[Action / Backdated to the 19th]

[dissonates]

[The fonic link is a rather convenient tool, that much is for sure; with it, Asch can tell where Luke is in case he needs to avoid his replica- and, alternatively, whoever he's with. And in this case, it's Guy. Ever since Guy's arrival earlier this month, Asch has been mysteriously absent from the apartment he'd shared with Luke, and tonight, with Luke and Guy both out and about for the evening, he's come to a decision.

He's leaving- for good. Once the apartment is empty, he'll venture there himself, clear out his room, and leave it vacant for them to find later on. Or not find. Maybe they won't notice. Maybe they won't care.

Guy won't. He's fairly certain of that. And that- ...it doesn't bother him. He won't let it bother him.

Tsuae is displeased upon his return, of course, and Star has the nerve to try and set him on fire, but his mind is made up. Within a few hours he's packed up and ready to go. It's actually kind of sad, how few possessions he's managed to acquire over the last few years in Luceti. It'll probably only take a few trips to get it to his new place.

...Once he figures where that new place is.

People can run into him while he's in the process of moving if they so desire, though there are a couple people that, in particular, he needs to be speaking with. The area is mainly community building 2, by the way.]

Comments

[action/FONIC LINK~]

[fabrecation]

[It was a rather sudden mood whiplash. He'd had a good time at the party despite the reason everyone was there in the first place, despite the fact that Luke was always a little shy with large crowds. So he'd come back with blond in tow, grinning and laughing, only for it to fade away once he reached the apartment.

It wasn't totally obvious yet, but something was wrong, and he could tell. After a pause, a hunch, he opened the door to Asch's room -

And suddenly Luke was off, not even caring about the fact that he probably left a confused Guy behind. He bolts out of the community housing area and... stops at the bridge, hands on the railing as he just breathes and thinks for a second. Asch is gone, but he can still feel him. The link was still there; if Asch had gone back to his world, he's sure the link would be severed. Not to mention there were still a few things of his back in his room...

He walks on, at least not frantically running like earlier, and presses his fingers to his temple. He doesn't want to be caught and dragged somewhere, but he also needs to be still to even attempt to contact Asch this way. He'll try anyway, even though it hurts like this, so he has a wince on his face and is completely distracted as he tries to reach out and tap at the link. He can't open it himself, he's not capable of it. And like this, there's a light glow around his body that may get a little brighter if Asch makes contact. But all of those are things he doesn't care about at the moment.]

"Asch. Asch? Asch, answer me!"

[FONIC LINK~]

[dissonates]

[Luke's voice doesn't exactly make it through - he's stubborn, sure, but stubbornness doesn't always make a difference, and the link doesn't open that way for Luke yet. Still, there's a prodding at the back of his mind that Asch can't ignore forever, so at some point he finally relents and finds a quiet space to focus on it properly, opening the link for his replica.]

"What do you want, Luke?"

[His tone isn't as annoyed as the words might seem- he's even using Luke's name. Still, it's not a very welcoming voice.]

[FONIC LINK~]

[fabrecation]

[Luke halts mid-strike, both because of the use of his name and the extra pain that caused. He lifts both hands to his head and digs his fingertips in, and sure enough, the glow is a little brighter. He can't move unless he forced himself at this point, so he just stands and focuses for now.]

"Where are you?! Why did you...?"

[He can get why. Guy. Putting himself in Asch's shoes, if Xion left, came back, then not only didn't remember the relationship they had but was also cold to him, he'd want to leave, too. But...

Why is he leaving him? He... He can't do this, he...!]

[FONIC LINK~]

[dissonates]

"...Why do you think?"

[Seriously, Luke, this isn't rocket science. Guy moves in, Guy doesn't remember anything, apartment is suddenly REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. How the hell was he supposed to stay there? With the two of them being all friendly and chummy and Guy hovering protectively over the replica in that judgmental manner of his, after everything they'd gone through together?

It isn't fair. It isn't fair to once again have to watch Luke get everything that Asch wanted. He can't do it.]

[FONIC LINK~]

[fabrecation]

"I... I'll talk to Guy, okay?! I'll make him stop being so cold to you, just...

Please don't leave!"

[It was funny. It wasn't that long ago that Luke toyed with the idea of leaving himself, to find a place for him and Xion to live in. And now Asch is leaving, and he can't bear the thought of him doing so.]

action

[miniaturization]

[Japan, even if he rarely left his room, would do so at meal times so he could catch glimpses of his strange neighbors. It helps that he knew their habits and thus just so happened to end up in the kitchen about the time Asch was usually halfway through with his meal cooking. Certainly, they never had much conversation, but he'd been happy just to share space with them.

And then Asch had disappeared.

For about a month, he hadn't run into him even on accident and thus Japan had begun to think that the man had left the building or perhaps even Luceti entirely. Which is why he's so surprised when he heads out of his room and nearly runs into the man carrying his worldly possessions with him.]

Ah!---sch...san?

action

[dissonates]

[Asch pauses in mid-step, lifting a brow at the man. This is... his neighbour. The twitchy one. ....Dammit, what's his name. Does it matter? Hmm, probably not. They won't be neighbours after today anyway.]

What?

action

[miniaturization]

[Oh snap. They've never actually talked much and now... Uh...

He looks at the luggage and his nervousness evaporates into curiosity and worry.]

....You are moving out?

action

[dissonates]

....Yeah. [Why does he even care? Is this like enforced neighbourly smalltalk? Because he is so not in the mood for that today.]

action

[miniaturization]

[He frowns, lowering his head.]

...I see. That is unfortunate.

--! Ah, if it isn't too forward of me...may I ask where you will be going?

action; I DECLARE ANOTHER THREAD

[gleamed]

[Rapunzel )with Pascal in tow) has been exploring the wonders of the rec center when she spies Asch on the road just ahead. And he's got a box!

So she prances right up to him, hair trailing behind her.]

Good evening, Asch! You have a box! [So observant.

She also notices he doesn't look very happy. Not that he was exactly Mr. Exuberance last time they met, but he seems...more tired? Somehow.]

action; THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH BAYLEY IN MY LIFE

[dissonates]

[.....Oh it's her. >___>;; Asch... well, isn't exactly happy to see her, and he isn't impressed by her stirring observational skills, but at least he's not about to snap at her for it.]

You noticed.

action; MOST EXCELLENT.

[gleamed]

Would you like a hand? [There are many other questions she would like to ask about the box, too. What's it for? What's in it? Is it a pet? Does it have pretty hair, too?]

action;

[dissonates]

...It's just a box. [WITH HIS STUFF. YOU ARE A STRANGER. GO AWAY.]

action;

[gleamed]

[Rapunzel is still grinning; Pascal isn't too impressed with this guy so far, however.]

Oooh, right. It's probably not very heavy, huh? [She laughs.] What are you doing with it?

[action]

[faterecanted]

[Someone has an answer to where that new place can be, if Asch will just stop and listen, and that someone is waiting next to his apartment door, ready to catch him on the way back out. He'd heard the packing, you see.

It would be hard not to miss Asch's absence from his apartment over the last week, and Gailardia's presence. It would also be hard for Van not to guess at why, having set at least some of those issues in motion himself.]

Leaving us, Asch? [Which is a tacit admission that he has, in fact, been living in this very building... but somehow Van suspects that won't matter much now.]

[action]

[dissonates]

[If Asch had said that he was surprised to find Van outside of the apartment as he left, he'd be lying. In truth, he's more surprised that it took Van so long to approach him. This is an opportunity he wouldn't expect the older man to pass up- a chance to get him away from the replica, to draw him over to the side of the right, or at least whatever Van's idea of right is these days.

And - while he's being honest with himself - he's not so against it anymore. A week or so ago he'd find the idea laughable. But now...

He glances back - briefly - at the apartment he'd stepped out of, then turns his gaze back to Van.]

So you were here all along.

[He can't say he's surprised by that, either, but he's nice to have his suspicions confirmed at last.]

[action]

[faterecanted]

I thought it best to stay nearby. I wanted to be here when you needed me.

[And here he is, because he knows that -- despite whatever he might say -- the last thing Asch wants is to go live alone.]

Where do you intend to go now?

[action]

[dissonates]

["When you needed me." When. As if he'd known this would eventually happen.

Maybe this was fate. Hah, wouldn't that be laughable? Like a Score reading, like he's destined to be separated from Luke and his path. Like there was no other life he could have led than one at Van's side.

Wouldn't Van just love that.

It's laughable, yes, and at the same time pathetic beyond measure. Almost as pathetic as the fact that he doesn't have an answer for Van's question.]

...I hadn't decided. [Which is a rather pitiful way of excusing the truth, which is "I don't know." It's a fair sign of how desperate he was to get himself out of that situation.

Being Guy's enemy again... well, at least they have something else in common.]

[action]

[faterecanted]

[Of course it would happen -- if not this particularly, then some other incident... though Van must admit mild surprise at it not being an incident that he himself caused.]

You still have a place at my side. All you need to do is take it.

[Action]

[inkdrops]

[Asch, what are you doing outside right now? It looks like it's about to downpour any minute now! It's even already began to sprinkle. Miyabi, sized up and holding a glossy green cape over her head with one hand. The other is carrying a large scroll and a mess of brushes and art supplies. Looks like the oncoming rain interrupted her painting session.

She comes close to missing Asch entirely, but the red out of the corner of her eyes catches the girl's attention, and she stops. Lu--no, Asch? What's he doing outside like this? And...carrying a box? Hm. This requires careful investigation.]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[Asch doesn't particularly care for being under scrutiny, and after a quick glance around, he spots Miyabi not far off. Crap, he's been caught, hasn't he? And he's in the middle of moving, too... dammit. Oh well, maybe he can be vague about it.]

Miyabi, what are you doing out here?

[Action]

[inkdrops]

[Is he really asking her that question? Gods, Asch... Miyabi sighs and moves closer, holding the cape over Asch as well, so he doesn't get too wet. It was still just sprinkling, but still.]

I was painting in the forest, and practicing my brush skills. What are you doing out here in the rain? [And what is in that suspicious box you are holding? 8|]

[Action]

[dissonates]

[What's so suspicious about it, it's just a box 8| Asch purses his lips for a moment, then averts his eyes, feigning disinterest. He's doing nothing suspicious, okay. Nothing at all.]

I'm moving some things.

[Action]

[inkdrops]

[No, of course not. 8| Nothing about nothing a secret box out in the rain. Totally not suspicious. Miyabi looks at Asch closely and quirks a brow right up. Moving something things? What kind of "things" is he possibly moving right now?]

When there's a rain storm coming soon? [Honestly Asch...why do you lie when you kinda suck at it?]