[as ever, Wilhelm looks like he belongs in an artist's private collection. he's so pleasant, and smooth, and polished, and flawless--totally unlike the messiness of your typical human being. he's an ideal creation of nature to more than one person, or so chaos has heard. a vitruvian man, even, all perfect proportions as described by sacred geometry. just the mere sight of him--maybe chaos wasn't prepared to see him with his own eyes, given the separation. chaos appreciates humanity, and he loves humanity a great deal, but what he's looking at now is one of the things that can drive him to distraction. his tea would be getting cold in the time it takes him to study Wilhelm's features. as ever, Wilhelm looks like he could have been carved from white quartz, with eyes like red coral from the oldest seas... coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. chaos realizes he's staring, then, so he has to avert his eyes, retreating to the pattern of the inlaid marble floor. what he wouldn't give to have the wisdom to weather a long night such as this one.]
A place of learning...
[his voice is low, and it's flat, but gently so, like he's speaking from the very bottom of a lush valley. there's curiosity in it, too, but he doesn't ask what that means and Wilhelm doesn't offer to explain it to him. Wilhelm is speaking to someone else instead, and he's mentioning someone else entirely on top of that. before too long, chaos realizes that Wilhelm is referring to the little boy known as Kevin Winnicot. chaos has only met Kevin Winnicot the one time, a few years ago, and that one time was enough to feel uneasy about him, like looking into a pool of dark water and not knowing how far down it goes. but, honestly, he doesn't want to think about Kevin Winnicot tonight. of all things, he doesn't want to think about the details of Wilhelm's plans.
he looks back up at Wilhelm, and Wilhelm is looking back at him, just then. he's tempted to keep his distance, to continue to be a knotty problem, or a puzzle that Wilhelm is unable to solve... Wilhelm's open hand looks more like a lifeline than a weapon or a reprimand. chaos doesn't realize he's sighing until his lungs have almost been emptied of air again.] I didn't come from that far away, [he says, taking his first step toward the table.] And even if I had, it wouldn't have been much of a problem for me.
[he sits down with Wilhelm. he could have had this so much sooner, if he hadn't been so stubborn, he thinks.
then, a realization, and his eyebrows come together in vague disapproval.]
Oh, sorry. I should have brought something to go with the tea. Like biscuits, or...
no subject
A place of learning...
[his voice is low, and it's flat, but gently so, like he's speaking from the very bottom of a lush valley. there's curiosity in it, too, but he doesn't ask what that means and Wilhelm doesn't offer to explain it to him. Wilhelm is speaking to someone else instead, and he's mentioning someone else entirely on top of that. before too long, chaos realizes that Wilhelm is referring to the little boy known as Kevin Winnicot. chaos has only met Kevin Winnicot the one time, a few years ago, and that one time was enough to feel uneasy about him, like looking into a pool of dark water and not knowing how far down it goes. but, honestly, he doesn't want to think about Kevin Winnicot tonight. of all things, he doesn't want to think about the details of Wilhelm's plans.
he looks back up at Wilhelm, and Wilhelm is looking back at him, just then. he's tempted to keep his distance, to continue to be a knotty problem, or a puzzle that Wilhelm is unable to solve... Wilhelm's open hand looks more like a lifeline than a weapon or a reprimand. chaos doesn't realize he's sighing until his lungs have almost been emptied of air again.] I didn't come from that far away, [he says, taking his first step toward the table.] And even if I had, it wouldn't have been much of a problem for me.
[he sits down with Wilhelm. he could have had this so much sooner, if he hadn't been so stubborn, he thinks.
then, a realization, and his eyebrows come together in vague disapproval.]
Oh, sorry. I should have brought something to go with the tea. Like biscuits, or...