open

[inkindled]

WHO: Matthias, Nikos, Salvio (tbd if Doki, Val, and Darras will get open stuff. how did I get all of these characters) + YOU
WHAT: just open stuff, man
WHEN: NOW
WHERE: various
NOTES: tiny bit of self-harm but it's so small and it gets fixed so fast

Comments

[tender]

You aren't a div.

[ The slang is unfamiliar to her, but the denigrating ring of it is easily recognized. She crosses her arms to keep the impulse to coddle Matthias from emerging in some tangible way, veering from something she thinks might be humiliating for him. No one likes to be fussed over. ]

I would have been proud to have you as a student at Dairsmuid, [ she says instead. ] Passing knowledge on is an honor. The Senior Enchanters always said as much to me, and I think they were right.

[ And if Leander hadn't said it was an honor, Derrica would have had to do what she could to correct that. Her head tips, considering, before she adds— ]

We're all always trying to learn, Matthias. Even Leander. Even Marcus Rowantree. We never know everything we need to no matter how long we live.

[inkindled]

[He looks around at her, his grin surprised and pleased.]

You wouldn't have been proud to have me as a student. Not before. I was bad at it. I'm better, now.

[He twists the rose stem between his fingers again, looking back to it, a glow of pride still bright in his face.]

Thanks, though. I dunno. It feels like everyone has got it all worked out, you know? And I'm always just keeping up. They used to let me hang about, the other Enchanters, during the war--I didn't have to always stay with the kids and the apprentices--but I know half of 'em thought I was an idiot. Maybe more'n that. I was amusing so they let me stay. But this is different. This is real. Learning things from Leand-- Enchanter Leander-- and Knight-Enchanter Voss is showing me some spirit magic, can you imagine--her-- I dunno, even if you're right, that everyone's always learning things--I just don't want to look like stupid.

[And then, somewhat suddenly--]

You're a good friend, y'know.

[tender]

[ The suddenness of the compliment catches her off-guard, disrupts whatever protest or compliment she'd meant to bestow. Her expression softens, smile somewhere between pleased and embarrassed. ]

I'm alright.

[ She does her best. Sometimes she isn't sure if that's enough, but the sincerity of Matthias' praise is hard to argue with. ]

You're easy to be friends with, anyway.

[ Which counts for something in the grand scheme of things, doesn't it? ]

I'm glad I met you, Matthias. You were one of the very first people in Riftwatch who said hello to me, did you know that?

[inkindled]

Yeah? I didn't know that.

[There's a warmth in him from her compliments, one that will stay with him for hours. He likes that thought: that Derrica is glad to have met him, that she thinks of him as a friend as well, that he made an impression on her enough that she remembers him from when she first arrived. If there were some way to bottle this feeling, save it for later, when it was really needed, he'd do it. Matthias settles for fixing it in his mind instead.]

And you still stuck around? Even after that?