[center]Sometime in mid-afternoon[/center]

The ring of the phone was shrill. Especially after the twentieth time. There had been a little pause when it’d kicked over to voice mail, but it started back up soon enough. Whoever was calling thought it was important enough to keep going until someone answered. Which might not have been the wisest idea for them in the long run. But finally, someone got up to answer the phone.

It was far too early in the day to be awake. It was hardly even close to sunset and yet, she was awake. And anything but happy about it. Especially since it seemed that it was because of idiocy that she was awake when she could still at least be laid up in bed working on trying to get herself some sort of  relief from the nagging in her brain. But even that wasn't going to be enough she knew. That didn't stop her from being annoyed about being dragged out of bed. But she was always annoyed about having to do things she wasn't in the mood for.

Masha was sat at her office desk, lacy robe half draped around her shoulders but untied around her middle. She was on the phone with someone, slim fingers trailing along the spine of her little kitty cat who was walking along her desk. "Yes, for the fifth time in the last ten minutes, I understand what has happened." The voice on the other end of the line chattered on, leaving Masha literally rolling her eyes at this.

"You must be new," she said, cutting in, her voice now fully colored with her annoyance. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have done something so stupid as to call me in the middle of the day." And with that she hung up the phone. A string of curses rolled out in Russian.

A ginger head popped into the room, followed by the owners shoulders. "Not worth it then?" The tall man asked, stepping in more.

"When is it ever," she sighed, rubbing at her eyes while her tomcat hopped into her lap, settling down with a soft purr. "I know that I've told them to call if there's problems, but you would think at least one of them had a few brain cells to rub together. Three hundred years, and humanity just seems to get stupider."

The man sat himself down on her desk, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "Well, we can always go back to bed you know." He gave her a teasing smile that was followed by a chuckle. 

Masha stretched, jostling the cat from her lap when she stood to lean against him. "I do like that idea,  Bryce," she murmured, silky and low, fingers trailing along fresh cuts along old scars from her on his flesh. "Maybe I've given up on humanity too quickly, there's still a few good ones in the herd."