Tales of the Abyss - Tiphereth 2
Okay, parts 3 and 4 have already been posted to this journal, just use the tags to find them if you want. They haven't been edited yet, but I'll get to them eventually.
/Are you cold?/
Asch let that curious off the wall question pass through his mind unanswered as he made his way down the Albiore's gangplank, straightening his hair out as best he could from its moderately mussed up state. A parting gift that was leftover from his little impromptu nap. It was rather embarrassing really. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. It had just... happened. And to make matters worse, he'd apparently been using Luke as something of a pillow for the entire trip to Keterburg. How mortifying. And it didn't end there, of course not. He was still tired even after having slept for so long. What he wouldn't give for even just a sliver of energy right about now. The lingering weakness left over from his aborted death was frustrating at best and thoroughly infuriating at worst. He was not an invalid and he did not appreciate having to feel like one.
Still, regardless of the present undesirable state of his health, he would not let it hinder him, nor anyone else. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that said state of health was the cause for such a bizarre little inquiry from Luke. Such a bother. Frowning slightly, Asch turned around once he had reached the bottom, crossed his arms and gazed up at the query's originator. Luke stood just inside the Albiore's hatch, one foot placed on the gangplank leading down into the port, the other still resting within the confines of the fon machine. He was watching him studiously with obvious worried regard and Asch couldn't help but feel some irritation at it. He wasn't made of glass. He didn't need to be treated like he was going to break at a moment's notice.
And besides...
Asch arched an eyebrow as he gave Luke and his less than stellar attire a calculating once over. /Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?/ He shot back somewhat scornfully as he lifted his gaze back up to meet Luke's. /That outfit doesn't exactly match the definition of warm./
/Eh?/ Luke looked down at himself and flushed slightly in embarrassment, his cheeks taking on a rosy hue as he reached up and scratched self-consciously at the nape of his neck. /Well I guess. I never really thought about it, they're just comfortable. It doesn't really bother me though./ He concluded cheerfully and grinned. /I'd rather be cold than too hot anyway. I hate sweating./
Asch sighed soundlessly and shook his head, doing his best not to roll his eyes in mounting aggravation. There had been many, many, many times before when he had wished his replica wasn't so damned naive, mostly when Luke had gone and done something atrociously stupid. The only saving grace back then had been the ever so alluring fact that he could escape it, not so much anymore. He was tied down now, whether he liked it or not, and in more ways than one. And if he were to be honest about the entire situation, he couldn't say that he really wanted to escape it anymore. But, unfortunately, this all meant that he had to relearn certain skills, namely, how to tolerate being around other people for any given length of time. It was... a very daunting task. He wasn't really sure he could even do that anymore. Being alone had become something of an expectation these past seven years, he was more than accustomed to it by now.
/Don't think that way./
Asch started slightly as a hand unexpectedly alighted upon his shoulder, then cursed at himself for dwelling so deeply upon foolish concerns that he completely missed Luke's descent down the gangplank. /It's nothing./ He thought faintly, hating himself for the weakness as he shrugged out of Luke's grasp and turned to follow after the others.
/That's not true./ Luke mentally grumbled in something almost akin to exasperation as he followed after the impossible God-General. /It's not nothing if it's bothering you./
Asch sighed again, his irritation rising both from what he viewed as a pointless conversation and the fact that he was actually getting cold. He just didn't feel like admitting to it, especially not to Luke. He wasn't an invalid! /It really isn't that important. I am simply unaccustomed to being around so many people for such a protracted amount of time. It-/ He grimaced a bit and stamped down hard on the old self-preservation instinct against admitting anything lest it be used against him before continuing. /It just makes me uncomfortable./
Luke frowned unhappily at Asch's reluctant admission and the inherent meaning behind it. He wished he could help, but he didn't even have a single clue about where to start. He'd never been alone for any serious given length of time, not even after Akzeriuth. After all, Asch had taken his consciousness along for a little joyride right after his little beat down. And even after Asch had finally had enough of him and kicked him out of his head, so to speak, Tear had still been there. Luke didn't even want to try and imagine how things might have turned out if she hadn't been there to smack some sense into him. He'd needed it. Otherwise, he might have screwed things up even worse than he already had. And unfortunately, none of that would solve their immediate problem. If he couldn't think of anything to help fix it, then maybe there was another way to get around it. /Do you want me to talk to the others?/
/No!/ Asch forbid Luke forcefully -perhaps too forcefully- and scowled a moment later at the sharpness of his tone. He hadn't meant for it to come out like that. He just... /I don't want to be treated any differently. I've had enough of that to last me for a lifetime, and in fact it already has./ Asch's scowl turned absolutely sour as he glanced around the port they were preparing to leave. Too many people. There were always too many people around. But even in that, Dorian General Grants had been incorrect in his assumptions. Just because Asch had been conditioned to dislike being around other people didn't mean that he was willing to write them all off as a hopeless cause.
/Asch.../ Luke trailed off uncertainly as he reached up to place a comforting hand on the God-General's back. He didn't really know how to interpret what Asch was feeling. It didn't make much sense to him, and just when he thought he'd managed to latch onto something he could focus on, Asch's emotions would shift again. It was so very frustrating not knowing what to do to help or whether he could even help in the first place. He liked to think that he could, but that was more of a hope than a certainty. The ability to read minds was turning out to not be all it was cracked up to be, far from it actually. Luke sighed in annoyance, but refrained from complaining about the situation. He could always bash his head against a wall later or something to work it out of his system. /I guess we still have a lot to work through./
Asch resisted his initial urge to snap back about stating the obvious. It was just peevishness on his part paired along with that old ingrained habit of not dealing with other people when he didn't want to. It had always been much easier to run them off by being as much of a bastard as humanly possible than to actually interact with them. And he supposed that -bad- habit tied into his own problems about being around other people, but that was more his own fault than anything else. He could lay the blame for it at the Order's well deserving feet, all things considered. They did have a remarkable way of isolating their members from normal society; but he wasn't really feeling very charitable towards himself right now. A large part of him wanted to bite everybody's heads off just because he was so frustrated with feeling less than up to speed -and cold-. It was stupid and childish and he knew that it was, but he'd rather just be left alone right now regardless. Sadly, that course of action wasn't even a remote possibility anymore, and perhaps that was for the best. He'd probably just end up wallowing in his own misery if he were left to his own devices. /Yes, I suppose we do./
Luke eyed Asch speculatively for a moment. That had been a lot easier than he'd thought it would be. In fact, the quick acceptance from Asch was almost out of place, especially with how they were both feeling. Crap, now he didn't know what to do, much less what to say. He almost wished for an argument, at least then he'd have a guaranteed way to keep Asch distracted from the irritation of not being completely well. Well, he hoped it was just about not being all the way well. Luke would hate to think that Asch felt this way all of the time. He didn't think he could handle that sort of challenge all on his own. Keeping his own spirits up, as it were, was a big enough job to deal with already.
"Are the two of you cold?"
Luke nearly bit his tongue to keep from eeping in surprise as Natalia planted herself right in front of them. Where the heck had she come from? And why did she even care whether they were cold or not? It's not like she ever had before- Oh, right. She might find some amusement in his own personal discomfort -after all, he'd heard more than enough out of her about his tragic lack of fashion sense in the past couple of years-, but Asch was another matter altogether. "No," he answered simply, his tone almost bordering on petulant, and prayed that it would be enough to deter her. Of course, he knew better, but he could always dream of the day where he might be right for once.
Natalia arched an eyebrow in pure disbelief as she crossed her arms and very pointedly looked him up and down. "Of course not, silly me for asking," she said bitingly, "Regardless of how flimsy your choices in clothing always are, the very concept of you ever getting cold is ridiculous at best."
"Ha ha. Well, I'm not," Luke grumbled irritably, realizing a second later that he'd crossed his arms at some point. Damn, it probably looked like he was hugging himself to ward off the chill. Grimacing at that little discovery, Luke very deliberately lowered them back down to his sides. He wasn't cold. He wasn't!
"Uhuh." Natalia smirked knowingly at him, then turned her attention to the silent God-General in their midst. "I know you're dressed much more intelligently than certain people here, Asch, but that doesn't mean you can't get cold either."
Asch frowned slightly at the open concern for his wellbeing, but shook his head in the negative. They didn't need to worry about something as inconsequential as a minor chill, and most especially not when said worry was directed at him. He'd endured much worse many times before now.
"Well," Natalia began dubiously as she gave him a skeptical look, "Don't hesitate to let us know if you do start to feel the elements. I know it may seem a little excessive, but I'm sure you're well aware of the impact even such little upsets can have on the body when it is still recovering. Better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"
Asch was the picture of calm blankness as he nodded in agreement. He was rather proud of himself for not scowling outright, but showing his true feelings on the matter wouldn't have served much purpose -other than making Natalia worry about him even more-. He understood the concept of healing, and everything that went along with it, but he'd just rather deal with all of the problems that came with it on his own rather than have other people worrying themselves over it.
/I can't believe it./
Closing his eyes for a moment in aggravation, Asch slowly counted to ten before asking what would no doubt spark something of an argument. /What?/
/You just lied to Natalia!/ Luke almost crowed, his tone filled with mirth and yet still sounding utterly scandalized.
/I did no such thing./ Asch stated icily, very obviously not looking at Luke as he drew abreast of the princess in question, waited patiently for her to turn around, and then sedately walked beside her.
/Yes, you did. Oh but you did./ Luke chuckled in superiority as he hastened his steps to catch up with the pair. He wasn't going to lose this one, not a chance in hell. /You are cold, thus it is a lie./
/Hardly./ Asch shot back as he gave Luke a quick disgusted look. /I'm not anywhere near as cold as you are./
/What?!/ Luke yelped back in stunned disbelief. /I am not cold, thank you very much. And even if I was colder than you, that wouldn't make you not cold. So there! It's still a lie./
/Right. You just keep telling yourself that, maybe one day you'll be correct./ Asch smiled smugly before he added, as if in afterthought, /Though I wouldn't count on it./
Luke scowled sourly. Why couldn't Asch just ever admit defeat? He'd lost this particular argument even before it began, not that he was acting like it, but it was the truth! He had lied to Natalia by not admitting he was cold. Jerk. /Well, at least I'm not cold despite being dressed up in enough layers to pass for a mountain man, unlike some people here./
/Do you really want me to comment on your attire?/ Asch asked boredly, though the implicit threat in his statement was more than obvious even to Luke.
/...No./ Luke did not shudder at the hell his imagination was supplying at that loaded suggestion, though to be perfectly honest, he kind of wanted to. He'd gotten cut down more than enough times by Natalia over that particular subject, adding Asch to the mix would be the purest form of hell on earth. /Thanks all the same./
/Well, if you ever change your mind, feel free to let me know./ Asch smirked slyly as Luke shot him a disgruntled look. /I wouldn't want you to miss out on any wise advice. You do need all the help you can get, after all./
Luke did not respond to that jab, though it was very, very difficult not to. He wasn't the one who was walking around freezing and lying about it. Sure, maybe he was a little cold, but it wasn't bad. His stomach was more than used to severe changes in the temperature by now. It wasn't anything to make a fuss over. And so what if other people disapproved of his choice in clothing, they were comfortable damnit. And- Asch had just quite effectively changed the subject on him. Damn him. It wasn't a crime to worry about his snide, argumentative ass.
"I realize that Asch can't exactly talk just yet," Natalia said cheerfully in mock indignation, startling them both out of their mental battleground, "But it's still a bit rude to have a conversation over a lady's head."
They both blinked, surprised that she'd caught on partly to what was going on in their mental landscape, so to speak. Then again, perhaps their expressions were more telling than they'd realized. Hmm. Asch smiled apologetically and shrugged. There wasn't much he could do about it until he was allowed to speak again, but he supposed he could try to not be quite so obvious about it.
Luke chuckled weakly as he reached up and scratched at the back of his head. "Sorry about that." /I'm still right though./
/Believe what you like./
Sighing soundlessly and shaking his head at the entire situation, Luke decided to let it end at that. It was probably about as far as he would ever get Asch to admit that he might be right about something as simple -and stupid- as being cold. He supposed he'd just have to take his victories where he could get them.
---
/Are you cold?/
Asch let that curious off the wall question pass through his mind unanswered as he made his way down the Albiore's gangplank, straightening his hair out as best he could from its moderately mussed up state. A parting gift that was leftover from his little impromptu nap. It was rather embarrassing really. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. It had just... happened. And to make matters worse, he'd apparently been using Luke as something of a pillow for the entire trip to Keterburg. How mortifying. And it didn't end there, of course not. He was still tired even after having slept for so long. What he wouldn't give for even just a sliver of energy right about now. The lingering weakness left over from his aborted death was frustrating at best and thoroughly infuriating at worst. He was not an invalid and he did not appreciate having to feel like one.
Still, regardless of the present undesirable state of his health, he would not let it hinder him, nor anyone else. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that said state of health was the cause for such a bizarre little inquiry from Luke. Such a bother. Frowning slightly, Asch turned around once he had reached the bottom, crossed his arms and gazed up at the query's originator. Luke stood just inside the Albiore's hatch, one foot placed on the gangplank leading down into the port, the other still resting within the confines of the fon machine. He was watching him studiously with obvious worried regard and Asch couldn't help but feel some irritation at it. He wasn't made of glass. He didn't need to be treated like he was going to break at a moment's notice.
And besides...
Asch arched an eyebrow as he gave Luke and his less than stellar attire a calculating once over. /Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?/ He shot back somewhat scornfully as he lifted his gaze back up to meet Luke's. /That outfit doesn't exactly match the definition of warm./
/Eh?/ Luke looked down at himself and flushed slightly in embarrassment, his cheeks taking on a rosy hue as he reached up and scratched self-consciously at the nape of his neck. /Well I guess. I never really thought about it, they're just comfortable. It doesn't really bother me though./ He concluded cheerfully and grinned. /I'd rather be cold than too hot anyway. I hate sweating./
Asch sighed soundlessly and shook his head, doing his best not to roll his eyes in mounting aggravation. There had been many, many, many times before when he had wished his replica wasn't so damned naive, mostly when Luke had gone and done something atrociously stupid. The only saving grace back then had been the ever so alluring fact that he could escape it, not so much anymore. He was tied down now, whether he liked it or not, and in more ways than one. And if he were to be honest about the entire situation, he couldn't say that he really wanted to escape it anymore. But, unfortunately, this all meant that he had to relearn certain skills, namely, how to tolerate being around other people for any given length of time. It was... a very daunting task. He wasn't really sure he could even do that anymore. Being alone had become something of an expectation these past seven years, he was more than accustomed to it by now.
/Don't think that way./
Asch started slightly as a hand unexpectedly alighted upon his shoulder, then cursed at himself for dwelling so deeply upon foolish concerns that he completely missed Luke's descent down the gangplank. /It's nothing./ He thought faintly, hating himself for the weakness as he shrugged out of Luke's grasp and turned to follow after the others.
/That's not true./ Luke mentally grumbled in something almost akin to exasperation as he followed after the impossible God-General. /It's not nothing if it's bothering you./
Asch sighed again, his irritation rising both from what he viewed as a pointless conversation and the fact that he was actually getting cold. He just didn't feel like admitting to it, especially not to Luke. He wasn't an invalid! /It really isn't that important. I am simply unaccustomed to being around so many people for such a protracted amount of time. It-/ He grimaced a bit and stamped down hard on the old self-preservation instinct against admitting anything lest it be used against him before continuing. /It just makes me uncomfortable./
Luke frowned unhappily at Asch's reluctant admission and the inherent meaning behind it. He wished he could help, but he didn't even have a single clue about where to start. He'd never been alone for any serious given length of time, not even after Akzeriuth. After all, Asch had taken his consciousness along for a little joyride right after his little beat down. And even after Asch had finally had enough of him and kicked him out of his head, so to speak, Tear had still been there. Luke didn't even want to try and imagine how things might have turned out if she hadn't been there to smack some sense into him. He'd needed it. Otherwise, he might have screwed things up even worse than he already had. And unfortunately, none of that would solve their immediate problem. If he couldn't think of anything to help fix it, then maybe there was another way to get around it. /Do you want me to talk to the others?/
/No!/ Asch forbid Luke forcefully -perhaps too forcefully- and scowled a moment later at the sharpness of his tone. He hadn't meant for it to come out like that. He just... /I don't want to be treated any differently. I've had enough of that to last me for a lifetime, and in fact it already has./ Asch's scowl turned absolutely sour as he glanced around the port they were preparing to leave. Too many people. There were always too many people around. But even in that, Dorian General Grants had been incorrect in his assumptions. Just because Asch had been conditioned to dislike being around other people didn't mean that he was willing to write them all off as a hopeless cause.
/Asch.../ Luke trailed off uncertainly as he reached up to place a comforting hand on the God-General's back. He didn't really know how to interpret what Asch was feeling. It didn't make much sense to him, and just when he thought he'd managed to latch onto something he could focus on, Asch's emotions would shift again. It was so very frustrating not knowing what to do to help or whether he could even help in the first place. He liked to think that he could, but that was more of a hope than a certainty. The ability to read minds was turning out to not be all it was cracked up to be, far from it actually. Luke sighed in annoyance, but refrained from complaining about the situation. He could always bash his head against a wall later or something to work it out of his system. /I guess we still have a lot to work through./
Asch resisted his initial urge to snap back about stating the obvious. It was just peevishness on his part paired along with that old ingrained habit of not dealing with other people when he didn't want to. It had always been much easier to run them off by being as much of a bastard as humanly possible than to actually interact with them. And he supposed that -bad- habit tied into his own problems about being around other people, but that was more his own fault than anything else. He could lay the blame for it at the Order's well deserving feet, all things considered. They did have a remarkable way of isolating their members from normal society; but he wasn't really feeling very charitable towards himself right now. A large part of him wanted to bite everybody's heads off just because he was so frustrated with feeling less than up to speed -and cold-. It was stupid and childish and he knew that it was, but he'd rather just be left alone right now regardless. Sadly, that course of action wasn't even a remote possibility anymore, and perhaps that was for the best. He'd probably just end up wallowing in his own misery if he were left to his own devices. /Yes, I suppose we do./
Luke eyed Asch speculatively for a moment. That had been a lot easier than he'd thought it would be. In fact, the quick acceptance from Asch was almost out of place, especially with how they were both feeling. Crap, now he didn't know what to do, much less what to say. He almost wished for an argument, at least then he'd have a guaranteed way to keep Asch distracted from the irritation of not being completely well. Well, he hoped it was just about not being all the way well. Luke would hate to think that Asch felt this way all of the time. He didn't think he could handle that sort of challenge all on his own. Keeping his own spirits up, as it were, was a big enough job to deal with already.
"Are the two of you cold?"
Luke nearly bit his tongue to keep from eeping in surprise as Natalia planted herself right in front of them. Where the heck had she come from? And why did she even care whether they were cold or not? It's not like she ever had before- Oh, right. She might find some amusement in his own personal discomfort -after all, he'd heard more than enough out of her about his tragic lack of fashion sense in the past couple of years-, but Asch was another matter altogether. "No," he answered simply, his tone almost bordering on petulant, and prayed that it would be enough to deter her. Of course, he knew better, but he could always dream of the day where he might be right for once.
Natalia arched an eyebrow in pure disbelief as she crossed her arms and very pointedly looked him up and down. "Of course not, silly me for asking," she said bitingly, "Regardless of how flimsy your choices in clothing always are, the very concept of you ever getting cold is ridiculous at best."
"Ha ha. Well, I'm not," Luke grumbled irritably, realizing a second later that he'd crossed his arms at some point. Damn, it probably looked like he was hugging himself to ward off the chill. Grimacing at that little discovery, Luke very deliberately lowered them back down to his sides. He wasn't cold. He wasn't!
"Uhuh." Natalia smirked knowingly at him, then turned her attention to the silent God-General in their midst. "I know you're dressed much more intelligently than certain people here, Asch, but that doesn't mean you can't get cold either."
Asch frowned slightly at the open concern for his wellbeing, but shook his head in the negative. They didn't need to worry about something as inconsequential as a minor chill, and most especially not when said worry was directed at him. He'd endured much worse many times before now.
"Well," Natalia began dubiously as she gave him a skeptical look, "Don't hesitate to let us know if you do start to feel the elements. I know it may seem a little excessive, but I'm sure you're well aware of the impact even such little upsets can have on the body when it is still recovering. Better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"
Asch was the picture of calm blankness as he nodded in agreement. He was rather proud of himself for not scowling outright, but showing his true feelings on the matter wouldn't have served much purpose -other than making Natalia worry about him even more-. He understood the concept of healing, and everything that went along with it, but he'd just rather deal with all of the problems that came with it on his own rather than have other people worrying themselves over it.
/I can't believe it./
Closing his eyes for a moment in aggravation, Asch slowly counted to ten before asking what would no doubt spark something of an argument. /What?/
/You just lied to Natalia!/ Luke almost crowed, his tone filled with mirth and yet still sounding utterly scandalized.
/I did no such thing./ Asch stated icily, very obviously not looking at Luke as he drew abreast of the princess in question, waited patiently for her to turn around, and then sedately walked beside her.
/Yes, you did. Oh but you did./ Luke chuckled in superiority as he hastened his steps to catch up with the pair. He wasn't going to lose this one, not a chance in hell. /You are cold, thus it is a lie./
/Hardly./ Asch shot back as he gave Luke a quick disgusted look. /I'm not anywhere near as cold as you are./
/What?!/ Luke yelped back in stunned disbelief. /I am not cold, thank you very much. And even if I was colder than you, that wouldn't make you not cold. So there! It's still a lie./
/Right. You just keep telling yourself that, maybe one day you'll be correct./ Asch smiled smugly before he added, as if in afterthought, /Though I wouldn't count on it./
Luke scowled sourly. Why couldn't Asch just ever admit defeat? He'd lost this particular argument even before it began, not that he was acting like it, but it was the truth! He had lied to Natalia by not admitting he was cold. Jerk. /Well, at least I'm not cold despite being dressed up in enough layers to pass for a mountain man, unlike some people here./
/Do you really want me to comment on your attire?/ Asch asked boredly, though the implicit threat in his statement was more than obvious even to Luke.
/...No./ Luke did not shudder at the hell his imagination was supplying at that loaded suggestion, though to be perfectly honest, he kind of wanted to. He'd gotten cut down more than enough times by Natalia over that particular subject, adding Asch to the mix would be the purest form of hell on earth. /Thanks all the same./
/Well, if you ever change your mind, feel free to let me know./ Asch smirked slyly as Luke shot him a disgruntled look. /I wouldn't want you to miss out on any wise advice. You do need all the help you can get, after all./
Luke did not respond to that jab, though it was very, very difficult not to. He wasn't the one who was walking around freezing and lying about it. Sure, maybe he was a little cold, but it wasn't bad. His stomach was more than used to severe changes in the temperature by now. It wasn't anything to make a fuss over. And so what if other people disapproved of his choice in clothing, they were comfortable damnit. And- Asch had just quite effectively changed the subject on him. Damn him. It wasn't a crime to worry about his snide, argumentative ass.
"I realize that Asch can't exactly talk just yet," Natalia said cheerfully in mock indignation, startling them both out of their mental battleground, "But it's still a bit rude to have a conversation over a lady's head."
They both blinked, surprised that she'd caught on partly to what was going on in their mental landscape, so to speak. Then again, perhaps their expressions were more telling than they'd realized. Hmm. Asch smiled apologetically and shrugged. There wasn't much he could do about it until he was allowed to speak again, but he supposed he could try to not be quite so obvious about it.
Luke chuckled weakly as he reached up and scratched at the back of his head. "Sorry about that." /I'm still right though./
/Believe what you like./
Sighing soundlessly and shaking his head at the entire situation, Luke decided to let it end at that. It was probably about as far as he would ever get Asch to admit that he might be right about something as simple -and stupid- as being cold. He supposed he'd just have to take his victories where he could get them.
---