[b]Elliot Tessel[/b]

A hard swing from the lower-left connected solidly with the unmoving dummy, bringing a small smile to Elliot's face -- a pained smile, from the impact running up the sword into his blistered hands and sore arms, but a satisfied one too.

As he went to try the movement a second time, he heard Ashlinn's voice, causing him to relax his stance and look over his shoulder with raised eyebrows, unsure if she was addressing him.

His questioning look quickly became less composed as she grabbed his wrist, confirming that, yes, she had been talking to him. Trying not to get too flustered from literally being caught by her, he tried to speak up. Not having any clue what to say though, he hesitated, giving her the chance to talk.

As he listened to her words, his expression went from suprised to lightly annoyed, though a hint of embarrassment leaked through the poor mask.

He glanced away, trying to think of something to say. [color=f26522]"I... I'm not really trying to show off..."[/color] was his weak response.

While he was doing his best to avoid eye contact and look annoyed, Ashlinn pressed the cloth she had prepared quickly to his cheek. Elliot blinked in surprise, straining his eyes to try to look at her hand, the sting registering a moment later.

The boy winced and clicked his tongue at the sharp pain, but didn't pull away. Instead, he once again glanced away. It was then that he heard Erika's commanding voice, informing those in the Mercenary camp about the circle.

Elliot looked back towards Ashlinn, still stiff as a board and unmoving, wondering why she kept such a firm grip on his wrist. Did he really look like he'd bolt if she let go? ...Maybe he did.

[color=f26522]"There's really no need to do... [i]this,[/i]"[/color] he said to her, gesturing at her hand with his eyes. [color=f26522]"But if you must, be quick about it... uh, please. It looks like we have somewhere to be."[/color] As he finished, he finally relaxed a little, to try to convince Ashlinn that he wasn't planning on running away.

Harley appeared quite pleased that her master was getting medical attention, a soft coo escaping her as she puffed her chest out. After her little display of pride, she cocked her head quizzically at the winged cat next to her, inspecting it curiously.