Hannibal is so genuinely surprised at Ruth's response about defusing the situation that it shows on his face clearly and immediately. He'd assumed she meant physical violence, but what she just said sounds like she means that no, she hadn't been threatening him. Frankly, he looks more alarmed at being wrong than he did at the prospect of her being willing to get violent if he was an enemy.
But Ruth does respond how he'd expect - hope for, even - when he tries to cut off the well-meaning reassurances. Danae's somber face is also a nice thing to see. Patricia is more than upset enough about this - he doesn't want anyone making her draw more parallels than necessary between this and a certain set of choice flashbacks that they've kept running into.
Hannibal isn't certain what to expect when he holds Patricia. He's always leaning towards caution with her - a foster kid who was willingly given up by her biological parents of several years, there's enough reason to be careful around her abandonment issues, even if he didn't feel he needed to step very lightly and respectfully around the fact that - at the end of the day - he was a strange male who'd taken her home. Hannibal is content waiting for Patricia to make any and all first moves, to ensure she's comfortable, but it's...possible that that's slowed down the entire process. She clearly doesn't want to let herself reach out, even when things are being offered.
So as for possible reactions, her going rigid and breathless was on the short list. Hannibal is ready to pull away to avoid making a scene, face set into politely neutral lines for the sake of their guests and Triss.
But then she shudders with a breath, and somehow her lack of pushing him away feels like an action all its own. Hannibal stays exactly where he is, even when Argus joins in on the attempt at soothing her, trying very hard to read her - powers and general observational skills in tandem.
When she actually leans into him by bare degrees, Hannibal's own body loosens. No longer as concerned that he's misreading her lack of protest, he resurfaces to the conversation at large. His approval of Argus is only going to keep growing, it seems: both at his ability to play along with what will actually calm Triss down, and the fact that he's just outed his own specific power, and the way their delineations work.
A metal for every power. How many metals? Clearly not all of them. Even 'iron' could be a vague term, now that he's thinking of it in the sense of an ingredient for magic. What ratio? Just crude iron, no carbon in the mix? At what point does it become unsuitable, if ever?
Not every Allomancer is physically dangerous. In fact, Argus's ability is like Hannibal's own - good for information-gathering, not necessarily a weapon for combat so much as a tool for smart combat.
Except rare ones. And Argus has a good point - to Hannibal's outsider viewpoint - about Patricia. Does the doubt on Ruth's and Danae's faces reflect the rarity itself, then? Will Patricia be hunted down forever, if she is this thing? Will this complicate their lives beyond what Hannibal had even prepared himself for?
And then the reality is decided - Patricia is a multiple-metal Allomancer - and all of those concerns are buried under the broken dam of Hannibal's attention. He watches her, rapt, and looks at all the others in turn, to see the emotions he can already smell. Surprise, shock. Fear, perhaps. Triss still has the sour tang of terror and guilt, but her entire face yells excitement, now.
Frankly, it's an emotion Hannibal is mirroring, although you'd never get him to admit it.
The vague smile on his face doesn't look like it's going anywhere fast, regardless of his level of denial about how much he's thrilled at the rush of this discovery. "Danae, I've been incredibly tolerant about this until now, but I'm going to have to ask you to mind your language some, while Triss is present." It's said almost dreamily, with absolutely no bite.
Hannibal stays where he is by Patricia, arm still around her shoulders, although it naturally loosens as she sits up and looks around. He's not aiming to hold her in place, only to give his tacit support and approval for as long as she'll allow it. "There will be no keeping anything from you going forward, now, will there?" Is asked of the top of Triss's head, humor evident in his voice and in the fine lines gathered at the corners of his eyes. "What do you see, Triss?"
There'll be time to ask the others questions, in a moment. There'll be time to plan the next step in a moment.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2016-06-08 10:17 pm (UTC)But Ruth does respond how he'd expect - hope for, even - when he tries to cut off the well-meaning reassurances. Danae's somber face is also a nice thing to see. Patricia is more than upset enough about this - he doesn't want anyone making her draw more parallels than necessary between this and a certain set of choice flashbacks that they've kept running into.
Hannibal isn't certain what to expect when he holds Patricia. He's always leaning towards caution with her - a foster kid who was willingly given up by her biological parents of several years, there's enough reason to be careful around her abandonment issues, even if he didn't feel he needed to step very lightly and respectfully around the fact that - at the end of the day - he was a strange male who'd taken her home. Hannibal is content waiting for Patricia to make any and all first moves, to ensure she's comfortable, but it's...possible that that's slowed down the entire process. She clearly doesn't want to let herself reach out, even when things are being offered.
So as for possible reactions, her going rigid and breathless was on the short list. Hannibal is ready to pull away to avoid making a scene, face set into politely neutral lines for the sake of their guests and Triss.
But then she shudders with a breath, and somehow her lack of pushing him away feels like an action all its own. Hannibal stays exactly where he is, even when Argus joins in on the attempt at soothing her, trying very hard to read her - powers and general observational skills in tandem.
When she actually leans into him by bare degrees, Hannibal's own body loosens. No longer as concerned that he's misreading her lack of protest, he resurfaces to the conversation at large. His approval of Argus is only going to keep growing, it seems: both at his ability to play along with what will actually calm Triss down, and the fact that he's just outed his own specific power, and the way their delineations work.
A metal for every power. How many metals? Clearly not all of them. Even 'iron' could be a vague term, now that he's thinking of it in the sense of an ingredient for magic. What ratio? Just crude iron, no carbon in the mix? At what point does it become unsuitable, if ever?
Not every Allomancer is physically dangerous. In fact, Argus's ability is like Hannibal's own - good for information-gathering, not necessarily a weapon for combat so much as a tool for smart combat.
Except rare ones. And Argus has a good point - to Hannibal's outsider viewpoint - about Patricia. Does the doubt on Ruth's and Danae's faces reflect the rarity itself, then? Will Patricia be hunted down forever, if she is this thing? Will this complicate their lives beyond what Hannibal had even prepared himself for?
And then the reality is decided - Patricia is a multiple-metal Allomancer - and all of those concerns are buried under the broken dam of Hannibal's attention. He watches her, rapt, and looks at all the others in turn, to see the emotions he can already smell. Surprise, shock. Fear, perhaps. Triss still has the sour tang of terror and guilt, but her entire face yells excitement, now.
Frankly, it's an emotion Hannibal is mirroring, although you'd never get him to admit it.
The vague smile on his face doesn't look like it's going anywhere fast, regardless of his level of denial about how much he's thrilled at the rush of this discovery. "Danae, I've been incredibly tolerant about this until now, but I'm going to have to ask you to mind your language some, while Triss is present." It's said almost dreamily, with absolutely no bite.
Hannibal stays where he is by Patricia, arm still around her shoulders, although it naturally loosens as she sits up and looks around. He's not aiming to hold her in place, only to give his tacit support and approval for as long as she'll allow it. "There will be no keeping anything from you going forward, now, will there?" Is asked of the top of Triss's head, humor evident in his voice and in the fine lines gathered at the corners of his eyes. "What do you see, Triss?"
There'll be time to ask the others questions, in a moment. There'll be time to plan the next step in a moment.
For now, Hannibal's entire focus is on Triss.