Unus Putesco pro Paradiso

[Zach Kaiser]

"Tabris..." Eilert repeated.

His name is as unsettling as his smile.

He tried to brush off those feelings, though; he had no reason for them that he could think of, and he never considered himself a prejudiced person. But was it really only his appearance he found so alarming...?

Scott's arrival allowed him to redirect his attention at the very least. "And he's running your class?" he asked quietly, trying not to draw the attention of the students. Sturm made it sound as though the boy had verbally outmatched Scott, but given the man's nature it could have just as easily been on a whim that he let him have the podium.

[Nayt]

"For the time being," Scott coughed, "He was talking about something interesting. We got onto the subject of Creation, and as soon as he started to present questions of "reality," I had to give him the stage. I don't regret it. Hell, maybe this will up the attendance of my students."

"Continuing from where I left off . . ." Tabris began.

Though he should have sounded perturbed by the disturbance of so many entering at once, he was not--far from it. He seemed overjoyed to have so many listening. The albino student stood with his back straight and arms by his sides, but when he talked, he habitually moved his hands--though, vastly different than most "hand talkers." Many did that. Not many favored their right hands in a manner somewhat similar to that of a conductor of an orchestra. It was subtle and mainly noticeable when he reached important points of interest, but still constant.

"Take a look around you--at every face, at every body, at every grain of wood that comprises the stands in which most of you sit, and keep that image. It is truly a worthwhile image, is it not? No--not as you know it. That is the true irony of reality and all of our kind. We take for granted what we have, incapable of finding true joy in the life around us, in our current states. We want more, but that is an obvious blight of mankind, is it not, Mr. Thompson?"

His voice was pleasant, calm, and easy to listen to, if not a little unsettling to those that listened for too long. His tone of voice was happy. No matter what he said, from speaking of Creation to the ills of Mankind, he was always smiling--always happy, and not in a subjective, optimistic way. He could declare a newborn baby's name with the same smile he'd wear if he declared the end of the world.

To know nothing but joy--to feel no hate, no anger, no sadness, to know not the difference between right and wrong--good and evil. To do no wrong because one knew not what it was-- is it Eden?

Scott replied loud enough for all to hear him . . . without shouting, of course, "That would be correct. Not to say that it can be helped, though. Human nature is fickle. You may very well be as fickle as myself and other in this room."

He didn't seem offended in the slightest. No, there was a fair chance that nothing in the world could offend this youth. "Indeed I may. Yes, yes, I would be--you are correct. We are fickle beings, but it is justified because it is commonplace--because it is our reality. Now, I want you, any of you who wish to participate, to take that image you have ingrained in your mind and hold it clear in your mind's eye as you keep your eyes shut. And now, I want you to dim the light of that image--and dress differently. And then, I want you to picture some with their seats changed, Ms. Takamine beside of Mr. Tsukimono rather than Mr. Williams, perhaps a friend taking the place of another, perhaps one you've never met, a fantasy, suddenly in the seat next to yours."

This prompted Mayako Takamine, sitting in the far back, directly next to Zenos Williams, to open her eyes and look down the aisle at . . . someone in particular. Zenos opened his eyes, too, looking to Mayako, who seemed confused--at first. And then her gaze was downcast . . . solemnly. It wasn't regret--no. Disappointment, perhaps? A notion she didn't want to think of, so she pictured something else--something that Zenos was in.

"They move, do they not? The lucid dreams you've concocted. They move like fluid, speak, and connect in interpersonal relationships more convoluted than you will ever know. Each of you see a different world, a different reality, and perhaps you covet that reality, but you'll never see it. Only in your lucid dreaming do you see that world, and most of you will see it once . . . and only once."

"When God shaped the world and gave Man purpose, He could have made anything. Anything at all. He could have made the sky not blue but a vibrant orange, He could have made bears the dominant species over Man, but He did not. It extends so much further, however: with the purpose of every individual person on this world, in this warm home we call "reality," we have our paths, our past, our present, and our future."

"If God had made this world different than he had, how would it differ? Would it be as you saw it? It can be asserted that reality is no illusion, but your lucid dreams are. Yes, they are a look into the Imagination--the thoughts of God before He shaped this world, a look into what our present would be if He had shaped the world differently, even if it were such a subtle difference such as the future of a doomed relationship becoming . . . pleasant. Lucid dreaming, of both uncontrolled daydreaming and unassuming dreams at night, are a look into what "reality" could have been. Had God made one of the slightest alterations, we could be in a world of darkness or a world of fire or a world of magic. You could be a politician in that world, a doctor, an educator, a warrior, a soldier, a member of a secret society, or not even human at all!"

Or is this Eden?

His voice rose with that sentence as if a song were reaching crescendo, and then . . . it fell. He spoke slower again, softer, but his joyous demeanor remained the same.

"And perhaps in that Godly imagination, you are truly one day from paradise."

Tabris's attention had been directed to the back of the room, to the three educators--to the one in the middle, Eilert Draugr. Tabris's eyes were shut and his smile was so wide and jovial, yet his words may well have been so unsettling to the man, and without a true understanding of why . . .

"And though we'll never know, it poses an interesting question, does it not? For the happiness of few, would you discard the reality of the whole race? Would you change the content lives of so many to provide happiness for one, two, three, or so few more people? A fickle race we are, for three fourths of you now . . . just nodded your heads, no matter how slight," Tabris stepped forward, moving towards the seats, concluding his speech before he took a seat of his own--to give the class back to Scott Thompson, "But it is not wrong, no! For to sacrifice the fickle nature of Man would be to lose empathy, compassion, and the knowledge of Good and Evil. One day before paradise--would we feel joy or contempt?"

It was . . . an eerie way to end the lecture. For some time before Eilert and Sturm arrived, Tabris had been lecturing--and on the same subject of "reality" and "Creation," with points of comparison to the nature of mankind. With his lecture concluded, there was a long silence amongst the student and faculty body--some felt as if they should be clapping, others felt as if they should be asking questions, while others decided that--now that it was over--it was time to go home. Mayako Takamine was one of them. She had been a bit . . . estranged by an earlier comment, and quietly left amongst others, with Zenos Williams quickly following after her.

You and he share the same idea of Paradise.

[Zach Kaiser]

The speech was a mouthful--it went over the heads of many, and there wasn't any doubt that some of those who were nodding in agreement were doing so without any clue to what they were agreeing with.

But those who could grasps the difficult concepts Tabris presented were left with much to think about:

A teenager in the middle was only half paying attention, instead staring at someone else in the class. When he heard his name announced, he was sure it was because the "teacher" noticed, and when the object of his attention turned to look at him he quickly blushed and looked away. Is it so wrong to want to be next to her? Afraid that he'd be the subject of unwanted attention, he quickly exited the room ahead of her when Tabris was finished.

By the doors, a pair of young men who were notably not wearing the clothing of students slipped out amongst the tide of students, each latching onto a different portion of the lecture.

Another world...I wonder... mused the taller, black haired one.

No one decides my fate but me, thought the shorter, brown haired one.

But perhaps the person who was given pause the most was Eilert Draugr, who had a familiar far off look about him as others shuffled past him out of the room. It wasn't the look of having a daydream, as had been known to happen recently, but rather it was that he was deep in thought.

The most striking part to him was of course the mention of lucid dreaming being some kind of a window to another world. He'd experienced lucid dreams lately, but...he found it difficult to believe that such a place existed. Even now he struggled to raise any details about his dreams from the depths of his memory...

But also the concept of the fickleness of human nature, sacrificing the good of many for the good of few...for reasons that had nothing to do with their speaker, the idea bothered him.

Long after the students finished filing out, he would remain there, likely until either Tyrian or Scott interrupted his thoughts...

[Nayt]

"Eilert--Eilert, are you okay?" Sturm called out to him as he shook the man by the shoulder.

The students had all but left. Scott had nothing to add--Tabris had said much more than needed to be said, and put Scott in a blissful state of philosophical thought. Some of his students looked at him before they left, questioning if they could, and he simply waved them off, silently telling them to go on and enjoy their weekend. That's what he would've been doing if he weren't teaching this Saturday course. There was only one person--the very last student to start out of the room--that Scott didn't want to let leave so soon.

"Hey, Tabris, come here," Scott waved the student over, "I really have to commend your impromptu presentation. I'm sure my colleagues feel the same."

Tabris's smile went unchanged. He stood before Scott, Sturm, and Eilert with his arms by his sides, showing absolutely no sign of tension in the entirety of his body. Just like he had been when he was in front of his peers lecturing, he was perfectly still, breathing nominally, heartbeat completely normal, muscles all relaxed. It was as if everything came natural to him, and he was overjoyed to simply exist. Sturm didn't personally know how to feel about that. It didn't often come natural for someone to smile blissfully like it was a default expression--especially one that seemed so sinister, malevolent, even. In truth, nothing gave off that feeling; Tabris simply looked like a laid back, calm, but blissful [albino] teenage boy. It was simply a feeling that he gave off . . . something that could not be explained.

"It was nothing of importance, merely a point of interest. I am merely content that so many found it just as interesting as I," replied Tabris respectfully, before focusing his attention upon the two professors nearby Thompson, "Oh--I apologize for the digression, but may we introduce ourselves? It would be nice to formally meet my future professors."

Scott, taking the initiative to volunteer his colleagues without their approval, glanced at Sturm and Eilert, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I don't see why not."

[Zach Kaiser]

"I'm fine, just..." Just what, he could not explain--part of the problem was that he wasn't entirely sure just why Tabris's words bothered him so much. He felt like he was forgetting something that was vitally important...

It was a bit odd for Tabris to ask for introductions without introducing himself first, but he complied anyway. "I am Eilert Draugr--I teach language and earth sciences." Which was basically a scholastic way of saying he was an archeologist, though not a practicing one. His health was too fickle for him to go out into the field, so he taught, though he was known to aid others in the field in analyzing finds.

Also a bit unsettled by Tabris's unusual demeanor--as well as a feeling about him he could not pinpoint--he waited patiently for he and Sturm to introduce themselves. He assumed he was already acquainted with Thompson...

[Nayt]

"Tyrian Sturm, professor of anatomy, biology, and botany," replied Sturm lowly. He wasn't too comfortable with this student, and couldn't explain why--which only served to make him even more uncomfortable.

The albino cheerily replied, "Tabris Arlraevous, nineth grade. I look forward to taking classes of your specialties. However--may I be excused? Some classmates expressed interest in a private discussion."

"It's fine," Scott shrugged, "See you in class next Monday."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Professor Draugr and Professor Sturm. Goodbye," and as he turned and left, his words--his farewell--seemed so much more sinister than they really were, but not from him personally, not as if he was the man with the gun, bidding a victim "farewell," but as if he knew that man was around the corner, and had no interest in delaying the inevitable whatsoever . . .

Scott watched Tabris leave, three students standing out in the hall waiting for him--strange students, ones that Scott didn't really recognize all that well. A young man with azure hair, pulled back into a pony tail, and Japanese heritage, a young blond haired girl hiding a grin behind her quaint smile and a mischievous, bossy nature concealed behind a cute, freckled face, and an adolescent with shaggy dark hair, who made no attempt to hide his own malevolence, and grinned accordingly. Tabris joined them, and together they left. Scott focused on them, confounded, but when he blinked, they were gone.

Must've been seeing things. Probably need a smoke.

"Pretty strange kid. Intelligent as hell, though," remarked Scott, and wasted no time in declaring, "Well, I'm going out for a smoke. I'll see the two of you later."

[Zach Kaiser]

Eilert gave a polite nod to both Tabris and Scott as they left--the former's was slightly uneasy, as it seemed a lot more...final...than such a farewell should have been.

"He says he looks forward to taking our classes, and then says goodbye as if he'll never see us again," he muttered after they were gone before turning to Sturm. "What do you make of what he said, Tyrian?"

He wanted another's opinion of it, untainted by his own experience. He still got the eerie impression that speech was made just for him, but of course that couldn't be possible...he didn't even arrive until the very end of it.

Perhaps it was just his manner of speaking...he'd read that charismatic speakers had a way of talking to an audience as though they were speaking with each person individually, but it supposed to be an inviting impression, not an unsettling one.

[Nayt]

"I don't know," Sturm stroked his chin in thought, "If he's a student here, I don't see why we wouldn't see him again. It is likely that it is just the way he speaks."

There was a lot to think about with this new student, Tabris. Sturm himself may not have actually been keen on having him in one of his own classes, just because of how uncomfortable the boy made him. If he could help it, Tabris would be in the class of a different anatomy professor.

"I don't know what to make of him as a whole, though. For one, albinism in human beings happens, yes, but it's rare. So rare that ninety eight percent of human beings will go their entire lives without even seeing an albino of the same species," Sturm remarked factually, "And this one . . . just look at him, just listen to him. He talks with the charisma of a mad genius and has the appeal of a saint."

He didn't go further with that thought, though. Sturm was originally going to refer to the dangers of sainthood, in how one could coerce the masses to follow a "saint" to death, citing things such as the crusades and the like--but he refrained. Sturm was a deist and all, but Eilert wasn't. When in mixed company, one could only say so much without risking the discomfort of others, so he held is tongue.

"Whatever he is, he feels . . . dangerous," Sturm thought aloud, "As if he's smiling because he doesn't know how to do anything else. That's dangerous."

[Zach Kaiser]

Eilert would not have minded the reference. He saw religion more for its philosophies than anything else, and he certainly had no problems with others talking about religions he didn't ascribe to. Though, had Sturm mentioned it, he probably would have had to explain a great deal more than he intended to.

Still, he couldn't help but agree with a lot of his colleague's assessment. He decided to add his own observation as well. "Even though we just met, I felt as though he already knew who I was," he murmured.

He didn't say that he also felt like part of the lecture was aimed at him--that would probably seem egotistical, and really it was, but he couldn't help feeling that way regardless.

"Dreaming of another world..." He shook his head, looking at a clock on the wall. "Ah, I should go check up on my students. I you'll excuse me." He gave a nod to Sturm before taking his leave.

He was preoccupied throughout the rest of the day--even after returning home, his wife could sense something was bothering him, but he refrained from saying what. She would think he was being silly, and that wasn't something he wanted to hear just yet.

Tabris's words were still with him, even as he lay in bed and eventually drifted off to sleep...

[Nayt]

Offtopic: This story continues in [The Achromatic Eclipse of the Psyche, part II].