I guess so, but... I don't think that's fair on you at all. Maybe those are the kinds of things that Khalid should have told himself, but it does help with the perspective of why he acted the way he did. And who knows when he would have told me?
[Shaking his head, Ashe continues:]
Please, just know you deserve better than that. Or... at least, I think so.
I think we all deserve a little better than what we get.
[And Goddess, it's taken so long, for her to hit that point. To think she deserved anything at all, failure that she is.]
He's balanced on an edge, right now. And... and hopefully this will nudge him away from the side he's buried himself in for so long, but... it was a risk, and it got taken. And, um. Now I'm going to go and see how it pays off.
[There's something intrinsically sad about both of them needing the incentive of somebody else's happiness to pursue their own, but no Empire-born child worth their salt has the time for that sort of thorny introspection, so she tucks the thought away, where all the others go.]
...take care, Ashe. Even... even if I someday disappear back to what's waiting for me, the way other people have, okay?
[She tries so hard, to make that distinction for everyone. To minimize the hurt and pain that will come, when they go back to their lands with same-faced, same-named, same-hearted friends who have never set foot in Noctium.]
I'm, well, it's a little sad to think none of you will visit me, when I'm... back. But maybe Dimitri will. ...I think he will, if, uh, if anyone... knows where I ended up, when the smoke cleared. He's kind like that.
I don't regret all that we've experienced together, you know. Not here, even when it's hard. I've really adored our time together. And I hope we continue to have it, for as long as possible.
Me too. ...thank you for coming, Ashe. I'm... I said it a few times, but I'm sorry I lost it. Being with you makes me really happy, and it's... it's comfortable. It was as scary as it was wrong, to get paranoid over it.
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[She goes quiet, for a moment.]
I told you things about him. That's... a big deal. He'll be mad. But... something had to give.
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[Shaking his head, Ashe continues:]
Please, just know you deserve better than that. Or... at least, I think so.
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[And Goddess, it's taken so long, for her to hit that point. To think she deserved anything at all, failure that she is.]
He's balanced on an edge, right now. And... and hopefully this will nudge him away from the side he's buried himself in for so long, but... it was a risk, and it got taken. And, um. Now I'm going to go and see how it pays off.
...I hope it gets better. For all of us.
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Well. If nothing else, I'm glad you realize that.
I know this was hard, and I appreciate you hearing me out. Just don't forget to be kind to yourself, too. I know you have our best interests at heart.
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...I'll cut you a deal. If you can remember to be kind to yourself, then, well, I'll do the same. Or, uh, do my best, at least.
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[CALLED OUT OOPS]
I-I'll do my best, then. For both of us.
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[There's something intrinsically sad about both of them needing the incentive of somebody else's happiness to pursue their own, but no Empire-born child worth their salt has the time for that sort of thorny introspection, so she tucks the thought away, where all the others go.]
...take care, Ashe. Even... even if I someday disappear back to what's waiting for me, the way other people have, okay?
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You should know that.
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[She tries so hard, to make that distinction for everyone. To minimize the hurt and pain that will come, when they go back to their lands with same-faced, same-named, same-hearted friends who have never set foot in Noctium.]
I'm, well, it's a little sad to think none of you will visit me, when I'm... back. But maybe Dimitri will. ...I think he will, if, uh, if anyone... knows where I ended up, when the smoke cleared. He's kind like that.
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I don't regret all that we've experienced together, you know. Not here, even when it's hard. I've really adored our time together. And I hope we continue to have it, for as long as possible.
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Call me if you need anything else. Please. And... I'll, um. Try to remember to do the same.
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Yes, I will. It's a promise.