[The polite thing to do would be to ignore the collar entirely? Duh! But here they are—and if Felix's expression eases up the slightest bit when Constantin informs him what, exactly, Liam was up to, it's really neither here nor there. Hopefully Connie isn't expecting an apology...
But as Liam pushes past Felix to survey his kingdom, Felix can't help but to glance down the hallway. They've been this close the entire time? Really? Not that he spends all that much time here; he's up at four in the morning to train and he normally doesn't come back until it's late as hell, but.]
No. Why would I?
[As blunt as ever, because he does not socialize, Connie. Even this bit of chatter is beyond him. What is the point here? The cat, surely, which is why, after what is probably an awkward beat, he offers up a shrug.]
If he comes to your room again, don't let him in. He's only looking for food.
[Not everyone is a total weirdo, Felix. Some people keep regular hours... and go to magic school all the way in Stars territory now, hence why Constantin is only coming around at this hour, when Felix is actually here, but never mind that. The point is: We Are Neighbors, and this cat is a fuzzy menace.]
What does he like? I'll bring something back with me next time I wander into town.
[He will feed this cat... And technically he didn't let him in this time so much as open a door unsuspectingly while a cat was nearby, so that isn't his fault.]
And there happens to be a small tree in my quarters now, as outlandish as that sounds, which he took to rather enthusiastically! [cats!] If he were to leave my desk alone, I wouldn't mind the occasional visit.
[That question elicits a quiet huff of what is almost amusement, because what doesn't Liam like? And maybe, just maybe, Felix is somewhat soft when it comes to his stupid fucking cat, as evidenced by the way he seems to slowly relax as the conversation remains centered around Liam.]
Feed him and your desk will be the least of your concerns. He'll never leave.
[Or, well. He'll certainly swing by on the daily to take advantage of this stupid human, but more importantly: a tree just ~happened~ to show up in his room, hmm? A weird way to phrase it, so, naturally:]
What type of tree?
[Is he imagining an ornamental shrub? Ya damn right. Maybe he should he get one for Li—no, no.]
[Well, maybe he'll start with some dried fish or something... Surely there's someone in town who can hook him up with the highest quality cat snacks. That said, how does one describe the weird tree that appeared in his room along with a scarf and a cool sword? Hmm.]
A... tree. [He gestures, a little uncertainly? Like, it's a tree, Felix. It's legitimately a tree and it's probably magical, otherwise what would it be doing in there. How did this happen.]
From what I can tell, it is actually a tree from the forests of my world, albeit quite young! If it springs to greater life, I will have to move it outdoors somehow...
[It's weird. That said, Liam likes it, so it's all good.]
can't believe i have to block you on every platform! sad!!
[Buy some plain ol' jerky and Felix, Jr. will be a happy, happy boy.]
How big can it—
[—be, obviously, but before he can say that one tiny word, there's the unmistakable sound of a solid something hitting the floor behind him? Followed by the sound of... several smaller somethings, like, rolling around, and so sorry, Constantin, but Felix whirls right around to see what the fuck is going on. Three, two, one—]
You.
[Cat!! But while Felix hurries to shoo Liam away from his desk, the door to his room is open, so... well? Come on in, Constantin. It's plain, as far as rooms go; spare cloaks are thrown over the single chair and the foot of the bed, small pieces of parchment (and hair ties, naturally) litter his nightstand, and both a bow and a nearly empty quiver are sitting on the floor beside a very content-looking Liam. Does he care that Felix is muttering rude things as he scoops up the arrows that have spilled everywhere... nah...
But the real star of the show is the dumb clock on the wall! But instead of numbers, locations and statuses are listed—and there are, uh, multiple pairs of hands, each of which are engraved with what might just be some familiar-sounding names: Dimitri, Sylvain, Ingrid, Mercedes. Yeehaw...]
how can i deny that setup! you would have done the same!
[Oh, the cat is still here, doing cat things. Constantin leans a little to one side to see what's going on back there... and he doesn't so much invite himself into the room once Felix turns away as shuffle forward to loiter in the open doorway, you know, maybe in case Liam decides to try escaping again. He has just enough propriety to trump his innate nosiness, so he'll linger over here! That's fine, right! He's not in the room.
So while he's here on, ahem, cat escape prevention duty, and Felix is being mean to cats and objects alike down there by the floor, who could blame him for glancing around the room? No one... the door is open... Hm!
And look at that clock, especially, wow. Felix already told him that his friends from home are on the other side here, so is this them? He has a clock with their names on it? That would be absolutely unbelievable if, like, a tree hadn't appeared fully formed in Constantin's own room recently— a friendship clock is almost reasonable in comparison to a whole tree. Look at that thing! Dang! Even more evidence of Felix's tender emotions.
Eventually he clears his throat, just to remind everybody that he's still here and witnessing all of this.]
Would you like a hand?
[Should he hold the cat? He's still, like, looking at the clock while he says this, don't mind that.]
[Liam has served his purpose, so Liam is making his way out, actually! And by "out" I mean "to stretch out on the windowsill as he watches Felix play fifty arrow pick-up," because mischief... managed. Hell yeah.
And Felix, for his part, is so busy collecting the aforementioned fifty arrows that Constantin all but slips his mind; it isn't until he speaks that Felix, like, actually casts a glance back his way, and oh, but it's obvious what he's looking at. Time for Felix to mentally kick himself and offer up a somewhat short:]
No.
[He's got this. Arrows go in the quiver; quiver leans against the side of the desk; bow is carefully placed atop the desk itself. There! Done! Now he can stand up like a normal human being and... shoo Constantin away, or something, but instead—ah, hell. As dumb as it is, he feels the strange urge to say something.]
I didn't ask for... that. [Like, just to make that clear. JUST in case Constantin was getting the wrong idea here.] Death has a bizarre sense of humor. Choose your blessings carefully, if you ask for them at all.
[Do you want to hear about the time this clock teleported him right on top of Dimitri's bed? Actually, let's not. He'll never be over that.]
[Liam is living his best life! For once it's not Constantin in last place here, but then, did he actually clean up his own stuff after it wound up all over the floor? Hm, no. That's a problem for Future Constantin.
So: Felix's valiant defense of his friendship clock, which is highly convincing, and earns him only one slightly skeptical raised eyebrow. Constantin crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe, considering this... advice. He shrugs.]
I was generously provided with university tuition when I asked for it.
[He's a wizard now!! He wanted magic and a cool sword and he got both— Felix is obviously very unlucky or a liar, equally likely when it comes to this clock. Constantin looks at it again, then:]
I believe I've met some of your- [enh] -associates.
[The difference is that Felix really did go up against Death, Shitposter Extraordinaire, for his first blessing—and lost, hence this lousy (re: very useful) clock. Tragic. Constantin's good fortune, therefore, earns him a flat Look. Congratulations, Connie. Enjoy learning magic.
...Wait! Wait, wait, wait. That flat look turns into a look of consideration, both because Connie learning magic and Connie recognizing some names on his clock catch him by surprise. They seem so far away... because he tries to make sure they stay far away; like, this reminder that they're closer than he'd like to believe is, mmm, mildly uncomfortable. God damn. Time to cross his arms and pretend that he's judging the world and everything in it, as per usual.]
Not Sylvain, I hope. [PFFT!] I refuse to apologize on his behalf.
[Just wait until he can teleport, Flex, that's when the fun really starts. It occurs to Constantin- and the thought is only strengthened by the immediate suggestion that he needs an apology?!- that Felix's opinions on his clock-confirmed friends might be... skewed. Well! Hmm!]
No...? [Who is this mystery man and does he know how to party. Constantin holds up two fingers, because it's just the two-] Ingrid and Dimitri.
[A pause. He has to know—]
He tried to talk to a mop. Is that... usual, for him?
[Like, it was quite funny, but still! Embarrassing.]
it is now... did you know st felix is the patron saint of spiders
[Well, thank the goddess for one small blessing! Or is that bit of good fortune canceled out by meeting Dimitri? Felix Arithmetic™ is tough—but no matter. Any decent humor disappears in an instant the moment the mop incident is mentioned; it's evident in the way his expression turns, ah, quite pinched, because what a question to ask this person in particular.]
It's an improvement.
[Bitter, bitter, bitter,—and Felix knows, on some level, that this is not fair; like, this Dimitri is not that Dimitri, but! Well! He doesn't want to think about the boar, much less talk about him, so:]
...At least Ingrid is tolerable.
[A true compliment for one of his oldest, dearest friends. But while he could—and totally should—shift topics, he needs a second to. Consider. Dimitri talking to a fuckin' mop. ...Disgusting.]
[He talked to a mop and then he judged Constantin for refusing to talk to a mop, it was a whole thing. Never mind why they were off messing around with mops in the first place, or that Constantin tried to get him to use one as a lance. Unimportant details.
Or: there's nothing subtle about that expression or that answer, and Constantin thinks Dimitri is Quite Alright, but he supposes he can pass on that conversation for right now. He knows he wouldn't want to keep talking about someone that made him make that face! Wow!]
She insisted on escorting me around the party, the other night. Apparently it's untoward to look for hidden passages in the home of a mysterious shadowy figure, who knew!
[But she was totally into the adventure, he could tell. She'll admit it one day...]
[The Tale of Felix and Dimitri is long and complicated and blah, blah, blah; Felix can't help but to be, ah, even more prickly than usual when that old friend is brought up—but Ingrid is a much more tolerable old friend to think about? Especially if she's out there fussing at people other than Felix. Hmm. Give him a second to imagine her, like, standing in front of Constantin, hands on her hips as she launches into one of her lectures...
...Heh. His shoulders, unbeknownst to him, drop the slightest bit, hackles lowering. Of course she did that. Mother Hen Ingrid is real, even in Fellden, and it's... bittersweet.]
Tolerable enough.
[Tsunlation: Felix likes them just fine, but that's all he has to say about their ~worth~ as he crosses his arms.]
Perhaps you'll meet Mercedes at the university. You'll both be studying magic. [An awkward sort of beat, and then, because he's not about to let THIS topic shifting opportunity go:] ...Are you familiar with it?
[Constantin is standing in the doorway, Felix is standing on the opposite side of the room... you know, it's fine? It's fine. This is a normal conversation for sure.]
[Constantin is going to stay here in the doorway until Felix invites him in, thanks, or more accurately: until Felix snaps at him for leaving the door open for so long, or some other Imaginary Flaw of staying all the way over here instead of coming in properly.
So: it's totally fine! Felix can have his friendship feelings at a safe distance, and Constantin will stay over here. Magic is the perfect subject change, and he perks up immediately. Oho!!]
Magic? [Uhhh-- uhhhh.] You could call it a passing familiarity, I suppose!
[He shrugs one shoulder, absent-mindedly reaching up to fuss at his own hair like it's out of place. Ha, how does one express his particular familiarity with magic, though... He can't think of any way that doesn't sound like way too much, so he won't! Cool!]
I am not a... [he wiggles his fingers, for effect:] magician, however, or anything of that sort. There is magic in my world, but I was never trained in it.
[So Constantin is going to stay there forever, then! Neat! Or: Felix fails to see the point in being polite for appearances' sake, but he's not impossible; like, once he's over The Dimitri Thing, it only takes him a few seconds to realize that the current state of things is... stupid. He's being stupid, and for what? Because this space is His, and the only other person who's stepped foot into is Marianne?
...It's a thing to think about, even as he watches Constantin waggle his fingers at him like an idiot. SO that's magic, is it? Felix snorts.]
It requires dedication.
[Much like swordsmanship, so is this... a light burn? An attempt to singe, if you will? You got it. But while he's curious about this so-called ~passing familiarity~, he merely watches Constantin for a moment longer. Hmm.]
But you chose to train here. [Just a fact he states as he leans back against the wall, making himself somewhat comfortable before he asks:] Why?
[You know, he's genuinely... curious. What does this weird man want to accomplish?]
[Why is he being judged for this... He blinks, a little surprised, but he does think about it. First of all, though—]
I am a governor at home, as I've told you... the paths don't intersect, generally speaking.
[Magic, at least the magic he's witnessed for most of his life, is primarily employed by, hmm, another country's zealots? And so Constantin's position would not grant him magic lessons, but Felix is probably not interested in some other world's politics. Anyway, don't interrogate him...]
As for this world— I wanted to learn! Why do you ask?
[And Felix, of course, is thinking of magic in the terms of his world. Nobles can—and do!—learn this shit, unless they're a) weak, b) spoiled, or c) all of the above.]
To know what you want to learn. [And now it's Felix's turn to shrug, because well, if you want him to be blunt:] I can hardly imagine you in a battle.
[Which isn't really a drag? Some people, like Felix, are raised to fight; some people, like Connie, are... not. Or don't seem to be, anyway, but who knows.]
[Please! Maybe some people just want to learn magic to scratch a particular itch to, hmm, have... magic? It's allowed. But forget about that and about battle and listen to this:]
[Now that earns him a rather unimpressed look, because in case you haven't noticed, sir, you have been drafted into a war? A war in which neither side is eager to make a move, true, but the possibility is there. It's always there. Only a fool would think nothing of it...
A fool, or, again, someone who has not been raised—forced!—to fight.]
Useful. [In.................. BATTLE!] Maybe. What do you intend to burn?
[Enemies and not this building they both live in, hopefully. Look: everything comes back to fighting, in the end, so learning destructive magic Just Because seems DUMB.]
[Until he sees a real battle, this is all bullshit anyway!!]
Anything I want, more or less.
[Like, at the moment he can light a candle, but that's surely going to improve with the sheer amount of time he has to spend at that school. Give him a week and he'll burn down a house.
...but, okay, since some people can't get over the battle thing:] I may have agreed to come, but whatever else I happen to learn here is for my own sake, not theirs.
[Sorry Flex is pessimistically practical! So, simply:]
They'll order you to use what you've learned. You're a fool if you think otherwise.
[Now, Felix would happily disobey any order he didn't agree with, but would Connie? He doesn't know. The man may have touched his hand (which we're not thinking about, thank you very much), but he doesn't... know him yet. It's a process.
But they're in his room, more or less? Liam is nappin' in the sunlight? War is war, but it isn't here. Even Felix can appreciate that, which is why he cants his head, deciding to fall back on sarcasm.]
[Is he going to be very stern and call him a fool half a dozen more times?? Constantin will keep a tally going. But more seriously, he's not actually careless enough to destroy something important, at least not accidentally! So he waves a hand, dismissing that whole thought.]
I'm not concerned at the moment! You worry too much.
[He calls it like he sees it, Constantin. Ya fool.]
I know when to take things seriously.
[And that, of course, is Always, even if he's not all Ingrid-y about it. He does not give lectures; he just, uh, gives the occasional speech, but it's fine, he's fine, he's fully justified in pulling a face at the thought of being a mother fuckin' hen.]
And I know what to expect from a war, but I have no intention of lecturing you. Do as you please.
[Uh huh, sure. He's seen The Clock, he knows Felix has at least 2% mother hen in him. It's Known.]
Battles? It's battles, isn't it.
[Ha, never mind. He shrugs, because something about sending the novice magic user to the front lines sounds stupid even to him, the one who knows nothing at all about war.]
Combat is not my forte, so I'm sure they'll try to have me perform some other abhorrent task. It isn't as if I intend to ask what, before someone notices me.
[It's less about being sent to the front lines and more about the many things that come with a war? He's fought off cultists and bandits and skeletons over the past few months, and that's just while he's been, like, meandering from small village to small village; the factions don't need to have long, drawn-out battles for things to still be bad, and wouldn't it suck if Constantin was ordered to leave the relative safety of the Moon Temple and ran across...
...Well! You know. He's lived and breathed this shit for five long, tiring years.]
Prepare yourself before they do. [No, it's NOT a lecture! It's not!] Learn to defend yourself.
[With a sword, of course. Because he's a swordboy. Magic is neat but swords are COOLER, so hey, tell him about that neat blessing...]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i rebuke it
But as Liam pushes past Felix to survey his kingdom, Felix can't help but to glance down the hallway. They've been this close the entire time? Really? Not that he spends all that much time here; he's up at four in the morning to train and he normally doesn't come back until it's late as hell, but.]
No. Why would I?
[As blunt as ever, because he does not socialize, Connie. Even this bit of chatter is beyond him. What is the point here? The cat, surely, which is why, after what is probably an awkward beat, he offers up a shrug.]
If he comes to your room again, don't let him in. He's only looking for food.
i'll try again
What does he like? I'll bring something back with me next time I wander into town.
[He will feed this cat... And technically he didn't let him in this time so much as open a door unsuspectingly while a cat was nearby, so that isn't his fault.]
And there happens to be a small tree in my quarters now, as outlandish as that sounds, which he took to rather enthusiastically! [cats!] If he were to leave my desk alone, I wouldn't mind the occasional visit.
i see how 2020 is going to go
Feed him and your desk will be the least of your concerns. He'll never leave.
[Or, well. He'll certainly swing by on the daily to take advantage of this stupid human, but more importantly: a tree just ~happened~ to show up in his room, hmm? A weird way to phrase it, so, naturally:]
What type of tree?
[Is he imagining an ornamental shrub? Ya damn right. Maybe he should he get one for Li—no, no.]
i can't not say it, so, you have 2020 vision????
A... tree. [He gestures, a little uncertainly? Like, it's a tree, Felix. It's legitimately a tree and it's probably magical, otherwise what would it be doing in there. How did this happen.]
From what I can tell, it is actually a tree from the forests of my world, albeit quite young! If it springs to greater life, I will have to move it outdoors somehow...
[It's weird. That said, Liam likes it, so it's all good.]
can't believe i have to block you on every platform! sad!!
How big can it—
[—be, obviously, but before he can say that one tiny word, there's the unmistakable sound of a solid something hitting the floor behind him? Followed by the sound of... several smaller somethings, like, rolling around, and so sorry, Constantin, but Felix whirls right around to see what the fuck is going on. Three, two, one—]
You.
[Cat!! But while Felix hurries to shoo Liam away from his desk, the door to his room is open, so... well? Come on in, Constantin. It's plain, as far as rooms go; spare cloaks are thrown over the single chair and the foot of the bed, small pieces of parchment (and hair ties, naturally) litter his nightstand, and both a bow and a nearly empty quiver are sitting on the floor beside a very content-looking Liam. Does he care that Felix is muttering rude things as he scoops up the arrows that have spilled everywhere... nah...
But the real star of the show is the dumb clock on the wall! But instead of numbers, locations and statuses are listed—and there are, uh, multiple pairs of hands, each of which are engraved with what might just be some familiar-sounding names: Dimitri, Sylvain, Ingrid, Mercedes. Yeehaw...]
how can i deny that setup! you would have done the same!
So while he's here on, ahem, cat escape prevention duty, and Felix is being mean to cats and objects alike down there by the floor, who could blame him for glancing around the room? No one... the door is open... Hm!
And look at that clock, especially, wow. Felix already told him that his friends from home are on the other side here, so is this them? He has a clock with their names on it? That would be absolutely unbelievable if, like, a tree hadn't appeared fully formed in Constantin's own room recently— a friendship clock is almost reasonable in comparison to a whole tree. Look at that thing! Dang! Even more evidence of Felix's tender emotions.
Eventually he clears his throat, just to remind everybody that he's still here and witnessing all of this.]
Would you like a hand?
[Should he hold the cat? He's still, like, looking at the clock while he says this, don't mind that.]
how dare you insult me like this?
And Felix, for his part, is so busy collecting the aforementioned fifty arrows that Constantin all but slips his mind; it isn't until he speaks that Felix, like, actually casts a glance back his way, and oh, but it's obvious what he's looking at. Time for Felix to mentally kick himself and offer up a somewhat short:]
No.
[He's got this. Arrows go in the quiver; quiver leans against the side of the desk; bow is carefully placed atop the desk itself. There! Done! Now he can stand up like a normal human being and... shoo Constantin away, or something, but instead—ah, hell. As dumb as it is, he feels the strange urge to say something.]
I didn't ask for... that. [Like, just to make that clear. JUST in case Constantin was getting the wrong idea here.] Death has a bizarre sense of humor. Choose your blessings carefully, if you ask for them at all.
[Do you want to hear about the time this clock teleported him right on top of Dimitri's bed? Actually, let's not. He'll never be over that.]
embrace your fucking fate, coward
So: Felix's valiant defense of his friendship clock, which is highly convincing, and earns him only one slightly skeptical raised eyebrow. Constantin crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe, considering this... advice. He shrugs.]
I was generously provided with university tuition when I asked for it.
[He's a wizard now!! He wanted magic and a cool sword and he got both— Felix is obviously very unlucky or a liar, equally likely when it comes to this clock. Constantin looks at it again, then:]
I believe I've met some of your- [enh] -associates.
excuse u, ma'am, this is a christian inbox
...Wait! Wait, wait, wait. That flat look turns into a look of consideration, both because Connie learning magic and Connie recognizing some names on his clock catch him by surprise. They seem so far away... because he tries to make sure they stay far away; like, this reminder that they're closer than he'd like to believe is, mmm, mildly uncomfortable. God damn. Time to cross his arms and pretend that he's judging the world and everything in it, as per usual.]
Not Sylvain, I hope. [PFFT!] I refuse to apologize on his behalf.
[That's Ingrid's job.]
is it though
No...? [Who is this mystery man and does he know how to party. Constantin holds up two fingers, because it's just the two-] Ingrid and Dimitri.
[A pause. He has to know—]
He tried to talk to a mop. Is that... usual, for him?
[Like, it was quite funny, but still! Embarrassing.]
it is now... did you know st felix is the patron saint of spiders
It's an improvement.
[Bitter, bitter, bitter,—and Felix knows, on some level, that this is not fair; like, this Dimitri is not that Dimitri, but! Well! He doesn't want to think about the boar, much less talk about him, so:]
...At least Ingrid is tolerable.
[A true compliment for one of his oldest, dearest friends. But while he could—and totally should—shift topics, he needs a second to. Consider. Dimitri talking to a fuckin' mop. ...Disgusting.]
hmm i don't like that
Or: there's nothing subtle about that expression or that answer, and Constantin thinks Dimitri is Quite Alright, but he supposes he can pass on that conversation for right now. He knows he wouldn't want to keep talking about someone that made him make that face! Wow!]
She insisted on escorting me around the party, the other night. Apparently it's untoward to look for hidden passages in the home of a mysterious shadowy figure, who knew!
[But she was totally into the adventure, he could tell. She'll admit it one day...]
And how are the other two? Tolerable, as well?
the more you know!
...Heh. His shoulders, unbeknownst to him, drop the slightest bit, hackles lowering. Of course she did that. Mother Hen Ingrid is real, even in Fellden, and it's... bittersweet.]
Tolerable enough.
[Tsunlation: Felix likes them just fine, but that's all he has to say about their ~worth~ as he crosses his arms.]
Perhaps you'll meet Mercedes at the university. You'll both be studying magic. [An awkward sort of beat, and then, because he's not about to let THIS topic shifting opportunity go:] ...Are you familiar with it?
[Constantin is standing in the doorway, Felix is standing on the opposite side of the room... you know, it's fine? It's fine. This is a normal conversation for sure.]
8-legged disgust....
So: it's totally fine! Felix can have his friendship feelings at a safe distance, and Constantin will stay over here. Magic is the perfect subject change, and he perks up immediately. Oho!!]
Magic? [Uhhh-- uhhhh.] You could call it a passing familiarity, I suppose!
[He shrugs one shoulder, absent-mindedly reaching up to fuss at his own hair like it's out of place. Ha, how does one express his particular familiarity with magic, though... He can't think of any way that doesn't sound like way too much, so he won't! Cool!]
I am not a... [he wiggles his fingers, for effect:] magician, however, or anything of that sort. There is magic in my world, but I was never trained in it.
next blessing for connie: a cool pet spider
...It's a thing to think about, even as he watches Constantin waggle his fingers at him like an idiot. SO that's magic, is it? Felix snorts.]
It requires dedication.
[Much like swordsmanship, so is this... a light burn? An attempt to singe, if you will? You got it. But while he's curious about this so-called ~passing familiarity~, he merely watches Constantin for a moment longer. Hmm.]
But you chose to train here. [Just a fact he states as he leans back against the wall, making himself somewhat comfortable before he asks:] Why?
[You know, he's genuinely... curious. What does this weird man want to accomplish?]
he'll die! thanks!
I am a governor at home, as I've told you... the paths don't intersect, generally speaking.
[Magic, at least the magic he's witnessed for most of his life, is primarily employed by, hmm, another country's zealots? And so Constantin's position would not grant him magic lessons, but Felix is probably not interested in some other world's politics. Anyway, don't interrogate him...]
As for this world— I wanted to learn! Why do you ask?
name it felix jr
To know what you want to learn. [And now it's Felix's turn to shrug, because well, if you want him to be blunt:] I can hardly imagine you in a battle.
[Which isn't really a drag? Some people, like Felix, are raised to fight; some people, like Connie, are... not. Or don't seem to be, anyway, but who knows.]
no he's going to squish it
Not everything has to end in battle, Felix.
[Please! Maybe some people just want to learn magic to scratch a particular itch to, hmm, have... magic? It's allowed. But forget about that and about battle and listen to this:]
I learned how to start a fire!
so name it dante
A fool, or, again, someone who has not been raised—forced!—to fight.]
Useful. [In.................. BATTLE!] Maybe. What do you intend to burn?
[Enemies and not this building they both live in, hopefully. Look: everything comes back to fighting, in the end, so learning destructive magic Just Because seems DUMB.]
ice cold
Anything I want, more or less.
[Like, at the moment he can light a candle, but that's surely going to improve with the sheer amount of time he has to spend at that school. Give him a week and he'll burn down a house.
...but, okay, since some people can't get over the battle thing:] I may have agreed to come, but whatever else I happen to learn here is for my own sake, not theirs.
["Actually, fuck this" - Connie 2020]
no subject
They'll order you to use what you've learned. You're a fool if you think otherwise.
[Now, Felix would happily disobey any order he didn't agree with, but would Connie? He doesn't know. The man may have touched his hand (which we're not thinking about, thank you very much), but he doesn't... know him yet. It's a process.
But they're in his room, more or less? Liam is nappin' in the sunlight? War is war, but it isn't here. Even Felix can appreciate that, which is why he cants his head, deciding to fall back on sarcasm.]
Try not to destroy anything important.
no subject
Are you going to lecture me?
[Is he going to be very stern and call him a fool half a dozen more times?? Constantin will keep a tally going. But more seriously, he's not actually careless enough to destroy something important, at least not accidentally! So he waves a hand, dismissing that whole thought.]
I'm not concerned at the moment! You worry too much.
no subject
I know when to take things seriously.
[And that, of course, is Always, even if he's not all Ingrid-y about it. He does not give lectures; he just, uh, gives the occasional speech, but it's fine, he's fine, he's fully justified in pulling a face at the thought of being a mother fuckin' hen.]
And I know what to expect from a war, but I have no intention of lecturing you. Do as you please.
no subject
Battles? It's battles, isn't it.
[Ha, never mind. He shrugs, because something about sending the novice magic user to the front lines sounds stupid even to him, the one who knows nothing at all about war.]
Combat is not my forte, so I'm sure they'll try to have me perform some other abhorrent task. It isn't as if I intend to ask what, before someone notices me.
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...Well! You know. He's lived and breathed this shit for five long, tiring years.]
Prepare yourself before they do. [No, it's NOT a lecture! It's not!] Learn to defend yourself.
[With a sword, of course. Because he's a swordboy. Magic is neat but swords are COOLER, so hey, tell him about that neat blessing...]
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hellooooooo dreamwidthhh
that echo... spooky...
it's the ghost of my first tag
and now this inbox is haunted! great!
you already cursed it with spiders, at least ghosts can be fun