[All in all, that Ashe kid is a pretty decent fella, in Balthus's opinion. For one thing, he's generous — like Hapi says, maybe a little too generous. Or more like gullible. He's maybe a little too quick to help a guy out, if there even is such a thing; goddess knows Balthus has taken advantage of that hospitality on more than one occasion, but after the first time or two, he's started getting a little discomforted himself about the whole thing. It's one thing to willingly put yourself in debt and invite the exchange; it's another to have a guy all but thrust his generosity upon you. And Balthus has still got his honor, debts or not. A couple unequal favors? Sure, that's just life. But making a habit out of it? Way different.
But luckily, they didn't have that kind of interaction today — and a good thing, too, because he'd just gotten done with some of his own business down in the village, checking in with his spies to make sure his mom's still properly squared away. Something's been on the wind lately that he doesn't like; his stepmother's gotten complacent, it seems like, and the last thing he wants is for her to forget about him and turn her wrath onto someone else.
He's still mulling that over as he meanders his way back toward the monastery, walking slow and enjoying his time in the fading daylight, when the wind and natural acoustics carry back the faintest sound of a scuffle from somewhere back in the direction of the marketplace.
And maybe it's just a flash of intuition that does it, or maybe it's something he heard without consciously processing, but one way or another he's standing there one second and he's taken off running the next, and thinking all the while it's been too quiet, it was too easy, she didn't forget.]
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But luckily, they didn't have that kind of interaction today — and a good thing, too, because he'd just gotten done with some of his own business down in the village, checking in with his spies to make sure his mom's still properly squared away. Something's been on the wind lately that he doesn't like; his stepmother's gotten complacent, it seems like, and the last thing he wants is for her to forget about him and turn her wrath onto someone else.
He's still mulling that over as he meanders his way back toward the monastery, walking slow and enjoying his time in the fading daylight, when the wind and natural acoustics carry back the faintest sound of a scuffle from somewhere back in the direction of the marketplace.
And maybe it's just a flash of intuition that does it, or maybe it's something he heard without consciously processing, but one way or another he's standing there one second and he's taken off running the next, and thinking all the while it's been too quiet, it was too easy, she didn't forget.]