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Asch immediately turned a glare on Luke. "Bold words coming from someone who's hiding behind his friends." Damn coward. Was all that talk earlier back in the cavern really just a bunch of nothing? Hmph.

No.. he didn't believe that Rosie -really- cared anything about him except for the fact that he had Vahy'n. He was just a criminal in her eyes, which would be perfectly normal, because he was.

"You're here to decide what to do with me, aren't you?"

Asch's words stung more harshly than the bound arm that sought to form a fist in response. He wasn't hiding. He wasn't a damn coward - even though he felt more and more unsure as the days passed. But then where were the words for a retort? He could say nothing to counter... but Rosie could. The firm explanation and unintentional reminder revived the knowledge that he wasn't facing the situation alone; rather than deferring the decision to his friends, he would talk with them and decide with them. There he was, forgetting simple truths again. The reminder allowed him to stand a little taller, to turn a more level gaze on his brother, to stand with his friends instead of behind them. He allowed his shift in demeanor to serve as his retort.

Ugh, their words made him want to throw up. He pretended not to hear Guy's muttered words, and that it didn't bother him. But they were in severe denial.. or just stupid, because Luke was obviously hiding. Annoyed, he ignored the both of them and instead focused his attention on his brother. The one who had indeed come to his aid, and was now suddenly cowering in the background.

"Can't even stick up for yourself? Your friends have to do that too? Disgusting," Asch continued in the verbal assault of his twin. It angered him to see him acting this way, especially with everything he had said before.

Despite being in a compromising situation, he had no intent to plead for their mercy. To not send him to jail or whatever. No, he had far too much pride for that. He would be who he was until the bitter end. He didn't care if they hated him, he had expected as much to begin with. They were acting exactly as predicted. It was better this way. This was how it had to be.

"Fine, if it bothers you so much," Luke said curtly, maneuvering to stand beside Rosie at the head of the small assembly. Had he a higher opinion of Asch, he would have suspected that his brother were goading them into taking a firmer stance. That, however, seemed highly unlikely. Far more probable was that Asch was being an inflammatory b*****d for no reason but that he was so damn good at it.

"We're not the ones that need to calm down here, Natalia," he replied when the young woman spoke, his tone indeed level. As annoyed as he was, both with Asch and with himself, the medication he'd been administered during the treatment of his arm prevented him from reaching a degree of anger that would push him to raise his voice. He wasn't going to stand there and let Natalia lecture them for defending themselves against Asch's unnecessarily cruel remarks, though.

Rosie felt no shame for the way she felt about her friends, about how she knew she could rely on them, how they could rely on her.
To her it was the most beautiful thing in the entire world, its what made them strong, its what would keep them strong through hard times like this one, and harder times in the future.
Even as Asch cut it down with cruel words, she felt no shame... only a feeling of pity for him, how could he really feel that way?

Luke stepped up next to her, and Rosie glanced over at him, lifting her own head up a little more and turned back to Natalia as she stood and spoke up.
And told them to calm down... Rosie gave the noble a puzzled look, she felt they were all being very reasonable.

"We're not trying to cause anymore trouble or discomfort... but we're in a situation that, as league trainers we need to address...." She explained to Natalia.
She held a hand up in a gentle gesture. "Asch... I remember when I first met you, we had a nice time spending the afternoon together, I find it hard to believe that this anger is really who you are." She said, "I think that you need friends just as much as we all do."
she lowered her hand,

Luke could only stare in reply to Rosie's words, green eyes startled from the sentiment she put forth. Sure, he knew that she had known Asch before, but he also knew just how severely Asch had betrayed the trust Rosie had put in him - and he knew Rosie knew that even better than he did. It wasn't as though he wouldn't prefer if Asch were open enough with them to be friends instead of having to fight and shout every time they met, but the idea just seemed completely impossible. Laughable even. Luke frowned silently, awaiting Asch's response.

His reply was short, and to the point, and it only confirmed what Rosie suspected anyway.
She let her gaze linger on him for a couple of seconds as he chose not to say anything else, her hands tightening against one another.

It hurt her to be here, to look at him, talk to him, it just brought back the last images of Vany'n that Rosie still had.
Having to push through those feelings was the hardest part, but she had to keep strong, and she had to keep a level head about this. For her friends, her friend who had a history with this man. For her friends.

"Asch, Your more transparent then you make yourself out to be." She said still in a gentle tone. "I don't think you can really mean what you said to Luke, It sounds too much like your taking something out on him, that's why your still so hostile toward him, why your hostile toward us now." she pointed out. "You sound scared. Trying to pull away from everyone, hide behind this tough guy attitude when really, we already know better, Asch."
She tilted her head, hands clasping tightly into one another. moving her eyes away from Asch to look over at Luke and Guy, though was still talking to Asch.

"After everything you did to us, after all the pain and suffering and lives Team Rocket has ruined, we're taking the time to talk to you first instead of just calling the cops, despite the choices you made. So we're not here to attack you, or hurt you, please see that."