[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/459180049359175681/480458768388194314/Mauriusheader.png[/img]
[h1]Ciampino Airport, 9:15AM[/h1][/center]
A private flight, a small sized jet chartered under the name 'Remus Tulius', landed without incident, fanfare, or even the standard inspection or check-in one expected of all fights. A man and woman disembarked together with an entourage of one dozen much larger men, all in black suits sans the callow and fair leading man's gray and the long white dress of his even fairer associate. 

Waiting for their arrival were two white vans and a piano black luxury car, and all three were promptly loaded with the drop-cloth covered crates from the planes underbelly. The gray man's underlings worked a startling efficiency and endurance despite the size of some of the crates while he stood by with no involvement beyond a somewhat anxious expression. Throughout the process the woman gestured grandly and spoke loudly, but the affair was else-wise silent. 

After the apparent lackeys finished loading the vans, five to one van and five to another with two left behind, they drove off through the private access generally reserved for equipment rather than civilian vehicles. Each departure was spaced out by fifteen minutes, first one van and then the other, which left the four remaining standing by the exit for another seemingly excruciating fifteen minutes. 

"Maurius, it's time." The gruff voice of one of the apparent bodyguards snapped the man in gray back from his idle contemplation, and he looked to see him holding open the rear door of the car and gesturing towards the backseat. Maurius Oscuro, a magus without peer in his field of study and a master in the holy grail war. The woman with him, his Servant, had already claimed the driver's seat. They departed at once and by the grace of God, or perhaps just sheer luck, evaded any polizia despite a near complete disregard for any rules of the road. 

[hr][center]🕒 [b]Roughly One Hour and 20 Minutes Later[/b] 🕖[/center][hr][center][h1]The Hotel Lord Byron, 10:35AM[/h1][/center]
Everything was well ahead of schedule and beyond expectation despite the long drive, and the building was already secure once Maurius arrived. It was as simple as linking the intercom with one of his music boxes to fill the hotel with something that sounded like a pleasant mix of Vivaldi and complete submission to the magus and his cause, carried out by the crew in the first van by the time the magus had even departed. Rather than assuming direct direct control over his victims it was better to merely change the allegiance of the victims, they would be less conspicuous as themselves than as mindless drones, and more importantly make less dreary company when encountered in the halls.

With the help of the staff and other guests now procured unpacking was continuing apace and Maurius found himself with little and less to do that wasn't better done by someone brawnier and less important than himself. After a cursory security checkup and a couple other minor preparations he had made his way downstairs away from the panorama suite and the chirping of birds to meet with his servant, to make light of their quaint little holiday while they still had the chance. Once night fell they would begin war in earnest so it was best to make good use of what little time he had to properly determine what kind of person his servant really was, especially since their flight had been so short. 

[hr][center]🕖 [b]Roughly Thirty Minutes Later[/b] 🕐[/center][hr][center][h2]Ground Floor- Dining Area, 11:05AM[/h2][/center]
A gloved hand deposited his next to a not quite empty plate, the pasta gone down to the noodle along with most everything else sans the arugula which he had decided must be for decoration. "[color=7ea7d8]So, Berserker, are these accommodations to your liking?[/color]" As he spoke he poured, a slightly dry red wine that by his metric cost thrice its worth, topping off her glass before refilling his own from emptiness. While it may have been more proper to have their server pour he was so used to drinking alone that it was second nature to simply snatch the bottle by the neck the second his glass was empty, an unfortunate barbarism poking out of his otherwise posh facade. "[color=7ea7d8]I would be absolutely loathe to know the hospitality of this age was...[/color]" He trailed off and took a sip, a long thoughtful sip. Maybe just a bit too long, a second barbarism. "[color=7ea7d8]No no, that's not right. I would be absolutely loathe to know that [i]my[/i] hospitality was in any way lacking.[/color]" He wasn't a kissass, but the quality of the drink had him feeling quite self-conscious even if there had been no complaint yet. 

He took another sip, long but not thoughtful, and the glass returned to the table as their second course arrived, heralded by the smell of seared meat decorated with much harder to place but even more luxurious scents. The smell of the food alone had already done wonders to make up for the less than stellar wine. "[color=9b9b9b]For you sir, grilled filet of beef, wild mushroom velouté, and Swiss chard with anchovy sauce and pistachio.[/color]" Despite the state of hypnosis the server was lively and bright eyed as he delivered the plate in his right hand, entirely normal and as expected to any onlooker. "[color=9b9b9b]...And I will be right back with a second bottle of the house red.[/color]" Maurius decided then that he was too cogent of his normal habits if he had brought out house stock when asked for 'whatever you recommend', but that could be overlooked.

Tastes and recommendations aside service was especially good when you had the place to yourself, but the sea of empty tables in the hotel restaurant's otherwise lonely dining room was not the strangest thing about this scene for anyone in the know. "[color=9b9b9b]And for the lady we have...[/color]" Wait. What kind of a fool wines and dines a Berserker, and what kind of Berserker makes it to the second course of the meal without incident? 
[hr][@Red Alice] (Edited to add color to text and correct a couple grammatical issues)