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[oversea]

HELLO

"What do you want?"

GOODBYE

TEXT | VIDEO | VOICE | ACTION

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text

[transmit]

Are you going to tell me why you apologised?

[oversea]

Do you want to know?
You're the one who left in the middle of the conversation.

[transmit]

I asked you a yes or no question.

Who's the one that didn't give me a clear answer to begin with? I had to keep prompting you for more, and then you went off and said something about Sylus being a dancer…

If I went into inane details like that, you'd have wanted me to get to the point, or at least thought I was trying to distract you. Unless that was the main point?

[oversea]

I killed you.

[transmit]

Do you want to kill me in this life?

[oversea]

No.
But I still lifted a blade against you, regardless if it was real or not.

[transmit]

Come to the river.

You have fifteen minutes.

[oversea]

[ well if this goes poorly at least the river is there.

but he'll go to where elysium prompted, despite any uncertainty. ]

[transmit]

[ His thoughts exactly.

As the moment Thorns shows up? Elysium is coming at him, sword drawn, poised to strike the area right beside his chest. ]

[oversea]

[ oh.

he leaps backwards to dodge, surprise by the abrupt attack. maybe he shouldn't be surprised. ]

Elysium.

[transmit]

What happened to being able to draw your sword? We're going until one of us has to go into the river.

[ He keeps going.

Going and going and going—all aimed at near-lethal points, but not quite, because he's a coward in his own right.

Unfortunately, I rolled a 10 which probably means this is just a stalemate. But they can exhaust each other like this, sure. ]

[oversea]

[ he doesn't respond.

all he can think of is elysium's hands around his neck, squeezing as tightly as he can, his expression remorseful. the feel of his sword sliding through elysium's flesh, until his body fell limp. how thorns lowered them both to the ground so he could hold him until he was forced to move forward.

it keeps him distracted, but moving, blow after blow, until he finally drops his sword to fall onto the ground.

this.... this too is fine. ]

[transmit]

[ Yeah, well.

Elysium's expression now is anything but—perfectly blank as he holds his sword to Thorns' neck. Maybe it shakes, maybe it doesn't. Chalk it up to exhaustion. ]

If I kill you too, will you feel better about it?

[oversea]

[ he stares up at him, not moving from the spot. ]

Why would I ask you to do something that would hurt you?

[transmit]

[ Just as well, he keeps his hand where it is. ]

Then don't blame yourself for something I don't.

[oversea]

[ ...

he moves to sit up, letting the sword tip dig into his neck to draw blood. ]

[transmit]

[ He'll press the sword in if Thorns really wants to do this. ]

[oversea]

[ his blood flows from the spot more easily.

but that's not what thorns is doing, really. he is trying to reach for where elysium's hand is over the hilt of the sword. ]

I didn't–want you to leave.

[transmit]

[ His sword falls, but his shoulders remain tense. ]

You let go.

[oversea]

I did.

[ there's no point in denying that.

his hand moves to his neck to stop the blood flow, before he just lets it drop to his side. ]

But that doesn't make what I said less true.

[transmit]

I can't give you the other Elysium's forgiveness. All I can do is make things equal. We're living in this life, Thorns.

[ His gaze flicks to the splash of red trickling down Thorns' neck, stays there, then looks away. ]

You said that in past tense. What do you want now?

[oversea]

[ he isn't sure how to answer.

logically, he is aware the elysium in that world was fake. but he can't help but think of what other ways he could have handled that situation, that would head lead to a different conclusion. he was confused and trying to figure out how to formulate his thought returning here, and that simply grew over the past few days. ]

The same thing. Not to leave.

[ his hand covers the wound again, and he finally gets up to his feet. ]

[transmit]

[ There are things Elysium still blames himself for, too. Things he'd apologised to the people here for despite them having no recollection or knowledge of. It's not that he doesn't understand—it's who it's coming from that makes it so frustrating, toting that sense of powerlessness along with it.

His gaze flits back to Thorns. ]

Okay. I won't. [ He holds his hand out, palm up. ] … I'm still alive. Just like you.

[oversea]

[ he looks at the outstretched hand, before carefully placing his own over it. sorry it is bloody. ]

Okay. I'm going to the river.

[ he is being really casual about this but he is bleeding from the neck. ]

[transmit]

… It's that bad?

[ Okay……

Drops his hand again. ]