dissonates | [Action / Accidental Voice]

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[Action / Accidental Voice]

[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.]

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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?

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.

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.

[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?

[...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.

[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...?

[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.

...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.]

[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.

[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...]

...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.

[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...!]

[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.]

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

Edited 2010-11-25 19:22 (UTC)

[Poor kid.

Guy pulls Asch into a proper hug this time.]

[Asch resists at first, pushing slightly against Guy for a moment before his fingers curl in the material of his shirt, face buried to Guy's shoulder. It's not fair. It's not fair at all...]

[Instead of feeling guilty or sympathetic to the point of pain, Guy feels...peaceful. Like some clawing, ferocious monster that had been gnawing inside of him since before he could remember had finally had its fill. Like...he could finally start putting things to rest.

Guy rests his chin atop Asch's head, rubbing his back and holding him until he's ready to face the world again. Or at least until he's ready to drink his hot chocolate.]

[It doesn't last long; it's a quiet cry, fueled more by loneliness and despair than the noisy pain or confusion that Luke had been experiencing all week. When Asch withdraws, his eyes are red, but dry, and he silently pushes himself away from Guy and climbs back into his chair to drink his cocoa.

It all feels so surreal. Did that really just happen?]

[Guy straightens when Asch pulls away and smiles. He reaches over to tussle Asch's hair easily, the movement as natural as it had been with Luke for the past week.]

I'll just make you lemon chicken and we can go from there. Okay with you?

[Asch sips tentatively at his chocolate, as if testing for poison or something, even after all that. He knows he shouldn't let his guard down too much, since Guy had fooled them all so easily before, but...

...ah. He really can't help but trust him, can he...?]

...I don't care. [He can already feel his stomach clenching at the prospect of food, though. He's really hungry.]

[Sure he doesn't. Guy just hums and sets to work preparing dinner for Asch. He'll worry about introducing Luke and keeping Asch from running away later; for now, he'll just get Asch fed and warmed up and work his way on from there.

The task doesn't seem nearly so daunting now.]

[Asch waits quietly and watches as Guy cooks, finally getting over his caution and gulping down the drink hungrily. When the scent of food fills the air, his mouth waters, and a moment or so later a little furry creature bounds into the kitchen like it owns the place.

Asch stares.]

You have a cheagle?

Oh- Yep, we do. This is Star.

[Guy reaches down to pick up the cheagle, holding it out to Asch with a faint smile.] Here. Wanna hold him?

[Asch stares at the cheagle some more, and this time the cheagle stares back. After a long moment, Star mieus at him, cocking his head to the side as if trying to sort him out.]

...What would I do with it?

[Seriously what is he supposed to do with a sacred beast. Wait, is it a pet!?]

[Guy dumps Star into Asch's lap with a grin before turning back to the meal at hand.]

Hold him, for one.

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