Casidey was tired, that was true enough. She wouldn't deny it as it would be completely useless; a blind man could see the heaviness her in eyelids. But never once, through hell or high water, had she ever let anyone make a crack at her without some sort of retaliation. That just wasn’t her style and she had a reputation to maintain. What would the rest of the witty and charming rogues say if they saw her slacking? It just wouldn’t do to let a particularly stoic man get away with saying something so easily turned around.

Without missing a beat she gave a flicker of a smile before lifting her chin to meet Laeris’ gaze with eyes the color of rolling thunderclouds. “Well,” she sighed with the dramatic flare rivaling that of a professional actress, “I might be able to sleep better at night if I had some strong soldier man’s arm wrapped around me tightly. Then I could lay my head on his chest and be reassured by the beat of his steady heart and feel completely safe… But as it is, I’ve had to endure sleeping by myself.” She gave him a crooked smile complete with dimples and raised an eyebrow suggestively, though she couldn’t keep the mirth from twinkling in her eyes.

Then she pulled her pack towards her and started pulling out her knife belts like she hadn’t said anything at all. It wasn’t her best work, she decided as she detangled herself from her blanket and unceremoniously stuffed it in her leather bag, but it was pretty good for her current state-of-mind. The young elf started systematically strapping on her knives onto every limb she had. She had plenty to go around, more than could be counted at one glance for sure, and they were all shapes and sizes though all were impeccably crafted and perfectly balanced. Where she acquired these finely made weapons was a secret she felt no desire going in depth about. Not now, not ever.

Now that she was fully armed Casidey somewhat resembled a porcupine with dangerously sharp metal quills, though a decidedly much prettier and personable one. She quickly ran a long fingered hand through her jet hair, now gleaming in the morning light with a raven wing’s purplish-blue sheen, as a makeshift comb before pushing herself to her feet. Then she gave a happy sigh as she stood on her tiptoes and stretched every muscle and popped stiff joints. Much better. Now she was awake enough to be excited about getting back to civilization.

She was a city girl, through and through, so this wilderness thing wasn’t exactly her favorite thing. A few nights ago she had leaned back on some sort of tree that had looked like every other tree in the gods forsaken forest, and had been rewarded with a hair full of wonderfully sticky sap. That had been so much fun to get out, or to be more precise it was still being fun to get out. She hadn’t gotten it all yet. A girl could only take so many picturesque views and cute forest creatures before she wanted to jump off the nearest, beautifully scenic cliff. What she really needed was some time in Canyon City’s slums, where she would feel right at home. She could catch up on all the new underworld gossip, resupply on money by way of unknowing peoples’ fat coin purses, and maybe even get to see a good bar brawl… or better yet, be in one. The thought made her almost giddy with anticipation as she plopped herself down closer to the fire with her pack slung over her shoulders, now much more awake at the prospect of getting out the middle of nowhere.

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