[ Clasping his hand, she nods in his direction and starts to walk with purpose down the hallway, as though the two of them have something urgent, possibly each other, that they must see to immediately, and it's odd to try to take advantage of that potential assumption without spending too much time thinking about it but she's boldly making the attempt.
The backs of her hands are softer and smoother than the palms and undersides of her fingers, any pampering she gives them tempered by her frequent training. Her war may be a bit... stalled, but she must remain ready for battle at a moment's notice. It isn't unpleasant to have her hand in his.
Not entirely necessary but not unpleasant and if they make it to the opposite end of the hallway without getting ushered into another room perhaps it pays off. ]
I agree. I saw an extravagant buffet laid out in one of the larger rooms nearby. A friend of mine would no doubt advise me to eat nothing I haven't seen others enjoy without incident. That amount of caution feels like a lofty goal here and I don't think someone who brought us here to play a larger game would get much out of harming us immediately.
[ It's easy to match her pace. He's spent a lifetime keeping his own wants and desires so far under lock and key that even he does not notice them. Which is why it's surprising that thoughts of how nice her hand feels, or that he wouldn't mind kissing her again cross his mind.
They ought to remain vigilant. Those must be more of this place's work. ]
This place must belong to a wealthy nation, to have so much excess so readily available for so many.
[ It makes him wary; such things were often produced on the backs of those without. ]
But I agree; I do not think poisoning us is the goal, and we will be able to see what others have eaten.
[ He knew basic remedies for poisons, but there was so little access to flora or magick here. Still, he suspected that she was right; it did not seem anyone here fell ill, and he found this many people unlikely to be able to keep that under wraps.
Still, nothing prepares him for how immense the buffet is. He's been at royal feasts that this puts to shame. His hand tightens slight in hers, the only sign of his discomfort that slips. ]
[ She nods, momentarily distracted by the fact that the oysters seem to be displayed on a bed of diamonds. Surely they can't be real diamonds - that's a level of excess beyond what she had previously thought. ]
Not just wealthy but so advanced that they can somehow bring us here from such a variety of different places. [ Without assistance or permission. ] They seem a powerful enemy.
[ It's somewhat surreal to make that acknowledgement after everything that has happened today. His hand seems to tighten around hers for a moment and she can't be certain if it's intentional or not but she impulsively gives his hand an answering squeeze, a rallying cry in tactile form. When she lets go, it's so she can take a plate and pluck some fruit and slices of bread and cheese from the buffet. Having a powerful enemy is an excellent reason to want to keep her strength up; they are at a disadvantage here and no amount of decadence distracts from that thought.
(Even if she does slyly snag the last exquisitely decorated tiny cake from a dish spotted with flecks of gold. It looks like the perfect mouthful.) ]
I have the impression that you would be useful if we needed to fight our way out of this place.
[ He asks it while his own eyes sweep the buffet. Opulent food, for one, but he also notices the diamond ice, and the costly inlays on the sides of the serving boards, and the gold on the edges of the plates. Just what is this place? And who is laboring to make this happen?
He does not realize that his hand tightens in Edelgard -- in protection or in a plea for rootedness, he does not know. Whatever this is, it is not normal, even for the wealthy.
She goes for food, though, and he knows there is wisdom of it. His plate, though, takes rice, simple roasted root vegetables. He indulges in spooning a bit of the juice from a roast chicken over these. The portions are, perhaps, too small for his frame and how busy his day has been. Food is still touch and go on his stomach, and he doesn't with Edelgard to see him despondent the way fresh fruit can sometimes overwhelm him.
That said, he does hide a smile at her plucking a single small cake. ]
I am honored, Lady. I would gladly be of assistance. You seem a commander with a good head and some experience.
[ Even-keeled, observant, kind but not loose, firm but not cruel, realistic but not unwilling to take risks. All traits he respected and worked well under. ]
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no subject
The backs of her hands are softer and smoother than the palms and undersides of her fingers, any pampering she gives them tempered by her frequent training. Her war may be a bit... stalled, but she must remain ready for battle at a moment's notice. It isn't unpleasant to have her hand in his.
Not entirely necessary but not unpleasant and if they make it to the opposite end of the hallway without getting ushered into another room perhaps it pays off. ]
I agree. I saw an extravagant buffet laid out in one of the larger rooms nearby. A friend of mine would no doubt advise me to eat nothing I haven't seen others enjoy without incident. That amount of caution feels like a lofty goal here and I don't think someone who brought us here to play a larger game would get much out of harming us immediately.
no subject
They ought to remain vigilant. Those must be more of this place's work. ]
This place must belong to a wealthy nation, to have so much excess so readily available for so many.
[ It makes him wary; such things were often produced on the backs of those without. ]
But I agree; I do not think poisoning us is the goal, and we will be able to see what others have eaten.
[ He knew basic remedies for poisons, but there was so little access to flora or magick here. Still, he suspected that she was right; it did not seem anyone here fell ill, and he found this many people unlikely to be able to keep that under wraps.
Still, nothing prepares him for how immense the buffet is. He's been at royal feasts that this puts to shame. His hand tightens slight in hers, the only sign of his discomfort that slips. ]
A gluttony of choices. After you.
no subject
Not just wealthy but so advanced that they can somehow bring us here from such a variety of different places. [ Without assistance or permission. ] They seem a powerful enemy.
[ It's somewhat surreal to make that acknowledgement after everything that has happened today. His hand seems to tighten around hers for a moment and she can't be certain if it's intentional or not but she impulsively gives his hand an answering squeeze, a rallying cry in tactile form. When she lets go, it's so she can take a plate and pluck some fruit and slices of bread and cheese from the buffet. Having a powerful enemy is an excellent reason to want to keep her strength up; they are at a disadvantage here and no amount of decadence distracts from that thought.
(Even if she does slyly snag the last exquisitely decorated tiny cake from a dish spotted with flecks of gold. It looks like the perfect mouthful.) ]
I have the impression that you would be useful if we needed to fight our way out of this place.
no subject
[ He asks it while his own eyes sweep the buffet. Opulent food, for one, but he also notices the diamond ice, and the costly inlays on the sides of the serving boards, and the gold on the edges of the plates. Just what is this place? And who is laboring to make this happen?
He does not realize that his hand tightens in Edelgard -- in protection or in a plea for rootedness, he does not know. Whatever this is, it is not normal, even for the wealthy.
She goes for food, though, and he knows there is wisdom of it. His plate, though, takes rice, simple roasted root vegetables. He indulges in spooning a bit of the juice from a roast chicken over these. The portions are, perhaps, too small for his frame and how busy his day has been. Food is still touch and go on his stomach, and he doesn't with Edelgard to see him despondent the way fresh fruit can sometimes overwhelm him.
That said, he does hide a smile at her plucking a single small cake. ]
I am honored, Lady. I would gladly be of assistance. You seem a commander with a good head and some experience.
[ Even-keeled, observant, kind but not loose, firm but not cruel, realistic but not unwilling to take risks. All traits he respected and worked well under. ]