dissonates | Appointments Post

Appointments Post

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(Cont. from draft log here.)

[Asch, it seems, will always be full of impotent sound and fury. Van's quite certain he doesn't even see the irony of his reaction, insisting he's no one's puppet while letting Van pull his strings.

Van turns to face Asch again, arms crossed and chin up. No one's puppet, hm? Stupid boy, why don't you prove it?]

But why did you choose to fight? Why did you choose this strategy? What is it gaining you? Or did you not choose anything at all, and simply react as usual?

You may claim that I don't understand this situation, but don't dare say I don't understand you. You're as foolish and impulsive as ever.

(Cont. from draft log here.)

[Would have been kind of Asch to watch where he's casting, after Van so graciously stepped in to save him. If he did, Van wouldn't be recoiling from the edge of that arte like he'd just been hit by painful amounts of electricity. Which he had.

He's going to be generous and assume that was an accident, or at least an "accident." It will give him more wiggle room later to do the same.]

Pay more attention!

[Oops, were they supposed to be capturing these enemies? Too late for that one.]

Shut up, you don't know my situation at all!

[He's got nothing to prove to Van, of all people- he's seen plenty of what this world has to offer to understand the consequences of not cooperating. And he's not about to let the Malnosso's enemies tear him apart.

He still has a life to live...!]

[...Oh. Whoops, hadn't actually meant to do that. He doesn't exactly feel bad that it happened, though, so he shrugs aside Van's critique and charges in to help his former master finish the group off by hand. He'd be pushing it if he tried another arte with Van at such close range.

As entertaining as it would be, it's not entirely worth the retaliation it would earn, and even his most powerful arte couldn't take Van down in a single hit.]

Can't you even explain your reasoning? [Van is definitely mocking him now.] Share it, if you have such a superior understanding of how to fight a war. I'd like to hear my pupil's opinion.

Or is 'shut up' all you have to say for yourself?

[After Asch dashes in, Van repositions himself so they're fighting roughly back to back (with, of course, a several inch buffer because Asch is a fussy baby). Between the two of them, they should make quick enough work of this; they always did before.

But Van can't help noticing something, amid the chaos, and it amuses him greatly.] Weren't you going to mark these, Asch?

[ ... of course, even though she decided to talk to him, actually doing it still makes her nervous. Breathe, Xion. ]

Asch? Could I talk to you?

[...He should have expected this, considering the looks he'd gotten earlier. Nosy replicas.

It's a while before he responds, and when he does, it's probably obvious that he's both suspicious and slightly irritated about being bothered.]

What do you want?

It's about yesterday.

[ Of course. ]

Asch ... your scars. They ... they didn't look like the kind of scars someone lives through.

[ It's a big, big reach, for her. What does she know? Really, it's an assumption... and at the same time, she's pushing. She needs a clear answer -- at least, clear enough for her real question. ]

[His eyes flash with sudden, defensive irritation. How dare she.]

How the hell is that any of your business!?

Because Luke cares about you. [ very softly. She does not flinch away from his anger. ]

... and I need to know if it needs to be kept a secret.

There's no secret. I didn't die from these wounds.

[...Not yet, mind you. But there's no reason for her or Luke to know the details of that, especially after the argument that Ion's death already caused. It's bad enough that half of their worldmates already know his fate- he'd like at least a few people to be left in the dark.]

Asch...

If he ever asks you, you're going to tell him the same thing, aren't you? That you didn't die from those wounds. But ... that doesn't actually answer the question of if you died.

Of course I'd tell him that. You think I'm going to lie just to make him cry about it or something?

[What kind of person does she take him for? Hasn't she realized that Luke's frequent angsting is what annoys him?]

And you should realize that if you don't know the truth, you won't need to keep any secrets. Stop acting like it's for him when you're just being nosy!

... being nosy? [ she laughs, weakly. ] Asch... you're not the kind of person I'd talk to unless I really had to. I definitely wouldn't contact you like this just because I was curious about something that ... really isn't any of my business.

[ she sighs. It's not her business, but it is Luke's. And he was so upset. If she has to lie to him and pretend she believes Asch lived, she wants a good reason. Asch isn't giving her what she hoped for. Of course, it was kind of a vain hope, anyway... ]

Okay. You didn't die. [ No one lives through wounds that leave scars like that. No one. She still smiles. ] I'm glad, then.

Whatever you say. [He has a feeling she doesn't believe him, but that's her problem, not his. He's not about to admit that he died when he hasn't, even if it's a pretty certain thing that he will in the future. It's not his fault that she phrased the question conveniently.

...Not that he's any more likely to tell her the truth if she did ask the right way.]

[ She's content to leave it at that. Asch is incredibly hard to talk to, and she meant it when she said she wouldn't talk to him more than was strictly necessary.

But just before she closes the journal, something occurs to her.

"If you don't know the truth, you won't need to keep any secrets."

... he's so belligerent about it, it hadn't really sunk in ... the nature of what he'd said.

He's actually, honestly doing her a favor. Because her suspicions are just that: suspicions. ]

Asch, you ... [ a pause. ] ... you know, if I didn't know any better, sometimes I'd think you really did care. [ Another smile, this one quite crooked. She's half-teasing, but ... she can't help but be a little taken aback. In his own, Asch-y way, it feels very much like he's trying to protect them. ]

[jkhfkjdshkjfhf. WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO GO AND SAY THAT FOR]

What!?

[ ohgod don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh ]

Well ... it just feels like you're trying to protect us. ... in your own way.

I am not!! Don't shove your stupid theories on me! [STUPID REPLICAS, STUPID REPLICAS. What is it with them and being all emotional and touchy-feely, god.]

But you just....! [ okay, so she laughs. very quietly, though! and only once! ... but still. she laughed. ] You always get so mad! It's not a bad thing. I think it's really sweet.

Get this straight- the only thing I'm trying to do is make my life easier! If that dreck is worrying about me it'll just be a pain. It has nothing to do with protecting anyone but me!

[ okay, okay, fine, calming down now. if only to consider him, and find him very strange. ]

... then why help me, too? You said yourself that if I don't know the truth, I won't have to lie.

I already told you- it's none of your damn business! You don't even know me! Why should I tell you anything!?

... no, I really don't know you at all. But I'm starting to wish I did. [ gently ] You're a strange person, Asch. You still talk to me even though you know what I am.

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