TIG Quicklog: Murrue and Daniel
Feb. 19th, 2006 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joiedecombatFront Gardens, Phoenix Castle :: Golden Hall
The front gardens of the Golden Hall are beautiful examples of sculpted hedge, trimmed lawn, and white stone walkways between them, stretching onward for a good fifty yards, being half the length and the full width of a football feild. Occasionally young lovers were once found in remote parts of the garden, having picnics or enjoying the scenery, but today, they're rather lonely; certainly, someone takes care of them and does so well, but the glory of the garden is lost, seeing few visitors now.
However, the walkways continue onward, leading away from the Castle itself and toward further green.
He might not have had in mind, when he invited her to drop by his office sometime, for Murrue to take him up on the suggestion quite so soon. But then, there are too many things on her mind and too little she can do about them right now, and not all that many people she's yet comfortable asking things of.
So when she did drop by the office and found Daniel not present, and was directed towards the front gardens, well... It's with a brisk sort of purpose that Murrue navigates the castle grounds, eyes scanning the gardens for any sign of Daniel, and it doesn't quite occur to her to be self-conscious about it just yet.
Daniel isn't wearing his ceremonial robes today. Instead, he's wearing a cream coloured cable-knit sweater and a slightly lighter pair of cream pants. Strangely, he is not wearing his glasses either. He's found a spot in the gardens and is sitting lotus-pose in a secluded spot. There is no one else in the garden and the Runeholder is currently...glowing. Quite a bit. The aura of white light is rather pronounced and he himself appears in soft focus.
*That* is entirely unexpected, and it brings Murrue to an abrupt halt, making an inarticulate little sound of surprise in her throat as her train of thought suddenly derails. It is, after all, one thing to know that strange and magical things happen around the dream - and very much another to be confronted with it visibly, particularly in the person of someone who seemed very normal the last time Murrue saw him.
Daniel is normal! Just...on a higher plane of being. At least he's not in his shiny octo-light form. He's aware that she's there, but he still takes a moment to unfold himself from the meditation and stand. The glowing fades a little, but it's still rather pronounced. It puts his whole being in higher contrast, especially his eyes. "Hi Murrue." Somehow, like this, his voice sounds a little more...soothing. There is also a sense around him - an awareness of Kiwi's patronage. "Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."
"Ah," says Murrue, and, yes, there's the self-consciousness she was lacking a few moments ago; "well. If I've interrupted anything, I apologize--Should I...?" She doesn't quite complete the question, but glances back the way she came as the words trail off, by way of indicating her meaning: should I leave you alone right now?
There is a look of confusion on Daniel's face. Then he shakes his head as it all becomes clear. "Oh. No, no. It's all right. Just a little meditation." He seems positively serene. He steps towards her. "Hope this isn't too strange for you? I mean, at least I'm not glowing a radioactive green?" His eyebrows lift and he quirks a little grin.
Murrue laughs a little at that, discomfiture easing into self-deprecation. "Just a little unexpected. I'm sorry for my reaction. Clearly," she glances around her with a sort of rueful cheer, "I still have a great deal to learn about this place."
Daniel rubs a hand over his hair as if that would get rid of the glow. It ruffles it a little more. "I can't help it. I start to meditate and clear my mind, and I turn into a..." he rolls his wrist and then scratches the back of his neck. "...lightbulb." As he focuses less, the glow starts to recede. A flash of light passes over him. His glasses reappear and the cream wear turns into a light blue suit with a white shirt. A little less angelic and a bit more normal. "What can I do for you?"
"Actually," says Murrue, her voice brightening a little with the restoration of her composure and the reminder of what she came out here for in the first place, "I have a question to ask--and it's likely not at all within your purview, so I hope you'll forgive me. The only other person I could think to ask would be Cagalli, and I'd rather not do that if it can be helped." For a number of reasons.
Daniel starts to walk along the path, clearly meaning for her to follow. "Shoot?" He glances sidelong at her. "I'll do my best to answer anything you have to ask."
Murrue falls into step with Daniel, keeping pace easily as she talks. "It isn't really that complicated, exactly," she says. "I've just been wondering--if I were going to leave here," she pauses a beat before clarifying, "Golden Hall, I mean... and travel to another city, with things as they are, what would you say would be the best way to go about it?"
"Ah, hm." Daniel taps a finger to his lip. The other settles in his pocket. "There aren't any /safe/ ways to travel from city to city. Unless you're a teleporter or know one." A beat. "Where are you thinking of going?"
"I'm not entirely sure," admits Murrue. "There's someone I need to find, but I'm afraid I don't really know where to look. Yet." But she will sooner or later! And in any case she's not going to let that stop her. "Right now I'm trying to determine what my options are."
"Well, there are ways. The paths are dangerous, but if you're careful and bring protection, it's no more perilous than your average...trip through...haunted..." he clears his throat. "Anyway. There are people who are used to making the trip who might be better able to help you than I. I...have my own way of travelling."
"One that would not be of much help to me, I'm sure," Murrue adds to that thought, smiling in amusement. "It's all right. I'm not planning anything definite just yet, but..." Again she trails off, focus turning inward for some moments. Might as well explain exactly what she's got in mind. "Did you ever have the opportunity to meet the Priest of Hawk?"
"I'm afraid not. Is the Priest missing?" Concern shows on Daniel's face as his steps get a little slower. Both hands now rest in his pockets. "I won't lie to you. The trip between cities is dangerous, but people do it all the time."
Murrue's head dips in a little nod of confirmation. "According to Cagalli, when Thunderbird attacked the temple, he took off in one of the fighters they've been developing for the Sky Guard, but he hasn't returned. She was fairly confident that Phoenix would have let her know if he were--" she hesitates just briefly over the phrasing; 'dead' doesn't work for more than one reason "--gone for good. So."
"You think the Priest might have woken up in another city?" Daniel idly kicks at a rock on the path. It goes skittering and plops into a small pond. "Or...is captive somewhere?"
"I don't know." Murrue says it with what someone who knew her, and her reasons, better might consider surprising calm. "Cagalli said that the Aegis only had limited fuel. If he flew too far, he might have run out, and gotten stranded or injured somehow." And then, what with the breaking of the gameboard, heaven only knows where he might have ended up or in what condition. "I have to find out for sure."
"Have you tried the services of a scryer? I can't give you any specific names, but I know there are people who can locate the missing." Eyebrows arch. "I take it you know this Priest well?" Loyalty to ones' friends is something Daniel knows very well.
Murrue's shoulders lift in a little shrug. "Wouldn't they need some sort of personal item?" Magic is very much foreign territory for her; she can only go by what Cagalli and others have said. "Unfortunately he wasn't here for very long before Thunderbird's attack." There's a pause before she addresses his other question, looking down at the ground in front of her feet. "His name is Mwu la Fllaga. In the real world... I mean, in the place that I came from... he was killed in action several months ago, in the last battle of the war." Unconsciously, she rubs at the fabric of her shirt just below her throat. "He intercepted a positron beam that would have destroyed my ship."
Ah. A comrade-in-arms, no less. Daniel understands very well. He never left anyone behind either. "So you don't want to lose him again." It's a statement, not a question. "I wish I could help directly, Murrue. Unfortunately, I...blip pretty heavily on the radar screens of other cities, especially Winterheart. Although I can get just about anywhere, I...wouldn't even know where to look. If it's contacts in other cities, Cagalli, for obvious reasons, would have better connections than me."
"It's all right." When Murrue actually looks over to Daniel, she's smiling, albeit a trace wistfully. "I did expect it might not be anything you could help with. I'd rather not bother Cagalli with it just yet. I know that she wants him found and she's doing what she can. I don't think she'd necessarily approve of me going after him myself." Cagalli *probably* wouldn't smack her around. But still.
"Can I ask..." Daniel makes a turn down a particularly lovely path, with overhanging and drooping powers. "What...um...abilities you have?" An odd question, and one that's difficult to phrase without seeming a bit...crazy.
Very difficult to phrase, particularly if you want to not seem crazy but you also want a useful answer. Murrue lifts her eyebrows at Daniel, and pauses to think about it a moment before she answers. "Well... I suppose that depends on what *kinds* of abilities you're talking about, but... I'm a competent pilot if the machine isn't too complicated, a passable technician if I have enough to work with, a not completely hopeless tactician, a rather good marksman, and, if past history is any indication, a first-rate candidate for keeper of a home for incorrigible children." Which was probably not really what he was asking. It isn't really Murrue's fault that Nightingale's gift to her is so characteristically subtle that she's not really aware of its existence.
Daniel gets it, though. He grins and rolls his shoulders back. "Let me guess, Nightingale?" Expressive eyebrows do their work as he gives her a kind, yet slightly amused look. He's been around enough to be familiar with most of the patrons. For the good gods, he's pretty handy at picking out people - sort of like reading zodiac signs.
"So it would seem," Murrue confirms, with an equally amused smile back over to him.
"Heroic type, without powers that flash and sizzle. Nightingale picks them well." Daniel grins. "A good friend of mine, were she to ever show up here, would likely be patroned by Nightingale. She's a soldier too, and a scientist." His tone is quite fond.
Murrue's brows go up again, although this time the amused smile stays firmly in place. "I wouldn't really call myself the heroic type," she comments. "That's more the territory of someone like Mwu, or Cagalli, surely." Typical.
Daniel points at her and shakes a finger. "Thaaat's why you're a Nightingale." His grin is wry. "You guys never think you're the heroic type, but you do it anyway." He gives her a knowing look. Like what you're doing for your friend right now.
"I'm not doing much of anything right now," Murrue points out cheerfully. "Aside from being very lost. But I suppose it's a silly point to try to argue, isn't it? I should probably just say 'thank you' and stop talking."
Daniel touches his nose and grins. "I can put the word out, see what I can find? My connections aren't great, but I'll do my best for you."
"Thank you," says Murrue, and this time it's with less amusement, and maybe a little more bright-eyed relief than she really meant to let slip. "I don't mean to impose anything on you. But that would be... very much appreciated."
"I can't make any promises, I'm afraid. Like I said, this isn't my area of expertise." Daniel's nose wrinkles, then he rubs the back of his neck.
Murrue accepts this with an inclination of her head. "I do understand," she assures Daniel. "I won't be expecting anything." Just... hoping. "Besides, it can't hurt anything to try, can it?" ...okay, so in theory, it could; Murrue is hardly expecting Daniel to extend himself that far. "Even if nothing comes of it, I'm grateful for the effort."
Daniel nods and stops, turning back towards her. "Where are you staying? I'd like to be able to contact you if I find anything." Short of turning into an invisible light-being and looking around.
"I'm staying here," Murrue says, stopping when Daniel does and turning to face him directly. "In the castle, that is." She pauses, and smiles ruefully, reaching up to push her hair away from her eyes. "It seems like most of the Acolytes know who I am, so I shouldn't be hard to locate if you need to talk to me." And she is not exactly sure what to make of *that,* but she chooses to be amused.
"Good, good to know. And you've obviously learned how to track me down. Though I have to say, life was simpler with telephones." Grins Daniel. He's not entirely sure that her world /has/ them, but he has to try to be cute.
Fortunately for Daniel, this time it seems that Murrue gets the joke for what it was intended, because she laughs a little. "Much simpler," she agrees, "but it can't be helped. We make do with what we have." She spreads her hands, smiling. "In any case, I should probably leave you be."
Daniel shrugs. "I'm not bothered. Hey, a whole conversation and I haven't babbled incoherantly at you." A beat, and Daniel looks vaguely worried. "...have I?"
"Not at all," Murrue promises. She's trying for solemn, but her eyes are too bright and the smile lingers too persistently for her to manage it very effectively.
Daniel lifts a single brow and leans in. "Are you humouring me?" He sounds amused, though.
Murrue's chin lifts a little, her brown eyes widening in an expression that's equal parts incredulous, humorous, and innocently ingenuous. "Not at all," she says again, with exactly the same tone and inflection as she used just a moment ago.
"III...understand people well enough to know when I'm being humoured." Daniel feigns insult, lips pursing, eyebrows lifted in a most curious expression. He shakes a finger at her, turns, steps away, then turns on his heel back towards her. He shakes the finger at her again, smiles, then puts the fingers to his lips. "Just be glad you didn't ask me something cultural."
For a second or two following that comment, Murrue just looks at Daniel, still wearing that bright-eyed look of amused innocense. And, after a significant interval - she breaks out laughing. Can't help it. Just can't help it.
For a second, Daniel remains in that somewhat put-upin expression. He peers over the top of his glasses, finger pressed to lips. But then a smile breaks out. "Well. I believe it's my duty to be laughed at at least once a day." Though he doesn't sound insulted, just a little self-depreciating, but in an amused way.
"I'm sorry--" Murrue likely isn't all *that* sorry, being as she's still laughing as she says it, even after she's lifted a hand to her mouth to try to muffle herself. But she says it anyhow. It's only polite.
Daniel arches a brow for perhaps the dozenth time since they met up. "Yeeeaaah. My keen ability to read people says you're nooooot really sorry, lady." He manages to keep something of a straight face. "But I do have to get back to work. Feel free to pop by, and I'll see what I can do about your friend."
Presently Murrue manages to get her laughter under control, and she nods to Daniel, smiling. "I'll let you get back to your work," she says. "And thank you, again. I'm very grateful for your generosity." Already stepping away, she lifts a hand in a parting wave. "Take care, until next time."
Daniel lifts a lazy sort of salute towards Murrue, grins, then heads off down the walk. If she looks away for a second, then looks up, the Runeholder seems to disappear. There's no sound of his retreat.
The front gardens of the Golden Hall are beautiful examples of sculpted hedge, trimmed lawn, and white stone walkways between them, stretching onward for a good fifty yards, being half the length and the full width of a football feild. Occasionally young lovers were once found in remote parts of the garden, having picnics or enjoying the scenery, but today, they're rather lonely; certainly, someone takes care of them and does so well, but the glory of the garden is lost, seeing few visitors now.
However, the walkways continue onward, leading away from the Castle itself and toward further green.
He might not have had in mind, when he invited her to drop by his office sometime, for Murrue to take him up on the suggestion quite so soon. But then, there are too many things on her mind and too little she can do about them right now, and not all that many people she's yet comfortable asking things of.
So when she did drop by the office and found Daniel not present, and was directed towards the front gardens, well... It's with a brisk sort of purpose that Murrue navigates the castle grounds, eyes scanning the gardens for any sign of Daniel, and it doesn't quite occur to her to be self-conscious about it just yet.
Daniel isn't wearing his ceremonial robes today. Instead, he's wearing a cream coloured cable-knit sweater and a slightly lighter pair of cream pants. Strangely, he is not wearing his glasses either. He's found a spot in the gardens and is sitting lotus-pose in a secluded spot. There is no one else in the garden and the Runeholder is currently...glowing. Quite a bit. The aura of white light is rather pronounced and he himself appears in soft focus.
*That* is entirely unexpected, and it brings Murrue to an abrupt halt, making an inarticulate little sound of surprise in her throat as her train of thought suddenly derails. It is, after all, one thing to know that strange and magical things happen around the dream - and very much another to be confronted with it visibly, particularly in the person of someone who seemed very normal the last time Murrue saw him.
Daniel is normal! Just...on a higher plane of being. At least he's not in his shiny octo-light form. He's aware that she's there, but he still takes a moment to unfold himself from the meditation and stand. The glowing fades a little, but it's still rather pronounced. It puts his whole being in higher contrast, especially his eyes. "Hi Murrue." Somehow, like this, his voice sounds a little more...soothing. There is also a sense around him - an awareness of Kiwi's patronage. "Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."
"Ah," says Murrue, and, yes, there's the self-consciousness she was lacking a few moments ago; "well. If I've interrupted anything, I apologize--Should I...?" She doesn't quite complete the question, but glances back the way she came as the words trail off, by way of indicating her meaning: should I leave you alone right now?
There is a look of confusion on Daniel's face. Then he shakes his head as it all becomes clear. "Oh. No, no. It's all right. Just a little meditation." He seems positively serene. He steps towards her. "Hope this isn't too strange for you? I mean, at least I'm not glowing a radioactive green?" His eyebrows lift and he quirks a little grin.
Murrue laughs a little at that, discomfiture easing into self-deprecation. "Just a little unexpected. I'm sorry for my reaction. Clearly," she glances around her with a sort of rueful cheer, "I still have a great deal to learn about this place."
Daniel rubs a hand over his hair as if that would get rid of the glow. It ruffles it a little more. "I can't help it. I start to meditate and clear my mind, and I turn into a..." he rolls his wrist and then scratches the back of his neck. "...lightbulb." As he focuses less, the glow starts to recede. A flash of light passes over him. His glasses reappear and the cream wear turns into a light blue suit with a white shirt. A little less angelic and a bit more normal. "What can I do for you?"
"Actually," says Murrue, her voice brightening a little with the restoration of her composure and the reminder of what she came out here for in the first place, "I have a question to ask--and it's likely not at all within your purview, so I hope you'll forgive me. The only other person I could think to ask would be Cagalli, and I'd rather not do that if it can be helped." For a number of reasons.
Daniel starts to walk along the path, clearly meaning for her to follow. "Shoot?" He glances sidelong at her. "I'll do my best to answer anything you have to ask."
Murrue falls into step with Daniel, keeping pace easily as she talks. "It isn't really that complicated, exactly," she says. "I've just been wondering--if I were going to leave here," she pauses a beat before clarifying, "Golden Hall, I mean... and travel to another city, with things as they are, what would you say would be the best way to go about it?"
"Ah, hm." Daniel taps a finger to his lip. The other settles in his pocket. "There aren't any /safe/ ways to travel from city to city. Unless you're a teleporter or know one." A beat. "Where are you thinking of going?"
"I'm not entirely sure," admits Murrue. "There's someone I need to find, but I'm afraid I don't really know where to look. Yet." But she will sooner or later! And in any case she's not going to let that stop her. "Right now I'm trying to determine what my options are."
"Well, there are ways. The paths are dangerous, but if you're careful and bring protection, it's no more perilous than your average...trip through...haunted..." he clears his throat. "Anyway. There are people who are used to making the trip who might be better able to help you than I. I...have my own way of travelling."
"One that would not be of much help to me, I'm sure," Murrue adds to that thought, smiling in amusement. "It's all right. I'm not planning anything definite just yet, but..." Again she trails off, focus turning inward for some moments. Might as well explain exactly what she's got in mind. "Did you ever have the opportunity to meet the Priest of Hawk?"
"I'm afraid not. Is the Priest missing?" Concern shows on Daniel's face as his steps get a little slower. Both hands now rest in his pockets. "I won't lie to you. The trip between cities is dangerous, but people do it all the time."
Murrue's head dips in a little nod of confirmation. "According to Cagalli, when Thunderbird attacked the temple, he took off in one of the fighters they've been developing for the Sky Guard, but he hasn't returned. She was fairly confident that Phoenix would have let her know if he were--" she hesitates just briefly over the phrasing; 'dead' doesn't work for more than one reason "--gone for good. So."
"You think the Priest might have woken up in another city?" Daniel idly kicks at a rock on the path. It goes skittering and plops into a small pond. "Or...is captive somewhere?"
"I don't know." Murrue says it with what someone who knew her, and her reasons, better might consider surprising calm. "Cagalli said that the Aegis only had limited fuel. If he flew too far, he might have run out, and gotten stranded or injured somehow." And then, what with the breaking of the gameboard, heaven only knows where he might have ended up or in what condition. "I have to find out for sure."
"Have you tried the services of a scryer? I can't give you any specific names, but I know there are people who can locate the missing." Eyebrows arch. "I take it you know this Priest well?" Loyalty to ones' friends is something Daniel knows very well.
Murrue's shoulders lift in a little shrug. "Wouldn't they need some sort of personal item?" Magic is very much foreign territory for her; she can only go by what Cagalli and others have said. "Unfortunately he wasn't here for very long before Thunderbird's attack." There's a pause before she addresses his other question, looking down at the ground in front of her feet. "His name is Mwu la Fllaga. In the real world... I mean, in the place that I came from... he was killed in action several months ago, in the last battle of the war." Unconsciously, she rubs at the fabric of her shirt just below her throat. "He intercepted a positron beam that would have destroyed my ship."
Ah. A comrade-in-arms, no less. Daniel understands very well. He never left anyone behind either. "So you don't want to lose him again." It's a statement, not a question. "I wish I could help directly, Murrue. Unfortunately, I...blip pretty heavily on the radar screens of other cities, especially Winterheart. Although I can get just about anywhere, I...wouldn't even know where to look. If it's contacts in other cities, Cagalli, for obvious reasons, would have better connections than me."
"It's all right." When Murrue actually looks over to Daniel, she's smiling, albeit a trace wistfully. "I did expect it might not be anything you could help with. I'd rather not bother Cagalli with it just yet. I know that she wants him found and she's doing what she can. I don't think she'd necessarily approve of me going after him myself." Cagalli *probably* wouldn't smack her around. But still.
"Can I ask..." Daniel makes a turn down a particularly lovely path, with overhanging and drooping powers. "What...um...abilities you have?" An odd question, and one that's difficult to phrase without seeming a bit...crazy.
Very difficult to phrase, particularly if you want to not seem crazy but you also want a useful answer. Murrue lifts her eyebrows at Daniel, and pauses to think about it a moment before she answers. "Well... I suppose that depends on what *kinds* of abilities you're talking about, but... I'm a competent pilot if the machine isn't too complicated, a passable technician if I have enough to work with, a not completely hopeless tactician, a rather good marksman, and, if past history is any indication, a first-rate candidate for keeper of a home for incorrigible children." Which was probably not really what he was asking. It isn't really Murrue's fault that Nightingale's gift to her is so characteristically subtle that she's not really aware of its existence.
Daniel gets it, though. He grins and rolls his shoulders back. "Let me guess, Nightingale?" Expressive eyebrows do their work as he gives her a kind, yet slightly amused look. He's been around enough to be familiar with most of the patrons. For the good gods, he's pretty handy at picking out people - sort of like reading zodiac signs.
"So it would seem," Murrue confirms, with an equally amused smile back over to him.
"Heroic type, without powers that flash and sizzle. Nightingale picks them well." Daniel grins. "A good friend of mine, were she to ever show up here, would likely be patroned by Nightingale. She's a soldier too, and a scientist." His tone is quite fond.
Murrue's brows go up again, although this time the amused smile stays firmly in place. "I wouldn't really call myself the heroic type," she comments. "That's more the territory of someone like Mwu, or Cagalli, surely." Typical.
Daniel points at her and shakes a finger. "Thaaat's why you're a Nightingale." His grin is wry. "You guys never think you're the heroic type, but you do it anyway." He gives her a knowing look. Like what you're doing for your friend right now.
"I'm not doing much of anything right now," Murrue points out cheerfully. "Aside from being very lost. But I suppose it's a silly point to try to argue, isn't it? I should probably just say 'thank you' and stop talking."
Daniel touches his nose and grins. "I can put the word out, see what I can find? My connections aren't great, but I'll do my best for you."
"Thank you," says Murrue, and this time it's with less amusement, and maybe a little more bright-eyed relief than she really meant to let slip. "I don't mean to impose anything on you. But that would be... very much appreciated."
"I can't make any promises, I'm afraid. Like I said, this isn't my area of expertise." Daniel's nose wrinkles, then he rubs the back of his neck.
Murrue accepts this with an inclination of her head. "I do understand," she assures Daniel. "I won't be expecting anything." Just... hoping. "Besides, it can't hurt anything to try, can it?" ...okay, so in theory, it could; Murrue is hardly expecting Daniel to extend himself that far. "Even if nothing comes of it, I'm grateful for the effort."
Daniel nods and stops, turning back towards her. "Where are you staying? I'd like to be able to contact you if I find anything." Short of turning into an invisible light-being and looking around.
"I'm staying here," Murrue says, stopping when Daniel does and turning to face him directly. "In the castle, that is." She pauses, and smiles ruefully, reaching up to push her hair away from her eyes. "It seems like most of the Acolytes know who I am, so I shouldn't be hard to locate if you need to talk to me." And she is not exactly sure what to make of *that,* but she chooses to be amused.
"Good, good to know. And you've obviously learned how to track me down. Though I have to say, life was simpler with telephones." Grins Daniel. He's not entirely sure that her world /has/ them, but he has to try to be cute.
Fortunately for Daniel, this time it seems that Murrue gets the joke for what it was intended, because she laughs a little. "Much simpler," she agrees, "but it can't be helped. We make do with what we have." She spreads her hands, smiling. "In any case, I should probably leave you be."
Daniel shrugs. "I'm not bothered. Hey, a whole conversation and I haven't babbled incoherantly at you." A beat, and Daniel looks vaguely worried. "...have I?"
"Not at all," Murrue promises. She's trying for solemn, but her eyes are too bright and the smile lingers too persistently for her to manage it very effectively.
Daniel lifts a single brow and leans in. "Are you humouring me?" He sounds amused, though.
Murrue's chin lifts a little, her brown eyes widening in an expression that's equal parts incredulous, humorous, and innocently ingenuous. "Not at all," she says again, with exactly the same tone and inflection as she used just a moment ago.
"III...understand people well enough to know when I'm being humoured." Daniel feigns insult, lips pursing, eyebrows lifted in a most curious expression. He shakes a finger at her, turns, steps away, then turns on his heel back towards her. He shakes the finger at her again, smiles, then puts the fingers to his lips. "Just be glad you didn't ask me something cultural."
For a second or two following that comment, Murrue just looks at Daniel, still wearing that bright-eyed look of amused innocense. And, after a significant interval - she breaks out laughing. Can't help it. Just can't help it.
For a second, Daniel remains in that somewhat put-upin expression. He peers over the top of his glasses, finger pressed to lips. But then a smile breaks out. "Well. I believe it's my duty to be laughed at at least once a day." Though he doesn't sound insulted, just a little self-depreciating, but in an amused way.
"I'm sorry--" Murrue likely isn't all *that* sorry, being as she's still laughing as she says it, even after she's lifted a hand to her mouth to try to muffle herself. But she says it anyhow. It's only polite.
Daniel arches a brow for perhaps the dozenth time since they met up. "Yeeeaaah. My keen ability to read people says you're nooooot really sorry, lady." He manages to keep something of a straight face. "But I do have to get back to work. Feel free to pop by, and I'll see what I can do about your friend."
Presently Murrue manages to get her laughter under control, and she nods to Daniel, smiling. "I'll let you get back to your work," she says. "And thank you, again. I'm very grateful for your generosity." Already stepping away, she lifts a hand in a parting wave. "Take care, until next time."
Daniel lifts a lazy sort of salute towards Murrue, grins, then heads off down the walk. If she looks away for a second, then looks up, the Runeholder seems to disappear. There's no sound of his retreat.
