𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔫'𝔰 𝔇𝔬𝔩𝔩

Part 28

"Love us dirty, for any one will love us clean."

- Nikolai Gogol

"It is those around us who decide our usefulness." Kate shook her head as she answered Nikolai's question.

"Are you sure? Since Dystoy isn't around right now so what use do you serve to me exactly?" He asked. Kate knew he wasn't trying to be rude towards her. He was simply looking to get answers from her as well as satisfy his own curiosity. Any other person would have appeared rude towards her but since she knew enough of this clown's personality, she knew he wasn't trying to be malevolent towards her.

"Perhaps I entertain you, mister Gogol." She hummed as she tilted her head ever so slightly.

"Say you do, how does that dictate your use? Am I useful to you?" He asked her yet another question. Kate noticed that he never spoke normally to her, he was always asking her something.

"I'm not quite sure I am able to dictate someone's usefulness." She shook her head, slightly out of breath.

"I think you're perfectly capable of doing to others what they have done to you. You're just like Dostoy, you know. You're both so incredibly smart and yet so dull at the same time. Although, I would argue you're a bit better than he is." Nikolai laughed to himself softly.

For Kate, it was interesting seeing Nikolai in this way. He had dropped the circus performer act almost too easily. He almost appeared normal tonight. While he was away from Fyodor, it seemed he was able to act more of himself if this even was who he was. She was certainly captivated by him tonight. Nikolai was not someone who she could easily understand his actions, she didn't know what he would do next nor did she know what his thoughts were. He was completely unpredictable, but not in the same way that Fyodor was.

"Katherine, would you ask me a question as well? I don't want this to feel so one-sided." He smiled softly, breaking her free of her thoughts.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Who am I? How interesting... I am who I am and that's who I am." He answered after a moment of thought.

"I believe that somehow you are far trickier with your words than Fyodor is. I didn't think this was possible and yet here I am proven wrong by you." She spoke, not entirely sure how she could respond to such a statement.

"I certainly try to be better than our dear Fedya but I'm far worse than he is." Nikolai shook his head with a genuine smile.

Nikolai Gogol was a conventionally attractive man. He was tall, he had fair skin and fair hair, not to mention his godly coloured eyes. His eyelashes were thick and long enough to make any woman jealous. When he genuinely smiled, his secret left dimple came out on display. He was a perfect example of what women would drool over looks-wise. Kate found herself physically attracted to Nikolai as well. She hadn't taken note of him before considering he kidnapped her, but now he appeared to her as a friend, er, merely an acquaintance at the most. Perhaps tonight was the type of night where everyone looked good due to its importance.

"Certainly that is a matter of opinions." She responded.

"Do you think I'm better than he is?" Nikolai asked.

"I agree with my previous statement; it is a matter of opinions." She responded, neither wanting to be mean to the clown nor to celebrate Fyodor too much, especially in front of his friend.

"I'm not asking that though, I'm asking for your opinion." Nikolai leaned much closer, invading her personal space to an uncomfortable point.

"I..." She shook her head softly, unable to respond.