The only thing she's answered is her name, and this is already putting Wash on edge.
She's answering because she has to, because she must, and he wonders what it feels like, if she's at all aware of the secrets she might be spilling out for anyone in this room to hear, if any part of her fights this or if she's just drifting and blissful, answering because she feels like she wants to. The way she talks is strangely conversational, even if she isn't looking at anyone at all.
Maharani Lakshmi Bai. Jhansi ki Rani -- she is a queen. He looks at her and that just seems to immediately click into place, like it makes sense, like all along she'd already held herself like a queen, only he never thought of it. Royalty isn't something Wash is familiar with, but he imagines most queens don't fight like she does. If she led her people, she led them in battles, too. Jhansi, Bundelkhand. She's talking about her home.
Wash glances to Zahal. Might not be the answer he was looking for -- she must have come from the Barrayan camp, and she'd given a different answer, but it's information nonetheless. It's easy to see how one would need a skilled interrogator. She'll need to be directed, to give him what he wants -- or they could just let her talk and talk and talk and she might stumble upon it eventually, giving up all the secrets she keeps without so much as a blink of an eye. Wash suppresses a shudder, but he's silent, listening, absorbing, almost wishes he wouldn't remember any of this, all this about her that he shouldn't know, but if this was someone he was interrogating, someone whose information he needs.
Zahal is already being far more patient than he would be.
no subject
She's answering because she has to, because she must, and he wonders what it feels like, if she's at all aware of the secrets she might be spilling out for anyone in this room to hear, if any part of her fights this or if she's just drifting and blissful, answering because she feels like she wants to. The way she talks is strangely conversational, even if she isn't looking at anyone at all.
Maharani Lakshmi Bai. Jhansi ki Rani -- she is a queen. He looks at her and that just seems to immediately click into place, like it makes sense, like all along she'd already held herself like a queen, only he never thought of it. Royalty isn't something Wash is familiar with, but he imagines most queens don't fight like she does. If she led her people, she led them in battles, too. Jhansi, Bundelkhand. She's talking about her home.
Wash glances to Zahal. Might not be the answer he was looking for -- she must have come from the Barrayan camp, and she'd given a different answer, but it's information nonetheless. It's easy to see how one would need a skilled interrogator. She'll need to be directed, to give him what he wants -- or they could just let her talk and talk and talk and she might stumble upon it eventually, giving up all the secrets she keeps without so much as a blink of an eye. Wash suppresses a shudder, but he's silent, listening, absorbing, almost wishes he wouldn't remember any of this, all this about her that he shouldn't know, but if this was someone he was interrogating, someone whose information he needs.
Zahal is already being far more patient than he would be.