Even when Maleficent's underlings open the door, Lea manages not to falter, in spite of the brief surge of alarm at the sight of them. Strange little things, almost goblin-like, with dusky skin and gleaming gold eyes--they look unnervingly like Heartless, and the thought of confronting those again, whole and complete after so long, is enough to make his own heart race.
He lets them invite him in, though, and escort him through the castle halls. He lets them guide him to what has to be a sitting room, and try to make him comfortable as best as he assumes they can. A few of them bring food to offer him--what looks like some sort of dark, blood-red wine, and a plate with some bread and cheese on it, and a small bowl of fruit; Lea can identify a pomegranate and an apple, but he's got no idea what the bright berries are supposed to be. He murmurs awkward thanks, but hesitates to actually take the offerings; the goblins put them on the table for him, instead, and most of them leave.
The fixed, unblinking gaze of the minion that does remain--if he's assuming charitable intentions, to make sure he doesn't need anything else--makes him uncomfortable, and so does the immediate hospitality--somehow, he'd expected to be attacked on his way in. He'd expected to have to fight for his life and talk his way out of a tight spot--it would be far more familiar, and might even leave him more at ease. Why should he be getting a welcoming reception like this, either as a stranger or as someone Maleficent knows and presumably dislikes? His skin prickles with the sense of imminent danger looming over him, hovering just out of sight and waiting to strike.
He's been paranoid for over half his life by now--it's only natural he should feel that way doing something this mad, whether that wariness is justified or not. Lea tells himself that quite firmly, but he still finds himself hesitating to actually take any of the offerings. He ends up avoiding the fruit and wine entirely, out of what he reminds himself is probably a completely unwarranted fear of poison; Maleficent has as little reason to poison him on sight as she does to welcome him warmly. Regardless, it's not advisable to lose control of his wits in a situation like this, either.....
Lea finally convinces himself to take some bread and cheese, eyeing the creature that's remained with him as he eats; he can't taste anything out of place, no taint of poison or Darkness that he can detect..... How long should he stall for? How long should he try to stay and buy the others time? A half hour, maybe? An hour? It depends on how quickly they can find Aurora, and convince her to come with them. He hopes they manage it quickly. He hopes Maleficent is busy. If he has to wait ten or fifteen minutes to be granted an audience with her, or even longer, he won't be put out at all. Whatever it takes to keep her busy and hold her attention.....
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He lets them invite him in, though, and escort him through the castle halls. He lets them guide him to what has to be a sitting room, and try to make him comfortable as best as he assumes they can. A few of them bring food to offer him--what looks like some sort of dark, blood-red wine, and a plate with some bread and cheese on it, and a small bowl of fruit; Lea can identify a pomegranate and an apple, but he's got no idea what the bright berries are supposed to be. He murmurs awkward thanks, but hesitates to actually take the offerings; the goblins put them on the table for him, instead, and most of them leave.
The fixed, unblinking gaze of the minion that does remain--if he's assuming charitable intentions, to make sure he doesn't need anything else--makes him uncomfortable, and so does the immediate hospitality--somehow, he'd expected to be attacked on his way in. He'd expected to have to fight for his life and talk his way out of a tight spot--it would be far more familiar, and might even leave him more at ease. Why should he be getting a welcoming reception like this, either as a stranger or as someone Maleficent knows and presumably dislikes? His skin prickles with the sense of imminent danger looming over him, hovering just out of sight and waiting to strike.
He's been paranoid for over half his life by now--it's only natural he should feel that way doing something this mad, whether that wariness is justified or not. Lea tells himself that quite firmly, but he still finds himself hesitating to actually take any of the offerings. He ends up avoiding the fruit and wine entirely, out of what he reminds himself is probably a completely unwarranted fear of poison; Maleficent has as little reason to poison him on sight as she does to welcome him warmly. Regardless, it's not advisable to lose control of his wits in a situation like this, either.....
Lea finally convinces himself to take some bread and cheese, eyeing the creature that's remained with him as he eats; he can't taste anything out of place, no taint of poison or Darkness that he can detect..... How long should he stall for? How long should he try to stay and buy the others time? A half hour, maybe? An hour? It depends on how quickly they can find Aurora, and convince her to come with them. He hopes they manage it quickly. He hopes Maleficent is busy. If he has to wait ten or fifteen minutes to be granted an audience with her, or even longer, he won't be put out at all. Whatever it takes to keep her busy and hold her attention.....