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“— I know it’s, um, not ideal for him to stay in the Annex, but there’s really nowhere else he can stay, and… and he did save my life — and he said he’ll behave, and I’ll be here to keep an eye on him, so…” the Warrior of Light says, trailing off weakly beneath the judgmental stares of the gaggle of Lalafell before her.
Because looming behind the Warrior, beaten and bruised and yet still quietly pleased with himself, is Zenos formerly-yae Galvus; the Warrior takes a step back and (rather indiscreetly) grinds her heel into his instep until his face contorts into a half-grimace half-smile that must be meant to convince them of his general trustworthiness and newfound civility.
While Tataru and Krile exchange skeptical glances, Ojika says with a sigh, “If you like, I can prepare fresh chambers for your… guest?”
The Warrior wakes to a cold and empty bed (far colder and far emptier than it had been the night before, filled with seven plus sprawling fulms of disgraced Garlean prince) and in alarm she jerks free from the linens, sits up, and scans her room with bleary eyes to find not a single hint of the bastard.
She skids through the Annex in a panic, in stocking feet and only half-decent — the whole time damning him for being so quiet, damning herself for ever trusting him — her heart already caught in her throat as she steels herself to find bloodied, broken bodies behind any of the doors she leaves thrown open behind her —
Instead she finds Zenos in a chair that strains to hold his bulk, with a steaming mug that seems ridiculously small in his hands and a look of vague amusement that plays across his face as he drinks in her obvious dishevelment: “I found coffee,” he says flatly, raising his cup to her.
