Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sam blinked and supported the vampire, he was about her size anyway. She was small for her age, always had been which made her the perfect size for Xearus. Short enough that she didn't tower over him but tall enough that she could hold him without struggle. "Come on Xearus, we don't have that far to go..." She blinked as apparently a meeting was going on at the moment and she didn't much like to be in the middle of things that were likely to get volatile. But then she was given a task and she nodded. "Okay." Never happier to get out of that study, she ran down the stairs and began asking around for the redhead and spanish woman but it didn't take long to see them. They kind of stuck out among the crowd of vampires she knew. "Hi," she smiled. "I'm Samantha. You don't know me but Sika has requested your presence."

"Daddy, you and your ridiculous nicknames. I'm not Thuliah and she's not Masakia but Ma-sika. Where do you come up with these?" But she waved a hand and blinked as her grandmother came in with Xearus in tow. She knew better than to reach out and grab the other vampire though she'd dearly loved to. But finally she lost her cool and stood up, walking over and getting right in her father's face, something she wouldn't have dared to do a few years ago.

"Dammit! My name is Adrik. Just because there's a Blackrose tacked onto the end of it means nothing. You can't deny I'm your blood in more than one way, Daddy and frankly I'm sick and tired of you acting like a child. I did what I did and you don't have to like it. You point out Grandmother...Grandmother, what are you doing?" she happened to glance over at that moment and stared at the older vampire. "You can't...Semara's going to have a fit..." A shake of her head and she turned back to her father. "Like I was saying, you point out that Grandmother wasn't pleased with your choice, nor was she pleased with some of your other choices but she has never disowned you or tried to pretend that you weren't hers! If anybody betrayed anyone else, you did first!"

He poured himself a drink back at his suite and watched the lights of the city winking at each other. Toasting the air he laughed, "She's getting frustrated. The information feeding is working to get her off balance. She wants to know what or who my source is." He chuckled. "And I think she wants to kill me." He could almost hear his master's voice echo in his head with a laugh. Perfect....

Darvien was about thirty seconds from backhanding her when mother intervened.

"I'll stand."

A slight darkening of features. he was not happy to hear that from her.

"You ran off, formed a faction to undermine me, and then I'm supposed to be happy to see you and welcome you when your boy toy is an ancient probably here to take what I have all to himself. Right. gotcha."


Lynx just ignored them both for the moment.

"what was the name? might be able to find something through that name, alias or not. at least see if there's any buisnesses or anything connected to it."

Masika pinched the bridge of her nose. This was steadily falling apart now wasn't it? Of course it was...it always did. But she merely slammed a fist on the desk in order of commanding attention, cracking the wood a bit, and then stood to stare at both father and daughter. "You two are just alike I so swear to God's Blood on it!" Not a happy Masika at all.

First her eyes moved to Darvien. "You are far too sensitive to anything that hurts you personally and rather than dealing with it like an adult you become the schoolyard bully to get your way!" Andgry eyes turning on Thalia then. "And you are no better! You act the five year old in this foolish little dance you two insist in, baiting each other and lashing out when you both foolishly take it!"

Now looking between the two with that venomous look. "To think I lefrt Russia for either of you and your childish banter! And no Thalia, they do not work for me, they are my childer! What now I can't even have them around me without being persecuted for it?! Not to mention maybe trying to help you and your father mend this rift but you two insist on tearing it wider!" Definately not a happy vampire at all. "And you wonder why I curse this New World...nothing by suspicion and back stabbing!"

A look to her fledgelings then. "Chiyohana, Gavin, Adriana, pack your things all of you." Fine if she had to play hard ball then she had to play hard ball. Masika was never one for petty squabbling. And grabbing some paper from Darvien's desk she scribbled down the name Stefan Vasili before handing it to Lynx. "Though I'm sure it will do you no good now. Samantha take Xearus to my room and call Nicolai, tell him to come back." Watching the five vampires vacate the room before turning another venomous look on the two Adriks. "Obviously I'm wasting my time on the both of you, I'm far too old to play referee."

Samantha blinked and studied the room not really thrilled with what was going on. Blows were going to be exchanged in no time. And she wasn't sticking around for that. She blinked as Sika got upset and began to make motions towards leaving. Should she speak out? Masika was the only thing keeping Darvien's temper in check right now. Once the older vampire left, they would all be his for the taking and there were quite a few punishments he most likely wanted to mete out. If that was happening then she was seriously considering switching sides. Rumors had been going about Adrik for a while now that their esteemed Lord Adrik had been driven mad over this battle and was doing foolish things. She didn't want to die yet, she'd just begun to live. But she nodded to Masika and carefully helped Xearus back to Sika's room, settling him on the bed and petting through his hair a moment. "Sure you're going to be okay." SHe remained by his side as she picked up the phone and dialed Nicolai.

Thalia reared back as though she had been slapped. How dare her grandmother blame this on her, it wasn't her fault! She had done nothing wrong but choose a mate for god's sake. There was no betrayal and she had introduced her father to him at the earliest opportunity. He assumed far too much and as such didn't want her to have anyone. He wanted to keep her as no better than a slave for the rest of her life and she had messed with those plans of his.

She shook her head and tapped her fingers on the chair, sulking much like the child Masika proclaimed her to be acting like. It just wasn't fair, not at all. She shook her head idly and then glared at her father. It would be so tempting to pull out a gun and just shoot him. She stood there for several seconds after Lynx helped her up and glared at her father. There he went, flipping around and ignoring all who were there to talk to him. God damn the man. She walked over to the desk and scribbled down two words that cost her quite a bit to write. You win.

Once again she left her father's office and said nothing to Lynx at all. She walked past all the others, her mind made up. It was time that this ended. Masika was right. There was no use fighting over this any longer and she was done. Tired and done. She was sick of trying to live up to her father's expectations, sick of his constant digs and sick of lives being lost, because of her. No more. Not ever again. Numbly she pulled out her keys and made her way to her car.

Lynx nodded, and smiled lightly.

"Agreed. now I'll smooth things out with Thalia."

And he headed out to the car where Thalia was, lightly taking the keys fomr her nad rubbing her shoulders lightly.

"Relax. Masika will handle Darvien, and I've got us a treaty with Masika. We're trying to bring this city together...you just need to wait a little longer. besides, if this is just going to bother you lets focus on something more pleasurable. like wedding plans. you never did answer if anything got decided in your little meeting."


Darvien's chair stayed put, not a movement at all.

"Do we? I thought you let your feelings show pretty nicely. I'm an embarassment. I can't keep control of my daughter, and that reflects on my skills in everything. If I allow her to do things without my permission, I'm seen as giving her special favor. then, the others start either outright defying me or challenging me becuase they feel they deserve the right to do as they want just like she can. This isn't europe, like has bene mentioned. status and authority are not so set in stone."

turning his chair around.

"And now your going to leave, and take all the others with you. which leaves my position considerably weakened, not to mention will cuase me to lose face with those people who beleived that I had the authority to call you in. another sign of greater power stripped. So what exactly do you want from me, mother dearest? hmm? to bow down to Lynx Blackrose, to become just a figurehead like your mortals in russia?"

Oh he had crossed a line. Walking up to his chair, she put a hand on it and spun it back around to make him face her, yanking him up from his chair by the front of his suit and promptly held him up against the plated glass window he had previously been staring out. "Is this how I must do things with you? Must I be a horrid woman to get you to pay attention to me? And you did not listen to me! I did not put you down for how you handle Thalia! She's your daughter others expect her to have favor! If you were smart you would be able to let her have what she wanted and be able to control those around you too. No, but this is how you do it!" Tightening her grip on his clothing with of course restricted at his neck, nevermind that he didn't breath. "You torture and beat into subimission around you! Learn some finess Darvien!"

And thus he was tossed across his desk. She was very much not the happy woman. "What must I do Darvien." Pulling our her pistol and cocking it, pointing it at him. "Do I have to do things this way? Must I make you fear me to hear my words?" Shaking her head lightly. "And I am not gone yet....I never expected one such as yourself to admit defeat so fast. But I cannot stay if you are not willing to give an inch! I'm not asking you to even give to Lynx at all, but to me! I gave you so much when I turned you, and you have not once even thanked me for it. I dare think you hate being as you are, for your plan for your wife was thrown off course. Do you hate this Darvien? Me?" Masika's hardball was one of variety.

Listening to the young vampire, he holstered his gun and turned on his boot heel, beginning to walk back to the manor. "Do not worry Samantha, Masika never makes an absolute decision the first time she proclaims it...likes to stir the waters to see what she gets before going further. Calm yourself down now and keep an eyes on things, I'll be back in a moment's time."

Of course she didn't move when he hurled his gun at her, though she had suspected him to shoot at her really rahter than throw the thing and let it crash through the window in helpless fashion to fall to the street below. And she watched him with emotionless expression as he poured himself out. When he was done, she walked up to him, placed her fun to his forehead and pulled the trigger...only to have the hammer hit with a harmless click and a harmless whirl of the barrel. "Are you that dissatisfied with not being my most prized childe? Do you think it does not come with a price of his own? Nicolai giving up his own freedoms?"

Cocking the gun again, and pulling the trigger once more, to get the same effect as before. Well, two empties and six chambers. Ah math. "And Thalia are you pushing her away just to protect her? Or ar you afraid of what she can do with him? Are you so stuck in the past that you cannot find yourself a future? If that is the case then you might as well go wait for the dawn." Another c**k of her gun and agian another trigger pull, again a threat that had no climax to it.

"Do you think I made you helpless and defenseless when I made you? Do you honestly think that? I made Nicolai in my practical complete image powerwise...and you a little different. After all...why make copies when I can make ones who can in effect work how I need them too? How I desire? You wished to save your wife with a vampire's kiss...perhaps there is more to that than you think, that I gave you. I never tell my fledglings what I gave them, they discover that on your own. But you are so blind in these times...you don't even look to find such a thing. You are more powerful than you know..." Again the same actions with her gun still held to his forehead. "And with that...you could excel rather than cower behind a facade of a tyrant. Even now...do you not think you are a figurehead? Here I stand, the power behind you essentially...though we both know, don't we? Me and your siblings at your disposal...so much potiential."

Cocking the gun once more, but not firing. She knew better this time. "I does hurt this perhaps blackened soul to see you suffer. Need I end that for you? Is that what you want? I'd gladly do it for you if you feel that I have handed you such wretched an immortal life."

"potential..potential to do nothing. Your power if greatly appreciated...but I can't use you to put them down. How many would die in a single evening. that woudl rip this rift ever wider."

He shook his head lightly, not so much worrying about the gun.

"My gift is something hidden. something that I can't see or feel in me, and beyond my reach to think of. and any vampire can sire another, I don't see how that is special."

Though his hand went to the gun and pulled it away from his person.

"I don't feel it is wretched. I feel my choices have become so. You know me, mother. I don't likehaving what I work for taken or challenged. especially not by siblings or daughters. I woudl fight this hard against Nicolai as I would Thalia. My options are keep this war at a constant stalemate, or I'm going to have to concede to terms by thalia and lynx. I don't have the power left to best them after this last election. Humans are so fickle, and Lynx controls the treasury. he can buy me out, basically."

Taking back his seat and settling down in it.

"So what about a bit of motherly advice here then? what do you suggest?"


"It's the final battles, Thalia. Masika can't stay here forever, and Darvien knows it as well as you and I. He knows that he's in a war of attrition now. We control the flow of money, and humans are of so fickle when it comes to money. Hopefully we'll settle this before Masika leaves for russia again."

A chuckle.

"Thalia Adrik was your tempering. being tested by your father's desires and wants for you, being made to serve, though in you burned a defiant fire, kept close and hidden. then you met me, and found a way to let that flame burn bright without fear. now is the time that the long lived flame, burning brightly now, gets to burn brighter for the future of Bronson. a torch to light the way."

a grin at her last question.

"Good old fashioned luck?"