"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."
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."
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."
"...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.
"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."
"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.
"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?"
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:05 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:17 am (UTC)"Oh. I'm sorry. Um - "
He takes a breath and spits it out.
"Do you think I should try to learn magic?"
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:21 am (UTC)Says Quentin, even through the hurt.
"Yes, one hundred percent."
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:34 am (UTC)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."
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:48 am (UTC)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."
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:54 am (UTC)"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.
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 09:08 am (UTC)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."
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 09:14 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 09:32 am (UTC)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?
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 09:40 am (UTC)"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?"
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 09:44 am (UTC)"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."
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 09:47 am (UTC)"He hasn't talked to you about it? It's been..."
Well over a week, and:
"He wants us to fix his room, doesn't he? It would be so much faster if you could..."
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 12:43 pm (UTC)He says, chewing the side of his thumb.
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 05:01 pm (UTC)"Oh. Will it take very long to find out?"
no subject
Date: 2017-03-11 07:23 am (UTC)He admits, with a little shrug.
"But thank you. Even if he can't, it means something that you asked."