He almost doesn't expect it, after all that. Surely she's aiming for his cheek, but then Fitcher's lips touch his, and Barrow has just long enough to touch his fingers to her jaw before she pulls away.
A silence passes between them, then, as he looks up into her face, his eyes hazy with admiration and, worse, trust.
"A raft for a drowning man," he says gently, after a moment.
"Nonsense," Fitcher says, all good cheer as she pats his cheek and withdraws. She doesn't kick her heels back up onto the edge of the bed, but she doesn't move to rise from the chair either. "That's far too much responsibility for a clerk."
Instead she settles back in, rifling through the pockets of her skirts until she finds her pipe and tobacco tin. She tips her head toward the basket and, presumably, the elfroot therein.
"Oh, as well as can be expected," she says, producing her little tinder box from her pocket.
"But Athessa is correct. I believe we were all extremely fortunate; the only real casualties on Riftwatch's side are the dining hall's ceiling and the rear wall of the kitchens. I have no doubt that both will be set to rights as quickly as the Seneschal can manage."
It takes some moments to arrange all the accoutrements of this habit—the shake loose the tobacco, pack the bowl of the pipe, and at last to set the stem between her teeth. Striking a spark into the bowl is a simple matter; she has been practicing for a very long time.
After a few puffs, she leans back over so he might fetch a light from the pipe's ember.
"I'm glad to hear it, as glad as one can be in the aftermath of such a thing." He puffs gently at the blunt after lighting it, finally managing to take a deep draw as he rests back, sighing it out with contentment.
"Nice to be able to help, too, though if looks could kill those mages would've had me dead on the floor in a heartbeat."
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-08-28 03:57 am (UTC)A silence passes between them, then, as he looks up into her face, his eyes hazy with admiration and, worse, trust.
"A raft for a drowning man," he says gently, after a moment.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-28 05:53 am (UTC)Instead she settles back in, rifling through the pockets of her skirts until she finds her pipe and tobacco tin. She tips her head toward the basket and, presumably, the elfroot therein.
"Care for a light?"
no subject
Date: 2020-08-28 10:49 pm (UTC)"How is everyone faring after the incident? Athessa tells me the only death was the Abomination himself."
no subject
Date: 2020-09-01 03:03 pm (UTC)"But Athessa is correct. I believe we were all extremely fortunate; the only real casualties on Riftwatch's side are the dining hall's ceiling and the rear wall of the kitchens. I have no doubt that both will be set to rights as quickly as the Seneschal can manage."
It takes some moments to arrange all the accoutrements of this habit—the shake loose the tobacco, pack the bowl of the pipe, and at last to set the stem between her teeth. Striking a spark into the bowl is a simple matter; she has been practicing for a very long time.
After a few puffs, she leans back over so he might fetch a light from the pipe's ember.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-07 02:00 am (UTC)"Nice to be able to help, too, though if looks could kill those mages would've had me dead on the floor in a heartbeat."