milliways_bar | (no subject)

His eyes light up immediately. 'Well now. A game I haven't seen before.'

He watches and immediately begins to work out a way to cheat at it. 'You're talented at it I think. Is five your best score?'

"It is not."

He wrinkles his nose.

"But only if I cheat."

Silk laughs easily. 'Cheating is just another kind of game, there's nothing wrong with that. It seems that there isn't much room for dishonesty though, it's rather a simple pastime.'

He sits and watches the ball being thrown again, then swipes it out of midair. 'Is 'of the Frost' a title for you sir?'

"No."

He tosses the jacks wide, the ball up, and swipes at them, hand dissolving into crystals of ice, which then swarms back towards him, the jacks (now frosted over, ice shining on the metal) resting easily in his palm.

"It is a description. I think it is different."

That was rather surprising. Silk looks a little startled, then laughs. 'I see what you mean. Forgive me, I hadn't thought to meet someone like you here. It is different, I see. Am I to blame you for ice in winter then?' He lounges in his chair. 'Really is a shame, all the cold you know.'

you."

He smiles, very sweetly, from where he sits, cross legged on the floor.

He remains looking startled. And carefully doesn't narrow his eyes.

'I'm not sure that's a very polite thing you just said Jack. My apologies if you're offended, I meant no harm.'

Hmmm...

He shrugs, and smiles again, this time it's honest.

'Right. Are you?'

He remains calm, smiling lightly and utterly relaxed. 'I may be mortal but I'm not stupid, as far as I'm aware anyway - and unless I want people to believe it's so. And as I said, there was no insult intended. My mouth does tend to run away with me at times, I'm told.'

He shrugs it off. 'Why are you tired? Working hard?'

"I have two friends and one teacher and I worry for them all."

He sighs.

"And two of them, I am told, want to bed me. I am tired."

OK, that makes Silk blink. He's not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but he certainly isn't used to such things being talked about openly and not by strangers either.

'...oh.'

Silent flailing ensues for a moment.

'Well...what are you being instructed in?'

He nearly asks about the two that want to bed him - but the words don't come that easily.

"I am not sure. My teacher slit my throat. I have been loath to continue lessons. I find blood does not appeal to me when it is my own as much as would please the Cruel Thing."

He's suddenly sitting cross legged on the coffee table.

"Sex and blood should very probably not mix. Or fire. Or so I am told."

He's a little surprised by the speed of movement but covers fairly well. 'Your teacher sounds as though he or she needs to improve their methods. What would you learn from having your throat cut?'

Jack is rather disconcerting, he's finding.

'And...uh, no. I would think neither blood nor fire would mix well with sex, unless you have particular tastes that enjoy that sort of thing.' Hey, it's not unheard of, even in his world. He doesn't share those tastes though.

"I hated blood, I burn easily, and I fear very much that it will not be worth the heavy breathing."

He shrugs.

"And slitting my throat was not, maybe, unmerited. I was very angry."

He laughs at that. 'Heavy breathing? If you know nothing of it, how do you know that that's what it entails?' He has a speculative drink. 'And there's more to it than that. I would recommend you try - life is full of ugly things. The enjoyable ones should be enjoyed as hard, and as often, as possible.'

His personal favourite? Wives of other men. Just because he can.

"I do not think so. I can only have so many scars. Thea..."

He shrugs, and pulls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

"But I like dancing."

'Dancing is a fun occupation,' he agrees lightly. 'But why do you find scars enjoyable Jack? There is more fun, surely, in things that don't hurt?'

Silk likes puzzles, it's a game to him. And Jack is quite the enigma at the moment.

"Thea said..."

He trails off, blinks twice, owlishly, and shrugs.

"I suppose it is not wise. But having a body is new, and having scars on it amuses me."

'Who is this Thea? I don't know her and she sounds interesting.'

He blinks at him as well, looking to his neck for evidence of the previous injury. 'The scars don't vanish completely then?'

"They will. But I like them, so I'm keeping them."

He concentrates for a moment.

"Be very careful of my Cruel Thing. She does verily burn."

Silk laughs and sprawls a little more. 'Would you like a drink Jack, or do you not? And just to be clear - Thea is the Cruel Thing? I'll stay away if that's the case, dangerous women are something I'm careful of.'

Or not. He likes to play with them. He likes dangerous things in general.

"She is. And not. Cruel Thing is possessing Thea. Thea hates me and Cruel Thing dances and burns."

It's really very simple, see?

"And I would like some water."

Possesion is something that makes him angry and his lips tighten into a line. 'Can she not get rid of her? Although I suppose you would rather she stayed, if you like her so much.'

He orders the water but his movements are a little stiff.

"Cruel Thing is very afraid."

He frowns.

"Because she does not have somewhere to be and the oblivion is very frightening. I know. It is her darkness and my summer."

Well, can she not just stay with Thea? Although I think that by the sounds of it, she deserves oblivion. If she's that cruel, I mean.'

Silk? Can be ruthless. And have no sympathy at all, at times.