Private Lessons [Stefan] [Memory]

[Anton]

It took Anton some time to decide how best to explain his ignorance to Stefan, his smile frozen on his face at the older man's brief comment on estate management. He could solve mathematical equations, explain the actions of objects in response to external forces, and enumerate the names, lineages, and scandals of almost every person of consequence in the city - but what he could not do was hire staff or order renovations or manage investments.

The awkwardness went in two directions, Anton feeling put on the spot for having clearly not known something that Stefan expected him to know, while at the same time the younger man struggled to find a way to explain to the nouveau riche scion that his family had people for that. He highly doubted for instance that his father could handle any matters of finance beyond balancing his own checkbook. But it would not do after all to cast aspersions upon the Dornkirks by in turn implying that they were déclassé for caring about such matters, especially not when the Michaelis heir himself was making an effort to do so.

Electing to avoid taking a confrontational approach, Anton instead ignored both of them entirely. "It was decided that my education should focus on enhancing my prestige, in light of my history of medical issues," he confided, hoping that was a diplomatic enough approach to the otherwise awkward conversation. "If I may bee entirely honest with you Stefan, achieving the goals set out for myself is considerably more important than you may have assumed. My family is large, after all," he added, hoping that was vague enough to not impose undue familiarity upon the other nobleman while still presenting an invitation for him to learn more if he wished to do so.

"Regardless of the circumstances, I it is clear to me now that you are correct. It is time for the deficiencies in my education to be dealt with, before they become an impediment. I would appreciate any assistance you could provide," Anton said with a bow of his head before they switched to far less troublesome family matters. "Well, would that everyone has so splendid a little brother as you have in Brenner," he added as a courteous reply to the talk of the ZADC. Both were well aware of the delicate dance that they played, the rivalry between the services a sore spot. An airship's captain often commanded more cannons than a general on the ground ever would, and the admiralty's budget requests were somehow always accepted. But this was not the time for that.

Taking the text in hand, he briefly examined the book's aura. It grew in a series of arpeggios and scales, simplicity building into complexity the further and further it went. He had far more difficult texts, but Stefan was right that this would prove an excellent foundation. "I shall finish this as soon as I can, thank you Stefan. I suppose I should start at the beginning?" With that, he opened the book to its first page, focusing intently upon its text and making a show of having his sightless eyes scan across the text. "Devising our own experiment does sound quite fun."

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The older heir nodded, noting the absence of an answer to his not quite a question, but choosing not to comment on it. Stefan was not a social adept but when someone chose not to say something he generally took it at face value, that they did not wish to speak on the topic for reasons of their own. Anton being groomed for prestige when he could not be groomed for glory made perfect sense to all the lessons Stefan had been taught about how the old families raised their children.

It was not the barbarism of the past, where those who could not physically contribute were through to the proverbial (or in very far back history, literal) wolves. Different types could contribute to the furthering of a House in different ways. Stefan himself had served time in the military but it was not how he would add to the Dornkirk reputation. If the family continued into the future, as all its current members hoped it would, his service would likely be a footnote in the recorded history, if it was mentioned at all. He was glad of the thought, when he had it, for he would rather forget the time he'd spent in uniform himself.

The mention of the importance of the work, of the size of the Michaelis family, were subtle, more so than Stefan might normally have understood. But they had just been talking about money, and prestige. A thoughtful expression crossed his face and a question bloomed in his head as to the true nature of the solvency of the House. It was not a bit of his business, and he would never have asked such a thing, but it lent credibility to the eagerness, tempered by a maturity he had rarely seen in a man of Anton's age.

"Of course, the work is important." He acknowledged, not instructing for the moment. "For your family and the State, I've no doubt." He left the option for information to be given in the younger man needed someone to confide in. Being raised entirely in one's family home must have been even more lonely than being ostracized by society for a good part of your life and it caused a sympathy to light in Stefan. He could be a confidant as much as tutor, and, perhaps the former might lend more confidence to the pupil than the latter.

His smile was the equivalent of a laugh on another man, and he nodded at the praise.

"I have no doubt that your siblings will bring your House glory in their own ways as well. It is not always for us elders to be the glorious ones. More often it seems we do our duty by bringing quieter leadership than is required on the field, or in the skies, of battle." He would not say that this was because the heir could not risk dying before they had sired heirs of their own, but Anton would have been schooled in that even more exactly than Stefan, he had no doubt.

When they turned back to the books Stefan was pleased to let them. Anton seemed to flip through, eyes not quite as focused as most people's were when they read, but then, it looked as though Anton were only skimming. When the younger man turned back to the first page and began diving deeper into the text Stefan said,

"Indeed, it is generally a good idea. Though, when the author makes reference to another experiment feel free to skip to it if it will help. I have the page numbers memorized for quick reference if you do end up moving around. He also references several other texts, most of which I have with me. The ones I don't are theoretical only, and frankly, not very realistic in the opinions of most scholars. They wouldn't be hard to obtain if you did want to read them but a good grounding in the science before you do is my recommendation."

While the student dug in Stefan picked the transcript of his learning back up and gave it a more through read, waiting until Anton had a question, an idea, or wanted a reference.

[Anton]

"For my family, and the State, certainly," Anton diplomatically said with a slow nod, before examining Stefan more closely than ever before. The man's aura was muted and ordered, but had a calmness to it that made him want to trust the older man. It was not as if he had anyone he could trust ordinarily anyway. "But also to myself. When the time inevitably comes and my father passes on, there will be questions of competence. I have spent over a decade where I should have been proving myself to my family and the city that I am worthy of his place. It is vital then that I answer those questions now."

The scion spoke hesitantly, more from the fear that the other man wouldn't understand rather than the anxiety of sharing at all. "It is a family affair, you understand. Were anything to happen to my father soon, my uncle would almost certainly inherit instead of myself or my siblings. Such things still matter to those of us with our heads buried in the past," Anton explained, or perhaps over explained, with a wan smile.

His mood did at least brighten at the topic of siblings, his smile brightening even if it still did not reach his eyes. "My sister I think may prove you right, but only time will tell. And Karl, well, Karl is four," he said with a shrug. "You are much closer to Brenner than I am to either of my siblings, I'm somewhat jealous of you for that. Sometimes I feel more like a third parent instead of their brother. But I forget myself, we have work to do," Anton said with a nod, far more enthused than he was mere moments ago.

"Forgive me if this seems impudent, especially for a first lesson, but is there anything here which references or attempts to codify magic?" Anton asked innocently as he continued flipping through the text, keeping his focus on the book in order to hide the spike of anxiety that he felt from merely asking. He had an entire speech of sorts prepared if he received a negative answer, that it was important to understand what magic was and what it could do in order to replicate those effects properly using scientific means and so on and so forth. In truth, while these weren't lies necessarily, they hid an important fact. Anton hungered to rationalize the gift that had been forced upon him in the same rational terms that the rest of the world was rapidly being defined in, and was more than willing to hunt the barest hint of an opportunity to that effect.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The older man nodded at the suggestion of proving oneself. The thoughts were ones that Stefan had himself, often.

"I would agree that it is important to be seen as worthy of the places we will inherit, but you're young still, if you'll forgive me saying so. Your father is in good health, I believe you have time to show yourself of merit. If I could have chosen to wait longer before entering the public sphere I would have. I was woefully unprepared to be seen, and, in that way, I envy you the extra time. I do not know at what cost it came, and I do not mean to imply it was worth what you may have paid, only that I wish I might have waited till I was sixteen before being thrust out into a world that can be very cold."

His expression became more serious as the topics shifted to things that deserved concerted attention. That Stefan would inherit had never been in question, assuming he lived to see the death of his father. But the Dornkirks were not nobility in the same way the Michaelises were. There was House stability to consider, the management of land, and many, many people who relied on that stability. While the notion might have been old-fashioned, as Anton said, it made sense to Stefan.

"I can understand passing the responsibility to leading on to someone prepared for the task. Some who wants it." The implications of his own statement came to him and, before he could worry about how it might sound, he said,

"Is leading something that you want?" Was leading something that Stefan wanted? The question was too big, too complicated. The answer was 'Yes', of course, but it was also 'No'. He would think about it later, or, more likely, he would bury it again.

"Brenner and I were born in the same year, so we are close in age. I am, indeed, lucky in that we are also close in other ways. Growing up, it was like having a twin in some ways, but I also got to be an older brother, if just barely."

The age difference between Anton and his two siblings was significant enough that Stefan briefly wondered if his parents had encountered difficulty baring more children, before he dismissed the thought as none of his business.

The scientific question took him almost entirely aback and it took a moment for him to gather himself.

"These books do not contain anything of the intersection between magic and science." He answered carefully, watching for the reaction before taking a breath and risking more,

"I do believe they intersect, and possibly in greater ways than we yet imagine. I design airships, as you know, which is science, but I use dragonshards to power them. I am not using magic myself, Empty Throne forbid, but I do see the use of it. Particularly when it isn't in a way that must taint the person or persons making use of it. Magic is a resource, and, like any other source of energy, it can be dangerous, even deadly.

The use of firearms should be controlled, so too the use of magic. The State understands how it must keep its people safe, and, so long as we work within the bounds of the law, I don't see why magic should not be harnessed in safe ways. Just as any other scientific resource, it should be studied so we can implement it for the good of all. I have made some small studies myself, partly for my work, and partly in an attempt to further Zaichaerian knowledge on the subject."

Taking a sip of the tea, now gone a bit cold but perhaps more refreshing for it, Stefan considered his next words.

"Having a strong base of knowledge is required before you can understand where, and how, magic and science run along the same lines. If that is of interest to you we should build that base before we step forward. Knowing the dangers doesn't guarantee protection, but forwarned is forarmed, in my experience."

[Anton]

"Perhaps you are right, Stefan. I have remained so focused upon that which I lacked that I paid no attention to that which I gained. Time is a precious thing, is it not?" Despite his somewhat morose reflection, the scion actually did seem cheered by the current bend of the conversation. The older man's question in turn gave him some pause though, Anton cocking his head slightly at the thought. "I must confess that want has never come into the picture before. It is what I was born and bred for, even if there were some complications along the way. I suppose the answer is yes, but is that my answer or simply the answer that I have been raised to give? I will have to consider it."

If he was distraught at all by the turn of the conversation, he did not show it. Instead, he simply appeared contemplative, considering the options of his life with a glassy look in his eyes. Of course, they always seemed a bit unfocused, but right now they seemed particularly so, as if he had never considered the possibility of not leading as anything other than dismal failure. "That must be quite nice. I am somewhat apart from my own siblings, in more than just age."

Anton immediately noticed the very careful way that Stefan began to answer his imprudent question, giving the older man nothing more than a small nod of understanding. Sensing that the engineer was perhaps a kindred spirit, he pressed further, keeping himself for the moment within the bounds of youthful indiscretion. "Forgive me, Stefan, but it seems... Isn't that line somewhat arbitrary? Dragonshards are magic, no? Crystallized aether. The mechanisms by which that power is used may be ordered by science, but the power itself is not." The scion tapped his lips with a finger as he thought, listening intently as Stefan continued.

"Firearms, too, follow similar logic. The caster shell itself doesn't even hide its nature in the name, but they are accepted as a necessity in the name of the State. Yet, it seems to me that we have perilously little understanding of the power that we wield. Setting aside Archmagic like what Sundered the World, the effects of all magics can be reproduced by mundane means. Certainly, quite different causes and methods, but the same ends accomplished. Why, then, are we still dependent upon it? Is it a lack of understanding of magic, or of the world?"

Turning his attention back to the book Stefan had given him, Anton began to flip through it languidly, his attention more on the man than on the tome. "Perhaps we should start building that base of knowledge upon where that problem lays. Power."

[Rune]

R E V I E W

Lore:

Anton:
13

Stefan:
12

Points: 10 each, Anton may use for Semblance

Injuries/Ailments: None

Loot: None

Notes: