In this one single instance Tal was prepared to be the better man and rise above Sah's pettiness. Once. For now. He let it pass without further comment and provided his own tale of woe and their mutual dislike for Took soon brought them back together again. The courier nodded sharply and raised his refilled glass for a ceremonial toast before dropping his next question on the table.
Baiting? Maybe. He was certainly expecting a jab, at least until Sah went all thoughtful and musical on him again. The near-silence was enough to make him wary and he was almost prepared for the honesty that the hunter dropped on him.
Almost.
It still drew a self-conscious scowl from the courier and brought a flush to his ears. He reached up to rub at the back of his neck as he realized there were no further caveats or pointed hooks to follow. His eyes fell to the table and he refused to look back up to meet Sah's gaze until his frenemy returned the question, leaving the courier to clear his throat awkwardly. "Uh." It was an eloquent beginning, and he scowled harder as he realized what he was doing and pulled his hand away from his neck. Buying himself some time, he dug into his Bag of Holding instead, fiddling with the tie and pulling out the box of cookies, which he pushed across the table.
They were a reward for good behavior as much as an excuse to give him a chance to collect his thoughts and come up with something on the fly.
"Your dependability," he replied gruffly. Sah always stayed true to his word and could be relied on no matter how tough things got. He was also loyal and brave... but the man was insufferable enough without adding more fuel to the fire. Tal took his shot and breathed in through his nose, feeling the booze burn deliciously all the way down his throat. "Your turn again."
Baiting? Maybe. He was certainly expecting a jab, at least until Sah went all thoughtful and musical on him again. The near-silence was enough to make him wary and he was almost prepared for the honesty that the hunter dropped on him.
Almost.
It still drew a self-conscious scowl from the courier and brought a flush to his ears. He reached up to rub at the back of his neck as he realized there were no further caveats or pointed hooks to follow. His eyes fell to the table and he refused to look back up to meet Sah's gaze until his frenemy returned the question, leaving the courier to clear his throat awkwardly. "Uh." It was an eloquent beginning, and he scowled harder as he realized what he was doing and pulled his hand away from his neck. Buying himself some time, he dug into his Bag of Holding instead, fiddling with the tie and pulling out the box of cookies, which he pushed across the table.
They were a reward for good behavior as much as an excuse to give him a chance to collect his thoughts and come up with something on the fly.
"Your dependability," he replied gruffly. Sah always stayed true to his word and could be relied on no matter how tough things got. He was also loyal and brave... but the man was insufferable enough without adding more fuel to the fire. Tal took his shot and breathed in through his nose, feeling the booze burn deliciously all the way down his throat. "Your turn again."
