Something like that, I guess. Gonna be real, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
[ It's kind of nice. It's kind of funny to think about it, honestly. They were cordial before this, met each other precious few times before this — but each got to know the other much too intimately, and if everything had gone the way that Caelus thought it would, they would have never seen each other again. The memory of Luocha's soft laughter could have been just one of many pleasant firsts in his short life, and maybe, at the end of his journey, Caelus wouldn't have had to regret his choices.
Instead, he finds himself thinking in the most bitter sort of way that it's all really funny: he knows Luocha well enough to realize that the man is tense, right now. A lot of people wouldn't notice it past his outward veneer of calm cordiality, but Caelus knows him well enough, from their encounters, to read those faint signs of uncertainty. Oh, maybe he's not nervous, not quite yet. But it's clear that the Ten-Lords has succeeded in one sort of thing, which is tilting Luocha a bit off-kilter thanks to Caelus's presence in his cell today.
It might just be that he doesn't know what to expect from the Trailblazer. That's a common sort of response; Caelus is a little used to it. Sometimes he doesn't know what to expect from himself, either.
He reaches out, loosens the other ingenium band. Even goes so far as to pull the chains out from where they've sort of loosely piled up beneath Luocha's chair, so they don't tangle with each other. The "merchant" can move his legs freely now, cross one knee over the other, even kick at Caelus if he'd like. He still can't stand, though, given that his wrists are still bound behind his back to the chair.
The Trailblazer isn't worried. It's obvious that Luocha doesn't mean to escape by the sheer obvious fact that he also turned himself in. ]
I mean, what is "satisfactory," anyway? Will they be convinced I didn't help you if I hurt you? If I maim you? If I make you scream? [ An unimpressed sigh. ] ...If we were actually co-conspirators, that wouldn't even be a hard thing to fake.
[ Caelus slaps both of his thighs before rising back to his feet, like a small-town fisherman satisfied with the day's catch. He rolls his neck again as he makes his way behind Luocha's back.
He doesn't undo Luocha's handcuffs.
The Stellaron is still too quiet. Caelus reaches out and runs his hands through Luocha's hair, using his fingers like a comb to tame some of the stray flyaways, which are worse than usual due to the lack of his usual golden clasp, and the fact that Luocha's probably been manhandled more than a few times in the past few days.
Again, his touch is impossibly gentle. A lover's infinite mercy. He brushes Luocha's bangs out of his eyes, too — even carefully tucks some of that beautiful flaxen hair behind his ear. Rests both hands on Luocha's shoulders, like a parent patiently placating a child's anxieties. ]
gotta stay hydrated when you're interrogating the prisoner
[ It's kind of nice. It's kind of funny to think about it, honestly. They were cordial before this, met each other precious few times before this — but each got to know the other much too intimately, and if everything had gone the way that Caelus thought it would, they would have never seen each other again. The memory of Luocha's soft laughter could have been just one of many pleasant firsts in his short life, and maybe, at the end of his journey, Caelus wouldn't have had to regret his choices.
Instead, he finds himself thinking in the most bitter sort of way that it's all really funny: he knows Luocha well enough to realize that the man is tense, right now. A lot of people wouldn't notice it past his outward veneer of calm cordiality, but Caelus knows him well enough, from their encounters, to read those faint signs of uncertainty. Oh, maybe he's not nervous, not quite yet. But it's clear that the Ten-Lords has succeeded in one sort of thing, which is tilting Luocha a bit off-kilter thanks to Caelus's presence in his cell today.
It might just be that he doesn't know what to expect from the Trailblazer. That's a common sort of response; Caelus is a little used to it. Sometimes he doesn't know what to expect from himself, either.
He reaches out, loosens the other ingenium band. Even goes so far as to pull the chains out from where they've sort of loosely piled up beneath Luocha's chair, so they don't tangle with each other. The "merchant" can move his legs freely now, cross one knee over the other, even kick at Caelus if he'd like. He still can't stand, though, given that his wrists are still bound behind his back to the chair.
The Trailblazer isn't worried. It's obvious that Luocha doesn't mean to escape by the sheer obvious fact that he also turned himself in. ]
I mean, what is "satisfactory," anyway? Will they be convinced I didn't help you if I hurt you? If I maim you? If I make you scream? [ An unimpressed sigh. ] ...If we were actually co-conspirators, that wouldn't even be a hard thing to fake.
[ Caelus slaps both of his thighs before rising back to his feet, like a small-town fisherman satisfied with the day's catch. He rolls his neck again as he makes his way behind Luocha's back.
He doesn't undo Luocha's handcuffs.
The Stellaron is still too quiet. Caelus reaches out and runs his hands through Luocha's hair, using his fingers like a comb to tame some of the stray flyaways, which are worse than usual due to the lack of his usual golden clasp, and the fact that Luocha's probably been manhandled more than a few times in the past few days.
Again, his touch is impossibly gentle. A lover's infinite mercy. He brushes Luocha's bangs out of his eyes, too — even carefully tucks some of that beautiful flaxen hair behind his ear. Rests both hands on Luocha's shoulders, like a parent patiently placating a child's anxieties. ]
I am curious, though. Why'd you do it?