dissonates | (no subject)

What is it?

I need you to... Hn.

[A pause here. This doesn't pick it up, but he's talking with one of his ghosts]

...It would be best to continue this in person, if you're able and willing.

...Fine. Where do you want to meet?

I could pick you up but--

Actually, no. Meet me initially under the larger bridge in town, we'll move to a secondary location from there.

... Now you've got me wondering.

I'll be there.

[...action/log/whatnot?]

[I want to say log, because this will be vital for Suik's characterization here in Luceti... but the fact of the matter is that I doubt I'll have time for a log proper. So action script if you don't mind would be preferable]

[So Asch is plodding along as fast as he can for the bridge Suik mentioned, ducking in beneath it and hoping Suik was already waiting for him. Why all the secrecy is necessary, he has no idea, but he respects Suik reasonably well enough to go along with it.]

[Suik/Serahiel (as Asch knows the guy) is indeed there, adjusting his gloves and looking paler than usual. Now, something Asch should note as it's your first time meeting this guy in person... he's about 6'7, but he's rail-thin. Like looks like he doesn't eat quite enough thin, so he looks extremely lanky as a result. His hair is blue and goes like half-way down his waist and his eyes lack any conventional parts to them, instead looking like pools of molten silver.

...That said, he's adjusting his gloves (which he always wears) while leaning against the underside of the bridge. ...Which seems to have a hole in it. Actually, it's a Gate, which is something like a portal ala the game Portal. Namely, it'll take them somewhere else in a bit and close behind them. It takes quite a bit of his energy to make these here in a place he's not innately familiar with (plus power limits) but this is his specialty and this is a tense situation. As shown from the fact his ears seem to be curling from hearing some voice Asch can't hear yet]

...Thank you for coming, I appreciate it.

[Asch lifts a brow - first at the man, then at the strange portal, then shrugs it off. After all that he'd experienced in his own life, there was little that could surprise him nowadays. He did eye it somewhat suspiciously though. It never hurt to be cautious.]

It's nothing. What're you doing?

I'm setting this Gate up to get to our real destination. She... doesn't appreciate this to be the place. For-- Hn.

[He pauses, and then waves, as if hearing something Asch can't. Suik's clearly out of it. His eyes can't show it, but his face, his posture, everything looks tired. It's as if anything of the strength he may or shown before is slowly being leeched from him]

[Hm. Well that answered that question, at least. Asch shuffles forward to examine the portal, keeping a sidelong glance in Suik's direction.]

You're worn out. Hurry up and finish before you pass out or something.

[He gives a dismissive wave to that, and sighs. He pauses, and then steps through the portal. It's leading to an obscure little peak in the mountains, so if and when Asch follow it'll lead to some ear-popping most likely, but it's safe enough... or at least the image it shows of said peak (and after the other goes through it, a certain Elfen on it adjusting his glove) it's cool.

...Disorienting, but cool]

[Asch hesitates a moment, then steps in after Suik, wincing a little and briefly holding an ear as he emerges on the other side. He shakes his head to recover, then approaches the other man, arms crossing.]

What's this all about?

It's about... Iris.

[The minute he says Iris, the ghost will start to appear for Asch. She's clearly of the same species as Suik, but a little bit shorter. Iris has shorter blue hair a few shades lighter than Suik's and unlike this guy has 'normal' eyes -- which are sky blue in color. She's dressed in something that borders between a dress and a battle outfit (rather similar to Legretta's uniform, and the same color) and seems to be surrounded with a thin layer of... blue flames.

Her injuries include a series of burns on her face, a rather large hole in her chest to the left of her heart (which is bleeding a little), and what would probably be a broken leg (it's bent at a very odd angle). The thing is, the burns on her face look like burns from electrocution, and they have her skin charred black in roughly the shape of a hand.

However, of all these features, her most notable is the look she's glaring at Suik with. Complete and utter hatred which is clearly born of pain which had been manifesting for a long time indeed, but oddly mixed with something almost like a grudging sort of care which she is trying hard to reject. In short, her face probably looks almost exactly like what Asch's looked like when he first encountered Luke]

[Another ghost... it figured. Asch watched the woman warily, taking in her injuries and the way she was looking at Suik. Apparently Suik had a few enemies of his own, despite the fact that she was dead.]

Iris. Who's that, and why is she a problem?

[What had Suik done to earn that much hatred?]

She's... the sister of a woman that I... [He pauses here, really not wanting to get into it, but knowing his has to. Fortunately, Iris takes this chance to speak. Her voice is... interesting. At one time it might have been pleasant, even beautiful, but clear in this tone is a rage and sorrow which had lasted so long it has marred the voice into something almost unrecognizable for what it might have been]

He killed my sister, and then used a forbidden art to try to bring her back. That is why his eyes are so strange, her soul is a prisoner inside his body.

[Suik... didn't cut her off, and doesn't cut her off now, but Iris clearly doesn't want to acknowledge Asch too much either. He doesn't correct that he didn't, in fact, kill Naihe. He just hangs his head as Iris finally starts to say more]

What's more, he killed me.

[Asch isn't impressed; he meets the spirit's eyes with a glare of his own. He knew all too well what it was like to have another voice inside his head, though he couldn't imagine being stuck with the replica permanently. Why Suik had done it, he had no way of knowing unless the man explained, but it was hardly his business anyway.]

Okay, so you died. So what? In case you hadn't noticed, Luceti's full of dead people right now. Even I've got a corpse floating around. I'm sure plenty of them were killed, too. I know I'm no innocent.

[Iris won't argue with her, but in a sick display of his own guilt, Suik will. His face doesn't really lift, but in a hollow voice, he explains]

...It's... Iris and I were, at a young age, arranged to be wed. Naihe was someone I came to, well, love. [A pause... a long pause. Iris's face contorts in an odd way there, and Suik sighs before he continued]

I said I lost everything. I suppose In a sense, I took everything from her as well. When I was exiled she lost her betrothed, and then she also lost any station she might've had. I took away her future and her sister, leaving her with the ruins of her family to hold together. And as such I... [His voice is trailing off here, but then as Iris starts to speak again, Suik looks up, knowing what she's going to mention. Naihe is screaming at him in his skull, but this has to be done. The circle needs to be completed]

Dramelle. [That's all she said, but Suik pauses, understanding them meaning... and then says]

I have lived on borrowed time. [He's going to think for a moment on how to say what he needs to say next, so he's leaving an opening for Asch now. He knows he's being unfair, but this has to be done, and a mere Terran s just a tool in this affair... right? He can't know what they feel]

[Asch is starting to lose patience with this mess. He's been getting some irritating reminders for a while now of certain other redheads and their tendency to whine about problems instead of dealing with them directly, and he has very little tolerance for pointless exposition. There had to be a reason for all this and beating around the bush was pissing him off.]

Look, I don't know why the hell you're telling me all this, or what it has to do with me, but for Lorelei's sake, get over it. I know plenty about borrowed time and lost lives and exile - but like hell I'll regret the choices I've made. If you're looking for redemption then standing around moping about it won't get you anywhere.

[He focuses on Suik, ignoring the phantom entirely. Vengeful spirits simply didn't interest him - it was the living that needed to be properly dealt with. They were the only ones that could change, after all.]

Now tell me what the hell you want from me!

Interesting proxy you chose. [Naihe said this, an idle little smirk on her face as she looks at Asch. A twisted one at that. Suik, meanwhile, just sighs. Somehow, he knew this man would respond as such, and he'll probably protest this next part, but the circle needs to be completed]

Iris has no body right now. ...I called you here to act in her stead. Your lack of regret is precisely why I picked you. [A pause. He adjusts his glove. God he's tired. God he just wants to end this, because then Naihe might be free and he might get some -- but Aeria -- who cares about that, it's... Hn. This wasn't fair to Asch or to Aeria, God forbid Vincent, but this was best. This had to be best. Iris would get her well-deserved justice and as for himself... he'd even come back Everyone wins, right?]

[Asch's eyes narrow at that, hands clenching slowly into fists.]

That's not an explanation.

[He wasn't implying... was he...?]

Last time, Aeria... denied Iris her right. That's how she ended up... [A wave of his hand. The injuries] Like this.

Dramelle means ever-hatred. When I was exiled, she swore to be the one to kill me.

Just spit it out. I'm sick of you dancing around the issue. What are you asking me to do?

[He has a pretty good idea, but he hates the fact that the man's beating around the bush so much. If there's one thing Asch hates (more than the replica) it's wasted time. And time is something of which he has precious little.]

I'm asking you to kill me. I'll come back anyway, and this way Iris gets what she deserves. [It's a hollow tone. Aeria will be furious, sure, but this has to be done, right?]

[So it's as he suspected. Well, that's easy enough to deal with, and Asch's answer requires no thought.]

No.

(no subject)

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