faterecanted | [Voice]

[Voice]

[ Filtered to Abysscast // 100% ]

I've a proposition to make.

I've considered the situatuon, and believe that a truce would be to our mutual benefit. I don't have personal quarrels with any of you, so I see no reason to continue fighting over a matter that we presently have no means to change.. [...Dist and Asch excluded. You're on notice, traitors.] All of our energy would be better spent searching for means to deal with the current situation. I would also like to remind you that I've been here for some length of time, and have not done harm to any of you, despite being assaulted more than once. [Asch.] Take it as a measure of my sincerity.

However, if you reject me now, I will not be offering again; and the next person among you to attack me [Asch.] will be dealt with severely and without mercy. I don't know what you could hope to accomplish with such actions, apart from uselessly antagonizing me. I am still entitled to defend myself.

My suggestion is to consider this offer carefully. I can be a valuable ally to you, or a dangerous enemy. The choice will be your own.

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[ Filtered to clinic staff // 100% ]

Are there any doctors here with specialist knowledge of toxins?

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If a man wanted to find productive employment in this village, where might he begin looking? Pay is obviously impossible, but I'm willing to work for personal satisfaction and perhaps a favor or two later.

I have twelve years of service as a military officer, and a decade of experience in sword instruction. I've been told I'm also a fair cook, and a talented musician. I can play the piano; and the pipe organ, though I doubt this village has one available.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Stop being a child.

If anything, everyone should be amazed I'd consider this at all, after your actions.

My actions? You try to get everyone killed by destroying Auldrant, and they're supposed to be surprised by me?

[This man. Is. Infuriating.]

I do. Unless you think your actions have been entirely innocent? That threat you made during the experiment: do you think everyone will find it amusing?

I'm trying to avoid violence. That's more than can be said for you.

Wh- threat? I didn't-

[.....Wait, that threat? The one he'd tossed out offhandedly with zero intention of actually going through with it?]

[...Well of course Van assumed he was serious, he's always serious.

Or he used to be. Like three-years-ago used to be. Before he developed some vague sense of humour. And thus wasn't able to see Van's total lack of self control as anything deeper than funny-as-hell.]

Edited 2011-12-03 21:37 (UTC)

[Goddammit, that's-

It's downright insulting.

This is all Guy's fault.]

[And okay, sure, he'd used the fonic link to make Luke attack Tear. You know. That one time. But it had been for shit and giggles and he'd stopped before anyone actually got hurt. He's not completely twisted- not back then, and certainly not now. If he's emotionally shoved a little more for another year or so he might even regret doing that.

Yep, definitely Guy's fault.]

I wouldn't have done it. They would've recognized that.

If you're going to publicly claim things like that, you should at least admit what you did, first.

If that's what you want, I'll publicly confess to my sins if you first confess to yours, Maestro.

[Somehow he gets the feeling that world-wide destruction would weigh a little more heavily in the minds of Luceti's hero population than a bit of harmless fun that someone had to take too personally.]

No, Asch. All I want is to be left in peace, which is why I am offering the same.

You won't honour the truce. At the first instance that it'll inconvenience you, you'll break it.

Then don't agree to it; but if you haven't noticed, you've been the first to draw your weapon in every fight since I've arrived. Am I really the one to accuse of bad faith in this case?

I wouldn't have to draw my weapon if you knew to keep your distance.

It won't be a issue any longer.

[Van has other, more critical things to worry about, like his precariously isolated position and his health. He may have shown plenty of bravado in his proposal, but the situation will be dire if he's seriously injured and he knows it. With damaged organs and limited means of healing, and no one reliable to protect him while he recovers... Daily life is fine, but he may only have one real fight left in him. It's true that death won't end everything here, but who knows what state he'd return in. If his condition progressed...

As tempting as it is to waste that fight on Asch, he can't afford to. He has things to accomplish, and after Asch's betrayal he may have to accomplish them alone. He can't afford a protege who might stab him in the back at any moment. Asch is too great a risk.

Pity.]

I'm done arguing with you. Accept the offer, or don't.

[Asch is quiet for a moment. Not a long moment, mind, but he does give it some consideration. Just a little.

....

Yeah, no. It's not hitting any grand epiphanies here.]

I reject it. Becoming an ally is a right you have to earn.

[Which is bloody unlikely, and he doubts that Van will be gracious about getting even that much. The man thinks he's in the right far too much for give and take, and Asch has never been good at that anyway.]

[Van makes a noise somewhere between a scoff and a laugh at that statement, low and derisive. Where did Asch get these simpleminded idealistic fantasies about how the world works? Certainly not from him.

Van finds the refusal especially spiteful and foolish, particularly when the memory of their reunion is still quite clear in his mind. "In this place, I can't afford to ignore all of my potential allies, regardless of how I feel about them." Some day, Asch is going to need him, and he's going to enjoy watching him choke on his own hypocrisy.

So yes, he is privately being rather ungracious about the whole thing.]

A right to be earned? Be realistic. An alliance is a question of politics, not friendship. You aren't withholding any great privilege from me. I'm stronger than you are. I'm more skilled than you. I'm a better strategist than you. I have more knowledge, more practice, and more experience. If I offer aid and you refuse it, don't be so proud as to insist I'm the one being disadvantaged.

Show a little more judgement the next time we meet. I'm through indulging you.

[Well, it's nice to know that Van is still severely underestimating his growth since he arrived years ago. That's one advantage he isn't going to give away just yet. If Van wants to believe that he's so strong and necessary here, that's just fine as long as it doesn't interfere with anyone's life.

...Or, well. His life. The others can take care of themselves.]

Don't misunderstand- I never asked for your indulgence, and I'm not looking to start a fight. But that doesn't mean I want you for an ally either.

Very well. In the future, I suggest you keep your sword sheathed in my presence. I've been lenient, because you were my favored student. [Because that's what that grievous belly wound back home was. Leniency.] That ends here.

[Yeaaaaah Van, "a mere flesh wound" can only get you so far in the Excuses Category. And Asch is none too impressed.]

Fine, do whatever you want. But believe it when I say I'll be watching.

[Bad enough that Van's already got him feeling twitchy and isolated, but now Van has the gall to still call him favoured? Ha.]

Is that supposed to worry me? I'm doing nothing wrong. [Van heaves an audible sigh.] I hope you've thought this through. [Said in a manner that suggests he's sure Asch didn't.] I'm quite serious about not offering again. Not even for you.

[...Sigh. So how does one resolve this, when one really, really doesn't want to? Because he really doesn't want to. Like. Not even remotely. And he has certain doubts about whether or not Van will make such an offer to him again- the others, maybe, but he knows that Van needs him. He's not so foolish as to just reject this opportunity to take his time in trying to "convert" Asch again.

Which, again, leaves him with a choice: continue to reject Van's supposed truce, or risk - yes, definitely risk - the very dangerous game of allowing Van the opportunity to attack first?

...Ugh. Not for the first time, he misses the simplicity of what their lives had become in Auldrant. It really was so much easier when they were enemies and killing people meant they stayed dead.]

...If I were to agree, there'd be boundaries.

[Changing his mind already? Convenient... but tsk, tsk, Asch. A man should be firm in his convictions.

Van waits a moment before answering; long enough to seem like he's waiting for Asch to elaborate. In fact, he just wants to be certain his amusement won't show in his voice.]

If you want to set conditions, you'll need to name them.

[...Well. He'll have to consider this one carefully, won't he.

There is one, however, that comes to mind all too easily.]

Keep your hands to yourself.

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