001 | Voice

[foepas]

The end of the term is nigh.

[Alec draws out the pause for a moment, before he continues.]

And whatever other overdramatic bullshit phrase people like to use in lieu of admitting that you're scared that you'll fail.

Perhaps if you spent more time studying and less time talking about it, you wouldn't be so far behind that it requires cramming.

[His voice is an arrogant drawl; he's poking at people because it amuses him to do so, nothing more, nothing less.]

Just a friendly bit of advice. Maybe you can use it when you have to repeat this year again.

Comments

[foepas]

One failure and you're done for good? How weak.

[3potionproblem]

I meant failed the year; a single class is hardly going to matter. I have no plans for a wizard career anyway.

[foepas]

None at all? Planning to throw yourself off a tower before you get there?

[3potionproblem]

Planning to live with the muggles, actually.

[foepas]

Even worse.

[3potionproblem]

You haven't seen their science. Chemistry is quite interesting. It's a fair bit like potions but with a wider array of applications.

[foepas]

[He'd kind of like to see their science, but there are some things that are, quite simply, off the table for Alec.]

And less application of skill, I imagine. I can see why it might be appealing to some people.

[3potionproblem]

If there is one thing I lack is it certainly not skill. Muggles are simply more interesting than other wizards. Their answers to problems we never asked are astounding.

[foepas]

And yet we could ask them, if we wanted. We simply have access to things they have to do entirely without.

[3potionproblem]

No we couldn't. We don't trust our children with the knowledge of their own abilities. Electronics aren't disallowed in Hogwarts because they would be a distraction but because children are idiots and would send pictures to their internets and computers that could lead to the destruction of our closely guarded secrecy built upon supremacy and required segregation. Our archaic society despises that which does not conform to thousands of years of sameness. We won't ask because it would be acknowledging the muggles as a race equal to ours in capabilities. We would have to tip our hats, as it were, to their superiority. Your blood's no purer than mine. We both know exactly how likely that is to happen in our lifetimes let alone ever.

[foepas]

You seem quite enamored with all these ideas. How reassuring to know that instead of doing something about what you feel upset over you'd rather run straight to the muggle world.

[Alec's glad that they're having this conversation this way, instead of in person. He's trained his voice to hide most of what he's feeling, to say what he wants it to. He's not nearly so good with his body language.]

I'm not sure they'll thank you for your contributions, either.

But if you'd prefer the head in the sand approach to the archaic, then I suppose it's your own life.

[3potionproblem]

I have no interest in politics. And I'm not exactly respected by my peers, let alone my superiors. So long as I get to do what I want, I don't care what the wizarding world does. As long as it leaves me in peace, that is.

[foepas]

So you're taking the coward's way out, because you're selfish.

I simply can't imagine why you don't have the respect of your peers.

[3potionproblem]

Generally it's the part where I know all your secrets that does it.

[foepas]

[Whatever his body is doing, he can control his voice: aiming for lofty and achieving it.]

My dark, terrible secrets? How ever shall I manage?

[3potionproblem]

The same as the rest of the world, I imagine.

[foepas]

By not paying you any mind, then?

[3potionproblem]

You must agree, it will be much easier when I'm unleashed on the muggles.

[foepas]

Picking on the defenseless? I couldn't care less what you do to the muggles.

[3potionproblem]

Precisely. So it doesn't do any good to have high opinions on my scholastic performance when you don't care.

[foepas]

Then why stick around at all, if you only plan to leave? You could do us all a favor.

[3potionproblem]

Promised Mummy I'd graduate. Barring boring repetition.

[foepas]

[Ugh. Mothers.]

I'm sure she'll be terribly proud.

[3potionproblem]

Well, I'll embarrass the family less at any rate.

[foepas]

Isn't family embarrassment the best part of failure?