teferi

Jace couldn't help but be fascinated by Teferi.

The time mage always seemed so serene, a gentle smile on his face, staring off into nothing. But Jace could feel the ancient mind swirling just underneath. This was a man who had seen the passing of thousands of years, and his thumbprints were etched on the history of the entire Multiverse. And there he was, on their side! On his team! What knowledge! What raw potential! Jace couldn't help but be giddy, just thinking of what he could learn, not secondhand from dusty old tomes, but from someone who was /there/.

It was surprising, then, that Teferi approached him first. Jace had heard stories of what planeswalkers were like before the Mending. As gods who shaped worlds as easily as breathing, and, more pressingly, cared little for the affairs of mere mortals. Teferi had tasted that power, a level of control that Jace could never comprehend, so he wasn't sure what to expect.

The time mage pulled him aside, a serious look on his face. Jace couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated.

"You," Teferi spoke, in a soft and earthy voice. Not entirely what Jace expected, but there was still a definite power behind it. Jace swallowed, trying to stand as straight as his stature would allow.

"Ah... yes...?"

"You seem like a smart boy," Teferi answered, "Always with your head in the books. It reminds me of myself when I was in the Academy. It's for that reason I'd like to share something with you, and only you."

Jace's eyes lit up, and a smile crossed his face. This was it!

"With me? Are you sure?" he chirped.

"Oh, yes." Teferi's own smile grew wider in response, "You see... During my schooling, I was already something of a prodigy." He reached into one of his satchels, pulling out something loosely wrapped in a silk handkerchief, holding it loosely in one hand, "I would tinker in my spare time, even sometimes during class."

Jace leaned closer, eyes now locked on the mysterious item in Teferi's hand. The time mage continued.

"The professors, they didn't understand me. They tried to shut me down, confiscate my work. But they could never stop true progress. Even if I wasn't conventional, I persevered. And I made a device that changed everything."

"/Changed everything.../" Jace mouthed. Before he could stop himself, he reached for the device, overwhelming curiosity guiding his movements. But he stopped himself. Best not to be rude. "May I see it?"

"Of course." Teferi said, lowering his voice, "But, please be careful. Activate it, but only once, with this button right here." He unwrapped the device, a small and slightly-glowing orb with dull metal bits sticking off of it, and rolled it carefully into Jace's trembling hands. "Press the button, and maybe you will understand what they could not."

With his heart about to pound out of his chest, Jace rest his thumb against the raised switch, took a deep breath, and pressed, ready to face the arcane knowledge of Teferi's first creation.

The orb emitted a long, drawn-out fart sound.

It took Jace a moment to comprehend what had just happened, but what was clear was the sight of Teferi, doubled over and and snorting with barely-contained laughter.

"I... Wh... Huh?"

"See?" the time mage barely managed to squeak out, "I told you you'd understand!"

"But... I thought you said..."

"I did." Teferi gasped for air, trying to control himself long enough to give an answer, "It was the first thing I invented. However, you see, I was a terrible student."

"O-oh..." It was an important lesson for Jace, alright. That Teferi was not quite the godlike figure he'd built up in his head. No, he was definitely human.

More than merely human. A man with a definite appreciation for puns and dad jokes.