[ Maybe it would be harmless to tell Matthias about the Seers, but Derrica hesitates over it anyway. Telling Ilias or talking about it with Kostos was one thing. She didn't want to test the limits of Matthias' generosity.
Instead, she sits up straighter, legs crossing, cradling his hand as her thumbs brush across his palm. ]
One of the Mothers was teaching me, before everything.
[ Everything. ]
But I think I remember enough to tell you a little about what you have here.
[Matthias squirms a little, the brush of her thumbs a gentle tickle. A little smile flickers over his face, regardless of his earlier mood.]
Tell me. Yeah. Or don't. I dunno, do people usually want to know? What happens? I reckon they do. I do, I think. Only you can't make it up to be kind or anything, you have to say it true.
[ She glances up to Matthias' face, wondering what he'd say about the way Seers looked into the future. But rather than say, she tip-toes her fingers along his palm. ]
It's the kind that tells us what sort of person you are. Sometimes that's helpful to people, so they can know themselves better. [ A slight pause, as she reaches to lift his other hand and set them both together in hers. ] And I'd never lie to you.
[ She squeezes his hand slightly, gentle. ]
Last chance, are you sure you want to know what I see here?
[Matthias shifts his weight back and forth as he considers this. It isn't a proper squirm. Derrica's hands feel warm around his, that little squeeze a comfort, but not so good as that promise. People lie. Derrica wouldn't. Matthias trusts her above anyone else.]
I reckon I know what sort of person I am. But I could still be surprise, I s'ppose? Maybe. But--yeah. [He looks up at her, meeting her eyes, and gives their joined hands a little shake.] Yeah, I want to know.
[ She smiles in response, squeezing his hands in hers again before taking a deep breath and dropping her gaze to his palms. ]
There's a lot of fire here, [ She says, with a little laugh. ] Which makes sense, I think.
[ Her fingers brush along his palm, lingering at the base of each fingertip as she leans back a little, taking in the full picture. ]
Here, I can see that you've the potential to be a good, intelligent leader. Stubborn, but responsible and dedicated to your goals. And see here, the way your thumb bends like that? It means you're generous, and kind.
[ She turns her hand up, head tilting. ]
We have the same calluses. Almost all mages do, from the way we use our staves.
[Matthias leans forward to try to see what she is referring to, which bits of his palms she is looking at and which bits mean what. This would not be anything he would be good at, probably. It'd still be good to know. He smiles, quick, at fire--yeah, that makes sense--and so does stubborn. The compliments make his ears feel hot, but if she's only reading what's there, then it's nothing to feel embarrassed by, it must be true.
At the last bit, he gives a knowing nod.]
We had a spy. Well, a mage what acted as spy. He'd sneak around the Templars. Cut his callouses off, like peeling potatoes, in case he got caught--'cause he said they'd see 'em and they'd know him for a mage. But he was a little mad, loads of people've got callouses, and it didn't do him any good anyways.
[He tilts his head so he can look down at her hand, like maybe there's aught to be read there by novice just-had-his-palm-read him.]
Mine really says I'd make a good leader? What's yours say about you, then?
[ Contemplating their hands, side by side, Derrica gives a little shrug. ]
I don't know. It feels like it would be hard to read your own palm.
[ A little like lying to yourself, in some ways. ]
Someone read them for me a long time ago, but I don't think I'm the same person I was then. My life is very different from what I thought it was going to be.
[ And as she says this, it occurs to her that maybe that's true for Matthias too. What did Southern mages hope for, before the rebellion? \
[Very different. Does anything else need to be said about that? Matthias tilts his head so he can look at her hand more closely. His gaze darts back and forth, comparing the palms, hers and his, the light lines sketched there.]
I was going to be a Knight-Enchanter. For about twenty seconds and then I changed my mind--actually, before that, I reckon I was going to be a bloody farmer. Which of these d'you think would be the failed farmer line? [He gives her a little grin.] Would you want someone to read yours? Now, I mean?
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no subject
You didn't tell me. At the Circle or somewhere else?
no subject
[ Maybe it would be harmless to tell Matthias about the Seers, but Derrica hesitates over it anyway. Telling Ilias or talking about it with Kostos was one thing. She didn't want to test the limits of Matthias' generosity.
Instead, she sits up straighter, legs crossing, cradling his hand as her thumbs brush across his palm. ]
One of the Mothers was teaching me, before everything.
[ Everything. ]
But I think I remember enough to tell you a little about what you have here.
no subject
[Matthias squirms a little, the brush of her thumbs a gentle tickle. A little smile flickers over his face, regardless of his earlier mood.]
Tell me. Yeah. Or don't. I dunno, do people usually want to know? What happens? I reckon they do. I do, I think. Only you can't make it up to be kind or anything, you have to say it true.
no subject
[ She glances up to Matthias' face, wondering what he'd say about the way Seers looked into the future. But rather than say, she tip-toes her fingers along his palm. ]
It's the kind that tells us what sort of person you are. Sometimes that's helpful to people, so they can know themselves better. [ A slight pause, as she reaches to lift his other hand and set them both together in hers. ] And I'd never lie to you.
[ She squeezes his hand slightly, gentle. ]
Last chance, are you sure you want to know what I see here?
no subject
[Matthias shifts his weight back and forth as he considers this. It isn't a proper squirm. Derrica's hands feel warm around his, that little squeeze a comfort, but not so good as that promise. People lie. Derrica wouldn't. Matthias trusts her above anyone else.]
I reckon I know what sort of person I am. But I could still be surprise, I s'ppose? Maybe. But--yeah. [He looks up at her, meeting her eyes, and gives their joined hands a little shake.] Yeah, I want to know.
no subject
There's a lot of fire here, [ She says, with a little laugh. ] Which makes sense, I think.
[ Her fingers brush along his palm, lingering at the base of each fingertip as she leans back a little, taking in the full picture. ]
Here, I can see that you've the potential to be a good, intelligent leader. Stubborn, but responsible and dedicated to your goals. And see here, the way your thumb bends like that? It means you're generous, and kind.
[ She turns her hand up, head tilting. ]
We have the same calluses. Almost all mages do, from the way we use our staves.
no subject
At the last bit, he gives a knowing nod.]
We had a spy. Well, a mage what acted as spy. He'd sneak around the Templars. Cut his callouses off, like peeling potatoes, in case he got caught--'cause he said they'd see 'em and they'd know him for a mage. But he was a little mad, loads of people've got callouses, and it didn't do him any good anyways.
[He tilts his head so he can look down at her hand, like maybe there's aught to be read there by novice just-had-his-palm-read him.]
Mine really says I'd make a good leader? What's yours say about you, then?
no subject
I don't know. It feels like it would be hard to read your own palm.
[ A little like lying to yourself, in some ways. ]
Someone read them for me a long time ago, but I don't think I'm the same person I was then. My life is very different from what I thought it was going to be.
[ And as she says this, it occurs to her that maybe that's true for Matthias too. What did Southern mages hope for, before the rebellion? \
no subject
[Very different. Does anything else need to be said about that? Matthias tilts his head so he can look at her hand more closely. His gaze darts back and forth, comparing the palms, hers and his, the light lines sketched there.]
I was going to be a Knight-Enchanter. For about twenty seconds and then I changed my mind--actually, before that, I reckon I was going to be a bloody farmer. Which of these d'you think would be the failed farmer line? [He gives her a little grin.] Would you want someone to read yours? Now, I mean?