08-17-2025, 08:43 PM
Giovanni watched everything unfold and admired the woman, Grym, for the sheer courage it took to talk shit to the gopnik leader in the middle of his own turf. Then again, courage and stupidity were two sides of the same coin. The difference was whether or not you ended up dead or not. Zholdin responded with a threat. That was hardly surprising.
Still Giovanni stayed silent, watching as the doctor came in and gave his prognosis. Zholdin would be fine with time. At the very least, Zholdin took care of those under him. That was a decent enough leadership quality. There was a strange sense of honor among mafiosos. In Giovanni's line of thievery, honor among thieves was a lie, but here there was some warped sense of family.
Giovanni didn't look up at the gopnik until Zholdin spoke directly to him. But it was the question that caused the change in Giovanni's expression as the corners of his lips turned up into a light smirk. The chaos within him had been silent, as it had been since he had started following the woman into the abandoned building after the gang, but now, tired of being silent, it began to stir within him. Giovanni had seen the brutality of the gopnik leader. He had seen the man give in to what Giovanni had kept hidden for so long and now expressed his own desire to have power of his own. Not a subordinate who could do magic. He wanted it for himself. A man like Zholdin could be a lot of fun.
"Dante," Giovanni said, giving them a name as he stood and began to walk forward. "You would be wise not to underestimate Grym." Giovanni knew what she was. She was by no means an old woman, but she was older, and you didn't live long as a monster and god hunter unless you were very skilled.
At the same time, Grym knew what he was, and she hadn't given into her mandate to kill him. That could mean something - it was a tidbit of information he stashed away in case he needed it. Still part of him wondered if she should have.
"It's not something anyone can learn. You have to have the ability to do it."
Giovanni stopped walking finding himself halfway between Grym and Zholdin. He turned his head slightly, almost as if to look over his shoulder. He stood here between two people and two ideals - Chaos and Order - Caos and Ordine made flesh. There had been a time when he had followed order, but it had lost. Giovanni had given into the chaos, and now - it had been muted by the woman. But that wasn't who he was. Not anymore...he was something more...something...
Giovanni began to move again toward Zholdin and he seized his power. It roared through him like a blazing inferno. "If you can, you will use it. You won't have a choice. Then you must learn to control it and if you don't, you die."
Giovanni kept moving passing by Zholdin as he continued his monologue, his fingers lightly brushing Zholdin's shoulders as he did."Whether you can or not, I do not know," Giovanni walked behind Zholdin, his fingers trailing along Zholdin's shoulders to his neck and back across the opposite shoulder. "But I'm sure we can find out." Giovanni's hand dropped to his side and stayed behind Zholdin. "Tell me Zholdin Gregorovich, would you like to find out if you can wield the power of gods?"
Still Giovanni stayed silent, watching as the doctor came in and gave his prognosis. Zholdin would be fine with time. At the very least, Zholdin took care of those under him. That was a decent enough leadership quality. There was a strange sense of honor among mafiosos. In Giovanni's line of thievery, honor among thieves was a lie, but here there was some warped sense of family.
Giovanni didn't look up at the gopnik until Zholdin spoke directly to him. But it was the question that caused the change in Giovanni's expression as the corners of his lips turned up into a light smirk. The chaos within him had been silent, as it had been since he had started following the woman into the abandoned building after the gang, but now, tired of being silent, it began to stir within him. Giovanni had seen the brutality of the gopnik leader. He had seen the man give in to what Giovanni had kept hidden for so long and now expressed his own desire to have power of his own. Not a subordinate who could do magic. He wanted it for himself. A man like Zholdin could be a lot of fun.
"Dante," Giovanni said, giving them a name as he stood and began to walk forward. "You would be wise not to underestimate Grym." Giovanni knew what she was. She was by no means an old woman, but she was older, and you didn't live long as a monster and god hunter unless you were very skilled.
At the same time, Grym knew what he was, and she hadn't given into her mandate to kill him. That could mean something - it was a tidbit of information he stashed away in case he needed it. Still part of him wondered if she should have.
"It's not something anyone can learn. You have to have the ability to do it."
Giovanni stopped walking finding himself halfway between Grym and Zholdin. He turned his head slightly, almost as if to look over his shoulder. He stood here between two people and two ideals - Chaos and Order - Caos and Ordine made flesh. There had been a time when he had followed order, but it had lost. Giovanni had given into the chaos, and now - it had been muted by the woman. But that wasn't who he was. Not anymore...he was something more...something...
Giovanni began to move again toward Zholdin and he seized his power. It roared through him like a blazing inferno. "If you can, you will use it. You won't have a choice. Then you must learn to control it and if you don't, you die."
Giovanni kept moving passing by Zholdin as he continued his monologue, his fingers lightly brushing Zholdin's shoulders as he did."Whether you can or not, I do not know," Giovanni walked behind Zholdin, his fingers trailing along Zholdin's shoulders to his neck and back across the opposite shoulder. "But I'm sure we can find out." Giovanni's hand dropped to his side and stayed behind Zholdin. "Tell me Zholdin Gregorovich, would you like to find out if you can wield the power of gods?"