8. shielding the other one with their body 👀
"Warrior, a moment of your time —"
"Please, would you stop by —"
"Pray listen to my suggestion —"
"On the topic of Dynamis —"
The voices are more akin to a tidal wave than individual inquiries now and they keep growing in number — the sound presses against the Warrior's ears and rattles around their skull. It feels like a physical sensation and they feel as if they lifted a hand to the side of their head it would come away bloodied.
There's no response that will satisfy everyone clamoring for a piece and fear has started to set in.
It's their first excursion outside after Ultima Thule without the Scion escort that everyone had insisted upon and now they understand why it had been necessary, hand twitching toward the weapon at their side —
Except their weapons are back at the rooms, and Sharlayan isn't at war. It would solve nothing here.
The Warrior swallows thickly, eyes flicking from scientists to reporters to gawking bystanders and then down to the ground, finding it tilted into an unpleasant spin.
It was a mistake to go outside alone.
Blessed shade is cast over the Warrior's form, the boom of this voice slicing clean through all the others and silencing the whole group in one fell swoop. The Warrior could cry with relief, hunched over as Estinien steps in front of them, radiating hostility.
"I was led to believe that Sharlayan was peaceful and civilized?" They can picture the raised brow on Estinien's face as he speaks, his words clipped with the effort it must take not to shout. "This is not how you treat a recovering patient. No more questions."
Thankfully, with minimal arguing, they all disperse. Estinien stays in position, shielding the Warrior as effectively here as in battle and maybe it should be humiliating but it mostly feels — safe. Familiar.
Only once they are alone does he turn and let his shoulders sag a bit, placing a large hand on the Warrior's shoulder.
"We told you not to go out alone."
There's no heat behind the words however and the Warrior musters a smile, feeling it wobble.
"No worries," he sighs, grip tightening a smidge before he lets go. "I know what it's like."