[Action] (backdated to the 18th)

[dissonates]

[Since this happened, Asch hasn't been entirely sure what to do with himself. He eats breakfast, he reads a little. He wanders through the village for a while, aimlessly and calm despite the bad news. It's a normal day. A nice day, even. Luceti is blissfully aware of his loss, and he likes it that way. There is no house to burn, no alcohol to waste, no friend to garner comfort from. There's the village, and there's the memories, and there's that coldness in his heart creeping up again. As usual. It's just another going-home situation, and that's become typical of this place. Maybe people are happy. She's gone back. She's free.

She's dead.

He needs to hit something, so he goes to the Battle Dome for a while. Normal. Everything is normal.

Eventually he'll make his way north- first to House 34, to get whatever Norma has for him. Then he moves on to the cherry blossom trees beyond the edge of the village. And then, finally, he finishes his wandering in the woods not far from the 2nd apartment building, tucked under a tree with a pad of paper and a few pieces of charcoal. He'll be there until the sun gets too low to see.

After that, well... who knows. But he won't return to the apartment until well after dark.]

Comments

[Action]

[chiisaichou.livejournal.com]

[If Asch is hoping to see someone at the cherry tree hill, he'll have to wait a few moment, Miyabi had been out shopping for groceries, a steaming meat bun clamped in between her teeth. She couldn't wait on the way over, and it smelled so good. Finishing the bite she had been chewing, and adjusting the bag on her arm, Miyabi puts her thumb and forefinger in her mouth and whistles.

And out from the roots of the largest cherry tree, perhaps just a few feet from Asch, bounds the Lucky Mallet (http://images.wikia.com/okami/images/e/e5/Mallet.jpg). It bounces around the girl in a circle, like an excited animal greeting its master, before bouncing ahead of her, back toward the tree. She'd need to shrink down once she got closer to her house.

She hadn't noticed Asch yet, shoving her meatbun back into her mouth as she inspected her foodstuffs. Good, the eggs made the trip okay. Looking up, she spies a familiar someone. And, muffled through her food, she blinks.]

Apphf?

[What are you doing at the cherry tree hill?]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[...What the hell is with that thing. Asch lifts a brow, observing its crazy bounce for a while and waiting until Miyabi notices him standing there. He nods slightly to greet her, but doesn't respond. Stupid, don't talk with your mouth full like that.]

[Action] - /jedi magics that meatbun into a bean bun.

[chiisaichou.livejournal.com]

[The mallet continues hopping around Miyabi, expecting to be used, but the girl extends a hand and kind of shoos it away. Undeterred, the glittering Mallet bounces off to hop in place under one of the smaller trees, waiting patiently there until its master was finished.]

Wuf-- [She puts a hand to her mouth, swallowing the bite in her mouth.] What are you doing here, Asch? ...Is something wrong? Are you okay?

[Because, bro, you never come to visit her.]

[Action] bean buns are way better

[dissonates]

[...Ah. Why is he here... good question...

...and he doesn't want to say.]

How do you get so skilled at art? Is it something you've practiced for a long time?

[Action] yes they are. :|b and I should not tag at 7am.

[chiisaichou.livejournal.com]

[Wait, what. Did he really just--...why the sudden interest? Miyabi quirks a brow, setting down her groceries by the trunk of the tree. Something deep down tells her this isn't going to be about her...which makes the painter somewhat uncomfortable. She still couldn't paint, and if he asked her to...she'd hate to refuse, but--ugh.]

I've painted since I was able to hold a brush in my hand, and maybe even before that, with my hands. We poncles are taught to love art in every form...and we're taught by a skilled master. [Ishaku was the sixth Celestial Envoy. Even if he was pretty strict sometimes, he was a very good teacher.] We practice until he deems us good enough, or when our paintings, our art, can instill strong emotion into the hearts of those looking into them.

I've been alive for many, many years...and I'm still not good enough. My paintings don't do that...and now--

[Oops, too much. Clamming up now.]

[Action] nonsense, 7am is optimal tagging time

[dissonates]

[...Well that was weird.]

And now?

[That might give him a moment to ponder the rest of what she said, at least. Still not good enough? So she's overly critical, then? Maybe it's an artist thing. He's never satisfied with what he draws, either, but he knows why, at least.]

[Action] not when you don't fall asleep til 2. |Db

[chiisaichou.livejournal.com]

It's nothing.

[Her smile, brief as it is, is deceptive. And final. Miyabi's not willing to talk about her penalty right now. Even if she painted some, it's still strange and kind of scary for her. Her margin of error increased tenfold, and the anxiety of screwing up made her uncomfortable even speaking about painting. But when she did, moments ago, there was warmth in her voice - passion. Miyabi missed it.

But this isn't about her right now. She goes to sit on one of the huge roots of the towering cherry tree, finishing off her bean bun.]

Why are you really here, Asch? Are you interested in art now? [Because, man, she does not believe that completely.]

[Action]

[fabrecation]

[Of course Luke is still awake by the time Asch returns to the apartment. In fact, he's waiting in the living room, legs drawn up and arms wrapped around them. Asch can take care of himself and he knows it, and he also knows that the way Asch deals with losses like this is different from him.

Yet he still can't help feeling a little afraid. What if it was like with Guy? Luke isn't dumb when it comes to Asch and his feelings. If he decided to run away again... What if he can't get him to come back?

Just as he's thinking that, though, the door clicks, and Luke shoots his head up to look at who's coming in. Really, only one other person has the key to the apartment, but...]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch is quiet as he enters, though he can't do much about the sound of the door- and in truth, he knows it doesn't matter. The light visible in the hallway under the door is telling, so unless Luke fell asleep on the couch-

...no, there he is. And as much as Asch had tried to keep the link between them suppressed today, the replica's presence is all too prominent. Dammit.

He barely looks at Luke, meeting the other redhead's gaze for just a moment before turning away to remove his coat and boots, setting a sketchbook and a tiny case on the table by the door.]

[Action]

[fabrecation]

[Luke stands once he sees that it's Asch outside the door, equally surprised and relieved. He tries not to let it show, though, and soon enough, it bleeds into worry, especially when he's so quiet like that... Granted, he usually doesn't have a lot to say to Luke, but... he expected him to say something. Anything. To make the stupid replica stop worrying.]

Asch... [He isn't even sure what to say.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[At his name being called, Asch glances over at his replica again, shoving his boots to the side and straightening up to retrieve his book. He starts heading for the kitchenette area.]

Stop looking at me like that.

[Action]

[fabrecation]

I...

[He was about to say that he's not looking at him like that. But then he sighs, and he reaches up to touch his face. Yeah... he is. He's worried, and it's obvious. Dammit.

After a pause, he follows after Asch. In a way, he doesn't want to let his original out of his sight. And once they're in the kitchen area, he holds the doorjamb with one hand as he watches what Asch does.]

I made some food while you were gone, if... you want any of it. [Thanks to Asch leaving him alone to eat some of the time, Luke has gotten better at cooking. He's nowhere near Guy's level, but at least he can make a few good dishes. Still, he'd understand if Asch didn't want any of it. Luke doesn't exactly have a good reputation as a cook.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[It's always obvious; he's too untrained to hide such things from Asch. He gets no answer at first, though, as Asch fetches himself a glass of water, temporarily abandoning the sketchbook on the table while he drinks.]

Is it edible?

[Yep, normal. Calm, settled, the simple banter of every day. Nothing wrong over here, he's just. Home late. For some reason.]

[lostinmyway]

[CH2 is a little out of Grune's way, but today, she's been roaming far. She's lost in a different way than usual.

When she sees Asch sitting out with his sketchpad, she spends a little while watching him at a distance, trying to remember why he seems so familiar. Then she places him: This is one of Stella's friends.

And so she approaches and sits down underneath the tree with him.] Hello.

[dissonates]

[Asch glances over as she sits down, his expression wary. Whenever he talks to this woman, he ends up leaving in a foul and confused mood, and since he's already one of those... this might not end well.]

...You need something?

[lostinmyway]

Hmm? [He gets a confused look.] Oh, no, I'm just fine.

Do you need something?

[dissonates]

What? No. You're the one who decided to sit here.

[So what does she want?]

[lostinmyway]

Oh, all right.

[She leans back against the tree, quiet for now.]

[dissonates]

[......Um.]

What are you doing here?

[AND WHY AREN'T YOU LEAVING.]

[faterecanted]

[And at the Battle Dome, he will find something to hit; or rather, someone, just outside of it. Van is sitting against a tree not far from the door and he looks to be infuriatingly at ease today. He's jotting things down in a plain little notebook, god only knows what he's up to now, and he even brought a snack.

He hears Asch's approach well before he's close -- Asch isn't the only well-trained soldier, after all -- and makes deliberate eye contact. And then, equally deliberately, he looks back down, turns the page of his notebook, and has a bite of his sandwich.

Asch has been deemed below his attention. Not worth freeing a hand for his sword over. Not even worth moving his legs out of the path for. Go around.]

[dissonates]

[....

He doesn't want to deal with Van right now. He really, really doesn't. He stops on the path, staring warily down at Van for a long, long moment. He'd earned himself the man's ire, he knows this, but it's something of a surprise that he gets ignored instead. He's not going to complain, exactly, but...

...oh, whatever. He doesn't have the time or the patience for Van's manipulation right now, so he steps aside and heads right into the Battle Dome. To hell with you, he has things to do right now.]

[faterecanted]

[Van waits for ten minutes after Asch goes inside, continuing to write and eat and generally appear to not give a damn. And then, precisely ten minutes later to the second, he gets up, brushes himself off, and heads inside. Relocating doesn't sound like a bad idea. To the viewing area, perhaps.

What can he say, he's an inquisitive man.]

[dissonates]

[Within those ten minutes, Asch has gotten a program set up in the battle dome's computers- actually, an old favourite of his by now. The hall of Eldrant that claimed his life, fighting off a dozen or so Oracle Knight replicas, defending the door through which his replica had escaped beforehand. He's gotten better, just a little better each time. There are so many things he knows he could have done differently. A more powerful arte, here. Stabbing his blade just a few inches lower, there. Dodging at the last second, focusing on the battle's end before contacting Luke. Ensuring the deaths of his opponents before allowing himself a moment to relax. He's gotten stronger, faster in the three years he's spent in Luceti.

Not that it matters anymore or can change anything in the grand scheme of things; he's still dead when he goes home. But it feels good - and somewhat vindictive, perhaps - to have earned that victory, even if it is too late.]

[faterecanted]

[Van had intended to appraise Asch's skills, to find weak points to needle him about. Asch is, after all, a valuable tool, and Van knows better than to discard a valuable tool simply because of a want to throttle it. However, something about the simulation diverts his attention from his original purpose.

It's Hod.

There's no mistaking it. It couldn't be anywhere else. But Asch never saw Hod, which meant... He wants to know. He cannot allow himself to ask. He has to know. He refuses to be weak. He may look to his own future and, for once, see some slight hope. He is an addict, sick with the very ill he must cure. He cannot sort through this right now. Desperately, he tries to shunt the matter aside. His emotions, as always, must be bundled up and put away. He needs control. He needs a clear head... but one singular feeling manages to seep out to fill all the quiet gaps left behind, creeping and toxic.

Asch did this to him. Asch deserted him. Asch toyed with him. Asch owes him.

When the simulation winds down, Van moves to once again intercept his quarry. This time, at least, Asch doesn't have to worry about being surprised. He'll hear him coming. Van takes the stairs down two at a time.]

[dissonates]

[Once finished with the simulation, Asch shakes the blood off his blade - force of habit, even if the blood itself is a simulation - and sheaths it, heading out of the chamber just as Van is coming down the stairs. He stops briefly, caught off guard by the sound of footsteps, but he's able to mask it in favour of annoyance before Van comes into view. It figured he'd be there. And by the look of things, he's not happy.]

I should've known you'd be watching.