11-29-2013, 10:32 AM
Claire's audible gasp gave him no small amount of satisfaction. It wasn't as if he was intentionally trying to unsettle her - far from it, he tried to set her mind at ease - but surprise belied unpredictability, and if he became predictable, he would be caught.
Her continued suspicion was likewise satisfying, although hollow. There was no point in hiding himself further - he had decided he could trust the woman enough to let down his guard. Marco would have called it foolish; he called it bold.
The smile on his lips faded as she sat down and related pieces of her own story. From the use of past tense, it sounded like her mother was dead. It was something that struck a chord within him, although he did not quite understand her meaning. He knew nothing of gypsies or foretelling. Was it a separate power as he suspected, or was it something that lay dormant for his own use?
So much yet to discover...
He gave her his full attention, the playfulness muted - although not discarded - with rapacity. He still struggled with a deep ache that throbbed incessantly, counterpoint to his heartbeat, but he managed to lean forward on his elbows as Claire removed her jacket. The necklaces drew his eyes. despite the presence of bare flesh - although he hardly ignored it.
Before he could disseminate the thoughts, she spoke again. This time Tony truly was amused, however unfair on the woman it might be.
He was polite enough not to laugh at the serious question, but his voice held a hint of wry humour as he replied. "How did I get started?"
he repeated, the question rolling off of his tongue as he paused in thought. "I got sick,"
he said finally, with a small smile full of nostalgic irony. "Just as people are now. This of course,"
he added, "was before the 'Sickness' became common knowledge. I thought nothing of the random bouts of nausea or euphoria."
He waved a hand. "The 'Sickness' is only the prelude, the body reacting to the introduction of the 'power'. That was the best explanation we could come up with, although it may be wrong."
He shook his head. So much to explain! "I said I was dead. I'll tell you why. My family was one of the most prominent in Moscow. My grandfather distinguished himself and took advantage of the Ascendancy's rise to power. I was Antony Soloyov - one of the best and brightest of the CCD elite's youth."
He smiled fondly, although he had since come to revile what he would have become. "I was 'lucky'. I survived the 'Sickness', although it came at the cost of my life. I burned down the house of one of the members of the Sphere."
That brought a pause. The memory was one of his most bitter - and he had a crate of lemons to choose from. That bastard had taken things too far. Nonetheless, he retained his smile, if only because he was too tired to muster any real anger. "And so I died. It was impossible to explain. I knew nothing at the time, so I ran. They took my family, one by one. For testing, I have since learned, and to cover the incident up."
"I lived in the Undercity, hidden. I learned as much as I could by myself, but it was not much. Until I found others. There were 13 of us - both men and women - who had lost everything to this...Gift... So we learned. Everything we could."
A grimace crossed his face like a cloud crossing the sun. "Not without it's price. I am the only one left alive."
Another pause. His memories were foggy of that time, but he found little happiness in the remnants that he could recall.
His smile returned, this time genuine. "Can you believe I was an alcoholic until a month or so ago? After the last of us died - I can't even remember how long ago, 3 years? Maybe more. - I wanted to escape. However, it seems I couldn't escape. I found myself with another apprentice two years ago."
He laughed, although the movement shot pain through his chest. "I was drunk!"
Laughter faded to a fond grin. "But that bastard saved my life. I was lifted out of my drunken daze, and now I am back."
His eyes shone, just as they did when he was young and about to do something incredibly stupid.
"I can't teach you, only another woman can. There are differences, as I'm sure you have already noticed. However, I can tell you what I know. To do that, however, I need to know how much you know? Can you control the power at will? Do you know about the Five? How much did this June tell you?"
Edited by Tony Soloyov, Nov 29 2013, 10:36 AM.
Her continued suspicion was likewise satisfying, although hollow. There was no point in hiding himself further - he had decided he could trust the woman enough to let down his guard. Marco would have called it foolish; he called it bold.
The smile on his lips faded as she sat down and related pieces of her own story. From the use of past tense, it sounded like her mother was dead. It was something that struck a chord within him, although he did not quite understand her meaning. He knew nothing of gypsies or foretelling. Was it a separate power as he suspected, or was it something that lay dormant for his own use?
So much yet to discover...
He gave her his full attention, the playfulness muted - although not discarded - with rapacity. He still struggled with a deep ache that throbbed incessantly, counterpoint to his heartbeat, but he managed to lean forward on his elbows as Claire removed her jacket. The necklaces drew his eyes. despite the presence of bare flesh - although he hardly ignored it.
Before he could disseminate the thoughts, she spoke again. This time Tony truly was amused, however unfair on the woman it might be.
He was polite enough not to laugh at the serious question, but his voice held a hint of wry humour as he replied. "How did I get started?"
he repeated, the question rolling off of his tongue as he paused in thought. "I got sick,"
he said finally, with a small smile full of nostalgic irony. "Just as people are now. This of course,"
he added, "was before the 'Sickness' became common knowledge. I thought nothing of the random bouts of nausea or euphoria."
He waved a hand. "The 'Sickness' is only the prelude, the body reacting to the introduction of the 'power'. That was the best explanation we could come up with, although it may be wrong."
He shook his head. So much to explain! "I said I was dead. I'll tell you why. My family was one of the most prominent in Moscow. My grandfather distinguished himself and took advantage of the Ascendancy's rise to power. I was Antony Soloyov - one of the best and brightest of the CCD elite's youth."
He smiled fondly, although he had since come to revile what he would have become. "I was 'lucky'. I survived the 'Sickness', although it came at the cost of my life. I burned down the house of one of the members of the Sphere."
That brought a pause. The memory was one of his most bitter - and he had a crate of lemons to choose from. That bastard had taken things too far. Nonetheless, he retained his smile, if only because he was too tired to muster any real anger. "And so I died. It was impossible to explain. I knew nothing at the time, so I ran. They took my family, one by one. For testing, I have since learned, and to cover the incident up."
"I lived in the Undercity, hidden. I learned as much as I could by myself, but it was not much. Until I found others. There were 13 of us - both men and women - who had lost everything to this...Gift... So we learned. Everything we could."
A grimace crossed his face like a cloud crossing the sun. "Not without it's price. I am the only one left alive."
Another pause. His memories were foggy of that time, but he found little happiness in the remnants that he could recall.
His smile returned, this time genuine. "Can you believe I was an alcoholic until a month or so ago? After the last of us died - I can't even remember how long ago, 3 years? Maybe more. - I wanted to escape. However, it seems I couldn't escape. I found myself with another apprentice two years ago."
He laughed, although the movement shot pain through his chest. "I was drunk!"
Laughter faded to a fond grin. "But that bastard saved my life. I was lifted out of my drunken daze, and now I am back."
His eyes shone, just as they did when he was young and about to do something incredibly stupid.
"I can't teach you, only another woman can. There are differences, as I'm sure you have already noticed. However, I can tell you what I know. To do that, however, I need to know how much you know? Can you control the power at will? Do you know about the Five? How much did this June tell you?"
Edited by Tony Soloyov, Nov 29 2013, 10:36 AM.