Welcome to Gaia! ::

Valthier lightly let hs hands fall on his Hostess' hips as she leaned against him, and just as quickly and lightly set them away as she moved with her usual grace to her central position and reclined. his lips curled into a fiendishly mischeivous smile. "given the note, I take it that's wonderful news. knowing you, darling, you've probably diverted a disaster and turned it into an oppurtunity. count me in!" he remarked in a purring approval.

he loosened his coif, and pulled Cassandra into his lap on a nearby loveseat, which he decidedly reclined in sideways. he pet the Ancient's arm and hair, and began sniffing her hair in long drags.

~~~~~~~~~~

in no time at all Samuel had managed to arrive as well. he was led in by the servant, and his initially curious face lit up to one of relief.

"ah! there you all are, I was afraid I would be left high and dry! what is the damage, lovelies?"

"Sam precious, delightful you could join us. We were just discussing the best way to start an empire. My lady Cassandra, bring all the pets you like, darling," Scarlet replied approvingly. "I'll let my staff know that we will be housing more residents than usual for the unforeseeable future." Then she turned to her brother with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. "Devonte, do you plan to keep that poor girl by your side indefinitely?"

Devonte threw her a pained expression. "You told me to find a 'tidy hole' to put her in, and so far, no hole has presented itself."

"That does leave us a predicament," she said with mock gravity. "That...Wretch has heard everything, and unless she is dealt with, there could be...unfortunate repercussions. Suggestions, anyone?"

"That girl cowering behind Devonte," Scarlet pointed. Devonte obligingly reached behind him and roughly pushed her forward. She cringed under so many predatory eyes and tried to shrink back under Devonte's protective, broad shoulders.

Then Scarlet turned back to Sam. "For starters, my dear Doubting Thomas, I have enlisted the help of one of the most ancient vampires I have ever met. His power is quite impressive and he should be enough to hold the Red Court and Black Courts at bay. I also have resources enough to push politics out of the way. There are plenty who would eagerly accept the destruction of their own governments. We can easily move from country to country, recruiting the oppressed myth-creatures to our cause and reshaping human's perceptions of science. For decades now, I have seen the Fae and Fantastic pushed into obscurity, beautiful wonders forced into extinction by the ham-fisted race I used to belong to. I fear the hardest part will be convincing my dear emperor-to-be Markius that even though two vampires sit on the thrown we are not the only race worthy of the benefits of our empire."

"Yes, Devonte, where is our drink?" Scarlet turned again to her brother.

Devonte went back to the door and opened it to escort a small train of servants. Three were carrying ornate buckets rimmed with frost. In them were slender necked bottles, carefully cleaned from their long stay in her wine cellars. Two carried small crystal goblets rimmed with platinum (the traditional and more cost effective silver reacted badly with some of the guests Scarlet entertained). One servant carried a small table ornately carved from an ancient ceder burl, the wood polished until it gleamed like garnet. Keeping their eyes low and respectful, the servants set up the table, opened the bottles and respectfully poured no more than a single sip into one glass and handed it to Scarlet.

Scarlet accepted the glass, tasted the wine, and nodded approvingly. Then the servants poured and served the wine to the rest of her guests, offering the ruby vintage to the eldest first and finishing with filling Scarlet's glass. Then they scurried out of the room like frightened ferrets.

"A toast, lovelies." Scarlet said, raising her glass.

Ciro, now with his pants on, took the wine glass offered to him, and raised it high, adding to Cassandra's toast, "To the future; no looking back."

-------------------------------

"Hallo?"
"Oh thank goodness. Sir, we've been trying to contact you all night. How did your meeting go?"
"Not well. Sìoltach, dispatch a helicopter to me. I have a friend here that needs to get to the FBI."
"Yes sir."
"And Sìoltach, make sure to send a few men along for his protection."
"Of course. Anything else?"
"I'll be staying here."
"Alright. ETA is 45 minutes. Sit tight." *click*

"You're ride'll be here in 45 minutes, Jamie," Alfons explained.
"Perfect! Thank you! But what about our orders to stay put?" Jamie asked. Alfons turned to look out the window.
"Scarlet should understand. That data is important, and must get to your superiors. Worry about that, and that alone."

Scarlet raised her glass in agreement with both toasts. Ciro was obviously eager to prove his loyalty, and Cassandra was understandably wary of such a large undertaking. That was fine with her. Her doubters had been proved wrong before, and she was not the sort to demand blind faith, although she did appreciate it occasionally.

She also noticed that Valthier didn't seem enthusiastic about her choice of drink. "This vintage is older than I am, dear friend, and from a very special vineyard," she said with a wink. Then turning again to Wretch who was still torn between fear and confusion. "Child, do you have any preference about what happens to you? Any family we could notify or friends who might like to divide your assets?"

The girl paled even more, her skin almost gray with fear as she shook her head.

"Sister, dear, do not scare her to death," chided Devonte.

"Why?" Scarlet asked coyly, sipping again from her glass. "Do you have devious designs for her?"

"We cannot very well do anything with her, devious or otherwise, if her heart bursts," he explained, embarrassed to be defending such an unworthy mortal when Cassandra was in the same room.

"She is damaged," Scarlet commented dismissively. "I suspect that my lord emperor-to-be is responsible, and I doubt he would do anything so benign as to reverse it. If she really does not have surviving friends or family to claim her--which is not unusual for my guests--then she is officially off the grid, and we can do whatever we like with her."

The corner of Scarlet's smile curled cruelly. "You desire her for your own fantasies, precious. I suspect all of us might, in some dark corner of our hearts. Shall we have a bidding war for her? My first favor to my dearest and closest supporter?"