Five Weeks (open)

Five weeks. It had been five weeks. And she still wasn't over it. She was gaunt and pale, not looking like her usual self at all. There was also a sadness that surrounded the little Tremere - that she tried to hide. She failed at it, but she tried to hide it behind the friendly, tired smile. She tried to hide it by working, hiding in her office and not working the floor like she usually did. It didn't work, not like she wanted it to. Her entire staff knew something was wrong, just not what.

Five weeks.

She was alone in her office, staring at numbers and figures on her computer - the last month's revenue and making sure to sign paychecks all nice and proper. Alone for the first time in five weeks. Alone with her work and her thoughts.

She buried her head in her arms and started to sob again. She couldn't do this at home. At home, they needed her strong and sure. Here, alone, she could break down. So she did, hidden away in her office. Because she needed to.

Victor knocked on her office door and peered in.

"Got a minute?" he said quietly

She looked up and cleared her throat - and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, Victor. Come on in."

Victor sat down and handed her a handkerchief and a small bag of cookies he'd bought a local bakery.

"Ok, we haven't really talked since you went rooting around in my mind. That wore me out, but I'm not angry. You however are extremely sad and depressed, and so if you'd like to talk about it, I'll listen."

She took the handkerchief and cookies, then fixed him with a stony stare.

"You think I'm sad and depressed about my dad?"

"No, I don't. But I wanted to let you know that I'm not taking offense at the whole mind pillaging thing. So what's wrong?"

She folded her hands on the desk and stared at him again.

"I wouldn't actually care if you did take offense, Victor. That was my dad and you were keeping things from me. I'm not sorry about that."

She picked up a cookie and bit into it.

"I'm sad because I've got a house full of injured people and Victoria is dead."

Victor's jaw dropped and he said nothing for a long minute.

"Angry southbound mages? And... I'm sorry. I really am."

She put her palms flat on the table.

"Did you honestly think I would let her live after that, Victor?"

"You know... I've got nothing, except to wonder if I'm next on your hit list."

She fixed him with a blue stare.

"Victor, I think the hand you played in it was a misguided one, but an attempt at being helpful. Helpful in getting my father what he wants, what he believes he deserves. Victoria, on the other hand, was an evil creature with no purpose but to hurt and destroy. She especially enjoyed causing me pain - which is why she so readily agreed to Embrace my father. That woman has taken so much from me - she has used her powers against me, used them on Estaban, tried to use them on Erik and now has manipulated a well-meaning Ventrue into taking my father away from me -- again. You can only kick a dog so many times before it turns and bites you."

Victor reached into his jacket and took out a flask, from which he drank a long swallow, before offering it to Griselda.

"I see... Would you like to hear the run up to approaching Victoria about Joseph's embrace?"

The Ventrue was being very quiet and stiff. This was so over his pay grade and anyone who knew him would spot the signs of his discomfort and insistence now to wing it through to the end.

She declined the offer to drink from the flask and sighed.

"If you wish to tell me. You have that 'But I had a good excuse!' on your face."

"Hang on, stupid question. Joseph, how is he?"

"Not himself," she said bluntly. "Cold and distant and cruel."

"Her doing, the loss of the blood bond, or both? The Ventrue refused to consider embracing him because they feared he'd be like Alexander "

"Her doing," she stated plainly.

"Can it be undone?"

"No. An effect of her influence and Tzimisce blood. There's nothing to be done now."

"I see... and you know, he had to know all this ahead of time. So why? I would have offered to do it myself, but we figured it would be a death sentence for me. He wanted the embrace, and was hurt when the Count made it clear it wouldn't happen among the Ventrue "

She pursed her lips.

"My father has never handled rejection well. He knew she wouldn't say no."

"I see. "

"Still, he got what he wanted as a consenting adult..."

She held up a finger to stop his talking.

"Don't. Don't you dare. I ripped a man's arm off over this."

Victor sighed. "I got nothing then. I'm very sad for you and Joseph. He is a friend and I miss him at the house."

"He isn't at mine. Take him if you want him." She was flat and emotionless as she said it. Very odd for Griselda.