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Frontier Town Traveller's Haus - Dining Hall

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Andre sighed silently. So this was Owen. The Shadow charmeleon from the failed Blaguarro mission. Andre still remembered the terror he'd felt, the agony of the fiery bite to his leg.

Should he bring it up? He would have liked to get confirmation from Owen himself that he was no longer that kind of threat, that kind of beast, but it was probably also a dick move to demand accountability from someone who hadn't been in control of themselves during their actions.

He could, of course, approach things from a different angle. He hoped it wouldn't be construed as passive aggression.

"I'm glad you seem to be better now," he said to Owen. "Last time I met you, you seemed to be in a pretty bad place. Must have been because of that hydreigon." Andre knew, cognitively, that Mhynt must have been used to hearing Alexander's name and wouldn't flinch, but indirect references were still more polite, right? Unless they were of the opinion that the more Alexander's name was used dismissively, the better.
 
"Oh... yeah..." Owen shifted awkwardly at that.

"The Shadows had a firm hold of him. And while he certainly loves the thrill of battle... Owen does not like to fight to the death."

"Usually."

"Not helping your case, Owen." Mhynt sighed. "...But now he's under my control, technically. I simply don't plan to enact any dominion over him. Not after what Alexander did." Even at the mention of his name, she seemed to sour. It passed as quickly as it came, however. The Sceptile sighed.

"I only hope that his defeat is just as smooth when we return home," she admitted.
 
Andre nodded. "So, you two must have a lot to catch up on," he said. "Both about Forlas and your homeworld. You were separated before, correct?" Andre hoped he remembered the conversations he'd had before correctly.
 
Mhynt winced more to that one than when speaking of Alexander, for better or worse. She didn't make direct eye contact with Andre and answered, "Yes, we... were once together. I suppose now we are again, but not in that way. this is more out of... necessity."

Owen awkwardly shifted his wings and nodded. "We're caught up."
 
"Oh, I didn't mean to imply..." Andre blushed underneath his fur at his mistake. "I just meant... physically separated. I did not mean to imply anything about the type of the relationship."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway... I just wanted to say, Mhynt - congratulations. For killing the hydra. I bet that must have been satisfying."

He hoped no one was eavesdropping, or that if they were, they had enough context. Even with the context, Andre was congratulating her for killing someone. That, in itself, was disturbing to many. Or maybe not on Forlas, as this west was wild, but back home, certainly. Andre understood why, and he couldn't fault those people for having empathy, but he couldn't spare a drop of it for those that simply needed to be put down.

Of course, there were logistics. A person could not be put down based on alleged crimes alone; there needed to be hard proof, such as a confession confirmed to be truthful via aura. As aura did not hold up in court, however, and the aura sensitive person could have ulterior motives anyway, Andre actually opposed the death penalty when sanctioned by the justice system - something that Galar or Kanto luckily didn't have. In any case, Andre could live with bastards being imprisoned instead of killed - he could not live with an innocent person being put to death due to a mistake.

Then there was the other, more selfish reason to oppose the death penalty. The fact that Andre would be sure to get it if he ever got caught. With eight victims of premeditated murder, not that Andre considered them 'victims' in any way, there were hardly cases that looked worse. The public would only see a demented serial killer, a psychopath, without any of the context. Even with the context, it was easy to argue that he hadn't done his job right and just killed without making sure first. They wouldn't even believe him if he told that that he'd let dozens of assholes go just because he couldn't get any proof. He had a system, just like the justice system did, only he was certain his was less fallible. With just one person doing the investigation and the judging, he could be certain there were no biases, no corruption. He was allowed to lie to the suspect. He was allowed to get close.

Of course, if he heard anyone else say this, he wouldn't believe they knew how to do it right, either. It was just like Dave had said: it sounded bad. Andre cringed as he remembered the things he'd said under Radiance. But, well, he'd do better in the future.

Andre snapped back to the present. Right. He was in the middle of a conversation.
 
Mhynt eyed Andre suspiciously. She appeared to be a perceptive one--very perceptive. But not a mind reader; she didn't seem to know what Andre was thinking, only that he was thinking a lot.

"Thank you," Mhynt replied evenly. "It's a hollow victory. I saved Forlas, but he would have fallen into his own abyss anyway. All we did was mitigate the damage he'd leave behind." She stared at her food again.

"It's alright. We'll get him in our world, too. He might be stronger, but we have even more support," Owen reminded.

"Mm." Mhynt looked down. "...Andre," she said. "Do you believe that killing for revenge... ever satisfies the killer?"
 
Andre tensed up, but then figured that Mhynt was just talking about herself.

"Well, I can't exactly speak from experience..." He could, and he would say 'yes'. "But I think it depends on the person and the situation. If the person - the killer - is disturbed by the fact that they've taken a life, no matter what kind of cause it was for, they're probably not gonna be satisfied, no. And if the killer has suffered too much, lost too much, then killing the guy responsible won't heal those scars." He was pretty sure that Mhynt's question implied she was that type. "But in other cases... I don't see why it couldn't happen."
 
Mhynt studied Andre at that with a blank yet concentrated stare. Owen's entirely shadowed appearance made discerning his expressions impossible.

"I suppose that's true," Mhynt finally replied, taking her first bite of food and shuddering. "...Perhaps too much has happened to me. I had made getting revenge on Alexander my goal for centuries under his rule. Even if it's just for here... I wonder if that will be an echo of how I will feel if it truly happens at home. If I'll have anything left after, or..."

"Mhynt..."

Mhynt exhaled through her nose and shook her head. "I'm only speaking in facts, Owen."
 
Andre frowned. "Well... I don't know the specifics of your situation, but there are still other people, right? Things to do? I've heard stories back home from people that have found new beginnings after everything seeming like it's lost, even after the majority of their life has passed. I don't know how well that applies to what you've got going on, but I doubt your life's gonna be a lost cause."
 
Mhynt sighed through her nose again. She didn't have a direct counter.

"You're right," she said. "I suppose there are new beginnings. It will... probably take time. That's all." She took another, hesitant bite. It was a little easier to eat this time. "I think what I'm more afraid of is the change," she said. "Can you imagine it? Five hundred years of the same singular, patient goal of waiting for the moment to kill him. Waiting to free the world of an immortal tyrant. And then... one day, it's just over.

"How long does it take to shed five hundred years?"
 
"Might depend on how many years there were before that five hundred," Andre said, "but it's not like I can claim to know. I'm only 23, and I'm not gonna live past a hundred."

He didn't like thinking about his mortality, but then again, who did? Life had so much to offer him, and he had always lamented the fact that he couldn't see it all. He wouldn't even be a painter by profession for more than a few years longer - he had to get an education, a real job. One that actually supported him.

And, well, he did also want to stop being such a fucking rich brat after what Nova had told him, but he knew he wouldn't remember the conversation back home anymore. He'd be too busy dealing with Red, anyway. Another reason to dread his mortality - at that kid's hands, he might meet a violent end. He shuddered.

"You might just have to find out for yourself."
 
Mhynt chuckled at that. "I guess it would be silly of me to ask a question like that," she said. "It can be... isolating at times. There are so many humans in our group and yet I hardly can relate to that. Then there are those who are still so young... or, I'm just terribly old."

"Nova's nice, though," Owen commented.

"Right. That's true," Mhynt admitted. "Well... it's still good to find some common ground. How have you been, Andre? I noticed you were... thoughtful."
 
Nova hadn't been very nice to Andre. Then again, Andre couldn't blame him.

Namohysip said:
"Right. That's true," Mhynt admitted. "Well... it's still good to find some common ground. How have you been, Andre? I noticed you were... thoughtful."
Click to expand...

"Ah..." She was perceptive, or he was simply too obvious. "Well, better now that Alexander's gone." He paused to think. Could he talk about the Ridley thing if he just left out what his secret actually was? Everyone seemed to be understanding until he got up to that point.

"Okay," he began. "Remember Whisperwind Comb? Remember how Ridley and I were the only ones who couldn't get through? Well, truth is... Ridley found out a secret I have, and he did not like it. We had a big argument, and I suppose this made the Comb consider us unworthy to pass deeper. He also demanded that I tell my secret to a few other Wayfarers, or he would be the one to tell them." He decided to leave out who he had told in case Mhynt got curious and went to pry. "I've told a few. I actually don't know if Ridley still wants me to tell more people. It's been hectic with the whole Alexander thing, so I haven't been able to talk to him - and one of the people I told demanded that I don't tell anyone else, since it could make people more negative and susceptible to Shadow during the fight. But now that it's over..."

He sighed. "The secret is... very personal. Very... painful." In a way, it was. "And I'd rather not have people know, but now four people do..." And Articuno, but he was still keeping that one close to his chest. "So, yeah. That's what's been on my mind."
 
"Interesting," Mhynt said thoughtfully, her pupils narrowing and widening as if focusing on different aspects of Andre while he spoke. The Sceptile tapped her claws on the table before stabbing into one of the fruits, taking another one whole.

"A secret so terrible that it would have run the risk against Alexander and his ability to seize any corruption," Mhynt said. "And one that left him upset, and others urge you to keep quiet. That must be a terrible secret...

"Do you regret it?"
 
Did he regret it? No. He came close with the case of Mike Thomson, but that was because it caused notable collateral damage, not because he felt sorry for that bastard.

Andre sighed. It would be so easy to say that he regretted it. It may have been the smart thing to do with Ridley to begin with, but he hadn't thought of it at the time or had simply found it too dishonest. All three Wayfarers he'd told after he'd given the impression that he didn't regret things, so it would only be consistent to say so to Mhynt as well. Not that she was exactly being open with her to begin with.

"No, I don't regret it," Andre said. "I thought what I did was the right thing to do at the time, and I still do. I'd do it again, though perhaps slightly differently in some ways." He was implicitly lying here - it hadn't been one choice, one action; he had done it again and again.
 
"Then perhaps that's why they are upset," Mhynt replied, looking at her meal again. "We only know these people for a few months at most. Not much longer, and who knows how little time we have to understand everyone's life story. Yours may be shorter than mine, but years upon years is still... an arduous amount to learn.

"I imagine some of my decisions and choices would not sit well with the others on our team. Even if I regret some of those choices, there are many uncomfortable decisions that I do not. All that matters is providing your wisdom and knowledge to the group and see what their collective thinks of it.

"In the end, this is shaping up to be a conflict we cannot tackle alone. Compromise with those with more normal minds is... necessary at times. And of course, we have one another to keep in check, too. Should any of us step out of line... I'm sure I can make some uncomfortable decisions to deal with them myself."
 
For a moment there, Andre felt relieved. Mhynt knew what it was like to have done things that others didn't agree with without regretting them yourself.

Then she implied that if he 'stepped out of line', she might kill him.

Well. It was to be expected, wasn't it? A pragmatic soul like Mhynt, who had just confirmed that she had a history of 'uncomfortable decisions', being pragmatic. And Andre... well, if Andre saw someone 'step out of line', as in threatening the lives of innocents Forlasans or other Wayfarers... he wouldn't protest that person being removed. A Wayfarer's death wasn't even a real death - just a return to their homeworld.

It would still hurt, though.

But...

"You know, I hope you do," Andre said. "If I ended up losing my way and betraying the cause of saving Forlas, I think I'd want to be removed myself. Just, uhh... check with the others first, if possible. These kinds of decisions should be made as a team."
 
Mhynt nodded, and then made a meaning full glance toward Owen.

The Charizard shadow seemed to fidget. "...In a way, we already made the decision once. Alexander was, kind of, a Wayfarer, but look at what he did. And I..."

"We were lucky to kill him while preserving you." Mhynt glanced at the Charizard currently stuck as Mhynt's silhouette. "...In a sense."

"It's not so bad."

"Does make things a little awkward at times," Mhynt admitted, glancing away. "I don't really have alone time anymore. For anything. Ever."
 
"I can kind of relate," Andre muttered. "I have someone back home who won't leave me alone. I'd call him a stalker, but he doesn't really stalk. He just keeps coming into my fucking home and I have to let him stay because he also knows my secret and is extorting me." Andre shook his head, as if to snap himself out of a daze. "Not that Owen's like that. Sorry. Vented a bit there."
 
"I suppose I'm lucky to not have that," Mhynt said. "Granted, Owen knows my secrets... but he's not one to extort."

"Hard to not know secrets when I have Perceive and Past Perceive..."

"Oh, you got that back. Joy."

"Well--not yet. But I remember I had it now."

Mhynt rolled her eyes. "...Sounds like your secret is giving you trouble, though. I'm not sure if I should be glad for it or not, but at least in this world, you have some reprieve."
 
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