12-07-2014, 10:41 AM
Damien's rapport was lost on Dane. Other men might recognize the appeal to empathy, that Damien once knew similar maltreatment by others and the emptiness it left inside. But Dane was not other men. He lay motionless while Damien hovered above, uttering sentences that might as well have been a foreign language. Being brought to his feet helped only to lift his dignity, although Dane winced away from Damien's physical presence afterward. The implications of a stronger, larger man looming close did not bother him, rather the touch of his hand on his shoulder. Witnesses were blank faced, but Dane noticed only the lowering of their guns rather than any nuances in expression that indicated a change in their hearts.
There was one phrase in particular that lit his eyes proud. Dane's grandfather had been an Earl in the pre-Custody world, and were it not for the loss of fiefdom, such grandiose titles would have been his someday. It was a historical price they paid, he supposed, exchanging the ancient ways for security and continued wealth. Titles did nothing for a bankrupt family. He would rather have wealth than prestige, because one can accumulate the other over time but not the other way around. It was always easier to inherit wealth while prestige was a mysterious emotion that swirled behind other people's eyes like conspiracies he would never understand. Damien lured the wrong bait to force Dane's compliance. Followers' adoration and enemies' fear meant nothing to Dane. A tree could bestow as much emotion upon Dane and he would not know the difference.
Dane's fury was dampened, however, by the lure of Damien's second bait. Intimacy was what Dane craved, which was why he always reverted to the satisfaction of devoting his attentions on one person at a time. Could Damien recapitulate what he'd experienced with Aria and the whore? He did not understand why Mockingbird and Lord Gregory were mutually exclusive of one another. Mockingbird simply enjoyed kicking the ant hill and watching the chaotic aftermath. What would he doodle if not the Mockingbird? After a thousand cards, he'd finally perfected the sketch.
The real temptation in Damien's offer was the prospect of survival itself. Dane bowed his head, knowing the posture was one of subservience. His voice was compliant, soft. "Mockingbird and Lord Gregory are conjoined twins that if one were cut away, the other would wither. I cannot kill one part of myself no more than I could cut off my own arm. But I think you are asking something else of me entirely, though I do not know what it is. Tell me your offer and I will tell you if I accept."
After so many convoluted comments, Dane needed plainness.
There was one phrase in particular that lit his eyes proud. Dane's grandfather had been an Earl in the pre-Custody world, and were it not for the loss of fiefdom, such grandiose titles would have been his someday. It was a historical price they paid, he supposed, exchanging the ancient ways for security and continued wealth. Titles did nothing for a bankrupt family. He would rather have wealth than prestige, because one can accumulate the other over time but not the other way around. It was always easier to inherit wealth while prestige was a mysterious emotion that swirled behind other people's eyes like conspiracies he would never understand. Damien lured the wrong bait to force Dane's compliance. Followers' adoration and enemies' fear meant nothing to Dane. A tree could bestow as much emotion upon Dane and he would not know the difference.
Dane's fury was dampened, however, by the lure of Damien's second bait. Intimacy was what Dane craved, which was why he always reverted to the satisfaction of devoting his attentions on one person at a time. Could Damien recapitulate what he'd experienced with Aria and the whore? He did not understand why Mockingbird and Lord Gregory were mutually exclusive of one another. Mockingbird simply enjoyed kicking the ant hill and watching the chaotic aftermath. What would he doodle if not the Mockingbird? After a thousand cards, he'd finally perfected the sketch.
The real temptation in Damien's offer was the prospect of survival itself. Dane bowed his head, knowing the posture was one of subservience. His voice was compliant, soft. "Mockingbird and Lord Gregory are conjoined twins that if one were cut away, the other would wither. I cannot kill one part of myself no more than I could cut off my own arm. But I think you are asking something else of me entirely, though I do not know what it is. Tell me your offer and I will tell you if I accept."
After so many convoluted comments, Dane needed plainness.