[Ludger, whether he realized it or not, walked into a trap Lobelia hadn't even intended to set. He'd meant nothing so pointed with that line, so he laughs, genuine and amused.]
Has someone here caught your eye, Monsieur Ludger...? Quel romantisme! Love can bloom even in the most unlikely of places, non? Just as a dandelion sprouts from between the cracks in the cobble. How lovely!
[He's making a lot of assumptions here, but he's fine. If he's wrong, he's wrong. And if he isn't, he hopes he'll get to enjoy listening to Ludger fluster and fuss.]
Mm, but non, I have not placed any conques around as of yet. I have precious few at my disposal here, so I must use them sparingly.
[He lets the threat of his words hang just long enough to make Ludger sweat. If the man fears Lobelia will run around broadcasting his secret crush... well, he won't. But he'll certainly enjoy letting Ludger wonder if he will.]
I've long held a fondness for the conque, and for many reasons. I grew up on an island with a beautiful inland sea... and that is where I first discovered them. Their spiral interiors make perfect conduits for audiomancy.
no, this was always going to happen. just as Ludger will walk straight into the trap he sees, he will also inevitably Take The Bait. he just. need to take a deep breath! and calm down!! and will that blush away-!!!! ]
... I've heard of hearing the sea in shells but you can do the opposite?
... but seriously though, that's all it takes? Ludger turns the shell over in his hands, inspecting it closely. ]
... Yeah, that really is amazing. I can't think of any spirit arte that would do something like this - how do you even manage this many all on your own?
[ Lobelia the human switchboard and GHS hotline all rolled into one ]
[ there's something a little charming in how ~passionate~ Lobelia is about sea shells of all things. Ludger can't help but smile at his explanation. ]
That sounds a little like Rowen - he can "tune" his spirit artes in a bunch of different ways. And with his rapier out? It's like he's conducting his own magical symphony.
[Two people and a cat... The more he learns about Ludger, the more he wonders if having people (and cats) in your life is a blessing or a curse. Sounds like a headache to Lobelia, but he knows he's the unusual one here.]
I make an effort to be helpful, oui... but I wouldn't call myself benevolent by nature. I am who I need to be when I need to be. Given our current circumstances, it's in everyone's best interest to work together, non? That's all it is.
Tiring? Vous avez peut-être raison, but I know no other way to be.
[Sociopaths, man. Imagine being honest and real.]
If cooperation were not necessary, I would be who I've always been: someone who operates best alone. It's a simple matter of preference... not that I dislike people. In fact, I tend to like most people.
... I can only speak from my experience. I know there's been times when I thought being by myself would have been better. But I've come to realize that it's not true.
[ he'll scratch the back of his head, aware this is probably futile. ]
I like my friends a lot. I've also felt betrayed by them. And I know I wouldn't have made it to where I was without them.
[Hm. Lobelia considers what Ludger is saying with a hum. It's hard for him to conceptualize what life may have been like if he'd traveled through it with friends... but if nothing else, he has these last few weeks to compare the rest of his life to. That's what gives him pause, tipping his chin up to the sky.]
So you would consider the price of their betrayal worth it in the grand scheme of things? That's awfully compassionate of you... not a bad thing, either. But not everyone is as gracious and kind. An intimate enough betrayal can shape someone for the rest of their lives, you know. Perhaps even yourself.
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[Ludger, whether he realized it or not, walked into a trap Lobelia hadn't even intended to set. He'd meant nothing so pointed with that line, so he laughs, genuine and amused.]
Has someone here caught your eye, Monsieur Ludger...? Quel romantisme! Love can bloom even in the most unlikely of places, non? Just as a dandelion sprouts from between the cracks in the cobble. How lovely!
[He's making a lot of assumptions here, but he's fine. If he's wrong, he's wrong. And if he isn't, he hopes he'll get to enjoy listening to Ludger fluster and fuss.]
Mm, but non, I have not placed any conques around as of yet. I have precious few at my disposal here, so I must use them sparingly.
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There's no eye catching going on here!
[ welp ]
W-why seashells anyways! Wouldn't something less obvious-?
[ if he changes the subject surely it'll be fine! ]
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[He lets the threat of his words hang just long enough to make Ludger sweat. If the man fears Lobelia will run around broadcasting his secret crush... well, he won't. But he'll certainly enjoy letting Ludger wonder if he will.]
I've long held a fondness for the conque, and for many reasons. I grew up on an island with a beautiful inland sea... and that is where I first discovered them. Their spiral interiors make perfect conduits for audiomancy.
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no, this was always going to happen. just as Ludger will walk straight into the trap he sees, he will also inevitably Take The Bait. he just. need to take a deep breath! and calm down!! and will that blush away-!!!! ]
... I've heard of hearing the sea in shells but you can do the opposite?
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Heheh! You are quite charming when your cheeks are ablaze, mon ami. I'm sure your beau would agree!
[But okay, enough teasing. Onto serious shell business:]
Mm, that's correct. If you wish to reach me, all you need to do is speak into the conque. Quite impressive, N'est-ce pas?
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... but seriously though, that's all it takes? Ludger turns the shell over in his hands, inspecting it closely. ]
... Yeah, that really is amazing. I can't think of any spirit arte that would do something like this - how do you even manage this many all on your own?
[ Lobelia the human switchboard and GHS hotline all rolled into one ]
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Practice, as they say, makes perfect. Every conque has its own voice, its own mood. Once you learn to listen properly, the chaos becomes harmonious.
[He gestures loosely, as if the explanation were obvious.]
Think of it as a chorus, mon ami. I simply know how to conduct it.
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That sounds a little like Rowen - he can "tune" his spirit artes in a bunch of different ways. And with his rapier out? It's like he's conducting his own magical symphony.
[ albeit with explosive effects ]
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[mention the explosions out loud and lobelia will fly across dimensions to french this old man]
Mm, you strike me as the sort to have many amis. Is that accurate?
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[ writes in notebook: lobelia.... is into...... old..... geezers...... ]
Uhhhh... well, I think I'm pretty friendly. My social circle's gotten a lot smaller lately, though. Debtor and all that.
[ a few people got really worked up over that. he doesn't entirely get it, but he is a little curious how Lobelia will respond. ]
What about you? You're pretty friendly too.
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[That said, Lobelia doesn't sound like he's judging him for it. It doesn't bother him any.]
Ah, but moi? I do like people, oui, but in doses. If you had imagined me as some sort of social butterfly, then consider me flattered.
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[ a Brief Summary - he doesn't like thinking about the shakedown in the bar. his helplessness of the moment.
Lobelia's reply makes him look up in clear surprise. ]
Oh, really? Yeah, I definitely assumed you were a people person. Isn't that part of why you're willing to give out these shells?
[ a number of direct lines, distributed by a person who wouldn't disguise their nature. to Ludger, that reads as a hand reaching out. ]
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I make an effort to be helpful, oui... but I wouldn't call myself benevolent by nature. I am who I need to be when I need to be. Given our current circumstances, it's in everyone's best interest to work together, non? That's all it is.
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[ Ludger knows it could wear on him, back in the schooldays of childhood. before he Grew Up and then very suddenly had bigger problems. ]
Who would you be if cooperation wasn't as important?
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[Sociopaths, man. Imagine being honest and real.]
If cooperation were not necessary, I would be who I've always been: someone who operates best alone. It's a simple matter of preference... not that I dislike people. In fact, I tend to like most people.
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[ he'll scratch the back of his head, aware this is probably futile. ]
I like my friends a lot. I've also felt betrayed by them. And I know I wouldn't have made it to where I was without them.
[ even if that was just to the end of the road ]
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So you would consider the price of their betrayal worth it in the grand scheme of things? That's awfully compassionate of you... not a bad thing, either. But not everyone is as gracious and kind. An intimate enough betrayal can shape someone for the rest of their lives, you know. Perhaps even yourself.