[IC] [Canceled]

[Legion02]

_{Collab with @TootsiePop}

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"All of it, miss?" a very confused voice said through Amelia’s phone. "Yes. All of it. And get me an apartment. In Manhattan. Near-" She wanted to say near central park. But who would pay that? She was cut off from her mother's money. Sure, she had her own savings but those wouldn't cover one of the most expensive penthouses. She let out a heavy sigh. "Just get me someplace not too far from the office." She pulled the phone away, not caring what her assistant would say. She was a good person. She'd find a place but Amelia couldn't handle anything really right now. If there weren't so many vampires on the island, she would've run to her room and cry. Instead, she was forced to pretend like everything was fine. Because that's how this infernal game was played and she knew it.

It was morning but she already felt exhausted as she fell down in one of the chairs in the hallway a bit further away from the main hall. You could say that the whole ordeal had taken a heavy toll but in truth, she wasn't feeling very well rested after last night. Happy, she felt very happy about last night actually. But not rested. On top of that she now also felt completely and totally lost. What about her brand? Her place to live? Her friends and family? Normally she'd run to her mother with all those questions. But then she realized one very important question: what about her boyfriend. She could call him her boyfriend now, right? Maybe not in public yet but soon? Still, she swirled her phone in her hand. Maybe she could talk to Sebastian? He'd understand. Somehow the old Tepes always understood. Hell, he even understood when she slapped a corpse. The very memory made her almost laugh.

To: Seba
I really need someone to talk to. Can I talk to you? I'm in the East Hallway.

Amelia Artois

To: Butterfly
Absolutely. One sec.

Sebastian Tepes-Artois

His heeled dress shoes could be heard coming from down the hall. When Sebastian wanted to be noticed, he made sure he was. And when he didn’t? Well, that was a different story entirely. His steps echoed and each one had a purpose, a rhythm, and a likeness to it. As if he was someone that was untouchable, and he knew it. Presentation was everything, after all. The lights were dim, not on a glaring bright setting, and it made the blonde woman appear small. The armchair cushions took the form of her dainty body and while she felt despair, he saw beauty. The Artois ladies were diamonds to him and he saw incredible potential, even if they weren’t always capable of mustering the strength to see for themselves. He adored them and he appreciated that they sought him out during their darkest hour.

There was no doubt that this Elder vampire was handsome, let it be from the wisdom and intense care in his stare to the gentle touch in his expressions and voice. He was the kind of vampire that would have many women, and men, swoon over him simply by giving them a kind smile. A casanova, they’d say. But not in the way that the younger generations loved. Their love was forgettable, thoughtless, with no goal in sight. His love was forever and left an everlasting mark. Sebastian had years of experience where he could make just about anyone feel special and needed when they felt lonely.

Aside from Dmitri, simply because of the obvious betrayal on the flamboyant man’s part and their rocky past. Why would he, an ingenious, impressionable, and innovative Elder, solely serve a house that frowns upon the way he loves? Why should he confine himself to the cage that was his brother’s idealistic utopia that he wanted to force upon his counsel, his children, and all vampires that believe him to be king? Sebastian wasn’t that kind of man that followed someone blindly. You can have his loyalty, if you’ve proven to him worthy, but he refused to sell his soul to someone of his level or lower. Perhaps this was the way of a modest gentleman. Perhaps he was simply too old to give a fuck. He wouldn’t know. He did what he believed was right for him and that's that. At the end of the day, every vampire had to serve themselves and this challenge would teach them just that.

Promptly, Sebastian slipped into the light to show himself. It took only a second. His lips curled into a warm, loving smile. It had a hint of femininity, but his bone structure was completely and utterly all male. If Sebastian could be related to a flower, it would be a rouge poppy. He was vibrantly bright, with overwhelming confidence and stood out wherever he went. A conversation piece for the dinner table. Hate or love, he didn’t care. As long as he was worth a mention, he’d say that was a success for his drawn-out existence. “Are you alright, Amelia?”

Amelia didn’t answer the question. Instead the blonde got up and rushed towards Sebastian. Before he could react she threw her arms around him. When she was sure they were around, she pulled in tight, pushing her face against his chest. She was quiet for a moment. Then a bit longer. Though her breathing was a bit more labored than it usually was. She was soaking up the safety of the man that let her in his house. The man that didn’t scold her when she slapped a corpse, thinking the person was just asleep. The man she called uncle, even though he wasn’t even an Artois. After what felt still far too short she released him and whipped away two tears that had been welling up in her eyes.

“Sorry.” She said, her voice was surprisingly well kept together. “Just, the whole…this!” She said as she flailed her arms around her as a dramatic gesture. “It’s getting too much.” She released another sigh and she felt a lot calmer already. “So I’m not okay. But I’ll manage. I’m an Artois. We always manage. It’s just… has anyone before now ever have to ‘make’ a House like Dmitri asked?” There was a certain level of disdain when she said the name Dmitri. She was no great supporter of the Tepes clan. Their somewhat reserved stance towards humanity had been a thorne in her side for some years. Most recently some old fart had blocked a collaborative fashion show even! And she actually made the quotation marks when she said 'make'. As she tried to push her point of just how insane it all was.

“Oh my sweet, precious butterfly.” Sebastian couldn’t help but smile at her dramatic antics. Full of fire and a life with little hardship. Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of failing. Afraid of not being the crème de la crème. The one that stands at the top. It was cute, really. While she was in his embrace, he had quietly twirled her blond strands around his pointer finger, playing with her womanly pride that was her mane, until he could sense she was going to push away. When the spotlight was on him, he shook his head, “Do not apologize.” He crossed his arms and carefully watched her. “I’m here for you, you know that.”

He paused for a moment before clearing his throat, his jolly tone becoming serious the more he talked. “As to answer your question, we did not, but also—” His purposeful break was for anticipation purposes. Absentmindedly, he turned his sigil ring around his finger, “—I come from a time where opportunity to make a house was non-existent. You came from one of four ancestors and that bound you by blood. A contract that you take to the grave. If you disagree, you were sentenced to death. If you proposed different ideals, you were ridiculed. Having a legacy to live up to isn’t as charming as you think it is. And, my dear, we still had far more odds against us than you do.”

He sighed to himself, knowing that this wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but needed to. “You cannot just ‘manage’, Amelia. We are in the century where you can access information with a simple swipe on your phone. We are in the century where being gay is a trend and not a sickness. We have right over ourselves and our opinions. You have flourished in your career pursuits but that doesn’t change you still use the strength of your family rather than yourself. Hours ago, two purebloods were savagely murdered at Central Park. An unspoken proclamation of war. Do you think Ambrosia, or even me, can protect you? Do you think we’re always going to be here?” He decided to let that sink in, gesturing for her to take a seat with him. “We do what we can, but we’re not gods.”

Her face grew solemn when she heard the news about the purebloods’ deaths. She made a mental note to send flowers to the graves and her condolences to the families. Even if they weren’t from a tributary house of Artois. Violent deaths of her own kin hurt her the most. Violence in general hurt her the most. She took the seat Sebastian motioned towards. His lecture on doing better also stuck. It made her realize just what she was squaring up. It felt even more daunting. Especially as there wasn’t any history to learn from. No, she would be breaking ground on this project. Instantly her image changed. She would be a pioneer! A heroine in the books of history! Like queen Victoria, Empress Theodora or queen Boudicca! She’d meet any problem with the same fire!

Though she didn’t forget what Sebastian said about her own career as well. If anyone else would dare say such a thing she would have slapped them on the cheek there and then. Except maybe for Trixie and her mother. Her work was her pride. Her tool to change the world. To hear now that it was a creation from her family felt personal. But this was Sebastian and he would never lie to her. He was right, sort of. If he wasn’t, she wouldn’t have had to call her assistant just now. Not that she would admit it though.

“Maybe not mom or you, but Trixie will. She will always protect me.” She said, utterly convinced the elder vampire would come to her aid when she needed the most. “Besides, she’s training me to fight as well! I’m good with a dagger you know!” She said and with a flick of her wrist, a knife appeared in her hand. She cut the air in front of her, almost like a child excitedly showing her skills. It made her smile as she realized Béatrix would probably scold her for having ‘a bad form’ and ‘being stupid and reckless’. So she quickly put the knife back in her sleeve. Not that it was very dangerous. The blade was very dull. As to not cut her own skin. It was the only knife she really trusted herself with.

“But you’re right.” She said, trying to contain herself a little bit more. If she was going to play this game, she would have to become unreadable. Like Sebastian when he wanted to. Or the uptight Viktor who probably never smiled. Or she could do what her mother did and just fool everyone. “I’ll do better! I’ll make my new house better. In my house, no vampires will die a violent death and nobody will be ridiculed again!” She exclaimed as if she was queen already. In her mind, she would make it so. Peace and happiness for all. There would be challenges.

Amelia wasn’t completely foreign the workings of politics. She needed people. So she turned to Sebastian. “Will you help me?”

Sebastian’s gaze twinkled. This is what he loved about her. How she could turn something intimidating to something worth the chase. A positive disposition, for a bright woman. “Well, of course. What better way to start your journey off by making an Elder an ally, and a resource.” He reached for her hands lovingly, “Keep your eyes set on the picture you have in your mind. Use that to lift you up when you feel down. You can make an absolute masterpiece, Amelia. A work of art. You just have to believe in yourself and don’t let the other children, like Kasania, Octavius, and Niklaus, make you feel inferior.”

Leaning in, he gave both her hands a gentleman’s kiss, before adding, “My first suggestion. Find a place outside of your residency that you, and your following, can meet, even if at first, illegally. There are many abandoned buildings on Staten Island. It’s a ferry ride away but the distance might be worth it. And—” Whether his intent would be well received by her was beyond him, but he felt like she was smart enough to understand why this was necessary to do. “—Always take precautions.” He released her hands and allowed her to once again digest the information.

The girl was ecstatic that an elder like Sebastian would help her out. She tried not to show it, as practice in containing herself. Though she failed miserably as the smile on her face only grew ever brighter. She listened carefully at his advice about the meeting place and how she should take precautions at any turn. She didn’t really understand why the initial gatherings should be illegal. Sure the court of vampires was a cutthroat place but the others wouldn’t really cut her throat…right?

“Tavi doesn’t make me feel inferior.” She blundered out before she knew it. She refrained from slapping her hand over her mouth to stop the words. Knowing full well that would only implicate her even more. Their… relationship had to stay a secret. For both their sakes. The worlds they each lived in would not like the idea of them dating or even interacting! But she loved him still. He was sweet and caring, deep down. He had the same fire as her as well! A blaze that would change the world. Of course he would try to make a house on his own but she would convince him to join hers instead. As the king to herself as queen. They could both finally let go of the family ties that kept them apart for so long.

To quickly change the subject, hoping Sebastian wouldn’t notice the note about Tavi and only Tavi, she said: “I would never think about you as a resource! That’s Tepes thinking and I will not think like a Tepes!” she stated firmly. Sure, they might be masters at the game of politics. Sure, they ascended to kings but at what cost? They were horrible, antiquated and so relentlessly Machiavellian that the best ones barely had a heart left to love the world they wanted.

She got up, invigorated by her little talk. She needed that. To just vent and let it all out for a minute. He followed suit. “Now, I still have a few phone calls to make and e-mails to send out. Before the sun goes down today Sanguine will be totally and absolutely mine.” She gave him one last, tight hug and said, “Thank you. For everything!” Before she went off towards her room.

While she walked away, Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk in amusement. She was truly a delight. An absolute gem. Genuine, with adoring faith. Beautiful. With one last piece of advice, he called out to her: “You’re welcome, butterfly. Do be careful, though! Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.”

[sempis]

❖ Time ❖ May 16th, 7:30am → 9:40am ❖ Location ❖ Tepes Island Grand Hall ❖ Interactions ❖ Tepes Family

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Valerian knew it would be some time until the rest of his family joined him at the table, even longer still before the rest of attendees filtered through the doors to their places. The idea didn't bother him, though. What did jab at his nerves was the fact that he was as clueless of his father's intentions as most everyone else on the island. The silence of the Grand Hall was almost as loud as the noise inside his head, useless speculations and anxieties spinning around his head, crashing into each other as he tried to connect unfounded dots. Val pulled a flask from some hidden pocket inside his jacket, pulling out the stop and taking a huge gulp. He hated how powerless he was to control his cravings, like a druggie desperate for a bump. The blood was warm and deliciously sweet as he found O positive blood to be. His favorite type. The thick liquid coated his mouth, his tongue flicking out to lick a stray drop off of his lip. Too early to be drinking blood, he scolded himself. If his father knew how much blood he compulsively consumed a day, he'd be scandalized. Aimlessly, he stood to straighten the chairs around the table, the collar of his suit feeling too tight around his neck.

Nothing about his appearance was comfortable, but Valerian was here to represent the Tepes house, not to lounge about the island. He'd been up since the early hours, tediously straightening his stubborn curls and gelling them away from his face and giving a final once-over on his stiff new suit with an iron. He'd tried to shirk wearing the silk blue ascot, but his attendants had insisted on tying it in a loose, large bow around his neck, the tails untucked from his suit jacket. The suit wasn't him, but then again the whole facade he'd been keeping to be his father's poster prince wasn't any more authentic.

From his jacket pocket his phone buzzed, the vibration on his hip snapping him out of his daze. Val pulled the device from his pocket, scanning over the email notification. It was one of his representatives updating him on how funding for a potential cruise line launch was faring. From what he'd read, the situation didn't need his immediate attention. He'd already notified his assistant that he'd be away at the island for a couple of days, and made it clear he wasn't interested in letting his work follow him there. With a whoosh the email was forwarded to his assistant with a request for a summary of the week's events to be ready for him by the time he returned from the island.

Footsteps echoed from down the hallway, prompting Val to tuck his phone and flask away, but not before he took a reluctant last sip. He moved to the other side of the table to take a seat. Tepes relatives tailed each other into the room, eyes picking apart every detail of the room. Val always thought they looked something like a school of sharks, the way their lips were always pursed, their eyes always calculating and cold. They raked their gazes over him, exchanging tight lipped nods of acknowledgement before they settled into their chairs around him. Pointedly he noticed that Niko's chair was unoccupied, biting back a sigh. He'd give anything to let his guard drop for a day, even just a couple of hours. The smallest smile played at the corners of his mouth as he recalled the nights he spent sneaking out to meet Aria, exploring the small wonders the world had to offer. He hadn't had that much fun since-

A frown tugged Val's expression from neutral. He hadn't had that much fun since Aria had fooled around with another vampire and gotten herself turned. 'Out of hand' she'd said the encounter had been. Six years together and all it took was for things to get 'out of hand' to tear everything they'd built together apart. He'd been clear he didn't want to bite her, and she'd agreed easily. Val ran his tongue over his teeth irritably as he kicked himself for being so stupid. His mother had been right all along. Humans were always looking for something new and shiny, desperately trying to keep themselves from growing jaded as the years wore on. For vampires, few withstood the test of time, growing bored with existence after a couple centuries. While Val certainly wouldn't call himself fully jaded yet, it had been a while since he'd taken some time for himself.

As more and more guests entered the room, the silence was washed away by conversation. Guests navigated around the room to greet each other, smiling and hugging. If you told Val that the whole vampire population of New York had been invited to the island, he'd probably believe it. He stayed in his seat, watching the guests mill about the room and eventually take their seats with a perfected air of disinterest and aloofness. You really are your father's pet, he sniped at himself. His nose crinkled in annoyance as he willed the bothersome voice in the back of his mind to shut up already.

Loudly, the doors of the Grand Hall burst open and Niklaus, Octavius, and Emiliano entered the room. They strutted across the floor as if they owned the very foundation it rested on. Their appearances were disheveled, their demeanors unworried. Did they even know how late they were? More likely, they just didn't care. Jealousy twisted something in his gut, curling its claws in the pit of Val's stomach. Almost as quickly as it came, he was shoving it away. No time for pity parties.

Across the room a lady was trying to catch his eye, not so subtly peeking at him over her drink. It was a mimosa, Val observed critically. A bit early to be drinking, but on cue with the judgey thought, the flask in his pocket felt like it was filled with lead instead of blood. Point taken, he conceded, as if his guilty conscience was a different person altogether.

The woman raised her hand in a small, shy wave when she realized she'd caught his eye. She seemed like she had expected to be unsuccessful in her attempts, her expression unsure, not unlike a dog that had finally caught its tail and didn't know what to do with it next. He felt as if they'd met before, realizing with a twinge of guilt he probably should remember at least her name. He didn't though, so he raised his hand slightly in return and hoped she didn't try to talk to him after.

The female's attention snapped away from him, followed by a hush that swept over the room like wildfire. Following her gaze, Val's father, Dmitri, was standing at the podium. A single eyebrow quirked up in interest as he watched Dmitri clear his throat to speak. Maybe now they'd finally figure out what they were doing on this island anyways. The sooner they did, the sooner he could leave.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the island, make no mistake. The island was impressive, as expected for the head house. The beaches were pristine and looked like they belonged on a postcard. The housing was lavish, exceeding the quality of a five star hotel room several times over. The thing was, the awe had a way of dulling after you'd been dragged off to the island so many times. Dinners, meetings, exclusive VIP events, as the poster child of Dmitri Tepes Val had attended them all. Besides, being away from work too long, despite how much stress it caused him, made Val feel idle and stagnant. Somewhere in the past half a century he'd lost his sense of how to relax. Jesus, he needed to get out more. This was getting pathetic.

There wasn't much time for Valerian to deprecate himself for too long, since Dmitri was already launching into his speech. What his father was proposing was shocking, to say the least. Val was grateful that he didn't have to speak, at the moment his mind was completely blank. He hoped his expression wasn't betraying the surprise he was feeling.

It wasn't that he was worried for his wellbeing. On top of his hotel chain, Valerian owned several luxury apartments all over New York. His bank account was well cushioned, to say the least. Landing on his feet wasn't the problem here.

Rather, the cowing part of it all was the freedom returning to him so suddenly. Being independent from the Tepes house meant Val wasn't under his father's thumb anymore. He couldn't imagine Dmitri had been too happy about the idea. Maybe if things didn't work out he'd try and rope Val back into succeeding him, Val thought with a stab of horror.

Too make matters worse, Val had no idea what he was supposed to do with himself. Most of his life was dictated by his parents. Where he went, when he went, what he did throughout the day. For the past half a century, his scheduled had been stuffed to the gills with princely duties. What, was he supposed to go enjoy himself with all the time he had on his hands now? The thought made Val chuckle mirthlessly. What a concept. Maybe now he'd finally get himself his own identity, or a hobby or something.

Almost as quickly as Dmitri had dropped the bomb on everyone, he had disappeared, Val noticed. Meaning, it was probably time for him to start making the rounds. He could feel a headache coming on, one large hand going to rub his temple. Impulsively, he waved down a waiter with a tray of empty champagne glasses. For the first time in a while, disappointing his father was the least of his concerns. "Two shots of absinthe, cut with sugar and O positive blood instead of water, in one glass, please. Quickly." The waiter nodded before heading towards the bar.

Val turned his gaze back towards the masses of people. Some were pale with anxiety, others seemed to be calculating their next move. Regardless of the different levels of success and wealth spread across the people in the room, each person had to play their next cards very carefully. One mistake could quite possibly destroy your chance of leaving a huge legacy in the vampire world. It was time to separate the lions from the lambs.

[QueenNugget]

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_{>Interacting with: @Hoekage @Ghostmami @Tootsiepop @ineffable
>Place: Meeting Hall}

“Kasania Tepes, it’s nice to meet you Avyanna. Hopefully, your friend here hasn’t forgotten her name after stealing those cute glances at Emiliano here.”

Tilting her head back the slightest, her mouth curved up into the smallest smile at the word "friend," a term she hadn't used mockingly in some time now, just to play with people's dependency on trust. She glanced toward the young woman that had approached with Avyanna, and in all honesty, looked like a nervous wreck compared to the others here, which was dangerous given the circumstances. The weak link. A foolish part to play, yet deadly if she knew how to play it right. But Avy doubted that. Only fools showed emotion, and luckily she wasn't a fool. She looked back toward Kasiana, but didn't say anything, before turning her attention to Emiliano, the one Irene (who's name she had learned when listening) was sneaking glances at, though she couldn't see him well due to the fact Kasiana happened to be blocking her view of him from her as well, which was unfortunate. The one thing she did notice was the putrid scent of cigarette smoke. One that made her scrunch her nose in reaction, causing her to silently curse lung cancer upon him, though knowing it wouldn't happen.

“Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me from this cute little gathering, I have some business needing my attention and I can hear a strong drink calling my name. Oh yeah, I’m Octavius Zeno, by the way, and just as terrible as all the rumors you’ve heard about me. Nice to meet you both, but just a tip agnellino, dogs can smell your fear, and Milo can be quite the aggressive one. Anyways, Good luck.”

Avyanna was tempted to laugh. She really was. Just something about the phrase "dogs can smell fear," that just made her shake her head. "Ah yes, but you must've forgotten that the cornered cat is the most dangerous of them all," she mumbled, watching him leave the group, which was a bit rude in her opinion, but he did seem to be the flaky type. Not one to stick around. But as she was thinking this, another introduced himself, Niklaus.

“Niklaus Tepes, pleased to meet you both. Could I get you anything to drink? I would most love to hear the tales that brought you here today.”

At this, Avy chuckled, placing a well bejeweled hand on her hip and shrugged. "Well, I've never been one to turn down a free drink, so I suppose if you'd be so kind," she said, her free hand resting lightly on her collarbone. She had two favorite hobbies: The first one was gambling, and the second was drinking. Now, one may think those are two very irresponsible hobbies, but as a vampire, she'd like to think of them as skills. Ones she very much enjoyed doing. There had been a time where she would've maybe taken a bit more precaution before acting upon instinct, but that time was over the moment time wasn't an issue. Plus it was fun.

Now, she was surprised when Irene had rushed over and had gotten her own drink, Avy half expected her to play the damsel is distress, but she turned her attention to Emiliano, who had gotten up and rested his chin on Kasiana's shoulder, in a friendly manner, or more? She raised an eyebrow. "You two seem...close," she spoke up, gesturing to the two of them. She was certainly curious about their relationship, considering she'd never let anyone get that close to she herself, but perhaps they were just friends, though she had to question.

"Anyhow, would you mind if I took a seat?" She asked politely, moving her thumb over her rings repeatedly, a little quirk she had picked up over time.

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[Legion02]

The Stranger

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Alyssa stood with her back against her just locked the door and let out a sigh of relief. When she heard that there would be a big get together where Valerian would be present, not in a thousand years would she have guessed that not just all Tepes' children but also the Artois and Zeno would be there! And she was none of them! Still, she managed to blend in well enough as she sipped Mimosas. Which were mostly to take the edge off her situation. When she saw him she finally understood what her best friend was talking about for three whole decades. He was a prince and very much dressed for the role. She tried to get his attention in the hall and with some waving she even got it! Of course, his father's speech interrupted everything and things were getting a bit too hot for Alyssa's liking. So she fled to her room. Ready to use plan B.

To: Valerian Tepes
I need to talk to you about a scarf, a guitar and heart shaped glasses. Meet me in room 312.

Unknown

When she pressed 'send' a shiver went down her spine. She didn't like this. Back on the Island, it appeared as if they could see everything. Every chat, every message, hell every phone she made. It felt as if it was all monitored. From time to time, it felt as if her own mind was being checked upon. They always knew, somehow. Except now. They didn't know about the handful of Polaroids she had scattered over her bed. They all had the same person on them. Except for one: where the girl of all the other pictures shared the little rectangle with another man. They were at a beach, holding hands and looking at each other with starstruck eyes. Those who didn't know Aria would say she looked happy in all of them. Alyssa knew better. In every picture something was wrong. Something was eternally gnawing at her. In the last, her smile was something else entirely. It was disingenuous. She was content but not happy.

Over the course of decades, Alyssa had heard every story her best friend could tell about Valerian. How they met and how they, for a time, were very happy together. Then finally, the accident and she turned into a vampire. A sickly one at that. Despite the years, Aria was still hoping Valerian would come. Every night she'd look out of her window into the ocean water beyond. Sadly, time erodes even the strongest of bonds and one night, Aria stopped looking out her window at night. A day later she became content.

Alyssa wouldn't stand for that though. As she looked at the picture. They guy wasn't a bad person. Far from it. But from the stories, Alyssa thought that Aria deserved better. She deserved her prince. She might not be able to leave the Island but Alyssa was. Security wouldn't just check her luggage, they would check the content of any digital device before she could leave. Luckily though, she managed to slip a few pictures out. It was dangerous, though. If security had found those pictures, she could be banned from the Island forever. That was not a fate she wanted to suffer. Still, she hoped the pictures would be proof enough that Aria was out there still waiting for her Valerian.

Her mind had taken her on a nostalgia trip as she looked over her photos. She got so deep into it that she almost didn't hear the fluttering from outside. All her windows but one were closed and thick, sun-blocking curtains made sure she wouldn't get a horrible sunburn. However, this also meant she couldn't see who was outside. Carefully she took a step back from her bed. Then the curtains moved some more. "Hello?" She said. "Anybody there." In answer, the curtains moved a little bit more. She heard something touching the wooden frame of the window. Something was moving against the curtain. It kept sneaking around under the thick cloth. It went down. Towards the little bit of space that kept the curtain off the ground. Alyssa had taken three steps back already. She wished she had something with her. Anything to defend herself. "Get back or I'll scream!" She declared with all the fury she could muster.

Until a figure came from under the curtain. It was a crow. Instantly all fear fled Alyssa. "Oh thank god." for a second time that day, she let out a sigh of relief. Luckily she was of the adventurous sort. It might not look like much but she loved the thrill she was getting. "Who's pet are you then?" she said teasingly at the blackbird, who ignored her and flew up onto the back of a chair. Seemingly overlooking the pictures on the bed. "Are you hungry?" Alyssa asked. The crow looked at her for a second, probably just to find the source of the sounds it heard. Still, she saw it as confirmation and went to a cupboard. The private island wasn't just a quick getaway place, Alyssa had found. Some cupboards were actually filled with snacks. Like a little pot with nuts, which she unsealed and shook towards the crow. It didn't move, instead, it kept looking at her bed. "That's strange. Are you okay, little crow? Do you want some water?" Alyssa didn't wait for an answer. She went into the bathroom where there was a beautiful bowl she filled partially with water and carried to her bedroom again, where she put it down for the crow to see. Still, it didn't budge. "Are you okay, little crowley? Did you hurt a wing?" She asked, as she slowly approached the creature. Trying to look as unintimidating as possible. The crow, this time, kept its eyes on her. As if it was studying her. "It's okay. I'm your friend."

The crow took off with unnatural speed. Before Alyssa could full and well react, it was heading straight for it. It flew fast. Too fast for any bird. She held out her hands to keep the beast away but it moved too quickly. With unnatural speed and went straight for the eye. Before the girl knew it, it’s unnaturally sharp beak was pushed through her eye. Supernatural speed pushed it deeper. Her body fell backward. The bloodied crow crawled out of the eye socket it came into. Covered in gore. It walked towards the bowl and bathe itself into the water, washing off the bits that clung to it. Once it was sufficiently clean, it flew up on the bed to observe its kill. The girl never even had a chance to scream. When content with its work it turned around and collected three pictures. The one with Aria and the other man remained, and another of Aria standing in a window as well. The crow crawled under the curtain and flew away.

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To: Dimitri's Cleaner
Room service 312

Unknown

[Grimoire Gaming]

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_{Time: Early Evening
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany → JFK Airport
Interactions: Monika (NPC)}

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The day had started like any other… Wolkfrik’s alarm went off, prompting a sleepy hand that flailed and slapped around the end table in search of silence. A deep sigh into his pillow followed that. Another sleepless night. Another morning waking up with the feeling of a lead weight sitting atop his heart. Wolf sat up slowly, moving in practiced sluggish, robotic motions. If he moved too fast, he might bring on a flare-up. With a groan and the cracking of a few joints, Wolf made his way to the bathroom.

The day had started like any other… but it was different for one very important reason. This was his last day in his shared flat, his last day in Germany, and, hopefully, his last day in ignorance. These thoughts ran through Wolfrik’s mind as he steadily swept a razor from his jawline to his cheek. He rinsed the blades off and clacked the razor along the side of the porcelain sink, watching thoughtfully as the water, shaving cream, and trimmed hairs swirled down the drain. It felt poetic, to see the water run clean and disappear down the tubes. Soon he would disappear too… in one way or another.

Now finished with his morning routine, Wolfrik took a good hard look at himself in the mirror. He looked as sick as he felt, but he hoped that the smudged eyeliner and punk aesthetic might mask the fact that those dark circles under his eyes were real, and yes, his complexion is actually that pale. Not to mention his weight… how much did he even weigh anymore? It’s not like he cared enough to own a scale and track it, and doctors appointments were a useless thing of the past now. Unless he could find a vampire doctor… did those exist? They had to, right? Maybe he’d find one in New York.

Sighing, Wolfrik opened the medicine cabinet and searched for a familiar crutch. The bottle was labeled to be aspirin, but the pills inside were a much, much stronger pain killer. His journey down the dark path started when his mother’s cancer returned for the second time… it was easy to skim a few pills from her collection. She was barely conscious enough to notice, and she was prescribed far more than she needed. Funny how just a few pills turns into a full blown dependency in the blink of an eye. Well, not so funny, really. Being an addict wasn’t fun, it cost Wolfrik a lot. It cost him his lover. But hopefully he’d be able to kick this habit, after he found his answers and his cure. Nodding, as if the thought was convincing enough to be prophecy, Wolf opened his mouth and downed a few pills before packing the rest away in his carry on bag.

The flat was suspiciously quiet. Wolf passed by Monika’s room to find the door open and the room empty. He rolled his luggage into the dining room to see a note on the table. His ex-girlfriend had gone out to get them coffees, since it was a “special occasion”. It read that she’d be back soon to drive him to the airport. She was so sweet, the incredibly kind soul that most thought to only exist in fairytales. He didn’t deserve her goodness, but he counted himself lucky that he didn’t lose her permanently. So very lucky…

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The hustle and bustle of Düsseldorf International Airport rang out loud around the hypersensitive halfblood and his human companion. There were hundreds of people conversing with each other and rushing to make their flights, the beeps of machinery at the security gates, the hiss of the sandwich press at one of the airport’s many eateries, and countless other sounds. They were surrounded by endless noise, yet it still felt like they were the only two people in the room. Wolfrik stared at his childhood pal, ex-girlfriend, best friend, and the person that knew him the most in the world aside from his late mother.

Most people would describe Monika as a handsome woman, she was not searingly sexy by the usual standards, yet she was drop dead gorgeous to Wolfrik. Her physical appearance was pretty, but her heart was what made her so beautiful. Wolfie studied the brunette’s face, knowing her expressions well enough to recognize the worried crease between her eyebrows and shiny glint in her honey-brown eyes for what they were. She was upset, anxious, and forlorn. It broke his heart that he was the reason for that countenance… again. Goodbyes were hard, far too hard.

“Do you hate me, Mon?” Wolfrik asked quietly in their native language. She should hate him. This would be easier if she did. He deserved it, if she did. Wolfrik had let himself succumb to his pain, both emotional and physical, as he dove into drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. His vices had driven a wedge between them, ending their relationship, but thankfully not their friendship as well. He didn’t blame her for dumping him, she deserved so much more than the love of half a man.

The crease deepened as Monika’s eyebrows stitched together. For a moment, she looked livid, and then the expression fell away into a chuckle. “I could never hate you, Wolf, you stupid fuck.” The corner of her mouth pulled up in the faintest shadow of a smile. She closed the distance between them to rest her hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You need to get better, and staying here isn’t going to help you. My Wolfie has always done best when he has determination in his heart, and for the first time in a long while, I see that fire in your eyes again. This is the closest you’ve come to knowing your father, and I truly hope he is what you need him to be.”

Wolfrik chewed at his lip and struggled to make eye contact. If only she knew the depth of his despair. He wasn’t just a grief-stricken addict… he was dying. There wasn’t any way to get better, not unless he found some cure that he wasn’t even sure existed. He didn't know how much time he had left... but, she couldn’t know that. In the end, it would be best for him to leave this place and let her move on with her healthy, human life. Like father, like son, right? At least he was saying goodbye first, that’s more than this mysterious man ever gave his mother. “I hope so too.” Wolfrik said with a heavy sigh. “Mom loved him, and she had the best judge of character of anyone I know… so, he must not be that bad. Right?”

Monika pursed her lips together and shrugged. “Hopefully not…” She moved the hand that was resting on his arm to stroke his cheek in an almost maternal gesture. “But he did leave her without a word, so, guard your heart around him. I know you want to know your father, but it might be best to keep some walls up for a while. Protect yourself. You might look like a real hard punk, but you’re soft as flower petals underneath all that leather.” Monika smirked and lowered her hand to punch at his leather jacket-clad chest gently. “Hurry along now, or you’ll miss your plane.”

Wolfie nodded in understanding of everything she had just said. Mon might not have the full picture — like the fact that his father likely peaced out because he was a vampire — but her words were no less wise. Without any more conversation, for risk of being overcome with emotion and not being able to speak clearly, Wolfrik pulled her into an embrace. His frame was so gaunt that she was practically hugging herself when she wrapped her arms around him. He never used to be so thin. Wolf pulled away after a few moments of silent hugging, and then pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. He wished he could kiss more than just that, but those days were in the past. “It’s a one-way ticket, Mon. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Promise me you won’t wait up… promise me you will live your life.”

“It’s just a plane ride, Wolf. Don’t be so gloomy and final about it.” She responded with a light laugh. It sounded as hollowed out as he felt. With that, the pair parted ways and Wolfrik became one of the many passengers rushing down the terminal to make their plane in time. Wolf boarded flight 2486 from DUS to JFK without a second to spare. Monika was right, he almost missed the flight entirely. Monika was usually right.

He had purchased one of the cheapest tickets available, so Wolf was seated along the aisle with the least amount of legroom known to man. Wolfrik was rather tall, so the latter was particularly unfortunate. That said, he didn’t care all that much. Wolfrik had far too much on his mind to care for something as trivial as physical comfort, that was always hard to come by these days anyway, especially while sober.

Wolf pulled a book out of his carry on bag and flipped it open. For all intents and purposes, the book functioned as a journal. All of the pages were dated, some of them bore passing thoughts or short paragraphs of prose, but most held sketches. Wolfrik was always much better at speaking his mind through his artwork than he was with words. Tucked into the entry for the current day was a loose page from the sketchbook of another artist. It was his mother’s drawing, the one he’d used to track down the identity of his father after she had passed. Wolf ran his thumb along the paper reverently, pondering on what kind of man his father might be. His thoughts were interrupted by the words of a blonde flight attendant asking if she could get him a drink. He ordered whiskey, like a proper day-drinking man on his deathbed ought to.

The flight over the Atlantic was long. Long enough for Wolfrik to have a second and third shot of whiskey to take the edge off of his nerves, and then to have a meal and some more drinks afterwords. He wasn’t actually meeting his father yet, he’d planned some time for himself to relax before that moment, but he was nervous all the same. When the plane landed, Wolfrik filed out after the other passengers heading towards the baggage claim. He gathered his single, overstuffed suitcase, his acoustic guitar, and the carry on backpack he wore onto the flight, and he headed out of the airport.

Wolf waved his hand and flagged down a taxi, just like he saw in the movies. His destination was a hostel-style apartment, where he would live with four other roommates, and which was on the same train line as the tattoo shop he would be working at. It didn’t fully hit him until he was watching the cars slowly creep along in bumper to bumper traffic that he was in the United States now, for the first time ever. Land of the free, home of the brave, and the birthplace of the American dream. But was there a dream for someone like him to find here?

[sempis]

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The waiter was back almost as quick as he’d gone, lowering his tray to set the glass in front of Valerian. Reluctant to leave his seat, he watched the other vampires already trying to make connections. Probably best to do it here, before every vampire dispersed in a frenzy back to New York. That was when the whole game would really kick off.

His phone buzzed against his hip again, Val turning his gaze towards it irritably. Hadn’t he already told his assistant he didn’t want to be disturbed? If this was another problem from work, someone was going to get fired. Would it be too much to ask to handle one crisis at a time?

A bit roughly, he pulled out his phone and scanned the notification. It was from an unknown number, which was strange. Anyone who had any business contacting him should already be in his contacts.

I need to talk to you about a scarf, a guitar and heart shaped glasses. Meet me in room 312.

Unknown

Val knew what the words meant immediately, his stomach sinking. Was Aria in trouble? The urge to sprint to room 312 almost had him flying out of his chair, but he restrained himself, setting the phone on the table to stare at the notification blankly.

Even after all this time, Aria still had him wrapped around her little finger. Was he ever going to stop masquerading as her knight in shining armor? The mess his life had been for the past fifty years was all because of her, and yet he’d still drop everything to help her. Even after she’d betrayed him. No matter what he did, regardless of how composed he stayed, Val knew it all meant nothing. His one weakness was always exposed, and as long as they had Aria he’d never be able to stop walking on eggshells.

A bit woefully, he left his half finished drink at the table, grabbed his phone, and made his way to room 312. As urgent as the situation felt, it wouldn’t look good if the royal prince made a scene. That’d only serve to put on an image of weakness.

Once out of the room, Val finally felt as if he could take a breather. Less staring, judgemental eyes. He smoothed a stray strand of hair away from his face, as if that would do anything to calm him. It didn’t. What a cruel game to play, dredging up memories of the best and worst day of his life. If this were some kind of sick joke, Val wasn’t sure what he’d do. All this was probably just his father making sure Val was still under his thumb, even after cutting ties with him. Part of him almost made him turn back, not sure he’d want to go through the humiliation of showing up to an empty room, knowing his father was laughing at his idiocy somewhere. Even if Aria was in trouble, maybe it wasn’t any of his business. No doubt she had a new life now, Val long forgotten in her memories. The thought felt like being stabbed in the stomach.

Room 312 was left ajar, as if expecting a visitor. Val hesitated outside, his hand pressed against the wood. Maybe this was all a bad idea. No one would know anything about that night, so the fact that somehow someone did was all very unnerving. Pushing away any residual doubts, Val opened the door, the wood creaking at the hinges.

”I’m here.” Val nudged the door shut behind him with a foot, confused to find no one there to greet him in the living room. He paced around the room, increasingly unsure when no one was in the kitchen. The bedroom door was open slightly, though. Maybe the messenger was in there?

The scene in front of him was the last thing Val expected to see. Ridiculous amounts of blood covered the bedspread, her face, stickily clumping her hair together as it dried. Valerian was no stranger to death, but this was just excessive. Her skull was no doubt fractured, by whatever had killed her. Her face was barely visible ruined by an incredible amount of force, obscured by coagulating blood. Val realized with a sick, sinking feeling who she was. She was the lady who’d waved at him only a half an hour ago.

Val did his best to commit the scene to memory. Anything that would help him figure out what was going on here. Her shoes were still on, so she couldn’t have been lying down. It seemed like something a force had knocked her backwards, sprawling her out on the bed. Her left eye socket seemed to have been destroyed, as if something had been shoved in there. What it could have been, Val couldn’t tell. Nothing seemed out of place around the body, except...

A pair of polaroids were scattered around her body, and Val reached over her to grab them. Blood dripped off of them onto the thick covers below. He grabbed the corner of one to wipe the picture clean. Aria. That was her, definitely. The other, Aria again but- was that someone else? It was Aria at the beach, hand intertwined with another man’s, foreheads pressed together as they stared into each other’s eyes. A soggy grin plastered her face, illuminated as the sun set between the pair. Val stared at the picture, minutes passing as he tried to make sense of it. It felt like someone was holding his throat closed.

”No. Please, no.” This couldn’t be right at all. Aria loved the beach. She loved to going to the beach with him, not whoever this guy was. Ice settled in the pit of his gut, Val’s face unreadable save for a frown. Fifty years, and Aria had moved on. He couldn’t even be mad about it. Only a fool would stay stuck in the past.

When will you ever stop being so naive? Of course she’d forgotten him. Val was the only one still living in the past. That was the only thing that seemed to make sense right now. He still had a dead girl on his hands, and he’d never heard what she’d had to say. Was she here to tell him Aria had long since moved on? But then, why would she be dead?

The bedroom door opened behind him, and Val whipped around much more jumpily than he’d have liked to admit. The whole scene had him on edge. Two men in black scrubs pushed past him, barely even glancing at him. The body they picked up indifferently, zipping it shut in a body bag. The bedding they bundled together into a hamper.
”You need to leave, sir.”

”Like fuck I need to leave! I need to know what’s just gone on here.”

”If you care about Aria, you’ll leave here, and keep your mouth shut.”

Val stared at them, dumbfounded and cowed into submission. His gaze switched between the pair, neither responding, as if he were a child throwing a tantrum over a cookie. Without another word, he backed out of the room, shutting room 312 behind him.

So his father was in on this, then? He shoved the polaroids into his suit pocket, the only evidence he’d gotten from the scene. He had to find Aria. Not because he cared, or anything, because he didn’t. He could move on too, just as good as anyone else. He was only going because he needed to get Aria out of there. So he could move on with his life, and not have her held over his head anymore. That’s what he was doing. This wasn’t about her.

[SkeankySnack]

xxxxxxxxxx

This morning’s announcement had been a rather interesting one, and upon his brief request to Dmitri, it was more than apparent that this morning’s news had been absolute. How could Alaric benefit from this however? The thought had been in his mind all morning since Dmitri spoke at the gathering. Suddenly there were new players thrust unto the board, players who undoubtedly had zero experience or knowledge in what they were doing. They were lords, yes, but lords that had been skirting through life on the shoulders of giants, and now they were cast aside, specifically Dmitri’s son. There was some advantage to this, but until he had a clear cut idea, Alaric needed to gain some intel, do some reconnaissance so to speak. Might as well start from the top down, he’d already spoken with Dmitri on his decision on what to do with his son’s money, which was a rather terse….

“Leonidas will keep his position within the family, Valarian will be playing along but mostly giving him a chance to find a suitable partner to marry. For the other two, freeze the accounts they have linked back to ours, they have wanted to be free from the Tepes name and so they shall have a taste of that freedom. If you’ve found some spare time call up our partners and let them know any business made with Kasania or Niklaus will result in ceasing our investments and ending our partnership. I cannot have my dear children getting off easy through the power of affluence.”

Just as calculated and cunning as ever, Dmitri had thought his plan rather thoroughly to avoid any unnecessary loopholes the children could exploit. Within a matter of minutes he’d already gone ahead and frozen their accounts, effectively slamming the vault door in the faces of Kasania and Niklaus. Within the hour, anything involving business, financial, legal or political, in the light of the public or amongst the shadows had been informed of the latest information. Should they try to request any favors from these individuals they’d be denied, or if they had done so before Alaric made the call, would be cancelled. Should either try to even breach these barriers, they would be warned by lawyers with at best a cease and desist, at worst, court dates. Though this rather effective lock and key had been Dmitri’s first step to tell his children to grow up, it had also been Alaric’s first step in his own efforts to attempt this coup; for if his children could not use any affluence, they would be won over by Alaric’s influence.

Now that the first step had been done the next best option was to speak with Dmitri’s
brothers, Viktor first, he’d already heard some interesting info from Sebastian not too long ago. Rather conveniently if anyone were to ask Alaric, best to keep an eye on that one, more so than usual. Viktor’s ‘office’ wasn’t too far from Alaric’s, he had taken up the space almost immediately after arriving upon the island, as had the other Lords and Ladies to their own respective ‘offices/rooms’. Once arriving at the door, Alaric rapped his knuckles on the door thrice, before turning the handle and entering the room. Inside the room was a lone desk with a computer, a multitude of books placed carefully along the shelves on the wall, two chairs, a fireplace and Viktor standing in front of it. The man appeared to be ‘brooding’, but Alaric made his presence known either way. “Greetings Lord Viktor,” entering the room and quickly closing the door, he took stock of what was in front of him.

In addition to the furniture and decorative art pieces/sculptures, to his left was a small bar, stocked with liquor of many a variety. Ideally there was an impressive bottle of blood infused cabernet, Alaric himself generally stayed away from the harder spirits, as he felt they diminished the quality of the blood within them from the alcohol proofing. “Your brother certainly knows how to put down the proverbial hammer,” Pulling the wine from the cooler and uncorking it, Alaric began to fill up two glasses of the red liquid, “I can only imagine how your nephew is handling this.” Turning from the table, a glass in each hand he made his way over to the Tepes sibling and offered him a glass, “Personally I was curious about your opinion of the matter, but I do understand if I’ve come at a bad time.”

There was no sign of feeling behind Viktor’s hardened expression. The moment he heard footsteps approaching the door, he shifted his emotions and made sure every fiber of his being was utter nonchalance. Detached. The clock on the mantel silently ticked. Respectfully, the centuries old Tepes advisor clutched his fingers on the stem of the wine glass, not looking away from the fire. Instead, he made room for Alaric beside him to stare at the blaze and get lost in the messages it may convey. Viktor did have his quirks, as all Elders do.

“As they say, in life, bad times will often lead to great things.” The man with tousled dark brown hair lifted his glass, briefly giving a glance to his brother’s accountant, before gingerly taking a sip. Such a delicacy this drink was. “My other brother, Sebastian, has always been one for dramatics. He believes there is a war coming.” Such was the error in the flamboyant vampire’s ways. “Do I believe that?” He shook his head, heavily sighing, “No. We’ve always been at war with other races. What I do believe is there are monsters in this world that have sold their soul for peace but found hell instead and our children, what we deem as our legacies, have no idea what monsters lurk in the shadows. What monsters are capable of. Do I think throwing them to the wolves was a wise decision on Dmitri’s part?” He would be considered a heretic if he talked in complete truths.

Taking a purposeful pause, Viktor took another deep sip of the blood liquid, before peering down at the substance in his glass, “Does that require an answer you don’t already know?” With a sharp glare, he brought his attention back to the only other soul in his chambers. In truth, Viktor believed children needed to be under the tutelage of a mentor. Someone wiser than them. Someone smarter than them. Someone that has lived to see the hardships and growing pains of being a vampire.

New threats will emerge, whether it be in the form of a hunter, a werewolf, or their own kind (witches as far as he was concerned was a neutral party), and those that were pampered would fall beneath the cracks. This contest, so to speak, was a game changer. It gave those that hungered for the spotlight an opportunity to take it away from those given it by birthright. Those that had less were far more prepared than those given everything. That doesn’t mean he did not believe in the Tepes legacies. He simply was a realist. This was their time to prove the old folk wrong, while their trials and tribulations either made them, or broke them.

“Now, where does this put you?” Viktor turned his body to face the other man. A man whose beginnings he was well aware of. A servant to Dmitri. Just like he was, but worse. A man who lost his kingdom. The house he called his own. A man whose worth was limited to what the King deemed fit. If he strayed too far from the prison bars, how much trouble would that cause for his dear brother? Plenty. The Elder was not one to beat around the bush and wanted to know exactly why Alphaeus felt it was necessary to breach his solitude. What was his motive? Surely not because he actually cared about his opinion on this trivial pursuit of building a house from the ground up. He wanted more. Something underneath the surface, but what exactly?

Invited over to the fire by his silent benefactor Alpheus moved to the Elder’s side and stared into the flames alongside him, their light dancing and flickering in his eyes. He listened intently, swirling his wine and allowing it to mull around his tongue just as he let Viktor’s words mull about in his mind. Though the words he spoke were cryptic, they were deliberate and they spoke well enough on the Elder’s mind that Alaric could understand where he was coming from. Inside he silently mused on the thought of Sebastian’s dramatics, though these were true in their own right, Viktor was just as much the drama queen as his brother. After all if Sebastian was the mask of comedy, then Viktor was the mask of drama; he took things a little too seriously. Then, came the big question, and Alpheus couldn’t help but chuckle, “Straight to the point, eh? Alright then, I’ll alleviate your concerns”

Placing the glass atop the fireplace mantle, Alpheus turned to face Viktor, his jade eyes flickering in the light of the hearth ever so softly. “You know as well as I do, that I’ve lived a very long time, as have you. We’ve seen war, sickness, death, the timeless march of progress.” In a sense the vampiric race, especially the ancient generations have practically seen it all, and yet there’s always new surprises around the corner. “It’s difficult work, raising and maintaining an empire, you know this,” Alaric’s head dropped slightly as well, “It’s even harder to watch it crumble at your feet…” The day that the Tepes name condemned his empire, was not forgotten to the elder and his gloved hand crinkled ever so slightly as he gripped his fist tighter. “I have no desire to start from the bottom up again, I’m done trying to be at the top of the food chain, that flame has long been extinguished.” Looking to Viktor, a small sense of sadness in his eyes, “To quote a poem I once read, ‘Many a flower grow in these gardens, each wanting to grow the tallest, or bloom the brightest; sooner or later, they all get plucked. I desire neither, for I only wish to remain in the garden, until my time has come to return to the dirt.’”

Allowing the other man to contemplate his words, Alaric quickly grabbed his glass and downed the rest of the red liquid, turning his back to Viktor he returned to the bottle to pour himself another glass. “We cannot question our Lord’s decision on the matter though, what is done is done for Dmitri’s word is law.”‘Long live the King’“I’ve already been ordered to freeze their assets, anyone who has ever been rumoured the name ‘Tepes’ now knows if they even breathe in Niklaus or Kasania’s direction, that their lives are forfeit.” Finishing his pour he returned the bottle to its proper place, “If you were to ask me, I’d believe they were being set up for failure, living in their royal lifestyle, a true prince to pauper story; how could anyone possibly survive?” Turning back he approached the Elder once more, “So...what do we do about it?” Viktor was an Elder vampire and had a name to maintain, this was for certain, but he was not as harsh as Dmitri, and not as vile and wicked as Sebastian. No he had a softer side, a more comforting parental approach and if the rumours he heard from Seb were true, then Alaric could potentially play these gentle hands of his upon the fiddle of fate. If not, Al always had an Ace up his sleeve to play.

“As far as Dmitri is concerned, we maintain a neutral stance.” Walking away from the accountant, Viktor placed his glass on the desk. After leaning against the mahogany table, he crossed his arms and reflected. His stern gaze never wavering from the intrigue that Alaric presented. Viktor was aware of the assets being frozen, even prior to this meeting. Whatever Dmitri decides, more often than not, he was the first to know. Yet, Viktor Tepes’ fascination was not on the information of his dear niece and nephew. He knew one way or another, they would come out alive. Damaged, but still alive. One more so than the other.

That was neither here nor there. What he cared about and latched onto was the notion of survival. This gave him an understanding of whatever the other man wanted, he was aiming to grab the heart the Elder had for those children. If not for those children and the Tepes name, which Alaric so strongly believed Viktor supported because of his seemingly obvious loyalty, then for the future of their race. And if not for that, then for what he loved. Viktor was brought back to Molly and her desperate pursuit for perfection. A utopia. A world where survival of the fittest, a dog eat dog world, was no longer a concern. Molly’s face turned into Pandora’s. Although he wanted to smile, he kept his mask on, as he always did.

He knew where his priorities lie, did Alpheus?

Running his hand through his long hair, Viktor claimed, “There are no morals in politics and once they realize that, they will have an advantage. All I can do is hope whoever succeeds Dmitri, that they will be in the service of the people. That they do not lose sight of civility. In spite of the fact that... ” He paused, cracking his knuckles in the process, before admitting, “... I’d be damned if I die and leave this world the way it is.” In absolute disarray. A world that Pandora couldn’t thrive in because someone would want to use her as a weapon or worse, kill her because they fear what she may become. Turning his sigil ring around his finger, just like Sebastian does, he countered Alaric’s question, “I suppose a better question you should be asking is will you control the chaos or embrace it?”

If his priorities weren’t in the Tepes name, then… the rumours were true… Unlike Viktor’s steely gaze, Alaric couldn’t help but lose his own visage, his face contorting into one of pure amusement as he let out a rather hefty cackle. “Please...do forgive me my Lord,” he said in bursts of laughter. It was time to save a bit of face, while also letting on to his ploy, “You ask me to either embrace the chaos, or attempt to control it…” he rubbed his hands together, head staring at the ground as he paced silently before looking back up at Viktor, a subtle glow in his eyes, “Is it truly too much to ask for both? To embrace the chaos in an attempt to control it?”

Supping from his drink, Alaric’s demeanor returned to a rather reasonable sanity, calming himself from a mood that could only be matched by Sebastian. “It would seem though...you’re not as concerned about your niece and nephew as much as you should be, given your statements to your brother’s decision. Maybe...it’s because you’re ‘more’ concerned about the well-being of someone else...someone who’s...not of your own kin, or rather…” Alaric stared Viktor dead in the eyes, “Your adopted kin ...” Upon that notion, he let it sink in as Alaric began to circle the Tepes brother, “We all had been wondering why she hadn’t been turned to one of us yet. How could she still remain human? How could she continue to interact with us? Does she know what you are? Does she know what ‘she’ is? How would your brother feel if her identity were to be revealed? Quite frankly...how truly ‘inhuman’ she was?”

A small chuckle elicited from his lips as he stood in front of Viktor, “What a shame if she were to be burnt at the stake…”

Calmly, Viktor made his way to the door and opened it, “Leave.” was all he said in response. The Elder will no longer indulge the accountant’s fantasies. He was a fool to think he knew all the answers and there were only two people who could’ve told him. Alexander or Sebastian. But to agree or disagree would only make Alaric believe what he knew was the truth. He knew nothing and for his age, he was dumb to believe that he was told this information without intent.

Alaric closed his eyes to the lord’s request, and complied, “As you wish, Lord Viktor…” Straightening out his gloves, Al made his way to the entrance, but not before placing his hand, claws ripping through the leather and unto Viktor’s shoulder. “You should listen to your brother better, my lord...war is coming, but not the kind you will expect or be prepared for.” With a subtle smirk and ripping his claws from Viktor’s coat, Alpheus disappeared to his own quarters, awaiting the next step in his plan.

While the man vanished, Viktor closed the door and went back to the fireplace. On the mantle, there resided that ticking, antique dual chime clock. He opened the glass of it and with his long nails, he peeled off the number two, revealing a hidden cam bug.

Even old men have tricks up their sleeves.

[Hoekage]

^{𝓣𝐢𝐦𝐞 ✦ Around 10:00 𝒜ℳ
𝓛𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✦ Grand Hall, Tepes Island
𝓘𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ✦ each other, mentions: @ineffable@QueenNugget@Tootsiepop
@Altered Tundra@Hoekage@Sempis}

There was only one thing better than a strong drink while watching the entertainment of children acting like adults, and that was a free strong drink. The smooth Gin did little to remind him of its ailments as it slid down his throat leaving just the faintest of burns as mostly disinterested eyes scanned through the room, there was still no sign of the princess he had spent the majority of his night with, but the fiery locks of a familiar gorgeous comrade brought a smug smile to his lips. The connection of their eyes was brief but he saw the annoyance in them, and as his own blood stepped into his view and offered a lame attempt at conversation Octavius could only reply with quiet laughter.

The laugh was genuine, and it was applicable to everything within the last thirty minutes or so, especially the king’s speech. What a way for the king to break up his biggest threats while masking it as a handout for the less fortunate of their world.

what a joke.

A small scowl replaced the smile as his vision focused on the shorter male standing across from him. A rare sight it was to see his only full sibling in the flesh and blood and even rarer at a “little” vampire soirée. Well, at least Dominic was smart enough to heed the warnings of his older brother. Octavius’ hand on Dom’s shoulder wasn’t nearly as crushing as it appeared and carried the affections he was allowed to share between his family,” I’m glad you still listen to me some of the time Dom. Have you been having a good time so far? No trouble?” The latter one of the two questions was pointed and quieter than the first, an older and wiser light flashing in the youthful appearance of the well-known troublemaker, ” Can we get my cute little brother here a drink?”

“I’ve been getting by,” he remarked taking the drink offered to him. It was clear, which gave him a good idea of what it was. Taking a sip from the glass, his guess was confirmed to be true as his lips had quivered from the bitterness of the drink. “Does this place have anything less heavy than gin?” Dominic made it a mission to keep his displeasure with hard liquor to an absolute minimum so he didn’t seem like a complete burden. “I’ve been keeping to myself mostly. I don’t think anyone here cares for me all that much, though. I’m sure the word about what I do has reached some here.” He was only guessing. He had no way of knowing if the vampires here actually knew what he did.

Octavius chuckled at the displeasure his brother seemed to be fighting to not appear as a brat, but what were little brothers for? “Gin is good for a man's body, Dom, it’ll make you strong and desirable. For instance look over your left shoulder, you remember Andrie? Well, she’s been looking for me all night and this morning, probably to suck my soul out… or blow my brains out, who knows?” The second part was added as an afterthought but it was all quickly dispelled with the order of drink more suitable for a soft boy like Dom. With their drinks figured out and small talk complete, it was time for business, and with his younger brother adamant about staying out of the family loop there was a lot of it to go over. “Dad stepped down from the Head position a couple of years back and gave it to Stef.” That bit went down with a large swing of his liquor, no amount of time would ever make that news bearable for Tavi, but he pressed on anyway.

“You know Stef is less than delighted to have any Zeno’s straying from the family business. While this little stunt our lovely king is pulling may seem like a handout, it’s 100% a power move. Our dear older brother has been stepping on Dmitri’s toes for too long, and now the King is doing us the favor of reminding that insufferable asshole his own little brothers are thorns in his sides. You happen to be the bigger thorn of us two.” There was a pause given for Dom to digest what he was saying and hopefully start piecing together what this whole shebang meant for them,” I’ll lose my place in the Mob as a formality, but none of those men would turn against me—if they did they’d die anyway. But you, you’re free for the taking Dom, and not the kind you’d enjoy. I know you hate our world, but you have to become involved now to protect yourself, I can’t do that for you anymore.”

He said nothing. Dom didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a cliche. The reason he broke away from the family was due to his intense disagreements with how his family -- hell his kind -- handled their treatment and opinion of the humans. He understood why they felt that way, but he was far from accepting of it. Tavi had done everything he could to protect him. Being the oldest had a few perks, but now… Everything, as they say, was fucked.

“I’ll just leave New York then. I’ve lived under the radar once before. I can do it again.” Dom was all talk right now. He was reacting like he normally did to news he didn’t quite like and maybe it was a bit of his fear setting in. “Not like anyone in the family will give a damn about the human sympathizer of the Zeno family.”

The reactionary snort was humorless and carried the bite of the coldness that had seeped into his bones over the past two centuries. A little devil on his shoulder urged Octavius to just let things be what they would be and accept the fact that if Dom ended up getting himself killed then that was just Natural Selection doing its handiwork. The insistence wasn’t enough this time around, the loyalty he had to his little brother wouldn’t be bested by the whispers of his demons.

A strong hand clasped Dom’s shoulder in a sort of reassurance that paired with a less than reassuring chuckle, “Leaving isn’t going to save you this time, you’ll need to put yourself into a position of security. You need to make powerful allies, right now there’s a room full of people that don’t know you, but definitely know about the Zeno name. Andromeda can probably be talked into helping you out, she’s more useful than most people give her credit for.”

He tried to be positive about it or, at the very least, be positive for his brother’s sake, but right now Dominic wasn’t exactly feeling it. For that to happen, the immediate future would have to be abysmal for Dominic to not see the light at the end of the tunnel. “Wonderful,” Dominic said as hopeful as he could make it sound.

At the back of his mind, he knew it wasn’t likely that they would turn him away at the mention of his name. Dominic Zeno carried some weight, even if he was just the youngest son. He wasn’t no Octavius Zeno or even the other Zeno’s out there, but hell be damned if Dom actually wanted to continue to lay low as he had been doing for years -- decades, even.

Yeah, he hated this new normal but he knew Tavi was right. He hated it and wished it wasn’t the case, but he knew he had to make at least some effort. “Fine, you win this round.” Dom scanned the room and all of the potential allies seemed poor. “Who do I even begin with? Should I just go for the top of the food chain and try and sway the Tepes Princess to be a friend?” Dom wasn’t trying to convey himself as a smartass. He was wholeheartedly serious.

” I wouldn’t say that’s the best strategy right out of the gates.” The pointed voice came from behind Dom as the short redhead pushed her way through a group of boisterous vampires. She frowned as one stepped on her shoe, wrinkling her nose. ” Not that you’d have much success with that plan anyway.”

Her eyes traced Tavi’s figure coldly, her mouth set in a thin, displeased line. ”I’m not going to even start laying into you about last night.” No matter how many times she tried to scold Octavius, he rarely paid any attention. Some days Andrie wondered why she even bothered trying to get his attention anymore. ” I hope I’m not interrupting anything, though. I just thought I heard my name being thrown around over here. As for you,” She turned to Dominic. ” Going after the biggest fish in the sea isn’t the best idea, but not having anyone behind you is an even worse plan.” Andrie had only ever heard of Dom, never actually seen him. It seemed everything about him didn’t take after his brothers, especially his personality.

Probably a good thing, if she were being honest.

”Besides, you want people useful to building your house. While social traction is nice, skill is even better.”

Octavius’ lips quirked into an amused smirk upon hearing Andrie’s voice and feeling the ice in her glare. The mentions of last night were met with a questioning raise of his eyebrow. Apparently, the missed text messages were more serious than he thought, not that it would have changed anything they were both busy with other people. Despite her obvious displeasure with him, Tavi couldn’t help but pull the beauty towards him and plant an exaggerated kiss on her cheek, “I’m here now Andrie, so forget about last night, yeah? You look stunning.” the last part was a quiet whisper in her ear before he back off allowing her space and set his eyes on the group he had excused himself from moments ago. Andrie glowered at him halfheartedly, wiping her cheek.

“I wouldn’t go for the crown family. The Tepes are traditionalists, they're in it to preserve their family name. Niklaus and Kasania don’t care about the name nor the traditions but Niko is too young to protect you and Kasania mostly tolerates Milo and me because of Niko. Well, I’m sure there’s love in there somewhere but she wouldn’t bat an eye in throwing us under the bus if it meant saving her brother.”

Octavius took a moment to let his eyes travel to the newcomers to the table looking them over from the distance. The conversation with them would have given him more of an opportunity to form a more complete impression, but the introduction was enough for now.

” As for the other girls that approached the table... Avyanna’s my pick, she’s young but confident, and she has the same look in her eyes as I did when I first migrated to America. There’s potential in her, she could be groomed to be extremely useful. The other one, she’s the Artois’, a hidden gem in the art house. Obviously pretty, but she can’t keep her eyes off The Dog, and Milo will more than likely want to play with her, so she may very well soon be off limits...” The volume of his voice drifted with his eyes moving back to Dom, “What will you do little brother?”

That was the million dollar question.

What was Dominic going to do? He wanted to continue to just not doing anything but what he had been for the past fifty years or so. He didn’t want to get involved in the politics of people he no longer cared for nor had an interest in knowing. The only people in the vampire world (or at least those involve with vampires) he seemed to give two damns about was Tavi and his silent partner who helped his clinic stay afloat and stay under the radar. Yeah, staying under the radar was exactly what he couldn’t do anymore and honestly? Dom hated it. He hated it all and he should have just stayed in New York, consequences be damned.

“I have no earthly idea.” He could only laugh at just how the choices were slim at best of them being successful. “I figured going for our family’s rivals would be my best bet since I’m not exactly close with the Zenos,” he looked at Tavi, “well except for you.” Then came another laugh, followed by a deep sigh. “What about the other Artois? I’m not a complete moron. I know that they at least aren’t like the Tepes family. What are the odds of me striking a partnership or whatever that needs to happen with one of them?” He asked Tavi and the redhead.

Andrie broke her gaze from the pair of princes, letting her eyes scan the crowd for faces she recognized. While business often didn’t cross lines with members of other houses, she was smart enough to do her research. There was one face, in particular, she was trying to pick out.

” If I may...” Andrie chewed on her lip pensively, turning back to Dom and Tavi. ” Despite being a pureblood, I think Irene might be a viable ally for you. I may not know much about her- or you,” She added, pausing to give Dom a quick once over. ” But from what I’ve gathered of the two of you, you might share some of the same ideals. Plus, she didn’t seem drawn to the asshole type when she was talking to your brother here.” She punched out her words, reluctant to admit she hadn’t let Tavi too far out of her sight, despite her annoyance with him. “I doubt she’d like the methods Tavi and his friends use to get what they want. And, people don’t talk much about you, but I’ve heard you aren’t too fond of the way we do things around here either. You might be able to see eye to eye on more than most other Zenos here.”

She shrugged, dismissive of her own opinion. If there was anything she knew from her years serving the Zenos, few of them liked to be told what to, and she wasn’t too keen on crossing any of them, regardless of their position. Better safe than sorry, for the sake of self-preservation. ” But most of that I’ve pieced together from watching her and bits and pieces of what I’ve heard. So take my advice with a grain of salt, if you will.”

“Of course you have my support, but it goes as far as advising. I’ve played this game already and I could care less about changing anything within our world so I won’t be much of a participant. I think Andrie has a good idea, Irene might not be the next in line but she has powerful family members you could work your way getting close to.” There was another Artois in the estate that could offer Dom a great deal of help, but Tavi wasn’t inclined to start throwing her name around in the case others were listening to their conversations. Following a strong pat, Octavius motioned to the path leading to the youngest Artois, “No better time than now, yeah? Just politely pull her away from the group, strike while the iron is hot, and all that.”. The serious tone of their conversation had lifted with the small chuckle and the order of his second drink, “Take Andrie with you if you need back up.”

The jolt of force on his back only reinforced the idea that Dom started to build in his head that his brother was starting to get impatient with him. Or at least wanting Dominic to make an attempt to get something going before this first party was over. Whichever it was, he rolled his eyes but surrendered to the path that he was now on. There was truly no excuse to use now. He had asked his questions and were given detailed answers. The two potential allies he saw was the black beauty who he couldn’t help but notice was incredibly attractive and the equally alluring, Irene.

He took in a deep, though short, breath. “Well, then let’s see if I still got the charming pleasantries that father drilled into me all those years ago.” Playful as it was, Dom winked his brother’s way as he nervously approached Irene Artois with Andrie there beside him for support ...whatever that meant.