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Max heads home, writes up everything he remembers from the trip to the moon with Cam and Adana, and then when his girlfriend gets home, he presents it to her happily.
"Also," he adds, once she's been updated. "The portal hub in Pantheon got a ton of renovations, I think we're calling it the Belfry now. It's very cute."
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castmyown
ask_nicely
"The organization," sighs Adana, "is made up of alternate versions of ourselves!"
The dragon looks eloquently skeptical.
ask_nicely
"The 'peryton assassin,' as you so eloquently called him, is another version of me. Except male, and a peryton instead of an angel. Actually I'm the odd one out, they didn't think to start looking for female versions of us until they found me, the rest are all male. Phix is an alternate of my boyfriend, as a woman. My boyfriend is also the odd one out, we seem to come from the a place where everyone's gender swapped."
"They will never let me go now that you have told me so much."
ask_nicely
"Yes they will," she sighs. "I know, because half of their heads work almost exactly like mine. Do you want me to psychoanalyze Max for you? I can, I'm pretty sure I've figured out why he's murderous."
"Because he belongs to the sphinx."
ask_nicely
"Nope! Actually he'd be insulted at that statement, he's with her because he wants to be, not because he 'belongs' to anyone."
The dragon sighs smoke again.
ask_nicely
"Okay. Just - let's go on a mental trip, for a little while. Forget all of the - sphinx and dragon talk. I am going to tell you a story, from their perspective."
The dragon is still and silent.
ask_nicely
"Once upon a time, a boy is in high school, and meets a girl. He thinks she's pretty great. They start dating, because she continues to be pretty great. Then, they get attacked. The boy knows some magic, so he manages to thwart it. They are both very happy about this, because neither of them particularly want to die. He teaches her magic, because not only does she want to know it, but she is now in personal danger, and he doesn't want his girlfriend to die. Then, they get attacked again, and thwart that time, too, except it attacked through the boy's sister. For a little while, it seemed like his sister was either going to be a person-puppet forever or dead. But after that, things were kind of quiet - they get back to their plans and hopes and dreams and being teenagers and whatnot.
"Then, they are attacked again, except this time, his girlfriend is kidnapped. Out of his lap. There is nothing he can do to stop this from happening. He is scared, and worried, and angry, and he knows whoever responsible was trying to kill her. So he goes to save her. Turns out, she was being tortured for information she doesn't even have. He saves her, but he can't manage it without an awful lot of death. But they started it, and they're torturing an innocent teenager, and it's looking like it's either them or his girlfriend, and that's really not much of a choice, is it? So, they go back to their lives, wary and worried about what will happen next, except -" She takes a deep breath.
"Magic happens. Deus ex machina, if you will. Extremely powerful, older versions of themselves show up and say, 'Oh, hello, you are us, we know you will act responsible with magic. We'll let you have some of ours if you let us have some of yours.' And lo, the concept of sharing was invented. Now, the boy and his girlfriend are still worried about being attacked, so they ask their other selves about finding whoever's responsible. Because the other selves are awesome, they do. They know where the person responsible lives. But. They do not want to actually murder anyone in cold blood. It's all been self defense.
"'Maybe,' they think, 'Now that we have killed a bunch of people, the person will leave us alone.' Because, of course, that was all they wanted. To not die. So they leave the person alone, but they keep an eye on him, just in case."
She sighs. "So! Then, of course, they're attacked again. Except this time, with the help of their other-selves, they win, and they have the person at their mercy. The boy is sick of worrying and being scared and wants more than anything for his girlfriend to be safe. And, this person does not show any sign of stopping, any time soon. He does not want to kill him because he is angry, he wants to kill him because that seems to be the only way this will stop."
Adana looks at the dragon. "That's why he wants to kill you. Because he wants you to stop trying to kill his girlfriend."
"Then, they are attacked again, except this time, his girlfriend is kidnapped. Out of his lap. There is nothing he can do to stop this from happening. He is scared, and worried, and angry, and he knows whoever responsible was trying to kill her. So he goes to save her. Turns out, she was being tortured for information she doesn't even have. He saves her, but he can't manage it without an awful lot of death. But they started it, and they're torturing an innocent teenager, and it's looking like it's either them or his girlfriend, and that's really not much of a choice, is it? So, they go back to their lives, wary and worried about what will happen next, except -" She takes a deep breath.
"Magic happens. Deus ex machina, if you will. Extremely powerful, older versions of themselves show up and say, 'Oh, hello, you are us, we know you will act responsible with magic. We'll let you have some of ours if you let us have some of yours.' And lo, the concept of sharing was invented. Now, the boy and his girlfriend are still worried about being attacked, so they ask their other selves about finding whoever's responsible. Because the other selves are awesome, they do. They know where the person responsible lives. But. They do not want to actually murder anyone in cold blood. It's all been self defense.
"'Maybe,' they think, 'Now that we have killed a bunch of people, the person will leave us alone.' Because, of course, that was all they wanted. To not die. So they leave the person alone, but they keep an eye on him, just in case."
She sighs. "So! Then, of course, they're attacked again. Except this time, with the help of their other-selves, they win, and they have the person at their mercy. The boy is sick of worrying and being scared and wants more than anything for his girlfriend to be safe. And, this person does not show any sign of stopping, any time soon. He does not want to kill him because he is angry, he wants to kill him because that seems to be the only way this will stop."
Adana looks at the dragon. "That's why he wants to kill you. Because he wants you to stop trying to kill his girlfriend."
"It is thoroughly clear that I can't."
ask_nicely
"You, technically, could. And then we would resurrect her. But that fact doesn't mean dying isn't traumatizing. Or, for that matter, torture, which you definitely did."
"What is it that you want to hear?"
ask_nicely
"I don't - want you to say the right words, I want you to understand why the sphinxes are not coming after you, so you can therefore not try to hit them with the element of surprise. If, ten years down the line, she has kids, are they in danger from you? Because they're sphinxes?"
"Apparently," mutters the dragon, "they might be perytons."
ask_nicely
"Possibly, but - not the point. Are all sphinxes everywhere in danger from you?"
"I have no interest in - traumatizing them just to traumatize them. And I cannot keep them dead. I have lost."
He shuts his eyes again. "At her friends' mercy, in her stronghold," he mutters.
ask_nicely
"Also, yes. We would hold you in more humane restraints if it were at all safe."
"I am clearly not - whatever it is you would have me be, but I am not an idiot. Using freedom of movement to attempt magic or violence would simply get me killed sooner rather than later."
ask_nicely
"Yes," she sighs. "Thank you for understanding. That'll - help with negotiations."
He opens his eyes. "Enough to let me take some aspirin and go home?"
ask_nicely
"I'll have to talk to them. But I'll try for you getting aspirin and going home."
(Even if she wants to scream at him.)
(Even if she wants to scream at him.)