Somehow I thought I would get staked or something. None of the like happened. Yet there are so many implications to this that my head is spinning. And I’m not sure just who the old man hurt more.

Didn’t get to see much of Jason last night. In fact I merely had enough time to shake hands. Which worries me. It means he was left with a very bad situation to deal with and me being unable to do anything about it. Also he shrouds himself in professionality and avoids giving answers. Again. Which means he’s cautious. Again. Can’t say I blame him. Still. I don’t like it much around me, naturally.

Marchese Bruni pretty much almost gave me a heartattack. After what Styx said to the domain he walked up next to me, telling me that this would have consequences of its own. And I was like: What the fuck did I do wrong? Turns out – I didn’t. At least not in his eyes, which counts for something. There’s much and more we need to discuss though. At least I know he’ll listen and who’s side he’s on. Comforting, somewhat.

Father Shepherd. He’s still not very liked among people. But he’s very attentive. Which is a good thing. Makes him useful. I assigned him as my attaché. Should serve me well for now. And who knows. Maybe it’ll spurr some other people into action as well.

Which leaves me with two people, really. Jack and Styx. Now, Styx announced that Thomas, according to his will as an elder, no longer serves the domain as senator. Now it’s all nice and make-believe that he tries to sell it as his decision. But let’s just face it: Thomas was utterly unfit. Everybody with eyes to see noticed. Nice touch trying to barter something out of it – but not very artfully done. Had I the standing to do so I would have shoved that one right back down his throat.

Gets better though. Next thing he does is adressing Jack as the representative of the domain – with me standing right next to him and being ignored. Seriously. The prince is a peace-loving woman, which is probably everything that will keep her from viewing this as a breach of the second tradition. After all she instate the senate – and he expressis verbis basically tried to cut off the other senator. She did say that there would be an announcement and that she gave her blessing to it. I wonder whether that included this part as well – which I doubt. She would have asked for my chain of office then. Very annoying. There’s always a fool around who’ll believe that little display of power.

And what’s it Jack does? Nothing. Nothing at all. For fear that if he had, the old man would have taken my head. Well, let him. Obviously his clan can’t defend himself on his own. Obviously I’m important enough to make him crawl all the way up here, just to try and piss me off. What exactly does that show us? Ah, right: His ancilla can’t stand his ground without the elder patting his back. Nor can he keep a Toreador neonate in check without said elder help. Yeah. How’s that for ruining your own investment, old man? Not everyone will see it that way. But again: There’s always someone who can count one and one together.

I suppose they expect me to just give some pretty smiles and come crawling. Should I? For being humiliated like this just because I punished a Nosferatu neonate? You’ve got to be kidding me. You do that over this small thing? Boy, do we have a priority problem or what.

Next thing I know I hear that someone put Mira back on the team. It’s such a fortunate coincidence that the Nosferatu provide us with information that makes it utterly necessary to have a Nosferatu on the team. Things like that are so very likely it makes me want to throw up bad.

In fact – all of this wants to make me throw up real bad. The elder gets pissed for feeding him information. Then he gets pissed for treating his lot like the rest. And instead of letting me explain he climbs up from the sewers and gives a weak display of his own investment, cutting Jack much deeper than he did me. He really has to hate the guts of that man. So why not kill me and be done with it? That would hurt, I guarantee you.

Congratulations. If your intention was to break my pride you have successfully stoked it higher. Bring it on.

The call. Greg had just made it, informing him that Jack had been at his appartment, asking to see him. Dutifully Greg had declined to tell – but ended up doing it anyway, which could only mean that somehow the old man had made him spill the beans.
Nathaniel sat on the sofa, staring down at the cell phone. Shaking his head in disbelief he went over last night again. And again.
“Really, you should get your mind off of things, Natey…” Dee walked up behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders and bending down just far enough so she could kiss his hair.
“Can’t. It’s pissing me off.”
“I can see that. But that’s just what he wanted, isn’t it?”
Nate gave a short growl. “I imagine he had other reasons for me to be pissed off at in mind. Nor do I think he wanted to hurt his precious boy.”
“Will you go see him?”
He gave a nod.
“Don’t stay with him tonight. Please…” Dee gave a certain emphasize to the word stay.
He knew what to make of it and nodded again. “Not tonight.” This time he would keep his wits about him. This time he wouldn’t let the blood overwrite his smarts again. This time around he had to stay sharp. No matter just how much it hurt to do it. No matter just how straining.