Realistic or Modern Of Ivanov Blood Reboot//All spots full!

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

When the man brought in Zofia and pushed her in his direction it was all he could do to not chase him down. They were damn lucky that Aleksi didn’t have his gun on him or they would be having much bigger problems than being locked in the room. “Shit Zo! Are you okay?” He closed the distance between the two of them and rested his hand on her head, slowly smoothing down her hair as he looked down at her. He could feel the small bump on the back of her head and anger bubbled up inside him again. What kind of man hit a woman like this? Especially a pedestrian woman. He knew Zofia could hold her own against most other people but men in the mafia with guns? Christ. “They knocked you good huh?” He gave her his best smile while trying to ignore the pain in his face and the anger growing inside of him. Soon Katya walked over to them and released Zofia from the ropes that bound her before directing Aleksi to allow her to set his nose.

Aleksi obliged and made his way to sit, rolling his eyes as she worked on his nose and mentioned him hating her. “I don’t hate you, you know that. Never could never will.” He winced in a bit of pain and she popped it into place and sighed. “I know this crazy shit going on isn’t you. But it is your men, and they are damn lucky I don’t have a gun right now. And they’re damn lucky I respect your property or I would have kicked down doors and started breaking windows by now.” Aleksi had always had a great respect for Katya since they were young. Before everything went to shit between their families they were best friends, hell at one point they wanted to be more which was of course when things fell apart. Katya would always be Aleksi’s first love. Even being here with her this close to his face was hard… it made his chest tight. Which was terrible considering his girlfriend was at the other end of the room in pain.

When Katya was done and the tv began talking, Aleksi stood and made his way over to Zofia and Masha. He tossed an arm around each of the girls and pulled them in close, keeping his voice low while the video played. “Listen, Katya is someone you guys can trust here I promise. But if you need anything while we’re stuck here please don’t do anything rash and just ask me or Nicholai. Don’t go to Mikhail at all… I’m concerned about his absence.” And apparently he was right to have that apprehension because low and behold, Mikhail was the little scape goat that Katyas men were using to try and sugar coat this whole fucked up situation.

Mikhail entered the room and Aleksi straightened up and scoffed. “Your old men must be getting rusty then. They’re worried about this secret but not worried about the fact that you’ve kidnapped 4 people? If the sisters don’t freak out and go to the police about the girls missing then it will just be my men knocking on your door when me and Nicholai don’t return their calls. Ever think about that? Plus Mikhail you of all people should know I wouldn’t let anyone know something if Katya asked me to not. This is a ridiculous plan.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

“Well sorry, I guess my understanding on how leading things goes was wrong.” Masha sneered, she knew she was being mean but for christs sake she was like a cat being cornered. This was an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people, unfamiliar people who had a tendency to be VIOLENT, she was attacked last night and her best friend was missing. Well until a few minutes after she snapped at Katya, a man appeared with Zofia in hand and shoved her towards Aleksi with some rude comment. “My lord what is wrong with these people?!” She gasped and turned on her heel to head towards Zofia after Katya cut her free and took Aleksi to a couch to fix up his nose.

“Zofia! Are you okay? Did they hurt you? What happened last night? Did you do something stupid?!” Mashas words were coming out in a blur as she grabbed her friend by the shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug. Soon the tv behind her clicked on and voice began speaking that made her jump a little. Finally she released her friend and turned towards the TV with a raised brow. The man on the TV was telling her and all the others in the room the story of their mother and father, the twins birth and their mothers death. Masha wasn’t sure if she really believed it all but if she did it gave her even more reason to not want to be around these people! Her mother was ESCAPING! Hell it even sounded like their father wanted no part of this mess anymore.

The video came to and end and Mikhail was entering the room with food that Masha almost fully believed must be poisoned. He started trying to explain himself and the position of the others but even Masha could tell the others were brimming with anger towards the blonde man. Aleksi came over and tossed an arm over her and Zofia and while she wasn’t exactly super fond of the guy, she welcomed the comfort during all this. “Aleksi is right, the sisters will freak out of Zofia and I don’t come home. One night is one thing but if we don’t come back or call today? They’ll call the cops, I can almost promise it.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

“I-I’m okay really.” Zofia squeezed Aleksis hand in both of hers with a small smile, “The bump hurts a lot and I have a killer headache but I don’t look as fucked up as you so I guess that’s something.” Her lips turned into a smirk at the opportunity to make a joke. Everything was a lot less scary now that she was in the company of others she knew. Aleksi was here, Masha was here. It would be okay. Katya approached them and cut the rope away from her and Zofia let out a thankful sigh, flexing her wrists around and stretching out her arms. “Thank you Katya.” Aleksi moved to get his nose looked at and soon Masha was crushing her in a giant hug and rambling like an idiot causing Zofia to chuckle a bit. “Of course I did something stupid! It’s me! But hey I’m pretty sure I broke that fuckers rib so at least I did something right?” Masha let her go and gave her a look of disapproval before turning her attention to the man speaking on the tv.

“Hey that’s the guy that I fought with last night!” Zofia exclaimed, ready to make another joke but shutting her mouth the moment he began explaining the situation. Was this really what happened to Mashas mom? They spent a lot of their childhood coming up with stories for the woman… they hoped she was adventuring the world, an artist, a young woman who couldn’t take care of a baby, a woman who made the choice to give Masha a better life. Well she supposed she was the last one but… not like this. She died trying to get the twins away from all of this… it was actually super depressing. “I’m glad I broke his rib now.” The video ended and Mikhail entered the room causing Aleksi to toss his arms around her and Masha. He explained that Katya was trustworthy but it seemed the jury was out on the rest of them.

“They’re right about the sisters, they’re overbearing as hell especially with Masha. Plus I’m sure about know they’re hella annoyed with the kids and wondering where the normal babysitters are.” Zofia wrapped her arms around Aleksi’s middle and rested her head against his shoulder. “Can’t we just tell them we won’t say shit and go home? I mean no one noticed Masha for 25 years, what’s new now?”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

The next three days dragged on for what seemed like forever, though if you asked her she'd guess about a week or longer. Mikhail claimed he was worried about her and Masha's safety but all his words did were irritate her further. Katya could figure out a way to keep the pair of them safe but locking her in the house was no place for that, especially with all of these big personalities together. Her life typically was quiet, but Zofia and Aleksi were quite boisterous people. Nicholai was always in the gym, or sitting with Stefan drinking and bitching. Stefan was a quiet personality who just read, drank, and tried to make plans and negotiations with Mikhail when he did visit. Masha seemed to avoid Katya and hang out with Zofia or Nicholai. Annabella was always trying to remain cheerful, but that's knot what Katya needed. She didn't need a distraction; she needed these people out and not held captive. She needed to take out her rage out on her so called 'family' for their betrayal. Her only family on the inside wanted nothing to do with her anymore and she couldn't blame her.

On top of all of that she needed away from Aleksi and Zofia. Seeing them together was painful. Actually...being this close in quarters with Aleksi was probably the most painful. After the family fight and her father drilling it into his head that she could never be with Aleksi, Katya turned to dating females. No guy matched up to him and were all intimidated by her, and so eventually she turned her attention to girls to distract her. Women were so much more easier going than the males she attracted. She liked her single bachelorette lifestyle she had going on, but she never thought she'd see Aleksi let alone be living with him and having conversations again with him. He was the only person to understand her life and the only one that didn't seem to judge her, and she tried to be the same to him. He was her first love, and seeing him happy with Zofia was like a punch to the gut. It killed her inside, Katya thought she got rid of all of those ridiculous feelings years ago.

So Katya had a plan to get them all out, though she was sure it wouldn't be approved by many. Mikhail was coming soon for dinner and her plan needed to be put into action soon, though it also involved another person. Nicholai was one to throw caution to the wind but he was also trustworthy, he was the man for the job. Katya finally got done explaining the plan to Nicholai quietly while leaning against the living room wall, having whispered so the others couldn't hear. She thought to warn Aleksi the plan, but honestly? She wanted honest to goodness scared reactions so that Mikhail thought Nicholai was serious about what he was going to do. That is, if he even wanted to go through with this crazy plan. "So, yeah. That's it. Just don't really shoot me, okay? The plan doesn't end well if I'm dead."

Katya smoothed out her outfit of the day, dressing for a fight today. Thankfully everyone could fit into someone's clothes; Masha obviously could wear Katya's clothes despite the lack of modest attire, Zofia could share with Annabella, Nicholai was about the size of Stefan and Aleksi was similar in size to Mikhail. They had food, clothes, everything her house usually had save for internet.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella Valentina

Well the days were never dull she could say that. Annabella understood Mikhail's side in wanting to keep the girls safe, but also who could blame everyone for being angry about being trapped? She wasn't a fan for sure, especially for the others being kept away from their families. They claimed to have covered their bases and that they would be free soon but, no one in the group was a patient person. Especially Katya and Nicholai. Nicholai seemed to be crawling out of his skin and Katya wasn't used to this many people, that much was obvious. Honestly there was nothing they could do? This was a big organization keeping them trapped, and one of the most well trained men keeping diligent watch on them. Stressing about it was not helping, so long as they complied and just lived their life for a few more days they'd be in the clear. The suspicious members had to be involved with her father's death somehow and now she knew who to study now when they were out of this.

For now, though, Annabella was busying herself trying to pick up spirits of everyone trapped. She used to work in the special forces and she would be trapped in a fox hole for days with her fellow men, and the best way to cheer people up was through food. So she made sure to bake everyday for everyone. No one could be too angry with fancy desserts, right? The dessert of the day was a classic tiramisu. It was tucked safely into the fridge before Annabella gave a small yawn and stretched out her tall thin frame. Mikhail was coming soon, they all gathered into the living room every day to hear if anything was different. Nothing had been new though, same excuse and same explanation. Hopefully today was different.

"Dessert is done, if we're all have to stay here for dinner I mean." Annabella smiled at Nicholai and Katya as she walked into the living room, smoothing out her black leggings and tight red sweater. Her red hair was tied into a bun on the top of her head with her bangs hanging to the side of her face. She was trying her best to be calm and rational around the others, trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. "What are the others up to?" Annabella was also trying to keep her best tabs on Masha and keep an eye on her the pat few days, Katya knowing that Masha didn't want anything to do with her lately. It didn't seem that Katya her sister alone or scared though, so she tried her best to spend time with Masha and Zofia.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

"You're clearly fucking insane, you know that?" The girl was asking him to jump Mikhail, basically a trained assassin only in guard form, and hold a gun to her head to threaten Mikhail if he and the others didn't let them out. Afterwards he'd give her the gun to assert dominance and get control of her people back. The only one that would be getting shot would be her own people if they didn't comply, but that's if the plan went according to her plan! Though, it didn't sound half bad. It was the best chance they had, and Nicholai needed out of this fucking place. He, Katya, and the girls seemed to be the only ones that wanted to get out of this situation. Aleksi seemed almost okay with it now? Like the girls were okay so he was okay, or something. Not only that, but Mikhail was fine with holding them here like this and that pissed him off more.

"Aleksi's going to be pissed that we didn't tell him, I'm all on board though. I'll deal with the aftermath. Leave Mikhail to me and I'll do my best not to shoot you." As soon as Annabella walked in he dropped the topic and gave her a small smile. "Thanks for always cooking something up. No I haven't seen them in a minute, I'm sure they'll be out here any minute though." Nicholai was dressed in a pair of black workout shorts and a black tank, having no desire to wear the stuffy suits Stefan frequently was found in. He was preparing himself inside to fist fight Mikhail, and he was trying to put in every ounce of faith into Katya's plans. Worse case scenario, either Nicholai or Katya got shot. He was getting desperate though, and since the both of them were up for the risk there was no reason he should hesitate with the plan.

Now they just had to wait for the other big player in the plan, Mikhail. Nicholai almost preferred that the girls weren't around during this shit show.

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

The older members were being unreasonable. Stefan was the lawyer of the family for fucks sakes, he was going to make everyone sign a contract to silence them from speaking of the twins. For some reason they weren't going for it. He thought to put one of their guard on Masha and they didn't go for that, either. Why was this so hushed? There had to be something more going on; either their mother was in another family or the family they were apart of was a danger to Katya and Masha if they were figured out to be the daughters. Still, they couldn't hide in the manor forever! Admittedly he would normally love a few days off of work to catch up on some reading, but when the home was this busy it was almost impossible to focus. So, Stefan was mostly drinking and wracking his brain for plans.

The company wasn't bad. In fact he truly enjoyed the addition of Zofia and Masha, they were friendly people and sweet, too. Zofia was good company and enjoyed a good drink, often finding himself drinking with her late at night when neither of them could sleep. They chatted about anything but the house, a lot of the time they talked about the bar and funny stories from the bar. He had been going from there for years, it was surprising that they hadn't chatted before. Now she'd be his requested tender though. He most certainly understood everyone's frustrations about being stuck, he was just thankful that they could try and have a good time while being stuck there. Even Annabella was trying her hardest.

Stefan was in his study drafting another plan so that they would all be happy but it wasn't coming together thoroughly. He finished off the glass of whiskey with a small sigh, his ocean blue eyes glancing up at the clock. It was almost time for Mikhail to show his face, so Stefan placed the pen, paper, and his glasses on the table in front of the couch and stood to his feet. He straightened the red tie around his neck before moving out of the office into the living room with a long yawn. "I like your positivity miss Annabella, but my money will be on us being stuck here for dinner, too. We appreciate your cooking though, it's making this situation bearable."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

Masha had spent her few days in the house avoiding most everyone except for Zofia. Annabella would come check in on her and Masha honestly didn’t mind, the woman didn’t seem in place here in this house, she seemed much more normal than everything else happening around here so it was a welcome change. It was also nice to have her around because Zofia was constantly missing, always off with Aleksi. Masha was happy for her friend she supposed but… she also missed the support during all of this crazy.

Today Zofia and Aleksi were off by themselves again and Masha spent most of her day hanging out in the living room and reading on the couch. A few times Annabella came in to offer small conversation but that was about it for the day. At some point Nicholai and Katya came in, around the time for Mikhail to join them for the day, the two of them stayed at the other side of the room and were talking in hushed tones. Masha couldn’t even begin to think about what those two would have to secretive about but she also couldn’t even begin to care. Soon more people joined them and Masha shut her book and placed it on the coffee table, propping herself up more on the couch.

“Your cooking has been amazing but I must also admit, I am longing for some crappy take out food. Though don’t tell Zofia I said that, we would never eat real food again if I ever admitted I enjoyed her cheap take away places.” Masha stood and straightened out her sweater that was a little too tight on her body for her. Borrowing clothes from Katya was getting hard for her to handle day in and day out. The sweaters were soft but tight, and sweatpants were sweatpants thank god… but still.

“I for one am just hoping Mikhail brings good news… I don’t know how much longer I can entertain myself here. And I do miss the kids at the church…” Masha signed and leaned up against the back of the couch before crossing her arms over her chest.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

“Aleksi you have to say something!” Zofia yelled from where she sat on the bed the two of them had been sharing the last few days. She grabbed the blankets and pulled it tighter around her shoulders, suddenly feeling much more vulnerable than she ever wanted to. In her entire life there had only ever been three other people that Zofia said “I love you” to. Her parents and Masha. Now there was four… and Aleksi was standing there with his mouth open. “I-I cannot believe you’re not saying anything!” She threw off the covers and pushed past him, moving to the dresser and yanking out a pair of pajama shorts and a hoodie to pull on.

“You don’t even have to say it back. You don’t have to reciprocate my feelings. You don’t , really. But god don’t look at me like I’m some freak. We’ve been dating for MONTHS, I’ve spent all of my free time with you and after being locked together for 3 days I still don’t HATE YOU. I’ve never felt this way about anyone and I think I deserve at least some sort of response!” She pulled on the clothes and tossed her hair into a quick bun, “Just whatever Aleksi. I’m used to it. Let’s head down, it’s almost time for Mikhail to meet us for the night.”

Zofia pushed past him again and threw the door open to head to the living room. She could already smell desert and hear talking meaning her and Aleksi were likely the last two to join. Zofia moved into the living room and took a big deep breath to calm herself down before talking with the others.

“So no Mikhail yet? Bummer, I was hoping he would be here with phones and guns and keys out of this place. But then again that would require him not being a push over right?”

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

Aleksi wasn’t thrilled with this whole locked in the Ivanov mannor thing but he had to admit he was enjoying himself. Well he was enjoying himself most of the time. He spent most of his days with Zofia which was fun! He liked her ! He really did! But not a day went by without him being reminded of his childhood here, or his feelings for Katya. Feelings that were just under the surface after years of not dealing with them properly. Now he was locked in a house with the both of them? The times he wasn’t having fun he was being mentally tortured.

Then this happened. Zofia telling Aleksi she loved him after what started as a casual and fun morning. Now here he was both shocked and confused. Hell a few weeks ago be would have responded instantly but now… now as soon as she said it all he felt was guilty. Guilty because he knew he shouldn’t be with her, not when he wasn’t sure what he really wanted. A week ago, when he hadn’t seen Katya in years and when Zofia was the person he looked forward to seeing… it would have been different but… now. “Zofia it’s not that I don’t think you aren’t worth a response it’s just… I’m surprised. I don’t know what to say.” She shoved past him and moved to get dressed causing Aleksi to slowly do the same while keeping his head down.

“Zofia, come on. Let’s just-“ She cut him off and he sighed, “Yeah let’s talk about it later.” Aleksi gave her a moment before heading down the hallway as well and into the living room. His eyes instantly fell on Katya talking to Nicholai causing him to raise a brow.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Summers

“We have to give them something or Katya is going to kill each and every one of you when we let them out. She truly is pissed off you know.” Mikhail sent a cold stare to the man who was handing him the tray of food. “So I’ll take them this while you guys start making your decision about giving them their phones back.” With that Mikhail turned to head down the hall that head to Katyas wing of the house. He wanted this all to be settled and over. He understood the importance but Mikhail held Katya in high regards, she was smart and wouldn’t let this new information become an issue in the family. He only wished the others trusted her as well.

Mikhail unlocked the door and headed inside, listening as he closed and locked again behind him. Down the hall he could hear voices in the living room, he was just thrilled that this time they didn’t seem to be screaming at each other. “Here’s something to eat. Though it smells like Annabella had been handling things well in here so maybe I should have the guy handling these meals. He would be thrilled.” He placed the tray on the table before moving to stand near the edge of the seating area.

“They still haven’t decided what they want to do. I wish I had something better to say but I’m not going to sugarcoat it either.”

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

As everyone gathered within the living room to wait for Mikhail's arrival he knew that this plan was their only hope for getting out of this mess anytime soon. When Mikhail joined them all he did was confirm that this was the only way to get out, as much as he hated to agree with Katya. The plan was risky and they both could end up dead from it, but if it was successful they'd be free in no time. Katya wouldn't have approached him with this plan if she wasn't confident in him, so Nicholai took a deep breath and tried to have some faith in himself. "Mikhail, listen. We used to be friends, right?" This was it, he was set in his plan and there would be nothing to stop him. He approached Mikahil with a long sigh, giving the man a small pat on the back. "So, I have a proposition for you." The pat on the back turned into a firm grip on Mikhail's shoulder, one to hold him as he gave a rough punch to Mikhail's gut to knock the air out of him. With one swift movement he swiped the gun from Mikhail's side.

With the gun in hand he jumped back out of Mikhail's reach and grabbed hold of Katya's arm. Quickly he yanked her in front of him and held the gun to her temple. "Now, either these men of yours release us or I'll give them a reason to. If they want to figure out what to do about these two women I will figure it out for them, and I'll take one of them out of the equation." Nicholai spoke in a serious and cold tone to give the impression he was going to actually shoot Katya if Mikhail and the family didn't comply. He pulled the safety off of the gun and gave Mikhail a chilling smile. "Now, unless you want to bury another leader I recommend showing us the exit. Now, please. My patience has run thin this week."

--

Well, it worked just like Katya had planned. The doors immediately opened and the men yielded. Nicholai felt bad about having to attack and deceive Mikhail like this, he knew he was on their side, but obviously he wasn't going to get them free. He'd apologize later if he survived the rest of the day. As he held Katya as his hostage the rest of the men came in with the cell phones and their guns. Once everyone's property had been returned he felt like everything was finally settled. "Alright, we're good to go, right?" The older men begrudgingly nodded, to which Nicholai responded with a small smile and nod. "Great." He engaged the safety on the gun before reaching down and handing it to Katya. "Your plan worked, guess you're the boss for a reason right?" Nicholai turned his attention to his cellphone as he slid his own gun back in his holster.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

For a brief moment Katya felt guilty as everyone entered the room. Letting them know what was going to happen would be the nice thing to do, but then it risked everyone's reactions. They needed genuine shock and concern to convince Mikhail and the other members of the family that this was real. "What a shock. All those men are good for is sitting on their hands and waiting for one another to make a decision. Father hated that about them. I'll be sure to fix all of that when we're out though, maybe it's time for the old men to retire. Possibly six feet under, depending on my mood." Katya pushed herself off of the wall and straightened out her outfit before giving a small yawn.

That's when Nicholai made his move. Swiftly he was punching Mikhail and stealing his pistol, the tall man making his way back to Katya and pulling her in front of him like a hostage. At first Katya was scared that no one would buy it, but then as soon as Nicholai turned the safety off she knew that they had most everyone fooled. The only one that mattered in fooling was Mikhail, and she knew that they had him buying into it. There would be no way Mikhail would risk Katya's life no matter what orders he was given.

It worked. Soon everyone was getting their phones back, everyone was receiving their weapons save for Masha and Zofia, and it seemed like everyone was free to go. With a cocky smirk Katya happily took the gun before reaching over and handing the gun back to Mikhail. "Thanks for your participation Nicholai, much appreciated. Here you are Mikhail, sorry we had to trick you like that. Now, I need someone to get these lovely folks a ride back to their home." Katya slid her own gun into its holster and crossed her arms across her chest as she looked to the now sweating older members in the room that had joined them. "I'm not going to be very patient, either. We'll have some long discussions once everyone is on their way."

Katya turned to the others with an apologetic smile. "I truly apologize for the inconvenience my family has caused, trust me they will pay for their insubordination. One day I hope you can forgive me for the family's transgressions." She knew that Stefan and Annabella were holding no grudge, and Aleksi said he didn't blame her for any of this, so her only one real worry was for Masha holding a grudge against her.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella Valentina

Never did Annabella think that Katya and Nicholai would go to such extreme measures to deceive even their own friends, however it worked and she couldn't be too mad about the situation. They were freed after that! The only thing that Annabella didn't like was the fact that she received a new assignment. It wasn't the assignment itself that she disliked, in fact she loved being at the church and spending time with Masha, Zofia, and the orphans. It was the fact that things at the house were finally unraveling and she wouldn't be there to dig into her own investigation. Still, orders were orders and Annabella was not going to be the next one to cross Katya. If anything pertinent happened she was sure she'd be informed. Until then, she remained on guard duty for Masha.

The church seemed like any other church she had been to, and from what she could tell it was safe. She was able to make yummy treats and such for the children and, honestly, Annabella had enjoyed the last week. The kids were cute, Masha was sweet and far more easy to guard than her sister. Still, she tried not to step on anyone's toes. They had explained to the sisters that her presence at the church was temporary but necessary, and that she was there to see to everyone's protection. The sisters were a bit hesitant but, somehow, they were in agreeance to Annabella staying there.

"Miss Masha, what's on todays agenda? Zofia works, correct?" Annabella wasn't in a suit like she would wear back at the manor, instead she wore a white button up shirt, a black cardigan, and black high waisted slacks. Her gun was attached to her waist right underneath the waist of her slacks to keep it out of sight from anyone in the church. Her fiery red hair was tied into a tight ponytail on the top of her head, her eyeliner and makeup done up like it was on a normal day.

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

The next week was hell, to put it simply. Katya ruled the house with an iron fist that whole week and the men were groveling to get back into her good graces. Some were 'simply let go of' as she would answer, and the fact that she didn't use the word 'disposed' was a good sign to Stefan. Some she wanted to see dance and suffer, and he couldn't wrong her for any of it. The family truly had crossed her and she was not happy. Still, as nice as it was to see her back in power it was an incredibly uncomfortable place for him to do his work in. Stefan found himself taking his papers and notes to his usual bar instead of his office for a few drinks.

It seemed Zofia was at work more lately, though now that he knew her maybe this was her regular schedule? She seemed unusually stressed about something, and getting out of the house to do his work seemed to help Stefan get done much faster. After the rough week they had just being kidnapped and held against their will Stefan decided it would be a good idea to try and cheer Zofia up. She was a good girl and he didn't like seeing her like this, though he was sure he wasn't as fun as Aleksi was. Stefan was still good for an open ear for listening, and he was always good to have a few drinks with. So, they drank and he listened to whatever woes she wanted to unfold on to him. He even found himself complaining about the family, something he normally never would do.

For the fifth night this week Stefan found himself at the bar, and this time he came with more of the intentions on seeing Zofia than he had to work. The woman had a lot of trouble in her life and they seemed to all stem from Aleksi. The man seemed like he was trying, but Stefan had met the guy and knew that he seemed pretty clueless half the time. Zofia needed someone strong and dependable, though that was her call to make. All he did was fuel their vent sessions with a few drinks, giving advice occasionally when asked. "The usual, please." Stefan smiled gently at one of the familiar tenders behind the bar as she poured up his whiskey and slid it to him as he took his seat at the end of the bar.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

Masha wasn't sure what she expected when they were finally let out of the Ivanov Manor, she knew that there was no way that she would be able to get away from all of this crazy but she also didn't think that she would be given a 24/7 guard. Though Masha was thankful that out of all the options the guard she was given was Annabella, she was much less scary then all of the other men in that house that she briefly met. And while Masha was so confused, shocked and scared when Katya and Nicholai's little plan played out, she was also thankful that they had done it. It meant her and Zofia were finally free to return to the church, even if it was with an escort and a new set of rules.

The past week had gone pretty smoothly, Masha had been able to mostly ignore the Ivanov drama for now save for the presence of Annabella at the church. Though for the most part she really didn't mind the company. Zofia had been really busy with work and distracted with whatever was going on between her and Aleksi. Annabella was really great in the kitchen and helped out a lot with the kids, they were more excited than normal due to the girls being back AND a new person in the church. "Hmm?" Masha looked up from the pie crust she had been rolling and took a few moments to realize and respond to Annabella's question, "Oh yeah, she works today and said she will be late probably. I guess I dont really have any plans outside of the normal day. Cooking, cleaning, play with the kids for a while." She shrugged and stood straight up, wiping her hands on the messy apron tied around her waist. Today she was in a white turtleneck with a brown overall shirt over top and her apron around her waist, thick wool socks went halfway up her legs but other than that she was barefoot. Her face had the normal light makeup she wore and her wild curls were tied back in a braid that was finished off with a ribbon.

One of the sisters, sister Vivian, had been the one really handling talking Masha through this whole Ivanov thing. She seemed to know more about Masha's life before the church but wasnt letting go of much beyond admitting she knew about her relation to the Ivanovs. She had been really pushing Masha to get close with Katya, explaining that now that she was in it there was no escaping it so might as well embrace her family but... it was just hard. She liked Katya. She really did but... that house was scary! AND last time she was there she got LOCKED IN.

"Annabella, what do you think I should do about all this.... I mean it's insane right? I just dont understand that lifestyle at all. I mean I know that people say that the Ivanov's do what they do to keep the city safe but they do it by hurting people. I just don't understand it all. Why did you join them? I mean you weren't born into it right? You wanted to go there? There has to be something about this all that I don't understand if someone like you is a part of it all."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

"They must pay you well for you to keep spending so much money here." Zofia came out from the stock room behind the bar and found the place still mostly empty save for the few regulars and now Stefan at the end of the bar in the spot he had been frequenting this week. She slid past her coworker and carefully took the glass she had poured for him before making her way over there and setting it down in front of him, catching herself giving him an honest smile. Honestly with all of the insanity happening recently, she was thrilled to have someone to talk to about everything and in all honesty she did like Stefan. He was a nice guy and the two of them had a fairly similar outlook on a lot of the situations they talked about. "Don't they ever miss you at the house?"

Zofia turned to her coworker and spoke, "Hey do you mind if I take my break now then?" The coworker just rolled her eyes and chuckled, waving the girl away with a smile. Honestly Zofia wasn't even scheduled today but... being here allowed her to ignore Aleksi and kept her from bothering Masha with her problems. It also allowed her to see Stefan more... not that the two of them couldn't go get like lunch or coffee or drinks elsewhere to talk but this just seemed to have become their thing. They would sit at her bar for far too long and just vent about everything. It was honestly kind of strange how much the two of them spoke the past five days, the topics they touched were normally reserved for people who had been friends for a long time but with the two of them it just seemed natural.

Zofia grabbed herself a vodka tonic before slipping around to the other side of the bar and taking the seat next to Stefan. "So how's things today? Still wild at the house?" In the pocket of her black jean shorts she could feel her phone start to buzz and she let out a groan before pulling it out and taking a glance at the screen. She should have known it would be Aleksi, it was always Aleksi, or Nicholai calling FOR Aleksi like that would make her pick up the phone. The last week she had only spoken to him once to tell him she didn't want to talk yet. Apparently that wasn't something Aleksi could handle because after about 24 hours he was blowing up her phone and had been ever since then. She sighed and tossed the phone on the counter, letting it go to voicemail before turning her attention back to Stefan. "Sorry, I was asking you a question and jackass decided to call and interrupt me like the rude ass he is."

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

When Nicholai held Katya at gunpoint, Aleksi fully believed it all, he thought that his friend and bodyguard had finally snapped or something. He was yelling at him to stop and trying his best to settle the situation down only to be met with a room full of Katya's men and quick realization that the two of them had planned this as an escape and Aleksi was just standing their flabbergasted as they all were given back their guns and phones and being let out of the Manor. For the rest of that day Aleksi scolded Nicholai for doing something so stupid but even he had to admit that he appreciated the return of his freedom. He would kind of miss hanging out with Katya again but it wasn't like they couldn't see each other again like they used too... though he assumed she would be busy for a while with her men and the crazy amount of insubordination she would have to address.

That was okay though because Aleksi was busy with his own problems. One was calling off his own men, they wanted blood for the Ivanovs keeping him and Nicholai hostage for so long but Aleksi didn't want to start anything. If he was being honest he could have left the house at any time. There were windows to break and Aleksi had survived worse falls, plus Katya's men wouldn't dare actually try to kill him because not only would Katya be more pissed than she already was but they would also have a full out war on their hands. Then there was the other problem; Zofia. They ended things on a bad note that day and despite Aleksi trying to come see her at the church later that night to talk to her, all he got was a text telling him to please leave and that she didn't want to talk. Aleksi felt terrible, Zofia was right when she told him that she deserved a response. And honestly Aleksi knew the response she deserved! He did love her but... after spending so much time together in that house and spending so much time with Katya again... he was conflicted about love versus IN love. Zofia was one of his favorite people on the planet, he knew that. They got along really well and he enjoyed spending time with her. But honestly? If you had asked him three weeks ago if he loved her he would have responded yes in a heartbeat but after seeing Katya again a whole lot of old feelings were awakened, feelings that it wasn't fair to tell his girlfriend he loved her when he felt this way about an old friend. So he couldn't, not yet at least! He needed time! Whatever he felt about Katya was a mute point, it didn't matter because she didn't feel it and they could never be anything more than friends. Zofia deserved him to be fully interested in her, he just... he needed time.

"She's not answering again." Aleksi tossed his phone on the table with a bit more anger than he intended. "I don't get why you wont let me go to the bar. It's not like I'm her stalker. I'm her boyfriend! I just want to talk." He growled and tossed himself down dramatically onto the couch across from where Nicholai sat, gaining a few looks from some of the other men in the room. "Whatever. What is going on over at the Ivanovs? Anyone have an update for me?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

The last week had been wild. From punishing her family for their actions to establishing that Katya was indeed the DON she had her hands full. Annabella was sent to guard Masha, and to be frank Katya had been giving Mikhail the cold shoulder. That was his punishment, she knew that hurt him more than any punishment would. On top of all that there was rumors of another mob infiltrating their Russian territory. The Ivanov's were like the law throughout Russia, they pulled strings for people that were close to the family and made the lives of people who wronged them Hell. They shared Russia with the Petrov's, they were another well established and large family. If any other 'family' tried to establish roots in Russia usually the two families snuffed it out. As of now she was sure Aleksi's father didn't want to communicate with Katya, not only were the families not on great terms since Katya told her father her feelings for Aleksi but now there was all of the drama of the kidnapping. She didn't want to push her luck, she was grateful that they hadn't declared any sort of war yet.

So, when Annabella texted Katya about the idea of the dinner she was thrilled to extend that invitation. It gave her not only the opportunity to thank Aleksi and address the possibility of the new family in their territory, but it also gave her the opportunity to see him again. Yes she knew he was with Zofia, and that they'd never get to be together, but being around him just made her happy. He had been her best friend growing up and she still harbored a great deal of love for him. So, she called Aleksi to try and set up some dinner plans with him and the others.

Once dinner plans were all arraigned she made sure to send everyone the information. Stefan said he was going to pass on dinner, that he was taking the night off and he'd talk to her in the morning about the meeting. Annabella and Masha confirmed that they were coming, and obviously Mikhail and Nicholai were coming if Katya and Aleksi were coming. It was a well guarded dinner, what could go wrong?

From Annabella's text it seemed that Zofia wasn't coming either, and for some reason that made Katya nervous. When they were trapped in the house Aleksi and Katya never really had one on one time, he was always busy with Zofia. Now that they weren't doing too hot she felt nervous to see him without her. Katya picked out a velvet maroon bodycon dress that had a deep V-neck, the dress going down to her knees. She paired her dress with her favorite black heels that laced up her pale legs, a black choker, and then she pinned her long raven wavy locks up so that they fell effortlessly down her shoulders and back. She had winged eyeliner, some blush, highlighter, and maroon lipstick to match her dress. Katya always dressed to impress.

The dinner was set at an upscale restaurant in a nice spot of town, that would hopefully put Masha at ease. Annabella had said something about her not being comfortable being in the Ivanov house and with everything that happened she completely understood; she wanted her sister to feel comfortable so that she would actually come around and get to know about their family. Or at least get to know Katya, Katya wanted a relationship with her only blood family left. Once Katya and Mikhail arrived to the table she made sure to order a few nice bottles of wine to cut whatever tension the group would have.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella Valentina

"Would this place even function without you?" Annabella teased Masha a little as she spoke of doing chores like it was just a casual thing. There was a never ending supply of dishes and cleaning to be done around this place and Masha seemed to have no problem doing them. Then she brought up the Ivanov's again and it was clear she was still tore up inside about what to do with her sister. Even the sisters seemed to insist she be part of the family, which was a little weird to her that religious women would want her to be part of the mafia. But hey, blood was blood, right? "Unless you grew up in the lifestyle I don't think it's an easy one to understand. Everyone has a different way of life and I don't necessarily think Katya expects you to fully embrace the lifestyle. I think she just wants to get to know you."

When Masha questioned why Annabella joined she hesitated. Annabella was under the rouse of wanting to be in the family to learn their ways, that she idolized them for keeping the country in order. In reality she was there to investigate her father's death. Before she could find out much about it the Don had passed away, and from all of the research it didn't look like her father was involved in this family. Maybe it had been another family? "The family does a lot of good, but they get a very bad reputation. Don't get me wrong, they do shady things and have a side that even I don't want to get involved with. I think the community would fall apart without them, y'know? There's always got to be a law and people seem to respect the family more than they do the actual law enforcement. Law enforcement here are far more corrupt than most places in the world. You've kind of got to weigh out the good and bad and I see more good in the family than bad."

And that was what sparked Annabella's idea for a dinner for everyone to sit and talk, in a neutral territory where Masha and Zofia and everyone could feel safe. Unfortunately it seemed Zofia and Stefan were ditching, but other than that it seemed everyone was going to join the dinner.

So Annabella had called a car after they had some time to get ready to escort them to the upscale restaurant. Annabella was already in comfortable clothes and she wanted Masha to feel safe, she wanted to make sure that she could freely kick some ass if she needed to. There was no point in her changing her attire. "This place looks fancy." Annabella held the door open for Masha before closing the door behind them, waving as the driver pulled the car away. She held the door open for Masha before following her inside, her eyes quickly landing on Katya and Mikhail. "They're already here, wonderful." With a bright smile she made her way across the restaurant and held out the chair for Masha to sit. "Glad you guys agreed to a dinner, miss Katya you look like you're more ready for the red carpet than a dinner."

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

When Stefan heard Zofia chime in about his pay he couldn't help but chuckle and give her a small grin. "Let's just say I'm one of their top expenses." Seeing her made his heart hurt for her, he could see it in her eyes how tired and sad she was. He didn't quite know everything about what happened with Aleksi but he did know that it fucked everything up. He enjoyed talking to her though, he knew that both of them could use a nonjudgmental party to talk to. "Unless there's a contract to draw up or legal advice needed then I'm a free man, it's more of an on call job. I basically get paid a shit ton of money to work out or drink." Stefan chuckled quietly, thanked her for the drink, and took a long sip of the burning liquid.

His steel blue eyes watched as she asked her coworker if she could take her break. "Enough about me, don't you take any days off? It seems like every day I'm here you are here as well. Not that I'm complaining, I just think it's good to have some relaxation time. Do I need to take you somewhere warm and sunny?" Stefan half joked with her. The joke quickly faded away though when she pulled out her phone, his small smile falling when she tossed it on the counter. "Things at the house are still wild, Katya is all but physically torturing everyone who had locked us away. I can either they regret what they had done or they regret letting her out. So, uh, how are things on your end? Aleksi still not respecting your space?" It wasn't Stefan's place to say anything but he truly wished that Zofia would break up with the man, solely for her mental health. It was clear he didn't respect her space she kept asking for and it was driving her crazy.

His phone chimed in his pocket and he gave a long sigh. "Hello? Dinner? Ah, no. I'm busy." Stefan swirled the liquid in the glass and took another drink before sighing quietly. "If there's a legal issue call me and i'll be there. Other than that I'm taking the night off." With that said he hung up the phone and gave Zofia a small smile. She needed a friend right now and he wanted to be there for her. "Sorry about that. And I'm also sorry that Aleksi isn't respecting your wishes. Want to have a drink and bitch session? I have a feeling you have a lot to get off of your chest and I'm all ears."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

Despite being scolded for being part of Katya's master plan Nicholai would do it all over again, they were all able to resume their normal lives and get the hell out of that house. Well, as normal as their lives could be. "I don't mean to be a pain in the ass Aleksi but maybe you should give the girl some space. I think she's going to the bar every night just to get away from you, following her there isn't going to help anything." Nicholai wasn't the best with women but he damn well knew when someone wanted space, unfortunately it didn't seem like Aleksi understood. So once again Nicholai had to be the voice of reason. From the sounds of it Aleksi had fucked up big and he wasn't sure that Zofia was going to forgive him, especially with him harassing her. Plus, it seemed like he was struggling internally with the whole Katya situation.

"From the sounds of it Katya is running everyone ragged and making them regret their life choices, it sounds like even Mikhail is getting the cold shoulder. It's all well deserved punishment, it sounds like she's asserting herself and making it known that she's the Don. Which good for her." Nicholai pulled up his phone and scrolled through a few business messages, his brows arching curiously when Aleksi's phone began to ring. Quickly he stood and grabbed the phone to see who it was. Was it Zofia calling back? He was far more surprised to see who it actually was. "It's uh, Katya." With that said Nicholai tossed the phone back to Aleksi and waited to hear what she would be calling for.

"Can I just say I don't think a dinner with her is a great idea?" Aleksi seemed all on board with dinner with everyone, though Nicholai was sure that Zofia wasn't going to be joining them. And didn't Aleksi have some complicated feelings for the girl? She was of the rival family, and didn't she swing for the other team? He remembered that they did have romantic feelings towards each other when they were younger but that was before the family rivalry started up. Nicholai didn't want Aleksi getting confused feeling for her at all, that would only complicate his life further.

"Guess it's too late to turn around now." Nicholai heaved a heavy sigh as he stood from the SUV and held the door open for Aleksi. At least Mikhail would be there with Katya, he was tolerable to be around. He was also the voice of reason and wouldn't let anything get out of hand. Once they walked into the restaurant he noticed Katya, Mikhial, Annabella, and Masha at a table. That had to be it for the night, he was sure Zofia turned down the invite. "Well it's nice to see everyone not locked up in the Ivanov manor." Nicholai sat down at the table and shot a small smile at everyone. "Is everyone well?"

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

Masha thought a lot about what Annabella had to say about the Ivanov family, what she was saying wasn't anything she hadnt heard from others in the city already but hearing it come from someone who was not only involved but truly and genuinely seemed like a good person... it made a difference. Maybe everyone was right, Masha was the only one pushing against knowing her family, maybe she could get to know Katya without having to get to involved in everything else. With that her mind was made up and before she knew it Annabella was off making dinner plans for everyone to meet up. Masha was instantly texting Zofia about it all and asking her to join them despite knowing she wouldn't out of fear Aleksi would be there... plus she had to work she supposed.

A car was called for the two of them and Masha busied herself getting ready while they waited. She changed out of her messy clothes from baking and cleaning all day and found a dress in the back of her closet that was an old birthday present from Zofia that she had really only worn once before. It was a deep blue satin slip dress that fit her well but didnt cling to her body. The neckline was cowlneck and the dress reached her mid calf with a small slit up to her knee, she paired it with a pair of silver heels and chose to keep her hair tied back with a ribbon. Once dressed she made her way out to the car with Annabella and out to the dinner.

"Oh my." Masha was NOT used to all these expensive places, she loved the food and the atmosphere but had to admit she was always so uncomfortable when looking at a menu without prices besides the items.... that meant it was too much for her to even think about. Just looking at this place she had to assume it would be the same. "Well here we go." She gave Annabella a small smile as she held the doors open for them and they made their way inside meeting up with Mikhail and Katya, giving another quick smile as she sat in the chair held out for her. "Hello." Masha spoke shyly, not really sure what else to say.

Soon Aleksi and Nicholai walked up to the table and Masha felt herself roll her eyes before speaking. "Oh hello Nicholai, it's nice to see you too!" She paused and glared over at Aleksi before speaking. "Aleksi."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

"Sounds like my type of job!" Zofia chuckled and took a sip of her drink, crossing her leg over her other and sitting back slightly on the barstool as she listened to Stefan talk. However before she got a chance to say anything in response to his question, her coworker was chiming in from across the bar.

"TODAY is her day off, but she won't GO HOME. So please for the love of god pretty boy, make her do literally anything else tonight. Her mopey ass is bad for my tips." The other woman yelled and winked at Zofia before gaining a few murmurs of agreement from the bar flies that made Zofia go bright red.

"Jeesh. Tough crowd... but they're right. Today and tomorrow I'm not scheduled, its just been easier being here than at home and dealing with it all. The sisters are being real pushy with Mash about spending time with Katya and I agree with them but... if I'm home when that time comes I'm worried that Katya's presence will attract Aleksi as well. I just dont want to deal with it." Zofia had been in hundreds of relationships before and she was commonly the one to break it off or self sabotage but this was the first time in a very long time she let herself get this attached and she couldn't help but feel like yet again she was proven right ; she wasn't worthy of love or attention. "He's not, I knew he wouldn't. He's far more a social creature than most... and I know it's not fair to just completely ice him out but the next time I talk to him I want to know what to say you know?" Zofia took another long drink of her beverage and found herself finishing it off in no time.

In front of her the phone buzzed again and she nearly winced until the screen lit up showing a text from Masha. At the same time Stefan got a phone call that was about the same subject which he quickly declined and caused her to actually smile. "Busy huh?" She glanced over at her coworker and thought for a moment before hopping down from the barstool, "You know what she's right and dinner does sound good but, let's move this party over to a booth so we dont keep BOTHERING these fine people." She grabbed two menus from the end of the bar before reaching across and simply grabbing the entire Jack Daniels bottle and making her way over to the large corner booth.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Summers

Mikhail could KILL Nicholai, never once in his life had someone landed a sucker punch on Mikhail and he wasn't exactly thrilled that it had happened AND that it had been him to do it. If there hadn't been a gun pointed at Katya when he was finally able to react that man would have been dead. However once everything was said and over her learned it was actually Katya's plan to do all this and he had to keep his mouth shut.... Katya was giving him the cold shoulder but he could tell that she was in such a mood after everything that if he even tried anything he would be punished. Well punished more than he already was.

The news of a new mob family moving in wasn't entirely concerning at first, plenty had tried and quickly been shut down but quickly the Ivanov's were realizing that this felt different. These people felt angry and dangerous and despite not knowing much about them, Mikhail was concerned. Unfortunately that concern meant that they had to place nice with the Petrovs.... which he wasn't thrilled about.

"I know you're not speaking to me." Mikhail began as he stood behind his chair at dinner, adjusting the black necktie that laid against the fitted material of his all black suit. "But I have to say two things before the others arrive at this terrible idea of a dinner. One, I know this dinner is about you and Masha but you also need to take some time to speak with Aleksi about this new family. Preferably time away from Masha so more information doesnt go public. Plus we both know it will freak her out." He paused to clear his throat. "And TWO, I sure do hope you are not dressed so nicely for Aleksi. You always look nice Kat but... I think we both know this is a bit more than normal for dinner. I don't even know why they are invited to this... especially after Nicholai-" He cut himself short as Annabella and Masha joined them. He gave them both a quick hello and watched as the two took their seats, thankfully both looked good and Masha didn't seem too nervous about this meeting which would make Kat happy.

However his halfway decent mood fell when the two Petrov idiots came in the door and up to the table. Mikhail swore he could feel the bruise on his face pulse with anger as his eyes scanned over Nicholai. "Boys." He nodded and stifled a chuckle as Masha have Aleksi a glare, maybe he would like the twin more than he thought. "There is wine for everyone and some appetizers on the way, please enjoy." Finally now that everyone was here he took his seat, "Oh and Zofia and Stefan will not be joining us this evening, they say they are busy."