How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

[ghoulserrand]

[He normally would try to lay low in a given world. Faust, too, has suggested he's should. Brining attention onto himself is a bad, bad, very bad idea.

But he can't help it. There's working internet. And he has the power of typing and bad ideas on his side.]

Hey new world! I'm Teo! Just got here. I'm from Earth, but from my last world, I learned that's pretty common, and every Earth seems to be different from the others. Who's from somewhere new and who here's from Earth? And for those from Earth, what's the thing that makes it different?

Alternate introduction question: What's everyone's favorite thing to do here?

Comments

[relictus]

[It's not news to Teo that he doesn't believe he has a future, nor is it a surprise he still pushes back against that idea. But he doesn't even want to save the world, and he's failed as much as he's tried to help...]

...Free to live as I want?

[His tone implies he thinks that's a joke, though it's quiet and tired as well.]

I am grateful to the Sage, even if I was resentful of being saved at the time... living lost its appeal a long time ago. Even if some things have changed, even if I can find some quiet moments of happiness amidst the gloom like you insisted... there's no life I want to live that can still exist. More likely, if I'm ever released from these duties, I'll return to my home in the woods to continue living detached from the world and passage of time as I was before... but I doubt I will stop being toyed with by fate anytime soon.

[He still doesn't believe he can every truly be happy again, even with the compromise they came to. If nothing else, he doesn't deserve a life like that anymore...]

[ghoulserrand]

[He flinches at the mention of resentment. It doesn't surprise him, and yet still, it feels like a slap. But what makes him draw away is the way Faust speaks of his home.]

You make it... sound like... you hate it there...

Your home... your fire... the creatures... and spirits... peace and quiet... I thought that... was what you wanted... [Detached from the world and the passage of time... That sounds like a prison.] Is that... all to punish yourself... after all?

[As soon as he says it, he knows it wouldn't really surprise him. It would fall right in line with Faust's way of thinking. His heart sinks.]

You said that... you didn't regret it... meeting all of them... meeting me... Do you really think... that there's only regret... ahead of you...? Why can't you have... the life you want...? Do you even know... what that is...?

[relictus]

[He was just starting to adjust to the feeling of Teo leaning against him when he draws away, and combined with what he says it leaves him feeling unbalanced. But...]

...It's not that I hate it. That place... the state I was in when I hid there... it was what I needed...

[But he doesn't deny the rest. He healed as much as was possible on his own, and then he simply continued to exist in that peace and quiet... as much a sanctuary as it was a place to preserve and wallow in the pains that would never be healed.]

...I had the chance to change the world. But in the end, I only made it easier for the humans to cast us out. If I hadn't failed back then, maybe the kids of today wouldn't have suffered as much as they have for being wizards... even now, I've acquired more failures. At least when I was alone, I didn't have to worry about new regrets... who's to say I won't fail everyone again?

The life I want? I don't care about that... I just want them to be safe and happy...

[Heathcliff, Shino, Nero... the rest of the children, Lennox, the Sage... maybe even Figaro...]

...You as well.

[ghoulserrand]

[His expression twists. He shifts away like he's dodging an attempt to reach for him, even as he still grips that hand. He looks at Faust with hard glare broken only by the pain in his eyes.]

Don't... Don't give him... the satisfaction... Alec Granvelle... tried to murder you... and succeeded... with others...He did that... don't take... the responsibility... from him... by putting it... on your own shoulders...

[He continues in a softer tone.]

You have no proof... you've made it worse... None... You can't know... You had the chance... and Alec... stole it... it's his fault... his... and everyone... who agreed to kill you...

[He shrugs his shoulders.]

Maybe you've... failed other things... We all do... Everyone... But you've done... more good... than bad... You don't think... you've made us all... safe... and happy...? You don't think... that denying the same... for you... will hurt us...? If what you've said... is true... then you do them... disservice... pretending that... they won't care... That we're wrong to...

[relictus]

[He looks away and closes his eyes when Teo speaks his name, as if it causes him physical pain. He doesn't want to talk about this, or him. He doesn't want Teo to get caught up in anger on his behalf when there's nothing he can do.]

...Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not taking any of the blame off of him for what he did... I spent decades seething with it. But that doesn't make me blameless... we led that army together... and I refused to accept the truth until it was too late to avert the worst. When you're a leader, both your actions and your inactions have wider consequences...

[He takes a deep breath and sighs deeply, finally drawing his hand away from Teo's to tug at the brim of his hat.]

...I think we've spoken enough of my world... what happens there has nothing to do with you, after all... and I'm tired.

[Both from all the talking as well as the subjects at hand.]

[ghoulserrand]

[He sighs too. He doesn't try to draw Faust's hand back. The wall has gone up and it's only fair. But he still takes one last shot.]

If you were going... to accept his betrayal... you'd have never... believed what you... were fighting for...

[He pushes himself off the couch, up to his feet.]

You'll matter to me... even when you're gone... [And with that, he'll let it drop.] Do you want... anything...? Water...?

[relictus]

...

[After a moment, he stands as well.]

It's all right; I can get it myself. I should let you get back to getting to know the people here...

[...Maybe that sounds like pushing him away in this context, but he really does want him to be able to branch out and make new friends...]

...I'll be upstairs if you need me.