towerofanimus | 1. Wisdom

Entry tags:

1. Wisdom

[Characters]: Jade Curtiss, OPEN
[Setting]: Room 1-06, Floor 5, 19, 45, Cafeteria.
[Format]: Prose to begin, but I'll follow your lead if there's something else you prefer.
[Summary]: Jade's arrival in the Tower and what he finds there.
[Warnings]: Mild creepiness on Floor 45 but nothing more than that. Yet.
[Edit]: I had Jade looking up information on the Tower on Floor 19. Someone gave me a head's up that there aren't any texts about the Tower itself in the libraries, which is mentioned in the desc for Floor 3 but not 19, which is what I focused on. That's my bad, and it's been fixed. Sorry!

- Room 1-06 -

When he had gone to bed, the night over Grand Chokmah had been still and warm and calm. Could the world really have ended on so peaceful a night?

The note that greets Jade Curtiss when he awakens in a room with an unfamiliar ceiling says so, at least. He pulls himself upright, frowning at any of his new roommates should any of them be present--and if not, simply frowning at the clearly lived-in room simply for being--and then reads the note carefully.

His expression does not change for a moment. Then the fingertips of his left hand rest on the bridge of his spectacles while he sighs.

He is out of bed, ignoring for the moment the suitcase that is set up at the foot of it, and examining himself and the blue-liquid collar around the top of his neck, just above the collar of his usual military uniform, in the first mirror he's able to locate.

Then he is out, only briefly in the corridor outside his dorm room before he heads to the most logical first destination.

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- Floor 5 -

Jade silently observes the state of the world on the other side of the viewing station screen: everything dead and dust, from the humans to the planet to the stars. He rests a hand on his chin as he watches, a troubled look on his face. He spends a long time in front of the viewscreen, changing angles and locations and so forth. The vision of destruction never changes despite his efforts. In time, Jade turns his back on it, one hand in his pocket, one holding his spectacles in place as the glare from the overhead lights obscures his eyes, and walks away.

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- Floor 19 -

It had started in the more general library, which Jade had lingered in for no more than a minute until he was informed of where the actual research texts could be found. Then he brought himself here, and considers the many, many blank spots on the shelves, including and especially the entirely empty history section.

He sighs for the second time that day. "One would think that these 'benefactors' would go to more effort to hide the fact that they're hiding something," he laments out loud, despite being in a library.

Nonetheless, he flips through a few of the remaining astral projection books, then returns them to their correct spots and finds himself a relatively comprehensive text on magical theory; something on the Tower itself would have been ideal, but he hasn't been able to find anything on the topic. At least he can compare and contrast "magic" with the fonic artes he knows. He removes the text and takes it with him to a suitably squishy chair, where he begins to peruse it. However intense his concentration, though, he's not so absorbed that he'd be unable to notice anyone approaching.

That would just be foolish.

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- Floor 45 -

After familiarizing himself with the nature of his new "home," the man known as the Necromancer brings himself to one of the observatory levels. He strolls up to the glass walls, peering through the cracks in the clouds at the empty sky. He's about to turn to leave when motion in his peripheral vision catches his attention, and he turns his head to regard something that might be human if if it weren't clinging upside-down to the outside of a glass wall on cloud level.

And, of course, it didn't have waxy corpse-gray skin stretched all over where its face should be.

Like a lizard, it creeps slowly down, then across, before coming to a halt in front of the long-haired man. Jade watches it without moving. It watches--for a relative value of "watches" given that it has no eyes--him back. When he steps to one side, it follows; when he steps back, it skitters around on himself and winds that way too. As the skies gradually begin to redden, a couple more of the faceless things crawl in, and he amuses himself for a time by walking slowly back and forth across the room and watching as he gradually leads a chain around the circumference of the floor like the Pied Piper of faceless horrors.

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- Cafeteria -

Jade is tempted, once night falls, to go hunting for monsters. For the nonce, he opts instead to get his first meal, having not bothered to eat all day. He heeds the warning and takes a bowl of hot, plain oatmeal as his first meal, then carries it to the first empty seat he finds and eats with all the resigned resolution of a soldier. His expression is somewhat distant as he eats, but the moment anyone speaks to him, it transforms into a pleasant smile.

This may be a trap.

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It's always that way with Jade, though, so at least Asch is prepared for it. In spite of bringing over a plate of food, he ignores it for now; examining Jade is at least worthy of his full attention for the moment, given how little the man usually gives away.

That hasn't changed - of course it wouldn't. This Jade is pulled from an Auldrant dead by only hours.

"I was more referring to the fact that I've been in this place a year, by their calendar, as of yesterday," Asch comments instead. "You missed the party." There wasn't actually a party, and he probably wouldn't have invited the man in front of him if there was. Maybe he's starting to understand that twisted sense of humour.

"Oh, drat. And here I'd brought my noisemakers and party hats," Jade drawls. Despite this, he now observes Asch as closely as the God-General observes him.

The news that he's been here for a year is very interesting, and verifies that 'unless,' as well as some of the things he'd read earlier in the research library. Convenient. Conscientious of him, too. Asch was generally a useful one when it came to information, even if he's no more prone to tipping his hand than Jade is. The fact that he's gone out of his way to approach him means that he wants something, though, and if he wants something, he may be more willing to share... particularly since he seems somewhat run down.

(On a certain level, it's disturbing to see him that way. Asch was always nothing if not driven. This look implies quite a few things that the Necromancer doesn't like.)

So it's with a more serious expression that Jade asks, "So what precisely did I miss?"

The answer isn't immediately verbal - Asch tips his head back slightly, his expression containing something that might almost be a bitter laugh, but only a chuckle escapes before he slumps his head forward again, resting his forehead in one hand.

"If I start at the beginning, we'll be here all night. The highlights are that we're technically from different destroyed Auldrants, the Tower is more torturous experimental facility than safe haven, and the only thing taken from Auldrant was your soul, which, if nothing else, is at least independent confirmation that you have one."

Also, apparently, Asch has learned how to joke.

He is tired. He doesn't even care about showing that he's tired in front of him. As Asch starts to dip into laughter (however bitter) and jokes, Jade grows more serious. Apparently it's Opposite Day today here in the Tower.

"Oh, good, I'm glad to hear that," he says without cracking a smile. He shrugs one shoulder, dipping up another spoonful of oatmeal. "I feel much more comfortable being told directly that I'm in a torturous experimental facility than receiving written notes saying I was saved from global destruction out of the dubious goodness of my benefactors' hearts."

He pauses to eat a mouthful or two more. Then he continues, "You have confirmed this independently, then?"

He's been rolling on empty for a while, Jade. Possibly, he's fueled by nightmares at this point.

"The kid who saves people does genuinely want to help," Asch replies, a little less counter-intuitively cheerful. "It's the other three administrators you should be concerned for more. The scientist of them, Jason, is the one in charge now." He gesture at the plate of nutrition bars. "You'll be missing the oatmeal by the end of the month just for variety."

The comment about souls, at least, gets a weak smirk. "If you didn't have one, you wouldn't be here. You're not running around a Tower drone, either, so it's good enough for me."

Jade rests his forehead on splayed fingers. "My apologies. I was unclear. I referred to all of that information, not simply the part about souls. Given how suspicious you've always been, I thought you of all people wouldn't be likely to accept all of this at face value."

The scientist, Jason, eh. Jade did read about the rotation of administrators, though the text had skimped on details about the administrators themselves. Asch's impressions here are important. As for the nutrition bars, it crosses Jade's mind to make a quip about how at least it isn't Natalia's pot of unidentifiable sludge, but all considered, he decides it would be inappropriate and needlessly antagonistic.

Which wouldn't stop him normally, but he isn't exactly in a normal situation, even for him.

"What do you know about the individual administrators?" he instead asks. It doesn't escape his notice that Asch has yet to address what he wants, which seems unusual but, if he's truly been here for a year already, not terribly surprising. Jade decides to wait him out and see how long it takes for him to get to it.

Perhaps he'll shock him and turn out to have not wanted anything from him at all. Jade smiles at the staggering unlikelihood of it.

"I'd think even you would consider a year to be enough data to confirm it," and oh, there's a bit of the old Asch, little bitter sparks of irritation. He doesn't particularly want to share the details of what he's experienced with anyone, but least of all Jade. The smile doesn't even concern Asch; he just assumes it to be a part of the usual state of affairs where Jade is concerned.

"In the order generally accepted from most to least dangerous - Ruana, the woman who appears to be in charge of the other administrators, is a woman fond of 'games' of the least pleasant variety. She's extremely powerful in her own right, likely as a result of cannibalizing anyone who crosses her for their power. That's what happened to a previous administrator. She may also be a victim of similar games herself, before the Tower was used for its current purpose.

"Jason, the scientist in charge this month. More predictable than Ruana and evidently less powerful than she is. His experiments are just as horrible as her games, but he is at least fairly upfront about it." From Asch's tone, it's the one point on which Jason gets his respect. "He's the only one of the administrators who has been seen without glamour; his true form has six arms filled with scalpels and a face like a beak. He's also responsible for processing our souls into new bodies when we die." Which oops, just went and spoiled that fr you too, Jade. Sorry not sorry.

"Riki, who is the glamour expert - while not actively malicious towards us the way Jason and Ruana are, he also doesn't typically care to help us out much, either. He's the one responsible for most of the designing of the floors of the Tower we have access to.

"And the last is Zo, who appears to be a child; he is the one who actually brings souls here, and generally seems to want the best for us, but he's usually overruled by the others. He's inexperienced, however." That might be an understatement, but at least the kid didn't screw up the weather again. "Last month he tried to give us a carnival, but it wound up... corrupted is the best word."

"That depends entirely on what you did with that year. Oops--did you forget I was the suspicious sort? My apologies," Jade smarms. Regardless, the vague way he phrases that is intriguing. Jade doesn't know Asch well, but he knows him well enough to feel willing to accept that he did make his own confirmations, whether he admits to it directly or not. That he doesn't share the details on something this important implies either that the information is not something he is emotionally comfortable with sharing or that it's not something that can be shared in so public a place.

Or that he just doesn't trust Jade. Either or. Jade can't blame him; he's not going to stop questioning just because Asch said so, either.

Still, he does listen with due gravity when Asch tells him about the administrators, spooning down oatmeal unconcerned the whole while, even when Asch describes Jason's "true" form. Even when he talks about souls getting processed into new bodies upon death. To Asch, this may look like typical Jade, unfazed by anything. And it is part of that, but it's also that he's already read and heard of some of these things already, albeit not in this much detail. More interesting to him right now than the deaths and soul-processing (which touches on something Jade really doesn't want to consider right now) is the glamour. He'd read about that too, but...

"Mmm, yes, I can imagine," Jade muses at the end, in regards to the carnival.

He probably can imagine, which is the frightening part.

"So Zo would be the 'good cop' to everyone else's 'bad cop' or, I suppose in Riki's case, 'indifferent cop,' then," he muses, setting down his spoon in his now-empty bowl, threading his fingers together as he leans his elbows on the table. "How charming." A beat. "Can you tell me more about the glamour?"

Jade forgot the option of "not emotionally comfortable thinking about more than he has to" which is really the most relevant one. Talking about the glamour instead is a subject he dives into readily.

"It's a systemic illusion that can be said, roughly, to make things function the way we think they should. Our bodies, our powers, and most of the floors are all functions of the glamour." He waves a hand at the nutrition bars and empty oatmeal bowl. "Jason doesn't bother glamouring the food, or I'd use it as an example. You'll see next month when Riki has charge of it; it looks and tastes like exactly what it seems to be. Even if you cook it yourself, your brain is fooled by the glamour into believing you went through the correct motions of cooking it, when in reality, it's this - " And he picks up a nutrition bar, breaks off a chunk and tosses it lightly in the air.

"The same with clothes - all we actually have are the white suits we wake up in. Hair, scars, facial features - all glamour. It's a wire outline of a body filled with the collar fluid and a soul trapped inside." Hence the certainty that Jade has one, evidently. Asch drops the piece of nutrition bar back onto the plate, leaning a bit forward to rest his chin on one hand. "Likewise our abilities - if I were to turn hyperrsonance on this table, it would still be destroyed, but because the glamour is imitating what should happen."

A short huff of amusement. "Which is, I'm fairly sure, the only reason someone hasn't brought the walls down around our heads yet. They're not affected by glamour imitations of abilities."

That's a conclusion that will come with a little more time. Despite all the warnings he's received, despite how run-down Asch looks, Jade doesn't quite yet comprehend just how bad it can be in the Tower.

He'll learn.

For now, Asch gives his explanation on the glamour, quite promptly and thoroughly. It's beginning to feel a little odd, having the Bloody be this forthright. Nonetheless, Jade listens, glancing down at the table and its contents when Asch gestures.

"I see. I'd read a bit about it, but... not in this much detail. I'll have to try cooking something later today or tomorrow, see how it works for myself," he muses. "Though I imagine if the glamour is as powerful as you say, I won't really be able to perceive the nuances."

That being the case, cooking is a waste of time. Easier and quicker to just eat the nutrition bars and be done with it. Still, it's not so complicated that giving it a try would be a total waste of time; all he'd have to do is fix himself a sandwich. Hardly a Herculean feat, no matter how Natalia might make it look sometimes.

Jade glances down at his uniform when Asch goes on to the matter of clothes and abilities. He hadn't tried using anything in particular yet, but... It's simple enough to lean back and call up his spear out of the contamination effect. Or at least it feels that way. If what Asch says is accurate and their "bodies" are nothing more than wire-frame puppets, this spear doesn't even really exist, no matter how much it might have heft and weight. A curious feeling.

The weapon vanishes again in a flash of green-and-white light. "How prudent of the architects," he remarks dryly. "You said that Jason was seen without the glamour. Was that something he did of his own will, or was it a result of one of the power flickers I've heard about?"

Asch is interested enough in keeping people alive and sane as long as he can, especially others from Auldrant. It's another thing Jade will come to realize over time, the combination of mother-hen and bitter honesty that colors Asch's interactions with newcomers most of the time.

"There's not ingredients for anything else right now," Asch supplies, his expression going sour at it. Sorry for cutting off that line of experimentation ahead of you, Jade. "You might have some luck hunting down meat, but there's not a lot of that this time of year either."

The familiar spear gets a wary look - sure, Jade's probably not going to stab him today, but you can never be too careful. There's a practical bent in Jade that Asch both respects and tries to keep out of the way of; if stabbing someone is the most practical solution to a problem, he knows Jade won't even hesitate. "If you go exploring, you might want to keep that out," he comments. "Some of the floors nullify glamour abilities, and there's monsters that can do so as well."

"As for Jason, it was intentional, or a side-effect of his intentions, at least. Some friends of mine - " And he's distracted enough to not notice that the word slips out of his mouth, probably the last word Jade expects to hear, " - got into the administrative levels and were using glamour abilities to escape retrieval units down there. Jason deactivated the glamour to reveal them, and - "

The rest of the story stops there, as the glamour in question flickers twice before turning off entirely. It's only the space of a breath, but plenty long enough for Jade to get a look at what was Asch's face a moment ago, now a violet-filled mesh framed by film in the outline of hair. Asch growls under his breath - the sound is the same as it should be, at least - just as the glamour flicks back on.

"You get the idea," he finishes instead.

It will be an interesting realization, certainly. As he'd mentioned to someone else, it's a strange feeling being the ignorant newbie for once, though Jade has been diligently working on changing the "ignorant" part.

"What a shame," Jade says with a sigh. "Though really, if all you're interested in is keeping your test subjects alive, there's no need to bother giving them anything fancy to eat, anyway. From another perspective, what the administrators are doing is the most efficient possible way of keeping us functional." So that they can, by all accounts, rearrange their bodies and psyches, but even Jade the Necromancer preferred live test subjects. After all, he was, in his indiscreet youth, working on overturning death.

The implications of that in his current context is not one he'll allow himself to contemplate. Between that and what Lorelei told him, though, sooner or later it won't matter what Jade allows.

The wary look is duly noted. Jade pretends not to notice it, though he doubt Asch is fooled. "Monsters, too?" he says instead. "That's unfortunate. I'll keep that in mind."

If this spear is only an illusion, then he'll have to fetch himself a real one--not to mention figure out just how strong the local monsters are. Hm. Perhaps he'll go hunting after all.

Asch mentions friends. Jade's eyebrows rise. "Friends, huh?" he says, irony ringing in his tone--but the rest of what he says is too important to (completely) derail with a jab. This is particularly so when the glamour flickers for a breath, giving the fonist a good look at what's under the illusion, before it turns back on.

He does get the idea. However, rather than being concerned or disturbed or anything any normal person might feel, Jade is... smiling. Grinning, even. He looks utterly amused.

He does not volunteer what it is he think is so funny.

Jade should enjoy the experience while he has the chance. For science, and all.

"That's been pretty much my assessment of his reasoning as well. Zo is the only one who really seems to care if we actually like the food, and even then, he gives us the food he likes to eat, as you might expect from a child." Not so different, even if he was an experimental subject himself once. "Riki tends to show off a bit - " The flowery meals of May are what comes to mind. " - And Ruana has... strange ideas about holiday themed meals."

That's one way of putting it, really. The entire Tower would be quite happy if she curbed her enthusiasm a bit.

The single little question about friends is enough to draw the familiar ate-a-bug face out. "What about them?" Jade might not offer an explanation for that grin, but Asch is quick to misinterpret it at being at his expense. Some things don't change completely, and the easily triggered, defensive temper is still around if you know where to prod.

Oh, yes. For science.

Jade thinks back to the redhead in the library and his comment on the administrators. Haa... It really is troublesome to have to deal with so many unruly children.

Jade's also not fooled by Asch's understatement. 'Strange ideas' indeed. He doesn't presume to guess what precisely he means by that, but neither does he assume it's as benign as he makes it sound.

But that's another matter; right now Jade is smiling merrily at something, and Asch assumes it's at the concept of him having friends. Really, this isn't an unreasonable assumption to make. It's not accurate, but it seems like it and Jade's not offering any alternate explanations.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, really," he tells him, smile never budging: case in point. "I'm happy for you, Asch, to have met what I'm sure are very understanding, patient people."

In the face of no alternate explanations and his own ruffled feathers, it's good enough for Asch. The response is accompanied by folded arms and a huff.

"Most of them are more reckless than I am, actually." Sheba in the elevator, the group of them charging at Jason... It's very hard not to smile, but luckily it's Jade he's talking to, so Asch manages. "I'm the voice of caution." Fat chance Jade will believe it until he sees the idiocy of the Tower's populace in action, though.

It seems his little jab went careening over Asch's head.

That will never do.

"They must be some very reckless people indeed if you have to be the voice of reason," Jade muses, still smiling. Only for a brief while longer, though, when suddenly it fades into a frown, eyebrows furrowed. Then he sighs, touching fingertips to his forehead.

"Oh, dear. That is unacceptable," he mutters, ostensibly to himself.

Whatever that was about, he looks Asch in the eye, more serious this time around, if still as calm as ever. "So, what is it that you and your friends are trying to do? It's my understanding that the Tower has an expiration date, if that countdown is any indication."

It does occur to Jade that Asch's reason for approaching him might be to try to get him on his side. If that's the case, he'll wait for the offer. Jade wouldn't be against it, but Asch would likely be easier to deal with if he felt he were the one in control. Which, in a very real sense, he is; he's the one with the local-flavor experience, knowledge, and information here.

"I didn't say reason," Asch mutters, with a noise that might have become a chuckle if it went on a little longer. "That's kind of out of the question half the time."

He's probably as gone as any of them, but at least he's still capable of recognizing it. No surprise that hardly any of them listened to each other when they got an idea in their heads.

"We're taking them down," he says, sobering, and there's not much doubt that them is the administrators. "Or killing ourselves off permanently enough that they can't drag us back, if that fails, but funnily enough most people don't seem to consider that an acceptable second option." He did say he wasn't the voice of reason.

"The power depletion and countdown, bringing down the glamour... That's our handiwork, after some enabling by the ex-administrator, Dax. But he didn't exactly leave us a lot of answers, so for the most part we're running blind."

"My apologies," Jade replies, an ironic smile crossing his face. It fades soon when Asch explains to him what his and his friends' goals are.

They're very him--or at least they sound that way until Asch talks about permanent death and having initiated the countdown without having an actual end goal pinned down. Jade's eyebrows go up.

"Pardon me; I want to be certain I understand you correctly. Am I to assume that at the end of the countdown that you and your friends independently initiated, the Tower will indeed suffer from total power failure and be functionally destroyed, along with everyone inside?" he wonders, ever so politely.

"We didn't know what was going to happen any more than anyone else," Asch says, dropping back to irritation because he is so, so tired of this debate. "Knowing what we know now? I'd do it again. I'd do it a thousand times. It's the only reason we've gotten anywhere."

There's a zeal in his voice - sparks in the banked coals. It's probably evident to Jade that there's a rant there waiting to be unleashed, half mad and determined to do something, anything, other than nothing.

It is indeed evident. That's precisely why Jade gives him a long, even, and terribly cold stare. Asch can at least count himself fortunate (?) that if there's any person who would not take this debate and drag it out, it's the Necromancer.

"I see," he states, voice matching the look in his red eyes. "You are your master's pupil, after all."

Because he then stands up, hands now in his pockets, and abandons both Asch and the remains of his meal to start walking away.

"It's nothing like that!" Yes, that is a shout, even if Jade's getting up to leave. Hopefully, Jade wasn't counting on not being followed, because Asch is stomping right after him, grabbing at that stupid pointed cape on the man's uniform.

"Nothing. I don't use people, or lie to them, the way he did to me. I don't create people who are born just to die. And if there's a better solution, a way to get us all out of here that doesn't end in an eternity trapped in a dead world alone, I will be the first person there." There's an edge in his eyes, and a bit of disgust like he'd as soon run Jade through as look at him, and for all the times he's given Luke that look in the past, it doesn't often appear for anyone else, especially now. "Don't you dare compare me to him."

Jade had hoped that Asch wouldn't throw a fit at him; he had expected otherwise. As usual, his expectations, not his hopes, are what come true. Asch fixes him with that glare of total revulsion when he grabs hold of his uniform, and Jade turns to meet his eyes with cool contempt of his own.

For whatever it's worth, he does wait until Asch has finished having his say. When he's done, Jade reaches up a hand to adjust his glasses.

"True. I went too far," Jade remarks--but when he lowers his hand, that cold look is still in his eyes. "At least when Van set out to kill everyone in the world, he knew what he was doing and had a plan for what to do afterwards. By your own admission, Asch, you're fumbling in the dark. You'd be the first one to seek a 'better solution'? Please. You just said that you'd consign everyone to permanent death again without regret. Don't insult my intelligence.

"I understand that you must have gone through much in your time in this place; I really don't care. If you and your friends want to destroy yourselves, be my guest. However, I am not interested in joining you. On principle, I cannot agree with someone aiming for total destruction." With a motion almost delicate, Jade attempts to tug his cape out of Asch's grip. If he succeeds, he'll once again move to leave. "Thank you for the information. Now, if you will excuse me, I will find my own solutions."

He's balling a fist to slug Jade while he's here, but manages to think better of it before the hand gets above his waist.

"Believe what you want," he snaps instead. "But don't you dare try to pass judgement on me. You haven't even been here a day. You haven't seen Auldrant so dead it doesn't even decompose, you haven't had your own body stolen from you while you scream inside of it, you - "

He cuts himself off, abruptly letting go of Jade's uniform. "If you want to go off on your own, fine. I can't stop you. Try not to die." And with that he shrugs back under his cloak and turns off, back across the cafeteria towards the almost empty kitchen.

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1. Wisdom

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the glamour should totally flicker at some point during this conversation

I'm down with that - and of course the experience youngsters should lead the way n_n

three or four tags then

works

hell yeah also tldr

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wow I was a lump all day SORRY

No worries, had plenty of other tags to respond to

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Haha and now it's my turn to take forever, weekdays are always bad for me

pfft no prob

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did you hear? REEL POWAHS SUUN

I did hear!

If you want to handwave having Jade hear of it from Asch, go for it

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yeah because Asch is just going to let him walk away after that

haha yeah, Jade is not exactly being Mr. Diplomatic here

when diplomacy fails, there's always redheads