One for sorrow, two for joy | Glowfic Constellation

The thing about Félix is that he doesn't really like anyone.

On the one hand, this is odd. Élie's going theory is that familiars are formed from a little portion of their wizard's own soul, and he's not himself a misanthrope. Of course, who's to say what he would have been if he hadn't made Félix when he did – just fifteen, lonely, and terrified. It's possible that the kernel of Félix's intelligence is some portion of his spirit which he wanted, then, to separate from himself. If true, the theory has implications for the nature of familiars in general, but he's written to his friends in Quantium about their familiar's personalities and hasn't yet gotten any responses. So for now, all he has to work with is one surly magpie – and Wishbone, who's obviously some completely different sort of thing – and Félix always insists that he's a perfectly rational creature and would like anyone who proved themselves to be worth his time.

But for now, Félix doesn't like anyone. So it takes him some time to realize that he particularly doesn't like Naima.

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"I am not jealous."

Élie Cotonnet

levons-nous

"I don't believe you."

"Jealousy is beneath me."

Élie Cotonnet

levons-nous

"Be that as it may, I'd like you to at least make an effort."

And so, the next time Naima spends any significant amount of time at the tower in Diobel, she might notice someone tagging along after her.

be-granted-glory

Naima spends lots of time at the tower in Diobel! At least six hours a day! Often as many as eleven!

Possibly that's less time than most people spend at their houses. And even when she is there, she's usually busy studying, talking to her new apprentices, designing new questionnaires for data collection, going over collected data, preparing spells, occasionally playing with her toddler -

Anyway, it might take her a little bit of time to notice Félix, but she will after a while. She's working on embroidering Élie's cloak right now, and that, at least, doesn't take all of her intellectual attention while she does it.

"You need something, Félix?"

"No."

be-granted-glory

"All right."

There, she's fulfilled her obligations towards people who are mysteriously hanging around while she embroiders things.

"Your husband told me that I ought to 'make an effort.'"

be-granted-glory

"At what, in particular?"

"Not disliking you."

be-granted-glory

Naima successfully limits herself to a smile, instead of a laugh.

"I see. Do you feel like you're making any progress?"

He hops over and peers at her embroidery.

"Not particularly. Do you have any personality traits? With humans I can't always tell."

be-granted-glory

"Well, I've certainly been told so. Of course a lot of the ones I've been told I have were bad, so I'm not sure how much they'll help you. I am supposed to be proud, disrespectful, reckless, inconsiderate, distastefully mercenary, and terrible at polite conversation. People who are trying to say something nice about me usually say that I am an extremely hard worker. What about you?"

He might look taken aback, if it's possible for birds to look taken aback. He's not used to being asked about his traits.

"I am very rich and have exceptional taste."

be-granted-glory

"Oh, I see. I like to think I have exceptional taste, too, but maybe I'm just opinionated. You know, I hadn't thought about it before, but I think we have a fair bit in common."

He pokes at the embroidery with his beak.

"This isn't terrible. It's better than the things he picks out for himself, anyway. So plain. I tell him, but he doesn't listen."

be-granted-glory

"Well thank you! I was thinking when I started that I wanted him to look like someone cared about him. Of course it occurred to me shortly afterward that I'm sure almost every fifth circle wizard just orders most of what they wear, and perhaps makes the magic items, so he'll just look like he has good taste himself, but that's all right too."

"He has dreadful taste and shouldn't like people to be misled about it. What do you think we have in common?"

be-granted-glory

"I think we both very much appreciate having beautiful things, and that we're both remarkably direct and opinionated. I suppose that might be part of why he gets along with both of us."