St. Petersburg

[aeon_flux69]

[locked for lexiromanov, evankasparov, wild_callie, mikepinocchio, the_romanovs please and thank you.]The air was cold. The clouds hung low in the sky seeming to threaten to cry. As the car barreled down the long drive, once passing large iron gates, two of the people in the car seemed to perk up and look out the window with wide eyes. One was checking his gun. The other was calm, but for Alex, it was

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[aeon_flux69]

Climbing out of the car, Sestra hung back from the others as she looked about. Never had she seen a place so... so awe inspiring. Blinking as Alex's words pulled her from a sort of day dream she fell into, of running around the grounds, dancing and singing. Exploring every room and all 30 acres of the place. Of playing in the gardens, laughing. But of course it won't happen.

Drawing herself up, forcing her steps to be sure, chin slightly lifted, she passed by Callie, Mike and Alex to go stand beside Evan. She had to blank her eyes. She could not show what she was really feeling inside. And she had been doing that a lot lately.

Pinocchio on the other hand, had his blues darting this way and that. He got this sense he was walking right into a spider's web and a tangled one it was as well. Feeling Callie take his hand, he gave it a little squeeze. He glanced to Alex, half glad he was here. If left up to Mike, one they wouldn't even be here. Any of them. And two, he would have just walked up and started demanding and well... that just wasn't right in this situation because he was sure it would get more than his face slapped.

[wild_callie]

Callie gave a little squeeze back to Mike's hand, then to Alex's, and then slid her hands under their arms. Children would hold hands. Adults would not, and she was firmly intentioned to enter with her two men at her side. In all her playfulness, there was however a natural and gentle dignity to Callie, who was queen or her world anyway.

Sestra and Evan started towards the stairs, and they followed.

[ex_the_roman875]

Doors opened, servants fluttered about and Olga carefully watched what was happening. Kasparov and the clone had the lead spot. Alexei was differing command of this encounter to that old monster. How annoying. Still, protocols were protocols. She stepped down on the bottom stair at exactly the right moment, moved at the perfect speed to meet half-way across the entrance hall.

"Evan Kasparov, welcome to my home." Olga's hand extended at just the right angle that it could be lifted for a kiss, bowed over or simply shook with only a slight adjustment. For her part, she inclined her head. "This must be the young lady who's taken up Ms Flux's situation since her departure. I don't believe I'm been informed of you name, Miss."

Olga concentrated on Evan and the girl as decency demanded but the Catherines were freer to by-pass protocols slightly and scoot around see Alexei and his new play-things. Kiska hung back between the two groups, constrained since she was the heir, but Cathers paced right up and settled a hand on Alexei's shoulder to lift herself high enough to kiss his cheek.

"Dabro pazhalavat', Aloysha moyo. We've missed you." She slipped into English quickly, aware that using Russian in front of non-speakers would come off as rude.

[wild_callie]

Callie has regnized Kiska, behind the others. The older woman must be Olga. Callie took an instant dislike to her, which was at the same time to be expected and untypical of her.

And there was another one of the...sisters. Callie just couldn't bring herself to call them clones. This one kissed Alex's cheek, and her eyes shone.

Callie waited to be introduced, glancing at Michael, trying to keep down her growing amusement at all the formalities.

[ex_the_roman875]

"Spasiba, Cathers." Alex turns into the kiss. "Cathers..." He tilts his head. "This is Callie... and Mike. My loves, Cathers... who normally works out of Thailand." The last sentence raises slightly at the end in inquiry.

"Everyone will be here by tomorrow night, Aloysha. Everyone who will come. Olga has called everyone home." It's not whispered like a secret, but neither does Cathers shout out the information. Settling flat again, Cather smiles just slightly at the the other. "Welcome."

[evankasparov]

"Thank you for your kind invitation." Caspian's tone is as bland as his expression as he leans forward to take Olga's hand, bowing slightly when he kisses it.

"Olga, may I introduce, Sestra Flux. Sestra this is Olga...Romanov."

Caspian's manners are impecable, but so are the subtlety of his insults. He'd spent most of the seventeenth century at court. Few alive could play the game of civilized ridicule with the polished grace of the aristocracy from that period. Nicola came close, but Olga - Olga was still finding her way.

[ex_the_roman875]

That pause should have been either absent or filled by 'the', but it's a small slight, not one that a person of her station should care about. Her only concession to admitting annoyance is to meet Kasparov's eyes just a moment too long before turning to the young lady and pulling her mouth into a smile.

"Mademoiselle Flux, welcome. I'm sure the gentleman who is the other party in this meeting will be delighted to make your acquaintance as well." Olga took one step back. "Make yourselves at home here. Don't hesitate to ask for anything to make your stay more comfortable." Kasparov's eyes are met once more. "You have the full measure of my hospitality for as long as you should chose to remain here... as will Mister Goodchild."

Now, finally she could include Alexei and his new playmates in her gaze. "I realize you were given short notice on this situation but there are some pressing matters that need attending to so haste was essential. To help compensate I've had spare clothing and any toiletries any of you might need ordered up."

Time to get to work. The first order of business was separation. "Alexei, moi bratishka, you know where your room is. I'll have the servants escort the rest of you to quarters. There will be a maid about all the time to serve as a guide..." spy "...should you need her."

[wild_callie]

There was no way, no way to make her accept Alex sleeping in a separate room from hers or Michael's. Callie tensed, all her body did, even though she kept the smile on her lips. Alex had all of five seconds to say something, or she would.

[lexiromanov]

Alex shook his head. "I would rather not take that room, Olga, please and thank you. I'll stay with my family. Although I would appreciate the clothing, since you're being so generous. Perhaps one of the maids could cart a few things over to where-ever you have situated Calya and Mike."

He could ask for Callie and Mike to come with him instead, but it would be better to stay close to Evan and Sestra as well, and besides, Alex didn't want what he had with Sestra, Callie and Mike contaminated by his old room and all that happened there.

Olga chin lifted just a bit, betraying her annoyance, but she smiled. "Of course you want to stay with lovers. It is best, however... Lexi, ditya moyo... if you go pick out which clothing you want for yourself... whenever you have a few free moments of course."

[aeon_flux69]

Sestra kept her mouth shut through all of it. Only her eyes took everything in. Mannerisms of the Catherines. Olga and of her brothers and their lovers. Everyone was tense and she also tensed at the mention of Trevor Goodchild. It was going to be hard to try and be civil without snapping or saying something wrong. Which she had been doing a lot lately.

Glancing back to Alex, she picked up on the offer and move to isolate Alex then his counter move of not wanting to be. It was like a chess game being played. The knight taking up his position on the board. The Queen trying to figure a way how to take him back over to her side. Perhaps all of Alex's life was just that, a chess game being played out over and over.

Pinocchio felt his jaw tighten in turn. Guide his ass. It was like being in Santiago's government house. There were no simple servants ever in places like this. Spies were more like what they were. And the look he gave Olga pretty much said so. He also had to bite back the urge just to get right down to business. Find out when this meeting was taking place. Where. Who was all to attend. He glanced to Alex, "Goodchild... he staying here as well?" The words hiss out under his breath as he fought back the urge just to turn them all around and get the hell out of the place.

[wild_callie]

Callie understood all too well Michael's anxiety to have informations. His urge was being broadcast to her loud and clear, and in a way, Callie couldn't but share it. Still, they were here for a reason and this was another game to play.

Widening her smile, and adding just a hint of the 'young and trustful', she addressed Olga directly, stealing Alex's answer to her and leaving him free to murmur back to Michael. "Oh, you're too kind. Thinking about clothing and toiletries, thank you so much. I'd love to see Sasha's old room, where he grew up, I'll go help him choose what he needs. It'll be a good excuse to look around. You certainly know how reticent he is, with tales of the past." A tiny pause. "And then of course, I'd love to see that painting we talked about."

[mikepinocchio]

Pinocchio looked over at Alex and Callie then pulled away and back a bit. So Callie talked to Olga already. Fuckin' great. The look now upon his face was unmistakable. He was pissed off and he decided to hell with all this be polite shit not with all this possible maneuvering coming up.

He turned away, pulling away from Callie and Alex, back facing toward the others as he looked out, scanning the ground, hands upon his hips as he did. He could feel eyes upon them from everywhere. "The Prince has returned home," he mumbled out before turning back.

[ex_the_roman875]

Olga nodded just a bit, conceding the opening round. There was time enough. "Alexei knows where his room is. I suppose he can take you there to collect his things as soon as the rest of you are made acquainted with your own quarters."

Pinocchio's frown and sour glare at the floor was a bit of compensation for the girl's unexpected show of confidence. The flare of resentment made it clear that he would be an excellent connection to start the chiseling process on. To that end, Olga completely ignored his burst of ill manners, as if his discomfort wasn't worth noticing.

"The painting is around about somewhere. I'll have someone look for it." Olga knew exactly where it was, but why spoil the surprise?

A flick of her fingers indicated Olga's intentions. "Cather's... escort Mister Kasparov, Miss Flux, Alexei, Miss Callie... and Alexei's boyfriend to their quarters."

[lexiromanov]

"His name is Mike, Olga. You know that," Alex needed to get that out before his oldest sister retreated. "Mike Pinocchio. Don't be rude."

Alex moved to catch hold of Mike's hand, to brush a kiss across his cheek. "Please, Michael. Stay close."

[mikepinocchio]

Pinocchio turned his cold gaze upon Olga as she called him not by his name but just by a word. She and Santiago should get together. Or her and Inga which he didn't doubt that already happened. The two were nearly like mirrors. The cold ice stares and the manipulating of words.

He bit his tongue to keep words of disrespect under control. But his whole body tensed and hands itched, wanting to curl into fists. He threw a glance Alex's way, don't be rude he said. Yeah, fucking right. Things would be different when he was out of ear shot. It was like that with people like this one and Inga. It was always like that.

His hand caught, a lean in and a brush of lips to his cheek drew his attention off the unpleasantness of this beginning. "I'll stay close," he whispered without hardly moving his lips. "I don't trust anyone here but you and Sunshine." He started walking with them but stopped in holding Alex back for a moment, whispering again as the others got a little ahead, "Remember that talk we had a while back ago? You know it as well as I do... they are going to pull out all the stops. Those triggers in you, are all going to be flipped at. Just which ones are going to work?"

[lexiromanov]

"Which ones..."

Alex frowned as Olga and Kiska made the right polite noises before drawing away. Cathers moved on to fuss over Evan.

"All of them, none of them..." Alex kept his voice low as they started to move down a hallway. "Most of them require my attention, if not my full attention... at least something close to it. We'll be fine as long as we stay together."

Alex has ended up in between Callie and Michael. Appearances be damned. Their hands are caught and held. "You'll see them coming, Michael, if any of the girls try to trip my triggers. If you don't see them do it, you'll feel my flinch... and if it happens, I'll just hold on tighter to whichever of you is the closest. We'll be fine."