28-04-2019, 02:14 PM
Mander and Bluey sat in Air Finzione's VIP Lounge in the airport, waiting to board. Contessa Helena de San Finzione sat opposite them to see them off.
"Well, Your Countessness." Mander said as they announced boarding. "It's been a mostly enjoyable time."
Helen smiled at him.
"It's always cool to see you, Mander." She turned to Bluey and signed. "And nice to meet you, too."
Bluey nodded and signed his thanks back. Mander nudged him and pointed to a speaker on the ceiling to indicate that their flight was now boarding.
"The yacht will be waiting at the harbor, ready to take you home." Helena told Mander, handing him a set of keys with a float attached. "Ernst can come deliver your helicopter next week, and if it's all right, stay a couple days and give you a couple basic lessons; you guys can work out more. There's also a big metal-and-plastic lump of something that'll be waiting on the deck of the yacht, if one of you big guys wouldn't mind just shoving it over the side somewhere deep on your way back to Mander Island, that'd be cool."
"Yeah, he seemed all right. I can do that for ya. Pretty good idea what it is." Mander replied.
"And the next time I need someone to watch my back when the Ultimados can't?"
"I'll be happy to recommend some blokes I know." Mander said with a smile.
Helena smiled back. They debated a hug for a moment before settling on a handshake.
"Any time you want to visit, Your Countessness... well, I guess we learned I can't really stop ya any time you want to visit, so just go right ahead."
Helen nodded, and left the two to board their flight. Because they were flying Contessa Class, they were rushed through the VIP line to their suite.
"The birds're gonna love ya, man." Mander signed to Bluey as they sat down on the big couch and fastened the belts between the cushions for takeoff.
"Cool." Bluey signed back. "As long as I can get myself a nice, cold Budweiser."
Mander made a frown.
"We're gonna have to talk about that one."
* * *
Contessa Helena de San Finzione walked through the Grand Hall of Castle Finzione. Paintings of past Counts and Contessas who'd sat on the throne looked down at her. They also looked down at Contessa-in-Reggenza Maria Louisa Francesca de San Finzione as she walked next to her Great-Grandmother, looking at the rulers of San Finzione who had come and gone before them.
"Everyone's here?" Helena asked Maria as they walked. Maria nodded.
"They have been waiting in the Banquet Hall." Maria replied.
"They have two Contessas to wait for tonight." Helena said as she continued walking. "They can wait twice as long."
She stopped to light a cigarette in front of Vincenzo's portrait. He had been younger than either of them when it had been painted, days after he'd retaken his family home and driven the Nazis from his country. A young man who, thus far, had won every battle he'd fought; but was also keenly aware that he'd only really fought two of them to this point. That there was still a greater war to be won, and now that San Finzione had cleared out the rats, he and the country were ready to do whatever the world needed of them. Saving the economy would come later; just because it was no longer at their doorstep didn't mean that there wasn't still fighting to be done. And they'd made him stop and pose for a portrait. That look; the look of a man of action, forced to stop and stand still when the entire world needs him, carried through to them as they looked at him. Maria urged Helena on, knowing that if she did not, the rest of La Familia de San Finzione, gathered in the Banquet Hall, might be waiting all night.
"Well, Your Countessness." Mander said as they announced boarding. "It's been a mostly enjoyable time."
Helen smiled at him.
"It's always cool to see you, Mander." She turned to Bluey and signed. "And nice to meet you, too."
Bluey nodded and signed his thanks back. Mander nudged him and pointed to a speaker on the ceiling to indicate that their flight was now boarding.
"The yacht will be waiting at the harbor, ready to take you home." Helena told Mander, handing him a set of keys with a float attached. "Ernst can come deliver your helicopter next week, and if it's all right, stay a couple days and give you a couple basic lessons; you guys can work out more. There's also a big metal-and-plastic lump of something that'll be waiting on the deck of the yacht, if one of you big guys wouldn't mind just shoving it over the side somewhere deep on your way back to Mander Island, that'd be cool."
"Yeah, he seemed all right. I can do that for ya. Pretty good idea what it is." Mander replied.
"And the next time I need someone to watch my back when the Ultimados can't?"
"I'll be happy to recommend some blokes I know." Mander said with a smile.
Helena smiled back. They debated a hug for a moment before settling on a handshake.
"Any time you want to visit, Your Countessness... well, I guess we learned I can't really stop ya any time you want to visit, so just go right ahead."
Helen nodded, and left the two to board their flight. Because they were flying Contessa Class, they were rushed through the VIP line to their suite.
"The birds're gonna love ya, man." Mander signed to Bluey as they sat down on the big couch and fastened the belts between the cushions for takeoff.
"Cool." Bluey signed back. "As long as I can get myself a nice, cold Budweiser."
Mander made a frown.
"We're gonna have to talk about that one."
* * *
Contessa Helena de San Finzione walked through the Grand Hall of Castle Finzione. Paintings of past Counts and Contessas who'd sat on the throne looked down at her. They also looked down at Contessa-in-Reggenza Maria Louisa Francesca de San Finzione as she walked next to her Great-Grandmother, looking at the rulers of San Finzione who had come and gone before them.
"Everyone's here?" Helena asked Maria as they walked. Maria nodded.
"They have been waiting in the Banquet Hall." Maria replied.
"They have two Contessas to wait for tonight." Helena said as she continued walking. "They can wait twice as long."
She stopped to light a cigarette in front of Vincenzo's portrait. He had been younger than either of them when it had been painted, days after he'd retaken his family home and driven the Nazis from his country. A young man who, thus far, had won every battle he'd fought; but was also keenly aware that he'd only really fought two of them to this point. That there was still a greater war to be won, and now that San Finzione had cleared out the rats, he and the country were ready to do whatever the world needed of them. Saving the economy would come later; just because it was no longer at their doorstep didn't mean that there wasn't still fighting to be done. And they'd made him stop and pose for a portrait. That look; the look of a man of action, forced to stop and stand still when the entire world needs him, carried through to them as they looked at him. Maria urged Helena on, knowing that if she did not, the rest of La Familia de San Finzione, gathered in the Banquet Hall, might be waiting all night.
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