[He's only walking past the gate to the North Wing by chance, having steered clear of it since his last conversation with Viveca. There was no reason for him to be there. No reason for anyone to be there right now.
No good reason anyway.
Which is why his heart sinks into his stomach at the sight of Aleksander standing just a little too close to that door, as if he'd been intending on going in. It isn't a guarantee that he was here for the orbs, there's a chance it's something else, but as he smiles at his friend, one corner of his lips pulling up in an impish grin, he's running through the arsenal of talismans still on him and trying to remember everything he knows about Aleksander's powers.
Physical shadows given form. Weak to light, but not just any light. He doesn't know if a light talisman will cut it. Maybe he should have asked Aleksander sometime. Maybe he would have answered. He'd once traded weaknesses with two others on the Ximilia, just in case he'd needed to be put down. He was confident that they wouldn't have had a hard time taking him down anyway—he didn't have the yin tiger tally here to amplify his powers—but it had put him at ease to make sure there was a failsafe.
How foolish not to at least ask Aleksander.
He hopes it isn't a foolishness that costs them all now.
Hopes Aleksander was just wandering this way or patrolling to keep an eye on things.]
You know me, [he says, still smiling] not a stranger to curiosity myself. But I don't think hovering here will give Miss Viveca the right idea right now.
Final Countdown
No good reason anyway.
Which is why his heart sinks into his stomach at the sight of Aleksander standing just a little too close to that door, as if he'd been intending on going in. It isn't a guarantee that he was here for the orbs, there's a chance it's something else, but as he smiles at his friend, one corner of his lips pulling up in an impish grin, he's running through the arsenal of talismans still on him and trying to remember everything he knows about Aleksander's powers.
Physical shadows given form. Weak to light, but not just any light. He doesn't know if a light talisman will cut it. Maybe he should have asked Aleksander sometime. Maybe he would have answered. He'd once traded weaknesses with two others on the Ximilia, just in case he'd needed to be put down. He was confident that they wouldn't have had a hard time taking him down anyway—he didn't have the yin tiger tally here to amplify his powers—but it had put him at ease to make sure there was a failsafe.
How foolish not to at least ask Aleksander.
He hopes it isn't a foolishness that costs them all now.
Hopes Aleksander was just wandering this way or patrolling to keep an eye on things.]
You know me, [he says, still smiling] not a stranger to curiosity myself. But I don't think hovering here will give Miss Viveca the right idea right now.