[councillor-roland]

Roland held Nahim's questioning stare even as he spoke and smiled just a little at the other man's words. Well, they were in agreement there. Roland had always taken a rather long time to get over lost loves but he couldn't seem to help it. "Good point." Roland generally talked quite a bit but he got quieter when he was sad or maudlin and that seemed to be the case now, though he hardly wanted to be that way with someone he barely knew and certainly didn't know if he could trust. Nahim was making a decent first impression, though, or rather second impression. That was something. He snorted at the idea that he'd overcome the hardship of Alix's death gracefully because it had been anything but, though most people hadn't seen that given how it had been confined to the Brussels mansion. Roland knew the truth of it, though he wasn't about to share the details with Nahim. He pushed them away and leaned back, smiling a little and regaining his composure. "I like to think I usually make it rather easy to be nice to me. I have a face that demands compliments, non?" It wasn't a particularly smooth tactic but talk of Alix always left him at least slightly off kilter if not more so. He'd rather come off as arrogant than sad and vulnerable.

They both seemed to be facing uncomfortable topics as Nahim's expression went through a series of minute changes and he didn't respond any further about his late sire. Fair enough. Perhaps they should abandon all talk of the dead. "It certainly won't but I'd be happy to join forces in that sense if it did." At least he'd have a little more support this time and Raphael could hang. Roland finished his drink and watched Nahim in his seemingly endless wandering around the suite. He inclined his head in agreement because yes, he had once been a new councilman and knew what it was like. He was about to ask more detailed questions about Nahim's adjustment period to avoid having to talk about his own when the other vampire finally settled and asked questions Roland had been hoping to avoid. His ascension to the council had come directly on the heels of Alix's death and much of those early days at work were practically a fog. He'd spent at least a decade going to work with bloodwine as a crutch though it had been a relief to get out of the house. Even then, everything he'd come into there had been Alix's. The team Alix had picked, his office, his things....Roland closed his eyes tight to push it away, aware that he was leaving too long a pause before answering. He'd redecorated eventually, he'd had to. "It is, yes." Roland opened his eyes and answered, finally, firmly shoving the memories away and keeping his voice level. "Less so for you, I would think, considering how ineffective your predecessor was. I had rather different shoes to fill. As far as settling in, I can't give you an exact timeline. Gradually it starts to feel like your place, your job, regardless of who came before." Even if Alix had been better at it, more dedicated to all the sides of it that Roland found tedious and boring. The staff Alix had picked had been excellent, however, and while a number of those people had been replaced now, Roland had initially left them all in place. They'd needed to pick up the slack for him as he'd eventually worked through his grief, or at least sort of worked through it.

[nahimarchive]

it was the feeble grab at an attempt to lighten the exchange that prised a smirk out of nahim rather than the words themselves but in the moment, he was indifferent to the slight slip of the mask he typically preferred to keep in place with his fellow councilmen. was roland aware of how he carried his grief like a gaping wound? well, nahim would give him some credit; a poorly concealed gaping wound? all it took was the slightest tearing of the seams for the ache to begin, it seemed. bravado and considerable strength aside, roland was an immensely delicate creature. it made nahim’s fangs ache with the need to drain him of it, to pick him apart and study the intricacies of how something like him was pieced together. not out of pity or sympathy, but mere curiosity. that could wait, though. nahim had time.

as conversation shifted from the departed to a potential allyship, nahim fought to subdue the laugh that threatened to spill from him at the thought becoming any kind of reality. perhaps under dire circumstances he would feel differently, but as things currently stood, he saw no need to put any serious thought into where his alliances lay, at least not in relation to roland. nahim watched attentively once he settled, his attention transfixed upon the finer details of roland’s expressions throughout. the eventual reply coaxed a quiet noise of commiseration from nahim and he offered a solemn nod in response once roland continued. “the bar is practically underground in terms of surpassing expectations surrounding marcellino’s so-called ‘efforts, so you’re correct in that respect. but… there’s an inherent… pressure, isn’t there? the esteem the position holds you to, how sudden the elevation is…” cutting his gaze away to focus anywhere but on roland, nahim heaved a brief sigh and agitatedly drummed his fingers against his shin. “it’s still slightly… surreal. for far too many a century, i never thought i’d see anything other than stone and sacrifices. daylight, the very concept of light, was lost to me,” shifting slightly on the armrest to recentre himself, nahim gingerly met roland’s gaze again as he resumed. “and now i’m here. it’s all… a lot to take in.”

straightening up a little with a groan, nahim stretched his arms above his head before running a hand through his hair, pushing the curls and any lingering vulnerability back for the time being. if he was going to garner at least a shred of roland’s trust, each performance had to be believable. “i appreciate you taking the time to answer all my ridiculous questions. it’s very considerate of you to do so. do you have any questions of your own? i feel as if i owe you the floor for a moment.”

[aneirin-ap-mouric]

Aneirin didn't make a habit of frequenting bars. For starters, he preferred not to be drunk. It was something he'd only done two or three times in the last few hundred years, one of which was on his wedding night (and one to deal with Roland's infernal wailing during his visit after Alix's death). Still, he intended to get to know the residents of Krovs, how things worked socially as well as politically, which involved making visits to the places of entertainment, not just various offices.

He clocked the Councilman from Malta before he even whistled. Aneirin had familiarised himself with the current council before he'd even officially received the nomination. Nahim, from what he gathered, was something of a rogue choice for the role, not like Aneirin who'd been groomed for it for the best part of two-hundred years, since several of the Welsh vampiric factions began to express dissatisfaction with his predecessor. He suppressed a frown at the tone of his beckoning and took the seat beside Nahim, accepting the drink. At least you could get high caliber blood at this place.

"Aneirin. Ap Mouric if you must have a surname." He'd been born before the real advent of them, considered them a tool of Norman oppression. He was still salty about their conquest of his home country, eight hundred years after it was completed. "No regrets. I'm here to do my duty. We are public servants, are we not?"

[nahimarchive]

“first and foremost, certainly,” nahim set his glass down gently on the bar before shifting to cross one knee over the other, folding his hands loosely in his lap as his gaze trailed over every inch of aneirin’s features. as far as company went, there were certainly less aesthetically pleasing options available; perhaps the curt edge to every word that left the mouth of wales’ councilman would be worth enduring. “duty binds you, is that it?” slowly, nahim’s gaze trailed back to lock on to aneirin’s own. “makes you appear intolerable to all other possibilities? we’re above the vast majority of meat. you know that as well as i do, if not more so. reigning at the top of the food chain indicates as much.” for a moment, nahim paused to consider his words, his head cocking to one side as his gaze finally shifted to observe the other patrons of the room. “we're public servants, yes, but only to an extent.” plucking his glass from the bar again, nahim lithely swirled the wine within it before taking a small sip as he cut his focus back to aneirin. “but enough of the obvious, tell me more about your duty. yours specifically. and don’t just recite the job description. tell me, what’s the grand ambition of the councilman of wales?”

[taliesin-mistry-deactivated2025]

There was no use beating about the bush, Taliesin was really quite depressed. He was not adjusting well to Krovs. Before coming here, he'd been free to do almost entirely as he pleased, with money as no object. He'd studied, if he wanted to, traveled as the inclination took him, had many friends and lovers, spending time at all manner of clubs, high society events, sites of interest. Now there was nothing to occupy him except reading and with his background as a literature graduate, he was tearing through the Undercroft's selection at a rate of knots. It wasn't just the freedoms he was missing, though, or the enrichment. He was a child of the sun and Krovs seemed to be perpetually overcast and shadowed, and far too cold for him. It made him miss the glorious light of Mumbai, the heat present in it even at night.

Taliesin had tried to make the best of it, he thought, but all that seemed to have done was invite the attentions of absolute psychopaths. He'd already gone a round with Hunter, and then a second round with Gareth. He wasn't eager for a third. Instead of trying to attract the attention of someone who would take him upstairs, Taliesin had taken to sitting in the corner, reading, trying not to draw attention to himself. It wasn't always successful. Apparently not today, at least.

He looked up from his book, his gaze flicking over the Master in front of him. It wasn't someone that Taliesin recognised. Taliesin looked back at him, mistrustful, but no longer daring to answer back. Still, there was relief in looking up to find someone like him looking back. He was spending far too long surrounded by white people lately. "If that's what you desire." He closed his book, set it down on the shelf beside him and got to his feet, brushing the creases out of his trousers, habitually. He was about a foot taller than the master when he stood, but there was still intense anxiety within him, knowing just how powerful the people here were. They could swat him like an insect. "What do you propose?"

[nahimarchive]

nahim studied every movement made as if performing a clinical inspection, the daze of hyperfocus clearing as the slave settled into place beside him. lifting his head to hold the human’s gaze for a long moment, nahim chuckled softly and shook his head, gesturing for the other to follow as he led them out of the undercroft with a nod of understanding to the guards on duty, maintaining the silence until they were able to wander the corridors in relative privacy. “‘if that's what you desire,’” nahim parroted after a stretch of silence, a hint of amusement at the edge of his tone. “‘what do you propose?’ they really have broken you down, haven’t they?” glancing up to inspect the slave again as they wandered, nahim’s gaze gradually resembled something akin to sympathetic. “first thing’s first – when did they last feed you down there? recently? i don’t need you passing out on me any time soon. based on your answer, we'll plan from there.”

[nahimarchive]

closed starter for @kellbishop

with the afternoon’s weather seeming particularly pleasant (he’d have to give his compliments to the staff for their efforts if it continued), nahim found himself compelled to make the most of it. requesting that a slave be brought out to accompany him on his walk around the castle’s grounds and gardens, the vampire wandered idly down to the agreed meeting point early, plucking his phone from his back pocket as he settled cross-legged into the grass below, peering down at the screen to go over the list of requirements one last time just in case anything was amiss. really, nahim hadn’t asked for a lot; merely that older dated stock was chosen (further details weren’t required and that it was tended to and pampered with care before being brought out to the grounds. if any step had failed to be followed, nahim had no qualms about making the extent of his disappointment viscerally known.

turning his attention to the soft chime of his phone’s reminder to complete the day’s wordsearch, nahim fought the urge to tackle it and moved to slip his phone back into his pocket to get a head start on appreciating the sights when the sound of two approaching heartbeats gradually began to register. nahim glanced over his shoulder to peer towards the pair and offered a brief wave and a smile as they drew closer, rising elegantly to give a nod of thanks to the guard before a look of dismissal swiftly set him on his way. nahim’s gaze remained fixed on the guard’s back until an adequate distance was between them before he finally turned his attention to the slave standing before him. “hello,” he offered simply, another smile resting comfortably in place as he circled the afternoon’s offering. “i hope you don’t mind a little fresh air,” nahim said, coming to a halt before the slave again. “you have a name, yes? tell me yours and i’ll tell you mine.”

[nahimarchive]

closed starter for @shadedempsey

somehow, the day’s most pressing matters were managed in good time; everything was signed off and ready for consultations with malta’s president and prime minister in the weeks to come far sooner than nahim had anticipated. consequently, nahim found himself with a few hours to spare and with nothing else immediately demanding his attention or holding his interest within the castle, it only seemed logical to explore the town in a little more depth. he’d only ever passed through it at marcellino’s side prior to the loss and ascension and he’d always been curious about the sight of one or two establishments.

one of which happened to be shade dempsey’s establishment; marcellino had spoken highly of it on the few occasions he’d inflicted his presence on the town and now that free rein was finally an option, there seemed little reason not to see if his sire had been exaggerating. as the car pulled up and his door was opened, nahim murmured his thanks to the driver and stepped out, smoothing down his coat and curiously approached the restaurant, pausing his stride to take in the sight of it before heading inside. once indoors, nahim’s intrigue continued to rise as his gaze flickered over every square inch in fascination. finally making his way to the bar, nahim settled into a seat and gave shade a warm smile as he caught the cambion’s eye. “it’s… shade, isn’t it? nice place. refreshingly not gauche.”

[nahimarchive]

closed starter for @aneirin-ap-mouric

with a new councilman on the roster other than himself, nahim was delighted to finally have the heat taken off of him as the newest addition and thus took it upon himself to learn all he possibly could about the man in question in what free time he could salvage. further digging on aneirin’s history — something more invasive and far more time-consuming — could be done when nahim’s schedule allowed, but as he watched wales’ councilman cross the threshold of the game room bar from his seat, now seemed as good a time as any to make a start. whistling sharply, nahim flashed a bright smile as the sound had the intended effect and as their eyes met across the room, nahim gestured sweetly to the unoccupied stool beside him and turned to order two more glasses of the bar’s faerie blood wine, only turning his full attention to aneirin once the other councilman had settled into place beside him. his smile still in place, nahim slid the spare glass towards the older vampire and scanned his gaze over aneirin meticulously. “i’d ask what you were doing in here, but then you’d ask me the same, wouldn’t you? i don’t think we need to pry so soon into one another’s personal business–” nahim extended a hand for aneirin to shake, a touch expectantly, as he took a measured sip from his glass, his unblinking gaze never once leaving aneirin’s own. “nahim ravani. malta’s councilman. we’re yet to be formally introduced– how are you finding it? there’s still a little light in your eyes, that’s good. no regrets yet?”

[nahimarchive]

closed starter for @taliesin-mistry

returning to malta to confer with the rest of the brood about the trials and tribulations of the life of a councilman, nahim had underestimated the amount of time required to acclimate to life within the castle’s walls again. gone were the lazy afternoon at the palazzo’s poolside in the blazing sun (and bastjan’s tireless efforts to ensure everyone was adequately protected if they insisted on conducting business in the midday blaze) and late nights spent hunting as a collective again when the inevitable inebriation of stray tourists would keep the quartet fed and in fantastically good spirits for the remainder of the night. for a short while, it had been refreshing to experience a taste of days that had carried no real obligation. 

though nahim had intended to get straight back into business the minute he stepped foot inside the castle, the sharp clicking of his heels echoed on the familiar journey down to the undercroft, breezing through it without a care in the world as he scanned his concealed gaze around at the selection, keeping an eye out for new faces when one he was yet to acquaint himself with caught his eye in particular. nahim wasted no time in crossing the room to come to a halt before the slave in question, angling a smile as he removed his sunglasses to get a better look at the afternoon’s potential bait. “you look miserable. shall we fix that?"

[cuntyarmand]

brb about to stir up some absolute fuckery in the past 😌

[councillor-roland]

"I suppose you could say that, oui." It was more or less true and Roland wasn't ashamed of it. He saw no reason to be. Quin mocked him for it and he was sure others did the same but he didn't know how to love without throwing himself completely into it. Yes, it made him particularly vulnerable and devastated when the relationship ended but what he got out of it was worth it, at least in his opinion. Nahim didn't seem to be mocking him, though, somewhat surprisingly, he even congratulated him for it if his words were to be believed. Roland smiled a little and inclined his head, though then they were onto a more painful topic. What was it recently with other councilmen forcing him to have conversations about Alix? He'd gone years without doing so and yet now it had happened twice in the span of a few months. Roland didn't particularly appreciate that, he liked to keep his pain locked away in a box as best he could. Nahim seemed insistent, though, and he waxed poetic about time and Roland sighed, lowering the drink and staring into it as he toyed with the glass. At least Nahim was sympathetic, though of course he knew the pain as well, though they were different people. "It certainly does that." He agreed, quietly. It passed, relentlessly, and he drew further and further away from his years with Alix as it did. "Proud?" He glanced over at Nahim again, brows furrowed slightly. "Of what, exactly?" Ignoring his memories until he could bear the thought of being with someone else? He'd run away as soon as he developed feelings again, that wasn't something he saw worthy of pride. "Trying again? It's taken a very long time to do so, too long I'm sure some would argue." Why were they discussing this again?

At least Marcellino was a better topic, at least for him, one not laden with pain or grief and clearly Nahim dealt with things differently as he seemed able to freely talk about his sire. "Yes, I could see that." Roland hadn't known him well but he'd certainly known him well enough to understand that. Apparently, he'd found a sort of ally in Nahim, at least when it came to their own safety and castle security. That was unexpected but certainly a bonus, provided he meant it and wasn't just saying such things to make a better impression. "I appreciate that. My suggested methods, of conducting widespread interrogations of the townsfolk and even the staff, were generally scoffed at though at least I was attempting to come up with solutions rather than sit around and do nothing." He shook his head, irritated all over again. "Hopefully, no one will be so foolish as to try such a thing again. It would be decidedly unfair considering you've barely had the chance to settle in. That's going well, I assume? Settling in?"

[nahimarchive]

nahim levelled roland with a questioning stare as their gazes met, a beat of silence stretching out before the younger councilman offered a nod of confirmation as roland answered his own question. “it’s foolish to put a time limit on it. whoever argues as much should have the decency to keep it to themselves.” a sneer had come to settle on nahim’s features but he quickly regained his composure as the last syllable left him and he straightened up with a pensive sigh. “you should be proud because it’s no easy feat. there is nothing in this world more challenging than overcoming one’s hardships gracefully when doing so seems impossible–” he gestured to roland blithely as he spoke, “–which you have. therefore, kudos are in order. don’t make it so difficult to be nice to you, roland.” a playful smile settled on nahim’s face as his words lingered, the sincerity almost sounding entirely believable. 

as the topic shifted back to marcellino, nahim fought to keep his expression level or at least dispassionately neutral at best and he nodded as he listened to roland’s response, continuing his idle wandering before the topic once again shifted back to safer ground. he shook off the lingering discomfort of marcellino’s haunting of his conscience and refocused his attention on roland, arching an eyebrow slowly as elaboration was given. “it won’t happen again,” for a split second, nahim’s tone was acidic, his disgust impossible to ignore. “if, by some disaster, it does, you and i will have to take matters into our hands as the only one with functioning minds around here.” trailing a fingertip over the piano’s lid with a contemplative hum, nahim simmered over his irritation in silence for a moment before shifting his attention back to the present, a quiet noise of acknowledgement leaving him as the matter of his induction period came to the forefront of conversation. “things are going as well as they can. you know what it’s like, though…” trailing off, nahim wandered back to perch on the armrest of the sofa again, one leg swinging idly as he brought a knee up to his chest to rest his chin atop it as he studied roland with an unwavering stare. “daunting, isn’t it? stepping into the lion’s den like this? how long did it take you to settle in?”

[stigranselm]

"I can't imagine what an absolute headache it would be if Raiden ever decided to completely ignore the rules. I assume he's aware enough of the fact that would get him booted from the castle rather quickly." And he'd face quite a few repercussions from the council for any serious breaches of the rules, though Stigr knew that the tribrid liked to think he was stronger and more capable than the rest of them. While Stigr thought of him as little more than a savage beast that would be put down sooner rather than later if he didn't learn to curb himself from time to time. The elder councilman tsked quietly at the thought and brought his glass up to his lips, his attention focusing entirely back on Nahim while he listened to the story. "We were all that way at one point. I'm rather sure I'd absolutely detest my younger self." He'd been prone to emotional, violent outbursts of temper when he'd been a fledgling, spiteful and capable of holding grudges for a very long time at any perceived slight. Stigr was much different now, so far removed from his humanity for centuries.

He noted just how annoyed Nahim still seemed to be about what had transpired between him and Roland, a smile twitching at the corners of the vampire's lips. It seemed the younger man was holding a grudge still. Stigr waved away the apologetic look -- it wasn't as though it would be very hard to fix any damage to the couch -- and shook his head. "I apologize for that. Councilmen should carry themselves better than he seemed to, I can only assume that Roland was newly initiated at the time. From what I know of him, he seems to have changed since your encounter -- that, or he's simply gotten better at hiding any of his more unpleasant traits."

[nahimarchive]

unexpectedly, nahim felt a swell of thanks towards the older councilman as reassurance was provided and for the first time since his arrival, nahim felt himself properly relax, at least by a slight amount. admitting to failure or shortcomings in any capacity always felt akin to pulling teeth as far as nahim was concerned but somehow, knowing that perfection had even evaded someone as meticulous and awe-inspiring as stigr in the early days made it all a little less… overwhelming to try and come to terms with. “do you miss it?” the question left nahim before he had the chance to really think it through and he blanched for a moment as his own poor planning, scrambling to sit up a little straighter as he corrected himself. “i mean– can you recall it? your early days? your mortality, even? or does it cease to remain in your memory past a certain point?” there were scraps of recollection that nahim could just manage to cling to – rhys’ assistance was ensuring that process became a little easier to manage – but with a being as old as stigr, nahim couldn’t help but be curious. it wasn’t as if marcellino had ever thought to offer any kind of insight into such a fact.

with the apologetic look following the decline in manners reassuringly waved away, nahim drained the remaining contents of his glass with a scowl, spinning the stem of the glass between his fingers as he forced his attention to settle on stigr and away from roland’s lack of decency. he didn’t need to claw at any more of the good man’s furniture, after all. “it’s the latter, i assume. you speak too highly of him, think too kindly of him. like each of us, he’s vile at his core. as you said, he’s merely learned to hide it better–” shifting to sit and face stigr even more head-on, nahim huffed his irritation and threaded a hand through his hair to push his curls back with a forlorn expression. “–but i know bringing schoolyard antics to the council table isn’t advisable, nor is it good form, so i apologise for wasting your time with it. i know you’ve probably got far more interesting matters to devote your time to than the petty squabbling of… well… fledglings, in comparison to yourself. i mean that in a complimentary sense, i promise.”

[raidenproulx]

The growl that left Raiden made the door reverberate. Little shit liked to test him. Not many had the balls to. Naive and ignorant he had to remind himself. Nahim was playing a game that was far too advanced for him. A game he'd watched from the sidelines so thought likely thought he was going to be good at, or good enough at. Raiden knew well who got him where he was. Paid a lot more attention than most gave him credit, had to considering he was only one monster in a sea of them. A powerful one, which put a target on him big as any on all councilmen. He had ambitions though, which not all had. Few shared the desire to rule over it all. Took a certain kind of narcissist to want to be a tyrant. Raiden was a tyrant through and through. Bred and built to be one. He didn't like to share. Eventually he wouldn't have to, but he could play the long game now. Course the thing was creatures like him were more than willing to collapse the house of cards everything was built on to make a point. War was an inevitability and things like Raiden thrived in war.

"Careful Malta, hate to see that island of yours disappear." Leveling that kind of land mass for him wouldn't be an issue. A day trip. But an act of war, not likely this early on, which made it worthless. No one was on Malta's side save Italy and even De Luca wasn't stupid enough to throw down for a piece of ass. Little shit was too new to have any allies to make it interesting. However long Nahim wanted to last was inconsequential to him. He was only there for one reason.

"Now, where was I?" The question rhetorical, his sage colored eyes glaring into the dark hue of Malta's while he sunk his talon's back in the meat of the younger's thighs once more pulling them around his larger waist.

[nahimarchive]

the growl instantly pulled a delighted chirp of laughter from nahim, his eyes brightening at the sound before the threat was levelled. “hubris is a foreign concept to you, isn’t it?” his amusement remained crystal clear as he regarded the beast before him, his smile widening a fraction despite the very real possibility of raiden staying true to his word and flattening malta to a mere reminder of what it once was. “don’t. you’re above that, raiden. have a little faith in me and my word.” it was clear that there was still significant work to be done – both as a new councilman and as marcellino’s replacement – to establish beneficial bonds. it was a process nahim was still working on wrapping his head properly around and though raiden’s unpredictability and complete lack of awareness for anything but ensuring his own successes made the process challenging, it did little to deter nahim from establishing something here; it was just going to take a bit of extra work.

a sharp gasp of surprise left nahim as raiden’s talons embedded themselves deep into the muscle of his thighs to manhandle him into place and for a moment, the vampire chastised himself mentally for letting his guard slip so easily around something like raiden. he reacted on impulse, his fangs bearing instinctively at the initial jolt of pain and hissed his discomfort (even if it wasn’t entirely genuine), locking his ankles around raiden’s waist to keep himself secure for his own peace of mind as he pitched forward to bury his face against raiden’s neck with a whine as an experimental roll of his hips followed as he adjusted to the change in pace. “is it going to hurt?” the smile decorating nahim’s features as the question was mumbled against raiden’s neck directly contradicted the innocence of his words and he muffled a laugh against raiden’s flesh as he squirmed in the other councilman’s hold again. “it better. don’t disappoint me.”

[witchysethharper]

"Given that my last few years left me with the expectation of my early death, no I never considered aiming higher," Seth answered honestly. "And now that I'm back with a little more life to live, it's still not something I thought of." At least not yet anyway. He'd always been a man who aimed to be average as he didn't enjoy the pressures of meeting high expectations. Course that sentiment changed when it came to art and writing.

His gaze followed Nahim around his office. "A few months, at least, maybe almost a year at this point. Obviously I can't attest for the time that I wasn't here," he reminded the councilman. The tribrid folded his hands in front of himself on his desk and let out an audible exhale before diving in. "I am... well aware of the rules for staff member rights. Obviously whatever Rochefort and Rhys have is consensual and personal feelings on that aside, it's certainly affecting my work. I'm not so sure about Rhys' work because I don't look at it. It's..." Seth paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. "It's shit like Rochefort saunters in unannounced and locks himself in Rhys' office for, like, hours on end unless Rhys has an actual appointment. Which means with his door closed, I get the overflow of walk ins who, as you probably know, just show up randomly and expect consultation when one of us is free. Usually that overflow means my own appointments end up sitting outside waiting while I'm running late with a walk in and then the appointment runs late and then it's a whole derailing of my schedule and ability to do my own work during the day. You can check with Hopper or the scribes how my timesheets have been looking lately, I've had to put in some overtime hours."

[nahimarchive]

“no?” the councilman made a low noise of surprise. “what a waste. perhaps it’s something you should consider. planning ahead is usually wise.” nahim listened carefully to the details, the relaxed edge to his body language tightening as he kept his back to the younger to keep his smile hidden as seth took a moment to gather his thoughts cohesively. schooling his expression back into one of calm neutrality, nahim spun on his heel as he clasped his hands behind his back. “you’re right. no part of that is remotely reasonable, certainly not for the working environment. if it’s almost been a year of this…” nahim hummed thoughtfully to himself as he wandered idly around the office space again. “well, just think how many lost hours of work that would amount to on dasior’s behalf– i’m thinking aloud, excuse me.” forcing himself to pause, nahim glanced towards seth with a small smile that designed to only be partially reassuring. “your efforts will be duly compensated. i’m sure they have in part already, naturally, but… well, it’s never quite sufficient enough, is it? that’ll be rectified. i’ll see to it myself.” the information provided was valuable to actually be worth something and nahim saw no reason not to reward the consultant for it in time. “if asked to speak up about this before the council, would you? i’m not saying it’s a certainty, but it’s a possibility. de rochefort'll naturally be questioned, dasior will likely be asked to speak if it gets to that point, but your insight would be invaluable should things reach such a level. you have my word that no harm will come to you as a result, of course. don’t let that deter you.”

[nottheangel-raphael]

Raphael hummed through the smirk on his lips as he received his confirmation even in Nahim's avoidance of answering the question directly. He knew his charms were working –– they often got him anything and anyone he wanted.

His eyes fluttered just slightly closed at the teasing ghost of a kiss, smiling growing ever wider as he granted the younger councilman this and more. He rather enjoyed the featherlight touches of exploration, Raph sitting back on the couch like a cat content underneath the sun's rays. He reached out, thumb casually brushing over Nahim's chin as he studied those pretty features. "I'm sure you won't," he murmured. Then again perhaps Nahim ought to not set high expectations with a pride demon. "I'm more than happy to have you here as part of this, councilman. I believe you're going to be an excellent addition."

[nahimarchive]

despite his best efforts to familiarise himself with the title prior to his arrival (mikiel had been incapable of uttering it with anything other than mocking amusement upon request), hearing it come from raphael of all beings with such unwavering approval made the reminder of what he’d fought for and what they’d accomplished together all the sweeter to reminisce upon. withdrawing his touch from the older councilman’s neck before the urge to dig deeper grew stronger, nahim forced his gaze to meet raphael’s again as he flashed an uncharacteristically fond smile in response to the praise. “we’re in agreement there. as we will be for most matters, i’m sure.” resting a hand lightly over raphael’s wrist, nahim stole another brief kiss for himself – something barely perceptible – before untangling himself from raphael’s personal space entirely to stand before him. “i believe i’ve taken up enough of your time for one sitting, though. unless there’s anything you’d like to discuss further, you know where to find me should you need anything at all, kunsillier.” as enjoyable as it would have undoubtedly been to preen and fawn under raphael’s gaze, the allure of keeping things semi-professional was far too much fun to dismiss. there would be countless opportunities to come, that much was clear but for now, at least, nahim was content to toy around with the dynamic for as long as raphael was willing to put up with it.

[witchysethharper]

"I have..." Seth glanced down at his Apple watch for the time, "about ten minutes before my own appointment on the schedule arrives. This shouldn't take longer than that." Never estimate the sloth demon with a mission and something to motivate him. He might've already been preparing to bring this to the council's attention at some point so the tribrid was already mostly prepared for his complaints.

He closed the door behind them and settled into his office chair while Nahim got cozy. Seth raised a brow slightly at his chosen placement on his desk but decided not to argue it. This time. "It'll be four years exactly this September," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

[nahimarchive]

ten minutes was more than enough time to eke out both sufficient information and proof to substantiate seth’s claims if this really was going to be a matter brought to the council’s collective attention. waiting until seth was properly settled, nahim glanced over his shoulder to study the consultant as he answered and gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. “and in those four years of service, has the thought of aiming higher crossed your mind? it’s clear that rhys won’t be holding the position of head consultant forever. is it something you’d want to undertake?” 

pushing himself off of the desk, nahim took to wandering absently around the office to properly inspect every square inch of it, committing even the smallest details to memory. “in terms of the present, though, let’s discuss the issues you’re currently having. how long have these difficulties been presenting themselves for? have things been getting progressively worse, in your opinion? be truthful with me, seth. don’t cover any tracks for rhys’ sake. no harm will come to him, most likely a gentle reprimanding at best – you needn’t fret over the consequences for him.” roland, however, nahim intended to make suffer, just a little, for such brazen audacity. in his opinion, it was only fair.

[nottheangel-raphael]

"That depends. Is it working?" Raphael asked, mirroring Nahim's show of innocence in the question. He was much older than the pretty thing practically in his lap at this point and had plenty of time to sharpen his tongue and mind. Pair that with his good looks and he could be dangerous in his own right even without slaughtering and maiming his victims like a certain tribrid around here. Course Raph also wasn't immune to being violent himself when he felt like it and gruesomely so. Those moments weren't always so public or known as Raiden's stints were. He allowed Nahim his little inspection, practically preening under the positive attention and compliment. "Far too many to count," he chuckled. "Those lesser beings were only good for food or to play with 'till I got bored. You though..." He gently grasped Nahim's chin between his thumb and forefinger, leaning in closer with a soft hum. "I don't see myself growing bored of you."

[nahimarchive]

a slow smile spread across nahim’s face at the question offered in response to his own, the gesture entirely genuine as he pretended to ponder just how effective raphael’s inherent allure really was. “i couldn’t possibly tell you,” he replied simply, shrugging. “that would ruin the fun of it all, wouldn’t it?” on the few occasions he’d been permitted to lurk freely when raphael and marcellino had conducted business back in valletta, nahim had always taken a great interest in italy’s councilman, of all he represented, all he’d achieved, the way he carried himself; the ghoul had been a continuous marvel to him. naturally, marcellino’s most treasured fledglings had been instructed to keep a considerable distance from the talks themselves, the four of them peering over the staircase railings above as the councilmen wandered the expanse of the palazzo in deep discussion. never in all his centuries had nahim fully expected to find himself here, all curled up beside one of the many he’d fawned over from afar.

nahim’s smile remained in place as he listened, a flash of intrigue brightening his gaze as raphael leaned closer. nahim wasn’t naive enough to take such a declaration at face value – he was far too inherently suspicious to do so – but that did little to change the fact that it was nice to hear. it had been some time since such words had been uttered in his direction. shifting slightly to straddle the ghoul, nahim retracted his claws to add a hint of tenderness as he cupped raphael’s jaw to bridge the gap between them. the kiss was brief, deliberately chaste and as nahim sat back, his expression had returned to its natural state of detached indifference, though something of a fondness remained in his eyes as he held raphael’s gaze. “i don’t intend to give you a reason to,” he traced his fingertips lightly down the ghoul’s neck, splaying them out if to grip at his throat but abstaining at the last minute, his gaze falling to study the sight. “i won’t disappoint you, raphael. i’m eternally grateful for the lengths you’ve gone for me. i’m yours in our shared endeavour for as long as you require my presence and promise.”

[witchysethharper]

"Maybe try less and do more," Seth offered Nahim unsolicited advice on that matter. He understood where the other came from though; would escalating this as a council issue really solve shit or dissolve whatever relationship between Roland and Rhys? Probably not. Roland would more than likely get a few scoffs and slaps on the wrist from his peers before barging into Rhys' office again and again. Still, worth it anyway to remind Roland even he wasn't above the rules regardless of his feelings for a staff member.

"It is frustrating," he grumbled in agreement, narrowing his eyes into a squint at Nahim for another moment. It seemed like the up and coming councilman of Malta was playing some sort of game here –– his claim to be trusted all too suspicious to the tribrid with massive trust issues to begin with. What harm would there be in sharing carefully when it seemed like Nahim had his own share of issues regarding a certain Belgian twat waffle around here. Seth's lips then pulled into a crooked grin and he gestured for the vampire to move across the suite into his office. "You have a few minutes before your appointment with Rhys, yeah? Why don't you step into my office and wait with me?"

[nahimarchive]

“do you regularly bark suggestions at the councillors here? or am i an exception?” there was no heat behind nahim’s questioning. every word was uttered in clear amusement, his eyes narrowing as he tilted his head to scrutinise the magic consultant further. “i understand the urgency, though. give me a few days. i’ll see to it.” it was a valid concern regardless of his own intentions surrounding roland – seth had simply helped that cause along by bringing this to his attention. unintentionally, yes, but he’d helped nevertheless. how could nahim not pay him back in kind? it was only fair.

“with you?” the corners of nahim’s lips quirked into a smile at the suggestion, his expression brightening as his gaze followed the gesturing. “are you sure? i’d hate to take up any of your valuable time, especially if productivity around the department is already hindered.” when no protest was given, nahim nodded his concession and stepped into the office curiously, his gaze darting from corner to corner as he took in the sights. “oh– it’s… quaint in here,” he hadn’t been sure what to expect but what he’d found certainly wasn’t unsightly, seemingly just as quintessentially seth as a professional environment would allow. running a fingertip along the edge of the consultant’s desk, nahim hummed his approval and lifted himself to perch on the edge of it, absently swinging his legs as he analysed the finer details around him. “remind me, seth, how long have you been part of the department for?”

[councillor-roland]

Roland made a quiet noise of sympathy. It was true, Nahim did have quite a mess to clean up given how poorly Marcellino had operated. "Personally I always think there's time." Roland couldn't help interjecting that though he sobered a little as Nahim mentioned not being ready to move on. Roland understood that quite well, though he again seemed a little taken aback that Nahim had brought it up so boldly. "It...wasn't." He took a hurried sip of his drink after the confirmation. It hadn't been easy at all and he was paying for it now, given how Rhys was still keeping him at arm's length in spite of all the effort he was putting in. Still, he hoped that was nearly at an end and he'd come to terms wtih it all anyway. Roland had no desire to elaborate, especially not with Nahim who he hardly knew.

The other councilman went on about Marcellino's reaction to the assassination attempts and Roland was vaguely amused. "I suppose that's not the worst idea though it didn't turn out that way." Apparently, Marcellino could think occasionally, what a surprise. The grin and the elaboration about how Marcellino had actually wanted to be targeted in a bizarre way drew a chuckle from Roland. "I can believe it of him. He should've counted himself lucky. It was hardly enjoyable having to constantly look over my shoulder for months at a time." The attack itself had been fairly traumatic, too. Nahim finally settled and Roland turned more to face him. His expression darkened a little at the mention of security measures. "It certainly should have been and we did enact security measures though they obviously weren't enough. I advocated for much stronger methods of interrogation and security but was roundly shouted down." He made a face at that, since the memory clearly displeased him. It had mostly been Raphael, but still. It was never fun to be discounted like that.

[nahimarchive]

“you’re a true romantic, aren’t you?” nahim laughed again as he wandered, the sound of it light, almost fluttering. there was no mocking in it, though. merely amusement and a surprising fondness for a fleeting moment. it should’ve been expected. from what nahim had been able to observe over the many years, roland never seemed to do anything in half measures. it made sense that he would throw himself into such fanciful notions with equal devotion. to some, it might even seem impressive. to nahim, it was a glaring display of vulnerability that left roland far too exposed. if he wasn’t careful, someone could easily take advantage of such a fact. “good for you.” as the topic shifted to more interesting territory, nahim forced himself to bite back a smile at roland’s obvious discomfort at having his past heartbreak dragged back into the conversational limelight, still apparently raw enough to call for a drink. oh, roland. “it’s as you said, though, isn’t it?” he paused his assessment of the suite to watch roland again, his gaze entirely sympathetic. the mask was easy enough to wear when the desired outcome was so clearly in reach. “there’s always time. in this instance, time was all you could rely on to give you the distance you needed to move on. that’s the thing with time, isn’t it? it passes anyway. regardless of the hurt we suffer, of all the highs and lows, it passes. and look where it got you. don’t look so crestfallen, roland. you should be at least a little more proud of yourself.”

roland’s laughter was a wonderfully affirming sound. if a good first impression (second, technically, but it wasn’t worth going over again) could be made, it would certainly make the necessary process far easier to execute. “ah, but you know what he was like. if he wasn’t involved with everyone else, he tended to get rather… waspish.” that was putting it unbelievably lightly but nahim knew he didn’t have to go into any great detail. though marcellino’s genuinely devastating outbursts were saved for the privacy of the palazzo, nahim had witnessed the numerous occasions where his sire’s composure had slipped considerably during his residencies at the castle. as roland divulged the frankly disappointing approach adopted by the rest of the council surrounding exponentially heightened security, nahim’s expression soured into one of faint irritation, surprisingly on roland’s behalf. “you were? how foolish of them. they might as well consider themselves complicit, if that’s truly the case. should such a dark fate ever befall us again, just know you’ll have my unwavering support. i’d hate to see the council suffer again. i’ve barely settled in. it really wouldn’t be fair.”