"Depends on what kind of story you want to hear, love. Should I begin with how [i]remarkable[/i] I am with a blade? How no man can out-maneuver me in a waltz? Or should I begin with how I am the rugged wanderer type who just wants to prey on the weak?"

His intonation marked his play. There was no air of urgency in his voice, no trail of secrecy either. He was giving her a hint of truth with words spoken, but curtaining them beneath the shrill of mystery. The act may run dry soon, but for now, he just wanted to see how many strings he could pull. Pulling strings was always fun, though he figure he'd better move this whole meet and greet along somehow. But first he would see what she had to say, to see how long he could hold her interest--it would help him get a handle on how easy it was to keep her dependent on half-truths, and should the time come--lies.

[@Yomojo]