Sprezzatura

[ex_garroter234]

Who: Micheletto, Lucrezia, and open
What: Reading a book, it's very exciting
When: 10/January, early evening
Where: Lobby...
Rating: PG wow boring

Ordinarily he'd be doing this outdoors, but the weather just isn't for it, so Micheletto has taken up in the lobby, leaning against a pillar and casually thumbing through a book. He doesn't seem particularly enthused in the material, which begs the question as to why he's reading it -- but that could just be the constant expression of disinterest he wears rather than a reflection of how he feels about the content.

The book looks to be old, but in very good shape, and the words on the binding are in Italian. Occasionally he'll glance up and look around, as if he's waiting for someone, but then he goes right back to reading.

Comments

[ex_garroter234]

He looks at her hand for a moment, considering, but doesn't take it. But he doesn't wish to insult her (mostly because he fears retaliation from Cardinal Borgia, but also because she's being relatively civil to him and it's a nice change of pace), so he stands on his own, ducking his head a little in a very informal, semi-apologetic bow. It wouldn't be proper to take her hand, see! That's all that means. Really.

His head still lowered, he looks up at her from under his browbone, curious. "And if I refuse? What then?"

[heloise]

Lucrezia takes back her hand when he stands and bows, watching him warily.

"Then I would be displeased," though it pleases her to see his head lowered still. She stares him down, tries to read through him, then gives up. She has a few guesses as to who this man is to her brother but nothing in their Rome is ever as they appear. One never knows.

"There are other ways to amend it."

[ex_garroter234]

Micheletto would be interested to know what she thinks he is to Cesare, honestly. Sometimes he isn't really sure what's going on there himself.

He keeps his head lowered, though his eyebrows are raised now, curious to know what she has in mind. "My lady?"

[heloise]

Some sort of paid companion? She is loath to imagine worse than that.

"I have none to name now," Lucrezia steps around him to take the book off the sofa again, flipping through the pages absently without reading the words. "You would have to owe me a favor."

[ex_garroter234]

IN HIS DREAMS it's worse than that. Or better? No, I'm kidding, Micheletto tries not to think about it because it just makes him hate everything more. But what he is to Cesare is certainly worse than mere companionship, by any definition.

Micheletto watches her carefully, if not a little warily. Women are always trouble, no matter how small and porcelain they are. "A favour such as what, my lady? Not dancing, I would hope," he adds with what passes for humour in Micheletto's world, because he actually does have a sense of humour, if not a black one. Amending refusal to dance by owing a favour to dance. It's fitting for how backwards the world is, anyway.

[heloise]

This is the most twisted love triangle there ever was.

Lucrezia would have liked him much more to know he admitted such, that women could be more trouble. There are deadlier things than blades. She would also like him more if he were cleaner and wore nicer clothes, which reminds her.

"It would be if you decline this one," her smile spreads slowly. "You would let me dress you to present to my brother. In brown and black if you prefer, but the rest would be my choice."

[ex_garroter234]

Now if only he and Lucrezia harboured feelings for one another, that would make it the most twisted. So it's not as bad as it could be. Theoretically.

At that, Micheletto's eyebrows shoot up. "A present," he repeats flatly, adding a little hastily to make up for the rudeness of that response, "my lady. I do not know if His Eminence would think of such a thing as a present. Or would even notice, for that matter."

[heloise]

Bad enough that even one Lucrezia Borgia would keep it unsaid.

"He will notice were I to present it," or at least he would pretend to while he figures it out. Either way, she has no doubt he would be amused in the least. "Would you think of it as a gift or a punishment?"

[ex_garroter234]

Micheletto is having a hard time even processing this. How would she even present a new outfit to Cardinal Borgia... 'look, I've cleaned up your manservant,' what ...

He has to take a second to carefully figure out his reply. It would be a punishment, yes, because his personal space... his soft leather... his filth; she's probably going to make him take a bath. Gross!

"Whatever my lady thinks it is, that is what it shall be," he finally settles on, diplomatically.

[heloise]

Yes, that is probably the exact line Lucrezia would use, although closer still to: "Look, your pet cleans up nice, why don't you teach him how not to skulk now?"

She values his wise response though she can afford not to be diplomatic when it comes to him. "So it shall be," she clasps her hands and grins. "Must we set a date? When do you suppose will make a good occasion?"

[ex_garroter234]

Skulking is what he does, though! He is naturally a skulker.

Micheletto looks down at their hands with such confusion that it might even be comedic. What the fuck. He knew he should have walked away as soon as she approached him.

"That I do not know," he says carefully, looking up at her face with a level expression. "At my lady's leisure."

[heloise]

The female of the species, Micheletto. The more you know.

"No," Lucrezia lets go and steps back, as if to leave, because even in the giving up of her choice, she has still made hers. "That will be your decision to make and I will only await your invitation."

[ex_garroter234]

Micheletto just kind of looks at her. If it's up to him, then he's just never going to bring it up. That should be pretty obvious.

Just what is she playing at...

"Of course, my lady," he says slowly, trying to figure out what kind of trap she is trying to lure him into.