[Action / Accidental Voice]

[dissonates]

[There isn't much less pleasant than waking up cold and alone, is there? Which is exactly how Asch finds himself this morning- on his own in a tent behind the battle dome, no longer an adult but rather regressed to the tender age of about 11. In his haste to get up and figure out what's going on, he knocks over the journal, and it catches his alarmed call as he opens the tent flap to find a lot of snow and not much else.]

...Master Van...?

[This isn't the cozy, temperate region of Daath, which is puzzling, because he knows he'd been in Daath the night before. Where, then...?]

Master Van!

[Had he been abandoned? No... Van had said he needed him! There must be a reason for this.

Not noticing the journal, Asch tucks the blanket around himself and starts shuffling out through the snow, wandering into the village in search of something - anything - familiar.]

Comments

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch had been peering around the house in confusion while Guy was gone, still huddled in the coat. This is nothing like the manor, or Daath. And he's never seen know like this. At Guy's invitation, he slips off the couch and shuffles after him, looking warily about as if someone's going to jump out at him or something.]

...Are we in Keterburg?

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

Not quite. It's a village called Luceti. [Guy ushers Asch to the table and gets started on something warm for him.]

Tea or hot chocolate?

[Action]

[dissonates]

Never heard of it. [Asch's brows furrow again, puzzling over it. He knew all the cities and towns of Kimlasca, and most of Malkuth, so his lack of recognition didn't make sense. Unless it had been developed while he was in Daath... but that still didn't explain why he, Guy, and the replica were all here.

Belatedly he remembers Guy had asked a question, and adds,] Chocolate.

[silversnowfall]

[For the time being, she's her usual self. ...Perhaps a year or two younger. But no iteration of Nephry would be able to ignore a child in the snow with just a blanket.]

Excuse me? ...Are you looking for someone?

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

It's a little removed. [A lot removed. Like a whole different reality removed.

Guy fixes Asch some hot chocolate -puts in a drop of peppermint extract and some whipped cream on top for good measure- and places the mug in front of him on the table. God, they're both so cute at this age.]

Any preferences on what you'd like to eat? I remember how to make a lot of different things they had at the manor.

[Action] - Also placeholder...ish.

[chiisaichou.livejournal.com]

[It's been days, now, since Miyabi was transformed into her new body. The body of a wolf. She'd gotten used to the four-legged thing, but now she wanted to see how well she could do battle-wise. Her sword could be manipulated with her mind, and her Brush was her tail...it'd be hard to get used to. Plus, she wanted to check out this battledome thingy.

So, as she pawed up to it, she flicked her ears, catching an odd scent and sight. Curious, she walked over to the tent and saw a bundle of red hair escaping, wrapped in a blanket. ...Luke? But--no. She knew she took you home.]

Wuuu?

[moving closer, slowly. She's got an inkling this may be who she mistook Luke for.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch doesn't respond for a long moment, staring down at his chocolate, legs kicking idly beneath the chair. He scrutinizes the drink as if searching for something, then finally speaks up, still not looking at Guy.]

...Aren't you just going to kill me anyway?

[dissonates]

[Asch halts in mid-step, warily sizing up the woman. She didn't look familiar... presumably she wouldn't recognize him either.]

...Master Van... I need to find Commandant Grants.

[Action] you are going to give this child a heart attack

[dissonates]

[As soon as Asch hears the animal, he immediately jerks back, hands reaching in futility for a weapon he wasn't carrying. How could he have been dumped out here in the wild with no way to defend himself? Maybe he could run away, but how could he possibly outrun a wolf? What to do, what to do...]

Stay back...!

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[...oh dear. Van what were you doing telling such a young kid something like that?

Turning him against everybody, obviously.

Guy bows his head, rubbing the back of his neck.]

So Van told you.

[Guy shakes his head, then steps forward to Asch's side...where he lowers himself to a knee.]

I'm sorry.

[Action]

[dissonates]

[The words and the behaviour are enough to alarm Asch into looking at Guy again, eyes wide in disbelief. What... what was he doing!?]

Why... why are you sorry...?

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy shakes his head, keeping it bowed.]

I was wrong. It's true...that your father attacked my home, and it's true that I hated him for it. Still do sometimes, but that has nothing to do with you. I should never have put any blame on you for what your father did.

Please forgive me.

[Action]

[dissonates]

...I... I don't understand. [Asch slides off the chair, hands clenching into fists, and shoves Guy will all the might in his child body.] You're supposed to hate me! You wanted to kill me, right? Every day, all the time! Van told me! Get up and hate me!

[He sounds almost desperate.]

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy doesn't expect the shove so he staggers, but manages to catch himself and kneels in front of Asch again.

Every day? Van.]

No. I don't hate you.

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch trembles, nails digging into his palms. He wants to push Guy away again, but he can't bring himself to move.]

You have to... you have to hate me! It's so much easier if you hate me...! [If Guy hates him and really wants to kill him, that's even more of a reason to stay away from home! The replica can die in his place, either because of Guy or the Score, and he'll be with Van, and everything will be okay because he's needed, and...]

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

...I'm sorry. But I don't hate you. [Guy lowers his head again.] I'm sorry for lying to you, and I'm sorry if I hurt you.

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch draws a shaky breath, the simple act catching in his throat. He's not going to cry; he's determined, deadset on staying composed. He'd cried with Van. That had been enough. It's enough, right...?

Stop shaking, stop choking, he hates this...!]

[Action] D| she doesn't mean to!

[chiisaichou.livejournal.com]

[Ugh. She honestly isn't used to people being so scared of her like this. Miyabi whines and folds her ears back, but stays a few feet away, even gowning so far as to lay down. Her tail wags behind her and she rolls over onto her back - mindful of her wings - and shows off her tummy.

It worked for Luke, so... She even wags her tail a little, too.]

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy looks up to search Asch's face, then lifts a hand and sets it atop Asch's head, stroking his hair just a bit. He doesn't say anything.]

[silversnowfall]

Commandant Grants? [it's in her tone that she knows him, or at least of him. But what to say?] I'm afraid he's away at the moment, though I'm not sure exactly where.

[or who would be looking for... ... Oh dear.]

Would you be all right with coming inside to warm up for a short while?

[Action]

[dissonates]

[He shudders, sniffing once, and lifts his hands to scrub furiously at his eyes. He's okay. He's okay.]

[dissonates]

[Another suspicious look.]

Why? Who are you?

[Action]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Poor kid.

Guy pulls Asch into a proper hug this time.]

[silversnowfall]

My name is Nephry.

...And I suppose I'm offering because you look so cold. I understand if you don't see a reason to trust me.

[goldenfirefly.livejournal.com]

[Wandering the village is an equally lost young lady. Stella (http://community.livejournal.com/lucetiooc/1358625.html?thread=38792225#t38792225) had woken up in a strange house with a strange baby sleeping in a crib not too far from her, and she was in night clothes that she might have worn years ago... But not now. And everything in her closet had dresses. She hastily searched around until she found the clothing shop in nothing but her nightgown before she walked out, satisfied with her current wear; a white and blue tunic of sorts along with the same colored boots and fingerless gloves that stop at her elbows, and dark blue tights. She's a little cold, thus she wears a dark cloak over her shoulders, but it's loose enough to throw off if she needs to hold off anyone.

The most important thing that Stella's trying to figure out is where in the world she is. It could be a different part of the Legacy; She hadn't explored all of it, after all. But then... did someone kidnap her?

She heard a noise after that thought and turned, fists up, to face whoever approached her... but upon realizing that it's only a kid, she lowers her hands.]

... Hello?