[Voice / backdated to May 11th]

[dissonates]

[It had taken a few days for him to notice a certain housemate's disappearance - the man had been kidnapped, after all, and Asch didn't make a habit of nosing around in his room. It had been instinct more than anything that had made him poke his head in to check Van's room this morning.

The room had been empty. It's a familiar feeling, standing there in a room that used to hold someone important. Not necessarily treasured or even missed, this time, but undeniably important. And there's a fleeting thought, one he has to bury with the rest of the ideas that he doesn't share with people: how long until he's alone again?

...Yep, not sharing that one. He does close the door behind himself, though, sit down on the bed, and open his journal.]

Van Grants has gone home.

[He won't be all that chatty, but the message definitely needed to be conveyed.]

Comments

[distressedude]

[And at the top of the list of Things Ion Didn't Expect to Hear Today, we have this. He voices a reply before he even has the chance to think about it.]

Are you sure?

[dissonates]

I've been here long enough to know when someone's gone back, Fon Master.

[distressedude]

...of course. [Though that seems a rather sad way of putting it.]

[It's a strange feeling, to know Van isn't in Luceti anymore. Ion can't exactly say he isn't happy about it, knowing there was one less potential threat from home in the village. But at the same time, knowing there were at least some people here who wouldn't be happy about... the joy is short-lived. Was it really only Asch and Arietta there now?]

Are you going to be all right?

[dissonates]

Of course I am- I'm used to being on my own.

[Which isn't the nicest thing to say, but he's been kicked out of his apartment by circumstances, taken in by the mentor whom he's tried to kill no less than three times, and now has a roommate who hates everyone whose company he vaguely appreciates. He's probably within his rights to be a little bitter.]

[distressedude]

But being used to it doesn't mean you need to stay that way, right?

[Unless he wants to be alone, which... well, it's something Ion kind of expects from him. But at the same time, he was living in a full house up until a few weeks ago, wasn't he?]

I know it's a little out of the way, but you know you're always welcome to stop by House One. Natalia would be especially delighted to see you, I'm sure.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

Mas... [Luke lets himself trail off. It was pointless to ask for confirmation: if Asch announced it over the journals, then Van was gone. No question about it.

And Luke can't decide if that feeling in his chest is happiness or disappointment or a mixture of both.

So, he purses his lips before he speaks up again.]

Is... there anyone else with you?

[Voice]

[dissonates]

[Asch is actually tempted to lie, or to not answer; the question makes Luke's intention pretty obvious.

...But.]

No. It's just me.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

[There's a small pause. As much as he'd like to invite Asch back to the apartment, he knows he can't. Not with Guy still there. It'd be incredibly selfish of him.

But Asch doesn't have to be alone...]

You could... live with Ginji, maybe. Noelle's gone, too. [Lonely bros?]

[Voice]

[dissonates]

[Asch's response is obviously annoyed; the thought had occurred to him, but it's not like he's- he's not desperate or lonely or bothered by this, okay, it's just-

-dammit...]

...Don't go making offers for someone else, replica. Didn't you learn any manners in Baticul?

voice;

[gleamed]

[:(] Was he a friend of yours, Asch?

voice;

[dissonates]

No... my old master.

[Short and sweet. Honestly, he's not sure he could properly summarize his relationship with Van if his life depended on it.]

voice;

[gleamed]

So he must have been someone important to you! [That only makes sense.] I'm sorry he's gone. Do you need anything?

voice;

[dissonates]

[...Well. Important? He can't deny that.]

It's fine, don't worry about it. We're all better off with him gone.

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

... he was from your world, right? I'm sorry.

[Voice]

[dissonates]

Don't apologize. It's better that he's back there.

[Maybe not for him, but... everyone else will be more comfortable without him around, so it's good, right?

...Tch...]

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

I know, but that doesn't mean you can't miss him anyway.

[Voice]

[dissonates]

Well I don't miss him. I'm not going to miss him. People need to know that he's gone, that's all.

voice;

[trashed]

[...Oh. Well, that's something Sync wasn't really expecting to hear at this point. Not that he really feels a huge loyalty or any feelings towards Van; he hadn't spoken with him since the Original appeared, after all.]

Lucky him.

[He's so chatty.]

voice;

[dissonates]

...Tch, lucky. You know what he's going back to.

[What all of them are going back to, really. Death.]

voice;

[trashed]

[Talking to Sync about death...]

I do, but is that so much worse than being here?

[He envies Van.]

voice;

[dissonates]

For anyone but you, maybe.

[Not everyone is a suicidal lump of trash, Sync, gawd.]

[Voice]

[its_rose_damnit]

[Hm. This is certainly not what Dist expected to hear after so long of not emerging from his room, or even picking up his journal. He hadn't a care for anything and anyone since news of the Professor's return, but only offhandedly began browsing the new posts one again today. Anything of importance should be noted.

And, well, this is a bit of a shock and surprise. When he speaks, it's a quick and gruff mumble.]

At last...something to look forward to.

[Voice]

[dissonates]

I'm not surprised that it's you saying that.

[Then again, who exactly would be sad to hear it, from their world? Even he's having... misgivings.]

[Voice]

[its_rose_damnit]

Do you not feel the same? [Dist raises a brow, then sneers as he peers into his journal. It's been so long, and though he feels a shred of happiness about Van's departure, it doesn't ease the bitterness of Gelda's.] ...Though I can't expect someone on par with his very shadow to celebrate Van's return home.

[Voice]

[dissonates]

...His shadow? [What the hell kind of nickname is that?]