The Winter Table

[Legione Sumus]

Konstantin Vasiliev

Kostya watched the show with unsmiling attention, a mild look that most would presume simply cold. It was a carefully orchestrated spectacle, and for now he was prepared to observe and let his presence stand in for consent. Zixin Kao had been pulling strings since his arrival, fabricating alliances that relied on his interventions, and consequently stirring up the families before mending them back together in his own design. Kostya had been at least a little curious to witness where it was all going, for had Zixin had a different face, his gall and appetite for risk might have been the sort he’d have ushered in and nurtured amongst his own. There was little more important to Kostya than family. Instead, Zixin was an ally who needed careful management, or perhaps an enemy to keep close.

It became clear tonight that he had already carefully nurtured the Yakuza’s involvement – indeed, that they had been prioritised at this table of equals with foreknowledge. Kostya barely looked at Hayashi, beyond the slim civility accorded from respect of position, and only that when he had entered to find the Japanese first to arrive in his stead. He did not believe they should be here at all, and by their slim smiles of victory, they knew it. Kostya adapted to the many changes the growth of the Custody had brought to his country, but he did not relish foreigners believing they could take what did not belong to them. He did not glance at the healed face of Hayashi's lieutenant at all, not once the entire evening.

When the speeches eased and the room broke into the murmur of conversation, he remained comfortably silent. There was nothing for him to discuss with the men he had brought, and he refused to play the hand dealt to him, which was one of forced ignorance. Let the others make of his reaction what they would; let them conjecture for themselves what he may or may not have known before he walked into this room. For all appearances, Zixin was already a fledgling ally of the Vasiliev family, ushered in and accepted publicly on a daughter’s arm the night of the anniversary party. Yet despite Kostya's quiet, unmoved exterior now, this would not be a memory he replayed favourably when it came time for loyalties to be tallied. He built his empire in sweat and blood, but he was under no illusions that while he did not answer to the law, he still answered to the Ascendancy, as they all must. The sanction was unspoken and longstanding, ensuring the Vasilievs survived where other families had fallen over the years. There was a good reason his children had grown up affectionately calling Myshelov their uncle. A reason he had married the niece of a Privilege in the first place.

Zixin's welcome had been a deliberate spectacle, a familial claiming – the Vasiliev’s strongest currency, and what they were famed for; their territorial, close ranked nature. Zixin would be embraced among them or destroyed by them, but not ignored; he was already too large for that. Sofka was a good daughter and never refused her father’s requests; she'd sent the invitation herself. As it happened, her obedience was also the reason she wasn’t here tonight, though his decision had darkened venom into her eyes before she’d kissed his cheek and set about what he had asked her to do instead. Even before the ball, Pasha had made it known he did not like this man, who he believed only played the game of honour and justice while he laughed at them behind his hand. Kostya respected his judgement; he was a good son who’d made sacrifices being the eldest and most trusted of Kostya’s children. But he was wrong in his belief that shunning the Syndicate’s inroads in Moscow was the answer. Which was the reason he was not here, either.

It seemed clear to Kostya’s age and experience that Zixin was a ringmaster so assured of his own charm and cleverness he was oblivious to his own strings. Pasha’s informant shared curious pieces of information in addition. Yet he watched Zixin only briefly. It was Adrian Kane he watched most closely, an act he made no secret of, as Adrian himself did not either. Kostya wasn’t the sort of man to look away even if caught, and Adrian had positioned himself to be seen. His face was familiar, and Kostya recalled him having been in Sofia’s periphery at the anniversary celebrations. No other reaction penetrated his stoic expression, just the lengthy moment of his consideration. The Japanese received no such consideration – a fly in the ointment to be tolerated for now – and he could predict the various reactions of the other Russians. Kostya rarely made waves with the other families. He had no need. His affability was assured so long as he was not crossed or betrayed, and his empire had little reason to tread on the toes of others; let the Stoyas and Mordinov’s battle out for superiority. His ambitions were no longer reaching for the stars; he’d already reached them. All his ambitions lay in legacy.

Vasiliev Family

[Carter de Volthström]

Carter entered like a prince striding into the midst of vagrants.

Not that they were without power. He wasn’t naive enough to think that. But even here, with their wolfish eyes and blood-soaked pedigrees, he was above them. Their wealth was transient, born of liquor, drugs, knives, and flesh. His was eternal. Generational. Written into the ledgers of nations that stretched centuries.

Tall and blonde, hair combed into the easy perfection that only old money could produce, he cut a figure as deliberate as his family’s centuries of design. His suit was deep blue, the fabric whispering its expense even in the dim light of the penthouse. He wore no ostentation because Volthström wealth didn’t need it. His very bearing was the luxury. His very existence was proof.

As Ryker’s flat introduction hung in the air, Carter offered a faint smile, nodding toward the soldier as though the man had merely fetched him into the room.

“Carter de Volthström,” he said aloud, his voice refined, each syllable dripping with English aristocracy.

“I know what you’re all thinking,” Carter began, his voice smooth, practiced.  “What could one of my family possibly bring into this room that isn’t already in your grasp?” His smile deepened, just enough to show teeth. He provided no answer. Not yet.

He circled the table, positioning himself behind Zixin's chair like a shark smelling blood in the water. He spread his hands lightly, letting his grip rest naturally behind Zixin's shoulders. The perfect position that he might wring the filthy man's neck, but it was only for a moment before shifting away. He was absolutely above such things, symbolic or not.

“Whatever you believe wealth to be, set it aside. It is pocket change compared to what is about to unfold. The banking system of the future is not about vaults or gold. It is about control. Quiet control. And you,” he inclined his head, gracious, as though bestowing favor “are privileged enough to be the first among the elite to taste it.”

From his pocket, he drew a small velvet case, the kind that might have held jewels in another context. He set it on the walnut table and clicked it open. Inside, resting in neat compartments, lay a row of slim metallic Tiles shimmering with faint circuitry like art in miniature.

“These,” Carter said, “are the future. The Tile system. A mechanism of exchange and storage far beyond currency as you know it. Untraceable, incorruptible, and infinitely flexible. Each one is coded. Each one unique.” The manufacture of such technology was a secret kept to their family and the production line. Suffice to say, the raw materials were extremely important. When every person in the world possessed a Tile, those who provide such materials would be quite blessed indeed.

He took the first and slid it across the table toward Zixin, then another toward the Russians, then Adrian, then the Yakuza, continuing until every man in the room had one before him. Even the independents at the edges received theirs.

“None of you will know what is on the others’ Tiles. Unless you ask each other nicely,” Carter continued, his smile sharpening just enough to suggest he enjoyed the imagery of that. “Each is programmed. Consider it… a friendly competition. A seed of wealth planted in each of your hands, to be nurtured as you see fit. Even the least successful among you will be among the world's elite. Forever.. So long as the program remains coded as such."

"And who deigns to determine the code?" Someone asked. Carter knew not which of them it was. They all looked alike to him.

The Tiles gleamed in the light. "Our Ascendancy," he answered directly.

“But I am merely delivering these prizes. The Volthströms are but humble servants to the Custody. What I offer is opportunity. Play along, and you will find yourselves obscenely rich. Refuse…” His smile turned faintly pitying. “Well. Someday, refusal will not even be an option.”

He let the words settle, the aristocratic gravitas of them filling the space. Then he folded his hands atop the table, utterly at ease, and waited for the weight of his family’s legacy to do the work.

And yet, as his gaze drifted past Adrian, who sat too calmly, and Zixin, who deliberately didn’t meet his eye, Carter felt a pulse of nerves. Guillaume should have been here. Guillaume, the heir, the face of the family. Why not? Why send Carter instead? Was it the same old family game of egos, or something more? In the Volthström world, plans nested inside plans. He could never quite tell if he was the knife or the pawn it was driven through.

So he smiled brighter. Because the show must go on.

[Adrian Kane]

Mikhail moved with the kind of confidence that came from loose limbs and cock-sure confidence. Zixin had mentioned him only in passing, which told Adrian two things: first, Mikhail wasn’t easily owned, and second, he was worth watching.

“Organized crime,” Adrian repeated, amused, rolling the words across his tongue like a vintage scotch. “An oxymoron if ever there was one.” His tone was  conversational, but his gaze lingered.

The compliment came next, cloaked in innuendo, but Adrian caught it like a coin tossed across the table. A small smile curved at his mouth. “You flatter me, Mr. Sergeyev. But I am sure I don't know what you're talking about.” His smile flattened shortly after.

He turned then, his attention shifting as Carter spoke. Adrian leaned back, fingertips steepled.

[Zixin Kao]

Zixin was settled at ease through Carter’s presentation, the picture of serenity. But beneath the still surface of his expression, his mind was a whirlpool of calculation.

He had not looked at the young Volthstrom since his entrance, but he had listened. Tobias’s son was his father’s mirror in charisma, but with a touch of the new world’s charm. The resemblance to Tobias was amusing.

He remembered the family's dealings with Dumi Shares. According to the way the Kao's told it, the boardroom was full of desperation and fear while Tobias tried to bluff through a liquidity crisis he’d created. Zixin’s uncle had been the one to call in OD Volthstrom for arbitration only for Tobias’s own firm to side against him. It was an elegant move that Tobias never considered them shrewd enough to pull. When the day ended, Tobias had lost his holdings, and the Kao family had gained them.

Zixin hadn’t expected to see the Volthstrom name in his orbit again. Yet here was the son, standing in Moscow, offering the Covenant a gift on a silver platter.

The Tiles.

He knew what they were. Not in their technical detail, but in their essence. They were power disguised as generosity. Tools that would bind men to the system that created them. It was so clever and arguably was the power of the future. He didn't know exactly how it played out, other than the messenger of greed was Ryker.

Carter, Tobias, Myshelov, Ryker... Likely the Ascendancy himself.

It didn’t matter. What mattered was that Zixin understood the game, and he was more than happy to play so long as he was holding the winning hand.

When Carter’s final words faded, Zixin waited a long moment before speaking. The silence was an intentional reclamation of attention. Then, he stood.

“Mr. Volthstrom, on behalf of the Covenant, I thank you for this most generous gift, and for the vision your family continues to share with the world.” His eyes flicked to the man briefly, polite, unreadable. “We will remember your family's… dedication to partnership.”

He turned his gaze to the rest of the room. The Russians’ stony faces, the Yakuza’s sharp quiet, the gleam of curiosity from the circling fish who sensed a current shifting beneath them.

“You’ve all heard tonight what we are building. A Covenant, bound by mutual prosperity. We are all beholden to the same rules. Myself most of all. Break the balance, and you will find retribution."

His hands spread in invitation, "Now the business of the day is concluded. Mr. Kane has kindly opened the Radiance rooftop bar to us. There is drink, there is food, and I am told there is company for anyone who desires it.”

[Jia Xin Kao]

Konstantin Vasiliev

Though he was not impressed to be presented with a fucking Volthström, for the first time this evening Kostya found himself paying true attention. The flat planes of his features did not reveal much of his thoughts, but he was rarely expressive anyway. That this was a viper’s nest of a deal was not in dispute, though neither was the choice of the matter. Ultimately, Konstantin would always act in the best interests of his family. And he’d smile and clap hands with anyone he had to in order to do it.

The tile he did look at after it was slid across to him. A leash and an opportunity. But to win in this world, one must make bed with the Ascendancy. That had always been true.

He was the first to stand when business concluded, the men he had brought shifting behind him like a well oiled machine without his having to glance in their direction. A subtle look encompassed Gregor, Valeska, and Rodian in turn, but it was Zixin he approached like a magnanimous father. He slapped the man’s shoulder in apparent praise for having chaired this new… Covenant.

“At last, the offer of some proper hospitality,” he said. “Now we will show you how to seal the deal the Russian way.”

---

Jia Xin

The suite was lavish and beautiful, but the silence was disconcerting. Jia Xin spent her every hour surrounded by others all too eager to cater to her every need, whim and desire. Even fetching herself her own glass of water was novel, though one that quickly wore through the shine. In fact she couldn’t remember the last time she had actually been alone.

She had showered and slept some since arriving. Darkness streamed through the windows when she woke, offering a city glow ambiance, though not even the noise of traffic below penetrated any sound. Since she’d travelled without entourage her luggage had been light and arrangements had been made prior to her arrival for her comfort. Dressed in one of the hotel’s monogrammed robes she ran her fingers over the rails of clothes, eyeing the velvet lined jewellery cases and boxes of shoes, but her interest waned quickly. Tomorrow she would meet the security organised by Pervaya Liniya, and then with that protection in place, the contact she had travelled to Moscow for.

For that she felt a burn of anticipation. Tonight, though, she found herself at a strange loss.

In the end she dressed sharply; a silken black jumpsuit, formfitting tailored in a twist on a man’s suit. Heels from her favourite designer, high and slender enough to take an eye out. Her hair was a simple river of black, smoothed back from her temples, and in the deep V of the neckline hung a serpentine necklace, wrought with diamond scales and twin eyes of emeralds. Nothing she considered extravagant. Then she left the safety of her rooms. Seeking dinner perhaps, or a drink at the bar. Some company, certainly.

Jia Xin was not staying officially as a Kao, of course, but Radiance came with such high credentials she did not worry over the discretion of its staff, and did not plan to leave its grounds. It was unlikely she’d be recognised as Singapore’s darling so far from home, and her socials would never report this trip, so none of her most loyal kistune followers would be looking for her here. Yeye himself would never be any the wiser – not that she would not ultimately be forgiven should cousin Liyana squeal and betray where she went. It was not like she intended to interfere in the family’s expansion abroad. But she needed to be here.

It was pure chance that brought the whisper of a name to her attention. Kao. Not something she should have heard, but of course her ears attuned to it perfectly. Jia Xin had directed her people to book the best accommodations in Moscow, but she had presumed Zixin would have set himself up with something more permanent for his work here. Normally she would have sent someone to discover more to sate her curiosity, but of course she had no one to send. She was not without cunning of her own, though, and an enquiry over the coincidentally closed roof-top bar later she was making her way up to it. She doubted Zixin would be mad, and didn’t care even if he was. He wouldn’t tell their Yeye either. Not if he wanted her to behave while they were both in Moscow.

She was stopped before she got there, of course. That was novel too, though even less welcome than tending to her own thirst. Usually her security dealt with any such issues, and the problem never reached Jia Xin in her bubble at all. She floated through all such obstacles in her life that way. The man who barred her entrance was dressed smartly, and seemed apologetic for turning her way at least, but she stared a long time at his immovable form before she spoke.

“Jia Xin Kao,” she told him. Her eyes were amused. The smile on her lips feline. Doubtless the man only thought she spoke Zixin’s name – foreigners could never fully distinguish the differences in pronunciation. Not until they saw it written down using their own letters anyway. “His sister,” she clarified. Expectation lifted her chin, not haughty, just waiting. He pursed his lips and disappeared, leaving her instead to wonder uncomfortably whether he would come back.

He did though, after a few moments, and this time he only inclined his head and told her, “Welcome, Ms Kao.”

She expected Zixin to be there to greet her like a gentleman, the sha bi, but he wasn’t. Her first glance of the elegant rooftop bar was a veritable sea of mostly old, mostly white men. Servers brandishing expensive food and drink wove through seats and tables, and there was a hint of early debauchery. Definitely business, then.