...he should feel stupid because he doesn't know what they're talking about, and angry at them for having a conversation he doesn't understand while he's right there, and humiliated that his role in the project, as far as Bun knows, is as a glorified magnetic stirrer.

He doesn't. He feels happy.

Bun is smiling. 

Bun talks about medicine in a way Tanidio has never seen any adult talk about anything. Like he doesn't care about being the best, or proving his worth, or covering his ass so he doesn't get punished. Like he's... curious, like he wants to know it for its own sake. Like he's some kind of remarkably non-obnoxious gnome or something.

Tanidio glares at the seaweed like it has done something personally to offend him and tries not to listen.

OH COME ON TANIDIO.

Are the mortals aligned with the other gods this frustrating.

Yes. 

(No, Cayden Cailean does not want you puking up your guts every morning because you can't endure your life sober.)

Kofusachi's humans are all fine. 

Humans keep forgetting to take their meds and Immonhiel finds this very frustrating.

Okay, so he's still as clueless as when he started about gnome biology, but that's okay. And has Levrolurment heard the good word about antiseptics? Antisepticd are great and they should totally work out how to make them.

(He doesn't expect Tanidio to follow the conversation, but he doesn't expect him to care about not being able to follow it.)

He's so happy. 

Eventually, a servant brings in dinner-- bread and stew-- and they break from work. Tanidio makes Bun's stew taste of chillis without even asking first.

He had no reason to expect that! Tanidio is delightful.

And then there's a loud noise from outside.

He stands up, and then remembers he has security For A Reason, and looks to see how Tanidio reacts.

Finally, a chance to be actually useful.

Bun gets Protection from Good, Protection from Chaos, and Resistance; he already has Mage Armor up; Tanidio Shields himself and has a couple of other spells readied in case of trouble. Evocation has always been his worst school but Enchantment has always been his best and substitutes for it almost perfectly. 

That is... A lot of spells. Hopefully he won't need them?

He heads towards the noise.

The noise came from a girl of maybe twelve or thirteen who has just passed out at their doorstep.

That's not good! Less personally dangerous than a demon or a servant of a good god, but definitely dangerous for her.

He checks her over. How's her breathing? Heart rate? Are there any obvious injuries?

No! That's dangerous! Don't touch her!

He quickly casts a Hold Person, like a sensible reasonable wizard who is not in the least overprotective of his charge. 

Her breathing is regular, her heart rate a little slow; in general it just seems like she fainted, and luckily she has no serious injuries.

That's good! Makes it more likely he can treat whatever her problem is.

... And hopefully that spell hasn't done anything concerning to her, Tanidio.

On the one hand: someone who has fainted should not be left outside in the cold. On the other hand: if you didn't see what happened, always treat it as a suspected spinal injury. ... Though if she has a spinal injury, she's in a bad way here no matter what he does.

"Help me get her inside?"

"We have no idea who she is, and the Good gods are definitely going to try to kill you once they know you're here, and I used up my Hold Person I prepared today." Which was stupid. 

"If we leave her out here, she might die of exposure."

So?

"Lots of people die of exposure every day, why is it different if they happen to be on your doorstep."

????

"Because if there on my doorstep I can help them." This is potentially a low blow but there is a life at stake. "Are you just going to accept people dying of exposure?"

Yes! He doesn't know them! Why would he care about them?

How do Good people think?

"If it's a false flag and you die, way more people will die of exposure."

"One: how likely is it that she was sent by the good gods, as opposed to just being someone from town? Two: how likely are they to manage to kill me in a way you can't stop?"

"I'm a Security wizard! I don't deal in probabilities! I deal in not opening up entire new potential vectors of attack! And I'm only a third-circle wizard and Evocation is my worst school, so you know there are kind of a lot of ways they can kill you!"