[PRP] the kitchen is the heart of the home [Giovanni]

[Ruriska]

By the time they returned home, Thane was still fuming. The rest of the night had gone perfectly fine, civilized conversations veiled by polite words and double meanings, as it should be. None of this Malkavian madness with faucets and casual touching of very important persons and the complete inability for rational thought.

Thanks to an unlife of practice, Thane had kept himself together, through the rest of the party, during their travel home, right up until the mansion door closed behind them with a loud cluck

“I should have ripped her throat out!” he snarled, tearing the tie he’d worn for the occasion off his neck and tearing it into pieces instantly. “How dare she touch you! We need to burn the suit, take it all off and I’ll get rid of it.” It didn’t help that he was hungry, his belly a rumbling void.

“And they have our research! All this damn time!”

Thinking about everything he could have accomplished with that information just made him angrier.  

[Kinu]

The Methuselah had found the evening to be far more productive than initially anticipated. Surprising? Yes. Aggravating? Most certainly. However the relief of being out from under the social circus was not lost to him. He hated playing the part of the sympathetic and extremely well mannered socialite. It felt so... unnatural. As naturally as it may have come to their clan when the need arose, they were anything but. The door shutting behind them was a welcome sound, like the entire mess of Kindred kind were suddenly rendered void. No more nonsense. He listened patiently as Thane ranted. The rage and pent up desire to eviscerate and tear apart the very souls of the miserable wretches who stole from them was buried deeply in the old Kindred. Not in Thane. He burned red hot where Amadeo smoldered.

It was almost cathartic in a weird, twisted, way. At the mention of his clothes he allowed the faintest of humored smirks and waved a paw dismissively. "Thane, this is an incredibly expensive suite. We're not burning it." He felt like he might have to lock it up after it was cleaned. Expensive or no it was apparently tainted. And his Childe was tenacious.

The fireplace crackled and a soft series of giggles erupted from behind the antique chaise lounge. The wraith child peeked her eyeless face from around the back. Her humor distorting into a horrible, nasty, expression before she let out a low hiss mixed with an airy scream. Pointing to the wall, towards the kitchen, and ultimately the catacombs. Apparently they needed to get that lost data. "Come, let's see what our dear Nonna is serving this evening. You should eat." It wasn't a suggestion.  

[Ruriska]

It was all he could do to stop from physically removing Amadeo’s clothes himself but he refrained. As close as the many years had brought them, he’d never go so far as to manhandle his own Sire. “I can get you a new one,” he grumbled instead but Amadeo’s calm had settled his own rage down to more of a simmer.

Standing in the scrappy remains of his own tie, his shirt also slightly torn, Thane felt disheveled and horribly young, the arrival of the wraith earning a hiss in her direction. Of course she wanted to know how the party had gone. The kitchen was always the first stop when anyone returned home, hungry or not.

And he was most certainly hungry.

Mollified by the promise of a meal and still obedient after a few hundred years at Amadeo’s side, Thane instantly turned and followed the hallway around to the back of the house, where the expansive kitchens were located.

The smell of tomato, basil and garlic only got stronger as he approached and then arrived at the kitchen doorway. Not that he would be eating any pasta sauce today but even dead the smell was delicious and the pit his stomach grew more painful.

The kitchen itself was impressive, huge, expansive, with a large wooden table in the middle, two roaring fires, endless cupboards and racks of herbs and spices. There was even a cute little sign that said ‘Nonna’s Cucina’ hung up over the sink. It was somehow friendly and welcoming despite the fact that they were standing directly above a catacomb where mortals sobbed as they were bled dry.

And amongst it all, Nonna was there.

Waiting for them, arms crossed, a little smile on her face, red splatters on her apron, dominating the space with her presence in a way that Thane had never been able to replicate.

“Evening Nonna,” Thane greeted, a little stiff, standing aside for Amadeo to enter first.  

[Kinu]

Amadeo's presence felt so at odds in the kitchen and yet, this façade always felt very on the nose for the Giovanni. It was probably the most glaring example of what they were. The warmth, the homey, caring, veneer of familial love, and endless graciousness plastered over the stone-cold unfeeling eternity of death and horror. It was so poetic. If it hadn't been too close for comfort he might have found it humorous. As it stood it just reminded him of what lurked beneath his own lie of an existence. He offered Nonna a serious nod, he didn't play social games, not with her. It was pointless. She knew what he was and he knew what she was. That lent a sort of solace to being in her presence. A kind of relief. If relief was ever something he could attain. Thane was likely the only other vampire he didn't have to put on airs for.

"Nonna." He nodded, his dark eyes somehow darker. The little Wraith slammed open a cabinet. Her eerie giggle echoed as she scampered to hide beneath a table. Amadeo's gaze slid to the side, his energy unamused. The wraith cowered and the cabinet shut again softly. She wouldn't cause any more trouble in the kitchen.. for now. But later she would likely remove all the contents of a cabinet out of agitation. The sound deep beneath their feet, the pain, the cries, he felt his own hunger stir. "We need to feed. Would you mind preparing something? I have some rather interesting news to share and it likely will require your 'finesse'."

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

“Ah Signore,” Nonna greeted them, as warm and friendly as any regular grandmother. Though there was a glint of something old and calculating in her eyes if you looked close enough. Her gaze slid from Amadeo to Thane. “Cucciolotto.” Thane’s eye twitched at the pet name. “Welcome home.”

Her arms unfolded as she stepped towards them, past the wraith-filled cabinet, her fingers brushing gently against the old wood. “Peace, angioletto.” Anybody, dead or alive, should beware before making a mess out of this kitchen.

There was no pretense here. Amadeo could relax, even if Nonna still liked to play the part. She came to a halt before him and tutted, her hand rising to gently cup his cheek. “Do they not feed you at parties anymore? What sort of host leaves their guests starving?” Though they all knew why. Giovanni feeding habits were better left at home.

“Come eat, I just cooked.” It was a long-running joke that still hadn’t gotten old over the many years they’d spent together. She walked across the kitchen and opened one of the bigger cupboards, stepping inside and pressing the hidden mechanism that made the back wall slide back, revealing dark steps leading down.

The sounds of whimpers and pain, the scent of blood, rushed up to meet them.

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

Amadeo’s gaze slid to watch as Thane twitched, his serious expression broken by a smirk. Poor Thane. The tortured soul. He returned his gaze to Nonna, claws working to unhook one of his cufflinks as she approached and cupped his cheek. He continued to work the cufflink; his dark eyes were cold. “Of course, they don’t. Besides. No one makes food like a Giovanni.” The little wraith peeked out from her hiding space to gaze over at Nonna with her eyeless sockets, she growled a little bit but not in an aggressive way. As though her agitation had been placated and she was uncertain what to do with herself now. Amadeo snapped his fingers and her little head whipped around to stare at him instead. “Go.” He waved his paw dismissively, finally having undone the cufflink.

The wraith gave a soft hissing screech and vanished through the door Nonna had just opened, leaving a cold wake in her path. Amadeo seemed unphased. He followed Nonna, the scent of mortal blood saturating the air. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the beast stir before he continued after her. The air shivered with the thrum of pain; he could feel it, becoming thicker as they descended. He had another matter he needed to discuss with the two of them, but he didn’t think his patience could take it before a feed.

His claws began to tackle the other cufflink, working deftly to loosen it. He wasn’t about to ruin his jacket. Though he’d need to keep an eye on it, lest Thane get his claws on it. “Nonna, Thane will need to go through the rite. He’s been permitted a wraith. Would you please see to the preparations for that? We’ll need to move fast if we want to catch the most current thinning of the veil. He should be able to pull something suitable.” He hadn’t discussed the grant yet with his Childe, this would be Thane’s first-time hearing about getting a Wraith of his own. No need to waste time.

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

“Come, come,” Nonna urged as she started down the stairs, the winding path down into the dark. There was enough flickering torchlight from deep below for their eyes to adjust easily but even in the full dark, these steps had been walked so often any of them could have done it blind.

With the scent of blood thick in his nose, Thane’s gut twisted, his hunger spiking, suddenly painful. All the energy he’d spent today, the anger, holding himself together through that Malkavian’s nonsense, had taken its toll. He was hungry in only the way a vampire could be.

He nearly missed a step when Amadeo mentioned him and a wraith in the same breath. He recovered instantly, his gaze narrowing, focusing on the back of his Sire’s head, almost accusatory. They were talking about this now? There had been no mention or word of this before. Thane’s earlier attempts to ask about it (fifty or so years ago) had been completely ignored, and now it was coming out of the blue.

But he said nothing.

Amadeo hadn’t spoken to him.

No, he’d spoken to Nonna, who chuckled.

“Ah, the cucciolotto, is ready for his own pet? Are you sure?” She let the amused question hang for a moment, just for Thane’s benefit. “Si, signore, I’ll organize it.”

They stepped around the last corner and out into the catacombs, the warm scent of fresh blood was at its strongest here and beneath it all the smell of death, earth and mildew. There was death all around them, centuries old echoes, skeletons buried deep, wraiths left to rot, stones that had soaked up too much blood. To mortals it would be enough to stop their heart’s dead; for the Giovanni, it was home.

The first room was mostly empty, with arched doorways leading further into the darkness. Only a few torches flickered, providing enough light for them to make their way into the next room, where luxurious red lounges, a thick rug, bookshelves and embroidered pillows awaited them. Comfort for those who enjoyed feeding in a suitable environment.

“Sit, rest. I’ll prepare your meal.”

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

The Methuselah could almost feel the heat behind him and he knew without a doubt that Thane was not exactly thrilled to be receiving the news as a by-standard. Nonna’s assurance to get him taken care of was enough for the male to put it out of his mind. “Grazie, Nonna.” Hopefully, Thane would do well during the summoning. He would hate to lose his most valuable Childe to Oblivion. That being said he didn’t feel worried. At the very least if it wasn’t his intelligence that saved him, it would be his rage. The further down they went the more at ease Amadeo felt, the scent was old, dark, tainted with the stain of the Giovanni’s wretched, secretive inner workings.

He found himself quite comfortable as he slid his body into one of the lounges, the exquisite material forming around him. His gaze shifted to Nonna, giving her a light nod as he began to undo the buttons of his shirt. There was no sense in ruining his clothing with what was to come. Amadeo shrugged off the fabric and set it across the arm of the lounge, his dark gaze moving to the bookshelves. He hadn’t been down here in some time and so he’d forgotten they even existed. Usually, if he came down this way, it wasn’t to eat. Standing again, the older vampire crossed to browse the books on offer, trying to see if any of them were something he’d be stealing for his office library. So far he’d already read most, if not all of them. Pity.

He turned his gaze to Thane and his lips broke into a half-smile, it wasn’t kind, but it wasn’t malevolent either. “Thane, I must commend you for holding it together at the party. You’ve been putting the work in and it shows. It was rather unfortunate the target of your attempts was… less than able to navigate proper social behaviors or keep a grasp on reality in any capacity.” He ran his claws through his dark hair, his gaze still even upon the Elder, watching to see if he was about to lose it over not being told about the Wraith. Unfortunately for Thane, Amadeo enjoyed toying with him. Never to harm him. But pushing Thane was like slapping a tiger on the a**. There was a certain thrill to it he rarely got from anything else.

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

Thane took a seat stiffly in the opposite couch, watched as Nonna drifted away to another room and then steadfastly fixed his still angry gaze at the rug. His mouth was pressed in a firm line, shoulders tensed, as he traced every miniscule thread, rather than say anything he might regret like, ‘I can’t believe you would suddenly bring up a wraith before even mentioning it and you aren’t even going to do it yourself’. It was something he had been privately hoping for. If he did ******** it up and got sent into Oblivion, he would prefer his last moments to be spent with his actual Sire, and not Nonna. The old bag.

When Amadeo spoke his name, he was forced to look back up, his gaze flicking from that half-smile to the open shirt, the way his hand ran through his hair, and then promptly went back to counting rug threads with far more desperation than last time. But at least his anger had gone, replaced by an odd frustration that regardless made him want to claw something into a million pieces.

“I’ll do better next time,” he grunted. “She was charmed enough by you, even being utterly mad.” But Amadeo was just like that. Thane doubted that was something he could even learn. It had taken this long just to get his anger in check long enough to even offer social niceties. He didn’t ooze sophistication the way Amadeo did and doubted he ever would.

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

Amadeo's dark eyes observed Thane with an air of indifference, however, Amadeo's actual feelings were anything but. He was a little surprised Thane hadn't brought up the Wraith and felt a little disappointed to have not received anything but a slightly, what was that, startled? frustrated? look from the male. There was no way the rug was that interesting, as nice as it was, he could sense something deeper was going on. He knew the other male too well to miss such an obvious sign. Before he could comment on his Childe's odd behavior Thane responded. The Methuselahs face broke into a darkly humored, though dismissive, expression as he turned and stared at the door where Nonna had left.

"The Malkavians." His nose wrinkled faintly in disdain. "If you can get past the moronic babbling they have value. But digging to find it takes time, and patience, and as much as I have time I have very little patience. You learn how to stretch what you have as far as it will take you. I have no doubt that you'll get there...in time." His head turned slightly to the side, regarding Thane, endlessly curious. He wondered if he felt it too, the stirring within the Giovanni household. Once they'd fed he would bring it up but he needed Nonna present before he did.

Seeing Thane looking so off his brows furrowed slightly, contemplating. Perhaps he was taking this Wraith business harder than he had anticipated. It was a big deal after all. Amadeo crossed the distance between himself and the buck, his fingers sliding beneath his chin as he lifted his face upward, his endlessly steely gaze set firmly upon the Elders' own. "Thane I will be there when you claim a Wraith for the first time. I know you've asked. The time wasn't right. But now it is. Nonna will prepare everything, but I will be there." He smirked, his chin tilting slightly up as he heard movement behind the wall, fingers slipping away from Thane's face. Ah, it must be time. Good. He was starving.

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

‘I’m not sure I want to get there,’ he had been about to say, as he planned to never interact with another Malkavian unless it was to tear their head off. But the words died before they even had a chance to be uttered, Amadeo’s approach banishing everything else from his mind. He stiffened, muscles turned to stone. His chin was lifted, gentle but firm. Thane’s gaze slipped sideways, panicked, then returned, knowing his Sire wouldn’t appreciate him looking away during such an earnest moment.

Something inside his belly unclenched with the assurance that Amadeo would be there. It had upset him far more than he could even admit. “I understand,” he grunted. He did. He would have understood even if Amadeo didn’t take part, it just would have hurt like hell.

Amadeo pulled away and Thane dug his nails into his palm, close to breaking the skin.

The gentle clatter of wheels and Nonna’s return was a welcome distraction. Or was it unwelcome? He really couldn’t tell.

The older vampire had stopped in the doorway, guiding an ancient serving trolley ahead of her. “Did I interrupt something?” She asked, always pleasant, smiling. Her gaze was too sharp and Thane looked away but not before he glimpsed the trolley contents. A large glass carafe full of blood. Hunger clawed at his stomach, his chest, his throat.

Nonna idled in the doorway for a moment and then pushed onwards. Thane had turned himself away, still such a child. So easily unsteadied. She guided the trolley towards the lounge and then stopped, lifting the carafe and pouring two wine glasses. The first one she offered to Amadeo, nodding respectfully.

“Signore, enjoy. This blood was freely given.”

Despite those words, there was fresh blood on her apron. Even with her many years of practice, extraction was always going to be a little bit messy.  

[Kinu]

Amadeo had felt the weight of Thane's gaze as it bored into his own. The moment he looked away and then, thinking better, returned it. He had known the vampire for so long now that it was rare he didn't understand a nuanced gesture or a look. But there was always a part of Thane sealed tightly away from him, a part the Elder did not allow him into. Someday he would find out what it was. He supposed it was only fair to have secrets, ones you didn't share, even with your Sire. He had his own.

Nonna's voice caused a smile to lift Amadeo's lips, not a warm expression but certainly one of contentment. Taking the wine glass he lifted it and gave his thanks for the Antediluvian's generous offering. "Saluti." Pressing the rim of the glass to his lips the euphoria never ceased to take him by surprise. When you were as old as Amadeo, few things really brought the kind of pleasure blood did. And since they couldn't feed on mortals unless they intended on killing them, hot vitae had an especially potent kick to it.

He drained the goblet and lowered it, the claw of his thumb clicking against the side as he contemplated his next words. Choosing them carefully. He waited until Thane had fed and then he said what had been weighing on him for quite some time. "Augustus is stirring. I believe his Torpor is coming to an end." The Methuselah felt a shiver run the length of his spine. How long had it just been the three of them running the Estate? Many years, maybe decades. Augustus hadn't roused. Not once. But the moment the tie to Caine had been broken Amadeo had begun dreaming about the family line, pulled through the blood, fed visions of what was. His Wraith had been restless. The catacombs had been anything but quiet. All signs that the Disciple was beginning to stir. He was certain Nonna must have felt it too. Thane, it was possibly he felt something but he'd never met Augustus.

Amadeo remembered what it was like with the head of the family at the helm. The family flourished but there was also... well... things would be very different. "I don't know when he will awaken, but I suspect soon. We need to make sure everything is prepared, though I believe everything is more or less in order. The finances, the ledgers, the catacombs, all research..." s**t, the papers. The ones the Malkavians stole. "And we need to get those papers back from the Malkavians."

The small Wraith smiled her eerie smile, appearing behind a couch. She seemed to shudder suddenly and began to hiss, her agitation obvious. She screamed and slammed herself into the wall, vanishing through it, headed for the depths of the catacombs. Amadeo felt something awaken in his chest, a kind of strength filling him, and also a terror. It was too late. He was awake.

Ruriska

 

[Ruriska]

For Thane, feeding was a different experience. He wasn’t anywhere near as old as Amadeo and while he’d certainly had enough time to grow accustomed to enjoying the taste of blood, even as an elder, the sudden rampaging need from having it so close was still a wild beast in his chest. He could clearly remember his first feeding, how desperate he had been, how hungry. There was always an urgency inside of him, that forced him to move with deliberate slowness, to ration each sip, cherish the way it slid warm across his tongue.

There was a deep frustration as well, knowing he would forever be denied feeding from the source. Knowing that there were many captives beneath the mansion, their blood ready for the taking. He didn’t know how Nonna did it. Every day, so close, draining their blood without ripping them apart.

The only way he’d ever gain such pleasure was if he embraced another but that desire had never been there. He might, one day, should the clan require it. But he would not seek it out. In part because of his bond with Amadeo, forged through that painful bite and the giving of blood, was something he didn’t wish to dilute.

Thane had just finished his glass, carefully placing it down, when Amadeo spoke those simple words: Augustus is stirring. Everything that had been said before it fluttered away like leaves in the wind.

He went rigid, gaze flicking between the two older vampires. He’d never met Augustus, he knew of him only through what he’d been told.

Nonna’s looked unfazed, the knowledge clearly coming as no surprise. Of course it wouldn’t. The catacombs were her domain. If anyone or anything was stirring, she would feel it. But Thane hadn’t even noticed, he’d been too preoccupied, always too full of his own anger and disquiet to know when it was an outside influence and not just himself.

He said nothing, just sat and listened, intent. Curious what this would mean for all of them. The hierarchy of the Giovanni clan was about to get a shakeup.

And a lot sooner than expected.

He felt it, like a yawning gulf appearing beneath his feet. A void of power that could suck him in.

Nonna clucked her tongue.

A wraith floated up out of the ground, one Thane had never seen before. It was the spitting image of Nonna, her twin in all except that one of them was somewhat more alive than the other. It nodded, mouth opening, a moaning sigh slipping out but nothing more.

Nonna flicked her hand dismissively and the wraith slipped back down again, following Amadeo’s deeper into the catacombs to welcome their master.

“He always does have impeccable timing, our Lord Augustus, for nobody but himself,” Nonna said, smoothing down her apron and straightening her glasses. Thane nearly jumped out of his skin when she looked at him next, her tone sharp and decisive, “You, back upstairs. Don’t let anyone down here, I don’t care who they are or how old they are. And have the servants prepare for a gathering. The whole family shall be in attendance.”

Nonna stepped forward and picked up the blood-filled carafe. “He’s going to be hungry.” She offered it to Amadeo to take. “This should keep him satisfied while I grab one of my boys.” She’d raised those mortals to be the perfect livestock, pretty, darling little things, waiting for the day their master would awaken. Their lives had always been temporary.

Together they had held the Giovanni together through the long torpor, awaiting exactly this moment. Now their fates would be decided.

“Shall we?”

Kinu

 

[Kinu]

The Methuselah could feel every molecule of his being ignite, like wildfire, he felt a renewed sense of strength and energy. One he hadn't felt in years. Such was the gift, even as it was a curse, of a Disciple's reawakening. Amadeo's eyes took in the rare sight of Nonna's Wraith, he hadn't seen it in quite some time and it always stirred a memory or two. Nonna's embrace was long before his time, but he remembered the stories. The rumors. The whispers. It was only after his own embrace that he finally learned some of what was true and what wasn't, however not even he knew the full story. Nonna liked her privacy, as did he. So he never pried.

As the Wraith vanished Amadeo approached Nonna again, taking the chalice from her and raising it in a loose toast as a low, resigned laugh escaped his lips. "Indeed. The taste for things to be done in his time... and manner appear not to have changed." His gaze slid to his childe and he felt a sort of strange sensation, pity. Augustus, if memory served him and hadn't been diluted by personal opinion and circumstance to the point of complete bias, wasn't going to be an easy transition to take. The house wouldn't be the same as it had been for the three of them.

Their quiet world was going to flip. It wouldn't be bad for the family, Augustus at least had his priorities in order when it came to the subject of the clans success, safety, and growth. However, there were... 'other' things to consider. The Disciple wasn't exactly a tame creature. Refined? Yes. A perfectly charming and charismatic gentleman? Terribly. Intelligent? Frighteningly so. But there was an entire mountainous iceberg of unseen motivations and personality hidden beneath the tiny bit of ice that showed above water. It was one of the few things in this world that made Amadeo shudder, he tried not to fathom what Augustus could be capable of given the right, or wrong, motivation. What he knew already was enough.

All that the Giovanni were came from their progenitor, the best and the worst. He gave Thane a nod, telling him to go. He'd be busy enough following Nonna's requests and it would be better if he got started now, considering the less time he had to accomplish them the more agitated he would become. They didn't have time to waste anyway. Not now. Amadeo quickly set the goblet down and retrieved his shirt, it took him hardly any time to put on again. Suddenly a little head popped up, his Wraith. She narrowed her eyes and let out a soft hiss.

Amadeo picked up the goblet and extended it out to her. She took it eagerly and slipped off into the shadows, taking it to Augustus. "It appears he does not require the pleasure of my company just yet." Amadeo smirked, not unusual. His reawakening had probably left him in a state that Amadeo wouldn't want to be at the mercy of anyway. This dismissal of company was likely a kindness. Though the Disciple would absolutely want what Nonna had to offer. "I'll meet you in my study after you've sent Augustus his..." He waved a hand dismissively, not entirely certain what to call the males Nonna had been caretaking for this momentous occasion. He didn't feel he needed a word for them. They wouldn't exist much longer anyway.

"We will need to talk more in depth about the Malkavian issue and... other matters." There were a few things, and members, of the household that could garner their Disciples ire. It would be best to figure out how they intended on handling each matter. Because hiding it forever wouldn't be an option and they would need to provide answers if not solutions. Amadeo turned to leave, casting a backwards glance at the Antediluvian. "Meno male che la famiglia è tutto..." He said quietly, vanishing up the stairs to change and prepare.

Ruriska