There. [An easy agreement, easier than thinking of something else to say. Sitting in the sun suits her anyway: it is warm and pleasant and makes Matthias look warmer and pleasanter, too. (It is growing a little distracting, nearly a little painful, to observe him and be so aware of the shape of his face, not just his scent and stride. But there is something about it she does not mind. The fact that he looks back at her, too, maybe.)
Fortunately, he comes up with a topic of conversation that feels mercifully straightforward. It requires no real consideration before she replies.]
If you threw it at me. [If it were outside her reach, the possibility would still be there, but she would have a greater risk of failure to consider.] I can cut anything.
[Maybe that's a bit much to say in advance of having seen her actually at it--but what are the chances that it won't be brilliant? How could someone clawing apart a bloody apple in midair be anything but brilliant?
Matthias tears a bite off of one of his rolls as he lets the rest of his bounty tumble onto the tabletop. He has manners enough to chew a little, but then he's too excited to wait it out entirely--]
We ought to test it. S'not that I don't believe you, right. But I want to see it for myself, just 'cause it'd be a good show. If you're all right with showing off, I mean.
[He is impressed enough at the idea that she decides it requires proof more immediate than someday. Laura's too aware of the glow of satisfaction at his answer, flickering somewhere in her chest; she needs for it to be justified, so it does not feel like something she's stolen.
Reaching across the table, she takes one of his rolls--she already split hers--and tosses it in the air. One claw appears, swiping sideways as the roll comes back down, and now there are two (somewhat) even pieces lying on the tabletop.
Laura meets his gaze again, steady. This is a trick she can be secure in.]
[Matthias, raising his now very round eyes from the bisected halves of his roll, meets her eyes with a kind of awe plain on his face. Then he laughs, and it's somehow triumphant, as he leans forward to snatch the rolls off of the tabletop so he can hold them in either hand and stare at them.]
Maker's balls-- That was brilliant!
[Carefully, he fits the halves back together, then lets them fall apart in his hands once more.]
And you did it like it was nothing. Just chucked it up, and then, swosh-- [The roll halves thunk down onto the table again as Matthias drops them in his reenactment.] Brilliant. Seriously. I've never seen anything like it. I'd bet no one has.
[It is strange, how little it bothers her that he seems so impressed by her claws, but she is slowly coming to see why. He does not want them for anything, and he does not look at them like they are more relevant than her face. Matthias simply likes them--in the same way, she suspects, that she likes the little waves in his hair.
She struggles not to smile too much, made both pleased and vulnerable aby his praise. The claw disappears again, and she picks up her own roll, taking a small bite.]
Yeah, probably. I'd believe it. But that's brilliant as well, isn't it. Means you're the only one. Unique and all. And there's nothing that could change that about you.
[He shoves one half of the roll in his mouth and chews, quickly, to get most of it down. With his mouth half-full--]
Reminds me of the griffons, kind of. Your, er, [He makes two fists, gives them a little shake for emphasis.] claws, I mean. They've got talons, but they're quickest with their beaks. Throw something in the air and they're on it as well. We ought to time 'em, and you, see who's faster. Then we can tell everyone you've bested a griffon.
[She hopes she is the only one, at least. If someone else had to feel lyrium poured onto their bones...
But that does not matter. She is unique, just as Matthias said. And navigating the rest of this conversation is more important than wondering about others out there.
The idea of racing a griffon unsettles her for reasons she struggles to put into words. Laura takes another tiny nibble of her roll to buy herself time, trying to understand the reason her neck goes hot at the thought. Because griffons are animals, she decides. She does not want to race an animal.
[Oh, yeah. Matthias nods as he finishes his roll. And right away, he goes for the next one, tearing it open and stuffing a bit of cheese into the center of it, but he goes on--]
S'ppose they are really skittish, yeah. If we do 'em one at a time, though, and just keep track of the time. That'd do it as well.
[Straightforward and sensible, that. And it makes perfect sense. He bites in, hugely, to his new invention, cheeseroll.]
She does not like it. And she does not want Matthias to know.
For a few moments too long, she's quiet, looking down at the bread she's got in one hand. Part of her thinks that if perhaps she waits, he will start talking about something else. Then she wonders if remaining silent will actually result in him talking more about this. Sometimes, all it takes is a word or two, and Matthias starts talking about something completely new. She could use that to her advantage.]
[Unfortunately for Laura, Matthias is engaged in eating, which also happens to be the activity he holds second only to talking and doing magic, which are tied for number one in his heart. All the chewing of bread and cheese means he can't pick up on a new topic just yet, either using something from her short response as a springboard--for someone else, maybe would be a challenge, but not for Matthias--or by his own volition.
As it is, he works quickly through his cheeseroll and it isn't until he's nearly through that he thinks to look over at her, and sees her looking down at her bread.]
D'you want-- [With his mouth full; Matthias shoves the back of his hand over his mouth with a sheepish grin, oops, what a clod. He holds the cheese block out to her.] For the bread. You haven't got to race, if you don't want to. I'll not make you. Just thought it'd be fun. We used to do loads of races, but if you don't like to, I dunno. You can still show off.
[Laura shakes her head. Matthias' enjoyment of the cheese is too great to take it away from him, especially when she is mostly eating so she can watch him eat.
She considers the possibility of racing being fun. When he says it, she can nearly understand it--it would prove speed, be a point of pride, perhaps. But that was Matthias and other men, she assumes. Matthias and mages. She does not think doing anything with mages should be amusement, but perhaps Matthias' presence makes everything else feel less...less like magic.]
I will race someone else. [The difficulty, of course, is in knowing who. No one else has claws.]
[No cheese? Okay, more for him, and after having confirmed this, Matthias pops another wedge into his mouth and chews it, cheerfully.
Her condition gives him something to think about. Luckily he's still chewing--not that that's ever stopped him before--which, when suddenly a thought comes to him, he practically chokes on what he's eating. Points, wildly, at her.]
Everyone! [Brilliant.] Everyone, you can race everyone. We'll put out word-- [He swallows, hastily, so he stops spitting crumbs on the table--wipes the back of his hand over his mouth again.] --say like, oi, d'you fancy yourself fast--and then you can beat them all. You can beat me first, if you like. Or, well.
[Here's pride. He grins at her. There's probably crumbs on his upper lip. Certainly there's a small bit of cheese.]
[Even with cheese and crumbs in the way, Matthias' smile is one of the most reassuring things Laura can think of. The fact that he doesn't require more explanation than a refusal from her--for anything--even more so.]
I will beat you first. [Not quite smug, but clearly satisfied with the idea, her gaze level with his once more.] What will you use?
[Since he does not have claws and, even if he could acquire them, she would be opposed to his having them.]
[But she probably will. Matthias isn't stupid. If and when she does, he won't be sore about it. What would the point be in that? He's got pride, but he's all right with being beaten if it happens fairly and preferably at the hands of someone he likes, someone who won't be a tit about it. Certainly Laura won't.]
And I'll use magic, obviously. I'm quick with fire. Won't be nearly as clean as what you'll do, right, but the point'll be there.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2019-09-22 11:39 pm (UTC)Fortunately, he comes up with a topic of conversation that feels mercifully straightforward. It requires no real consideration before she replies.]
If you threw it at me. [If it were outside her reach, the possibility would still be there, but she would have a greater risk of failure to consider.] I can cut anything.
[Perhaps not anything. But enough things.]
no subject
Date: 2019-09-24 09:26 pm (UTC)[Maybe that's a bit much to say in advance of having seen her actually at it--but what are the chances that it won't be brilliant? How could someone clawing apart a bloody apple in midair be anything but brilliant?
Matthias tears a bite off of one of his rolls as he lets the rest of his bounty tumble onto the tabletop. He has manners enough to chew a little, but then he's too excited to wait it out entirely--]
We ought to test it. S'not that I don't believe you, right. But I want to see it for myself, just 'cause it'd be a good show. If you're all right with showing off, I mean.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-25 01:36 am (UTC)Reaching across the table, she takes one of his rolls--she already split hers--and tosses it in the air. One claw appears, swiping sideways as the roll comes back down, and now there are two (somewhat) even pieces lying on the tabletop.
Laura meets his gaze again, steady. This is a trick she can be secure in.]
I am all right with showing off.
[With him, anyway.]
no subject
Date: 2019-09-26 05:10 am (UTC)Maker's balls-- That was brilliant!
[Carefully, he fits the halves back together, then lets them fall apart in his hands once more.]
And you did it like it was nothing. Just chucked it up, and then, swosh-- [The roll halves thunk down onto the table again as Matthias drops them in his reenactment.] Brilliant. Seriously. I've never seen anything like it. I'd bet no one has.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-26 05:29 pm (UTC)She struggles not to smile too much, made both pleased and vulnerable aby his praise. The claw disappears again, and she picks up her own roll, taking a small bite.]
I don't think there is anything like it. Just me.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-27 05:02 am (UTC)[He shoves one half of the roll in his mouth and chews, quickly, to get most of it down. With his mouth half-full--]
Reminds me of the griffons, kind of. Your, er, [He makes two fists, gives them a little shake for emphasis.] claws, I mean. They've got talons, but they're quickest with their beaks. Throw something in the air and they're on it as well. We ought to time 'em, and you, see who's faster. Then we can tell everyone you've bested a griffon.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-27 04:11 pm (UTC)But that does not matter. She is unique, just as Matthias said. And navigating the rest of this conversation is more important than wondering about others out there.
The idea of racing a griffon unsettles her for reasons she struggles to put into words. Laura takes another tiny nibble of her roll to buy herself time, trying to understand the reason her neck goes hot at the thought. Because griffons are animals, she decides. She does not want to race an animal.
But she does not want to say that.]
The griffons dislike my claws.
[Ergo there can be no race. #nailedit]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 02:44 am (UTC)S'ppose they are really skittish, yeah. If we do 'em one at a time, though, and just keep track of the time. That'd do it as well.
[Straightforward and sensible, that. And it makes perfect sense. He bites in, hugely, to his new invention, cheeseroll.]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 02:53 am (UTC)She does not like it. And she does not want Matthias to know.
For a few moments too long, she's quiet, looking down at the bread she's got in one hand. Part of her thinks that if perhaps she waits, he will start talking about something else. Then she wonders if remaining silent will actually result in him talking more about this. Sometimes, all it takes is a word or two, and Matthias starts talking about something completely new. She could use that to her advantage.]
Maybe.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-01 05:22 am (UTC)As it is, he works quickly through his cheeseroll and it isn't until he's nearly through that he thinks to look over at her, and sees her looking down at her bread.]
D'you want-- [With his mouth full; Matthias shoves the back of his hand over his mouth with a sheepish grin, oops, what a clod. He holds the cheese block out to her.] For the bread. You haven't got to race, if you don't want to. I'll not make you. Just thought it'd be fun. We used to do loads of races, but if you don't like to, I dunno. You can still show off.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-04 04:50 pm (UTC)She considers the possibility of racing being fun. When he says it, she can nearly understand it--it would prove speed, be a point of pride, perhaps. But that was Matthias and other men, she assumes. Matthias and mages. She does not think doing anything with mages should be amusement, but perhaps Matthias' presence makes everything else feel less...less like magic.]
I will race someone else. [The difficulty, of course, is in knowing who. No one else has claws.]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-05 01:38 am (UTC)Her condition gives him something to think about. Luckily he's still chewing--not that that's ever stopped him before--which, when suddenly a thought comes to him, he practically chokes on what he's eating. Points, wildly, at her.]
Everyone! [Brilliant.] Everyone, you can race everyone. We'll put out word-- [He swallows, hastily, so he stops spitting crumbs on the table--wipes the back of his hand over his mouth again.] --say like, oi, d'you fancy yourself fast--and then you can beat them all. You can beat me first, if you like. Or, well.
[Here's pride. He grins at her. There's probably crumbs on his upper lip. Certainly there's a small bit of cheese.]
You can try.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-06 03:53 am (UTC)I will beat you first. [Not quite smug, but clearly satisfied with the idea, her gaze level with his once more.] What will you use?
[Since he does not have claws and, even if he could acquire them, she would be opposed to his having them.]
no subject
Date: 2019-10-06 09:39 pm (UTC)[But she probably will. Matthias isn't stupid. If and when she does, he won't be sore about it. What would the point be in that? He's got pride, but he's all right with being beaten if it happens fairly and preferably at the hands of someone he likes, someone who won't be a tit about it. Certainly Laura won't.]
And I'll use magic, obviously. I'm quick with fire. Won't be nearly as clean as what you'll do, right, but the point'll be there.