[closed post: shadow and bone]

[ravkanwitch]

Nina is back in the library but with a different task in mind today. She has a couple books on weaponry spread out on the table in front of her this time and she's flipping through them idly, glancing at some designs. Weapons have never been her forte; who needs them when all you need to do is think and squeeze a hand and be able to incapacitate a man that way? But death - death is more fickle than life. She can't just defend herself with the concept of death, especially in a place that seems to lack it. No bodies to control, no graves with secrets to collect. She needs something more substantial.

And yet, it's a slow process. She finds herself distracted, thinking about the day of visitors. Seeing Kaz Brekker in the flesh again. Liu Mingyan. Speaking with Baghra about the Darkling. She's thinking about the long, long life that must have led to lead him to who he is now. She's not necessarily sad, just -- pensive. Lost in thought.

Comments

[timebethine]

Laertes has been dealing with his own visitor by distracting himself from the thought whenever it arises--and therefore, he's very grateful to see Nina in the library, because she offers a fine distraction indeed. "Nina, hallo!" he calls. "Wouldst thou like to practice fencing with me?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Laertes!" She says, perking up upon seeing him. "You're just the person I was thinking about trying to find, actually."

[timebethine]

"For thy blade?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Yes," she slides one of the books over for him to look at. "I had a visitor who reminded me that ...well, that I can take care of myself. But also lectured me for not being more prepared in case I face something strong than those undead. I think it's about time to start working on it. I will taking you up on fencing, too."

[timebethine]

"Ere we make thee a blade, first we'll need some idea of what kind of blade suits thee best," says Laertes. "There are several in a room downstairs, and I have mine own--I'll not tempt thee with Sagramore's blade, though, unless mine proves too light for thee. His is a monster to wield."

[ravkanwitch]

"Do you want to go look with me?" Nina asks, eagerly. "I had basic weapons training back in Ravka-- but we only worked with leftover weapons that the First Army didn't need."

[timebethine]

"I'd like nothing better," says Laertes, and offers his hand to lead her to the practice room.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina takes his hand, ready to follow. "Lead the way!"

[timebethine]

Then, with only a brief detour to retrieve his own sword from his room, Laertes takes her down to the long practice room with its mirrored walls and its racks of swords.

Of late, Laertes has been using this room more for dancing than for fencing, and it feels a little eerie to draw his rapier here--as though he has brought violence into a place of peace. A ridiculous thought; this place arose, he thinks, in part from his desire to have a place to spar. Dancing came after. He shakes off his nerves and offers his blade to Nina hilt-first. "This is a rapier," he says. "It hath a cutting edge, but it's meant as a thrusting weapon. The style of fencing that I practice emphasizes touches with the tip of the blade, but I know others that emphasize the cutting edge. Try it, and see how thou likest to wield it."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina takes the rapier, holding it a little too tightly at first but then her grip loosens and becomes more natural. She holds it out in front of her. "It feels so light," she says, sounding surprised. She's never been much of a runner or an athletic type -- but her upper body strength is better than she thinks it is mostly due to the arm movements required to use her abilities.

[timebethine]

"It is--a foil's even lighter, with less of an edge." He retrieves a foil from the rack and idly tests its grip; this one has a pistol grip that feels deeply unnatural in his hand, but he appreciates the feeling of security it offers. It occurs to him that Nina, more used to firing pistols, might find it comfortable. "Try this one; I'll trade thee. See whether it pleases thee."

[ravkanwitch]

She hands the rapier in her hand over to him, taking the foil instead. "It is lighter." Uncertain of how to hold the pistol grip at first, she turns it in her hand for a moment before figuring it out. "I think either of these might suit me better than a sword."

[timebethine]

"Wouldst care to try a few passes?" Laertes sheathes his rapier and takes down a foil with a straight French grip. He sketches a theatrical, flourishing salute, eyes gleaming with mischief.

[sagramore]

Sagramore, as established in another thread somewhere else, is in want of occupation, and has a reason to look for her anyway, so he's intentionally checking the library since he most recently found her there. He looks the same as always, except that his curls have been tamed into a braid that he never bothered to undo, and he's wearing a skirt that swirls magnificently around his calves when he walks. He lights up when he realizes he's found her.

"Nina!"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina looks up at him and smiles, bright. Of course, she's going to immediately notice the small changes in his look. "Sagramore! You're looking sharp. Not that you don't always look sharp -- but sharper?"

[sagramore]

"Dost think so?" laughing; he does a spin so she can admire the flare of the skirt.

[ravkanwitch]

"Well, it makes sense," she shrugs, with a smile. "Your personality is so free and easy going. Why not match it with your dress?"

[sagramore]

"It does please me. Actually, I wanted to speak to thee about that-- but first, how art thou? Thy visitor is was a sharp man himself."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs. "I could see your patience starting to wear thin a little. Kaz is-- he's Kaz. A tremendous force to have on your side but also a complete pain in the ass. I'm fine. I thought it was going to be Matthias... and I'm sad it wasn't. But I'm also, in a way, grateful that it wasn't. It would've been too painful."

[sagramore]

"Aye, I'm glad thou didst not see him only to lose him again. That would have been a hard thing."

[ravkanwitch]

"How about you? I never asked... but only if you want to talk about it."

[sagramore]

It's a bit less sore now, and he's trying to be more transparent with his friends, so he says, "Oh, it was someone I wanted to see, but he was from the wrong time, so-- we didn't have the conversation I'd dreamt of. It's all right."

[ravkanwitch]

"Sometimes you run through the perfect conversation in your mind thousands of times -- and the real thing is nothing like it," Nina nods, understanding. She's not going to press any further than that and gives him a smile instead. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

[sagramore]

"I wanted thine advice on dresses, actually. I'd like to wear a gown for at least part of the dance -- I like well the way it feels to dance in a skirt."

[ravkanwitch]

Her smile widens. "It does feel great to dance in a skirt, doesn't it? Do you have any options in mind? Can I see them? Or-- or are we starting from scratch?"