A Little Mouse, In Over Its Head [Claudia/Arlette/Eliane, Alastair]

"Oh, you really do not need to be so formal with me, you know. You are a guest in my home, so please allow yourself to relax. Take a seat, enjoy the view. I would offer a swim, but I think such a thing would be better after a meal, hm?"

Taking a seat of her own on a sofa overlooking the city, Claudia beckoned for Alastair to come and join her. She did assume he was intelligent enough not to take this as some sort of invitation for intimacy, given how little she wanted to be dealing with anything so wholly unwelcome on a night she had expected to be spending completely alone. But when hosting company, naturally one wanted to be sociable.

"Eliane tells me you are unfamiliar with the area? I really must insist that you at least stay tomorrow night as well, and allow us to show you the breadth of what this city has to offer. After all, we would hardly wish for you to miss out on anything if you do not anticipate returning any time soon."

While her guards lacked much in the way of accent, the same certainly could not be said of Claudia, who even in only a few words was quite plainly a woman raised in the depths of Paris. She had trained herself quite well to speak in a neutral nature when in business dealings, of course, but in a "casual" situation she would not bother to do so. Besides, it was hardly so thick as to inhibit a conversation, even if she did concede that might have been a bit amusing.

"Ah, I do not suppose you've any swimwear with you, do you? I will have to have some sent up, I would be thoroughly disappointed if you were not able to enjoy the pool during your stay."

Alastair's shoulders loosened at her request, falling into a relaxed state as he was invited to sit with her. Of course, he was happy to do so, taking to the opposite end of the sofa so that there was more than a respectful boundary between them but attempting to avoid any disrespect from hanging off the far end as if he did not want to be near her. He was familiar with social customs among the higher circles of society, of course, for it was noble blood that ran hot through his body.

"It is my first visit to Vastime, if I am being honest, so I appreciate your welcome nature. But I must decline your offer to stay another night. Not only is it against my own code to impose upon a friend any longer than utmostly necessary, but I have already made plans to travel to another part of the country tomorrow. I am trying to see as much of this beautiful land as I can within the span of my visit, you see."

Comparative to Claudia's own, his voice was naturally rather neutrally-accented too - English that was almost spoken like a native until one began to pick up on the German undertones. They were subtle, mostly ironed out from his upbringing, but some were still unshakeably present.

"But I have a few days spare at the end of my trip in which I intend to return here, and Miss Arlette already volunteered to help me plan a more thorough tour of the local area. I would hate to miss out on the full breadth of the city's attractions, as you say."

His smile was narrow, extremely polite as if he wanted to doubly stress that the offer to stay was a kindness that he truly disliked to refuse and yet he had made a sufficient counter-proposal. In a sense, this was a business negotiation and he could not let himself be outmanoeuvred too easily.

"I.. I do have appropriate swimwear with me, though. I travel light, but not that light. Of course, I will gladly make use of any of the facilities if you are offering them to me."

He faltered for a moment as he spoke as if he was surprised that Claudia had made an incorrect assumption, though was equally quick to push past it. If the pool had sights comparable to this then it would likely be an eye-opening experience.

"Ah, is that so? Arlette is always quite accomodating, one of her very best traits. Then, Mr. Eisfluch, I really must insist that you stay here upon your return, if nothing else. Do not even consider it a matter of imposing upon me, please. My home is hardly so small as to be strained by the addition of one more person for a few days, and besides, this city is so very expensive. I would not wish you waste needless expenses."

Of course, Claudia's image of an overwelcoming host was one that she cultivated only for the sake of this particular guest. Others were not treated quite so warmly, others still treated even moreso. His seeming hesitation at her assumption, as if she cared in the slightest what he had actually brought along, was rather amusing to her, and she allowed herself a smile at his expense. But, of course, it simply seemed nothing more than a kind little expression as she waved for Eliane to fetch her a drink.

"That is very good to hear, then. Beyond my own suite, please treat this as your own home while you are here. Eliane and Arlette will of course show you to anything you might require, and anything which is not already present can be fetched for you in only a moment."

If she were a less experienced woman, she knew that this sort of insistence could have come across as insincere. After all, she had certainly been rebuffed many a time in her younger years because of that exact issue. But she was well practiced by now, and she had long since realized that the simplest way to avoid insincerity was, of course, to be sincere. If he wished for anything, then he would have it. As Eliane brought her a glass of wine, Claudia studied it for a a few moments, her eyes focused now on the deep crimson within the glass.

"Are you familiar with wine, Mr. Eisfluch? My homeland is, it is said, the home of the world's greatest wines."

"It would be a pleasure to stay here again, Lady Duvalier, so I gratefully accept your offer. Your home is truly beautiful, with an impressive view of the city below. I would be quite the fool to refuse you."

The edge of his lip curled at that final remark, a subtle nicety that befitted his role as the noble guest. He had been rather well educated on the matter, much as Claudia had clearly been in turn. One did not grow to lead one of the most wide-reaching business empires on the planet without picking up a degree of social etiquette that might be considered well refined.

"If there is anything I have a need for, I will be sure to let your staff know. They have both been so accommodating already, though, so I am sure that there will be little need for that. As for wine, I am familiar with the concept. Many fine vintages have come from French vineyards over the centuries, your country is quite blessed in that regard, though I would not profess to be an expert on the matter."

Studying the ruby liquid that she held in her glass, Alastair was far from a trained sommelier but he did possess perhaps the most basic of understandings. That was perhaps one of the smallest boons of being a member of the German aristocracy, for his parents had always kept a well-stocked wine cellar and it was easy to note the finer vintages that were used when they were hosting for guests of some greater import.

"Oh, thank you kindly, Mr. Eisfluch. I think, in truth, that there are likely better places in this city, but this building carries some sentimental value for me. It was here that the Duvalier Group was first formed, and so I feel it is more of a home than anywhere else."

It was remarkably easy for Claudia to speak about herself in such a manner, to share what most would likely have assumed were not details she would be willing to share. She hardly cared what anyone knew of her life, in truth. Everything about her person had been laid bare so many times before that something as inconsequential as her personal life meant nothing. It was no different from her wealth, her body, simply one more thing to use as a tool when appropriate.

"There are countless varieties from countless regions, but I have read that in the days before the third world war, it was exponentially more elaborate a field. Something around which whole lives could be built, where every vineyard held specialties hundreds of years old. It is a tragedy, to know that such knowledge is lost forever."

It could have been so profitable, after all. So easy to exploit the national pride that her countrymen seemed so attached to. Ah, but Claudia would not expound on that. She had painted such a lovely picture of herself thus far, after all.

"A memory of the past as much as a symbol of your progress, then. Such a thing only makes a place more sacred, as if I am sitting now upon hallowed ground. Every path starts somewhere, it is fortunate that you can still so easily look back to your own."

Alastair was, of course, rather quite unaware of how exactly Claudia had started her path. What had come before the Duvalier Group and what she had endured. He only saw the astute businesswoman, as was surely intended. Perhaps, one day, he would inherit his own point of origin. If his sisters did not run it into the ground once their parents eventually passed on. An interesting prospect for his future, though, hopefully, it was still a distant one.

His thoughts moved to matters of wine and war though, as he finished off his coffee and looked for a spot to set the cup and saucer down upon. Her comment did make him wonder what else had been lost to the great war, what the world might have looked like if it had not been so devastated by violence on such a tremendous scale.

"The Third World War robbed this planet of so much. Industry, infrastructure, culture, people. I am sure that there are still some vintages from before, salvaged from those vintners who were lost to the changing of times, and given time and investment they could be replicated. We may not have the knowledge of yesterday, but there is always the technology of tomorrow."

"It is always a welcome reminder, but at the same time I prefer to look at it as something of a wall for any reminiscence. There is only so much to be gleaned from looking backward."

Claudia's gaze hardened, just the faintest touch. Of course, she hardly cared about the way that her life had gone, but she was far more curious about the way that her guest might respond to that faint display of emotion. Well, it was really of no consequence to her. She did so much enjoy simply seeing how others acted in her presence.

"Yes, I do quite like your outlook on the matter. To think of what may now be done to fill the voids left behind. So little has been truly done to repair this world, beyond those grand displays of power by one leader or another which seem more akin to threats than any sort of benevolence. There is still so much of the world which is nothing more than unlawful waste, filled with scum both spiritual and mundane."

Taking a sip of the wine in her hand, Claudia allowed her thoughts to move toward all of her current projects. The Gotei had proven more difficult of late, and the Vandenreich was quickly becoming stale. And Vastime? This country was practically on its knees, even if it portrayed itself as so much more. What good was all of their political clout when the king's strength no longer upheld it?

"People often seem surprised that I so willingly do business with Vastime and the Vandenreich, even as they hold blades to each others' throats. I do not deny that I travel where there is profit to be found, but I am hardly such a fool as to put my whole company in jeopardy for the sake of a few more dollars. No, Mr. Eisfluch, it is because I value stability. Regardless of the myriad philosophical differences between the two, they pursue stability, and I wish to join them on that journey."

The slight smile that he wore did not falter as he watched Claudia's ever so slightly evocative response. Of course he picked up on it, of course he took a mental note of it, but he did not wish to offend his host by making a scene of it when it clearly mattered to her somewhat.

"You are quite right, of course. The past is immutable, but the future still rests firmly within our hands so I tend to focus upon that. Greater people than I have tried to change this world for the better, but I think a duty still rests upon all our shoulders to heal those lasting scars. Whether it is by reclaiming those wastelands or finding new ways to return our society to the lofty heights we might once have soared."

There was a genuine passion to his words as he spoke of his own little dream for the future. It was hardly enough to be considered a project in the same vein as her own machinations, with little idea to it beyond the belief that other people would do good too, but therein lay his naivety. For all his noble bearing and polite mannerisms, he was still a young man that wanted to do his part for the future and wore that nature upon his sleeve.

"There is certainly merit in your pragmatism, Lady Duvalier. One can certainly see what your striving for stability has wrought, both for yourself and the organisations that you do business with. I can certainly attest firsthand to the aid that the Duvalier Group brought to America in its time of strife after the removal of Shadow Fall. Working beyond the constraints of political relations to help lay a stronger foundation for the people themselves."

Oh, Claudia did quite like to hear him speak such praise about her. It did always please her to hear that others were aware of just the degree of success she had achieved, particularly of late. Integrating the Duvalier Group into America so completely had been no easy task, and naturally there was still some competition now and again. But when one had such resources as she, it was easy to convince others that she was the best possible option.

"Politics do not interest me, nor have they ever. I think that the world would be in a far more productive place if all these leaders of great power and prestige were to set aside their personal differences and genuinely communicate about their aims. But, then again, that would likely keep them from being able to show off the scope of their own power, wouldn't it?"

Most of the time, Claudia didn't even bother to speak to other people genuinely. If she had something she thought worth considering, she would just think about it on her own later. But this was her own home, after all. If Alastair was to come into her den, then she would put him to the test. It would be interesting to see if he could keep up.

"How childish those in power have been. Those with genuine power are those that hardly even need to show it. Those who simply make things happen by saying that it should be so, and who do not even need to be present for it to be done. I am tired of watching imbeciles play at authority, and I do quite hope the Vandenreich does not disappoint."

"I would be lying if I said that I did not agree with you to some extent. There are many places on this world where the powerful have simply carved out a chunk and claimed it as their own on the merit of strength alone, and believed themselves justified in their actions when the world was still under assault by threats from beyond. But now we can finally look inwards again, start working together, and there is so much that could be accomplished by simple conversations yet words are just not spoken."

There were a few that places he could think of where this was the case, Vastime being one that stuck out in particular given their current surroundings. How different could this operation have been if they did not feel threatened by the Vandenreich's growing presence across the globe? They saw only a threat when it could have been a powerful alliance, another piece towards the dream of worldwide unity that was thwarted by these so-called 'children'.

"I choose to believe the Vandenreich is different. That is why I am with them. We have not fallen into the pitfalls of many of these others that you would admonish, because we get results and continue in our effort to return this planet to the people rather than force ourselves upon them as a new ruler. The best people to lead others are those that they choose, not some higher power."

Perhaps he was oversharing his motivations, his beliefs, but it showed his understanding of the matter. Or rather his own perspective. But it was rare to find someone as open of these things as Claudia and he strangely felt more inclined to talk politics with her rather than those within his own faction, even if she found them somewhat dull. They had the whole evening to talk anyway, so why not start at the bottom and work up?