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[Since a certain someone's arrival, Asch has been kind of cranky and not particularly social, which has suited him just fine, besides having to endure appearing more pathetically lonely than usual. It's not like he really cares what other people think of him anyway (usually). Apparently there's some kind of party going on today, which makes him want to go out even less, so he's content to stay inside and keep out of the way. Parties? Not his thing.

But apparently some people have other ideas.

Eventually he will escape the party (greatly relieved to be away from it, whether he enjoyed himself at all or not), and will instead hang around outside the building trying to gather what's left of his dignity before he heads home. He just wants an uneventful walk in the dark (because it's always dark for him) and a long night's rest.

And apparently he's not allowed to do that, either.

Only when he makes it home does he finally take steps towards contacting a certain scientist who can get his body back to normal. Four months is long enough to be fumbling around in the dark without his replica nearby.]

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[Guy's been talking a lot of walks around Luceti lately. Living by himself is quiet, but it gives him plenty of time to think and readjust. He's usually out all day visiting friends, poking around the library, working at the bar; really, his apartment is only used for the occasional refuel and his nightly rest. The walks, they give him time to soak up what he missed in Luceti, what he missed of Luceti.

Strange. At one point he'd hated Luceti so much he'd almost rather be dead than in it. Now, he quails at the idea of going back home.

This late at night, the Battle Dome is usually empty, but there's a party going on so it's comfortably crowded. The perfect place to people-watch without being noticed, so Guy hangs around as long as he dares before pushing off of his tree to leave.

He catches a flash of red hair and goes still.

A decade ago, something like that would've made his blood boil, his vision cloud red. When he was a teenager, with hormones charging through his body and the wound caused by loss of his family still fresh enough to sting, just the sight of Duke Fabre walking through the halls of his manor could set him on edge. Pere had to do a lot of covering for him. Thank goodness for Luke, who kept him so busy and so exhausted that he didn't have any time to dwell on things. He might've gotten himself killed, trying to attack the Duke in broad daylight.

It's not Duke Fabre, though, and Guy remembers saying how the Duke doesn't have a patent on red hair as he pulled locks of it through his fingers.

Asch.

In that split second between catching a flash of red and turning his head to find it again, Guy does something monumentally stupid.

He decides to follow Asch into the dark.]

[One of the benefits of being blind - the select few and far apart benefits - is that he's gotten used to utilizing his other senses, more attuned to the sounds and scents around him: the rustle of a bush, the sweet grass in the wind, the feel of stone-to-grass when he strays off the path by mistake. His walk has become more and more steady over the months as he adjusted to following directions rather than forging his own path, and as Star got better at guiding him. He might not admit it openly, but the cheagle has been irreplaceable, and far more intelligent and tolerable than the replica's pet, for certain. He hates depending on anyone, but Star? Star understands him, to an extent.

Because of this, you know what else he notices more easily? When someone is following him.

He tolerates it for a while, though, only tensing a little, trying not to let it affect his walking, since it's already difficult enough to track his own footfalls with a cheagle whispering directions in his ear. It's not like the path he's on leads only to his house- his home is near the plaza, after all, so the person behind him could merely be headed home themselves, and he's content to be unbothered.

...Still. He's better at walking blind, but that doesn't mean he's good at walking normally. He stumbles over nothing sometimes, he stops or pauses to realign himself on the path, and he moves at a pace that could be easily overtaken by someone not in his particular state. And still, he can tell he's being followed. To call it suspicious is an understatement.

He'll bide his time for now, though- see what happens. Maybe they're just an asshole enjoying his struggles.]

[Guy frowns. Asch isn't walking with the grace he usually has. It's almost as if it's too dark outside, but Guy can see well enough to walk without much trouble. Is he drunk?

...no, Guy knows what a drunk walk looks like. It's not that. And he's walking too slowly.

Guy follows without a word.]

[The further they go, the more suspicious - and therefore irritating - it gets. Asch tolerates it for most of the way home, and it isn't until he reaches the path leading up to his house that he stops, standing still for a long moment, longer than any of the pauses he'd taken before.

The footfalls stop.

Tch... of course this would happen on the day I left my sword here.]

I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but it isn't stealth.

[Come out and play, fail-ninja. He can still take you down, with or without a blade in hand.]

[Why did Asch wait so long to call him out on it? Guy doesn't move, still at good distance behind Asch, but it's so quiet this far away from the Battle Dome and this late at night that he doesn't have to speak very loudly.]

I was wondering when you'd say something.

[Asch goes still at the voice, his body more tense than it had been in months. He knows that voice- he'd know that voice anywhere, even if it had been weeks, months, years since hearing it. His hands are clenching into fists at his sides, though it's hard to tell whether he's looking to attack or just going on the defensive. Even he himself can't tell.

But. It's Guy. The last time he remembers speaking with that voice (because it had just been a voice, all anger and confusion and something he couldn't quite name), they'd been in a hospital room and it had been an exchange between two men who may as well have been strangers. Or enemies, even. Biting words, tense postures, fiery tempers. There'd been hatred in that room, and pain. Too much pain.

The time before that, he'd nearly been cleaved in two.

But that was a long time ago for any of them, it seemed. If this was even the same Guy. The impressions that he'd gotten so far told him otherwise. And that meant...

...he didn't know what it meant. But he's been running away from it for weeks now, and maybe it's about time that he stops. He reaches up to lift Star off his shoulder, setting the cheagle down and shooing him away until he scampers off to the house's front door to wait. Only then does he turn to face Guy- pointlessly, on his part, but at least to show that he's not afraid. Not to die again. And not to hear what the other man wants to say, either.]

Between the two of us, you expected me to say anything first?

[Do you even know me?]

Hah...well, I was kind of hoping you'd get angry and shout at me.

[It'd be a familiar ice-breaker. Guy rubs the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly until he notices Asch isn't meeting his eyes. He takes a couple footsteps closer. It's dark, so maybe it's just the shadows playing tricks on him, but something looks off.]

[There's something casual about Guy's tone that is completely unlike the angry, hateful person he'd been the last time. it's confusing, and startling, and- and a little frightening, not that he'd ever admit it. Why is he talking like- like he knows Asch, like he cares? Like he's someone that deserves a casual tone or a familiar gesture. Like... he's Luke. Or a friend.

When Guy moves forward, it takes an immense force of will not to step backwards to match the distance. He won't run away. He doesn't even want to let that weakness show. But he doesn't want to be too close, either. It bothers him more than ever before that he can't see what Guy's doing beyond the sound of his footsteps.]

Nice to hear that you missed fighting with me enough to stalk me.

[Right, that. Guy grimaces and looks away, scuffing a hand through his hair.]

Look. I know- I know we parted on bad terms. Last thing I said to you was- [He's not good at this.] I just...wanted to check up on you. That's all.

[Parted. On bad terms.

Ha. So maybe it is the other one. Honestly, he can't tell anymore; they'd both left him with bitter memories and a world of hurt. He's not sure he's ready to welcome that kind of emotional roller coaster back into his life.

Guy had said to get some self respect. Might as well start with him.]

Well, you've checked on me. Are you satisfied?

[Guy opens his mouth.

Closes it.

No, he's not satisfied, but Asch doesn't seem open to conversing. What was it he'd said to Asch? That it was unhealthy to be around him, that they were just damaging each other, that maybe they were better off apart. Asch reminded him of things he'd rather forget, and he was just that little bit nastier to Asch because of it. And Asch took it, because Guy also loved him, and it just- It was a mess.

Guy always said, over and over, that if he was gone he wanted Asch to be okay. He wanted Asch to move on, not lock himself up and out and in and here he is, walking around, going to a party for Yulia's sake. Maybe he's done just what Guy wanted him to. Thought he should.

Who's Guy to demand attention from Asch after that?]

I guess I am.

[Amidst his pride, he can't help but feel immensely sad about it. First Luke, now Asch; outgrown again.]

[He guesses?

Asch is silent at that for a while, still tense, but his expression is conflicted now, confused. What Guy is saying sounds right- what he'd expect the man to say. Conclusive. Dismissive, almost. Satisfied.

But... he's not leaving at the same time. There are no departing footsteps. There's no careless farewell. Just a silence that Asch can't bring himself to fill.

Why? Why are you talking to me? Why did you care enough to check on me?

Why aren't you leaving me alone!?

He waits, trembling, desperate, pining for answers to questions he doesn't know how to ask.]

Edited 2012-09-23 05:27 (UTC)

[Guy looks up again.

No. He's not satisfied.]

...what happened to your eyes?

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