The dark man had a sense he displeased this Halo, this Triarii, and that displeased him in return.
Not because she would think less of him - while that was inconvenient, it overshadowed the actual problem. A woman of high stature, Columbine made the natural assumption that she respected the essentials of rules and regulations and the order of things, something he himself held quite dear. Had he been in her position, he would demand respect regardless of blood or impressive stature, and the Lykoi man was certain he was an impressive specimen. How could he not be? The sharp contours of his muscles were not hidden in the slowly rising sun; in fact, dawn lent them nice relief and perhaps emphasized them a bit. It could not be denied that he also held himself in an aristocratic and dangerous manner; it was merely a product of his genetics to be as such. To carry the Lykoi name was, in his opinion, to carry a responsibility to Inferni and the family.
There were, of course, those who brought shame to his family. Jacinto, for one, was a horrible example of what a Lykoi should be. Soft and romantic, the lightest brother spent more of his time creating music than honing his physical skills. The youngest was quick, and not entirely inept in a fight, but Columbine had always found his lack of muscles distinctly ugly, and hated him for it. Of course, there were other reasons why he hated his brother - years of resentment being the forerunner, though he was not prone to admitting such a weakness. Halo, he doubted, would be someone who shamed the Lykoi family; regardless, if she could not accept deference where deference was due, the male would be forced to consider her weak and disgusting, as he did most creatures. Something, however, must have brought her to this position; he would continue speaking to her. Such was the nature of the male's slightly twisted mind. He thought himself a high exalted figure, and Halo beneath him in all but rank alone. It was a complicated thing, and one he would not - and could not - readily identify.
Purpose, he mimicked, a slight sneer growing when she asked whether or not family gave him purpose. Family gives me incentive, certainly, but my purpose is drawn from myself alone. I simply meant I enjoy responsibilities and tasks, not the menial journeys of someone who is lacking a clan. As for my reasons... Columbine trailed off for a moment, seeking the right words and finding none, of course. How to define, without showing himself as weak, that his purpose and reason for trying was the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, as a child? He would not admit this to anyone, especially not this woman before him. She was lovely and exotically beautiful, and the man desired her on a primal, sexual level, but her rank did not intimidate him. Without direct questioning, he was unlikely to reveal any intimate details. For that matter, he was unlikely to talk about himself if directly questioned anyway.
But prolonged silence would not do, and Columbine spoke again, continuing his previous statement. I enjoy my craft, and find Inferni is the correct place to do so. Having other Lykoi descendents is an added bonus, and, as I said, incentive.
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