Dusting off; plans to reserve at afterliving. Let's play.

[nopinkyswears]

Three weeks is more than enough. That is, as long as you don't stand around twirling your thumbs the whole time.

And you can forget about your little enabling campaign. The last thing I need is the dreck's group wandering around. [Or rather, the last thing he needs is the dreck's group dead. That'd be more than a little problematic.] After all, knowing you, you'll make plenty of messes on your own without their help.

Comments

Mmm, delicious bitterness and envy...

[prismshards]

[ Now you can get pissed, Asch, since Luke is suddenly grinning and laughing, mostly to himself. It's funny, really. All their struggling to survive, to keep each other alive... All for nothing. ]

Wouldn't've been much help for long anyways. [ One second while he half-chokes on blood, jerk. ] Fonon separation.

Heh... Guess neither of us get to keep our promise... Makes sense. We are 'the same.' [ It's a joke, not that he expects Asch to take it as such. ]

[nopinkyswears]

[It doesn't, in fact. Punching Luke doesn't make him feel the least bit better about his - their - predicament. If anything it just makes him feel even more pathetic. All he can do is yell and get angry and take it out on his replica. What good is that doing anyone?]

[The arm drops. He's not about to apologize, but neither is he going to attempt it again.]

Fonon separation? [More fomicry? Asch was going to disappear. Had disappeared. But if his fonons were flowing into Luke while Luke's were...separating... Meaning Luke was going to disappear too? If he hadn't died first.]

...So we both lost. We were doomed to die from the beginning. [How infuriatingly ironic. What's worse, he's stuck with a replica who may or may not have just cracked. He shouldn't have hit him so hard.]

[prismshards]

[ Luke is all too familiar with the need to place blame on someone else. Keeping all those feelings of resentment and betrayal bottled up is why Asch is so fixated on hating him, right? That's enough reason to take a few punches. If Asch finally gives that rage an outlet, then just maybe, hopefully, they can move past being original and replica. Be their own person. ...possibly even friends. ]

[ Hah. Like that'd ever happen. Eh, still, it's nice to think about. And it doesn't look as though Asch is going to punch him for wearing a doofus grin on their face. That's a plus. ]

From the start, from the time we met, the Tower... I don't know. Maybe we weren't supposed to meet. [ He sits up the rest of the way, resting his head on a knee until it quits aching. It sucks that they both ended up dead all the same, but he can't imagine there was any better alternative. At least they know for sure that Lorelei is free, Auldrant is safe, and its people aren't bound to the Score any longer. Plus, he got to be a hero! Sorry, Asch. Your replica is kind of cackling again. ]

...y'know what? I wouldn't change it for anything, though.

[nopinkyswears]

[The notion that they were or weren't supposed to meet is met only with an unreadable expression. The replica was supposed to have stayed in the manor until he was sent to die at Akzeriuth. But they'd still crossed paths. Of course, Luke can't know just how long ago that first crossing was. But wait--the Tower...? The Jewel. Of course.]

...So that's it. Your fonons kept dispersing even after you people left the Tower.

[But brooding over the hows and whys isn't going to make a ghost of a difference in the here and now. He can save that until after his mundane gets off her lazy ass and sends him somewhere. He's not keen on the idea, but it beats sitting around collecting dust. Okay, replica, seriously stop that! Asch casts him a withering look.] Tch! How can you just sit there laughing like an idiot?

If I'd known one punch to the face was going to knock all the screws in your head loose, I would've aimed lower.

[prismshards]

[ So Asch hadn't suspected a thing. He shouldn't be surprised when Asch had his own problems to deal with but geez, how dense could you get? Did he really believe he was the only one suffering? Stupid. Stupid, self-centered, idiot original. Somebody here has a lot of growing up to do and it isn't just him. ]

Yeah... Even if releasing Lorelei hadn't killed me, the doctor said I wouldn't have made it past Rem Decan anyway. [ Here he hesitates a second. He'd said as much before, but once more wouldn't hurt. ] Thanks for your help.

[ Unless Asch decides to kick him for not joining him in being mister sour apples. The expression Luke makes is one between exasperation and amusement. He's finally somewhat content, dammit, so stop trying to ruin his mood. ]

Hey, no fair. I am an idiot, aren't I? You can't go calling me that all the time then complain when I start acting like one. Make up your mind! And try looking on the bright side for a change, why don't you? It might help you smile.

[nopinkyswears]

Hmn. Still better than a few hours. [Minutes? Asch hadn't bothered with doctors, and he hadn't seen a healer in months. As for the replica, it's not like he had a whole lot of time to waste "worrying" about Luke's mental or physical health when his own body was falling apart. Not that he would have, except for the added difficulty of freeing Lorelei with both of them permanently out of commission.]

And don't get me wrong; I didn't do it for your sake. You don't have any reason to be thanking me.

[After a minute Asch makes an irritated sound in the back of his throat and takes a few paces in one direction.]

It's like this, idiot: most people wouldn't sit there laughing at their own deaths. [Unless they were, say, Sync.] The only bright side is that there are still things I can do. That's assuming I ever get out of this place and into a game or whatever else you want to call them.

[Returning to Auldrant seems pretty out of the question, though. Not that he has any reason to go back there. Except...]

[prismshards]

Good point. [ Oh man, that really would have traumatized his friends and ruined any chance they had of freeing Lorelei... And even though Luke has already 'disappeared', the idea of simply vanishing without warning still sends a shiver through him, though he tries to hide it as a shrug. ]

You could have let me die there or at Eldrant. I think that's worth some thanks.

[ No doubt Asch will get angry for him snickering (again) but hey, it's better than Asch thinking him a coward for being scared of dying when he's already done so once. Luke rests his chin in one hand, trying not to smile too much as he watches Asch roam. ]

It's been years since I died, Asch. I'm not exactly holding out much hope on getting a second chance. ...but you'll make it. I can't see you taking no for an answer. [ Pausing for a few moments, he adds: ] Besides, Natalia would have your ass on a platter if you don't show up eventually.

[nopinkyswears]

... [No comment.]

I could have. Then the planet would still be covered in miasma due to the Jewel's dispersion of all the gathered fonons.

[And Van would still be alive.]

[Since reprimanding Luke for being an idiot is clearly having no effect, nor is violence, Asch resorts to turning his back on the stupid. In a manner that makes his disdain clear.]

So? In other words you're perfectly willing to go along and let a player choose your future. That's pretty lame, even for you.

[There's something sounding like a mixture between a grunt and a cough from halfway across the space.] Humph! If anyone has a mind to dig up my corpse, I expect that can be arranged.