unfortunately, "I can show you the world" is stuck in my head and I can't think of other lyrics

[payglorytoashes]

Who: Ilde and Rodolphus
What: good morning!
Where: Rodolphus' sad cottage in Sobek Croix
When: the morning after Antonin bought Rodolphus a million drinks
Notes: literally a million, read the log, I definitely wrote "a million" and so did Ammmy
Warnings: description of hangovers by a person who's never been drunk

Out of sheer stubbornness, Rodolphus is in fact awake by mid-morning, though he earnestly wishes he were not. There are spells and potions he could do or make, but right now, stunned into inertia by the fact this is happening at all, he is merely drinking water in his bizarrely pink kitchen. He is doing this by filling one of his three glasses from the running tap, drinking the water, and sticking the glass under the tap again. Among his few, dull reflections of the morning are the following: he really wishes he had not said that thing about Severus, he probably needs to shave, and at least nobody's trousers were eaten by anything. He believes, anyway.

It is not the conclusion of the hour, but eventually, he may come to see the night before as good for him, under a certain definition of good — a reminder that life hurts, like right now, but he's alive and things could be worse. He warily contemplates food. It would mean going out, probably.

Comments

[payglorytoashes]

This conversation is very revealing for both of them, but only Rodolphus derives any distress from it. At the same time, it's not enough distress to make him stop talking to Ilde, which is probably its own, special kind of distress. His eyes stray unconsciously to his wand, thinking of the last time he was free to practice that particular kind of magic.

"The summoning of otherworldly creatures, primarily," he admits. "The summoning and binding to a common reality... so bound, they are not really useful, but they will answer questions on interesting topics, sometimes. Some of them respond well to rhyme and rhythm, I could not say why, so poetry can play some small part."

[rhinemaid]

“How Faustian. Maybe demons have literary preferences? Some poetry has more of a pleasing cadence than other kinds.” That's an interesting place for her mind to go on this topic, yes, but she's touching on it very lightly, not entirely sure what to make of it. Even at this point- she keeps encountering things that feel like stories, and she has to remember that until she was sixteen, she would've sounded like a story to herself.

Which is confusing, a little.

“Although 'otherworldly creatures' is a much larger category than 'demon'.”

[payglorytoashes]

He shrugs, reluctant to warm to the subject — this kind of magic is unpopular in his world, though she probably wouldn't know that. Unless she mentioned it to Severus. Ah, well. Rodolphus can't be expected to live his life according to what Severus may or may not find out.

"'Demon' may not be the right term. To me it means spirit. They come from somewhere else and when they are inclined to explain themselves, it is not always easy to understand. Especially when they like wordplay." He sips his coffee. "One enjoyed limericks."

The dryness only just hints at despair.

[rhinemaid]

Ilde laughs, seemingly in spite of herself- “There once was a...?” Don't finish that sentence. Do not. She drinks her tea instead, trying to imagine what sort of limericks were involved. This is not very successful, but it is privately very entertaining.

Eventually, she says, “I know a lot more about poetry than how any kind of magic works,” which is an observation more than any kind of complaint or suggestion that someone should teach her. (If she wants to learn, then she'll find someone who is a teacher and ask; she isn't inclined to slide inquiries in slyly, although she rarely turns down an opportunity just to watch and remember.) “Or any sort of practical thing, probably.”

[payglorytoashes]

He can't quite stop himself from mentally filling in the one limerick he remembers from that particular demon, which is probably the only non-Antonin or Evan Rosier related memory he has involving the phrase 'two cocks'. Probably. (It is too early in the day for this.) Per usual, he only sips his coffee, privately resolving to forget that as soon as possible.

Rodolphus shrugs at her comment. "Life demands more of us than practicality, no matter how smug people can be in their small-mindedness."

[rhinemaid]

“I have great artistic and sentimental value to the world,” she says, in that complacent tone she sometimes adopts to mock herself, shifting slightly to adjust her sitting position to get more comfortable. (Just when she thinks she's getting used to the changes going on in her lately, something else changes, too.) “I think I can confidently assert that, as long as nobody asks me what worlds I mean.”

How important is one that's already over, after all.

[payglorytoashes]

The hint of smile goes directly behind the coffee cup as he drinks again, but he's sure she'll see it anyway. This is one of those times when saying nothing is the best response, he believes, and he rarely misses the opportunity to take that route.

[rhinemaid]

As if his smile (the hint of it) is an answer in and of itself, she says, “See, I knew you'd agree with me.”