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Jeremiah let out a huff and then nodded as he tried to not laugh. "In theory, yes. If you wanted to fling Sith lightning around we could do that. I prefer gestures and intent, not words ..."

It felt odd to him, out of place. Heliodora yelling out macarena came to mind briefly.

"At first, and more so if you try to cast something larger. I have been practicing so I don't get winded." It was like exercising, strengthening muscles you never knew you had in the first place. "In fact, I should ..."

Jeremiah paused in walking, eyes sliding shut and taking a deep breath. His hands pressed together and then slowly pulled apart. A chill wind blew from behind them, circled them for a moment and then stopped. A barrier shimmered into existence around them, very clearly there and then disappeared. The taller man purposely closed up his umbrella, head tilting up as he hooked it on his elbow.

Rain was now hitting a barrier above them and no longer falling on them.

"Just keeping you dry, precious." Jeremiah had an unrepentant look on his face, that smile he had equal parts the troublesome youth he was and the besotted man he was now. The warm touch of Algie was appreciated, helping ease the chill, and his fingers squeezed lightly.

"Also practicing myself because I need to." The library would not be that far now, not in this town, but at least the walk was now nicer than before. Blue-green eyes glanced towards the shorter man. "You know ... most of the things I've learned are defensive, Alg. Perhaps you might want to focus on something that's not?" Not that he really knew for sure but he also knew the other man was likely still struggling with what to do. Especially since the possibilities, for the time being, seemed endless.

"Mm, no. More that you're always my knight in shining armor." Jeremiah's eyes glinted, then - of all things - went a faint ruddy red at the wink.

Damn that wink.

"It would be like old times if you did. I should probably avoid getting in over my head and antagonizing idiots until they come after me." Baiting people had always been a thing he had done so, so well as a younger man. He noticed the briefly visible knuckles on Algie's hand before they disappeared. "I honestly think you may, once you're more comfortable with it, may have a better talent for it than me."

Algie's protective streak was far, far wider than Jeremiah's and more carefully concealed.

"I know you are." It had always been that way. "... but I know you and you'll make this your own in whatever way." The taller man would dive into something headfirst, almost always dragging Algie along after him in the wake. Ashdown, other ashdown, was really no different than anything else they had done in their lives. The consequences were simply much higher.

"Oddly reassuring?" he questioned with a shake of his head. Jeremiah let out a breath, that barrier still there and keeping them dry as they moved up the steps of the library. "Hopefully we'll find something here and I can finally get that map I left in there back."

"I wasn't really thinking about it much until we talked about coming here. It's not like I couldn't make another if necessary but since I've already got one ..." Jeremiah paused on the steps of the library, giving Algie a look. "Also hoping that this time there's a lack of black eyes in my future."

It was said in teasing, his hand reaching out and squeezing the others. The detective turned then and put a hand on the door to open it.

The door handle did not move in the slightest, not at all budging.

Jeremiah did not miss a beat and reached out to pinch Algie's side. "I don't know that it would be wise to try and force my way into this place," he sighed, "with any sort of magic. This is, aside from Heliodora's demesne, the most magic intensive place I'm aware of."

He took a step down from the door, frowning as he stared hard at it. "We'll simply have to look elsewhere but it's not like we can't continue to practice." Just that there would be no easy grimoire to find for Alg or guidance for Jeremiah to find something similar for himself.

Jeremiah laughed, completely unrepentant about the pinch (even if some part of him was sad the whack would never be quite the same). His own hand pulled once more as well before stepping down the stairs. "Do you have any place in mind? We could just as easily practice at home," as in their house here in other ashdown, "or someplace. Perhaps Bibliophile?"

An arm was held out for Algie to take. "If there's places to check along the way, we can look."