[Reaching the top of the fence, he drops down on Eichi's side, gracefully landing in a crouch. With a grin up at the blonde, and trying to steady his own nerves from the self-inflicted brush with eternity, he rocks back onto his backside and sits, leaning against the fence.]

I don't think you really want to be alone. I think you want someone who understands you to reach out a hand and tell you it's fine. That you've done well, and you can rest. That everything you've done, for every unselfish reason, makes sense.

[He shrugs, eyes fixed on Eichi.]

But I don't like lying about that kind of thing, so I won't. I'll simply tell you that you're doing things in a way that's going to be worse for you than for anyone else. Don't become like me, you silly man. Lift yourself up and surround yourself with love while you still can. Before someone closes every door save the one that leads to them.

[He doesn't want to be here, in this place, in this time, in this way. He wants to love freely, live loudly and brightly.

But there's only one path open to him now.

Standing, he brushes off his trousers and dusts his hands as well, then offers a hand, palm up, to the Emperor before him.]

I won't concede defeat. Instead, I'll ask to be your jester.