Wait. Now she was arguing for scientific validation of Imprinting - the one thing he believed was actual spell work? His head tilted to the right as he attempted to follow her logic. Maybe she was accusing him of that being the wrong instant of magic? As she continued, Tychon’s ears twitched; he was totally befuddled. Her answer basically meant she believed in magic just because it was as easy as believing in science. Great; he could toss rationality out the window if she thought they were the same thing. He got the distinct impression that there would be no way to win the argument until Masque was more tarnished by time. The thought was more depressing than it should have been and Tychon felt reluctant to inform her of his knowledge. Still, he persisted, “First off, belief is a tool to blind otherwise fair minded wolves. For example, if you are entirely convinced that magic exists unconditionally, then there is no sense in me arguing with you because you won’t be convinced no matter how logical the arguments I present are. Similarly, belief in something that is not proven creates false knowledge; and fallacies are harmful to both progress in societal norms and in the truth of how the world works.”

Tychon lifted himself off the ground and shook the mud clinging to his fur. He told her bluntly, “If you want to convince me that magic and science at the same thing, find me undeniable proof that imprinting can be both predicted and consistent. And to convince you that magic is nonsense in all other cases of life, I’d have to take the time to educate you from the beginning of ‘what are the four forms of matter?’ I don’t have the time for that, so let’s have this conversation again in a year to see what you’ve learned regarding science and magic.” Tychon paused, considered, and then asked, “I’ll meet you here?”

Anxiety suddenly filled his stomach like rain storms filling a pond. He didn’t want her to deny it - and that fact caused him to worry about what if she refused? Not that he would truly care if she said “No -“ he’d get over it. Absolutely he would. Maybe. Tychon felt his skin prickling in the moment of he waited for Masque’s reply.