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[indent][indent][indent][color=gray][sub][right][color=dc143c][b]Location:[/b][/color] Laughing Worg Tavern - City of Thorinn, Aetheria[/right][/sub][/color]
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Graves didn't make a point of hiding his stares. He'd never been good at that- hiding how he felt. It'd gotten him in a hell of a lot of trouble throughout his life. Gotten more than one black eye for an off-hand comment at the wrong person. Still, he never learned. Refused to, he supposed. It wasn't like he had some idealistic attachment to naked honesty, or some high-minded reason for his stubbornness. Truth is, Andrew was just kind of a lazy asshole who could get away with showing his heart on his sleeve.

Sif's dumbass brother with a name too stupid to remember was picking a fight with Rael, even after the denizen had broken up the last one and told 'em to buzz off. Was he bein' some sorta blowhard prick, defending Kalie's 'honor?' Or did he just like the look of a fight? 

[i][color=dc143c]'Wanna knock his block off either way.'[/color][/i]

Once that altercation was broken up- by [i]another[/i] denizen acting out of character- he watched Seele go stumbling up the stairs after Rael. That put his mind at ease. She was better at talkin' people down; he knew from experience. Something about her demeanor disarmed people. To Graves it was as much weird voodoo magic as the shit she did in the dungeon.

Kazuki started talking again. Talking about being wary of certain kinds of people. About how reaching out to Mystic Prophecy would be a mistake. That made Graves' face twitch, but he didn't comment. He still hadn't shifted his gaze to look at the bard; he kept them locked on the stairs. It took him a little longer than he'd like to admit to realize who, exactly, Kazuki was talking about.

[color=dc143c]"Stop pussyfooting around it."[/color] Graves all-but-snarled, his eyes snapping up to Kazuki's. [color=dc143c]"Don't have time for that schoolyard shit. You don't trust Rael, what, 'cause she's an ass? Hate to break it to ya, buddy, but so are half of us. 'N she's better than the rest of 'em, too." [/color]

He paused, turning around in his seat to face Kazuki fully. A few seconds went by as he allowed himself time to gather his thoughts. [color=dc143c]"The girls from MP are good people, too. Even if Luci's been...[/color]" He sighed. It hurt to be a jerk about it, even if it was true. [color=dc143c]"Insufferable 'bout blaming us for somethin' outside our control. She's [i]good[/i]. Not just-"[/color] Graves motioned swinging a sword. [color=dc143c]"-But, y'know, [i]good[/i]."[/color]

[color=dc143c]"Rael, Pris, the...leaf...girl. All of 'em are. Just gotta give 'em a chance to prove it. If you don't, I'm out. S'that simple."[/color] It was sort of uncomfortable being this nice for so long. Maybe he should hit Alex to balance it out?
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