Oh my goodness, this is so terribly sad. Well-written and a vastly different take on Illya's first days in America.
Your description of Illya's mood is beautifully handled, but I must admit that I had trouble believing that Napoleon would be anything other than courteous to the Russian. I agree that the beginning of their partnership would have been difficult, two strong men testing one another. However, I couldn't see Napoleon flat-out ignoring Illya on the plane, since one of his major skills seems to be his ability to put people at ease.
That said, your last line hints at a possible reason for Napoleon's reticence. The mirror image is utterly compelling, and I want to know more. Okay, hooked. Well done.
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Your description of Illya's mood is beautifully handled, but I must admit that I had trouble believing that Napoleon would be anything other than courteous to the Russian. I agree that the beginning of their partnership would have been difficult, two strong men testing one another. However, I couldn't see Napoleon flat-out ignoring Illya on the plane, since one of his major skills seems to be his ability to put people at ease.
That said, your last line hints at a possible reason for Napoleon's reticence. The mirror image is utterly compelling, and I want to know more. Okay, hooked. Well done.