Despite their increasingly frequent meetings, Ebenholz had yet to form a decisive opinion on Operator Pasithea. Wary was perhaps too mild a word to describe his hesitation, but it wasn't as though she'd done anything to draw his ire.
Her mere presence as a disgraced noble’s butler set him on edge, and since his arrival, he had taken great pains to avoid any reminder of his homeland or title. Honed instinct makes him disinclined to entertain her further than offering the necessary courtesies to a fellow Leithanian. Ebenholz knows just how shrewd those serving under the Grafen could be; the maids and butlers that maintained Urtica Spire were no better than the spies sent to record his every movement.
It is for this reason he divulges little of his circumstances to the other Caprinae when he is in her company. Realistically, there shouldn’t be any way for her to uncover the shameful past he harbored - his files were carefully censored per the Doctor’s request and he does not recall ever having to host Dame Frey of House Selphia. But some irrational part of him, one that echoed the paranoid sentiments of the Voice, still remained convinced she’d be able to peer through his shoddy guise and bear witness to the vile blood coursing through his veins. Children of Leithanien possessed either fear or reverence for His Majesty’s name, and he was not eager to find out which would influence her actions.
Yet at the same time, Pasithea was a strikingly considerate person. This is not to say that others at Rhodes Island lacked compassion - but her meticulous nature seemed to grant her a keen intuition for his post-combat flare-ups. On more than one occasion, she offered him a soothing cup of tea after he sought refuge on one of the dormitory’s couches, much like one of the maids who tended to him at his bedside when he was a young boy. Though his suspicions are not unfounded, to repeatedly impose upon her hospitality makes him feel like an uncouth leech. No longer was he a noble with servants at his beck and call; he was simply taking for granted the kindness of a colleague.
With this in mind, Ebenholz thought to return the favor just this once, volunteering for a training exercise that was short a Caster. He intended to subtly keep an eye on her position and swiftly dispatch any incoming enemies, but imagine the late Graf Urtica’s surprise upon discovering she was openly dozing off in the midst of battle.
“Fräulein Pasithea, I couldn’t help but notice you were, ah…” Locked in slumber partway through the exercise? Somehow raising her lance while in the throes of sleep? “You seemed a bit distracted during today’s training exercise. Are you certain you’re fit to participate in upcoming operations…?”
It's not as though he's weaving lullabies on the field, either. The dissonant cacophony that accompanied his casting would be difficult for anyone to sleep through. Ebenholz is aware that certain Arts came with drawbacks - he is, of course, a shining example of this - but surely she wasn’t just indulging in a nap, right? (Right??)
