[15:26] Odette di Benedetti 's evening constitutional took her, unbidden, in the direction of the church. The scent of blood, gone for many, still haunted her fairly consistently even over a week later.
Odette's dark eyes shifted under the cover of her brolly and scanned the figure sitting on the church stairs. A young man with dark hair, apparently attired in aviator garb, was settled absently on the stone risers as if awaiting someone or lost.
There could not be a worse part of town to be lost in right now.
"Pardon me, do you require assistance?", she called to him over the relative bustle of late afternoon.
[15:30] Luciano seemed to be sitting on the steps of the church casually. A smile on his face as he looked around aimlessly. His right hand laid flat on the steps, while the left remained curled around a leather bound book. As Odette drew closer, she could see it was a bible.
He raised his head up and beamed a smile towards Odette. Lifting up his right hand and adjusting his flat cap on his head.
"Hm? Oh- Uh... No, I'm just taking a bit of time to rest. Go over some of the scriptures, and all." He closed the bible in his hand and waved it around slightly near his chest. "Is something wrong?"
His head canted slightly to the left. His lips twitching down into a worried frown as he tilted his chin down. Peering at the woman over the edge of his circular shades. His soft, blue eyes now unimpeded by the tinted glass obscuring them.
[15:37] Odette di Benedetti 's velvet rasp was convivial, if reserved, as her steps took her closer to the young man.
"Ahh, scriptures. I do suppose it's a good day for it, yeah? No, no. Nothing's wrong. Well, not exactly. Though...", she paused, her fathomless black eyes flicking toward the large doors behind him before her gaze slid back to him.
"I don't know if you've heard, but you may not want to spend time near the church alone.". Her tone, in her muddled British and French accent, was slightly conspiratorial. She moved with an inherent gliding grace to stand at the foot of the stairs, and the tiny revenant peered up at him.
"Horrible murders, and all.".
[15:44] Luciano chuckled and shook his head slowly. Reaching up and plucking his glasses off of his face. A smile returning as he glanced over his shoulder at the church. "Oh, I heard about that during morning mass. Terrible thing to happen."
Luciano was Italian, there was no mistaking it. But he didn't have the bite of a Sicilian accent, or the more curt Roamnesco way of speaking. His accent was still thick none the less, making him a little difficult to understand.
Luca uncrossed his feet and placed his heels at the base of one of the steps. "I am sure I will be fine. The faith of god will guide me through any plights! Admittedly I'm not much of a fighter, so I suppose I'll need to rely on my faith to protect me." He flashed a more nervous smile towards Odette. Shifting from side to side as he glanced around the area.
He quickly changed subject, following up with more remarks. "It is indeed the Lords day. Although, any day is good for bringing yourself closer to god, right?"
[15:53] Odette di Benedetti was old, even by modern standards, and yet she still found herself amused by humanity's decision to protect themselves from very real monsters by calling the name of a generic imaginary character.
That was not to say she did not believe in a higher power. But, the concept of a god intervening simply because a devotee requested it amused her.
"I suppose. Though, it depends entirely on what one seeks. Which god?", she asked, her doll-like features a mask of innocence.
His accent was clearly Italian, and she opted to employ one of her least impressive skills as she added,
"Sei della madrepatria o sei appena cresciuto con la lingua italiana?", her pronunciation deeply authentic.
[15:58] Luciano sharply exhaled out of his nose. Tucking a palm underneath his chin and leaning forward onto his knee. Propped up by his elbow as he smiled towards Odette. "Our one true lord in heaven, of course. Who else?" He chuckled after his answer. Dragging his thumb across his jaw, letting it glide back and forth across his pale skin.
"Sardegna. Nato e cresciuto a Cagliari. Hai un accento unico per uno che parla così bene l'italiano." Luciano's right arm drifted in meaningless gestures as he spoke. His body relaxing almost immediately as he switched to his mother tongue.
[16:10] Odette di Benedetti 's mouth drew into a small moue of comprehension,
and her response flowed like water over stones as she murmured in the relative quiet of the area, the warmed honey dulcet tones taking up space between them,
"Mia madre era romana. Abbandonato in Inghilterra. Sono cresciuta parlando molte lingue, come era uno dei suoi doni. Sardegna. Callisto deve essere un bel cambiamento.". Long ago, the habitual movement of talking with one's hands had been removed from the tiny revenant as a meaningless expenditure of energy. Odette's hands remained comfortably wrapped around the handle of her umbrella.
Her dark eyes scanned his, noting the ease of his posture on the steps before flicking back to the front of the church.
"Your one true lord. I see. That must get a bit lonely. I am called Odette, by the by."
[16:26] Luciano nodded and cast his gaze off to the side for a second. Slipping his shades into his jacket pocket as he focused once more on her.
"Inghilterra... Mi dispiace sentirlo. Il fatto che Callisto sia diversa è il motivo per cui sono venuta qui, sinceramente." He smiled once more and lifted his head back up. Clasping his hands together and resting them on his knee as he casually stretched. Rolling his shoulders and settling back in.
"Luciano, most people call me Luca. It's a pleasure to meet you, Odette. I assure you, I find -other- ways to keep me from getting too lonely." His brow flicked upwards at the remark. His polite smile turning into a smug, amused smirk. "I suppose it's one of my skills."
[16:35] Odette di Benedetti 's lips quirked up, curling at the corners in a mere ghost of a smile, and she'd reply,
"It is, indeed, very different. Luca. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.", her words quiet as her pale head dipped in a small nod.
His smirk, perhaps a bit predictable given his words, would cause a small chuckle to rumble her slender throat. Fathomless obsidian eyes flicked over his bright blue ones assessingly, and a heartbeat or two would pass before she'd nod once more, this time sending tendrils of silver hair to cascade down her shoulder and back to sweep at her waist. Her words, slightly cheeked, were delivered with a lofted pale brow,
"Of that, Luca, I have no doubt. When you find you've filled to your glut on scripture and your lord's purpose, keep in mind there are far more...visceral amusements to be found in a town like Callisto.".
Her diminutive frame would dip into some semblance of a curtsy, her curves wantonly obvious in the snug cut of the diaphanous gown Mister Kyuu had sent over just last week.
[16:35] Odette di Benedetti Odette's smile deepened slightly and she'd waved her hand,
"Again, lovely to meet you. I have no doubt we shall see one another again. Luca.".
[16:41] Luciano sat back up and laid his palms back against the marble stairs. Leaning his head back and letting out a quick laugh, unlacing his legs and beginning to get up from his seat. "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He rose to his feet. Laying a palm across his chest and giving a shallow bow towards Odette.
"I do have many things to do, currently. Perhaps I'll have to seek out such amusements when my schedule allows. I'm here on a scholars grant. Studying cultural integration between the two populations here. That will unfortunately be taking up a lot of my time here. I planned on stopping by a few of the local landmarks, see how everything matches up."
Luciano reached into his jacket pocket and slipped on his shades once more. Pushing them up his nose and fiddling with the fur collar of his coat as he looked around. "Oh, soon for sure. I'll be exploring the whole island at this rate."
[16:46] Odette di Benedetti 's sooty lashes fluttered against creamy-pale cheeks and she'd offer Luca a coquettish smile, his last words about exploring hanging in the air a moment or two pregnantly before she'd reply,
"Just be mindful of dark lanes and beasties that go bump, yeah?".
She sent him a wink, and with the, the tiny woman was moving once more, crossing the bridge into the Seiiki district, her brolly shading her milky skin from the last vestiges of the days' sunlight.
[16:48] Theplahunter: /r watched as Odette walked off. Tucking both hands into the pockets of his jacket. He grimaced slightly and looked around, letting out a soft sigh as he caught himself in thought. He gazed down towards the grass and scoffed. A smile quickly returning to his face as he shook his head.
"Oh, I will. A scholar like me tends to avoid danger."
He lifted his head back up and smiled. Turning about and heading off in the opposite direction. Whistling a little marching tune as he went.
[16:48] Theplahunter: ((oop
[16:48] Luciano watched as Odette walked off. Tucking both hands into the pockets of his jacket. He grimaced slightly and looked around, letting out a soft sigh as he caught himself in thought. He gazed down towards the grass and scoffed. A smile quickly returning to his face as he shook his head.
"Oh, I will. A scholar like me tends to avoid danger."
He lifted his head back up and smiled. Turning about and heading off in the opposite direction. Whistling a little marching tune as he went.