dissonates | (no subject)

[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.

I've forced you hand I'm afraid. There's no portal out of here right now, so unless you wish to climb down, you ... have to.

[Or convince Suik he's being driven insane by a spirit, but hey, all's fair]

[Asch's teeth clench, grinding together slightly, eyes ablaze with fury. He did not just force him into this...! He'd been reasonably patient up until then, but this was going too far.]

I'd rather take on the mountain than let myself be coerced into murder by someone like you.

...It isn't a regrettable action, as compared to what else you listed. [But even so, Asch's declaration made his eyes widen just a tad. It's hard to tell on a face like his though]

[Asch snorts. Any respect he has left for Suik is minimal and fading very quickly.]

You're an idiot. If you want to die, just kill yourself. There's no reason to involve other people.

...Iris requested that-- [And now he's starting to realize how absurd that sounds, so he pauses there]

[Asch scowls, turning away and crouching to look for a reasonably safe way down the mountain.]

I don't give a damn what she wants, and to hell with you, too.

...I see. [That tone is tired, but it's almost mirthful, which is refreshing] Thank you, Asch.

[And here Iris starts to protest something, but Suik just tries to ignore her. He touches the ground right behind Asch's feet, where before they came here he had set up a return Gate, which would lead back to under the bridge]

...That will lead you back, safely.

[Convenient, but like hell he's falling for that. Asch shoots Suik a glare over his shoulder, and without a word he slides over the edge of the overhang, starting to climb down the mountain and ignoring the portal entirely. Foolhardy, perhaps, but his pride won't allow him to accept the help of someone who'd tried to blackmail him.]

[And he had gone to the effort to set it up so he could open that after Asch shanked him even if he se dying... a lot of energy down the drain. Oh well. He presses a hand against it, closing it, and then starts to follow the other down.

He might've forced Asch here, but it was never his intention to endanger him. He might as well (backwardly) escort the other back.

[Asch of course doesn't miss the fact that Suik's following him, and glares over his shoulder, gripping the rock face carefully. It would be just his luck to fall and crack his head on the mountain or something, with the way his day had been going thus far.

Regardless, he didn't want any pity parties.]

You stay the hell away from me.

[...Pause. Apologies, but--] I'm keeping my distance.

[Asch keeps glaring for a moment, then 'hmph's and continues down the mountain, cursing now and then if he happens to slide a bit too far or lose his grip. Luckily he manages to avoid killing himself on rocks, though progess is slower than he'd have liked. Before they're even halfway down, he's starting to lose his pace, breathing hard, hand shaking as they grasp at the rocks. Leaving the house - to hell with that, getting out of bed - had been a mistake.]

[This guy isn't panting, because most of his energy is being used by his brain (protip: his muscles are really weak, so he psionically moves his own limbs most of the time) so he's starting to nod off here and there. Still, duty calls for him to see this redhead home -- he was involved as a proxy. Sure, Iris is cursing at him still but--

Wait. Wait shit that new ghost it's--?

...And then Suik looses his footing entirely. He might catch himself (Lord knows he was above Asch anyway so he'll have time to catch himself), but now he's gunna be free-falling for a bit]

[Asch doesn't miss the stumble behind him. And to be perfectly honest, he doesn't care, either, as he's busy focusing on his own troubles. A few more steps is all it takes for him to sag to his knees, hunching over, trying desperately to catch a decent gulp of air. His heart's pounding on overdrive and his limbs feel like they've been petrified. He can feel his energy fading fast as the deterioration of his fonons progresses.

...Okay, maybe it's time for a break.]

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