Truth be told, if it was an insult, it wasn’t as though he wasn’t used to hearing them from mage society in general. He genuinely didn’t care about his reputation though, he had goals he cared about far more than what other people thought of him. Even if it did grate on the nerves at times, he saved his complaints for when he thought no one could hear him. Because insulting people with infinitely more power than you was a good way to get murdered.

So bearing it and saying nothing until behind closed doors was best... Then ending up cursed because he somehow accidentally triggered a rebound curse by saying something as careless as ‘curse them all to rot in hell.’ Still better than facing them head on.

“Presumably I am whatever type it is you’ve decided I am.” Because once people came to a conclusion, it took a while for them to change it. Good or bad. “But I would go a step further and say that appearances are always deceiving. One’s true self can hardly be discerned at first sight.” Especially where mage society was concerned. And, hell, Illyana’s emotionless observation was hard for him to overlook with another glance as he puffed out a breath of smoke that one might think formed a pattern, or perhaps that was just the breeze carrying it away. The lack of emotion in her tone was either because the statement meant little, or she didn’t want him to know how she felt about it. Which seemed more likely.

“That a good thing to be reminded of or a bad, I wonder.” He commented offhand. It was probably a question he’d regret asking, but she wasn’t going anywhere and when had Lord El-Melloi II ever minded his damn business or not poked and prodded at things that should be left alone? He would have probably pissed off a lot less mages if he did. Especially concerning picking apart the way their specialized mage-craft worked.

“A mutant rock?” Well, now that gets a more curious glance from the man. Was she speaking of some kind of mage construct, a golem or something similar? Or was it another kind of being? Really, where he was from the term mutant could be applied for a lot of things that simply were ‘other’ in the eyes of mage society in his world. Similar to how angels could be just about anything depending on the perception, like at the Castle of Separation Adra, where the ‘angels’ were only corporeal spirits of the dead trapped by the mage who created his workshop around the motif of angels.

Yes, Lord El-Melloi II was truly a man who couldn’t quite hide his interest when it came to ‘mysteries,’ much to the annoyance of his fellow mages. Since mysteries were essentially what made magic possible, and he tended to break them down to their basics with his curiosity, which risked making them less potent.

The trench between his brows and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened slightly in annoyance as she asked about making circles with his smoke. Between that and the ‘no fun’ comment, he had to wonder. What was he to her? A one man show? But… Well, it was clear that she was feeling awkward herself now as she continued. “I am aware of that trait, yes. Are you going to keep listing them?”

As annoyed as he was, and as satisfying as he couldn’t deny that it was to turn the tables a little on someone who’d surprised him… He was soft inside, no matter how much he’d deny it. So, despite the expression, the next breath of smoke that was puffed out formed perfect rings… And then shifted to look like hazy flowers drifting through the air until they disappeared.

He would deny doing something to cheer her up vehemently if it was mentioned.

Whoever this S’ym was, clearly he wasn’t well liked by this woman. “Makes one wonder if they should feel offended, then. Or if the cigar smoking is the only comparison to be made.” It wasn’t like he didn’t know what it was like to feel a particular discomfort around reminders of people they’d rather not see. His own apprentice shared the face of someone who’d once tried to kill him, and successfully killed his teacher.

“A sentient rock? Not just an armored skin from a spell, then. Or was it something gone wrong, I wonder?” He’d known someone who could cover their skin in a hard armor, but… It sounded like she was suggesting this person’s ability was simply being a rock in general. Consider him curious, rather than skeptical. At the end of the day, anything was possible. Being here in general, realizing it wasn’t some elaborate reality marble, was enough to prove that. It hadn’t taken him long to notice the different abilities, the different forms of magic. If they really were all from different worlds or realities, that expanded what was possible even further.

He glanced at her again, brow creasing at the question. “You’ll do as you like regardless, I expect. It seemed like a bit of a waste of your time, though.” So, yes. He would find it slightly annoying, even if he didn’t think he could stop her if he tried. Seriously, why was she wasting her breath on that, other than to continue to poke at him while he was trying to find somewhere? Did she really have nothing better to do?

Frankly, it was hard to not liken her to Reines in a way, finding entertainment in his annoyance and reactions to her teasing or poking. So, really. If he did end up in the position of ‘one man show’ to this woman, it wouldn’t be that different from his life before now. It almost seemed like a universal fate, if one thought about it.

His expression shifted to something a little wry at her praise. “It’s a cheap parlor trick, nothing special about it.” He responded in a tone that was schooled to sound bland. Really, it was the damn truth. Most of what he could do was simply basic and unimpressive compared to other mages, even if it got the job done. Even if it did feel a little good to have impressed someone, he knew the truth of his own abilities well enough by now.

A demon, hm? “I suppose that depends on the definition of a demon where you’re from. Though it’s still an insult where I’m from, so I’ll say I would prefer to not, having met a few worthy of the title in my time.” But he was only a man with subpar magic circuits and a too young lineage to be anything like those mages who’d turned themselves into monsters or become one after their death.

He raised a hand to his chin, considering her statement with probably more thought than necessary. “I suppose it would have its advantages of defensive and offensive capabilities, though if he’s not particularly bright as you suggest, then it might be wasted on him.” He’d known a few people with armored abilities as a specialized mage craft, but no sentient rocks. Not that he was thinking of it along the lines of mage craft beyond vague comparisons. Still, it wasn’t like he didn’t know people with brilliant power, but very little common sense upstairs to use alongside their abilities. “Not that I can likely imagine it clearly, given we’re all from different worlds if my greeting earlier is true. I expect such things or systems of power and the like would be differing in a variety of ways.”

But it was interesting. The very idea that this world at least gave the opportunity to learn about such things was fascinating for the researcher in him. Once he felt a little less off-balance and had come to proper terms with the situation, he would actually probably be quite eager to see what might be available for materials.

Yes, between that smile and her clear amusement with him, he would definitely compare her to his step-sister. Still, if she was bent on enjoying her hobby of teasing the new guy, the new guy was going to at least use the conversation to learn a little. “No? And beyond naming the personality traits of new arrivals, what does one generally do to pass the time while in place?” The welcome comity hadn’t elaborated on much more than a loose definition of why he was there. Considering he was used to a fairly hectic schedule of either teaching or being lent out by Reines or Melvin to look into matters brought to their attention, he was used to being pretty busy. That wasn’t even counting what he’d just been pulled out of.

“I see.” Humming a little at her explanation, the annoyance with her teasing disappearing for at least a moment. “And in my world, the term ‘demon’ is a little more varied. Demons represent both the use of magical energy and the existence of Magical Beasts. There are several ways to become one by my world’s definition. Those who were born as a ‘monster’ such as the Minotaur from legend would actually be classified as a demon, or heroes and gods who were transformed in life or those of a man-made nature like familiars. Humans can also be labeled a demon by losing their humanity due to their actions or by the actions of others. So they need not be considered denizens of hell where I’m from. Though the church would likely say different, but they rarely agree.” Then Daemons were something else again. Really, he sounded a little like a professor, but he tended to go on sometimes. Usually for the benefit of his apprentice who was usually by his side, and a habit could be hard to break. Feel free to tease him for being the nerd that he is, Illyana.

The question is met with a quick confirmation. “I’ve been in what my world would call a reality marble, which is an artificially created world, and recently, the underworld.” At first he had questioned if he’d ended up in a reality marble when he arrived, but he’d quickly decided it wasn’t after having been here for a while. “But, I’ve never been to an alternate place so far removed from my own world like this.” And it was a bother, if he was being honest and his tone probably conveyed that a little. His frown was slightly deep at the thought. Interesting potential or not…? Leave it to him to get pulled into something he didn’t ask for again when he was already on a tight schedule. “Does anyone know how the flow of time between this and our own world works?”

Oh? He was in the company of a fellow teacher, then? That was interesting and made him wonder if there was actually some kind of formal school for magic. “Less interesting, hm? Sounds like we have very different students, then.” His were aging him by the day, really. Bursting with potential but driving him mad at the same time, though some of that might have been the low-key jealousy of being surrounded by people with more power than him. But… Those who could not do, taught, as they said. “There a school here for teaching magic, then? Or is it informal tutoring that you do?” He asked, not sounding over-eager or anything, just blandly curious. He knew what it was like to want to teach to make up for one’s past mistakes, after all. It was also why he’d put himself in debt buying his old teacher’s class to start lecturing from at the clock tower. So… If there was a need here, and if he was going to need a job, if her words about having a lot of time on one’s hands were anything to go by? Why not do that on the side of research?

It wasn’t like he could waste time on video games here either, if the state of this place was anything to go by.

The man cast an embarrassed glance away from Illyana at the comment about liking to talk, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from reacting too much once he’d realized a bit late how much of a tangent he’d gone off on. “Everything gets categorized, right down to the minutia where I’m from. So, I believe the answer would be yes to the second question.” He responded with an awkward tone, trying to not go off on another long-winded explanation again for both their sake. “Not sure who this Doug is, someone around here or someone you know from elsewhere?”

“Oh…?” He tilted his head with interest. “Fascinating, that would be a good name for it as well... Though mages in my world generally refer to more literally as a space for storing something in as such instead.” So they were a little different between their worlds, though it was interesting to have met someone with such experiences immediately upon arriving. Reality marbles were also largely banned by the clock tower, compared to pocket spaces. “It seems you have ample experience with such planes of existence and worlds like this, then.” While he was still rather wary given the teasing and his general awkwardness with being social, it was fascinating enough to hold his attention. Made him want to learn more about her and the world she came from. “Hm… If that’s true, then there is little to worry about on that front, then. Though if you haven’t gone back yourself, I presume that your knowledge of that is through someone who has?”

Ah, so she had yet to have so many students as to run into the more interesting (exhausting) ones. Though, to be fair, his class tended to collect the ‘problem children’ of the Clock Tower. Those who had excessively strong abilities but had been unsuited to most forms of teaching, thrown from one class to another until they landed in his lecture halls as a last resort. Both a headache and a stroke of luck for him, given his methods of teaching actually worked and suited them all to the point that they reached heights that no one else would have expected, thus giving him a reputation to back of his current position despite his own lacking magical talents. “Honestly, once you get a few interesting students in your classroom, the rest come pouring in and you’ll never have a boring day in your life again.” He responded with a small shake of his head, though he raised a brow at her description of the Academy.

“Needs to be cleaned up, does it?” Sounded like a bother to him, especially if dangerous things were just left precariously about for anyone to find. Tsking lightly at her description of the other man assisting with the project, he offered a shrug. “There is something to be said for letting those new to these things learn from their mistakes. One could say it is valuable to grow both as a mage and a person.” He would be a very different man if he had not made the mistakes he had, after all… Even if he had to live with the guilt of some of them. But those were the ones that he did try to keep his students from making, so he continued. “I do see the value in ensuring those mistakes aren’t going to be on so grand a scale that they trouble others. So perhaps trying to make it safe isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Otherwise, you’re stuck dealing with the fallout.”

So… He fell between the two, really. Sometimes a mistake could be a valuable learning experience. However, a student nearly poisoned the entire class by substituting an ingredient that was not compatible or playing with something they didn’t understand yet was too much of a danger to let pass. Fixing up the Academy was a decent cause, though, and if it was just her and this other overcautious man, he supposed he was obligated to offer assistance himself despite his desire to hide away in some run down building to pursue his own studies. That would just be slipping too far backwards, as desirable as that sounded at times. “I suppose as a professor of magic myself, I would be remiss to not offer some assistance with the cleanup and arrangement. Especially if there’s that much free time on our hands here.” As long as he doesn’t need to do any heavy lifting, his stamina and physical capabilities were pathetically low. “I would also be able to put together my own teaching credentials should you need them before agreeing to allow me to join in.”

Because if she and this other guy had already taken it upon themselves to start working on things, they were the authority in a sense and he wasn’t stupid enough to tread on toes of those who were already there. Especially those who were probably more powerful than him.

Oddly enough, the man didn’t tend to write off abilities for sounding less impressive or useful in the traditional sense. “Any language? Sounds fairly useful, depending on how it’s utilized.”

“Yes, in a bind, they can make a safe hiding place for something you need to keep out of someone else’s hands.” He responded with a nod as she seemed to get the slight difference between a reality marble and a pocket dimension space. “The size would depend on what you’re trying to hide and your skill.” He paused, and something complicated passed over the man’s expression. Coincidentally, this line of conversation had given him a particular thought on a case he’d just been working before ending up here. Something that hadn’t come up where he was before, at least not yet. Could it have been that simple…? “Shit, I really need to go back…” He muttered to himself (sorry, Illyana), running a hand through his excessive hair in annoyance. Clearing his throat, he tried to refocus on the conversation. “I know of people who experienced similar abductions in their youth as well.” Or were tossed into situations where they easily slipped between one realm and another by mistake. Often times it was fairies involved, though. “Though few make the return trip.” And clearly this woman had, if her knowledge was anything to go by. So, really, her experience was impressive, however it had come about.

Honestly, he could do with a little boredom, in his opinion… But somehow he expected his lucky wouldn’t let that be, even if she was bored. So he focused on her explanation of the state of the academy. “Messed up their own spells, huh?” Why did that not surprise him…? What might they have been trying to achieve that went awry, though, he wondered. At the end of the day, accidents and disaster was always a risk with even the most skilled mage, especially if they were reaching for something beyond their skill or understanding… Her disappointment apparent, he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d think needing to clean up someone else’s mess was exciting.

That said, Harry’s concern did seem a bit over the top. “Does he expect the potential students to have that much potential already? Few could achieve that, even by accident, I’d think.” He didn’t know how much power people might have here, but even he had to admit that sounded a bit farfetched… “Well… No, one student might if he got it in his head to try.” Flat had too much power and potential, too much of an affinity for chaos magic (more like strange magic where the boy was involved). He was going to develop another ulcer before the kid graduated out of his class, he was sure.

“Considering the state of the world and that place, I’m somehow unsurprised by that… I’m used to being short on funds, anyway.” It was a pain, but considering the sheer level of debt he was in, it wouldn’t be hard to adjust to. Even his rent went towards paying that off, but barely. The small cut of his salary he got from teaching mostly went into necessities and sometimes the frivolous video game. She wanted his credentials now? He looked a little thrown off again, not expecting to have to rattle that off yet. “I was going to write them up and send them to you, but very well. I suppose I haven’t even introduced myself. Lord El-Melloi II of the Clock Tower, I started in Mineralogies before I shifted focus and have been the head of Modern Magecraft Theories for nearly ten years. In that time, my students have achieved among the highest ranks of the tower before graduating out of my class.” Brand and Pride, the second and third rank. Though Brand was sometimes considered the highest rank, if only because taking the rank of ‘Grand’ was rare due to the expectations and target it could paint on your back. It was more trouble than it was worth.

He doesn’t sound particularly proud of himself. His students were the ones with the talent. He only guided and helped them refine it, after all.

Coming back from the dead wasn’t… as odd as it should be. At least depending on the method. Instead, he was intrigued with the idea that the young man’s ability might have been useful in combat. “Is that so…? I admit, I had not considered a potential offensive capability to such an ability.”

He felt a vein on his forehead twitch at the question. “No.” He responded shortly, grinding his teeth at the lightness of her comment. “I left two students on a train running through the underworld where a murder had just occurred and I might have just realized where something important might be.” He responded, not even mentioning the sudden appearance of a heroic spirit out for blood on top of all that. Rubbing the side of his head and messing up the hair a bit as he cursed the fact that he was here and not there. Though he probably wouldn’t have come it the conclusion without going over the topic of pocket dimensions.

It was hard to deny that the woman was right on the subject of it being for the best that most did not return from those other places. Those who did often came back lacking something important and unstable. There was a story about a prior professor who’d been taken by fairies and returned without his heart, after all.

He raised a brow as she described Harry’s intent and probable motivations. “A hero complex, huh?” He huffed lightly. People like that could be dangerous in their own way, as noble as the desire was. You always fell short in the end, and the crash was devastating… No matter how much his apprentice said things like how he’d saved her from that little village, he never wanted to be a hero. He only wanted to be better than he was and to live up to the role he’d been given by an idiot far greater than him.

Her question gets another small huff, gesturing lightly with the cigar. “Unruly, curious, and with more power and potential than most people have after working on their skills for years. He’s been through every classroom at the clock tower and no one wants him, so they tossed him to Modern Magecraft Theories as a last resort.” Which was their loss. Stress or not, the kid was worth the time and really just needed a place he belonged with people who would call him out for his foolishness once in a while. Even if it did trigger the small, jealous part of him that couldn’t believe someone with so little common sense was blessed with so much power. “Flat Escardos. He has a very strong affinity for chaos magic. Although I would categorize it more as ‘strange magic’ if I were to categorize it further.”

An eye twitched. He was used to dealing with this kind of amusement seeking from Reines. “No, that’s ridiculous. Reality Marbles are rare and banned by the clock tower. They only tend to exist or be created in certain circumstances. I get a small paycheck for necessities and the odd luxury, but the bulk of what I earn or bring in is currently going towards paying off the debts I owe to the El-Melloi family and the Weins family. So working on little funding wouldn’t be anything new.” There was no reason to hide that much, it held no bearing here and if anyone who knew him arrived, they’d probably delight in telling the rumours about the foolish young man who’d borrowed money from the Weins family to buy his old teacher’s classroom and accepted responsibility for all the debts of the El-Melloi family that had been weighed down by the last Lord’s death.

A brow rose at that, but probably not for the reason she expected. “Actually, I was only twenty when I bought the classroom and started teaching, but that sums it up in a basic sense. Just how old do you think I am?” He muttered with a grumble, the stress lines on his face and his perpetually tired demeanor probably gave everyone the impression of someone much older than reality. Which was that he was only 29.

Frowning, as his cigar had finally burnt down to a stub. The bounded field warding off whatever was out in the darkness aside from them would wear and there went what little stabilizing the other effects gave his mind. He didn’t know how easy it would be to get what he needed to make more, though, so he wasn’t about to waste another.