After a moment, Scorpius realizes how that might have come across, and it had sounded much better in his own head but she seemed to get his point. Things aren't perfect, in his time, but they're so, so much better than anything he can see this timeline turning out to be.

She believes him, though, and that's worthy of a sigh of relief. After a moment, he nods, in answer to her question. "'Something else' is a good phrase for it, yes... but he was something people could fight. I-- I looked for you because, in the 1980 that I know of, you were one of the people fighting him."