[ Matt's small, hopeful smile dims when Howl moves from the Innocence to some of the other particulars of opening channels. His heart has started to pit-a-pat, as it tends to when one is on the cusp of intimate revelation, but Matt doesn't look too terribly embarrassed. Howl's gentle demeanor and unvarnished curiosity seem to be helping.

That said, Matt takes one more steadying drink before he answers. ]

They were, yeah, [ he admits. ] A bit of both, in this specific case. [ His lips twitch. ] Which, ah--sorry for that. It was an indelicate way of expressing myself. It's just ... so much of how I learned magic in the first place is wrapped up in this bodily, physical stuff, so that's why it comes up like that.