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Shaking her hand out, she flexed her fingers as she looked up at him. "What about you? Do you have something to prove?" He was in Sun, and that seemed to be a shared trait among a lot of them.

She made a soft hum, as if she liked his answer. It wasn't a bad attitude to have, really. Probably meant he'd have an easier time here than most. If he was genuine, she might even envy him his confidence.

"Oh yes, every day." It was an easy thing to admit, probably because of how obvious it seemed to her. Though maybe she was the only one who could see it.

"I'm small, easily underestimated. I've got to be the faster, the strongest. I've got to prove, even if just to myself, that I'm good enough to be here." Thin shoulders rolled in a small shrug. "But that's how I've always been. Even before I go here."

She shrugged, arms coming out at her sides in an open palmed shrug. "I don't really get bothered by it much anymore. I mean, it's kind of a logical assumption." She was pretty sure she did the same thing. Snap decisions on the battlefield based on only the briefest of glimpses at who or what she was facing.

"Yeah, it never really stopped happebing until I got here. My sister and I are both really petite, and when we were younger Astrid didn't know better than to talk about the weird s**t ah heard that no one else could. I had to make sure she didn't get picked on." Of course, beating up the kids that threatens Astrid didn't endear them to anyone.

"I figured out real quick that it was better not to talk about it." The only one that knew Was Astrid, and only because Peyton hadn't wanted her sister to feel alone. Although, it had made her wonder if perhaps she shouldn't have shared. Maybe if she hadn't, Astrid would realized on her own that it wasn't something to talk about.

No way to know now.

Her lips tickedto one side as she thought about it, and after a moment she gave a small shake of her head. "My momentum against your weight, I don't think so. I'd have to aim to take your legs out, or overbalance you." thin shoulders rolled in an easy shrug, and she smiled again. "It's easier using someone's momentum against them, obviously."

He'd adjusted though, shifted his center of gravity, so maybe a demonstration.

Digging her toes in, she launched herself at the center of his body, throwing her shoulder in against his stomach. It was like hitting a fleshy wall of muscle, however, it was perfectly possible that the wall had slid an inch or two from the impact.

Peyton let out a startled squeak of a sound as Lai wrapped her up in a sudden bear hug and plucked her right off her feet. Here was another example of where his larger size could offer a bit of an advantage.

The tension that had shot through her tiny body eased as he gave her a friendly squeeze, and she chuckled, letting her feet dangle. "More now, is bet. You'll find you're a lot stronger now." The physical potential in the tall man, as his weapon bond strengthened, was almost frightening.

On her feet again Peyton tucked her thumbs into her belt loops, hands resting on her hips. "Grandpa?" It made her frown thoughtfully, but she shook her head a second after. "You're still a trainee, and whoever beat you was probably at least intermediate, but probably higher than that. I'm not the only one deceptively strong for my size."

She smiled reassuringly up at him. "Trust me, if you were to try benching your max weight now, it wouldn't be half so hard." She was glad to hear he was eager for improvement.

"I don't think it's your physical strength that you need to worry about, though. Didn't you say you were having trouble figuring out what do do with your weapon?"

"Now you'll just have to look at everyone's coats. Trainee coats are pain, intermediate have striped and colored fring, and full hunts have a wash of color gradient, and they're usually a bit more personalized." She shrugged again. He'd get used to it, everyone did. It was just an odd thing to wake up to.

"We can work on your weapon handling, if you want. See if we can work on getting used to the size, and using them to their full potential."