[action]

[faterecanted]

[It's been a few days since Van arrived, under less than ideal circumstances. During that time, he felt it was probably wisest to remain incommunicado. The easiest way to assure the others from Auldrant that he was doing nothing threatening was to appear to be doing nothing threatening; and he wasn't... strictly speaking. For the most part, all he'd done was study Ms. Sage's guide -- no, memorized it. He'll have to thank her, if they ever meet. She provided him with so much valuable information; including a list of exploitable thugs.

Someone should really do something about that.

But as enlightening as Ms. Sage's writings are, man cannot live on words alone. The supplies he gathered after leaving Asch and Luke's building (...and later returning to it) were starting to run out. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the clothes he'd grabbed, either. He'd rather not wear his Oracle uniform all the time, and the rest were a bit... lacking. He'd like to think he was a striking, well-dressed man; and appearances were so important to a favorable first impression. He'd get to that later in the day. And then the library, perhaps. It was always an advantage to have more information. His first stop, though, was something he could no longer put off: the medical facilities in the battle dome. He'd have to hope he could find what he needed there.

Despite his long list of errands (and the vague concern that he'll run into people he knows and would rather not deal with yet), he'll be perfectly willing to exchange a few words with anyone else out and about. In fact, he'll make sure to at least make eye contact and give a polite nod to every person he sees. The charisma is turned up to 11 today.]

Dist: Something to discuss with you. CH#7. Tonight.

(TL;DR: Meet him in the library, the clothing shops, the battle dome, on the street... And fill this out if you would, plz)

Comments

[seleniahymn]

[Guess who is also in the library when you arrive there, Van? It seems that even in this life she thinks she leads, Tear still has the habit of gathering information in the same way her brother does, especially now that she is well enough to go about on her own. There are, however some fairly fresh scars on the visible skin close to her neck.]

[faterecanted]

[Life has a sick sense of humor.

He isn't ready for this. He's never going to be ready for his own sister to not know his face. Yet... The fact that she's there, that she might have been hurt, draws him over like a magnet. Oh, Mystearica. This isn't what he wanted for you.

He can't help it. He has to. He intentionally bumps her with his shoulder on the way past. Just a little. Just enough to jostle her.

He'll let her set the tone for what happens next.]

[seleniahymn]

[Tear hadn't been aware that someone had been so close to her until Van bumps into her, forcing her to drop the book which she had been looking over. She makes a slightly exasperated sound but moves to pick it up anyway, not yet getting a proper look at the man who had bumped into her just yet as she turns around and inspects the book for damage.]

I'm sorry, was I in your way?

[faterecanted]

No, I should have paid more attention. [As he speaks, he unconsciously lifts one hand to trace the position of her injuries on his own body.] Are you alright?

[seleniahymn]

I'm all right. [She catches sight of his hand out of the corner of her eye, brow furrowing when she quickly takes note that he's tracing her wounds on himself. Perhaps she should have done a better job of covering those up...]

Could I help you with something? [Even if she hasn't looked at him properly yet, her own brother's voice does nothing to jostle the memories the Malnosso have temporarily replaced.]

[faterecanted]

[He stares at her a moment more, a conversation they just had recently replaying in his mind. "Then just kill me and make a replica!" But a replica of Mystearica would never be his sister, not even if he taught it to cook and sang it to sleep and planted it all the flowers it could ever want.

This girl is not his sister either, at least not for the moment. The thought leaves him cold inside; indifferent enough to surprise even himself. He loves his sister. He does not care about some girl with her face, who has neither an excited smile nor a furious glare to spare for him. She is no more Mystearica than Luke is Asch.

He thought it might break his heart.

He does not care.]

...No. Nothing. [And Vandesdelca turns away.]