"It'd helped if you stopped lying to your people about us and to us about what you're telling your people."

"I swear that I haven't lied to you or to Boots or to Kib or in any other interactions since you landed here, screwed everything up, and kidnapped my boyfriend."

"Also if you stopped acting indignant about that it'd help."

"I hurt him. Inexcusably so. I don't know if he would have ever decided to forgive me, I do know he was where he wanted to be doing what was important to him, and if they hadn't overreacted he'd probably have decided he wanted a century off anyway but instead of spending it unreachable with his family terrified for his wellbeing he'd have picked somewhere he could have served our world, and come home when he pleased."

"And nonetheless, it'll help a lot if you stop acting indignant about that. It's like the Enemy telling us how terrible we were for the black hole. If you hadn't hurt him none of this would have happened."

"I know that. I'm not going to apologize to you, because you weren't wronged and aren't owed an apology. Doesn't mean I don't regret it."

"Because it didn't work out?"

"Because I care about him and if I'd been smarter or more prepared or thought faster -"

"- or not raped him -"

"Island was insistent that he'd never even find it tempting. That's convenient for him if it's true, but it also puts a bit of a lid on the claim to virtue."

"My recommendation remains that if you want us to work on finding a way we can trust you with quality-of-life magic for your people you stop talking about ways other people wronged your Findekáno."

"That'll be easier to do now that they've at least stopped."

"Great."

"When will I hear from you on that?"

"I was thinking I'd stop by every couple weeks, catch you up, maybe play a game or something."

"...okay."

And he reports this to Boots.

"That's maybe promising. This isn't too much of an intrusion on your time, is it?"

"I mean, there's a case to be made that it's not the best use of it, but during the war I tried only doing things that were defensible as the best possible use of my time in that moment and it was in hindsight unwise."

"Okay. If Ferardrin hasn't already walked you through basic arcana try not to double book over the cantrip party end of the week, we finally found a time when the busiest interested parties can be here all at once."

"I will make sure to be there!"