Five Weeks (open)

She shook her head.

"No, I just have to pull up the big girl panties."

"So who's taken Joseph's Accounting? And for that matter, who is going to teach him the sorcery that is his birthright?"

She shrugged.

"No idea. He hasn't told me anything."

"So how is Vlad taking this? Or other Tzmisce?"

"Vlad has a new ghoul, he doesn't care."

"Well that is something I suppose..."

"So now what? This is going to take time to even start seeing you recover, plus there is Joseph to deal with."

She sighed and shrugged.

"You talk to him. He won't talk to me."

"Ok... in a way, I can't blame him. "

"She was actually going to teach me Koldunic sorcery too... I wonder if I can get Vlad to do it now. However, that is largely immaterial at the moment, as I consider the problems you and Joseph have to be more important than my personal projects."

Look. See. He'd learned not to be selfish. Or as selfish. Or something like that.

She stood up from behind her desk and went to a bookshelf. She perused it for a few minutes, thwn pulled three books off of the shelf, throwing them on the desk in front of him.

"Her debts are mine now. Hope you like to read."

Victor took the books and then looked at Griselda.

"Thanks... tell me something. Ordinarily how selfless is your father?"

She thought about that.

"Depends on who and what. Somebody he cares about? Completely. Someone he barely knows? Not at all, why?"

Victor sighed.

"So when I asked Victoria about teaching me sorcery, she sold it as a demon fighting tool. Which, even Miyu conceded when fully trained I would have more power than she would, unless she called on God's power. Victoria wanted Audrina on her 21st birthday in trade. I told her I could not make that decision alone, and went home and told Miyu and Joseph."

"Understand a very long time ago I swore off ever trading one person to achieve other ends. Patton's death was the last one I ever orchestrated to manipulate political events... well no, there was some stuff after 9-11 in Afghanistan, but that was more like manipulating radical terrorists to kill each other. So we discussed it. I was not in favor of the idea much. Long story short a consensus was reached and I nearly frenzied because I was not at all happy. I have to wonder now if Joseph wanted her embrace knowing that you'd kill her for it."

She thought about it.

"No. He had no way to know. Killing Kindred is a big no-no and he knows that I play by the rules."

"Well, it was a thought. "

Victor looked ashamed of himself for a moment. "I had planned to ghoul her after she reached adulthood and eventually train her to be Ventrue. Although since Victoria's debts are yours, so are what is owed her... unless you wish to renegotiate."

Her eyes grew wide.

"Do not give that girl Kindred blood!"

Victor looked a little surprised.

"And do you want to tell me why?"

"She's fae! The banality will kill her."

Victor just facepalmed

"And when was anyone going to bother telling me any of this?"

"I thought you knew! We told Dad at the wedding!"

Victor growled.

"No. I didn't know. He never told me. And I don't think Miyu or I bothered to look at her aura, which was something of a mistake I see. We were a little too focused on the poor lost and abused orphan. Now, just pray tell what am I supposed to do with a Fae in my house? Her personally, she's a great kid. I was actually a little relieved at Victoria's death keeping her from her. But now... now what? And do we get to sit down and have the 'so Miyu, Victor, Daddy Joseph and sister Griselda are vampires, and you are a Fae, and the lovely lady who runs my hotel is a werewolf... talk?"

She shook her head.

"Not until her change happens. She has to go through her Shattering, then you can tell her."

Victor looked at the three books in his lap and sighed. "I'm gonna need more books. And a tame Fae if you got one. Or if there is such a thing. "

He shook his head and sighed. "A Ventrue sorcerer in training, a fiance who channels the power of God and hangs out with archangels, a werewolf on my payroll and a fae for an adopted daughter... I should have stayed in London."

"You forgot the half-Tremere, half-Tzimisce bestie with a Mage husband. I am a little hurt."

"One. You said you couldn't feel any emotion. Two, I wasn't quite sure where we stood after this whole Joseph-Victoria thing."

"I kinda want to kick your shin," she said both truthfully and helpfully.