"I took statistics last semester but I don't think that's the kind of math that physicists use."

"Oh, statistics is very good! Though uh, do you know calculus or linear algebra? Those are more relevant for warp theory even if statistics is better." 

"I took calculus before university but it was not my best subject."

Nod.

"I can figure out how to present the relevant information without too much in that case."

"Too much what? Math? Okay."

"Too much calculus."

"Okay. I'll do my best but I do have classes so I don't know how long it'll take me to catch up on physics background."

Nod. Which doesn't work since this is an auditory-only medium whoops.

"Yes - you also don't have to do it at all if you would rather not, but the torture thing you mentioned makes sense so probably you do want to do it I guess. ...unless you would prefer me being dead, I guess. But probably that isn't the case?"

"I don't want you dead! Don't be dead!"

"Okay - it's nice that you don't want me dead given how much I'm in love with you."

"Why would that make me want you dead?!"

"Oh, it wouldn't. It's just that if you did I'd kill myself and I don't want to do that."

"I'm glad you don't want to do that."

"Normally I'd be unwilling to do it, but my priorities have been rearranged substantially since seeing you."

"I get that sense. What are you... like... when you're not psychologically tortured and mind controlled."

"More organized and reserved, though not always those things? Less emotionally all over the place. It is also not helping that I didn't sleep last night due to thinking about how pretty you are and then feeling bad for doing that an impolite amount and also for not telling you things."

"...thoughts aren't really the kind of thing that can be impolite. You have permission to think about me."

"Does that permission cover thinking about-" Lucien bites his tongue.

"In absolutely full generality unless your thoughts have some kind of unusual causal power outside of your own head, you have permission to think about me!"

"Um. I um."

"In order not to be tortured, I'll need to share some amount of those things with you? And this seems like it would be unpleasant for you, and so I'll end up feeling very terrible whether I tell you or not."

"...okay, but normal guilt from having had to tell me what thoughts you have about me will go away eventually and magical guilt from not telling me won't."

"I think the extent to which I don't want to hurt you is also magical."

"That's... true... you might be overestimating how unpleasant this will be for me though?"

"I guess that's possible?"

"...especially compared to being responsible for torturing you."