TERRACE Draft - Remaining Days

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: All hell breaks loose
When: From the 27th to the 1st.
Where: TERRACE!
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post covers the second to sixth day! Be sure to check the info post on the timeline to know what's up. At 2AM on the 27th, the attack will break out while most people are sleeping. Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Some random NPC quotes about the island itself.

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Comments

27th to 1st

[dissonates]

[For the majority of the draft, Asch is just doing his thing: working on the front lines, either solo or alongside his fellow draftees, providing spell support or leaping into the fray with his Maestro sword. He can be found on just about any particular day or time doing just that, and don't be surprised if you're fighting and suddenly there's explosions or lightning swords taking out nearby foes. Don't worry, it's safe- for Asch's allies, anyway. He might just pay special attention to the people he knows, but for the most part he's used to working on his own

On two days in particular, however, he'll be somewhat preoccupied; on the 29th he'll be caught by a Dream Shifter and will require a replica's rescue, which will leave him briefly out of commission in the main medical area for the rest of the day (looking uncomfortable, more miserable than usual, and very tired), and on the 1st, he'll be trying to stick close to the non-combatants (Rapunzel in particular, for one) as the draftees continue to reclaim more of the city.]

29th

[gleamed]

[ The very second he arrives at the medical bay, Rapunzel rushes to his side, heart beating rapidly. Each time she saw someone she knew come in, she felt a heightened sense of panic for their wellbeing. At first glance, he didn't seem hurt. But she knew well that not all wounds were on the outside. ]

Asch! [ She twists her hair in her hands, wondering what could have brought him here. He was a soldier. Why would he come to the medical bay unless he had to? ] Are you alright? Are you hurt?

29th

[dissonates]

[Asch doesn't look at first, merely leaning on the doorway, but after a moment his eyes finally lift to meet hers. It's brief before he glances away, uncomfortable and weary.]

I'm alright. I just need a place to sit down, if there's room.

[At this point he'd even take the floor, but after everything he just experienced, a bit of indulgent comfort could go a long way.]

[gleamed]

[ It quickly becomes clear that there is something very, very wrong. Rapunzel's face floods with concern. ]

Y-yes, of course. This way.

[ She leads him towards an empty hospital bed with a chair next to it. Whatever he would prefer. ]

[dissonates]

[He takes the middle ground and sits down on the bed, unfastening his sword from his belt and leaning it against the side before he starts working on pulling off his tabard. There's blood on the shealth and his clothing, which wouldn't be that unusual during a draft if not for the fact that he looks genuinely shaken by it despite his attempts to hide it.]

[gleamed]

[ The sight of blood doesn’t faze her like it once did, but Asch’s demeanor did. He was tense and unsettled in a way she’d never really seen him before, and it made her oh so nervous. What could have happened out there to make him feel this way? ]

Do...[ Do you want to talk about it? ] Do you want something to drink?

[dissonates]

[It takes a moment for the question to pierce through his funk, and even longer for him to nod his head. He doesn't need much, or even anything fancy; just a bit of liquid to clear his throat and give him something else to focus on.]

[gleamed]

[ She disappears for a moment, mind racing, and returns with a cold glass of water in hand and holds it out for him. After a moment’s hesitation, she sits. She intended to stay by his side, and while she didn’t want to pry, she also could not ignore the anguish of someone so close to her heart. ]

[dissonates]

[Asch accepts the glass quietly, holding it in silence for a while before he lifts it to take a long drink. It helps, a little, but not the way he'd like. Not that he expected it to.

Her presence does help, and he hadn't expected that either. Any other time he'd have brushed her (and anyone else) aside. And while it isn't as if he wants to talk about it, he just...

...dammit...]

...You don't have to stay. I'm sure there's plenty of people who need your help.

[gleamed]

[ She glanced around. There were other wounded in the clinic, but they had been attended to or were currently being attended to. She wouldn't have to feel guilty about staying with him, then. Besides, she wasn't convinced he wasn't hurt - even if it wasn't physically. ]

I can stay. I'd like to keep you company.

[dissonates]

[The temptation to brush her off returns with a vengeance; he just wants to wallow in his own misery again, something that is pretty much impossible for him to do comfortably when he has an audience. He hates being seen like this. It grates on his pride and fuels that perpetual self-loathing that he hasn't been able to shake since the replication taught him a lesson in his own worthlessness. He doesn't need her presence here to remind him of how pathetic he must look right now.

He wants to yell, to lose his temper and freak out at her and, most likely, frighten her off. He shouldn't get comfort for this; he shouldn't need it, and he sure as hell doesn't deserve it.

Anyone who can murder their own mother, even as an illusion, is nothing more than a monster, after all.]

No one... asked you to do that.

[It doesn't come out as harsh or fierce as he'd like. His voice is strained, half-hitched and uncertain. He doesn't even know what he wants anymore.

Except forget. He knows he wants that- the one thing he absolutely won't get.]

[gleamed]

I'm doing it because I want to.

[ She says it softly, kindly, but without a moment's hesitation. She was sitting here because she wanted to be, she was with him because she wanted to be. Asch was someone very, very dear to her heart, and while he suffered, she couldn't sit by idly and ignore it when she felt like she could help.

She reaches out, to set a hand on his shoulder or his knee, but thinks better of it for the moment, letting her hand drop back into her lap. ]

I'm here for you, Asch.

[dissonates]

[His gaze drifts fleetingly to her hand, having seen it lift, then away once more. It's for the best; he's probably a mess, bloody and miserable and in much need of a shower, and she's so... pure, for lack of a less cliche term. She's good and fair and kind and he stabbed his mother. People like them shouldn't mix.

Still, her presence is soothing. He's just wary of coming to rely on it when he knows that it isn't one that he can keep- when he has to get over this and return to the front lines. It isn't as if the war will pause until he gets over this.

If he ever does. That remains to be seen.]

...Thank you.

[It's faint this time, almost inaudible; not a phrase he says often, or easily. But what else is there to say, at this point?

He can't count the number of people he's killed over the course of his life, doing the work he does, but he hasn't felt the weight of his title since he was a child. It's a more harsh burden than he remembers.]

29th

[fabrecation]

[Luke had been doing what he could. Fighting when he had to, though he mostly tried to stay with the healers, or straying to the people he knew, like those from Auldrant. Out of everyone, Luke knew how to fight alongside them most.

On the 29th he finds himself alone, mostly trying not to be seen for fear of fighting - of killing again, and that's when he sees it. Asch, standing still and staring blankly ahead, an enemy not too far away from him and fixing its gaze on him, like it's the cause of it...

The description looks familiar, but Luke doesn't think too hard on it right now. All he knows is that Asch is in danger, and that cultist is causing it, so he readies his sword and rushes forward.]

Asch!

[But despite his call, neither his original nor the Dream Shifter look at him. He raises his sword once he's close enough to the enemy, but instead of swinging the weapon and ending another life like he meant to, a feeling of something closing around him occurs, and Luke finds himself in a completely different place. The shock of it makes him stop, sword lowering to his side again as he looks around.

Where is he?]

[tertiaryheir]

[It shouldn't take long for Luke to recognize his location- he's home, after all, or what appears to be home. It's the courtyard of the manor in Baticul, the scent of Pere's flowers around them, birds chirping, the gentle flow of the water surrounding the central area where Luke is standing. It's mostly quiet, but certainly not abandoned; off to the side the gardener is hard at work, digging through the soil and planting new buds for the spring, chatting amiably with Guy - a much younger Guy, an age at which Luke had first met him, actually. In the corner, shaded by an overhang, are the duke and his wife, talking quietly and drinking tea.

And off to the side, by his room, is a table scattered with books, a pitcher of water, and a couple of glasses. And seated at that table is Natalia, about 11 or 12, and Asch.

No, not Asch. The original Luke fon Fabre.

And he looks happy.]

[fabrecation]

[...

Is that him? No, wait, it couldn't be. When Luke himself was that age, he could barely even walk, let alone talk. And that's...

That's Luke. Luke fon Fabre. The real one.

Oh, god.

A numbness spreads through Luke's limbs, and he drops his sword to the ground. The occupants of the dream barely look up, seeing how Luke has let go of his weapon. But he doesn't pay attention to that now; no, he's just staring at Asch... at Luke. His original.

This... This is what he'd always wanted, wasn't it? This is where he's happy. It's with that thought that Luke takes a few steps back, very nearly turns to leave. All he wanted was to give his original this very thing - his life, his world. The thing the replica stole.

But then he stops. He knows what this is. A dream, something created by the cultist he had gone after. It looked into what Asch wanted most, and it's playing with him. And if Luke leaves, it'll destroy him and Asch won't even know it.

And that, more than anything, is what fuels Luke into turning around and walking towards his original, until he's standing by the table with his fists at his sides. His expression looks calm, though he frowns, and his hands tremble.

Because honestly? He's angry. Angry at the cultist for doing this to his original. And... angry at himself, too.]

... Luke.

[tertiaryheir]

["Luke" looks up at his call, somehow managing to tear his attention away from Natalia. They'd been seriously discussing politics and the future of their country - and a little bit about the frog she'd caught trying to crawl into her petticoat, they are children after all - and he really doesn't want to stop. But Luke is right there and difficult to ignore, and as Asch gazes up at him, there's... a ripple. Something in his expression, caution, uncertainty, a sudden fear: it's difficult to define, but it's not quite a child's expression. It's too knowing, too broken. And in a flash it's gone, and he's smiling cheerfully, standing up to greet his replica.]

I didn't even see you approaching us. Are you my new teacher? Master Van said that he would be sending a replacement from Daath while he attended to his duties.

[fabrecation]

I...

[Luke had seen that brief expression, but he's too caught up by the one that he's staring down at now. It's so happy, so cheerful. Nothing like the original he knows, and - and it's all his fault, isn't it? He's the one who took that smile away.

The frown, as a result, falters, looking more unsure than anything, and he looks over his shoulder. He wasn't prepared for this at all. What does he do? How can he possibly save his original from the one thing he's always wanted? How can he take everything away from him again?

He can see the others like this, his - Luke's mother and father, Guy, Pere... and he shuts his eyes tightly, tries to think of it another way. He's trying to save a life. A life he cares for.

When he opens his eyes and sees Susanne watching him with what seems to be curiosity, Luke snaps his gaze forward again. Don't look at them, don't look.]

Y... Yeah. Um, how about we... move to the middle of the courtyard? To... start.

[To get away from prying ears, more like. Natalia's far too close for this.]

[tertiaryheir]

Oh, sure.

[Asch moves as if to lead the way, but is halted when Natalia grips his wrist, frowning her disapproval. They bicker quietly for a moment, as she insists that it's time to focus on his studies, but he manages to placate her with a promise to double his efforts after dinner. She seems mollified by that, at least- the word "promise" certainly brings a shy smile to her face easily enough. And within moments Asch has fetched his sword and goes to retrieve Luke's, offering it out to him.]

That's an amazing sword- I could barely lift it! You must be pretty good, to have that kind of weapon, and for Van to entrust my training to you.

[His voice is proud, as if no anomosity existed between himself and the commandant. No kidnapping, no torment, no replication. This world is perfect, and he's right in the center, the top of his game.

This was the happiest time of his life, after all.]

[fabrecation]

[Luke knows this, and it's why he has to battle with himself every minute this dream goes on. He wishes that someone else could do this, someone who isn't so tied into this. Anyone, anyone but him, and that thought is so desperate that he even wishes Van would show up with the replica version of Asch. The thought horrifies him as soon as it enters his head.

And that, plus the way Asch talks about him now, solidifies his resolve once more. Luke has no doubt that it'll be shaken again, but as long as he can do this, as long as he can find little reasons to keep going - ]

... Thanks. I had a pretty good trainer, too.

[It's when Luke takes his sword and blinks that he realizes his eyes are wet, and he belatedly realizes that his voice shook a little. Well. That's not something Asch needs to see, so he wipes at his eyes with his free hand, and he looks behind him again. An excuse, an excuse...]

Wow, your gardener must be planting something I'm allergic to. Jeez...

[He isn't annoyed by it - how could he? He isn't allergic at all. Still, he forces up a smile to show this, and he moves to the middle of the courtyard while faking a sniff.]

[tertiaryheir]

Pere? He's just getting ready for the new season. Are you okay? I thought Oracle Knights were supposed to be tough.

[His smile is slightly teasing as he takes a fighting stance, amateur but surprisingly refined for his age. In the background can see his parents watching, and it makes his shoulders lift, ready to do them proud. Especially with his father watching now, the way he'd always wanted him to.]

[fabrecation]

Hey, even Oracle Knights can't fight against allergies!

[Despite his own teasing tone, his smile is still forced, because he knows he has to make this all disappear somehow. He got Asch away from his family - no, the ones watching him and running this whole scenario. But now what? How does he keep him here, especially when he has to tell him what he needs to do?

Still thinking hard, he moves his sword behind him into his own standard fighter's stance. Maybe he can use their activity as - some kind of distraction, or something.]

Show me what Van's taught you, okay?

[tertiaryheir]

...Well, okay. If you say so.

[It's a little weird, but it's not really worth looking into, not with the prospect of training beating out the topic of allergies, something he has no experience or interest in. Adjusting his grip on his sword one last time, he charges forward to lash out his blade at Luke's, his eyes glinting with determination and pleasure. He enjoys his studies, yes, and the company of his cousin, but this is where his talent truly lies. And this is what earns him the most praise. If he fights well, this soldier will tell Van, and then Van will praise him, and his father...!]

[fabrecation]

[Luke understands all too well; he, too, wished his father would approve of him, too. Every single achievement he made was always undermined by his father, whether it was writing a sentence correctly for the first time or drawing something good, or even training well. Nothing was good enough for him, and even now, he's sure his father is watching on impassively.

But Luke doesn't dare look. Even though he wants to, if only to figure out who the Dream Shifter is. No, he needs to focus on Asch right now. He needs him to listen, he needs to get him out of here before - before the Dream Shifter does whatever it does here.

He blocks against Asch's attacks, his eyes slightly wide from the fact that his original really is good. He's just a child, and he's already got so much talent in this field... so much more than Luke did when he was in this place. Then again, Van was probably holding him back the whole time...

It's after a moment of all this when Luke can't hold back any longer. He parries hard, hoping to throw Asch off balance, and talks to him in a rushed and quiet tone, hoping that the observers don't hear him.]

Luke, you need to listen to me - I know this is going to sound weird, but this isn't real.

[tertiaryheir]

[Asch jerks back at that, eyes widening, his sword drooping slightly at his side. Not real? What kind of a thing is that to say? In the middle of practice, even... and what's worse is that he feels something, more than surprise and anger at such an accusation, something much deeper. It's cold and unpleasant and he's able to push it away easily enough, but it haunts him, and he points his blade at Luke, eyes narrowing.]

If you're trying to get me to lose my focus, it won't work! And you haven't earned the right to address me so informally, either!