There came again that gauging upward nod of Vayne's head. After a moment, he turned from Tifa, and nodded to the Judge at Cloud's right. The guard grunted assent and plucked the keyring from his hip, but before he could bring it over, he stopped - frozen in his motion by Vayne's upraised palm.
"House Solidor honors its promises," Vayne said, taking the key from the guard himself. He selected the gilded key on the ring, stepped over to Cloud, taking ahold of his shackles without so much as looking at the boy. The key found the slot joining his hands together, and turned.
Cloud's face was a study in disbelief. His eyes flashed warily from the key to Vayne, and then over Vayne's shoulder to Tifa, and then back to Vayne again. Yet Vayne did not meet his eyes, focused on cracking open the shackles at their hinges. The chains rattled as they were loosened, and the iron cuffs fell away to the carpet, thudding softly for the guards to collect.
And just as Cloud was beginning to raise his hands, Vayne laid a palm on his shoulder, and met those glowing green eyes with the reptilian stare of a reflexive killer.
"You should know, boy," he said slowly, with all the frost of Paramina in his voice, "that your doings from now on will be watched closely. I shall forgive your attempt on my life, for her sake. A second defiance and I shall not prove so kind, Cloud."
Somehow he managed to make the boy's name verge on the edge of insult. Cloud at least had the wit to sense it, for he shrugged Vayne's hand off that muscled shoulder with acid contempt. Vayne turned from him to Tifa, lit by the fading light of day, and walked slowly to her side. He stepped close to her. Close enough that his promise to leave her untouched seemed more fragile by the moment. Close enough that even the Judges watching might have thought he were about to slip an arm around the swell of her waist.
"Return to your city a free man, son of Dalmasca, knowing that you live in debt to my mercy...and the affection I bear your friend."
He let that word hover like the hum of magick. Then Vayne tilted his head down to Tifa, looking down into her face with - something. Something in his eyes that was unclear. "I will permit you to bid him farewell, if you wish," he said simply. "Be quick about it."
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"House Solidor honors its promises," Vayne said, taking the key from the guard himself. He selected the gilded key on the ring, stepped over to Cloud, taking ahold of his shackles without so much as looking at the boy. The key found the slot joining his hands together, and turned.
Cloud's face was a study in disbelief. His eyes flashed warily from the key to Vayne, and then over Vayne's shoulder to Tifa, and then back to Vayne again. Yet Vayne did not meet his eyes, focused on cracking open the shackles at their hinges. The chains rattled as they were loosened, and the iron cuffs fell away to the carpet, thudding softly for the guards to collect.
And just as Cloud was beginning to raise his hands, Vayne laid a palm on his shoulder, and met those glowing green eyes with the reptilian stare of a reflexive killer.
"You should know, boy," he said slowly, with all the frost of Paramina in his voice, "that your doings from now on will be watched closely. I shall forgive your attempt on my life, for her sake. A second defiance and I shall not prove so kind, Cloud."
Somehow he managed to make the boy's name verge on the edge of insult. Cloud at least had the wit to sense it, for he shrugged Vayne's hand off that muscled shoulder with acid contempt. Vayne turned from him to Tifa, lit by the fading light of day, and walked slowly to her side. He stepped close to her. Close enough that his promise to leave her untouched seemed more fragile by the moment. Close enough that even the Judges watching might have thought he were about to slip an arm around the swell of her waist.
"Return to your city a free man, son of Dalmasca, knowing that you live in debt to my mercy...and the affection I bear your friend."
He let that word hover like the hum of magick. Then Vayne tilted his head down to Tifa, looking down into her face with - something. Something in his eyes that was unclear. "I will permit you to bid him farewell, if you wish," he said simply. "Be quick about it."