Cyanica

GLUTTONY: 1

"Thank you, Ingrid. Leave those new designs on my desk", said Ceruli Taquo. Her long, auburn hair flowed behind her, as carefree as her spirit. The simple blouse she was wearing was handmade by her when she was 15; a nice off white with some floral patterns on the front. Nothing too elegant. Nothing to draw too much attention to herself.

Ceruli Taquo was the top fashion designer in all of Europe, earning her the title "The Queen of Milan". Her runway shows alone were enough to get Donatella Versace to applaud her work. Inspired by the works of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, the pieces she produced were elegant, lightweight, charming and affordable. Taquo stood out from the rest of the fashion world by using materials and techniques that made her work accessible to the common people, but styled so that everyone could be fashionable.

A day with Ceruli often involved a lot of running around the country, checking on new designs, meet and greets and taking inspiration from all of the wonderful sights in the Riviera, her favorite place.

"Say, Ingrid. Have the new sketches for the 2024 Winter collection come together yet", mentioned Ceruli.
"No, Ms. Taquo", said Ingrid, her loyal assistant. "But they should be ready within the next week".
They were on their way to Castelletto, one of the most beautiful cities in Ceruli's opinion. She had been invited to visit a client who wanted a custom made wedding gown for a nighttime event on the beach.

"Ms. Taquo, I presume. The mistress is waiting for you in the living room to your left", said the butler.
"Thank you kindly, sir. Do you accepts tips?", asked Ceruli. She always made it a point to salute good work when it was done.
"Oh no, Ms. Taquo. The mistress pays me quite enough, thank you."
"Then I shall leave you to it", said Ceruli.

Walking into the living room was like taking a step into another dimension. Everything was so well taken care of, and quite expensive. It was expensive in a way that reflected a more refined taste than the average person in Italy. White and beige were all over the walls, utilized to achieve the ultimate interior aesthetic. Neutral colored furniture and tableware brought everything together in a most elegant manner.
In the middle of the room, playing a rendition of "The Marriage of Figaro" was the mistress herself.

The Duchess of Castelletto, Mistress Amani Marino. Dressed in a cool toned grey dress and black accessories, she easily stood out amongst the decor of the rest of the house. She had commissioned Ceruli to create a dress for her on her wedding night that could be worn on the coast and at the reception. A daunting challenge indeed, but one that Ceruli would happily undertake.

"Welcome in, Ms. Taquo. Please, have a seat", said Amani. "We were just about to leave for a party in Sicily, but I turned it down to be here with you!" she exclaimed.
"That's wonderful to hear, Duchess Marino. Please feel free to call me Ceruli. It is my name, after all", said Ceruli. She knew this dress was going to be divine, and the inspiration she was drawing from the decor was more than enough to get the ideas flowing.
"I will, thank you", remarked Amani "and you may call me Amani. It rolls off the tongue much easier, don't you agree?"
"It certainly does", Ceruli agreed. For such a high status individual, Amani was surprisingly down to earth. Talking to her felt like talking to a childhood friend. Kind, caring, hopeful.

"I understand you want a wedding gown made for you. Did you have any idea what you wanted this piece to look like?", Ceruli inquired. Down to earth she may be, the Duchess of Castelletto was still a duchess, and this dress was going to reflect back on her work and Amani's reputation, so it had to be stunning.
"Yes I do, actually. I wanted a sweetheart neckline, with a ballgown feel. But no sleeves! They make my shoulders look enormous", Amani explained.
Ceruli supposed that was the reason her current attire was sleeveless as well.
"Okay, no problem", she said.
"The decor in your home is marvelous. Did you want to incorporate elements of this style into your dress?", she asked. This dress had to be perfect, and Taquo had to make sure that all of her bases were covered.
"Go ahead and design whatever you wish. I know that whatever comes out of that mind of yours will be absolutely incredible", praised Amani.
Amani had been following Ceruli's journey since her debut in 2012. She currently owns one of everything from all of Ceruli's collections, including a debut piece which made her stand out at the Milan fashion show.
A golden blazer, lined with a black velvet trim and paired with a gray jumpsuit that featured a rhinestone studded belt around the waist. It was the only thing in the world that Amani wanted at that moment, so she bought it outright after the show.
"I just love your work so much, Ceruli. And if it's not too much trouble, could you design a pair of heels to go with the dress?", asked Amani.
"I don't usually, but for you, I can make an exception", Ceruli confirmed. She was dead set on getting this dress as picture perfect as she could, being as how Amani was such a big supporter of her brand.
"Thank you truly! I wouldn't trust any other designer with this job, you know", Amani praised again.

After a few minutes of mindless banter, and a wonderfully detailed confession of Amani's love for blueberries, Ceruli had finally come up with sketches that she could be proud of.

"Okay, I think I've come up with a design that you are going to live for", said Ceruli, handing off the sketch to the eagerly awaiting Duchess of Castelletto.
"Oh, Ceruli, these are perfect!", Amani exclaimed again.
"Thank you for the hospitality, and your lovely words, but me and Ingrid simply must head back to Milan", said Ceruli as she stood up to show herself out.
"Wait, please!", Amani shouted. The volume was shockingly loud for someone so petite.
"Please, let me have Giovanni show you out", she insisted.
As if he had teleported, the butler, Giovanni, showed up behind Ceruli, his tall stature and dark hair throwing the designer for a loop. For the first time since she was 17, Ceruli had stumbled over her words.
"T-t-thank you very much, g-Giovanni!", Ceruli exclaimed. It didn't take long for Amani to notice and realize what had happened, and for the next few days, she wouldn't let the instance out of her mind.
Giovanni led Taquo and Ingrid to the car, which was parked outside in the courtyard. Ingrid hopped in first, mostly because she liked the window seat behind the driver, Antonio. As Ceruli got in the car, Giovanni stood at the door and looked out at the garden in the front.
"It's quite beautiful, isn't it Ms. Taquo?", he asked.
"Yes it is. I can draw a lot of inspiration from a place like this", she said.
"If the designer needs some extra inspiration, I can offer you a private tour of the property. The mistress will not mind, I'm sure", he replied.
"Y-y-yes, that would be quite l-lovely, Giovanni", she stammered. That was twice in one day, and she would not let this happen again.
"Thank you sir, but we really must be heading out. Antonio, to the studio, please", said Ingrid. She had never heard Ceruli stammer this way, so she knew she had to get the whole story. Whisking her away from him, the three of them headed back towards Milan.

On the drive back home, Ingrid asked, "So what's the deal with Giovanni?"
"He was just, well, unexpectedly charming", said Ceruli. Ingrid knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth, so she tried to pry a little more.
"No sort of attraction to him at all, Ms. Taquo?", she teased.
"None whatsoever, nope, not from me". Ceruli tried to laugh this all away, but when she would close her eyes, all she would see was Giovanni's olive skin, dark hair, strangely colored eyes, and his tall stature. She would fantasize about Mr. Giovanni for the next few days, and it wasn't hard to see.
"Private tour of the garden, Ms. Taquo", Ingrid teased again.
"Can we drop this, please?", Ceruli begged,"I'm not entertaining this nonsense any longer, Ingrid".
"What's the matter, ma'am? It's just a bit of harmless teasing", Ingrid questioned. She was genuinely confused about why her boss was getting so frustrated with something that seemed to be a good thing.
"You're going to make this a very long 30 minutes, and I do not have that sort of patience right now", Ceruli told her.
She had made her point very well known. Do not talk about Giovanni, and Amani Marino by default, unless the matter at hand was business related.
"One does not become 'The Queen of Milan' by pining over simple-minded butlers, Ingrid", she said.
"Remember that".
"Loud and clear, ma'am".