[ It stings because Rau is completely correct about it. Gil experienced it on the road to his plans, the way Talia was slipping out of his grasp to the point where she seemed to consider even voicing her disapproval to him a waste of time.

Wanting her had always been another paradox to begin with. In an ideal world the two of them might have never met, for their genetic incompatibility would have been instantly apparent.

And yet.

There's a lot of 'and yet' in Durandal's head, it turns out. For a man who hates getting hurt, he does love putting his hands into fire.

One such fire is in front of him now, and even if Rau's words sting, Durandal is still going somewhere with this. He won't be so easily deterred. ]

And you would never have stayed with me under any circumstances, possessed by your drive towards destruction as you were.

[ He's being petty for the sake of making a point. ]

It seems to me then that all I'm doing is dreaming of impossible options - unless, of course, you're saying that's not the case now?

[ In the back of his mind he realizes that this is a ridiculous conversation to have when they're both dead and this liminal space might just disappear around them any minute. (And yet.) ]