[And her bluff is called. Shit. Sayaka's eyes close for a moment in frustration, though she manages the monumental feat of trying not to let that show on her face. She has a reputation to maintain, dammit, and she's going to manage it.
Breathe; keep calm, smile, be polite.]
It's not exactly proper for a lady to have an affinity for this sort of thing, you know. [She hates this already, but is there any more use in hiding it?] Why should I push myself in something like that? I'd rather not appear...odd, towards others. I don't even know why I have an affinity towards it to begin with.
[It's good that she doesn't know why she has an affinity for it; otherwise it could be something like... well, like what Lady Edelgard went through. Dark magic has always been an enigma however, and sometimes things like this happen. Sayaka just so happens to have the talent for it - but her worries certainly aren't unfounded. The Vestra family has earned plenty of fear and suspicion from other noble families over the years simply because of that (though everything else only adds to it).]
I understand your concerns, but surely you realize that during our time here, we will be expected to contribute to our class. If you cannot master Reason well enough to rely on that, then what will you do?
[Ah, a sore subject. Perhaps he went a bit too far in assuming that she wouldn't be able to carry her own weight; he'll have to be careful of that in the future.]
I did, yes. I do not mean to say that your powers of healing are unimportant, but I imagine the Professor will want us to be capable of offense as needed.
[A small, slightly less aggravated sigh. Sayaka gets it, she really does...]
...I've been told this whole time that taking part in such things is unladylike. Uncouth. And unneeded, most importantly. A lady shouldn't be dabbling in anything like this.
[Still, Sayaka pauses. Considers for a moment before calling magic into her hand--the actual magic she uses, rather than disguising it. And while the hit she lands is better, there's still plenty of room for improvement.]
[This is precisely why Lady Edelgard's plans must come to fruition. There shouldn't be so much focus on what is "ladylike" and "uncouth". Sayaka's a young woman capable of using a rare kind of magic - shouldn't that be celebrated and encouraged rather than ignored?
But such thoughts have no place here; they only serve as a distraction at the moment. Hubert's already resolved to fight for Lady Edelgard's dream and nothing would ever change his mind - but this is yet another instance that reminds him why that dream is so necessary.
He watches as Sayaka tries again, this time without attempting to disguise her magic. Hubert nods, approving.]
Certainly not a bad start. Have you learned this much only from books?
[That's his assumption anyway, given that she doesn't seem to be embracing her power.]
[Sayaka tips her head a bit at the question, her expression shifting back to it's usual.]
Pretty much entirely, yeah. I've...tried to play around with it some, to a little bit of success? [thus, the almost fire ball] But I've pretty much been going off whatever I've been reading, without too much deviation from it.
It seems like the best way to avoid it backfiring. I've heard that it can go pretty bad if it does.
I'm impressed. It's notn often one can grasp even the basics from text alone.
[It's genuine praise, but he does nod at the last part.]
Dark magic in particular requires care with study, though it would seem you've not only taken that into consideration, but learned to improvise with it.
[It's...strange, to hear such easy praise from someone who could easily kill her, her father, and everything she knows. She's not sure if that's a good thing; this could very well be him trying to gather blackmail material. He could easily let this be spread like wildfire, and she's pretty sure that would essentially blacklist her from any noble's idea of a perfect woman. Her father wouldn't be able to marry her off or continue his lineage, and it'd--
Sayaka manages a smile, though; fake as ever, but she does nod her head with a small semblance of pride.]
It's far easier than I would have expected. But...I guess outside of how it makes me look to outsiders, it's not entirely bad.
[Sayaka chuckles a bit, sheepish. She'll gather some more magic into her hand while she talks, though, concentrating.]
Have you done a lot of research into it yourself, Lord Hubert?
[Does she truly believe that? That dark magic isn't all that bad - aside from appearances, of course? It seems rather unlikely... but Sayaka wouldn'thave come this far in her training if she didn't have some interest in dark magic, so perhaps there's a bit of truth in her words.]
I have, yes. Dark magic has caught my interest; I've been hoping to learn more here.
[That's not the truth, but it's close enough. Saying he's been studying it since childhood would be more accurate, but hardly suitable for the lie he must live for the sake of Lady Edelgard's plans.]
I am surprised that it's something you find interesting... perhaps we'll learn more together.
[Given the smirk he says it with... is that a threat??]
Edited (Phone tagging is hard, f) 2023-03-03 00:18 (UTC)
Sayaka can't help but tense at that. That smirk is unmistakable, and though her expression doesn't change, she does not like it one bit. That smirk could carry countless implications, each worse than the last, and--
Well, Sayaka chuckles a bit. It feels almost forced, somehow.]
Ah...well, I suppose I would not mind that...?
[There's a twitch in the magic she uses, before Sayaka looks away from Hubert for a brief moment to release that magic. It lands a solid blow against the dummy, leaving a crack in it as Sayaka winces and places her hand on her head.]
Ah--but you don't need to, if you don't wish. You're gonna have your hands full keeping Princess Edelgard safe, right?
[Ohhh, her regrets are many for holding that spell so long, ow.]
...I don't suppose we could return to this in a bit? I'm sorry, I think I might've gotten too distracted...
[That much likely isn't a surprise at all; everyone knows House Vestra serves the throne, and Sayaka's spoken with Hubert for more than five minutes, so she must know it's true.]
Of course, I've no doubts that we'll have plenty of opportunity to learn more from the Professor.
[Which means "we're going to be paired up frequently since we're the only two dark magic users in this house".]
But yes; take a break. There's no need to push yourself too hard.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Breathe; keep calm, smile, be polite.]
It's not exactly proper for a lady to have an affinity for this sort of thing, you know. [She hates this already, but is there any more use in hiding it?] Why should I push myself in something like that? I'd rather not appear...odd, towards others. I don't even know why I have an affinity towards it to begin with.
no subject
I understand your concerns, but surely you realize that during our time here, we will be expected to contribute to our class. If you cannot master Reason well enough to rely on that, then what will you do?
no subject
With all due respect, Lord Hubert, I am a perfectly capable healer. I am capable of contributing without resorting to such things.
[That's a sore subject, to say the least.]
...But I imagine you mean contributing in a manner suited to offense, don't you?
no subject
I did, yes. I do not mean to say that your powers of healing are unimportant, but I imagine the Professor will want us to be capable of offense as needed.
no subject
...I've been told this whole time that taking part in such things is unladylike. Uncouth. And unneeded, most importantly. A lady shouldn't be dabbling in anything like this.
[Still, Sayaka pauses. Considers for a moment before calling magic into her hand--the actual magic she uses, rather than disguising it. And while the hit she lands is better, there's still plenty of room for improvement.]
...How was that, then?
no subject
But such thoughts have no place here; they only serve as a distraction at the moment. Hubert's already resolved to fight for Lady Edelgard's dream and nothing would ever change his mind - but this is yet another instance that reminds him why that dream is so necessary.
He watches as Sayaka tries again, this time without attempting to disguise her magic. Hubert nods, approving.]
Certainly not a bad start. Have you learned this much only from books?
[That's his assumption anyway, given that she doesn't seem to be embracing her power.]
no subject
Pretty much entirely, yeah. I've...tried to play around with it some, to a little bit of success? [thus, the almost fire ball] But I've pretty much been going off whatever I've been reading, without too much deviation from it.
It seems like the best way to avoid it backfiring. I've heard that it can go pretty bad if it does.
no subject
I'm impressed. It's notn often one can grasp even the basics from text alone.
[It's genuine praise, but he does nod at the last part.]
Dark magic in particular requires care with study, though it would seem you've not only taken that into consideration, but learned to improvise with it.
no subject
Sayaka manages a smile, though; fake as ever, but she does nod her head with a small semblance of pride.]
It's far easier than I would have expected. But...I guess outside of how it makes me look to outsiders, it's not entirely bad.
[Sayaka chuckles a bit, sheepish. She'll gather some more magic into her hand while she talks, though, concentrating.]
Have you done a lot of research into it yourself, Lord Hubert?
no subject
I have, yes. Dark magic has caught my interest; I've been hoping to learn more here.
[That's not the truth, but it's close enough. Saying he's been studying it since childhood would be more accurate, but hardly suitable for the lie he must live for the sake of Lady Edelgard's plans.]
I am surprised that it's something you find interesting... perhaps we'll learn more together.
[Given the smirk he says it with... is that a threat??]
no subject
Sayaka can't help but tense at that. That smirk is unmistakable, and though her expression doesn't change, she does not like it one bit. That smirk could carry countless implications, each worse than the last, and--
Well, Sayaka chuckles a bit. It feels almost forced, somehow.]
Ah...well, I suppose I would not mind that...?
[There's a twitch in the magic she uses, before Sayaka looks away from Hubert for a brief moment to release that magic. It lands a solid blow against the dummy, leaving a crack in it as Sayaka winces and places her hand on her head.]
Ah--but you don't need to, if you don't wish. You're gonna have your hands full keeping Princess Edelgard safe, right?
[Ohhh, her regrets are many for holding that spell so long, ow.]
...I don't suppose we could return to this in a bit? I'm sorry, I think I might've gotten too distracted...
no subject
[That much likely isn't a surprise at all; everyone knows House Vestra serves the throne, and Sayaka's spoken with Hubert for more than five minutes, so she must know it's true.]
Of course, I've no doubts that we'll have plenty of opportunity to learn more from the Professor.
[Which means "we're going to be paired up frequently since we're the only two dark magic users in this house".]
But yes; take a break. There's no need to push yourself too hard.