high_seas | closed; are you still mad

Entry tags:

closed; are you still mad

Who: Asch + crew of the Shepherd
Where: ... on the ship?
When: Mmm backdated a teeny bit to 2/18, a Tuesday.
What: Asch is out and about after moping for a week.
Warnings: PG-13 for being a jerkass.
Style: Whatever you like! [actionspam] or prose, I don't mind either.
Status: Only people on the boat, please!

[There's no shortcut back to Isla Empieza.

Asch found this out the hard way when he woke up on the ship. Having shortly realized what happened, he made it a point to avoid everyone. He'd turned it into a fine art. He didn't introduce himself unless absolutely necessary, he slammed doors, he found places to hide. He didn't care. Until he found a goddamn solution, he wasn't about to get friendly with these people.

... But, he had to contribute too. Sometimes he cooked meals here and there, or magically did chores when no one was looking, because he would have to earn his keep even if he was a prisoner.

A week is long enough for anyone to realize they're stuck. After finishing up the crew's dishes, he goes up to the deck for fresh air. He's waiting for the other person who looks just like him. That's his purpose. But besides that, he's tired of having to sneak around like a damn criminal.

He leans against the railing, journal propped open in his hands. His hair is tied back to keep it from going every which way, though the wind has other ideas; he's also ditched his tabard for now. He's still armed with a longsword at his side-- and looking every bit like he doesn't want to be here.]

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[Being stuck belowdecks is kind of a drag, so it isn't a huge surprise for Asbel to be clammoring outside with a wooden sword in hand, ready to run through training exercises again. Sure, he should probably be starting on chores about now, but... well, they can wait just a little while longer.]

[The Shepherd's taken on a ton of new crew members lately, and to be honest, it's totally great! A couple of guys have still managed to mostly elude the curious eleven-year-old, and in fact, that man near the railing looks like one of them! So of course Asbel's going to walk over, a friendly smile on his face.]

Nice breeze, huh? It sure beats being cooped up inside the ship.

[Asch looks up to see a kid with a wooden sword. Something tender flickers through his expression, and then he quickly clamps down on it and glances away. The boy's voice sounds familiar. But for now, Asch isn't going to pick a fight. Especially with an eleven year old.]

I guess.

[His bangs are constantly in his eyes and he smells like brine. Yo ho, a soldier's life for him.]

Did you come up here to train?

[Speaking of familiar... Asbel's definitely getting a sense of deja vu now that he's caught a glimpse of this guy's face. So is he one of the friends Luke was talking about earlier? No, not friend. They've definitely gotta be related or something. Brothers, maybe?]

[Asbel nods, spinning it with one hand.] Yep! I try to practice at least a couple times a day.

[It's pretty obvious to him this man's a fighter, too. Still, it'd be kind of rude to just start swinging a sword around when he was up here first -- he's supposed to be thinking about these kinds of things now. So after a moment, Asbel lets the practice sword drop to his side again.]

Uh. It's not gonna disturb you or anything, is it? 'Cause I guess I could move to the other side of the ship if that were the case.

[Asch isn't expecting the kid to ask his personal opinion. Most people don't give a shit about what Asch thinks, especially kids. He blinks, then shrugs and looks away again.]

You can practice here. I don't care.

[As long as Asbel doesn't start hitting him with it.]

All right, thanks!

[Still, there's something about this guy. He can't figure out if he just wants to be left alone or if he's shy or what.]

[...Psh. Who really wants to be alone when it all boils down to it, anyway? Mind made up, the boy takes a few steps closer to Asch, and holds out his free hand.]

Probably should have introduced myself earlier, huh? I'm Asbel Lhant. What's your name?

[Asch stares at the proffered hand like he's never seen one before. He has, back when his replica held one out. But slapping this kid silly probably won't earn him any points.]

... Asch, [he says after a moment. He's so-- so bright-eyed. And harmless.

Very, very hesitantly, the redhead reaches out to shake Asbel's hand. He still has some diplomatic princely manners buried deep inside.

At least it's not pinky swearing.]

[Boy, this is sad. With Richard and Sophie he can kind of understand since Richard's been sheltered all his life and Sophie has amnesia. But a grown man being all wishy-washy about a handshake? That's just wrong.]

[To Asbel's credit, he stands up straight and gives Asch's hand one firm shake before letting go. Someone might even think he'd learned manners somewhere along the way. So this is that "Asch" Luke mentioned.]

It's nice to meet you, Asch. I hope the two of us can be friends.

[Because man, does it seem like you need it.]

That's a longsword you've got there, isn't it? [He indicates the weapon.] Are you a fighter, too?

[Asbel apparently has enough tact not to mention Luke. It might be a good thing. He's glad to have his hand back, reflexively crossing his arms as soon as it's returned.]

I'm not here to make friends.

[Still, the little redhead's question doesn't go ignored. He glances at his side.]

... Yes. I was a knight, once. [There's nothing special about his sword, and he's not going to draw it unless he wants a fight. Which, right now, he doesn't.

Little does he know, 'knight' is a trigger word for Asbel's fanboying...]

[Asbel just stares at him for a moment, speechless. This is worse than he thought!]

Uh. Yeah... But. Most people don't really plan where or when to make friends. It just sort of happens if you meet someone you like or someone you just wanna be friends with.

Wha--Seriously?? [It's too bad all the knights around here aren't really knights anymore. How does that even work? It might explain Asch being so grumpy all the time, though.]

That's really something! You know, I'm actually training so that I can enter the knight academy one day. Maybe you could show me a move or two sometime.

[This is not the redhead Asch's looking for...and in fact probably not someone Asch really wants to see anyway. Nevertheless, he's spotted Asch and, after a pause to make sure it's the right redhead, is approaching and leaning on the railing next to him.]

I didn't think you'd come out of hiding so soon.

[Not that he hasn't been. The ship's crowded and half of the crew is made up of teenage girls who have been entirely too touchy-feely for comfort.]

[Asch considers sliding over to the side by like twenty yards, but that might be too obvious. He settles for crossing his arms and looking mildly uncomfortable. Also not looking at him. At all.]

I'm not here because I want to be.

[Short and to the point.]

[Guy's observant enough to know that Asch isn't too happy with him being nearby. That doesn't mean he's actually going to leave, though he doesn't try to push into Asch's personal space anymore.]

Most of us aren't, as far as I can tell. Maybe you can abandon ship once we reach land again.

[Not that he actually considers it a good idea. Unfamiliar world and all, though Asch would likely be able to take care of himself for a while.]

[Good. That gives Asch less reason to flip his childhood friend overboard.]

I'm considering it. [Grumble grumble.] This ship is too crowded. You'd all be fine without me.

[Which is why he still doesn't get Luke dragging him on here. He'll have to wait for the replica to explain himself.]

... Are you staying?

[He's not sure why he's bothering asking, but he wants to know. The ship's full of women, after all.]

[Asch is welcome to go ahead and try. He'll try to take Asch over with him.]

...Hey, I wasn't serious about that. Someone'll notice if you go missing for too long, anyway.

[Like said replica, since he's the reason Asch is on board in the first place. And part of the reason Guy is, with Jade being most of the rest of the reason.]

I'm staying. It is crowded, but at least everyone isn't a total stranger.

[Besides, he has two Fabre kids to look after now.]

[He scoffs a bit at Guy's assertion.] Whatever. [He doesn't care if they notice or not. He'd do it anyway-- if he had somewhere else to go, that is.

But he doesn't.]

You always end up picking him.

[He faces the ocean, trying to pretend it doesn't bother him.]

[Luke's still getting used to everything. In fact, he's even still learning the names and faces of his crew members. He has no problem offering a hand where it's needed. Fortunately, he's infinitely better at cooking than he had been just years prior to waking up in this place, too.

He's actually been diving into being overly helpful as a means of distracting himself. Searching through the journal, he's learned about as much about this place as he possibly could--from a book, anyway. Even with all of that, there's still no leads on how to get home...beyond putting some shards back together. There's no telling how long that could take. So, basically...everyone's just...stuck sitting around on a ship between searching islands. Somehow, this doesn't feel very effective. Or reassuring. This is definitely enough to give the replica a feeling of restlessness. That's not the only thing, though. Luke has this--well, call it a suspicion...that a certain guy with his face is not very happy with him.

He's been keep an eye out for said guy. Somehow, though...Asch has been doing a really good job at keeping to himself. Until today.

Luke spots him leaning against the rail of the ship. His brow furrows upon seeing him, hand moving to rest against his hip as he turns his head to the side for a moment. It's still a little...odd and painful to see this guy after everything. Okay, maybe more than just a little. After a couple of seconds, he approaches him.]

...Hey. [There's a million things he wants to say, but- well, he'll just leave it at that for now. ~~He'll wait til after he's done being yelled at.~~]

[Asch closes the journal when Luke approaches. The look greeting him is anything but friendly; he wants to rip his replica apart six ways to Remday, and it shows. If a tiny part of him is happy to see his replica okay, he's long since denied it. He doesn't want to give Luke any indication that latching on is a good thing. Because, as well-meaning and sweet as Luke is, Asch just can't stand him most of the time.

But if they're stuck on a ship together, then he's going to have to do it. Whether Tear and Luke did this for his own well-being or not doesn't matter in the long run. All that matters is getting home, if that's even possible.]

That's it? You helped someone kidnap me and that's all you can say?

[... Okay. Okay, try again. As much as Luke is a little snot, he won against Asch and he has no excuse not to acknowledge him anymore.

Nope. Still mad. He reaches out to grab Luke by the collar, much like olden times.]

You're always saying we should work together, that we should join forces, but you never give me a choice. If you're not forcing your job on me because you think you can't do it, you're dragging me somewhere against my will!

[It's the same as when he tricked Asch into seeing Suzanne and Duke Fabre. Asch doesn't like being manipulated, but somehow Luke manages to do it because he's sneaky and thinks he knows better than Asch does. GOD!!!!!!!!

... Yeah, they have their differences.

He lets go, feeling hot and embarrassed. Yeah, that's the problem-- Luke making decisions for him, even after he took everything. Asch's independence means a lot to him.]

[He doesn’t fight against being grabbed, though his face does tense. Luke listens quietly, a serious expression on his face. He had sort of prepared himself for this kind of response.

This is definitely Asch. It’s definitely the guy he remembers fighting in that room back in Eldrant.

Once he’s released, Luke holds a blink a moment longer than necessary. The shorter-haired redhead can understand his being pissed. He really can. In all the situations where he’d been taken against his will…he’d reacted with anger, as well. Nobody wants to be forced somewhere without their permission. It’s more than a matter of him believing he knows better than Asch. And it’s more than a matter of him wanting to cling to his original.

At least…Luke doesn’t see it that way…]

Look, I get it. You've got every right to hate me, right now. But, I meant what I said about us needing to stick together. This isn't even Auldrant, so there's no telling what we'll be going up against in this place. [His glances to the side a moment, then looks back at Asch with an even firmer expression.] Like I said back on that island…If we're gonna get anywhere, it's by working as a team and putting our heads together. If you wanna stay angry at me, I can't change that. But, it still doesn't take away from the facts. We need your help, right now, just as much as you need ours.

[Asch wants to argue that he doesn't need Luke's help, but the facts are very telling. He doesn't have a crew or even a boat. Literally no one took him seriously when he asked about it. Also telling is just how calm he's been considering the situation. He could probably handle working on this ship long-term if the crew were just a little smaller. Asch thinks he can assert some authority if it's necessary; Jade is, after all, second in command-- and he's capable.

He has some decisions to make.

What Luke is saying right now doesn't have anything to do with him being inferior, or pushing his duties onto Asch. It's cooperation, pure and simple, just like Asch had traveled with them in the past when they had common goals. The one being unreasonable here is Asch. It hurts to realize that. It also hurts that he was shoved into this position against his will, and he's still not ready to let go of that.]

You don't need me, [Asch mutters with some diffidence.] I'm not interested in your pity, so don't even start.

[He turns and leans against the railing, looking out over the ocean.]

I'm only here to get shards. If you decide to go off on some detour like an idiot, I'll remind you.

Edited 2014-02-25 03:58 (UTC)

[There's a bit of a weak smile at that comment about pity. Luke doesn't pity him, after all. Really, Luke hadn't expected Asch to response so...calmly. He'd expected some yelling, anger, retaliation...

...Anything other than what he'd gotten, just then. The stuff he'd grown used to getting from his original...

It's certainly nice, though. He'll try not to push his luck. Moving to stand somewhat next to Asch, he places a hand on his hip and stares off to the side. A soft frown appears on his face, but he can only let out a soft sigh. Because...

...Yeah, okay. Luke had been pretty bad about detouring back home.]

Alright...Fair enough.

[He'll leave it at this, for the sake of keeping the peace. For now, anyway. He actually can't promise he will avoid all detours. Hey, if something important comes up, and someone needs help, he's going to do what he can!

He's still struggling to wrap his mind around everything, at the moment, though. Closing his eyes, his face gains a more serious expression.]

So you believe all that stuff about the shards, then?

[For once, Luke is actually shutting up. Good. He really doesn't have the energy to argue. It's not as if he wants to spend time with his replica, but...]

I don't have a choice.

[He glances over his shoulder.]

I was dead. Whatever brought me back is involved with that legend, and that means it should be taken seriously.

Besides, I don't see any other way back. Not yet.

[His expression darkens just a bit- a combination of serious and...a sadness. He's always worn his emotions on his face, after all.]

So you... ['knew', he finishes in his mind. Looking away for a moment, he nods. Well, he might as well share something, as well.]

I...felt myself disappear, before I woke up here. I still feel the same way I did back home. [Referring to when his fonons were separating.]

...I agree that we should take it seriously. That's why I thought, from the start, that we need to work together.

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closed; are you still mad

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NO ESCAPE. You took his hand.

OH NO.

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Hi Asch hi

NOPE

YUP

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