#ashla larte

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Ashla Larte

An LFRP Card

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25. Trust

"They're asking you back...I'm asking you back."

His words cause her to look upward, her eyes seeking his own as she considers her answer before they flutter back down to the piece of jewellery draped across his outstretched palm. Looking up once more, a longing sort of smile crosses her lips in response to the one he's using to hide his nerves.

Gaze drops again to his hand as she reaches out her own with great hesitation, causing his expression to falter slightly before the smile starts to become genuine. She can sense his hope, his relief, his fading desperation as her hand wavers just above his.

Her second hand suddenly reaches up to cup the side of his palm, as the first gently pushes his fingers back towards his palm, closing his hand around the glittering metal before her hand covers his newly clenched fist. They remain there, holding his hand for a breath or two before she looks back up to his features with a breaking expression, causing his masque to shatter completely as dread overtakes him.

"I'm sorry, Master," she quietly answers as her expression briefly breaks. Though her sorrow remains on her features, that moment of complete heartbreak passes almost immediately as she adds, "but I'm not coming back."

Without another word, she turns from him. Although each step hurts more than the last, she places one foot before the other, steadily making her way from the council-chamber as his expression darkens with emotion. 

Her eyes remain forward as she walks through the elaborate hallways, as any second glance might weaken her resolve. She knows memory after memory will come flooding back to her if she does anything but focus on the exit, and the world waiting outside. That gaze remains focused forward as she makes her way down the stairs and into the equally elegant courtyard as the sun begins to set.

"Ashla, wait!" he calls out as he rushes to catch up to her. "Ashla, I need to talk to you!"

She continues to walk forward, at first, only stopping once she's beyond the walls of the courtyard itself. Her gaze remains upon the broad and empty platform ahead until the very moment he exits as well - only then does she turn back to him because she can't bring herself to do anything else.

As they face one another, casting long shadows as the sun continues its descent, he gives a heavy sigh and stares at her in confusion.

"Why are you doing this?" he asks as his hands make a low motion of frustration before they fall back to his sides.

Her answer is almost immediate, though still laced with her grief, "Because they didn't trust me, so how can I trust myself?"

Arms cross as she begins to turn away from him, her gaze averted. She doesn't entirely turn away, leaving him to stare at her profile as they continue to speak.

Lifting his own hand to his chest while leaning forward, he bitterly asks, "What about me?"

Her head lifts and her gaze returns to him as he begins to speak more passionately, as she can feel his desperation rising. Her expression is a loving yet sorrowful one as she watches him resist the urge to reach out and grasp her physically.

"I believed in you. I stood by you," his voice begins to rise in pitch and tone as he protests. He moves his hands in that low motion of frustration, this time more erratic in its pace, to keep from reaching out for her shoulders.

"I know you believe in me, Anane," she answers as her gaze begins to lower before her eyes raise to meet his again, "and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer, not now."

She once again leaves him staring at her profile, turning away as she finishes her response with her head lowering slightly. Her arms tighten as she braces for the reaction she knows is coming, keeping her gaze averted again.

"The Order of Kiltia is your life. You can't just throw it away like this!" he argues, his agitated motions causing him to lean towards her even as her eyes close. "Ashla, you  are making a mistake."

Finally, his motions still as it's his turn to look away from her, his distraught expression darkening. She studies his features as she turns back to him, arms falling to her sides.

"Maybe, but I have to sort this out on my own, without them," she admits before suddenly turning away almost entirely, "and without you."

"...I understand," As he turns away himself, leaving very little of his features visible, he dejectedly answers, "More than you realise, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order."

Although not entirely unexpected, given his prior actions, his pronouncement causes her to turn her head a little, eyes shifting back to glance at him from over her shoulder.

There's a long pause before she quietly states, "...I know."

Somehow, her words convey more meaning than to simply reply to him. They draw his gaze back to her as she resumes walking, gaze forward, without another look back. He closes his eyes briefly before snapping them back open, not wishing to watch her leave yet terrified of opening his eyes and finding her gone.

He watches her, his conflict and sorrows are naked upon his features, as she walks towards the setting sun that flees darkening clouds. Though he stares, he can't see the silent tears falling down her cheeks, but he can faintly feel them. His gaze remains upon the downward stairs after she's vanished before he closes his eyes and falls to his knees.

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Ashla Larte

An LFRP Card

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RDM to 80. I can finally do Copied Factory. I had 0 desire to do it as a BLM (or AST with Claire).

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Introducing Ashla Larte.

RDM and DNC will probably be the primary classes. I’ll probably go with SCH for healing.

More details to come!

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Are they witty and quick with come-backs when insulted or provoked?

Claire has a masters in snarky replies at all times, but even more so when in an argument of any type.

Ashe’s retorts tend to be laced in diplomacy, and a lot of people miss the fact that she’s landed any sort of return.

Kym’a rarely manages to make quick comebacks, because he’s just not that type of person.

Ashla is fairly quick-witted, but there’s a lot of things she’s still naive about, so her ability to make a sharp retort varies from situation to situation.

Thanks for the ask, @yokasaris!

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10. Is your character street-smart, book-smart, intelligent, intellectual, slow-witted?

My characters all lean towards having intelligence and being intellectual, though their specific veins of such very. I just…can’t play stupid - all of my characters trend towards being philosophically inclined, even if they don’t do much in public 24/7.

**Claire** learned a lot from books as a child but also has learned in a manner that would be considered ‘street-smart’.

**Ashe** also learned from books initially, but the war in Dalmasca has lead to a form of ‘street-smarts’ learning.

**Kym’a** is all book-smarts, and often lacking in common sense.

**Ashla** is pretty well balanced between street-smart and training-based learning.

Thanks for the ask, @mai-takeda!

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What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

Every character except Vaylin would give them gil or assist somehow. But there are variations as to how the gil or assistance is provided between each character.

**Ashla** tends to give homeless/poor people some sort of food or gift certificates for food or make some sort of pre-paid tab for them at a restaurant. It decreases the chance they’ll be outright mugged and gives them safe places to eat while assuring her gil doesn’t get used for illicit activities or the like.

**Claire** will make the person work in some fashion for the gil, usually figuring out what the person’s proficiency is, and giving them something that plays to their strengths. Most of her static employees have been acquired this way.

**Kym’a** doesn’t tend to have a whole lot of liquid assets, so he’ll give them something like potions or the like. He used to give out jewellery, till he realised most of them sold it.

**Ashe**, **Rel**, and **Saber** all tend to just give the gil outright. The first two out of noblesse oblige with the latter doing so just to get the person to leave them alone.

**Vaylin** is more likely to threaten to kill them, or if she’s in a particularly nasty mood, she just kills them and continues about her business.

Thanks for the ask, @halcyonic-aether!