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

What's in three weeks, Asch?

[He's ignoring the latter half of that rant because reasons.]

...Nothing that concerns you.

[The important half of the rant, you mean.]

We don't make messes.

[ Not collectively, at least. Though they do a hell of job on their own! ]

Oh really. [Unconvinced.]

Then explain how you screwed up something that any one of you people should've been able to manage. [Not that he can remember exactly what said screwup is, but clearly it isn't Asch's fault he's stuck in this predicament.]

What exactly are we suppose to have screwed up?

[ Sorry Asch, but he can only think of incidents that were caused by one or two of them; not their group as a whole. ]

...hey, wait. Are you blaming Natalia? [ Because that would be a shock. ]

[Asch frowns. If they'd failed epicly, it seems unlikely that his replica would stand around playing stupid. Then...what? Something else must have gone wrong on Eldrant.]

Humph. That stunt on the tower must've scrambled your brain if you can't even remember.

[...]

...No. [Note the edge.]

[ Good guess. If he had flunked on something that bad, he wouldn't even have the nerve to talk to Asch. Unless it's to apologize profusely. ]

Uh... Maybe. If you give me a tiny hint I should be able to remember.

[ Hahaha... yeah he didn't think so. TIME FOR A NEW SUBJECT SMILE SMILE SMILE ]

Your mun is looking to get a group together for this game, huh? Sure you don't want any help?

[Ignoring. As well-meaning as it may have been. Asch has no hints to give, and revealing as much would be a whole other headache he doesn't want to deal with right now. He's already thinking that maybe what happened at the tower has sped up the effect. Is memory loss another sign?]

That was her bright idea, not mine. If you're going to insist on being useful, keep them away.

They'd be better off.

Edited 2012-09-04 20:43 (UTC)

[ More like too many blows to the head. Or too many timelines. Or too many of Asch. It'd be easier to keep track of if he was in a game and his life's motto wasn't "anything goes." Sigh. ]

I'll do what I can. They outnumber me, and it's not as though I can stop them if they put their minds to it.

[ Pausing to give a suspicious look. What kind of trouble are you getting into this time, Asch. ]

Why? Where are you going?

[Not you, Luke. One of the quirks of the game is not always being able to remember how you died. That's what Asch is muttering and wracking his brain over.]

[But all of the above would do it, too.]

...It's called 'Afterliving'. [Luke would find out anyway. Maybe it'll even give him some incentive to keep the others out of range. Particularly a certain princess.]

"Afterliving?"

[ That doesn't sound good. In fact, the name is downright ominous. Can you hear his gears grinding, Asch? Can you smell the smoke? All the pieces are falling into place like that damn fire and block puzzle on Roneal. tick tick DING ]

You died again? [ IS THIS SOME KIND OF HOBBY? A SICK, TWISTED WAY TO GET BACK AT HIM? why do you do this to him. to natalia. ~~okay he knows why: because asch will be asch. but it still sucks~~ ]

[[Man, Luke you really need to oil those gears in your noggin; they sound awful...]]

[Oh look. The replica does know something. Glaring in Luke's direction, Asch makes only a half-hearted attempt at keeping his voice civil and within normal, not-quite-yelling range.]

What do you mean 'again'?

[[He did but then they all fell out and rolled away.]]

Uh. [ Fuuuuuuuuuuuuudged it up, didn't he. Maybe he can just. Swallow his boot and choke on it before Asch has the chance to get angry. Or lie his way out. Yes. Lying works. Have a too-chipper, too-surprised idiot smile, Asch. ]

Nothing! I must have heard wrong. Boy, I'm glad you're okay then, Asch!

[[Should've gotten Guy or Ginji to do it, then.]]

[This is all obviously suspicious behavior. And Asch has no patience for being lied to. Especially when accompanied by such a stupid expression.]

Enough! Quit babbling and tell me!

You don't know that.

[[Ginji would've crashed him and Guy never would've stopped spazzing though...]]

[ Hey now, it's not a stupid expression- it's called a smile. If Asch deigned to try it sometime, he might find it almost enjoyable. Not that Luke expects to ever see it at this rate. His own smile has vanished now. ]

Forget it, okay? There's no point in telling you if you're going to that game.

I don't need to.

[But smiles are dangerous to a person's health, Luke.]

[And if there's one thing (nevermind there are a lot) Asch can't stand, it's pertinent information being blatantly kept away from him. Especially when the one responsible is inferior to--nnngh! if not that, he's still Asch's replica and dammit if Asch is going to stand around and let it pass.]

Since when has it been your job to decide what I do and don't need to know, replica? [He considers threatening to beat it out of him, but instead he adds:] Do you honestly think not telling me is going to fix anything?

[ Better to be permanently smiling than stuck with a scowl capable of petrifying kittens. ]

Since I- [ Doesn't it suck to be on the receiving end? ~~NOW YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS, HAH~~ Not that it's Luke's intention, and he winces at the second question. Tactical point goes to Asch for this round; he'd be less dejected if Asch had opted to thump his ass for being an idiot. ]

...no, I don't. But telling you won't solve anything either. You start from square one in most games.

[And yet we haven't received any letters of complaint from the kittens.]

[~~FINE! YES, IT'S INFURIATING!~~ Asch raises an eyebrow as Luke begins to answer, and when he doesn't, snorts dismissively.]

I'd hardly call it 'square one'. [Not a beginning, really. Just an annoying state where you have to figure out where you are, why, how to get out, and who is or isn't your enemy. And which ones are worth keeping around. That's all.]

[ Because they're all STONE. ]

[ ~~NYEH NYEH NYEH SERVES YOU RIGHT~~ He'll leave that train of thought hanging since Asch is making about as much sense as usual. Or maybe he's -GASP- more optimistic than Luke here. ]

You're right. What's worse than square one? Oh yeah, being dead.

[ Quit dying before him, dammit. 8( ]

[LOOK. We have proof in the form of non-canon doujinshi that the kittens are all okay. So there.]

Shut up!! If you think for even a second that I'm going to just lay down and die--!

[Asch doesn't like this either, Luke. Probably even less than you do.]

...Tch! [He needs time to think this through. There's got to be something. But even if he can still eat and feel pain and...hell, about a thousand other things, if he's dead then-]

[-what meaning is there in any of it? Damn it...]

[ And they're hanging all over Asch like attachments a la Vesperia... ~~Abyss needs that added for its inevitable remake a couple system generations down the line.~~ ]

[ Asch better not be more accepting than him after that game-long spiel. Unless he wants Luke to forego swords and punch him in the nose. He'll let you get away with being hypocritical about a lot of things, Asch, but living isn't one of them. ]

I didn't say anything like that! All I mean is every time we've tried going off on our own, things don't go half as well as when we work together. All of us. You don't have to like it and I'm not asking you to acknowledge me, so... think it over before saying you'd rather not have my help. [ There's another thing he could add, but that'd probably kill their conversation (or him) real quick. ]

[~~Maybe there can be an Asch side and the Dark Wings will run around during battle and throw smoke bombs and things when the overlimit bar fills up. B|b~~]

[He's been clinging to life all this time, he's not about to hand it over for no good reason. And even then, there's a selfish part of him that doesn't want to die even if it could somehow resolve everything and save hundreds of thousands of people. He's already given up who he was once.]

[Broken record. Asch dismisses the speech with a careless wave of his hand, as if he were swatting at a fly.] There's nothing to think about, replica. Or can't you carry out one simple task?

Crowding up the afterlife isn't going to improve anything. [Humph.] Unless you were lying before when you said you didn't want to die.

[ Better still, they can shoot fireworks as their overlimit and automatically fill up Asch's overlimit in the process since the noise and lights would drive him mad. 8'Db Then his overlimit would hit everyone, Dark Wings included! ]

[ Asch's whole attitude makes guessing when he's from (and thus the 'one task') difficult. While he's not from that time, Akzeriuth has obviously happened already, so... maybe around the Tower of Rem? Is it finding the Jewel or defeating Van? Both are done for him, not that he can say as much without Asch trying to bite his face off. UGH. ]

It's not like I've got a death wish. But I'm making my own decisions now, and neither you or anyone else is going to tell me when I can put my life on the line. ...and to me, you're worth dying for.

[~~Sounds perfect!~~]

[Luke had better look sharp because there's a fist coming towards his face. Asch'll give him an angry lecture after he determines whether or not his aim was true. His intent isn't to do Luke any serious injury, just to make himself clear.]

['How dare you...!' How dare his replica best him in a fight and then be willing to die for him!]

Edited 2012-09-11 14:33 (UTC)

[ Both redheads have their intuitive moments; this is not one of them. All he was saying was that Asch is important to him and then there's knuckles flying at his nose?! Even if Asch's aim isn't spot-on, it's enough to knock Luke flat on his backside. ]

[ ICON KEYWORDS ]

[ Give him a moment for the birds to stop chirping and for the world to stop spinning. ]

W-what was that for?!

[Oh, Luke'll get a moment. Asch stands there, glowering down at him, one arm still hanging in the air - presumably the one attached to the fist that just decked him.]

Don't insult me, replica! After all that's happened you're still looking for ways to die! [Luke's little speech, after those last few words, has flown out the other ear.]

Rather than blabbering about pathetic causes you'd give up your life for and how you're making your own decisions, you should be focusing on how you're going to kill Van!

This is your responsibility. Van won't be holding back. If you have any sense at all in that stupid head of yours, you'll quit giving ridiculous speeches and start figuring out ways to stay alive!

[He's halfway out of breath by the time he finishes, so the last part comes out as a croak.] And when you're through with all that, you'll make sure no one else winds up dead.

[ Well, if Asch had punched him with the other arm then that would've been something. Not that Luke is registering much other than pain and his original droning on and on and on... Does he really think he doesn't know all this already? How many times now have they gone over what needs to be done? --what needed to be done. Luke props himself up on an elbow and swipes at his nose with the other hand. Oh good, only a little blood. Asch had better not have broken his nose. That's the last thing he needs, dammit... ]

'm sure you've always wanted to do that and I hope it made you feel better, because none of that means squat for me. [ He pauses, possibly to collect his thoughts or maybe it's just for dramatic effect. ]

Van's dead and so am I.

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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.

[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.

[ 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.

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...]

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.

... [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.

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

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Disclaimer: this was before I decided, so here he's still "white room" canonpoint

Much to Luke's dismay, haha... though I always wanted to use this icon!

Better than unchecked disgust and rage? ...Oh wait.

1/2

Mmm, delicious bitterness and envy...

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