Scene #1561:

Owner	Pose
Cassandra Dolet	Cassie had warned him, but no, Landon was sure this was going to go well. Honestly, Cassie doesn't believe him at all. At. All. However, a meeting was required, and as such, she had arranged one... in the Dolet Building of course, after most people have gone home. Down in the lobby, she's standing with Fuujin, the ninja bodyguard dressed in casual, grey-colored clothes while Cassie's in her dress suit. "Fuujin..." "No." "What do you think we'd manage in the two minutes it takes to get to Father's office?" "..." "... oh fine." Raijin, meanwhile, takes a nap up on the couch outside the offices on the top floor.
Landon al Cid	The Prince of Ramuh isn't convinced that meetings will go well for no reason. Used to dealing with sensitive matters of intrigue and court, Landon al Cid has navigated more than once the dangerous waters of interpersonal relationships. While his heart may currently be split between two very important women, his capability to maneuver in polite society hasn't been impacted in the slightest. Landon hasn't come dressed half-heartedly, or dressed like a trader, or dressed like a businessman. No, the Prince of Ramuh drew eyes to him as he entered the building, dressed in his full, gleaming Judge Armor. The silver thing and its purple cape are there to leave an impression, and judging by the people looking at him in awe, he's done just that. He intends to do the same on Lyndon Dolet. Landon enters the lobby and heads over to Cassie. He takes her hand and kisses it in the polite style. "Lady Dolet," he offers politely before nodding at her bodyguard. Landon was more aware of bodyguards than most nobles. Probably because of his circumstances towards his own. It really would've made his life less complicated if he'd managed not to fall in love with Cirra. Landon shifts a bit and looks over to the elevator. "On your own time, then," he observes.
Cassandra Dolet	Landon showing up in Judge Armor was... unexpected. Cassie's seen him in it enough to not be overly awed by the silver and purple combination, but Fuu whistles in both faint appreciation and faint amusement, loud enough that Cassie elbows her sharply in the side with a wry grin, one that is returned between the two. Fuu slips away to call the elevator after the nod, then disappears. She's good. "Prince al Cid." Cassie says in response to the kiss, her voice amused. "Well, if you'll follow me, then." The elevator ride is spectacularly short. It dumps them out onto the fifth floor and Cassie takes a straight right turn, heading down to a impressively carved mahogany door. She opens it with a quick gesture, then gestures Landon through. Lyndon's office is grand, magnificent, and there are pictures of his family and the seas everywhere, along with a singnularly impressive full-glass back wall allowing him a outside view of said sea. Lyndon is a salt and pepper bearded giant, wearing a dark blue suit. "Ah, Prince al Cid, a pleasure to see you."
Landon al Cid	The armor of the Judge was made to impress and inspire. It's not surprising that Landon chose it for the meeting. He doesn't say anything in regards to the whistle, merely turning his attention to the elevator. He rides up in silence. When he's gestured through, he nods, politely acknowledging with a 'thank you' before stepping out. He does not gawk or gaze overlong at the surroundings, but rather takes it in with a quick glance, filing it away for later. He looks just long enough to ensure there are no assassins nor easy vectors by which he might be shot or stabbed, to observe the major details of the room that might be used for cover in a fight, and to pick up on escapes if such a thing became necessary. He didn't really think any of those things would be the case, of course, but he had been trained since before he could walk to look for such things. He wasn't a new youngster fresh from the gate. He lowers his head slightly to Lyndon Dolet - not much of an incline, certainly not more than their relative stations would warrant. An easy smile spreads across his face as he moves slightly more centrally "Of course, Mister Dolet. And a pleasure to speak with you, as well. Your office is almost as lovely as your daughter." "I imagine that you are a busy man, so I won't waste your time with the idle pleasantries of the nobility. To what do I owe this meeting?"
Cassandra Dolet	Behind Landon, out of sight of Lyndon as well, Cassie facepalms. Lyndon laughs, and gestures to a seat as he takes his own behind the desk, as Cassie slides down to a small ottoman at the side of the door where she can observe without being seen. She's particularly good at being seen and not heard tonight, it seems. Lyndon turns around to stare at Landon for a few moments. "Mostly how things are going. Cassandra is very good at giving me pretty non-answers... much like her mother was, unfortunately."
Landon al Cid	"That's a terribly vague question, Sir Dolet," Landon replies calmly as he sits at the proffered desk. The armor moves easily with him, and he has no trouble maneuvering himself into place. He's been wearing this stuff for longer than he can remember. The armor might as well be part of him at this point. "For example, you might mean how the peace talks are going, since that surely is of notice to the Dolet Corporation. And I would tell you that those are affairs of state, but that given that we are not yet in a war, it can be assumed they are going well enough. Of course," Landon adds, leaning against the armrest and crossing one leg over the other, "Now that I have said not /yet/, such might imply that peace talks are breaking down, though that may also be reading too much into such details." Landon waves the hand he isn't resting his head on dismissively. "Or perhaps you mean how the Extraversal trade situation is shaping up. I understand Murasame has taken a command of the situation that many find troublesome." Landon rolls his hand after a moment. "But I assume that you mean to ask me how my courtship of your daughter is going, in which case I am forced to admit that the only thing stopping me from claiming her as mine utterly and completely is me. My own hangups about my future remain frustratingly out of control, and are not really your business, so I shan't bore you with them. Suffice to say that I am quite taken with your daughter for a wide number of reasons, and that I am fairly certain that she is equally taken with me. Therefoe I must assume the courtship is going well, exempting my personal hangups." Landon purses his lips. "I suppose you could mean something else, but if so, I can't think of anything of particular interest to you."
Cassandra Dolet	"Well, actually, I was wondering about you yourself, Landon al Cid." Lyndon has a very warm, low tone to his voice. Bear, as Cassie has mentioned before. "Cassie keeps me updated on /absolutely everyone/ at the school - it's why I give her the amount of freedom she so loves to have. However, when it comes to you, I have not heard hide nor hair of any misadventures or regular adventures you and she may have gone on." Cassie blinks. "So tell me, Landon... not when it comes to the extraversal situation, not when it comes to the potential war, not when it comes to my daughter... how are things going with you?"
Landon al Cid	If Landon is surprised by this, he doesn't show it. His face is as impassive as it was a moment ago when he was detailing the situation carefully, piece by piece. "Well enough. My major concerns are the ones I've already summarized. My life is fairly uneventful. I'm not certain what else I could say of any real interest." He shrugs. "Much of my life is fairly public. I don't have the luxury of misadventures and teenage antics - such things become publicized almost immediately, after all, or find their way into the gossip circuits, or..." Landon shrugs again, looking out at the sea. "So on."
Cassandra Dolet	"Or things that only my daughters bodyguards get to know that will never pass their lips nor hers." Lyndon says, his gaze going from Landon to Cassie where she's sitting behind him. Her response is a singular noise that is similiar to a squeak but is not quite a squeak. Lyndon smiles. "I am glad things are going ... okay. I cannot say well, because they are not. You are important to Leviathan and this future of the company as much as you are to Ramuh yourself, you realize." Lyndon comments, glancing out at the seas.
Landon al Cid	"It has not escaped my notice that Ramuh has a commanding presence in the political scope of Galianda, nor has it escaped my notice that Leviathan and Ramuh are tightly entwined. Should this marriage to your daughter become fact as well as word, it has not escaped my thought that the al Cid family would functionally rule two of our seven Plates." Landon frowns. "I cannot imagine what our enemies would say to that." And, Landon thinks silently to himself, he was not the sort to silence them with his power. Such wasn't the family way, no matter how much easier it might be. If he noticed the comment about lips, he doesn't visibly react. Instead, Landon simply shifts from one side to the other, leaning against his other arm and crossing his other leg. He smiles, lowering his head a bit. "You flatter me on the last bit, though. I doubt that you would have any trouble finding a suitor for Lady Cassandra if you desired. And I doubt very much that Dolet would collapse overnight without the al Cid family's steady hand."
Cassandra Dolet	"A suitor that isn't a Murasame though, is much pickier. There's Masoch, which... is strange, how much we keep ending up in the Ramuh bloodlines rather than our own." Lyndon glances over at Cassie, and she clears her throat. "Well, there's always Lionward, Levy, or even the Sagittarius families..." She falls quiet again afterwards, leaning against the wall behind her little ottoman. Lyndon frowns at her. "Hey, I could have said no one at all, Father... then we'd really have no reason to worry."
Landon al Cid	"Sir Masoch is, unfortunately, on the outs with the court and with his own family, leaving you with little in that way. Soan Saggitarius is not a nobleman, and while he's a good man, there are likely extenuating circumstances there. The same goes for Kamon Lionward." Landon shrugs and looks off at the sea. "Yes, I see what you mean. And if Murasame acquired Dolet Corporation, it would be...difficult...for the al Cid family to remain in power." Landon sighs and runs his gauntleted fingers over his face. "Have they actually made such overtures directly? I know they've been trying to acquire the company for a long time, but..."
Cassandra Dolet	Cassie remarks, very under her breath, just for Landon, "I could marry Cirra." Lyndon looks at her sharply, but is unable to catch what she actually said, so he glances back to Landon. "Not directly, aside from the one night that Cassie told me about where Souji Murasame made the insinuation on the radio. They're waiting for the Hyral girl to screw up so they can break it off and make their move." "Thank the gods for Kyra."
Landon al Cid	Again, Landon is quite good at hiding his actual thoughts. Cassie's little gibe can be addressed later, when he's not talking to her father. It's a testament to how good his courtly training is that he can remain so distant despite something that, obviously, conjures certain thoughts. At that, however, he frowns. Murasame made insinuations. So they were planning something the Dolet Corpration couldn't ignore - knowing Murasame it would probably be a multi-layered strike, something to force Cassie into marrying him or ensure the Murasame Zaibatsu gains the corporation anyway. Landon's frown deepens. The Prince stands. He turns, one swift motion, and lifts Cassie into his arms. Then he sits back on the chair, turning his gaze back to Lyndon Dolet with her on his lap. It was, largely, for dramatic effect. Landon knew how to make an impression, and he knew when to make a grand gesture to underscore something important. This was one of those times. The mere idea of Murasame making such a move... "I should not like one of my nobles to attempt to take what belongs to me," Landon observes, his hand hiding his smile. Murasame couldn't really make a move if Cassandra was his intended, and even if they didn't intend to go through with the wedding, it would protect Dolet Corporation for the time being from...aggressive attacks. It also meant that Cassie was safe from Souji, but that was a side-effect. Landon had seen Souji before and after the Hyral event. He would be...surprised...if Souji actually made such a move himself. And Souji Murasame wasn't the type to do something that he didn't want to do.
Cassandra Dolet	There is a very, very long pause from both Dolets as Landon so boldly settles her in his lap. Cassie has her face buried in her hands - she does /not/ want to look up, hell, about the only thing she's doing is sitting there making sure his armor doesn't dig into her all that much, because he's in his armor, as Lyndon very very slowly sits down from where he nearly had completely stood up at the sheer audacity of Landon. "Landon." Cassie finally whispers from her perch. "You're-- I- I don't even-" She pauses and inhales deeply, focusing herself as Lyndon clears his throat. Being a big bear of a man, it comes out something like a bass growl as he affixes his own blue eyes on Landons' face. "You are /exceptionally/ brave." He observes, finally. "You are also, even if you do not go through with this marriage, doing a great job for us both. However can we even think of beginning to repay you?"
Landon al Cid	"I am the Prince of the al Cid family," Landon's voice takes on a firm and authoritative air, "Second of our name, heir apparent of Ramuh. If I was a coward who shirked and hid, who was content to rest upon my laurels, who sat soft upon a pillowed throne surrounded by luxury, I would ill fit the dreams placed upon my name and the blood that flows through my veins. It is only with daring that the future is seized." Landon's eyes remain firm and steady as he watches Lyndon. His face is like iron - in this moment, he greatly resembles his father, in word and in tone and in look alike. He may lack Rycharde's great beard and ironclad demeanor, but the al Cid family traits are present here, too. "You do not need to repay me. This is not a great task to take upon, nor a great expenditure of effort on my part. The Dolet Corporation has long been friends to my family." It also kept horrid shrieking she-bitches out of his hair for the coming future.
Cassandra Dolet	Lyndon holds Landon's gaze. He's a bear, not a iron giant, but both are exceptionally dangerous in their similiar ways. Finally Lyndon leans back in his chair, relaxing a slight bit. Cassie, however, maintains her position as a hedgehog in his lap, her face still in her hands. "Still, though, you do honor us." Lyndon says. "You probably know well of our history with the Murasame company, so your dedication to... claiming... my daughter is almost vitally important." There's a long pause. "Also I think you might have killed Cassandra."
Landon al Cid	Landon waves his hand dismissively. "I do. And I also know that Murasame is one of the old families, still dedicated to the ideals of the nobility. I have no interest in allowing such a family more power than befits its station, and if I can slow its advance in so simple a manner, then it benefits us both." "I imagine, however, that it cannot be easy to thank a young man of my age for something like this. I imagine that, if someone did something like this to one of my sisters-" Landon pauses. /Actually/, if someone did something like this to one of his sisters without said sister's permission, said someone would probably find themselves in a lot of pain. "-my father would not be in near such good humor," he finishes tactfully. The hurricane of personality that was the al Cid sisters was well known. "Yes, she was expecting this to go poorly," Landon observes, perhaps a touch jovially, "I can't imagine why."
Cassandra Dolet	"I have faith enough in my daughter that if she didn't want to be where she is she would take care of it easily enough." Lyndon observes. "That is part of the freedom I have allowed her to have; she must know how to take care of herself no matter what sort of situation she finds herself in." His gaze slides to Cassandra. "So perhaps she has a opinion...?" "I am going to put a black hole in this room and then run forever." Cassie manages to choke out. Lyndon tries not to laugh. Really. He fails, a chortle escaping his lips as Cassie attempts to wriggle out of Landon's lap.
Landon al Cid	"Very true," Landon replies his arms around Cassie's waist, "Such is the modern age of Galianda." His face darkens. "Hopefully in this modern age of new worlds and new allies, we do not lose all that which has been built of our history."
Cassandra Dolet	Cassie frowns down at Landons' arm, as both father and daughter remark, in unison, "By sail or by sea, the Dolet's are always here--" Cassie pauses and Lyndon finishes; "To help with the way we always have, from the way we have for times passed, by putting our feet and wood to water to sail the world. Leviathan does not change all that easily, Landon, not the ever shifting plate." "Born on a ship, raised on a ship..." Cassie murmurs. "... can I go now?" She then asks, meekly.