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Annabelle had been a member of the Coterie for approximately a year now and could sincerely say she cherished each and every one of her Kindred companions. Over the last year, she had made so many brilliant memories with them, to the point where you could even say that it almost made up for the inability to live her old life. Now, her nights were full of fashion sessions with Nellie or club nights at the Maharani with Victor and the others, and while sometimes Kindred Politics and Victor's pride caused mayhem for them, at least they made the most of each night of their lives. Really, Annabelle knew she was lucky, lucky that she could keep so many of the connections from her life before being embraced, lucky that her Coterie was the one it was and lucky to be able to fight another day for all that she believed in no matter the cause. Jasper was transparent about how bad his start to kindredhood had been, and she knew that Nellie had had a difficult beginning too, what with Chaz and the Camarilla, so it was nights like these when Annabelle wanted to do something nice and fun like she had used to do with friends in her old dorm before all of this. This was why she was currently in an isle of an old entertainment and hobby shop she had seen while walking the streets of LA a few nights ago, looking at their board games to bring some to the Maharani for a stress-free game night for the coterie. She could have enlisted the help of some of Victor’s staff if she had wanted to acquire the games, as Victor was always encouraging the use of his staff for anything they needed, but it felt right to get the games herself.
Browsing the shelves, she spotted an old, battered box of Jenga nestled between a Monopoly and a copy of Guess Who. It was perfect! She knew the others would enjoy playing Jenga, and if they got bored of the constant toppling over, they could always see who could build the biggest tower before one of the others sabotaged it into falling over, too. Tucking it under her arm, Annabelle looked for one more game so there would be two options to choose from if the rest of the coterie didn’t feel like playing Jenga, eventually deciding on grabbing the Monopoly too, knowing Victor would most likely enjoy that one the most. She headed for the front desk, paid the tired-looking twentysomething-year-old cashier, and started to make her way back to the Maharani.
Ring.
Ring, Ring.
Ring, ring, ri-
Rummaging through the pocket of her jacket and grabbing her phone, she answered the call, greeted by Victor Temple's warm tone.
“Baby B! Where have you headed off to? I popped my head in earlier to see if you needed anything, but you weren’t there. I thought I'd just check in; as you said last night, you'd be around tonight. Are you still coming back to the Maharani or staying the night somewhere else?”
“I'm coming back to the Maharani now. I was just running an errand. Are the others around by any chance?” Annabelle rolled her eyes and smiled it was just like Victor to have been the first to notice her absence. She had hoped to get back in time before anyone noticed, but she might as well ask who was currently in while he was on the phone with her.
There is a brief muffled talking, which Annabelle is pretty sure is Victor asking his head of staff, who was actually in the building before he came back to her. “I do believe that Jasper and that strange X guy are here at the moment, and Nellie is due to be around sometime within the next two hours or so after she has checked on her latest production.”
“Brilliant; I will see you soon then; bye-bye, Victor.”
“See you soon B, bye for now.” With that, Annabelle shoves her phone back into her pocket and starts to walk back to the Maharani.
Annabelle got back to the Maharani, her heart light and her thoughts buzzing with the prospect of a fun-filled evening. She headed straight to the back-of-house breakroom and unceremoniously dumped the games onto the table. The old Jenga box and the Monopoly set now laid out for all to see, she made her way to Jasper's room. Standing before his door, she knocked firmly, her knuckles tapping out a rhythm that echoed in the corridor. Moments later, Jasper opened the door, his eyebrow lifting in surprise at the sight of her.
"Annabelle! Didn't expect to see you back so soon," Jasper exclaimed with a huff of humour in his voice.
"Hey Jasper," she greeted with a grin. "I brought some games. I found an old Jenga set and thought it would be fun to play tonight. Plus, I grabbed Monopoly too. Victor's favourite, right?"
Jasper chuckled, fangs glinting as his face scrunched into a Nosferatu’s smile. "You know Victor too well, I think it’s a Ventrue thing them, Money and power. Come on in and talk to X while I put a few things away."
Annabelle stepped inside and found X lounging on the sofa, his eyes flicking over a book but seemingly not reading any of the pages as it was upside down and in French. He glanced up as she entered, a curious smile on his face.
"What's this about games, Annabelle?" X asked.
"Just thought we could all use a break and have some fun together," Annabelle replied, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "You know, relax and unwind. What do you guys have planned for the night?"
Jasper shrugged, looking at X. "Well, I was just going to catch up on some reading, maybe work on decoding some things."
X nodded. "I was just planning to work on some of my sketches and have a quiet night in. But your idea sounds better."
"Exactly!" Annabelle's eyes sparkled. "How about you both join me in the breakroom in a bit? We can play Jenga and see who can build the tallest tower. Of course, there's Monopoly if we want to switch things up especially once Victor joins us."
Jasper and X exchanged glances. "Sounds like a plan," Jasper said. "We'll be there."
"Great! Can't wait," Annabelle said, beaming as she made her way out, already looking forward to the laughter and fun that lay ahead.
Annabelle walked down the corridor to Victor's office, her footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. She reached his door and knocked gently.
"Enter," came the familiar voice from within.
She opened the door and stepped inside. Victor looked up from his desk, where papers and books were strewn about, evidence of his busy mind at work.
"Hey Victor," Annabelle began with a smile. "I just talked to Jasper and X. We’re planning to have a fun night in with some games. I found an old Jenga set and bought Monopoly, too. They’re both on board and thought it’d be a great way to unwind." Victor's stern expression softened into a pleased smile.
"That sounds wonderful, Annabelle. It’s nice to have a break from the usual routine. Monopoly, you say? Well, that's my game. I’ll definitely beat all of you." His eyes twinkled with competitive spirit. "Only Nellie has ever managed to defeat me."
Annabelle laughed, feeling even more excited. "I’m sure it’s going to be a memorable night. We’ll be waiting for you in the breakroom."
"I’ll be there," Victor assured her. Let the games begin." With a nod, Annabelle left his office, her heart light. It was good to see Victor smile; he had looked stressed recently and had been having more conversations with the mysterious Fierenza than usual, and it would be good for him to be able to have a relaxed night instead of worrying for a while.
Annabelle made her way to the breakroom where she carefully arranged the Jenga set on the table, ensuring each block was perfectly aligned. Beside it, she placed the Monopoly board, ready and waiting for later. She was feeling good about tonight. Moments later, Jasper and X arrived, X’s face lighting up at the sight of the games.
"Ready to see who can build the tallest tower?" asked Annabelle.
"Absolutely," X said, settling into the role of judge with a playful grin. "Let's see who has the steadiest hands."
They began the game, Jasper and Annabelle carefully removing and stacking the wooden blocks, their concentration unwavering even while laughter and light-hearted taunts filled the breakroom. Halfway through the game, Victor entered, and the group instantly noted his presence. He took a seat on the breakroom couch, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he observed their progress.
"Annabelle, I think you should go for the block on the left," Victor suggested his tone teasing.
Annabelle glanced at the tower, considering his advice. She reached for the block with a steady hand, but as she carefully pulled it out, the tower wobbled precariously. Before she could react, the entire structure came crashing down, blocks scattering in all directions.
“Noooooooooo!” she cried dramatically.
Jasper threw his arms up in celebration. "Victory is mine!"
The room erupted in laughter, the sound echoing off the walls. Annabelle joined in, her cheeks flushed with amusement. "Well, it looks like you’re the Jenga champion here, Jasper."
Victor chuckled, his eyes sparkling with delight.
"I guess that means it's time for Monopoly," he said, rubbing his hands together with mock seriousness.
"Prepare to be defeated." Annabelle grinned, looking at her friends a warm fuzzy feeling warming her dead non-beating heart. The breakroom door creaked open, and an elegantly dressed Nellie G stepped in.
“Did I hear Monopoly? Hello, Jasper, X, Annabelle dear.” Nellie asked, swooping in and giving Annabelle a kiss on the cheek before joining Victor on the couch.
“Indeed you did,” replied Victor, taking Nellie’s hand and giving it a brief kiss before turning to the Monopoly board and rubbing his hands excitedly. “Ready to lose all your property and train stations to me?” he asked, smirking.
“You're on, old man,” Annabelle retorted, grinning back.
“Let's Play then. May the best Kindred win!” exclaimed Nellie, settling in for a night of fun and games.
For once, there was not a single danger on their minds, just fun, friends and what some would call Vamily.