dev 9 - talk with ashalle

Ashalle asks, "Enjoying yourself?"


Keitaro says, "Beats bleeding out in caves, I suppose."

Ashalle asks, "Would you like a walk?"

Keitaro says, "Well... okay."

"...There was a conversation that we had once - when you were younger." A slight pause is given as she soon displaces her sandals...Opting to merely set her feet within the slow moving river. "I believe that it was something along the lines of...Heroes and villains? Brutality - what's right, what's wrong...Something along the lines of such. But I'm sure that you can remind me."

 She glances within his direction and then back towards the open ocean once more. Her feet steadily kick...Perhaps, almost child-like despite her own brutal nature. "You're smart. And your memory is better than mine.." She was far too short-sighted...Only remembering key moments from her past and present...Due to looking ahead far too much.

 Perhaps, it was a good thing though- to never look back. "I liked arguing with you." As grating as it might've been, she saw it as..

 Interesting.
(Ashalle)

Ah. It's not the first time someone brought this up to him, even as he grew older.

This memory brings about nostalgy, one when times were much more simpler and he actually still had people that cared for him, and perhaps, the people he cared about. The whole conversation the other day and struggle he's been put through prompted him to realize a simple truth - sometimes, he just has to put himself ahead of anyone else, and it doesn't matter what others say.

"A lot changed since that time." Steadily, he settles himself down, albeit slowly; he might've received superficial treatment to heal him slightly, but majority of the wounds still remained. Thankfully, it's not the first time he has to endure something like this, so he doesn't seem very bothered.

"It's not about heroes or villains anymore. It's just doing something that would make Agartha better as a whole."

"You? I can't shake off feeling that you're doing this because you were hurt - and the story you told me before just confirms as much. Whether you're a 'sin' as they call you or not, you were still helping them get rid of Sors and his pawns."

"It's Sors and the people similar to him that have nothing to relate to, nothing to reason with. They're here just for destruction and slavery."

Then again, they sided with Fallen Angel, didn't they? But... it felt like it was something temporary for Briar, something they did because they wanted advantages.

"Even you are siding with Akasha just to reap some rewards or advantages over others, aren't you?"

"You don't really believe in his cause."
(Keitaro)


"It sounds like you're admitting that I was right." There was something about being right that had made her smile from ear to ear. As if it were a decadent, succulent treat - perhaps the sweetest of Gehennan puddings, the kind that melts within one's mouth or upon the tip of the tongue. It makes her laugh then - when she tells people of how the world is and how they deny it. When she says that fighting and being devastating is necessary when in the face of an enemy...Otherwise, there will be no learning. Otherwise, there will be no looking away. In the end, however, she nods.

"That's the sense that I've always been looking for. Someone who doesn't get caught up within the usual 'cops and robbers' or 'hero vs villain'...It's all so boring to me. All so wasteful." She hated it. Because the theme had been a part of her life for quite some time. Others walking up to her, screaming that they'd save her. Only to fail by either her escape, them giving up, or them dying in some strange, unconventional way. It just got to the point of where she didn't want any of that. She didn't even find thrill when someone would say such a thing...However...

"Why do we do anything that we do? I can admit...Perhaps, the younger me was heartbroken as a child. I didn't even want to be a chieftain...I just wanted to be there, watching my friends rise to the top. But...Something went wrong. I'm not sure where...I just know..." It was one of those nights after she killed Ashley Praniel, that something inside of her had snapped. Perhaps, a dream where she relished driving the dagger through her throat. Or perhaps, when she had come before judgement infront of the elders and got sentenced as 'guilty'. Hmm..

"...I suppose in that manner that I was used by Levengard. Although, we weren't really allies at all, just underneath a similar cause. Admittedly, I wouldn't have touched Dawn had they not killed my Kamui. I'd had preferred to keep my business out of Levengarde's issues, just as they'd do with mine but...Ah, well. That's how the cookies crumble." A shame, really. But it almost made her think that he was attempting to place her in an area of light.

 She's everything but that, however.

"I can do the occasional good every now and then, you know. And maybe...Helping for a moment might've helped me out. But Levengardeis just as short-sighted as I am. It's quaint. Maybe that's why they'll die out eventually." She pauses in silence. Animosity. The subject of the angel brings about images that flutter within her mind.

 A caged bird trilling. A song speaking of freedom, only to be shut down by crimson, vermillion blades. They had the power to remove this comfort...To take away this sin. To end her very life. But would she tell him that? Would she tell him that she had no choice in the matter...And is only making the best of what she could do? After all...Why be forced to work and get no pay out of it?

 In the end, she opens her mouth...But a heavy sense of pride would flutter forth. It chokes back her words, making her laugh instead...Sincere, innocent. It hangs upon the wayward winds before she responds.

"I believe in my own cause, but sometimes...Ah...Well.." A pause. She shrugs. "It's not something you'd understand or see. So, let's talk about these people that left you." A quick change of subject. She does not like this topic...

 It makes her disheveled.
 It makes her feel...Dark.
 It makes her enraged.

"What do you think started it all?"
(Ashalle)

Admittedly, saying such things- and in his position- would be very bold, but what is Keitaro if not terribly honest person? Even if it would earn her displeasure, he'd still say it anyway, just like he said all those things that separated others from him.

"I wouldn't say it makes you right... it's just the aspect of 'necessary' is a lot broader than I originally thought. The more I grew, the more I realized that being conventional hero from the fairy tale is not possible. People will always find ways to screw you over, to do harm to you and even break your heart, even if you had the best intentions on your mind."

"But people rarely see that. They see what they want to see, and I can't tell I really blame them. Maybe I had to get used to understanding the fact that not everyone wishes to see beyond their own vision."

To think that truth earned so much ire upon him... how did all those people that preached for heroic values even remain? Was there a different, darker side to all that story, or did they simply make everyone see it that way? Perhaps, Keitaro just isn't the right person to it - but regardless of the reason, he gave up preaching it.

"...And your own cause doesn't mean Akasha's cause, does it?" He arches his brow, peering at her briefly. That's the context he grabbed from her speech as a whole, but he chose not to prod. He may pursue truth, he may be fairly direct- even to a fault- but he wasn't intentionally offensive or insulting. No, he wouldn't last otherwise.

But...

There comes the topic he had come to loathe. The very thing that caused almost everyone to abandon him, to turn away from him and ignore him - unless he would constantly remind them that he exists. Though, he finds humor in that, and an idle, quiet laugh spills from his lips when she asks what started it all.

"I'm not good at shutting up." It may sound amusing, but it's somewhat true.

"I tell people things they don't like to face. I told Ilui that he's become cruel. I told Thalia that she's become cold and distant. I told Percival of my frustrations. I told Adrian of his crazy antics. And..."

"I kept telling everyone what I saw wrong with them. I tried to offer them help, but I was discarded as patronizing individual that just tries to lecture others. I became frustrated, and before I noticed, I was already acting on my frustrations too."

"And... then I was silenced. One after another, they hurt me - some physically, some emotionally."

A pause. He ponders whether he'd make it any differently, if he had opportunity to, but it did build him into something different, didn't it? Something that realized just how fucked up thisplace was.

Not even just Agartha, but its people too.

"I suppose that's about it."
(Keitaro)



"You should start giving credit where it's due." She smiles at the thought - after all, she had lived her life. And she told him that eventually, he would learn that things that happened in the past were necessary. Besides, in the end, she wasn't the one who killed the red haired woman...She commit suicide. Jumped right into the mouth of a volcano. It was...An interesting thing. "But you're right. That's why I believe that most people are rather disappointing. You can only rely on a select few and even then...You can't trust them to do their best."

 A pause.

"The only person that matters is yourself. So why not be selfish for a little bit? Why not take a little more than the usual? Why not enjoy yourself in the moment a bit more?" Mocha hands would dip into the water, lightly splashing it within the direction of the dragon.

"It's like scolding a dog with water constantly. If you continue to do so...Then eventually, even it will turn away from you. But I think what's shown is that some people don't like to be wrong...And they most certainly don't like it when you lay their sins out for them, when they know it's bad." A smile..

"...It's like verbally shoving their face in the shit that they've made. However, you're right. My cause is not Akasha's own." It would, probably, be the only thing that her own sin would allow herto say. Any calls of help, any attempt at admitting that she was forced...

 Would end in her own death.

"Pfft...Yeah, I can see that being an issue. You were kinda mouthy as a kid. But ah...well.." She looks down to the waters, her smile widening. "But to some degree, you weren't wrong. Perhaps Thalia is cold and distant...I know of Ilui being cruel, and Adrian...Well...He's an entire nutcase." A shrug. She honestly doesn't see why they would ignore him. But for now..

"You've had it hard. But...The hardest part has yet to come. So, let's say 'hypothetically', you do get out of here unscathed. Alive. With all of your pretty little limbs intact. What would be the first thing you'd do with your newfound freedom?"
(Ashalle)

He often pondered why he can't be simply selfish like the others. At times, it felt like a curse to even care for others this much; it would be much easier to just turn away and do your own thing, without others affecting your life. And yet, here he is, with everyone turning their backs on him and now stuck in Briar. It's difficult for him to know what his future awaits - but it's not difficult to know that things could be vastly different.

"I don't know. I try to pursue my own objectives, I try to actually do things that would benefit me only, but... no matter how much I try, I cannot ignore woes of others. I cannot turn my back on someone who needs help, as I did for those I used to call my friends - even if it means they will turn theirs on me later."

"Maybe I'm cursed. Maybe I'm just stupid in that regard. Who knows?" A mild shrug. His eyes drift somewhere else, staring at the waterfall ahead of him; it reminds him of the days when he had visited different places with significant other altogether, but these days are all long gone. He will never experience them again.

"I don't know whether I was truly right or wrong. I acted on what I saw, and that's what I saw. I felt that I was doing what's right, and even if they didn't like it, I feel that it was necessary." Maybe it's precisely why they didn't like it. It's one thing to be self-aware of your issues, and it's entirely another when someone just points them out against you.

After all, some might view it as just having dirt shoved in their faces.

"Well..."

"If I do get out of here alive, and hopefully with my limbs in tact, I still had things to do as I said. The war on Dusk is nigh, so I'd definitely participate in war, if I'll be still there in time."

"After that? There's work to be made to ensure peace all over Agartha, and brighter future. It's... a lot to take on, and I realize that, but it doesn't intimidate me."

"I don't want to be the dreaming. I want to be the waking."

A quiet murmur. Whether it's his young heart that still had such big dreams or it was the deep-seated conviction, it's hard to tell, but it was there...

"I don't know what else I would do. Anything else would feel like I'm wasting my life away for nothing."

(Keitaro)



"That sounds rather unfortunate. That you can't live life for yourself since so many others are going to need help constantly. I can't imagine...What it would be like to try to save a people that have turned their backs on you." A pause is different. In a way, they were similar and different. The same way his friends turned their backs on him...Her chieftains and leaders did as well. But what she sought was much different. It spoiled her, rotted her from the inside out. But to her, it seemed that it made his resolve become only stronger. His fall...Was not like her own. He was able to climb again.

"Some things just don't change. And maybe...You'll be one of those rare things that stay constant." She looks away, if only briefly, a shrug. "Yeah, I think you're pretty stupid, if you ask me.... But it's somewhat noble. It makes you quaint. Cute, even." She just shakes her head from left to right, laughing..

"You're funny. Stupid, but funny." She just laughs. "You've got years and years ahead of you if you're going to do all of that. So...Good luck with your own endeavors. I just don't think that it'll work. But...You don't need me to say it. You'll find all of that out on your own." A shrug. And then a pause...

 She can relate to that young heart. That feeling of wanting to wake others up. In all honesty, what she had wanted was to unite Agartha underneath one banner...But not that of Levengard and Huangzhou. They were filled with too many liars, too much deceit. If Agartha is to be free...Then it cannot be underneath the palm of the demi angels or the light..

 It must be given a chance to be its own entity. "There's something you could do, if you don't mind me saying it." A shrug. "After you leave here. You should take something. Anything for yourself...It doesn't matter what, but, I think you need to know what it's like to enjoy yourself more. Maybe then, you can see how it feels to not be so...'Pressured'. You're not some old hermit." A shrug.

"You're you. And what you should do...Is enjoy what's here. What's now. The thrill of itall."
(Ashalle)

There was at least one constant that never changed about Keitaro.

He may have grown a little more distant from people, no longer relying on them so much, but he never truly stopped believing that by helping them, things could be fixed. If everyone ends up hurt like this, then everyone would be far too jaded to make any good change on Agartha; if everyone lives for themselves, then Agartha is doomed.

"...It's more along the lines that nobody cares about each other, which I think is wrong. Many of Agartha's woes come from the fact that we're basically nobody to one another. People are killed everyday for pettiest reasons, and nobody ever cares to see through the eyes of another."

"It's that lack of care, lack of consideration that turns people's hearts dark. The conflict is inevitable, it's true... and people will die regardless of how much effort is done for peace"

"But does it really have to be so cruel at core?"

It's probably childish and too much to tackle on alone, but it would be his own adventure to undertake. The resolve of Shenlong was tough to break, and while his own journey as a magi was really only starting, for he was still young and far from best prime, eventually he'd get there and make an impact.

He knows that he will.

"Take something?" It's not exactly uncommon concept for Keitaro, but he was surprised of her saying that. "You don't mean from here, do you? And if you do, then what?"

The Shenlong did not forget that he's still a captive. They may be sitting here, talking, but for all intents and purposes, he's collared. He's bound. He's vulnerable - he doesn't have the luxury to let himself go easily.

"Or do you offer something else that I'm missing on?"
(Keitaro)


"On the contrary, people care for one another. I think it's only natural. However, when there's times of war...Then I suppose that it can't really be helped." A pause is given, her lips pressing together in idle thought - her gaze darkening considerably. "Imagine how things happened...A single angel shows up and drops its half-blooded children off. The children grow up and start a war that they believe that they can contain. It sparks an entire revolution, setting Agartha on fire....Only for that to repeat itself once more." Her head tilts.

"Does that not seem wrong to you? How the divine continues to appear...How every time some super natural being comes, the balance is interrupted...? There was peace once back then...Shakey, but it was there with each side respecting itself. Back then, there was a chance but now...Now, you get to see the most cruel side of people. The truth of humanity...How they're all nothing more than rabid animals in times of war. When people don't think...And instead, act on first instinct." A pause.

"Much like you did when you went to assist your friend in attacking us." Her gaze slowly drifts from the waters edge to Keitaro's face, her gaze narrowing. "Cruelty...It only happens when you've got things to lose. When you've got shit to prove. And no matter what you do, no matter how you might bend your back, people will always see you as cruel." A hand lifts, the droplets of water falling back to the surface of the river - shattering her own reflection.

"You were cruel too, you know. To your friends. You might not have beat them but your words may have been worse than any dagger." A shake of the head. And then a smile.

"And heavens no..Not from here. And if it is, don't tell me..! Just take something that you might like. It can be small. Miniscule. But take it for yourself. And try to live for something other than saving people that don't want to be saved."
(Ashalle)

Even if people cared, then it didn't seem very likely to the Shenlong. Unless, she meant the care that people give to those that belong to their own side, but that would be a given, of course... people do care for their own friends and loved ones, that's simply inevitable.

"What I meant is that they don't care to see the view of another. They don't really care to see what others feel or what drives them. They just don't."

But maybe it's the entirely different perspective he had on his own. While he listens to her tale, he can't make a critical approach to her words- he didn't know how Agartha was like back then, for he was just the tiny child; he had no idea how it's like out there, and he couldn't tell the difference. He simply didn't know the world.

"... I do feel it's wrong, to some degree."

"I see someone like Calael, and I see that they really try to 'redeem' what he views as evil, but then there's Thera, who's just a hurt woman that lost too much. At times, when I hear about her tales, I can't help it but understand why she's like that - the cruelty of Agartha changed her to the worst, to something cold and distant."

"Now, she's just doing what she thinks must be done."

Though, he offers a shrug when she makes a point that they were quite animalistic in jumping them. It's somewhat true, but Keitaro had his own reasons, really. Ones that he decides to voice.

"I get that."

"But whether you pursue your own cause or not, whatever true reasons compel you to do it..." He idly drifts his gaze to her, almost like he knew. "... you still further Akasha's agenda, one way or another."

"It's not to say I'd get you killed, no, assuming I even could. The only people that really deserve death are the likes of Sors Ultovex. But... you still had to be stopped. Restrained from it, perhaps?"

"And here... this is what I mean by not shutting up." Another idle laugh spills from his lips. Where is it seen that a prisoner would just admit what they'd do, in case of victory? It's fairly bold, but he doesn't seem afraid.

"Well..."

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll look for something to take, then."
(Keitaro)


 Making promises that you cannot keep is just another lie. And within her life - she dedicated it to finding answers. The truth of why she is present within this world. The truth as to why they've continued to go through this cycle- bleeding, dying for these artificial pockets of divinity on this god forsaken island. What...Is the history behind all of it? What...Is the cause? That. Was her true objective when it came to Agartha...Not endless bloodshed, not war. Not battle. But when people aim to destroy the one thing that matters the most to you...It cannot be helped. And it only adds to the reason as to why she cannot leave this world empty handed.

 Not now.
 Not ever.

"Some take out the time to listen, but really...Out in a world like this, is it possible for you to really care for others when you haven't gotten the chance? From the moment we get on this island, we're taught that the only thing that matters is family and survival....If those two are in question, then people will do what it takes. even if its senseless. But you're right.." A pause is given. Her gaze darkens, her teeth grinds together..

"There are some of your kind that are nice. Sweet, even...I know little of Thera save for the woman that fought me as a child. That had given me a new outlook on life...I, however, imagine that things will be different in our second meeting. Assuming....That these battles become more." She goes silent, as if...Expecting to fight the Elisheva some day.

 It'll be...Nostalgic.

"Corrupted light is just as bad as the dark, if not worse. It only blinds and burns...And I fear that's what is going to happen." A look up to the sky. "But I refuse to be purged by the likes of Levengard and Cruxati. And I promise...That I will not be caged for much longer by any man, creature, or divine." It is rage. Fury. Anger.

"I will be free. And I'll set Agartha free too." In some way. In some manner. She will be free to do as she pleases. And she will do what it takes to survive, even if it might cause her to sink lower in this despair. As long as the others can see her...As long as Ahmir, Ashiya, Ashen, and Amaru are watching. Nothing else matters. Nothing else could. But still, she just shrugs..

"You almost sound like Adrian. Without the entire 'I'm going to capture you for myself' ordeal...But in any case, it'snot so bad. Just...Keep a look out in what you might want. Think of the things that you can have before you leave. And then take them without thinking. Maybe...That'll start you on a newer path."
(Ashalle)

He couldn't really disagree with that notion.

It was difficult to really care for anyone out there, unless they had a chance to actually find out more about them. Though... this actually gives him an idea. What if he were to facilitate that sort of information, to actually help people understand the notion behind one another's actions? It's a blind shot in the dark, but it might as well land - it doesn't feel like it's anything that was tried before.

"I suppose it would be difficult to make them acknowledge each other like that. It feels like it'd be a wholly new challenge on its own, where I'd somehow have to make people actually care about one another. But... that feels almost impossible to a degree."

He falls silent in thought. Even if it feels impossible, it doesn't mean he has to give up... it'd be far too late for him to surrender such hopes and dreams of his, and it would be a shame for him to just fall behind like that. No, it's not the fate he could imagine for himself.

"What do you imply when you say that you wish to set Agartha free?"

In his mind, it was probably something... crazy, a stunt that would allow for anarchy to fester, something that would no doubt create chaos all over. Some dreams are just not meant to be realized, and considering that some of these dreams meant to hurt others, it only made sense to keep them down low.

And while he acknowledges the rest of the words about similarity to Adrian, to him taking something for himself, he only listens - he wished to know of what she wants to do.
(Keitaro)



"From the divine. From the angels. From the necromancers. From everything that thinks that it's 'helping' humanity when in actuality...It harms the lot of us." Her gaze flutters briefly. Her smile beginning to widen slightly. "If Agartha is supposed to unite...Then it cannot unite underneath people that represent one side of the coin. It has to come together...And say that enough is enough." But the truth of the matter is that she had seen this before. The corrupted light within people like Reito, who possess a husband with a penchant for death and despair.

 The corrupted light within Thera who executes and wishes to genocide another city for losing one person...In comparison to Ashalle who had lost much, much more. "I want Agartha to be free...From all of those things and focus on the one thing that matters the most. The shards. Our claim to this world....And why. Why they had put such things here, knowing what we'd do for them." Her smile widens.

"I want answers. And I want Agartha to help me find those answers...That's not wrong, is it?" No. But considering the fact that she is a sin...Perhaps there's more to it. Or maybe, that's all. Most claim her as a tyrant, some even call her queen or madame..

 Not once did she ever give herself those titles.
 But she does savor the sound of it when people do acknowledge her in such a fashion.

"Really, that's all. Nothing more. Nothing less."
(Ashalle)

It all sounds good in theory, but the devil was in the details. While being free is certainly good... he can't shake off the feeling that if she were to get to the shards, then something exceedingly powerful could be prompted, something akin to release of Fallen Angel - but now, she would be the embodiment of that very same divinity she tries to fight.

After all, the tale of people rising to something akin to godhood isn't exactly anything new. Just rare.

"Do you want it to spread to the rest of the world, then, should you be able to reclaim the Spires and shards for yourself?" It's a curious question, but he needed that sort of clarification. He had no doubt that it would be something to further her own goals... and can he really blame her for that one?

Literally anyone would do that. Probably, even Keitaro.

"And, well..."

"I'm no judge of what's wrong. I can give my opinion - but theysay the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Were those even classified as good intentions, anyway? To free Agartha, perhaps. He was still deciding what exactly is 'good' for Agartha, and what isn't.

"And if you get them, what next?"
(Keitaro)


Godhood. She believed that attempting to reach such things were rather typical of sins. Especially those that had aligned themselves with pride. Why is it...That she would attempt to reach such heights when she knows that it is impossible? Why not go for something more practical, more brilliant than to be someone that 'governs' over a bunch of lesser? It was boring. Cliché. And most certainly, not her type of thing. Truth of the matter is that she pities those that do such...When the real fun isn't in puppeteering others, but instead, seeing how they respond.

<"So the rest of the world can make weapons out of it and things of that nature? No. We'll use the spires here, for ourselves...To make Agartha rich. To wipe away the blood that has been spilled...To give us. Ourselves. Something much more." A shrug is given, and then a look of curiosity. If only for the moment, she just waves..

"Honestly, I'm not sure what I'd give myself...Never thought that far, but maybe, it's because I'm as short-sighted as they say." She shrugs. It is a dangerous thing to agree with her. But still..

"Although, I imagine that if I get them. I'll be revered. Praised. MY name will be in history and there, I'll be immortalized as the woman who did it. Who stopped the blood. Who raised a nation. And...Made things right. Simple, no?" But that's not all. No, there's something more..

 Something feels...Like it's missing.
(Ashalle)

This felt terribly limited, coming from her.

To simply be remembered in the history? This... felt like something that would belong to Laemor. That claim, that effort, all of it would be belonging to Kitsune rather than this woman. Even now, he can tell that she wasn't quite telling everything - but should he even prod any further? Would he like what he finds out, or would she be willing to share?

That remains unknown.

"You almost sound like Laemor. But... he did take a lot from you, didn't he?" A casual smile. For some reason, he was certain that she was comfortable with making that sort of discussion... but he wasn't sure just how closely or distantly she really held him. From perspective of Kitsune, it looked terribly close.

"Sounds noble of you to even try and stop the bloodshed like that."

"Is it just the fame you seek, then? Just to be remembered and praised by all, to hear yourname chanted?" It felt so full of vanity, then again, she was the pride. Vanity was her vice.

"When you put it that way, I guess it is simple."
(Keitaro)


"Typical...That Laemor would steal from me. I'm not too surprised, honestly." She crosses her arms for that matter, her gaze beginning to shift back towards he boundless ocean. Her relationship with Laemor is filled with complications...After all, there are times when she claims that she uses him. There are moments when she claims that she loves him. And there are moments when she swears that she could end his life...And yet, he is present here, within the depths of her own city. But how...Why? Either way...It wasn't something that she had cared too much for. Actually, she preferred to just...Leave things in the air. Let people come up with things, after all..

 Her relations are really none of their business.

 Nevertheless. "Well, I am a noble woman, after all. You won't find much honor anywhere else." A shrug is given, followed by nothing more than a wave. "It's good. Good to me. I'd like the praise...I'd like the eyes. I'd like for others to be taught of me, to say that I was great...That I made it against all of the odds." Simple, but complex. There is much, much more that she wants but...There's no need to reveal such here. She wouldn't do so anyways..

 For there is always an ulterior motive.

"Everyone in life should look to the more simple things. Even you...But, well...In any case, I suppose that I've had enough of our little talk. It was a pleasure, Keitaro."
(Ashalle)

The lack of desire to reveal more becomes almost tangible, and the Shenlong does not press on. When it's apparent that she doesn't wish to reveal more, he doesn't ask any further- after all, he does not forget that he's still a prisoner here, and the extent of these pleasantries and questions with answers can only go so far.

His own fate hangs by a thread, too.

"I suppose honor can be found in the most unexpected of places." Did he really view her as honorable? That's up to debate. For one reason or another, she didn't end him, even though she knew his goals don't exactly align with her own. Or did she see something else in it all?

"It makes sense in the end, I guess."

And yet, when she ends the conversation with the closing line, all that he does is acknowledge her words at last; to look for simpler things would be an easier solution to his woes, but one he isn't sure would be right. He'll have to see it for himself. But...

"It's been a pleasure, Ashalle."

With that, he slowly rises. He could take a hint when the talk is over.
(Keitaro)