"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax potentially coming into conflict with me, even more than her causing complications like Pilar and Ione, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly," a dath ilani does not bother to specify 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let the words leave their mouth at all, "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have very clear reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to, both de factor and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I have a job now."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax potentially coming into conflict with me, even more than her being a complication like Pilar and Ione, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly," a dath ilani does not bother to specify 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let the words leave their mouth at all, "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have very clear reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to, both de factor and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I have a job now."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax potentially coming into conflict with me, even more than her being a complication like Pilar and Ione, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly," a dath ilani does not bother to specify 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let the words leave their mouth at all, "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have very clear reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question-of-truth is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to - both de facto and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I have a job now."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax potentially coming into conflict with me, even more than her being a complication like Pilar and Ione, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly," a dath ilani does not bother to specify 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let the words leave their mouth at all, "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have very clear reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question-of-truth is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to - both de facto and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I have a job now."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax potentially coming into conflict with me, even more than her being a complication, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly," a dath ilani does not bother to specify 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let the words leave their mouth at all, "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have very clear reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question-of-truth is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to - both de facto and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I have a job now."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax potentially coming into conflict with me, even more than her being a complication, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question-of-fact, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly," a dath ilani does not bother to specify 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let the words leave their mouth at all, "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have very clear reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question-of-truth is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to - both de facto and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I have a job now."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"The point that Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax being a complication, even more than her coming into conflict with me, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question-of-fact, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly" (a dath ilani does not bother to add 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let words leave their mouth at all) "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have strange reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question-of-truth is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to - both de facto and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I already have a job."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."

"That Carissa's sexuality depends on the truth of two propositions that can't both simultaneously be true is, itself, very much a 'trope', and one of the deepest and most powerful ones.  Even more than the Queen of Cheliax being a complication, even more than her coming into conflict with me, the deepest 'trope' here has to be the question-of-fact, what is really true.  Everything else fell into place once I realized that."

"My proposal is as simple as it is unfair to the Queen.  If I meet her and know her and think she's worthy of Carissa at all, I offer to negotiate the rental agreement for Carissa.  In front of her advisors.  And with Carissa there to see it, because she's the one who has to know this truth and witness it.  I say plainly" (a dath ilani does not bother to add 'and truthfully' if they're bothering to let words leave their mouth at all) "that I'm worried about a more experienced sadist stealing Carissa from me, and if the Queen of Cheliax does that successfully, I will walk out on Cheliax and go make a revolution somewhere else.  I say that I want guarantees about my right, signed by the government of Cheliax and by the Queen and by the Church of Asmodeus in whatever capacity Asmodeus recognizes such things, to take Carissa with me if that happens, potentially including against her own will, if I so choose, to somewhere that puts enough value on a dath ilani to also recognize my possession of her."

"Having that right doesn't mean I'd actually exercise it, obviously, but nobody needs to say that in front of the Queen; and while Carissa might know what I wouldn't really do, I think she'll also understand the romantic gesture in the spirit in which it was intended."

"If everybody's being sane, the Queen and her advisors are like, sure, sounds weirdly extreme but he's obviously doing it to impress his girlfriend, they sign on like the totally sane grownups they are.  The limits on the Queen's sadism are in a sealed section of the compact that I trust you to write.  The conflict and the 'trope' have been defused, easily enough to call into severe question whether there was ever really any 'trope' at work in the first place."

"If the Queen is like, why, no, how could I possibly do that, I have strange reasons I cannot do that, then we know she's a giant 'trope' avatar and there's a foretold path of conflict and complication whose core question-of-truth is who Carissa Sevar really belongs to - both de facto and in terms of her core sexuality, because those two are the same thing."

"In which case, obviously, I stop negotiating that rental agreement, get back to my new research installation, and both we and the Queen's advisers do everything we can to keep the Queen and Carissa apart for as long as possible.  We do everything we can to, like, totally slow down all of that from actually happening, if that is at all possible, and try to delay everything into the future as far as possible, because, like, I already have a job."

"Eventually either the Queen loses power, or the two of us reconcile and kiss, or, if I screw up along the way, the Queen wins and Cheliax stays poor for longer.  Or Golarion ends up falling to the Worldwound because there wasn't really anywhere else that could offer the resources that Cheliax and Asmodeus could.  I suppose there's other possibilities within the 'tropes' that would then almost have to be governing, but I'd have to think hard about what they were; they'd be less probable."