"It would be academically fascinating to find new ones, though."

"I know, right? But it would be so hard to figure out what they do, we'd just be deriving a new rune and it'd go 'and also there's this thing!' and we would go 'uhhhhh'."

"If we had some way of safely flubbing spells we could probably find out by experimentation."

"It'd still take forever, wouldn't it? Because the incantation would have to match. So we'd have to get at least sort of close."

"True. I'll put it on the 'recreational long-term side-project if and only if immortality is feasible' list."

"Yeah. Unless we wind up finding some lost lore Indiana Jones style. Or figure out resurrection and consult dead experts."

"If we find lost lore, do let's not behave like Indiana Jones," Kanimir says dryly. "Calling that man an archaeologist is like calling Severus Snape a teacher."

"And I'd be at a severe disadvantage escaping from cunning tomb traps, but I couldn't think of any other archaeologists who find actual magic as a matter of habit."

"True, true. Let's be Indiana Jones's competent less-antagonisted lower-adrenaline counterfactual selves."

"Sure."

"And less picking-up-a-new-hot-chick-every-adventure, unless you're planning on having an open relationship."

"It has not been discussed but I don't think it's default."

"I can't say I'm exceptionally inclined. And even if we did go around picking up attractive women I would advocate treating them better than he did."

"I don't remember that much about Indiana Jones's relationship style but I'll take your word for it."

"He had a new love interest every movie. And most of them weren't of the one-night-stand variety, although I think the one in the second movie may have been." He rolls his eyes. "The first one was explicitly his ex-girlfriend with a grudge because he had been doing that kind of thing for a long time."

"I mean, 'does not find life partner on first, second, or third try' does not automatically mean mistreatment."

"It was how they broke up, I think." He waves a hand. "I could be wrong, I suppose, it's been a while and some of it was subtext. But I do think given the hard feelings from the first breakup they shouldn't have gotten back together if they weren't very sure it was going to work."

"Fair enough."

"Also, none of the love interests were anywhere near as interesting as you. Or as pretty."

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

"If it had been just flattery, he wouldn't have waxed eloquent to me what a lovely smile you have."

"Aww."

"Shh, I was getting brownie points," Kanimir mock-whispers.

"Praise that is not flattery is even better."

"Oh, good."