When Quatre opens the door into the bar, it's--a bit of a surprise, but not much of one. He tucks his well-polished shoe around the door as he stops, and tilts back inside. After he finishes (he's lost his tie and his waistcoast, but he's re-adjusted the tuck on his shirt), he steps back in the bar as he's setting a timer on his watch.
He grabs a rosewater lemonade from the Bar (now that he knows she makes them well), before stopping by Trowa's table.
Amiably, even though he knows Trowa's seen him coming: "Hi."
Trowa will even obligingly close his book! (The cover is the sort of unhelpfully abstract one that depicts what might either be a shower of sparks in unfocused close-up, or . . . something else in unfocused close-up.)
He'd offer the book for further perusal, but . . . Japanese.
Quatre can pick it up if he wants a look anyway. So.
"Yakingaku," he translates, for reference. It's not likely to be a particularly useful word in Quatre's life, but that's no reason to turn down linguistic trivia.
Quatre doesn't repeat the word back to him; he might, in another location (his Japanese accent is occasionally awful), but as it is he just commits the word to memory.
Trowa shrugs infinitesimally. "The molecular details are interesting."
So: long-term.
Trowa's education in mechanical engineering was quite thorough, but very heavily weighted towards immediate practicalities. His theoretical understanding has occasional gaps.
(It's, um, actually confidential. Let's just say that the L3 government is finally starting to open up to actual agreements, versus just consultations.)
(He doesn't offer to practice with Quatre if he wants because, again: the words are unnecessary. If Quatre wants practice, he can initiate it anytime.
He also doesn't offer any kind of more organized lessons, because Trowa knows his own strengths and weaknesses. Teaching is decidedly in the latter category.)
They're in public at Milliways; this is why Trowa's head tilts down slightly, and why his only reaction to that little sally is the brief, amused shift of his eyes, mostly hidden by his bangs.
He grabs a rosewater lemonade from the Bar (now that he knows she makes them well), before stopping by Trowa's table.
Amiably, even though he knows Trowa's seen him coming: "Hi."
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Pull up a chair, man.
Trowa will even obligingly close his book! (The cover is the sort of unhelpfully abstract one that depicts what might either be a shower of sparks in unfocused close-up, or . . . something else in unfocused close-up.)
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(If he leans back very slightly, propping his ankles on one of the table supports, well--it's been a satisfying, if long, day.)
He gives the book a questioning glance. (Something about metal. His Japanese isn't super advanced, so he's cheating with Chinese.)
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He'd offer the book for further perusal, but . . . Japanese.
Quatre can pick it up if he wants a look anyway. So.
"Yakingaku," he translates, for reference. It's not likely to be a particularly useful word in Quatre's life, but that's no reason to turn down linguistic trivia.
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"Immediate research, or more long-term?"
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So: long-term.
Trowa's education in mechanical engineering was quite thorough, but very heavily weighted towards immediate practicalities. His theoretical understanding has occasional gaps.
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Fond: "How are you, aside from research?"
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Did Quatre expect any other answer?
He doesn't ask in return, because the words are unnecessary.
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Quatre's in a pretty good mood. He pops his ankles off the support and straightens in his chair, right hand circling the lemonade.
"I'm doing fine, myself," he imparts, before taking a sip.
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He communicates the sentiment with (invisible) amusement, though.
(We are here using the Quatre-specific definition of 'communicates.')
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Quatre doesn't expound.
(It's, um, actually confidential. Let's just say that the L3 government is finally starting to open up to actual agreements, versus just consultations.)
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Trowa, shockingly, is good with moments of silence.
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Er, at least when it's not awkward.
When he's near the mid point of his lemonade (some minutes later), he sets it down and tilts his head slightly at Trowa.
"I ought to improve my Japanese. A young woman here offered that and fencing lessons, but I think she did sport fencing."
And he hasn't seen her since, but that seems fairly typical in Milliways.
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(He doesn't offer to practice with Quatre if he wants because, again: the words are unnecessary. If Quatre wants practice, he can initiate it anytime.
He also doesn't offer any kind of more organized lessons, because Trowa knows his own strengths and weaknesses. Teaching is decidedly in the latter category.)
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Anyways, he knows that Trowa will likely still be around to practice with when he's better.)
"And it might be wise to avoid fencing with strange women," Quatre adds, somewhat absently. Mm, lemonade.
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"It sometimes is," Trowa agrees.
They're in public at Milliways; this is why Trowa's head tilts down slightly, and why his only reaction to that little sally is the brief, amused shift of his eyes, mostly hidden by his bangs.
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