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Lowering the glass to the table, she turned to eye him. Pondering for a moment, a small smirk puckered, furthering entertaining his questions. Returning with rhetoric to spur his thoughts,
He smiled broadly at her question while still gazing out over the mountains Because you're not stupid. He said before drawing on his pipe again Scarred perhaps, maybe more than a little hurt, but you're not a cauldron of unbridled rage. Plus, for the moment at least, you need me. So you'll entertain my strange interest in you until you get what you want from me and then...who knows. For now at least, I'm far safer with you here than if you were wandering out amongst the stars.
Maybe he was pushing is luck but he was fairly certain his assessment was correct, she knew how to play the game, that did not mean she had to reveal her cards or her true thoughts. She wanted something he could provide, why risk offending?
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Her face remained relatively tone neutral, glaring at him inquisitive, perking a brow
"Oh? I am not stupid? A very crude and perhaps fatal observation. Do you believe that the only few things I hold onto hold me back from such actions? But you would be... partially correct in your assessment. Killing you, brings neither I nor you any interests... Perhaps you have not realised it, but perhaps it is you that needs me... Or... perhaps... Each other. "
Her tone was smug, teasingly so. She raised up the wine glass, delightfully taking a sip from it. It was a nice taste to behold. She pondered how he felt about the Sentinels being so close to his home. Some anticipation of underwhelming perception regarding their threat was expected from him.
"I reserve my rage for those who truly deserve my wrath. Very few get to behold such a... graceful elevation of interests."
Sure enough he hit a nerve. Not the one he was aiming for but never mind, she gave him warning enough by pointing out her own fractured mental state, prodding the shards was probably not a good idea. Nor, for that matter was making her angry, although again he suspected that to truly anger her would require more than just words.
I have no doubt of your capabilities and I have no desire to experience them if it can be helped. He said, refusing to be intimidated but also refusing to blow her off as a 'non' threat. For to do so would be foolish beyond reason. To say we need each other....well there are many different ways that can be taken he said, looking at her, his playful smile returning for a moment before fading into something more serious But I hope you understand when I say, I would rather not need you, you may be right, but I would rather it wasn't so. He meant no offence in his words, but he firmly disliked the idea of somehow being reliant on her, or owing her, or worse still needing her for something. Steiner never wanted to 'need' someone ever again if it could be helped.
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Mildly entertained by teasing him - she was unphased by his rhetoric, her words were never intended as threats, but as playful wonders. But the dangers were very much real. She found a sense of agreement with him, chuckling at his statement softly,
"I'm sure you do not wish to needlessly make enemies... " There was a faint sense of sarcasm, a small smirk puckered before she faded back to a neutral tone. "I emphasize your concerns, I would not wish to be chained to another individual either... But, in these dire times, we make do with what little we have. And I'm afraid, little is all we can ever have, there is not much time left. "
To her, it was dark humor, a dry quip within her own mental mind against herself. She very well knew she was chained to some other sentient, and there was nothing to be done about it.
"I do not mean malicion for when I say that you require me. At least, that is if you wish to have any fighting chance. That City is not forgotten by any means... "
She took another sip on the Wine, comforted by the soothing effect it had on the ailment.
Finally, he took his glass and tasted it's contents, the blood red sweetness of the wine was apparent before he even drank it, the richness of it's flavours making itself more than apparent as he took another sip. Quality wine or not, Victor enjoyed what he was tasting. Turning his attention back to his guest, he realized that she was more on the defence that she was twenty minutes ago, to soothe the air he decided to switch subjects. Tell me of Leviathan. I realize of course that he was your lover, at one point or another, but of the man himself, tell me what he was like.
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Perking a brow in curiosity, she lowered her half finished glass of wine after briefly sipping it. She gave him an apathetic look, yet a sense of inquisition and suspicion was on there. Was he really going to go down this path...?
He looked at her, a half smiled upon his face but one which was laced in sympathy Curiosity. He said simply. Afterall, why shouldn't he be curious, the man was such a prominent member of Auxesia, a face well known throughout Siruis and all of a sudden he dies? How? What happened? Was it hubris? An accident? Did something lead him down a path causing his demise? How does someone so powerful, so clever and so bent on change, just die?
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Humming, she decided to humor him for now.
"...Well, I informed you back in Baffin what became of him. How he died on that expedition. Drowned beneath an ocean, quite literally and metaphorically from his own insanity...
Before he was badly damaged, he was a caring man. Intelligent. Creative. Fair. Understanding. He knew when to put his foot down, and when to allow an open perspective... Most importantly, he did listen. He changed. I invited him in to the Battleground - at the time - from his ragtag group of freelance operatives - the "Initiative" - mostly seeking to find the Nomads - you knew them for stealing a Liberty Dreadnought. How they managed to pull it off, I don't remember. They had links within the Navy at the time. Well, in the end, we merged, changed, and had integrated many types of people from across the sector."
Sighing, there was a bit of remorse, dread. She missed him dearly - she still clearly remembered him - despite the shattered memory - their experiences were thoroughly ingrained into her mind. Amongst feelings for him, other concerns were held, primarily the loss of life over the years. But she did her best to hide her feelings, focusing on the larger picture at hand, reorientating herself with purpose. She raised up the wine glass, taking a prolonged drink, trying to not dwell in the past.
And then he died. He said mater of factly and with no small amount of bitterness in his voice, realizing only afterwards that the tone in which he spoke was not the one he intended to use. I apologise I did not mean to say it like that. But I was hoping...I was wondering you could tell me if he was the same person you fell in love with before he passed away. If he was being perfectly honest with himself he was now crossing the border between professional interest and personal curiosity, although he often crossed the line this seemed slightly different than usual. Maybe she reminded him of Kaze.
He took a long drink from his own glass at the thought.
