What Have We Here [Eliane, Antonetta]

Oh, wasn't this such a pleasant place? And it was really so easy to come by when she was supposed to be dead, how convenient. Smiling to herself as she walked through the City of Lights, Eliane looked around for the young lady she was seeking out. It was all too easy to keep up with her former employer's goings-on when she was supposedly still alive and well, after all, so she knew that her most fragile sister was here somewhere.

Ah, and there like clockwork, that familiar white hair. Most people could never even think of sneaking up on an Ovide, but Eliane was not most people, and she allowed herself a wide smile as she crept up behind her younger sister and put her hands over her eyes, whispering to her in a voice that was both sing-song and profoundly menacing as she did so.

"Guess who~"

"Oh, just checking up on a few things for business. You know how things are, life is always so busy. I've had more than a few little difficulties along the way."

Of course, she was intentionally being so vague that it was suspicious, and she removed her hands from Antonetta's eyes knowing fully that it would lead to her turning around. The lack of a collar around Eliane's own neck was really all that she needed Antonetta to see, but for now, she was content to continue talking before everything really escalated.

"How have things been going here? Making any progress?"

"Just alright? I would have thought you might be excited to share any news with your big sister, but then again, a smart girl like you isn't going to let something like that spill out in public, right?"

It was all too easy to see that Antonetta had noticed her lack of a collar, and Eliane's eyes lit up at that. She could have hidden the fact that she was glad to see it, but really, it didn't matter to her now. The second she'd come here, she'd had a plan. Hiding the situation was only going to make it take longer to get where she wanted it to go.

"Maybe you should let yourself take a little break, hm? It would do wonders for your health. I've heard Arlette is doing well, even if I'm sure she won't let me see her. And me, well, I think I've never looked better."

Eliane pulled up one sleeve of her coat as she said that, the myriad scars and stitch marks of having been pieced back together still quite clear. Escaping from Claudia had been easy enough for her, even if Arlette had made it easier still. Antonetta was probably in the best possible position to do it.

"Oh, Antonetta, don't try and slide a little lie like that by me. I know you and I have different taste in these things."

Eliane's ever-present smile fell, then, her expression becoming more serious in a way that Antonetta probably hadn't ever actually seen. Studying her 'sister' carefully for a moment, she thought about the situation, about the gentle little creature that never could have stood up to her.

"So. Judging from how long you've been here, you probably haven't had much success. I wonder how long it would take for you being here before Claudia decided you've taken too long. Are you planning to force Arlette to come back?"

It was easy to word all this as if she was simply putting Antonetta over the coals, but the reality was that she wanted to make the entire idea seem like a waste of time. Despair was helpful sometimes.

"I know Arlette better than anyone. She probably wants to see you."

"And then what? You go home, with two less sisters? Do you think she's going to bring back Arlette? As soon as she knows about me, I'm sure I won't be back anymore either. You'll be down two sisters, and then it'll only be you, her, and Wolfina."

Eliane knew she was simply crushing her sister's spirits by speaking so bluntly, but that in itself was worthwhile. It was hardly out of the ordinary for her, anyway, to harm her sisters intentionally. This was just a little different.

And, besides. This was the sort of pain that built character.

"I'm planning to visit here now and again. There's just as much family in this city as there is in Italy if I'm here. And I don't quite see Arlette activating that little collar you have on."

Reaching over, Eliane touched the collar, a finger slowly moving as if to go under it. It was just a taunting gesture, of course. She had no intention of setting it off.