Kirov Renaldi Age: 403 Male Height: 5'5" Weight: 128 Dark Eyes Likes: Ancient Greek Tragedies, translation, reading, scholarly research, tea, wingback chairs, being mostly ignored, philosophy. Dislikes: Being manipulated, large crowds, music popular with teenagers, nightmares, loud things.

So he wore the cross, underneath his clothing, like an amulet, to ward off pain and hurt. And he asked God why this had been allowed to happen, why he had been made to endure this suffering, so that he could understand God’s plan. But God had abandoned him to eternity and no longer listened to the soft voice of one lost soul, if he had ever listened or been there in the first place.

Kirov wrapped his scarf around his neck and pushed gloved hands deep into the pockets of his fine wool coat and walked off into the snow to find something else to do for the afternoon. Maybe something mindless where he wouldn't have to do so much of the kind of thinking that he so avoided whenever he could.