"Is that a bad thing?"

"Kids usually want to come, it's better than the other places they go."

"So we pension everyone off really early in conjunction with making better other places for kids to go -"

"If you do enough of that the Temple-Guilds probably shrink a lot, I don't know about disappear, people really want to be able to hire mages if they're sick or lonely or can't get their work done or need bodyguards or want to spy on people."

Nod. "Thank you. I'm Maitimo."

"Cir," says the kid, and he reaches for Maitimo's hand.

At the last second he realizes, freezes -

- too late.

Cir smiles apologetically at him.

The briefing had just said not to touch a red mage, and why. It didn't mention there was a feeling associated. There is a feeling associated, soft and warm and rolling across him and leaving utter bliss (and his skin is on fire but not in a bad way) - if there are blessings that good he wouldn't know he's never - 

- he gasps -

" - ah," he says, a bit fuzzily - Cir loves him, Cir Knows him and loves him, it is unmistakable, it is magically obvious and all around him and all humans are children in a sense but this human is a child in a much more concrete sense - "why -"

"There are thirty people on my waiting list," says Cir. "I'm almost old enough, they're going to start showing up in a couple weeks. It's too many and you can afford to outbid them all, you have an excuse not to wait till you can do it for everybody now, please."

"Of course," he says instantly, and then steps back, reeling. But only for a couple seconds. "Yeah - fuck - I can take you back with me and no one'll ever touch you -"

Smile.

He wants to hug him again. He doesn't do that. "Will you be in trouble -"

"Worst case scenario I would've had to account for you as personal discretion, maybe not picked up the kid my parents adopt this year."

Shiver -

- he takes his hand again, it feels so lovely - 

- "I'm not - you still remember everything okay?"

"I keep a diary and I remember my siblings' names and stuff, I'm forgetful but I'm not incapacitated -"

"Okay. I just - I don't magically know everything about you and if I'm taking you away I don't want to do wrong by you along the way - would you rather stay here I could arrange that if it's preferable -"

"You can bring me, I'd just want to visit."

"Of course. You can probably get a door right here."

"A door?"

"From our palace in Tirion, there's a magic door which for you will probably open right here, so you can visit whenever you like if you're very careful about having someone hold the door. I'll explain everything in a little bit -" hand-squeeze - "this is very distracting -"

"I know," smirks Cir.

And a little while later he goes off to find the Queen.

She has emerged from her erstwhile redmage's house and is now talking to one of his kids, but she stops when Maitimo approaches.

"Hey! I have a question but it's not urgent, I do not mean to interrupt."