Balancing the Books

[conjuredskies]

Here’s someone who hasn’t shown his face in public for a while. Felix is sitting on the old Legion desk in his Legion leathers, a small pile of books beside him. For those who get close enough to look, they’re all reference books about Earth, including a children’s encyclopedia and a dictionary. The mage himself still looks a little sleepless, but he’s in far better shape than the gaunt, distracted wraith who showed up for the Halloween party. There’s color in his face, an easy confidence in his posture… and with his hood down around his shoulders, his hair looks like it’s back to its normal black.

Felix draws a deep breath that has nothing at all to do with the letter he’s pretending to read, then folds it and flashes the nearest Nexus-goers a quick smile.

“How forgiving you are you of debts?” he asks. “Those you’re owed, and those you owe.”

Comments

[not_the_question]

He looks over at the man with a quirk to his eyebrow at the suggestion of 'salvation provided.'

"I would say that the universe sometimes lacks forgiveness. I try to provide what is lacking. But I am far more generous to others than I am to myself."

[conjuredskies]

"Well, I can appreciate that. Every realm could stand to be more forgiving to us mere mortals, if you ask me. Not that I have to beg forgiveness that often." He grins, though he's sizing the man up, wondering if that last part is true.

"So, you hold yourself to a higher standard? Or are you one of those people who never learned how to be kind to themselves?"

[not_the_question]

He offers a small smirk. "You're assuming I'm people and that I'm mortal. It's all right. It's an easy mistake to make."

He's not really either of those. But he's not necessarily the opposite either. He's a conundrum.

"I'm the Doctor. That is all any one needs to know about me and all I have needed to know about myself."

Which is to say it is the only standard he's ever needed. And he's taking standard in the literal sense. Like the standard or flag that one goes to war fighting under. His name is his promise and his promise is who he is.

[conjuredskies]

Hmm. Interesting. Well, Felix is always pleased to meet one of the quasi-daedric visitors to this plane. He knows how to handle them. Which is to say, stay sharp and run with it.

"An honor, I'm sure. What are you a doctor of, if I may ask?"

[not_the_question]

"Ah, there's a question never asked often enough."

His tone doesn't betray it, but it is all sarcasm because everyone always asks him that.

"I don't feel like coming up with something specific, so let's just say 'practically everything'."

[conjuredskies]

"You seem a supremely useful person to know, then. Forgive my surprise, but it's oddly rare to meet a scholar of anything around here. When I came to this realm first, I thought it would be overrun with wizards, and yet I think we're in the minority. A sizable minority, to be sure... oh, but you've introduced yourself, and I haven't returned the courtesy. Felix Caelus, apprentice battlemage in the Imperial Legion of Tamriel. A pleasure to meet you, Doctor."

[not_the_question]

"'Supremely useful?' Clearly you don't know me at all."

He is, he's just not used to anyone else acknowledging it. The other man is a wizard and thinks he is too, well, that's interesting. River said that about him: that she hated 'good wizards because they always ended up being him.'

The Doctor offers his hand for the other man to shake.

"Felix. A battlemage. So you're a soldier?"

[conjuredskies]

Felix is a cosmopolitan man - he's been to Earth, he knows this custom. He leans over to shake the man's hand with a smile.

"Oh, in theory. My brother's theory, that is. I'm better at making friends than enemies." And making the wrong kind of friends has left his job situation rather questionable, but Felix isn't going into that. "Though I fancy I'm tolerably handy in a fight, if the occasion calls for it."

[not_the_question]

He lets the Felix's hand go and then scratches his cheek in thought when the man mentions the 'theory'. "Hmmm, I've heard similar before. So if you're not a soldier, then what is a 'battlemage'?"

Because clearly that's the most important thing. The Doctor doesn't like soldiers, so he needs to know if he should 'not like' Felix on principle.

[conjuredskies]

"Well, a negotiator, by preference. An adventurer, when I can be. And something of a scholar. When my brother absolutely demands it, well, then I play at being a soldier, but that's just to keep up the family tradition. Nearly all my family are legionnaires, you see. It's difficult to get out of."

[not_the_question]

"Interesting name for a 'negotiator'..."

He still doesn't know if he believes the other man, but they have more in common than they don't.

"The rest, well, I've never faulted anyone for wanting to learn."