Are's answer was a surprisingly good one, and Jigano nodded thoughtfully, approving of it with a tilt of his head and an easing of his smile. What he hadn't expected, though, was the tumult of words that answered his next question, in a tide of confusion that had the smile fading as blue eyes narrowed at the anxious cobbler.
"Your 'orders?'" he said softly, disappointment slipping back into its well-worn place with the cobbler - no, the warrior, apparently. Or rather, the soldier. One who followed blindly and refused to take responsibility for his own actions, instead hiding behind the excuse that he was 'just following orders.' Ah, how the Technic League would have snapped him up in a heartbeat to serve as their henchman... "I had not realized you were preparing for war against me. At our last meeting you said that you wanted to earn back my friendship... I am sorry to hear that you have changed your mind so completely since then." He stepped back, offering a half-bow and a smile that didn't reach his eyes, their cool blue gone wounded at this declaration. "If you already consider me your enemy simply for speaking truth then I won't task your conscience by asking you to use your craft on my behalf. Indeed, a Launceleyn loyalist would likely only earn himself a punishment for serving goods to a 'villain' such as myself," he said, a wry, sharp-edged pride in his smile. He was not even a little bit upset that one who would willingly take orders from a self-proclaimed tyrant considered him a villain... he was only disappointed that the cobbler's memory had proved so short, and his convictions so malleable.
Zariah or Roana... in the end, it was only a matter of scale.
"I am sorry for wasting your time, Are. Good day to you," he finished, every inch of him outwardly polite as he nodded and moved away from the stall, moving further into the bazaar to see what else might be purchased for a song or a favor.
"Your 'orders?'" he said softly, disappointment slipping back into its well-worn place with the cobbler - no, the warrior, apparently. Or rather, the soldier. One who followed blindly and refused to take responsibility for his own actions, instead hiding behind the excuse that he was 'just following orders.' Ah, how the Technic League would have snapped him up in a heartbeat to serve as their henchman... "I had not realized you were preparing for war against me. At our last meeting you said that you wanted to earn back my friendship... I am sorry to hear that you have changed your mind so completely since then." He stepped back, offering a half-bow and a smile that didn't reach his eyes, their cool blue gone wounded at this declaration. "If you already consider me your enemy simply for speaking truth then I won't task your conscience by asking you to use your craft on my behalf. Indeed, a Launceleyn loyalist would likely only earn himself a punishment for serving goods to a 'villain' such as myself," he said, a wry, sharp-edged pride in his smile. He was not even a little bit upset that one who would willingly take orders from a self-proclaimed tyrant considered him a villain... he was only disappointed that the cobbler's memory had proved so short, and his convictions so malleable.
Zariah or Roana... in the end, it was only a matter of scale.
"I am sorry for wasting your time, Are. Good day to you," he finished, every inch of him outwardly polite as he nodded and moved away from the stall, moving further into the bazaar to see what else might be purchased for a song or a favor.
