Sigh. Miles would sure like to stun a few of them. But happily he's distracted by her reaction. So he's a lover, then? A husband? Goodness, that warms him so much that he can't help but smile a little, despite her "nagging." Some part of him is also deeply relieved that she isn't going to pretend he's her child or something like that. Husband or beloved, please, a thousand times yes.
"My apologies," he says, mimicking her accent, though he makes a show of taking a moment to tear away his eyes. As if he really was cheating a little just now. "I was just thinking of how much more beautiful you were?"
He hates to lilt the question into his tone, but. Well. Keeping up the act. It makes it easier for him to grin as she showers him with petals, to catch one of the flowers out of the air and offer it to her.
She stays obviously cross a moment more until he presents her with the remains of one of the flowers. She giggles, soft, sweet, snatching at the veil that hangs around the edges of her face. Tugging it over the bottom of her face, her eyes lower as she pretends to smother her laughter. False embarrassment, to be utterly smitten with his attention as she shyly ventures for the flower he gives.
"Rascal." Mollified, as she fixes it into her hair. "I still might, just so you can't trouble me anymore with your wondering."
And she flicks her skirt, skipping a step forward that is more pointed. Direct. Her eyes sharp with it as she directs him onwards - run, Admiral, and the guards will not look too hard at a lovers squabble. Rather they whistle, cheering them on. Go on then, let's see her catch him.
Ah, yes. he catches her meaning instantly. He pales a bit, as if still threatened by her. Then - a grin. "Only if you can catch me, my lady." And here he runs off in the direction she'd indicated. His poor legs have been replaced by now, at least, so he can run without tripping and breaking something. That would just be the worst in this situation.
She takes off after him immediately, and they are just one more pair in the crowd, weaving through the many, many people that move about in the festivities. The night gets deeper around them, and the firecrackers continue. Setting off from rooftops to a thick and heavy haze of smoke and taste of ash. Easy to be obscured in.
Letting get him ahead of her in the thrall before she lengthens her stride to catch up with him. Less a playful weave as more direct. Sparing a glance behind her to check the rest of their team were coming up behind them. At a reasonable distance past the guards, she comes against his side. Catching him by linking her arm through his. Laughing breathlessly with the effort of running. "Well done."
Miles slows at that, grinning back at her. He sure enjoyed that little jaunt - and that arm linking, for that matter. He laughs a little in return. "I am nothing if not flexible," he says. "Where to next?"
She turns her face up and - as they wind up the street, their group slipping to their sides - they seem to go up and up. The streets that wind and turn until she can point up, looking over the rise.
"There - that is where we are going." And they weren't the only ones, many people were heading that way - as she pointed from the top of the hill they walked up, and before them like a snaking squall of lights, music and brightly dressed people - that were working their way to the Palace that towered up and above.
Ah. That is a hell of a place. Miles can't help but look a bit nervous
staring up at it. "It'll be a hell of a place to escape if you're wrong
about your friend," he murmurs. Not that he truly doubts Lakshmi, just.
Considering tactics.
"He won't. He will help us, he always looked after me when we were children."
She insists on it, she has too. Like the world is ever that simple, or that kind. Not self-aware enough, maybe, or her own brand of naivety. It will not happen, because she is sure of it. But even so, her hand absently grips to him tightly before she forces it to loosens. A face-masked in calm festivity.
It has to be better, it must be better, so many had given so much.
That ... seems a little foolish, admittedly. But what can Miles do but try to believe her? He certainly doesn't have a better plan. "All right," he says with a soft sigh. "But I'm preparing for the worst here."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
"My apologies," he says, mimicking her accent, though he makes a show of taking a moment to tear away his eyes. As if he really was cheating a little just now. "I was just thinking of how much more beautiful you were?"
He hates to lilt the question into his tone, but. Well. Keeping up the act. It makes it easier for him to grin as she showers him with petals, to catch one of the flowers out of the air and offer it to her.
no subject
"Rascal." Mollified, as she fixes it into her hair. "I still might, just so you can't trouble me anymore with your wondering."
And she flicks her skirt, skipping a step forward that is more pointed. Direct. Her eyes sharp with it as she directs him onwards - run, Admiral, and the guards will not look too hard at a lovers squabble. Rather they whistle, cheering them on. Go on then, let's see her catch him.
no subject
no subject
Letting get him ahead of her in the thrall before she lengthens her stride to catch up with him. Less a playful weave as more direct. Sparing a glance behind her to check the rest of their team were coming up behind them. At a reasonable distance past the guards, she comes against his side. Catching him by linking her arm through his. Laughing breathlessly with the effort of running. "Well done."
no subject
no subject
"There - that is where we are going." And they weren't the only ones, many people were heading that way - as she pointed from the top of the hill they walked up, and before them like a snaking squall of lights, music and brightly dressed people - that were working their way to the Palace that towered up and above.
no subject
Ah. That is a hell of a place. Miles can't help but look a bit nervous staring up at it. "It'll be a hell of a place to escape if you're wrong about your friend," he murmurs. Not that he truly doubts Lakshmi, just. Considering tactics.
no subject
She insists on it, she has too. Like the world is ever that simple, or that kind. Not self-aware enough, maybe, or her own brand of naivety. It will not happen, because she is sure of it. But even so, her hand absently grips to him tightly before she forces it to loosens. A face-masked in calm festivity.
It has to be better, it must be better, so many had given so much.
no subject