John, you’d make a terrible time player. Yeah you would have been willing to die for us - but I don’t think you ever made those offers with the completely finite knowledge it’d be permanent. And it isn’t always just being willing to die. You...have never been good with inevibility I think? And that’s a really, really good thing, because someone has to believe in somethin’ beyond paradox space bylaws. I am pretty sure though that the cyclical nature of time and death would have wrecked you.

[ his free hand goes for his shades, unfolding them deftly to slide on. he’s as careful as ever with them. ]

Megido doesn’t remember it yet. A thousandfold deaths or however many she wracked up, and why, and how it had to happen. She might get it someday; I kinda hope she does not.

[ it would be better if she didn’t. ]

And I don’t know. Maybe you keep showing up because I want you there even when I do not. You tell me.