04-11-2018, 02:52 PM
"I surrender to it. It's something to be guided into use, not controlled."
Less easy than it sounded, submission. Hence the gambit with the piano, to soften the core of her mood into something to which the light flooded more easily. It wasn't a perfect solution; the distraction of the keys prevented her from doing much more that holding the power and exploring the colours and textures of its strands. But it was a start.
Much like Brandon, Marcus seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice. She let him speak, wondering how much of it was framed by what he supposed she wanted to hear, and what he might hope to gain by her favour. He would have done his research prior to seeking her out; he did not appear the sort to leave anything to chance. "Do you suppose I did volunteer, Marcus?"
The ghost of a smile touched her lips, her cold eyes amused. Her tone exposed the tip of a deadpan humour. She was not here against her will, precisely, but it was not a place she would have chosen given the chance. But her own motivations were peripheral; the shade she cast was on his.
Natalie didn't refute the claimed nobility of his consulate, though neither was she wholly convinced by it. In the few days she had been in Moscow she had seen little evidence aside from that to the contrary. But she'd already plied her grievances in Brandon's ear, and did not wish to repeat a debate that was unlikely to yield any benefit. Instead she only nodded to the offer; acceptance without commitment, at least until she had a better measure of him.
He accepted her permission to read through the datapad. The scribblings there had not been intended for others' eyes, and she doubted he would find them coherent, but she had nothing to hide; this was not knowledge she chose to barter with. Her hands retreated from the piano to rest in her lap while his attention was occupied, then moved to replace the pad on the bench when he was finished. Her expression remained still, unphased by the comment concerning demands -- though perhaps a touch inwardly amused. As to the idea, she was curious enough to indulge it. "I'm listening."
Less easy than it sounded, submission. Hence the gambit with the piano, to soften the core of her mood into something to which the light flooded more easily. It wasn't a perfect solution; the distraction of the keys prevented her from doing much more that holding the power and exploring the colours and textures of its strands. But it was a start.
Much like Brandon, Marcus seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice. She let him speak, wondering how much of it was framed by what he supposed she wanted to hear, and what he might hope to gain by her favour. He would have done his research prior to seeking her out; he did not appear the sort to leave anything to chance. "Do you suppose I did volunteer, Marcus?"
The ghost of a smile touched her lips, her cold eyes amused. Her tone exposed the tip of a deadpan humour. She was not here against her will, precisely, but it was not a place she would have chosen given the chance. But her own motivations were peripheral; the shade she cast was on his.
Natalie didn't refute the claimed nobility of his consulate, though neither was she wholly convinced by it. In the few days she had been in Moscow she had seen little evidence aside from that to the contrary. But she'd already plied her grievances in Brandon's ear, and did not wish to repeat a debate that was unlikely to yield any benefit. Instead she only nodded to the offer; acceptance without commitment, at least until she had a better measure of him.
He accepted her permission to read through the datapad. The scribblings there had not been intended for others' eyes, and she doubted he would find them coherent, but she had nothing to hide; this was not knowledge she chose to barter with. Her hands retreated from the piano to rest in her lap while his attention was occupied, then moved to replace the pad on the bench when he was finished. Her expression remained still, unphased by the comment concerning demands -- though perhaps a touch inwardly amused. As to the idea, she was curious enough to indulge it. "I'm listening."