Au Justeaze here.

[grailheart]

[AU details here.]

How beautiful...

[A bell-like voice emerges from the mouth of a woman whose beauty resembles that of a glacier; cold, harsh, eternal.]

How full of hope...all these worlds, and even this place. If only my world could shine with hope as well.

[Her face darkens for just a moment.]

Ah, but you know as well as I, mun, that such a thing is hopeless. Even something designed to bring hope by subverting impossibility will inevitably become mired in despair.

[A sigh so faint as to go almost unheard.]

Even now, in a place of such hope, you have muns who seek to bring their muses despair. You have muses who will never appreciate their good fortune. Human nature...is always the same.

But I digress. It is still much better here than in my world. So will someone show me? A hope worthy of a wish from this Great Grail

Comments

[grailheart]

Have you seen how people speak not to each other, but personas spouted from a computer? Have you seen people's live prolonged beyond the point where they can remember themselves? Is Zolgen in your world? How does he fare there, with his life that has lasted hundreds of years?

[Of course, Waver's world lacks the fascination with death that Justeaze's world possesses.]

And that much in a world that can still hope.

[gordianknots]

Forbid me from suggesting that for some people text is easier, that to be creative in even the smallest ways is worthy of preservation and how much is this you loathing humanity, hm?

You're being petty because what you wanted didn't happen, like a child.

[grailheart]

[How much of this is her loathing humanity? Well, easily all of it is. But in her opinion, humanity deserves all of this hate.]

What child can sacrifice their existence for the sake of their humanity? For the sake of their comrades and their families? What child can torment themselves for a hundred years before realizing that they are no messiah?

[And what hero lived to see the futility of their sacrifices?]

[gordianknots]

One with an overblown sense of self importance to begin with who thinks that what they want is wanted by everyone else.

[grailheart]

The humans of my world worship death above all else. Then, would not my destruction be exactly what they want?

[gordianknots]

And you know that's the case for everyone? What about those that don't want that, hm? How can you generalize a whole populace of billions?

God, martyrdom is an ugly colour on you.

[grailheart]

Even if it is not the same for everyone, it is still the same for most. A miracle created by just a few people can change nothing.

...An ugly...color?

[gordianknots]

Do I stutter?

Live for yourself then instead of the desires of others. You'll find it a lot more rewarding, and I should not like to tear apart another grail.

[grailheart]

Then I shall. And my sincere wish, born from my heart and not the hearts of others...is to destroy.

[The corners of her lips twitch and pull up in a slight smile.]

[gordianknots]

Then whatever version of myself where you are will stop you before you do. That much I can promise.

[grailheart]

Will he? Or will he drown in his despair and die first?

[Waver Velvet is indeed a Master in her world. But the Grail War is far from finished, and given the myriad universe, his survival is not assured.]

[gordianknots]

I trust myself across all timelines.

[grailheart]

...Your hope is beautiful.

[She honestly means it. Even if they disagreed on almost everything, even if this man was an utter fool, his hope was something that she wished the rest of humanity could have. Or at least could develop before she killed them all.]

[gordianknots]

There's no hope involved. I am myself, or else I am not.

[grailheart]

You are still younger, from the time I remember. A young and hardworking magus with great potential. Does this sound like you?

[gordianknots]

Mmm.

[grailheart]

And his Servant was a great hero. Possibly the last hero Greece or Macedonia ever produced. Do you recall that?

[gordianknots]

Alexandros ho Megas in his own tongue, yes. I'd be a shame to him if I forgot.

[grailheart]

Then it seems that you two are indeed the same, only with different forms of magecraft. If you are the man he grows up to be, then perhaps my ritual will not be wasted.

[The three Archmagi would all be able to rest in peace. Even Zolgen, who had long become something different that how she would have liked to remember him.]

[gordianknots]

[Does this asshole look pleased? You can bet he does, without a single word]

[grailheart]

[And this Great Grail is giving him a rare thumbs up.]