Can you now? Got some stilts hiding in your bones?
[ Oh, it's been a while since he's been able to joke around so easily with someone. Maybe it's her relaxed sort of nature. Or equally sharp comments. ]
I'd fly but that requires having a strong landing. [ He taps his knee, quirking a wry sort of smile on her direction. ]
[ she retorts, though her lips do twitch, at the tap at his knee, clearly trying not to laugh . . . because laughing at what's apparently an old injury or a birth defect is probably bad form, right? but he seems to be poking fun at himself, and so: ]
You just have to learn how to fall on your face without breaking your nose, that is all. The leg is a lost cause.
[ no way to really fix that, she's afraid. but she pauses before glancing around the living room idly, before she says: ]
Do you want me to show you?
[ as she glances towards him, with a slight grin, a glint of mischief in her eye. ]
[ at his agreement, inej unfolds her legs and rises to her feet, getting up off the couch only to turn to it. she tests the firmness of the cushions with a hand before placing her palms on the back of the couch, gripping the top of it experimentally before she crosses to the other side of the room.
she ties her shirt into a knot, making it an impromptu crop-top -- mostly to prevent the shirt from slipping up and over her head. and she stretches loosely, rolling her shoulders once before she bolts into a sudden run, picking up as much speed as she can before vaulting herself up onto the back of the couch, a perfectly balanced hand-stand. and she seems to hang in the air for half a moment before she allows her legs to fall forward in a slow flip, her feet hitting the floor as she allows gravity to do the rest, falling right back into sitting on the couch.
lizabeta peeps again, in quiet bird applause, while inej pushes some loose hair out of her face, looking pleased with herself as she rolls her injured shoulders lightly, offering a grin in kaz's direction. ]
You do not have any trapeze in your fancy mercher apartment. [ mildly, as she unties her shirt, smoothing it flat against her stomach as she tugs it back down. ] So I am limited in what I can actually show you.
[ She takes a few moments to inspect the couch, clearly testing how squishy the cushions were. Apparently it passes some kind of muster, since she soon walks across the room, giving herself some space.
There's a few more moments of preparation—rolling her shoulders back to loosen any tension, a focused look on her face as she calculates what exactly she's going to do. Even without knowing her very well, it's clear she's done this quite a bit, her motions graceful and sure. Before she starts off though, she ties the bottom of her shirt into a knot, creating a pseudo crop top. Just enough of her midriff shows and he has to remind himself not to stare, suddenly dazed by the realization he finds her attractive.
Which is just. A bad idea all around.
Good thing he doesn't have much time to think on it, because she's suddenly in motion. A blur of a run as she closes the distance between her and the couch and then she's lifted herself up onto the back of it in a smooth movement. Her arms don't even quiver as she keeps herself up and then slowly lowers back onto the couch, barely making a sound.
With extreme restraint, he forces a blush down as she brushes the hair out of her face and unties her shirt to shake it out. ]
I'm impressed. [ That's honest. ] No, they were fresh out when I moved in. Back ordered into oblivion.
[ with half a laugh, done with shaking out her shirt, resuming being settled comfortably on the couch. she stays in shape, mostly to keep herself sane. but she doesn't get much of a chance to really fly, anymore. though scaling up and down the fire escape and dropping ten feet to scare her neighbors might count.
at any rate, as she folds her legs back underneath herself: ]
Flying is fairly easy; it's landing that's hard.
[ she had been avid in gymnastics, and acrobatics. performance. her parents had given her every opportunity that they could to hone her skills. and truthfully, she always wanted to be in the olympics, the odd thought pops into the back of her head. something she hadn't thought about in years. captivated by little girls like her flipping through the air on the ancient television set in her parents' room.
the thought causes an odd tug in her chest, and she offers kaz a warm smile. ]
[ As someone who landed very, very wrong. Like before, he doesn't sound cranky or sore about it though. More like mildly amused. It's not worth crying over, not when he's near a decade on in dealing with it. This is just who he is now.
Just like apparently gymnastics are a part of who she is. He's going to be blinking away the sight of her doing a handstand in a knotted shirt for at least the next week. Because really, they barely know each other and it's—well, it's uncomfortable, even acknowledging it for himself.
His phone buzzes sharply in his pocket and he glances at the screen, realizing what time it was. ]
I should get out of your hair. [ Phone shoved back into his pocket, he gently prods Lizabeta, who cracks her eyes drowsily enough to be coerced onto his fingers. Kaz holds her out to Inej, giving her a small bounce so she doesn't fall straight back to sleep again. ]
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timewasting2020-09-27 05:30 pm
no subject
[ Oh, it's been a while since he's been able to joke around so easily with someone. Maybe it's her relaxed sort of nature. Or equally sharp comments. ]
I'd fly but that requires having a strong landing. [ He taps his knee, quirking a wry sort of smile on her direction. ]
no subject
[ she retorts, though her lips do twitch, at the tap at his knee, clearly trying not to laugh . . . because laughing at what's apparently an old injury or a birth defect is probably bad form, right? but he seems to be poking fun at himself, and so: ]
You just have to learn how to fall on your face without breaking your nose, that is all. The leg is a lost cause.
[ no way to really fix that, she's afraid. but she pauses before glancing around the living room idly, before she says: ]
Do you want me to show you?
[ as she glances towards him, with a slight grin, a glint of mischief in her eye. ]
How I can be taller.
no subject
Oh, is that all?
[ That smile of hers forms into a grin and he feels a strange flutter of his pulse. Hm. He ignores it, focusing on the question she's just asked. ]
Go on then. [ Lizabeta makes a soft peep in her nap, as if agreeing. ]
no subject
she ties her shirt into a knot, making it an impromptu crop-top -- mostly to prevent the shirt from slipping up and over her head. and she stretches loosely, rolling her shoulders once before she bolts into a sudden run, picking up as much speed as she can before vaulting herself up onto the back of the couch, a perfectly balanced hand-stand. and she seems to hang in the air for half a moment before she allows her legs to fall forward in a slow flip, her feet hitting the floor as she allows gravity to do the rest, falling right back into sitting on the couch.
lizabeta peeps again, in quiet bird applause, while inej pushes some loose hair out of her face, looking pleased with herself as she rolls her injured shoulders lightly, offering a grin in kaz's direction. ]
You do not have any trapeze in your fancy mercher apartment. [ mildly, as she unties her shirt, smoothing it flat against her stomach as she tugs it back down. ] So I am limited in what I can actually show you.
no subject
There's a few more moments of preparation—rolling her shoulders back to loosen any tension, a focused look on her face as she calculates what exactly she's going to do. Even without knowing her very well, it's clear she's done this quite a bit, her motions graceful and sure. Before she starts off though, she ties the bottom of her shirt into a knot, creating a pseudo crop top. Just enough of her midriff shows and he has to remind himself not to stare, suddenly dazed by the realization he finds her attractive.
Which is just. A bad idea all around.
Good thing he doesn't have much time to think on it, because she's suddenly in motion. A blur of a run as she closes the distance between her and the couch and then she's lifted herself up onto the back of it in a smooth movement. Her arms don't even quiver as she keeps herself up and then slowly lowers back onto the couch, barely making a sound.
With extreme restraint, he forces a blush down as she brushes the hair out of her face and unties her shirt to shake it out. ]
I'm impressed. [ That's honest. ] No, they were fresh out when I moved in. Back ordered into oblivion.
no subject
[ with half a laugh, done with shaking out her shirt, resuming being settled comfortably on the couch. she stays in shape, mostly to keep herself sane. but she doesn't get much of a chance to really fly, anymore. though scaling up and down the fire escape and dropping ten feet to scare her neighbors might count.
at any rate, as she folds her legs back underneath herself: ]
Flying is fairly easy; it's landing that's hard.
[ she had been avid in gymnastics, and acrobatics. performance. her parents had given her every opportunity that they could to hone her skills. and truthfully, she always wanted to be in the olympics, the odd thought pops into the back of her head. something she hadn't thought about in years. captivated by little girls like her flipping through the air on the ancient television set in her parents' room.
the thought causes an odd tug in her chest, and she offers kaz a warm smile. ]
But thank you.
[ modestly enough. ]
no subject
[ As someone who landed very, very wrong. Like before, he doesn't sound cranky or sore about it though. More like mildly amused. It's not worth crying over, not when he's near a decade on in dealing with it. This is just who he is now.
Just like apparently gymnastics are a part of who she is. He's going to be blinking away the sight of her doing a handstand in a knotted shirt for at least the next week. Because really, they barely know each other and it's—well, it's uncomfortable, even acknowledging it for himself.
His phone buzzes sharply in his pocket and he glances at the screen, realizing what time it was. ]
I should get out of your hair. [ Phone shoved back into his pocket, he gently prods Lizabeta, who cracks her eyes drowsily enough to be coerced onto his fingers. Kaz holds her out to Inej, giving her a small bounce so she doesn't fall straight back to sleep again. ]