[It was startling, but he managed to get the glasses off before any glass shards became a problem.
With a disgruntled noise, he covers his eyes once more with his usual shades - stretches out a hand to clean up the broken bits of glass, heating them and melting them into a rounded lump, not even bothering to make it anything more than a solid mass unable to prick or embed. And that mass, he casually cools and catches.]
His lips thin. But it's only fair that Ahito knows this now. There's not much else he could say that would make this boy despise him more.]
I spoke with him. The night before the bonfire he set.
I saw that he was in trouble, and I tried to intervene. The spirit that overtook him didn't like that, and it despised me. You may have heard the gunshot. That is because the spirit in him tried to have him kill me, and he attempted to kill himself in the process to stop it.
When he got partial control back, he begged me to stay with him rather than to get the Sage. He was exhausted and broken, and what attempts at an exorcism I'd tried couldn't get the damn thing away from him. It hid away, and I chose to stay with him rather than do my duty.
[...]
The second I fell asleep, though, he was gone, and you were being dragged away instead when I finally roused.
[And now Ahito knows why the ghost was weirdly and VIVIDLY pissed off at Solomon showing up to the barbeque and threatened to shoot his head clean off the second he was in eyesight! Yippee.]
Who's to say, at this point. I could have been putting Tatara in incredible danger to bring him in front of that spirit, given what his goals were. I could have seen him slip away if I'd left the room at any point. Or I could have avoided an incredible amount of pain for all of us, had I spoken up when I had the chance.
...
But we can't exactly rewrite our steps, or the decisions we made.
The way you and Akira both have acted after all of that... I just don't want to see you both feeling like you must be a burden to everyone, just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
You're not. But in this, you both are worrying me sick.
[you youths and your Coping Skills]
I already have enough wrestling with my soul at the moment. Perhaps more literally than I would like right now. At least for a little while, I just hope you both would be kinder to yourselves.
Magic for a wizard comes from emotions. From the heart. And mana stones contain what is left of a magical creature's power.
So what do you think happens, Ahito, when the magic in those stones, filled with someone else's heart, enters your own? What happens when those feelings are strong? What happens when that will did not want to break?
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He's pushing himself to the edge of the bed despite how his limbs tremble.]
Ahito-- [Ah, there is no way he's gonna be able to stand like this--] -- hey, are you alright?
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[It was startling, but he managed to get the glasses off before any glass shards became a problem.
With a disgruntled noise, he covers his eyes once more with his usual shades - stretches out a hand to clean up the broken bits of glass, heating them and melting them into a rounded lump, not even bothering to make it anything more than a solid mass unable to prick or embed. And that mass, he casually cools and catches.]
...Guess they're spent.
[Damn.]
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[He weakly points to the bedside table.]
Leave it here. I could use the glass for something else, so there's no need to trash it.
No after effects so far? Your ears, or eyes, or thoughts?
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[He shudders a little. Ugh.]
Well, I'm glad they were of use to someone... though you don't look all that happy with what you found.
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...You never did answer what happened with Akira.
[And while he saw some flashes, it didn't exactly paint a complete picture.]
Cw: uhhh suicidal skirting because hi akira
His lips thin. But it's only fair that Ahito knows this now. There's not much else he could say that would make this boy despise him more.]
I spoke with him. The night before the bonfire he set.
I saw that he was in trouble, and I tried to intervene. The spirit that overtook him didn't like that, and it despised me. You may have heard the gunshot. That is because the spirit in him tried to have him kill me, and he attempted to kill himself in the process to stop it.
When he got partial control back, he begged me to stay with him rather than to get the Sage. He was exhausted and broken, and what attempts at an exorcism I'd tried couldn't get the damn thing away from him. It hid away, and I chose to stay with him rather than do my duty.
[...]
The second I fell asleep, though, he was gone, and you were being dragged away instead when I finally roused.
1/4
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...I fail to see how Tatara would have been able to help with any of that anyway.
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Who's to say, at this point. I could have been putting Tatara in incredible danger to bring him in front of that spirit, given what his goals were. I could have seen him slip away if I'd left the room at any point. Or I could have avoided an incredible amount of pain for all of us, had I spoken up when I had the chance.
...
But we can't exactly rewrite our steps, or the decisions we made.
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And yet...
And yet...
...]
...Don't insult me. You really think I'd fall for such obvious bait?
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[It's said without looking up.]
If you want to hear that as an insult, or as bait, then I can't stop you or your feelings. I'm too tired to argue, Ahito.
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If you couldn't exorcise the ghost, I doubt there's anyone at the manor who could've done a damn thing.
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[It's a gentle question.]
The way you and Akira both have acted after all of that... I just don't want to see you both feeling like you must be a burden to everyone, just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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[He says, extremely convincingly.]
And I already know I'm not a burden.
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[you youths and your Coping Skills]
I already have enough wrestling with my soul at the moment. Perhaps more literally than I would like right now. At least for a little while, I just hope you both would be kinder to yourselves.
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...What do you mean, literally?
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He exhales slowly.]
Did you take any of the witches' mana stones for yourself yet?
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Why?
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Magic for a wizard comes from emotions. From the heart. And mana stones contain what is left of a magical creature's power.
So what do you think happens, Ahito, when the magic in those stones, filled with someone else's heart, enters your own? What happens when those feelings are strong? What happens when that will did not want to break?
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[He regards Solomon, speechless, for a moment.
And then:]
...How many of the witches' stones did you...?
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[He just assumes Itha and Robin ate them all at this point. Give him his share, u monsters.]
What was left of the witch named Sophie fought at me from the second I swallowed her stones.
I doubt there would be a danger of possession. But... [His lips thin.] It's incredibly uncomfortable, to put it lightly.
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...And she's still fighting you, even now?
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