“Yes, as far as I could tell.” An interesting question, but not one that struck him as particularly odd, considering his own strange appearance. Cautiously, Adam followed, each step calculated to look human and natural – even as every instinct screamed against it.
Something in this stranger’s mannerisms very much reminded him of poor De Lacey, but he could easily convince himself that it was only the immediate kindness... or perhaps a hint of the loneliness Adam had been unable to recognize, at the time, in his ill-fated first friend.
“Thank you.” He inclined his head, giving his characteristic ghost of a smile to show his gratitude. There was still a crucial point to resolve, however. "Do you live alone? I'd hate to give anyone else a fright."
In some cities, it would have been illegal for him to even be out on the streets.
And then, before he could consider his answer, “Yes. I...” the shock of his own response stunned him into silence for a moment, his expression one of deep confusion.
Whatever impulse had caused him to make that claim, he knew better than to search through jumbled memory-fragments for an explanation. Still, his mind offered them anyway: this time, in the form of landscapes that had been familiar to him during this lifetime.
Only, he wasn’t alone. In those long-forgotten images, he found himself leading companions in a merry dance through city, field, and glade. For a moment, he broke into a grin. Then, returning to his senses, he quickly suppressed it. No, he had to remember what Victor had once said that looked like; the 'malice and treachery' others might see in his joy.
“That is, I began my life in Germany, but I only spent two or three years there. My father and I moved to London after that, and then to Oxford. We never did stay in one place for long.”
The reanimated man, with some success, did his best to keep his tone light. Despite his most recent experiences, he’d been happy there once. He was sure of that now.
As to the nature of his pursuers and their motives – Adam placed a hand against his chin, considering the question. He did not naturally use so many gestures as he spoke, but decades of training had made it a habit not easily laid aside. Not, at least, while the continued effort of resisting a true smile was rendering him more prone to theatricality than usual.
“Greed, I think.” With a shudder, he thought back on how he’d whirled around to face them, so sure they would at least pause in their pursuit, and he would see their easy smiles turn fearful. Instead, they'd seemingly taken no notice of his bluff at all. “I only know something was wrong about them."
{@haveeyes, @ofmaddogs - tagging since people keep saying tumblr broke everyone's notifications now}
