julius kresnik

[chromatized]

Comments

[chromatized]

[



he goes to the second floor. like a chump ]

[hymned]

[ wow. you found him. between two of the shelves. looking through ... it appears to be some sort of history book? ]

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[ nerd ]







Julius.

[hymned]

[ it's called information gathering??? which, you know, is a normal thing to do when waking up in a foggy who knows where expectedly?


but anyway, he glances up at hearing his name, not entirely expecting it, because huh. so he is here, is he? ]

... Hm? What's up? Need something?

[chromatized]

That's really all you're going to say?

[ why are you like this ]

Not a "hello, Ludger," not a "what are you doing here?" Nothing?

[hymned]

[ a mild, easy shrug, the motion converting easily to his reshelving of whatever book he'd been going through. ]

I imagine the answer to the second question would be about the same as what mine is.

But you're right. Hello, Ludger. Can't say I really expected to see you here. You been holding up all right?

[ Wherever here is. ]

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I wasn't expecting to see you here either, which is why I'm wondering what is your answer?

[ ... ]

I've been alright, though. This place makes me uneasy, but it's not unbearable.

[hymned]

That "I have no idea, actually". Or maybe "your guess is as good as mine."

[ A soft chuckle, maybe a touch rueful? You know. ]

It has ... quite the presence and atmosphere, doesn't it?

[chromatized]

... It's a little like a fractured dimension.

[ there's a certain heaviness to the air, the Dread that lays upon Ludger that's reminiscent of it. ]

Did you see anything?

[hymned]

Nothing any more out of place than the rest of this already is, if that's what you mean.

[ Which, all things considered. ]

Quite the limited space we have to ourselves if that's the case, though. Unless you've managed to make it further in any one direction than I have?

[ ... ]

What's the last thing you remember from before all this, anyway?

[chromatized]

I end up looping around, yeah.

[ Ludger turns away, his gaze falling on the spines of the books. hmmm, "The Rise and Fall of Asamando,"......

yeah, he has no idea where any of these titles are referring to. ]

Elle. You?

[hymned]

... You'd just headed off for work not too long ago.

[ "The Rise and Fall of Asamando," "Be a Big Shot: How to Stop Holding Yourself Back and Cut Your Strings", and ... honestly, why are some of these books next to each other? ]

Of course, then you stopped back by, like you forgot something.

[chromatized]

You know me, forgetful as always.

[ ... ]

I'm sorry I couldn't choose you too.

[hymned]

Oh?

[ Careful, careful. It's not what Ludger actually said, of course, but saying something like that comes dangerously close to saying that your resolve was...

Well. As the proctor of that particular exam, he supposes any deficiency would be on him, wouldn't it. ]

The way I remember it, I was a dead man walking anyway. Wasn't I?

If you look at it from that angle, the right choice was obvious.

[chromatized]

[ come on, bro, seriously? ]

... Do you have to say it like that?

[hymned]

[ ... well, if it's already been done... ]

... I figured it would make it easier for you.

[chromatized]

Just because I killed you doesn't mean I can't mourn you, Julius. If anything, I'd say it's the opposite.

[ maybe it's all terrible and Ludger just feels bad, and only time will heal that! ]

[hymned]

Probably would be better for you if you didn't, really. But I know just saying it like that isn't going to actually do anything.

[ Well. Here they are, now. Having a conversation that wasn't ever supposed to happen. ]

... How's Elle doing?

[chromatized]

[ Ludger narrows his eyes a little at those first statements, but lets it go. For Now. ]

... She's okay. Well- she will be okay. She just... needs time.

[hymned]

I'll bet, after all of what she's been through. But that's good to hear.

[ If she's really going to be fine, then maybe everything was worth it, somehow. Elle surviving implies they caught up to Bisley in time ... implies they might have done something, at the Gates of Judgment. ]

... So. What now?

[chromatized]

What do you mean? We've got a whole bunch of... things happening.

[ they're here, they're (presumably) itemless and broke, they're trying to get a bunch of mannequins to trust them. ]

[hymned]

[ ... ]

It's that simple, is it.

[ Not necessarily. If this is like a fractured dimension then it'll end, sooner rather than later.

But for now... a soft laugh. ]

All right. "Things"— sure, that's one way to put it.

[chromatized]

[ it is Not that simple, Julius, but he won't correct you. ]

Do you have a better way to describe it? Kidnapping? Mass hallucination?

[hymned]

Why don't we go with 'shared mass hallucination.' Considering that it sounds like I very much shouldn't be here, from your perspective, and I'd ... really rather you weren't wherever it is I ended up anyway.

[chromatized]

Saying things like that just makes me worry more...

[ why are you like this ]

Just because you are here doesn't mean I'm unhappy to see you. It's just- unexpected.