The Stables [morning]

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

Aravis had been somewhat irritated by her transformation, in a stunning change of pace. She was, however, grateful that she was once again somewhat attractive, and that she had located her set of simple male clothing, though it was a touch small on her. Because of course now she just had to be tall, didn't she?

In any case, she tried to approach Trenor as cautiously as she could, hoping that her smell stayed the same and he wouldn't be wary. If nothing else, she had apples, and he would never say no to those, even if from a stranger.

[open toooooo, yes.]

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[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat, having no classes on Wednesday, decided that it was a good day to check on Pips.

He nodded at the unfamiliar young man as he made his way to where his horse was kept. "Good morning."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Morning, Mat," she said, smiling at him and only just remembering that flirting might be inappropriate in this body.

Damn it.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat frowned. "I apologize," he said. "I'm normally better with faces. Have we met?"

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Yes, but I had a different face," she said, smiling lopsidedly. "Welcome to one of the island's many quirks. Sometimes it likes to change our genders for us. I'm Aravis."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat, to his credit, did not fall over or run shrieking from the stable.

He did stare at Aravis's chest, though, and sigh. "They'll come back?"

Classy, Mat.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"I certainly hope so," she said, smiling a bit at that. "They were finally getting some attention! This sort of thing usually only lasts a day or so. Don't worry."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"Blood and ashes," Mat swore, shaking his head. "Jack and Zayne said they'd turned into girls, but I had convinced myself they were just saying that to confuse a new person. But you're...tall and, well, not a girl."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"And I could prove it's me, but as a lady I'd rather not have to recall intimate details about you," she said, grinning. "Even if I'm not a lady today.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat laughed a bit nervously. "And as much as I am trying to remember what you look like normally, having this strange man talk about my...self...would be bloody awkward."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"I tend to agree," Aravis said, blushing just a touch. "I'll be back to myself, bust and all, by tomorrow. Or else something is getting stabbed."

She wasn't kidding, either.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat laughed. "So today is a bad day to suggest sparring," he said.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Well, for me. You might actually stand a chance," she noted. "I'm not used to this body."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"Bold words," Mat said, still laughing. "Most days I would make you back them up."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

She grinned. "And any other day, I would. Today, I feel too bulky."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

And Mat had been trying so hard not to be jealous of that, too. "I had no idea that you spent spare time being a blacksmith," he teased. "Look at those shoulders."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Shut up," Aravis said good-naturedly, rolling her eyes. "I'm not surprised I'm a bit, er, muscular. I look rather a lot like my brother, this way."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"You have a brother?" Mat replied. "I only have sisters."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Two brothers. Rishti was older, Ardeeb is much, much younger," she said, trying to offer Trenor another apple. Trenor, naturally, was terribly resistant to this. Really.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat noted the past tense. "I have four sisters," he said. "Two older, two younger. I never got away with anything with that many pairs of eyes watching for me to make a misstep."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure," she said, laughing at that. "I had a similar problem with my nurses. It's amazingly difficult to do anything fun as a young Tarkheena."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"And our village was very, very, very small," Mat lamented. "It got to the point where if anything went wrong, I was automatically to blame."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Completely unfounded, I'm sure," she laughed.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat gave her his very best--and well practiced--innocent look. "They could very rarely prove anything."