[ quite well done, he says. and it might be permeated with understatement, but peggy will certainly take the praise. it manifests a little smile, as if (for once) peggy is more pleased with with his endorsement than with the achievement itself. it's not all that noteworthy; more like she has forever tethered both the weapon and its unconventional power to rip and if she has any hope of mastering it then she must court at least a sliver of his approval.
he takes her place and she falls back by the requisite few steps -- and although it might suffice to watch from a safe distance behind his shoulder, peggy chooses instead to step into the neighbouring lane. she leans her elbows on the wooden rail and pitches forward, positioning herself firmly in opposition any unspoken safety regulations, so she can take a better view of him and his effort. she doesn't want to stare at his back while he cycles through his shots but would rather watch his front, his face, his attention.
-- but the spell isn't long-lived. it's broken in the split-second before he swears beneath his breath. and peggy, braced and watching, lets go a breath she'd thought she'd have to hold a bit longer than this. it doesn't change the expertise of his follow-up shots nor the understanding that he came awfully close to forcing another round via a tie. ]
You know, [ she at least has the manners to try and bite down on her smug grin, ] I expect you'll look quite dashing without your whiskers.
[ where had offered understated praise, she now offers an understated boast. gloating, hidden within a dash of flattery. ]
no subject
he takes her place and she falls back by the requisite few steps -- and although it might suffice to watch from a safe distance behind his shoulder, peggy chooses instead to step into the neighbouring lane. she leans her elbows on the wooden rail and pitches forward, positioning herself firmly in opposition any unspoken safety regulations, so she can take a better view of him and his effort. she doesn't want to stare at his back while he cycles through his shots but would rather watch his front, his face, his attention.
-- but the spell isn't long-lived. it's broken in the split-second before he swears beneath his breath. and peggy, braced and watching, lets go a breath she'd thought she'd have to hold a bit longer than this. it doesn't change the expertise of his follow-up shots nor the understanding that he came awfully close to forcing another round via a tie. ]
You know, [ she at least has the manners to try and bite down on her smug grin, ] I expect you'll look quite dashing without your whiskers.
[ where had offered understated praise, she now offers an understated boast. gloating, hidden within a dash of flattery. ]