"Oh, look at these!" she said, moving over to the awards. "You must be very good!" Merrill tended to be very nurturing, and most of her time was spent in the classroom. To those easily offended, she might have sounded as though she was praising a child. Those that knew her, or those that could see the genuine excitement in her eyes, would know that she was quite impressed.
She turned to see Loras wielding the katana. It seemed a very natural fit. He was so thin himself, it just all looked rather streamlined.