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[i][color=d1fffc]Whoa.[/color][/i]

For just a moment, Alja stared at Graves, this aggressive titan of a man who wielded blood just as fluidly as his absent sword. The hint of a smile crossed her face before she crushed it down; it wouldn't be good for Graves right now if she did what she wanted desperately to do. Because what she wanted to do was laugh. Laugh a lot. Because she had never, in her wildest dreams, thought that Graves could [i]ever[/i] be so...so...so [i]adorable.[/i] She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. She wanted to hug him, get him some warm milk or tea or something, and tuck him in to bed where he was safe.

But no. Graves didn't need anybody laughing at him right now. There was nowhere to tuck him in, and she got the feeling that if she hugged him, he'd punch her. So no, no overdramatic displays of emotion. Still, though, she was glad that he was opening up to her. His emotions had always been a bit of a mystery to Alja, and his past just as much. She knew basically nothing about the man behind the mask, and now that, perhaps, he was beginning to peek out, the last thing she wanted to do was to punt him right back down there by laughing at him. Perhaps it wouldn't have been important before, but the more they knew about each other now, the safer they were. 

So instead, she kept it to a bare smile, one that could be dismissed if she needed to, and sat back down next to him, her breaths still coming harsh and heavy, though they were beginning to slow.

"[color=d1fffc]Then a lotta people are idiots. We gotta stick together. And you're a good man, Graves. I'll be damned if I let you go down while I've still got breath in me.[/color]"