01-12-2017, 02:35 PM
Women in politics were, and call him old fashioned, but they were usually cut from the same cloth. That being a red pants-suit, maybe sporting houndstooth print for the fashion-forward ones, sort of cloth. To say they were professional was putting it optimistically. They were boring.
Evelyn continued to surprise him. By the end of their posing for the press, he found himself looking around the shoulder of the Secretary of State and watching her profile. She was down right bubbly. The girlishness of it usually annoyed him, honestly. Maybe that was perhaps it was usually emanating from women of a less serious profession. To maintain his image, it was important that he meet regularly with prominent members of the public. The Ascendancy met musicians at concerts, he attended Moscow movie premieres on occasion, movies that went on to record-breaking ticket sales. He encountered women that threw themselves at him. Insanely beautiful, incredibly talented women, whom sometimes he was receptive. At a private party of one of his Privileges, he had been drawn to a woman that to this day he found oddly familiar.
None of them, even her, whom he found intriguing for reasons he couldn't explain, were his equal. He was not sure such a woman existed, or if she did, that he would care to find her, nor did he imagine Evelyn to be such a character. However, she was interesting in all the ways he had never encountered before. She was like President Barbie, gorgeous and charming. But was there any brilliance beneath the beauty? Or was it all plastic and charade? Why did he care? He had to shake it off. Focus. The Americans wanted to coax promises out of him today that he was not sure he was comfortable to make. Maybe that was part of the President's strategy? Sending Evelyn as a distraction? He was getting desperate, if so.
Heavy doors swung shut at the push of invisible Aether. The flows retracted back into himself once completed, and he watched Evelyn's face carefully for signs of reaction. How much did she know? What could she see? He assumed she saw it all, just as when Nikolai watched Michael, Marcus, Jensen or Ivan.
He sat, flicking apart the buttons of his suit coat as he did, folding himself into the seat like it was his throne. Alone, they sat in a semi-circle around an actual table. True to tradition, the room was unmonitored, secure and secret. Any information to leave this room today would be their responsibility.
Again, surprisingly, Evelyn spoke first. How much authority did she have here? Perhaps as a channeler, President Dawson gave her more than customary. He would need to be careful with his phrasing. Especially if he was going to be negotiating with her.
If there was anything to even negotiate.
"I am not here to better humanity, Congresswoman. My responsibility is the souls of my country, not the entire world."
He began, addressing her notion that they were here to better all of humanity. "What humanitarianism have you conducted lately? I hear there has been a savage war in Sierra Leone? Did you take them water and medicine? Or better yet, rebuild after the destruction of bombs and battle, using your power of course."
It was sarcastic of him, knowing the answer. He lifted a hand to cut short any rebuttal, having probably struck a nerve. "I only phrase it such a way so that we all have realistic expectations here. I have repeatedly offered to aid all of humanity, and am consistently rejected, especially by the United States. But that is a talk for another time."
He smiled.
Then he addressed the others, opening both arms as he spoke, "I am not interested in war, either. Not of conventional sorts or in using this power. You can be assured of that. I was born what I am, and had I any interest in using my powers in acts of war, I would have done so long before now."
"Rather than discussing our intent or lack thereof for war, we should be discussing the United States' plan for addressing these powerusers, or channelers, as you called them Congresswoman, to prohibit acts of terrorism. I do not want a demagogue thinking it would be wise to have some sort of demonstration of power in the middle of my capitals."
"Tell me how you plan to contain such a threat."
Evelyn continued to surprise him. By the end of their posing for the press, he found himself looking around the shoulder of the Secretary of State and watching her profile. She was down right bubbly. The girlishness of it usually annoyed him, honestly. Maybe that was perhaps it was usually emanating from women of a less serious profession. To maintain his image, it was important that he meet regularly with prominent members of the public. The Ascendancy met musicians at concerts, he attended Moscow movie premieres on occasion, movies that went on to record-breaking ticket sales. He encountered women that threw themselves at him. Insanely beautiful, incredibly talented women, whom sometimes he was receptive. At a private party of one of his Privileges, he had been drawn to a woman that to this day he found oddly familiar.
None of them, even her, whom he found intriguing for reasons he couldn't explain, were his equal. He was not sure such a woman existed, or if she did, that he would care to find her, nor did he imagine Evelyn to be such a character. However, she was interesting in all the ways he had never encountered before. She was like President Barbie, gorgeous and charming. But was there any brilliance beneath the beauty? Or was it all plastic and charade? Why did he care? He had to shake it off. Focus. The Americans wanted to coax promises out of him today that he was not sure he was comfortable to make. Maybe that was part of the President's strategy? Sending Evelyn as a distraction? He was getting desperate, if so.
Heavy doors swung shut at the push of invisible Aether. The flows retracted back into himself once completed, and he watched Evelyn's face carefully for signs of reaction. How much did she know? What could she see? He assumed she saw it all, just as when Nikolai watched Michael, Marcus, Jensen or Ivan.
He sat, flicking apart the buttons of his suit coat as he did, folding himself into the seat like it was his throne. Alone, they sat in a semi-circle around an actual table. True to tradition, the room was unmonitored, secure and secret. Any information to leave this room today would be their responsibility.
Again, surprisingly, Evelyn spoke first. How much authority did she have here? Perhaps as a channeler, President Dawson gave her more than customary. He would need to be careful with his phrasing. Especially if he was going to be negotiating with her.
If there was anything to even negotiate.
"I am not here to better humanity, Congresswoman. My responsibility is the souls of my country, not the entire world."
He began, addressing her notion that they were here to better all of humanity. "What humanitarianism have you conducted lately? I hear there has been a savage war in Sierra Leone? Did you take them water and medicine? Or better yet, rebuild after the destruction of bombs and battle, using your power of course."
It was sarcastic of him, knowing the answer. He lifted a hand to cut short any rebuttal, having probably struck a nerve. "I only phrase it such a way so that we all have realistic expectations here. I have repeatedly offered to aid all of humanity, and am consistently rejected, especially by the United States. But that is a talk for another time."
He smiled.
Then he addressed the others, opening both arms as he spoke, "I am not interested in war, either. Not of conventional sorts or in using this power. You can be assured of that. I was born what I am, and had I any interest in using my powers in acts of war, I would have done so long before now."
"Rather than discussing our intent or lack thereof for war, we should be discussing the United States' plan for addressing these powerusers, or channelers, as you called them Congresswoman, to prohibit acts of terrorism. I do not want a demagogue thinking it would be wise to have some sort of demonstration of power in the middle of my capitals."
"Tell me how you plan to contain such a threat."