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[nightmarist]

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[nightmarist]

You're slippery, magician.

[timestones]

Am I?

[nightmarist]

I don't regret it, by the way.

[timestones]

If you did, we'd be having a very different kind of conversation right now.

[nightmarist]

About the precious value of human life?

[timestones]

No, because it's quite clear that you do actually know a little something about the value of human life already.

There are some things you really don't need a guy in a big red cloak to tell you about.

[nightmarist]

Most things, I think.

[timestones]

And if I were where you are, I'd say the same thing.

[nightmarist]

I still would like you to tell me how you'd stop me.

[timestones]

I’m sure you would. But if you were in my shoes, would you tell you what you’d do to stop you?

[nightmarist]

Yes.

[timestones]

Is that because you’re seeking out for security from it? Reassurance someone will stop you?

[nightmarist]

Maybe you already know this, but I'm dangerous whether or not I'm trying to be. Obviously it's not hard to put a bullet in my head, and Kylo's pretty good at fixing my mistakes, but I like to know all my options. Especially any nonlethal ones.

[timestones]

That, I do already know. At least in the abstract.

You wanted me not to lie, and I’m not going to, but I also can’t give you the answer you’re asking for right now, or the options and possibilities.

[There’s a small sound of Stephen clicking his teeth, then the sound of his weight shifting, followed by footsteps.]

And the simplest, most practical reason I can’t do that right now is that I’m on cool-down. We both have to wait.

[nightmarist]

You overheated?

[timestones]

Sure, something like that.

You realise I looked at more than a couple of possible outcomes here, right?

[nightmarist]

For all I know, that's what you do for fun.

[timestones]

[A soft huffed chuckle.]

On this scale? It’s not exactly like I’m hunkering down with popcorn ready for a good feature film.

But that might say more about what you consider fun than me, I gotta say.

[nightmarist]

You have no idea.

[timestones]

I’m going to say ignorance is probably bliss for now.

[The footsteps that had been in the background of the audio pause.]

Tell me a little more about the magic farm.

[nightmarist]

That sounds so quaint. Are you enchanted by it? Some people never leave.

[timestones]

And I can see why they wouldn't. You make it all yourself?

[nightmarist]

Sort of. It's made of me, from me. But I'd call most of it a collaborative effort.

[timestones]

'From you'? So you're the source of it, the energy? Or magic? What term would you use?

[nightmarist]

Dreamfuckery?

[ The confusion comes as a bit of a surprise. He'd assumed Stephen already figured out what he is, how it all works. ]

Energy. Magic. Essence. Soul? I don't know. When I create anything, part of me goes with it. Just... not in a way that's really subtracting from me. The opposite, actually. There's more and more of me every time. And this place is full of it.