[Lobelia hadn't been expecting company. Sat alone in a booth in a far corner of the newly revealed restaurant, he has a clear view of the entrance. When Childermass walks in, he's delightedβ enough so that he'll rise to greet him at the entry way with a welcoming wave.]
Bonjour monsieur Childermass! What a pleasant surprise. Did you come here to sample the cuisine? It's not quite as good as Maman's cooking, but there's no replacement for that.
[ If Lobelia wasn't at the study, then the next place to check was, inevitably, the one place here that is obviously French, and lo and behold... ]
Dining alone, Mr. Lobelia?
[ He asks with a nod of greeting on his own part, approaching the booth casually. While he does give the new building itself a curious look over as he walks through it, his attention is only on Lobelia once he's at the man's booth. ]
Though no, I was not exactly planning to eat anything. I was hoping to find you out and about, actually.
[Don't be too concerned. Some people are simply loners by nature... or as a consequence of their choices. In either case, Lobelia motions for Childermass to take a seat while he slides back onto his side of the booth.]
Ah, but I was on your mind, was I? Je m'excuse if you were out searching long. The weather has taken an unfavorable turn.
[ It's about the same with Childermass, meaning he doesn't really question it as he takes a seat on the other side of the booth. ]
It does seem that winter is upon us... Thankfully, Blade thought to bring me a coat before I did anything foolish like tromping around without.
[ And so he has, having black (god i hope it's black, maple just told me blade's bringing a coat sklnfssfd) coat to help him against the wind and snow. It's certainly a more modern style, but he can't exactly be picky with the foul weather outside.
But onto why he's actually here. He'll fold his hands on top of the table and lean forward slightly. ]
Back during the trial, at the end, after... [ After that. He does not like to show emotion often, or too strongly, but even he has to pause and settle the horror that even recalling what happened with Yuki brings. His lips purse into a thin line, a grimace, but then he continues. ] ...When Yuki transformed, you used audiomancy to help subdue him, did you not?
[Ah. It's a question Lobelia expected, and one he doesn't mind answering. He takes a moment to do so, sipping from his wine glass, before answering Childermass's query.]
Oui. I'm far from my full strength, mind you, so I took a gamble. I thought perhaps Monsieur Yuki would refuse to go down without a fight... but luckily, he succumbed easily enough.
[Lobelia reflects on that day, that moment, with ease. Emotion doesn't reach his eyes. His smile is as warm and genial as ever.]
You're thinking along the right lines... but there's more to it than that, cher loup.
[Lobelia clicks his tongue. He's neither good at explaining things, nor does he delight in it. The way he conceptualizes things is starkly different than how others do, he's come to find.
But for lovely Childermass? Well, he'll try his best.]
To put it simply... I shaped the clap into a focused shockwave. When it struck Monsieur Yukinosuke's skull, it caused a brief pressure spike in the brain. Nothing dramatic, nothing permanent... just enough to scramble his neurons for a heartbeat and put him under.
A very delicate concussion, crafted from sound alone. VoilΓ . That is as plain as I can make it.
[ There's a faint tilt of his head at what Lobelia calls him. Dear wolf? Perhaps he'd seen his transformation after all... But that's not important. Childermass listens closely, trying to imagine how that works the best he can. ]
Shaping it into such a targeted strike, without even touching anyone that he had in his hands, and without any permanent damage...
[ Does he sound impressed? Yes, he does. ]
I imagine you'd be able to take a head clean off at full strength doing that. It's a frightful thought.
To think of taking a head clean off with a clap... très bien. A dramatic image, non?
[He lifts a hand, index finger idly circling the pad of his thumb.]
Sound can be a subtle companion. Precise, efficient. It leaves very little behind when used properly. At the same time... a cacophony of sound will leave the most merveilleux mess behind. It's a very versatile magic.
[ Having someone else make tea for you when you're the one used to making the tea is a funny turn of fate. It is nice, though, and it brings a slight smirk to his face as he even thinks that. Very funny indeed, though he won't let her in on the joke.
There are better things to discuss. ]
I did. It would seem a shame to only talk to Mr. Lobelia about his audiomancy, but not to you about the magic of your... star, isn't it?
[ World, star. He figured out the meaning quickly enough, even if, in theory, a world couldn't be an actual star. ]
[ It's a very unique usage of the word. Eorzeans outted immediately. ]
I know mostly about astrologians and their cards, as well as some of their magic. Given who I spend the most time around, though, I doubt that's surprising... He hasn't really gone too in-depth about anything else, however.
[ He'll find a seat while he answers, wherever she happens to be sitting, to make sure they at least have a spot near one another, not only for tea, but for the discussion as well. ]
She's in one of the chairs next to a small table, so she'll smile when he takes the seat next to the other side of it. ]
I wonder why.
[ It's not unlike Urianger to stay tight lipped about certain things, but she knows better than to say as much. ]
Has he mentioned that our star has aether flowing through it? Aether lies within near anything you could imagine, from the ink used on paper to the very food we eat. It is that selfsame aether that we draw forth our magicks.
[ Well, in simple terms. She'll gladly go into the void and elementals too. ]
[ Oh, Childermass knows exactly why, and he'll crack a somewhat sheepish smile over it. ]
I fear we tend to get distracted by comparing our different methods of divination when discussing the magic of our two worlds...
[ They're card nerds, Y'shtola. Huge card nerds. This is some Magic: The Gathering level bullshit. In any case, aether feels like a word that's been mentioned before, and that's an excellent start. ]
So something akin to the soul? Or just... the energy of life, existing? I believe Blade's world has something similar. He called it essence, though.
[ Wow. Nerd alert for real... but it's amusing nevertheless. ]
I would liken it closer to the energy of life, yes.
[ Souls are something else entirely, something a lot more complex. ]
This energy exists within all things, from the stone under our feet to the leaves on the branches of a tree. Individuals themselves have their own signatures, oft dependent upon certain circumstances.
[ Like the Warrior of Light sticking out like a very bright sore thumb. ]
[ Now he has to wonder how his own signature must look... ]
So magic is drawn from this aether, which exists in all things. How do you stop yourself from drawing too much of it? Surely it cannot be without risk.
[Yesterday was uniquely exhausting, but that's just The Fatal Illness kicking in, Lobelia figures. Rather than lose his way trying to find Childermass, he invites him to his study where he's presently reclined on the couch. Lobelia raises a hand in greeting when Childermass enters.]
[ And Childermass finds no cause not to attend the man in his own study. It is as good a place as any and no doubt most comfortable for Lobelia himself. ]
Of course. You can't imagine my displeasure to find out that you are ill from anyone other than yourself, Lobelia.
[ If there's no protestation, he'll pull a chair up to sit by the couch. ]
Oui... and I'm sure you would want to hear that reasoning.
[Lobelia wasn't so willing to talk yesterday, but surely Childermass understands why. You have to choose whom you place your trust in carefully when all you've known are the shadows.]
My being ill is a direct consequence of my foolish wish. I did not intend to make a spectacle of my own mistake.
me totally forgetting he's here on crutches for two seconds omg
[ While he could point out that plenty have fallen ill from their foolish wishes, past and present, it isn't as though he doesn't understand. Childermass had literally been telling people to stop trying to help him just these past two days, and his own problem isn't even close to "fatal illness"... Yet, anyway.
Once he's gotten the chair over and gets himself seated, he'll lean the crutches against the side of it so that they're simple enough to reach for. ]
And I'm sure you did not want everyone expecting you to turn into a rampaging beast at any moment.
[ Still, he sighs, and tries to put that feeling of not being among the trusted out of his mind. Lobelia has trusted him with his partner. That is enough. ]
I will not ask about your wish, foolish or not. It doesn't really matter anymore. How have the others been treating you? The ones who knew? Well, I hope.
well now lobelia's a jackass for not getting up and fetching his chair
[That's the bulk of the issue right there. Lobelia turns on his side, cheek resting against his palm.]
I have to be especially mindful of my words around so many excitable people.
[He doesn't have the strength to fight them off in his condition, either. If he did, Lobelia would have less incentive to self-censor.]
The few I have confided in treat me so kindly that I hardly know what to do with myself. It's a bit novel, is all. And you...
[...Lobelia's eyes narrow. It takes him a moment to cobble his thoughts into something concrete.]
If I did not trust you similarly, I would have ignored your message. I am only going to get worse, Childermass. More dangerous. I can't afford to trust many.
it's fine childermass hates help just ask his friends
I think it my own fault that I did not pay better attention. I did indeed notice something amiss, only I thought it related to the loss of Ramuda.
[ Maybe it still was, in part. ]
It isn't your trust I'd question, anyhow, even if Alhaitham's silence did rub me the wrong way. [ alhaitham going into a containment zone on the cr chart ] Spreading too much too far across too many... I will survive the initial distaste.
[ That said! ]
Admittedly, I am also here, in part, at Ramuda's request. He is not fond of your caretakers, but that also does not surprise me much.
so what i'm hearing is we need to be babysitting childermass instead
You can blame me in part for Alhaitham's silence. Knowing how some people are liable to react... I had to be certain his sharing of information did not paint a target on my back.
[He's got enough going on as it is without over eager would-be murderers coming for his head. Sure, he could acknowledge that the amount of concern people expressed for him swiftly outweighed any fears of being sniped mid-confession... but Lobelia's still wrapping his head around all that. So many kind words. So many friends. He's fortunate, yet undeserving.]
Mm... but non, that does not surprise me neither. Ramuda is particular about such things. If he were here, I am quite certain he would insist on looking after me all on his own.
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Week 2, monday
Bonjour monsieur Childermass! What a pleasant surprise. Did you come here to sample the cuisine? It's not quite as good as Maman's cooking, but there's no replacement for that.
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Dining alone, Mr. Lobelia?
[ He asks with a nod of greeting on his own part, approaching the booth casually. While he does give the new building itself a curious look over as he walks through it, his attention is only on Lobelia once he's at the man's booth. ]
Though no, I was not exactly planning to eat anything. I was hoping to find you out and about, actually.
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[Don't be too concerned. Some people are simply loners by nature... or as a consequence of their choices. In either case, Lobelia motions for Childermass to take a seat while he slides back onto his side of the booth.]
Ah, but I was on your mind, was I? Je m'excuse if you were out searching long. The weather has taken an unfavorable turn.
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It does seem that winter is upon us... Thankfully, Blade thought to bring me a coat before I did anything foolish like tromping around without.
[ And so he has, having black (god i hope it's black, maple just told me blade's bringing a coat sklnfssfd) coat to help him against the wind and snow. It's certainly a more modern style, but he can't exactly be picky with the foul weather outside.
But onto why he's actually here. He'll fold his hands on top of the table and lean forward slightly. ]
Back during the trial, at the end, after... [ After that. He does not like to show emotion often, or too strongly, but even he has to pause and settle the horror that even recalling what happened with Yuki brings. His lips purse into a thin line, a grimace, but then he continues. ] ...When Yuki transformed, you used audiomancy to help subdue him, did you not?
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Oui. I'm far from my full strength, mind you, so I took a gamble. I thought perhaps Monsieur Yuki would refuse to go down without a fight... but luckily, he succumbed easily enough.
[Lobelia reflects on that day, that moment, with ease. Emotion doesn't reach his eyes. His smile is as warm and genial as ever.]
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[ Because it would have been messy, he's sure. ]
But what was it that you did? I saw you clapping, which would be the sound you used, I assume?
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[Lobelia clicks his tongue. He's neither good at explaining things, nor does he delight in it. The way he conceptualizes things is starkly different than how others do, he's come to find.
But for lovely Childermass? Well, he'll try his best.]
To put it simply... I shaped the clap into a focused shockwave. When it struck Monsieur Yukinosuke's skull, it caused a brief pressure spike in the brain. Nothing dramatic, nothing permanent... just enough to scramble his neurons for a heartbeat and put him under.
A very delicate concussion, crafted from sound alone. VoilΓ . That is as plain as I can make it.
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Shaping it into such a targeted strike, without even touching anyone that he had in his hands, and without any permanent damage...
[ Does he sound impressed? Yes, he does. ]
I imagine you'd be able to take a head clean off at full strength doing that. It's a frightful thought.
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[He smiles, warm as candlelight.]
To think of taking a head clean off with a clap... très bien. A dramatic image, non?
[He lifts a hand, index finger idly circling the pad of his thumb.]
Sound can be a subtle companion. Precise, efficient. It leaves very little behind when used properly. At the same time... a cacophony of sound will leave the most merveilleux mess behind. It's a very versatile magic.
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week 3, thursday
When the door opens, she turns towards it. ]
Had a desire to discuss magicks, did you?
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There are better things to discuss. ]
I did. It would seem a shame to only talk to Mr. Lobelia about his audiomancy, but not to you about the magic of your... star, isn't it?
[ World, star. He figured out the meaning quickly enough, even if, in theory, a world couldn't be an actual star. ]
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[ She smiles, somewhat. There have been others here who have been tripped up on the use of the word "star". ]
What do you know of it thus far?
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I know mostly about astrologians and their cards, as well as some of their magic. Given who I spend the most time around, though, I doubt that's surprising... He hasn't really gone too in-depth about anything else, however.
[ He'll find a seat while he answers, wherever she happens to be sitting, to make sure they at least have a spot near one another, not only for tea, but for the discussion as well. ]
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She's in one of the chairs next to a small table, so she'll smile when he takes the seat next to the other side of it. ]
I wonder why.
[ It's not unlike Urianger to stay tight lipped about certain things, but she knows better than to say as much. ]
Has he mentioned that our star has aether flowing through it? Aether lies within near anything you could imagine, from the ink used on paper to the very food we eat. It is that selfsame aether that we draw forth our magicks.
[ Well, in simple terms. She'll gladly go into the void and elementals too. ]
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I fear we tend to get distracted by comparing our different methods of divination when discussing the magic of our two worlds...
[ They're card nerds, Y'shtola. Huge card nerds. This is some Magic: The Gathering level bullshit. In any case, aether feels like a word that's been mentioned before, and that's an excellent start. ]
So something akin to the soul? Or just... the energy of life, existing? I believe Blade's world has something similar. He called it essence, though.
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I would liken it closer to the energy of life, yes.
[ Souls are something else entirely, something a lot more complex. ]
This energy exists within all things, from the stone under our feet to the leaves on the branches of a tree. Individuals themselves have their own signatures, oft dependent upon certain circumstances.
[ Like the Warrior of Light sticking out like a very bright sore thumb. ]
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So magic is drawn from this aether, which exists in all things. How do you stop yourself from drawing too much of it? Surely it cannot be without risk.
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Week 4, sunday
So eager to visit after today's fun and games?
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Of course. You can't imagine my displeasure to find out that you are ill from anyone other than yourself, Lobelia.
[ If there's no protestation, he'll pull a chair up to sit by the couch. ]
Even though I am sure you have your reasons...
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[Lobelia wasn't so willing to talk yesterday, but surely Childermass understands why. You have to choose whom you place your trust in carefully when all you've known are the shadows.]
My being ill is a direct consequence of my foolish wish. I did not intend to make a spectacle of my own mistake.
me totally forgetting he's here on crutches for two seconds omg
Once he's gotten the chair over and gets himself seated, he'll lean the crutches against the side of it so that they're simple enough to reach for. ]
And I'm sure you did not want everyone expecting you to turn into a rampaging beast at any moment.
[ Still, he sighs, and tries to put that feeling of not being among the trusted out of his mind. Lobelia has trusted him with his partner. That is enough. ]
I will not ask about your wish, foolish or not. It doesn't really matter anymore. How have the others been treating you? The ones who knew? Well, I hope.
well now lobelia's a jackass for not getting up and fetching his chair
I have to be especially mindful of my words around so many excitable people.
[He doesn't have the strength to fight them off in his condition, either. If he did, Lobelia would have less incentive to self-censor.]
The few I have confided in treat me so kindly that I hardly know what to do with myself. It's a bit novel, is all. And you...
[...Lobelia's eyes narrow. It takes him a moment to cobble his thoughts into something concrete.]
If I did not trust you similarly, I would have ignored your message. I am only going to get worse, Childermass. More dangerous. I can't afford to trust many.
it's fine childermass hates help just ask his friends
[ Maybe it still was, in part. ]
It isn't your trust I'd question, anyhow, even if Alhaitham's silence did rub me the wrong way. [
alhaitham going into a containment zone on the cr chart] Spreading too much too far across too many... I will survive the initial distaste.[ That said! ]
Admittedly, I am also here, in part, at Ramuda's request. He is not fond of your caretakers, but that also does not surprise me much.
so what i'm hearing is we need to be babysitting childermass instead
[He's got enough going on as it is without over eager would-be murderers coming for his head. Sure, he could acknowledge that the amount of concern people expressed for him swiftly outweighed any fears of being sniped mid-confession... but Lobelia's still wrapping his head around all that. So many kind words. So many friends. He's fortunate, yet undeserving.]
Mm... but non, that does not surprise me neither. Ramuda is particular about such things. If he were here, I am quite certain he would insist on looking after me all on his own.
god knows urianger is trying but he needs help
[ That whole thing between the two the week before? Questionable. ]
Though I think I might be entertained to see how Ramuda would deal with him if he were here himself...
[ Does Childermass want to see that cat fight? Kind of, actually. Yeah. ]
praying for uwuwanger
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