Christopher Chant (vincereargentum) wrote in saveatlantisic, @ 2017-03-13 09:42:00 |
|
|||
Christopher wasn’t entirely sure of his intentions towards Miss Cleo Sertori. She intrigued him, certainly, and he wanted to learn more about her and her experience with magic. That was the reason he had asked her to meet him for tea. However, he had realised, whilst looking at that necklace through the glass of the gift-shop window, that, at some point, he had also become invested in how the young mermaid felt and, specifically, felt about him. He wasn’t used to having such emotional impulses. He was used to living in a castle full of people who were there to serve him and do as he told them and, while he got along with most of them, it almost didn’t matter much what they thought of him. There were a few exceptions, Mordecai, Jason and Millie, for example, but each of them had developed their own interests and goals which had, invariably, led them away from Chrestomanci Castle and Christopher had learned to stop being disappointed when this happened. That was one of the reasons he’d been taken aback by his desire to impress Cleo. That kind of urge hadn’t struck him since the summer when Millie had returned from school, before leaving again for university. He’d spent the whole summer neglecting his studies, much to Gabriel’s dismay, and instead larking around and showing off for Millie’s benefit. In the end, though, it hadn’t amounted to much and, come September, Millie had left again, leaving Christopher with a mountain of work to wade through and an uphill struggle to get back into Gabriel’s good books. Perhaps, then, he should heed this desire to impress Cleo with caution, as, no doubt, he should have done with Millie? He admitted now that the necklace had most likely been a mistake. It had been too forward a gesture, too candid an expression of an affection for the young woman that Christopher himself didn’t yet understand. He had more or less decided to put the whole business to the back of his mind, to use their tea to find out what he could about the magic of her world, which could create mermaids out of human women, then go back to focusing on the job in hand and ready himself to return home once he had been of use to the Atlanteans. However, that was before he’d met Cleo in person last night, at the St Valentine’s Day gathering. Now, once again, he was utterly confused as to how he felt and what he wanted and being in such an unusual and unfamiliar state led him to shuffle his immaculately shod feet uncomfortably as he stood waiting outside the doors to the central accommodation building, where he had asked Cleo to meet him. He would just have to take things as they came and try not to embarrass himself in the process. Bella wouldn’t have been surprised to see Cleo pacing back and forth in her bedroom, wondering if she should cancel her plans with Christopher. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go but she still felt unsure, even after her conversation with Bella. Then of course there was the Valentine’s Day party last night. He asked her to dance, which she accepted and if she was going to be honest with herself, she had fun. Whether she was ready to admit it or not, Lewis wasn’t here. It wasn’t the same situation like home, yes he was across the ocean in another country, but this was entirely different. They were in a whole other world, and there was a chance that Lewis might never show up. But every time she looked at her hand, the spot where Christopher had kissed it, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. It was the reason why she didn’t want to pursue things with Ryan, despite him being interested and if she was honest with herself, she was interested too. She wanted to remain loyal to Lewis even if their relationship wasn’t clear since he had left for three years. Then of course Lewis showed up for graduation, and things were better. He held her, and things felt like old times. Now she was here in Atlantis and quite possibly overthinking everything. It’s true Cleo wasn’t sure of Christopher’s intentions but after everything that had happened with Ryan, which had started out when he gave her a telescope, the two situations felt similar. Cleo was determined to try and not think too much about it, given that she wasn’t even sure if there was something to even be concerned about. What she did know was that she meant someone new, someone who had experience with magic and she wanted to know more. That and it gave her good practice to open up to someone about being a mermaid. If Christopher became a friend, then she’d definitely needed to learn how to open up and trust people, and have faith that they wouldn’t try to experiment on them. As much as she missed Mako island, she was grateful it wasn’t here in Atlantis, people were always drawn to that place, wanting to study it, and the last time someone had gotten too close, they damaged it, making the magic disappear. Cleo went to the spot where she and Christopher had agreed to meet. When she arrived, she saw that he was already there waiting for him. She smiled. “Hi.” Christopher looked up when he heard Cleo’s voice. He smiled but had to quickly swallow a lump that had risen in his throat before he could reply, “Good afternoon, Miss Sertori.” She really was lovely, with golden skin which reminded him of the sun-kissed people in Series Ten and a smile which reached every corner of her hazel eyes. He bent his head in a small, courteous bow before offering his arm for her to take. “How are you today?” he asked, finding he was glad that life among the civil servants at Chrestomanci Castle had left him well versed in small talk, as he had a feeling that, without it, he’d be well and truly tongue tied. “I hope I find you well and happy after last night’s festivities?” Cleo did take his arm and she found it difficult to not question how formal he was being. Knowing he was from a different place, and possibly in a time period way behind her own, it was still a little strange to see someone behave so...well old fashioned. Not that Cleo minded, it was kind of refreshing to see, considering some of the boys she had seen back home. Nate was definitely an opposite in terms of how the two men talked to women. “I am doing well,” she replied with a smile. “It was my first party in Atlantis, but my friend Bella warned me about the food and drink.” She laughed a little. “I made sure to stay clear of anything that might force me to do something strange like dance for an hour straight.” Oh yes, she’s heard of all kinds of tales on what the food and drink that these parties might do to someone and she was going to be cautious for now. “How about you? Did you have a nice time?” Christopher waited for Cleo to take his arm before leading her off, away from the accommodation buildings and towards Coffee Me Better, the coffee shop where he had met Mordecai on his first day in Atlantis. They didn’t serve their tea with lemon but he had forgiven them that, largely due to the fantastic array of other drinks on offer. They certainly did know their trade. Christopher laughed as Cleo spoke, stealing sidewards glances at her as they walked together. He couldn’t help but think that he wouldn’t have had any objections at all to dancing with her for an hour, or more. The one song to which they had danced the night before had lasted perhaps three minutes, maybe four, but Christopher had felt as though it were over in a mere heartbeat. “I did,” Christopher replied honestly. “Although, there were particular highlights that stand out in my memory.” He smiled at Cleo, hoping she would understand his meaning. “I would have stayed longer but I’m afraid I was preoccupied by our current mission,” he explained. “I promise,” he added, “I have put it entirely from my mind this afternoon. I am at your disposal for as long as you’ll have me.” “Good.” While she was glad that Christopher enjoyed himself and she did understand her meaning. Cleo smiled but she didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what she should say, so she shyly looked down for a brief moment. “That’s all right. I don’t mind hearing about the mission, though I’m sure you probably shouldn’t give details either.” It did remind her that she and Bella were going to look into how they would be able to help more. In truth maybe it wouldn’t hurt to learn how to fight, and the both of them could control water in a small way. Maybe they could find a way to strengthen that power. It didn’t take them long to reach the coffee place and as they stood in line she looked over the menu. “What looks good to you?” She asked him. “They have really good lattes and iced tea.” “In all honesty, there are very few details to give at the moment, at least in regards to what I have been asked to do,” he told her. “We’ve only just entered the planning phase.” He had a lot of experience at keeping his plans and operations confidential but he also knew that being downright secretive rarely had the desired effect. If anything, it usually only made people more curious and more determined to find out what was going on. That had certainly been the case for him at Stallery, if nothing else. “I’m usually a tea drinker,” Christopher said in response to Cleo’s question, also taking the opportunity to look over the menu. He’d been given a coffee last time, a latte, he thought, and it had been tasty, if a little milky for his liking. “Perhaps I’d enjoy an iced tea? I can’t say that I’ve ever tried tea iced before, except when I’ve gone out of a room and forgotten about a cup for a few hours. I don’t often find them again, though,” he added ruefully. “The housekeeper runs a very tight ship, you see,” he explained. “She absolutely will not stand for cups of tea being left around the place.” The line of people gradually diminished and the pair of them shuffled forward together until they were at the counter. “Happy Singles Awareness Day,” said the barista, placing two steaming cups of coffee on the counter in front of them, before Christopher had even had the chance to wish the man a good afternoon. “On the house,” he added, happily. Christopher raised his eyes, looking down at the little flower pattern drawn in the frothy milk floating on the top of one of the drinks. He glanced at Cleo, wondering whether she was as confused as he was. When he looked back at the barista, the man looked a little crestfallen. “You are both single, aren’t you?” he asked, the expression on his face indicating that he thought he might have made a mistake. Cleo nodded. “Their iced teas are good, especially the fruit ones. Their Berry Sangria Iced tea is really good. Though the Sangria part can be confusing because usually that involves alcohol, but there’s no alcohol in it. They just use similar mixtures and fruit that they would normally put in a real Sangria.” She listened to him talk about the housekeeper and she shrugged. “I was never big into tea, it’s good but there’s a juice shop that my friends and I were always visiting, mostly because one of my best friends worked there, but it turned into a hangout spot.” Once they reached the front and the barista spoke to them, she could see that Christopher was a little confused by what was going on. Cleo turned back the counter and smiled. “We’re not here for Singles Awareness Day, but thank you.” She paused for a moment. “Actually I would love a Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade, and of course whatever my friend here wants.” Cleo was polite, but there was no way she wanted to talk about that subject with a complete stranger. She had forgotten that today was Single Awareness Day, and she hoped that this would be the first and last time someone tried to shove coffee at her. Christopher gave the man behind the counter an apologetic smile as his companion explained that they weren’t there for the coffees being offered. The barista quickly removed them from the countertop, his cheeks flushing red, and was ready again in a second to take Cleo’s order. Christopher looked at Cleo as she ordered something which sounded so exotic he didn’t even know how to start interpreting what it meant. It was almost as though she was speaking a foreign language, a very pretty, delicious sounding foreign language. “I’ll have the same,” he said, once the barista’s attention was directed to him. “I have no idea what that is,” he told Cleo, with a grin. “But you made it sound so tasty, I couldn’t resist.” Cleo smiled back. “It’s a good drink. I’m sure you’ll like it.” It didn’t take long for the drinks to be made, and so when Cleo was handed hers, she found a seat for the two of them. Once they were both seated and comfortable, Cleo awkwardly tried to think of something to say. She took a sip of her drink and looked over to Christopher. “So,” she said. “You wanted to know more about me being…” She paused slightly. It was still strange to say it out loud to someone, and with other people around, well..old habits. “About me being a mermaid? I can try to answer your questions, though I can’t promise I completely understand it myself.” Christopher could tell that Cleo wasn’t used to talking openly about what she was so he appreciated her opening up to him about it. “Perhaps I will be able to shed a bit of light on the matter,” Christopher mused. It was entirely possible that he would be able to identify the kind of magic that had been involved in Cleo’s transformation, however it was also a real possibility that he would be absolutely clueless. He was prepared for either eventuality. Where magic was concerned, Christopher was always happy to learn. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Christopher suggested. “Tell me about when you became a mermaid and we’ll go from there.” Cleo smiled and nodded to his suggestion. “It couldn’t hurt, right?” Now that she was thinking about the night she turned into a mermaid, it almost made her laugh. It seems so long ago, but it also made her miss Rikki and Emma. “I have two other friends, Rikki and Emma. In the beginning Rikki and I weren’t that close, but Emma and I have been best friends for years. We all found ourselves on an island close by our home. We went exploring, and to get to higher ground when I slipped and fell down into a cave. There was a pool and it also offered a way out. We all got in to try and swim back out to shore, and the full moon lined up with the opening of the mountain.” Cleo paused for a moment before she continued. “And that’s it. The next time all three of us touched water we turned into mermaids. All we know is that it has something to do with the full moon and the moon pool.” Christopher’s forehead creased as he listened intently, trying to piece together the different aspects of her story. Mentally, he checked off the things as she listed them: three girls, an island, presumably surrounded by sea, a cave, a pool and a full moon. “Curious,” Christopher murmured, the drink in his hand resting idly, quite forgotten about for the time being. “It does sound as though some combination of the circumstances you described triggered the spell,” he agreed before pausing to think. “I wonder,” he continued, his interest in the subject clearly showing through. “Do you suppose it could have happened to anyone or was there something particular about you and your friends?” “I think it can happen, if they’re in the right place at the right time, but it’s not something we were eager to test.” Cleo responded. “There’s another friend, who joined us after Emma moved away.” She was careful not to say Bella’s name because she wasn’t sure if she would want Cleo to share it. “She had the same gift since she was child that she got in another part of the world. And my...” Cleo paused for a moment. “My friend’s ex-girlfriend was actually the granddaughter of a woman who had the same gift when she was about our age. She figured it out how and made the decision to get into the pool. It can be taken away, it’s what we had to do with her, but that’s a long story.” One she wasn’t particularly interested in going into because she didn’t want to think about Charlotte. Christopher nodded. “Yes, so it’s the circumstances that make the difference, not the people.” He didn’t think he’d be able to get to the bottom of the mystery, not here, without access to the island where the magic took place, but he had enjoyed hearing about it. “It sounds like some kind of magical snare,” he said, sitting back once again in his chair. He hadn’t realised he was leaning forward until he had to force himself to relax. He took a sip of his delicious drink as he thought about his theory. “It sounds like old magic though,” he said after a moment. “Lunar magic used to be very popular a few centuries back. It draws its power from the astronomical event, so the caster doesn’t have to have that much power in and of themselves. Useful,” he noted. “But not good for the ego. I suppose that’s why it died out.” He grinned. Cleo listened to him, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I didn’t even know there were other kinds of magic until I came here.” She wondered if she would have stayed home longer if she would discover other types of magic. After all if mermaids were real, wouldn’t that mean the possibility of other types of magic being real too. After she finished her drink she looked back to Christopher and smiled. “There are still parts of the island I haven’t been to. Would you like to go on a walk?” Christopher smiled. It was nice, he realised, to come into contact with someone who didn't know all about magic. He didn't meet people like that all that often. At least, not since he'd been much younger. There was something very innocent about Cleo. It made him feel like he wanted to keep her safe. It made his chest swell in a nice, warm way. "I would very much like that," he answered Cleo's question with a charming smile. He lifted his cup to his lips and swallowed the last couple of mouthfuls of his drink before placing the cup down neatly on the table, ready for the staff to collect. "You must show me where you work with the dolphins," he added, standing and offering her his arm once again. |