abyssdressing | [First Proclamation] Restrict wine consumption.

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[First Proclamation] Restrict wine consumption.

[Tap, tap, tap. That's the sound of gloved fingers drumming on the stone surface before him.]

[Asch had known better, yet for some reason he'd ignored his gut instinct. There must have been something in that wine - drugs, poison, maybe even extracts from those damned Great Rugnican death caps. Whatever the case, he's clearly hallucinating. He was in the throne room just seconds earlier, and now... this! No, he should have just declined attendance, no matter how much of a slight it would have been! But of course, even as Asch runs these things over in his mind, he knows it doesn't matter and he couldn't have skipped the banquet anyhow. Not with the way things have been lately.]

[He isn't sure why he's here, can't determine what's wrong, and it's absolutely vexing. His head's perfectly clear, he's not running a fever - he can walk in a straight line. Well, whatever - there's no use in standing around mulling over impossibilities. At least a dozen guests are waiting for him, and if he doesn't show up where he's supposed to be very soon, Asch can name a few people who are going to be very upset. The thought of that kills any soothing effect being outside might've otherwise had on him.]

This has got to be the most pathetic...

[The most pathetic thing. How does anyone lose a castle?]

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[ Very, very carefully.

That is how, if you have two brain cells to rub together, you approach anyone who is giving off several signs of being less than pleased. Luke would like to think she has at least twice that many by now, thank you very much. And when the irritated person in question is Asch, well. You'd best go into the liger's den prepared for the worst.

Though the exact method is a mystery. Should she go in unarmed or would that just make her look stupid? Casually, as if nothing were wrong? Or maybe a more helpful stance might work. ...okay, yeah right. Wishful thinking on Luke's part. Option four it is: all of the above. While not exactly weaponless, she had been making a firewood run when Asch poofed onto the scene, so not much of a threat there. And it's easy enough to stroll into his view with a neutral expression. Fabres are built to lineface. ]

I hope you're not insulting this place.

[ Because it's her home, dammit. ]

[Luke's plan easily works. Within a few seconds of her speaking, Asch's head turns. He looks - momentarily - confused to see her there, but that's quickly covered up by a similar neutral expression.]

Hardly.

[A pause, Asch still studying Luke. He remembers very specifically arranging for his replica to pay a visit to Anise and Tritheim in Daath. Why is he here, what is he wearing, and why--....Nnnngh.]

[Clearly everything is determined to make absolutely no sense today.]

...What are you doing here?

[ So this wasn't an Asch who'd fly off the handle at the mere sight of his replica and force them into making pincushions of each other. She can deal with that. Practicing swordplay hasn't been a number one priority lately. Luke indicates the wood in her arms with a nod, lifting it a little. ]

Working.

[ It's a safe, noncommittal answer that doesn't explain anything Asch can't see for himself, but that's the idea. Better to take it slow and find out what she can before trying to tell him he's gotten lost on another world. After a quick look around -as though expecting to find a carriage to match Asch's formal attire- Luke fixes him with a baffled, if amused, stare. ]

I could ask you the same thing. If you wanted to go for a walk, you should have picked something more comfortable to wear.

I can see that. [...As they both know he can.]

What, are you planning to smoke everyone out of the dining hall? [Asch finally manages to look irritated, glaring up at the unfamiliar buildings so he can re-route a growing urge to grab Luke by the collar and give him (her) a good shake.] ...We've already discussed this. I thought I told you to leave for Daath as soon as possible, not wait until after.

[With a grimmace, he turns his attention back to the replica. Fortunately, none of the surrounding buildings appear to have been damaged by his silent anger. But really, Luke, this is no time for making lame jokes.]

I wasn't going for a walk. Or have you forgotten about that, too?

Yeah right. That'd be tacky even for me. [ Still, it might be worth keeping in mind. ...you know. Just in case. Luke shifts under the weight of both wood and Asch's gaze, apologizing with a shrug before half turning back towards her home. So Asch was attending some kind of dinner party while his replica was supposed to be headed to Daath? Huh. Was there a reason for them both to not be in the same place, or did it just work out that way? ] Let's say this is a slight detour and leave it at that. My arms are getting sore, so how about we start walking unless you're feeling generous enough to help carry?

[ She'll just gloss over the second question for now. Coming, Asch? ]

[~~Just in case what exactly?~~ Asch doesn't seem too happy with the idea of a "detour". In fact, he looks like he's more than ready to say something else - a something else involving a sizable quantity of choice words. But Luke seems to know where this is and where to go - two things Asch currently lacks.]

[Or is this some kind of trap?]

[With a frown, Asch glances back over his shoulder, as if expecting to find something. Something like a castle. But of course, it isn't there. Just more unfamiliar houses, trees, sky...]

Suppose I refuse unless you can prove who you are.

[This is a completely reasonable demand in his opinion.]

[ ~~Fun! Payback! It never hurts to have a varied arsenal.~~ For a moment Luke makes a face like Asch had demanded her to sprout wings and start flying in loops above his head while making rappig noises. Really? Really? Wasn't it enough to have the same (if slightly thinner) face? ...okay, maybe not. His replica might have short hair or something, and political gatherings could be dangerous if the wrong people snuck in. ]

You're welcome to stand here until you turn into an ice sculpture. Throw a little seed on and ta-da-! Bird feeder.

[ Not that she'd let that happen, even if Asch was stupid enough to stand rooted to that spot for months on end. Sighing, Luke sets the firewood down and rolls her shoulders. Hopefully he won't ask for some kind of royal seal or identification papers; of all the stuff she'd gathered, that wasn't among them. ]

But say I didn't mind proving I'm not some fake. [ Hah, what irony. ] What do you want to do, play twenty questions? Fight to the death?

[It's nothing personal, Luke, honestly. At least, it isn't until she starts joking about ice sculptures and bird feeders. Asch doesn't want to stand around playing games; he wants answers - now. And he wants--no, he doesn't really want to head back to the castle and face all those obnoxious nobles who all want something from him - favors, titles, land, funding, more favors! But the vision of Natalia looking positively livid is sufficient incentive for him not to drag his feet.]

No. Just mention something only the two of us would know about. [He's not really waiting for an answer, however. Asch is trying to focus his mind so he can give the other end of the connection that's supposed to be there an experimental shove.]

[ That's something Luke is quite aware of, given they've just met. Even then Asch seems on speaking terms with his replica. Under most circumstances she would consider that a positive step in the right direction for them to move on with their lives, but it also makes playing the part of stand-in (temporary or otherwise) much harder. Saying "Oh, we got hyperresonanced to the sticks somewhere," takes less breath than the whole 'kind of Auldrant but not really' explanation. Though by this point she almost has it down to an art. ]

[ Getting Asch to trust her is different problem entirely. What memories would they be almost certain to share? The Daath he referenced could be coincidence, or some parallel world with the same names. And it had to be something nobody else would know about. ]

Well-

[ Except she doesn't get another word out before sensing a presence creeping at the back of her mind. Okay, creeping isn't the right word. It only feels that way as the connection starts weak and requires a few attempts to succeed. But once Luke recognizes Asch's prodding for what it is, her eyes widen and all mental barriers drop. Relief rushes through the link as their exchange becomes two-way. It had to be him! ]

[ ...unless it wasn't. Something was off. Not right. The familiarity is far-reaching: Van, their fight in Yulia City, Eldrant- Only... ]

Not mine.

[ Any elation she felt before vanishes and with the mental equivalent of slamming a door, she cuts connection off. For now he's not getting rebuked, though Luke's glare and clenched fists say plenty. ]

[Asch is quickly coming to a similar conclusion. He's not so surprised that it takes him several attempts to make contact - after all, it's been more difficult ever since the whole mess following Eldrant - but the feel is wrong. Luke has no reason to be happy about this, shouldn't be so relaxed. It's almost like breaking into a stranger's house. And after all that registers, the reception is virtually the same.]

[Asch winces as pain streaks up the left side of his brain and the link severs. Not quite sure of what he's just seen, felt, otherwise mentally experienced.]

[Who is this person? They look like Luke, the connection went through, they know who he is...but a small voice in the back of his mind is telling him that this person isn't who he thinks they are.]

[What the hell is this?! Asch's fingers twitch towards the sword at his belt. It may be ornamental, but it can cut just fine.]

....Not your what? Just what are you trying to pull?! Who are you?

You're Luke but you're...not.

[ Luke takes several steps away to make sure there's distance both physical and mental between them. Despite that she doesn't move for her own sword secured at its usual place on her back. This Asch may not be who she thought it was, but he hadn't been hostile until their little mix-up. No sense in giving him another reason to be on guard. ]

[ Instead she hugs herself tightly, standing tall as possible to hide certain differences and give the impression that they're the same height. She's not; even if they're the same age, her body is still a few years behind. But why... If it's not Asch, her Asch, he shouldn't have been able to make the link work at all. Their connection was because they shared the same fonon frequency, right? So maybe, somewhere down the line of numbers, they were closer than other replica-original pairs? That's the best she can guess, anyway. None of that science stuff was easy to understand. ]

What am I trying? You're the one barging into other people's heads without asking first! And you- you're not... my original.

[ She's not going to respond to Asch's last question. He had answered it himself. ]

Only because it would've taken you another thirty minutes to think of something! It's not like I--!

[Asch cuts the thought off angrily. Why the hell is he the one trying to explain himself here? It's not as if he did anything he hasn't done plenty of times before. The fonic link has always been a direct and secure form of communication - vital nowadays, even if it doesn't afford much privacy.]

[Besides. Luke had three years' worth of opportunities to barge into his memories, if not his mind. But then, he has to remind himself, this isn't Luke.]

[The question is how. Or does it even matter? He'd actually attempt thinking all that over if his head wasn't still throbbing.]

...Tch. Forget it, we can settle this later. Right now it's imperative that I get back to the castle.

I did too have an idea! But discussing someone's death with them isn't what I'd consider easy!

[ The subject is still a sore one for her, too. Asch (from whenever or wherever) would always be important to her, and thinking about him lying there in pain, life slowly fading from his body... ]

[ Luke abruptly stoops down to reclaim the firewood without a second glance. No no no. There's no point in dwelling on what had happened; she had other things to worry about right now and going over old wounds does't help. If any subject deserved attention, it was how their fon slots had managed to connect. They shouldn't have been able find any link at all, let alone form a decent one. ]

[ Original and replica. They were supposed to be a pair. A matching set. Not a whole collection! It just doesn't make sense. ]

Your guests or whoever can wait. Actually, they probably won't even notice you're gone. Time is kind of funny here for most of us that show up. Now if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be. [ Wood gathered up, she hurries in the direction she had been headed when Asch first appeared, then pauses to half turn back. ] ...you're welcome to come along.

... [If Asch's silence is any indication, it's not a subject he wishes to discuss, either. In fact, as far as he's concerned, Luke hasn't quite passed the test. A 'detour'. Time being 'kind of funny'. Why can't the damned idiot just spit out a simple answer and be done with it?]

[And Luke has the gall to say everyone else can wait, that there's something else (presumably more important) for him to be attending to? He has a lot of nerve. Asch would've drawn his sword on him already if not for two reasons: that Luke (the one he knows) has already done so much, and that he's still missing information. Oh yeah, and the fact that he still has no idea how to get back or even where to find a healer (there's got to be one around this place somewhere).]

[Asch hears every word but makes no move to follow. If the-Luke-who-isn't-Luke runs off and doesn't come back within fifteen minutes or so, however, Asch is likely to very grudgingly strike off after him - but only because his dress clothes fail miserably at keeping out the chill.]

[...And because there's no one else around whom he can even remotely trust.]

[ In that case Luke gets out of earshot before checking once more to see if Asch is following - he's not. A pang of guilt crosses her face as she glances between him and the direction of her home. ...no, Asch has artes and a sword at his disposal. He can take care of himself for a bit. Plus her head's still throbbing from forcing their connection shut- a few minutes alone might help. So off she goes towards the town's edge. ]

[ Once Asch gets his ass in gear and makes it a little over halfway, he'll be greeted by the most overly-friendly, chipper, teal cheagle in these parts. The lack of a Sorcerer's Ring doesn't change Mieu's squeaky voice, rising and falling as he bounces towards his target. Your escort has arrived, Asch! He's sooooo happy to see you! ]

Mieu~!

[Asch, meanwhile, is trekking along at a slow but steady pace, glancing around every now and then just in case any part of the landscape should change drastically. But it doesn't. He's still walking through the same unfamiliar town, and though he's cold, it's not absolutely unbearable, and there's no one yelling for him or impeding his progress. Still, there's Natalia. Where is she?]

[Reaching the halfway point, Asch begins to wonder whether or not the Luke-alike turned off somewhere. There's no way to know, and no one to tell him--no scratch that last part.]

[Asch's attention drifts earthward as the unfortunate creature bounds over to him. That's Luke's cheagle.]

...You must be kidding. He sent you, didn't he?

[ Mieu affirms the question with several quick nods. Almost immediately he goes right back to hopping, ears flapping at the highest point of each jump. He's forgotten that Asch can't understand him and hasn't stopped chattering since he spotted the original. ]

Mieu mieu! Meiuuu!

[ After a very one-sided conversation of sorts, the cheagle waves a tiny paw and skips down the road in the direction Luke had gone. Good thing they met up when they did; Mieu indicates a right turn that'll lead them away from major cluster of buildings. Gosh, hurry up you slowpoke! ]

All right, fine.

[Perhaps thinking murderous thoughts, and perhaps simply wishing for a pair of earplugs, Asch follows the talkative cheagle around the lane ~~and through the woods~~ to eventually wind up at the place Luke calls home. He doesn't seem particularly happy to be here, all truth be told.]

[Maybe because his headache is now even worse thanks to all those enthusiastic squeaks and trills.]

[ ~~Lalala lalala la la la!~~ Deal with it, Asch. You're the one who insisted on standing there instead of continuing the conversation elsewhere. And really, it's a pretty nice house despite (or perhaps because of) its remote location. Luke is leaning against the porch railing while amateurish wind-chimes in the shape of cheagles clink above. Welcome to an audio nightmare, Asch.

Certain that Asch can't miss their home, Mieu bounces along the path and once he's within reach Luke catches him by the ear, twirling the chattering animal almost playfully. ]

You better not have jumped on his head, Thing!

[ That has to be the case with the look Asch is sporting. ...so she hopes. ]

[With good reason! B|]

[But as charming as all this is, Asch is still completely without answers and almost entirely out of his element. Aside from the cacophony of the windchimes and the incessant ache in his skull, all Asch has really managed to grasp is that Luke lives here on the village outskirts - and judging by the chimes, has for a while. But that doesn't really explain where this is or how he got here or how he's supposed to get back. Soon.]

[Asch walks slowly up the way, doing his best to ignore the spinning cheagle and the noise - it's not his problem if the animal's ear breaks off.]

So you had to rush off in order to deliver firewood and test a porch railing.

[He's really unamused.]

[ This is why Asch is dubbed a stick in the mud. All serious, all the time. It makes one wonder if he ever had a sense of humor in the first place. You know it's bad if Jade has more of one than you. ]

[ Satisfied that Mieu's been punished enough for whatever infractions he may have done, Luke releases the cheagle's ear to send him sailing over Asch's head and into a bush. Best pet-friend anyone could ask for. She starts down the steps with a frown at Asch's comment, eyes darting between him and the house. Only once she's in his path does he get an answer. A casual, disinterested one. ]

These jobs won't do themselves, so somebody has to. [ Since she knows that won't satisfy Asch: ] Putting it simply, this isn't the Auldrant you're used to.

[Asch might feel the most microscopic of sympathetic inklings for the cheagle. He'll never understand why it still thinks of Luke as its Master, but that's for another time.]

[Asch traces Luke's glance towards the house, and then turns his attention back to the not!replica.]

That isn't simple; that doesn't even make sense.

But ignoring the unlikelihood of my being here, I need to find a way back to [He crosses his arms, looking remotely skeptical, even still.] "the Auldrant I'm used to". If you're not the person I sent to Daath, then I can't tell you why, only that it's something which has to be done.

[And it's got nothing to do with firewood.]

Edited 2012-10-15 19:46 (UTC)

[ Luke catches a glimpse of Asch's attention focusing on her house and at once places herself in his way. Her position on the bottom step puts them at the right height to glare directly at one another. Ugh, what a pain... Now she knows how Jade felt trying to explain concepts she didn't understand. ]

Since when has life ever made much sense? But think of it like this: the Auldrant you know isn't the only one - there's ones where things happened differently, or aren't even Auldrant at all but they still have 'Asch' and 'Luke' on them. Different realities or universes or something.

[ This is like the blind leading the blind here, complete with useless arm gestures. ]

In my world, we succeeded in stopping Van at the cost of both our lives. [ She rests a hand on the rail, hesitating. How much should she tell him? Going into detail about what happened to her wouldn't really help explain how the whole nexus thing works. Nah, it'd probably just confuse him more. And why should she be the one sharing information when he's not? ]

As for getting back to the castle, you'll just have to wait it out. Time usually doesn't pass back home while you're here so you don't have to worry about missing your little dinner party.

[Okay, no, that's not suspicious at all. Asch raises an eyebrow, but doesn't inquire. Instead, his expression just settles back into its trademark frown.]

[He's read his share of science books, including some which mentioned shakey theories about different planes of existence, but he's never given them a great deal of thought. And why should he? Speculation into the structure of the cosmos won't help with the day-to-day problems he has to sort out. He supposes they could exist; since the Score isn't absolute, there might be versions of Auldrant out there where events unfolded differently. ...Possibly. Maybe. It sounds far-fetched.]

[And besides, Luke's very abbreviated explanation of what happened in another Auldrant doesn't sound any different. Although, Asch will venture a guess that less time has passed there, the difference in height having finally made itself obvious.]

"Usually". Meaning not always. [Asch frowns.] And you really think I'm just going to throw up my hands and "wait it out", do you?

It's not those idiots at the dinner party I'm concerned about!

Unlike you, I have a whole country to take responsibility for. What do you think will happen if time does keep passing and people discover that one of their monarchs has just up and vanished? How long do you think it'll take them to start pointing fingers?

[ Luke gives a quiet huff to herself, scooping down to pick up Mieu now that he's climbed out of the bush. His ears droop as he turns from one redhead to the other when they talk, prompting her to pet him. Not having the Sorcerer's Ring doesn't mean he can't pick up on the tone of their voices. It'd be just her luck that Mieu would misinterpret and try to fry Asch. ]

Look, I get that those stupid officials and advisors will try twisting your disappearance to their advantage -there's probably too many people like Mohs in power- but don't you think that if I could help you get back home, I would? It's not like I'm trying to be stubborn for fun! There's no point in wasting your energy on something you can't affect.

[ ...wait a sec. ]

You're Kimlasca's monarch? [ Er. That wasn't supposed to sound so incredulous. It's just hard to wrap her head around when Asch spent all that time claiming he wasn't the same person who was meant to rule Kimlasca. But now they've hit upon one of her favorite topics: personal gossip! A glint appear's in Luke's eye that would do Jade proud and she can't help a grin. ] Does that mean you married Natalia?

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