[PRP] An Opportunity Worth the Sacrifice. (Arisa & Amadeo)

[Kinu]

The mansion was quiet, as it usually was. Amadeo was thankful for that small miracle at least. Ever since the party he'd been in a particularly bad mood. He'd have to deal with the Malkavians at some point and there had been a rumor that Augustus was finally stirring. This would be a relief for the Methuselah as he would finally be able to lay the fate of the clan back in the Disciples claws. He was done being the one keeping the family afloat on his own. He had other threads to weave. But that meant there was work to be done. A lot of it.

He'd sent for Arisa a month ago, she was supposed to arrive today. Not only did they need someone to fill a recently vacant position within the internal household, dealing mostly with affairs related to goods and trade, but they would need to strengthen the clan for Augustus's return. He wanted to see if she was.. worth the trouble. Amadeo sat at his desk, his dark gaze devoid of any real emotion while he stared into the fire. He was a million miles away. Movement interrupted his thoughts and his gaze slid to the small Wraith that was busy pulling a book off his shelf. He rose quickly and waved his paw, giving a dismissive hiss.

The Wraith screamed and vanished under the door. What the hell was she doing now? He picked up the book and ran a paw over the cover. A small smirk breaking the otherwise unamused expression. "Is that so?" Was all he said. Taking the book back with him he set it down on his desk. The vampire moved to occupy the space before the window, his eyes scanning the grounds for their newest guest. Waiting to see if she showed up on time. He had all eternity. He doubted she could say the same.

Doxymoron

 

[Potandie]

To say she was not nervous would be a pleasant lie to tell herself but a luxury she could not afford. A soft sigh fell from narrowly parted lips while a hand rested to her unsettled gut as if she could soothe the feeling. Nerves were tightly wound coils that created an unfamiliar tension in her body during her travels. The Maenad could not quite determine if she were excited or terrified though she was certain she should not be dwelling on this too much.

To leave a summons unanswered was unheard of regardless of what it meant. Only a fool would be so ignorant as to presume that a summons would be guaranteed to end in a positive outcome and, however blissful it may sound to frolic through life with such a mindset, it was not one that she admired or envied. Arisa focused her energy towards settling her emotions into place and internally scolded herself for the thought of reading the summons again. She was thankful that she had been given a month to prepare herself, as best she could, for this day. Her eyes had scanned the contents of the envelope she carried many times and had continually found it just as vague as the first time she read it.

Today could be very pleasant for her or very unpleasant, depending on the exact details behind this summoning. Details that she would find out soon enough as she approached the mansion and took pause for a moment, allowing herself a brief moment of awe. To be standing here felt... surreal. There was not a moment left to fuss over her hair, which she had styled into an upswept mixture of braid and bun, nor one of the finer dresses she had carefully selected. The hope she had was not to impress but rather to not utterly disappoint, being as this was her first summons received. Arisa did not wish to dawdle and prided herself on keeping to schedule, feet once again carrying her forward and into the mansion to find what would await her on the other side of the doors.

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

Amadeo kept his watch, claws locked behind his back in a position of rest as his eyes scoured the dark grounds for Arisa. Movement caught his attention and his gaze snapped to the spot. There she was. Right on time. The vampire slipped from the window to circle around his desk, he flicked through some of the paperwork stacked neatly on the edge and found what he was looking for. Seizing it he slid it across to the center of the well-oiled piece of furniture and snapped his claws. The little wraith slipped from the shadows, hissing menacingly as she hid beneath his desk, her little claws gripping the edge as she pulled her head out to peer up at Amadeo with eyeless sockets. “Go open the door. Stay hidden.” He commanded, his voice steely and devoid of any fear. She didn’t unnerve him.

The wraith screeched softly and bolted across the floor, opening the office door without touching it. She moved fast, too fast, down the long hallway and grand staircase. Her figure slid across the floor, stretching like a shadow at noon, toward the front door. As Arisa approached the door unlocked. Slowly it groaned as it opened about an inch inward. The wraith didn’t let Arisa see her, she hid in the shadows behind the door, her eyeless sockets trained on the place where the female would be on the other side of the wall. Her little chest rose and fell rapidly as if she were distressed but it was, instead, out of agitation. She seemed to hunch down, crouching like a feral animal ready to pounce.

The air grew cold in the foyer. A series of candles flickered to life suddenly, illuminating the beautiful room in a warm glow. No expense was spared in the main Giovanni Estate. The floor was finely polished black and white marble, and the staircase winding up on both sides to the upper levels of the estate boasted ornate handrails of gold, formed by only the finest skilled tradesman. The stairs themselves were dressed in luxury Italian carpet with fine Persian runners of red and gold. Every detail, from the art that adorned the walls, to the curtains hanging in the windows, to even the smallest bit of embroidery in the pillows dressing the chaise lounges was exquisite. No expense spared. As was the Giovanni way.

Doxymoron

 

[Potandie]

Ugh... there it was again, that uncomfortable knot of tension in her gut. The Maenad was cautious as she slipped inside, unable to shake the feeling of being closely monitored. Her ears lifted and swiveled, straining to detect even the faintest sounds possible. It was eerily quiet which only aided in the uneasy feeling surging through her in small but impactful waves.

The unnaturally cold atmosphere of the room caused an unpleasant shiver to run down her spin. Fur raised as skin prickled beneath it and the finest wisps of loose hair at her neck felt the urge to rise as well. It was with a deep breath that Arisa forced herself to look at all of the finest furnishings and decorative pieces. She had trained herself well and a distraction, however brief, could ground her.

The little mortal let the breath out quietly, slowly, feeling the waves of calm crashing over her. It aided in regaining her composure, flesh and hair settling back into place, the bitter cold able to ignored once more. She could feel it, the locks of her inner-mechanisms she mentally visualized surrounding her emotions were snapping back into place with satisfying clicks. It would serve her nor the Antediluvian no benefits if she could not keep her composure; she did not wish to embarass herself regardless of what was to come. There wws no doubt that he already knew she had arrived, so attempting to announce her presence felt silly and unnecessary. Giovanni did not exactly appreciate silly, unnecessary people.

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

Amadeo had moved himself to the fireplace in his office. It wasn't as if he kept it burning for warmth. Merely the ambiance of the sound and the steady glow it produced were desireable to his senses. The shudder and sway of the flames had always been rather hypnotic, and while his beast recoiled, he himself found solace standing before the element. There was something cleansing about fire. His ear lifted at the sound of the front door opening, and one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. Well, how long had it been since he'd had to go through this charade? Years. Thane was his last Childe. Perhaps tonight, there would be another. Arisa was a valuable asset, and word had traveled fast to the main estate regarding her skills and her resourcefulness. The bloodline Della Passaglia was loyal and resourceful, more than acceptable.

He slipped from the fireplace to the door of his office, his strides smooth and even. The well polished mask of civility slipping over his otherwise cold features, he was not the most social creature at his core, and these encounters tended to leave him drained. As he turned the handle and the large door slid open, Amadeo purposefully strode to the top of the staircase. He cut an intimidating figure, blended between shadow and the soft glow of candlelight, like a Wraith himself. "Good evening, Arisa." His voice smooth and soothing, almost comforting. A carefully curated facade. "I trust your trip wasn't too arduous, I know it can be quite a strain the first time around." His lips lifted in a friendly smile.

The shadows of the mansion lengthened beneath the flickering candlelight and the little Wraith slipped speedily to the door, shutting it with a slam before darting around the room, too quick to be seen clearly. If it had been spotted it would be like seeing something from the corner of the eye. Leaving the one to have seen it unsure if anything was truly there or if the shadows were simply playing a trick on the senses. Amadeo was unflinching, even if deep down a bloom of annoyance blossomed. She'd been moody lately. Restless. Like she knew something was coming. She wasn't wrong. "My apologies, signora. This house can be drafty on occasion. Come, let us discuss business." He gestured for her to follow him and turned, leading her back down the hallway to his office. It seemed as though not another soul occupied the entire estate, so eerily quiet. In fact he had cleared the majority of the staff out for the evening. He had no intention of being distracted or interrupted during such a delicate matter as this.

Doxymoron

 

[Potandie]

Arisa turned towards the unfamiliar voice and looked up to the top of the stairs, pale lavender eyes settling onto Amadeo. She could not make out his features from here, the candles not offering enough light to do anything other than dance across his form, casting flickering shadows. She supposed it was not important what he looked like but curiosity was a difficult thing to tamp down at times.

The door slamming behind her and the faint gust of air as the Wraith moved unseen through the area were enough to make the Maenad's ears stand upright. That knot in her stomach returned tenfold and she felt a slight wave of nausea that accompanied the rise of nerves. Arisa composed herself, reigning her emotions back in and fixing a tight grip onto them. She were not a scared little deer and she would not behave as one. The tone of Amadeo's voice only aided her in steeling her resolve, the soothing quality of it did not go to waste. Arisa had come this far and a drafty old home was not going to best her. "Good evening," she responded, managing to mask any emotion she may have felt. The warm, honeyed tone of her voice was not something she were using intentionally but rather from habit. Feminine charm had become a necessity in her life, it had kept her family's business successful.

"No apologies necessary. A draft is hardly something to fuss about." She were not one to complain about such trivial things, even if she were actively having to ignore the prickle of goosebumps on her skin and the way her hairs rose at the back of her neck while she ascended the stairs towards him. It was strange that alarm bells were ringing in her mind the nearer she drew towards him and yet, she felt compelled to do so. There was business to be discussed, he had said so himself, and business were not something she would turn away from. Her entire life had revolved around meetings and grueling negotiations and the inevitable strike of a deal, in which her family benefited most handsomely. Who was she to turn away the opportunity to discuss matters with a man of obvious importance? It mattered very little, or so she thought, what he classified as a 'business discussion'; it could not possibly vary so far from her own, right? What need could he have for her? Who knew. Perhaps it had something to do with the reputation of her silver tongue.

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

Amadeo moved silently down the hall once he knew Arisa was ascending the stairs, he waited outside of his office door for her to join him before politely gesturing for her to enter. Once she had he shut the door behind them and strode towards an ornate-looking cabinet with a beautiful, frosted glass front. Opening it he pulled two short crystal glasses from their testing place and a decanter of some dark amber liquid.

He spoke as he poured, his voice calm, even. "Arisa, what do you know about the Giovanni family? Not your branch specifically, the main family here at the Estate?" He finished pouring and replaced the decanter, shutting the glass case and moving towards her. Offering her a glass he gestured once more, this time to a beautiful, antique couch. The feet of which were intricately carved clawed feet, the wood a dark, rich cherry wood, and the upholstery a luxurious red satin. Amadeo moved around to stand before it, the flames within the fireplace writhing, casting shadows across his unnaturally still frame.

His eyes seemed to catch the light and glow faintly, as if lit by some inner flame themselves. But his face was a perfect mask of civility and gentlemanly manner. As though he truly were possessed of some real warmth. A well crafted disguise. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip, relishing the burn as it warmed his throat and chest, savoring the moment. The heat of a fine drink was almost as satisfying as a fresh kill, almost. The older he got the fewer things seemed to satisfy for long, but a fresh kill never got old. The beast never grew tired of a feed.

Rain began to pelt the windows outside the lavish office, the scent of it filling the air. It was peaceful, tranquil, lending an even moodier air to the evening. He closed his eyes a moment to take it in before opening them again and fixing on the female in his office. He hoped she was strong enough to withstand the Embrace. The proxy kiss wasn't the most... pleasant sensation in the world. In fact it was often deadly to mortals. She may have proved herself worthy to be considered for the Embrace but the Proxy Kiss was the true test, it sorted the wheat from the chaff both roughly and effectively.

Doxymoron