lunes

Do I think that Rollo would give up on his hopes for a world without magic and go straight to being docile and nice? HELL(fire) NO, he is petty and takes his grudges to his grave.

Do I also think that he's not this completely narrow-minded caricature of a bigot who's hell(fire)bent on destroying magic and that characterization of him is shallow? Well yeah.

Simply put, I don't think Rollo just forgives and forgets, but I also don't think he's obsessive about ~beating Malleus Draconia~ in the way I've seen people describe. Mostly because Rollo's hatred of magic is not his only personality trait.

...Additionally, Rollo is a patient man, not to mention non-confrontational. He's willing to brood in the shadows and play the waiting game while watching for another opportunity to present itself.

In the meantime, he's got other things going on for him.

Mainly? This neat little magicless weirdo who adopted him on a whim, opening their arms (and their dorm) when they knew no one else would have him.

...Now, for contrast? Cool, smooth Malleus Draconia, professional emotional repressor, has only felt truly afraid of one person, which is Rollo Flamme, and only two times.

The first was in the bell tower during the fire lotus fiasco.

The second was seeing how quickly Rollo had won you over.

It sort of makes sense.

The very first stranger who didn't fear him, who befriended him, who defended him, who spoke of him without shame, could surely learn to love anyone, and Rollo was no exception to that rule. Malleus could understand why you would forgive him so easily, why you would grant him shelter and let him drink out of the cup of your hand, as you did him.

But this... is a little too much.

Right?

The hand-holding, the gentle nudges, the whispers and giggles, and closeness that Rollo demands and that you supply without question, without caution, it drives Malleus out of his mind.

And Rollo? Totally careless.

Yes, he still dislikes Malleus, and he especially dislikes your friendship with him.

But is he going after the guy? Is he dragging him out into the square and burning him at the stake? Is he going on grand speeches about the great evil that is Malleus Draconia?

No.

Because Rollo, when not engulfed in flame, is the very same calm, measured Student Council President that they had met before lotuses spread through the city of flowers like wildfire.

That is to say... he doesn't spare a second glance at Malleus.

I would hardly consider it a competition when it's just Malleus' one-sided insecurity beating against a brick wall.

Rollo knows he's already won, or at least he feels that he has. And Malleus? Oh, it drives him crazy.

Coward, he calls him. Dishonorable liar!

But Rollo is just cruising by, arm-in-arm with you, whispering sweet somethings that make you smile...

There's no battles, no blasts of lighting and fire, not even any witty back-and-forth between the two men.

It's not a rivalry as much as it is a petty, one-sided slap fight. Malleus trying to grab your attention, Rollo rolling his eyes and moving you along, you at the center of the conflict, not a care in the world.

No feats of magic, no enchanting evenings at mysterious balls or midnight strolls in mystical forests, no amount of humor or interesting conversation seems to get through to you- you respond to it as you always have, which is, well, with rapt attention and an overabundance of gratitude, but it's the same you give Rollo, and so it's simply not enough anymore.

He just doesn't get it. Rollo is a homebody who avoids using magic like the plague, his lineage is not noble nor does he come from a particularly interesting place, and he doesn't even like gargoyles that much! What in the world could he possibly have that Malleus does not? What could he provide for you? What hole does he fill?

For once in his life, Malleus is mad that his status doesn't mean anything to you.