Enter the amazing(?!) Guy!
[Trying to catch a struggling rappig while simultaneously entering a familiar shop--or rather being transported to the Plane--are not the most ideal of circumstances in which to retain one's dignity, something Guy quickly discovers as he lands on his ass in the middle of apparently... Actually he has no idea
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[Guy laughs, gently ruffles Asch's hair again with an open palm instead of his knuckles, and lets Asch go.]
[No, ever since learning about Asch Guy's never seen Asch as Luke. They're different people and he's fully aware of it. He'd hate it if they weren't. They may be similar, but they're not the same. And he's finally realized he cares about both of them, long after it would have mattered. Or at least he used to think it was too late. Now? Maybe it's a second chance to rekindle a friendship he shouldn't have broken, or maybe it's just cruelty, but either way he smiles at Asch with real fondness. And if there's any pain in the expression, he hopes Asch only attributes it to their history together.]
I guess I forgive you. [Ostensibly for being unprepared for visitors. In reality, Guy hopes Asch hears what he really means there.] If you'll forgive me.
I would have knocked, you know, if I'd known I was dropping in.
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It doesn't help that Guy's smile is completely disarming, and his words even moreso. He doesn't... understand. Guy left. Guy /left/ even though Asch had called it.
But... he's here. And he's happy to see Asch, and Asch has no idea what that means.
He tries in vain to smooth his hair down, looks away.]
... It's fine. I don't care. [Which means he kind of does, but he's willing to let it go for now. It's a small victory.]
No one expects to walk in here, anyway.
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[It's a start. Maybe it's more than Guy expected. He's not sure what he even has the right to expect in this situation, but he's never been too concerned with things he has a right to versus those he doesn't. You don't move on in your life worrying about details like that too much--you end up depressed or self-doubting, and Guy has too much enthusiasm for life to fall for those traps easily.]
[Not that there aren't depressing things that will suck him in, but whether he should want to be friends with Asch is one of the more petty concerns he dismisses immediately. Who cares about that? It's a time waster and it's not even a good one, there's no point to contemplating that kind of little issue when there are much bigger issues to worry about. He'll enjoy what he can have now, and whatever he can make of it for the future will happen then.]
This place sure isn't anything I expected this morning. [A light chuckle, laughing off the shock he felt earlier.]
You still look like hell. What happened?
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He's not Luke. He can't walk around looking like a complete mess, but his bangs won't stay out of his face. SO FRUSTRATING.]
Nothing happened.
[Jade happened. At any rate he's not looking directly at Guy, so it's probably a lie.]
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Uh-huh. [He won't pry, for now. He knows a bit more than he's letting on anyway. So he changes the subject.]
Would you show me around?
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... He has way too much going on to be considering getting close to people.
Ugh.
But time doesn't pass on the Plane, and while he might be subjecting himself to more awkward questions, Guy isn't pushing him. Guy... wants to spend time with him. /Asch/. Not Luke. He just can't wrap his head around that.]
I guess.
[He doesn't wait for Guy, just starts off in another direction-- what must be the library.]
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[Guy trots forward to fall in step, letting his hands rest comfortably on his hips. He's not dressed the same as Asch may remember, but it's not such a difference that it necessarily means anything, either. His lack of hostility and glaring and general coldness is probably a bigger clue than his wardrobe.]
You've been around here for a while, I take it?
[He looks over, calm and offering a hopefully neutral topic of conversation. It's not like he knows exactly how to handle this, but he's not going to let this turn into something he regrets.]
[He regrets letting Asch die without... But that's his time. If he starts thinking like that, he can't enjoy spending time with Asch as they are now, right?]
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[He's not thinking too much of the outfit. People show up on the Plane wearing different clothes all the time. Asch and Jade are married to their uniforms, really.]
Time passes differently here. It's only been two weeks on Auldrant since I found the shop.
[He meets Guy's calm look with his own searching one, eyes narrowed slightly, lips pressed into a line. He's anything but at ease, however-- there's something dark and anxious in his expression. A secret Guy already knows.
He looks away.]
Twenty-eight weeks for me.
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[Meeting Asch's eyes and that look, that does worry him a bit. But what should he do? What can he? Influencing time and changing the past--Jade's warned him and it's Peony's order that they don't. But honestly neither would matter if he decided it was the right thing to do.]
[Seeing Asch this tired and stressed, he doesn't even know anymore. It bothers him.]
Twenty-eight weeks for two, huh? That can't be very healthy.
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He shrugs eloquently at the concerned remark.] Sometimes the Machine breaks down and traps people here for days or weeks at a time.
[Most of that was by choice. It was necessary to preserve his own timeline the way it was, so that he might not miss something important while trying to adjust the timeline he'd already lived through.
The library building looms in front of them... tall, classic and quite lovely. It's grown into its own, harboring books from worlds all over, and it's very welcoming despite the academic coldness about it. It's seen gunfights, zombies, hordes of hungry teenagers, and researchers.]
... I'm sure you know what this is.
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[He stops in front of the library, giving a low whistle of appreciation at the size and a sideways look at Asch for the comment.]
You need a bit of work on your tour-guide spiel, there. You're supposed to introduce buildings of interest with a little historic anecdote or some kind of story. Something exciting.
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Yet.
[Asch continues to look like a mildly-rumpled cat, toussled hair and all, as Guy tries to lighten the mood with some teasing. It's not very effective.
After a moment, he snorts derisively.]
The library becomes the safest base of operations whenever people are trapped. It's close to the kitchen and the bar, but it has locking doors and less of a reputation than the bathhouse.
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[Asch looks cute that way, more harmless and young than imposing, despite the uniform. Guy thinks the look suits him--trying to be a scary soldier doesn't really fit the man he knows.]
Reputation?
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But Guy was his servant and ear for some time. He knows who Asch is beneath all the stern bravado and the thick skin he grew in order to survive. It's frightening as hell to have someone around who contradicts the person he made himself.
He shakes his head and looks in the direction of the onsen, though it's hard to see from this distance.]
It was haunted for a while, and the top floor was locked. No one could get in. When it was finally opened to the public, it turned out to be a room full of... angels. ['Angels.' Even he doesn't believe it. His eyes return to Guy's face.] Some of them looked like people who had been on the Plane.
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[Seeing Asch ruffled and rumpled and grumpy this way makes it clear to him, and he has to smile again, to hide the pain in his chest. He drapes an arm around Asch's shoulders, looks up at the library again, leaning on the other in an entirely familiar, companionable way, the gesture partly to keep Asch from really getting a good look at his expression.]
Ghosts and angels? That sounds like a story to tell Natalia.
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He doesn't have time to be worrying about this. And he doesn't have time to be showing Guy around like some kind of servant himself, but...
And then Guy mentions Natalia. The grumpiness is chased away momentarily as he thinks of the ghost stories they'd share as kids. It's a bittersweet memory, one that he shoves away reluctantly.]
She doesn't need to know about this place.
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