What We Do In the Shadows: "Jen..."

What We Do In The Shadows: "Jen..." Part LXIII...

"Yes, she's always managed to do wonders even when we worked together in the field..." Mrs. Afanas agreed.

"Yeah..." Roderigo sighing a bit, then perking up... "You know, Guillermo..." turning to his cousin... "She was cooking as much as she could the last three months? There's a freezer full of her stuff for when you take over the place with Sue. You won't be cooking for a year, Susan." Smile.

"When I...?" Guillermo eyed him.

"Auntie wants you to manage the place. Oh, I'll stick around and help as I can for a while till you settle in but I've some desire to travel and finish my degree. At least, I hope you'll stay...There's provision to have the place managed if neither of us wants to stay on, but I think it would be best if one of us did."

"What about...?" Guillermo blinked.

"Those greedy bastards would sell the place or run it into the ground in a few months...Don't worry..." he put up a hand... "If you and Sue decide you don't want it, we have a good firm in mind to manage things. Later we can choose together if there's anyone from the next generation worthy. Or deed it in trust to a good NGO...Auntie has several in mind for us to consider. But, if you'll be having a wife and a family..." sly smile. "This would be a great place to raise them."

"I'm really not ready..." Guillermo began.

"There's no rush..." Roderigo put up a hand. "As I say, Auntie has all bases covered. But at least, consider it. Eh, Sue...? Would be a good place for kids to grow up..."

"It would...But I'll have to leave it to Guillermo." She noted, glance to Guillermo, wan smile.

Kids?...Guillermo blinked.

...

Early evening twilight...Manhattan..."Vious"...The happenin' jewel of Simon Devious' nightclub empire...Until his burned out club is restored, shortly.

VVVVIP lounge...

As in you better be welcome or ready to journey to the Afterlife if you come on in here...

"I'm so sorry they tumbled to me, Simon..." Lesley, seated on plush white sofa, in her gown, sighed. Simon in his "top dog, supervillain Blofeld, Lord High Pooba of All Things Undead" white leather swivel chair, unfriendly white cat in lap, narrowly hissing up at him, shaking head.

Several vampires and familiars scattered about the room on various chairs, loveseats, and in the case of one, suffering Simon had noted, from a bad back, sprawling in bat fashion across an upper corner of the wall against ceiling and wall...Two large hulking types, human, perhaps surprisingly on first thought, guarding the doorway...

Some...And not all among the vampiric, not entirely comfortable with Simon's current "love interest"...

Don't get me wrong, humans are fine...Delicious...One tall and cadaverous fellow noting to himself...And Lesley's a peach as they go. But...

C'mon...Be fair. Would she hang out with a bull or rooster? I mean as a permanent, so the Dev keeps insisting, thing? Permanent within the transitory limits of mortal existence, even...

Still she is our canary in the mine...So long as we have her with us voluntarily, we're safe. Her Hunter friends and her ancestor won't risk coming for us.

"Not your fault, love. You gave a great performance. That bitch Ginny was hypersensitive to thrall and despite her own, keen as ever. I have to give it to Nadja, she did a great job there. And it wasn't all loss, they're still willing to consider an alliance against your ancestor."

"Hard to accept that..." she noted. "Surely they suspect your motives..."

"According to Nandor... 'the Relentlessly Doofus'...Charged with handling all negotiations...Why, with Nadja on hand?...But hey..." Simon beamed gleefully, waving hand. "They know I mean to block their redemption. They prefer, however, to Unlive. Can't blame their demon essences really...Hell is not much of a place from what I both hear and vaguely recall..."