That's me, I'm knocking at the door (Costin)

[Gwyn Locksley]

“Oh, no, it's not that,” Gwyn cut in quickly before catching his smile. Oh, he was joking. Still, it couldn't hurt to give him a little compliment and encouragement, though, right? “From what I can tell you have a nice body, but some swords are really very heavy, and if you're not used to using those muscles you could hurt yourself.” Okay, so more like a compliment and then an explanation and advice. Then she smiled. “But any suggestion to go to the gym really isn't a bad one for anyone. There are certainly some people here who could use it more than others.” She really had to get better at her humour. Maybe she should ask Eddie for some pointers sometime. Or Gaston, he was very helpful and wouldn't tease her for it.

“It will be a good way to get your technique down,” she stated. “It's not just about the sword, or the arms. There is footwork, body language. It is not so simple as just stabbing people with the pointy end.” Gwyn never did anything halfway. If he wanted to learn she would teach him not just enough to get by, but enough to be good. She wanted him to be proud of himself for something, to accomplish something as just a mere mortal. Part of her wanted to do this to show him that there was a whole life to live while he was waiting for what he wanted to happen.

And hey, maybe he'd realise it wasn't so bad afterall.

[Costin Dracula]

He hadn't been fishing for compliments, but when Gwyn said you have a nice body, Costin felt his cheeks get a little warmer. One side effect of being cold and hostile to everyone around him was that people did not give him a lot of compliments, so he wasn't quite sure what to do with one when he heard it. He still didn't want to go to the gym; he couldn't think of a lot of places where he would be more out of his element. "Maybe if you were there," he submitted, shrugging slightly. "I just can't see myself going off to the gym on my own and doing all that."

There was something infectious about the way she talked about swords and fighting, an enthusiasm that made him feel like he might actually enjoy this, along with the practicality of it all. He could tell himself all day that he was only interested in it because it was a skill he could take into his immortal existence, but the truth of it was, it sounded like fun, too. He wanted to learn, and he wanted her to teach him. Not that he was going to admit that out loud.

"Do you need to book the training area ahead of time, or is this the sort of thing we can practice anywhere?" Costin wasn't sure where in the school sword fighting was allowed; it was a strange school, and there were a lot of things that went on that would have been bizarre or unacceptable other places...but still, he didn't want his parents to get yet another letter about his behavior because he had been waving a deadly weapon around in the wrong place.

[Gwyn Locksley]

His answer gave Gwyn pause for a moment. She wasn't sure why, it was just something about how he said 'maybe if you were there' that struck her in a way she couldn't put her finger on.

She brushed it off.

“Well if you want, next time I go I can call you to come with me,” she offered. She was already adding sword training into her schedule, but the gym was something she did regularly enough on her own, so inviting him along wouldn't add any extra time to it. He might just have to watch her and listen to figure out what he was supposed to do. She could instruct him while not putting herself out at all.

She had to give him credit, he did ask practical questions and seemed genuinely interested. She was a little bit proud already, though it was too soon to let him know that. “There is a large field we could practice in, or the woods if you would prefer somewhere more secluded,” she explained. “We will have to book the training room for the first session so we can find you a proper weapon, though. But once that is done I think they will let me sign it out to use in other areas.” She was pretty well esteemed by the keeper of the gear, as he knew how seriously she took everything and that she could be trusted with it all.

[Costin Dracula]

When Mordred had talked about the gym, Costin had been convinced there was nothing in the world he would rather avoid, with the possible exception of actually dying, no matter how much he presented that as an alternative for things he didn't want to do. When Gwyn talked about it, he thought it might not be that bad. It was strange how that had worked out. The first time he'd met Gwyn, she had not suffered his petulance even for a moment, and he had assumed she'd be gone and stop bothering with him as did most people he graced with his sullen malcontent nature.

But here she was. She had come to see him, had deliberately scaled a wall just to come into his room and talk to him, and Costin couldn't even quite wrap his head around that. He wondered if the reason he'd even brought the gym thing up might not have been to test her, to see if she would still be as willing to tolerate his presence if it was to do something he'd already been sulky about. And still, she wasn't put off. Costin was undeniably intrigued.

"I should probably start in the woods," he speculated. "If I embarrass myself too early, I'm afraid it'll deal a crippling blow to my ability to take pride in the whole venture later." That might have been the second joke Costin had made in ten minutes, and if he'd thought about it he probably would have been worried he'd been possessed or hypnotized or something, but as it was, he had discovered that he genuinely enjoyed making her smile, and was apparently not above experimenting with ways to make that happen.

[Gwyn Locksley]

This time Gwyn got the joke straight away, slowly getting used to Costin's somewhat self deprecating sense of humour. “Well, we don't want that. Woods it is,” she replied, smiling brightly at him.

Finishing her glass of wine, she set it aside and checked the time, her smile fading into a frown. “I suppose I should get back to my own room. I have twenty more math problems, and three chapters to read before I can sleep tonight.” It was with great reluctance she got to her feet. The chesterfield was actually quite comfortable, and moreso the company, while the last thing she wanted to do tonight was more schoolwork. She also needed to take a few minutes to revise her schedule to include these new lessons with Costin, but that she was looking forward to penciling in.

“If you don't mind I think I will leave through the door. I would like to see your guard's expression as I stroll past him.” Her smile returned at the thought.

[Costin Dracula]

She was going to leave now, and Costin was going to be left alone again, and for some reason, that did not please him as it should have. He loved being alone. He loved having people stay away and not bother him, he loved being left to his own business and not being disturbed by anybody. So why did he feel a strange reluctance as she said she needed to go?

Not that he was going to tell her that. That would be...weak, or something. He let out a polite sigh. "I suppose, if you do have studying to do, that is unavoidable." He had studying to do as well, although he had very much enjoyed the distraction from his statistics homework that she had provided. "And you are, of course, welcome to leave through the door. That fellow needs a dressing down, especially if I'm to take his job."

He felt like he ought to suggest a time for them to meet again. That was what one did, wasn't it? Wrapped up meetings with promises for more meetings? But...he couldn't do that and also maintain his reputation for disliking all social interaction, so he would just leave that open-ended, and maybe she would contact him with a time at which she could force him to come out in the woods and learn how to fight with swords. "I will see you for the sword fighting, then, I suppose?" There, that didn't sound too eager, did it?

[Gwyn Locksley]

“Unfortunately,” Gwyn sighed. It wasn't that she wanted to study, she would much prefer to stay here, or go to the gym or the range, but Lorelei had painstakingly made her a schedule and she had already strayed as far as she could from it for one evening. She did smile at the throwback to his joke about the job. “Oh, I don't plan to say anything besides 'good night' as I stroll past him.”

She knew the guy would remember her, she had told him how stupid his rules were before storming off in a huff earlier. So while any girl leaving might be a surprise unless he wasn't blocking them all and just being selective, but her should be a special treat.

Before she reached the door, Costin made sure to remind her of their plan, not that she would forget. She took this as a positive sign that he was actually looking forward to the task, which should certainly make her job easier. Desire to prove oneself was half the battle. “Of course,” she said, her smile softer. “I will send you a message with the details.” Suddenly remembering her manners, though forgoing the usual style of her time, she held her hand out for him to shake. “Thank you for the wine and the company. Next time I will try to call first.”

[Costin Dracula]

Costin thought it was something of a pity that she wasn't even going to try and give that useless hall monitor a talking-to, but he wouldn't have been there to witness it anyway, so he didn't press the issue. He followed her to the door, and took the hand she offered, shaking it firmly. He wasn't even sure what the protocol was on saying goodnight to a woman when she had come climbing onto your balcony. Did you kiss her hand? Bow? There were no court rules for this sort of thing, that he could remember. He settled on just returning the handshake and holding the door open for her.

He was going to just watch her walk away, he really was. It was the thing to do, to maintain the notion that he really didn't care if she came back, that he had only entertained her because she had invited herself into his room and forcefully engaged him in conversation. And yet, he found himself speaking again, saying...not that, at all.

"You needn't call ahead," he said, a rueful smile on his face, "I am rarely socially engaged. I know that must be a shock, having met me, but...you are safe coming over at just about any time you see my light on." He bit his lip, wondering what had possessed him to say that, and before he could even work that out, his traitorous mind went ahead and doubled down. "I enjoyed..." He cleared his throat, and looked down at the floor, before forcing himself to look back up and meet her eyes. "I enjoy your company."

[Gwyn Locksley]

He had a good, firm handshake, something that Gwyn, of course, appreciated. She hated a weak handshake, especially when she could tell it was only because she was a girl. Not that a genuinely weak handshake was much better, it was just sad rather than condescending.

Stepping through the door, she only made it a few steps before Costin's voice stopped her. Turning back to look at him, she raised her eyebrows at his invitation and following explanation. It wasn't something that most people offered; many people liked to pretend they were more popular than they actually were, that they were so busy they had to schedule you in, while others simply preferred a warning so they could tidy or be prepared. But Costin, with his own brand of self deprecating humour, was telling her she was free to visit whenever she wanted, without warning. That was only half of it, though. Before she could respond, he continued, seeming almost bashful as he admitted to enjoying her company.

Just when she thought she had him figure out, he still managed to surprise her.

For a moment Gwyn just stared at him, head cocked slightly to the left. She was not accustomed to such actions, and especially from Costin who was often so cryptic in his words that such a pointed confession left her momentarily confused. After a minute, though, she chalked it up to everything they had been talking about tonight, about impressing others and making her proud. It was his way of reaching out, maybe realising that there was more to life than brooding over something completely out of his control. Perhaps it was the start of him actually trying to live instead.

With a blink she smiled, warm and almost proud. “I enjoy your company too,” she replied. “Good night, Costin.” And with that she continued on her way.