I wish it gave me peace, honestly. [Quentin at the start of Brakebills certainly is far different from the Quentin who sits there now. The boy that believed still exists, but that belief (and what it's in) has changed.] I used to think it would because I loved all these fantasy novels where the main character is destined for greatness and he humbly takes it on and saves the day.

[He shakes his head, smiling at his drink.] The reality of being that person? Whole different experience. Instead all I could think about sometimes was how much I sucked at being the protagonist. [The terms are all the same, about fiction, about belief in fiction, but Quentin knows they're just words.] Luckily it turns out all my friends are protagonists and some of them aren't as shitty at it as I am.

[Quentin glances over at her and thoughtfully observes for a few seconds before continuing.]

I guess the question is ... we all come from different places, with purposes or not, but like ... what does that mean for this place in this time? What can we do here? What we've done in the past ultimately doesn't matter, but we're stuck here.

[He always has to look forward, to keep going, to try and obsess over the angles and the what next instead of relaxing or taking a few minutes to breathe. He has to know how to live in this place since it's the only option he has.]