fear is a tool.
@ruskayas from here.
the silence that answers is in no way a contradiction -- claire's agreement goes unspoken, but not unexpressed, a slight quirk at the edge of her lips that is knowing. it's often that she is reduced to such things : never quite able to speak her mind plainly, never entirely disabused of the notion that eyes and ears exist all around her, salivating tongues lying in wait to paint her concessions in whatever hues might be most damning. "yes, well..." claire pulls in a breath through rose colored lips that have been chewed at their seams, an unseemly habit informed by a paranoia that is made all the more frustrating for her awareness of its inconvenience. fear is a tool, yes. but in this case far sharper than the sort she has at times found enjoyment in wielding, despite her accomplishments past. it is just as easy to mishandle edges like these, and look down to find the most well-intentioned blade of necessary, minimized evil protruding from the wrong ribs. "be that as it may, i don't know how much longer i can wait for results on this." how distasteful. claire does not believe in fate, but rather liberation from it. she does not wait for what will be to be, she prefers to make it so, and despite the bitter taste of the knowledge on her tongue, she does not find herself surprised that when faced with the possibility of a war of attrition, she herself prefers blood.
"maybe it's time we stop beating around the bush."