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Post by Notre Dame on Apr 6, 2009 15:14:01 GMT -5
"No. You have achieved what other humans have spent decades trying to do." At least he wasn't stirring up rebellions that would led to blood on her walls. Blood left stains, and pressure-washers hadn't been invented yet. Mildly, without recrimination, "Without their effort."
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Post by Valmont on Apr 6, 2009 15:48:54 GMT -5
Valmont's smile grew wider.
"I have, haven't I?" he said, not at all disturbed by the insinuation about his effort, even if she had uttered it reproachfully. "Centuries, I should think. But then, not everyone has my particular abilities, or my attitude towards life. Attitude," he said as though saying something very profound, "is everything."
Of course he had the twofold advantages of having been born to the privileged class and not having a sufficient amount of true human feeling to know what was missing from his regimen.
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Post by Notre Dame on Apr 6, 2009 16:01:47 GMT -5
"Decades of each life," she specified, unperturbed. "Individual humans don't live to be centuries old. But as a race- more than centuries." She was not reproaching him for it. He would die as all mortals died, exactly alike, and so it did not matter the differences that separated him now from the large majority. And Notre Dame enjoyed him, she enjoyed the richer class in her city, because they dressed nicer and Notre Dame liked lace and brocade. "You refer to your abilities of charm, your intellect? Your prowess in bed? Tell me."
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Post by Valmont on Apr 6, 2009 16:24:28 GMT -5
"All of it." Valmont waved a negligent hand. "Prowess in bed doesn't get you there, so charm must be a factor. And it is not an easy game. One must have an astute understanding of human behavior, societal norms and how to circumvent them, and be able to maintain dozens, hundreds of relationships--sexual or not--simultaneously. Not to mention the fact that I know what I want, which is more than some can say they've discovered in their entire lives. Makes the taking of it that much easier."
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Post by Notre Dame on Apr 6, 2009 16:48:50 GMT -5
Brown eyes wide, "You have hundreds of relationships?" This stuck out in particular to Notre Dame, who could count the number of her (living) aquaintences on one hand.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 6, 2009 17:02:07 GMT -5
Valmont's eyes rolled up and to the left slightly, as if attempting to recall.
"I should think so," he said. "I haven't counted them, but... Certainly I can greet anyone I need to at a party. Our level of... intimacy... varies."
He pursed his lips as if to say, "for now."
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Post by Notre Dame on Apr 6, 2009 17:05:15 GMT -5
Notre Dame blinked at him. Had she been more the type, this would have been the appropriate moment for her to say, very awed, "Wowwww."
Instead, her hushed voice in the cathedral making it harder to detect such awe, "You are really a man of the world, monsieur."
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Post by Valmont on Apr 6, 2009 17:24:00 GMT -5
Valmont was ready to perceive awe, however, and would have read it into her utterance anyway. It was impressive, to a girl like her. A being. Whether she meant "man of the world" as a compliment, neutral, or insult, it didn't matter; Valmont was secure in the truth and validity of the position.
"Yes, I am," he said seriously.
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