[BlueInTheShell]

"Spewing lies? Lies would be saying all your kind ever does is help people selflessly, rather than being motivated by praise and profit. Don't think anyone has forgotten what one of your daughters did to Enorah Cathedral." Wisp replied, before souring at the stereotypes that Arabella had thrown back at her and shutting her mouth. Both of those comments from each other had merit, if only Wisp was bringing up more or less an accident, rather than deliberate malice; A daughter of Ash accidentally burning down one of the biggest monuments in Jalriksson a decade ago. The city-state was still recovering from what the rumor mill had been spewing out.

Christoval narrowed his eyes at both daughters for a moment, before looking down at himself and then sighing softly. Was every single mage like this? The others he had met seemed to scoff at the mundanes. Yet when monsters came rearing at the door? They were often hiding in the back lines while people like him died in scores trying to fend beings off with simple iron and steel. Regaining his composure and biting his lower lip, and then turned towards Wisp for a moment, who nodded. Gaining her approval, Christoval looked towards Arabella. "Mages who use fire tend to cast spells on an average of 7.23 seconds between each verse or incantation. Seeing as how you focus on fire, a simple effort to reduce injury is to dampen clothes and skin - Wait for the first spell to be cast. Then I have 7 seconds to retaliate. A hand crossbow is more than capable of stopping or aggravating a mage into ruining a spell. Then It's simply forcing you in the defensive while avoiding emergency cantrips." Christoval said with a small shrug. "And seeing as how I can swing a sword with 6.7 seconds a swing, I could theoretically hit you before you finish your next big spell."

Wisp did admire the kid's gumption sometimes. In the six days she'd known him, he at least had a bit of a tactical mind, along with the troublesome knightly virtues. The dark mage looked towards Arabella and shrugged. "I wouldn't want to overshadow you with reading books. I am strong enough as it is without training." And maybe an infernal pact.

Christoval had simmered slightly, and wriggling a set of cold fingers to warm them up, nodding vigorously at Kastivi and giving her a sheepish smile. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't help the farmers chase off witches and such too when I was a kid. Didn't know any better. And neither did they. Then again, supposedly one turned my great-great uncle into a toad, and then he got eaten by a snake. Family story." It was most likely tall-tale, but it made for good talking, Christoval thought with a chuckle, before beaming at the dark-skinned woman. "Anyone can get good at this job! It's just prep-work and not being too zealous. I learned that the hard way on my first adventure, before Wisp took me in. It's also why I took this goblin job. Those things killed my first group of friends." Finally, there was a bit of a malevolent, angry look in Christoval's eyes, something one would attribute to being around Wisp. "Yeah, she seems a bit...Stern. And unfun."

With the halfling retiring after threatening her apprentice - Wisp's eyes shifted slowly over towards the girl - Wisp looking her up and down and then snorting. "Just goes to show you, Christoval. Daughters. College of Wizardry. All the same. Uppity and stuck spelunking their arses with their heads." The dark mage looked towards Kastivi for a moment and offered a seat across from her; the woman waving a hand as a spectral arm conjured itself and pulled the seat out for her - Christoval putting a few baubles into Wisp's pack, the knight shaking and wriggling in place. "It's no worries on my part. Not everyone is always gonna be friendly. Bit sore about her thinking Wisp doesn't train me though. I know a lot from her."

Wisp groaned and placed her head in a hand, watching the two converse. "...I would be a bad mentor if I didn't teach you. Plus you're more....Tolerable...Than the rest. Even with the stupidity you've lodged in your brain about right and wrong."