[ sign of the quiet dark ]

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[After the chaos of the fairytale has ended, Asch is still in something of a predicament. He runs a hand through his hair, which has been cropped short, and far less stylishly than Luke's. He hates it. He hates this place, and he's apprehensive about what's to come.

Naturally, this means he tries to distract himself with training. He's set up a suit of armor on a pole in the middle of the forest. It's already seen some abuse.

Asch stands some distance away, concentrating, murmuring. A complicated glyph glows beneath his feet, the delicate fonic script speaking of snow and fury. Moments later, a rain of ice appears from a similar glyph in the air, striking the dummy without mercy.]

Hmph.

[ooc: Replies from this account and/or cutpride. His fairytale is over, but at least one of the consequences will be lingering for a couple of days, it seems.]

Comments

[explains]

[From this distance Guy might have mistaken the short red hair for someone else--except that there's no way that person could cast a fonic arte like that. But why is Asch's hair so short?]

[Clearly the only thing to do is venture closer and investigate--and his fingers already itch for scissors. That hair needs a trim.]

Yo, Asch. What'd you do to your hair?

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[Regrettably, Luke will forever be behind in that regard. Asch is already gathering fonons for another arte, the glow of the glyphs casting his expression in a nefarious light.

A ball of fire drops from the sky and wrecks the suit of armor, but none of the resulting Explosion touches Guy or Asch.

Yeah, he's kind of frustrated.]

It was the end of that experiment.

[His hair was the only thing he had left. The only thing he allowed himself to keep after being torn away from his royal bloodline.

Ugh.]

[explains]

[Luke might have the raw potential, but his actual interest in fonic artes? Not really promising. Guy himself doesn't seem to have much aptitude for it, even with his ability to use seventh fonons when he really really wants to. Stupid lemon gels.]

[Guy crosses his arms and ends up standing next to Asch, watching the destruction settle. Always impressive to see a fonic artist at work. And he hears the anger in the voice. He can't really say he knows what Asch is thinking, but he must have had some attachment to his hair to keep it.]

Mm. It'll grow back. [Not much comfort but there's not much else to say about it.]

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[Even when he threw away his name and his origins, Asch kept that royal red hair-- forever the forgotten son. Now he doesn't even have that. It irks him to see how easily this place gets beneath his skin, digs into his bones and makes him miserable.

He's so pathetic.]

What do you want?

[It lacks his usual venom, surprisingly. He just sounds... tired.]

[explains]

[Guy can sympathize with it in a way. The same feeling as the Score. No one likes being a puppet after they've tasted freedom.]

[He gives the ruined armor a considering look, and loops an arm over Asch's shoulders, ignoring the tired tone--or maybe because of it.]

I think you need a break. Your opponent isn't getting up any time soon, it looks like.

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[That's one part of it, anyway.

Asch tenses up when Guy initiates contact. Like usual, he tries to pull away, though not so vehemently that he'd /hurt/ Guy.]

I came here to train.

[explains]

[Guy lets him go, crossing his arms.]

Train? You're not going to get much experience fighting dummies. You're a bit past that stage, I think. But if you think you can handle it, I'll be your opponent.

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, he is. But venting is always nice.]

I'm not the one who should be worried.

[He's Van's student after all.]

[explains]

[Guy looks exceedingly, insultingly not worried. Actually rather smug and challenging.]

Yeah? I'm not seeing anything to get worked up over, from over here.

[promisedsomeone.livejournal.com]

[Asch is only slightly put-off by this. Only slightly.

Okay... more than slightly.]

Don't underestimate me.

[He places a hand on his sword, issuing the challenge-- but he doesn't draw it yet.]

[guyexplains.livejournal.com]

[Guy leans back on his heels and actually shrugs, hands far away from his sword. Insuuuulting.]

Are you planning to talk me into submission? Or just wait until I die of old age?

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[Damn it, Guy. Why are you so good at getting a rise out of Asch when you try?]

Shut up and draw your sword!

[VALIDATE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]

[guyexplains.livejournal.com]

[At this point he glances away. Looking so bored. And unconcerned. His stance isn't even fighting ready. He is so wide open here it's like saying Asch isn't even worth paying attention to.]

Are you suggesting I even need to? I'd like to see you prove it.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[Morgana blinks. When she saw Asch, she wanted to say something else, but that...] You have magic.

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[Her presence is still strange to him. Those... feelings he had during the experiment, they were wrong. They were fake. His fist tightens at his side, and then slowly loosens. He can't afford to lose it now.

He's already on the verge of losing everything he's made for himself.]

Fonic artes, [he corrects.] They aren't uncommon.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[She nods, though it does not make much difference to her. The magic and the science are impossible to tell apart here. Morgana makes herself attend to Asch alone.] I wanted to thank you. It can't have been easy, trapped in the tower. And I fear I lost myself to the story too easily. So my thanks, for going through this with me.

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

—Don't.

[He doesn't like being thanked.]

We didn't have a choice. The only way to get out, in the end, was to go through with it. You weren't wrong.

[He turns back to the suit of armor. Again, a glyph appears beneath his feet, and several smaller glyphs appear in the sky above the armor. He murmurs an incantation, and then the rain of icicles begins again.]

... It was the experiment that was wrong.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[She frowns a little at the display.] It was. Though at least in this one, we could do something to help each other from the threats about. [Like Morgana unleashing her wrath on anyone who went near Gwen, thanks.]

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[He feels himself flush slightly and reminds himself to concentrate.]

... I suppose it could have been worse.

[Another glyph appears beneath his feet. He murmurs another incantation.]

O maddening gale of the spirits of the earth— Stalagmite!

[With a stern motion, the ground beneath the target dummy ripples and lifts, then juts out and staggers the dummy with piercing spires of rock.]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[Morgana takes an involuntary step back at the display, openly alarmed by the very violent show of what, to her, still reads as magic.] ...If you don't wish to be disturbed, I can leave.

[youidiots.livejournal.com]

[Perhaps she's been lingering, getting in some last-minute training. Perhaps she's simply steeling herself for what's to come. It doesn't matter. At least there's a familiar face in all of this.]

... you cut your hair?

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[WHY DOES EVERYONE-- oh whatever. He regards Tear with a shake of his head. Though she's a reminder of his frustration, it's not directed at her.

When will this be over?]

It was the experiment. Guy was caught up in it, too.

[youidiots.livejournal.com]

It's quite the change.

[She regards him for a moment, taking in his new appearance. He looks different, but not in an unpleasant way. She nods in approval, committing his new shape to memory.]

Hopefully it won't cause any problems for you.

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't like it in the slightest, but there's no point in stressing more over it. They need to focus on what's at hand. His eyes drift away from her approving nod, in a dismissive but not condescending way.]

It won't make a difference.

[It's not like he purposefully pretends to be Luke in order to snoop around.]

... I take it you'll be moving out soon.

[quecaneatit.livejournal.com]

Hey, you cut your hair.

[which gives Peony even more of an excuse to prop an elbow on Asch's shoulder and tousle what's left of his hair]

Does this mean you're trying to go on the path of being a less selfish guy or something?

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

[Fuck you, Peony. He's not standing there and taking it. If anything he's even more enthusiastic about freeing himself... but Peony is taller. This makes it difficult.]

S-stop that! It wasn't intentional!

[quecaneatit.livejournal.com]

Too bad, it was an improvement.

[The struggling makes Peony stops tousling. Instead he plants his hand firmly on Asch's head, and shrugs with his other shoulder]

Whatever, I guess it doesn't suit you yet. So if it wasn't intentional, what the hell happened? Did Saphir try to give you a makeover?

[cutpride.livejournal.com]

Ugh. No.

[He tries to duck away from Peony again, but thankfully there are no elbows involved. Even he knows better than to hurt opposing royalty.]

There was an experiment, though you were probably too caught up in your pets to notice. [HMPH.] My hair was cut when I was cast into a desert.

[quecaneatit.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'd keep it down. You don't want Jade to hear you talking about him like that, do you?

[Peony just stretches his arms over his head as Asch ducks away. The last thing Asch said gets Peony's full attention] Man, you got to go a desert? Now you're just trying to make me jealous.