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 Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:58 am
Leonardi Dell'Amore gave his wife the testiest look he could manage in the pouring rain. She had stopped him outside the house just as he had been about to get in his car. The engine quivered and ran slightly behind him, the sensation making its way into his hand through the open door. His driver was waiting, but that wasn't the root of his impatience. Leonardi was used to others waiting on him. In fact, he expected it. He did not, however, like waiting for anyone else. His scatter brained wife was no exception, even if she was excused from reading his singles due to her stupidity.
"Leonardi...might I stop by this place today?" she asked, handing him a bit of paper. It was an informational flyer on an adoption center. Beyond that fact he didn't bother to read it. His immediate reaction was irriation. He had told her numerous times that he did not want children. Any other woman would have been smart enough to realize that it wasn't a good idea to ask why, but since she didn't fit into that categorey he had always told her it was because he feared for her health. Lately someone had managed to get it into her head that adoption was the perfect solution to this problem.
"I told you Vivian, no children," he barked, pressing the paper back into her hands and crumpling it.
"But Leonardi," she begged, puffing out her lower lip, "Adoption is perfect! Just imagine! We could have a child at last! No health risks and all the benefits! Ohhh I can't wait to go shopping and pick out some tiny dresses, and some cute little sheets, and some toys and-"
"Are you listening to me?" Leonardi growled, his voice low as he grabbed her arm.
Her energy seemed to die at his touch. She might be stupid, but even the dumb can sense danger at times. She wilted a little and her mood finally seemed to match the weather. She looked after him softly, her eyes a very gentle pleading. It wasn't deliberate, not like before. It was a look manifested out of a lasting desire that she refused to shake. She wanted a child. Or at least she had convinced herself she did. Now it was a part of her very being.
He released her after a long moment. No use being violent towards her...she was about as helpless as a sheep, and as like minded. He turned away from her, finally ducking down and sliding into the dark car. Once seated he waited and then passed her a sidways glance. Finally, just as he pulled the door shut, he mumbled, "I'll think about it." It was meant just to shut her up again.
With that he was cut off from Vivian's view. She couldn't even see into the car due to its tinted windows. But, still fearing his gaze, she waited until the car had side away down the rainy driveway and out of sight. Then, without so much as a sigh, she turned and shuffled back into the house. With him gone it was easier to warm back up to her idea. She'd ask him again later, because she just couldn't see a reason for him to say no.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:33 am
Leonardi sat back in his chair, his gaze focused on nothing visible. The blinds were half drawn, though it was early evening. The dim lighting, though not quite darkness, helped him think. He certainly had a lot of things to think about, his wife being the least of them. He had jobs to run, rivals to eliminate, and bribes to keep steady. The problem was that his wife was an interuption. She wasn't important, outside of her family ties, but she had caused problems in the past. Many of his "associates" were very "private" people and did not appreciate her outbursts.
Recently she had trumped into a meeting with Kaiser. It had not been a pleasant experience; Leonardi wanted to work out a mutual agreement with Kaiser and his assets. His wife, however, had not put the other "businessman" in a pleasant mood. He had left early.
Leonardi tapped his teeth together as he thought. She was becoming a problem, enough of one that he had to actually think about how to respond anyway. It wasn't that she was a major disaster by herself, it was that she caused a multitude of little problems. Little problems in big enough numbers, however, added up to be a big nusiance. Perhaps it was best to just give her what she wanted.
Now, Leonardi was not a man who gave into demands or requests if they did not benefit him. He certainly didn't if they harmed him, either. And children were a real concern for Leonardi. All too fresh was the memory of his usurption of his father's position. He did not relish the idea of having a child that could do the same to him. He didn't want anyone who could inherit his position and assets through blood. If it allowed it, it was giving himself a set death sentence. His work gave him such a target anyway, but having relatives always made it ten times worse.
He leaned forward, putting his hand under his chin. His expression was one of concentration. He had been thinking about this for weeks now, ever since Vivian had become attached to the idea of adoption. Was an adopted child as big of a threat? Especially a girl? Vivian had made it quite clear that she wanted a little girl to raise. All of these questions had been enough to force him to think the matter through. Being adopted, he could ensure she had no access to his securities. He could still make the claim that he would choose his own heir. Furthermore, being female would make her pratcically harmless, at least if she was raised by that flighty, brainless wife of his. Best of all, she would keep Vivian occuppied.
Leaning back he reached over and pressed a button on his phone, "Davide, call Kaiser. Ask him if he'd be willing to have another gathering next week. And please sent for Vivian."
---
Vivian whirled into the parlor with a laugh. Her scarf was quickly removed by the maid as she fussed over the package in her arms. "Who would have thought! A beautiful little girl from his plant? Why, it might as well be magic!"
She didn't even look at the maid when she requested, "Go and get the baby's room ready!" After that her attention was captured and retained by the green little plant. She cooed and preened it, her whole body quivering with such excitement and warmth she could hardly bear it. "You'll get the best fertilizer and as much sun as you could ever hope for...oh! The sooner you grow strong and come out the better."
Putting the cabbage down on the table for a moment she went and flung open the curtains, "Welcome home, little one!"
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:02 am
[ Closed Roleplay log from AIM - Felyn and myself ]
"Alright, stop the car."
Leonardi Dell'Amore waved his hand once, not even sitting up in his comfortable seat in the back. The car came to a smooth stop, its engine humming softly in the foggy morning. Everyone was still then, even the small little girl fastened in the car seat. They were all waiting for him to move.
Finally he motioned towars the door and the driver left and came around on the other side. He pulled the door open, holding it so that Leonardi could exit. As he slipped past he murmured, without giving a second glance, "Take her out. This will take but a moment." He waited there then, staring languidly at the building before him.
Melony did her best to stay quiet at the driver unfastened her restraints. She hated being around her father; she felt strangled, sufficated. She couldn't do anything fun when he was around, at least so mommy said. Well, she had learned a bit of it the hard way too. She just wanted him to take her home...give her back to that nurse who's hair was so easy to pull.
The driver lifted her out and carried her to her father's side. Another of Leonardi's men had already stepped out and headed to the door of the residence. There he knocked swiftly and waited, passing his boss a sideways glance.
"Who's at the door so early?" came the curious words of Gabriele's often gentle wife, her gaze turning up to look at her husband where he stood in the doorway of their living room.
That very thought was crossing Gabriele’s mind as he turned away from watching Fiore bouncing little Marcello on her knee, and towards the doorway. As soon as he was out of Fiore’s sight, his entire posture changed. He always appeared to be a coiled snake on the verge of striking, but at times he was noticeably more at ease. Now, as he approached the doorway and their unexpected visitor, he was obviously walking on eggshells. His right hand reached for something concealed just beneath the waistband of his pants as his left reached for the door. As he yanked it back and let the scene before him wash over his thoughts, a silent sigh of relief passed his lungs.
It wasn’t exactly a good thing to be receiving a home visit from his boss, but he would much prefer him than someone more threatening to his family. His gaze passed once to the man that had knocked on the door before he shifted his eyes to Leonardi respectfully. He moved out of the doorway, so that Leonardi could see him, and stood there with cross arms.
“Is there something I can do for you, Boss?” Him showing up here was suspicious, especially with that bratty kid of his in tow.
"You'll be watching my daughter until I return, I'm afraid I have some sudden business to take care of," Leonardi answered easily. He didn't bother to ask; what he said got done, that was just how things were. There was no need to bother with the details either. He had some special business, Melony's nanny had been...suspicously involved, so he needed her taken care of until he was finished. Nothing else really mattered.
Right after his annoucement Leonardi motioned for the driver to take Melony inside. He wasn't going to follow; he didn't plan to stay any longer.
The driver obeyed without question, stepping past Gabriele and into the house. He set Melony down there and removed himself from the building just as swiftly. Melony stood there quietly, her expression distant with tinges of sulkiness in the corners. She was being left again, she knew. Good. She hated being around daddy. She really did.
Gabriele knew better than to question his boss; he always did what he was told without even the smallest complaint. It was what had kept him in high regards with Leonardi so long, it was what kept him on the higher end of the food chain, and what ultimately put food on the table for his wife and child. Thus, when Leonardi said he’d be watching Melany for a while, Gabriele simply nodded and moved aside to let the driver take her in.
“Yes, Sir,” he said, nodding again to his boss as the man turned back towards his car. He waited until the driver was out of the way before he turned back and shut the door behind him, dark eyes falling down onto the little Princess Dell’Amore. It was at that exact moment that Fiore’s curiosity got the best of her as well.
“Gabriele, who was it?” She called as she came around the corner, summoned by the sound of the door closing. “Oh!” she exclaimed as her eyes fell to the tiny child standing in the doorway, almost the same age as her own son. It didn’t take her long to figure out who exactly the child was – she’d heard Gabriele speak of the Dell’Amore child that had been adopted from the same process, around the same time as Marcello. Her mouth formed into a silent ‘O’, even as she let her eyes drift back up to her husband.
As if summoned by his mother’s thought, the young Marc tottered around the corner, in search of his parents – he never did appreciate being left alone. His eyes fell instantly upon the young girl, and his little arms came up to cross over his chest in an imitation of his father when he was irritated. He said nothing, but for someone so young, he certainly looked displeased.
Melony was used to those unhappy glances. Everyone seemed to look at her that way, except for Momma. But Momma was there and gone within seconds, so her flighty smiles were very fleeting in Melony's memory. She was much more used to frowns.
"What can we play?" she asked. For someone so little, she was very articulate. But then, it wasn't too much of a surprise, knowing the Leonardi probably had her being schooled by some form of tutor already. If she was going to be his daughter, she had to fit certain expectations, even at an unfair age. "Daddy and his friends aren't very fun," she continued, eyeing both the adults and the other little boy, "Are you fun?" If they weren't, she was going to have to make them fun...which usually meant causing some trouble. Daddy's men were always fun when they were frustrated with her.
Gabriele saw the look his son was giving the little girl, and for the first time since the little boy had graced their lives, he wished he actually was a little more outspoken and outgoing. It was nice to have a quiet, well-behaved child when they just had to deal with him alone, but Melany’s happiness at the moment depended on how well she was entertained. Gabriele knew what she was like when she got bored.
“Why don’t you play with Melany, Marcello?” he suggested, offering his son a pleasant smile. Fiore turned a happy smile down on the both of them, her hand reaching to brush through the thick, dark locks of her son’s hair. She wasn’t ready to believe that the little girl was such a brat until she actually saw it, and she certainly seemed much more pleasant towards her – not that Gabriele was trying to be rude, simply detached as usual with his job affairs.
Marcello made a small pouting face at his father, and though he said nothing, that alone said it all. He didn’t enjoy his father trying to force him to play with the little girl – she was already being rude. When his mother ran a hand through his hair (a calming gesture, no doubt), he sighed and turned his dark brown eyes onto the little brat. “What do you wanna play?” There, he was being nice. Sort of. His tone could probably improve a little.
"I don't know," Melony said simply, twirling her skirt a bit as she gave Marcello a sideways glance. Well wasn't he just peachy! He was like a miny version of father's men; grumpy and uninspiring. She wasn't sure he could be much fun at all...but she'd let him try a little first, before she did any of her usual games.
"I don't know what toys you have," she told him, "So, what can we play with?" She watched him expectantly. She didn't think he'd have any toys at all like hers (mother did ever so like buying her toys), but something was better than nothing, right?
He frowned again as she asked after his toys, inwardly groaning that he had to share his stuff with her. He lookd up helplessly at his parents, but his mother had moved to stand next to his father and they were both smiling down at him like he was about to do something amazing.
Fine.
"I don't have any girl toys," he said cutting his eyes at her even as he turned his back and started to make his way towards his bedroom. It wasn't a long walk, but he made a point of sulking the entire way there. Why did he have to play with a girl? As he arrived, he pushed the door open, and looked towards his toy box.
He sighed and walked that way, scuffing his foot on the carpet a bit as he went and nearly tripping. He caught himself in a toddler-like stumble, then glared down at the carpet accusingly. After his little staring match with the innanimate object, he moved to his toy box, and after a couple of pointed little heaves he shoved the lid off.
"I have trucks and trains and toys guns," he was rummaging through at this point, leaned over as far as he could, only really standing on his tippy toes as he reached for things.
Melony followed along behind him, keeping a rather chipper attitude despite his lack of enthusiasm. She swung her arms lightly along as they went, she almost looked as if she should be humming a tune. When he tripped she only stopped, her hands clasping behind her back, and smiled. She stayed that way until he divulged the contests of his toy chest.
"Is that really all you have?" she asked. Well, she had thought it before; something was better then nothing. She moved forward, leaning over into the toy chest herself, inspecting the toys with a careful eye. Were any of them interesting enough to make a game out of? Hmmm...
He turned his eyes towards her with a set mouth, glaring a little at her demeaning comment. She was lucky he was letting her play with his toys at all - if it was up to him, he would have just let her sit out there and do nothing with his parents. He didn't owe her anything.
"Sorry, I don't need a million toys," he commented, picking up one of his guns and playfully toying with the trigger before he flopped unceremoniously onto the floor. His mother never did like him having toy guns, or anything that was too awfully similar to his father's line of work, but Marcello loved it.
He brought it up and pointed it at her, pursing his lips out of his irritation with the girl. Then, as his lips faded into a childish smirk, he pulled the trigger and let go a loud popping noise.
He didn't need a million toys? That wasn't the point. He didn't HAVE a million toys. She doubted he'd ever be so lucky. She couldn't say having more toys usually made her very happy but...in this instance, faced with his meager supply, she felt quite proud. Yes, she had far more toys than this silly boy.
A frown flitted across her face as he "shot" at her. The nerve! No one would ever do anything like that to her. She always won her games. She'd certainly show him. Rummaging around among the toys she looked for something better...and pulled out a gun much like his, although it was longer in the barrel. She fired off two wizzing pops in his direction, expression triumphant, "This one's bigger."
Her frown was a moment of triumph for him, and he couldn't help the small little grin that flickered over his face. His dad had asked him to play, and even though it wasn't exactly the nicest form of play, he was playing. However, as soon as she started to rummage through his toys again, that frown returned. Just what was she doing now?
As she produced the bigger gun, the frown turned into an all out scowl, and before he could so much as stand up, she'd already pulled the trigger.
"That doesn't count," he exclaimed exasperatedly as he pushed himself up to his feet, using his hands. He grabbed his toy gun and waved it in her direction. "You're already dead, so you can't shoot me!" In reality, he really was just sour that she had grabbed a bigger gun, but she didn't need to know that. He huffed and crossed his arms, gun still in hand, albeit awkwardly. "Girls must not know how to play with guns."
"You're just sore cause you lost," Melony said with a pretty little smile. She gestured her hands to the side with a shrug, a motion that said he could have it, she didn't really care anymore. She had won and she was going to stick with that story.
She went back over to the toy chest, the final signal that she was done with the shooting game. "What else do you have in here?" she dug around, unimpressed with his collection. The trucks were boring and she didn't like those anyway (they were always working in the dirt and stuff). The trains really weren't much better, but she did find one that seemed acceptable. It was a red little toy passenger train. She took it out, carefully juggling the dangling pieces, and set herself on the floor to play with it.
He set his jaw, much like he had seen his father doing whenever he received a phone call he didn't like, or saw something that made him mad. He considered maybe tossing the gun at her, or kicking the train away from her - but his daddy always said to play nice with others.
"You just don't know how to play games," he said grudgingly, putting his toy down on his bed (none too gently), and stalked over to sit down across from her. His arms crossed and he commenced glaring at her as she played with the train, trying to think of what he could do that would make her mad. It was irritating he didn't have nice things to make her jealous with.
"I was going to play...all the places the train is taking the people," Melany replied knowingly, as if this was the only proper way to play with a train of this type. Not that she typically played trains...no, most of what she had at home was dollies, kitchen toys, stuffed animals, and other "girly" items. She had a whole big room dedicated to them...not just a silly old box.
"How would you play it then?" she asked him, not even looking in his direction as she continued to pull the train around. It was almost at its first stop, one of his pairs of shoes sitting on the floor. "This stop," she annouced, "is stinky shoe ville. All boys live here."
He rolled his eyes at her irritably as she announced what she was doing with the train. "Just like a girl, that's so boring," he said with a sigh. He pushed himself up slowly, using his hands to propel himself to a stand.
"You need something to pull the passengers," he muttered, moving over to his toybox. He leaned far over it, his toes nearly leaving the floor and his upperbody disappearing as he dug around. He came back out with an engine and another passenger thing.
"They go together," he said with a vague point of his finger, flopping down ungracefully next to her. "And I always play war train, carrying soldiers." Much to his mother's dismay, he was his father's son.
She allowed him to correct her, simply because she really didn't care about the technicalities. How the train ran wasn't interesting, it was where the people on the train was going that was. Besides, when you played pretend you could do whatever you wanted. Maybe her engine had been invisible and he had just ruined it. Whatever.
"That's boring," she told him simply, "Cause all the soldiers are going to go do is fight...normal people will go lots of cool places instead of just being blown up." Being blown up was really not all that interesting to her. Not that she had ever seen anyone blown up or anything...well, she supposed to could count cartoons. The maids let her watch whatever she wanted when they were cleaning.
"It's not boring - watching people get blown up is really cool!" His voice raised a little, his little hand tightening around the train it held. He narrowed his eyes at her, once again resisting the urge to repeatedly bang his train into the floor to get his point across.
"Fine, you stay here and play with the trains," he said, taking a deep breath and using his hands to push himself up to his feet again. "I'm going to go watch TV with my daddy, because girls are boring." He made a frowning face at her before heading to the door. He was really glad he didn't have a sister.
Melany watched him go without a word. At first she felt a little edgy, bordering on upset that she had been left alone. As if anyone would dare leave HER alone when she didn't want them to...but...quickly she scrunched up her face and directed all her anger at Marc. Stupid icky stupid boy! Stupid stupid!
With that anger came a sort of realization...he had been angry when he'd left. She had made him so angry he didn't want to even play with his toys anymore. She felt a grudging sense of pride in this. So...she had won then. Yes, she had shown him! Girls were way better. She didn't need that stinky boy...she didn't need anyone.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:53 pm
Vivian Dell’Amore just loved parties. There was always a good reason to have a party, whether it was a birthday, a holiday, or just a celebration of the good weather. Seeing as her husband was gone a majority of the time, hosting such events was quite easy. Sometimes it was big, sometimes it was small, but there was always something going on at the Dell’Amore household.
Today it was nothing more than a simple tea party. At least, that’s what Vivian kept cooing to her adopted toddler Melany Rose.
“Ohh, you’ll just love the tea, won’t you Rosey? Though I suppose I could have Martha fetch you some warm milk…and they’ll be cookies. You love those, don’t you? Especially the ones with the strawberries,” she gushed as she fluttered around the parlor.
“Yes Mama,” Melany replied. Sitting on the couch, which was very uncomfortable and fancy, she clicked her toes together repeatedly. She was bored. She hated Mama’s parties. She hated Mama’s friends, who were boring clucking hens, and she hated strawberries. She watched her mother unhappily, though without knowing it, really, she kept her face very smooth. She had learned, even if not consciously, that making a fuss with Mama made Mama bored of her and then she’d be tossed out. And while being with Mama was boring as anything and playing was more fun…she had a strong dislike of being tossed anywhere.
The door to the room open and in a flurry of skirts Melany watched the women pour in. It felt like there were hundreds of them, when really there were only about 10, and they all were talking at the same time, making their gaggle indistinct to her young ears.
Her mother came to stand beside her, a cup of tea in her hands, babbling gaily right back at them. Melany especially hated moments like this…moments where Mama was so near, but only near to her so that when Melany was noticed Vivian could jump into the conversation with excitement and pride.
A stout woman stopped before her, bending over so far that her saggy, aged breasts were visible in her low necked shirt. “Ohhh, aren’t you just darling?” She fawned, grabbing a bit of Melany’s cheek between pudgy fingers. “She’s precious, Vivian dear.”
“Isn’t she just?” Vivian replied in the exact same bubbly tone. Melany sighed as they continued to twitter about her. She leaned a little in her seat, trying to peer around the birth of the cheek-pincher to see around the rest of the room.
On the other side, loitering by the refreshments, a woman was leaning over and talking into her purse. Or at least that’s what it looked like for a moment until…something poked its head up between the bag’s straps. It was a little dog. A long, gangly woman in a hideous green dress came over to the purse-lady and immediately complimented sweetly over how adorable the dog was, between her “aww”’s. The purse-lady agreed with the same amount of enthusiasm.
Melany felt her lips drop down and her eyes went and stared harshly at her knees. Maybe being thrown out would be better after all.
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Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:33 pm
Open Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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