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"… and the same goes for me," he finished, nodding his head and sinking back as Professor Mag'Nesson considered his words. He wasn't saying anything that was revolutionary, after all. Magic is noticed by those who trained in it, like he had, and therefore it makes sense that he and the professor would need to be careful due to the visual effects of their spells and magics. It was probably more of a reminder, really. She was a professor of magic, after all.
Though her magic was fascinating, and he hadn't seen her use it like that before. It would be a good puzzle to think about in his meditation, how it worked.
He planned to sink back in the group alongside Vaelus, letting the professor and Lieutenant Nayar take the lead while thimble darted back and forth, but that plan was paused when he made eye contact with the marshal. His head was tilted, perhaps in consideration, and there was a small nod as he came to a conclusion of some sort.
The man was hard to read, really. The first time Occtis had seen him be readable was earlier, when he began to panic about the case he was supposed to present. It was good to be hard to read, as it didn't allow others to know he was apart of a long scheme of treason.
It also made it extremely difficult for Occtis to fully trust him.
But- and this was an important but- Azune had not given him away (as of yet), and the Lieutenant had accepted his answer of choosing not to reveal himself, even as the man was breaking down. His acceptance of Occtis' decision was part of why he was willing to make the promise to remember the man. He also, though he did rip his letter, didn't fight when Vaelus stopped his handing it over to King Augustus as she checked with Occtis.
The choice of others can stop him, it seems. He values the input of others and their agency to a strong degree, for a man so entrenched in manipulating the sundered houses and raising a militia.
He also seemed… oddly genuine, for a man so seemingly entrenched in lies. It was off putting, as much as it was a fascinating contradiction. A genuine liar- valuing truth as he tells lies, valuing directness as he misdirects.
Maybe his valuing of directness was why the marshal's next words were said looking him in the eyes.
"You're very wise, Occtis."
"Nope!" Occtis cut him off, averting his eyes and pulling his hands behind his back. He was suddenly glad he was dead, and that the automatic flash of heat that he knew would have accompanied that compliment should he be alive was now no longer happening. Instead, he only shifted his eyes away from the piercing gaze of Azune Nayar. Improvement. However, he then made eye contact with Thimble, who would know for a fact that this was him embarrassed.
Oh boy. She was glowing with mischief. Literally.
She darted over and leaned dramatically on his shoulder as she landed, exaggeratedly repeating "you're so wise, Occtis-"
"Super not," he interrupted, shrugging her off. The lieutenant had tilted his head again, brow furrowed slightly in most likely confusion as he looked between Occtis and the now floating once more Thimble.
"Why was that rejected so fast?"
Once again, the tone of the question was oddly genuine. That was terrible. It made Occtis need to give an answer.
Thimble shrugged at Azune's question, and Occtis held his hands behind his back once more, using the brief pause to parse together some sort of explanation.
"There's a difference, um…" he fumbled for a bit, averting his eyes once more, this time landing on professor Mag'Nesson and her small smile as he avoided the inquisitive sunset stare a few degrees left of her. "I, I just have.. um, an obsession."
Professor Mag'Nesson grinned widely, gem teeth sparkling as she tossed her hair. "Why is everyone so obsessed with me?"
The tone was teasing, but it got the Marshal to bark out a small laugh as Thimble's laughter rang out like a bell. It got their attention off him, and it was an out, and he was going to take it.
"Um, no, it's just I, uh I've been working, thinking and uh, yours works differently, and it was fascinating. "
"Yeah?" She began picking at her gem teeth, eyes gleaming. "Well maybe I can teach you a little bit about it someday. You've been gone for a while."
He smiled. "I have. Maybe I could teach you some things."
He heard whispering, and he turned slightly to see Thimble and Azune staring at the both of them like they had found something interesting.
And Thimble moved her body in a strange-
Wait a minute.
Was this flirting?