magician_king | IC INBOX for The Last Voyages

You know what to do.

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From:

credere

[Several moments of cautious silence, then:]

Can I ask you a question?

I mean, I.

I'd like your opinion on something.

From:

magician_king

Always. But come over, I don't like the network.

From:

credere

Okay.

[He's there a few moments later, with such a light knock it's as if he's not sure he wants to be heard.]<>

From:

magician_king

[He's expecting him, so he answers right away, greeting him;]

Hey, come on in.

[The place is a little different. A lot more hollow. He's been beating magical temptations back, and that always means getting rid of so much.]

From:

credere

Credence notices immediately, but he chooses not to say anything about it.

"How - are you, Quentin?"

From:

magician_king

"I'm okay," he says, steadfastly, more determined than truthful, but he's getting there, "how are you doing?"

From:

credere

"I'm okay."

He's staring around the room, and he's beginning to identify a theme in what's missing, and he thinks -

"I'm sorry, I don't - I don't think I should have come."

From:

magician_king

"Of course you should have."

He says, sincerely.

"I like hanging out with you, and I'll answer any question you have. More to the point, now I'm going to have massive freefloating anxiety until you tell me what you were going to ask, so."

Faster would be better.

From:

credere

"Oh. I'm sorry. Um - "

He takes a breath and spits it out.

"Do you think I should try to learn magic?"

From:

magician_king

"Oh my God, absolutely."

Says Quentin, even through the hurt.

"Yes, one hundred percent."

From:

credere

That unconditional affirmation throws him, very slightly.

"O-oh. I know I shouldn't have come to you to ask," Credence says, hurriedly. "Not when you've - I asked Mr Rory," he goes on, blurting out the confession. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have gone behind your back, but - you need it."

From:

magician_king

"Oh-"

Says Quentin, and- honestly, that's rather a lot to think about at once, so he takes a second to draw in a puzzled breath.

"Um. I was coaching Newt on how to talk to you about normal things. He might suggest you accompany him to a knitting club soon so you can get to know one another better. Cause he wants to, he's just like me- too focused, sometimes."

So there's a little bit of that going around.

"But I love the idea of you learning magic, and I will help any way I can. And I should tell you more about me and the times I've given it up before. This-" a gesture around the room "-isn't scary for me, exactly. This is familiar, and if it meant I had to turn you down for my own sake, I know I could."

From:

credere

"Oh."

He rubs his arm.

"...I. I really...I want to like Mr Scamander," he says, wretchedly, because he knows what wanting to do something betrays about whether he's actually managing.

From:

magician_king

"I know what you mean. I do. And if I didn't empathize with him so much I wouldn't try to give him the hint- but I think you could really easily have thought a lot of those things about me."

He says, moving to draw the desk chair out for him, while he goes to sit on the edge of the bed.

"But, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Don't feel obligated."

From:

credere

He sits, hunched in on himself, terribly nervous.

"I like his - his creatures," he says softly, trying to steer from the negative. "He has one that turns invisible. Called Dougal."

And he has an Obscurus. And it makes Credence feel like another creature, in Newt's eyes: something to be studied, even helped, but not necessarily to be approached as another human being. And that doesn't feel any better than being thought of as a weapon, or a Squib, or a witch's cursed offspring, or even an inmate.

Quentin, Tina and Elizabeth are the only people who've suggested he might actually be a wizard.

From:

magician_king

"You know the responsibility to be less of an insensitive shit is only his."

He says, rather gently.

"I've learned, from having been there, that no one owes you accommodation or forgiveness. You've got to get there in earnest, not just surround yourself with people who'll let you get away with things. So don't worry. Tell me- about what you asked Mick?"

Does he dare think about this?

From:

credere

"I just - I asked him to give you enough back that you could fix things, and - change yourself, if you wanted to."

Not enough to hurt anyone. It felt reasonable.

"He said he'd meet with you and then see what he could do. Nothing's happened?"

From:

magician_king

He shakes his head, as his eyes begin to burn.

"That was really thoughtful. I'm- being crazy, but I've never asked. I've had four temporaries now and I can't get the words out of my mouth."