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( well, okay. that escalated quickly. )
Surely there's a solution in-between "lie down and take it" and "destroy them all."
( surely. she hadn't shed a tear over vasily death, over tatiana or king petyr's exile, but — it still turns her stomach squeamish, no matter the lack of mourning she might spare the balfours, if they're merely another group of tyrants in the making. )
Even if you did, we might still find ourselves trapped here with no answers.
Be smart about it. Please.
Surely there's a solution in-between "lie down and take it" and "destroy them all."
( surely. she hadn't shed a tear over vasily death, over tatiana or king petyr's exile, but — it still turns her stomach squeamish, no matter the lack of mourning she might spare the balfours, if they're merely another group of tyrants in the making. )
Even if you did, we might still find ourselves trapped here with no answers.
Be smart about it. Please.
Not in my experience.
[ Sorry, Alina. The sexiest men have to have a matching crazy-scale. ]
I don't intend to be anything close to stupid.
[ Sorry, Alina. The sexiest men have to have a matching crazy-scale. ]
I don't intend to be anything close to stupid.
I'll take it under advisement.
[ And file it under "nah". ]
[ And file it under "nah". ]
Unfortunately, that's an impossible request.
[ He's been reliably informed. ]
[ He's been reliably informed. ]
Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto, Master of Magnetism and known ass?
I'll add it to my introductions. If it adds to the reputation.
It would certainly stop anyone from bothering you when you're feeling like a curmudgeon.
( a small, heartbeat of a pause. she isn't convinced she wants to know, considering the colorful baggage she carries with her, every creative insult ever handed to her packed away in the attic of her memories, but — )
I'll let you return the favor.
If you were going to give me a title, what would it be?
( a small, heartbeat of a pause. she isn't convinced she wants to know, considering the colorful baggage she carries with her, every creative insult ever handed to her packed away in the attic of her memories, but — )
I'll let you return the favor.
If you were going to give me a title, what would it be?
Daily, then.
[ Erik knows he's an asshole: he just doesn't care. ]
A title?
I certainly wouldn't call you an ass.
Schön.
[ Erik knows he's an asshole: he just doesn't care. ]
A title?
I certainly wouldn't call you an ass.
Schön.
[ Matt looks down at Alina's message for what feels like a long time. He keeps being stunned by the words, tracing them out with his eyes to verify that they really are the shape they appear to be. ]
I'm supposed to be starting school soon. Back home.
I'm supposed to be doing something to make the world better.
[ I have a purpose, he wants to tell her. Wants to scream it, actually. Anything to avoid the feeling that his whole life is a hallway with only one door. ]
I'm supposed to be starting school soon. Back home.
I'm supposed to be doing something to make the world better.
[ I have a purpose, he wants to tell her. Wants to scream it, actually. Anything to avoid the feeling that his whole life is a hallway with only one door. ]
Well, of course not. That's your title. I wouldn't ask you to share it.
I've been called worse things, besides.
(though there's a certain undercurrent to not knowing if schön should rank among the worst contenders, unfamiliar as it is to her tongue. she tests the heft of it, lets it roll around in her mouth like an unwieldy marble, until she learns the shape of its syllables.
then, inevitably victim to her curiosity: ) What does it mean?
I've been called worse things, besides.
(though there's a certain undercurrent to not knowing if schön should rank among the worst contenders, unfamiliar as it is to her tongue. she tests the heft of it, lets it roll around in her mouth like an unwieldy marble, until she learns the shape of its syllables.
then, inevitably victim to her curiosity: ) What does it mean?
[Perhaps she does, or perhaps she is simply filling her thoughts with recollections of Alina's bright mouth, her soft eyes, the sweetness of her palm against Alia's cheek. Whatever the reason: she is pleased, purring like a great cat, collared and content at it's master's feet. The image is an amusing one, and Alia turns mid-strride to seek out the kitchen again, thinking of fruits and candies, of her arms overflowing with tribute for Alina.]
I am bossy, but I am right as well. Mostly.
[In truth, Alia thinks also of other ways to please and service this sharp, sweet girl, the ways a saint's own penitents would seek to delight her. The ways Jessica most disapproved of, protective of her daughter's womb as the divine thing it was. Would she begrudge this enchantment, or would it not register since there was no risk of Alina befouling the preciously-guarded bloodline? Who knows.]
He would tell you, if you asked.
I think it means something that you haven't, yet.
[Paul would not begrudge Alina anything -- Alia is conscious of that already, knowing her brother as she does, how fervent and heated he burns for those he cares for. But even if she were to ask for all the tangled threads that weave the tapestry of Muad'Dib, the fact would remain: she had not demanding it from the outset.
At this last, Alia pauses. She nearly says I'm not, not in comparison, though it is and isn't true at once. There is the divine and there is the abomination. There is Paul, and there are all others. But, finally:] I'd let you, Alina.
If you wished it.
I don't think I could refuse you anything.
I am bossy, but I am right as well. Mostly.
[In truth, Alia thinks also of other ways to please and service this sharp, sweet girl, the ways a saint's own penitents would seek to delight her. The ways Jessica most disapproved of, protective of her daughter's womb as the divine thing it was. Would she begrudge this enchantment, or would it not register since there was no risk of Alina befouling the preciously-guarded bloodline? Who knows.]
He would tell you, if you asked.
I think it means something that you haven't, yet.
[Paul would not begrudge Alina anything -- Alia is conscious of that already, knowing her brother as she does, how fervent and heated he burns for those he cares for. But even if she were to ask for all the tangled threads that weave the tapestry of Muad'Dib, the fact would remain: she had not demanding it from the outset.
At this last, Alia pauses. She nearly says I'm not, not in comparison, though it is and isn't true at once. There is the divine and there is the abomination. There is Paul, and there are all others. But, finally:] I'd let you, Alina.
If you wished it.
I don't think I could refuse you anything.
You still have time, Matt.
And if you can't make things better there, at least you might make them better here.
( hypocritical of her to say; her own sandgrains in an hourglass feel like they're slipping by too quickly, nearer and nearer to an end, but — destiny hasn't gripped matt by the throat and demanded he bleed himself as a martyr, hasn't asked him to build a future from the bones and entrails of sacrifice after sacrifice. she's only selfishly sunk her claws in tighter to an existence her, what happiness she can eke out for herself, for fear of what she's expected to lose. (everything, of course. the answer is always everything.)
but —
he has a selfless sense of purpose he wants to return to, and time at his disposal, and isn't that ironic? that the power inside of her might sustain her for centuries and centuries, a perpetual flame in the dark, if she wasn't marked for death the moment they immortalized her in stained glass and dared to call her a saint. that an immortal thing should have to worry about it, before his mortal body ever does. )
I've never attended a school.
Well, not a real one. I always hoped I'd get the chance to see Ketterdam's University one day.
What are you studying?
And if you can't make things better there, at least you might make them better here.
( hypocritical of her to say; her own sandgrains in an hourglass feel like they're slipping by too quickly, nearer and nearer to an end, but — destiny hasn't gripped matt by the throat and demanded he bleed himself as a martyr, hasn't asked him to build a future from the bones and entrails of sacrifice after sacrifice. she's only selfishly sunk her claws in tighter to an existence her, what happiness she can eke out for herself, for fear of what she's expected to lose. (everything, of course. the answer is always everything.)
but —
he has a selfless sense of purpose he wants to return to, and time at his disposal, and isn't that ironic? that the power inside of her might sustain her for centuries and centuries, a perpetual flame in the dark, if she wasn't marked for death the moment they immortalized her in stained glass and dared to call her a saint. that an immortal thing should have to worry about it, before his mortal body ever does. )
I've never attended a school.
Well, not a real one. I always hoped I'd get the chance to see Ketterdam's University one day.
What are you studying?
Haven't we all?
[ Erik doesn't want to dwell on the nastiness of the words used against him in the past. ]
Beautiful.
[ Erik doesn't want to dwell on the nastiness of the words used against him in the past. ]
Beautiful.
[ The worst part of this is that Alina's right. Matt stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago. He believes he has his powers for a reason, that the universe puts you places and shows you people for a reason. Given the sparse handful of spellcasters in the manor, maybe he really is here to provide some unique assistance. To shine a light on something. ]
I'm sorry to hear that. Education's so fucking expensive, especially when you start getting into university/college
[ He thinks of adding that he's in debt up to his eyeballs. But given Alina's shrewd deduction about his familial wealth, that would probably invite further questions. And even if it might give him some form of street cred to say they cut me off, they don't want to see me until I take my old job back ... he can't. ]
I'll be starting an urban planning program. Helping cities work better, basically.
[ Surely with all the people in this house, there's gotta be at least one professor. Does Daniel teach classes? ]
I'm sorry to hear that. Education's so fucking expensive, especially when you start getting into university/college
[ He thinks of adding that he's in debt up to his eyeballs. But given Alina's shrewd deduction about his familial wealth, that would probably invite further questions. And even if it might give him some form of street cred to say they cut me off, they don't want to see me until I take my old job back ... he can't. ]
I'll be starting an urban planning program. Helping cities work better, basically.
[ Surely with all the people in this house, there's gotta be at least one professor. Does Daniel teach classes? ]
( in hindsight: possibly true. erik strikes her as a man more accustomed to the wielding honesty like the pommel of an axe — all blunt force applied to someone's skull to daze them. nothing so crafty as the wheedling she's experienced, waiting to see what good favor they can spin from her. still: )
Or you're leading up to requesting my services as a lantern the next time you stub your toe in the dark.
( a good-humored deflection, naturally. )
Or you're leading up to requesting my services as a lantern the next time you stub your toe in the dark.
( a good-humored deflection, naturally. )
[ Erik might be a master manipulator and adept at getting what he wants, but that tends to come more from brute force than from twisting words. When he says things, he means that, burning honestly that thrums through him. ]
I’m sure you’d be far more impressive than a lantern.
I’m sure you’d be far more impressive than a lantern.
[ The natural fuckboy charisma. ]
I’ll keep that in mind if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
I’ll keep that in mind if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
It's not just that.
( what she wants to say: ana kuya did her best, for all that her maternal instincts were more akin to a mother bird knocking its children from a nest, ensuring they had all they needed for a (minimal) chance at survival. what she wants to say: there had never been room for it in ravka's plans for her, the path she had been taught to follow: conscription, followed by a dull retirement in a duller countryside, toiling infertile fields into obscurity.
what she says instead: )
There are no universities in Ravka. Every son and daughter is raised knowing they'll be conscripted.
Ony nobles can afford private tutors.
( and, unspoken: the right to bribe their child out of a dangerous position in the first army. )
How do you help them work better?
( what she wants to say: ana kuya did her best, for all that her maternal instincts were more akin to a mother bird knocking its children from a nest, ensuring they had all they needed for a (minimal) chance at survival. what she wants to say: there had never been room for it in ravka's plans for her, the path she had been taught to follow: conscription, followed by a dull retirement in a duller countryside, toiling infertile fields into obscurity.
what she says instead: )
There are no universities in Ravka. Every son and daughter is raised knowing they'll be conscripted.
Ony nobles can afford private tutors.
( and, unspoken: the right to bribe their child out of a dangerous position in the first army. )
How do you help them work better?
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