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[credere]

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voice; private

[magician_king]

I will spend absolutely as much time talking to you about magic as you like. But so far it's been pretty important that you do it when you want to and are ready.

[He explains his hesitation rather than leaving him to fret.]

I never want to force it on you any day.

Re: voice; private

[credere]

Oh.

[His voice warms; he's smiling, very slightly, to himself.]

Yes, that makes sense.

voice; private

[magician_king]

Okay, see you soon.

[Hopping up to go do this.]

Re: voice; private

[credere]

[while Credence frets about tidying his room, up until he realises it's hard to tidy something that's basically empty anyway ]

[magician_king]

"C?"

Calls Quentin from the door, a little bit later, knocking with the back of his hand.

[credere]

"Hello - Q," Credence says, with what feels like a smile but in reality is just a lessening of his usual resting sadface. "Come in."

He steps back. His room is essentially back to normal, less the rainbow streaks across the ceiling.

[magician_king]

Quentin comes in, looks up at the ceiling, then smiles down at him, almost conspitorially. They did that.

"So, Alec cares about you already, a lot."

[credere]

"Really?"

That sounds - bad, to him, in the context of his own experience. Jesse cared about him, he thinks. Rey cared.

"H-how do you know?"

[magician_king]

"By the way he asked questions. 'Is he learning magic from you?' 'Is he okay with learning magic from you?"

He says, sinking down onto the floor, bracing his back against the wall and putting his elbows over his knees, the way he sits often during the working day, while they putter around doing projects.

"I like him. How are you feeling about it so far?"

[credere]

Credence perches on the edge of his bed, looking like he's ready to jump up and follow some instruction at a moment's notice - as usual.

"...I like him too. Um. He's saying he wants to ask the Admiral to give my magic back. A-all of it."

[magician_king]

He's more aware of it today, and it makes him nervous. What if Alec is right?

"Woah. That'd be a big change."

[credere]

"I don't know. I've never been - I mean, I don't - "

He's struggling to articulate, wringing his hands, frowning.

"It would just be like it always was, back home."

[magician_king]

"I mean. The magic would be the same, but you and your life here are very different."

He prompts him to see.

"I mean for one thing, you kind of have the beginning of an outlet for it now."

Jerking his chin at the ceiling.

[credere]

"Yes. And - um - my wand. Do you want to see it? I have it."

[magician_king]

"Wow."

Says Quentin, sitting up.

"I thought Newt was keeping it?"

[credere]

Credence shakes his head.

"I have - my own warden now."

One who, evidently, might not have to adhere to such strict standards as previously imposed.

[magician_king]

"Right."

Says Quentin, chewing his bottom lip again, looking up at him.

"Do you feel different than when you came on board?"

[credere]

"I - "

He frowns thoughtfully.

"...That was such a long time ago. Feel different about what?"

[magician_king]

"Do you feel like you have changed?"

He clarifies.

"Personally."

[credere]

"I don't know."

He fidgets.

"It's all - it's so different here. I don't know if I've changed, or if it's everything else."

[magician_king]

"Fair enough."

Says Quentin, but explains;

"I guess I just mean, I expect all those differences, all the things you know now, to mean that it'll be completely different getting your power back this time. You could work towards becoming an animagus. You could do anything you want."

[credere]

Credence looks up, surprised despite himself - Quentin's right. He could do that. Not whatever miserable twitches of magic he might be capable of under Newt's tutelage, but - something real, that he's chosen for himself.

"...I don't know what that's like," he says, very softly. Being able to choose for himself.

[magician_king]

"I mean, I don't want to spoil the surprise. But it's pretty cool, Credence."

He says, and then smiles up at him, to show it's a joke, a soft understatement-

"Whatever you pick, I'm here."

[credere]

"...I found another book," he says, like he's admitting a secret. "About how to - how to become an - Animagus."

The library just has these things lying around. It's incredible.

[magician_king]

Here Quentin just brims internally- almost points out that that's a change, that a year ago he'd never have gone looking for magic books, but he lets that one rest for now.

"I've been drafting a course of study. A systematic approach to the basics I think you'd need to work that kind of magic. A path where you learn the things it'd take- because it's pretty advanced magic. But knowing that every step, you were working towards-"