Making friends Who: Liliya and Nikita Where: Nikita’s home When: Evening
To say the least, Nikita was stressed. On top of her recent mini-breakdown, there was the whole thing with Silvia, and not just the fact she was her new mother. There was also the fight she and Kristen had and at some point, she needed to confront the younger blonde about all of it. For Silvia’s sake, Nikita reminded herself. Nikita’s mind raced while she thought of all the different possibilities of how that could turn out and they were all bad. Well, there was that one scenario where Kristen hugged her and said she never meant anything she said and all was sunshine and butterflies. Yeah right. Another reason why Nikita hated humans even more. She couldn’t let them make her feel inferior for even a second. Eventually they would crumble and be beneath all vampires. One day Kristen would grow up and no longer be a child and Nikita’s adoration to her would disappear. She didn’t like thinking of it that way, but it was the truth. She just prayed she wouldn’t have to add another Peloe to her “to-do” list.
In order to clear her mind, the Rose has invited Liliya over. Typically she would have gone to Jezebelle for said mind clearing, but that would involve booze and probably being thrown out of Heme, even if Grayson said he didn’t mind so much. Tonight would be something more low key and relaxing. She even had one of her assistant come over to act as a blood doll. Not Annie, she liked her too much. One of the younger brunettes that worked at Cherryblossom - an air elemental and born witch. Odd combination, but it was the only one who took the extra money to do such a deed. After putting on some soothing piano music, Nikita stopped by one of the mirrors in the hallway to double check herself before going to the main foyer to peek out the window. She didn’t mind if Liliya came early or was running late. Just as long as they were able to enjoy tonight, then that was all that mattered. Besides, Nikita liked the fellow vampire.
This, that, the other... it was never over. It would never be over and that was part of why Liliya had not turned the offer made to her down flat. Politics would always be there and politicians would always have a job. Especially when they happened to work for people like the city administrator of a place like Ann Arbor. Even without the Light of May it had been bustling thanks to the college and all of the people who lived there mostly because of it. Plans to be made and carried out and he was ‘far too busy’ to do most of it himself. So it fell to Liliya. And then to her plethora of assistants and underlings because like hell she was doing his dirty work. She had her own to take care of, thank you, and if Maureen was not frightening enough on her own then apparently Michael was fully aware of her existence and had no problem calling to tell her when he needed something done. Shocking enough, today had been simple. Easy almost. Except she had seen her face in the magazine thanks to that thing Whisper had done, received a few more lovely emails that Ashley had been reluctant to tell her about, and apparently a local curator had been involved in some accident potentially dealing with blood magic. Liliya did not see why that should have anything to do with her. All the blood that had apparently been left on the scene should have made it more than obvious that a vampire was not involved.
None of that was currently important. She was done for the day, work was over and she could allow herself to think of other things. Like the fact that she was stopping by Nikita’s on her way home because she had been invited. Exactly why she had been invited was beyond her, but Liliya knew better than to turn down an invitation without a good reason. Nikita may not have been a Cyri but she was still older than her, and held a considerable amount of power. So when she offered to have Liliya come over she decided to oblige. Even if she really wanted to do nothing more than drive over to Via’s and continue reveling in the fact that there were actual feelings there that extended past the physical side. Stop that, she chided herself, smoothing her cardigan down over her skirt as she walked up to Nikita’s front door and rang the bell. Perhaps she would even have a bottle of blood. Liliya had not eaten since that morning and was beginning to feel the slight pangs of hunger. At least she’s not a human. Being hungry and discussing things with humans was always so frustrating.
Upon hearing the doorbell, Nikita perked up and made her way over. She was only expecting one person and hopefully she didn’t have a random illegal client on her doorstep. They would get a bullet lodged into their face so fast it wouldn’t be funny. Thankfully, none of that needed to happen, seeing that she opened the door and there was Liliya. “Liliya! Darling! So glad to see you. Please, do come in and make yourself at home.” Being a Rose, she was all about being materialistic and she hoped her lavish home was enough for the vampire. Liliya herself did have a lovey home, so it was always good to have a peer with similar tastes. Speaking of tastes... “Are you hungry at all? I brought a special treat over just in case.” Poor new assistant had no idea what she was signing up for.
Ah good, the invitation inside. Liliya always hated that moment where she had to linger in the doorway waiting for the invitation from someone who lived there. Just the fact that she could be refused entry if someone desired to do that irritated her to no end. No one had actually done it yet, but they were capable. And that ruffled her non-existent feathers. “Thank you, Nikita, I was glad to receive your invitation.” Even if she was not sure whether there was an exact purpose behind it or not. As a Cyri she tended to look at all things as having some sort of a purpose or ulterior motive because if she had something to say about it then they did. And she had to hand it to Nikita for having a nice place. Had her house beat for sure. “Actually, yes, I could use a bite to eat. I haven’t had anything since this morning. So long as it’s not were. Leaves a terrible aftertaste that takes days to get out.” Yes, she was picky. With her position and live-in blood doll she could afford to eat only what she wanted when she wanted it.
No true purpose, to be honest. Nikita didn’t have an agenda tonight - just to relax. She imagined the busy politician could use the same thing. “Since this morning? Oh, well let’s fix that right away. Come along!” With a smile on her lips she motioned Liliya to follow her into the living room, where the young, brunette assistant was sitting all pretty. She was currently flipping through some fashion magazines that Nikita had lying on the coffee table, though jumped to her feet quite fast when she spotted her boss along with her guest. “Liliya, this is Jessie. She’ll be our gracious blood donor for this evening. Air elemental and born witch, if I remember correctly.” The young lady nodded, a bit nervous, but smiling all the while. It was worth the extra money in her mind, anyways. “Feel free to drink away,” Nikita insisted before sitting down on one of the couches. She’d let Liliya have a bite before having a little herself. Poor vampire had to be famished.
Following along further into the house, Liliya noticed the scent of a living human on the air almost instantly. Ah, that would explain it. Jessie was almost a cute name. But a good name for some random human who was apparently going to serve as her meal of the night. “That’s so nice of you to have someone come over instead of just putting it into a glass like most people.” Liliya settled down on the couch and motioned for Jessie to join her. She could have bitten her neck, usually preferred it, but she did not want to make a mess. Picking up the woman’s hand she flipped it over to expose her wrist. Lifting her hand up, Liliya bent her head down, breaking the thin skin over Jessie’s wrist before taking a long drink. The blood did not flow as well, but Liliya did not really need to drink all that much. Yes she was hungry, but she was not starving and besides, it would be rude to hog all of the blood when it was Nikita’s house. “Absolutely delicious,” the Cyri approved as she lapped up the last bit of blood, wiping at her mouth before directing a smile at Nikita. “Thank you for sharing.”
Nikita did have bottled blood when there was absolutely no other choice, but she did her best to have a live source floating around at all times. Working with illegal business always made that easier to deal with. “Anything for a guest.” Nikita smiled right back at Liliya, happy that she approved of the human. Jessie seemed to wince upon being bitten, but what human didn’t for their first time? At least she wasn’t getting drained from the neck. Once Liliya was done, she gestured for Jessie to come over by her for her turn. “It’s funny, because the owner of that vampire bar, Heme? He lives in my complex and part of me wants to suggest to him to have live donors instead of the bottled blood.” She cringed a bit at the thought of bottled blood before taking a bite from Jessie’s wrist. Air elemental blood always made her feel like she was on a creative high, like she suddenly had a million ideas and needed to get them out. It would make her talkative, that was for sure. With her bit of blood finished, she told the girl to leave them be for the time being. Go raid the kitchen, even watch television upstairs. She didn’t pay her money to sit in on their conversation for all night.
It was not her favored angelic, but Liliya had nothing at all against the air elemental. Gave her a creative little boost that she never objected to. Even if she did not necessarily need it. Never hurt to have a boost, right? “Heme could make a profit that way,” Liliya agreed, tapping a finger against her lips. A frown appeared after Jessie had made her exit. “But the authorities would likely consider it to be some form of prostitution. And that is not ...legal in our state.” That was why places like Ad Gustum existed. For the vampires who needed a live blood source, or company, that they could not find on their own. Liliya was guilty of indulging. “The black market will continue to thrive while the legal one suffers just that bit more for it.” The vampire shrugged her shoulders. It was no true concern of hers, after all. She technically dealt on the legal side of things and left the other for those such as Nikita and her colleagues. With notable exceptions for those such as that idiot vampire in Chicago she had needed to deal with. Hardly counted when it was an order.
A form of prostitution? Nikita almost laughed at that. “The authorities have always been so silly. The way I look at it, it’s the same way with how some humans prefer their food to be homemade and fresh as opposed to whatever those frozen things are that they throw in the microwave.” Nikita was so happy she wasn’t human when the stupid mortals started to think that was a good idea. Bleh. “Sadly, some vampires are perfectly fine with never touching a human body. But you’re right. The black market has always profited from what the law deems as unsuitable for the people. Just goes to show how little they know of the people’s wants.” She smiled gently while pushing hair out from her eyes and chuckled. “We need more ladies like you swaying people to our side.” Easier said than done, Nikita knew that. Her goal, after all, was to spread vice amongst humans to the point that their law no longer existed and all the remained were vampires above them. It would take time, but she had all the time in the world.
Authorities were just a little silly, but if one looked at it the right way then they could also be useful. Very, very rarely. Did Liliya even know a vampire who worked for the police? No, she did not think that she did, and that was going to have to change. A vampire on the police force could be extremely useful - more so if they were also a Cyri. “Hey, I used to live off those,” Liliya half-protested, though a smile quirked up the corner of her mouth as she crossed her legs. “They’re quick and keep you going when you don’t have time to cook. Though I suppose Alex was a good enough cook.” He smiled far too much for her taste and was always so... insistent. “And I prefer a live meal, but it looks so much better if you drink from a glass.” Which was precisely why Liliya usually did exactly that. Well, and then there was the part where she did not like struggling humans and even ones who thought they wanted to get bitten could be reluctant after the pain set in. “Trust me, ladies like I are doing our absolutely best to sway as many people as we can to the right side. Unfortunately the other side has their own irritants.” A roll of her eyes as she leaned back. “That, and I’ve only been able to influence directly as a vampire since May. Time will help.” No matter whether demons came to stir up trouble or not, time would still be a great use. “I’m sure ones such as yourself are doing their best as well.”
Nikita couldn’t help but laugh a little as Liliya went talking about the bottled blood. She had been raised on nothing but blood from the source. Katia taught her well in that respect. This whole bottled thing was a bit too modern for her taste - no pun intended - and she hoped one day it would be acceptable for vampires to feed from the proper source. And Liliya was right - time would help. “And we got plenty of time,” Nikita pointed out. “Nothing happens overnight, sadly. I have no doubts that you will flourish with your work.” As for her own work, a devious smile formed on her lips. She knew Liliya wasn’t hinting at her work with the luxury condos and suites. She had plenty of wealthy vampires living in them, of course, but where her real expertise lied was in her illegal work. “We definitely are. Always are.” Talking about the Roses wasn’t something any of her family members did and sadly, that was as much information as she could give Liliya regarding that. Their revolution would come one day. She was sure of it. “Business has been... well, booming since the demons came about. I’m rather glad they did. Selling my goods like hotcakes or whatever humans enjoy to eat.” Cake did sound yummy.
Nikita was very much a different vampire from Liliya, that was evident in more than one way but it was really sticking out when it came to their views on feeding. When Liliya wanted a live meal it tended to be someone who agreed - Naoki. Those vampires who went around just picking and choosing from among the humans were a little too barbaric. If they wanted to be able to win the humans and their kind over then there needed to be a little finesse. Brute force could not do as good a job, of that she was convinced. That and the idea of certain humans being viewed as nothing more than food unsettled her slightly. Once they die it’ll be easier. Family got in the way so very well, did they not? “And my hopes are that you will continue to as well. Even if I can’t be one of your more constant customers I do hope that they continue to find their way to you.” She deserved it if only because she was polite, not half bad to look at and the sort of person that Liliya could be around without wanting to drown herself in the nearest bottle of angelic blood. “How have things been other than business? I could almost swear that I smell a cat.” If that was the case she would need to find it just so that Snowball would go insane when she got home. Barking dogs were amusing in brief bursts.
Business would continue to go well, Nikita was sure of that. No way in hell she was going to have more tattoos removed. The horrible scar on her upper right arm was enough of a reminder of what happened when a Rose fucked up. Even if the economy in the country was horrible, there was still a need to illegal arms. There always would be. And Nikita would be there. “Just because you don’t buy from me on a daily basis doesn’t mean I don’t consider you a friend.” She’d jump to Liliya’s need far quicker than any male she had been dealing with for the past who knew how long. Ladies first. As for the mention of the cat, Nikita actually beamed about that. She had yet to tell anyone about her new daughter! The composed, yet cold business woman melted away and all that was left was the giddiness of a new mother. “I happened to adopt a little girl recently. Used to be close with her family, but they were killed by the first wave of demons. She didn’t have anywhere to go, so she’s living here now. A werecat. She’s just simply precious. I’m happy to have her in my life.” Nikita couldn’t stop smiling over this. She wasn’t suppose to care about anyone that wasn’t a vampire... but it was a child! They were too innocent and adorable to be cast aside. Not to mention this was a dream come true for the vampire.
Liliya was considered someone’s friend? There’s a first time for everything, even after you’re already dead. She allowed herself to smile and nodded at Nikita. Friends were one of those things that were considered to be a weakness, and extremely human, but perhaps it was different when both of the people involved were vampires. It was not as though Nikita was going to do and drop dead from natural causes any time soon - unless silver bullets and stakes were what counted as causes of ‘natural’ death for vampires... that was something for her to mull over. Another time because at the question about the cat, Nikita actually beamed. Liliya knew people who loved their pets and all, but that reaction was - oh. Not a cat then, a were. A child whose parents had been... “Wait.” Liliya lifted one hand, brow knitting together in concentration. Something about that story sounded vaguely familiar. Not the were part, but a girl whose parents had died in the first wave. “There was a girl who went missing after the first attacks, no one could find her. Silvia something. Is this the girl you’ve adopted?” And why had that not come to her attention? Surely the newspapers should have been all over a girl thought dead ending up not so... or it had been printed and she had just overlooked it. That was also very possible. “Either way, I am happy for you, of course.” Even if the idea of having a child around would not have delighted her. To each their own.
Very different for vampires. Indeed. Nikita didn’t exactly make friends with people who were not permanent. The children were different, though. She couldn’t help but adore them. Anyone should have considered it an appreciated token that Nikita even considered them friends. She had more enemies than she did friends these days and sometimes she liked it better that way. Keep them closer after all, right? At the mention of Silvia, Nikita nodded her head, being the proud new mother she was. “That would be her. She’s safe and sound now. It was either she came here or they sent her off to a foster home. I couldn’t have that happen. No child should be forced to do something like that.” Silvia had wanted Nikita to adopt her. That’s what tickled her heart the most. And the thought of the kitten going off to a home where she wouldn’t be truly loved broke her heart. Nikita would give her a loving environment. ...or I’ll try to. She had her doubts, but that was neither here or there. “Thank you, though. I just hope I can live up to the whole expectations of being a good parent.” A tiny sigh slipped by, eyes wandering to the side for a second before snapping back to Liliya. “And what about you? Your family doing well?” She meant both vampire and personal, of course. Almost everyone knew that Liliya had a deaf husband, thanks to the media. Had to be hard to keep a relationship together when the media was constantly there.
Ah. Well, at least there was one mystery solved. A were-cat whose parents had been killed had somehow managed to go and survive and get herself adopted by one of the richest vampires in Scarlet Oak. Well done on her part. If it had been intentional. One could never tell when it came to children. Not in Liliya’s experience at least which was, granted, limited, but still her point was there. “I think that you could do an absolutely wonderful job, Nikita, and I wish you all the very best with it.” The Cyri would have much preferred the conversation stayed on Nikita and all the things that she was dealing with, but it seemed that was not going to happen. People always wanted to know. “One of my families is still alive and the other is very much dead, but still active. At my last check both were doing quite well.” One particular member of the family is doing very well indeed. A slight smile curved her lips against her will before she managed to will it away. “All in all, I think I’m doing quite well. Perhaps the best that I have since my turning.” It was a genuinely nice feeling and here she had thought that she was incapable of feeling those.
Hearing that she would do well only made Nikita smile some more. Had she been capable of blushing, she would have done that as well. The Rose was nervous about the future, such as PTO meetings or even conversing with other mothers in the area. She was pretty certain that there were no other vampire mothers in the area. Being a sire didn’t count, either. “Thank you, darling. You’re too kind.” Truly, she was. Part of her wished that perhaps Liliya had a child of some sort before she was turned and could give advice... hmm, definitely not the case here. Perhaps she could ask Linnea at some point. “You definitely seem to be in high spirits. You’re practically glowing.” Almost reminded her of how Jezebelle had been lately. She doubt Liliya had sired someone and fell in love with them. “If I remember correctly from the media, you’re quite young in regards to being a vampire, am I right?” It truly didn’t matter to Nikita, but she was curious and figured it would be interesting conversation material. “I honestly wouldn’t know either way. You fit in quite well amongst us old ones.” Even Nikita knew she wasn’t that old in comparison to a few. Katia was nearly ancient.
Too kind? Liliya only just managed to keep from laughing at that declaration because there was no chance in hell that she was ever too kind to anyone. But if Nikita wanted to think that then she was more than welcome to let her keep on with it. It was a positive opinion and those were far better than negative ones. People with positive views did not get one noticed in bad ways after all. Usually. That Liliya had ever noticed. “Oh I only say what I think is true.” If vampires could be good parents then Nikita was sure to be one of them. If it turned out that they could not be then, well, then that was how it was. Liliya had never really thought about the whole being a parent thing because she was incapable of it now. “Am I? It’s been a good few days and I suppose that reflects.” How could she help but be anything other than happy or glowing when Via had declared she loved her and... no, that smile was not really going to go anywhere after all. A new and permanent fixture. “I only just turned thirty-three,” Liliya admitted. “When I died, I was twenty-six. Most still think of me as a child.” And in comparison? She could admit, to herself, that she was. “Thank you though, I believe that my personality and demeanor is part of the reason I was changed. Have to act right to be where I am.” It was all about self-control. Public appearance. Liliya had them and knew how to use them. “You are older, as you just said... how much?”
Only thirty-three?! That had been around the age that Nikita herself was turned. Give or take. It had been far too long since she kept track of that sort of thing. Amongst the older vampires, Liliya was definitely a child. So much to learn and experience. Not to say she wasn’t already, but so much happened in just a hundred years. Nikita knew that just as well as anyone else. And when the question came back to her, she tried not to smirk too much. No one was suppose to ask a lady’s age exactly, but then again, she was the one that pointed out Liliya was young, so it was only fair. “I can’t remember the last time someone asked me that,” Nikita mused to herself out loud. “Hmmm... let’s see. I was born before the Russian Revolution in the early 1900s, so... 138? Give or take? At least a hundred more years than you, darling.” She chuckled at the thought before shaking her head. “Oh, but don’t you worry. You have a long life ahead of you. You’re definitely making the most of it now, so I can only imagine what you’ll be doing a hundred years from now.” She paused and smirked some more. “That Cameron will be dead, I know that.”
In normal circumstances Liliya was more than polite enough to avoid asking someone how old they were. But once you involved vampires 'normal' went out the window because they were nothing of the sort. And besides that, Nikita had asked about her age as well without even a hint of shame. One hundred and thirty-eight. Wow. Liliya covered her surprise well, used to being around people who were that much older than her, and just nodded. Well over a hundred years older than her. "Cheers for keeping your looks." Although that was a pointless statement since of course a vampire would keep their looks. "A hundred years from now..." She would be the top. At the very least she would be aiming for it. If she was going to be forced to continue this life then she would not be content without continuing to climb the ladder. They had started boosting her up it, what else could they expect her to do? "And long dead, yes, but I am sure there will be always be more to take his place. Nuisances, nothing more." Liliya was not truly concerned about the human rights activists. They already had their rights for the love of god. "I'm not worried about it."
Nikita actually laughed at Liliya’s comment about the looks. Sorry, but it was a good joke amongst vampires, if nothing else. Besides, it felt good to laugh every now and then. The fellow vampire seemed to be musing about something at the mention of a hundred years from now, but Nikita didn’t push the matter. So much time always made the younger ones glow. She knew she had back when Katia turned her. “There will always be a bump or two along the road, but I would like to think that one day we won’t have a thing to worry about.” That was the ultimate purpose of the Roses. Without that incentive, the family would be nothing. “It’s something to look forward to with an eternity waiting ahead.” Nikita even smirked a bit at that one.
A bump or two along the road... Liliya believed that she knew what that was like, at least a little bit, and also believed that she had also gone through it. She counted what had happened with Alex as a bump, and then all of this with Naoki? Men in my life only make difficulties... Even her own Elder only spoke to her when she needed to do something and those something's got her on the news nine times out of ten, with the tenth time being when no one could know that she had done it. Such as that Sammael vampire in Chicago who had been idiotic enough to make those claims of his where people could record and repeat them. What an idiot. "Mmm, if the road was smooth it wouldn't be quite as interesting." That sounded like something that someone like her was supposed to say. "Especially since we have an eternity to live. Wouldn't want to take the spontaneity out of life altogether now would we?" Actually, Liliya would be content to do just exactly that. Then she could settle back and have not a single worry about what anyone else thought or did. Hmmm... "I'm sure you've experienced far more bumps than I, having gone through a Revolution."
It took a second for Nikita to process what exactly Liliya meant by a revolution. The Roses’ intentions always came to her mind first, instantly wondering how the younger vampire caught on, but she knew better. Nikita had lived through a mortal revolution, one that Katia laughed at years ago. She didn’t frown at the thought, but the smile of hers definitely dulled. “Times were rough back then. I look at families now and how they complain about life being rough and-” She laughed while shaking her head. “They know nothing of hard times. I remember when I started working in the factories, barely seven, just so I could earn enough money for a couple pieces of wood for the fire place at night. A small loaf of bread had to be portioned amongst me, my parents, sisters, and brothers back then. We had nothing except whatever pathetic dignity dwelled in our souls.” Nikita managed to put another smile back onto her face. “But things changed, for better and for worse. I’d like to think I’m a prime example of going from rags to riches. It just takes time.” And a lot of bullets to shoot into people’s heads.