#the banter actually matures as they figure out and establish boundaries so that they don't have a repeat of hvw

[shivasdarknight]

I got more wips here and it's just more dialogue exchanges that I really adore

There was a lot that she said that Estinien could’ve commented on — the easy sleight against her that was the list she’d so helpfully supplied, how readily she mocked and insulted her beloved captain, or the relevant history of the spear — but instead he looked at her for a few moments to settle on commentary she nearly hit him for: “If how you portray your captain is accurate, then it truly does explain why you were such an unruly pain in the ass when you first joined the Knights Dragoon.”  A pause.  “Granted, you may be more tolerable now, but I see how this captain of yours has shaped you.” “Like you’ve any right to speak!”  She had half a mind to go into all the ways he’d been a pain in the ass back then, but she caught the damndest thing on his face: the faintest of smiles, just barely visible.  It stopped her from making any further comments, surprised it was there to begin with. “I don’t,” he replied.  “But I’m still going to.” Maybe she’d test her luck with him again.  Surkukteni gave him a once-over, a scoff of a laugh prefacing her response.  “Despite all that’s happened, you still don’t know how to keep your opinion to yourself.” “If I did, then that’d be reason to believe I’d been replaced or possessed.”  A pause.  “But in all fairness — as much of a pain in the ass as you were back then—” “Please learn to come up with better lead ups to compliments.” The look on his face said that he wouldn’t so long as he lived; the quick “Pass,” only confirmed it.  “The stir you caused among the dragoons was funny, I’ll admit.”