Be Careful

After the "meeting" this morning, Scarlett waited. She waited just long enough to be sure that the Niveus woman was no longer in the vicinity. Then, the ARtistik Talisman Studio was closed, locked, and protected as best as she could manage — her spells working better on people than locations. Unable to drive, thanks to the broken wrist, she caught a cab down to city hall.

Now it is early afternoon. Warm Spring sun is filtering through the windows of City Hall making things feel cozy and warm. Scarlett makes her way past security, offering her ID at a few places, and is finally shown up to the Mayor's Offices. She grows tired of waiting rather quickly and storms right into the place she knows her brother will be — McNaab's office. The door bursts dramatically open. It would be both doors, but she's down a hand. "Afternoon, Mayor. Mind if I grab my brother for a moment? Family emergency." That should get his attention at the very least.

-

Scarlett knows her brother well. Well dressed, professional-looking, Ivan is pacing around McNaab's office, seemingly brainstorming with what is supposed to be the most important man in the city. "No, sir, that wouldn't work. I want you there, at the meeting. Rebudgeting the city can wait - this is of utmost importance, and it just wouldn't…" And then, Scarlett storms in. Ivan pauses, cool, unreadable eyes scanning over Scarlett, taking in her physical appearance before nodding imperceptively. "If you'll excuse me, McNaab. I think I have to take this. Look over the proposal once more, please. I'll answer any questions you may have when I return."

It is then, with a hand placed on Scarlett's back, that he ushrs his older sister out of the room in complete silence, walking through the halls with authority before finally ducking into the small lounge area. The door is locked behind him, leaving the pair alone in a room of mini-refridgerators, microwaves, and large, old red couches. "What's wrong?" He sounds hurried, bothered. "Is it Helen? Is she alright?"

-

At least he's not started the lecture yet, so Scarlett allows herself to be pushed along the halls until they reach the lounge. "Helen is fine." The brief pause allows her just enough time to turn and face him, the grey-colored cast on her right wrist matching her outfit perfectly. "For now." Her left hand brushes through her hair, and she frowns at him. "Ivan, there are Niveus' in the area. More than one, and from the sounds of it, at least one was sent to protect the younger ones from us."

-

Ivan blanches slightly, his brows furrowing in a solemn manner as he takes in the appearance of the cast on. "The…Niveus?" A moment is taken to compartimentalize their name and process the threat they pose. "Did they do that to you, Scarlett? What happened to your hand?" He broods for a moment, closing his eyes in order to inhale deeply and gather his thoughts. "I'll take care of them. I don't take kindly to people threatening my family, maybe I can run them out of the city withbribery or…blackmail or something."

-

"No, Ivan. There was no threat, but I know who at least three of them are and I want you to be careful." Scarlett is distracted from the big threat, by the brooding concern for her wrist. "Oh." She lifts it up and grins, "Want to sign it?" … "I broke my wrist punching the crap out of Robert's face. I broke his nose." It's not said proudly, just matter of factly. Her right hand dips into her pocket, revealing a tie clip. "This is a double whammy. I was saving it for our birthday, but you'll need it now. Magic protection, and a basic witch lie detector." When she gets back, she'll start to work on one for Helen as well. "It should keep you safe from any offensive spells, elemental mostly since I can only protect you from what I know." Teeth start to worry over her lower lip. "Quinn Niveus, PhD is the oldest. She looks to be about our age." Frown. "The other two are closer to Helen and Trey in age, I think, though I've only met one other. Samantha. Ran into her at the Bean Scene. She's here to go to school."

-

"There was…no threat?" Ivan parrots, sounding as though he doesn't fully understand the content of the material she offers him. Cue utter silence, with the addition of Ivan hiking up one brow slowly and deliberately. "…Then why are you here?" He deadpans. Sighing extensively, he moves to run his hand through his hair. "I'm working, Scarlett. You're not supposed to come over here unless it's an actual emergency. And if they're not threatening you, and if they're not hurting you, then it isn't an emergency. Honestly? I don't care that the Niveus or whatever is allowed. That isn't my fight - it isn't our fight. I don't give a rat's ass who they are and what they're doing here."

It is with reluctance that he accepts the tie clip, and though he doesn't smile, he does offer Scarlett a nod of thanks, looking down to his blue tie and fasten the object onto him. "Mhmm? Samantha?" Beat. His expression now grows particularly contemplative. "…I think I've met that one."

-

"It is an emergency, Ivan." Scarlett seems to relax a little once he has the tie clip on. It's not a horribly gaudy thing. It looks like she spent a great deal of time with it. A simple gold clip with a solitary cubic zirconia, and his initials etched onto it. "I know you won't believe me, and you won't understand it. Grandfather is responsible for the deaths of a lot of the Niveus coven. The one that came into my shop, she knew what I was. She knows that I'm related to the Umbra coven, and she sounded like she was sent here to keep an eye on us." She takes a breath, reaching her left hand out to his shoulder. "It may not be our fight, but I'm pretty sure that it's not going to go over well either way. You may be a jackass sometimes, but you're still my brother and I worry about you." When he mentions knowing the girl, she frowns. "Stay away from her, Ivan. Please. I'll do what I can to keep you safe, and I'll fight by your side if it comes to it, but I really don't want to hurt anyone."

-

"No, it's not. If it's not an immediate threat, then the same warning could have been delivered over the phone, or when I got home from work," Ivan chastizes, though he doesn't sound particularly upset. At least not exaggeratedly so. He's merely looking down at himself, fussing with his suit and his general appearance, smoothing over the fabric. However, when she begins to rail against Gregory, he rolls his eyes liberally. "Don't start with that propoganda again."

"Anyway, if she's just keeping an eye on us, what's the matter? And Jesus Christ, stop calling me a jackass. I don't take every opportunity available to call you a bitch, even though I should. Just…stop. Grow up. I'm fucking over it." The hand is shrugged off unceremoniously, before he turns to meet her gazein an unwavering fashion. "There's not going to be a fight had, period. I don't know these people, I don't care about these people, and I certainly am not going to tip-toe around people who haven't even proven themselves dangerous yet. I'll tell you what though - I'll stay away from her if you stay away from all vampires and the fucktard known as Bobby. Deal?" A brow is quirked expectantly here.

-

"Damn it all, Ivan… it's not propaganda. I've got proof, and if you'd just listen to me for a minute, you'd see that I'm not trying to turn you against grandfather, just tell you what happened." Scarlett would love to turn Ivan against Gregory, but that's not even why she brings it up. "I didn't come here to fight, I came to warn you to be careful. You can see I'm obviously not a fighter," she adds, lifting up her wrist. "But I'll take the steps necessary to keep you guys safe." When he starts in on everything else, she ignores it. "Vampires, fine. I've only dealt with one or two, and only to restore paintings. It's not like the shop is generally open that late anyhow as I like to have a life." She frowns. "I'm not a rebound girl, if that's what you're thinking. I broke his face for crying out loud." No agreement to stay away from him.

-

Irritation flashes in Ivan's eyes, and with his brows furrowed and his frown tense, he stares to his sister. "I am listening to you. And I was preempting your rant. It'd be just like you to turn this into a crusade again grandfather, and I'm tired of hearing the same." He shakes his head slowly, easily as he pockets his free hand. "As far as I'm concerned, they're nothing. I'll keep an eye out, but dont exacerbate the issue, for the love of God. There's no need to fight. We've commited no sin against them, and they've done nothing against us. Let's just keep it that way." But then the cast is eyed, once again. "Not a rebound girl, eh? You broke his face, but he still broke a young girl's heart. You'd do well to remember that." Her lack of accordance was duly noted, and so he has decided to follow suit.

-

Her twin is sometimes a raging moron. This is one of those times. Since Scarlett didn't come here to argue with him, she just exhales a slow sigh and then smiles at him. "I'm not crusading, I just really wish you'd believe me." Her good hand is held up to stop a rant. "It's okay that you don't, and I understand fully that you never will." A nod is given. "They've done nothing yet, but you do recall Romeo and Juliet, right? One misstep, and things will escalate, and I just don't want to see you, Trey, or Helen hurt." Atop of which, she most certainly doesn't want to be hunted down for her grandfather's sins. "I have a date with Carter," she says evenly to his accusation. "Unlike a small coven of witches, Robert doesn't pose a threat. They could." A glance is given to him. "Especially thanks to the gossip, and the picture from the amusement park on the news that showed you with the Tyler girl."

-

On the contrary, Ivan is hardly raging and he is never a moron. Dim, perhaps, but never outright stupid. "And I really wish for a million dollars, and for world peace, and for you to respect my authority and expertise. But, guess what, princess? It's the real world we're dealing with." He rolls his eyes at this bit, looking a bit irritated. "Romeo and Juliet were immature, short-sightedm fickle teenagers. And the last I checked, I wasn't porking their daughter, and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon. I also don't plan on interacting with them extensivly, if that's what you're worried about? Listen, just take care of Helen, because I'm going to be fine."

-

"That Tyler girl? You mean, my girlfriend? The one I love and live with? The gandmother to my hamsters?" This is a deliberately dry tease, and his lips purse slightly. "I'm dealing with that, as well. Coming up with alternative ways to come out to the public and spin it in a positive light. And, for the record? He poses more of a threat then they do, considering he has a history of hurting everyone around him while they do not. Or have you forgotten exactly what led you two to meet?" And he points to the back of his head grimly.

-

"That would be the one," Scarlett replies, snickering. "A positive spin will be hard to do, in light of everything else. Though you may want to try champion to those in need, defender to the weak, or some sort of deal like that, and allow the rest to trickle out more slowly." A legitimate image taken on an amusement park ride does not mean things are all hot and heavy. "I haven't forgotten, and you know me. I'm not a violent person. Still I can understand being upset when your siblings are missing and there's something major happening in the family." She shakes her head at him. "Ivan, it's my job to make sure you're safe. Not the other way around. I'm not looking to date him, I know he just broke up with his girlfriend, he told me so. He also told me that he's talking to a therapist about his anger issues, and that all he wants is someone to talk to. I can't fault him for needing a friend, and you shouldn't fault him for it either."

-

"Bullshit. You have, will, can, and would fault me for the exact same thing if I were the one going through it. I'm calling you out on your hypocrisy. And, no. It's my job to make sure you're safe, and that's what I intend to do." Ivan is not going to budge, and at this point, he doesn't seem up for much discussion any further. "For your information, Scarlett, if all he wanted was a friend, we wouldn't be having this problem right now. Open your eyes. Now, if you're done? I have work to do."

-

"Christ, Ivan. If dad was dying and someone was up in your face? I'd expect you to hit them." Scarlett slumps her shoulders. At least she tried to protect him. She's half a mind to call Gregory, but that would just put the Niveus woman and her cousins in danger, and she'd really rather not do that. "For the last time, I have a date with Carter." She knows he won't like that any better, but she's done discussing her friendships at this juncture. "I'm done. I'm going to find Helen and work on a little item for her as well. Just be careful." Cranky as he is, irritable as he is, she leans toward him to give him a little hug. Then she's unlocking the door and stalking out.

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