Seeds

[Evelyn]

For a moment, Evelyn pondered how she wanted to respond to Ascendancy's question. A great many people said a great many things about him. However, before she could gather her thoughts, it seemed that the Secretary of State finally gathered his gumption.

"Now hold on!"
Secretary Francis sputtered. "This meeting isn't about stroking your ego. Nor is it about playing childish games."
The last comment was said with a glance in her direction. "We are here to ensure that nefarious actors don't take advantage of channelers - or of their own Power - to wreak havoc on the world order."


Evelyn's smile was frozen on her face. She had been somewhat disrespectful to both of her companions by speaking out of turn. It was fairly arrogant to assume leadership of their delegation despite her youth and inexperience. Even so, she hadn't imaged that the Secretary would go so far as to call her a child not only to her face, but also in front of their opponent.

"Of course, Secretary Francis,"
Evie agreed easily, with a hint of ice in her tone. "Which is why it is quite fortunate that both sides seem to be in agreement that other countries cannot be allowed to conscript channelers into their armies."
Before she could lose control of the conversation once more, the brunet turned back to Brandon. "You mentioned that you oppose any organizations that weaponize channelers. Does your government have a plan in place for when other countries do just that?"

[Ascendancy]

Francis interrupted before Evelyn responded, and Nikolai made no effort to keep the sting of a glare from his gaze. His speech made him want to roll his eyes, but as that was unlikely to win any favors, he merely smiled and nodded. "Duly noted, Secretary."


Evelyn picked up the pieces where Francis left them, smoothing out the edges on both sides. She could smooth broken glass with her politicking, and Nikolai began to see why the President sent her in the first place.

Her question conjured the image of Michael's face. He was the point of the spear when it came to rogue channelers. But his jurisdiction operated primarily within CCD bounds. Anything outside their borders was far more difficult to arrange. Let each country deal with their own channelers, Nikolai thought, defensively. Organized groups was a whole other matter. He almost had a similar situation in DV, and that situation almost grew out of hand. The next time it happened, Nikolai's reaction would be swifter.

"We will have to treat the organization of channeler forces as we would nuclear arms. Unfortunately, these individuals will all need to be schooled, as an unlearned channeler is potentially as dangerous as the experienced. Therein lies the promise we require. If the United States and the Custody jointly demand the compliance of the world nations, to equally agree to disband all weaponized channelers, then we have have a chance to prevent any atrocities before they happen.

But. The United States will need to be prepared to follow through on their word. If we cannot allow weaponized channelers, we must be ready to intervene when it becomes necessary."


It had been a long time since the US foreign policy acted aggressively. He found it hard to believe they were prepared to change their ways now.

The conversation went back and forth in similar manner for another forty-five minutes. At the end of the conversation, neither country aggreed to much more than the existance of a potential problem, let alone come to terms on how to deal with such a problem when it arises.

Nikolai called for an adjournment, and invited their guests to continue the conversation the next day. Now that he had a better grasp of their intent and the power play between the three guests, he could proceed strategically. Of course, when it came to the US, there was really only one strategy.

However, there was a need to pivot slightly. As he stretched out an arm to escort the guests from the room, his gaze lingered along Evelyn's profile, curious about the role she - and her power - would play tomorrow.

One more stop to pose for the press, Nikolai flashed the group a charming smile, including the Secretary at the last moment. "I invite these distinguished guests to stay within the dignitary quarters of the Kremlin Palace for the duration of their stay."
A few voices among the Kremlin Press Corps gasped, and all two-dozen faces turned to the Americans, hanging on every word for their reaction.

[Evelyn]

Perhaps she should have known that Ascendancy was planning on pulling a stunt like this by the mischievous glint in his eyes as he smiled at her. Nevertheless, she was still shocked at the invitation. The delegation already had very lavish lodgings at their hotel, a place that was often reserved for foreign diplomats. There was a world of difference though between that and being invited into the dignitary wing of the Palace. Only the greatest allies of the state were entrusted with the privilege of being housed there. After all, though the Palace was huge, it was still the same building where Ascendancy himself slept.

It was an honor to be invited to stay, and it would be something of a faux pas to decline. However, as representatives of the USA, they would be expected to refuse. Relations between their countries were somewhat frosty, and it would be... a poor political move to seem to friendly with Brandon. Evie could imagine the attack ads in her next reelection campaign. Doubtless the Secretary of State did as well, because she could practically see him gearing himself to make a polite refusal.

She couldn't allow that to happen. The good of the world depended on her country and Brandon's, and they had to find a way to bridge the gap. Even if it wasn't politically expedient for her, there may never be a time like this again, where Ascendancy himself extended an olive branch first. "We're honored to accept your offer,"
Evelyn interjected. She could practically feel her colleagues' incredulous gazes. She was way out of line. There was no way that they could turn down his offer now. Still, even though she would doubtlessly face a harsh reprimand in private, she couldn't help but feel that things were going exactly as she needed.

[Ascendancy]

The moment Evelyn accepted the offer, she became the new darling of the CCD. That would be two countries she conquered. Every individual of the press corps turned their attention to her. Their normal collegiality collapsed, and in its place was introduced the competition to win her favor. They wanted to know how long she would stay, what she thought of the palace, if her friendship with Secretary Trano influenced her decision.

Nikolai folded his hands before him and stepped back, watching the spectacle so to say. The twinge of a smile touched his lips. Evelyn was a fascinating creature, but it was the reactions of her peers that earned his interest. The Secretary weakly hid his displeasure.

They were shown to dignitary quarters within the Grand Palace. Each member of the party given their own space, or in the case of the Secretary, a suite. They were allowed one member of US secret service to stay with them, per person, but only if unarmed and fully documented. The Kremlin hid many secrets, and the Grand Palace was one of the oldest buildings within the fortress, but the group was made aware that their presence was being watched. Only one comment was made about the vulnerability of those stone walls, given their recent, devastating breech. No further comments were made.

Nikolai spent the afternoon dealing with affairs of running the empire. Everything from funding allocations throughout the custodies to matters of defense to assignment of the new Custody of Channelers. It was made known to him that the Greys had a channeler among them, a daughter in fact. Someone that might be of use to the CCD, and Nikolai made a note that she be contacted. In fact, it was to Marcus, the former Sigma now promoted to Consul, that he asked if he'd ever encountered a woman that used their power. The conversation was brief, but Nikolai was more intrigued now than ever. He watched the video of Evelyn's speech again, searching for evidence of her skill, but found it all terribly frustrating.

He also checked in with Aria, but there was no update to be had regarding the whereabouts of the missing Regus. The Atharim were dealt a terrible blow, but not destroyed. Not yet. It had never been Nikolai's intent to destroy them, but to remake them into what they were always meant to be.

The basement quarters were still under construction and redesign, so he adjourned to the Czar's rooms that evening. He ate alone, studying throughout, as usual, reading and updating himself with news of the day. It was standing before a window, looking out over the city, when he made the decision to check on the construction himself. The pool was also under construction, and he was itching for exercise. He left with two Barrier Preator agents following in his shadow.

No matter the hour, Nikolai did not allow himself to walk the halls of the Kremlin in anything but a suit. The jacket hung open as he walked, and the ever-present tie was replaced with an opened collar, but that was the extent of informality. That so many saw him in the hospital in not but a gown covered in blood continued to bother him, but it only strengthened the resolve to maintain his image. Everyone, from Generals to the cleaning staff, would see nothing less.

On winds of Aether did the doors of the palace halls open before him, but he paused in his tracks, stopped by the presence of the one on the other side.

"Good evening."

[Evelyn]

((So apparently, when I said that I'd 'reply soon' I was horribly mistaken and ambitious. Sorry about that.))

Evelyn knew that accepting Ascendancy's offer would cause a stir, but she clearly hadn't fully realized exactly how much excitement would result from it. She was somewhat baffled by the response at first. Every reporter in the press corps was desperate to get a quote from her, each one gushing on and on about how unprecedented it was, or just how beautiful the dignitary quarters were rumored to be.

And they certainly lived up to their reputation. Evie had seen pictures of places like Versailles and the Munich Residence. In such palaces, opulence was a sign of power, after all, and housing dignitaries there was both a way of flattering visitors as well as intimidating them. However, Ascendancy's guest 'rooms' outdid them all. Evelyn thought of them as 'quarters', since she wasn't limited to a room. Her suite contained an enormous bedroom, attached to an even larger 'sitting room', what could only be a smaller tea room meant for entertaining guests, and of course a private bathroom complete with both a shower and a claw-footed bath tub. Furthermore, the rooms were filled with enough priceless art and antiques to fill a museum exhibit. These were clearly lodgings fit for a princess.

Then suddenly it occurred to her just why the reporters had been so breathless with excitement. Nikolai Brandon was not young, technically speaking, however he had the youthful and handsome appearance of a man in his thirties. That, coupled with his power both literal and metaphorical, made him easily the most eligible bachelor in the entire world. There were entire publications dedicated to gossiping about his (as yet nonexistent) love life. And of course, Evelyn was not ignorant of her own beauty. She was quite a catch in her own right, and her career had suddenly skyrocketed. There were already quite a few whispers of her potential to someday return the Democratic Party to the Oval Office. Additionally, she was quite possibly the most famous and highly-placed female channeler.

Evelyn berated herself for not seeing it sooner. There had likely already been all sorts of gossip about her meeting with Brandon. They were like Romeo and Juliet except so, so much more powerful and influential. Maybe a better comparison would be Helen and Paris... or Hades and Persephone. The mere intimation of a relationship between them must have gossip rags salivating... and then Nikolai had offered to put her in the Princess suites, and she had accepted.

All of that flickered in her mind as she prepared to meet Ascendancy. She tried to calculate whether it would be good or bad for her political fortunes to have such gossip circulating. She wanted to arrange for the US to have closer relations with the CCD, but if she went to far she could risk losing the moderate support she would need in the future. And yet, despite all her political acumen and her shrewd mind, she couldn't help but feel like a wide eyed girl when she finally met him.

Evie's breath caught as the grand palace doors opened of their own volition, and her gaze was drawn inexorably down the hall, where Ascendancy stood in wait. The brunet found herself almost overwhelmed by the grandiosity of the moment. This was a chamber that had seen kings live an die, empires rise and fall. The man before her was in his own way both a king and a father of an empire... and his sights were set on her and her alone.

Evelyn had never been able to grasp hold of the Power except in prayer, but surely this must be a religious experience, because it seemed to come to her almost instinctively, reflexively even. As it filled her, all of her senses became more acute. She could see the minute patterns on his tie, could even smell his cologne. The ecstasy was almost overwhelming, but it also helped clear her mind. Ascendancy was an agent of God; of that she was now certain. However, she was as well. Her power assured her of that.

With a brief flicker of will, God granted her the Power to close the doors behind her, just like Ascendancy had opened them in front of her. Evelyn bowed her head briefly: an acknowledgement, not a supplication. "Good evening as well, Ascendancy."
She could feel her pulse quicken and her chest tighten in anticipation. Never before had she met with another of God's agents alone like this before.


Edited by Evelyn, Dec 17 2017, 09:08 PM.

[Ascendancy]

Quite immediately upon her turning did the reason for his invitation reveal itself. Only the soft movement of air as the doors closed behind him told him that power was used. It was not wielded by him; nor Marcus; nor Michael or any god he knew.

It was the woman before him. Evelyn.

He rubbed his arms.

His expression betrayed him, one of curiosity and wariness. Lines of many years of ponderance touched his face, having contemplated this exact moment long before now. Evelyn unnerved him, not solely because she was a woman with powers untraceable, but that those powers were so easily masked by a demure smile.

"I sense nothing from you. How do you do it?"
He spoke as he was pulled toward her. His question hung like smoke on the air. He came close, standing over her. With power in his grasp, he stretched every sense to its brink, seeking some evidence of what she had done. Finding none, his roaming gaze settled on her, as though her eyes held the secrets he desired.

He could make out the flecks of color in her eyes, chocolate and gold, warm and deep. Lines drew tiny shimmers throughout the soft curls of her hair. Her youth was apparent, cheeks and mouth lacking the crevices of care burdening so many others around him. It was like looking into the face of perpetual summer.

[Evelyn]

((So.... I know it's been... the good part of a year. So.. yeah. This post will probably be terrible. *Big apologetic smile*))

She tilted her chin. The question crimped her gaze with curiosity. Ascendancy admitted something that one may interpret as a weakness. There was something in the world that eluded him, and Evelyn was the one to whom he admitted naiveté.

She clasped her hands as her eyes roamed, like they sought for meaning in the swirls of heaven's clouds. "I have been blessed by gifts I do not try to comprehend. I do not intend to evade what you sense. If it eases your mind, neither can I sense anything from you. It was the same around Ni--"
She clapped her mouth closed. It was unwise to bring up the name of Ascendancy's open enemy in his presence. She recovered quickly, easing the transition with a warm smile.

The way he looked at her was not unnoticed either. She didn't exactly perceive herself as a beautiful woman, but neither was she ignorant of her looks. Image was important to one serving in the public eye. Nor was she lacking in suitors as a girl, but who had time for the nonsense of boys.

Thus, she was glad to break gaze from Ascendancy. Evelyn was ambitious, but it didn't mean she was cold-blooded.

[Ascendancy]

Nikolai was atuned to her every word. This girl had bewitched an entire country with her melodic words. It was easy to see why. In his long life he had never met anyone like her - an astounding accomplishment to be so unique a woman. He felt the tug of a smile begin to pull at his lips. One that was not forced in pleasantries. One that was not posed for the media. Something so genuine it stirred hesitation.

Until she spoke half a name.

What was the beginnings of a smile turned into dismissal. He waved a hand as she tried to smooth the slip of the tongue. Nicholas Trano was elevated among United States politicians, that was obvious. But it was not unsurprising. Neither was he worth the Ascendancy's thoughts. There were others in his employ constantly analyzing the developments abroad. For Evelyn to bring him up now only reminded Nikolai that she was indeed American.

He glanced at her, so American.

He learned more than about channelers tonight. He learned that he had to guard himself even more firmly. She was the sort of threat that would mole its way past his defenses and wield the very charm and affability that won him his own followers.

Full of charm and wit, certainly, but more importantly, Evelyn had the heart of the American people. The whisper of her lips in their ear and they would bend to her call. Whatever cause she backed, she won. It would take more than her, of course, but she was already leaning more pro-CCD than most in Congress. It was no mistake her presence on the delegation that visited. If she could be bent to his cause, if she could but see the purity of his ambitions, he may foster an unsuspected, yet influential, ally among the Americans. It was time to shape just such an ally. Evelyn was not the only one with charm and grace.

"Since we are awake and strolling the palace, would you like something of a tour? I am no historian, but I have lived here a long time and have grown fond of a few places in particular."
He gestured, raising an arm so to lead her along, blue eyes glinting with the smile of secrets soon to be shared.

[Evelyn]

As soon as Evie spoke the syllable of Trano's name, she regretted it. Yet Brandon's hand-waving furrowed her brow low. She wasn't exactly looking for offense out of Ascendancy, but she expected more of a reaction than dismissal.

Her frustration was short-lived, however, because Brandon shifted altogether. She barely noticed the phasing out of one man and the appearance of another. Gone was the man who aspired to be God and before her appeared a courteous, engaging man.

"I would be delighted."

She accepted his arm, feeling rather foolish by the old-fashioned gesture. The cloth of his sleeve was soft beneath her fingers, and she tried not to think about the flesh of his arm. She uttered a silent prayer to keep her wits about her.

Forcing distraction upon herself, she kept her gaze fixed squarely ahead and spoke as they strolled. "I do like history, and this land is practically enchanted with antiquity. The United States is full of rich history itself, populated by natives and cultures that are sadly disappearing. But I do envy something about this part of the world, where one can walk along paths taken thousands of years before. I know this fortress is not so old as all that, but I appreciate the significance none the less."

[Ascendancy]

Evelyn's was not the first female arm Nikolai led through these halls, but hers was perhaps the first one that occupied the fullness of his attention as he strolled. He was careful not to look at her too often, nor seek to guess her reaction with each new opulence that unfolded before them. Yet he tried to balance any false disinterest by casting smiles down at her on occasion.

This was his kingdom, if such territories still existed in the modern era. If such was true, he ruled here. The sureness of his direction in the complex of interconnected rooms and palaces spoke as much. If not, then the shadows of two Barrier Preator agents that followed nearby said the rest. Since the Atharim infiltrated what was arguably the most secure fortress in the world, they barely left him alone except on direct order. Mostly Nikolai was not in the mood to deal with the necessary commands that he be left in solitude. The Atharim infiltrated, they nearly killed him, and even now he could recall the terror that he might actually die at Regus's hand, but they failed. He did not die. Destiny simply would not allow it. The pattern planned by the universe would not allow it. Of that much, he was sure now.

He guided Evelyn through the palace he claimed as his own. The status and significance of their surroundings brought a gleam of pride to his piercing blue gaze. The halls were lavishly decorated, matching (and sometimes restored) to the splendor of the Russian royalty that preceded him. Leaders of every nation walked these halls at one point or another. But there was more to it than presence of history. Within the palaces and luxurious interiors, augmented by Evelyn on his arm, he felt as through they were transported five hundred years, maybe even five thousand years, into the past, two royals surveying their kingdom together.

Foolishness, he shook himself of the mentality. Too much had happened of late that filled his mind with reminiscence. Yet the invincibility that cloaked his aura could not be shaken. So much felt right. '

Time passed more quickly than he realized. Evelyn was a splendid conversationalist, and her genuine interest in the palace piqued at his inclination to share the history that enveloped them. In fact, as they circled through the Terem palace, strolled the Tsarina's throne room, and returned to the Tsar's grand throne room, where they first saw one another. He broke from her arm and paced forward, astutely aware of just how empty the grand hall was.

Suddenly, two seeming problems seemed to be solved by one brilliant idea.

"I'm going to sponsor a fundraiser for the Africans that are under the new governance of Jacques Danjou. Humanitarian aid for the cause. I'll have it in the palace. Let's start the auction with,"
he paused a moment as numbers filtered through his mind, "ten million a ticket, up to three-hundred tickets."
The limited number of tickets would sell off in less than a day, he was confident. For the chance to be in these halls after he proclaimed himself a channeler, and a god, then the nouveau riche would scramble over themselves for the chance to see him channel in person. Not to mention how he would prove his invincibility in the aftermath of the gruesome images of his wounds that plagued the news.

He approached her where she waited, quietly studying her reaction to what he was confident would raise three billion dollars in one night. Jacques would not be able to turn down that kind of money, and of course, with the cause benefiting his interests, he would be required to attend. That would practically cement their kindred relationship in the eyes of the world stage. The second problem was solved as he held out a hand, "Of course, if you will attend as my guest, I will gladly buy your own ticket. You can't decline, it is for a good cause after all."


A roguish smile hooked his lips. "Have you ever been to a ball?"