I believe it is you yourself who has said to me multiple times that to choose someone is to allow yourself to be inconvenienced. To see that someone die on the ground I can only imagine is a ... large inconvenience.
but this gets him to pause. and he frowns, deeply. it's true that he said this. it's true that he chose lucas. it's true that lucas is dead. logically, everything gale says is lining up.
for once, though, scien is having a hard time parsing through things logically ]
... it ended his suffering.
I failed him for not getting him out of here sooner.
[ yeah the logic fucking sucks when you think about it that way. gale looks at his feet briefly. ]
Maybe.
[ maybe, if he is claiming to be such a god, and a devoted one, he did fail in a sense. but maybe it is also just another checkmark in the column that proves scien is as prone to mortal fallacy as the rest of us. ]
because scien is the one who went off about what it means to show devotion and repay it in kind. however it's fitting that, the few times he fails, it's for the sake of the small, small number he truly cares about.
like this next point. he lifts his stupid doomscrolling tablet: ]
I'm scouring every piece of information at our disposal. Every ritual, every scenario, every loophole. I'm halfway to assigning myself a monster and making myself a sacrifice amongst the rest of you if it means saving him. [ for the record this is not going to happen at all but it isn't scien if he doesn't have some insane plan ]
There is my failsafe idea. I spoke of it the other week.
[ i think with war or death???? i cant remember. somehow this fucking audience log is 500 comments in w2. ]
I believe my understanding is this: If I were to wish to be alive at the end of these events, I could make that my desire. But I would lose my memory of this place, and the two months or so of time I was here.
But I would be alive. I know Mathis has other concerns in his life, other problems that would need to be solved. But death would not trump many of those issues, so perhaps solving it should be first priority.
Otherwise ... could he somehow partner with someone tonight? Someone else with a deceased partner?
He won't choose it. [ immediately, because scien has already talked about it with him in detail ] There is no path forward in which that wish is used for himself.
[ and scien's... not angry. he's not. because scien will always side with the martyrs and the sacrifices more than the self-obsessed. but it is... truly, unfathomably unfortunate. ]
But your other assessment is correct. If another unpartnered finds him, he will be able to repartner. [ a beat ] Your partner is still alive.
I'll see what I can do. What would be the best way to go about it ... ? To tell her of the possibility? I suppose I cannot out Mathis as that particular monster.
Ask if she would be willing to save Iwatooshi's remaining partner. That is up to her to decide if she wishes to pursue it. If she agrees... you may reveal his name. She must go to him, and they can exchange.
[ a beat ]
It may be uncomfortable. [ due to reasons ] However, it would save his life.
gale says it to lighten the mood, but scien's answer is immediate: ]
I am not like your goddess.
If you succeed in doing this and save the Claude brat's life, you will have done something that I am unable to accomplish myself. That hasn't happened to me in decades. And I always see my debts through.
To some degree, my hands are still bound. I do not have full access to my technology at present, but if we all live through this, I will.
Name what you seek and I will make sure you want for nothing.
[ he genuinely isn't quite sure how to take a problem like that, and it makes him retreat back a bit, hands returning to behind his back and looking distant for a moment. ]
Let us see if first this solution sticks and then see if we are both alive to make this trade, yes?
[ scien is so funny. he could literally just say thank you instead of exhalting gale to blorbo FOR LIFE but i guess gods don't do things in half measures. or maybe scien is just a guy who cares a whole fucking lot and doesn't know how to be normal about it. ]
Then I will consider what we could work on. I have rather extensive laundry list of problems, but I do still have my pride so I'd like to solve some of them myself, you know.
[ but really the simple fact is that it's kind of actually a relief to just ... try and help mathis. he's spent these last few weeks very embroiled in his own personal dramas, and it starts feeling all rather selfish, when the things that actually have made all of this worth it over the last few months have for other people. a brother and sister arguing over who was the bigger idiot in trying to rescue the other. a young couple reunited, dancing together by the river. night orchids, blooming in the shadow-cursed lands. it's easy to lose sight of those things sometimes. ]
[ oh god he does not care that much at all for 99% of people but now he cares about gale an extremely abnormal amount i don't know how to make this make sense in a concise way but it's true ]
I understand that. I've been forced to realize there is not entirely too much that is different between wizards and researchers.
I was merely offended at the idea that I would make you run errands for me and leave you empty-handed. [ a beat ] And the Claude brat's life is not something that can simply be called an errand.
Oh, yes, on the nose. We are all in exactly the same profession, myself and you and your cohorts.
[ the difference between them is truly just. magic vs science but the outcomes and goals and methods are pretty much exactly the same. also the megalomania and aspirations of godhood and hubris before the fall. ]
He's a strange boy, but I can see he has a good heart. And Karlach cares about him very much.
[ he'll cop to that. anyway it's rich of him to pretend he might have thought otherwise, please understand gale has been eating additional mindflayer tadpoles on top of the one he already has so he can get even more cool mindflayer powers. he has no right to judge a horrible curiosity.
waving a hand. ]
I wouldn't say I didn't take it personally, but I would say there is a difference between condemning someone to death when there is a chance to save them and not inviting them to my next party.
[ horrible curiosity drives so many of them forward and it's sooooo bad maybe they should stop it's fine ]
How funny. The lingering effects of a curse. But I would imagine that you and the brat would have a different taste in parties to begin with, so it doesn't seem a great loss.
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I believe it is you yourself who has said to me multiple times that to choose someone is to allow yourself to be inconvenienced. To see that someone die on the ground I can only imagine is a ... large inconvenience.
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but this gets him to pause. and he frowns, deeply. it's true that he said this. it's true that he chose lucas. it's true that lucas is dead. logically, everything gale says is lining up.
for once, though, scien is having a hard time parsing through things logically ]
... it ended his suffering.
I failed him for not getting him out of here sooner.
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Maybe.
[ maybe, if he is claiming to be such a god, and a devoted one, he did fail in a sense. but maybe it is also just another checkmark in the column that proves scien is as prone to mortal fallacy as the rest of us. ]
... And Mathis?
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[ firmly.
because scien is the one who went off about what it means to show devotion and repay it in kind. however it's fitting that, the few times he fails, it's for the sake of the small, small number he truly cares about.
like this next point. he lifts his stupid doomscrolling tablet: ]
I'm scouring every piece of information at our disposal. Every ritual, every scenario, every loophole. I'm halfway to assigning myself a monster and making myself a sacrifice amongst the rest of you if it means saving him. [ for the record this is not going to happen at all but it isn't scien if he doesn't have some insane plan ]
But if I find none, he will also die tomorrow.
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[ i think with war or death???? i cant remember. somehow this fucking audience log is 500 comments in w2. ]
I believe my understanding is this: If I were to wish to be alive at the end of these events, I could make that my desire. But I would lose my memory of this place, and the two months or so of time I was here.
But I would be alive. I know Mathis has other concerns in his life, other problems that would need to be solved. But death would not trump many of those issues, so perhaps solving it should be first priority.
Otherwise ... could he somehow partner with someone tonight? Someone else with a deceased partner?
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[ and scien's... not angry. he's not. because scien will always side with the martyrs and the sacrifices more than the self-obsessed. but it is... truly, unfathomably unfortunate. ]
But your other assessment is correct. If another unpartnered finds him, he will be able to repartner. [ a beat ] Your partner is still alive.
[ to cut ahead, just in case ]
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Ashlyn's isn't.
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there is a spark of light in scien's eyes then, curious ]
Would you coordinate the introduction, if she is willing?
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Ask if she would be willing to save Iwatooshi's remaining partner. That is up to her to decide if she wishes to pursue it. If she agrees... you may reveal his name. She must go to him, and they can exchange.
[ a beat ]
It may be uncomfortable. [ due to reasons ] However, it would save his life.
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shakes head ]
It is only what you discover amongst yourselves. We can consult in moments like this, but we cannot openly disclose.
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Then we will simply have to hope there is not another hidden problem somewhere.
[ sighing out. ]
Back to running errands for a god for me, I suppose, hm?
[ a joke to lighten the mood. ]
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gale says it to lighten the mood, but scien's answer is immediate: ]
I am not like your goddess.
If you succeed in doing this and save the Claude brat's life, you will have done something that I am unable to accomplish myself. That hasn't happened to me in decades. And I always see my debts through.
To some degree, my hands are still bound. I do not have full access to my technology at present, but if we all live through this, I will.
Name what you seek and I will make sure you want for nothing.
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Let us see if first this solution sticks and then see if we are both alive to make this trade, yes?
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[ it's not exactly a 1:1 thing. gale did scien a favor and now he's scien's blorbo for life i'm sorry ]
There is at no point that I have any expectation of you to take me up on my offer.
It is simple fact that if this goes well, I owe you.
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Then I will consider what we could work on. I have rather extensive laundry list of problems, but I do still have my pride so I'd like to solve some of them myself, you know.
[ but really the simple fact is that it's kind of actually a relief to just ... try and help mathis. he's spent these last few weeks very embroiled in his own personal dramas, and it starts feeling all rather selfish, when the things that actually have made all of this worth it over the last few months have for other people. a brother and sister arguing over who was the bigger idiot in trying to rescue the other. a young couple reunited, dancing together by the river. night orchids, blooming in the shadow-cursed lands. it's easy to lose sight of those things sometimes. ]
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I understand that. I've been forced to realize there is not entirely too much that is different between wizards and researchers.
I was merely offended at the idea that I would make you run errands for me and leave you empty-handed. [ a beat ] And the Claude brat's life is not something that can simply be called an errand.
[ he nods in approval ]
You've done well.
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[ the difference between them is truly just. magic vs science but the outcomes and goals and methods are pretty much exactly the same. also the megalomania and aspirations of godhood and hubris before the fall. ]
He's a strange boy, but I can see he has a good heart. And Karlach cares about him very much.
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Ah. So you also would've joined the cult out of some horrible curiosity. Our positions nearly could've been switched.
[ it's a terrible club, they shouldn't be here ]
I'm glad that you didn't take it personally when he tried to stab you.
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[ he'll cop to that. anyway it's rich of him to pretend he might have thought otherwise, please understand gale has been eating additional mindflayer tadpoles on top of the one he already has so he can get even more cool mindflayer powers. he has no right to judge a horrible curiosity.
waving a hand. ]
I wouldn't say I didn't take it personally, but I would say there is a difference between condemning someone to death when there is a chance to save them and not inviting them to my next party.
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If you so insist.
[ horrible curiosity drives so many of them forward and it's sooooo bad maybe they should stop it's fine ]
How funny. The lingering effects of a curse. But I would imagine that you and the brat would have a different taste in parties to begin with, so it doesn't seem a great loss.
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[ huff. ]
... You will extend the same favors to Ashlyn, yes? I fear I've put her in a position she may be in danger.
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[ well, ]
You needn't worry about that. I don't dislike the girl. She's smart. I was already going to give her help if she asked.