in enemy territory

who: ari and nate
where: his room
when: late

Arienne was usually a girl with the patience of a saint. She was someone with long term goals that outnumbered her short term ones. Her entire mode of thinking was virtually based in the long term. She wasn't living in the moment, she was waiting for later. So, generally speaking, Ari was patient to a nearly absurd degree, especially for someone her age.

One thing had been needling at her, however. It seemed as if it had been ages since she'd managed to touch base with Nathaniel. He wasn't around, and she understood why. With all the turmoil going on in the city, he was bound to be dealing with that particular situation. He'd sent her the note in church, he'd been there, something she'd specifically looked around for when she'd had a moment. When it could be subtle. So she'd caught sight of him, but it wasn't quite enough for her.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. And while she didn't like considering herself in the light of 'desperate', she was also realistic. She felt the need to see him, and if that meant she had to take some risks to do so, she would do that.

Her brother would have a royal fit if he knew what she was up to, what she had planned. And if she found she couldn't get in, then she'd abandon the plan--she wasn't stupid. She was taking a risk but it was a calculated one. So when she set out for the Konnovich home at a very late hour, after the traffic had died down, after she could slip through the streets unnoticed, she was prepared.

As expected, there were a lot of people there. There were a lot of cars, and basically? It reminded her of her own home. Not her brother's house, of course, but her father's. It was basically the same thing, just a different building. And, using her father's security measures as a guide, she made her way inside the place. It wasn't being so well guarded that there weren't holes in that security. After she was inside the house, it was easier. She knew her own family was guilty of it--no one expected anyone to make it inside, so once there? The security got even worse. It wasn't difficult for her to find Nathaniel's room, either. She'd looked around the parameter when she'd been getting inside, picking out which ones she thought most likely to be his. Then it was just a matter of narrowing things down.

Then all she had to do was slip inside.

Nate hadn't been in school since sometime last week. not since everything started getting serious. It hadn't been that hard to simply... stop going. Nobody tried to fight him on it. The people surrounding his 'father' either didn't care enough to question - or possibly didn't even realise he was still school age - or, in some rewarding circumstances, thought better of him for being able to properly know his priorities. Of course, it helped that Nate was adapted and adept at reading people, presenting them with the lines and stories which would paint himself in the best light.

His home never slept, it seemed, not these days, but Nate knew that nobody could operate for long on that basis without going mad. And whilst he was happy for Iakov to succumb to that fate - encouraging it, even - he had no intention of the same happening to him. And so, that evening, late, during a lull, he'd been taking some down time. He'd made enough progress within the structure of things now that he could rely on someone coming to get him if anything important was going down. Whether Iakov called for him or not.

That was what he assumed when the door cracked open, disturbing him from the cat nap on his bed - that someone was coming to fetch him. He was prepared, still dressed - albeit his clothes a little rumpled, along with his hair - as he laid out on the bed, legs crossed at the ankles, fingers laced across his chest.

She had the door open and shut again in short order, really slipping inside the room as quickly as possible. It was dark in there, but it was also quite late. The hall lights were on, as the house was still alive with activity, and she leaned silently against the door for a moment, letting her eyes adjust. She wasn't even sure if he was in or not, or if she had the correct room, though if her calculations had been correct, it was. Now, if he were just in, or coming in sometime soon, that would be perfect. Because she wasn't sure if she was in the right place, or if the room were occupied, she didn't say anything immediately, wanting to see better in the dark first.

Nate frowned a little as someone slipped through the door. The guy he'd set up to fetch him wasn't the type to 'slip. Plus, he was about double the size of the figure who was paused by the door. Nate reached over and flipped on his bedside lamp, casting a yellowish pool of light across the room - mostly on himself, but enough to cast a shadow-filled light across her figure. "Now," he said, when he recognised who it was. "You are possibly the last person I expected to see in my room."

Well, thankfully she had the right room and the right person. When he turned the light on, she squinted for a moment, blinking slightly so her eyes could re-adjust again. But it was dim enough that it didn't hurt, and happened quickly enough. "I hadn't expected to find myself here either, however I concluded that it was the only way I was going to be able to see you any time soon." she explained to him, glancing around the room momentarily til her gaze landed upon him again. "Therefore I endeavored to take matters into my own hands." She started over towards him, though she took her time with it, noting his slightly disheveled look. But it was one that looked good on him. He had the features that complimented most any style. Tonight she was all in black, to aid in being unseen on the grounds.

Nate pushed himself up off the bed and crossed the room, passing her as he reached the door and flipped the lock - after all, it wouldn't do for anyone to walk in on them. That done, he turned back to her. "You took matters into your own hands - and came here?" he asked her, though it was mostly observation. With anyone else, he may have been questioning whether they were brave or stupid. With her, there was a touch to his tone that suggested that he was at least sightly impressed, as well as the fact that he was quite possibly pleased to see her. Whilst when he was putting on an act for someone, Nate seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve, when it came to honest emotions, they were far more subtle, if shown at all.

"I imagined that if I did not, I would not see you for some time." she told him. "Therefore, I decided to remedy that situation myself. The security here is much like at my father's place at the moment. There's too much going on for people to be fully concerned with things, and once inside the home, it's as if there's a free pass." She said it with a light little smile on her features, she was at least a little impressed with herself. "I've been wondering how you are. How things are going. I miss keeping in better touch with you."

Nate cocked an eyebrow, but there was amusement in his face as he spoke. “What, my note yesterday wasn’t enough for you?” he teased, but he understood her frustration. He felt it too. He took her hand, leading her further into the room. “Tell me about how you got in here,” he requested, wanting to hear her story. Wanting to share that with her. For all she talked about it being simple once she was inside, he knew getting this far hadn’t been without risk, and he did so love risk - even vicarious types.

She allowed him to lead her into the room, actually liking that for the moment. It was his space, and it was an invitation into it. She smiled at him, an amused expression. "No, your note wasn't enough." she confirmed. "I have something else to say on that matter, but it can wait." she added, since he'd requested her story.

"I knew I would need to come here late, though the process of getting inside here took several hours." she said first, because it had been a game of patience. "So I left home late, but timed it so I'd be here around full dark. After that, I found a vantage from nearby, across the street at first, just to see if there were patrols around the building proper or not. After that, I got closer. The fencing around the place is a lot like mine as well--spaced too closely for a man to get through, but I can get through if I want it badly enough." She'd definitely gotten herself some bruises at the tightest points, but she'd been prepared for that before she'd set out. "There's landscaping to the west of the house, it provided enough cover for me to keep watching. Timing when the men around moved their positions or switched areas. During that time, I was trying to work out which room was likely to be yours." The actual wait was dull, but she knew she'd been inside enemy territory at the time. She could have been caught. In fact, she knew she already had a plan for if she was, now that she'd got this far. Previously, it would have gone differently, but if she were caught in Nathaniel's room, there was a different story to work with.

Nate followed her story carefully. “And how did you come to a conclusion about my room?” he asked her, both as a prompt for her to carry on with it, and also due to real curiosity - was there a way of figuring that out. If there was, that felt to him as something he should know, for future reference.

"There seems to be slightly heavier security here. But not as much as where I imagine your patriarch sleeps." Arienne said. "Though, just a personal observation now that I'm inside...it looks like mine." she told him, looking around the room before she settled her gaze on his again. "It's full of everything you would expect, but nothing that's true." She smiled. "I even keep a false journal."

Nate raised an eyebrow, and it did occur to him to wonder whether Iakov wasn't as far gone as he thought - whether the man was having him watched. Unlikely, but Nate wasn't the type to dismiss a theory out of hand, just because it was far fetched. What would be more far fetched would be the idea that his step-father gave enough of a damn to put extra detail on him. Not unless his mother was insistent, and even then it would be unlikely. Nate knew that, given the efforts he'd been putting in recently and the progress he knew he'd been making, the truth would probably be that there were men in the Syndicate who had taken it upon themselves to ensure he was safe. He just needed to be sure - but that was a matter which could wait for later. "I never went as far as a false journal," he told her instead, with hardly a pause for his reflection. "I doubt anyone would consider me the type to write out my inner thoughts. Unlike your image," he allowed. It would almost be expected of her, and if someone went looking and couldn't find it, with her they would look deeper. With him, well, they'd find his carefully-but-not-too-
carefully hidden stash of girlie pictures and give up. He did, in actual fact, keep a journal. But not where anyone would think to look for it.

"It would be considered terribly out of place for me not to have a journal, yes." she said, knowing he understood. They both understood that layering to their personalities. The fictions they propped up to show the world that didn't reflect anything of their true selves. Walking towards the bed, she reached out to touch the covers, thinking the fabric was expensive, like everything else in the home. Though she noted that it seemed his place was more full of art pieces that were shaped, like vases or statuettes and hers was more filled with paintings. "You mentioned retribution." she told him, glancing back over her shoulder at him. "Are you going to be handing out some of it yourself, Nathaniel?" she asked, keeping her eyes on his.

He moved then, to stand just behind her, not mentioning his proximity, but wanting it as he delivered his news. "That was the plan, yes," he told her, his voice dropping a little. "Tonight, in fact." he considered it, reflecting on the fact that, as dangerous as it was for her to be here, in some ways, it was almost safer for her than it would be if she'd stayed at home.

She could feel him standing there, his soft voice feeling so close as she listened. She didn't turn to face him, merely kept herself where she was. She did tilt her head back slightly, her hair falling farther down her back, and she turned to partially look over her shoulder at him, but not entirely. More like she was merely turning her ear more towards him to hear him better. "Do you have specific goals?" she asked. "Are you striking at my father's home?"

“Yes, I am,” he told her, no regret in his tone at all. “We are.” He paused, just for a beat, before continuing, his tone becoming reflective, this time regret showing through - though with the content, it was cleared faked. “Of course, it will be such a shame that your father will be unavoidably detained, rather than being at home as our sources had confirmed he definitely would be,” he told her. After all, striking at the heart of the DiGiovanni was one thing. Destroying the heart of it was something entirely different. The former would help him. The latter would more than hurt their future plans.

A light little smile touched her lips. "Of course." she agreed. It was in that moment that she felt that sweeping spark between them again. And she always did when she saw him, however it was moments like these that she cherished. Where it was so very clear that they were on the same page, that they both understood the stakes. She didn't care any more about her father than she had her mother, but his death at this juncture would not be strategically sound. "This will spark a lot of bloodshed." she noted, just as dispassionate about that as she knew he would be. "I merely wonder if anyone will come to the conclusion that much of the aggression towards you and yours has not been perpetrated by us to begin with." It just needed to be a controlled war, she knew. Where key people were brought down and others were put in their place, where they could help manipulate the outcome. "Will you be taking a trophy from my room?" she asked with an amused expression.

"Anger is blinding people right now," Nate told her, not breaking eye contact for a moment. "They don't stop to think, to put the pieces together, to see that things just don't add up properly. Maybe they don't care - maybe they just want to hit out, and you and yours are a familiar target." Nate knew more of the truth than most, but he wasn't trying to correct any misapprehensions. It served their purpose more for both sides to be taken down a peg or two. Upsetting the balance in the city would send things spiralling off in a direction they couldn't predict or control, after all. "As for a trophy... It hadn't been my intention, but I will admit to being somewhat curious to see your inner sanctum," he told her, matching her expression.

"You should take something. It'll mean something to those around you, that you tried to get to me to take me down, or whatever it is you want to suggest. Perhaps you could even tell them you'll use it for other purposes. Intimidation, a point for intention, favor...I'm sure you'd be able to come up with something. Feel free to look around." she told him, giving him full licence to go through her room at her father's place. She didn't mind. She rather liked the idea. "Take whatever you like for your trophy, I'm sure you'll want something showier, that'll get people's attention more than something more subtle. But there's something else in there that if you should happen upon it, it's yours, but don't allow anyone else to see." She gave him a slow, playful sort of smile that had a decidedly evil slant to it. “Would you like a hint as to where it may be located? You'll know it if you find it."

He appreciated that look on her, not least because he knew it was not one that she would ever wear in public. This was just for him. "You know I do," he told her, wanting to share.

Turning around and leaning back against the bed, she considered him, that smile still in place. Absently, she traced her fingertips along the blankets on the bed, eyes not wavering from his. "It's someplace you could look every day and still never see it. A reflection of a version of me hides truth beneath it's surface." she told him.

Nate's smile widened for a moment, his blue eyes twinkling. "Thank you - I'm sure that I'll find it most... interesting," he said. Possibly informative, if it was what he thought it was. And where he thought it would be. He heard the unmistakeable tread of someone large along the hallway, and his smile disappeared as he brought a finger to his lips just as the door handle turned. The door was locked, of course, though it was clear that whoever had tried the door hadn't expected that. Nate stepped away from Arienne and pulled off his shirt, heading for the door as a voice sounded through the wood. "Nate - rise and shine, pretty boy, there's movement downstairs." the voice was deep, obviously from someone older than the teen, the stage whisper of someone who didn't want to be heard by anyone, but having to speak loud enough for his voice to carry. Still, there was a hint of amusement as the nickname was delivered, despite the urgency in the tone.

Arienne was silent, even as she watched him. She did move to walk to the opposite wall, where it would be less likely she'd be seen. Padding without sound towards the door--where even if it opened she'd be unseen, she watched him for a cue, even if she smirked, mouthing 'pretty boy?' in his direction. She wanted to see if she could spot who was speaking to Nathaniel when he opened the door, through the small crack created between the hinges. Plus, there was something to being so close to a clear and present danger that she enjoyed, and she imagined he would as well.

Nate cast her a smirk as he ruffled his hair messily, then he turned to the door again, schooling his expression into something which screamed 'just woke up'. Unlocking it, he opened the door a crack - enough to talk, not enough for the man to get into the room, his foot casually positioned behind the wood so that if he tried to enter, the door wouldn't open enough to allow it. Starting to pull the shirt back on again, as though he'd just grabbed it on his way over, Nate gave the guy a look of gratitude for the heads up. "How long?" he asked, all seriousness now, the initial sleepy look disappeared now it had put in its useful and necessary appearance. He talked quietly for a moment or two to the man, before dismissing him and closing the door again, quietly turning the key once more in the lock. "I'm going to have to leave you shortly," he told Arienne, heading in her direction.

She made a step towards him as well to help close the distance, the thrill of everything racing through her veins. "I wish I could go with. See you in action." she said, that spark bright in her eyes as she leveled them on his. "Again." Since she'd had that request fullfilled once before. Though this was different. This was something where the stakes were much higher, it wasn't a simple street fight. But she imagined he would be rather magnificent in that element.

Nate raised an eyebrow. "Sure you would - but we both know that of all the things you could witness... This is the one thing you shouldn't be anywhere near. You're almost safer here than you would be there, given an hour or so," he said, though he knew she knew that already. She wasn't, after all, actually asking to go. He stopped before her. "The name, by the way," he explained, since she'd asked before. "It's from the gym, boxing. At first they'd try to goad me with it. Like I was too worried about my face to fight properly." He smiled, the grin almost evil, suggestive of hers earlier on. "They learned. Now, with some of them anyway, I suppose one would call it a term of endearment." And he allowed it, for much the same reason he was known as 'Nate' - it fitted with the image he wanted to portray.

"I see. It fits, then, in that context." she said, knowing how he worked and it did in fact go along nicely with the entire image he was putting forth. She could tell as well that it served him well now, a sort of camaraderie that was clear. Sometimes it was just those little tells that made it so easy to suss people out. Nathaniel was doing well in moving up in the world. That pleased her. Then she addressed his other point. "Shall I stay here while you're out assaulting my home?" she asked, reaching out very subtly to run her fingertips along the top of his belt, even if the motion was light.

His eyes dropped as she touched him, glancing towards her arm, then back to her face after a moment, an interested look in his eye that he didn't make any attempt to hide. "I will admit that there is... an attraction to that suggestion," he said, picking his words. He'd found that, since he met Arienne, he'd managed to rein in the worst of his impulsive tendencies. She had an effect on him, she made him more controlled. Before, he'd manipulated the world on a whim. Now, he stopped and thought more. He didn't just take what he wanted, he gave some thought to the impact that would have on his future. On their future. The same applied to her, though in different ways. With her, there was no manipulation. With her, there was just the dance - and he knew that it had its own rhythm and pace, and he didn't want to put a single step wrong. He was enjoying it far too much.

She leaned in closer, eyes ticking between his to maintain that heavy eye contact. She also kept that light contact up, even if she wasn't technically touching him, just his belt. "Then barring unforseen complications, I will be here when you return." she told him. Really, she wished he didn't have to depart so soon, though she imagined they had a little time before he was called to action. Still, she was enjoying her time with him. In his room, in the heart of enemy territory.

"I'm sure you'll find ways to entertain yourself in my absence," Nate told her, knowing that tonight's work would have an additional edge, knowing she would be here whilst he was tearing apart her home. "But, should you be at a loss - you may find some interesting reading material underneath the large and unfortunately ugly vase in my bathroom," he told her, glancing towards the other door which led off his room. Most of his decor he'd managed to choose himself, but that, somehow, had slipped through the net, and his mother loved it. He'd decided it wasn't worth the argument, plus it was big, and heavy, and had a hollow base.

She smiled brightly at that, clearly pleased. "I'll need something to entertain me while I'm waiting for you." she said, thinking really she'd need something to pass the time because she'd be dying to know how things had gone. "So, quite appreciated." And she now couldn't wait to see what she'd find there. Then she stood on her toes to get slightly closer to him, though mostly it was to exhale against his jawline. "I do have one warning for you." she told him, tone a sort of soft purr even if it was subtle as usual. "Should you come across a tall man with dark hair, not close cut but slightly shaggier, with bright blue eyes--stay very far away from him. If you have someone you wish to send to the slaughter, point him in his direction, but don't go anywhere where he can even see you." Ari didn't know if her brother was going to be at the house tonight but the last thing she wanted was for Max to catch the scent of Nathaniel.

Nate met her gaze, but his look turned serious with the warning. "Noted," he said, willing to take her at her word without additional information - much as he'd expected her to take his note of the day before seriously without additions. Stll, he was curious. "Brother? Cousin? Family friend? Or just a guard dog?" he asked, lightly, willing to take no for an answer, if she so chose. Still, he reached out and placed a hand lighly on her hip as he asked it, using that slight increase in intimacy without a second thought.

Not answering immediately, she watched him, easing closer unconsciously. She knew she really did need to get it out in the open eventually, even if she'd been careful so far to keep it quiet. "My brother." she said. "Who will be instrumental for us later." she added, just so he'd know without her specifically saying that if a shot could be taken--it shouldn't be. "He can more than fend for himself, of course, but I really do need to keep his attention off of you. It's not the right time yet, and I don't imagine it will be for some time. But once he catches the scent of someone..." she trailed off, letting him fill in the blank. Of course there was still mystery there, for instance the lack of a real public record about an elder DiGiovanni son. But she would give details when Nathaniel asked after doing his homework, or later when they had more time. "I don't want him deciding to turn his attention on you."

Nate nodded, once, filing the information away in the back of his mind. The description, the warning, the added points. A dangerous brother - he could understand quite why Arienne wanted him to stay under the radar on that one. Whether she thought she could bring him on board or not, matters would have to be handled carefully. And they would be for her to handle - he wasn't going to put himself in the mix. He wouldn't even step near it unless he was pushed.

She nodded in return to his, accepting they were in agreement. Then she turned her attention back onto his physical presence, reaching up slide her hand up his chest, considering. "The culture you hail from." she began, tone soft if contemplative. "I've heard they document certain things in ink on themselves." Prison tattoos or the like, it was something she only vaguely knew of, her interests of course slightly different than mere tattoos.

"They do," Nate confirmed, keeping that step removed from said culture. After all, whilst he may show all the signs of being involved, he was removed from almost everything in life, just acting the part rather than giving his soul to it. Still, for all of that his tone was accepting, agreeing - he wasn't without ink himself, though these days his wants for decorations led down a different path. One she'd started him on.

"I was considering documentation of a slightly different variety." she told him, going with her thoughts as they occurred, even if normally everything she did was very well planned out. But this was just coming to her right now, and she wanted to share the thought at the very least. "One that's a little more personal, and wouldn't be recognized by anyone even if they did manage to see it."

"As always, you have my interest," he told her. She did, entirely, and his attention, though he knew that it would not be long before he was summoned again, and this time he wouldn't be able to put it off. He would need to go, or lose out - and he didn't intend to lose out. He wanted it all.

She gave him that evil sort of smile again, the one that was, in fact, only for his eyes. "Then return to me tonight and I'll have another gift for you." she told him, not giving away what her plans might be. She'd need to work on it while he was gone--after she looked into that vase. She imagined the operation would be fairly large scale and would take a while. At least, if it was even minimally successful it would need to be. Getting closer, she very gently brushed her chest against his, and her breath ghosted against his lips. "And Nathaniel...should you happen to incur injury...don't patch it up. I'll take care of that." If there was going to be blood on the boy she wanted to see it.

Nate could hear footsteps along the corridor again and knew that their time was up. "In some ways, I think you'd actually prefer me to get hurt," he told her back, his voice low, not moving away from her in the slightest, so she could feel his breath in return. He didn't close the gap, though it would be so easy to kiss her right now. He wanted to leave her with the anticipation. Pulling away, he let her go and snagged his jacket from where it had been left folded over a chair. "Until then," he said, just audible, before he headed for the door, and the night's events.

"I'll be waiting." she promised, smiling after him, not bothering to answer his opinion on how she might feel about his getting hurt. There was possibly a pinch of truth to that, in a twisted sort of way. But she didn't think he'd mind. So far, he was just as twisted as she was, and they were just starting to get into the depths of that. Watching him leave, she listened for the footsteps to retreat after he shut the door, then she headed to go find what he'd told her about to keep her entertained, anticipation very nicely kindled on several levels.