sweetpoiscnâ:
He said he understood, but how could he really? There was only one other person who could understand what Peony Carrow had put her through, but her brother had been more distant than usual latelyâanother form of isolation that Alecto didnât want to focus on. Instead she stared intently at Antonin, eyes flickering across his face looking for any indication that he was about to leave, that her particular brand of crazy was too much for even a brutal man such as himself. Instead of that, Alecto merely found curiosity, intrigue, maybe slight confusion, but all of that was something she could work with. She was beginning to realize that, much like her brother, Antonin spoke more with his actions rather than words, though why he held himself back from asking questions was beyond her. What was the point of thought if you didnât use it to advance learning?Â
She wasnât sure she would have told him why, at any rate. Perhaps one day, ifâor whenâshe felt they were on that level. The only one that had reached that level was Bellatrix, and even that had taken a while. Curious.Â
But there was a question, and Alectoâs lips quirked up in the smallest of smiles. He was finally asking, examining, and she glanced back at the thrashing woman on the bed as she thought on how long it had been since sheâd first started her experiments. âA few years, I suppose,â she said, chewing on her bottom lip. Only a fraction of what the sorry excuse of a woman had put her through. âIf I get lucky and she doesnât give out from old age or the torture, there will be many more years to come from this. She reacts so well to my concoctions, after all.â
He opened his mouth again, and Alecto listened intently to every word. It wasnât often she found someone who might have thoughts on how to improve her experiments, not while completely aware of the situation at least, and the moment Antonin mentioned adrenaline Alecto wanted to smack herself. Of course. How could she not account for that? It was the bodyâs natural defense against pain, and her mother had connected the green cup to poison after the third week of tests. Pathetic that sheâd held out hope for that long. She scribbled a few notes into her notebook and actually smiled, small as it was, in the throes of a true mad scientist. âI canât believe I didnât take that into account. Stupid of me, that wonât happen again. With a few switched variables, I could probably counteract that⌠or maybe keep adrenaline from pumping in the first placeâŚâÂ
She paused when Antonin complimented her work, not used to anyone doing so. She simply provided what was needed because it was her job and pleasure. Her mind went back to earlier in the night, to their discussion of recognition, and perhaps Alecto had looked at that wrong. Maybe. âIâm glad you enjoyed it,â she said after a moment, closing her notebook and grabbing the mug. âCome with me, and I can show you my true work station. Perhaps you can offer more insight I hadnât thought of.â
Antonin noted the quirk upward at the question.
    Slowly, recognizing that it might be all right to ask questions after all. He was so used to trending careful water with the likes of Lestrange and Malfoy that it felt unnatural to seize the freedom. There were some English customs that he had not grasped the way he should have. Or simple mistakes heâd made because he didnât grow up with that sort of privilege. Coming over from Belarus had not been an easy transition, and he had worked hard to get where he was. Brutally had been one of his biggest selling points, but it was also his nature to keep people just enough on edge about him. Which is why he was a man of few words and many actions. Words could be twisted and misinterpreted. Actions very often could not.Â
     Years. Antonin was surprised that she had made it through a few months much less a few years. The balance that Alecto crafted had to be a delicate one. He looked down at the woman with renewed fascination. As grizzly as her appearance was already, he was sure it would continue to deteriorate over time.After a moment of consideration he looked back up again, a slight grin on his features. It was not often where he meet someone who felt as twisted as he did, and even when he had their feats were never this miraculous. âI imagine youâll make it to that mark. She seems to be subsisting well.â He remarked. Both of them seemed to be speaking as if the woman on the bed couldnât hear them at all. He was sure it was unsettling for the woman.Â
    Something crossed her features that he hadnât seen before. He couldnât tell what it was exactly. Antonin wanted to venture to say that it was something akin to excitement. He found a sense of accomplishment in that small notion. There was no way that he believed he was equipped to help in this area. Especially since it seemed like something she had mulled over for months, perhaps longer. When it came to a revenge like this the rules were different. Time could pass and the wound would remain fresh, as if it had happened the day before. To get to the point to be able to enact those grand plans was rare, and Alecto had taken advantage of every opportunity with it.Â
    He watched as the gears seemed to turn in her mind. âSuppressing adrenaline might have wider implications than even this incident.â Antonin muttered, before looking over at her. âIt would be useful in other instances of torture and knowledge extraction. If it was isolated that is.â He remarked, remembering instances where he was torturing someone and it seemed to him as if they could no longer feel the pain he inflicted. The human body was wondrous in the way it worked, but to degrade those processes was far more intriguing to him.Â
    Alecto seemed to take the compliment better than he anticipated and he nodded. âLead the way,â He said lightly. The further he stepped away from the room the more the ropes loosened around the woman until they werenât there at all.










