http://paradisalogs.dreamwidth.org/53082.html#cutid1

[chastise]

[Irene knows better than to push her luck, for the moment. He's given her part of the game board, but if she doesn't keep careful hold of it, he won't have any qualms taking it back. So she does nothing than more than readjust slightly, when he snakes his arms around her to continue his work.

She hums out a low, noncommittal noise]

Patience is a virtue, Mr. Holmes. There are plenty who'd pay a fine price, for something like this, and slow is rather the point.

[But it's...Well, it's the elephant in the room, isn't it?] You must have done better than that.

Comments

[workaphilic]

Yes, I must have.

[But that seems to be all he's willing to share on the matter. In no small part because of the castle's imposed boundaries, but also because of the delicacy of the situation, of the severity of his reaction.

He wouldn't share the extent of everything he learned even if he could.]

[chastise]

Then don't let me interrupt you.

[She's definitely not making any move to wiggle free of him, but she has no further interest in disrupting his work, or for the moment, attempting to rest any more answers from him. Part of it, is her desire to figure him out.

His reluctance to talk about it could stem from quite a few options, and she's patient enough to wait until she can get more information to choose the more likely conclusion, and react accordingly. For now, Irene just shifts to slide an arm around his neck, forces herself relaxed so she can move more easily with him while he works.

And then she pretends to lose interest altogether]

[workaphilic]

[He's worked under more strenuous conditions than this. It's just a matter of filtering in what's important (his sample, the work, knowing) and filtering out what isn't (the uncomfortable pressure on his leg, the crick in his neck).

He could, quite literally, stay like this for hours.

After a while, he readjusts the focus on the microscope, lets some of the outside noise in. Just to check up on her.]

You're free to go anywhere else. If I'm boring you.

[chastise]

[She lets amusement, still sombre around the edges, quiet, enter her voice. She isn't making fun of him, as she would ordinarily do, however subtly. But his words still cause a bit of humour, for her]

You could never bore me. [She slides the piece of honesty in, for something different. And while 'never' is a bit of a strong sentiment, she's confident in the statement. She may grow tired, no, has grown tired of the life she's leading, of the game in a grand scale, but she can't picture a time in which she'll tire of this dance with him. Even if she knows it won't (can't) last forever]

But it might be more interesting, if you let me look at what you've done.

[She doubts he will, and she slides her arm back, just slightly, so she can brush the pads of her fingers along the nape of his neck. It's a minimal pressure, it isn't teasing, and from anyone else it would almost seem like an idle gesture, something to keep their hands busy. But she's never done anything simply for the sake of it]

[workaphilic]

[The touch causes tension to spring up in his neck and shoulders, residual stress from the past few days combined with natural defense mechanisms. But it relaxes after a moment, his shoulders going slack again as he leans back to the microscope.]

Just a bit of poison.

[His tone is dry, but not quite accusatory. It's not right to say that murder isn't in her court (murder is in everyone's court), but the method, the application doesn't seem to fit.

(Statistically, women are more likely to prefer poison as their murder weapon of choice.

She'd, at least, pick a more effective one.)]

Can't imagine what you'd like to see that for.

[chastise]

[His tension doesn't exactly make her stop, just lighten the pressure a little, until she finally feels his shoulders going slack. She's not sure if he simply recognizes that there's no danger in her presence (at least not at the moment) or if he simply in the smallest increments, is taking comfort in it]

I heard you.

[She shrugs slighlty, more an idle role of her shoulders than a proper gesture, knows he'll recognize it for what it is. The pads of her fingers make the slight trek into his hair] Perhaps I'm just interested in the sort of things the 'castle' deems a good time.

[It's true and a little bit of omission all at once. She's not altruistic enough to care for the good of others, and has no reason to fear for her own safety in this. She's not even curious for all the wrong sinister reasons, but she most definitely is interested]