some Chinese food her sister had brought her two nights ago. Once they were both full, they settled on her couch with a large blanket spread out, control in hand she let her thumb press down to change the channel. Body all but melting into the cushions, the control slipped from her hand and landed on the floor with a soft sound. Bleary eyes blinked as Chopped stared at her, Delta curled up atop her folded legs. Not a horrible way to end the night, not at all she supposed.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰🥰😍 Vibe check is 100% I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

Nooooo, none of them show up! 😥 I wanna see~

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

With Ashton's help she managed to find the room she was meant to leave the bug, with careful steps and an added set of eyes on a screen from an untraceable computer. Now his voice was silent in her ear, no doubt breathing a sigh of relief that she'd accomplished it or telling Director D'Angelo himself. The respite from the Gala had helped her composure settle into her usual calm self, this was in essence her first time at a proper social event since her cousins wedding two years ago.

The stairs she took would lead her back to the hallway she'd slipped through before, or so Ashton pipped up as she descended them with a light grimace on her face. Her feet were beginning to ache from the heels she had on, no doubt a warm bath was in order after this. Her senses snapped into focus when she was nearly sent falling onto her rear, muscles tensing as her right foot slipped back to instinctively distribute her weight so that she didn't fall. Head snapping up her eyes widen slightly with who she's met with, Ashton's voice filters distantly though her ear.

His words hold a purr to them which has her fighting the urge to wrinkle her nose distastefully at him, hand reaching for her dropped bag. She felt the resistance for only a brief moment before she was pulling it up, expression carefully settled into a small smile despite how his eyes on her felt like he was mentally undressing her where she stood. "My name is Ana." She replies with a Russian accent coloring her tone, lashes fluttering at him in a practiced move she hasn't had to use in awhile. When he holds up a finger after his phone rings, she can feel herself breathe easily for the first time since she ran into Mr. Crawford -Calvin-. Then he's handing her a business card after hastily writing something on it, his words drawing a playful grin from her lips that she doesn't feel at all. She wants to go home and curl up with a blanket and Delta, unwind with trash reality TV. Not this. "I'd be happy to." She answers smoothly, while accepting the card.

She silently accepted the kiss he placed on her hand, all the while mentally cringing and trying not to let her expression shift. His parting words echoed in the air as he strode away, it left a funny taste in her mouth that she wanted to chase away with a shot it vodka. When she was sure that he was far enough away, she discreetly wiped her hand on the side of her dress, fingers curling around the card unconsciously before relaxing. She's not sure what the hell just happened but she's had enough of today. Huffing she moved back to the main lobby, dancing around guests until she was near the front doors. A waiter paused beside her and she pulled out a phony checkbook, quickly filled it out and handed it to her. "Please add this to the donations." She instructed with a slight narrowing of her eyes, before turning and striding out into the night.

She breathed a discrete sigh at relief when she saw the limo pull up immediately. Freedom.

Lovely, Terrible Things [Arista & LetsFly]

"Alright, Ms. Hale. Can you hear me?" The voice in her ear wasn't unexpected exactly, she'd been warned that she wouldn't be alone once she was inside. Judging by the tone and the title, whoever had spoken must be someone young. Shifting her gaze around the room, Ellie shifted her body to begin walking.

So far she'd avoided really talking to anyone, except for an older woman who had greeted her with a smile that seemed genuine, her small talk hadn't been neither too direct or aloof. Her training had taught her how to read someone's body language until it was like second nature, and the woman had been as genuine as one could be. No manipulation in her words, or sly glances or grins that would have immediately set off her inner alarms. "Yes." She replies lowly as she moves towards one of the tables holding food, pausing to wave over a waiter to accept a glass from the tray he held.

"Good, my name is Ashton and I'll be guiding you to where you need to be." His tone wavers slightly in what might be nerves, she can hear fingers flying across a computers keyboard. Pretending to sip at her drink, she moves forward and does a circle around the guests gathered. "Alright Ms-"

"Call me Ellie, Ashton. We're working together and helping one another." She says it gently with a little laugh hidden under the words, a way to help him relax if only the slightest bit. He's not in any real risk during this situation, she'd feel more at ease if he calmed.

"O-of course Ms-" He clears his throat just as Ellie had opened her mouth, eyes still scanning the room despite the way she's moving around people. "Sorry, Ellie. Alright, now if you go to your right you'll be heading towards a side hallway that leads to a stairwell..." His tone has settled and it has a small smile curling her lips, body moving to do as he instructs with as much grace as one can.

She's not sure if she imagined it, but she'd felt eyes on her. A gaze that had felt piercing and yet curious if that were possible.