When The Devil Comes Knocking [Alastair, Arlette]

It had not been all that long since Antonetta had appeared on his doorstep. A few days longer than Alastair would have liked to have left it before personally checking in, but his days were not so dull that he could reliably find time to devote to personal matters. Still, the aftermath of that whirlwind visit by Arlette's sister had raised more questions than it had answered. Not that he had expected to get any answers out of her, but it had certainly been an entirely perplexing encounter.

Arriving at Arlette's compound, which was frankly a more accurate name for her little estate within the City of Lights, Alastair made sure to check in with the pair of Sternritter that he had assigned to surveillance duty. He had kept the detail rather small until the threat of Antonetta and her sisters had become rather real. Now things were serious, there was a potential assassin in their midst at this very moment.

After a brief discussion, he moved on towards the actual house. A certain rigidity to his gait as he dared to wonder how she was getting on. Her physical condition was, of course, his primary concern though this isolation of sorts would likely take a mental toll too.

Arlette hated it here.

Not in the City of Lights. She'd found the City of Lights was really a fairly nice place to be. For a woman who had lived a purely utilitarian existence for most of her short life, it was a good place to attempt to enjoy things, branch out more. No, where she hated it was in this house she'd turned into nearly a fortress. It was certainly an exceptionally nice home, nice enough that many people would have likely killed to live there. But when she couldn't ever leave, both for the danger of assassination and simply because of her health, Arlette had gotten exceptionally tired of it.

That said, if there was somewhere she hated more than just her house, it was the specific spot she currently was. Stuck on the floor, glaring downward with such visceral, intense fury that it could probably have melted steel. Arlette refused to simply accept this crippling weakness, and she was fully intent on returning to where she had been. No, surpassing it. That was something she had to do.

But as she grit her teeth, both with effort and sheer frustration, she couldn't even finish a single pushup. Speaking practically, she knew she would probably be here until someone came to check on her as they usually did. But at the same time, she hated the idea that she would need anyone else to pick her up.

Few had the correct access codes to enter the veritable fortress, fewer still would do so without knocking. In fact, that was likely a role that only contained Alastair, because he did not want to trouble her with moving the distance to let him in when he had the means of entry already at his disposal.

Still, for all his care and thoughts of courteousness, he was hardly prepared for the sight of Arlette laying prone on the floor engaging in a battle of wits with the ground itself. Laying on her front, of course, though he was equally quick to avert his gaze somewhat and offer a polite cough of introduction. Ever the gentleman.

"Have I come at a bad time?"

It was an innocent enough question, though he had already begun to deduce why she was stuck as she was. He could almost feel the frustration emanating from her, and yet he knew her well enough that to immediately offer aid might prove a further irritation. Still, if she persisted then he would haul her to her feet without a second thought.

"No."

On one hand, she supposed it was better that it had been him who'd arrived here than anyone else. He was more aware of her situation than most, and it was only natural that he would understand exactly why she was in this position. But, on the other hand, she would have rather liked for him not to see her in such a pathetic state.

"If I don't get up in five minutes, help me up."

Even saying it like that was bitter in her mouth, but Arlette wasn't doing to stay here forever, especially not if they were going to be discussing serious issues. That seemed like it was inevitable, really.

"What's the situation?"

"Understood."

There was no need to press the issue more than he already had. She was his friend, his ally, and he would do whatever it took to make sure she was safe and protected. But he also knew her well enough to know how much she wished not to rely on anyone else, even him. At least there were probably a few more compromisable positions.

"I met your sister. Antonetta. She showed up at my house with a sob story and a lot of questions."

His tone was rather apathetic, though even then a note of irritation did creep into his undertone. The frustration that came from not knowing what might have happened had it been Reida that answered the door. Or, heaven forbid, Inanna. Perhaps it was time for him to move into his own compound, though he did not really wish to entertain the idea of moving houses quite yet. That did seem a little drastic.

"She wanted to find you, but there was something else. She seemed certain that Lady Duvalier had taken precautions to make sure that she could not also become compromised."

She'd known that would happen eventually, of course. Arlette was many things, but a fool wasn't one of them. Still, if Antonetta was actually here already, it meant that things were moving quickly. Not so quickly she hadn't planned for it, of course, but definitely not anywhere near the long end of her expectations.

"I don't doubt that. I'm sure all three of them are being kept on a tighter leash than they know how to handle. I wouldn't be surprised if she's ready to kill them at the drop of a hat."

The irritation at the thought of Antonetta being put into such a position only made Arlette feel further inadequate, and the anger at the situation gave her the motivation to at least finish a single pushup, even if it clearly put what would probably be considered "undue" strain onto her body. That much was made all the more clear when she immediately then collapsed onto the floor, but at least she was confident Alastair would know to assist her at this point.

"I don't know exactly what kind of precautions would be in place, but I don't doubt that they're extensive. Her sob story was probably all lies, but if nothing else, I don't doubt she genuinely wants to see me."

"I am surprised by the lack of empathy that Lady Duvalier has for you and your sisters, even given your unique situation. But I suppose there is a lot that I misjudged about her character, based on what you have told me."

That much was certainly far too true. Alastair had once held a great deal of respect for Claudia and the work that her company was doing, but Arlette had cast many things in a different light ever since her departure from the business and the fallout thereafter. He had been rather naive, with the benefit of hindsight, and rather quickly bound himself to a cause that was not quite as noble as he had once dared to believe. There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that he had known all along, but chosen to repress it for some twisted personal gain. That was little more than a single devil on his shoulder, though, and he dismissed the notion with but another thought. If he had known already what this was then he would not have let Arlette get into this state.

"Ms Antonetta did seem to be wearing a collar that you do not sport. My concern is perhaps that it is an explosive device of sorts, so she cannot be allowed to remain at large for... Everyone's... sake..."

His voice did trail off towards the end as Arlette collapsed into a heap before him, and he moved quickly to assist her in at least sitting up - or carrying her to a chair or sofa if she did not stop him. She was still fragile, he knew that as well as she did, but there was still a formidable spirit within her. That did not mean he would simply stand back and watch her break herself entirely, though, and his grip was intended to be firm enough to dissuade an impending complaint.

Any complaint Arlette would have had toward this assistance was swiftly stifled in her throat, though inwardly she was seething. Not toward Alastair, naturally, but toward herself and her situation. The mention of the collar only made her angrier, and as she was carrier to a seat, she simply stared up at the ceiling and began to think.

"I expected that. I'm confident Bauher can handle it, though. He's good, probably better than anyone Claudia has on her payroll."

Of course, that was only half the battle. Actually convincing Antonetta was going to be nearly impossible if she didn't try to plan for it. For all the young woman's affetion for her sisters, she'd also never been especially willful. Antonetta was easily coerced, and while Arlette knew that was something she could take advantage of if she needed to, the sheer idea of actually doing it made her sick.

"I want to talk to her. That's not quite practical right now, though."

Still holding Arlette in his arms as he deposited her on the sofa, Alastair did debate whether it was worth trying to curtail her irritation. Frankly, he was annoyed too and although that was muted by his general personality it would be rather hypocritical of him to try to soothe her.

"That is a brazen statement to make, as her pockets do certainly run deep, but I had considered him the best candidate to perform an investigation on such a device. As for the woman wearing it, I have tasked operatives with tracking her down and they do not believe she has left the city yet. It is likely she will try to make contact again, in one way or another, but giving her face-to-face access is hardly prudent for countless reasons."

Slipping free of the hold now that it had served its purpose, Alastair continued to stand and let her sprawl out as she saw fit. A hand swept wayward strands of hair from his face and back over his head as he contemplated exactly how they might go about capturing Antonetta. If she was anything like Arlette had been before then it would hardly be a simple matter, and then there were the further complications that this collar might bring.

"Is there anything that could be said or done that might catch her off guard? Something that we could use to lure her in? You and your sisters are tough but... Not invulnerable."

Arlette was already thinking about her sister as a person, what exactly could be done to bait her in. Antonetta was soft, but that was what Arlette had always found so agreeable about her when compared to her other sisters. She had certainly been trained to be a far worse person, but Antonetta was the closest that perhaps any of them had come to being a normal human being.

"...Her cats."

The idea of actually using those cats in such a way was a bit disheartening to Arlette, admittedly. She personally didn't care one way or another, as they were almost certainly just going to be stray cats she'd come across in the city. But the idea of attacking Antonetta like that did make her feel closer to Eliane than she'd have liked.

"She's almost certainly found a cat in the city, maybe even several, that she's bonded with by now. They're crucial for her abilities, but they're important to her, too. Antonetta is easily hurt when something happens to them."