and that’s the cue for her to step away from him before he can pull that shite on her, a piercing glare shot his way. ❝ put yer feckin’ arm on me ‘n’ i’ll shank ya in the knees. ❞ her annoyance only made her irish accent thicker ;  it didn’t matter if it was only a playful tease or not, she’d make him hurt. ❝ keep yer arms to yerself. ❞

she looks up from her own reading as he speaks ,  a smile already on her lips as she closes her tome .  “ oh ?  have you added any additional surprises ? ”  listening to @lackdgnty​ talk about his book ,  when it is so clearly something he cares deeply for ,  is no great ask  —  he is not so long - winded as some elven poetry ,  nor as dry as the worst .  “ please ,  tell me more . ”

cassandra pauses with her back to him ,  hand still raised after putting her training sword away .  she generally goes easy on @lackdgnty​  —  is completely aware that he is trying incredibly hard to be both larger - than - life and respectful to her at the same time . . . and ,  also ,  of just how fond percy is of his artificer friend .  “ i suppose that was intended to be a compliment , ”  she says lightly ,  turning back around to face him .  “ swordplay  —  and the strength to perform it  — has always been a de rolo requirement . ”  

of the many things that he had learnt to do over the past few decades, learning how to shoot a bow and arrow had never been his forte. he eyes the bow and arrow in the others hand, and then to the makeshift target set up for them with a scrutinising gaze. he’d tried, but in the end he’d passed it up for acquiring a different skill. ❝ when i was younger, i tried. never quite got the hang of it, though. ❞ he admits, finding no shame in his inability to shoot an arrow, nor in failing to accomplish something. attention flicks back to kili, brow arching inquisitively. ❝ i take it that you’re adept with a bow and arrow though. ❞

it wasn't often that he's placed with the other sergeant while assigned on missions , it came rare and few inbetween but he didn't mind being around the other . despite their lack of interaction with one another , gaz was able to pick up casual conversation quite easily . adjusting the cap on top of his head , eyes shift to look at the scotsman . ❛ it's nice being together on this , feels like a while since we were together on anything without the others . ❜ it's true , he can't remember the last thing , he's been mostly stuck with price - which he doesn't mind , however it was nice to talk to his fellow brother-in-arms , especially one of the same rank as him .

there’s a wheeze in cassandra’s lungs as they walk further from sybil’s home ,  but she’s still keeping up with @lackdgnty​ better than she would have been a month ago .  it’s . . . nice ,  to be out of doors again  --  nicer still that there’s no snow on the ground .  she and kaylie can sit with their snack and look up at the trees ,  quiet in companionship . . . at least ,  at first .  it’s a glance over to kaylie at first , realizing that the other is closer than she had been before . . . and then another glance ,  and they are beside each other .  she swallows dryly ,  some instinct in her telling her before she leans down and kaylie leans up that she is about to have her very first kiss ,  here ,  outside of kymal .

cassandra sighs ,  thumping her head back against the wall .  “ am i ? ”  she asks ,  voice muted .  it’s one of her dispirited days ,  today  --  hiding away from percival and vex’ahlia and anyone else she can ,  staring out a window towards whitestone as if that is all that she needs .  but she should have known that @lackdgnty​ would be able to find her  --  and perhaps is also one of the few people that she’d be willing to see .  “ i . . . percy took away my seat on the council until i’m feeling better ,  or whatever that may mean .  what if i am simply too much of a liability for my city to ever be better ,  kaylie ?  maybe this is  --  maybe it’s just what i deserve . ”