realityshifted | (no subject)

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tales of the abyss (d2) tear grants

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[It's silent in the woods. Perhaps too silent? The only thing that can be seen is what looks like a pillow that has been carefully placed in the midst of some branches on one of the trees. The pillow itself seems to have some very angry-looking squiggly lines drawn on it, as though it is frowning intensely. There are a few small circles drawn on it, and on the tree itself.

There's a faint crunch, as if someone has stepped on some leaves, but then silence once more. Suddenly, several knives embed themselves in the marked circles. With a neat flip, Tear leaps out of one of the trees, landing in a ready stance with her staff brandished, another knife clenched between her fingers. She stares at the pillow coldly for a moment, before lowering her staff, closing her eyes and exhaling softly.

She walks up to the pillow, jerking out the knives with a practiced ease, then turns away, starting to walk away into the trees once more.]

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[He keeps his gaze level and just as cold. They are two soldiers standing in the middle of a battlefield unsure of what side is which, and that fragile trust is being tested.] You came to the Outer Lands to stop him because you thought he was up to something. I know what that 'something' is. [Well, for the most part. He actually hasn't gone into Ortion Cavern yet but he's going to do it. Eventually.]

I'll ask again. How committed are you to stopping your brother?

[There's just a little emphasis on the last syllable, but it's enough.]

[She won't let herself react to anything he says, although his last word gets a very subtle twitch...

She turns her back to him as she slowly draws her knives again, before whirling, a snap of the hand and the sound of metal hitting wood. The knives have hit their marks on the pillow and the tree once more.]

I've dedicated my life to stopping him. Everything else is just to facilitate that.

[Asch is mildly impressed. He doesn't smile, though there's a wry curve in the corner of his mouth.]

Good.

[He pulls out a small, plain envelope and holds it out.]

This is for you. Don't open it until they ask you to verify the Seventh Fonstone. And don't let anyone else see it under any circumstances. Understood?

Edited 2010-11-21 04:09 (UTC)

[She's startled to hear that he knows about that, but it must have been a past event to him. Perhaps it was never even a secret, at that point.]

O-Of course.

[She takes it cautiously, folding it over once without even looking at it as she decides what to do with it. She turns away from him, pulling up her uniform briefly to fold it over the top band of her garter belt. Once she's certain that it's secure she smooths her uniform down again before turning back to him.]

... has he shared his plans with all of you?

[Asch doesn't stare because he's a polite young man at heart. Really. He'll just stand here with his arms folded until you're done hiding things in your underwear, Tear.

He shakes his head at the question.]

He told the other God-Generals, but not me. He probably knew I'd be against it.

[SECOND-SAFEST PLACE EVER OKAY]

[Damn, there goes that option. That's almost something she'd consider changing the future for: knowing the true scope of what Van is planning. Instead she steps back to the tree to retrieve her knives.]

If it's what I imagine it is, then... only those as twisted as he is would follow along willingly.

[He was more or less raised by Van, and Largo might have had a hand in his discipline. Maybe. There are a lot of things conflicting inside of him right now, but he lets none of it show.]

They all have their own reasons.

[She's buried her memories and thoughts as deeply as she can in order to be effective, but she still wears his influence over her like a cloak. Everything she is, everything she's become was because of him and his actions. Even now, she keeps her expression flat and her voice low.]

Of course. Even the sane can follow the path of the insane if it seems like a good idea. Just as I'm sure you have your reasons for standing against him.

[And he doesn't expand on those reasons, glancing to the side for a moment instead.]

Has Jade told you anything?

[She finishes with the knives, sheathing them with an ease born of practice.]

No. He feels that it is important to understand how connected our timelines are before too much information is revealed.

Did you leave something?

[... Gears are turning.]

I haven't had a moment to do so discreetly.

Let me know where you decide to leave it. I need to be sure our worlds are connected, too.

We're on the Tartarus right now. I was going to wait until we had disembarked...

[His eyebrow jumps a fraction.]

That's fine. Leave something there. Jade and I should both have access to it.

[LITTLE DOES HE KNOW]

[She gives him a brief nod before fading away, drawing her attention back to Auldrant. The drab colours of the Tartarus fill in the spaces between the trees, the moment she had left.

As she listens to Jade and Ion speak of forging a peace treaty between two nations, her fingers play along her thigh, slipping one of her knives loose from its sheath. Pressing it against her thigh as she shifts her leg just enough that if she moves it will fall. When Luke pitches in with his usual lack of understanding she leans forward just slightly... and the knife drops to the floor, the sound of it hitting masked by her shifting her feet.

Another moment and she leaves the discussion again, freezing it in time once more.]

We were in the briefing room. It should be there.

[Asch hasn't moved.]

Fine. I'll let you know what I find.

[He pauses.]

The Emperor of Malkuth is here.

... Emperor Peony the Ninth?

[A pause. A slight frown. Is this something to be concerned about?]

Yes. He doesn't understand the danger of being on the Plane. If something happened to him, I'm sure that would create problems for all of us.

[Like... idk. World War III?]

And we've just experienced how dangerous the Plane can actually be. There must be some way to watch out for him...

You already have your hands full with that other idiot. [Asch, why so contradictory?] I wouldn't be surprised if all the world leaders showed up. We'll have to be more careful from now on.

[She hesitates for a moment. Maybe she would really like to talk about just how much of a difficulty Luke has been to someone. Anyone. That cross is hers to bear alone, though. It was her fault that he got dragged out of his home...]

At least then the peace talks could happen...

[After a moment she lines up another shot at the pillow with her knives.]

[He could make this moment less awkward. But he won't, because he tells himself he doesn't care, and if he keeps acting like that maybe he'll believe it.]

Not if they're all from different times.

[He takes a second look at that pillow.]

... Is that what you're training with?

[she sighs loudly at the thought of even more timeline bullshit. just... enough already, multiverse D: ]

That's all I have access to at this point.

Hmm.

[He considers, and then--]

Lend me a knife.

[No, he's not about to cut his hair. He wants to see if he can throw it. LOL]

/equips canon with the "Broken Beyond Repair" title

/the costume is rags and a black eye I'm sure

Definitely.

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