It was a dark night in the 1920s when Adrian and Kamilah were sitting at a table in a restaurant, in their minds debating whether this was a mistake. Regardless, it became plain that the answer didn’t really matter: As soon as they saw The Baron and his men enter, they knew there was no going back anymore.
He approached the two, his dead eyes set on them. Yet, he didn’t greet them, just sat down at the opposite of them on the padded bench that was surrounding the table. His men followed, wearing suits and emotionless faces, and sat down close to their boss, quiet as well.
Immediately, Kamilah scowled at his companions. “This is supposed to be a peaceful meeting.”
The Baron’s neutral face turned into an angry one… Not that there was much of a difference. “You won’t let me bring my thugs?”
“It was said explicitly that only future Council members are welcome,” Kamilah responded in anger. “I demand you send them out!”
The Baron’s eyes narrowed at her as he began to growl, showing nothing but disgust and hatred towards Kamilah with just this reaction. Obviously, he was quite unsure what to do next.
“Now!” she added angrily. Kamilah was two millennia old – she could fight a newly Turned vampire in her sleep.
He continued to stare at her in anger, before deciding to play it safe by turning to his thugs and sending them out. The next few minutes he spent eyeing Kamilah and Adrian with an angry face, his arms crossed over his chest.
The uncomfortable atmosphere was temporary stopped by Lester approaching the table.
“Good evening, Lester,” Adrian greeted, obviously attempting to lighten up the mood at least to some extent.
“Good evening, Adrian,” Lester merely replied when taking a seat as well. “And hello, Kamilah.”
“Hello, Lester.”
It was plain that everyone knew each other rather well… Except for one. Lester faced The Baron, who was sitting the farest away from the others, and asked, “You here, too?”
Before The Baron could get in any way offended, Adrian revealed, “We thought it was a good idea to invite The Baron as well, since he has defeated Gaius with us.” The last bit of the sentence ‘…And is too powerful to have as an enemy’ was something he left out on purpose. The Council would be an alliance that was supposed to work as smoothly as possible.
“That’s alright with me,” Lester answered, seeming as if he hadn’t had a horrible day at his plant… Unlike sometimes when the men he was constantly oppressing were rebelling against his ways of unfair payment and dangerous work.
Minutes passed until it was the right time once again for Lester to ask his favorite question. “Where’s Vega?”
“I don’t know,” Adrian answered, “but let’s not order until we are complete.”
Slowly but surely, even Lester was seeming to get angry. “We said 9 pm. He’s almost twenty minutes late!”
“I’m sure he has his reasons,” Adrian merely replied coldly.
“He’s never on time! Seriously, if he isn’t here in five minutes, we will rule him out!” Lester predicted angrily. “No Clan for him, then!”
“We won’t,” Kamilah decided in a voice that was calm, yet displaying absolutely no interest in debating her words.
Lester scowled at her. He was obviously angry, yet didn’t seem willing to debate Kamilah on the topic.
It was then that Vega approached the table, wearing a polished smile on his face, Priya pulled close by an arm he had wrapped around her waist. “Hello, friends!” he greeted them, suddenly bringing positive energy to the seemingly upset table. “We’re truly sorry for the delay!”
“Couldn’t stop the barneymugging,” Priya mumbled to herself with a smirk.
The others watched their arrival with neutral faces, Lester with an angry one, as the couple sat down as well, thereby completing the Council.
Immediately, The Baron asked, “The girl, too?”
Even Kamilah was surprised. “Apparently?”
“Priya here did a great job helping us to take down Gaius, so we figured it would only be fair if she received her own Clan in return,” Vega explained smoothly.
Kamilah faced the rather young vampire critically. Honestly, she had already disliked her the first time she had seen her, weeks ago. Her careless party girl personality mixed with her ridiculously incorrect slang language… Naturally, Kamilah had her doubts about Priya’s responsibility. “And she is able to lead an entire Clan?”
“Absolutely,” Vega assured her. “Priya is a very intelligent woman with truly superior leading qualities. Isn’t it so, doll?”
“Banana oil!”
He nudged her, scowling, apparently unhappy with the answer.
“Err, totes! I’m no Dumb Dora!”
Kamilah raised a very sceptic eyebrow. While Vega had seemed convincing enough, Priya had somehow managed to take that security away with words Kamilah hadn’t even understood.
The six were interrupted by a waitress who was – after creepy flirting coming from Lester’s side of the table – taking their orders. After she left the table, Adrian and Kamilah could see that private conversations between both Lester and The Baron and Adam and Priya had come up.
Adrian looked to the left…
“So, Baron, when were you Turned?”
“Just a few weeks ago.”
…Kamilah to the right…
“Babes, I think I forgot my wallet.”
“Doll, you own a wallet?”
…as they met each other’s glances again, and Kamilah cleared her throat loudly.
Then, all eyes were on her.
“Excuse me, but we came together to discuss the new Council,” she reminded them calmly. “As the Senior member, I will be leading the discussion, as well as future votes and the like.”
An age-based hierarchy was something The Baron seemed to dislike as he asked in anger, “Senior member?”
“Yes. I am by far the oldest, so it is the most logical solution for me to lead us. But that’ll be all. We’re a democracy, and my voice won’t count more than yours.”
“So what do I get?” Lester asked, unafraid to hide his selfishness. “I’m the second oldest.”
“You’re my backup,” Kamilah decided, “in case I will ever be missing.”
“And I’m the backup’s backup?” Vega asked, apparently not uninterested in this chance of power and authority over the others.
Kamilah tried not to roll her eyes. “Yes.”
“So, if I kill both you and Lester, I’ll rule over the Council?” he asked, suddenly wearing a smile.
Priya laughed, but Kamilah scowled at him immediately.
“I’m just kidding,” he answered, trying to calm her down with the exact same trustworthy smile. “Just trying to lighten up the mood! What’s the next point?”
“Sectors,” Adrian threw in. “Sectors and brands.”
“It makes sense for every Clan to have an own sector, something to specialize in,” Kamilah explained. “For example, Adam, you’re a politician, so your sector could be politics, The Baron’s crime, since he’s a crime boss. However, the sectors don’t need to be certain so soon. The more fields we cover, the bigger our benefits will be.”
“With crime, I could fight you all,” The Baron claimed.
“We work together, not against each other,” Kamilah explained, scowling for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Sure,” The Baron answered, not seeming to care that his answer sounded less than convincing.
“Enough about the sectors,” Lester demanded. “You were saying something about brands?”
“Well, yes, we all need a brand for our Clan members,” Kamilah elaborated.
It was then that Priya spoke up. “Can my friends be my Clan members? ‘Cause I won’t allow ugly people in my Clan.”
Kamilah felt the sudden urge to roll her eyes. A single stupid question and, of course, it had to come from Priya. She answered, “If you brand them, sure. It’s on you to decide who to let into your Clan, but remember that you only have 29 open spots.”
“And what if Vega gifts me Clan gifts?” she just asked.
Lester turned to Kamilah, immediately wanting to know, “What are Clan gifts?”
For the first time, Kamilah seemed mentally exhausted. “I don’t know. I think she just invented that.”
Laughter came from Vega’s and Priya’s side of the table, and she said “Y’all, we def need to make Clan gifts a thing.”
Kamilah felt like losing it with her, but, finally, the food was served, saving her from explaining that probably no one would ever gift the other’s Clan anything, and therefore ‘Clan gifts’ were a baseless concept.
When everyone was either eating or complaining about the food, Kamilah, who had been observing the scene, was addressed by Adrian. “Are you enjoying the night, Kamilah? At least, partly?” he wanted to know, as caring as always.
“I will have enjoyed it if no one ends up dead,” Kamilah just answered coldly, eyes particularly on The Baron, the tone of her voice so serious that Adrian couldn’t tell whether she was joking or not.
“Just… try to socialize,” he advised her. “I mean, we know Lester and Vega, but there are two faces we don’t really know and maybe, just maybe, could befriend.”
She looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “Befriend? Brother, are you asking me to befriend that ruthless gangster to my left? Or this brainless party girl to my right?”
He couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Let me start a conversation for us.” He turned to his right, preferring a girl that smelled like smoke and too much of expensive perfume over a guy that smelled like blood sausage and cigar ash. “Priya, is it?”
She looked at him, Vega as well, both of them smiling like usually. “Pos-i-lute-ly,” she answered, apparently in a good mood.
Adrian wanted to say something back, but Priya was faster, pointing at him and Kamilah and asking, “Sheik and Sheba?”
Adrian raised both eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
After uttering a laugh, Vega turned to Priya and told her, obviously amused, “They’re not.”
“Oh.”
Adrian shook his head, perplexed, but wanting to keep the conversation going. “You’re… an interesting couple.”
“He’s my daddy.”
Adrian just gaped. “Uh…”
Even Vega seemed embarrassed, mumbling to his girlfriend, “Doll, you should stop with the slang… They don’t quite understand it…”
Priya presented him a sad face. “Rhatz! I love slang.”
After a few seconds of silence, Adrian cleared his throat, and asked, “So, Priya, do you work in politics, too?” Obviously, the answer was no, but straight up asking if she was employed at all seemed rude.
As expected, both of them laughed, and Priya just said, “Ew, no. I hate politics.”
“Priya is more of a free spirit,” Vega told them happily with a smile that was slightly different, somehow more… sincere. As if he really did feel something for that woman.
Suddenly, Kamilah asked exactly what Adrian had assumed to be too bold: “So, she’s unemployed?”
Vega’s expression darkened immediately. He seemed honestly angry. “No, she’s not unemployed. Please don’t judge her without knowing her at all. Thank you.”
Kamilah doubted the truth of his statement, but asked anyway, the question directed at Priya. “Fine, then, what do you do for a living, Priya?”
She looked up at Vega, as if unsure what to say, who looked at her, then back at the two as he answered, “Priya works in the artistic field. Like I said, she’s incredibly creative. You should see her drawings, they’re fantastic.”
“Fair enough,” Kamilah judged coldly. “Can she also speak for herself, or do you do that for her?”
“She can, if I allow her.”
Priya nudged her boyfriend playfully, grinning, just like him. “Oh, shut up.”
Kamilah rolled her eyes at their dynamic.
Their conversation was interrupted by Lester who asked, directing it at everyone, “So, about the brands, can we just… decide them, or what?”
“Someone would need to come up with the designs,” Adrian answered. “But besides that… Sure.”
“And who’s gonna do that?” The Baron asked, somehow even seeming angry when calm.
Kamilah raised an eyebrow. Maybe she was underestimating Priya. If this wasn’t one of Vega’s made up stories, designing brands for each Clan could actually be a way for Priya to prove that she was in fact underrated. So, Kamilah asked, willing to give her a chance, “Priya, maybe?”
Vega leaned forward immediately, taking his hand away from Priya’s waist and folding it with the other one on the table. His voice seemed calm, yet there was a hint of anger Kamilah couldn’t help but notice. “Sure, what’s your offer?”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Excuse me?”
“Well,” Vega answered with a laugh, “Priya here is not going to work for free.”
“I will not pay her for a brand design,” Kamilah stated coldly.
“Me neither,” The Baron agreed. “I could as well throw my money directly into a fire.”
“I’d pay that sexy lady for something else,” Lester said, presenting a flirtly smile to Priya, “…But not for a design.”
“Fuck y’all,” Priya said angrily, her angry expression immediately becoming a surprised one when she felt Vega’s knee nudging hers, hard, under the table. “…Ow!”
“Then it’s settled,” Kamilah stated, simply overhearing her comment, but noting it in the back of her mind, “Everyone will come up with their own designs.”
Adrian turned to her and asked, “So, shall we come to the most important part?”
Kamilah faced him, and they nodded. Then, she focused back on the four pairs of brown eyes looking at her. “Right. Rules.”
It was as if The Baron’s and Priya’s shoulders slumped down just a bit in that moment, displaying disappointment.
“We will design a Pact and all give a signature. Any violation against the Pact will get punished,” Kamilah stated coldly.
“Like, by giving up a fancy Clan member?” Priya asked.
“No,” Kamilah answered, looking her dead in the eyes. “By death.”
She just gaped. “Oh!”
“And in that case?” Lester asked, apparently not halfly as surprised as Priya.
“The dead member’s possessions will get inherited by the rest of the Council,” Kamilah explained. “Details we should develop later.”
“And what if only one Clan is left?” The Baron asked. “Assuming, one Council member kills all the others.”
Suddenly, Priya was the only one laughing.
Kamilah looked at The Baron in anger. “Is that a serious question?”
The face he presented her was not less angry. “Do you think I’d ask a joke question?”
Before their conversation could escalate, Adrian answered, “We should decide that there always have to be six Clans, meaning a dead member would get replaced by a person of another Clan.”
“’Kay, and what are the Clan names?” Priya asked.
Adrian told her, “It’s up to you to decide-”
…But got interrupted by Kamilah. “Surnames. We will all use our surnames.”
“Then what’s his surname?” she asked, pointing at The Baron.
Kamilah was quiet, actually waiting for him to answer, but he just said, “Baron. My Clan’s name is Baron.”
“I asked for your surname, not your Clan’s name, gramps,” she said rudely.
Lester laughed. “Gramps.”
….But The Baron gave him a look so angry that he shut up immediately, excusing himself to the restroom rather quickly. Then, The Baron turned to Priya. “Can you say that again, you cheap ass whore?”
Vega almost choked on his drink. “What did you just call her?!”
“A cheap ass whore. You wanna fight me about it, pretty boy?”
“Don’t!” Kamilah’s incredibly quick reflexes came to a use when she jumped up in a heartbeat, positioning herself between Vega and The Baron, and shoving Vega to the back.
“Get out of my way!” he demanded, unwilling to hurt Kamilah.
“No!” she said back to him, as unwilling to use violence. “Sit down!”
“He insulted my girlfriend!” Vega uttered, still somehow trying to reach The Baron behind Kamilah.
“Bump him off, Addy!” Priya cheered, both angry and entertained at the same time. “Give it to him!”
Her words animated him even more as he shouted, “Move, Kamilah!”
“Sit down!” Kamilah finally used her superior strength to push Vega away, who was then grabbed and pulled back by Adrian. That, before anyone else had to get in the way.
“Let go of me!” Vega demanded, still fully enraged.
The Baron simply shook his head. “That’s it, I’m leaving. Had my thugs been allowed to stay, they would have taken care of him.” Then, he got up and left, as rudely as he had entered.
Kamilah approached Vega in anger, who seemed to be slowly calming down without being forced to look at The Baron. “Adam! What was that?”
“Did you hear this guy? How does he have permission for a Clan? He’s a crime boss!”
“We don’t want him against us. Do this again and I won’t be as lenient!”
“You? I should have killed him!”
“That’s against the Pact,” Adrian said as calmly as possible. “Forgot?”
“Frick the Pact!” Priya cursed, grabbing her tiny designer bag when getting up from the bench. “Come on, babes, let’s blouse!”
Adam turned away from them, as Adrian let go of him, and within a few seconds, the couple left, each a cigarette in their mouth and an arm around the other’s waist.
Adrian and Kamilah could only shake their heads. As half of all people had left, the meeting could officially be labelled as ‘failed’.
When Lester came back from the restroom a minute later, he was surprised to find an empty table.
It was then that the waitress approached him.
“Hello, cutie. How’s it going?” he asked, smirking at her yet again.
“Good. Are you ready to pay?”
“For your body? Sure.”
“For the food.” She suddenly reminded him, “Your companions left. The bill is on you.”