[Hesitant or not, he’s clearly got a decent handle on how things work if that’s the first place his mind ends up when thinking on it. Gavial raises a hand and gives it a little noncommittal waggle back and forth.]
Yes and no to both. It’s way more effective to get help from someone on the other side, yeah, but it doesn’t have to be. What kinda makes the real difference is how each individual’s Aspects line up.
[Something she’d largely put out of mind after learning about it during the standard spiel all the newbies tend to get at all those welcoming parties, but she pretty quickly learned that it could be a lot more pertinent than she’d first realized.]
For me, I’m in the group of Advocates. I can get help from anyone counting themselves amongst the Stargazers and the Harbingers, and vice-versa. Even if those with Zenith can’t help each other as effectively, it’s still better than letting it get worse, y’know?
[ Matt soaks in this information like a sponge, a posture that Gavial may be starting to find familiar. Despite her difficulties, which he has nothing but sympathy for, he can't help feeling pleased at the small moment of vindication. Meridian and Zenith energies can be complementary, even within the current order of things. They can be used for something other than conflict.
He does, at least, perk up most noticeably when she gets into the Aspect piece. ]
I'm a Stargazer, [ he says. The phrase is a bit awkward on his tongue. ] Or the Stargazer Aspect chose me? Anyway, as long as I won't make things worse, I'd love to try helping you out. Just let me know what to do.
[A bright flash of a smile lights up her face when he reveals that Aspect of his. What better place for Ms. Advocate here to land after the manor got taken out than what is increasingly becoming the Stargazer house?]
It’s a real easy process though. [She shifts a little from her position leaning against the table to reach a leg out to give one of his own a little playful nudge.] The whole thing centers on prolonged physical contact.
[ Matt can't help reflecting the brightness of her smile back to her. His own may even be slightly sunnier, lit with eureka.
Because, like. Physical contact???
Holy shit, this is proof of fucking concept, as it were. ]
Okay, [ he says, ] okay, okay, does it need to be skin to skin? Is it hand-holding? Or does-- [ He lifts his foot to return the little nudge. ] --anything work, as long as it's prolonged?
[Oh, he’s way into the idea, huh? Or way into the idea of puzzling out more of the forces around here.
There’s a little bit of amusement poking at the edges of her smile, but she nods and holds up a hand, waggling her fingers for emphasis.]
Gotta be skin-to-skin. Far as I know, anything can work as long as it hits that requirement. Comfort level probably plays into things, if I had to guess. Just gotta have the intent.
Hmm, well, intent I can do. [ Matt's thoughtful as he regards her fingers, as if he's solving equations in his head. That's probably more complexity than the moment demands, but he can rarely help himself on that score. Still, after traveling down a brief corridor of thought, his gaze snaps back to Gavial's face, and he smiles at her. ] Do you wanna sit down?
[ He sidles closer to the end of the sofa. He wasn't taking up much space to begin with, so the gesture is more signal than practical.
[Oh yeah, very thoughtful about this whole thing. But it’s time to get this show on the road, isn’t it?
Gavial flips her staff up from where it was resting slightly against the floor with one simple motion, and turns to set it down on the tabletop properly as she stands. And then she’s flopping onto the sofa in the space just next to him, taking his hand in her own with a pleased grin. Hers is cool to the touch, an effect of the discord moreso than the winter weather here in Highstorm.]
Thanks for this.
[She’s settled quite comfortably there beside him, clearly not bothered in the least by close proximity to another—something probably not surprising after her very touchy greeting.]
Oh, of course. [ Matt's warmer fingers wrap around hers, grip comfortable but not too firm. ] Thank you for the lesson. And, you know ... a chance to make myself useful.
[ Matt tends not to initiate physical contact, as much as he loves it. As mentioned, he wasn't raised in a very demonstrative household. And the way he got into magic, as a lonely teenager, has impressed on him how meaningful touch can be--for good or for bad. But when he gets the sign that touch is welcome, he takes to it like a cat to a sunbeam.
They have a serious purpose here, so he's focused. Professional, if you will. But he's more relaxed than Gavial's seen him since they met. ]
Okay, [ he says, letting his eyes close. ] I'm sending you good vibes. Healing vibes ... good sleep vibes, balanced vibes. Vibes for replenishment.
[ His lips twitch a little, but he's totally in earnest. His breathing falls into a regular rhythm, a complex enough pattern that it seems like it must be the result of practice. And at the back of his mind--figuring, can't hurt--he recalls a prayer: As Heaven and Earth are not afraid, and never suffer loss or harm, even so, my spirit, fear not thou. As Day and Night are not afraid, nor ever suffer loss or harm, even so, my spirit, fear not thou. ]
[She can kind of understand the desire to feel like you’re doing something useful—particularly for someone still relatively new to all of this, dropping into this world just as things get more chaotic. It’s good to have focus. It’s grounding.
And with as relaxed as he seems with the whole thing, she’s feeling pretty glad that she thought to bring this all up, even if it had been sort of off-handedly at first. Yeah, she was kind of in need of it, but maybe it’ll do him some good here too.
His very earnest talk of good vibes earns him a little amused hum from her, something not quite a laugh but maybe in the same family. She gives his hand an encouraging squeeze, leaning into his space just a little more.]
All very good vibes for this sorta thing, I guess. I could definitely use them, that’s for sure.
[And with the clear intent from both of them together with the welcome and open feeling of physical contact, there’s a little bit of a new sensation beginning to build. It’s a familiar one to Gavial at this point, having been here as long as she has and needing to do this on occasion, but maybe a new feeling for him—the faintest bit of a tingle, cool and serene like the feeling of Zenith itself.]
[ Matt chuckles at her hum. It's nice of Gavial to indulge him, especially when the thing's for her. With his eyes closed, he can't see her lean in (of course), but something of the warmth and gravity comes through. The little shift. He sways slightly closer himself, on his next breath out.
And--
Did he feel this before, in Springstar? When he made his promise to a dark whose end he couldn't see? It's hard to remember; so much was happening then. But at the first whispers of this soft, moonlit sensation, Matt's head tips curiously to the side. ]
Oh, [ he says, eyebrows arching. ] Hi.
[ He cracks one eye open to look at Gavial, as if to say, Did you catch that? ]
[She opts to close her eyes as well, with as comfortable as they’re getting here. It’s a familiar and easy situation at this point, even with someone she’s only really beginning to get to know. Though her eyes don’t remain closed for long, as she turns to regard him with a little bit of confusion when he speaks a greeting.]
Hi?
[And then she catches that look of his, things clicking into place a little more. She laughs, a short and pleased good-natured thing.]
Ah, so you feel it, then. See, you’re a natural at this!
[There's a boisterous little nudge with her elbow, a squeeze of her hand against his. She had no doubts! What she knows about him so far is that he’s the thoughtful sort, with a keen interest in the way things work around here. Of course he’d take to something like this immediately.]
[ At the nudge, Matt laughs again, both eyes opening now. ]
Very cool, [ he agrees. ] I forget how much I told you about my whole magical practice-- [ Except the part he doesn't tell like, 95% of people. ] --but channeling energy, and like ... listening for it, and to it ... that's a big piece of it for me.
[ Any time a preternatural presence makes itself known, it feels like a blessing to him. Even if the presence isn't necessarily a friendly one. Luckily, Zenith's energy doesn't have that complication: it feels comforting, gentle as an evening breeze. So Matt does what he always does in such circumstances, and welcomes the energy. Breathes, coaxing it to flow through him and follow its nature.
And of course, he keeps his prayers for Gavial in a corner of his mind. As Sun and Moon are not afraid, nor ever suffer loss or harm ... ]
Well, I’m glad I got to show you this little trick, then.
[There’s a warm smile for him as she settles back into the sofa cushions a little more comfortably. She always forgets how relaxed this whole process tends to make her feel. Probably a good sign that everything’s working as intended, even if the cool tingle of stirring energy is signal enough.
Her expression soon shifts to something a little more curious, and she tilts her head just a little as she regards him.]
So this magic of yours—when you were back home, was it like a job? Or something more academic?
[He seems like the studious and thoughtful type, so it wouldn’t surprise her if there was something of a scholarly bent to how he approached this sort of thing even back home.]
[ In some ways, Gavial's instincts are dead on. Matt started his graduate program to enhance his magical practice. But at the same time ... ]
Not exactly, [ he hedges. ] I guess I would've called it more like a vocation. But back home, magic wasn't really considered acceptable to practice.
[ He can sense a bit of negativity in himself, which he tries to breathe through. He focuses on the air flowing through him, on the cool peace of Zenith, on Gavial's hand in his. On her settling back against the couch cushions, one more little sign that he's managing to help her. ]
[He had mentioned something about the potential of his spells for harming others back when they’d first met, so naturally that’s the first place her thoughts leap to. Which kind of tracks with Arts back home, depending on the type. Plenty of helpful use cases, a lot of potential for bad if used incorrectly.]
Weird how that sort of thing is viewed differently in different places. Out here it almost feels like magic is commonplace. [Probably because of how ever present the forces of Meridian and Zenith are, but…] Back home, the Arts we used were fairly widespread, but had kind of a mixed perception. Probably because not everyone had the knack for it.
Totally commonplace, [ Matt agrees, with a hint of wistfulness. He'll never forget watching as Sebastian conjured the Atharvaveda for him from the shadows, right out on the street. People didn't so much as stop to look. ] But in your case, was the mixed perception because people who couldn't use the Arts didn't understand them, or because people used them badly and gave them a bad reputation ...? Or a little of both?
[ He isn't trying to avoid talking about home on purpose. But maybe he wants a little more time before he delves into it. ]
[When it comes to the topic of her own home, Gavial tackles it with the same matter-of-fact ease as she’s always had. Though perhaps it’s even easier when it’s Terra as a whole being discussed, rather than Acahualla specifically.
She tilts her head from one side to the other for a moment, looking thoughtful before she punctuates it with a slight shrug.]
Little bit of all of it, I guess. I’m sure there are people out there who’re bitter about not being able to use ‘em themselves. [Which could maybe account for a small amount of it, but frankly most people living normal lives don’t even know if they have the aptitude for it.] Arts in certain contexts are sorta commonplace, but it’s kinda… how do I explain it?
[A thoughtful pause as she scrunches her brows in thought, then she’s reaching one leg up to nudge the end of her staff hanging off the edge of the table with her foot.]
Back home, anyone capable of using those skills has gotta have a certain kind of focus, I guess you can call it, to be able to channel the Arts. Like my staff. The only exception to that are people who’re infected with this disease we call Oripathy. Means they’ve got this magically conductive and volatile mineral spreading through their systems, which lets them cast Arts as freely as they want. And since the Infected are kinda demonized in most societies…
[Well, people who are ostracized gotta fight back sometimes, thus the mixed views.]
[ Matt follows the movement of Gavial's foot, intrigued as she nudges at the staff. He'd assumed it was magical in nature--he's used similar tools himself, though if he has a spellcasting focus now, it's probably his own body. ]
Oripathy, [ Matt repeats curiously. He hears it like gold, and thinks unavoidably of alchemy. The ancient alchemists believed in transformation of more than lead. They were doctors, philosophers; they believed in perfection of the body and the soul. ] That's ... not totally unlike how people view magic back home. Preternatural types in general. They see it as like, there's all these people wandering around with largely unexplained, definitely volatile, seemingly unlimited powers, and there's a lot of suspicion, to put it nicely.
[She’s nodding as he touches on what he’s seen of things in his own home, because that sure as hell sounds real familiar to her too.]
Yeah, that sounds about right. People are always way too quick to jump to fear when it comes to the unfamiliar, especially when they’re convinced it’s something that puts them at a disadvantage.
[Something that is, in her opinion, really dumb. But human nature is human nature, and that seems to transcend worlds and universes the more she learns about places other than Terra. It’s part of why the idea of something completely new to build upon ended up appealing to her in the end. Maybe a better foundation could be laid.]
There was a lot of that suspicion back home on Terra too. Throw in that terminal sickness plaguing a lot of people capable of those sort of skills on top of it all…
Right, [ Matt agrees immediately, though so vehemently he sounds exasperated. His grip on Gavial's hand tightens a moment in emphasis. ] I don't understand why people have such a thing about sickness--
Okay, no, I do. It's fear of death. [ He huffs a sigh. ] But grow up, you know? We're such bullies as people. We have our little fears and we let them steer us until we take them out on people who ... usually have less than us, objectively. Like werewolves weren't even allowed to have credit cards in my country until like the 1970s.
[ He's thinking something similar to Gavial, though he doesn't realize it. He admits and agrees there's a lot about the universe he can't possibly understand, but literally what positive purpose does prejudice serve? It comes from something inherent to people, something good--the ability to form bonds. But he hates the idea of throwing up his hands and saying it's just the way things have to be. It leaves so much suffering in the ledger.
After a moment, though, he realizes he's holding onto her a little too tight. He relaxes his grip with a sheepish sigh, more breath than laugh. ]
So, you know. I want to use my powers to help people back home. But they don't really want help from people like me.
[She lets her head fall back onto the sofa cushion behind her, a scowl on her face and an agitated flick of her tail alongside her for emphasis. There’s a moment in which she give his hand a brief squeeze in return, because, yeah. She gets it.]
Place I worked for was dedicated to helping out the Infected. And it’s not like they were the only ones we helped, but since so many of us there were also sick… lotta healthy folks reacted real bad to getting a hand from us.
[To be somewhat fair, a lot of the flak Gavial got came from her, uh, abysmal bedside manner, but the fact that she’s Infected too and not all that fussed about hiding it didn’t help matters.]
Almost hate to say it, but giving a world a clean slate away from that sorta thing is kinda part of why I ended up sticking to things here with Zenith. Wish fixing those kinds of problems was as easy as knocking some sense into people.
[Yes, she means that literally. Sometimes it could be that easy. But it’s not a simple problem to solve, and that certainly wasn’t the right tool for the job. Outside of Acahualla, at least.]
[ 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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Yes and no to both. It’s way more effective to get help from someone on the other side, yeah, but it doesn’t have to be. What kinda makes the real difference is how each individual’s Aspects line up.
[Something she’d largely put out of mind after learning about it during the standard spiel all the newbies tend to get at all those welcoming parties, but she pretty quickly learned that it could be a lot more pertinent than she’d first realized.]
For me, I’m in the group of Advocates. I can get help from anyone counting themselves amongst the Stargazers and the Harbingers, and vice-versa. Even if those with Zenith can’t help each other as effectively, it’s still better than letting it get worse, y’know?
no subject
He does, at least, perk up most noticeably when she gets into the Aspect piece. ]
I'm a Stargazer, [ he says. The phrase is a bit awkward on his tongue. ] Or the Stargazer Aspect chose me? Anyway, as long as I won't make things worse, I'd love to try helping you out. Just let me know what to do.
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[A bright flash of a smile lights up her face when he reveals that Aspect of his. What better place for Ms. Advocate here to land after the manor got taken out than what is increasingly becoming the Stargazer house?]
It’s a real easy process though. [She shifts a little from her position leaning against the table to reach a leg out to give one of his own a little playful nudge.] The whole thing centers on prolonged physical contact.
[Easy, peasy.]
no subject
Because, like. Physical contact???
Holy shit, this is proof of fucking concept, as it were. ]
Okay, [ he says, ] okay, okay, does it need to be skin to skin? Is it hand-holding? Or does-- [ He lifts his foot to return the little nudge. ] --anything work, as long as it's prolonged?
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There’s a little bit of amusement poking at the edges of her smile, but she nods and holds up a hand, waggling her fingers for emphasis.]
Gotta be skin-to-skin. Far as I know, anything can work as long as it hits that requirement. Comfort level probably plays into things, if I had to guess. Just gotta have the intent.
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[ He sidles closer to the end of the sofa. He wasn't taking up much space to begin with, so the gesture is more signal than practical.
And he holds out his hand. ]
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Gavial flips her staff up from where it was resting slightly against the floor with one simple motion, and turns to set it down on the tabletop properly as she stands. And then she’s flopping onto the sofa in the space just next to him, taking his hand in her own with a pleased grin. Hers is cool to the touch, an effect of the discord moreso than the winter weather here in Highstorm.]
Thanks for this.
[She’s settled quite comfortably there beside him, clearly not bothered in the least by close proximity to another—something probably not surprising after her very touchy greeting.]
no subject
[ Matt tends not to initiate physical contact, as much as he loves it. As mentioned, he wasn't raised in a very demonstrative household. And the way he got into magic, as a lonely teenager, has impressed on him how meaningful touch can be--for good or for bad. But when he gets the sign that touch is welcome, he takes to it like a cat to a sunbeam.
They have a serious purpose here, so he's focused. Professional, if you will. But he's more relaxed than Gavial's seen him since they met. ]
Okay, [ he says, letting his eyes close. ] I'm sending you good vibes. Healing vibes ... good sleep vibes, balanced vibes. Vibes for replenishment.
[ His lips twitch a little, but he's totally in earnest. His breathing falls into a regular rhythm, a complex enough pattern that it seems like it must be the result of practice. And at the back of his mind--figuring, can't hurt--he recalls a prayer: As Heaven and Earth are not afraid, and never suffer loss or harm, even so, my spirit, fear not thou. As Day and Night are not afraid, nor ever suffer loss or harm, even so, my spirit, fear not thou. ]
no subject
And with as relaxed as he seems with the whole thing, she’s feeling pretty glad that she thought to bring this all up, even if it had been sort of off-handedly at first. Yeah, she was kind of in need of it, but maybe it’ll do him some good here too.
His very earnest talk of good vibes earns him a little amused hum from her, something not quite a laugh but maybe in the same family. She gives his hand an encouraging squeeze, leaning into his space just a little more.]
All very good vibes for this sorta thing, I guess. I could definitely use them, that’s for sure.
[And with the clear intent from both of them together with the welcome and open feeling of physical contact, there’s a little bit of a new sensation beginning to build. It’s a familiar one to Gavial at this point, having been here as long as she has and needing to do this on occasion, but maybe a new feeling for him—the faintest bit of a tingle, cool and serene like the feeling of Zenith itself.]
no subject
And--
Did he feel this before, in Springstar? When he made his promise to a dark whose end he couldn't see? It's hard to remember; so much was happening then. But at the first whispers of this soft, moonlit sensation, Matt's head tips curiously to the side. ]
Oh, [ he says, eyebrows arching. ] Hi.
[ He cracks one eye open to look at Gavial, as if to say, Did you catch that? ]
no subject
Hi?
[And then she catches that look of his, things clicking into place a little more. She laughs, a short and pleased good-natured thing.]
Ah, so you feel it, then. See, you’re a natural at this!
[There's a boisterous little nudge with her elbow, a squeeze of her hand against his. She had no doubts! What she knows about him so far is that he’s the thoughtful sort, with a keen interest in the way things work around here. Of course he’d take to something like this immediately.]
It’s pretty cool, right?
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Very cool, [ he agrees. ] I forget how much I told you about my whole magical practice-- [ Except the part he doesn't tell like, 95% of people. ] --but channeling energy, and like ... listening for it, and to it ... that's a big piece of it for me.
[ Any time a preternatural presence makes itself known, it feels like a blessing to him. Even if the presence isn't necessarily a friendly one. Luckily, Zenith's energy doesn't have that complication: it feels comforting, gentle as an evening breeze. So Matt does what he always does in such circumstances, and welcomes the energy. Breathes, coaxing it to flow through him and follow its nature.
And of course, he keeps his prayers for Gavial in a corner of his mind. As Sun and Moon are not afraid, nor ever suffer loss or harm ... ]
no subject
[There’s a warm smile for him as she settles back into the sofa cushions a little more comfortably. She always forgets how relaxed this whole process tends to make her feel. Probably a good sign that everything’s working as intended, even if the cool tingle of stirring energy is signal enough.
Her expression soon shifts to something a little more curious, and she tilts her head just a little as she regards him.]
So this magic of yours—when you were back home, was it like a job? Or something more academic?
[He seems like the studious and thoughtful type, so it wouldn’t surprise her if there was something of a scholarly bent to how he approached this sort of thing even back home.]
no subject
Not exactly, [ he hedges. ] I guess I would've called it more like a vocation. But back home, magic wasn't really considered acceptable to practice.
[ He can sense a bit of negativity in himself, which he tries to breathe through. He focuses on the air flowing through him, on the cool peace of Zenith, on Gavial's hand in his. On her settling back against the couch cushions, one more little sign that he's managing to help her. ]
no subject
[He had mentioned something about the potential of his spells for harming others back when they’d first met, so naturally that’s the first place her thoughts leap to. Which kind of tracks with Arts back home, depending on the type. Plenty of helpful use cases, a lot of potential for bad if used incorrectly.]
Weird how that sort of thing is viewed differently in different places. Out here it almost feels like magic is commonplace. [Probably because of how ever present the forces of Meridian and Zenith are, but…] Back home, the Arts we used were fairly widespread, but had kind of a mixed perception. Probably because not everyone had the knack for it.
no subject
[ He isn't trying to avoid talking about home on purpose. But maybe he wants a little more time before he delves into it. ]
Or something completely different.
no subject
She tilts her head from one side to the other for a moment, looking thoughtful before she punctuates it with a slight shrug.]
Little bit of all of it, I guess. I’m sure there are people out there who’re bitter about not being able to use ‘em themselves. [Which could maybe account for a small amount of it, but frankly most people living normal lives don’t even know if they have the aptitude for it.] Arts in certain contexts are sorta commonplace, but it’s kinda… how do I explain it?
[A thoughtful pause as she scrunches her brows in thought, then she’s reaching one leg up to nudge the end of her staff hanging off the edge of the table with her foot.]
Back home, anyone capable of using those skills has gotta have a certain kind of focus, I guess you can call it, to be able to channel the Arts. Like my staff. The only exception to that are people who’re infected with this disease we call Oripathy. Means they’ve got this magically conductive and volatile mineral spreading through their systems, which lets them cast Arts as freely as they want. And since the Infected are kinda demonized in most societies…
[Well, people who are ostracized gotta fight back sometimes, thus the mixed views.]
no subject
Oripathy, [ Matt repeats curiously. He hears it like gold, and thinks unavoidably of alchemy. The ancient alchemists believed in transformation of more than lead. They were doctors, philosophers; they believed in perfection of the body and the soul. ] That's ... not totally unlike how people view magic back home. Preternatural types in general. They see it as like, there's all these people wandering around with largely unexplained, definitely volatile, seemingly unlimited powers, and there's a lot of suspicion, to put it nicely.
no subject
Yeah, that sounds about right. People are always way too quick to jump to fear when it comes to the unfamiliar, especially when they’re convinced it’s something that puts them at a disadvantage.
[Something that is, in her opinion, really dumb. But human nature is human nature, and that seems to transcend worlds and universes the more she learns about places other than Terra. It’s part of why the idea of something completely new to build upon ended up appealing to her in the end. Maybe a better foundation could be laid.]
There was a lot of that suspicion back home on Terra too. Throw in that terminal sickness plaguing a lot of people capable of those sort of skills on top of it all…
[And, well, it was a powder keg.]
no subject
Okay, no, I do. It's fear of death. [ He huffs a sigh. ] But grow up, you know? We're such bullies as people. We have our little fears and we let them steer us until we take them out on people who ... usually have less than us, objectively. Like werewolves weren't even allowed to have credit cards in my country until like the 1970s.
[ He's thinking something similar to Gavial, though he doesn't realize it. He admits and agrees there's a lot about the universe he can't possibly understand, but literally what positive purpose does prejudice serve? It comes from something inherent to people, something good--the ability to form bonds. But he hates the idea of throwing up his hands and saying it's just the way things have to be. It leaves so much suffering in the ledger.
After a moment, though, he realizes he's holding onto her a little too tight. He relaxes his grip with a sheepish sigh, more breath than laugh. ]
So, you know. I want to use my powers to help people back home. But they don't really want help from people like me.
no subject
[She lets her head fall back onto the sofa cushion behind her, a scowl on her face and an agitated flick of her tail alongside her for emphasis. There’s a moment in which she give his hand a brief squeeze in return, because, yeah. She gets it.]
Place I worked for was dedicated to helping out the Infected. And it’s not like they were the only ones we helped, but since so many of us there were also sick… lotta healthy folks reacted real bad to getting a hand from us.
[To be somewhat fair, a lot of the flak Gavial got came from her, uh, abysmal bedside manner, but the fact that she’s Infected too and not all that fussed about hiding it didn’t help matters.]
Almost hate to say it, but giving a world a clean slate away from that sorta thing is kinda part of why I ended up sticking to things here with Zenith. Wish fixing those kinds of problems was as easy as knocking some sense into people.
[Yes, she means that literally. Sometimes it could be that easy. But it’s not a simple problem to solve, and that certainly wasn’t the right tool for the job. Outside of Acahualla, at least.]
no subject
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.