[ Matt sighs: sympathy, exasperation on her behalf, understanding. A hint of wistfulness. It's a lot to ask of one exhalation, but Matt's an old hand at channeling through his breath.

For a moment, he focuses on their hands. On his original intentions for Gavial. He feels the whisper of Zenith between them like cool beams of moonlight, and sits back satisfied. ]

I was told with ... a pretty compelling level of certainty ... that it's an abomination to change the world the way Zenith wants to, [ he says. ] That the only way mortals can make change is the usual routes--slow, uncertain, collective action based. Something about autonomy. [ His lips quirk. ] The precise mechanism is a little vague, but I do agree I'm too limited to create a system as complex as a world.

I just also have such a hard time thinking about leaving everything as it is. Having the potential to unlock a power like that, and then turning around and going back to the devil I know.