[Paul remembers Ezra telling him about his own teacher, the Sith. He'd even thought about it. He'd thought about it, and he'd managed to believe it was different, because he knew what he was involving himself with.]
He told us we were going to find out more about the sea. Life and death. How we came to be here, how we might return where we came from. How we might be able to bring people back.
[He can't fault a desire for knowledge about such fundamental things of this work they not inhabit, not on its face. But clearly some sort of line had been crossed, and he doesn't think it's just managing to rile Mariana, by itself.]
Understood.
Will you tell me what happened that made you regret helping him? We can talk about this in person or by private messages if you'd rather.
[The temptation to take Ezra's offer is there. It would be easier, safer. He could delay the revelation, frame it for sympathy. That's all the reason he needs not to take it.]
He didn't tell us how he intended to get the power he needed to do what he came to do.
Human blood sacrifice. Pirates, specifically. He asked us all to help him only after they were already subdued.
[So this Emperor had taken a bunch of teenagers, it seems like, based on the list of people he's putting together, out to somewhere both dangerous and isolated, and then presented them with sunk cost fallacy. They'd come this far for answers, what's one more step, right?
Which wouldn't justify crossing such a clear line, but he's going to take a guess that 'Teacher' had known exactly how manipulative he'd been.]
I see. And some of you objected to killing unarmed prisoners.
Like I told, Imyarek or whatever they're calling themselves these days, I'm onboard to help, in principle. Within the bounds of my moral lines, and all that.
I think enough of those have been crossed for a while.
I call him Merlinus. You should give him a name, too, if you're working with him. He likes seeing what people think of him by what they call him. Don't tell him I told you that.
I understand, but it's a cultural variance for them. Shrikes don't share their true names with almost anyone. Giving them a name is part of how they understand their relationship to you.
[For the brief, strange time that he was one, Paul (Atreus) had finally understood the importance of that to Merlinus, but the truth of why is a secret that isn't his to share.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text; un: Lothrat
I've been hit with some visions, so I'm not completely clueless, but I'm still lacking a lot of context I think.
The Emperor is the man sometimes called Teacher, yes? He's who's pissed off Mariana?
un: younghuman | text
[He collects connotations. 'Emperor' and 'Teacher' are neither of them neutral titles. They shape the way he intends himself to be understood.
Paul knows his name. Half the city seems to. The rest will soon. He still thinks Teacher, if he doesn't catch himself.]
He and some others. Myself among them. What else do you want to know?
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[Paul remembers Ezra telling him about his own teacher, the Sith. He'd even thought about it. He'd thought about it, and he'd managed to believe it was different, because he knew what he was involving himself with.]
He told us we were going to find out more about the sea. Life and death. How we came to be here, how we might return where we came from. How we might be able to bring people back.
I don't know if any of that was true.
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Understood.
Will you tell me what happened that made you regret helping him? We can talk about this in person or by private messages if you'd rather.
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He didn't tell us how he intended to get the power he needed to do what he came to do.
Human blood sacrifice. Pirates, specifically. He asked us all to help him only after they were already subdued.
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Which wouldn't justify crossing such a clear line, but he's going to take a guess that 'Teacher' had known exactly how manipulative he'd been.]
I see. And some of you objected to killing unarmed prisoners.
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I didn't allow them to intervene.
[It doesn't matter why. It doesn't matter how he felt about it. Those things are ephemeral and inconsequential, so he elides them.]
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Now I understand your status report.
Don't do anything stupid just to punish yourself, please. That won't make anything better.
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There's too much I have to do.
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private
We had a conversation about containment and cooperation, a while back.
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private
As much as I can.
I remember.
That's not what I'm trying.
[Private]
Then what are you trying? Make things right, how?
private ∞
Then I'll account to my Patron.
private ∞
Who's your Patron?
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[Ezra will understand the extent of that calamity, Paul thinks.]
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Like I told, Imyarek or whatever they're calling themselves these days, I'm onboard to help, in principle. Within the bounds of my moral lines, and all that.
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I call him Merlinus. You should give him a name, too, if you're working with him. He likes seeing what people think of him by what they call him. Don't tell him I told you that.
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[For the brief, strange time that he was one, Paul (Atreus) had finally understood the importance of that to Merlinus, but the truth of why is a secret that isn't his to share.]
ugh, I lost this one
Ok, these sounds like good near future plans. I'm here if you want to talk anything else over.
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It means a great deal to me.