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In the midst of the grand dark sky, the moon makes her presence known through the purest light of them all. Tonight, she keeps company to a single wizard.
___
The curtains of his window is open, he sits right in front of his desk facing it, his eyes staring intensely at the cup of bright red wine. The white light glows so strongly from the sky that it reflects on his grey hair tinted with a touch of slight blue.
Sitting on his chair, his posture remains to be as elegant and dignified as ever, but from a subtle curve on his back you can notice some sign of tiredness coming from the young-looking wizard...
On Figaro's face, there was a slight smile coming from the corner his mouth. Or at least, that is what he wishes you to see. Simply forcing a muscle to stay in place, out of habit, was something that Figaro wished to make his mouth remember to do. But this night, the corner of his mouth wasn't rising so much, not at all even, no matter how much he tried.
Here is another night for Figaro to be a victim of sitting somewhere while feeling empty, trying to fill the loneliness with a cup of red escapism... He takes a sip of his glass and looks up to the moon.
She wanted to end the world, for some reason, yet even if Figaro liked the world to some extent and wished for it to become a better place, as it is nothing but logic to him, he didn't mind that the moon would do that. In fact, all wizards happen to find solace in the one and only light of the lonely night sky.
Figaro reminiscences, when he tried to find his home. A home, a place to rest and be in peace with. He doesn't remember when he lost his home. Was it when the snow destroyed his village? When Snow and White killed each other? When Alec decided to execute Faust?... He doesn't remember when it all started. All he surely knows of, is that he always had this hole in his heart that made him want to find a warm place to stay at. He wished to be needed, loved, and to love as well. But for some reason, despite the numerous attemps, he never felt anything. Despite being married and worshipped, in the company of many or alone, no satisfaction has ever been felt from the old wizard. The only significant thing that showed itself in his heart, was an empty black hole, waiting to be filled by something. The more time went by, the more he felt that his heart would soon enough rot from the loneliness. He was soon to be gone. He could feel it thanks to his instinct, just like all old wizards who reach the end of their given time do. Yet despite all these years, he was far from ever earning anything deemed valuable to him.
It is only when he reminded himself, that he had everything, all the strength and intelligence of the world that he truly smiled. Not a smile of satisfaction, but a smile of mockery dedicated to himself. "How ironic is it, for me to have everything, but not what i want?"
A cloud passes by, hiding the moonlight's glow. Figaro looks up.
One day, in the distant past he saw his home.
Standing on a wide, wide beach, with nothing but the vast horizon... He stared at it directly, and it struck him. Enamored with the hope emanating from the moon's radiance, he felt that he could reach it, that he would finally rest and be happy. His shoes raised gently from the sand of the silent beach, he started flying towards the shining orb, reaching his hand towards it with all of his strength. The quicker he flied in the sky, the stronger the wind blew... He felt his heart beat faster and faster, and a smile of relief drew itself on his face. "Just a little bit more, and everything will pay off." So he thought to himself... But it lasted, and lasted. The moon remained as so distant as it was before, Figaro's arm started dropping, and so did he.
On top of the wide ocean, he fell down. The moon started leaving him and so did all the hope. He could only look at her leave him and he yelled in the bottom of his heart, to not leave him alone. But she responded with nothing but silence. He collided violently with the water, and sunk into the deep sea. During this moment that felt like forever, Figaro did not move an inch. He drowned progressively in the bottom of the dark sea, the water froze his body to the bone but he felt nothing of it. The light disappeared gradually as he let himself sink down. His face twisted in despair and sadness, his chest burnt from the betrayal...
He stayed there for a while, the silence showed itself to be as comforting as the darkness... And since that moment, he remained in it.
In front of his desk, Figaro was still drowning inside a mixture of loneliness, despair and alcohol. Sleep would not welcome him either. Indeed, there is no place to rest for him now.
His limbs remained still, as he felt no need to move them at all. He had no motivation to do anything. For hours, he stayed in front of that window, drinking.
But suddenly, Mitile opens the door silently without knocking. Only to see in his the middle of his pupils the picture of Figaro's slightly arched back, and the reflection of his expressionless face on the window.
Figaro didn't hear him, lost in thoughts. Mitile walked towards him with slow and soundless steps, and he could clearly see for himself that Figaro was not alright. Mitile was right in front of Figaro, and naturally proceeded to grab gently the sleeve of his shirt to make himself noticed. Startle, Figaro flinched, then widened his eyes.
"M-Mitile...? Wh-What are you doing at this hour? " Figaro forces the corner of his mouth to rise immediately.
Mitile, stands there with his worried expression, then opens his mouth
"Mr.Figaro..."
"Yes Mitile, what's wrong with you, why are you making this face?"
Mitile's eyebrows frowns in frustration
"I should be the one who says that.."
The old wizard stares at the kid in confusion.
"What?"
"...Just a while ago, you looked really sad, I've been looking at you for a while... And now that im there, you're making that fake expression..."
Figaro then instantly regains his posture, he must not wear his heart on his sleeves, he must not let that little child get a glimpse of his sadness, he must not burden that pure soul, so he thinks. He then brushes it off with the common, usual joking tone.
"Ahaha, so that's what you were thinking! Mitile , i was just tired."
"Don't think im an idiot because I'm a kid!!" Mitile yells out
Figaro finds no answer to that, out of curiosity, he lets the brown haired kid say what is on his mind.
"You looked... really not okay... I’ve been looking for a while, you didn't even notice that i was there, and you were just looking at nothing with the most blank expression! Clearly something is wrong! Also what did i tell you about alcohol! "
The little one looks filled with genuine concern and frustration. It's as if it truly all mattered to him, and that he was sure he could do something about it.
Figaro returns an akward smile to Milite's sincerity. Honesty is not his forte, so he tries his hardest to find something not so concerning, but not so far for the truth either.... He pats Mitile's head and reassures him with the following words.
"Grown ups...You know... They sometimes have very long nights when the only thing they can talk to is the moon... I like to have my alcohol to be at least honest to her... I’m sorry for having alcohol today, will you forgive me Mitile?"
Mitile glanced back with curiosity.
"Talking to the moon?.."
"Yes Mitile, talking to the moon."
"....Are you turning like Murr? Also you weren't even talking at all.." he responds with implicit judgement.
"Haha, no it's nothing like Murr, don't worry about that... And for those discussions, i like to have them in my head, through thoughts..."
"...Isn't that a very fancy way of saying that you were overthinking while getting drunk? That's not very healthy..."
"Come onn Mitile... I'm trying to make it sound cool aren't i? Don't ruin that for me.."
"Hm! If you’re so worried about some things, why don't you talk to someone! Im not a grown up, so i guess i can't understand *yet* the struggles of adults, but Lennox is way much older than you so I'm sure he will hear you out! This would be way much more productive than what you're doing now!" So he lashes out.
Figaro tried to stop his laugh from the comment of his age gap with Lennox... Ignorance truly is bliss.
"Alright , alright, don't get so worked up... I told you I just wanted some time alone didn't I? Anyways , what are you even doing up at this hour."
"Ah... I just woke up because I had a nightmare, so I went to see Rutile... Hey don't you think im childish just because I'm going to see Rutile because of a bad dream, ok?!"
"Hey, I didn't say anything about that... But it must have been a really scary dream, do you need a little spell to help with that? Dr. Figaro surely knows how to at least protect someone's sleep."
Mitile replies timidly after some hesitation.
"Hm... Well... I won't refuse it if you insist.."
"Sure thing, I'm glad to be of help, next time this happens don't hesitate to knock at my door, okay? You're still young so you need plenty of sleep to grow as tall as Lennox!"
"Okay..."
The following moment, Figaro utters his spell, and makes sure to include many blessings for the young one to be able to sleep in peace for many nights.
"...Possideo"
The following instant, Mitile falls asleep immediately. Figaro makes sure to catch him fast during his fall, then proceeds to carry him all the way to his room, then his bed. He tucks him under his bed sheets carefully, then pays attention to the child's sleeping face on that same occasion for a little while... He now understands, Oz's demeanor towards Arthur. There was something comforting about teaching young and innocent souls, something that would made you want to bless them with the purest knowledge for them to grow with happiness and strength.
"Good night Mitile." he whispers out, then leaves the room while closing the door gently, without letting out any sound.
Later on, after stepping back in his room, he puts away his precious bottles of red wine. This peace that he felt now, he didn't wish to make it leave his side. Only this one night, he sensed that he preferred the present instant sober. He sits down and gets himself a little cup of water to sober up. Tonight, the old wizard no longer has anything to say to the moon.