The Talk PI
The man brought them outside to where a lone fountain was situated, it was starting to get darker now.
Taking her hand out of his arm, she then went closer to the fountain.
She looked to the water inside, and stared at her reflection that was staring back at her.
The more she stares at it, the more she thinks she does not recognise herself anymore.
Because staring back at her, is a stranger.
And she does not know what she is becoming (,especially after her actions from before), not that she feels frightened by it.
No.
She feels nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
‘Am I even human anymore?’ She then blankly wondered, for she knew and accepted that she was a monster.
She fears she will slowly lose her former self, and rise to be the monster she truly thought she was…
“What do you see, Miss Cherniak?” Asked the General quietly in curiosity from behind her shoulder, also looking down into the fountain’s waters. Both of their reflections are staring back at them now, together. With both of them having entirely different thoughts at the moment.
“A shell of what was, nothing more.” She then blankly admitted, taking the man by surprise.
“A shell of what was, nothing more.”
Alexander was startled by her sudden revelation, because he certainly did not see that coming.
And neither did he know how to react to such a confession.
But what he did know, was that she was wrong.
Wrong to think that about herself.
For he…He..
But before he could finish the thought, miss Cherniak quickly turned to him, and he was surprised by the square look she gave him.
Her face looked blank, he could not see any emotion from her eyes as well…
But she indeed was staring straight to his own in seriousness.
Almost as though she were looking straight into his soul.
He feels his breath has left him at that moment.
“But never mind that, General. What pray tell, do you see when you look upon the fountain’s waters? Do you see the version of you that you have created to fool those around you,” She whispers, the ‘and yourself’ was unsaid, but the thought came to the foreground of his mind.
“or do you see your true self?” She finally uttered, making him freeze on the spot.
Alexander was lost for words, he at least hopes he isn’t opening his mouth in a most idiotic way at the moment.
Because he truly did not see that coming, he had concluded she might have known about him, his true identity yes, but he thought it would have been revealed in a slightly less…
Direct way.
Yes.
But then again, Miss Cherniak was always so direct with everything she had done and said so far.
So no, he in actuality should have seen it coming, because of course they were going to discuss the elephant in the room, but…
He had thought it would be after some other type of talk, to be honest…
Call it a wishful sort of thinking, but he did.
“Well? Cat caught your tongue, General Kirigan?” Miss Cherniak then drawled, making him refocus on the matter at hand.
On her.
They were going to have the talk now.
And this is the first time in his entire existence that he wasn’t certain about what the outcome would be.
But he hopes she’ll hear him out at least,
and understand him.
Because he, for some reason, feels that she would.
Firmly putting his thoughts at rest, he then gazed at her equally in seriousness.
‘Yes,’ He thought, ‘Let us finally talk.’
The man smiled at her, his eyes seemed to twinkle.
Okay that was not the reaction she was expecting to be honest…
(Again, what a strange man.)
“Of course you would know, Miss Cherniak. As I haven’t been completely truthful to you, have I?” He charmingly says, but then his eyes glint at hers, a second after. “But neither have you.”
He then leans towards her, his eyes turning dark, “Say it.” he whispers, silkily might she add.
“Say my true name.”
Both of their eyes are locked to one another's now, each of them seeing the other for what they are.
“Aleksander Morozova, The Black Heretic, as they call you.” She finally utters.
The man seems to delight in hearing his name come from her lips, because he leans even closer to her now, their noses now touching one another’s.
And their lips so close to one another's.
She feels his breath on her face, as she is certain that he feels hers on his.
“Yes,” The man almost purs, like how one of her ‘cats’ would pur when she would shower them in affection.
He then smiles, in a boyish way.
“And yours? What is your true name, Miss Cherniak?”
“Valeria Carina Potter-Black Peverell, well those are the main names (and houses) that I refer to myself as." Here she then leans closer to him as well, their lips are almost touching each other now, and he, being startled by it, freezes. But Valeria does not notice his reaction to her closeness, for she gives him a hard stare, with her eyes flaring dangerously once more.
"Now General Morozova, what are your plans for Ravka, but more importantly, what are your intentions with my friend? And don't lie, because I will know, and trust me, you won't like the consequences if you dare lie to my face, for I greatly dislike liars." She almost hisses at the end.
Which made the man strongly react to it.