Wanderings

She had ordered them out. Every single one of them. She simply could not deal with House elves, and they understood. They left willingly. Rubbing her arms in an attempt to get warmer, the girl moved further into the room, unable to tame the rampant shivers taking over her person. Her vision blurred in pain, and it was suddenly very very hard to keep her balance. Placing both hands on the counter, the Slytherin hung her head, trying and failing to get the pain under control.

Gritting her teeth, Karma remained where she was, too completely out of it to realize she had come down here for food.

Nolan shoved his way through the crowd of house elves huddled round the kitchen door. He looked down at them with thinly veiled disdain. There was a reason the man's few servants were human. He hated house elves. Not necessarily the individual beings themselves, but the principle of them.

They were too willing, too easy to manipulate. There was no challenge in their grotesque, bony hands, or their bulbous, watery eyes. Simply put, the things were disgusting creatures with a disgusting disposition. They were slaves of men who pretended to be just, but in reality were too stupid to put up with a real person.

He pushed his way through the kitchen door, wiping the expression of revulsion off of his face before he even entered the room. He strolled through the empty aisles, his eyes landing on a figure leaning on one of the counters.

"Go to bed, Karma."

"I'm hungry." She reminded herself softly, reaching for the bowl of fruits farther along the counter. Her vision blurred, and her jaw clenched as she tried and failed to reach what she knew to be a bright red apple. She was so hungry... if she could just-

She noted the man's presence, fevered brown eyes flashing toward the doorway before focusing back on the bowl, fingers fumbling on the apple before she tugged it toward her, tilting the fruits over and sending them tumbling for the edge of the counter. "Whoops." She muttered, her halfhearted attempt at catching the fruits too slow, even for a human.

Looking down at the fruit at her feet, the young half vampire took a deep shuttering breath, trying to get a hold on the pain taking over her body. Her eyes slowly drifted back over to the doorway, and she finally seemed to recognize the man there. Something flashed in her eyes, recognition the second strongest emotion there, the rest unreadable.

"Professor Carde." She said, her gaze returning to the apple still clutched in her hand. "Have I done something wrong?"

"What an interesting question." The man mused, his temperament turning in an instant from ice to steel. The way he held himself was just that much stiffer, his eyes just that much more unforgiving, "By now I had hoped you would have learned that the difference between right at wrong is an illusion. Of course, I had hoped of many things from you."

"However, it seems you're only current goal is to be a disappointment." He took a few more moments to watch her with an unwavering expression, before opening his mouth again to speak, "Not that it matters. At the moment, all I care about is your well-being."

"So, pick those up," he said slowly and deliberately, his eyes flicking pointedly at the fallen fruit, then flicking back again to rest on Karma, "And go to bed."

Karma almost winced - her features hardening even before the motion was completed. "It's good that I always reach my goals then." She observed, her eyes moving to the fruits. She stared at them for the longest moment, her anger muted by the pain that laced her words. It was almost unbearable, but she would not be the first to show weakness, even if that meant not-

She was not weak.

A low whistle split the silence that had fallen since the older man stopped talking, the sound flying from her lips as easily as if she'd done it a million times before. They came back instantly, swarming her and picking up the fruits.

"Are you alright, child?" She nodded mutely, gazing down at the house elf - the only one in the room she'd make eye contact with. The creature was older, with wide brown eyes that were heart wrenchingly familiar. Sable kept their gazes locked, and slowly, Karma relaxed. Blinking twice, she nodded minutely, looking down at her feet.

"I'm hungry." She repeated softly, a small grin tugging at her lips as the short creature shoved another apple into her hand and pointed at Nolan. Her grin almost faltered, but she rolled her eyes instead, not deigning to follow that line of emotions. "Okay, okay. I'll listen." She murmured. "Bedtime for Karmzy." Yawning, she looked back at the man she was supposed to call her father, the temperature change in her gaze enough to refreeze the polar ice caps.

Taking a careful step toward the door, the girl nearly stumbled, catching herself at the last possible moment, but continuing anyway.

Nolan stared straight ahead of him, allowing his eyes to glaze over as he subdued any and all emotion. He was an observer and a leader. That was all he ever should be. Clearly, this adoption had been taken too far, and the two of them were suffering for it. Yes. He must be objective, he must be emotionless.

Empty eyes tracking Karma's movements, he hardly noticed as the hideous creatures crowded past him towards the girl. He took everything in, processed it, and stored it. Methodically, precisely, perfectly.

He recognized the ice in her gaze, but felt nothing, for he was already frozen. After all, that's who he was. Nolan Carde: Man of Steel.