Strange listens quietly, patient, with the respect he has for a local mage’s opinion. Getting to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, from someone who’s had to live with that particular sword of Damocles hanging over Julius’ head, ever since his magic came in like both a promise and a threat.
“It’s like the nuclear option— the extreme, end-all option, I mean. And, as you say, it requires catching the right threats at the right time. And even then, it seems uniquely cruel besides.”
The thoughtful pause stretches out between them. He notes the light filtering through the windows, the distant twittering of birds on this sunny day. And then, finally, Strange contributes:
“Our worlds might be more similar than we think. Back home, there used to be this practice called lobotomy. A medical procedure used on people with psychiatric disorders, mental health issues, who were erratic and uncontrollable. It permanently damages their brain, destroying their personality and intellect, often leaving them in a vegetative or childlike state. Sometimes it was abused, people consigning family members to it if they were deemed too hysterical, too troublesome. It’s barbaric and outdated as a treatment.”
A faint pause. “I can’t help but see the parallels. I’ve mentioned before that I was a surgeon, but I was a neurosurgeon specifically: a brain doctor. So, Tranquility… it bothers me.”
no subject
“It’s like the nuclear option— the extreme, end-all option, I mean. And, as you say, it requires catching the right threats at the right time. And even then, it seems uniquely cruel besides.”
The thoughtful pause stretches out between them. He notes the light filtering through the windows, the distant twittering of birds on this sunny day. And then, finally, Strange contributes:
“Our worlds might be more similar than we think. Back home, there used to be this practice called lobotomy. A medical procedure used on people with psychiatric disorders, mental health issues, who were erratic and uncontrollable. It permanently damages their brain, destroying their personality and intellect, often leaving them in a vegetative or childlike state. Sometimes it was abused, people consigning family members to it if they were deemed too hysterical, too troublesome. It’s barbaric and outdated as a treatment.”
A faint pause. “I can’t help but see the parallels. I’ve mentioned before that I was a surgeon, but I was a neurosurgeon specifically: a brain doctor. So, Tranquility… it bothers me.”