002 - [Written/Action]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos is, as a general rule, not a social person.  He certainly doesn't mind being surrounded by people, but when most of the residents of Luceti are human he finds himself half-wishing he could strangle some of the people around him.  As such, he's spent an awful lot of time in his apartment for the past few weeks, dwelling over the latest experiment and pretty much waiting for himself to calm down.

He really was powerless here.  Even if he had been weakened by mana deprivation and injury, the Demon King of Aselia controlled his own fate, made his own decisions, chose his own path.  But here, the Malnosso could do as they wished-- they could transform his body and erase his memories, wipe the urgency of Derris-Kharlan's situation from his mind, give his heart to another woman.  Dhaos had always been in control of his own fate, and the fates of others as well, and the change was... upsetting.

Although, as Dhaos once realized with an unhappy surprise, it was something of a relief not to be the one responsible for the lives and deaths of others...

Anyway, now that it's been long enough for Dhaos to think back on the experiment without throwing a fit or something similar, it's time to get something he's been wondering about straight. This is his first time using a filter, so he's not sure he has it done correctly, but he does his best.]

[Written, Filtered to Martel: 70% Unhackable]

I need to speak to you.

[Written, Unfiltered]

What are your worlds called? Do the people of different regions call it something different? Is there a meaning behind the name, or has it been lost to the ages?

[And after a minute:]

And if there is anyone else here from Derris-Kharlan, I would like to know.

[And he can be found reading in the library/on top of the library. It's been a little while and he still hasn't read up on any of the other worlds, so he's rectifying that today. And as always, feel free to find him stargazing at night.]

Comments

In spades.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[...Curses. He didn't know how to refuse her. He shouldn't even owe her an explanation.]

Not wanting to.

...Let's go to the beach! *shot*

[lostinmyway]

[Grune looks at him blankly.]

Why don't you want to go?

:D Sandcastles!

[whatdeheckisdat]

...

[How does he say this?]

...I would rather be alone.

:D!

[lostinmyway]

[And now she's confused..and just a tiny bit upset on his behalf.]

Oh, no, that can't be right.

[whatdeheckisdat]

...Why not?

[lostinmyway]

Why, we had so much fun the last time. [Don't break her heart, Dhaos.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[He doesn't really want to, but he doesn't want to be reminded of all this. Maybe he's asking for too much.

All the answer Grune gets is an uncomfortable sound.]

[lostinmyway]

It's always more fun to spend time with friends than to be alone.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Believe it or not, he knows.] I am used to it.

[lostinmyway]

...Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. [And she genuinely is. Her friends are everything to her. To be alone--it would be unbearable.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

That is simply the way things are.

1/2

[lostinmyway]

I'm sorry. [She makes a small, cut-off movement toward him, as though she were about to hug him.]

2/2

[lostinmyway]

[She pauses.

...

...] ...Oh, maybe we should go on our picnic tomorrow.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos actually moves back a little at the motion, because physical contact is not what he wants right now. But when Grune stops on her own, something resembling guilt wells up in his chest.]

...

[He has no response for Grune's suggestion. He can't win.]

[lostinmyway]

Hmm...or maybe it's supposed to rain tomorrow.

Is it?

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Unfortunately for Dhaos, no.]

No one can tell.

[lostinmyway]

We should pack an umbrella, just in case!

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos sighs. At least he'll be dry... Hopefully.]

If it rains, we should probably stay home.

[lostinmyway]

Oh, do you think so?

[whatdeheckisdat]

Yes.

[lostinmyway]

Oh, all right.

[whatdeheckisdat]

...

[It cannot have been that easy.]

[lostinmyway]

If it rains, we can just go the next day.

[Nope.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Darn.]

It would be wet.

[lostinmyway]

Oh, then I'll bring an extra blanket to sit on.

[Problem solved!]