relinquishing: (☽Wraps itself around my tongue)
Guy Cecil ☼ [Gᴀɪʟᴀʀᴅɪᴀ•Gᴀʟᴀɴ•Gᴀʀᴅɪᴏs] ([personal profile] relinquishing) wrote in [community profile] animus_network2013-04-19 06:18 pm

003 | Video | late Friday evening

[It's taken him a great deal of time to get his composure together, after everything is said and done. He might have his body back, but the rush of memories and actions and guilt guilt guilt is enough to make him want to vomit. The images of himself, coated in women, stained in blood, saying one thing while meaning another, leading people astray while knowing otherwise - PRETENDING....

How dare they... How DARE they...

...

As overwhelming as it is, he can't just wallow. Someone HAS to know, and as much as it might hurt to hear it so soon, they have to know immediately.

So Guy slips to a terminal, holding himself composed if not extremely worn... and as strong as he tries to stay, he can't quite keep the small tremble out of his words as he starts to speak.]


If you're hearing my voice right now, then you need to stop and listen. What I'm about to tell you is going to be hard to hear, and I'm sorry. But it's important.

This week was a mess. No one can deny that. But some of you here in the Tower might have been aware of a few of us wandering around, claiming we had "control" of our minds. To some of you, we were your superiors, ordering you to do or say things for us. The few of us that had mixed colors in our collars or could maintain a conversation like normal, despite our modifications, claiming that the Administrators had failed and that we were fighting back.

We sent out a message this week, gathering people and information to try and establish what we claimed was a counter-resistance. Many showed up. Many put confidence in us.

[He pauses, swallowing hard.]

That was a mistake.

The truth is that we were just as brainwashed as anyone else... Even more so, I guess. Despite what we might have said or made people think, we were all actors. The few of us you may have talked to were sent out specifically for sabotage and information, all for the ones that did this to us. We were spies, and before coming back to normal, many of us just gave away information that...

[Another pause, a deep grimace crossing his face.]

Well, it might prove to be a disaster for quite a few people. If you spoke to a drone in what you thought was a form of confidence, especially against the Tower or in details of the resistance...

[His expression pains, grimace thinning into a guilty frown.]

Then I'm sorry. We've done something truly horrible.

[...

There's another long pause, the man at the screen tense and quiet. Either he's searching for something else to say, or his composure is about to slip from him. It's hard to tell.]


There's nothing we can do to take it back. Think what you would like of us. But we've tricked you, and you deserve to know. And right now... I'd recommend to be prepared for the worst.

[...]

If you have questions, then feel free to ask. I'm... not sure what any of us can tell you. I'm sorry.

[And with a tired, forced smile, the feed ends.]
bloodyashes: (In disarray)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-22 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's an argument on the edge of his tongue - why do you always have to hide everything - but there it dies. Asch flops bonelessly forward, his elbows propped on his knees possibly the only reason he doesn't go all the way to the floor.]

I see.

[A shudder goes down his spine, and another, and before he knows it he's shaking fully. No wonder the voice had seemed familiar when no other had - it was practically his own voice, after all. And that laugh...

He reaches up to press the back of one hand against his mouth, tasting bile.]
bloodyashes: (In disarray)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-23 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
[It's not pretty. Asch makes a small noise that might be acknowledging Guy, but it's equally possible that it's not. He certainly seems to be pulled off into his own world, as horrible as it is.]

He was laughing...
The whole time, he was laughing...

[It's not really talking to anyone. Another shudder courses down his spine.

He's trying to tell himself that it wasn't really Luke, any more than it had been the real Guy who carefully tucked women into his chains, but it's not working. It hadn't been a simple joy of killing that sent Luke after him - it wasn't until he'd been recognized that his replica got violent. Luke had gotten joy specifically from killing him.

There's another faint noise as Asch chokes back more acidic spit.]
bloodyashes: (Okay that kind of hurt)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-23 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Under Guy's hands, his shoulders seize up for a moment, jerking as his body fights with him over where the contents of his stomach are going to end up. It might be lucky that Asch hasn't eaten anything since returning from his droned state, because if he had, it would definitely be coming up right now.

As it is, the horrible taste fills his mouth and burns his throat, but all that gets past his lips is enough to make the back of his glove a bit wet. Asch doesn't quite pull his hand away from his mouth just in case, breathing shakily and compulsively swallowing for a couple minutes.

And there's Guy, being his anchor once again - Asch straightens himself a little, but makes no effort to remove the hand from his shoulder.]


I'm fine. I'll be fine.

[It's a very quick amendment.]
bloodyashes: (Maybe he's born with it -)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-23 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
[He swallows again a few more times. Nasty taste and he wouldn't mind some water or something, but - ]

It's passing.

[Also, Guy, no matter how gentle you are about pulling him up, Asch is pretty sure his legs won't hold more than a couple steps. So he is just going to stay right where he is, and you'll have to deal with it.]
bloodyashes: ([F] Lovely but still stupid)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-23 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, at least you get a faint smile out of him, Guy.]

Only if you help hold me up.

[Because... Yeah, he's not going anywhere on his own. The idea just makes him want to curl back up and stay right where he is.]
bloodyashes: (An overlook)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-23 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
[It's a good twenty seconds before Asch even starts to try lifting himself out of his chair, pushing himself up on the armrests before standing properly and taking Guy's offered hand - and yes, his stance is pretty damn wobbly.

There's still a big part of him that absolutely does not want to go anywhere.]


...Thanks.
bloodyashes: (In disarray)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-24 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[There's a small noise of assent as he tries to move forward, his knees shaking badly. It's stumbling, and a lot of weight is on Guy's hand, but with that help, Asch does eventually make it to the end of the bookshelf without leaning too badly or tripping himself. He pauses there, not really wanting to continue but knowing he should anyway.]
bloodyashes: (Just another lurker lurking)

[personal profile] bloodyashes 2013-04-24 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
[And he does spit out the first sip, after rinsing it between his teeth - afterwards, Asch guzzles the entire glass, more thirsty than he'd expected. Then again, he'd avoided the cafeteria since returning; he saw more than enough of it as a drone, thanks very much.

After a minute, he settles himself onto one of the benches, still holding the empty glass in one hand.]


Thanks.

[He is so very glad there's no one else around their little corner, too.]