oo2 || Video

[thralls]

[When the feed starts, Athelstan is in his room, with one of Will's dogs stretched warmly across his lap. Athelstan rubs his fingers against her ears as he looks over the projection from his bracelet- right, recording.]

...'this is the end'. The tree has been- is being?- destroyed. I am not a commander of men, nor am I any sort of leader, but times are dire and I... [His lips press together firmly as he nudges the dog off of his lap- she makes a soft, indignant noise before skittering out of his room.]

Where I come from, the men worshiped these gods. This tree was their world, holding up everything they held dear. We must fight to keep it standing, we must- I can show you how these gods must be worshiped, I can tell stories of their exploits and wit, if that would give you cause to fight for them.

[There's a short pause, as Athelstan lets out a breath, contemplating his next words.] Even if you cannot fight, you must pray. All of your gods have guided men through their trials for hundreds of years- longer, in some of your worlds. They would not abandon us now.

[The words are encouraging, but his voice is hollow, preaching a message he's not sure if he can believe in.]

Comments

[sufferably]

The way I see it, it's not gonna change things one way or the other. I can say that I don't believe the world is ending, but that won't stop it. I can say Odin's a figment of my imagination, but that doesn't stop him being around.

[thralls]

[How pragmatic of you. Athelstan just sort of stares at him, confused, and slowly nods.]

But- do belief and conviction not give you strength?

[sufferably]

No? ( he sounds genuinely baffled by that. )

I mean-- I can see why they would, for some people. But that's not why I do things.

[thralls]

Why do you do things then, doctor?

[sufferably]

Because I believe in people, not abstractions.

[thralls]

[God is not an abstraction, he wants to say- but Athelstan has learned to keep his mouth shut in his years spent as a slave.]

A practical man, then. If all of creation is ending, then what point is there worrying about your soul?

[sufferably]

I wouldn't say there's no point. And who knows, I might be wrong and maybe our souls are all ending up in heaven or hell or reincarnated or whatever else.

But mostly I think it's not up to me to decide what's next, and I can do a whole lot more worrying about what's happening now.

[thralls]

You must lead a very exciting life, back home. [Athelstan tilts his head curiously.] Where I am from, most of the year was spent tending to the farms. There's plenty of time to contemplate one's eternity then.

[sufferably]

Oh, I don't know about that. Farming's a lot of work, isn't it?

I'm a doctor, back home. Same thing I am here. ( ha. )

[thralls]

Work that can be done with an absent mind, [he points out.]

An honorable position though, to be sure. I knew something of medical arts, but... the books here call our methods barbaric.

[sufferably]

That's a matter of perspective, really.

I'd call some of what goes on here barbaric. And a hundred years from my time someone'll probably call me a hack. But you can't get anywhere unless you start.

[thralls]

How do you heal people then?

[Curiously.]

That such methods that are used here would seem barbaric to you?

[sufferably]

It's a bit complicated. Regeneration's the most typical thing-- knitting bone and muscle back together on a cellular level. Which may not seem much different from Sigyn's healing, but it works more scientifically. I like being able to look at what I'm doing, seeing where the problem really is.

There're things beyond that, but the principle's the same.

[thralls]

A cellular level?

[He tilts his head.]

So you have made magic into science.

[sufferably]

Nothing magical about it.

It's just science.

[thralls]

[That seems to give him some pause, and Athelstan stammers slightly over his next words.]

If... if you insist.

[sufferably]

I do.

[thralls]

Do you know exactly how the process works?

[sufferably]

Scientifically? Of course. I wouldn't act on it, otherwise.