[Voice / Action]

[dissonates]

Natalia's gone back.

[And he's... not sure how he even feels about that, especially since it's the second time now. He's not the sort to broadcast his feelings on the matter anyway, so he'll leave it at that.]

[Locked to Dist - 75% Unhackable]

If you've prepared everything you need, it's about time we meet.


[Asch won't be around the house much today; he'll probably be home late. His main haunts today will be the Battle Dome, the library, (maybe a quick bite to eat in the plaza |D) and finally Good Spirits to sulk read a book in a tucked-away corner of the bar. ...Though the amount of reading may decrease depending on what he's drinking over the course of the evening...

Oddly enough, Star the cheagle will be tagging along with him over the course of the day.]

Comments

[dissonates]

[If Luke is too strong right now for Asch to push away, he opts to change tactics instead- after a moment, he abruptly lets himself fall roll backwards, allowing Luke's momentum to drag his replica forward so Asch can flip him away.]

[fabrecation]

[Luke definitely wasn't expecting that. He can't even react when he falls forward except to widen his eyes and let out a surprised noise. And the next thing he knew, there was pressure against his stomach, and the world violently turned upside-down.

Once Luke lands on his back, he stares ahead for a second, trying to figure out what just happened... But then he realizes that he's still in the middle of a spar, and one with Asch at that, so he rolls to his stomach, gets himself up into a kneeling position and tries for an arte that can be used to attack at all sides.

The arte is risky, sure, since it leaves him open to attack if it fails, but with that moment of being stunned by the flip, Luke figure that maybe Asch might be caught up in it. He spins, dragging his sword along the floor to create a circle of light - and a glyph appears beneath his feet as he jabs his sword into the floor.]

Guardian Field!

[dissonates]

[Guardian Field, huh. Asch pays it little heed- in relation to his goal - namely, a decent injury - the damage it deals is fairly low. He continues charging forward, skidding to a halt just inside the circle and counters with Guardian, allowing the arte to protect him and take the brunt of the attack.]

[fabrecation]

[Once the arte finishes, Luke yanks his sword back, then swings it forward once again; as he's still kneeling, Luke is aiming for Asch's knees, if only to make him jump away and give Luke the opportunity to stand and be mobile again.]

[dissonates]

[Asch curses inwardly and backsteps, but rather than just stand there and let Luke have a moment to recover, he slashes his sword through the air in front of him and then slams it down onto the ground, a blast of fiery fonons - Devil's Inferno - flaring upwards from the collision.]

[fabrecation]

[For the small second of time that Asch gave him, and once Luke sees the attack he's going to make, he scrambles backwards, knowing that he can't possibly just stand up and run. Still, the outer part of the attack hits his cheek - and it burns, making Luke hiss, but it doesn't deter him.

Once he's out of range, Luke stands again, a light cringe on his face thanks to the results of the arte. Now that he's up, he'll go for another arte - Swallow Fury - and, if successful, will make Luke dart behind Asch and use a series of kicks to make him fly upward into the air.]

[dissonates]

[Asch meets him halfway- the attack catches him initially, and he staggers back, struck by a number of the blows. He only manages to avoid being sent into the air - and thus losing control altogether - by kicking off the ground to flip away, backpedaling and keeping his sword lifted as he catches his breath. This is not going the way he'd planned. Why the hell is it going the same way as before? Just like in the real Eldrant...

Dammit, this is all wrong!]

[fabrecation]

[There's no stopping an arte unless it's forcefully broken, so Luke flies into the air for a little longer, then lands heavily on his feet and spins to face Asch again, panting lightly as a small stitch in his side begins to form. This wasn't like with Yuri - sure, he still tried hard, but this was Asch. Luke is pushing himself beyond how he'd normally spar, all because of the person he's fighting.

In an odd way, he's trying to say, through his actions, that he isn't as worthless as Asch might think.]

[dissonates]

[They're both tired, and it's probably starting to show. This is becoming a desperate battle, each of them seeking to prove something, either to themselves or the other, and even Asch can't tell who's doing what by now. He takes a step forward aggressively, as if to attack, and raises his sword, already mentally selecting the next arte to use.

He falters at the second step, though, when a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest forces him to a dead stop, and he lifts a shaky hand to his heart. Now? This is happening now? Ugh, it's all the replica's fault, isn't it-]

[fabrecation]

[Luke had also moved forward with his sword raised, had also been selecting the next arte in his head, almost as if he wasn't the one making the decision at all, when his focus snaps entirely. What... What was happening? What was wrong with Asch?

The spar is completely forgotten as Luke lowers his sword and runs to Asch, stopping just a couple of feet away and lifting his hand towards him with uncertainty. Did he go too far? What was wrong with him?]

Asch? Asch, what's wrong?!

[dissonates]

[Asch doesn't respond at first, his body hunched, waiting in silence for the ache to fade away, as it usually did. Inwardly he was cursing, even as he pleaded for the sudden crippling weakness to vanish- the irony of it happening now, in front of Luke so soon after talking to Dist about it- was just as painful as the physical feeling.

Once it fades enough for him to move, though, Asch finds himself at a convenient distance from his unguarded replica. With his body the way it is now, and the both of them so tired, it would be sheer idiocy to not take advantage of this, so without another moment's hesitation he suddenly thrusts his sword forward, aiming for Luke's sword arm. Disarming him would be nice, too, but this kind of injury ought to end the fight here and now.]

[fabrecation]

[Once Asch had hunched over, Luke raised both of his arms, even his sword arm, and leaned in a little closer, as if to try and hold Asch's shoulders or... something. He was worried, extremely so, because something was happening to Asch and Luke wasn't sure what it was.

But soon enough, Asch relaxes. Before Luke can, however, he's surprised by the sword slicing through the air and, unfortunately, a part of his arm. Not enough to cause him to lose feeling his arm or anything, but definitely enough for him to cry out loudly, drop his sword and fall to his knees, clutching his arm and feeling the blood seep through his fingers and down his injured arm.

He can't even think of why Asch did that; it just hurts.]

[dissonates]

[As soon as Luke drops his sword, Asch lets himself slump back, landing heavily on the ground. Rather than releasing his sword and relaxing entirely, though, he reaches into his tabard and withdraws a white cloth, wiping the blood from his sword. He tucks the cloth back out of sight with that one job out of the way and goes back to resting.

Mission accomplished. And hopefully, Luke never has to know why he did that.]

[fabrecation]

[While Asch did that, Luke reeled in the pain enough to clench his teeth and force his eyes open to stare down at the wound. Damn it, it was bleeding out quickly, and by the time Asch is done and resting up, Luke looks up at him with a deep cringe.]

You bastard, why did you... [And through the pain, it occurs to him that Asch still looks exhausted, like he's still recovering, so Luke squeezes his eyes shut to quell his anger enough to hiss out:] Are... Are you okay?

[dissonates]

[At the sound of Luke's voice, Asch forces himself into a crouch, leaving his sword where he dropped it and glaring over at his replica.]

I don't need you worrying about me. You're the one bleeding all over the place.

[fabrecation]

Whose fault was that?! Besides, you're the one who looked like-

[He cuts himself off to bite his lip and let out a quiet groan. Dammit, Asch.]

[dissonates]

...Useless. [Asch scowls, looking affronted, and shifts closer to Luke, pressing a hand over the wound with one hand while he drags a thick elbow-length glove off with his teeth. Once it's free, he replaces his hand with the glove, trying to staunch the bloodflow. If he can treat the wound here, Luke won't end up having to go to the medical center. Him meeting with Dist now would be bad.] Don't be such a child, it isn't even that deep.

[fabrecation]

[Luke fights down the instinct to jerk away from Asch's touch, to keep his hand over the wound and just yell at Asch to leave him alone, but... he's trying to help, and he'd know more about this kind of thing than Luke. So, he keeps his bloody hand away and just clenches it into a fist while Asch works.]

Not that deep? It wouldn't bleed like this if it wasn't that deep!

[dissonates]

[Asch resists the urge to make some snide comment about just how much he knows about bleeding wounds- unlike some people, he didn't have not one but two experienced Seventh Fonists traveling around the world with him all the time. He's really not in the mood for another fight now, though, so he just focuses on binding the wound, folding his glove at the center and tying it tightly enough to keep the fabric pressed firmly against the cut. It probably looked much worse than it really was; most wounds do.]

It didn't strike any major veins. Just ask Tear to heal it and you'll be fine in a day or so.

[fabrecation]

[Thankfully, despite how angry, put out and still worried Luke is, he doesn't want another fight either. They've had two - one over the journals and one physical one that ended like this, and that's more than enough for Luke. He looks down at the makeshift bandage and purses his lips. It still hurts, and he still wonders why Asch did something like that and- rrrgh. He'll have to ask later, when they've both calmed down.]

Fine... I guess this means the spar's over, huh?

[dissonates]

Of course it is. You can't fight like this, it would be even more ridiculously one-sided than before. [Just can't resist that little jab. He'd totally been winning, okay.]

[fabrecation]

[... WHAT

HE WAS TOTALLY WINNING THAT OKAY]

What the- One-sided? I kept up with you, didn't I?!

[dissonates]

If that's what you want to believe. [You are so not on the level yet, dreck B|]

[fabrecation]

[H-Hey, he did pretty good for being like fifty levels behind you or so B|;;]

I-I'll do just that! [And with that, he huffs to himself and stands up - cringes a bit thanks to the wound in his arm, and he can't help reaching to press his hand against it while he waits for Asch to stand and lead the way out.]

[dissonates]

[Yeah yeah, whatever D|

Asch does stand, retrieving his sword first, but rather than sheathing it and heading out, he gives it a brief examination, lost in thought. Ugh, he'd definitely have to clean it properly soon. He also had to get that bloody cloth to Dist. ...Or he could just make the snot-nosed scientist come in here with a mop, that would be infinitely more satisfying 8|a Decisions, decisions.]