Second 👻 Story [Anonymous Text]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[For the past few days, all Ashley's done is try to figure out how to get the PokéConnect anonymous. It'd been an idea in the back of her mind for a week or so and then- well, it became an urge and now here she is.]

I need to ask for some advice.
This might also turn out to be a moral question, maybe? I'm playing by ear.

The scenario:
You take part in something careless and thoughtlessly cruel. A tragedy occurs. One that costs lives. You've accidentally hurt a dear, close friend.
That friend then methodically and maliciously plans and carries out revenge that inadvertently puts your life, the lives of your friends, and their own life in danger.
What the hell do you do?
Is it right to be pissed when it's your fault it all happened?
IS it really your fault?
What's worse, a horrible accident or a plot purposely designed to hurt others?
How would you try to move forward?
How would you try to forgive yourself?
Do you deserve to?

Consider this a moral quandary if you will. I'd just really like some advice. Some opinions.

Comments

[Private]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

i probably will
i'm very good at making mountains out of molehills
or mountains out of smaller mountains

i can do that
i'm already good at that
it's kind of pathetic how good at doing that i am
but

i'll be better at this
i swear
i promise
i'll find a way to be better at this but for now just
that thing that happened
when you wanted to run off and damn the consequences
did you lose someone?
because i'm sorry dave
i'm so so sorry

[Private]

[callbacks]

yeah
thats basically the thing that happened

[Private]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[Family, he'd said.
Things that have to do with family.
She wants to ask, was it-]

i'm really really sorry for



you know
you kind of
remind me a little of him
josh
the good parts
when he was just
the kid who asked me to hang out with him on the playground
because my name's the same as some guy from a movie
and the guy who teased me about how jumpy i am
and who fought with me about comics or video games
and who i took to a sadie hawkins dance cause i was too nervous to ask chris
so i


you're good too dave
all the bad things that've happened to you
you don't
deserve them either
whatever you've done or
i never got to say anything like that to him
no matter how mad at him i am
it's true
but i'm saying it to you
because it's true here too

so i'm very sorry
and i mean that with everything in me

[Private]

[callbacks]

[Ah.

Ah, okay, he's not. He wasn't prepared for that. His throat tightens and Karkat will probably be able to tell because his shoulders do, too, all the flat of his back. THIS ISN'T THE TIME, SHITTY FEELINGS, he wants to yell down his own trachea, but he just swallows, breathes, and forces himself to chill. Ashley needs help right now, and so does Karkat. He can continue dealing with the new and exciting reality that hearing kind things makes him cry later.

So the pause he takes this time is just that. A pause. The hot feeling in his eyes goes away after he holds them closed for a moment, after he re-centers himself. We're okay.]

yeah
im
im sorry too
about josh and about his sisters
and about what happened to you and your other friends

do you want me to stay on the line with you
or do you need some time
or both

[Private]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[On her end, in a small dark hotel room in Violet City, she wipes her eyes with a choked smile, her Pokémon snuggled up to her. A finger touches the words. im sorry and yeah, she is too
so incredibly, very sorry.

Unlike Dave, she's letting herself cry; it's impossible for her to swallow it all down.]

thank you

i think
i need
to put all this on hold
and to sleep
and so do you
when you can
i've kept everyone up long enough
but
thank you for all this? a lot

[Private]

[callbacks]

hey
think nothing of it girl
were friends too

sleep well ashley

[Private]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

yeah
good night dave



[She almost thinks better of it, but.]

and you know
munna really do work wonders
if you need it

[Private]

[callbacks]

[...]

ill think about it
night