Stone's Throw

[Charon Tethras]

He blushes. "I uh. It was. Maybe the most dangerous thing I've ever done?"

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline gave him a long look, not entirely buying that one either. Wait. He's getting close to... "Dreas," she began carefully, "have you been... thinking about certain people, ah, differently of late?"

[Charon Tethras]

Charon looks at her blankly. "You mean like... other catfolk?" he hazards a guess. 

[Aveline Vallen]

"If that's your preference, then yes I do." Aveline offered him her absolute best 'I'm awkward but game' face. Which, to be fair, is far more the later than the former than it was even five years ago, much less a decade. "And perhaps you've been wondering about what might... impress those people you're thinking about?"

[Charon Tethras]

"I... never really gave it much thought before, but... I see what you mean, yes." I guess being around other catfolk means trying to live up to this ideal of what a cat-cat is, something I've never been clear on and even less so now. "Do you think that's related?"

[Aveline Vallen]

Vangal save me from young fools trying to impress their crushes and... less romantic yearnings. "It might," Aveline agreed in an even tone. "Healing should have restored your ear completely, but if a part of you thought a small scar might, hmm, might enhance your appearance so you have a better chance at... attracting attention. Possibly."

[Charon Tethras]

Pretty sure it was actually the fact it was bitten by a wight during a classroom demo gone wrong, but let's go with that, sure. Sounds like Andreas anyway. Damnation, he's going to have to cut his ear somehow. "I guess... sorry, I guess that's pretty self-absorbed of me.."

[Aveline Vallen]

"Self-absorbed?" Aveline shook her head, disagreeing. "It's your body and it has harmed no-one, correct? You have every right to make such decisions for yourself." And it's better than some choices you could have made for the same reason. Bright Gods help us all from the brilliant ideas and bravado of the young trying to impress a crush.

[Charon Tethras]

"Well anyway, I don't care to get any more scars, so, do you think you can show me a few things?"

[Aveline Vallen]

"You're sure?" Aveline gave him a dubious look. "You know I'm not... overly talented at teaching basics." She paused there, reconsidering. "Then again, I suppose me giving a general fitness test would mean Carver could get to actual training faster."

[Charon Tethras]

"I mean, I'm generally fit, surely we don't need to..."

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline reached out for a loaf of bread, carefully slicing it. Once she's sliced and buttered two pieces of bread, one for each of them, she looked at him with a flat, unamused expression.

[Charon Tethras]

"Yeah, yeah, okay. A thing half-done is worse than a thing not started," he mutters, clearly a saying he's heard somewhere. 

[Aveline Vallen]

"Mmh? Interesting saying; I think I like the phrasing of yours better than 'if not to finish, then not to be started.' That's the version one of the instructors at drill camp used a lot."

[Charon Tethras]

"Oh, yeah, my--" mother used to say it all the time. Idiot. "friends downtown have been saying it."