Cast Adrift (open)

[Mithos]

This world -

He had figured out it wasn't his own, or the two worlds he had created from it, almost as soon as he had woken up. The clue that he wasn't dead helped the epiphany along. Mithos could remember it, all of his allies turning on him one by one, that upstart who seemed to understand so much and so little at the same time defeating him -

And dying. He remembered dying, and his failure, and how every single plan had fallen apart. But he had woken up on the ground, weakened but most definitely alive, and everything was different. It was disgusting. The air seemed drained of mana, until sometimes he wondered how anything could even live in such a barren wasteland, and the city - he was in a city, no matter how different and huge it looked - teemed with humans. Only humans, until he thought that even an attempt to kill them would only stun their sheer number. It was like being holed in with cockroaches. Humans only sought to wage war and grasp blindly for more money and power, and the very idea that he was trapped here, in a world full of them, made him sick.

But he was trapped, and alive, and even if there was no way back - he took a deep breath and shoved that thought away. He didn't have the Eternal Sword but surely he could do something. He couldn't be stuck here, without Martel, without any way to save her - no, this was no time to panic. So he didn't know where he was. That could be fixed, and quickly. He was already in his true form - he still looked exactly as he had when he had ascended into an angel, twelve years old and too small to be a threat - and he had used his appearance before to be trusted and underestimated. It made gathering information easy enough. Brushing back a strand of blond hair, he squared his shoulders. He hated dealing with humans, but... it seemed it would be necessary.

Leaving the deserted street he had woken up on, the half-elf picked a direction at random and started walking. Hazily in the daylight, shards of iridescent colour flickered at his back, like a mirage. Heedless of them, he approached the first person he saw, stifling his disgust.

"Ah... excuse me. Could you tell me where I am?"

[Regina Mills]

Apparently magic in this world was not as rare as Regina had believed it to be.

She'd heard stories - stories of these costumed superheroes who actually wielded real power. Her first thought was that such a thing was impossible; where would they have gotten magic in a place like this? Slowly, however, Regina was beginning to find that nothing was impossible - and it was for that reason that when the tales she'd heard of a man who could fly and wielded incredible strength, devoting his power to protect the city of Metropolis, proved to be true, she wasn't quite as stunned as she once might have been.

They'd proven to be true, alright, but upon further digging she'd learned that whatever power this 'Superman' wielded, it was not...magic. Or at least, not magic in the way Regina knew it. Either way, he wasn't what she was looking for, especially since it was clear that he intended to waste his power - not to mention his time - protecting the sorry citizens of this city. If the people of this world could not protect themselves, then it obviously said something about how poorly the government and military must be organized. Back in the realm of the Enchanted Forest, it had not been uncommon for kingdoms to fall because they were too weak to defend themselves. It was simply the way life worked, and even here Regina found these people's need for 'superheroes' to be a bit pitiful.

...Yet...weren't these the sort of people Henry liked? She knew he owned a variety of comic books pertaining to this sort of thing, and it was just as she was preparing to leave the city that this occurred to her. What with the way this hero was idolized, there was probably plenty of merchandise being sold around here. It wouldn't hurt to pick something up for him - even with the excitement of the curse breaking, Henry wasn't going to suddenly stop being a ten year old boy, after all.

The thought of her son proved to be a very effective distraction, as per usual, and it was for that reason that Regina didn't notice she was being approached as she continued on down the street. It was only when she was spoken to that she paused and tensed, instinctively defensive. She was no longer in Storybrooke, she reminded herself. Not everyone who approached her here did so with the intention of confronting or attacking her. Her gaze flickered down to the speaker - he appeared to be a fairly young, perhaps only a year or two older than Henry, and judging from his words and expression he seemed very...lost.

A slight amount of concern pricked at her instinctively, before she could even think of fighting it back. Her tone remained slightly guarded when she spoke, but her usual cold, haughty demeanor had softened somewhat. "This city is called Metropolis." she replied, a little uncertainly as she stared down at him. "...How is it that you don't know where you are? Who did you come here with?" It was really none of her concern, and Regina was struggling not to care - but it did make her uneasy that this boy seemed to be lost and entirely alone. Where were his parents?

[Mithos]

His target was a woman - not that he had chosen based on anything except chance. The first person he had seen, and disgustingly human, though he thought he could sense... mana. That was strange, but this whole world was strange, and thinking about it too much would only lead back to Martel and his failure. He carefully kept his hands at his sides, uncurling them from the fists they had formed for a second. He would be calm. He couldn't ruin this.

"Metropolis?" he repeated, doing his best to sound his apparent age, confused and lost and - well, rather sincere. "I... I know it sounds stupid, but I just... woke up here. I can't remember how." He looked down, studying the unfamiliar ground. It resembled the roads of Tethe'alla, if anything, but rougher and... outdated, he supposed. "I was alone." That was also true. He had been alone for a long time, with Martel asleep, and his allies turning on him or plotting at every turn. They had all been fools, or traitors, and the thought of them made him feel sick. When he came back, he would kill them all. He had been too merciful. He saw that now, and he would never make that particular mistake again.

It was a shame he hadn't been more weakened from... coming back to life. He had done that before, used injuries to be accepted or at least underestimated. It was so easy sometimes - people, no matter who they were, trusted so much when they thought they were safe. It was only when someone different seemed to be a threat that they bothered to hate him. If he was injured then... they pitied him, or thought him easy prey.

"I don't suppose you could help me? I don't think I've even heard of this city." He looked up and widened his eyes. Would a stranger really be willing to aid him? She was a fool if she did - but others' foolishness always came in handy.

[Regina Mills]

Regina studied the boy carefully, her eyes narrowing in thought as she listened to his story. How was it possible for him to have woken up in a foreign place with no memory of how he'd gotten there? Something - or perhaps even someone - had to have been tampering with his memories. Not that she was going to voice that particular theory; no need to shake him up even more. She was careful to keep her expression calm, hoping that this would encourage the child to remain calm as well. Though she could only imagine that he must not be feeling very calm right now. Suddenly finding yourself in a new and foreign place, Regina knew, could be an extremely disconcerting experience.

It was a feeling she'd experienced after her own curse had taken effect, bringing everyone from the fairytale realm into this world. What some people didn't realize, when they ranted and raved about how much they'd lost because of their former queen, was that sometimes remembering was as much a curse as forgetting was. She would never forget how bewildering it had been, trying to adjust to a world so completely different from her own. Perhaps it was this memory which compelled her to help the boy now - or perhaps it was merely an action spurred by her maternal instincts. Normally, Regina would have shown disdain to anyone who asked her to take the time to assist them - unless of course there was something in it for her. But this was only a child - she couldn't very well leave him alone in the streets of the city. What if this had been Henry? If her own child was lost, alone, and miserable, she'd certainly want someone to step up and help him.

That decision made, she gave him a slight nod. "Of course I can," Regina replied, trying to soften her tone a little. This was hardly going to work if she ended up scaring him off. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her cell phone and turned her gaze back on the boy, frowning slightly. "Is there a number I could call? One of your parents...?" She wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to explain that she'd found someone's son in a city he'd never even been to before - and that she had no idea how he'd gotten there. Knowing her luck, she was likely to somehow get blamed for the whole thing. Kidnapping - there was a crime she could add to her long, long list. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the thought, Regina reflected that it didn't really matter what the parents' reactions would be. At least the problem would be solved, and out of her hands.

[Mithos]

His story - such as it was - was ridiculous. No memory of where he was or how he had gotten there - it should have been completely unbelievable. And yet the woman just nodded, calm and seemingly unfazed by how... wild and absurd it seemed.

Was that important? Were such things common here, for children to wind up in another place without any idea of how they got there? It was something to consider. There was an abundance of that, really, and Mithos had to be careful, but... still, he had been good at this before, ingratiating himself, leading others to trust him. Would it be so difficult to do it again? The first hurdle had been passed, at least, as the woman agreed to help him, and he smiled at her.

"You will? Oh, thank you!" She pulled out some sort of device - he would have said it was a magitek communicator, except it seemed too bulky, and there was no mana for it to work with. What she asked about a number didn't make sense either, but he was reliably sure he didn't need to even fake one. His smile faltered, and it was all too easy to draw upon the grief of losing Martel - it was always there, always hurting - to ensure he looked properly distraught. "My... my parents are dead." That, at least was the truth - but it had been so long ago that he felt no sorrow about them. Martel had been the one who raised him, after all. "I... I'm alone. There's no one else." The city looked fairly prosperous from the little he could see, but orphans were a fact of life - even in a world currently not at war, people died, and left children behind to fend for themselves.

Would she fall for it? To him it seemed a reasonable enough sob story, and vague enough that he could elaborate, or fall back upon the excuse of having holes in his memory. Besides, she was human, that faint resonance of mana aside. Humans tended to be sickeningly gullible - which made them easy to manipulate, and just as easy to rile into causing more hatred.

[Regina Mills]

She merely let out a little hum of acknowledgement when the boy thanked her, her attention still focused on her phone as she waited for a number to dial - but she froze at his next words. His parents were dead. He was utterly alone. Slowly, she lifted her gaze back up to meet his, her expression somewhat conflicted. What was she supposed to do now? This was certainly no place for a child with no parents to be on his own, and if she left him here now there were a number of things that could happen to him. The twinge of empathy left her both confused and indignant - she could not continue to waste her time allowing her maternal instincts to distract her. But at the same time, she had no idea how to stop them from doing so - every sad, dejected or suffering child she laid eyes on immediately reminded her of Henry, and she was always overwhelmed with a sudden wave of guilt and the urge to rectify that guilt.

And this boy, he looked so utterly lost and grief-stricken, and he had no one to turn to. It was to the point where he'd been forced to approach a total stranger on the street, pleading for help. It was a very long time ago now, but Regina could remember that period in her life when she, too, had no one to turn to - no one willing to help her - and how that sense of desperation had driven her into darkness. Even as she debated with herself, already she knew what the ultimate result was going to be: there was no way she was going to be able to walk away from this child now. She suppressed a sigh.

"I'm sorry." Regina murmured, her words uncharacteristically sincere. It didn't seem fair, that someone lost everything when they were so young. It wasn't fair - but that was the way life worked, unfortunately. Happiness was a temporary illusion, and this boy would soon realize that if he hadn't already. The question was, what was she to do with him now? Regina didn't wish to stay in the city any longer than was necessary, but she'd intended to use magic to teleport back to Storybrooke and...what with everything else this child currently had to deal with, she had a feeling that might now go over so well. Then there was the fact that the boy barely knew her to be considered - she couldn't just whisk him off to yet another foreign place without any explanation whatsoever.

She contemplated for a moment, frowning. "I know that we don't know each other very well - but I can't very well leave you here by yourself." Regina told him carefully, trying to keep her tone gentle. "Are you hungry? We could get something to eat, perhaps talk a little more.." She wasn't sure how much the boy would actually be willing to talk about whatever happened to him, but even if they only spoke of trivial things, it would help to gain his trust.

[Mithos]

She had fallen for it. He could see it as soon as she looked back up at him, expression bitter and too complex for him to read instantly, but that was fine. It was all going smoothly, and if some of his lies used the truth, well, that made them stronger, more believable. As long as he kept this up, he could push away the memories of his weakness, of Martel rejecting him - no, she would never do that, not to him -

He had almost tuned her out, he realized, but at least his expression still fit, eyes wide and mouth twisting in an attempt to contain his grief. "You... don't need to apologize. It's not like you had anything to do with it," he said, that lie making his eyes narrow. Humans had everything to do with his loss. Their wars had made him and Martel try to stop the conflict, and then they had killed her, because the war had to continue, because they were too blind with hatred to see what they were doing to the world! Even the memory of him made him seethe with rage. And even then, dying, she had wanted to help them, and he had pledged to fulfil that wish before he brought her back.

The time for that had passed, though. He could spare no more mercy for these wretched beings.

"I..." She really was just like the rest, so easily accepting of someone weak and helpless. He really had nothing to worry about from the start - this trick always worked perfectly. "Yes, food would be great. I haven't eaten for a while." He couldn't remember what it felt like to be hungry, of course, but it made sense for someone in his position to be starving. "That sounds really good. I'm so glad I met you," he added, smiling hesitantly at her. "I wasn't sure if anyone would want to help me..."

[Regina Mills]

She tilted her head a little to one side and did not immediately comment when the boy reminded her that it was not her fault that he'd lost his family. It was true - for once she wasn't responsible for ripping this family apart, as she had countless others - but she still couldn't help but sympathize, despite herself. "Even so, no one should have to suffer through that kind of loss. I'm sorry you had to." Her frown deepening a little, Regina had half a mind to ask just what had happened to the child that had resulted in him losing his entire family and ultimately ending up here. She suspected that it wasn't something he wanted to talk about, however, and she knew better to push the issue too much right away.

Instead, she merely nodded and tried to smile once more when he agreed to come with her to get something to eat. "Alright. Come along, then. There's a diner just a few blocks down the street." Regina tilted her head slightly in the direction they were headed, and started down the street, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he was following. She hesitated before responding to his last comment. "I'm sure someone would have helped you, if not me. This world isn't completely devoid of good people, as difficult to believe as that may seem." That...well, it wasn't exactly a lie. Cynical as Regina was, she wouldn't deny that good people did exist. She just wasn't willing to risk putting herself in the vulnerable position of trusting them, was all.

That train of thought was enough to keep her quiet for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. Trusting someone wasn't often something that ever ended well for Regina. She'd trusted Daniel, and he'd left her. She'd trusted her father to protect her, the way fathers were supposed to do, and he had just stood by and watched her mother's abuse. And most regrettably, she'd trusted Snow White - and that one mistake had ruined everything. The continual recollecting caused a familiar slow, seething anger to rise within her, and she almost considered turning right around and taking back the words she'd just said - to tell him that kindness too often came with a price, and trusting other people to treat you well was only asking to get hurt.

But then again, this was only a child. No need to terrify him within the first few minutes of them meeting. It was probably better to start with introductions, at the very least. "I'm sorry, I almost forgot to ask for your name. Mine's Regina."

[Mithos]

No one should have had to suffer as he did. That, at least, was true. That was what Martel had wanted - for no one to suffer the discrimination they had felt, for the whole world to be happy and at peace. But if anyone was different, they were hated. That was the way the world worked - he had seen it again and again. Differences split people apart, made them fear what they could not understand. And fear always turned to hate, and violence, and so many people suffered because of it. War, unrest, acts of petty cruelty - all because of the differences of people. If everyone was the same, then there would be no distinctions to fear. No hatred, no suffering.

It would be so much easier.

He had wanted that for the world, tried to guide it to that end - but it felt distant now. He wanted to be back in his own world. He wanted to be with Martel, to see her open her eyes and hear her laugh and sing him to sleep. Everything he had done had been for her, and because of her, he had tried to do so much for the world. If he couldn't get back, then...

Nothing would matter. Nothing would ever matter again.

Mithos stiffened, reaching out instinctively for the mana that wasn't actually there. He would find a way back. But it could take time, and resources that he didn't have just yet. He would bide his time, see what he could learn from this woman. A world this developed had to have research facilities, and even if there was almost no mana, he would manage. There was no other choice.

Pulling himself away from his thoughts, he followed his unexpected rescuer. "I... guess you're right," he said uncertainly, frowning. The idea that people were fundamentally good, or that there were more than a few - that was so naive. He only had to look back at his companions and allies to see the truth of it. Some might have had good intentions, but ultimately, almost everyone was the same. Powerhungry, or traitors just waiting for the right time to turn on him. "Maybe I just haven't met the right people." She introduced herself, a little belatedly, and he finally had a name to put to his temporary ally. Regina. She was... different than most humans - it certainly felt like she had some mana of her own, though that was a ridiculous notion. He wasn't about to complain about being shown mercy that he could use, even if it was from a human.

"I'm Mithos. I guess it's... very nice to meet you."

[Regina Mills]

It was difficult to remember that she didn't need to act cool and brisk and collected around this child - he was, after all, only a child, and he knew nothing about her past, so there was nothing to really be guarded about. For now, at least. Truth be told, however, it had been so long since she'd not had to be 'the evil queen' or Storybrooke's distant, reserved mayor, that she wasn't quite sure how to be anything else. None the less, she managed to keep her tone relatively gentle as she replied once he'd introduced himself in turn. "It's nice to meet you as well, Mithos." And it wasn't precisely a lie. Mithos seemed wary and more than a little bewildered, but that was only to be expected of a child in his position. But really, his company wasn't unpleasant - it was just that certain things about him, things that he'd say or expressions that would cross his face, reminded her of Henry a little - and as predicted, that was proving to be a tad distracting.

For now, though, Henry was safe back in Storybrooke. Mithos on the other hand was unlikely to be 'safe' if Regina simply left him here. She was still wondering what to do about this when they arrived at the diner, and with a slightly distracted, wordless smile, she held the door open and ushered him inside. They'd be able to seat themselves, and it seemed that the place wasn't too crowded at the moment - all the better, she supposed. Another nice thing about being in this city was that she didn't constantly have to deal with the dirty looks and angry scowls - and sometimes angry words - that tended to be thrown her way in Storybrooke. It didn't often get much further than that; the people there feared her despite their anger - but here in Metropolis, civilians didn't so much as spare her a second glance when she did something like walking into a diner. It was rather refreshing, to say the least.

Regina walked over to take a seat at a table near the window, assuming that Mithos would be following. "How long have you...been on your own?" she asked abruptly, suddenly wondering just how long the boy had been without his parents. He didn't seem absolutely, inconsolably distraught, so it probably wasn't an extremely recent occurrence...but that made he wonder how long he'd been without them, and who had been taking care of him in whatever world he'd lived in before this one. Regina herself had learned to be independent at a fairly young age - her parents hadn't been absent, but her father might as well have been, and her mother...well, her mother was hardly one to be very nurturing, to say the least. But this boy, he didn't have the hardened, guarded look, she'd recognized in herself in his age - or maybe he was just better at hiding it.

Either way, she couldn't imagine that a child without parents had been wandering around on his own for very long without someone noticing and trying to help him - in any world.

[Mithos]

Regina reminded him of Raine, a little - cool and competent and making it clear that she was concerned, but not letting it faze her. It was an admirable attitude, but it also made him feel uneasy, remembering Raine and her brother. Half-elves, both of them, who had known what he was going through. They had seemed so like him, and they too turned on him, even when he gave them a chance to escape discrimination the same way he had.

Some people just weren't worthy of becoming angels. He tried to convince himself of that, but Regina had opened the door and he had to spare some attention for the diner itself. It was... strange, to be in such a mundane place. The inns he had seen when travelling around the world - well, they had been much more rudimentary, even in Tethe'alla. His rule had ensured neither world flourished long enough to ascend to any significant height of magitechnology - but there was no mana here, so everything had to run... without it.

The very thought was strange, and he frowned absently, only to realize that Regina had continued walking and chosen a seat. He hurried after her, sitting down quickly and hastily tried to figure out just how much he could say. Parts of the truth, at least, would only incite sympathy, if he stayed vague about them. He didn't want to tell a human too much, but... it would be useful to have someone he could depend on and manipulate.

"I... can't remember exactly. My parents died... a while ago, and my sister took care of me, but then..." He looked down, blinking back tears - genuine ones. His hands curled into fists. "She was killed After that... I've been alone." Except for the people he thought were his allies, his friends - but he saw that he had been all alone right from the start, now. No one had ever understood.

[Regina Mills]

With a familiar, lingering sensation of maternal concern, Regina studied Mithos as he explained - noting the tears in his eyes with a slight pang of empathy. It seemed he had lost everyone who was close to him, which was a feeling that Regina could most certainly relate to. Of course, she herself had endured this very gradually. First she'd lost Daniel, and (while not in the same sense) Snow. And then her mother - horrible as she'd been, Regina had still loved her - and then Jefferson, and at last, her father as well. The difference here was that Mithos seemed to have had everyone he'd loved taken from him, while after Daniel had been killed, Regina had lost the people she cared about because of her own inability to let go of the hatred slowly but steadily building within her. Still, those differences aside, she knew all too well that losing a loved one no matter the circumstances could darken a person considerably. Mithos still seemed so young, so impressionable - she wondered if he'd yet allowed that inevitable sense of anger that too often accompanied grief to take hold of him yet.

She shook that thought away. If at all possible, that was a fate she would have liked to spare Mithos from. Losing ones self to darkness...well, that wasn't something Regina would have wished on anyone. It had been a fate she'd even been willing to spare Snow from. Having practically raised the girl, Regina had plenty of opportunities to corrupt her with the same harsh words and biting comments that Cora had used on her. But there was nothing worse than hearing from one's own mother that you weren't good enough for her - and as vengeance-driven as she'd been, that was not something she'd ever been able to bring herself to inflict on her stepdaughter.

With a light sigh, Regina leaned forward slightly, allowing a touch of warmth to light up her usually cold brown eyes - a way of lowering her guard which was usually reserved only for Henry. "I wish there was something I could do to give you back all that you have lost - I would, if I could." And she meant it, too. But as Regina knew all too well (she'd desperately tried time and time again, after all), bringing back the dead, completely restoring what was lost...was simply something that was beyond any power she knew. "However, all I can do now is try to ensure that you're not alone anymore. Normally I wouldn't make this offer, but it doesn't sound like you have anywhere else to go." Regina paused, thinking it over for a moment longer before continuing. Storybrooke...certainly wasn't what you'd call normal, especially these days, and she wasn't entirely sure that exposing a child to that sort of thing was the best idea. But what more could she do? At least Mithos would be relatively safe in Storybrooke, cut off from the rest of the world as it was. Living fairytales and magic aside, the town had become something of a sanctuary in that way.

"...But if you would like, I can offer you a place to stay for a bit while you decide what you want to do. It wouldn't be here - it would be where I'm from, a town called Storybrooke." she explained quietly. "It's much smaller in this city, much more quiet...and though it's not exactly what one might call normal, you'd be safe there." For awhile, at least. It might not be the most prudent decision for the Evil Queen to be sheltering a child there, but even if that didn't work out there were certainly others in Storybrooke who would show Mithos similar kindness. She could hardly imagine Snow, or Red, or Belle turning away an orphan.

[Mithos]

Mithos had never cared for manipulating people - not really. Oh, his subordinates preened, ensconced in their positions of power, and had tortured and manipulated and played their victims like puppets, but he usually didn't see the need for that. Sometimes, though, it was necessary - and he had already vowed to do everything he could to save his sister. He couldn't revive Martel until he was back in his own world, of course. And he had no way of knowing how to get back - so for now, manipulating Regina into giving him information and security of some sort was the easiest path to take.

And he didn't even have to try that hard. It was always so easy to just let them pity him, as if he needed that - and for a moment the anger was almost enough to break this façade of weakness and frailty.

Sometimes, it felt like all he had left was anger and his goal to bring Martel back, and everything else had been slowly stolen, all his hope and compassion torn away or dredged from his core during those four thousand years. This was another struggle, another obstacle, but he was alive and his death meant nothing in comparison to another chance to see his sister again. That was all that was left, and the woman sitting in front of him was a tool and so exquisitely finite as she leaned forward. He could see his victory in her eyes, small and a first step back to flight and a world drowning in mana. "I don't," he confirmed, the lie and truth bitter to taste. He had been a hero, and those worlds had rejected him and what he had strived for. His place had been with Martel, always, and she had been gone for so long and -

It was happening again, and he choked off his fury and grief before he drew on mana or said something foolish. He hadn't won yet. "You would really... do that?" he said, knowing his voice wavered, letting it happen. "That would be amazing. Thank you - thank you so much!" He throttled his contempt and smiled at her, bright and surprised and smugly pleased that he had learned to lie so well over the years. Breathing, eating and sleeping weren't necessary - and once his body had become lifeless, it had become so much easier to control all those reflexive actions and movements, cultivate them to something more insincere.

Not that anyone else would ever notice.

[Regina Mills]

It was somewhat difficult for Regina to immediately accept the thanks given to her - what Mithos didn't know, yet, was that she was taking him to a town full of magic where he'd be associated with an evil queen who just about everyone in town despised. In the time he spent in Storybrooke, his life certainly wasn't going to be normal, but...Regina just wasn't sure what else to do. She couldn't leave him here to fend for himself. She couldn't try and get him into the foster system - she would not do that to any child, have them be tossed around from home to home like some broken toy that nobody wanted. She'd already seen the effect that kind of setting had on Emma - and it hadn't been pretty, from what Regina could tell. And since she had know way of getting Mithos back to the world he belonged in yet, she didn't know what else she could do but offer him a safe place to stay. She'd have to figure out the details later. Federal law didn't matter so much in a place like Storybrooke, but here...well, if anyone found out she was running off with some orphaned child and taking him back to Maine with her, at the worst it would be ruled as kidnapping.

Letting none of her concern visibly show, however, Regina merely nodded. "Of course. I can hardly leave you here, can I?" Technically speaking she could, she supposed, but the woman she'd become over the past ten years - the mother in her - would not ever allow that to happen. Helping this boy wouldn't help Henry, wouldn't make things better between them, but Regina somehow felt instinctively compelled to do it anyway. Though...she'd need to make sure that Mithos knew exactly what he was getting into first. Even if he had nowhere else to go, an enchanted town might have been a little more than he was ready to handle. "You should eat something before we go, though - order whatever you like." she told him, nodding at the menus. Perhaps a part of her was just sort of stalling for time now, but Regina knew better than to continue to keep putting off the inevitable.

"There is something I think you need to know about Storybrooke, however. It..." Damn it, this was going to be difficult to explain without sounding completely insane. She had no intention of telling him her part in the town's existence, or how she had cursed everyone who lived there now - but even leaving all of that out, 'Storybrooke is a magical town full of fairytale characters' wasn't exactly casual conversation material. She didn't want to scare Mithos off, but she didn't want to let him walk into this blind, either. There was a fine line between telling him too much and too little, but there was no backing out of this now. She'd simply have to go ahead and tell him, whether he believed her or not. Lowering her voice some so as not to be overheard, she continued. "It's a town brimming with magic. One of the few sources of magic left in this world, I think - and I know all of this is very difficult to believe, but you'll understand better when you see it. I just...thought you should have a fair warning, before you decide what you want." Magic, as Regina understood it, wasn't very common in this world at all - most people had difficulty believing that it even existed. And not everyone was eager to experience it for the first time.

[Mithos]

Ah, the predictability of good people - or at least those with good intentions, who so easily trusted anyone weaker than them. Compassion was such an easy trait to make use of. Once, maybe, he would have cared more - he was, after all, abusing someone's kindness, using them for his own ends - but that person had died when Martel had.

The reminder of eating brought Mithos out of his thoughts, and he glanced down at the menu, trying to look interested. "Um... this sandwich, maybe? I'm not that hungry..." he said, and managed another faint smile for her benefit. "I can even cook for myself, so I won't be any trouble. I had to learn, since -" He caught himself and let the sentence trail off, but the meaning was clear enough. That someone of his apparent age had to learn to be independent - well, that would probably earn him a little more pity. And perhaps he could use it as an easy explanation if he forgot himself and acted a little older than he appeared.

Death did force one to grow up fast, didn't it? His situation was just a little more unique.

He would have been content to just act nervous and out of his element, drowning in grief, but she just so happened to mention more about his new - and quite temporary - home, and he leaned forward, unable to hide his interest. So there was still mana, but it was only in limited places? "I was wondering if this world had no magic at all... that's actually a relief!" he said, a bit more cheerfully. "When I woke up, and felt that there was no mana at all... I thought everything had died." Was this what Sylvarant and Tethe'alla would have felt like, if he had gone through with his plan to leave on Derris Kharlan? So barren. And likely not as lively as this world.

He didn't want to think about that, or how his plan had ended. The memories still hurt. He had failed.