realityshifted

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tales of symphonia (d1) richter abend

001;

[There's a new face tonight. Richter steps onto the plane without stumbling, looking for all intents and purposes like he had been doing this forever. He reaches up, probably to brush hair out of his eyes, but stops and lets his hand drop to his side]

This place is... No, the Temples have a different atmosphere.

[Richter looks around some more before shaking his head in amusement at the sight of the kiosk]

There's a place to start.

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[Emil is currently occupied with animals-- there's a white kitten and a black kitten fighting in his arms and a hungry dog thing (http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r117/Airship_Canon/ToS2%20Monster%20Book/Wolf.png) following him as he stumbles his way to the kitchen.]

Stop! Aaah!

[The wolf catches Richter's scent and immediately stops in its tracks, giving a low growl and facing the redhead. They're still some distance away so it takes Emil a moment to find the source of Wolf's discomfort.

And nearly drops the kittens.]

R—Richter?! [And in a moment of utterly forgetting where he is:] What are you doing here?

[He's more surprised than offended, honest.]

[It's not rare to find Aster out and about on the plane. In between huge study sessions at the library, he likes to come out and explore. Where sleep fits into this equation, no one knows, but once more he's wandering. It doesn't take him a second to spot out the red haired man and immediately recognize him as his colleague.

Though he takes a step forward, Aster hesitates to call his name. He has no idea what happened to Richter after that moment. Did he get hurt? Was he okay? Was he even from his world? The guilt from that day wells up for the first time in a long while and he tries to force it back with an uneasy smile.]

[Get it together. Richter is his best friend. Aster is always willing to help new arrivals and of course, he's going to help him too.

He walks forward, the smile on his face happier. Even if he's a little nervous, it's still Richter. He can't deny the excitement and joy he feels at seeing him again.]

You're correct, as usual. This isn't a temple.

[At the kiosk, Richter will find a Malkuth Imperial Forces colonel in a lab coat and goggles carefully burning off some metal from the structure with controlled fonic glyphs and an augmented fontech knife (not all-purpose) and brushing it into a small tube. There is a set of similar tubes nearby, carefully labelled. He has been getting samples.]

[As a soldier who has survived for more than five years, Jade hasn't missed Richter's approach. As a scientist who is devoted enough to experiment on himself, he has decided to treat Richter as a non-threat until he gets this sample done. The worst that could happen is he dies again.]

[the growl doesn't go unnoticed and Richter unconsciously reaches for his weapons-

Only to stop when he hears a familiar voice. He lowers his arm and turns around to face Emil]

... Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?

[and he still comes off as intimidating despite his clear confusion. How did Emil get here? Perhaps this wasn't a phenomenon exclusive to the Ginnungagap after all...]

[Richter was examining his surroundings when he heard Aster's voice-

The half-elf spins around, eyes wide in disbelief. It takes him a couple of tries before he can find his voice, but it still comes out more a whisper than his normal tone]

... Aster?

[he would have liked to turn around and return to his own reality but shock has him rooted to the spot. What did he do for the world to hate him this much?]

[while he's surprised by the appearance of another individual the lab coat serves as enough of a hint for Richter to not interrupt whatever it was the person was doing. He'd dealt with enough researchers in his lifetime to know that interfering in another person's experiment was probably a Bad Idea]

[... Still, he can't help that his curiosity has been piqued by those strange and foreign glyphs-]

And the purpose behind all of this is...?

[Jade answers without looking at Richter. He does not feel the need to look at him if he is going to be off-handed in his response.] Oh, the King of Kimlasca wants to battle evil in a giant robot. I thought the metal of the Plane would be ideal.

[ . . . ]

Seriously?

[nevermind the fact that Richter doesn't recognize the name 'Kimlasca' there are more pressing matters at hand(?)]

Richter!

[His shock isn't unexpected and Aster holds his ground with that same smile just a few feet away from him. It used to be easy for him to read this man's expressions and even now, he watches for any visual cues. Was he angry? Upset? Hurt? Feeling the same guilt he held? Not that anything was his fault to begin with.]

While this place seems to bring people at random, I wasn't sure if you would be among them.

[A little pause.]

I'm happy to see you.

You're...

[His shocked expression fades into one of confusion (but first there was concern and sadness and-) as Aster's words sunk it. (he just wanted to retreat back and not have to face this yet)

Though he's still left at a loss for words-] What do you mean this place pulls people in at random?

[a long pause... Then a couple of false starts before he murmurs softly;] I missed you.

[Jade smiles.] Not at all. King Ingobert isn't the sort.

But the Emperor of Malkuth enjoys superhero shows. [So why does Jade have samples of wood from the library? Don't ask silly questions.]

[Aster knows how to finish that sentence. Alive. You're alive.. Confirming that would mean giving his word on something he isn't entirely sure of yet. He's no longer dead, but alive may not be the most accurate way to describe it.

He takes another step forward and, because of that, is able to hear his whispered words clearly. It sends a wave of relief through him. I missed you. Richter wasn't mad that he failed their world by rushing in dying. His smile widens a little and becomes genuine.]

Richter....I missed you too.

[Ever eager to dive into sharing what he learned, he continues on explaining what he had further.]

Many people visit here from different points of time and from various worlds.

[well, this is certainly turning into an interesting conversation, isn't it? Richter makes his way carefully over to examine some of the samples in the test tubes and makes a non-committal noise]

What 'interesting' nobles you have to deal with... [pause]

So you can move between this place and the -- world you came from.

[He may have lied about his purpose, but Richter had made an accurate assessment of the nobility.

And since Richter is there, he can hold this test tube while they talk. Jade holds it out to Richter, waiting for him to accept it before he moves to the counter, which is a more plastic material.]

That's generally true.

[Richter could never be mad at Aster... Neither of them could have predicted how their meeting with Ratatosk would have gone. But he still hesitates to move towards Aster, worried that this was all just some hideous prank even as a part of him argued the opposite]

Different points in time? How?

[another pause before a small, wry smile appears as he pushes his glasses up] Unless that's what you're trying to research now.

[he takes it after a moment and sets down the last one he was looking at (back into the place it was before)]

Would you care to share how? Dull as it is, I still need to return some time.

[It's definitely not a prank. It's surprisingly easy for Aster to slide back into their regular role as researcher and start updating his partner on everything, despite all that had happened. Richter still knows him all too well if he said that.]

Correct. I have my own theories, but I'm not sure how it works without the use of summon spirits at this time.

[Of course, his main goal lies with Emil and saving his world without enraging Ratatosk once more. Aster continues to watch Richter, obviously wanting to ask something, but holding it back. How are you? Are you okay? What happened?

What time are you from?]

...What's the last thing you remember?

[he hums softly at Aster's answer...

And all but recoils at the question. There was no way he could answer that, not when... Not when the last two years were spent plotting revenge against Ratatosk for Aster's death. Not when his most recent memory involved-]

Before arriving here? ... I was leaving the Ginnungagap.

[still true, more or less]

[While it would be easy to accept the answer as him leaving after his death, he needs it confirmed. The exact point he comes from is important to find out. Not for his research, but for him.

He needs to know.]

The Ginnungagap where we...

[It's hard for him to come up with the rest. It's still a sore spot for him to acknowledge. His failure. His inability to help save his world.]

Or was this another time?

[that answers a question Richter had himself...

Somehow, that Aster was aware of his own death didn't help make things any easier. He looks away from Aster, hands clenched and looking more and more uncomfortable by the second]

... Another time.

[he couldn't lie to his best friend]

Two years after.

[even if he would have liked to]

[As this is plastic, it is much easier. He just cuts out a piece. But before answering, he waits for a moment, observing the surface. He covers the cut area with an arm, then moves the arm away.

As expected, it has grown back as it was.] Oh, you shouldn't have a hard time with it. It's a little less than the thought of where you're from.

[In what isn't quite a demonstration, he disappears with the samples, returning a moment later to hold out for the one Richter is holding.] After you try it, I need to take samples from the plant life. [And Richter has volunteered himself to assist by virtue of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.]

[there's an intense stare being directed at the kiosk (it grew back? But it's clearly inorganic material how-) before he looks up at Jade-

Only to watch him disappear and reappear again shortly afterwards. He raises an eyebrow only to frown not a second later as he returns the the test tube he was holding]

I don't see how that has anything to do with me. You seem to be quite capable of working on your own.

[From the future as well. That sends his mind into overdrive with all the questions he wants to ask. What happened to their world? The summon spirits? Ratatosk? The centurions? Did Richter know Emil Castagnier? The only reason he stops himself from asking the barrage of questions is the look on his face.

He knows Richter well enough to realize this line of questioning is making him uncomfortable. The smile on Aster's face fades, but not completely. He settles on the one burning question he has wanted to ask since regaining consciousness. His first concern is, and always will be, his best friend.]

Two years.

[A pause.]

Richter, after all this time...

How are you?

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