Friday Snippet
Soooooo yes. after restarting twice *coughs* I might actually make this :D have a snippet! Helen and the Rio de Janeiro head of house on the phone. S2 au of the expanded Cabal War.
Helen returned to her room as dawn broke. She looked at her bed for a long moment before reaching instead for a clean shirt and pair of pants. Sleep could come later. Her phone rang, startling her. Rolling her eyes at herself, she answered the blackberry. Rio's number. Helen gritted her teeth. González was blunt, to put it mildly. Conversations with her were difficult even when they agreed on a subject.
"Hello, Maria."
"I'm sending your vampire back," the werejaguar said without preamble.
Helen pinched the bridge of her nose. "What's he done now?"
"Drunk nearly five thousand reais worth of wine for starters." Maria González's words were clipped, her accent a peculiar mix; English via Spanish and Brazillian Portuguese. It would have been lovely if her words had held any warmth.
Helen rubbed her temples. She'd pay for that. "Did he finish the upgrade to your security systems?"
"So he claims," Maria said, her tone flat. "I have to question your association with him, Helen."
"Nikola is a good friend of mine-"
"Who disappeared for nearly sixty years," Maria pointed out reasonably. "He only resurfaced when he had the Cabal after him. I find that curious."
Helen grimaced, doing her best to keep her feelings out of her voice. "Is it?" she asked. "He was walking in hidden circles and fled to friends when he couldn't escape them. They're powerful, Maria." It hurt to admit that, but she'd never claimed to be the most powerful abnormal-oriented organization in the world.
It had been assumed so for lack of evidence to the contrary.
You know what they say about when you assume? she could practically hear someone chiding her.
"Hmm," Maria mused. "He's insulting and disruptive. If we weren't stretched so thin, I'd not have let him on my grounds. Keep him if you wish, but I'll not have him back."
"As you like."
"I wish to discuss London."
"What about London?"
"Young Declan is a capable gentleman, but would be better suited to stay in his position-"
"I'm not promoting Aaron over Declan," Helen interrupted. "You and I both know James was grooming Declan to take over. The transition was already underway. Aaron is a capable field agent, not a manager. I honestly doubt he'd even want the position."
"Have you actually asked? People change, Helen. Consider that for your dear old school-mate as well. I expect his transport to arrive within the hour. Good day." She hung up before Helen could speak again.
Seething, Helen locked her phone and put it back on the desk.
Helen returned to her room as dawn broke. She looked at her bed for a long moment before reaching instead for a clean shirt and pair of pants. Sleep could come later. Her phone rang, startling her. Rolling her eyes at herself, she answered the blackberry. Rio's number. Helen gritted her teeth. González was blunt, to put it mildly. Conversations with her were difficult even when they agreed on a subject.
"Hello, Maria."
"I'm sending your vampire back," the werejaguar said without preamble.
Helen pinched the bridge of her nose. "What's he done now?"
"Drunk nearly five thousand reais worth of wine for starters." Maria González's words were clipped, her accent a peculiar mix; English via Spanish and Brazillian Portuguese. It would have been lovely if her words had held any warmth.
Helen rubbed her temples. She'd pay for that. "Did he finish the upgrade to your security systems?"
"So he claims," Maria said, her tone flat. "I have to question your association with him, Helen."
"Nikola is a good friend of mine-"
"Who disappeared for nearly sixty years," Maria pointed out reasonably. "He only resurfaced when he had the Cabal after him. I find that curious."
Helen grimaced, doing her best to keep her feelings out of her voice. "Is it?" she asked. "He was walking in hidden circles and fled to friends when he couldn't escape them. They're powerful, Maria." It hurt to admit that, but she'd never claimed to be the most powerful abnormal-oriented organization in the world.
It had been assumed so for lack of evidence to the contrary.
You know what they say about when you assume? she could practically hear someone chiding her.
"Hmm," Maria mused. "He's insulting and disruptive. If we weren't stretched so thin, I'd not have let him on my grounds. Keep him if you wish, but I'll not have him back."
"As you like."
"I wish to discuss London."
"What about London?"
"Young Declan is a capable gentleman, but would be better suited to stay in his position-"
"I'm not promoting Aaron over Declan," Helen interrupted. "You and I both know James was grooming Declan to take over. The transition was already underway. Aaron is a capable field agent, not a manager. I honestly doubt he'd even want the position."
"Have you actually asked? People change, Helen. Consider that for your dear old school-mate as well. I expect his transport to arrive within the hour. Good day." She hung up before Helen could speak again.
Seething, Helen locked her phone and put it back on the desk.