dissonates | [action/written]

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[He's so stunned and disoriented to be alive again that he doesn't notice the lost connection inside his own head for at least three minutes.

For a while Asch just lies there in the grass, staring up at the sky and trying to figure out what the problem is. More specifically, what he's missing. He's not blind this time, that's a pleasant enough surprise. All his limbs and other senses are working. He thinks back to as many significant life experiences, pleasant or otherwise, and he can't come up with any gaps or missing memories. If he'd lost any, they weren't important enough to matter, apparently.

It's only when he finally sits up and tries to contact Luke and find out what's going on that he realizes he can't. He tries five times, wrestling with his fonons, prodding at the mental wall that used to be an open passage between his mind and his replica's. With that not working, it's easy to figure out what the problem is. He tries fonic artes- each of the four spells he's mastered, a few others learned from the Daathic books he'd gotten over the years. None of them work.

So. Answers that question. He'd kind of rather have taken the gap in memories, but it's not like anyone has ever asked him what he wanted.

Arriving at an empty house - aside from a noisy cat and a frantic cheagle - is just icing on the cake of his crappy life, so Asch wastes no time on sentimentality. Best to just get it over with: he opens the journal, jotting down a quick and emotionless note.]

I'm back.

Arietta the Wild has returned to Auldrant.

If anyone is willing to give me a debriefing on how the Zompania battle ended, I'd be grateful. I'll reopen Good Spirits tonight.

[True to his word, Asch'll be at Good Spirits that evening, though the atmosphere of the bar is significantly less cheery than usual. And with him tending the place, that's saying something.]

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More an annoying personality trait.

You know, if we're still nitpicking linguistics.

[There is the slightest of twitches, as Asch tries to keep himself otherwise occupied with cleaning the bar. What the hell is he staring at!?]

We'll have to call this one a difference of opinion.

H-- hey! My cooking isn't that bad!

[His cheeks puff up for a moment, all tinged red, but he keeps his hands to himself and manages to just take the teasing. In truth, he doesn't mind it that much. If Asch is teasing him, then it means he's comfortable. Or something. Maybe.

And maybe Luke just likes the attention.]

Forget it. Next time I'll bring something over and you're gonna like it.

[Or throw it in the trash immediately. Whatever. He shuts up after a minute, taking in what he can of Asch's place with new eyes. He could only see so much from the entryway, after all.]

Edited (I don't think he's gotten a full tour but I can edit this if needed haha) 2014-07-05 07:15 (UTC)

I suppose I can accept that.

[However begrudgingly.]

[ His pretty hair and face.

... That said, he's not got a reason to bug this guy, not really. He's sort of hoping more people will show up. If no one does though, then it'll just be a quiet night where he's got no need to be annoying. Just nursing his drink and perhaps rocking a bit. Spying over at him too ]

All right, well, see you at opening then.

Hmph. Maybe I should be wishing I'd been sent back without my sense of taste.

[Truth be told, he'd have preferred that to what he'd actually lost.

The house - or at least the entrance and living room area, which is what's mostly visible - is pretty sparsely decorated. It's not exactly bland, but it's definitely muted- calm, subtle colours mixed with greys and blacks. Probably about what you'd expect out of the home of Asch the Bloody. If there'd been any decor from Arietta, it's gone now, vanished with her or packed away. Even the cat sleeping on the couch is black and white.

There's a lot of books, though. On the table, on shelves, tucked away here and there. And at least the place is clean and has a nice smell to it- cozy, something subtle and vanilla-tinged. Actually, it smells a little bit like... home.]

Does that happen?

[No one's really explained what happens when you come back. He's taking in the neat monochrome of where Asch lives, and then he's distracted by the cat. And the books. The books are interesting, but the cat is even moreso; he didn't realize he missed having something fuzzy and warm snuggling up to him at night until he woke up here.

He doesn't say anything to Asch, he just slowwwly slinks up to the couch and holds out his hand, hoping he doesn't scare away the cat. Oh, right, it's sleeping... He clicks his tongue a couple times, trying to get its attention.]

It has, to some. What's taken varies from person to person.

[Asch remains standing, leaning against the nearest wall, keeping his distance. The cat, on the other hand, stretches himself out when the noise and Luke's hand makes him stir, yawning dramatically as only cats can. After a moment of bleary staring, the cat stands and saunters over to Luke, sniffing his hand and then rubbing up cozily like an old friend, beginning to purr.

...Well. At least this Luke still smells the same as the one who'd brought the kitten home for Asch three years ago. That's oddly comforting.]

[Ah, double sided-questions. His favorite kind. He assumes a casual smile as he glances towards the redhead, constrasting his stonefaced expression.]

A simple glass of wine, and an update on your current condition on the side. I believe that someone also put in an order for a debriefing...?

[Asch scowls at that, but turns away to fetch a vintage of an old red from his collection, pouring it out and sliding it across the counter to Jade. Knowing the man and his tendency to discover the truth one way or another, it's probably just pointless delaying not to give him what he wants. He'd told Luke the truth anyway, so it wasn't likely to stay a secret for long.

Still, he doesn't have to pretend to be agreeable fight off the bat.]

I hear the phrase is 'quid pro quo'. Give me mine, and I'll give you yours.

My, my. So you were taught complicated phrases after all. [He says lightly as he catches his glass, not yet drinking from it. Jade doesn't quite mind having to exchange information; it's a natural bartering system for a military mind.]

I suppose that I'm feeling generous enough to present my half upfront. For starters, I suppose that it may not be surprising by now to know that we were not horrifically wiped out by the Third Party. In fact, it could be classified as a victory of sorts.

[Years ago he would have snapped or stormed off at that; as it is, he stands behind the counter holding his whine bottle and wishing very much to pour it all over the man's stupid smiling face. Sometimes it is exceptionally irritating that people forget that he was going to be a king.

Though in Jade's case, it's easy to suspect that it was on purpose.

Whatever. Whatever. It's all noise, and he is - was - the head of special operations. Information gathering and bartering was woven into his training like the embroidery in his uniform.]

Please. Tell me something that wasn't immediately apparent as soon as I arrived here.

[If they'd been wiped out, there would've been a whole lot less of them in town and likely a much more grim situation in the rest of the world.]

How long did the fighting last?

[Asch's patience certainly seems to be better than it used to be. He wonders if he should go easier on him. The prince he met is still relatively fresh on his mind, after all.

He takes a sip of his drink before responding.]

After you were lost? Not much longer. The fighting came to an end within two days, when the Commandant finally arrived. There weren't exactly any significant turns in the battle over that period of time, aside from the Third Party being relentless in attempting to seize all the ground we had taken. [He pokes at the bridge of his glasses.] We were able to hold onto that ground quite nicely, as well as the captive scientists.

[Captives... right, that had happened, hadn't it? When the bomb was stopped. He hadn't personally been a part of that, but the news of their success had spread when they didn't blow up after a couple of days.

Interesting.]

Were we able to gain any information from them?

Nothing significant, I'm afraid. We did learn quite a bit about the bomb, however, from a variety of sources and deductions. [He's not quite sure if Asch was aware of that much, if that information was ever passed over the fonic link.]

[Some, but not all; the fonic link had certain consequences, to both he and Luke, and those effects were stronger without the influence of the barrier. He'd been cautious about overusing it when he didn't feel it was necessary. He doesn't let that show much, though.]

I suppose I should be glad we found out anything at all. It's been a long time since we've had new information from either side.

That's right. At this point, I'll appreciate any information that can be gathered, even if it isn't immediately useful. And what we've learned this time may just be enough to help us to avert any further bomb threats - that is, assuming that the Third Party has the time or resources to form any more of those bombs. They're certainly becoming more ambitious in terms of achieving raw destructive power.

[He stirs quietly at his glass as he goes on curiously.]

You've been here a long time, Asch. Do escalations like these seem unprecedented?

...I don't think it's an escalation at all. This has been their goal all along- the annihilation of everyone they come across. Once they broadcasted a sacrifice over the journal system itself.

[He falls silent for a moment, musing uncomfortably, then pours himself a glass of wine for himself as well. With how this conversation is going, it might be necessary. And it's been a crap day.]

Over the years they've just gotten better at it. Found faster methods of taking us out. I'm sure it's going to get worse from now on.

Edited 2014-07-31 06:41 (UTC)

[He gives a quiet smirk as Asch pours his own drink. It's not the usual topic for social drinking, but it's one that Jade prefers to upper-class drivel.]

I'd still consider that to be an escalation in itself. They developed a weapon of mass destruction. Isn't it rare for them to show such a level of sophistication? It's hard for me to consider it a coincidence, when just last year... [He raises an eyebrow challengingly.] You do remember the the Iron Eye's shift bomb, don't you?

Of course I remember. I was on that mission.

[He'd been one of the apparent majority in favour of letting them do it, actually. Not that he'd brag about it - especially in front of his replica - but after years of fighting and getting nowhere, it was time to try something new. Even if it was just a matter of stepping aside and letting something drastic happen.]

I thought you might remember. You're not that old yet, after all. [It's a bit more teasing than usual, as he takes his next sip.]

The two bombs seem to be different in a number of ways, but the fact stands that they're both weapons of mass destruction, being utilized by opposing forces. I can't say that this bodes well for any future conflicts.

[Asch scowls at that first bit and doesn't dignify it with a response. He won't be baited pointlessly, not today.]

So. Iron Eye? Or was the technology stolen from the wreckage after that bombing?

[Maybe they went and damned themselves by voting for it.]

Any guess is just conjecture at this point, until we have more information. At the least, it seems that both types of bomb were different in composure, even if they were similar in effect. We'll have to seize any opportunity to investigate further, should one arrive.

[Voting in favor of the bomb was a gamble. Jade wasn't going to give just light thought to supporting another method of destruction. Maybe it was wrong, but it was in the past now. The only thing they could do now is move forward and try to minimize the tragedies that could come from their decisions.]

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nah I don't think asch really let him in before

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[Action] IF YOU WILL STILL ALLOW THIS

[Action] WHY THE HELL NOT

[Action] HELL YES

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