Theo didn't try to pull the pine cone off; it did occur to him that maybe he could make something of a pine cone from this magical tree, convince someone that it was worth something -- but he could make that claim with an ordinary pine cone just as easily, and he hadn't missed his companion's protective reaction. Interesting.
"I'm Theo," he said, with a courteous little half-bow -- a smile tugging at his mouth because he knew quite well that such courtesy was neither expected nor welcome in Torchline. But what could he say? He always enjoyed a bit of dramatic flair. "You may have indeed -- I've been in Torchline for a couple seasons now."
He considered adding a line about how he surely would have remembered such a beautiful woman, but left it off. After all, it would only spark the question of why he didn't remember her. Plus, she seemed the type to be put on her guard rather than flattered by such blandishments.
Turning back to the tree, he touched its needles again, feeling it laugh and shiver, and had to admit that this was no illusion or trick. So, a giggly tree. Just another day in Caido.
"I'm Theo," he said, with a courteous little half-bow -- a smile tugging at his mouth because he knew quite well that such courtesy was neither expected nor welcome in Torchline. But what could he say? He always enjoyed a bit of dramatic flair. "You may have indeed -- I've been in Torchline for a couple seasons now."
He considered adding a line about how he surely would have remembered such a beautiful woman, but left it off. After all, it would only spark the question of why he didn't remember her. Plus, she seemed the type to be put on her guard rather than flattered by such blandishments.
Turning back to the tree, he touched its needles again, feeling it laugh and shiver, and had to admit that this was no illusion or trick. So, a giggly tree. Just another day in Caido.
Theo
"Poker" by ND Strupler is licensed with CC BY 2.0.
