Palamedes hums in agreement; the source and the independent nature of corruption-as-force, call it, are fascinating on an academic level; he's sure that understanding both of those would shed new insights on how to deal with the immediate problem of corruption turning people into beasts; it's the part where the beasthood problem is immediate that puts a wrench in the plan to write a series of papers about the topic. Because someone could. Write papers about it. But in the face of immediate, commonly occurring misery like corruption and beasthood, the joys of academic productivity should take a respectful backseat to a solution, as immediate and widespread as it can be made.
So the cave full of corrupt beads is going to have to sit and wait a while, much as he doesn't like it. He stands, giving Epsilon one last look before turning to step pointedly away, while Paul fusses with the spent bracelet.]
I'll work on it, [he says, for the dissipation strategies, and shakes the dirt off his fingers.
Then, hm. He wouldn't say he's involved himself as a purely unrelated party; Paul's methodology might be a touch stomach-turning, that voice, but turning back beasthood is already a pie he's got fingers in elsewhere, in various places in the city. Understanding the makeup of Sleepers as it corresponds to the shape, Paul's imago, that too— so. Then.
He cants his head slightly, considering Paul, not critically or with an eye to pick on his continued insistence on doing dangerous things on his own, but - with an eye to size him up, perhaps differently than before. It's fatalistic on some level, but there's a maturity to Paul's words that Palamedes respects; making clear his stance, very Sixth of him.]
Trust me when I say I'm not throwing my lot in with you without thinking about it; I know better than that. And because I've thought about it, I can tell you this: you are my friend, and almost all of the time, I support whatever misdemeanor you come up with.
[Not The Voice Though, and he's still not belaboring it. He picks at his fingernail to get the last of the soil out from under it, continuing:]
So I think you'll understand where I'm coming from when I say that if this goes sideways and other people are endangered by what you're doing here, I'm going to help them first. Right now, this is almost entirely people who have consented to be here; if something happens that drags in people who have no part in it, I'm not going to worry about anybody's reputation.
[It's still notably not a criticism, particularly not when he smiles, bright and clear.]
Don't lose your focus, but you can count on me for that much of a security net.
no subject
Palamedes hums in agreement; the source and the independent nature of corruption-as-force, call it, are fascinating on an academic level; he's sure that understanding both of those would shed new insights on how to deal with the immediate problem of corruption turning people into beasts; it's the part where the beasthood problem is immediate that puts a wrench in the plan to write a series of papers about the topic. Because someone could. Write papers about it. But in the face of immediate, commonly occurring misery like corruption and beasthood, the joys of academic productivity should take a respectful backseat to a solution, as immediate and widespread as it can be made.
So the cave full of corrupt beads is going to have to sit and wait a while, much as he doesn't like it. He stands, giving Epsilon one last look before turning to step pointedly away, while Paul fusses with the spent bracelet.]
I'll work on it, [he says, for the dissipation strategies, and shakes the dirt off his fingers.
Then, hm. He wouldn't say he's involved himself as a purely unrelated party; Paul's methodology might be a touch stomach-turning, that voice, but turning back beasthood is already a pie he's got fingers in elsewhere, in various places in the city. Understanding the makeup of Sleepers as it corresponds to the shape, Paul's imago, that too— so. Then.
He cants his head slightly, considering Paul, not critically or with an eye to pick on his continued insistence on doing dangerous things on his own, but - with an eye to size him up, perhaps differently than before. It's fatalistic on some level, but there's a maturity to Paul's words that Palamedes respects; making clear his stance, very Sixth of him.]
Trust me when I say I'm not throwing my lot in with you without thinking about it; I know better than that. And because I've thought about it, I can tell you this: you are my friend, and almost all of the time, I support whatever misdemeanor you come up with.
[Not The Voice Though, and he's still not belaboring it. He picks at his fingernail to get the last of the soil out from under it, continuing:]
So I think you'll understand where I'm coming from when I say that if this goes sideways and other people are endangered by what you're doing here, I'm going to help them first. Right now, this is almost entirely people who have consented to be here; if something happens that drags in people who have no part in it, I'm not going to worry about anybody's reputation.
[It's still notably not a criticism, particularly not when he smiles, bright and clear.]
Don't lose your focus, but you can count on me for that much of a security net.