[ Rare enough to be understood in such a way that Childermass can actually forgive Lobelia for being French— wait, no, okay, he doesn't care about that, but it is still good to find such mutual ground. ]
Seems only fair, doesn't it? I can hardly ply you for the secrets of your audiomancy and not share any part of myself in return, now can I?
[There is nothing that forgives the crime of being French, let's be real here. Lobelia is just pleased to have the company of another mage with no inclination to kill him.]
Mm! I only wish I could show you the full extent of my magic... and in turn, that I could witness yours. We are both inclined to work alone, but it's our similarities that fascinate me.
Go on! Tell me more about yourself, Monsieur Childermass. Whatever you are comfortable revealing. You may not think yourself a fascinating man, but I disagree.
[ There's another sound of amusement, however quiet, and he leans back in the booth again. ]
Only if we're exchanging tit-for-tat. I am not a man who likes to speak of himself at length, you realize.
[ And Lobelia must, if he realizes how much he works alone, how much he works in secret, but he won't leave him without some tidbit to tempt him with. ]
But I am willing to say that before I found myself in the service of a magician, I was quite the thief. It is why I believe that trick with the shadows came naturally to me. I cannot recall a single time that I have been caught.
[Lobelia's smile curls. Sure. He'll answer Childermass's questions like a good boy... so long as he takes care to ask the right ones.]
Oui. We shall make it an even exchange.
[But the mention of Childermass's former occupation widens his grin. Intriguing— and perfectly befitting a man born of shadow.]
C'est fascinant. I wonder if a dash of luck played its part as well. Ah, but there is one thing about being slippery enough to escape every snare with your life...
[ There isn't so much as a waver in his face when Lobelia suggests that. To escape every time is to leave people behind, and, well, Childermass offers a slight nod after a moment of thought. ]
Yes... I learned quickly to work alone.
[ And have no friends, but that, he's found, makes people sad when it's said out loud. ]
It was wiser to be a one-man operation or, more aptly, one-boy, I suppose. Most of my years spent as a thief were before I was a grown man.
[Ah, but he doesn't have to worry about making Lobelia sad. The knowing look in his eyes says he understands. His slow nod suggests it's nothing to shed a tear over, familiar as the notion is.]
Je comprends. What others would call underhanded or delinquent is how men like us survive. It isn't a crime unless you get caught.
[Even then, Childermass might balk if they compare the skeletons in their closet.]
But tell me, are you happier being alone? It's hard to be without companionship— anyone who would deny that is fooling themselves.
[ At least one person here who would not mourn Childermass' isolated lifestyle, then. ]
Am I? It's a good question, though I do not think I have a good answer to it. I am neither happy nor unhappy with it. I have my work, and that requires all my focus, though I am not wholly without companionship, and that is enough for now.
But I believe I've shared enough for my part. What of you? Is there anything you would not mind sharing?
[Neither happy nor unhappy... Lobelia smiles wryly. What an unfortunate commonality they share. But then, he imagines Childermass understands the true shape of happiness even if he seldom holds it. Most people do.]
Moi? I'm an open book, but I fear I may bore you with stories of my youth. I was simply a boy who lived along the shore of a vast inland sea with his loving family... Quite the idéal childhood.
[ That brings some surprise to Childermass' face, if not much. He'll raise his eyebrows at that, but magic takes all types, as does genius, so why not a boy from a simple and kind life? ]
I admit I did not expect that, though now that I think of it, I was not sure what I expected, either. Is that where the idea of the shells for your magic came from? That inland sea?
You're a sharp man, Childermass... and I suppose that depends on the mage.
[lobelia realizing he doesn't give a damn about any of the other magic users in his world]
Some of them call on divine forces, others follow rigid schools of magic... but fewer still have created their own magical framework in the way I have with my audiomancy. Simply put, there are no others who practice it, and only one master. A shame, non?
A shame... Possibly. It would depend on whether you mean to never pass it down to an apprentice or not, though I would suggest you do, or, if not that, write of it. Much of magic's history has been lost to time in my own England, as magic began to die out, and no one was left to teach or even write any it down.
[Clearly, Lobelia had not considered it until now. An apprentice... a living legacy for a form of magic he alone created. Why keep it to himself?]
You make a fine suggestion! I may do that, however, a good student is hard to find. Moreover...
[SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHS]
...Admittedly, I am not the most patient teacher. I fear whoever studies under me would need considerable patience and wit for such an arrangement to work out.
A good student tends to appear when necessary. You need only look. It is not an easy task, though, especially if you have no patience for it. Hm... Someone with a high tolerance for nonsense, then, could be suitable.
[ Although that is not meant to mean Childermass himself is volunteering, far from it. Audiomancy is fascinating, but he is a silent man with quiet magic, and quite the opposite of who should be learning such a noisy magic. ]
A musician, too, I would think, though you never know where you'll find a likely lad or lass.
[And as it happens, Lobelia has met someone here who fits the description of a proper student nicely. Something with a tolerance for bullshit, an inclination towards sound and music... It sure would be a shame if Ramuda beefed it, huh.]
I know precisely who I'll choose, in that case! Provided he's interested, that is.
[ Yeah, it sure would be. Would be such a shame! If! Ramuda! Beefed it!
Although with how quickly Lobelia decides he's found someone who fits that description, Childermass can't help but raise his eyebrows, curious, and... honestly, he's spent enough time with Ramuda by now to have an idea himself. ]
Do you? Hm. I suppose he would be suitable.
[ Yeah, it's kind of obvious. It's like, who else would it even be? ]
[Ah, so Childermass suspects he knows his choice, then? That's unsurprising. Lobelia grins, delighted by his sharp mind.]
While he is a suitable choice, there are ethics to be considered, non? Not everyone who has the aptitude for wielding magic will do so responsibly.
[don't talk to me about irony]
Plus, there is always a cost to pay. Nothing comes cheap, and especially not magic. I would have to verify how much Ramuda is willing to exchange for such power.
Perhaps the most important part of choosing an apprentice, yes... He is a very sharp young man, and there is far more beneath the surface than he shows, though what exactly, I have only seen the barest of myself.
[ So, yes, he has realized there is more to Ramuda than the overly sweet, bubbly personality he throws around. ]
I think he might be willing to pay the cost of such magic, but learning how he would use it, I wonder... Who is he, really? Deep down?
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no subject
Seems only fair, doesn't it? I can hardly ply you for the secrets of your audiomancy and not share any part of myself in return, now can I?
no subject
Mm! I only wish I could show you the full extent of my magic... and in turn, that I could witness yours. We are both inclined to work alone, but it's our similarities that fascinate me.
Go on! Tell me more about yourself, Monsieur Childermass. Whatever you are comfortable revealing. You may not think yourself a fascinating man, but I disagree.
no subject
Only if we're exchanging tit-for-tat. I am not a man who likes to speak of himself at length, you realize.
[ And Lobelia must, if he realizes how much he works alone, how much he works in secret, but he won't leave him without some tidbit to tempt him with. ]
But I am willing to say that before I found myself in the service of a magician, I was quite the thief. It is why I believe that trick with the shadows came naturally to me. I cannot recall a single time that I have been caught.
no subject
Oui. We shall make it an even exchange.
[But the mention of Childermass's former occupation widens his grin. Intriguing— and perfectly befitting a man born of shadow.]
C'est fascinant. I wonder if a dash of luck played its part as well. Ah, but there is one thing about being slippery enough to escape every snare with your life...
You tend to leave a trail of amis behind.
no subject
Yes... I learned quickly to work alone.
[ And have no friends, but that, he's found, makes people sad when it's said out loud. ]
It was wiser to be a one-man operation or, more aptly, one-boy, I suppose. Most of my years spent as a thief were before I was a grown man.
no subject
Je comprends. What others would call underhanded or delinquent is how men like us survive. It isn't a crime unless you get caught.
[Even then, Childermass might balk if they compare the skeletons in their closet.]
But tell me, are you happier being alone? It's hard to be without companionship— anyone who would deny that is fooling themselves.
no subject
Am I? It's a good question, though I do not think I have a good answer to it. I am neither happy nor unhappy with it. I have my work, and that requires all my focus, though I am not wholly without companionship, and that is enough for now.
But I believe I've shared enough for my part. What of you? Is there anything you would not mind sharing?
no subject
Moi? I'm an open book, but I fear I may bore you with stories of my youth. I was simply a boy who lived along the shore of a vast inland sea with his loving family... Quite the idéal childhood.
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I admit I did not expect that, though now that I think of it, I was not sure what I expected, either. Is that where the idea of the shells for your magic came from? That inland sea?
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Oui! I discovered the wonders of the conque when I was but a boy. They are my signature, you might say.
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[ A given, more or less. ]
Is it common to use physical components for magic in your world, then?
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[lobelia realizing he doesn't give a damn about any of the other magic users in his world]
Some of them call on divine forces, others follow rigid schools of magic... but fewer still have created their own magical framework in the way I have with my audiomancy. Simply put, there are no others who practice it, and only one master. A shame, non?
no subject
A shame... Possibly. It would depend on whether you mean to never pass it down to an apprentice or not, though I would suggest you do, or, if not that, write of it. Much of magic's history has been lost to time in my own England, as magic began to die out, and no one was left to teach or even write any it down.
no subject
[Clearly, Lobelia had not considered it until now. An apprentice... a living legacy for a form of magic he alone created. Why keep it to himself?]
You make a fine suggestion! I may do that, however, a good student is hard to find. Moreover...
[SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHS]
...Admittedly, I am not the most patient teacher. I fear whoever studies under me would need considerable patience and wit for such an arrangement to work out.
no subject
[ Although that is not meant to mean Childermass himself is volunteering, far from it. Audiomancy is fascinating, but he is a silent man with quiet magic, and quite the opposite of who should be learning such a noisy magic. ]
A musician, too, I would think, though you never know where you'll find a likely lad or lass.
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[And as it happens, Lobelia has met someone here who fits the description of a proper student nicely. Something with a tolerance for bullshit, an inclination towards sound and music... It sure would be a shame if Ramuda beefed it, huh.]
I know precisely who I'll choose, in that case! Provided he's interested, that is.
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Although with how quickly Lobelia decides he's found someone who fits that description, Childermass can't help but raise his eyebrows, curious, and... honestly, he's spent enough time with Ramuda by now to have an idea himself. ]
Do you? Hm. I suppose he would be suitable.
[ Yeah, it's kind of obvious. It's like, who else would it even be? ]
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While he is a suitable choice, there are ethics to be considered, non? Not everyone who has the aptitude for wielding magic will do so responsibly.
[don't talk to me about irony]
Plus, there is always a cost to pay. Nothing comes cheap, and especially not magic. I would have to verify how much Ramuda is willing to exchange for such power.
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[ So, yes, he has realized there is more to Ramuda than the overly sweet, bubbly personality he throws around. ]
I think he might be willing to pay the cost of such magic, but learning how he would use it, I wonder... Who is he, really? Deep down?
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[...For Ramuda's sake, and for his own, how much can he safely admit? Lobelia hums, fiddling with an earring.]
He and I are quite alike— in both the good ways and the bad. That's what proves his potential. That also makes him a credible threat.
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You think Ramuda might be dangerous?