Rey knew better than to be nervous under Severus's cool gaze. He was anyways, though he feigned ease as best he could, forcing himself not to fidget. He doubted it was fooling Severus, but it seemed like it was important to make the effort anyways.
"Merchantss take their businesss very sseriously. Was hired to investigate. And I'm good at what I do." He told him, without arrogance. Rey was good at what he did, and there was always room to improve. He suspected Severus would be as disdainful of false modesty as he would be of bragging.
A woman appeared, behind Severus, skin matching the speaker's beard. A little unsubtle, Rey thought. Blossom, Severus called her. One of his agents, following the same line of inquiry that Rey had, it seemed. "You were right", he'd said. Perhaps the speaker's agents had at least some freedom to choose what they investigated. Severus had always struck him as precise, and Rey had assumed he would be the same with his eyes and ears.
The barb at Blossom was interesting too. Was this the latest in a string of failures from her, or was Severus simply a sharp employer? Or perhaps this was his sort of humor. If it was, she didn't seem amused. If a glower could kill...
Severus was watching him again. Judging him? Measuring him up? The man was so impassive it was hard to tell. Whatever it was, though, he seemed to have measured up in the Speaker's estimate. Or at least, that was what he wanted Rey to think. Rey nodded at his words, turning them over in his mind. He was always careful when it came to Severus.
There was the barest whisper behind him, then a wave of colour rushed past him, obscuring Rey's vision. Then they dispersed, leaving only Severus's cane, swaying upright in the ground. When Rey reached out to steady it, it parted at his touch, feeling like he'd put his hand through a bunch of flowers. When he drew back, it snapped back, like he'd never touched it.
Scales prickling, Rey felt the sudden urge to hide somewhere dark, and turned to go home. Now, more than ever, he was certain that this was the one place his paranoia was justified.
"Merchantss take their businesss very sseriously. Was hired to investigate. And I'm good at what I do." He told him, without arrogance. Rey was good at what he did, and there was always room to improve. He suspected Severus would be as disdainful of false modesty as he would be of bragging.
A woman appeared, behind Severus, skin matching the speaker's beard. A little unsubtle, Rey thought. Blossom, Severus called her. One of his agents, following the same line of inquiry that Rey had, it seemed. "You were right", he'd said. Perhaps the speaker's agents had at least some freedom to choose what they investigated. Severus had always struck him as precise, and Rey had assumed he would be the same with his eyes and ears.
The barb at Blossom was interesting too. Was this the latest in a string of failures from her, or was Severus simply a sharp employer? Or perhaps this was his sort of humor. If it was, she didn't seem amused. If a glower could kill...
Severus was watching him again. Judging him? Measuring him up? The man was so impassive it was hard to tell. Whatever it was, though, he seemed to have measured up in the Speaker's estimate. Or at least, that was what he wanted Rey to think. Rey nodded at his words, turning them over in his mind. He was always careful when it came to Severus.
There was the barest whisper behind him, then a wave of colour rushed past him, obscuring Rey's vision. Then they dispersed, leaving only Severus's cane, swaying upright in the ground. When Rey reached out to steady it, it parted at his touch, feeling like he'd put his hand through a bunch of flowers. When he drew back, it snapped back, like he'd never touched it.
Scales prickling, Rey felt the sudden urge to hide somewhere dark, and turned to go home. Now, more than ever, he was certain that this was the one place his paranoia was justified.
Snake Tongue | Common | Arumenic
