♪ i'm haunted by the promises i've made

[promisedthem]

[There is a teenaged boy on the Plane who might look familiar to some, though different. The biggest difference between him and the one they knew is that his hair is short and scraggly, ending at the base of his neck instead of his hips, and it's fanned out slightly in the back, as if it doesn't quite know what to do with all that extra weight

Comments

1/3

[promisedsomeone]

[He should have known. He should have known this would happen. Of course. Of /course/. The people running this place had it out for him. He should have known, from Meredith's cold smile. Her emotionless warning.

He should have known.]

2/3

[promisedsomeone]

[Invisible, unseen, and utterly nonexistent-- a ghost of the Plane-- Asch drifts closer to his replica. It's different to see him from the outside like this. Usually Asch just peeks into his head, spies on his thoughts. It's not a place he likes to be, but it has its uses.]

Hey! Replica. Listen to me!

[Being in this state is frustrating. He kicks the kiosk, but he doesn't expect much of a result-- and he gets none. But maybe if he concentrates on the link...

He makes a face of disgust, but reaches out to touch Luke's arm anyway.]

3/3

[promisedsomeone]

[-- and that's when he practically trips and falls into Luke's head.

Well, this is new. He can see everything, and maybe if he tries, he can get Luke to move, too. But that's not really his intention right now.]

(You can't even work a simple kiosk? You're more of a defect than I thought.)

[promisedthem]

[Luke hadn't heard a single thing until he... feels a presence. It's different from when Asch connects to him; there's no pain, it's just... an odd feeling, like a chill just ran over his body.

And that's when Asch's voice speaks to him, echoing just as if they were speaking over the link... but without the terrible pain. Luke frowns and raises a hand to his temple anyway, pressing against it to concentrate on the voice.]

Asch? [He speaks out loud, still unused to speaking through the link, and he'll ignore that jab. He did get the kiosk to work, thank you very much, but he's heard enough.]

[promisedsomeone]

[Now that he's settling in, the presence should feel warm and familiar, though always with the threat of being cold suddenly, like any ghost. But Asch is actually putting his energy into this, and his energy is never icy, only his voice and his eyes.]

(Who else would it be? This is the only way we can communicate right now, so you'd better pay attention. I'm not repeating anything.)

[promisedthem]

[Just as Luke should be warm and familiar to Asch by now as well, perhaps even with a sense of someone being right there by his side. He isn't sure why Asch is talking to him now; He'd only recently cut off communication with his replica and told him that he didn't have time to "play" with him anymore. Did he need something?]

Okay... What is it?

[promisedsomeone]

[This isn't bad. A lot better than drifting around and being yelled at by other ghosts. If not for the link, Asch would have mistaken Luke for one, too.]

(I need to know what happened at Akzeriuth. Every detail that you can remember.)

[He doesn't give a damn if it's painful to talk about. He NEEDS to know.]

[promisedthem]

[... But it is painful, even if the feeling of Asch there in his head is a good one. Luke expression turns from curious to pained, and he clenches a fist and shuts his eyes. Shouldn't Asch know? He was the one who beat it into his head that it was his fault...]

I...

[promisedsomeone]

(This is important! What I remember might be different than what happened, but I won't know unless you tell me.)

[At least yelling isn't painful for Luke. Emotionally, yeah, but physically? There's nothing weird going on in here at all, aside from-- you know-- ghost chilling in his head.]

(Did Van lead you and the Fon Master into the Passage Ring, or did he make you choose between him and everyone else?)

[promisedthem]

[It does sting, though not physically. Luke expected people to yell at him, but that doesn't make it any less painful.

He winces, then opens his eyes to look off to the side, as if that will help at all.]

After I got out of there, I ran to Akzeriuth. I didn't even look to see what anyone else was doing... When I got to Master Van, Tear was knocked out already, and he... he told me that she tried to kill him again. I-I... believed him, but he still...

[The memory plays in his head as he speaks, even as he trails off. Van grabbed Luke's wrist and brought him down to the Tree, although Luke followed out of his own will. It wasn't a matter of choosing anyone, it was just... Luke always thought Tear was a spy, and Van was just... playing on that.

He was so stupid.]

[promisedsomeone]

[So this is /his/ Luke. The one he helped create, in his own way. The one whose universe he screwed over with his meddling. He can feel the whispers of the dead creeping up on him, and without explaining himself, he digs a little deeper into Luke's consciousness. It's warm, not overpowering, but there is a noticeable difference.]

(... I couldn't stop Akzeriuth in your timeline, either.)

[Asch might be hiding something, but does Luke really have a right to ask?]

(And you-you're just as useless as ever. If you sit around whining instead of looking at the current situation, you could die!)

[promisedthem]

[Luke has a feeling he knows the meaning behind that statement. Asch was the one who let him out. It was unintentional, of course; Asch had opened the door to talk to him and Luke took advantage of that by pushing him aside and running out.

The extra warmth makes Luke frown and cross his arms over himself; it wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't the most pleasant thing to feel, either. Not when he feels like he doesn't deserve it.

Then the shouting comes, and Luke narrows his eyes in a wince.]

Tear and I are heading to St. Binah! I-I... I don't want it to become another Akzeriuth. But I can't... figure out how to get out of here!

[promisedsomeone]

(Do I have to explain everything to you, dreck!?) [Yeah, he sounds exasperated... but then he goes on to clarify that part anyway.] (You can hop between the Plane and your world by thinking about going to either place. Time stops when you're here.)

[Wait. If he's sitting in Luke's head and Luke pops back to Auldrant, then what will happen to Asch? He almost tells the replica to wait, but stops himself. Maybe this is the only way to go back home right now and see what's happening for himself...]

[promisedthem]

Just... thinking about -

[Luke takes a step, and POP. He's outside that shop again, in Yulia City, still waiting for Tear. He looks around with big, wide eyes, absolutely surprised that it actually worked. Just... really? All he had to do was think about it and he's back here?]

... Asch, are you still there?!

[promisedsomeone]

(Yeah.)

[He's quiet but intrigued. So Luke really hasn't left Yulia City yet... He's pretty sure Luke is running around trying to figure out wtf he's supposed to do, which means Asch is still a bit ahead. But being here means that Luke is definitely from the same world.

It also means Asch is going to live through the consequences of his actions. Like he promised to. It's simultaneously comforting and frightening. Everything up til this point in his life has been predetermined. Not only did his replica throw off the Score, but Asch himself might have. He hates the Score, hates predestination, but he is still learning how to live on his own. For his own reasons.]

(-- Don't get any ideas. I'm only here because I don't have a choice.)

[promisedthem]

[Luke walks forward, his eyes catching the numerous people who watch him either with sympathy or leftover horror. Every time Luke sees those eyes, he has to look away, and soon he finds himself just going to the edge of the walkway and staring down at the ancient, yet modern material.]

But you left before... [His voice is much quieter now; he wouldn't want anyone overhearing him and thinking he was talking to himself.]