faterecanted | [action] A glorious return

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[action] A glorious return

[It's probably a peaceful enough day, as Luceti goes. Maybe people are out looking through the shops. Maybe they're strolling through the plaza. Maybe they're sitting on the edge of the fountain, reading a book or having a snack.

Maybe there's a 6'2", 180 lb man in new feather pants being dropped into the fountain from a height of, oh, about 3.14 feet.

Wait, what?

Van is falling. That doesn't surprise him, it's exactly what he should be doing; except then he blinks, or thinks he does, and instead of purple and glow, there is blue sky. He has the barest of moments to register confusion over this development, and then he hits the water ass first. Shortly followed by the bottom of the fountain which, for the record, is hard. He's not feeling any better about the day he's had so far, either, now that it also includes being doused and viciously spanked by an inanimate object.

He may need a few moments to sort out what just happened to him.

Handily, that's about how long it takes for his regular clothes and journal to follow after, and land in the general vicinity of on his head and also his ruined pride. In case he needed a reminder that his boots are really heavy.]

What? [What else can a man possibly say in a situation like this?]

[Somewhat later, after he has recovered from his terrible butthurt, better remembered where this even is, and maybe picked up a change of clothes that isn't soggy, he will squelch over to his house. Oh, house 47, he barely knew you. He hopes it's still his house, because if it isn't someone's getting a terrible surprise when he barges on in through the front door and leaves puddles all the way to the laundry and shower.]

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I believe you may be right. [Understatement of the Year award goes to...

Van is just going to need a moment to- Maybe he should put his shirt on before he stands.]

No worse than the first time, I suppose. [If he takes his humiliation with grace and dignity, that means he has not been humiliated.]

[Oh, he saw you, or rather, heard you. You know when the last time he saw you was?

About five minutes ago, when you helped kill him.

He is therefore accordingly pleased about this reunion. (And just wait 'til he finds out what happened while he was elsewhere...)]

Gailardia. [Guy better not run away. Guy better have the decency to stand here and face him right now, instead of being a big avoidant baby, even if he was just unceremoniously dumped into a small body of water. Wow, it's almost like last time, but in reverse, and with 300% more murder.]

[He is not an idiot and he did not fall in, thank you very much.]

Do you intend to simply stand there?

[If Sync has an ounce of foresight in his replicated body, he will start ingratiating himself before Van finds out what he did to his favorite.]

[Pardon Van while he does a situation check.

1) He almost certainly just ~~jumped~~ ...stumbled to his death.
2) Instead of being disintegrated into particles he landed humiliatingly in a fountain in a multiuniversal prison.
3) He is soaking wet and much less dressed than he wants to be.
4) There is the sister that helped kill him.
5) There is the sister that helped kill him, clinging to the boy he is rather certain he told to stay away from his sister.

His unamused expression is probably ruined by the fact that there is fountain water dripping off his beard, and his grand, imposing uniform is mostly in a soggy heap in his lap.

But the staredown is happening anyway.]

[ Sorry Asch that they kind of left you alone with the big bad happening to show up today. Won't happen again ~~maybe~~.

Arietta for her part comes back after another wonderful day of wandering through the woods trying to talk to animals, and welp, that looks like a puddle trail!

Trails are meant to be followed.

So there's now a loli following (and carefully not disturbing) a line of puddles into the house. What oh what could be at the end of these puddles? ]

["First time" ...? Oh. Then--]

Another returnee, huh? ... Guess they're starting to run out of new people.

[WELP. To Yuri, that means this guy doesn't need his help and can get on just fine on his own. Not to mention, they're not exactly some kid or anything. So, he'll turn away.]

Well, good luck with all that, then.

[Who is this and why is he in Van's house?

No, clearly this is 'Ginji', unless Asch has invited multiple people to come live with him. ...A likely story.

Which means Van should probably put in an appearance, instead of just sulking in his room like the touchy thwarted murderer he is. Not as impressive of an appearance as he'd make if his uniform wasn't drip drying and unwearable, but sort of just appearing in the entrance to the hallway is still good, even if it is done in jeans and a too-small tshirt.

~~Someone probably wrote a fanfic like this, somewhere.~~]

I haven't seen Arietta yet today.

[Happier at home? Not a chance.]

So I'm afraid you can't convince me that I'll have to pay for your sandwich. [Is that a joke? It sounds like a joke. ...Also, what, that's totally what Van would do.]

Edited 2012-07-10 22:09 (UTC)

[At the end of the puddles she will find one (1) Order of Lorelei Commandant's tabard, slung over the shower curtain rod, drip drying.

Also, if she turns around and looks to the other end of the hall, she will notice that there is a light on in Van's former room.]

You did attack me. [So there is Asch's definitive answer as to the when; and also to the why of today's intractable bad mood. Cliff diving to the center of the planet will do that to a man.

Van almost continues on; but turns to look Asch over instead. Even as serious as Asch is, he'd expect some comment on his current state of dress. It isn't like him to let these things go unremarked upon, particularly when "these things" are Van's embarrassing misfortune.

Instead of further comment, he simply tries to make eye contact. Asch isn't the type to look away from a challenge, either.]

[Asch shrugs his shoulders a bit but offers no resply, nor does he attempt to return the eye contact; he can't respond to something he can't see, after all. His hand finds the journal, and he gets back into the position he'd been in before Van's arrival, waiting for a moment to see if Van has anything more to say. When he hears nothing, he's somewhat bothered by it, his expression shifting to one of caution. Is he still here, or did he leave? Is he watching? Should Asch have replied?

Damn, but this is frustrating. Couldn't Van have waited a few more months?]

[It certainly... sounds like a joke. Give Gilbert a second or two to decide, before he finally shrugs again, dismissively.]

I suppose we all have to deal with inconveniences during New Feather season. Some more than others.

[And he isn't even talking about himself, or the sadly departed sandwich. See how nice he is?]

Asch.

[His voice is very low and quiet, almost but not quite enough so to be inaudible. A test. Van has concerns of his own about this situation; but he needs to see what reaction this gets before he makes any specific conclusions.]

[This is definitely not Asch.]

Oh! Ah... [Ginji's actually never seen this guy before. Not face-to-face, at least - he'd have remembered otherwise. A friend of Asch's?]

Then I guess she's still outside. She goes off in the mornings a lot. [He says this as he carefully sets the bags down on the floor. And yet. It's something about the way the stranger responds (like he's completely at home here) and the fact that he came from the hallway. Does that mean...? No, it couldn't be. He's probably just drying off in their bathroom.]

[But it's still a possibility. And there's only one way to find out for sure. Ginji bobs his head slightly - a stiff motion.]

Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Ginji.

Edited 2012-07-11 02:03 (UTC)

[He is very at home here -- or at least, as at home as Van is anywhere; which means that regardless of his own personal comfort, there is a sense of him owning the space instead of merely inhabiting it.]

Asch was expecting you earlier.

[He is very notably not giving his name yet. He is, however, studying Ginji with those cool blue eyes of his, which are, as always, unreadable. There is a spark in them; but is it interested? Confident? Predatory? It is not, at least, overtly cruel, nor is his overall demeanor. Imposing, perhaps.

Effortlessly so.]

[Van will find one (1) average young man. Average in just about every way possible upon casual analysis. He's got the look of someone who's used to menial labor and he speaks with a rural accent. More obviously are the tool belt at his waist and the flight goggles perched on top of his head.]

[Ginji's caught slightly off-guard by the lack of introduction. But he guesses it isn't too surprising. After all, his housemates are quite the conversationalists. What's more nerve-wracking is the way he's being assessed. It's kind of intimidating, though for Ginji's part he manages to keep eye contact. Honest eyes. Puzzled. A little unsure.]

He was? That's no good. [Means he must have taken too long. Or Asch had some other chore for him.] Maybe I should go see what he wanted.

[Even with how quiet it is, Asch is visibly startled by it. His hand jerks out as it's reaching for the teacup, which knocks it from the table and shatters it, spilling the contents onto the floor. Asch grits his teeth, unmoving on the couch for a long moment. He can't see the spill, he can't see the broken pieces, he's barefoot, and now he feels even more pathetically helpless than before, and dammit, dammit, why couldn't he have just left...!?]

What?

[Yeah, okay. Sure...

HUFF. Maybe he should help him while he can.]

Do you need any help?

[He's moving closer, putting a hand on his hip. And...yeah, about that--]

[ Oh, she recognizes that! ]

Van--!

[ At which point she turns, and sure enough, notices that light. Which means she'll be half walking, half running over and peeking in. ]

Commandant? Is that you?

[Guess who else was passing by the fountain today. Surprise!]

General! [That's the first thing she could say that wasn't a stutter.]

[Nephry he is back now and he is looking like a wet cat and also his clothes are indecent?

And Van did so well avoiding her out of embarrassment last time... His first impulse is to not be sitting in the fountain, which is probably not the wisest impulse, because halfway between sitting and standing he realizes what he is now wearing, or not wearing. Thankfully, as he is standing, his normal clothes are falling, and he catches them around waist level. Completely intentional cover-up.]

...Viscount.

[She is an excellent politician who saw nothing even if she did.

But. Ngh. That title. And is he the him that he was a few months ago?]

This...is a surprise.

[There is Van, sitting on his bed -- still no sheets, hinting at his very recent arrival -- attempting to dab the soggy pages of his journal dry with a hand towel. He looks up when she peeks in.]

Arietta. [And out of all the people he's seen again today, she's the first one he sounds genuinely pleased about.]

When did you intend to tell me?

[Van's footsteps are approaching now, until he can kneel and collect the shards of broken china, the pieces clinking together in his hands. The proximity will bring other things for Asch's senses, too. Despite being overlayed with the lingering smell of, well, fountain, Van smells the same as he used to, all citrus and spicy aftershave.

If Asch reaches out now, his hand might find Van's clothes, damp and cold from his dripping hair. He could really use a shower and a change. He has a lot to think about, regarding what just happened to him, and what he'll do now. Asch should know that well enough, he's been in that position before.

But he's still here, kneeling on the floor in a puddle of tea and collecting the remains of Asch's teacup. Because it needs to be done. Because he needs this boy. Because it's something else to think about.

Because it's simple.]

Edited 2012-07-11 18:51 (UTC)

[Asch swallows hard, feeling yet another wave of unease. He can hear and feel Van's proximity to him, and with them so close, the other man will probably notice the state of his eyes- the faded look of them, the way they never seem able to focus on anything. He's obviously already worked through what's happened. His tone of voice is difficult to read, but Asch seriously doubts that he's happy about this discovery.

...Ha... and he'd wondered if Van was going to gloat, after his apparent "betrayal". After everything that had happened, and his former master had still expected them to work together to recreate the world? He'd still chosen to come here, to this house, knowing Asch could still be living here?

He's not sure what to think about that. Back in Auldrant he'd had very little contact with the man after that meeting, and it's been several long years since then. It isn't nearly as fresh in his mind.

With all of that in mind, though... why is he helping?]

...It's not as if I'd planned on hiding it.

[Though he's not sure he would have mentioned it, had the penalty for his demise been less obvious.]

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[action] A glorious return

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