No, he won't. He laughs. It's one of those quiet, huffy laughs unaccompanied by a smile, that recognizes a good parry without fully approving of it.
"If I really thought it was a problem," he says, which is a concession, but fine, ruin his prank with jabs at his actual self-esteem issues, "I'd find one. Somewhere. Pull one out of a bear, maybe." He shifts, and sighs, and adds, "All right. Look."
And then he's silent, because now he's doubly not looking forward to this.
Okay now this is weird. He does look. Eyebrows furrowed, too, a suspicious look at Alistair being serious about something. He's faintly worried. Is he actually going to be in trouble, here?
If he knew Nathaniel were worried, he'd stretch it out longer and see if he could make him squirm. Instead it's only six seconds. Six very long-feeling seconds.
"It was a really busy year and however-long," he says eventually, "between when I joined and you did, but I think the life experience you have from being—however old you are, ancient—that probably nearly balances it out. Nearly." He hates this so much. "I've talked to Teren, too," he adds, to keep Nathaniel from starting to feel too special. "I can't do it alone."
Is Alistair asking for his help leading the Grey Wardens?
Is Alistair actually planning on leading the--anything?
Nathaniel loks briefly suspicious. This could be a trick. But no, this is Alistair being annoyingly serious. Somehow, he is even more annoying when serious than any other time. Maybe because after all his clownish behavior, he has the gall to expect to be taken seriously. But for all that, he's not actually doing anything wrong. For once, he's really doing it right. And Nathaniel has to honor that. With a sigh.
"You very likely can't," he agrees. It sets his teeth on edge, but he nods. "Very well.:
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chiming
no subject
Date: 2016-09-28 10:57 pm (UTC)From:"If I thought you had the backbone for a confrontation," he says mildly, "I might be worried."
no subject
Date: 2016-09-28 11:12 pm (UTC)From:No, he won't. He laughs. It's one of those quiet, huffy laughs unaccompanied by a smile, that recognizes a good parry without fully approving of it.
"If I really thought it was a problem," he says, which is a concession, but fine, ruin his prank with jabs at his actual self-esteem issues, "I'd find one. Somewhere. Pull one out of a bear, maybe." He shifts, and sighs, and adds, "All right. Look."
And then he's silent, because now he's doubly not looking forward to this.
no subject
Date: 2016-09-28 11:22 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2016-09-28 11:42 pm (UTC)From:"It was a really busy year and however-long," he says eventually, "between when I joined and you did, but I think the life experience you have from being—however old you are, ancient—that probably nearly balances it out. Nearly." He hates this so much. "I've talked to Teren, too," he adds, to keep Nathaniel from starting to feel too special. "I can't do it alone."
no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 11:51 pm (UTC)From:Is Alistair asking for his help leading the Grey Wardens?
Is Alistair actually planning on leading the--anything?
Nathaniel loks briefly suspicious. This could be a trick. But no, this is Alistair being annoyingly serious. Somehow, he is even more annoying when serious than any other time. Maybe because after all his clownish behavior, he has the gall to expect to be taken seriously. But for all that, he's not actually doing anything wrong. For once, he's really doing it right. And Nathaniel has to honor that. With a sigh.
"You very likely can't," he agrees. It sets his teeth on edge, but he nods. "Very well.:
no subject
Date: 2016-10-16 09:13 pm (UTC)From: