[Video / Written / Action?]

[dissonates]

[The journal turns on with a little crash, revealing... the ceiling. Yes, very exciting.]

Stop knocking things over!

[A small, furry black face saunters over to the journal, sniffing curiously. It meows. And then, turning, flops over right on top of it, covering the camera.]

Hey, cat, get off that, it's not your damn bed.

[A small trill, and the fuzzy thing rolls over, revealing a mildly irritated redhead.]

...What the hell? You actually turned it on? Hey, dreck, the cat's from the Dawn Age.

[His tone is even mildly amused for that one. He brushes the kitten off the journal, picking it up and half-closing it. Before it shuts, he reconsiders, then grabs the pen and scribbles out a note.]

[Written / Filtered to Dist]

I need to talk to you.

[There, that's good enough. Back to the whiny, needy little monstrosity who has moved on to making his own water dish into a cat bath. Surprise! Luke brought home a kitten for his very disgruntled original. What a wise decision this was, eh.]

Comments

[video]

[dissonates]

[Mumble grumble. The kitten is still crying in the background.]

The replica brought it home.

[video]

[fourteen]

Don't call him that. [ automatically. ] ... do you ... um, are you guys okay with a kitten...? [ Luke doesn't even like cute animals... ]

[video]

[dissonates]

[...Wow, she's better at correcting him than Luke is. Asch blinks, then avoids commenting. He's not in the mood to argue with her.] We already have a cheagle here, it's not like having an animal around is new.

[video]

[fourteen]

Yeah, but... [ SO MANY DOUBTS. ] Do either of you even like cats?

[video]

[dissonates]

What does that have to do with anything? [The animal's here, Luke took it, they're responsible for it now. This isn't rocket science.]

[video]

[fourteen]

[ A brief pause. ] Well ... you being you, Asch ... I'm not sure I trust either of you with a kitten! [ b-blunt... ]

[video]

[dissonates]

"You being you"? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?

[TREADING IN DANGEROUS WATERS HERE]

[video]

[fourteen]

... you just don't seem like much of a kitten person to me, that's all.

[video]

[dissonates]

Just because I don't coddle fluffy little animals doesn't mean I'm incompetent at caring for one.

[video]

[fourteen]

... will you yell at me if I come by and see it?

[video]

[dissonates]

[....Ugh, seriously?]

Would I yell at you?

[He doesn't yell for no reason! Does she think he's some kind of stupidly-tempered monster-

...oh, whatever.]

[video]

[fourteen]

[ ... she only smiles, a little bit, and does not respond to his question. It should be fairly self-obvious. ]

I'll be over in a little while, okay?

[ And, to get ready, she shuts the journal. It's more than a little unusual... she's over there frequently, but to see Asch instead of Luke? She doesn't even know if her boyfriend is there. But she can handle Asch... he's not so scary. Just kinda mad. ]

[dissonates]

[Luke's gone back to camping by then, so Xion will find Asch alone with the kitten when she arrives. He's in one of the living room chairs with a thick book, lost in a particularly lengthy passage, and the kitten... of all places, is curled up and sleeping in his lap. He might even be caught petting it if she sees him before he knows she's there. The door is slightly open, so she doesn't have to worry about him getting up. For once Luke being a dreck is in his favour.]

[fourteen]

[ Oh boy. Xion still pauses at the door, taking a deep breath. She always has to steel herself, to deal with Asch. Then she knocks -- just out of politeness, so he knows she's coming in, and enters the room. She glances about for a moment, searching -- but when she spots Asch and the kitten, she actually smiles. She steps inside and shuts the door behind her, stepping in. ]

Hi, Asch. [ She holds up a small satchel. ] I brought some things for the kitten.

[dissonates]

[Asch glances over as she enters, quiet for a long moment as he seems to puzzle over exactly what to say. Finally he just nods, giving the kitten a little nudge.]

I think Luke brought the necessities with him when he got it.

[Did you notice the lack of "replica" there, Xion? Because he didn't.]

[fourteen]

[ ... she smiles -- noticing -- but doesn't comment. At least he does remember, sometimes... ]

Necessities, sure, but ... how about toys? [ She opens up the satchel and pulls out a few fuzzy, colorful, sparkly little fluff balls, and a long piece of cord that at one end is wrapped around a bunch of feathers. ]

Kittens have a lot of energy. They want to be played with! Or at least have a way to keep busy. So it's good to have a few toys around.

[dissonates]

[Asch lifts a brow, looking absolutely thrilled that she's brought a bunch of tacky little toys into his sparsely decorated nobleman apartment, but he offers no comment. With another nudge of his finger, the kitten rolls over, yawns, stretches, and deigns to inally sit up and look over at Xion. Newcomer! ...With. Toys.]

[fourteen]

[ YOU'LL THANK HER LATER, JERKFACE. Xion decides to ignore him for a moment and smiles at the kitten. She grabs the feathers where they're tied together and waves them at the kitten. ]

Have you named it yet?

[dissonates]

[Asch, thank someone? lolol keep dreaming, Xion. The kitten is easily satisfied though, immediately scampering over to try and tackle the feathers. Asch, meanwhile watches with a slightly lifted brow. Well what do you know.]

It's Tsuae.

[fourteen]

[ Something about that surprises her, and she looks up at him searchingly, though she continues to wave the little bundle of feathers at the kitten. ]

... that's really pretty. Where'd that come from?

[ She returns her gaze to the kitten, and grins, lifting the feathers so it has to jump up to reach. ]

[dissonates]

From Auldrant- all the names in our world are Ancient Ispanian.

[Huh... he had no idea that cats were so easily amused. Go fig.]

[fourteen]

[ She gently bats the feathers in the kitten's face, then moves them back and forth. Chase, kitten, chase! ]

Does it mean anything? [ A beat. ] Is the kitten a boy or a girl, by the way?

[dissonates]

The re- [....She'll correct him again.] ...Luke said it was male. Does that make a difference?

[fourteen]

[ ... she smiles a little, though not because of the kitten. She heard him stop himself, and it warms her. She puts the feathers briefly aside to reach out her hand and let the kitten sniff her fingers. ]

No, I was just curious. It sounds like a name you'd hear in a storybook. [ Her smile broadens, a little. It makes her think of a prince, or some sort of kind spirit. It's funny on a little kitten. ]

[dissonates]

Not a storybook- it's from a hymn of the ancient times. Tsuae means "sound"- or noise, in his case.