Catch-all: Emet-Selch

[ercnerd]

Comments

[ktiseos]

They do not, no. Living beings from my star dissipate into their composite aether upon death-- we do not leave corpses behind.

[ercnerd]

No corpses, huh? It sounds cleaner. Does anyone ever go missing, leaving you to wonder?

[ktiseos]

I cannot say I have known this to be the case, no... but I would certainly find their soul if they had.

[ercnerd]

Hmm . . .

[He takes a sip of water.]

I suppose it'd be difficult to hide from someone like y . . .

[His easygoing smile freezes in place as he stops abruptly. For a moment he stares at nothing. Then the glass slips out from his hand and he stumbles back one step, back colliding against the counter.]

[ktiseos]

What-- Sieghart?

[he steps forward, but just up to his side, not crowding him against the counter; leaves him that space, just in case.]

What is it?

[are there lingering effects from excursions here too...]

[ercnerd]

[The floor's a mess, but at least he didn't pour himself too much of that water earlier. Sieghart doesn't seem to notice Emet-Selch as he continues to stare ahead, right hand still raised at chest level despite the glass' absence.]

Ju . . .

[ktiseos]

Sieghart!

[setting a hand on his shoulder to shake him, there, to see if he'll snap out of it; emet-selch watches him carefully, though, prepared if he should lash out as a result.]

Can you hear me?

[ercnerd]

[Shaken by the shoulder, Sieghart remains unresponsive for another moment—until he finally blinks, and then his fingers curl in loosely toward his palm on reflex as he becomes vaguely aware of Emet-Selch's sudden proximity.]

Huh?

[ktiseos]

-what happened?

[at least it seems like he's somewhat more present, now, though-- how much, he's not certain just yet.]

You've been unresponsive, the last several moments.

[ercnerd]

[He blinks.]

Uh . . . It was, you know . . .

[His gaze drifts down to the wet floor.]

Whoa, what a mess.

[ktiseos]

The mess can be remedied later. Explain-- if there is something amiss here, then it ought to be known.

[cleaning is not a priority.]

[ercnerd]

[Tell that to Souji.]

. . . Nothing's amiss. I just suddenly remembered what I'd forgotten.

[ktiseos]

[souji can clean it! it all works out.]

... from last week? Or from that excursion of yours? I should think any missing memories from the former ought to have been remedied, already.

[ercnerd]

[Poor kid.]

No, it was from the excursion. [He turns his head to look nowhere in particular.] That explains a few things . . .

[ktiseos]

...a few things such as?

[ercnerd]

. . . That this place is too hung up on the past.

[ktiseos]

...mm. It was used against you, I take it.

[ercnerd]

Whether I'm in this or that dimension, it keeps happening. You really can't count on villains for originality.

[Though . . .

He crouches down to pick up the glass. Miraculously, it's intact.]

[ktiseos]

-what was it that occurred there, then?

[he's grabbing a towel to help with the water.]

[ercnerd]

What else? Unpleasant things.

[His faces scrunches up in distaste as he straightens.]

What I want to know is why that demon kid showed up.

[ktiseos]

What demon kid are you talking about?

[ercnerd]

Nobody that you know. For some reason, it feels like I'm always getting stuck with him these days.

[He drops the glass in the sink with a huff.]

That's how you can tell that these places don't know what they're doing.

[ktiseos]

Ah. More of an annoyance to you than anything, I suppose?

[the towel is also wrung out in the sink.]

[ercnerd]

Yeah.

[Then he's back to leaning against the counter, but this time with his hand empty, as his expression mellows out.]

They are.

[ktiseos]

...just what occurred, on this excursion of yours? I've heard nothing of any happening here, but I do know there was speculation those on the living's end could be relevant. Was there anything gained from it at all?