Private Sea of Memory

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

"It's never been my virtue but, I'm working on it."

Angelique had all the time in the world and yet she operated with the schedule of a human that was nigh swallowed by the constraints of sand slipping through an hourglass. She remained ever on the move, busy, and without much time for reflection. Perhaps, that was by design. If she was always occupied, she wouldn't have to acknowledge the rest. The flaws, the issues, that came with eternity.

The loneliness.

She smiled at him over the centerpiece when he mentioned that she needn't worry about finishing everything. That was a relief. There was far more food here than two normal humans might have been able to consume. Two Anzati? Well, maybe. If they wanted to be rolled out in a few barrels and very ill later on. The raven-haired woman bit her lower lip while taking a glance at every dish.

Some of it—She didn't know what it was. But, the pastry?

Angelique certainly helped herself to that. There were shelled pomegranates and other items that she oft enjoyed. Like, Namana. She could remember eating pom as a child. The seeds had turned her fingers right red for days and days. She skipped most of the meat, however, it was mostly out of personal preference. Something about the texture didn't sit right with her. "They are lovely, though, I daresay my manager would be fretting my waistline right about now…"

A common joke. The costumes they had were made to order. The lead role was made for her exact size and frame. Her measurements weren't strange; however, they were very specific. It might fall off a woman with assets less developed. She found the wine again, though, seemed content to sip it slowly. She might have taken it a lot faster if there were more guests to entertain—But the current company was pleasant enough that she found herself relaxing into the chair. Nibbling, here and there.

Luca asked about the Tapani Sector and she perked up, thoughtfully, trying to form an overall opinion of what she had seen. "I've mostly been working, but I can see that politics play a large role in society here. It can be very easy to offend someone in that fashion…"

"The capital is well-kept. I haven't seen one so clean and gilded in quite some time. There are no obvious signs of the poor or lower class. The economy seems stable, crime is low, and taxes are reasonable."

"The theater is beautiful."

Of course, she mentioned the theater. It was old-world in style with modern conveniences. The thick velvet curtains that could be operated gave her a feeling of nostalgia. Many venues these days used holograms and hard light projections for lighting and props. The sound and tactile feel was different. "I am, however, less impressed with some of the nobility and appointed officials."

"Have you not been outside the sector at all?"

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

"Here and there," Luca murmured with the flourish of his hand. "Not often, but enough to have a reasonably good idea what is happening in the Galaxy."

None of it was particularly good.

It was filled with short-lived sentients that were flailing about. Trying to make sense of their whisp-shaped life and while they did that, destroying everything in reach.

"I often take a step back and take a few years to fade out of memory. Last time I spend about twenty years in the Unknown Regions." A light shrug there. "It's not quite as unknowable if you have enough time to thoroughly explore."

Nodding there along and then smiling when she complimented Procopia's theatre.

"I am glad you think so. I had a hand in designing it a long time ago and funded most of it."

The finer arts were a worthwhile venture. He also realized that by cultivating the people's artistic senses? They became so much more satisfying to eat in the end. That had been a pleasant discovery.

The fact she wasn't impressed with the people wasn't a surprise. "Neither am I, but they are pliant enough. As long as they remain fat, rich and prosperous, they are not an issue."

Always through that lens, yes.

"And what has been your favorite place to visit recently?" A smirk there. "Besides my humble estate, of course."

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

"I've been all over.", she admitted, though, he likely knew that. If he had actually been following her career for multiple lifetimes Luca would know that she'd been singing from one end of the galaxy to the other. There were some instances where she kept a lower profile and wrote music for others. Perhaps, other performers, holo-vids, and the like. It was a niche market where every nation was vying for the next big thing. Usually, weapons of mass destruction.

Everyone underestimated the power of a voice. It was history. The people's representation—social media at its finest.

"I think the strangest experiences I've had were at rather popular locals. Scariff, for instance. The planet has a lovely beachfront but the property value has always been volatile. This nation and that nation squabbling over it. When I performed there last it was, no surprise, caught amidst a brutal war. I remember singing for the troops before they left to the front lines—", she paused, briefly, and tawny brown orbs glossed over from the memory. It floated up from the back of her mind unbidden and the sounds of blaster fire filled her ears. The scent mottled the exquisitely crafted food on the table. "I—"

She closed her eyes and her head tilted away for a moment so that she could recraft the easy smile and alluring expression most were used to. Angelique was a rising star across several systems, truly, with the vocal talents of someone far more experienced for her age. What did she have to worry for? What sadness could ever touch or mar such a charmed life? She folded the napkin in her lap, using it, as a distraction. "…It did not end well."

For the moment she forgot, in vulnerability, that there were no cameras watching and defaulted back toward mysterious pleasantries. Distant. It was a testament to how much of herself she hid from her peers. From everyone. It was necessary. No human would get misty over wars that had taken place a century prior. No human would be able to recount the details as if they'd been present.

The theater in Procopia was an easy topic for her to latch onto. At the confirmation of Luca having had a hand in its design, she could only smile softly against the rim of her wine glass. "I can almost see your work, still. There's something very familiar about it."

Just like being in his home, actually. Luca had a way of letting his influence quietly fill up the inevitable cracks of society. He made it whole, enriched it with quality, and competency. Even if he took from it in the end as all Anzati must—He ensured a constant, stable, ecosystem. From her perspective, he gave civilization as a whole much more than he claimed for himself.

His methods were targeted toward his needs. But those same methods had, perhaps unintended, altruistic effects that hit his immediate area in waves. She had watched it from a distance.

Just as Luca had apparently kept an eye on her.

"We see humanity through very different eyes, you and I.", Angelique admitted with a soft chuckle. Never, was there a truer statement. The calculated aspects of him were what intrigued her and reassured her. Those same pieces of the persona he wore like a glove also frightened her from time to time. She could only be thankful, at the very least, Luca seemed fond enough of her that he didn't consider her an immediate threat.

He asked where else she liked to visit and she let her body relax back into the elegantly crafted chair to think it over. There was no need to rush a response. He teased about his estate, but he would have no way of knowing the truth of it. Nor could she say. No matter the inborn misgivings the Anzati had about one another—No matter her fears, concerns, she hadn't felt so settled in longer than she could remember.

Just one more thing, he need not know.

"Bespin was pleasing, mostly, for the view. A city in the clouds…", she mused lightly, thoughtfully, while the tips of her fingers played with the edges of the cloth napkin in her lap. Another made her smile. There was one world that didn't appear on any star charts. When one lived as long as they did it turned out that many myths, legends, had roots in truth. "When I was adventuring during a sabbatical, I found a world with a thousand moons. It didn't orbit any star. The residents were not subject to time…Or hunger…", she paused, lightly, and it would immediately become obvious to him why she might have been looking for this world.

To never suffer from hunger. Obviously, it had not worked out as she might have hoped.

"Some of the moons held life. Beautiful, ageless creatures. Their voices…", she took another sip of her wine, and an almost jealous expression crossed her features. "—Make me sound like a braying whale. I pale in comparison."

At least she didn't cause starships to crash into planets every time sound passed her lips.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

It was an understatement to say they viewed humans differently.

Perhaps that is why they never spoke of it. A tension arose from such a radically different perspective that it could come to blows, if it was ever exposed in its fullest depravity. Then again Luca didn't find that likely. It was simply rude to introduce the subject. There was no good to come out of it. "Mm, but sometimes contrasting perspectives can co-exist peacefully." He supplied lightly but without delving into the subject too much. She knew his view, he knew hers, and it was fine to leave it at that.

Luca was about to comment on Bespin - lovely place and somewhere he did want to visit one day, since apparently the Commerce Guild was slated to have business there. It was cut short when she brought up the next world however. Instead he got very still and silent. Listening to her carefully as he mulled that.

"That... sounds very interesting." Murmured carefully. How would it be to feed on an ageless being like themselves? Anzat couldn't feed on other Anzat, this was presumably the only reason why their homeworld's civilization still stood.

Rather than be destroyed through in-fighting.

"Oh, I very much doubt they can sound better than you, don't do that to yourself." A smile offered there before slipping a piece of tender meat between his lips and chewing thoroughly. It did taste good. Even if it wasn't nourishing. "And where did you find a world like that, Angelique?" It might have been a fanciful question.

Angel would know better though.

Nothing Luca ever said was without consequence or meaning.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

“I have little doubt of that.”, Angelique spoke reassuringly, quietly, appreciating the fact that he could be entirely reasonable in an unreasonable situation. She did not hold the views of other Anzati against them. Rather, she viewed herself as an oddity. The songwriter wasn’t capable of coming to grips with certain things, thusly, would not request it from others.

If she didn’t think she could accept his ways the raven-haired woman wouldn’t have agreed to stay.

“It was enlightening. I would have stayed longer but…”, she shrugged bare shoulders and the small red jewel at her throat glinted in the soft light, “It wasn’t sustainable. Their population was spread much too thin for repeated visits.”

The hunger that the denizens lacked on Iego had not stalled the cravings of an Anzati. They craved more than food, truly, and fluctuations of time could not keep that dam from breaking. Although her need to feed had slowed considerably it never completely diminished or went away. The benefits of feeding on something so eternal were innumerable, however. “I had hoped it would place my hunger on hold.”

At least for a little while.

“It did not.”

Luca defended the virtue of her own voice and Angelique shook her head with a light laugh. She wasn’t putting herself down; but it was the truth. “It’s mesmerizing. So much so that it's capable of drawing pilots off course and they wind up crash landing on the planet. What’s worse, is that they don’t even mean to. They sing, so beautifully, that you would do anything to get closer.”

“To hear it for one moment more.”

He asked where she found such a planet and dark eyes cast him a knowing glance. “The Outer Rim.”, she murmured, sweetly, knowing full well that the Outer Rim spanned hundreds of thousands of systems and stars. It would be impossible to find without more precise information. It had taken Angelique months to find more than a whisper of it. Rumors. “I first read about it in a book I found in a Thyferran library. A silly little tome of myths and legends.”

“I have an eye for spotting the truth threaded between a lie in history. Some of it seemed too precise to be completely of wishes and dreams. It turned out, I was correct.”

She took the shorter route of explaining her travels. There was more to it than that. Endless days speaking to travelers in seedy establishments while they waxed and waned poetic about the beautiful creatures they would crash their ship for a hundred times over. Sometimes, it turned out to be a misbegotten starweird with a penchant for mimicking human sounds.

At long last—She found what she was looking for.

Disappointed with the final results, but, still grateful to have made the trip. If the Anzati didn’t use their long lives to see and experience all that existed, how could they claim that they lived at all? Certainly, the aspirations of the hunt were meaningful, but the knowledge was a power all its own.

“Can you imagine that? Wanting to be near something so badly, that you would sacrifice your life for it?”

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

Luca listened intently and with clear hunger. As the story went however, it became clear that for all that Angelique was telling him... there was almost as much that she wasn't. Its location for instance. The Outer Rim was a large place as she rightfully noted. And she knew that unlike her, Luca wouldn't traverse seedy bars and other gauche locations just to track this world down.

"I see." Murmured quietly at the end of her tale. "I..." Could he? Sacrifice eternity just to be near something?

Brows furrowed there as he considered it.

The rational part of his mind already had the answer ready. Of course not. It was beyond silly. Yet, what was he doing right now with Angel? Certainly Luca was risking a lot by allowing her to stay here. There was a reason Anzati never did so.

"You know my imagination was never as rich as yours." He answered quietly instead. A clear pivot and turn away from a concrete answer. "But perhaps one day I will visit this world you so royally paint for me. It might inspire an imagination of my own." Dryly and mostly teasing. He finished his steak and switched towards a lighter salad to compensate the rich texture.

"I wonder, Angelique. Have you considered doing something in addition to your singing?"

Never would he suggest her to leave it behind entirely. For one, depriving the Galaxy of her voice was simply monstrous and not even Luca could be so cruel. But secondly... it was what made her unique among their kind.

"There are more things you could do quite well, I think, with your natural talents..."

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

"It's not a trip for the faint of heart."

Nor for the unprepared or individuals that looked at worlds like Iego as a treasure trove. Perhaps, in their case it was more of a meal ticket. Angelique had been well protected and even still the journey had been arduous. He seemed to stumble over her question, though, she wasn't entirely sure as to why. Chocolate orbs slid over his features, bit by bit, trying to read what he didn't say. The furrowed brow. The answer that was…Not, an answer at all. "Perhaps, I will take you then."

Carefully. It was best that the denizens of that world never discover that they had individuals among them that sought the sweet flavor of their memories. It would take a wealth of luck and a dash of good planning to keep their secrets under wraps.

"But, I disagree. You have a vivid imagination and a wealth of creativity…", she spoke rather thoughtfully, though, she had yet to taste any more of the food on the table. The pastry had mysteriously disappeared very, very quickly. "You simply apply it differently than I do."

If he had truly designed this entire estate, she could see him in every nook and cranny. From the books that lined the shelves to the way this room held a personal, private touch, versus the grand dining hall from before. They both had their passions. They were drawn from similar places, but the execution was all their own. She admired him for that. Angelique couldn't design a house, nor, could she keep generations of free-spirited nobility relatively under control and productive.

The next question surprised her. Do something, new?

Singing and songwriting, the production of plays, theater, was all she knew. It was what let her mimic human behavior so well. A well-written musical piece could make even the most stoic of men weep for no other reason than a lilting tenor struck them in the heart. Pressed thoughts, emotions, into those quiet places that no one was ever meant to know. They let it happen, freely, because that was the way music was to be enjoyed. Fully, completely. "…I've never actively considered of it."

"I've tried a few things in a moment of curiosity. Painting, for example. No matter how I tried everything wound up in the bin…", she admitted with a small, self-deprecating smile. It wasn't even that her art was poor. The lines were clear, the colors applied as they should be, and without flaw. But—That was the problem. There was no heart to it. No individuality. She could replicate just about anything…But it was simply that. A lacking, imitation.

She blinked a few times. Natural, talents? A quick glance down at herself and then back at the man across the table caused her to tilt her head in curiosity. "What are you thinking, love?"

Luca mentioned nothing without purpose. Of that, she was certain.

"If you were looking for assistance in choosing a new suit or tie, I could certainly do that."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

Brows quirked at her offer to bring him along next time. So perhaps she didn't hide the location for their sake, instead it was something else, but he did not suspect it was for his own safety. A creature his age... there was little he truly feared. Perhaps nothing even. There was a certain hubris in that which could certainly be a liability in those sort of regions.

"Mm, smoothly said and with a silk touch like that... it certainly makes me think you'd do well with what I am considering." Revealing to Angelique that, yes, Luca had a plan and it was coming together.

Not that Luca could claim to have planned her arrival here. That was just a lucky coincidence. But creatures like them knew this fundamental truth: the galaxy was full of lucky coincidences you couldn't plan for. Instead the mark of true foresight was the ability to amend your plans as you went. Like dancing on a slippery tightrope across a canyon.

Love.

So easily and casually said. Could Anzati love? Was it a concept comparable to what humans felt? Anzat society had little use for it, this Luca knew, but they had lived among the humans long enough that the concept wasn't completely foreign.

He didn't comment on it then. It was worth sitting with, especially if it was simply a casual reference than something deeper.

"There is a struggling media company here on Procopia. It used to serve the whole of the Tapani Sector and beyond. These days... it is lucky to still host shows on this world and perhaps a few more nearby. I could..." A smile there as he sipped from his wine again. "...make some calls. I am currently cooperating with a few upstanding humanoid citizenry..."

And that would surprise Angelique by itself. When did Luca ever consider a human (or adjacent) as a potential equal?

"And we could use a wise hand steering an organization that shows the Galaxy the true facts. And I believe you would be very well-suited for this. What do you think?"

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

Would he find it endearing or unnerving to realize that she sought his safety over his ambitions? They already walked their lives in a haze, an unknowable shroud, and she would find it nigh unbearable to skip through time entirely alone. Angelique looked at him for a long moment while she tried to discern the path his thoughts were traveling, but he had a way of keeping her in the dark. "Silk touch?", she commented, briefly, though a finely arched eyebrow rose in question. "Between that and my so-called natural talents, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were suggesting an escort service."

Of course, that couldn't be the case. Still—It made her laugh.

He seemed to drift into thought again but eventually got to the brass tacks. Her hand came to rest under her chin while she listened and dark waves of hair fell over pristine shoulders. Lovely, long lashes dusted over-tanned cheeks and for a long moment, she remained silent. She hadn't lied to him. Music was all she knew. The performing arts. She was an artist, not a journalist.

She didn't miss the irony of working for an organization that focused on the truth when the entirety of her existence revolved around a perfect lie. "I'm thinking.", Angelique offered up so that he might understand her silence. She wasn't turned off by the idea, moreso, surprised that he would offer such a thing to her. That would mean that she would be in his territory long-term. How would they manage?

Luca could likely sense her concerns as they appeared, mostly, because they were the same issues Anzati always had. Being a starlet in this genre allowed her a certain level of anonymity because of the travel, make-up, stage lights, and a wide variety of companies she could choose to work with should anyone get suspicious in a certain area. Likely, this company was based in the Tapani Sector.

"…You would want me to stay, nearby, long term?"

He smiled. She wanted to smile back, but, the small furrow between her brows wouldn't let it happen yet. She liked the idea of trying something new. Angelique enjoyed the new and exciting. It wasn't as if she hadn't taken time off from performing in the past. She called it "perfecting her art" and instantly her managers and producers understood, so long, as she returned with something of value. She was sure she could charm them, easily, but this felt more of an issue between herself and Luca versus herself and her employer.

The fact that he referred to any human as upstanding was almost enough to make her want to agree simply to meet them. They must have been fascinating. Truly.

"I would need to think about it. Know, the job description a little more. I need to know what they would expect of me. I don't think I could stop writing music…", she breathed, letting her gaze float back toward him. It was easy enough to keep him in view. As beautiful as his home was, really, he stood out among any crowd. Easily. It was the eye she held for beautiful, mysterious things, she supposed. "Nor can I take on a new identity so soon. I would still need to be Angelique Deveraux."

He'd known her under many names. Angeline, Angelica, and all version of it. Still…He called her the name her parents had frowned over. They weren't sure it would fit into the life she chose to lead, but somehow, she'd made it work. She couldn't even remember where he got it from in the first place. Likely, from a joke. Children were children, after all.

"...I think, I need a cigarette."

She was teasing.

Sort of.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

An escort service.

If Luca wasn't already beyond the pale he might have actually blanched at that concept. Instead he allowed himself just to tilt his head a fraction to acknowledge the tease. "You scandalize me, miss Deveraux." Luca responded a moment later with a little smile. As if there was anything in this world or the next that could truly scandalize him.

If there was? That certainly would be in the top three.

"I believe... it might be a good idea, yes." No, it was a bad idea. Absolutely horrible. Yet, he couldn't help himself. That in itself told him just how stupid of an idea it really was.

One meeting, three conversations with her in the flesh, and Luca was already upending carefully crafted machinations. All to ensure that she wouldn't leave his gaze again. He couldn't help it. This in itself was dangerous, but rather than take heed of it? Luca ignored it entirely and smiled. "You can take as long as you need, Angel. If there is one thing we have in spades it is time, no?"

He shrugged a little.

"I think we can both agree that trust is a foreign concept to our kind. But, if I had to choose one living creature in this Galaxy that I could extend a fraction of it to? It would be you. Who else better than to oversee the public relations of this fledgling organization I am attempting to create with those intrepid humans."

Besides if they became intolerable it would be easier to eat them together.

As she mentioned the need for a cigarette Luca nodded shortly. Rising up with no hesitance and walking over to the cabinet. Where he pulled out a finely-crafted cigarette case. Carefully created to hide carefully wrapped neat pieces.

"Shall we have them at the balcony? We are all alone now, so at least the music and humanity won't be a distraction."

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

"You're scandalized?", Angelique returned with a slowly widening grin. Of course, he would be the one to feign propriety. An overly dramatic hand came up to wave at her face as women in old holo-films used to when a situation became too much. Often, it precipitated a fainting spell in which the male lead was required to catch her and sweep her off her feet. "I'm the one, dear sir, with her reputation in question over a friendly dinner. Whatever will I do?"

Obviously, she was pulling his leg. She knew him better than that but it was always amusing to try and give as good as she got. It was that bit of fire and flame that hid behind a demure actress. One who knew the world, took it, and ran with what it had to offer. His next words, though, sobered her up quite quickly. He thought it was a good idea?

Her expression cooled by degrees, though, she remained silent.

No. He did not think this was a good idea. Impossible.

No Anzati would willingly share territory with another of their kind and Luca was a model student. She followed the rules as much as her lifestyle and needs would allow. He followed it to the letter. The ambition and clear way that he ran the Tapani Sector from the shadows was text-book. Tawny eyes glimmered in the firelight from the nearby hearth and for a moment her mind wandered. From excuse, to excuse. Reason, to reason. Each as unplausible as the next. "…You do realize that there will be two of us…"

It was true that she didn't need to eat much, or, as often as some of her kind but she did still need to feed. It was inevitable. The way he said her name, the sobriquet, so freely drew an unspoken reaction from her. That want to stay. To be close. To see him more regularly, to have more, than just distant heart-to-hearts over a comm with a ghost from across the stars. He said that they had time…

Yes. Time. That, they did have.

Angelique held her tongue when he began to speak again. For the moment, she was glad she did. With the explanation came more questions than answers. On one hand, it seemed like he was looking for a competent business associate. It made sense, considering, how he felt about most of humanity. The fact that he wanted to place faith, trust, in her was…Different. It rang, differently in her head.

Luca stood up and it broke her gaze. It took her a moment to realize that she'd been staring, unashamed, at the Anzati that seemed so eccentric tonight. Rather than stop she merely tilted her head and watched him move across the room instead. One day, she would understand what went on in his mind. It reminded her of an old-fashioned clock. Full of turning gears, whirling parts, always expertly doing what they were supposed to but hidden behind a closed door.

She could see the result. Rarely, how he got there.

Angelique drew up from the dining table and sat her napkin down on her vacated seat. He didn't balk at her admittedly, filthy habit, and instead seemed prepared. Perhaps he had taken it up as well? She moved across the floor easily, as if it were her own stage, and found herself reaching for his arm even if it hadn't been offered. The balcony wasn't far it seemed.

The evening air stirred her hair and she involuntarily shivered at feeling it move across her exposed back. The quietness reminded her, truly, that they were alone. If he wished to do her harm he wouldn't have to worry about an audience. That was her upbringing talking. The suspicion, that he had mentioned previously. "I didn't mind the music…"

"It's so quiet…What will we dance to this time?"

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

"Ah, yes, believe it or not but... the banking business has given me some foundations in basic arithmetic." A thin smile cast over his shoulder as he busied himself with retrieving the cigarette case. He was mildly surprised when she took his arm, but took it in strides regardless. It seemed that Deveraux was making it her business to keep him on his toes during this visit.

He knew.

It wasn't changing his mental calculus however. In fact, his mind was already running the calculations and figuring out just what shifts he'd have to make to accommodate this eventuality.

The one good thing was that Luca had began to expand out of the Tapani sector. This would make things easier. If this was still the era of the Gulag plague than the two of them locked into the Tapani Sector would have caused a genocide or two. Instead? They had options. And yet, accepting this complication was entirely out of character for him.

His hand glided past her back when she shivered. "Are you certain you are cold and not just coaxing me to dance with you to keep you warm?" Bemused as he offered her a cigarette and lit it up. Notably he didn't take one himself. This could mean it was there specifically for the moments when his guest needed one... or Luca just wasn't feeling one right now.

"As for what we would dance to... I believe that you still owe me a song, don't you, Angel?"

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

"Has it? I never would have guessed that a banker might be required to count anything."

Tit for tat, sass for sass. He deserved it, just a little. He knew exactly what she meant and he would well understand her apprehensions. She had never planned for more than one Anzati in one sector for the long term. They were spaced out enough, most of the time, that their paths rarely crossed unless it was deliberate. He always had a way, though. Always, had a plan.

Her grasp on his arm was neither too tight nor too loose. Casual. It was a small desire that she allowed to bubble to the surface without thought of regret. If he was determined to make it so that they could co-exist, to bend, their most important survival techniques? How could she argue with that? It was exceedingly strange but it brought her back to his previous statements about trust. Pearly white teeth bit down on her lower lip while she thought it over. Perhaps, if he was willing to trust her—She ought to offer him the same.

In this way, they could only be cut as deep as they were willing to accept.

The feeling of his hand ghosting against the skin of her back caused her to turn toward him, inward, though she paused when he lit the cigarette she had requested. Half-heartedly, but ever the gentleman he acquiesced. His question caused her to glance up at him while her lips wrapped neatly around the cylinder and she took a long, slow drag. Her body turned away from him so that she could lean against the railing for a moment. She didn't want to blow smoke in his face, especially, if he wasn't having one himself. "…Would the reason matter, Luca?"

Did she have to be cold to want to be close to him?

Her eyes took their fill of the darkness while she continued to turn his offer over in her mind. Were they not who they were, what they were, it wouldn't be so meaningful. Angelique hadn't thought that he would agree to meet her at all. Now?

Now, he was asking her to stay.

It was a little overwhelming but not unwanted. She'd just never thought it possible. Even a small controlled visit could upset the delicate balance he'd spent so long cultivating. This was something else entirely. She took another pull from the cigarette and watched the cherry light up out of the corner of her eye. Angelique didn't smoke too often, but there were times.

This was one of them.

"How shall I serenade you tonight, then? I have a few pieces you've not heard. Belonging, separation, fighting, and more than a few about silly romantic aspirations.", she offered, briefly, changing the subject before returning to the well-crafted cigarette once more. Angelique hesitated, with some. They just weren't as poignant without a full orchestra, though, still. If he didn't know how it was meant to sound…It was likely that he wouldn't notice. "Pick your poison, love."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

Would it?

A little shrug as he joined her at the balustrade. Off-wind so he didn't catch the smoke in his face and could enjoy the moment for its purity. It was an artist's sketch and much the better for it. "I believe..." Careful tone because he caught some of her annoyance even if she didn't catch it herself. "...that our reasons are very important, don't you agree?"

Perhaps it was the one thing that truly mattered.

Not what you did, but why you did it.

It might just be wistful thinking, of course. Through that lens you could rationalize most if not every action taken. Which was appealing to an ageless creature that committed atrocity across atrocity.

"Ah. Well, you mentioned you had a new piece you still needed to test, didn't you?" Smiling warmly as he reminded her of that. "I am still looking forward to hear it." His hip teasingly bumping into hers. "Before anyone else even, a true exclusive. Wouldn't that be nice?"

A different sort of taste.

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

He misunderstood.

She remained where she was and let his words wash over her while the smoke rose and dissipated in the sky. Angelique was rarely quiet, unless, she had something on her mind. He had given her quite a lot to think about in a very short span of time. "If I wanted it…", she glanced toward him, though, her gaze didn't stay. It kept drifting back out toward the darker spots in the courtyard. The places someone might be able to hide, unseen. "If all I wanted, all I asked for, was for you take my hand and dance with me again—Wouldn't you?"

It was perhaps a question that was better left rhetorical. Out of place. Inappropriate. The reasons that motivated their actions were important. That was true. But whether she was cold, or, if she just wanted to feel his arms close around her again…Wouldn't it yield the same result? Would it really matter why?

Luca bumped into her and her expression softened, a little too easily, but it was hard not to enjoy herself when he was present. There was something about the way he spoke. Smiled. Perhaps, even in the way he schemed, that she found attractive. Her head tilted back and forth a little while she tried to decide. The raven-haired woman finished her cigarette while she mulled it over.

She had two songs that none had ever heard.

The first Angelique had rejected, initially, because it didn't seem to capture the proper range of mortal emotion. The second she simply wasn't sure of. Both were written for the same opera that would be out in the spring, though, that project might be placed on hold. "They aren't finished. So, you have to promise not to laugh."

She went quiet for a moment.

Why did it matter so much that Luca not be disappointed? She had sung before entire sold-out stadiums and theaters, across the holo-net, before politicians, and every member of nobility that could be dreamed of throughout the centuries. When her voice did come it was slow, careful, and small. Like the whispers of a bird that had fallen from the nest, fluttering, and unable to fly. "The world was on fire and no one could save me—But you."

"It's strange what desire will make foolish people do."

Angelique let her voice grow louder as she went. Stronger. The tone was powerful, message clear, pitch perfect. It was the story of a star-crossed pair that had been separated during one of the many wars that besot the galaxy. It was saddening, that so much of her music stemmed from such brutality. It was her way of taking something ugly and making it beautiful. "I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you."

"And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody, like you."

She breathed. The protagonist didn't want her lover to go to war. Didn't want him to leave, to fight. He would most assuredly die. And yet—He went regardless. "What a wicked game to play; to make me feel this way…What a wicked thing to do..."

"To let me dream of you."

It ended with a resounding silence, a sadness. Because the protagonist didn't want this future. It was a particular pain, a crushing loss, that Angelique was able to emulate well enough that her own eyes seemed to reflect that sadness. As if she had been the one to hurt; to watch someone she loved die. The last few bars would slip away as quietly as they arrived. The woman in the song didn't want to fall in love. Didn't want to be. Not at all.

Especially, not with a marked man who would soon be little more than a memory. But she loved him, tragically, regardless. When the songstress stopped, she let her eyes settle back on the evening beyond. Mostly, because she couldn't bear to see what he thought before he said it. He would give a cultured response, as always, but she didn't want to see past it.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

It was silent for a while longer after her last note ran out.

Until...

"I do believe..." His hand reached up to stroke her jaw gently. "...that if a shuttle were to fly over right now, it would crash, just to stick around closer to your song for a moment more." And perhaps that comment would surprise her. It certainly surprised him, already Luca's hand was withdrawing, as if it had burned itself on the touch just made.

Luca didn't have these sort of talents.

To sing or to paint or to sculpt beauty out of nothing. His skills lay elsewhere and as such he could appreciate her talent all the more. Knowing what it was to lack it and seeing it unfold in front of him.

Especially from her.

Didn't she say so herself all that time ago during the last meeting? I will travel the Galaxy and there will come a day whole worlds hear my songs. Perhaps she never said that, maybe it was just a figment of his imagination, the desire for continuity conjuring up a pleasant narrative. But in the moment... it felt oh so pleasing to see this potential figment's desire fulfilled.

"Whole worlds hear your songs, Angelique, but I am glad that this one... only I have heard for now."

This might change in the future, but that was okay.

What mattered now was this moment and the two of them together in it.

"A dance then? I think it's time."

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

She was…Surprised.

The light touch to her face drew her gaze back toward him while the words that followed caused a rose hue to dance around the tops of her cheeks. An easy, true response, both visually and internally. She didn't blush easily. Nor did compliments leave her feeling unsteady and girlish. For perhaps the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say. "Luca…", the breathy exchange of his name through crimson lips was soft, softer still, than anything she might have said before.

Angelique could have very well-spoken something of that nature. She always wanted everyone to hear her music. Not because she felt that it was the best that had ever existed but to elicit an emotional response. The chance, the opportunity, to make someone feel something more than what they experienced in everyday life. "I wanted everyone to feel…", she trailed off, trying, to find her footing in the conversation, "…Something."

Her form turned toward him and she reached out to let both hands rest on his chest. Just where his heart ought to be. "Right here. That…They can't ignore. Can't deny. That ache where it feels like you're walking off the edge of the world and can't find your way back…"

Delicate fingers slid up to twine together behind the back of his neck. It was far more informal than the previous dance. Not to mention, the music had gone. Luca had pulled away from her too quickly before. She didn't know if he knew, but he had. Angelique kept a slight bit of distance between them for the sake of respect, but couldn't help but trace the lines of his face. Over, and over.

Could she really trust him? Could they really trust each other?

"Perhaps, I'll keep this song quiet then…I can always write another."

The song was titled "Wicked Game" but for their current moments, she found it slightly incorrect. For it wasn't a wicked game they played, but, a dangerous one. She let her form begin to sway right and left to some invisible tune no one would be able to hear, though, she had plenty on her mind. It was simply difficult to tell, to understand, and many of her questions could not be answered.

Or asked.

Angelique was very, very careful not to get too close. Not, yet. There was something about having him so near that seemed to cloud everything. She was comfortable. So much so, that she let her guard down. It was something she never did. Not, ever.

But here they were.

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

He went too far and he knew it the moment it happened.

Her reaction was a testament to that.

They couldn't afford this. Not now, not ever, not for eternity. Yet here they were. Stepping into the dance with her arms wrapped around his neck and his settled lightly on her hips. "Well, you certainly made me feel something..." Murmured quietly and thoughtful. "Which is a crowning achievement, because I prefer to focus on more... enterprising pursuits." Teasing her there but also himself. The stereotypical marble banker, who didn't have feelings that couldn't be expressed by a spreadsheet and a ledger.

Luca made them turn, until her back was to the balcony and his gaze could see her and both the horizon. Infinity indeed.

She offered to keep the song quiet and that made him smile all over again.

"Just for the two of us?" Teasing lightly. "Could we truly be so selfish to rob the Galaxy off of it?" This felt good. He hadn't had a light relaxed (still tense) conversation with someone in... ever, perhaps.

Even as they both attempted to keep their distance in the dance, Luca stepped in a fraction closer. It was what the dance demanded. Except... they weren't dancing so much as swaying against one another. As friends, just as friends, is what Luca told himself. It was already going to be complicated enough to have here.

More complicated as a potential business partner.

That third option? That would- no, better not to think about it.

"Getting warmer yet?"

 

[Angelique Deveraux]

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

_________________________________________​

If she remained quiet, careful, save for the delicate sway from side to side with little but nightly sounds to keep tempo with—Angelique thought, it might be all right. She might be able to keep standing next to him without wayward thoughts that truly had no place in their current arrangement. That's all it would ever be, for him. An arrangement. A contract. One more piece to be moved about an infinite stage that only he knew the score for.

It was easier, less difficult, if she told herself that.

Even if she knew the pieces of the puzzle didn't line up. He was placing himself at risk by keeping her close and no media consultant was worth that hassle. Every time she thought about maintaining some level of distance, either he moved, or she broke and orbited around him. Her efforts crashed even further when he placed her between himself and the balcony. Fight or flight.

There was, of course, the third option. Submission.

"I'll take that victory, then.", she responded, though, it was a little late. It was with significant effort that she bit back a far more coy response. Luca was distracting. She suspected that he knew, on some level, but something kept him engaged. He claimed to focus on more enterprising pursuits and yet the only thing he'd seemed fixated on—Was her.

Luca smiled. She returned it. He was too close. It was disconcerting, mostly, because she wanted him to be. He seemed to sense it and lessened the minute amount of distance. It was smooth. Casual. As if she wouldn't notice. As if, she didn't have to tilt her head back just to keep looking at his face. "Is there something wrong with that? Keeping a piece private for once?"

"…We rob the galaxy of far more on a regular basis. I'm certain, it will survive."

Just this one, small thing. They could keep. She would write any song, if he asked, and keep it from the public if he willed it. There were many thoughts she had on the way he followed her voice throughout the ages but each was more jumbled than the last. What she felt didn't match the way they'd been raised at all. Angelique had spent, centuries, building the courage to stand in the same room with him again. There had always been a pull. A draw—A desire to stay in touch.

Even if it was just through a commlink.

Could they really go back to that?

He asked if she was feeling warmer yet and a lilting laugh left her lips. It was warm, sweet, and would wrap around his ears like nothing else. While she remained lost, confused, by the sensation of his hands on her hips—Luca was ever the gentleman, ever the host. Angelique smiled. Oddly, it was neither bright nor dim. She knew that the path they walked was one fraught with difficulty. Anzati were not on friendly terms with one another. Yet, he was a friend.

She cared for him.

One hand slipped from behind his neck to draw a slow line down the side of his jaw. Drawing him inward as she should not do. But, the answer she had was to be issued inaudibly. It wasn't for anyone or anything else to overhear. Not the wind, not the sky. She imagined that he would pull away from her while reality began to burn through and through. That was the right thing to do.

What she should have done.

"I was never cold, Luca."

 

[Luca Caldogne]

Angelique Deveraux

"You are quite right, of course, as always." Murmured delicately in response.

They took so much from this Galaxy, but only because it was right. How much did they give back in return? Every day new souls were filtering into this dark space littered by stars and planets. It wasn't such a great cost. Not when in return their kind gave stability, planning, coordination and organ- well, perhaps Luca was only thinking about himself now. Angel's contribution was a different shape, but not less important for it. But both of them were an anomaly within their species. Weren't they? There were more Zambrano-shades of Anzati than their own personal ones.

How sad.

"Perhaps I will donate some more to the local and extra-local efforts to art expansion to compensate for me taking this." His hands squeezed down by instinct. As if to indicate it wasn't the song he was in the progress of taking from the Galaxy. That wasn't accurate, of course. Deveraux hadn't said yes yet and even if she did?

She'd still be singing... and laughing that pretty smile.

His head tilted towards that errant hand of hers. Letting it stroke. He knew there that the dance was over. A hum there as Angelique confirmed what Luca already suspected.

Another smile offered in the face of a laugh he could listen to all day.

"Mm, Angel..." And he leaned in almost as if to- and his nose brushed her cheek on the way to her ear. So dangerous to be this close. "I know." Breathed against her ear and remaining there within the intrusion of her space. This in itself was a challenge or perhaps... it was an invitation. To see how far she would go.

Or maybe it was a tacit admission on his own part.