Initiative.

[trustmods]

The Conductor - Solf J Kimblee - is dead. You've won. You have three new keys, a philosopher's stone, and twenty-three mysterious potions at your disposal. You've had enough of people leading you around, haven't you? So now it's your turn to take initiative. What will you do now?

Comments

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Patient? Courageous? ...Huh, that's interesting. Ashley considers, with a small touched smile.]

Well... I guess there is a bit of that in me...but that's kind of the point, isn't it? Everyone has a bit of everything...but it's what you value, what's important to you that determines where you go, in the end.

[A nice emotional conversation capped by Harry Potter, ain't this just like them?]

...Huh. I said I'd never understand you, but... [This feels nice, doesn't it?]

[crimsonchin]

...It's just that I'm letting you in a bit more, is all.

[ She doesn't think there's much more to it than that. ]

And I'm...starting to change the way I think. Just a bit. This place kind of turned me around. ...Doing things the way I was doing them wasn't exactly getting me anywhere, as much as I hate to admit it. I don't know if this is going to get me anywhere, either. But...

It's a second chance. To go along with an earlier metaphor of ours, it's not quite a "reload from an old save" as much as it is that we had a "0 life" the whole time. ...So I want to do things differently, before we game over again.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Maybe... Maybe reloading is kind of bullshit, anyway, right? Can't go back. Only...forward. [Butterfly effect. It matters, sure. But they really can't change it.] A..."0 life" works better. I like that.

[Those other Ashleys, those other worlds, the choices she made differently... They're important. But they're not her.]

...I'm glad that you're giving this a try. This...new thing. I bet- you'll get something out of it, Asuka. Something good. I know you will.

[crimsonchin]

...Yeah. You're right. Living in the past...it only causes you grief.

[ "Mama, please, I'm begging you, Mama, please don't stop being my mother..." ]

And...we can't let our phantoms define us.

I'm going to become stronger than I ever could have been by myself. ...And you're going to watch me, Ashley.

We're getting happy endings, if I have anything to say about it.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[How are they going to be able to see each other again?

...Somehow. They found a way to survive this. They'll find a way to do that too.]

Exactly. We'll move forward and...and make life better, however we have to. You...and me. Both of us. [There we go. Good job, Asuka.

Congratulations.]

[crimsonchin]

Yeah.

[ "Asuka..."
"Mama..?"
"Come to Heaven wi You mustn't die! You must live! You're alive!"

... ]

...We'll just have to do it together.

[hashtagafreakingghost]

I think...I like the sound of that.

[crimsonchin]

I'll admit, it's definitely growing on me.