"I wasn't questioning their menace," Alec said mildly. "Merely the imagination of someone who uses rats as antagonists." He entertained the notion of inquiring if Armand was asking him out, then rejected it. The Frenchman was from a different century - the joke wouldn't be funny if it had to be explained. And it would have required quite a lot of explaining.

"What do you mean?" he asked instead. "About today making it more clear, that is." When Armand asked him about the weapon, he paused. "Which would you feel more comfortable with?" he asked. "A sword would give you the advantage of range, though it could be unwieldy. I find knives to be more versatile, but it all would come down to personal preference. Have you fenced before?" It wasn't an unlikely possibility, but the sword he would get would likely be a sight heavier than any rapier used for play-combat...