[There was tea in Damian's suite. On the counter in the kitchen.
There was tea in Damian's suite, and none of his safeties, boobytraps, or tripwires had been touched or disturbed.
There are only a very small number of people who would be able to guess all of them. Probably all of two. Maybe three, if Cain truly tried, but there has been no sign of Cassandra, or of Grayson.
That does not leave out the possibility that somebody else here would be capable of doing it. Telepathy is far from impossible, and it's not even improbable that it would be combined with sufficient physical skills to perform the feat. Especially knowing what he's learning about the kedan's shape.
So while he has a strong suspicion who might have done it, and that thought makes him both jittery and lighter at the same time, he can't drink it. Because that would be a stupid mistake, and he can't afford any stupid mistakes. (Sure, he has read about people earning acknowledgment and affection by being weak and appealing to the person's compassion. But, for one thing, he wasn't - consciously - trying to earn that. And, for another, he thinks that would be a manipulation that might work briefly, but won't have good results in the long run. And for yet another... he hates being weak without meaning to; the idea of doing it on purpose is plainly abhorrent.)
But still, the thought is there.
And he took a moment to breathe in the smell from up close, to learn what kind of tea it was. If the poison was to be breathed in, he was dead already.
But he didn't die. (Maybe he is too suspicious.)
And now he's sitting cross-legged on the floor of Father's residence, meditating and waiting for him to return. His face is... not exactly at peace, not even a deep meditative trance can give him that, but it's calmer than it usually is. And it may linger a moment after he becomes aware that there is somebody else in the suite.]
Metal. Home visit, Dad.
There was tea in Damian's suite, and none of his safeties, boobytraps, or tripwires had been touched or disturbed.
There are only a very small number of people who would be able to guess all of them. Probably all of two. Maybe three, if Cain truly tried, but there has been no sign of Cassandra, or of Grayson.
That does not leave out the possibility that somebody else here would be capable of doing it. Telepathy is far from impossible, and it's not even improbable that it would be combined with sufficient physical skills to perform the feat. Especially knowing what he's learning about the kedan's shape.
So while he has a strong suspicion who might have done it, and that thought makes him both jittery and lighter at the same time, he can't drink it. Because that would be a stupid mistake, and he can't afford any stupid mistakes. (Sure, he has read about people earning acknowledgment and affection by being weak and appealing to the person's compassion. But, for one thing, he wasn't - consciously - trying to earn that. And, for another, he thinks that would be a manipulation that might work briefly, but won't have good results in the long run. And for yet another... he hates being weak without meaning to; the idea of doing it on purpose is plainly abhorrent.)
But still, the thought is there.
And he took a moment to breathe in the smell from up close, to learn what kind of tea it was. If the poison was to be breathed in, he was dead already.
But he didn't die. (Maybe he is too suspicious.)
And now he's sitting cross-legged on the floor of Father's residence, meditating and waiting for him to return. His face is... not exactly at peace, not even a deep meditative trance can give him that, but it's calmer than it usually is. And it may linger a moment after he becomes aware that there is somebody else in the suite.]