[ as she catches his pleased glance–followed shortly by a slightly exasperated roll of his eyes–she shoots him a small smile. and is reminded of something she's been asked before: why Viago? certainly, they're an odd pair; despite her position, Teia tends towards optimism, to looking for the good in people and settling into practicality when it's proven otherwise. to say Viago is the opposite would be stating the obvious too much. he's paranoid, with a constant armor of pessimism wrapped around him as close as his leathers.
the differences have caused them to argue, quite loudly and passionately, in many of their interactions. in the beginning of their working relationship, they could barely get a sentence in before they set each other's tempers off. even though their arguments have become fewer and fewer over the years, many still remember those early days and how their shouting had occasionally echoed down into the casino's lower floors.
so, when she had finally indulged in the magnetic pull between them, it was only natural those around her had questioned why. for a while, she hadn't been willing to give much of a straight answer. just that there was something there and each of their arguments got her closer and closer to the truth.
now, though, she knows how to answer without divulging too much about his character. because if there's one thing that always catches her eye and then keeps her interested, it's a sense of courage. Viago is brave in a way that very few have ever shown her over the years. it isn't just in how he handles their enemies or even the inner politics of the Crows or even the crown. no, she knows how difficult it has been for him to shed the armor and let someone inside. how every time he reaches for her hand, even if it's fully encased in leather, he's pushing aside his learned inclination to yank it away.
he is brave and he is kind, acerbic tongue and all. because he drops little gems into her palm, as he does now, eyes soft around the edges as he likens her to a treasure. ]
The Diamond really is something else. [ she teases, knowing exactly that he wasn't referring to the casino. her ankle nudges against his again, a silent acknowledgment of the compliment. ]
Bold, complex, yet goes down with surprising smoothness. You've picked well, as usual, signore.
[ not that she would have doubted. Viago may not be much of a drinker, but he understands the chemistry of such in a way she never will.
their waiter re-appears, then, to drop off their entrees, having given them just the perfect amount of time to sip their wine and chat. the timing is the reason they've come back here again and again; it's dependable. Teia makes no move to fuss with her food until she knows Viago is satisfied with his tests. doing so otherwise would only spark an argument. ]
[ the nudge to his ankle prevents a customary roll of the eyes at her purposeful obtuseness, but viago does seem pleasantly relaxed (for him) as the food is set down. for a moment, anyway. his eyes track every movement of the plate, mentally planning out what needs to be done. the waiter asks if they have need of anything else; viago ignores it, trusting that teia would play the role of polite socialite while viago fixates on the work.
he tries not to think about all of the meals teia eats without him. how many chances people have to kill her when he isn't here to test everything she eats. she shows great patience in allowing him to do this now, a silent compromise in tasteless liquids dropped on odd portions of the plate. a separate concoction for pork, salt, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, the butter and oil...
it takes roughly two minutes to finish his tests, quietly lamenting that teia ordered something complicated. he still has not touched his food. that will take another minute to test his own, practiced and easy. perhaps another minute or two to work up the nerve to actually eat it. but, for now: ]
Looks good.
[ the reward is worth it, he reminds himself steadily as he settles back into his chair, staring at his plate as if it were one of his precious vipers, curled up and poised to strike. the reward being teia not looking disappointed. it was worse than her being furious. he would rather she yell.
so, steadily, he picks up his fork to gently stir the pasta, ignoring the thrum of anxiety building in his jaw. he has to remind himself not to clench his teeth. he searches for something, anything, to talk about, and settles on something that he knows teia absolutely loves. ]
You really have no idea why Caterina called me here?
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Date: 2025-04-27 02:18 am (UTC)the differences have caused them to argue, quite loudly and passionately, in many of their interactions. in the beginning of their working relationship, they could barely get a sentence in before they set each other's tempers off. even though their arguments have become fewer and fewer over the years, many still remember those early days and how their shouting had occasionally echoed down into the casino's lower floors.
so, when she had finally indulged in the magnetic pull between them, it was only natural those around her had questioned why. for a while, she hadn't been willing to give much of a straight answer. just that there was something there and each of their arguments got her closer and closer to the truth.
now, though, she knows how to answer without divulging too much about his character. because if there's one thing that always catches her eye and then keeps her interested, it's a sense of courage. Viago is brave in a way that very few have ever shown her over the years. it isn't just in how he handles their enemies or even the inner politics of the Crows or even the crown. no, she knows how difficult it has been for him to shed the armor and let someone inside. how every time he reaches for her hand, even if it's fully encased in leather, he's pushing aside his learned inclination to yank it away.
he is brave and he is kind, acerbic tongue and all. because he drops little gems into her palm, as he does now, eyes soft around the edges as he likens her to a treasure. ]
The Diamond really is something else. [ she teases, knowing exactly that he wasn't referring to the casino. her ankle nudges against his again, a silent acknowledgment of the compliment. ]
Bold, complex, yet goes down with surprising smoothness. You've picked well, as usual, signore.
[ not that she would have doubted. Viago may not be much of a drinker, but he understands the chemistry of such in a way she never will.
their waiter re-appears, then, to drop off their entrees, having given them just the perfect amount of time to sip their wine and chat. the timing is the reason they've come back here again and again; it's dependable. Teia makes no move to fuss with her food until she knows Viago is satisfied with his tests. doing so otherwise would only spark an argument. ]
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Date: 2025-05-01 01:28 am (UTC)he tries not to think about all of the meals teia eats without him. how many chances people have to kill her when he isn't here to test everything she eats. she shows great patience in allowing him to do this now, a silent compromise in tasteless liquids dropped on odd portions of the plate. a separate concoction for pork, salt, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, the butter and oil...
it takes roughly two minutes to finish his tests, quietly lamenting that teia ordered something complicated. he still has not touched his food. that will take another minute to test his own, practiced and easy. perhaps another minute or two to work up the nerve to actually eat it. but, for now: ]
Looks good.
[ the reward is worth it, he reminds himself steadily as he settles back into his chair, staring at his plate as if it were one of his precious vipers, curled up and poised to strike. the reward being teia not looking disappointed. it was worse than her being furious. he would rather she yell.
so, steadily, he picks up his fork to gently stir the pasta, ignoring the thrum of anxiety building in his jaw. he has to remind himself not to clench his teeth. he searches for something, anything, to talk about, and settles on something that he knows teia absolutely loves. ]
You really have no idea why Caterina called me here?
[ gossip. ]