[ Matt senses nothing hinky here! He's relieved to hear that however intense this Zenith-Meridian conflict may seem in its framing, actual fighting isn't common. And his lips quirk in amusement when she says toughen you up.

He considers trying to dodge around giving a real answer to the nudge, but then he thinks: she's been pretty damn vulnerable with him. It's probably safe to give her something in return. And more to the point, it'd only be fair. ]

I'm not sure how well it translates across the worlds, but ... back home, they would've called me a witch. So the ways I could hurt people--I mean, I try to keep people safe, and like, healthy and stuff, but if a spell goes wrong, or if I don't take the right variables into account, the risk is always there.

[ Matt glances around to see if anybody's watching them. The coast seems as clear as it's about to get at an event of this scale, so he holds out his hand, palm upraised. Draws in a deep, even breath, and--

Nothing. ]

... Huh. Um. [ Another attempt: focus, breath. A flutter of French poetry across the back of his brain. Still zip. ] Usually, there'd be fire right now.