MEMINI, ADRASTEIA, SMILE, & SABRINA: VERITAS ESTAT

[Wolfy]

As the clock struck 5:30 p.m., Sabrina began to get nervous. Memini and Victor would arrive in half an hour, and with Memini's new personality, she was afraid everything would need to be perfect for him to remain in his own house. She was overseeing dinner with the chef, ensuring that thei dishes was just unique enough that no one but those two got the memory eraser, but not too different that they suspected anything.

The chef hadn’t been in favor of this plan at the beginning, but once she explained that if Memini left, every member of the mansion’s staff would be let go into the cruel world past the estate’s gates. The cooks overruled the chef’s opinion, and had agreed to the plan. But the chef wasn’t happy about it.

A cook walked by Sabrina with a silver platter and said, “Here is Master Veritas’ and Commander Clarke's meals. Do you wish to add the memory serum now?” he asked in a slight accent. Sabrina smiled, nodded, and pulled out the vial. She was about to add it to the dishes when the chef, who was hovering next to her, grabbed it out of her hand.

“Don’t just pour it on like it is nothing!” he roared in a thick French accent, as he often yelled at his subordinates. “A dish like this has to be handled with care! It was not thrown together by some inexperienced idiot! It was crafted by my own hands!” He popped the cork and took the platter. “Like this!” He drizzled it on carefully, and every drop was placed evenly throughout the food on two dishes to avoid giving it a strange flavor. Victor, of cousr, got less because he only needed to forget a few days.

Sabrina nodded, going to take the tray from him to set on the counter. “No! Don’t you drop this on the filthy floor!” Sabrina held her hands up and backed away, as if she was silently saying ‘Sorry, sorry!’ “You know, why don’t you go fix the décor on the table? Make everything look, how do you say, fancy...”

Sighing, Sabrina left the kitchen. She heard the chef mutter, “First the butler tries to help, and now this girl! Thank goodness they left that mobster out of here!” She decided it was best to leave them alone and began to fix up all the silverware and red and gold cloth place holders. Once everything was in order, she looked at the clock. 5:50! They would be there in ten minutes!

She ran upstairs to get into her green dinner gown. Quickly, she did her hair and put on a small bit of makeup, then hurried back downstairs. Just in time, she had arrived at the bottom of the stairs just as the clock rang out its bitter-sweet chime, followed by six more chimes. It was six o’clock, and Victor and Memini would arrive any minute.

[Rad]

This was ridiculous! An invitation to dinner at his own home? Ha! The whole concept was simply preposterous! Regardless, it was an offer he just could not refuse. To be entirely honest, the military barracks would take some time to get used to. They clearly lacked the elegance and grandeur of his own abode and as such, seated in that uncomfortable bed earlier that day, he had arrived at the conclusion that living away from home had been a bad choice. The smell that had eventually drifted over from the general direction of the cafeteria hadn’t been at all appetizing either and when the call came with the offer of REAL food it was an opportunity he instantly snapped up.

Of course, he had forwarded the invitation to Victor. Perhaps if the man saw how dinner was properly handled then Memini wouldn’t have to worry about how edible his meals would be on a daily basis.

Approaching the great doors now Memini was just about to knock when the doors flung open and Adrasteia ushered him inside. Now, wasn’t this rather suspicious? It was almost as if the butler had been eagerly awaiting his arrival…no doubt in the hopes that he could wheedle some benefit from his master. Well, Memini was having none of that! Even if dinner tasted heavenly he’ll know to attribute that to his chef rather than Adrasteia who he knew could cook only simple meals.

As he sat down at one end of the table Memini looked to Victor and said, “Well, please do make yourself at home. We shall show you how dinner is properly done.”

[Wolfy]

[sze=1]Sabrina hurried over, forcing herself to look like a pleasant host, despite it being Memini’s house and not her own. “Welcome home, Memini!” she said, leading them off to the dining room. “As you can see, we’ve kept the place up for you.”

Victor looked around, nodding slowly. “So this is where you come from, eh? I remember this from that day that your father and your brother massacred each other.” He let out a loud laugh and sat down on one of the fancy couches. He put his feet up on the coffee table, knocking over one of Sabrina’s floral arrangements. The water spilled all over the table, making a huge mess.

“Excuse me!” she said, frowning. “I just cleaned that, and you shouldn’t put your feet on the furniture…” He silenced her with an almost murderous look, then added a smirk as she stopped talking. “Dinner will be ready shortly,” she said, glaring back at him.

With that, she walked off to the kitchen. “Are you ready? They’re here,” she informed the chef. “Be sure that the right plates get to the right people.” Now she headed back to the dining room and smiled. “You can take your seats; dinner will be arriving in a moment.”

Nervously, Sabrina watched the cooks wheel out the carts of platters and set the silver platters on the cloth mats in front of every seat. At the same time, they all pulled the covers off each of the plates and walked away. Did anyone get the memory eraser besides Memini and Victor? She looked down at the plate, wondering if she would suddenly lose several years of her life to the poison.

“You know, Memini,” said Victor. “It wouldn’t take much to get you a promotion.” He drew out a vial of Rouge, smirked at Adrasteia, then added a few drops to his wine. The Rouge dispersed and changed the whole liquid to a deep crimson, which he then took a sip of.
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[Rad]

Letting Victor deal with Sabrina, Memini observed in obvious glee as the array of delightful cuisine was wheeled out before him. The moment his first platter was placed before him the lad almost transformed into a wolf, unceremoniously devouring all he saw in a flurry of silverware! It was as if he had completely forgotten that he was entertaining a guest…until the word ‘promotion’ reached his ears.

“UHMF!!” Memini exclaimed, spraying food everywhere and evidently too excited to remember the table-manners that Adrasteia had so painstakingly taught him…and miraculously also failing to adhere to the strict dinner regulations his own parents had placed him under when they were still alive. Or…perhaps his rudeness was simply attributed to a desire to rebel against them now that they could no longer wring out those harsh punishments! Either that or Memini was genuinely starving!

“Poemofision?” Memini asked, his voice hardly making its way through the crowd of food in his mouth. “Daff’ll vee knife.” (Meaning: That’ll be nice) Then, he stopped; saying nothing and absolutely still for a moment as if contemplating a matter of significant importance before…

Splat! The impact sent food flying off in all directions! The strange child had just face-planted into his own meal!

Had he fainted? Had he choked? Was he dead? These questions almost sent Adrasteia into a frantic frenzy until he reasoned that he might have had to kill Memini anyway. As he motioned for the servants to move in on Memini (partially to check that the boy was okay and partially for the purpose of dragging him away) Adrasteia silently counted down the seconds left for something similar (or maybe the same) to happen to Victor.

[Wolfy]

Victor looked as if he was about to say something, but when Memini face planted into his dinner, he looked shocked and horrified. "What is that about?" he asked, getting up and waving the servants away. "Did he get bad food? Is he choking?"

Sabrina glanced at Adrasteia. If Victor thought he had bad food, then of course he wouldn't eat his own. Maybe he was smart enough to think that was intentional, and that they'd poisoned it? "Oh no," she covered quickly. "Memini is just... eccentric! Sometimes he gets so excited that he just... does that." She laughed (showing a hint of nervousness).

"Hmm... I see," he said. The servants picked up Memini's limp form and carefully carried him off. He took his seat, though seemed reluctant to continue eating. "When do you think he will come around? We shouldn't be out late, you know."

Sabrina tapped Adrasteia's foot under the table, trying to get his attention. If he wouldn't take the elixir, then giving it to Memini would be a complete waste. Victor would just remind him and it would all go back to the way it was! But she didn't know what to do about it.

[Rad]

As Sabrina’s foot regrettably made contact with Adrasteia’s shin he flinched noticeably; a mishap he was certain Victor wouldn’t fail to pick up on. Now how could he possibly remedy the situation before the awkward silence became suspicious? Trust Memini to do the most unexpected and melodramatic thing possible! That child really proved quite a handful at all times!

Laughing nervously, Adrasteia stood and made to clear the plates, making light conversation as he said, “Well, now that Memini has spoiled the main meal for everyone, why not move onwards to…” Here, he leaned closer to Victor, cupping his hands as if disclosing some clandestine secret, “…a drink? Despite the prohibition the Veritas household has quite a treasure hold of near-extinct brands. I dare venture that what we offer you tonight might even be the last of its kind! You cannot possibly say no to that!”

Finished with his little promotional speech Adrasteia hastened into the kitchen, removing one of the bottles from the stash before reaching for the vial of memory-be-gone that had been discarded on the bench. However, try as he might, the butler simply could not coerce that final drop to fall into the awaiting beverage. Frustrated and with no other options remaining, Adrasteia added a few drops of water, gave it a number of firm shakes, and then added the dilute solution to the drink (hoping desperately that the addition of such foreign substances was no too superficially obvious.

Finally, as composedly as possible, the butler returned to Victor and gently placed the glass before him with simply an utterance of “Enjoy.” Oh how ironic that scene was!

[Wolfy]

Victor frowned slightly, looking at Adrasteia and trying to figure out what the sudden movement was about. However, when the man moved, he decided to let the strange behavior go. For now. Sabrina watched him and let out an inaudible sigh of relief. So he hadn’t noticed Adrasteia’s reaction to her.

The commander looked down at the glass of wine placed in front of him. He held it under his nose and swirled it around. “Good quality,” he said unemotionally. He took a sip and frowned just slightly. “Ah, are these difficult times hitting this estate, as well? Memini must be watering down his wine…”

However he continued drinking before he noticed that he was the only one with a glass. “Why am I drinking alone?” he asked suspiciously. He again smelled the drink. “You aren’t trying to poison me or anything, are you?” He chuckled, but he still sounded dead serious.

Sabrina looked at Adrastiea, wondering why he hadn’t poured more glasses for the other adults in the room. “Well… That is expensive wine, and we think that only Master Memini and his guests should enjoy it.” She smiled, laughing nervously. "And obviously Memini won't be enjoying much right now."

"You aren't a servant," Victor pointed out. He set the glass down. "Wouldn't you be considered a guest?" He smother, thinking she was trapped if she was lying.

"Technically yes," she said. "However, I am not of age, and am forbidden to
drink more than a sip, especially without my parents." She laughed a bit. "Besides, wine makes me cough!"

So they must be telling the truth... Sabrina would not seem like a good liar. So he finished and sat back as the poison began to take effect. When he reopened his eyes, he looked baffled. "W-where am I?"

[Rad]

“We were here to discuss your interest in this intricate Persian rug over dinner,” Adrasteia offered helpfully, indicated the marvelous tapestry behind him “however; mid-way through my elaboration on its features and estimated increase in market value once the Great Depression concludes you seemed to find my monologue tedious and unconstructive so thus drifted off. Dare I assume that you are no longer interested in placing an offer on such a grand treasure?” Endeavoring to be as monotonous and dull as humanly possible, Adrasteia almost couldn’t contain a yawn himself.

"Come now, sir.” Adrasteia added, nodding in the direction of the clock, “It is time for your decision. Do you or do you not wish to purchase this exquisite piece of craftsmanship? We have finished dinner, the hour is late, and I have duties that soon require my attention.”

Of course, as soon as Victor was gone he would have to run upstairs to Memini’s room to check on the lad…and that annoying mobster. Who could guess what abominable pranks the man might be so inclined to torment Memini with whilst the boy was in such an exceedingly helpless state?

[Wolfy]

Victor looked extremely puzzled, and shook his head. “I don’t know why I would be interested in making such a purchase,” he said. “What on earth would I need a decorative tapestry for?” He thought for moment and rubbed his eyes. “No, I’m not interested. Thank you, though.” He wondered if the Rouge was finally taking its toll on his memory.

“Goodnight, sir,” he said as he stood. “I’m sorry for wasting your… valuable time.” With that, he led himself out, wondering why he would even have inquired about such a thing. Sabrina let out a huge sigh of relief.

“I can’t believe that worked!” she said excitedly. She ran over and hugged Adrasteia. “You did wonderfully! Thank you!” She looked like a young girl getting the perfect Christmas gift. Laughing happily, she ran up the grand staircase, holding her dress up slightly past her shins so she wouldn’t trip over it.

She went to where the others had brought Memini and Smile. “It worked!” she announced, skipping over to Smile and also giving him a hug because of her unbridled excitement. “I’m so happy!” She looked down at Memini and asked, “How is he?”

He stepped over and looked at him curiously. “Did it work on him?”

[Rad]

It was at that moment that Memini sat up with an exceedingly perplexed expression on his face as he voiced a single enquiry, “Who am I?” The child appeared genuinely confused, just like he had when he had awakened from his coma years ago.

Well, Smile wasn’t losing this opportunity to trick the young lad and with what the boy had done to Sabrina in the past few hours he was going to make it good! Clearing his throat and feigning the most effeminate voice possible, the mobster put an arm around Adrasteia (who had had the misfortunate of arriving in the wrong place at the wrong time) and said, “Tsk tsk, my boy, don’t you remember you parents? I’m your mother and this is your father!” Then, glancing at Adrasteia he said, “Let’s raise him PROPERLY this time!”

There followed a moment of silence before, “Mummy? Daddy?”
He couldn’t help it! That voice held so much genuine innocence and uncertainty that both men burst out laughing!

“What do you say, Adrasteia? Let’s adopt him!”

“Ahaha, yeah! Oh god! I, hahah, this is too cute!”

“Mummy, daddy, I’m…I’m adopted?” Of course, Memini’s distressed confusion only produced laughter! There was simply not possible to even attempt a word of comfort. The situation was plainly too comical for the laughter to even cease!

[Wolfy]

Sabrina couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at Memini’s expense. The bitter-sweet moment made her want to smile and tear up at the same time. Their plan had worked, and Memini was back to normal, but she also would have to start over with him. He didn’t remember anything from before this past summer, which meant that he only remembered things from when they were children.

However, even though she was going to have to start over with him, she would still have him as a friend, where if it hadn’t worked, she would have lost him completely. “Welcome back, Memini,” she said. She walked over, hugged him quickly, then stepped back. “Adrasteia, why don’t you explain? He’ll get overwhelmed if we all try to tell him at once.”

As she walked to the back of the room, she took Smile gently by his hand. “Can I speak to you?” she whispered. She continued walking until she was out in the hallway, and shut the door behind her. “Something’s been bothering me, Smile.” She looked up at him, looking quizzical.

She sighed, trying to decide how to begin. “You had me trapped back in that dungeon. You could have kept me chained there for as long as you wanted.” She looked away. “Why did you let me go, knowing that I might never come around to love you?”

This question had been bothering her since she’d been freed from that terrible place. She’d just been too anxious to inquire about it. Now, however, her curiosity was beginning to outweigh her worry. Then she realized how that might come across to a person like Smile. “I’m not saying that I wish you had, of course! That’s not it at all!”

Biting her lip, she stopped talking. She was being very eloquent anyway. “So, what was going through your head?” she said, finishing up her little speech.

[Rad]

“Just to clarify, any notion of even attempting to force you to love me never even crossed my mind for a second.” Smile stated as he cleared his throat with a look of evident disgruntlement on his face. “I think you underestimate me, my dear. Do you truly think that I would consider rape-“

Here, Smile burst into a series of animated coughs, embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he attempted to draw attention away from his appalling wording. “What I mean is! What I mean is…that even a criminal like me comprehends that er…love isn’t exactly something that can be forced. Come on, tell me the truth. If I had left you chained like that wouldn’t you have been more inclined to hate me?”

If it were possible, Smile was convinced that his face was becoming even more obvious shades of pink than before at the thought of what he was about to say next. Even so, he wished to demonstrate sincerity and thus somehow willed himself not to turn away in utter mortification! It really wasn’t something he was accustomed to saying…perhaps not something he needed to say…but…

Taking in a deep breath, Smile fixed Sabrina with an intense stare (which frankly appeared more intimidating than sincere) and placed both hand on her shoulders. “Besides, I…I…I…” Oh he was stuttering! He just couldn’t! It was too awkward! All of it!

Giving up the ideal scene he had practiced for so long in his head, Smile withdrew from Sabrina and slumped against the opposite wall. “What I was trying to say…” Another long pause, some fiddling with his shirt cuff, and a nervous biting of the lower lip, “What I was…trying to er…say…was that I realized at that point that love…”

Here, he stopped again, gazing away as if wondering ‘am I really going to force myself to say this?’ before resuming eye contact and continuing, “Love is about choosing what makes your special person happiest. As the man who loves you most it’s my duty to protect your freedom and not just your physical well-being. You have my unconditional love, Sabrina.”

Getting down on one knee, Smile gazed up at Sabrina, an uncharacteristically timid expression on his countenance as he stated, “I’ll always be by you side protecting you and supporting you but I’ve come to understand that I can’t make choices for you. From now on I won’t interfere like I used to, I promise. However, if anyone ever hurts you in any way I will personally hunt them down and grind them into tiny bite-sized pieces and feed them to Memini’s bulldog one spoonful at a time.”

And there it was, that sinister smile again. Sabrina was so worth turning into a monster for.

{OoC:// Sorry this reply is so delayed~ I’m terrible at writing lovey-dovey stuff…especially if it’s to conclude a RP…LOLOLOLOL I fail. *slinks off to corner of shame* So many clichés in this post. Also, I apologize for various mistakes. I am too mortified by my own writing to even attempt proof-reading. *sobs*}