A CHUCKLE MADE IT PAST ARMITAGE’S LIPS. Truth to be told if he wanted to pass unnoticed, or hide anything from the people surrounding him, he could have done that rather easily, there was a reason why he got so far during his years in the First Order. But there was no point in doing that now, wasn’t there ? It was already hard to adjust to… well, everything, perhaps he even deserved to have a worse of a time, but that was another story, and he didn’t have the energy or time to put into hiding those innocuous little things.
He found himself shaking his head then, his attention now fully given to Valoss, seafoam hues studying her, part of him wondering the real reason behind her approaching, thoughts that were almost immediately dismissed, not everyone had a hidden motive to do something, but it was had to shake that feeling when for almost all his life he had to live in a state of paranoia and distrust toward everyone around him, or at least almost everyone. ❝ I will let you know that I’ve been blinking… ❞ A pause, the corner of his mouth ever so slightly twitching upward. ❝ You know, to give people less things to talk about. ❞ Another chuckle, a shake of his head following soon after.
However his expression sobered up at her next words, lips pursing ever so slightly before a sigh slipped past them. ❝ Don’t be. I don’t blame him, he has all the reason to act like that. ❞ There was truth behind his words, in a way, despite how much Zade would get on his nerves, Armitage was even glad that Archex found people that cared about him that much. ❝ Plus, I would have been quite disappointed otherwise. ❞ A raise of his brow, ❝ Nothing like a near death experience to put things into prospective. ❞ Perhaps rather the morbid thought but not less true. ❝ I wouldn’t be on that, he seems to hold quite the grudge toward me. There are more chances on me actually being free than what you say happening. ❞
“That’s a pity, it’s always entertaining to make others squirm. See what odd sort of gossip ends up brewing for it.” Valoss said it as a joke, but it was also entirely true to her point of view. In Armitage’s case, such a thing would likely do more damage than good. No good fun is worth that, ever. A soft grin of her own offered as she toyed the wine in her glass into a swirl, “Well, there’s always tomorrow.”
Valoss then sighed at the mention of near death experience, despite having brought it up herself herself. An ache-- phantom?, probably-- bubbling up as if a sudden reminder was jabbed harshly into her chest. It’d been a miracle she’d made it at all. She probably wasn’t suppose to, but if that officer had intended otherwise he’d done a poor job in execution. The wound was mostly healed by now, so easy for her to forget but-- never him, she figured.
“He’s not a bad guy,” She offered, glass lowering as her leg finally dropped to allow her to sit more ‘proper’, lilac hues looking back towards Armitage, “But once he stops being so overprotective he’s blind to it, I’m sure he’ll realize you mean Archex no harm. He’s just.” A shrug, “Paranoid now, I suppose. And I can’t exactly fault him for it after all the bad luck.”