Bonding Experience (Sam)[MATURE]

[Damien Kross, Jester]

OOC- Sam Ballerino only, thank you.

And so, I waited... I had arrived to my finished Court merely twenty minutes ago, a glass of RKO in my hand- a special combination of Hypnotiq and Amp energy drink. My seat was a soft leather chair- the kind you could almost sink into. The really comfy kind. My feet were kicked up on a footstool of matching leather, a smile spread on my lips as a stereo system behind me played the song Scarred, by Dream Theater. The beautiful progreessive sound flowed through me, the fireplace beside me crackling contently.

A knock came.

"Come on in Ricardo. No need to knock." I said with a warm grin, looking up to see my mentor, the great Ricardo DeLeon, enter the room. As always, he donned a brown coat and slacks, a matching fedora atop his head of slicked back silver hair.

"Good day my boy." He nodded to me, going to the small bar to pour himself a scotch. Afterall, this generous man paid for the majority of everything. Linda and some other family were able to supply the rest. Sure, it wasn't as grand as the old Court, but it would do.

The new Court had a more modern and less fantasitcal feel... The old one was marble and granite and more medieval styled... The new Court resembled the interior of a high-roller's hotel. Very tasteful choices in wood and color scheme- purple rugs and drapes, my classic black and white tile checkerboard floors in the main chamber, but other than that first appearance, it was all dark browns and earth tones- a very modern approach.

"Your apprentice is downstairs in the waiting room. Whenever you want to speak with her, she's ready." Ricardo informed me. I smiled at the thought of Sam inside of the new Court. The waiting room was the most interesting room of all in my opinion.

It was reached by simply opening the front door- the first room of the building. Black and white tile floor, sitting benches of purple velvet, and most imporantly, several framed pictures lining the walls- One of myself and Ricardo, one of Linda with a placard under it reading "Contributor," one of just Ricardo with a similar placard, and lastly, an empty frame.

"I'll head down now Ricardo. As always, you're welcome to stay around." I said, standing up.

"Thank you for the offer Damien, but I must continue work on the Gateway." He said, referencing his chain of nightclubs. "You know where to reach me." He said as he downed his drink and tipped his hat. I returned the gesture with a nod of the head and began to walk to the waiting room-

-It was time to greet my apprentice.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam went immediately home after Damien gave her his instructions. Ricardo was going to be in her apartment in thirty minutes, and it usually took her about 15 minutes to get home.

Today, Sam made it in 9.

It wasn't til she got inside that she realized the irony of the situation - to punish her for ditching class, Damien was telling her to... ditch class. Good one. She set her school stuff down and began preparing for her training session. Trying to prepare, anyway. How do you prepare for something like this? She opted for a pair of simple jazz pants and a tank top that hugged her figure but didn't constrict her, both for optimal movement. She knew that in a real situation she'd have to fight in whatever she happened to be wearing at the time, but right now she was going to take every advantage she could possible get over her trainer... which wasn't much at all.

She grabbed a bag with a few essentials - keys, cell phone, the like, and when Ricardo came to pick her up, she was waiting by the door, toes tapping impatiently. The majority of the drive was spent in silence, Sam fidgeting nervously with her cell phone or her iPod. She tried actually listening to it, but got annoyed with herself as she changed the song every few seconds or so, and quickly gave it up.

As they reached the site, however, Sam forgot all about her nervous habits. They were approaching a large, three-story building that made Sam's jaw drop, and she actually pressed her face to the window of the passenger seat like a child, staring in awe at the building that, only a week or two previous - hadn't been there before. It was hard to believe.

Ricardo led her in the front door into what looked like an anteroom of sorts - Classy, she thought. She seated herself down on the velvet seat, feeling rather under-dressed for the place, and stared at the pictures on the wall opposite her as Ricardo left through another door, telling her to wait here. There was a picture of Damien and Ricardo, Ricardo by himself, and another girl that Sam thought she recognized from around school. Both had placards reading "Contributor." So they funded this place?

When Damien came in, he'd find her standing in front of the empty frame at the end of the line, staring curiously at it. She wondered what the reasoning could possibly be behind a frame with no one in it. Maybe he believed in ghosts...?

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"That's where you and I will be." I said, entering the room. "Once of course, I get around to organizing the picture." I shrugged, acknowledging my own laziness. "Nice pictures though... Perfect angles on all of them... I personally prefer the aging portrait in my attic though..." I joked, hoping she'd catch the reference.

"Here's the rundown. Up the main stairs, turn left, third door on the right- that is, as far as I'm concerned, your room." I said. Yes, her own room. "I'm not suggesting you move out or anything of the sort- but as my apprentice, it seems in bad taste for you to not have your own portion of the Court. On your bed are some clean clothes for you to wear. Take a quick shower, get dressed, and meet me in the dining room-" I pointed in it's general direction. "-and we'll have a spot of lunch. Then, the fun starts."

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam turned to look at him. "You and I? I don't think I would label myself a contributor..." Thought she was flattered, and certainly surprised, there wasn't really any reason Sam could think of for him to want a picture of her on his wall. She had to agree with him, though - they were nice pictures. She had no idea what his aging portrait in the attic was, though. From the tone of his voice it sounded like he was making some sort of joke, but if so, she didn't get it.

She opened her mouth to protest when Damien said he was giving her her own room here, but before she could, he added that she wasn't going to be expected to move out. Still, though, she had to wonder... "How much time am I going to be spending here that I'd need a whole room to myself?" She asked. She tried not to sound skeptical or rude; that wasn't her intention at all. But she was slowly coming to realize just what she was getting herself into with this apprenticeship.

"And clothes? You got me clothes too?" Sam was getting overwhelmed by all of this. "What kind of clothes? Are they required, or what?"

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"Of course you're not a contributor... I want a picture of you as my apprentice. The pictures are meant to reflect importance." I put my hands into my pockets. "Might I also suggest reading The Picture of Dorien Gray to relieve you of your bewilderment." I said, adressing her misunerstanding of the joke.

"As far as you being here goes, I would certainly like it if you spent a fair amount of time here. Afterall, if you want to become a more disciplined person, you'll need more than just a few spars now and then." I laid it out flat. "The clothes I laid out for you are just easy wear for lunch and training- black elastic banded pants for comfort and flexibility, a white tank-top for the spar, and a small open-fronted sweat jacket to stay warm while you eat." I looked her over once from head to toe. "But it seems you beat me to it on attire... Hm, fair enough."

I offered her a warm smile, letting her know that she was always welcome here. I wanted her to know that this was a place she could come to whenever she felt the urge to- or if I summoned her for training. Either one works...

[Sam Ballerino]

She grinned in spite of herself, pleased that he considered her important. And then felt quite dumb immediately afterwards, as he explained his reference. She'd read the book years ago, and only vaguely remembered it, but she remembered enough to catch the reference once he reminded her of it. "I'll reread it," she muttered, blushing.

She chewed her lip, listening as he explained that she would probably be in and out of here often. The way he put it, he was practically opening up his home to her. It was a big thing for anyone to offer. She gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Damien," was all she said. She couldn't express how grateful she was that he was putting all this time and effort into making sure she could at least defend herself. She looked around the room again, trying to imagine feeling comfortable walking around in here... she had a hard time with it. The whole atmosphere seemed very out of her league. But she grinned, glad she'd come prepared, at least clothing-wise. She wasn't entirely clueless, now, was she?

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"There's no need to thank me Sam." I grinned. "I agreed to train you, so it would be very improper of me to not go through with it. Some clothes and a room isn't that much to give to someone... I just hope I get a good amount of effort from you in return for all this." I moved away from the doorway, leading her into the central chamber. It held the same decor as the waiting room, but the purple carpet rug led the waiting room directly to a massive staircase.

"Up those stairs, left, 3rd door, blah blah." I said, repeating myself. "Shower, dress, food," I pointed to the double doors to our left- the ones leading to the dining room. "I'll be waiting."

I walked to the dining room doors, saying nothing more. I figured I'd let her have the pleasure of seeing her own room. It would be a cozy dark brown, just like the small room I had been waiting in minutes before. However, a queen size bed was inside, all of it's blankets and sheets a dark purple. There was an armoire, a large closet, a nightstand, a vanity mirror, and a grandfather clock. The only other door in the room led to a personal bathroom. Laid out on the bed were the afore mentioned clothes and a small note reading only one word-

'Welcome~'

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam gave him a curt nod, a determined glint in her eye. She was planning on giving him much more than a “good” amount of effort if she could help it. After all the effort he was putting into her, it was the least she could do.

She led her into the hallway, and she let out a low whistle. “Who is your decorator, and how do I find him?” she murmured, more to herself than to Damien, thought he’d probably be able to hear her anyways. The entire house she’d seen so far was incredibly impressive, and she was excited to see her ro– the room Damien had let her use. She went upstairs and found the room, opened the door and peeked her head in – and then promptly shut it again. She looked up and down the hallway, counting the doors again to make sure she’d gotten the right one. Yup. Definitely the right one. Cautiously she made her way inside, her eyes as wide as the grin on her face. The room was an absolutely gorgeous dark brown, with a large queen bed, made up with dark purple sheets.

She set her bag down next to the clothes laid out on the bed, and picked up the note. “Welcome.” She smiled. She certainly did feel welcome here. On an impulse, she backed up a few steps, taking a running leap onto the plush bed and giggling like a little girl. Man, did that feel good!

She sat up, noticing for the first time that there was another door in the room, and she stood up to go check it out. She opened the door, and gasped. It was a marvelous bathroom – and from the look of it, it was all hers. She covered her mouth with her hands, smothering a gleeful giggle. Black and white marble everywhere, and – oh, God, that was a big bathtub. There were a couple of large, dark purple towels on a rack next to the shower, so she closed the door and spent the next 15 minutes or so showering and drying off. Back in the bedroom, she looked at the clothes Damien had left out for her, and the ones she’d come with. She took the folded clothes on the bed and put them on, doing a couple of stretches to test them out. They were comfortable and flexible, and fit her nicely. She smiled again, putting on the jacket and heading back down the large staircase to the dining room, leaving the rest of her things in the room. If he wasn’t waiting outside, she’d slowly open the doors, looking around for Damien.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

My young apprentice would find me at the dining room table, seated, and waiting patiently. The sound system was playing an upbeat song by a certain music God- mister Eric Clapton- the song in question being "Layla."

I would look up as she entered, offering a smile as I saw her in the clothes I set out, her hair also being a dead giveaway that she accepted the offer of a shower. Before me were two glasses, both turned upside down, a bottle of Hypnotiq, and a can of Amp energy drink. Yes, I wanted an RKO.

"Good morning starshine." I smiled, pushing a chair with my foot for her to sit in. "Join me." I turned the glasses rightside up and poured the correct measurements- two/thirds Hypnotiq, one/third Amp. The RKO- the only drink badass enough to be named after Randy Orton.

"Glad to see to made yourself at home. This isn't a house of any sort really... More like, a resort. Just someplace to go and stay a night or two if the ol' apartment gets too cramped..." I shrugged. "I dunno, you think I'd be able to get this place worked into a full-on house/mansion thing?" I looked around. "Then again, that would leave less room for- well- the more fun rooms..." I grinned.

"So, what's your pleasure as far as food goes? Any requests?" I raised an eyebrow.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam took a seat in the chair he offered, letting out a small laugh in disbelief. "You mean you don't live here? Man, if this was my place... Well, it'd bemuch more difficult for me to get to school in the morning." Actually, if this were her place she'd forget about school completely and have a private tutor come give her lessons in her pajamas. But that was just her. "It'd definitely be hard for me to leave. I'm sure if you wanted to add more rooms or something, though, you could. You know, add another floor. So you still have room for the amusement park or whatever else you've got hidden here." She didn't know what exactly he meant by "fun rooms," but if she was going to be spending as much time here as he said, she was sure she'd find out eventually.

She thought for a moment about his offer of food. "Do we have time for pasta?" She asked, quietly. She tended to crave Italian food when put into situations that made her nervous or uncomfortable. Her mother always said it was her Italian blood. And while she appreciated the effort he was going to to make her feel at home, she was still here to train, and they both knew it. She wasn't looking forward to being pummelled into Damien's black and white marble floor, but she knew it would make her a better fighter.

She was also still concerned about Nick, and the confrontation they'd had in the gym. She didn't know what Nick thought of her now, and it worried her that he saw her apprenticeship to Damien as slavery, essentially. She wanted to ask Damien about it, but she didn't know how to bring the subject up. So she simply let it gnaw away at the back of her mind.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"Pasta? No problem." I stood and walked to the kitchen area. I yelled to her from the other room in a tone that allowed her to hear me. "I don't have any pasta on me, but I have the menu of a delightful restaurant called Maria's. They make the best Fettucini Carbonara in the galaxy." I withdrew the menu from a drawer by the sink.

I returned to the table and set the menu down in front of her, offering her one of my classic grins. I also made a point of pushing the short glass of RKO towards her, raising an eyebrow.

"No apprentice of mine can go without two things... Having a glass of RKO and toasting to our future." I raised my glass in a toast, expecting her to raise hers as well. "To our future as Teacher and Apprentice- may you learn well from what I have to give, and may you find in it as much pleasure as you do pain, for there is seldomly a lesson to be learned in the mind, without a lesson to be learned in the body." I clack the glass against hers. "Cheers."

And with that, I down my drink.

[Sam Ballerino]

“Best in the galaxy?” she called back to him. “I don’t know about that. It’s hard to top my mother in a cooking contest.” She took the menu from him, grinning. “I guess I’ll just have to be the judge myself, then. Fettuccine Carbonara sounds amazing.”

He nudged the glass of alcohol in her direction in a rather obvious fashion. Sam was never much of a drinker; in fact she avoided it altogether for the most part. But he seemed rather insistent, and she didn’t want to be rude, so she raised her glass with him, letting a small grin appear over her face as she listened to his toast. Wonderfully poetic, very pretty, and it did a very good job of describing her sentiments on their relationship. She hoped the process wasn’t going to be all pain – she was hoping she’d be able to have some fun with it. And it seemed Damien thought the same way.

“Cheers.” She took a second, gathering her nerves, and imitated Damien, downing the drink. It took her a couple of tries, and she made a face, coughing a little bit.

Definitely not much of a drinker.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

It was amusing to see her react to the alcohol the way she did. The RKO was a reasonably mild drink, so to see such a lightweight was quite the curious surprise- a very welcome one though. Little things like that made life worth living.

"I'll order it right now. You just sit here and enjoy your drink." I said with a smile as I stood to enter the kitchen, pulling out my cell phone. I needed to do a quick inventory... If supplies in the fridge were as low as I feared, I would need to order a bit more than I needed for just this meal.

Alas, upon opening the fridge, I found it to be understocked. With a dissatisfied frown, I dialed the number and placed the order- a large serving of Fettucini Carbonara, some Angel Hair pasta, garlic bread, and two salads- any number of those to be saved for future meals.

I would reenter the dining room, claim me seat again, prop my chin on my hand, and smile. "Food will be here in twenty. They work fast." A pause. "So, what are you thinking right now? A lot has happened to you."

[Sam Ballerino]

Well there's the understatement of the year. Sam opened her mouth a moment, and closed it again, not really sure what to say. But among all the things that happened that day, there was one that was at the forefront of her mind. She put her forehead in her hands, not particularly wanting to look up at him.

"Damien... Am I your 'lackey,' like he said?" She didn't know if she'd need to clarify that "he" was Nick, but she figured he'd get it. She hoped he'd get it. Maybe it was a stupid thing to ask; maybe it wasn't. But she wanted to know. She wanted to hear it out loud, straight from him. And if the answer was no, like she hoped, then she could point and laugh at Nick and get over it. And if the answer was yes... well, she was just going to hope that it was no.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Lacky? Oh boy, here we go...

"No Sam, you aren't my lackey or anything of the sort... I have agreed to train you, and thus, as in the oldest of times, you are my apprentice. It is required as an apprentice that respect be shown to your teacher and for his orders to be followed. A 'lackey' has nothing to do with mutual respect and honor as an apprenticeship does." I sighed. "Listen deary, don't let him bother you. I've met Nick before, and he can be... blunt."

No, THAT was the understatement of the year.

"I've had him tell me off a number of times, and by now, his head should be smeared against a locker wall... But alas, I restrain myself quite well."

Ugh... Nick Constantine... What was to be done with him? He was making the apprenticeship harder to maintain and his words were, well, beginning to piss me off... People with God-complexes need to beaten into mortality... then killed in general.