[Action] (backdated to the 18th)

[mirrorbirth]

[Since this happened, Asch hasn't been entirely sure what to do with himself. He eats breakfast, he reads a little. He wanders through the village for a while, aimlessly and calm despite the bad news. It's a normal day. A nice day, even. Luceti is blissfully aware of his loss, and he likes it that way. There is no house to burn, no alcohol to waste

Comments

[Action]

[chiisaichou]

[If Asch is hoping to see someone at the cherry tree hill, he'll have to wait a few moment, Miyabi had been out shopping for groceries, a steaming meat bun clamped in between her teeth. She couldn't wait on the way over, and it smelled so good. Finishing the bite she had been chewing, and adjusting the bag on her arm, Miyabi puts her thumb and forefinger in her mouth and whistles.

And out from the roots of the largest cherry tree, perhaps just a few feet from Asch, bounds the Lucky Mallet. It bounces around the girl in a circle, like an excited animal greeting its master, before bouncing ahead of her, back toward the tree. She'd need to shrink down once she got closer to her house.

She hadn't noticed Asch yet, shoving her meatbun back into her mouth as she inspected her foodstuffs. Good, the eggs made the trip okay. Looking up, she spies a familiar someone. And, muffled through her food, she blinks.]

Apphf?

[What are you doing at the cherry tree hill?]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[...What the hell is with that thing. Asch lifts a brow, observing its crazy bounce for a while and waiting until Miyabi notices him standing there. He nods slightly to greet her, but doesn't respond. Stupid, don't talk with your mouth full like that.]

[Action] - /jedi magics that meatbun into a bean bun.

[chiisaichou]

[The mallet continues hopping around Miyabi, expecting to be used, but the girl extends a hand and kind of shoos it away. Undeterred, the glittering Mallet bounces off to hop in place under one of the smaller trees, waiting patiently there until its master was finished.]

Wuf-- [She puts a hand to her mouth, swallowing the bite in her mouth.] What are you doing here, Asch? ...Is something wrong? Are you okay?

[Because, bro, you never come to visit her.]

[Action] bean buns are way better

[mirrorbirth]

[...Ah. Why is he here... good question...

...and he doesn't want to say.]

How do you get so skilled at art? Is it something you've practiced for a long time?

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[Of course Luke is still awake by the time Asch returns to the apartment. In fact, he's waiting in the living room, legs drawn up and arms wrapped around them. Asch can take care of himself and he knows it, and he also knows that the way Asch deals with losses like this is different from him.

Yet he still can't help feeling a little afraid. What if it was like with Guy? Luke isn't dumb when it comes to Asch and his feelings. If he decided to run away again... What if he can't get him to come back?

Just as he's thinking that, though, the door clicks, and Luke shoots his head up to look at who's coming in. Really, only one other person has the key to the apartment, but...]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[Asch is quiet as he enters, though he can't do much about the sound of the door- and in truth, he knows it doesn't matter. The light visible in the hallway under the door is telling, so unless Luke fell asleep on the couch-

...no, there he is. And as much as Asch had tried to keep the link between them suppressed today, the replica's presence is all too prominent. Dammit.

He barely looks at Luke, meeting the other redhead's gaze for just a moment before turning away to remove his coat and boots, setting a sketchbook and a tiny case on the table by the door.]

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[Luke stands once he sees that it's Asch outside the door, equally surprised and relieved. He tries not to let it show, though, and soon enough, it bleeds into worry, especially when he's so quiet like that... Granted, he usually doesn't have a lot to say to Luke, but... he expected him to say something. Anything. To make the stupid replica stop worrying.]

Asch... [He isn't even sure what to say.]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[At his name being called, Asch glances over at his replica again, shoving his boots to the side and straightening up to retrieve his book. He starts heading for the kitchenette area.]

Stop looking at me like that.

[lostinmyway]

[CH2 is a little out of Grune's way, but today, she's been roaming far. She's lost in a different way than usual.

When she sees Asch sitting out with his sketchpad, she spends a little while watching him at a distance, trying to remember why he seems so familiar. Then she places him: This is one of Stella's friends.

And so she approaches and sits down underneath the tree with him.] Hello.

[mirrorbirth]

[Asch glances over as she sits down, his expression wary. Whenever he talks to this woman, he ends up leaving in a foul and confused mood, and since he's already one of those... this might not end well.]

...You need something?

[lostinmyway]

Hmm? [He gets a confused look.] Oh, no, I'm just fine.

Do you need something?

[mirrorbirth]

What? No. You're the one who decided to sit here.

[So what does she want?]

[faterecanted]

[And at the Battle Dome, he will find something to hit; or rather, someone, just outside of it. Van is sitting against a tree not far from the door and he looks to be infuriatingly at ease today. He's jotting things down in a plain little notebook, god only knows what he's up to now, and he even brought a snack.

He hears Asch's approach well before he's close -- Asch isn't the only well-trained soldier, after all -- and makes deliberate eye contact. And then, equally deliberately, he looks back down, turns the page of his notebook, and has a bite of his sandwich.

Asch has been deemed below his attention. Not worth freeing a hand for his sword over. Not even worth moving his legs out of the path for. Go around.]

[mirrorbirth]

[....

He doesn't want to deal with Van right now. He really, really doesn't. He stops on the path, staring warily down at Van for a long, long moment. He'd earned himself the man's ire, he knows this, but it's something of a surprise that he gets ignored instead. He's not going to complain, exactly, but...

...oh, whatever. He doesn't have the time or the patience for Van's manipulation right now, so he steps aside and heads right into the Battle Dome. To hell with you, he has things to do right now.]

[faterecanted]

[Van waits for ten minutes after Asch goes inside, continuing to write and eat and generally appear to not give a damn. And then, precisely ten minutes later to the second, he gets up, brushes himself off, and heads inside. Relocating doesn't sound like a bad idea. To the viewing area, perhaps.

What can he say, he's an inquisitive man.]

[mirrorbirth]

[Within those ten minutes, Asch has gotten a program set up in the battle dome's computers- actually, an old favourite of his by now. The hall of Eldrant that claimed his life, fighting off a dozen or so Oracle Knight replicas, defending the door through which his replica had escaped beforehand. He's gotten better, just a little better each time. There are so many things he knows he could have done differently. A more powerful arte, here. Stabbing his blade just a few inches lower, there. Dodging at the last second, focusing on the battle's end before contacting Luke. Ensuring the deaths of his opponents before allowing himself a moment to relax. He's gotten stronger, faster in the three years he's spent in Luceti.

Not that it matters anymore or can change anything in the grand scheme of things; he's still dead when he goes home. But it feels good - and somewhat vindictive, perhaps - to have earned that victory, even if it is too late.]