"Nah, you're plenty pretty.
Promise. I've got -
like - a sixth sense for stuff like that, yanno? It's the intimidation factor is all. You're, uh, creme of the crop kinda stuff, yah? A General King n' all that? Probably puts people on their tippy toes about saying anything, treading on eggshells, which they
should, cause yanno - umh professionalism in the rank n file system, or
whatever....." soft shrug for it as he eyed the cookies with a look that screamed
'ooh cookies!' Bright and hungry, because Axinite could bake, could've made bank off of what he had sitting around. Out of what he poured some love into doing. His baking, his office, the comfort and training of those who could've been far beneath him - should've been - and yet?
"M'more n' happy to say you're a straight up battleax, Axinite. In the absolute best of ways. Cause, people should know, right? Ah, that is, you're definitely a 'people' who should
know." firm nod as if that made sense, as if his phrasing was comparable to anything like sense.
Whatever, the cookies were good, and Axinite was good, and Albite preened. Fluffed up in his own mind over the praise that sounded far more honest and far less forced, because anyone could be good? But trust? Hard home hammered word, and what that meant, and how much it meant to him?
All sorts of bells that rung off for hearing that from a man who was sooo...and the smile he had was soft for hearing it. Crinkled the skin at the corners of his eyes that belied warmth for more than food and...He would've thrilled to see Axinite in the field. See him full of fire and taking heads like he now took names and dates down on a data-pad. Swift with his weapon like he was with his paperwork.
The praise was a damned good thing too - "Awh, y-yeah, of course you can?
Promise." meant that, with all of himself, he really ******** did. For Axinite, for his team? His girl n' his firebrand.
Absolutely. 
