It doesn't bother me, [is soft but delivered with a a brief smile.] It was a hard loss, but not a deeply personal one. I wish we could have helped more people but I'm afraid that's not so uncommon, either.
[He exhales, briefly, all the same. It's not a light subject, for all there are ones he might find more difficult.]
I'm happy to answer any questions, about Starkhaven or Riftwatch, still. But I confess I'm curious about you. Have you been with Madame de Fer since you left the Inquisition, then?
[Orlais might not have been Julius's first guess, but on the other hand, there aren't so many options for a mage who wants to learn with the Circles gone (or at least suspended) in much of the South. Vivienne was hardly the worst choice someone in Connor's position could make.]
[ the grateful quirk of his lips falls quickly as julius turns their topic to connor's own activities over the past few years, but... he did offer. it would hardly be polite to deny the enchanter the chance for turnabout now. connor shifts in his seat, sits up a little straighter. he's a representative of the académie, here, he must look the part. ]
Yes, since 45. Word reached Caer Bronach of her intention to form an Académie of her own to work with the Chantry, and I resigned my post with the Inquisition shortly after. She is....
[ a scheming fox, everything he believes a mage should avoid being, the lesser of two evils, a master of the grand game, and exactly what the loyalists need— ]
a singular woman, [ complicated as connor's opinion may be of her, his esteem for the enchanter is unmistakable. ] Pure of vision, and devoted to the cause. A return to the Circles might be a far more distant prospect without her and the Académie.
[ ten years ago, julius was a loyalist, same as connor, same as vivienne. that that may have changed since they last saw each other has occurred to connor... but not with any urgency. not so clearly he feels the need to obfuscate their goals. ]
[It isn't as if Connor is telling him anything he doesn't know about Vivienne's position, so it doesn't come as a shock. He can genuinely say,]
I don't know her well, but Madame de Fer is a singular mage whose work speaks for itself. Her path isn't the one I've found myself on, but I can respect anyone who has given such sustained thought to the future of Southern mages.
[It would be easy to leave it there, to let his past color Connor's perception of his present. But it would never last, and he'd prefer not to seem deceptive, even if only by omission. So he adds,]
I've given a great deal of thought to the future of mage education myself, but I confess that I've found some of my former positions evolving. But, [with the hint of a smile] I so sometimes find it comforting. Among all the world-shattering threats we face, mages debating their future with one another feels almost normal. It's not unlike the College of Enchanters used to be, in many ways.
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as promised (if delayed) > action
It doesn't bother me, [is soft but delivered with a a brief smile.] It was a hard loss, but not a deeply personal one. I wish we could have helped more people but I'm afraid that's not so uncommon, either.
[He exhales, briefly, all the same. It's not a light subject, for all there are ones he might find more difficult.]
I'm happy to answer any questions, about Starkhaven or Riftwatch, still. But I confess I'm curious about you. Have you been with Madame de Fer since you left the Inquisition, then?
[Orlais might not have been Julius's first guess, but on the other hand, there aren't so many options for a mage who wants to learn with the Circles gone (or at least suspended) in much of the South. Vivienne was hardly the worst choice someone in Connor's position could make.]
no subject
Yes, since 45. Word reached Caer Bronach of her intention to form an Académie of her own to work with the Chantry, and I resigned my post with the Inquisition shortly after. She is....
[ a scheming fox, everything he believes a mage should avoid being, the lesser of two evils, a master of the grand game, and exactly what the loyalists need— ]
a singular woman, [ complicated as connor's opinion may be of her, his esteem for the enchanter is unmistakable. ] Pure of vision, and devoted to the cause. A return to the Circles might be a far more distant prospect without her and the Académie.
[ ten years ago, julius was a loyalist, same as connor, same as vivienne. that that may have changed since they last saw each other has occurred to connor... but not with any urgency. not so clearly he feels the need to obfuscate their goals. ]
no subject
I don't know her well, but Madame de Fer is a singular mage whose work speaks for itself. Her path isn't the one I've found myself on, but I can respect anyone who has given such sustained thought to the future of Southern mages.
[It would be easy to leave it there, to let his past color Connor's perception of his present. But it would never last, and he'd prefer not to seem deceptive, even if only by omission. So he adds,]
I've given a great deal of thought to the future of mage education myself, but I confess that I've found some of my former positions evolving. But, [with the hint of a smile] I so sometimes find it comforting. Among all the world-shattering threats we face, mages debating their future with one another feels almost normal. It's not unlike the College of Enchanters used to be, in many ways.
[Even with undeniable differences.]