Private Sea of Memory

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Were it not for their current position she might have teased back that women were always right. It was a silly age-old adage that held very little weight in the grand scheme of things. They made the same mistakes as their male counterparts, only, some could be a little more stubborn when it came to admitting it. She gifted him with another sweet smile at the notion of providing more funding toward the arts. "I would like that.", she murmured, truthfully.

Anything that helped educate the masses on the art world as a whole pleased her. There were so many applications for music and artistry that were often overlooked. His hands tightened at her waist and she inhaled, a little sharp, but slowly allowed herself to unwind and breathe freely. Just a friendly, contract.

Right.

Angelique never noticed that they'd fallen still. For one that was typically so perceptive about the human condition, she would have mentally scolded herself. It was a testament, to how easily, he made her forget herself. They were oddities in Anzati culture; that was true. But there was a difference between being odd and outright heretical. He let her touch him. Let the pads of soft fingers glide down his jaw like silk where they were, truly, much too close. She could breathe his air.

For a moment, everything came to a standstill.

She had no pulse but it didn't keep her from feeling as if her heart had stopped. That silly nickname. The gentle touch, the whisper, and everything else that followed with his proximity made her think for a single moment that he might have been ready to—No. No, no. Her eyes closed and she had to resist the urge to draw herself closer, still. To close the distance, completely, and never let it return. His hand to the bare skin of her back made her breath hitch.

Luca would feel a soft tremble run through her that had nothing to do with the cold. Not that it ever did. The fact that he knew it already, though, drew a small pang of confusion.

If he knew—Then…why…?

It wasn't a question easily answered. There could have been a dozen reasons but the Anzati reptile mind always took her to the least satisfying conclusion. That it truly, was a game. One that he was currently winning hand over fist. She had come to him, agreed to stay, to give up her freedom in exchange for his peace of mind. He was the only one in the galaxy capable of getting her to consider changing her vocation in the slightest.

He was not the only one that bent the rules, broke, for the other.

Angelique pulled back just enough so that her lips breezed by his cheek, though, not so much that she seemed to be pulling away. She remained close. Near enough that when she spoke her lips would move against his with the touch of a ghost. "…Tell me…Do you want me to stay?"

She wasn't asking if he thought it was a "good idea" (which, the jury was already out on) or a lucrative business venture. She was asking how he felt about her presence. About her invading his home, his life, and routine. It would be so easy to lean forward and simply give in. So simple, to taste him. Such an act also came with a whole other host of complications. "If it is only curiosity that holds true with something new and interesting…"

"…I cannot remain, here. We live…Much too long for me to know you—And never know you again."

It would harm her in some fashion, in some way, to leave and never return. She didn't have the words to describe it but she did know that she didn't want to travel through eternity knowing what the other side was like. Knowing, what she missed.

Knowing and remembering what she could never have.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

The situation was complicated and only growing more so by her presence. By the way she breathed in... breathed out, the way her fingers shifted against his jaw and loosely followed by her lips as she pulled away.

No, not away.

Just a fraction back to create even more tension. The kind that was intensified when she posed that question to him. The question itself wasn't enough however. She had to add onto it. Luca? Swallowed and brows furrowed. His hands loosened ever so slightly. In this it seemed she was already losing him now that she was putting the situation to a head.

It was not a question of a good idea or a bad idea.

Good business sense or bad.

No, did Luca want her to stay? This answer he had been avoiding throughout their conversation. Something that she rightfully noticed and was now calling him out on. "I-" Another inch back. But right before the non-beating or existing heart could seize in disappointment? Luca smiled. Just a little shrug there.

"Of course I do." Murmured lightly. A clockwork tick inside shifting its gears. "We have been avoiding each other for such a long time, Angel...ique. Because it was the right thing to do. Because we have always been taught it was for the best. Because our lessons have their hooks into us muscle-deep, where they move us even when we do not think they do."

Luca let go of her and brushed past her to the balcony. Sitting on the edge of it even. Looking out to the estate.

"I am tired. Of following the rules of those that remain secluded on our homeworld and never dare to look past it." A glance over his shoulder to see if she'd join him.

"We have done better and I believe we can do even more. Don't you?"

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

She let him go.

What choice did she have?

Ironically the evening's chill then began to creep in with cruel, crawling fingers, in his absence. Angelique certainly hadn't noticed it before. Her arms rose slowly and crossed over her chest. Delicate hands with red painted nails clasped her upper arms. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other while her eyes followed him of their own accord.

Discussing the consequences, plainly, made it real she supposed. Not a simple want on a whim that they could somehow work through until it faded away. Angelique was a creature of solidity. Of habit. Her emotions were very steady, true, and took decades to change. She worked with music so well because it was the only love she had ever known; It was the only thing, that, in lieu of one—Made her feel as if she had a heart. Something.

Angelique, his Angel, who sang until she could barely breathe on opening nights—Knew him well enough to know when he was avoiding answering a particular question. An answer was often not an answer at all and only led to more questions. This was the very same thing. Every inch that he pulled away, left her arms, caused her to cool by degrees. Instead of the sweet expression that usually ended in an upturned point at the kiss of her mouth—It was carefully, schooled into a mask of polite starkness.

It was the same expression for wore when interviewing, speaking with production, or, simply someone she didn't know. The smile he returned with couldn't wipe that away because whether he knew it or not watching him recoil as if she were a viper, hurt.

For the moment, at the very least, it stopped her from leaving.

Angelique remained silent while he spoke. The full use of her name actually bothered her more than the shortened version. He seemed to use both interchangeably, but in the moment, it felt like a deliberate effort in distancing. If that was what he wanted—So be it. While he moved toward the balcony, she did turn, but she rained where she was. Just, listening.

She didn't understand.

They kept their distance because it was a matter of survival. Because, their kind tended to keep to their own machinations. If they broke all the rules, would it not threaten their eternity? While he placed everything in a rational box, for her, it boiled down to the acceptance of risk. Were the consequences worth it? He was far more intelligent than anyone she knew—But did he know what he was saying?

The songstress breathed in and released a heavy, heavy sigh. It had been worth it for her to ask to see him in the first place. Worth, the risk of being shut out.

Was it still?

The slight sound of her heels touching concrete took her two steps forward. Angelique didn't bother moving to sit beside him. Instead, she reached out and let her hands rest on his back. A quick, feather-light kiss through clothing against his spine before she let her form rest against him. She pressed neither too hard nor too lightly. He could move at any time, though, she kept her cheek nestled against him.

That was better. Much, better.

"I don't know what to think, yet. These rules, laws, exist for a reason and are never to be broken…", she trailed off, quietly, but seeming to feel her way through the concept as she went. They were already an unorthodox pair. Still. Everything told her, every instinct she had, told her to be here. Right here. There was an endlessly cruel wanting in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with memories. It lessened, now.

Even when she was frustrated with him, she was still driven to reach for him. Even if it was just a voice on the other side of the galaxy.

"…I don't want to leave."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

Her touch was comforting.

It shouldn't be.

It should be a threat. The reminder she could rip his spine out right here and take over his territory. That's how their kind operated. Always. If one slipped up and showed weakness, it was supposed to be answered in kind. But instead it was warm and gentle and Luca found himself leaning back just a fraction against the touch.

"Then stay." Luca murmured without glancing back to her. Enjoying this dichotomy of touch and the horizon's sun. "Stay and consider what I am offering to you."

A smile there as he sighed.

"We have eternity after all. There is no need to rush through anything, is there?" He stretched there and yawned a little. Tired. This day had made him tired, but in the good kind of way. Aching bones and fatigue settled in from exerting more effort than he had in a long time.

"There... will be a gala soon. On Brentaal. It will be a nice event... and it be an opportunity to introduce you to my... colleagues." It still felt weird to refer to them as that. They were as long-lived as a gnat. Yet, it was amusing to build this thing with them, so perhaps it was only fair to extend to them a modicum of regard.

For the moment.

"I'd like for you to be there." Turning around to face her again. "-as my plus one. Would you like that too?"

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Could she harm him?

Yes.

Would she? No. Never. When he didn't pull away, she nestled herself closer and soft hands splayed themselves across muscles that might be tense, carefully, seeking to unwind them. Again, the option to stay came forward and her hands paused. She was considering it. Luca had offered her a great deal in a very short amount of time. A roof over her head, a new occupation, and in a very roundabout way—Increased security. One Anzati could be exceedingly difficult. Two at full strength would be an absolute nightmare.

At the notion of not needing to rush, she smiled, silently against his back. "Yes—And no."

"This is the first time I've been able to see you in centuries.", Angelique returned lightly, though, quite serious. They had an eternity to exist. But, if that existence was marred by standing still? By remaining theoretically frozen by self-imposed rules and regulations? They were present for their supposed continued longevity—But then what? "…I'm too impatient to wait another hundred years to see your face again."

Angelique let her hands still when he yawned and just remained close while he spoke. It was certainly easier to be what they were together. He understood things that no one else would ever know, inherently, because they were the same. One could not know the hunger, the drive, or the need to take another life simply to satisfy it. Some, felt very little when it was all said and done. Some felt excitement while others felt shame.

She could not always discern which category she fell into. That, disturbed her.

Luca turned back around and she shifted back a little so that he could do so. Her head tilted back and forth this way and that with a whimsical note passing her lips that meant she was thinking it over. Not too hard, though. "I do love a good party."

"And I must meet these colleagues that, somehow, don't have a place on a menu or a breeding camp."

As she'd noted before they must have been exceedingly impressive individuals. That fact alone had her curious. Did they know what he was? Surely, not. Slowly, the songstress smiled. It was against her better judgment and every bit of her education told her to decline…But instinct told her otherwise.

"I would like that. Just get me the date, when you can.", she trailed off, though, noting that he seemed perhaps a little tired. Had this day really taken that much out of him or was it just the stress of conversing? On occasion, she did tend to put others through severe mental gymnastics. Though, that was usually on purpose. "Do you need to call it a night—", the slight smile she wore turned kittenish and she reached out to adjust his already perfect collar, "—Old man?"

Teasing aside she was hesitant to overstay her welcome.

"I doubt you were expecting to entertain all evening…I can call for the car, if you'd like."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

So honest with him.

Earnest and blunt.

Unlike many of their kind she had never played cloak and dagger with him. Not even when Luca defaulted to it himself - not because he didn't trust her, but because a lifetime of it made it an instinct difficult to suppress - and that meant something to him. Perhaps it was one of the reasons that Luca subconsciously allowed himself to do this.

Instead of flinging himself off of the balcony to safeguard the fragile peace he crafted in the Tapani Sector.

"It would be rather frustrating to slip the mask back on for a hundred year, wouldn't it?" An understatement of ... the century. But that was Luca for you at the best of times.

He smiled when she confirmed her interest. Hoped for it, of course, but never would have assumed. It was always a difficult thing... to be surrounded by a herd while being ravenous. They'd have to positively gorge themselves beforehand. At least, Luca was planning to, it would lower the desire to go 'full Anzat' on the crowd.

Which was a good thing indeed.

"Ah, well, they might very well end up there at some point." A thoughtful glance, before shrugging. "I never eliminate any option. Who knows what the future has to bring?"

Mostly teasing however. Both of the humans were far too valuable at the moment.

"My... word, did you just tease me about my age, my Lady?" Gravely insulted and also entirely joking as he smiled. Prodding her lightly with his elbow in that expression of casual touch. "That's entirely below the belt, I would have you know. What will you do to make up this grievous wound you inflicted on me?"

Drawled with obvious relish.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

The way she spoke to him, openly, was a bit of a mystery. Angelique was used to weaving words around unwitting humans with dizzying efficacy but she had never felt the need to hide from Luca. It was possible that he could want her dead. It was equally possible that she could be orchestrating a ruse to take over the Tapani Sector. That, would make sense. Friends close, enemies closer, and all that…But why would he invite her in? Why would she offer to leave?

The truth was far more mundane. At least, for her.

Which was dangerous in itself. It was the reason she made excuses to trust him, to forgive, and always see the highlights of what could be considered cunning qualities. She did not see him as duplicitous. She saw him as an intellectual. He was not without morals but, exceedingly rational. At the mention of the mask they all wore, her lips ticked to the side, small and indulgent. "It would."

"And it wouldn't be nearly as much fun."

Agreeing to attend a party was a simple thing. She was used to it. Even an Opera singer with a small claim to stardom on a vast galactic stage had to rub shoulders with those in power every now and again. It was part of the plan. Engaging enough to sell the brand for future generations, but never enough to become so very mainstream that her visage was common in the household. She promoted the music—Not herself, by design. "I'll be on my best behavior.", a teasing, promise.

Obviously, it was a given. If she couldn't control the hunger with precision, she would have been dead by the hands of some Jedi or mercenary long, long ago.

A sweet laugh left her at the notion of his associates losing their coveted status as being more than the next meal. Of course, the door was never closed. Luca was practical as he was pragmatic. Her smile widened when he picked up on her butterfly jab about his age. He was slightly older out of the two. Not that it mattered much, however. "Heavens are those wrinkles I see? Goodness, Luca…", she kept it going, obviously, trying to make him smile. He nudged at her with his elbow and she danced a few paces away, a swirl of red, to hide her sides.

"Now now…Don't be cross with me, kind sir, just because your business gives you gray hair."

Below the belt?

She hid her mouth with her hand to hide a girlish snicker. He had no idea. He asked what she would do to make it up to him and she shrugged her shoulders this way and that. "It depends."

"What is it that you want?"

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

Oh, she kept the teasing up.

It surprised him just how pleasant it was.

Luca wasn't used to this sort of treatment. It was either blind obedience or rudeness that was rectified shortly. Then again... it would probably not be this pleasant if it was anyone else trying to do this. She received the smile she was looking for. "Ah... it is a hard business." Luca drawled bemused as he slowly rose up while meeting her eye. "But very fulfilling I am in the people business after all."

Every part of him still wondered if this was a good idea.

(it was not)

Every other part of him still ignored these realizations. It was terrible, really. What a hungry heart could do to a sentient. He approached her with a small smirk and extend hands. As if to indicate 'oh, I don't know'.

Except that they both knew. Especially when their eyes met.

"I want a lot of things, Angel." Murmured sweetly as his hand rested on her shoulder. So close once more. "It really depends on what you are willing to give me." A slow squeeze of her shoulder. So cool to the touch. It had always been an interesting dichotomy. How cool and frosty they could be compared to the heat of their hunger.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

"Is it?"

Tawny brown eyes rounded and took on a blush of feigned innocence that would have easily fooled the unwary, but he knew her better than that. She let her hands fall behind her back and her head tilted just slightly while her weight shifted sweetly from one foot to the other. "And here I thought all you did was count credits all day. That must be very, very exhausting."

Angelique remained just out of reach until Luca stood, though, as he met her eyes, she wasn't quite sure what he was thinking. Not initially. The dawning came afterward in the span of a heartbeat. How quickly, the conversation turned. From teasing, to other, and it left her breath stuck in her throat. These were the moments that always left her full of indecision. She knew, what she wanted. It simply petrified her how badly she wanted it. It was unusual—Unnatural.

But with his hand on her shoulder, she tilted her cheek so that she could rest against it. The Anzati were meant to be cold creatures but when he neared, she felt anything but frigid.

"You know what they say about wanting…", Angelique trailed off slowly, tearing her eyes from his so that she might think clearly. Careful footsteps took her closer once more and she had to resist the urge to lean into him. Her metaphorical heart, knew. It was only her mind that had difficulty accepting what she saw in him. More than simple contracts and sociable meals over candlelight while they played pretend to be human. "Wanting is why people get up in the morning—"

"—Why they dream at night. Everything you desire is out there, waiting for you to ask. Everything also wants you, but you have to be willing to take action to get it."

What was she willing to give?

Her right hand slid up to grasp the front of his vest and small fingers toyed with the buttons. Her mouth was having trouble wrapping around the words to follow, if only, because of inherent uncertainty. She was not human and could never be swept away with idyllic quixotic notions like a doe-eyed mortal. She would exist long after any human might—And therefore could not be easily forgotten or discarded.

"You're wrong, though."

The same hand that toyed idly with his clothing slowly traced its way higher on his chest and soon became joined by the other. Moving, to brush against cool skin and finally lace themselves about his neck in order to pull her nearer. "…I asked to see you. You have my word and my freedom all wrapped up in a perfect little box. I think...You know what I'm willing to give."

"It's a matter of what you're capable of taking."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

Was what Luca did considered dreaming?

Every night alone in his memory shards. Rearranging the events of the day, observing, dissecting every little word uttered. After which the focus shifted towards making plans for the future. So perhaps yes, perhaps he did dream. And what did his dream contain about this day? The first day that Angelique would come to his estate?

Strange how a creature so proudful of his planning did not foresee this. Perhaps... he didn't want to see it. Too concerned it would make him rearrange matters, so it could not come to pass and tempt him onto this road they were on now.

He hummed at the gentle touch of her hands and then?

Angelique got a growl out of him. Nothing too visceral. At the back of the throat and rumbling up as a vestige of ancient reflexes. In the days the Anzati were nothing more than animals hunting in the wild. "Perhaps I do know, at that." Luca murmured after another moment of pause. Not hesitation, but calculation.

"Ah, well, you know me, Angel." Already pushing her back against the wall with a firm grip and step. "I am capable of many things."

A promise there as Luca kept her there, looking down on her, and smiled with promise.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Her eyes closed.

She could feel him growl more than hear it but it was there nonetheless. Even if she was entirely off the charts in her assumptions about how he thought, acted, she knew at the very least that she was for better or worse under his skin. The sound however slight left her feeling a little weak but that hardly mattered. With her arms twined around his neck, caught, in the cage of his hands—She would never fall.

The feeling of a wall at her back with nowhere to move or run made her senses go haywire and she tensed. Anzati were hunters by nature. They were at the top of the food chain. They toyed with their food, not the other way around, and the notion of being trapped was foreign. Only—This was different. Her svelte form slowly relaxed against him and she nodded her head. Honeyed eyes clashed with rich hazel and she smiled, sweetly, and leaned closer still. Pressing, away from the wall.

She was a lot stronger than she looked.

"You know.", she reiterated, positive, that at the very least he understood where she stood. Angelique couldn't say what things would look like later on, for as long-lived as she was, predicting the future wasn't something she had ever learned. She leaned up on her tiptoes to let her lips brush against his chin. A teasing, delicate, and terribly affectionate touch of skin. "—And you're right…"

"I do know you."

Nothing stopped him from getting what he wanted. Nothing. To that end—If she was truly what he desired, then, his little ingenue had every faith that he would follow through. He was capable of many things. Of sweeping an entire sector beneath his grasp while they remained in the dark. Of breaking each and every rule, simply, to keep her close by. Not to mention the estate where they stood. Everything he did was so meticulous. "…I know that you wait until the right moment—"

She leaned up a little higher, just as she had before, and let her lips tease his with the subtle nearness of not touching at all. That feather-light presence that enticed and pulled at even the most carefully planned intentions. Her head tilted to the right, just slightly, as if she might bridge the gap but instead, she kept speaking. Demure, and sweet. Alluring as only she could be.

"—Until you're sure you can win."

The songstress settled back on her heels and leaned against the wall with relative peace of mind. He could unseat her mask and make it slip. Draw genuine, true, reactions from her with barely a word. She could also do the same. Crimson lips took in his silent promise and returned it just as easily. The upturned corners at the edges of her lips were a challenge, one that would no doubt egg him on.

Dark eyes looked up at him through feathery lashes and her hands slid back down his chest. Waiting. He moved one step at a time, one moment, to the next. Still testing her?

"So. Do you think you can?", she asked, fluttering said lashes, with an almost wholesome smile, "Win, that is."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

The next day Luca Caldogne was up early. Very early. While proper preparations for Deveraux had been made as an eventuality, it hadn't been filled in as neatly as a certainty would expect it. It was clear the bustle was necessary. To set up the proper facilities so that two... of their kind can co-exist without ripping each other apart.

It took doing.

Lots of things to get right, but the most important of all would be the food sourcing. That took all morning, but eventually Luca managed to pull it off in a satisfactory way.

Once he found his way back into the estate proper? He was surprised... to hear his piano playing. Odd. It remained silent until he had a moment to play a tune on it, but not now. In fact? Whoever was playing it... was playing it much better than Luca ever could. That was a surprise but also tipped him off to the likely player.

As he approached Luca's suspicions were met.

"Ah... Angel. Didn't realize you played the piano. Having a good morning then?" Bemused smile on his face as he leaned against the doorpost and watched her approvingly.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Angelique was not up early.

The dark-haired Anzati woke with sunlight streaming pleasantly through windows, though, she didn't immediately recognize her surroundings. She was comfortable, warmed, and content. Languishing in soft and obviously expensive sheets like some sort of domesticated feline. The soft tick of the pendulum of an old clock brought her back to the present, bit by bit, while the vestiges of a dreamless sleep faded away. The evening before came rushing back in broken pieces, bit by bit, and the telltale aches left her to conclude that although she'd woken up alone—It wasn't due to an overactive imagination.

She pulled herself up slowly but surely and found herself wandering around the room slowly, aimlessly, wrapped modestly in the sheet. A quick peek out the window told her that she'd slept very late into the morning and she could feel her producers slowly but surely losing their minds in her absence. She'd missed a meeting that morning. Nothing of consequence, but it was highly unlike her.

Her commlink wasn't on her wrist. Eventually, she found it sitting neatly on the nightstand. She couldn't even remember having removed it. Angelique fired off a quick message to calm her employers and simply told them she was having a lie-in before the show at the end of the week. Resting her vocal cords. Which, truly wasn't the case at all. If anything, she'd spent the evening destroying them…But they didn't need to know that. Any, of that.

She found a large walk-in closet full of neatly pressed and organized suits. A veritable fleet of shined shoes and tasteful, though, opulent wristwatches. More vests and ties than she could really count. For the moment she stole one of the button-up dress shirts and wore that in favor of a sheet. It went down to her knees, easily, and she felt much better.

When her exploration of the bedroom concluded she found herself curled back up in the pillows again. Mostly, because her legs wouldn't hold her. When she did feel up to moving around again it was due to the sound of running water. Curiosity caught her and she got up to investigate another door she hadn't opened yet. It surprised her to see a bath had been drawn, sweetly scented, with a small basket of toiletries resting on the counter. Next to it, was a bowl of neatly chopped fruit and what looked suspiciously like a flute of champagne.

There was a small card scrawled in elegant, floral ink:

// Good Morning, Miss Deveraux. // ​

Angelique blinked. She hadn't seen anyone or heard anyone pass through and she didn't see any other entrances or exits. Still. She reached out and nibbled thoughtfully on a piece of red fruit before eventually succumbing to the enticing invitation of a warm bath. She found everything to be rose-scented, touched with vanilla. It was one of her favorite things. Not long later found her creeping back into the bedroom in an oversized robe (perhaps, meant for Luca) only to find a pale blue outfit laying on a neatly made bed.

Her head tilted.

Did Luca have little elves that snuck in and out of rooms at random to clean and provide for his guests? A soft chuckle found her picking it up, examining it, and the soft ballet flats that came with it. They were far more practical than the spiked heels she'd been wearing the night before. A small locked chest sat next to it. Within, there were items that a woman might have required. A hairbrush, curling wand, and even a little makeup. A small vial of her perfume. She snorted. There was no way that Luca had assembled all of this on his own.

While she might not have picked out many of these things for herself, she was still grateful. It was comfortable and far more than what she needed to look presentable for the day. She still wore diamonds in her ears, one at her throat, but otherwise, she felt entirely refreshed. Part of her thought to call for Luca but…He wasn't here. If he wanted to be, he would be.

So—That left it up to her to explore. Find entertainment, in his absence.

She reached for the bedroom door, half expecting it to be locked, but it opened rather smoothly. Although it had the appearance of charm and antiquity everything moved and ran as if it were newly made. Angelique padded out of the bedroom and into a vast and empty hall.

"Hello?"

Her voice echoed, but silence greeted her. She in turn began to hesitantly walk toward the northern end and let her eyes take everything in. Trying to memorize the path. She didn't remember getting here in the first place let alone how to get back if she got lost. She passed through room after room, mostly, looking for signs of life. It wasn't until she found a grand kitchen that she found some sort of hustle and bustle. There were a few humans working diligently, though, when they noticed her standing in the doorway, they all seemed to freeze.

"Miss Deveraux.", a male greeted, politely, reaching out to wipe flour from his hands on a towel. "It is good to see you up and about. Are you well? Can we get you anything?"

The faint edge of concern that lingered in his tone struck her as odd but she dismissed it for the time being while her eyes swept over the massive facility. All this for such a small group of people? Especially, one of her kind? She shook her head initially, though, her brow furrowed. When she did speak her voice was a little worse for wear. "I was just looking for Mr. Caldogne…"

"Ah—He departed early, my lady. Perhaps a cup of tea?"

"...That…Would be lovely."

They seemed rather pleased to have something to do for her, though, they quickly ushered her from the kitchen. As if she wasn't supposed to be there. The day room that they escorted her to was beautiful. More paper-bound books than she had ever seen, even in the study, lined the walls. There were posh though comfortable-looking places to sit and relax in the sun. A piano, plus, a variety of other instruments. Most, hardly looked used. Some were ancient.

She made the way to the piano with a cup of hot tea, laced with honey, and quickly found herself testing the ivory keys. She set the teacup down nearby and began to play the first thing that came to mind. That was how Luca would find her. Blissfully unaware that he approached and lost in her head. One note after the next eased her worries, concerns, that the Lord of the Caldogne estate was not present. He was not the type to… Be, what she feared.

At the sound of his voice her head turned and a slight smile, a little shy, pressed into sunlit features. She seemed almost more real than she had the night before. Dressed simply, long hair half pulled up, half left down. "I can play most anything. I hope you don't mind that I found my way…", she intoned, pausing, with a slight bit of embarrassment of how she sounded. She picked up the cup of tea and took a tentative sip. Still blisteringly hot, though, she liked it that way.

"And you—How has your morning been?"

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

He actually stopped briefly and listened to the playing tune for a bit.

Find a measure of enjoyment, before interrupting her play.

"Oh, I don't, not at all." He murmured and waved away the issue entirely. "I was hoping you'd find something to do, while I was off conducting business to ease... our way." It had been a whole production, in fact. First, making sure that staff understood that they'd be responsible for Angelique's care while he was gone and to make sure not to disturb her. Not unless she needed something anyway. Second by making sure everything was fitted perfectly for her taste.

After this was done?

It was time to inspect the stock and make sure there was enough for Angelique and himself. That one took some doing and actually required him to make some changes to the breeding rotation and the sort.

Even though it wasn't yet clear if Angelique would be staying for the... long haul? Luca was a firm believer in preparing for the long term. Even if it ended up not working out, it would work a bit more efficient. And wasn't efficiency the grandest cause at the end of the day? Luca certainly believed so and made his life an exemplar of it.

"Busy, very busy, I do apologize I was gone and couldn't greet you in the morning." That was one way to describe it. "But I am used to rising early and didn't wanna wake you up just to say bye."

That would have been selfish in his mind.

"Has everything been to your liking so far?"

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Luca had this way of appearing entirely casual while every gesture, every word, made her think she had traveled back in time. To a point in which men were cultured and taught to fight with words rather than weapons. Not to say that he couldn't. Merely, that he preferred the other side of the business. The side that kept his hands relatively, metaphorically, clean. Her eyebrows rose faintly when Luca spoke of his whereabouts. "…Already?"

She had only just agreed to stay the night before. Had he really, always, assumed she'd agree?

Light fingertips returned to the piano keys, though, only her right hand. Her left held the teacup that she gingerly nursed. Angelique was more durable than the garden variety flatscan but keen eyes would still note the fading marks along her neck from their excursion. "I could wander this place for days and still not know my way. I met some of your staff. They are…"

"Very accommodating. Sneaky, but accommodating."

That was the epitome of an understatement. No matter how much wealth she'd obtained over the years she kept only the staff she needed to in her absence. She used protocol droids for the basic elements but she typically handled things on her own. From laundry, to the obligatory grocery shopping. This would be a very different experience. "…They even knew my favorite perfume."

She continued to play a tune on the higher registers that was lingering in the back of her mind. It was soft. Delicate and haunting, made even moreso, by the high ceilings and perfectly tuned strings. She stopped the Middle "C" and tapped it a few times. Almost, perfect. That particular key was a little flat but she was likely the only one who might have noticed.

Her attention turned back to her tea when Luca apologized for being missing when she woke. Angelique didn't respond at first, but, eventually, a slow smirk touched the edges of perfectly rouged lips. "You needn't apologize, Luca. You are far from beholden to me. Though…You should understand that your absence was…Entirely your loss."

Tawny brown orbs flickered up from her teacup and she smiled over the edge. It was neither sweet nor cruel, though, it spoke of things he would have to wait to entertain. The raven-haired woman slipped from the piano bench to glide in his direction. A vision in blue, prepossessing, and nearly bewitching in the early afternoon sun. She seemed younger, somehow. "Show me your home?", the question was innocent, topped, by her hand coming to rest on his chest before she fluttered on by.

"I know a few places but I doubt I could find them again if I tried."

Not to mention that she was fairly certain he planned to issue her quarters of her own. As much as she'd enjoyed waking up among his things, surrounded, by him—It wasn't practical…And he was nothing, if not practical.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

"Ah, come now, Angel. You know I enjoy being prepared for any eventuality." Luca teased her lightly to her immediate surprised question.

Her description of the attendants amused him however.

That was, of course, one way to put it. "I prefer the term 'discreet'." Smiling there as his eyes ran down her neck. "After all, if they showed themselves too much, I might become a bit too hungry one day and... well... we would all like to avoid that." Confirming that yes, some humans knew about who and what they served.

That was impossible to avoid sadly.

Over the centuries Luca had cultivated this into a science however. Those that served here? Their parents had served before them. And their parents before them... well, you catch the gist. Across a long enough span of time you could breed loyalty into anything. A dog or a human, the difference was negligible, if you were patient enough.

He shifted to let her past even as she ghosted her hand across his chest.

Ah dangerous, yes. A good reminder but now it was far too late. When Luca was in? He was in. There was nothing left to take back. And in all honesty as he turned to follow her?

No regret either.

"There are many things I can show you," Stepping in alongside her and offering his arm. "-these estates have been growing around me for a long time now, after all. They might even be a little alive as a result." It was not a metaphor. Some part of himself seeped into the foundations of this place. Perhaps it was as simple as Force corruption, but... it wasn't a Darkside nexus, surprisingly enough.

"I could show you to your quarters? I picked out a very pleasant one that will have the sun warm it perfectly."

Even if they were... well... far closer now than ever before, Luca still believed it would be helpful to have her own private space as well.

Luca certainly needed one for himself.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Her expression remained unchanging when he called her out, save, for perpetual mischief that seemed to live in hazy threads of gold that ran through her iris. She knew far more about him than she actually knew about herself from time to time. His need for contingency was legendary—And it always made her feel little a joyous little gnome to be entirely "ignorant" of it when she'd rather pull his leg.

Sweetly taunting Luca was of the utmost priority.

He corrected her opinion of his domestics and she shook her head, pointedly, tapping her finger in the air. "Sneaky.", she reiterated definitively, as if, her word ran to the clouds. His further explanation caused some of the puzzle pieces to slip back into place. The way their eyes had followed her in the kitchen. The invisible, soft doting. Was that it?

Some of them knew what he was.

They didn't yet know they were the same.

"Oooh. Oh, oh, oh.", she mumbled as dawning kept creeping in and an amused laugh spilled from seemingly angelic lips. They were worried. The big bad wolf brought home an unwitting lamb for dinner and she of course, wide-eyed and trusting, waltzed straight to her death. It was sweet, almost. More than that, interesting. Concerned enough to provide, but, loyal enough to let it happen. Prepared for every eventuality. From pampering to damage control.

Luca was sneaky too, apparently.

Angelique would have continued to wander her way through the estate, supplied with tea, and a healthy inquisitiveness but as he fell into step, she let her hand wrap around his arm again. A delicate pull of blood-red fingernails across expensive fabric, but still, appearing innocent as the dawn. Curious, as a kitten. She didn't comment about the things he could show her; Not, this early in the day.

Elegantly arched eyebrows seemed to rise just a little higher when he mentioned that the estate very well may have been more than it seemed. "That would explain a lot.", the memory of waking to things moving around her without her notice was still fresh in her mind. Was it possible that the servants were just that skilled? Just that quiet? That there were hidden doors in fake panels she couldn't, see? Of course, it was possible. More than plausible. But, her imagination was a vivid, wild thing. The notion of the massive holding living and breathing? With a will?

That was far more fun.

Angelique perked up a little bit at the mention of having living space allocated to her. He'd mentioned it before, but she hadn't wanted to push. Not yet. Her shoulders moved back and forth in playful excitement while she took another sip from the teacup she held neatly with one hand. "I would like to see what you've chosen for me, considering, I'll be spending a little time here than I thought."

She would need to go pack up her things from the hotel.

Would he let her?

She did like the idea of spending time in the sun. It warmed her, truly, when she had very little warmth of her own. It was a facsimile of humanity. A lie—One she harmlessly indulged.

It was strange to realize, in truth, what she was willing to give. Sacrifice. Trade. Time with him in exchange for invisible shackles. Wings bound, though, perhaps not broken. He did not love her. Of that, she was certain. Even though they had been in contact for longer than most sentients lived it was a foreign concept. A simple deduction of cause and effect, chemicals, that blissfully lured them into one another. He could not do such a foolish thing, no more than she could walk the surface of a star.

But, he did want her. Perhaps that was enough.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

"Hm, yes, what a lovely surprise, isn't it?" Luca murmured delicately. Planned for it, yes, but did not consider it likely until... the end of the night. Yesterday had been full of pleasant surprises. He led them through many a corridor. Each one of them more tasteful than the next. It was clear what Luca meant when he said the place had grown around him.

She'd see the hints of different eras.

His interest in paintings, statues, artifacts of different means. And they always differed. She could practically read the centuries he led off of them. "And here is you."

Standing to a rest near a set of great doors. Burnished dark wood with carvings in them. "They are nearby my own, if you noticed." A little gesture down the corridor. Which would seem recognizable since she walked through them on the way to the kitchen. "This way I won't ever be too far away, but we will both have our little privacy when we need it."

Important.

Not just for humans, but even more important for Anzati.

Otherwise they'd be liable to kill each other. That was just the chemicals that ran just underneath their skin. He opened the doors and paved way towards a very tasteful sitting room.

"It might not be entirely to your taste, but we can make adjustments, of course."

Yes, Luca prepared for everything, but there were limits to even his own ability. Strange that might seem.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

Location: Tapani Sector (Luca's Estate)
Luca Caldogne

_________________________________________​

Angelique drifted this way and that in her ballet flats while they made their way through the rather monstrous estate. The way back took even longer than the way forward and she was slow to realize that it was actually far more complex on the inside than she would have thought possible. Was it by design? It was decorated to the eccentric tastes of a wealthy esteemed family rolling through the ages but it held the structure of a compound. "I don't preserve pieces of history in this way. Perhaps, I should.", the statues passed them by, one by one, and she felt the strangest sensation of being watched.

She frowned.

It was quite possible that aside from Luca she was the most terrifying thing to grace this sector since the plague. Why was it, then, that the hair on the back of her neck stood on end? Why did the sightless gaze of a few statues unseat her magnetic passion and confidence? The Anzati held her chin a little higher and decided to ignore it. She would not be intimidated by relics that were quite possibly her junior.

When they stopped at a set of ornately decorated double doors her mood seemed to shift into one of inquisitive anticipation once more. It was boundless, infectious. She let go of Luca for the moment to run her hand along the carvings. They were smooth, patterned, and depicted a scene of some kind. There was detail upon detail. The more she looked, the more there was to see.

She looked back toward Luca when he expressed that he wasn't far away and her smile was a gift. The songstress hadn't even seen the room yet, but, the thoughtful nature of it wasn't lost on her. Close, but not too close. Far, but never too far. "You have dozens of hallways that all look the same, love. Don't be shocked if I paint little colored lines on the floors to find my way for the first few weeks.", the widening, teasing smile, would clearly show she was joking. He knew her memory, when clear of mind at least, was nigh impeccable. She would find her way easily enough, without, ruining the estate by making it a life-sized color by number.

There was a jaded whisper in the back of her mind. It threatened, her happiness. The little voice that ruled all of her decisions as an Anzati. That took the sweet, tempered woman, and made a monster of her when the time came. This voice railed against being kept, here. At being locked away. Close at hand but ever under surveillance. Even while she slept.

A gilded cage, no matter how it glittered, was still a cage.

Her host opened the doors to her quarters and the sight drew her from dark thoughts and midnight daydreams. Angelique hated that her mind went to the worst possible outcomes and worked backward from there. She felt…torn. Part of her wanted nothing more than to hide in the comfort he provided. Part of her refused to trust it, even though, she had no reason not to. The sitting room itself could have easily been the size of a well-to-do flat on Coruscant. "Oh…", she breathed, letting her eyes take it in.

"…Adjust…What?"

Shades of cream, beige, and gold left the area feeling warm and lived in. There were a few books placed here and there, things, that she recognized. Old, old manuscripts. Fresh flowers on the coffee table. Angelique leaned up on the balls of her toes and set her teacup down on the mantle so that she could lace her arms about Luca's neck again. She bit her lip, smiling, and a murmur of purred appreciation passed through her lips. "Show me the rest…", she trailed off, pulling back, though her fingers hooked through his to pull him toward another door.

"When I first went out on my own, I lived in a hovel smaller than a thimble. A dynasty isn't built overnight. Things like this still…", the admission came with a touch of sheepishness, even though, she had nothing to be ashamed of. Their ways took time to culture and foster. The layers of protection they wrapped themselves in were built over decades, not immediately, and while she was very well off now she had no concept of entombing her wealth as Luca did. Her investments were immaterial. "I suppose…I'm just not capable of it."

His architect mind was beautiful to her, but, an exceedingly foreign place. That made every discovery just a little more enthralling than the last. "And what, pray tell, is behind door number two?"

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

He chuckled lightly.

"You could, but you will also have to clean up after yourself, once you memorize them." Teasing her right back there. Even while Luca knew intently just how sharp Angel's memory could be. That he had keen experience with across the centuries. The little details that were lost to time and suddenly they bubble back up out of nowhere.

It was one of the things Luca appreciated about her.

"Ah, well, if there are things you don't enjoy about it." Luca clarified as he let her tug him with her through the room. There was clear enjoyment on his expression. Both from her reaction but also from the neat organized fashion of the room.

Somewhat similar to enjoying a new piece of art.

A hm there when she explained, while they stood before door number two. "Well, it's not for everyone." Luca brought in consolingly. He glanced back towards the wider room and for a moment past that even as well. Taking in the estate at large. Its size, its age, the way it spun and circled around them and the other people within.

"I have lived in smaller places, while skipping time." The way they referred to slipping out of their main life into anonymity, until enough time had passed to go back to their main course.

"I enjoy my creature pleasures and comforts however."

Then? Luca opened the door into a 'small' dining room. It had enough room for a normally-sized family and a few of their friends. Very tastefully decorated, of course. "For if you'd like to take your dinner alone, when privacy is necessary, yes?"