BELLUM NOVA SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING, THE RITZ HOTEL / THE TENTH OF JUNE / @domenicochambers
A full agenda greets Remus on the morning of the tenth, a day lined up with meetings and speeches, scheduled schmoozing and well-timed laughter all pieces of a larger political plan. Campaign hits the ground running and every bit of effort towards his election counts, Cemile there to remind him to work in some of his many important running points into his big speech; he’s an outsider, however popular family name and media presence might make him — today is just another chance to convince their shareholders that a Warden in charge of the country will be profitable for them all. He’s on his best behavior, clean cashmere and shaven face ( at Maman’s request ) and meticulously planned speech all contributing to his image. Though his voter base is strong, polls touting clear favour from the Over 40s crowd, Conservatives, and all the corporate types, there are always new people to win over. Of course, it’s so much fucking easier to accomplish when you aren’t pitted against one of your own.
Now that he and Saint have promised to work as a team of Seraphim instead of competing fruitlessly with each other, he’d thought he’d managed his way past these kinds of direct fucking comparisons. It seems that’s what politics is about, pitting candidates against each other — but his blood boils when he hears the name murmured in small pockets across the hotel. Sure, Astrid looks good on paper, her experience as an MP and rapport with constituents is certainly quaint...but there’s a reason Remus is running and she isn’t, a kind of power in name and wealth in connections ( the kind of power Astrid, too, might have enjoyed as a Warden, the kind of things that were possible if Death hadn’t taken Juno from them all ). After hearing the whispers of Astrid’s name amongst businessmen, gossip delivered fresh from his wife’s mouth, he disappears in the interest of keeping composure; there’s no point in making a scene or sticking around to hear what Astrid might say in response — these are things to be sorted out later.
Instead, he bursts into the greenroom, a conference room converted into a private space for the Warden family and their closest associates. Making a beeline to the beverage table for a water bottle, Remus downs a quarter of the bottle as if washing down his annoyance. It’s only when he sets bottle back on table with a heavy sigh that he notices Domenico, celebrated Dominion and newest member of the campaign team ( security more important than ever before as Remus becomes an even more public figure ). “Hey,” he says nonchalantly, settling to sit on the table’s edge. Rubbing at his face, Remus asks, “how’s the big meeting treating you?” In an ideal world, Domenico would have a very boring day with no security threats, but their business rarely deals in ideals. “Anything suspicious to report?” he adds, thinking back to how Gabrielle words her commands; any issues that come up are to be handled by Domenico quickly and cleanly. “Besides the fucking lip flying out there on the floor,” he says, tone going grumbly, “the last thing I need is this Astrid shit to ruin my fucking speech.” He’s not angry with her directly — not yet, at fucking least. Remus will have to figure out if Astrid Hunter has any ministerial ambitions for herself before he makes a fool of himself.