Eliot had not expected Nox to actually get back to him so quickly. It hadn't even been a day, and more so than that, the meeting was sooner than expected. What kind of clout did this boy have with the man in the Kremlin? Or was it mere curiousity? Eliot wondered what the Ascendancy had been told, what Nox would reveal, how much truth he'd drop. There was a drop of sweat on his brow. It was fear. This man could wipe him off the face of the planet with a thought. And in truth so could Nox Durante. Though he trusted the boy far more than he would ever trust the Ascendancy. He'd lived a long life being hunted. That was a trust that could not be built over time.
Eliot approached his wife to be and gave her a small peak on the cheek. They'd managed to make arrangements for an engagement. But the wedding was still in planning stages. Maybe a New Year's Wedding. Something for pomp and circumstance. But that was a later detail. "I met with Durante. Asked him for a favor, and oddly enough he's come through with far more resilience than I had expected of him. He arranged a meeting for me with the Ascendancy to talk about our plans. It is a few days hence at the Illustrious Gardens we rarely hear anything about."
Helena weathered the kiss as she always did, which was to say she barely noticed it, and did not react. Personally she did not require their performance to continue behind closed doors, but neither did she reject the small affections the world would expect to find between marrying couples. Better that it look natural for when it mattered. And he did not seem to mind that she never did it back.
For the most part Eliot did a more than adequate job of their arrangement, and she had begun to trust him to continue to do so without her oversight. He always kept her apprised, and she listened and responded as necessary. But now her eyes sharpened, her slender brows narrowing in displeasure. "Surely," she said, "you mean us."
Eliot pursed his lips. [color=antiquewhite]"I mean us, now. It was a slip, my love. Durante is abrupt and to the point. There was little banter and small talk with him and I didn't think you'd want to join in a boring meeting talking about the logistics of how to hunt a god." Though to be fair he should have thought of it. She had her own connections. Eliot bowed his head and grabbed her hand to press a kiss to the knuckles. "I sincerely apologize."
Helena didn't care about the romance. It was just easier to keep his side going so their pretend act was real. It wasn't love. It was connivence after all. "Forgive me. I'm sure one more won't matter."
The impatience showed in her expression while he spoke and she waited for her turn. Helena no longer bothered to conceal herself with the mask of societal nicety she used to smooth other situations, not with him, and by now Eliot understood that she was simply efficient with her emotions. "I do not mean your meeting with Durante, dear. If I'd wanted to speak to him myself, I would have summoned him at the club." She watched him lift her fingers indifferently. The apology was superfluous. She wasn't injured by his mistake, just waiting to see it rectified. "However of course it will be necessary for me to meet with the Ascendancy. That is a different thing entirely."
Eliot nodded. "That is the meeting that I meant. I would rather just bring you along than attempt to recitify it through intermediary channels. I'm lucky to have gotten this meeting. Ask forgivenss and not permission." But there might not be foregivness to be given with the Ascendancy but he wasn't about to tell Helena no in any form or fashion. They could handle the dilemia when they got to the Garden. "My betrothed will certainly accompany me."
She thought it was foolish. It made them look incompetent. But then so would renegotiating. She was unhappy that he had gotten such an important thing wrong in the first place, but it was done now, so she only nodded.
It was the day off the meeting and the donuts were creeping in. He stood in front of the mirror wondering if the double breasted suit was too much. But he had to make an impression. But he also wanted walk away with his life and the life of his future wife.
Maybe walk away was more than he needed. Eliot looked over in the corner to the wheel chair he often needed at the end of the day or on particularly though days. It wasn't one but maybe it could be. Men always underestimated others with disabilities.
Eliot and Helena's car rolled up and a man helped Elliot from the car into his chair. It was a bit cold and Durante waited in clothes unfit for a Moscovian winter, a weave of fire shimmered around him though he didn't feel the meanacing threat of their shared power. And his dress. Eliot was highly disappointed.
As he rolled up under his own power with Helena at his side. "You didn't think to dress better when meeting the most powerful man on the planet?" Eliot barely managed to keep his ire under wraps.
[With Helena]
Eliot approached his wife to be and gave her a small peak on the cheek. They'd managed to make arrangements for an engagement. But the wedding was still in planning stages. Maybe a New Year's Wedding. Something for pomp and circumstance. But that was a later detail. "I met with Durante. Asked him for a favor, and oddly enough he's come through with far more resilience than I had expected of him. He arranged a meeting for me with the Ascendancy to talk about our plans. It is a few days hence at the Illustrious Gardens we rarely hear anything about."
Helena weathered the kiss as she always did, which was to say she barely noticed it, and did not react. Personally she did not require their performance to continue behind closed doors, but neither did she reject the small affections the world would expect to find between marrying couples. Better that it look natural for when it mattered. And he did not seem to mind that she never did it back.
For the most part Eliot did a more than adequate job of their arrangement, and she had begun to trust him to continue to do so without her oversight. He always kept her apprised, and she listened and responded as necessary. But now her eyes sharpened, her slender brows narrowing in displeasure. "Surely," she said, "you mean us."
Eliot pursed his lips. [color=antiquewhite]"I mean us, now. It was a slip, my love. Durante is abrupt and to the point. There was little banter and small talk with him and I didn't think you'd want to join in a boring meeting talking about the logistics of how to hunt a god." Though to be fair he should have thought of it. She had her own connections. Eliot bowed his head and grabbed her hand to press a kiss to the knuckles. "I sincerely apologize."
Helena didn't care about the romance. It was just easier to keep his side going so their pretend act was real. It wasn't love. It was connivence after all. "Forgive me. I'm sure one more won't matter."
The impatience showed in her expression while he spoke and she waited for her turn. Helena no longer bothered to conceal herself with the mask of societal nicety she used to smooth other situations, not with him, and by now Eliot understood that she was simply efficient with her emotions. "I do not mean your meeting with Durante, dear. If I'd wanted to speak to him myself, I would have summoned him at the club." She watched him lift her fingers indifferently. The apology was superfluous. She wasn't injured by his mistake, just waiting to see it rectified. "However of course it will be necessary for me to meet with the Ascendancy. That is a different thing entirely."
Eliot nodded. "That is the meeting that I meant. I would rather just bring you along than attempt to recitify it through intermediary channels. I'm lucky to have gotten this meeting. Ask forgivenss and not permission." But there might not be foregivness to be given with the Ascendancy but he wasn't about to tell Helena no in any form or fashion. They could handle the dilemia when they got to the Garden. "My betrothed will certainly accompany me."
She thought it was foolish. It made them look incompetent. But then so would renegotiating. She was unhappy that he had gotten such an important thing wrong in the first place, but it was done now, so she only nodded.
It was the day off the meeting and the donuts were creeping in. He stood in front of the mirror wondering if the double breasted suit was too much. But he had to make an impression. But he also wanted walk away with his life and the life of his future wife.
Maybe walk away was more than he needed. Eliot looked over in the corner to the wheel chair he often needed at the end of the day or on particularly though days. It wasn't one but maybe it could be. Men always underestimated others with disabilities.
Eliot and Helena's car rolled up and a man helped Elliot from the car into his chair. It was a bit cold and Durante waited in clothes unfit for a Moscovian winter, a weave of fire shimmered around him though he didn't feel the meanacing threat of their shared power. And his dress. Eliot was highly disappointed.
As he rolled up under his own power with Helena at his side. "You didn't think to dress better when meeting the most powerful man on the planet?" Eliot barely managed to keep his ire under wraps.
[With Helena]