"What about it?" He asked, following her gaze.

"Could you put it around my neck? I've been trying, but..." she flexed her one good hand. "I keep dropping it."

He took the necklace and circled around behind her, looping it about her neck and fastening it with deft hands. "Anything else?"

"Thank you," she said automatically, glancing around the room and trying to stave off the idea that it might be her last time doing so... oh! She hurried forward to the bed and pushed one of her pillows onto the bed, then covered it with the blanket to make a believable lump, before returning to Giovanni's side. "We'd have to go back out the balcony because there's a guard in front of the door."

"And how do you plan to manage that?" He inquired in the most vague amusement. "Did you intend to ride down on my back?"

Roo looked pensive for all of a moment. "You're right; I don't know. I was hoping you might have an idea, since you seem good at escaping things. Escaping the Hold. Escaping the Nightriders. I'm still not sure where you got that knife from..."

He held her gaze for a moment, letting her speculations fall flat between them, before asking legitimately, "Do you think you actually could hold onto me with the one arm?"

Roo squinted up at him, then looked to her good arm. He was very tall. It would be like riding a giraffe, but with one hand. "You run the risk of being strangled..."

"You have legs, don't you?" He lowered himself, turning his back to her and offering her a hand. It was ridiculous, and perhaps a bit degrading, but luckily for him the prospect of Venenzio's ridicule wasn't a deterrent. He'd find some reason or another to poke fun anyway, it was just his way.

Roo awkwardly stepped back, opening her mouth to protest, but then the door behind them creaked.
One of the guard's voices filtered in, muffled by wood. "Hey, brother. Any movement from inside?"
"No," said the other. "She's an easy one. It's the twins you have to watch out for, and the mermaid."
"I thought the mermaid was locked out?"
"I don't know, but she'll help them run, if she can. Just keep an eye on them."
"Should we check on Lruia?"
"Nah, it's fine. She's sleeping."

Once their footsteps faded away, she swallowed and gingerly moved towards Giovanni, carefully planting one hand on his shoulder, tucking the other close to her chest. "Like this?"