realityshifted | (no subject)

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tales of the abyss (d2) tear grants

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[Once more in the forest, one hand brushing against the trunks of trees as though they're not entirely there. Tear looks tired, far too tired, but somehow she's still upright and mobile, keeping moving and not stopping. Her back is straight and her shoulders held up stiffly, the posture of a proper soldier. Still, there's a sad look about her, as though there's a thousand things she wants to say but won't. She stops at one tree, cracked and split and broken from age or perhaps someone being overly aggressive, running a hand along the cracks mechanically.]

... I failed. I failed to stop him. If only I'd been stronger, I could have protected Akzeriuth...

[ooc: I'm sorry I've been negligent and lazy about doing this you guys :( ]

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[Asch has been hanging around the forest lately for his own reasons, so he finds Tear easily. He approaches calmly, making no move to mask the sounds he makes as he trudges through the undergrowth. He's trying to glean what information he can from her body language but Asch isn't very subtle. Eventually his nerves get the better of him and he practically blurts out:]

What the hell happened?!

[Jade watches her. He knows what happened. Probably, he should be pleased. After all, there haven't been any universe-shaking tremors back home that would annihilate everything he fought so hard to save. Whether that was because they had been lucky or because Jade had fixed the probabilities, he didn't know.]

[Even he isn't audacious enough to start with a brash hello. He observes her a moment, looking for more information.]

[She tenses slightly, hearing someone approaching. She stops for a moment to steel herself, locking away everything other than simply existing before turning to see who's there...]

....... It fell. I failed.

[That one brief moment is all that she's let herself reveal. She's holding herself tightly with only the slightest edges of emotion showing, cracks in an imperfect soldierly facade. It's clear that even now this one still holds some of the blame to herself regardless.]

[To watch any longer without saying a thing doesn't seem right, so he resolves to at least alert her to his presence.] Tear.

[A short, neutral sound. No condemnation. No comfort, not that he could manage it. More like a soldier than a friend, but that's him all over.]

He still--

[Asch shatters in that moment. Tear's control over herself is steely and cold, but Asch is all hot anger. And he knows who to blame. He knows who to blame.

His fists clench at his sides, and then he drives one against a tree.]

Damn it!

[It leaves him breathless, shocked, and betrayed. His hand drops back to his side; his display of violence leaves the air tense and terrible.

And then he murmurs:]

It wasn't your fault.

Edited 2011-08-31 09:13 (UTC)

[Even with Asch exploding in front of her, she manages to keep composed. Everything is pushed down now, down down down so that she can attempt to function for the time being. Her fingers tighten a bit on her staff - when did that make its way into her grasp? Reflex, perhaps - as she watches.]

If I'd trained more, if I'd been more prepared, then I wouldn't have failed. I only managed to regain consciousness just in time to protect everyone as it fell...

[A bit of tension as she hears her name. That familiar voice... the lack of any emotional connection is almost a blessing for the moment.]

Colonel Curtiss.

[She doesn't want to say anything. She knows that he knows - he's already lived it and dealt with it and moved on. In a way she's a bit envious of that fact.]

If you're short of supplies, I'd be able to bring some to you here.

[The Qliphoth is dangerous and the path back up is long. If she needs, say, five maces, it's far easier for him to deliver.

And this is the best he can do. To sympathise without any sympathy. Cold and practical is all Jade can manage when it comes to a situation like this.]

No. [He doesn't leave any room for argument there.] You did what you had to do. Everyone would be dead if you hadn't been there.

But I had him. I should have had him!

[He clenches his teeth and turns away.]

... Stay with the rep-- Luke. There's something the 'me' in your world needs to know, so he'll be taking everyone else. It's not a permanent arrangement.

[She leaves it at that, not wanting to talk about it or argue or even think about it anymore. She failed on her end and that's that.]

I'm not going back to the surface yet. I have my own business to take care of. What you do from now is up to you. I shouldn't have let myself get so distracted that...

Let me see what we have. I don't know what you-- [she catches herself. she's so tired of everything, the time shenanigans the least of it all] the others are going to do. I have my own things I need to take care of for now.

Of course. [It's clipped and not in anger. He is keeping control of himself.] We can meet in the kitchen later if you need time.

-- It's not over.

[He glances over his shoulder.]

As long as you're alive, you can keep fighting.

I have to follow him. I have to find him and... [the sentence dies as soon as its formed. Make him pay? Take him out? It didn't work so well last time. Clearly this isn't the course of action. That slip up is stowed away under a hardened expression once more.]

... [there's a lot of things she wants to ask, to know, but she knows he won't tell her. She knows she has to get through this without the comfort of knowing whether it's worth it or not.]

... if it's not inconvenient.

There's no way you can take him down right now. Focus on what's in front of you.

[He starts to walk off without further explanation.]

It won't be.

[And with that, he leaves. But he keeps his promise: he waits for her.]

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all the love ♥;

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hahah even after being consumed for a week? :(

sorry, life got me

<3

yep ♥

Re: yep ♥

Re: <3

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