Accosi Manor House [O]
Jan 26, 2015 2:54:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2015 2:54:29 GMT -7
"Another job with the farmer's boy," Lissandra Accosi accused by way of greeting, the instant Lucrezia had closed the door behind herself. Across a sea of wine-red, woven carpets, she stood a few steps above ground level. Almost six feet tall in her own right, with long, illustrious locks of auburn hair, she was a woman in her mid-forties, but she could have almost passed for twenty. She was a model of perfection that Lucrezia was constantly compared to, regardless of whether it was explicit, direct or even by somebody other than Lucrezia herself. Lissandra had always made her eldest daughter slightly nervous, and today was no exception, especially because of the mother's instantly imperious tone.
She always knew everything as soon as it happened; most mothers were intuitive, to be sure, but Lissandra Accosi was downright omniscient. Lucrezia gulped surreptitiously and nodded with a blank stare.
Lissandra descended to ground level, her black boots clacking off the floor. She was clad in her customary leather-padded ebon catsuit; 'twas black as night, distinct from Lucrezia's own navy blue. It had occurred to Lucrezia before that Lissandra had both suits tailored to order, and yet had explicitly made them of a different color. Lucrezia had wondered if that was contempt. Though the older woman also customarily wore red shades, they presently sat in her hair. Lucrezia, by contrast, was merely wearing the simple grey dress of everyday Academy business, and it made her feel inferior, as if she needed anything else.
"He's not a farmer's boy," Lucrezia dared say, for the first time. Lissandra feigned surprise, though it was with the kind of widening of the eyes that Lucrezia had long since identified as being fake. "No? Well, he acts the part," She returned. Lucrezia did not question how well her mother could possibly know Victor Vestaldt so that she could make that judgement. Though she also supposed that his sheep-like, commoner's humility and charitable tendencies might have made Lissandra's baseless guess somewhat of a truth. It did not matter, though; it was cruel and unfair to say so. Lucrezia frowned.
"How do you feel about the task tomorrow?" She asked, stalking closer. Only then did Lucrezia glance upstairs and realize Fiore was watching from on high, resting an elbow on the railing and grinning smugly at the interrogation. Lucrezia offered her only a glance, however, before she returned her eyes to her mother. She narrowed them, displeased with the unjustly cruel atmosphere of the situation. She was following orders; why did that require feeling? She knew better than to give anything but the most straightforward answer, however. Despite her lithe frame and agile fighting style, Lissandra Accosi had little patience for evasion in conversation.
"I am glad to have received a new task to occupy myself with, and am eager to assist the Academy in its continued pursuit of the strange disturbances that have been occurring," Lucrezia responded mechanically, but even that was an evasion and Lissandra bristled with irritation. "And of the boy? You have been Partners for over six months. What do you think of him?"
Lucrezia was quiet for a very long time, weighing her options. This portion of the Accosi family stood in expectation of her response. "Nothing in particular. We do not see eye to eye, but he seems resigned to putting up with me, and sees it as his duty to protect me. He is my ally, still. Little else," Was her final, flat, noncommittal answer; it betrayed none of her internal turmoil. Lissandra turned up her nose, but nodded in curt satisfaction and swept her hand wide as indication that Lucrezia should proceed up to her room in preparation for tomorrow, as she had been wishing to do from the very beginning. Lucrezia bowed her head in return and passed her mother; she yarely ascended the marble steps, eager for the isolation of her own chambers. Fiore, from the opposite side of the second story, was still grinning maliciously at her.
Before closing the door of her room behind her, Lucrezia saw her younger sibling purposefully descending the stairs towards her mother, and wondered what unhelpful rumors the second-born of the Accosi was about to spread.
Once alone, Lucrezia let a sigh escape her lips. She would spend the rest of the day reading, preparing her equipment, descend back down into the masquerade for dinner, and then get some early sleep so as to be up well before dawn.
[Exit]
She always knew everything as soon as it happened; most mothers were intuitive, to be sure, but Lissandra Accosi was downright omniscient. Lucrezia gulped surreptitiously and nodded with a blank stare.
Lissandra descended to ground level, her black boots clacking off the floor. She was clad in her customary leather-padded ebon catsuit; 'twas black as night, distinct from Lucrezia's own navy blue. It had occurred to Lucrezia before that Lissandra had both suits tailored to order, and yet had explicitly made them of a different color. Lucrezia had wondered if that was contempt. Though the older woman also customarily wore red shades, they presently sat in her hair. Lucrezia, by contrast, was merely wearing the simple grey dress of everyday Academy business, and it made her feel inferior, as if she needed anything else.
"He's not a farmer's boy," Lucrezia dared say, for the first time. Lissandra feigned surprise, though it was with the kind of widening of the eyes that Lucrezia had long since identified as being fake. "No? Well, he acts the part," She returned. Lucrezia did not question how well her mother could possibly know Victor Vestaldt so that she could make that judgement. Though she also supposed that his sheep-like, commoner's humility and charitable tendencies might have made Lissandra's baseless guess somewhat of a truth. It did not matter, though; it was cruel and unfair to say so. Lucrezia frowned.
"How do you feel about the task tomorrow?" She asked, stalking closer. Only then did Lucrezia glance upstairs and realize Fiore was watching from on high, resting an elbow on the railing and grinning smugly at the interrogation. Lucrezia offered her only a glance, however, before she returned her eyes to her mother. She narrowed them, displeased with the unjustly cruel atmosphere of the situation. She was following orders; why did that require feeling? She knew better than to give anything but the most straightforward answer, however. Despite her lithe frame and agile fighting style, Lissandra Accosi had little patience for evasion in conversation.
"I am glad to have received a new task to occupy myself with, and am eager to assist the Academy in its continued pursuit of the strange disturbances that have been occurring," Lucrezia responded mechanically, but even that was an evasion and Lissandra bristled with irritation. "And of the boy? You have been Partners for over six months. What do you think of him?"
Lucrezia was quiet for a very long time, weighing her options. This portion of the Accosi family stood in expectation of her response. "Nothing in particular. We do not see eye to eye, but he seems resigned to putting up with me, and sees it as his duty to protect me. He is my ally, still. Little else," Was her final, flat, noncommittal answer; it betrayed none of her internal turmoil. Lissandra turned up her nose, but nodded in curt satisfaction and swept her hand wide as indication that Lucrezia should proceed up to her room in preparation for tomorrow, as she had been wishing to do from the very beginning. Lucrezia bowed her head in return and passed her mother; she yarely ascended the marble steps, eager for the isolation of her own chambers. Fiore, from the opposite side of the second story, was still grinning maliciously at her.
Before closing the door of her room behind her, Lucrezia saw her younger sibling purposefully descending the stairs towards her mother, and wondered what unhelpful rumors the second-born of the Accosi was about to spread.
Once alone, Lucrezia let a sigh escape her lips. She would spend the rest of the day reading, preparing her equipment, descend back down into the masquerade for dinner, and then get some early sleep so as to be up well before dawn.
[Exit]