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@4d-4str4
Greetings, dear traveller. You may call me Aster. While you're here, why not stay a while? It's been ages since I last had company, and it can get awfully lonely out here.
Please, tell me whatever's on your mind. I'll listen.
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*pats you again* I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to do that either.
[Aster's hand lingers on that spot, the sensation utterly unfamiliar, yet not unwelcome. A faint smile tugs at their lips.]
Thank you....It's been...quite some time since I last felt the touch of another, so...thank you.
*pat pat*
I- What exactly was the purpose of that...? I suppose it felt kind of nice...
Could you- perhaps...do that again? However you managed to do that.
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
[Simon shows no sign of having heard them, but he definitely notices when their hand makes contact, because he makes a noise like a cross between a yelp and a grunt, and flinches backwards only to slam his shoulders back into the console close behind him, his leg instinctively kicking out, missing Aster by a hair's breadth. His head snaps back to face them, making eye contact again, his pupils visibly mismatched in size even as his eyes widen with fear, but at least the muttering in his left ear eases off again, replaced by the sound of his own heartbeat and his harsh, shallow breathing. He's visibly startled, yes, but he looks more present again, at least, even if it's made him more terrified as he comes to terms with the fact that Aster touched him. None of the other hallucinations have been tangible.] I-I- you- I- th'fuck...
[Aster tenses, immediately drawing their hand back with what sounded like a muttered curse, despite it not being any English one Simon knew of.]
Sorry, I- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
[They seem to debate what to do next, their eyes flitting over Simon's form.]
I understand you don't believe me...you probably don't even think I'm real...but I want to help you, Simon. If you'll let me. I- No one deserves a fate like this.
[He shudders at their words, pulling his leg back towards himself, and shakes his head slowly, his bloodstained mouth twisting into a grimace.]
Can't, th'won't- It's not g'nna let go.
[He sounds resigned, tired, like he wants to hope, but it's just a statement of fact that he's repeating, told to him over and over again until he believes it mindlessly. It Saw him, there's no going back from that, he knows. He knows it like he knows the ache in his bones is fatal, like he knows he's running on borrowed time.]
It...?
[Aster frowns, a thousand questions rising in their mind. What is it? What does he mean it 'won't let go'? Only one manages to make it out of them.]
Who? Who are you referring to, Simon? The "eel"? Or...something else?
[They didn't know if the answer they'd get would be coherent, but one could hope.]
[...Right?]
[Simon makes a small, broken noise, like a sob, and curls a little tighter into himself.]
I-I don't- I- It- It's... everything. [His voice shifts, just barely, almost imperceptible. He still sounds tired and upset, but slowly his tone becomes calmer, and then almost airy, awed. His eyes are cast low, staring at the floor, but they glint red in the meagre light, dull and distant.] I-It Sees... It thinks, and we are... It's the answer.
It's the...
[Aster stares at Simon for what feels like an eternity, their mind racing, trying to decipher what he meant. Until abruptly, they stand, pacing the short length of the sub with more than a few muttered curses.]
I- mi asrynix...If It knows-
[They groan, bracing a hand against the wall above the camera. Their voice is barely a whisper when they speak next.]
I must leave. It cannot know I was here.
[They spare a glance over their shoulder at Simon, something unreadable crossing their expression.]
Come with me. Please. I'm not sure what It's caused you to believe, but...It's not the answer, Simon. It never was.
[Simon doesn't flinch this time at their abrupt movements, his mind visibly somewhere else, that distant, foggy place he keeps disappearing into when he thinks too hard. He murmurs quietly, too quiet to be understood, and the blood moves outside, ever-shifting currents that would be keeping him on edge if he could hear them. He hums vaguely at the sound of his own name, and his hands twitch slightly, making the raw skin of his forearms look like it's slowly shifting, but that's about it in terms of actual acknowledgement, the rest of his words seemingly aimed at himself more than anything.]
Knows, Sees, It knows... I know... It Sees, n'we are... behind me, She's... I know, I know...
Lirythos aidonast vin...
[Aster's gaze lingers on Simon for a heartbeat, two, three. A small part of them considers leaving him there - he's probably too far gone anyways. But does he deserve this?]
...I'm sorry, Simon.
[With a flick of their hand, the ground jolts beneath them, and the pair are plunged into a void.]
[The darkness lasts for a second and an eternity before it fades, and senses slowly return. The two are on a circular platform, patterns and scripts carved into the cold stone. Trees surround them, branches reaching for the glittering night sky. A warm glow lights the clearing they're in, a small cottage sitting a short ways away. Two things are evident: it's more peaceful than the SM-13, and it's nowhere Simon's been before.]
[Simon goes from zero to a hundred in that moment in the void - even if he were more aware of himself, he doubts he'd be embarrassed at the way he cries out, a hoarse almost-scream, because frankly he's been through a lot of insane shit in the past few hours-days-weeks and being teleported by some kind of star-being-thing is pretty high on said list of insane shit. He keeps screaming for however long it takes for his surroundings to solidify around him, and then he stops with a round of hacking coughs and quick, terrified breathing. There are trees, he notices first, surrounding him, their leaves whispering and their branches casting shadows that reach out to him and yes he's the Butcher, yes he's a soldier, yes he's a grown man, but he's never been more terrified of the shadows before, shadows cast by trees. Trees, as in multiple, as in a Grove - and suddenly, in Simon's dazed and wrecked and ruined mind, there comes the sudden, searingly bright feeling that he's being judged. His prayers are well-worn, instinctual, but he slurs through the words anyway, his head ringing and his throat ripped to further shreds by his screams.]
P-Please, please oh F-Father please, M-Mater nostra quae n't-terra es, ben'dicta sit putredo t-tua...
[...Well that certainly didn't go as they'd hoped.]
Simon? Simon!
[Aster kneels beside him, hands hovering as their mind makes a futile attempt to think of anything that could help.]
[Sedate him, a small part of them chimes. Maybe being unconscious will let things sort themselves out.]
[Despite knowing how this ended last time, they rest their hands on his shoulders in a desperate attempt to get Simon to focus on them.]
Simon? I need you to calm down, alright? Just look at me, please.
I wanna live-! [Simon pleads, visceral and quiet and strained, flinching at the touch but without the energy or care to pull away from it, his eyes wide and scared as he stares at Aster. There's a wetness welling up in his eyes, the liquid tinted red like blood but unmistakably tears, and he looks far younger than a rough, ragged man of his years and sins should be able to, the Butcher faced with what he sees as Judgement at his End, and still begging for his life.]
[Aster doesn't move, aside from a slight loosening of their grip as Simon flinches. They don't know who they're grounding more in that moment.]
You will! You will, I swear it on my life. You will live.
[They note the red tears in his eyes, but don't say anything of it. Surely it's normal...]
I'm not sure what thoughts are going through your mind right now, but you're alive, Simon. This is my home. You're safe, just- please, take a deep breath.
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
[Simon shows no sign of having heard them, but he definitely notices when their hand makes contact, because he makes a noise like a cross between a yelp and a grunt, and flinches backwards only to slam his shoulders back into the console close behind him, his leg instinctively kicking out, missing Aster by a hair's breadth. His head snaps back to face them, making eye contact again, his pupils visibly mismatched in size even as his eyes widen with fear, but at least the muttering in his left ear eases off again, replaced by the sound of his own heartbeat and his harsh, shallow breathing. He's visibly startled, yes, but he looks more present again, at least, even if it's made him more terrified as he comes to terms with the fact that Aster touched him. None of the other hallucinations have been tangible.] I-I- you- I- th'fuck...
[Aster tenses, immediately drawing their hand back with what sounded like a muttered curse, despite it not being any English one Simon knew of.]
Sorry, I- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
[They seem to debate what to do next, their eyes flitting over Simon's form.]
I understand you don't believe me...you probably don't even think I'm real...but I want to help you, Simon. If you'll let me. I- No one deserves a fate like this.
[He shudders at their words, pulling his leg back towards himself, and shakes his head slowly, his bloodstained mouth twisting into a grimace.]
Can't, th'won't- It's not g'nna let go.
[He sounds resigned, tired, like he wants to hope, but it's just a statement of fact that he's repeating, told to him over and over again until he believes it mindlessly. It Saw him, there's no going back from that, he knows. He knows it like he knows the ache in his bones is fatal, like he knows he's running on borrowed time.]
It...?
[Aster frowns, a thousand questions rising in their mind. What is it? What does he mean it 'won't let go'? Only one manages to make it out of them.]
Who? Who are you referring to, Simon? The "eel"? Or...something else?
[They didn't know if the answer they'd get would be coherent, but one could hope.]
[...Right?]
[Simon makes a small, broken noise, like a sob, and curls a little tighter into himself.]
I-I don't- I- It- It's... everything. [His voice shifts, just barely, almost imperceptible. He still sounds tired and upset, but slowly his tone becomes calmer, and then almost airy, awed. His eyes are cast low, staring at the floor, but they glint red in the meagre light, dull and distant.] I-It Sees... It thinks, and we are... It's the answer.
It's the...
[Aster stares at Simon for what feels like an eternity, their mind racing, trying to decipher what he meant. Until abruptly, they stand, pacing the short length of the sub with more than a few muttered curses.]
I- mi asrynix...If It knows-
[They groan, bracing a hand against the wall above the camera. Their voice is barely a whisper when they speak next.]
I must leave. It cannot know I was here.
[They spare a glance over their shoulder at Simon, something unreadable crossing their expression.]
Come with me. Please. I'm not sure what It's caused you to believe, but...It's not the answer, Simon. It never was.
[Simon doesn't flinch this time at their abrupt movements, his mind visibly somewhere else, that distant, foggy place he keeps disappearing into when he thinks too hard. He murmurs quietly, too quiet to be understood, and the blood moves outside, ever-shifting currents that would be keeping him on edge if he could hear them. He hums vaguely at the sound of his own name, and his hands twitch slightly, making the raw skin of his forearms look like it's slowly shifting, but that's about it in terms of actual acknowledgement, the rest of his words seemingly aimed at himself more than anything.]
Knows, Sees, It knows... I know... It Sees, n'we are... behind me, She's... I know, I know...
Lirythos aidonast vin...
[Aster's gaze lingers on Simon for a heartbeat, two, three. A small part of them considers leaving him there - he's probably too far gone anyways. But does he deserve this?]
...I'm sorry, Simon.
[With a flick of their hand, the ground jolts beneath them, and the pair are plunged into a void.]
[The darkness lasts for a second and an eternity before it fades, and senses slowly return. The two are on a circular platform, patterns and scripts carved into the cold stone. Trees surround them, branches reaching for the glittering night sky. A warm glow lights the clearing they're in, a small cottage sitting a short ways away. Two things are evident: it's more peaceful than the SM-13, and it's nowhere Simon's been before.]
[Simon goes from zero to a hundred in that moment in the void - even if he were more aware of himself, he doubts he'd be embarrassed at the way he cries out, a hoarse almost-scream, because frankly he's been through a lot of insane shit in the past few hours-days-weeks and being teleported by some kind of star-being-thing is pretty high on said list of insane shit. He keeps screaming for however long it takes for his surroundings to solidify around him, and then he stops with a round of hacking coughs and quick, terrified breathing. There are trees, he notices first, surrounding him, their leaves whispering and their branches casting shadows that reach out to him and yes he's the Butcher, yes he's a soldier, yes he's a grown man, but he's never been more terrified of the shadows before, shadows cast by trees. Trees, as in multiple, as in a Grove - and suddenly, in Simon's dazed and wrecked and ruined mind, there comes the sudden, searingly bright feeling that he's being judged. His prayers are well-worn, instinctual, but he slurs through the words anyway, his head ringing and his throat ripped to further shreds by his screams.]
P-Please, please oh F-Father please, M-Mater nostra quae n't-terra es, ben'dicta sit putredo t-tua...
[...Well that certainly didn't go as they'd hoped.]
Simon? Simon!
[Aster kneels beside him, hands hovering as their mind makes a futile attempt to think of anything that could help.]
[Sedate him, a small part of them chimes. Maybe being unconscious will let things sort themselves out.]
[Despite knowing how this ended last time, they rest their hands on his shoulders in a desperate attempt to get Simon to focus on them.]
Simon? I need you to calm down, alright? Just look at me, please.
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(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
[Simon shows no sign of having heard them, but he definitely notices when their hand makes contact, because he makes a noise like a cross between a yelp and a grunt, and flinches backwards only to slam his shoulders back into the console close behind him, his leg instinctively kicking out, missing Aster by a hair's breadth. His head snaps back to face them, making eye contact again, his pupils visibly mismatched in size even as his eyes widen with fear, but at least the muttering in his left ear eases off again, replaced by the sound of his own heartbeat and his harsh, shallow breathing. He's visibly startled, yes, but he looks more present again, at least, even if it's made him more terrified as he comes to terms with the fact that Aster touched him. None of the other hallucinations have been tangible.] I-I- you- I- th'fuck...
[Aster tenses, immediately drawing their hand back with what sounded like a muttered curse, despite it not being any English one Simon knew of.]
Sorry, I- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
[They seem to debate what to do next, their eyes flitting over Simon's form.]
I understand you don't believe me...you probably don't even think I'm real...but I want to help you, Simon. If you'll let me. I- No one deserves a fate like this.
[He shudders at their words, pulling his leg back towards himself, and shakes his head slowly, his bloodstained mouth twisting into a grimace.]
Can't, th'won't- It's not g'nna let go.
[He sounds resigned, tired, like he wants to hope, but it's just a statement of fact that he's repeating, told to him over and over again until he believes it mindlessly. It Saw him, there's no going back from that, he knows. He knows it like he knows the ache in his bones is fatal, like he knows he's running on borrowed time.]
It...?
[Aster frowns, a thousand questions rising in their mind. What is it? What does he mean it 'won't let go'? Only one manages to make it out of them.]
Who? Who are you referring to, Simon? The "eel"? Or...something else?
[They didn't know if the answer they'd get would be coherent, but one could hope.]
[...Right?]
[Simon makes a small, broken noise, like a sob, and curls a little tighter into himself.]
I-I don't- I- It- It's... everything. [His voice shifts, just barely, almost imperceptible. He still sounds tired and upset, but slowly his tone becomes calmer, and then almost airy, awed. His eyes are cast low, staring at the floor, but they glint red in the meagre light, dull and distant.] I-It Sees... It thinks, and we are... It's the answer.
It's the...
[Aster stares at Simon for what feels like an eternity, their mind racing, trying to decipher what he meant. Until abruptly, they stand, pacing the short length of the sub with more than a few muttered curses.]
I- mi asrynix...If It knows-
[They groan, bracing a hand against the wall above the camera. Their voice is barely a whisper when they speak next.]
I must leave. It cannot know I was here.
[They spare a glance over their shoulder at Simon, something unreadable crossing their expression.]
Come with me. Please. I'm not sure what It's caused you to believe, but...It's not the answer, Simon. It never was.
[Simon doesn't flinch this time at their abrupt movements, his mind visibly somewhere else, that distant, foggy place he keeps disappearing into when he thinks too hard. He murmurs quietly, too quiet to be understood, and the blood moves outside, ever-shifting currents that would be keeping him on edge if he could hear them. He hums vaguely at the sound of his own name, and his hands twitch slightly, making the raw skin of his forearms look like it's slowly shifting, but that's about it in terms of actual acknowledgement, the rest of his words seemingly aimed at himself more than anything.]
Knows, Sees, It knows... I know... It Sees, n'we are... behind me, She's... I know, I know...
Lirythos aidonast vin...
[Aster's gaze lingers on Simon for a heartbeat, two, three. A small part of them considers leaving him there - he's probably too far gone anyways. But does he deserve this?]
...I'm sorry, Simon.
[With a flick of their hand, the ground jolts beneath them, and the pair are plunged into a void.]
[The darkness lasts for a second and an eternity before it fades, and senses slowly return. The two are on a circular platform, patterns and scripts carved into the cold stone. Trees surround them, branches reaching for the glittering night sky. A warm glow lights the clearing they're in, a small cottage sitting a short ways away. Two things are evident: it's more peaceful than the SM-13, and it's nowhere Simon's been before.]
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
[Simon shows no sign of having heard them, but he definitely notices when their hand makes contact, because he makes a noise like a cross between a yelp and a grunt, and flinches backwards only to slam his shoulders back into the console close behind him, his leg instinctively kicking out, missing Aster by a hair's breadth. His head snaps back to face them, making eye contact again, his pupils visibly mismatched in size even as his eyes widen with fear, but at least the muttering in his left ear eases off again, replaced by the sound of his own heartbeat and his harsh, shallow breathing. He's visibly startled, yes, but he looks more present again, at least, even if it's made him more terrified as he comes to terms with the fact that Aster touched him. None of the other hallucinations have been tangible.] I-I- you- I- th'fuck...
[Aster tenses, immediately drawing their hand back with what sounded like a muttered curse, despite it not being any English one Simon knew of.]
Sorry, I- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
[They seem to debate what to do next, their eyes flitting over Simon's form.]
I understand you don't believe me...you probably don't even think I'm real...but I want to help you, Simon. If you'll let me. I- No one deserves a fate like this.
[He shudders at their words, pulling his leg back towards himself, and shakes his head slowly, his bloodstained mouth twisting into a grimace.]
Can't, th'won't- It's not g'nna let go.
[He sounds resigned, tired, like he wants to hope, but it's just a statement of fact that he's repeating, told to him over and over again until he believes it mindlessly. It Saw him, there's no going back from that, he knows. He knows it like he knows the ache in his bones is fatal, like he knows he's running on borrowed time.]
It...?
[Aster frowns, a thousand questions rising in their mind. What is it? What does he mean it 'won't let go'? Only one manages to make it out of them.]
Who? Who are you referring to, Simon? The "eel"? Or...something else?
[They didn't know if the answer they'd get would be coherent, but one could hope.]
[...Right?]
[Simon makes a small, broken noise, like a sob, and curls a little tighter into himself.]
I-I don't- I- It- It's... everything. [His voice shifts, just barely, almost imperceptible. He still sounds tired and upset, but slowly his tone becomes calmer, and then almost airy, awed. His eyes are cast low, staring at the floor, but they glint red in the meagre light, dull and distant.] I-It Sees... It thinks, and we are... It's the answer.
It's the...
[Aster stares at Simon for what feels like an eternity, their mind racing, trying to decipher what he meant. Until abruptly, they stand, pacing the short length of the sub with more than a few muttered curses.]
I- mi asrynix...If It knows-
[They groan, bracing a hand against the wall above the camera. Their voice is barely a whisper when they speak next.]
I must leave. It cannot know I was here.
[They spare a glance over their shoulder at Simon, something unreadable crossing their expression.]
Come with me. Please. I'm not sure what It's caused you to believe, but...It's not the answer, Simon. It never was.
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
[Simon shows no sign of having heard them, but he definitely notices when their hand makes contact, because he makes a noise like a cross between a yelp and a grunt, and flinches backwards only to slam his shoulders back into the console close behind him, his leg instinctively kicking out, missing Aster by a hair's breadth. His head snaps back to face them, making eye contact again, his pupils visibly mismatched in size even as his eyes widen with fear, but at least the muttering in his left ear eases off again, replaced by the sound of his own heartbeat and his harsh, shallow breathing. He's visibly startled, yes, but he looks more present again, at least, even if it's made him more terrified as he comes to terms with the fact that Aster touched him. None of the other hallucinations have been tangible.] I-I- you- I- th'fuck...
[Aster tenses, immediately drawing their hand back with what sounded like a muttered curse, despite it not being any English one Simon knew of.]
Sorry, I- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
[They seem to debate what to do next, their eyes flitting over Simon's form.]
I understand you don't believe me...you probably don't even think I'm real...but I want to help you, Simon. If you'll let me. I- No one deserves a fate like this.
[He shudders at their words, pulling his leg back towards himself, and shakes his head slowly, his bloodstained mouth twisting into a grimace.]
Can't, th'won't- It's not g'nna let go.
[He sounds resigned, tired, like he wants to hope, but it's just a statement of fact that he's repeating, told to him over and over again until he believes it mindlessly. It Saw him, there's no going back from that, he knows. He knows it like he knows the ache in his bones is fatal, like he knows he's running on borrowed time.]
It...?
[Aster frowns, a thousand questions rising in their mind. What is it? What does he mean it 'won't let go'? Only one manages to make it out of them.]
Who? Who are you referring to, Simon? The "eel"? Or...something else?
[They didn't know if the answer they'd get would be coherent, but one could hope.]
[...Right?]
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
[Simon shows no sign of having heard them, but he definitely notices when their hand makes contact, because he makes a noise like a cross between a yelp and a grunt, and flinches backwards only to slam his shoulders back into the console close behind him, his leg instinctively kicking out, missing Aster by a hair's breadth. His head snaps back to face them, making eye contact again, his pupils visibly mismatched in size even as his eyes widen with fear, but at least the muttering in his left ear eases off again, replaced by the sound of his own heartbeat and his harsh, shallow breathing. He's visibly startled, yes, but he looks more present again, at least, even if it's made him more terrified as he comes to terms with the fact that Aster touched him. None of the other hallucinations have been tangible.] I-I- you- I- th'fuck...
[Aster tenses, immediately drawing their hand back with what sounded like a muttered curse, despite it not being any English one Simon knew of.]
Sorry, I- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
[They seem to debate what to do next, their eyes flitting over Simon's form.]
I understand you don't believe me...you probably don't even think I'm real...but I want to help you, Simon. If you'll let me. I- No one deserves a fate like this.
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
[His breath hitches as Aster moves, seemingly just an instinctual reaction to them getting closer more than any real fear, and against his will, he tries to do as he's told, only for the breath to crackle wetly in his lungs and trigger another round of hacking coughs, his ribs screaming in pain.]
Guhh.
[He lets out a ragged, grunting sound of pain when it's over, his teeth freshly stained with blood that dribbles from the corner of his mouth, and he returns to his shallow, panting breaths, glaring angrily at the floor. The pain in his chest makes the whispering kick up a notch, enough that he can start to decipher words, little taunts that make him jerk his head away from the direction of them harshly - not that it does anything. He might be hearing it in his left ear, but they're in his brain, claws digging little grooves in the gray matter, scraping away at his thoughts. He disregards the being- hallucination- whatever in front of him for a moment, mumbling to himself like that'll make them go away.]
S-Stop it. What? N-No, no- shuddup.
[His quiet mumbles bring a slight furrow to Aster's brow, their lips twitching into a frown.]
[Gods, are all humans in this realm this messed up?]
Simon? Are you alright...?
[When that doesn't get them a response, they make what is perhaps their riskiest decision yet. Ever so slowly, knowing this may end badly, they reach out, their fingers brushing Simon's knee.]
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(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
What, y'think I chose t'be down here?
[Simon growls, but there isn't much heat behind it.]
I... yeah, okay, I took th'fuckin' deal. Din't tell me there'd be fuckin'-
[His voice cracks wetly, and he stops, his head hanging low. He's vaguely aware that he's not making much sense, but he's so lightheaded he feels sick, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees It looking back at him on the red of his eyelids.]
I didn't know I'd... I-I jus'... they didn't ev'n tell me 'bout the camera... I-I didn't know!
[The camera? What camera? What about it???]
[Despite the questions swirling through Aster's thoughts, they ignore them. Gingerly, they kneel on the floor near Simon - not right next to him, they have a feeling that wouldn't be the best choice. Blood seeps into their pants, staining the fabric, but they pay it no mind.]
Hey...just take a deep breath, alright? It'll...
[It'll what? Be okay? They can't promise that, not to a man submerged in a blood ocean. They trail off, refraining from saying something that might make the situation worse.]
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
[Simon lets out a little noise that sounds almost like a hoarse huff of a laugh, tired and bitter, but it quickly turns into a cough and he hisses in pain instead, bringing his legs back up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.]
If dull's what y'wanna call it, sure.
[He mutters, eyes catching on the slight glint of the pendant hanging from his wrist, his eyes glazing over slightly as he stares at it.]
Think they jus' wanted me t'suffer.
[His voice drops a little, once again mumbling to himself more than Aster, his tone shifting like he's imitating someone.]
'S'just some pictures, Convict. Don' be a pussy, Convict. Jus' a sample, an' then you're free...' tch.
Convict...?
[That's the word that manages to catch Aster's attention, somehow. They could guess it wasn't just some normal nickname.]
You're...You weren't free?
[Much to their own surprise, a hint of pity seeps into their tone. The concern, they expected, but to feel pity on someone they hardly knew? A voice echoes in their mind, a wisp of a memory. You're getting soft, Aster. Why do you give a damn about them?]
[They try to push that thought to the back of their mind. Now isn't the time.]
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
[Simon feels a spark of anger in his ribs at Aster's muttering, but he's too tired for it to catch and turn into a flame, smothered by the heavy haze that crowds in around him. It would be disconcerting, if he was coherent enough to care - anger has always come easily to him, before - but he just grunts instead of arguing, even though he's not sure he believes Aster, the blurry, scribbled lines of the map dancing in his vision. Oh. Is the room spinning again? He can't tell.]
Mn. M'kay. Not f'rever, then. Years? I... it's... it all... blurs t'gether.
...I understand the feeling.
[Aster paces in a small circle, their gaze flitting over the console, the camera, the map, before landing back on Simon.]
Why are you down here in the first place? To map out the ocean? Surely your kind isn't dull enough to send one person alone - you're fragile little beings.
[They falter, realizing how that might come across.]
No offense, I mean. We can't all be immortal, can we?
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
[Simon twitches as the step forward - not quite a flinch, just a little jolt, a tensing of his muscles that's there and gone again as his eyes lock onto Aster's instead of the starry patches of skin. They asked a question, right, he can do that, he can answer questions, except... how long has it been? His oxygen's still on one light, but he knows it's been more than thirty minutes.]
I- I don't- don' know...
[He answers through a dry throat, his eyes glazing over a little as his gaze wanders again and catches on the scribbles that were once a map, still taped to the wall. No, he couldn't do all that in thirty minutes, it has to have been longer, surely. He doesn't know why the oxygen would still be on one if it's been longer, though. He's probably already suffocated, and this is just his brain's last hoorah before he dies. He's probably already dead, and this is just Hell. Maybe he died on Filament, and this is his punishment. Maybe he was born in sin, and the world above the ocean was just purgatory, before judgement was cast. He doesn't know anymore.]
Forever. C'ple hours. Dunno...
Of course you don't know...
[Aster pinches the bridge of their nose, muttering something about mortals and their terrible sense of time. Like theirs is any better. They follow Simon's gaze to the makeshift map on the wall, their head tilting, though they don't comment on it.]
Well, we can probably rule out "forever" as one of the options. Forgive my assumption, but I believe I'm much older than you are, and I certainly haven't been around forever.
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
[His wide-eyed look loses a little of its instinctual, blind terror as he takes Aster in, but still he just stares, words failing him. How the fuck did his brain conjure something like this? Their skin is painted with stars, for fuck's sake. He barely remembers what those look like, blurry memories of the weak, flickering lights winking out one by one that punctuated his childhood, nothing but hazy, fleeting images as an adult. The fear in his gaze slowly drains, replaced by pure shock, his thoughts still buffering like an ancient machine.]
I...
[Aster frowns, taking a small step closer. Had they broken him? Surely not...right?]
Are...you alright? Don't tell me this form is still too eldritch for you to comprehend.
[They grimace, taking in the cramped sub.]
Mi asrynix...How long have you been in this...what's the word...shit-hole?
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(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
[Simon's breath hitches at the flash of light - it's over so fast, he barely has time for that bone-deep dread to settle in, but it's still startling - scrambling back from it as much as he can when every muscle protests the movement. He ends up with his ass back on the floor and his spine slamming against the console behind him, blood splattered up his already-messy forearms from his frantic movement backwards, and his head thunks gently against the metal at his back as he looks up at Aster, his lips parting slightly in shock, and his glazed, hysterical eyes wide with fear.] Uh.
[Aster's brow furrows as their gaze trails over Simon. They probably should've given him some warning, in hindsight.]
Forgive me, I didn't mean to- There's no need to be scared, really.
[They spare a glance at themself, at their not-quite-human appearance. Their next words could almost be a joke, if it weren't for the concern lacing them.]
Is my figure that unsettling? This is the most human I could look, Simon.
(New thread bc the other was getting laggy lol)
[Aster sighs, like they'd expected this.]
I'm not planning to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-
[They mutter something in a foreign tongue, although it sounds like it's probably a curse.]
I've been alone for millennia. Hearing your voice is one thing, but it...would be nice to actually see you.
You don't have to say yes. But...think about it. Please.
( @4d-4str4 )
(CONT. FROM)
[Simon mumbles something that sounds vaguely like 'millennia?', frowning and repeating the word to himself, like it's taking him a second to remember what it means. He doesn't even address Aster's reassurance - how would they kill something that's already dead, anyway? - but the last part is what gets him. 'Think about it', like Simon has time to sit and wait for his sluggish brain to make a decision. Like he's ever thought about anything in his life. Even being down here was a spur-of-the-moment agreement to the deal. They'd offered him freedom and he'd barely listened to the terms before saying yes. What's one more deal with the Devil?]
Please.
[He whispers before he can think better of it, his chest aching with something more than just broken ribs. He's still so tired. Tired, tired, tired. How long has it been? How many days, weeks, years since he saw another face that wasn't fleshy and distorted and empty?]
...Alright.
[That's the only warning given before a burst of light illuminates the sub. It vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving a figure standing in its place. Their black hair flows in waves just below their shoulders, and their blue eyes glint in the dim light of the ship. Patches of their skin are oddly dark, dusted with what looks like...stars? It looks like the night sky brushed over their fair complexion, remnants of itself lingering on their skin.]
[Their lip curls as they glance down, seeing the blood on the floor. However, their disgust dissipates as they catch sight of Simon. A faint smile ghosts their features.]
Hello, Simon.
