[ Perhaps a man like Luocha, so carefully in control all of the time, will appreciate the sense of anxiety that he holds Caelus in up until he speaks — the poor Trailblazer is quite clearly worried that he's offended Luocha for as long as the merchant holds him in that pause, even despite the serene look on the man's pleasant face. Then, at last, he speaks — and just as quickly, Caelus's worries go away. ]
...Wait, so you just want snacks?
[ He's so relieved, both by the fact that his thoughtless impulse didn't offend the mysterious merchant, and by the unexpected simplicity of the request, that Caelus can't help but laugh. The sound that emerges is surprisingly boyish; the smile that overtakes his face makes his eyes curve. ]
Okay, sure. I can get you snacks from Penacony. [ There's a long ribbon on his left sleeve that he fusses with sometimes; unconsciously, he flips it through his fingers now, holding it to his chin as he speaks, still smiling slightly. ] If I see anything else that makes me think of you, I'll pick that up too.
[ What was there to worry about in the end? Maybe Luocha has a point, in that Caelus's little aches and pains are adding up to exhaustion, and exhaustion is making him subconsciously anxious. The man may be slick, a double-talker, insufferably vague — but he's a nice guy, and he's offered to help Caelus, and he hasn't done anything too strange, really. Never mind how Welt feels about him. There's nothing to worry about at all.
(There's another thing here, a way in which Caelus might be like a dog with a new trick: what he has learned from this exchange is that if he's confused about something Luocha said, he can ask the man for clarification. Which might seem simple, even shallow, but people like Herta don't usually give him that luxury — and, also, might be a bit novel on the receiving end, for a man who gets away with everything by basically saying nothing at all.)
Anyway, Caelus is still musing to himself. Thinking about snacks he might pick up in Penacony. ]
...That's so cute.
[ It's not deliberate, not flattery. He just thinks it out loud, that's all; it's like the kind of request that March would make. Cute, like the teddy bears in her room. But March is cute in an annoying way, and Luocha's not annoying at all! ...Confusing, perhaps, but not annoying! ]
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...Wait, so you just want snacks?
[ He's so relieved, both by the fact that his thoughtless impulse didn't offend the mysterious merchant, and by the unexpected simplicity of the request, that Caelus can't help but laugh. The sound that emerges is surprisingly boyish; the smile that overtakes his face makes his eyes curve. ]
Okay, sure. I can get you snacks from Penacony. [ There's a long ribbon on his left sleeve that he fusses with sometimes; unconsciously, he flips it through his fingers now, holding it to his chin as he speaks, still smiling slightly. ] If I see anything else that makes me think of you, I'll pick that up too.
[ What was there to worry about in the end? Maybe Luocha has a point, in that Caelus's little aches and pains are adding up to exhaustion, and exhaustion is making him subconsciously anxious. The man may be slick, a double-talker, insufferably vague — but he's a nice guy, and he's offered to help Caelus, and he hasn't done anything too strange, really. Never mind how Welt feels about him. There's nothing to worry about at all.
(There's another thing here, a way in which Caelus might be like a dog with a new trick: what he has learned from this exchange is that if he's confused about something Luocha said, he can ask the man for clarification. Which might seem simple, even shallow, but people like Herta don't usually give him that luxury — and, also, might be a bit novel on the receiving end, for a man who gets away with everything by basically saying nothing at all.)
Anyway, Caelus is still musing to himself. Thinking about snacks he might pick up in Penacony. ]
...That's so cute.
[ It's not deliberate, not flattery. He just thinks it out loud, that's all; it's like the kind of request that March would make. Cute, like the teddy bears in her room. But March is cute in an annoying way, and Luocha's not annoying at all! ...Confusing, perhaps, but not annoying! ]
Normally people ask me for very different things.