“Well,” she says, still smiling, “let’s not go crazy.”
Athénaïs straightens his jacket for him before she lets go, and lets the tension in the air hold a moment longer — measures it, like a thing she might twang a finger against, testing — before she says, “Leave off, lads. Someone go warn Josie that I’ve got a guest and tell herself in the tower that I told you all it’s on me if our victim here turns knifey.”
Several exchanged glances suggest that isn’t, probably, exactly how her messages are going to be relayed to her advisors. But close enough, and she regards Astarion like she’s sizing him up, thoughtful. A little friendly, a little like someone who can’t help but view everything in front of her with an eye to its potential use.
“So,” she says, leading him away, “tell me your version.”
Oh, he's well aware of being sized up for use. And, in fact, Astarion is doing the same to her! A little obviously, honestly—it's not his intention, though, and a moment later his expression is back to something more innocent and neutral, as if he'd never looked scheming to begin with.
"The truth, you mean." His version. She's already talking to him like she expects him to lie. "I was kidnapped and dropped out of an alien ship. Would you believe it?"
...Well. Now that he hears it, it is a bit unbelievable. Ah, well! Moving swiftly on.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Athénaïs straightens his jacket for him before she lets go, and lets the tension in the air hold a moment longer — measures it, like a thing she might twang a finger against, testing — before she says, “Leave off, lads. Someone go warn Josie that I’ve got a guest and tell herself in the tower that I told you all it’s on me if our victim here turns knifey.”
Several exchanged glances suggest that isn’t, probably, exactly how her messages are going to be relayed to her advisors. But close enough, and she regards Astarion like she’s sizing him up, thoughtful. A little friendly, a little like someone who can’t help but view everything in front of her with an eye to its potential use.
“So,” she says, leading him away, “tell me your version.”
no subject
"The truth, you mean." His version. She's already talking to him like she expects him to lie. "I was kidnapped and dropped out of an alien ship. Would you believe it?"
...Well. Now that he hears it, it is a bit unbelievable. Ah, well! Moving swiftly on.
"Where is this, anyhow? The Dales, perhaps?"