Charming, If A Bit Old Fashioned

To say that it had been a long time since Augustus had dated would be an understatement. He had certainly never dated in Australia, because the last time he had been on something resembling a date, the continent was only just seeings its earliest waves of convicts, and such a luminary among his kind would not have stooped so low as to become a settler, or a convict. It was not until much years later that Australia would feel the first gentle touches of Augustus' perfectly manicured fingers dipping into its night life, its entertainment, its tourism. Why be the one to build, when you could take what others had started building, and turn it into something enchanting?

He was dressed immaculately, as always, one of his finest Medici suits, hand tailored by himself, for himself, with no expenses spared. Centuries ago his skill with cloth and thread had caught the eye of a vain Toreador that was losing grasp with what was fashionable, and his breath taking skills had meant that his embrace was all but assured. It had taken two ghouls almost an hour to perfect his hair and his makeup to his high standard, despite the fact that he was stunning without any effort into either avenue. He did not need to look at himself in the limousines' mirror to know he looked perfect, but he did so anyway. Her first sight of him was going to be important, and needed to distract her from the fact that he had found his way to her home without her input, knowledge or consent.

In the front of the limousine sat his driver and his footman, who was preparing to exit the vehicle and come around to open his door. Both were unquestioning in their loyalty and efficient in their service. Having served him for over two decades each, they could anticipate his every need before he spoke it, and that was the way he normally liked it, but today would be different. Instead of the mature gentleman leaving the car and going to fetch whomever it was would be lucky enough to be accompanying Augustus today, they would be opening the door and Augustus himself would go to her. Only twice in over twenty years had this happened, and neither of those times had been for a mortal. Change was in the air. Augustus was unusually alert, focused on his surroundings instead of his thoughts. The change was almost palpable to his servants, and it put them on edge.

Like some kind of Grecian god, he rose from the limousine, gracefully rising to his full height. The gorgeous and ridiculously expensive bouquet of flowers in his hand seemed so insignificant in the shadow of his magnificence, but he held them carefully and respectfully as he approached her door. If he had so desired, the powers of his ancient blood could call her to him without even knowing he was there, but he did nothing of the sort. Instead, his fingers lightly rapped upon the door and he waited, as a mortal would.

The notes of the synthesized piano rung out through her small apartment, her deft fingers coaxing the chords into a life of their own. She was working on a new song, one that had been inspired by her meeting with a certain man on an uncertain night and how it made her feel. As she played, singing the fragmented tune she was constructing she let her mind wander. He left as he came in a rush of emotion. It was unusually chilly in those early hours of the morning as he insisted to escort her to her car, his eyes seemed to glow as he very regally bid her a good day by the dying light of the stars. She'd been approached over the years by men, looking for her number or a date but nothing stirred her, not until that night when she so desperately wished she did not have to say goodbye so soon.

A knock came from the door. Her fingers faltered on the keys, blinking as she was tugged gently from her memories. She glanced down the small hallway and then to the clock, odd, she'd not been expecting company this evening. She stood from the chair, my fingers pulling her lush hair over her shoulder and her socked feet whispering over the floor as she went to answer the door without a hint of fear or thought to check the peephole first.

"Mr Medici..." She paused, he had chided her before gently, "Augustus..."

She blinked, a blush already spreading across her cheeks and a smile forming on her delicate lips. He looked the perfect gentleman and... she was in well-loved track pants, singlet, and hoodie. None of which could hide the rich colour of her hair or the sparkle in her eye as she stood back a step, allowing him into her small apartment without hesitation or thought how he found her there. Her home was modest, clean lines with touches of sentimentality, her sanctuary but he was very welcome within it.

"Please, come inside. I'm sorry its a little messy."

His shoes were ridiculously expensive, painstakingly hand made. The leather soft and supple, perfectly blacked. The laces tight and crisp. The outsole and heel perfectly sculpted and firm. Despite all of this, he was perfectly silent as he entered her room, footfalls making not a sound upon her floors. His beautiful eyes danced around her abode, bright and inquisitive, before settling upon her own. "My apologies for arriving unannounced, my dear Ashley. I do hope these go some measure to easing your discomfort." He raised the flowers ever so faintly to indicate they were what he was speaking of.

While his demeanour was more relaxed than when they had last met, he had lost nothing of the intensity. His pale majesty, his exquisite looks, his breath taking fashion, he seemed literally too good to be true. His voice was very faintly and very deliberately accented, but that accent itself was such a marriage of Russian, French, Spanish and Italian as to be unidentifiable as anything other than refined. His mannerism was like a lord or royalty. He could command any room simply by being present, and yet he stood before her calmly, as an equal. "You have a lovely home."

Ashley smiled softly as she took the flowers in hand with a gentle explanation of 'oh my, thank you' at the enchanting sight of them. She lead Augustus further into her home, excusing herself to step into the small kitchenette for a brief moment to find a suitable vase to display the bouquet in, her voice drifted out of the room to meet his ears as she did, "Don't worry yourself a moment longer, Augustus. You are always very welcome."

She padded back out, vase in hand and placed it on the small table, besides her comfortable couch, pride of display now in her modest home. A moment later she swooped down, gathering the few books from the couch - a travel magazine, various written music sheets, a romance novel which was discreetly the first one to be hurriedly tucked away. "Again, sorry about the mess. I don't really entertain a lot of people, please sit. Can I get you anything to drink? I might have cheese around, I am a bit of a fiend for cheese these days."

She chuckled, snagged the few items of clothing from the bookshelf and tossed the lot into her bedroom before closing the door. On her way back she touched the power on her keyboard and shut it off, clearly she was happy to give all her attention to Augustus now. "May I say your suit is exquisite but I sense that's always going to be the case with someone of your style, are you on the way to a meeting?"

As she moved to tidy, so too did he. His fingers deft, his touch light, the flowers spreading, petals gently smoothed into perfection, the bouquet changing ever so slightly as he manoeuvred each bulb around to accentuate those around it. He did it almost reflexively, being part of his nature to strive for perfection in everything around him. "You need not be concerned for any mess, my dear. Your home is wonderful and cosy, I am quite enamoured."

He turned slowly towards her, and his perfect lips turn up ever so slightly at the corners as he sees her once more. She did not need the finery that so many Kindred draped themselves with. Here in her home, in her simple outfit, with so little make-up and hair unkempt, she was a beauty that would bring Elysium to its knees. Unlike other Kindred, however, he did not want to possess her and control her and keep her. He wanted to free her to find her perfection, to ensure she would never be withered by time or illness. In the world of beauty he surrounded himself within, she stood out as a beacon.

"I was on my way to something very important, and now I have arrived," he says softly, his voice gentle and melodic. "I confess, the tickets I have for the opera and the clumsy invitation I was going to extend were merely accessories to my true purpose. Since last we spoke, your voice has haunted my dreams. I see your smile out of the corner of my eye, but when I divert my gaze in that direction, you are not there. Phantoms, ghostly echo's of the perfection you showed me on that stage, and... I had to see more."