wicked air

✩ noel chandler ✩ ✩ star ocean 2 ✩ ✩ affiliated with Isola Radiale ✩ ✩ theme art ✩

[tetanuswind]

@leafslash || cont. from here ( x )

“It’s the least I could do,” he assures him, happy to be able to have done something to help. Between all the work they’d been doing and the lowering temperatures, an opportunity to relax with a hot meal would be just about heaven for both of them, certainly. Noel certainly isn’t averse to the idea in the slightest, in any case. When was the last time he’d had the luxury of enjoying a meal with friends like this, anyway? Too long, he knows that much.

“If you want, I can finish this up. Why don’t you go ahead and make yourself comfortable?” With a grin, he reaches across to gently scratch Ururun’s cold, scaly chin. It’s not always the wisest idea, but he does love those rambunctious dragons. “I can already tell these two don’t want to wait much longer.”

[tetanuswind]

🌸 Put a flower in my muse’s hair (bc that flower crown scene in the manga is precious and i'm gay)

Noel’s lost in thought, absorbed in Ashton regaling him with myriad stories of his adventures as he sketches out a new illustration of a boombird for his journal. He hasn’t found many occasions to catch one still enough to use as a model for his illustrations, but fortunately, this one perched peacefully nearby has been very cooperative. If he didn’t know better, he’d almost think it was doing so on purpose.

But there’s little else in his mind aside from the steady, even strokes of pencil on paper and the steady, even tones of his friend’s voice as he speaks, painting the visuals of his story as easily with his words as Noel does to bring the boombird to life on the page. It’s a relaxing little rhythm to have fallen into; the sort they seem to find more and more easily these days the more time they spend together. Ashton’s presence remains as peaceful as it ever was, and on a day like this, Noel’s glad for the company.

His lack of visual attention, however, leaves him unaware of Ashton’s own handiwork off to the side. As he speaks, he idly loops and twines flowers together, picking new ones as he requires them from the seemingly endless little field around them. Maybe having something to do with his hands as they talk puts him at ease; Noel isn’t sure. Until he feels something delicately brushing up against one of his ears, he’s barely aware Ashton is doing anything else at all.

He reaches up, thinking to scratch what feels like an itch of some kind, only to be met with Ashton’s fingers, still preoccupied tucking a flower in behind one of his long ears. The realization freezes him in place, a little stunned. He has to resist the urge to pull his head away; to put some distance between Ashton and his ears before he’s as repulsed by them as others have been. Besides, people don’t just touch his ears. He’s tried his best these years to keep prying, curious hands away for a variety of reasons, and it feels almost like Ashton is reaching in past all the walls he’s built up to protect them without even realizing he’s done so. It’s violating, in a sense.

But… this is Ashton. Something about that in and of itself makes it okay, despite how odd a feeling it is. Like letting someone into your home after living alone for so long. Like opening a window after a long winter to let in the sunshine of spring. It’s uncomfortable in how new and different it is, but there’s a familiarity and kindness to it he can’t be mad about. He’s never been one to judge. They’re two unusual peas in a malformed pod. If he can’t let Ashton in around his imperfect edges, who else could he?

“Thanks,” he manages, smiling sincerely after what must have been an uncomfortable pause. With a quiet little laugh, he turns his head, ears twitching slightly. “Does it look alright?”

[tetanuswind]

starryoath‌:

Nodding, she grinned happily. “Yes, it was shaped like a fish but, when someone would bit into it there was jelly or chocolate inside. Well, that’s what the vendor told me. It sounds delicious, right?” It was pretty obvious to her happy expression that she really wanted to try this fish dessert. If only she could remember what they called it. 

His question made her pause, did she remember where she saw it. A small frown made itself known as she moved a hand to her temple in a somewhat thinking action. After a second or two, she quickly nodded. “I remember it was close to a stand selling Takoyaki? I think that’s the right word for that food.” 

“Since we will be heading that way, we can get the Takoyaki too.” It could be a nice treat before the fish dessert. Maybe they would find more snacks that would catch their eye too. After all, this place seemed to have a lot of different foods to choose from.

A fish with some kind of chocolate or jelly filling? Yeah, he’s definitely sold. There’s an absolute aura of both interest and enthusiasm practically radiating off him at this point.

“Of course. We can try whatever’d you like, Rena,” he says, quick to agree as ever. Takoyaki doesn’t ring any particular bells for him, but he’s up for trying anything once. They might not get many other chances to sample such unique food like this. Besides, if it would make Rena happy, that’s all the more reason to try it. “If you see anything else on the way there, let me know. We can try it together.”

It’s a little hard to tell the stands apart, given the festive glow and distracting array of treats set out on display around each, but he trusts Rena to remember the way. Or, at least, to remember what the food they’re looking for is. Fish-shaped foods will be easy to spot, but the other one she’s after? He hasn’t a clue.

“Let’s see if we can find that takoyaki stand.” He looks this way and that, hoping a sign or display might give him a clue. “Do you remember which way it was? I can’t recall if I’ve seen it yet.”

[tetanuswind]

leafslash‌:

    ❛    … Yeah, there are a lot of them, aren’t there.   ❜  Ashton’s lips purse once he acknowledges this, sounding the faintest bit contemplative. Why is that, exactly ?  There’s much about this place he doesn’t understand, & this is yet another. Had these strays been abandoned ?  With the city in such ruin, he has already pondered what could have been responsible.  (  But he hasn’t let himself linger on the subject. It’s like him to assume the worst of situations, & this … Well, suffice to say, there is more than enough about the present to feed an anxious imagination. )   Whatever the cause, the single conclusion he can draw is that the numerous strays here were likely left behind, albeit it a conclusion he is admittedly reluctant to consider because while perhaps not the best with animals, he undoubtedly has compassion for them. Thankfully, he is not given much of a chance to, as Noel’s voice pulls him from thought.     ❛   Oh, uh —  Right. Okay.   ❜     Whether the warning was directed at him or not, Ashton accepts it with ease, & thus appropriately quiets his voice as he patiently stays put. Gyoro & Ururun at the very least make the effort to follow the example, too  —  the responding trill each dragon gives has softened considerably from the norm (  though Gyoro, ever the boisterous one, still remains the louder of the two ) & uncanny as it may be, they share a similar stance to Ashton. That same neck-stretched curious appearance one often gets as an onlooker, though his carries noticeable concern versus their instinctual desire to investigate.     Regardless, the three together do their best to abide the request, & only watch Noel as he kneels with his hand outstretched to the dog. It’s since noticed the lot of them, now further away with its tail between its legs, but it stares in their direction in apparent intrigue. For a moment, the dog does nothing more than pace back & forth with a prominent hobble on its back leg, pausing intermittently to gauge Noel’s intentions by sniffing from a distance. But enough coaxing yields some result, because eventually it ventures nearer. Skittishly for sure, ears flattened like they are, but that it hasn’t darted outright is progress nonetheless. Now hopefully a certain pair of reptiles won’t change that …     ❛    It’s coming a little closer.   ❜  Not so much an observation as it is soft-spoken relief.  ❛   I couldn’t get anywhere near it before.   ❜  

“You just have to show it you don’t mean any harm,” he says, an excited little smile on his face as the dog steadily comes closer. He keeps his voice low and even, trying his best not to do anything that might startle the poor thing any further. “With any luck, it’ll pick up on that.”

He continues to try calling the creature over, softly clicking his tongue and calling to it in a gentle tone of voice. Noel’s pretty sure he could catch up to a dog with a bad leg if he did need to run after it, but he doesn’t want it to come to that. He wants the poor little thing to trust him, and to help it without hurting or scaring it. There’s no telling what sort of horrible things it’s seen. Besides, as he knows all too well, cornered and injured animals are the most likely to fight if they feel threatened. Nobody else needs to get hurt today.

“Maybe it’ll help if you get down, too,” he adds as an afterthought, looking over his shoulder at Ashton. If one of them is still standing up, it might come across as threatening. He’s not expecting Ashton to have to help, per se, but both of them being on the dog’s level might put it more at ease. “So we’re all on the same level here. It might be less scary for it.”

On the other end, the sudden movement might just frighten it more, but they can work on this in steps. Ultimately, he thinks this just might be to their benefit overall. The less imposing they look to the dog, the better.

[tetanuswind]

starryoath‌:

     Noel sure was a sweet guy. He could have said what he wanted to eat, or her could have denied her request for him to join her. Yet, he did neither of those things. Keeping a tight hold on the toy that was given to her, she pondered what caught her eye as she was walking around earlier. 

               “I did see a treat that was shaped like a fish while I was walking around earlier. Although, I think that would be more of a dessert then actual food. There is quite a lot to pick from.”

     Perhaps, she didn’t think this through too much. A lot of the food looked unfamiliar but, she was curious as to what it was and how it tasted. Honestly, if possible she would like to try at least one of everything. A small hum made itself known as she continued to ponder what to pick first. Shaking her head, she released a small sigh. “I can’t really think of anything. Was there anything you wanted to try?” She didn’t mind letting him pick something that caught his eye. After all, it might be something she wanted to try too.

“Like a fish?”

Rena’s certainly gotten his attention with that one. Even though she says it appeared to be a dessert, his curiosity is only more piqued by it with that knowledge. A fish dessert might be interesting, even if there’s no actual fish in it. If there is fish in it, well... what better time than now to try something new and unusual?

Besides, there’s nothing else so far that’s been outstanding enough to catch his eye, though everything in general looks appealing. He’d have a hard time picking anything else out, and this might be a good place to start if it caught Rena’s eye, too. Finding something they both might like seems to be the best solution.

“I kind of want to see that one for myself, actually,” he admits, his enthusiasm apparent. Even if they don’t wind up trying it, it can’t hurt to look. Maybe they’ll sell other things more their speed there. “Do you remember where you saw it?”

[tetanuswind]

👩‍⚕️ (or this one!! either works! )

👩‍⚕️ Put pressure on my muse’s wound

“You should have been more careful!”

Though his tone is scolding, the undercurrent of apparent worry that laces through it reveals his chiding for what it really is: Not anger, but fear. The wound is relatively minor all things considered, but it could have been a lot worse. As he puts pressure on Ashton’s bleeding hand, that’s all he can think about. He could have lost a finger, or damaged the nerves in his hand. For a swordsman, an injury like that would be career-ending. Though nerve damage could be healed, he doubts his ability to reattach a severed digit. Fortunately, they’ve avoided any of the worst outcomes.

There’s so much blood soaking into the towel, Noel’s worried it might never stop. He wants to get the bleeding a little more under control before he goes attempting to heal the deep cut across Ashton’s palm. It won’t be very beneficial to him if he bleeds out excessively while he’s trying to close the wound. Maybe it would be better to just get it over with, though. Nothing will staunch the bleeding like sealing the source up entirely.

“Here, you hold down on it for a second, okay?” he says, not really giving Ashton room to respond as he moves his other, uninjured hand over to hold the towel in place. He’s moving quickly; talking quickly. This shouldn’t have him as worked up as it is, but he just can’t bring himself to settle down. "Just keep it from falling off, this shouldn’t take long.”

And it doesn’t. It’s easy to focus on channeling his healing magic through to Ashton, holding on to his hand and concentrating on nothing besides his recovery. Under the towel, his wounds close, skin knitting itself together and the flow of blood coming to a steady halt until at last there’s little left to mark anything had been there at all. He peels the damp cloth away, examining his handiwork to ensure all had gone accordingly.

“I think it should be okay. Just... be a little more careful in the future, alright?” Though there’s a faint sort of smile on his face again, there’s nothing but relief present in his voice. “I don’t know what I’d do if you’d been seriously hurt.”

[plotbunnie]

Nonverbal RP Starters

[leafslash]

plotbunnie‌:

I’m finding it difficult to find memes for nonverbal characters ( be they mute, or just not fond of talking ) so I thought I’d make a few!

Neutral

☝️ Tap my muse on the shoulder

👉 Point to something for my muse to see

🤙 Bump into my muse

😊 Sit down next to my muse

🤨 Sit down across from my muse

📓 Push/Slide [an object] across a table to my muse

✍️ Pass my muse a note

🙄 Roll their eyes at my muse

🚪 Tap on a table/door/wall/chair to get my muse’s attention without speaking

Aggressive

🐺 Growl at my muse

😬 Snarl/show teeth at my muse

😠 Death Glare at my muse

🙌 Push/Shove my muse

👊 Punch my muse

👖 Kick my muse in the shin

👠 Stomp on my muse’s foot

😵 Knee my muse in the gut

💀 Knee my muse in the groin

🔪 Point a weapon at my muse

🖕 Flip my muse the bird/a similar gesture

👔 Roughly pull my muse down by the collar

💢 Bang on a door/wall/table to get my muse’s attention- angrily

Angst

👩‍⚕️ Put pressure on my muse’s wound

🌡 Push my muse down to give them medical attention

🥣 Bring my muse soup/medicine when they are sick

🤢 Hold my muse’s hair back/Rub my muse’s back while they are sick/throwing up

👐 Hold my muse when they are badly wounded/dying

👁 Wake my muse up during a nightmare

🐱 Hold my muse after a nightmare

😭 Hold my muse when they are crying

😢Touch my muse’s shoulder while they are crying in secret

💧 Wipe away my muse’s tears

💥 Try to calm my muse during an overwhelming emotional moment

⛈ Find my muse after some kind of trauma

Soft

👕 Tug on my muse’s sleeve/shirt/skirt

🐈 Lean against my muse’s side

🤝 Hold my muse’s hand

🤗 Pull my muse into a hug

🐕 Rest their head on my muse’s shoulder/knee

🐶 Nuzzle my muse with their nose [specify a location]

✋ Touch the back of my muse’s hand

🤝 Reach for my muse’s hand to hold it

👗 Fix/Straighten my muse’s clothes

😴 Stand by the bed to see if my muse will let you under the covers with them

🛌 Crawl under the covers with my muse

🥪 Set a plate/tray/bowl of food down for my muse

😚 Kiss my muse on the cheek

Playful

🌸 Put a flower in my muse’s hair

✨ Playfully shove my muse’s shoulder

💃 Pull my muse onto a dance floor/up to dance

🤞 Come up beside them and tap the shoulder opposite where they’re standing

😈 Jump out of the shadows to scare/startle my muse

😛 Stick their tongue out at my muse

😱 Make a silly face at my muse

🤭 Tickle my muse

👃 Poke my muse’s nose

💪 Pick my muse up

Sensual/Sexual

💘 Pull my muse in for a rough kiss

💕 Pull my muse in for a tender kiss

💞 Pull my muse in for a messy/desperate kiss

💖 Lean in to give my muse a sweet/chaste kiss

❤️ Lean in to give my muse a tender kiss

🔥 Pull my muse down by the collar/by their clothes - in a sexy way

😉 Pull my muse in by the hips

😲 Smack my muse’s butt

💋 Kiss my muse’s neck

👌 Push my muse down and give them a massage

👙 Pull [an article of clothing] off my muse

👀 Push my muse down on the bed

👄 Pull my muse onto the bed

[tetanuswind]

leafslash‌:

        If Ashton had any second thoughts about staying, he certainly doesn’t anymore. Not when Noel looks so genuinely happy, nor with the invite of his voice. The openness of it all stands out most to him; though Noel had always been nothing but polite & pleasant during their travels, Ashton never had the opportunity to know him quite so personally. He’s unable to pinpoint a reason. Perhaps circumstance was to blame. Nevertheless, he can easily distinguish a difference in him from then to now, & has found he rather likes this change. The closeness he’s gradually come to know.         ❝ No, I, ❞  he pauses, steadying the shyness in his voice into certainty.  ❝ I’d like to stay, actually. ❞  For how much longer, that’s still to be determined, but that hardly matters to him at the moment. It could be well into early morning that Noel keeps him here, & he thinks he would be more than alright with that. Even after spending much of the day in his company. Ashton smiles as Noel turns ahead to the shoreline.         Silence falls over the two of them then, & for a moment he merely listens to the distant roll of the waves & the soft crackling from the fire pit. He’s still distinctly aware of the slight color in his face & Noel’s hand resting upon his, but there’s nothing anxious about it; there never has been with him. But he does ponder, albeit to himself, on what that means or what any of this means. For now, he decides between a sideways glance to let himself not worry over it. It feels right. He doesn’t want to overthink it.

        He basks in everything a little longer – the contact, the orange light skirting over their faces & the haphazard shadows it casts, the languid curl of the ocean against sand – before saying anything. Quietly, he draws a breath; while not nervous, he might be somewhat giddy. Just barely.         ❝  The water’s really pretty at night. With the moon reflecting on it like that, ❞  Ashton says offhandedly, paying little mind to Gyoro & Ururun as they rest more heavily on his shoulders in content. It’s not very profound, but it’s what comes to mind.  ❝ It’s when I like to look at it the most. ❞

Though he truly would be as fine with Ashton leaving as he claims, a slight tension he hadn’t realized he was holding loosens itself at his willingness to stay. There’s something about that he quite likes, but he can’t place why that is. The company is just nice, he supposes. Ashton is easy to get along with, and perhaps out of everyone Noel’s known, he comes closest to understanding him. They’re both odd fellows; they don’t fit in with anyone else. Maybe that’s why he feels a little more comfortable around him. Ashton, different as he himself is, doesn’t seem to judge him.

“It’s very lovely,” he agrees, admiring the view. For how strange this place was, it could certainly be a wonderful place to live. Noel liked it here, truthfully. Sitting here like this, wrapped in the warm atmosphere, awash in moonlight, how could he not? “The light pollution doesn’t seem as bad on the beach, either. All the stars look so much clearer from out here.”

They’re all unfamiliar stars. He’s stared up at them long enough to know they don’t match up with anything back home. Noel can’t even be sure if they’re real or not, given how little of the city they know, but they’re a beautiful sight all the same. Though, maybe part of that is just down to his own biased perception. Somehow, everything tonight seems much sharper; much more in focus. He’s warmed through by something more than the fire in front of them, but he’s not sure what. It’s an odd feeling he can’t quite place, but it’s one he thinks he could get used to.

“You know, I never came to the beach much before, but this has been really nice. We’ll have to do this again sometime.” There’s no practical work for him to do on the beach, so he’s had little reason to come, but this is an experience he wouldn’t mind repeating. After a pause, he quickly adds, “If you’d like to, of course.”

[tetanuswind]

@leafslash || continued from here

He hadn’t been quite sure what he was thinking, making a move like that. The simplest truth was that he hadn’t thought about it beforehand at all. It was a natural reaction; reaching out to him was almost like a reflex. Fortunately, it seems he doesn’t need to say anything at all to explain himself. The sentiment of the gesture gets itself across well enough, if Ashton’s reaction is anything to go by. It’s gotten rather dark out, but it’s a lovely night. He’s having a nice time. Staying a little longer won’t hurt, will it?

As fun as the bright, lively festival has been, it’s moments like this he enjoys far more. The bustle of people, the noise of civilization... he doesn’t belong immersed in them. He never truly has. And though they’re hardly alone on the beach, they’ve got this particular fire pit to themselves, and it’s far enough away from the other groups that it still manages to feel private enough. It’s more comfortable this way. He feels more at ease here in Ashton’s company than out and about in the crowded streets.

“Just for a little longer. I promise I won’t keep you here all night,” he says, his tone light and somewhat playful. Though honestly, he wouldn’t mind staying here all night if it came to that. He doesn’t often get chances like this, to simply sit and enjoy the company of another person without feeling as if he’s out of place. Something about Ashton makes him feel right at home.

“Of course, you’re welcome to go anytime you’d like to. I know I’ve taken up a lot of your time today.”

He doesn’t say it, but he appreciates it. As much as he tends to hold others at arm’s length, a little closeness now and again is necessary. He wants it, even if he won’t allow himself to have it. To think of wanting it. His eyes stare past the fire pit, off across the ocean and where it laps and curls onto the shoreline ahead of them, and he lapses into silence again. He still doesn’t move his hand.

[tetanuswind]

@starryoath || continued from here

“I know, but I wanted to. It’s much nicer to see you smile.”

It simply wouldn’t have done to ignore whatever was clearly concerning Rena. Noel didn’t feel like it was quite his place to go prying into her business, but at the very least, he had in his power the ability to do something to lift her spirits. The toy wasn’t much, but he was glad to see it bring some happiness back to her expression. That alone made it all worth it.

“Sure, if you’d like,” he answers, responding to her question with an agreeable smile of his own. As he peers down the rows of booths lining the street, he adds, “Did you see anything you want to try?”

He’d neglected to eat anything earlier, so Rena’s suggestion was a welcome one. With all the stands and displays peddling all kinds of food, however, he wasn’t sure exactly what would be worth checking out or not. Not much of it is very familiar to him. Besides, letting Rena scout out something she has her eye on might help improve her mood further.

[frostwill]

critical role sentence starters !!!

so… we’ll talk later.

why won’t you stay down and die with dignity?

no. no further.

this is not over. it can’t be.

try not to have too much fun without us.

i have this blink candle. it’s formed from various animals that blink.

it’s so rare that we’re actually given the opportunity to be honest about everything. we might as well try it once and see if we like it.

you know i’m in love with you, right?

you seem… like a person. and that’s great.

those are coins! you’re not making it rain, you’re making it hail!

i’m killing someone, hold please.

your secret is safe with my indifference.

my heart is someone else’s.

do not go far from me. if we are out of earshot, you are too far from me.

um, i don’t know if it’s the food you made or the fact that we’re going to die tomorrow, but i want to kiss you.

i was all kinds of fucked up a few weeks ago.

you’re all kinds of fucked up all the time. we all are. and that’s why we’re together.

i just want to let you know… i am possibly the worst person you’ve ever met.

i think i kind of hope… not necessarily to hurt you or harm you, but i hope that one day… that you can know just how awful i can be.

you can curse, it’s okay. you killed one of us.

i think i’ve always been in love with the idea of you.

i was only gone for thirty seconds!

i encourage violence.

i can give you the means to protect them.

i do not want to die who i am. i’d like to live long enough to be someone else.

you’re on your own, fuckface.

a volcano is - is nature’s candle!

sometimes people go and they don’t come back.

do you spice?

so we’re going to kill everyone that we see in the next ten seconds.

i don’t want to be here if you’re not.

i told you before. no one kills you but me.

he traded his life!

i don’t have very many things that i care about and i don’t have anything that cares about me.

i’m great! well, not really, but i’m just going to pretend i’m happy so everybody can be okay!

i’ve been in a barrel for an hour. i fell asleep in there!

yes. i heard. it was the only thing i heard.

don’t cry. i’m just a little cold.

i bury my shame.

i should have told you. it’s yours.

forgiveness - that’s the key, isn’t it? it’s the only way to really grow.

your hair’s a mess. sit still.

you are my heart. you are me. you are my other half. you are welcome with me always.

you don’t always have to put on a brave face, dear.

we’re friends, right? are we friends?

i know we don’t always agree and i know i can be unkind, but… you know you’re family, right?

i’ve had a terrible thought. and it is sort of my business to have terrible thoughts.

take me instead.

we walk towards glory.

that’s mine! that’s mine!

did it choose me because i was broken, or did it break me?

please bring him back to me.

you think you care about me?

this was always supposed to happen, wasn’t it?

i love you. if i can find you, i will. if not, stay alive.

if he’s gone i won’t be the same.

i’d watch your moral panic all day, it’s delightful.

in many ways you are my total opposite. but you are also my best friend.

i made a choice. this is my family.

i forgive you. but i cannot let you leave.

please. please. i love him as much as you do.

fix him. fix him!

i like this family. i’d like to keep it.

i want you to know that you are like a brother to me.

talk about my sister again.

it’s been a while since we’ve had one of our depressing chats!

i can’t have you gone. i need you here.

i think we’re very broken people. but i think together we’re much greater than the sum of our parts.

don’t ever fucking do that again.

you didn’t die. but you did! but you didn’t. but you did! and then you didn’t.

i don’t want any of this! i don’t want any of this.

i’ve just had a near death experience and i’m craving some lasagna. 

you know, you’re getting weirder.

you and i are very different.

i’ve killed two of those who’ve wronged me and nothing is better. nothing feels better. nothing is avenged.

call me “child” one more goddamn time!

if you’re lucky, you die last.

some people have no sense of fucking honor!

i’ll take my clothes off if it’ll inspire us.

thank you for believing in me.

you’ve never done anything for me! never! you’ve never risked anything, you don’t know me!

everyone else believes in you. why shouldn’t you?

how many fingers am i holding up?

what’s the first letter of the alphabet? this you know.

yay! teamwork!

you fucking died!

don’t touch me right now! i’m not - don’t touch me!

i’m going to go get a sandwich.

you had us all very worried.

your reckless impulses will get you killed!

i’m done with gods. they will not help me. perhaps you will. 

this is too fucking much.

come here, you shithead.

it has been an honor.

screw you! i want my final words with you to be indignant and irritated.

you’re the face i saw when murder entered my heart.

i’m undecided about you.

never forget you’re my favorite. and i’m so sorry.

i’m not leaving him.

you’re a better man than you believe.

feel like making a home here?

you’re an idiot and i’m very proud of you. don’t do that again.

sound off if you’re alive.

it’s not going to work.

[tetanuswind]

leafslash‌:

        ❝   Huh ? Y- Yeah, that’s right. ❞  He turns to Noel more fully, not sure what he is anticipating to see there. What’s this about ?  Noel knows it as well as he does, doesn’t he ?  They were to make haste to the Four Fields, & the next thing he knew, he was wandering Spirale. That had to be the same for Noel — for the others. Right ?         So then … why is there any confusion about this ?  Suddenly the past tense of Noel’s previous question, which he nearly had paid no mind to, stands out to him. More than it had before, & the look of genuine concern he’s receiving now has Ashton the slightest bit unsettled. He has to look away from it, & though his eyes have briefly darted to the breeze-blown grass at his feet, it’s not from the admiration of minutes prior; the growing strangeness of this turn in conversation has overwritten that at this point.         ❝   No, I’m fine, but … I don’t really understand, is something the matter ? ❞  he asks finally. Gyoro & Ururun have their own feelings of mild bewilderment on this, & it takes some effort on Ashton’s part to not let it cloud his thoughts.  ❝   There isn’t anything wrong with what I said, is there ? ❞

He doesn’t respond right away, sitting in silence a moment to mull over how to proceed. Saying too much could potentially have drastic consequences later on if there is some discrepancy between where they both left off before arriving here, but it might be far too late to avoid it now. He’s already said a bit too much. If he gives a vague answer or tries to change the subject now, Ashton will only be more suspicious.

“Well... yes. I’m afraid there is,” he starts, one hand idly coming to rest at the back of his neck. “The way I remember it, we already took care of that. Quite some time ago, in fact. That you don’t seem to remember has me worried.”

He can’t remember what might not have happened for him yet, but Noel’s not entirely ready to go putting his confidence in that theory. Maybe something here is affecting their memories. Either way, it presents a puzzling dilemma. How many of the others have varying accounts of their time before this? Do any of them match up?

“Tell me, what’s the last thing you remember before you arrived here?”

[tetanuswind]

leafslash‌:

        Ashton quickly shakes his head at the question. That isn’t exactly what he means, though he seems to realize his phrasing could be taken several ways.         ❝   No, it’s not that. I know we can do it. Of course I’m worried about it, but I’ve got a lot of faith in us.  ❞   & it’s the truth; he believes in his friends wholeheartedly, even with the odds against them. Perhaps it might be foolish to some, but Claude, Rena, & the others —  they’ve had every ounce of his trust since the Salva Drift. Nothing could possibly change that;  not now.   ❝   No, it’s  … We haven’t had the time to think about much else. It’s all we’ve had our minds on.  ❞         Nall’s been pretty insistent from the very beginning how dire of a situation it is. The lot of them hardly had the opportunity to get their bearings on, well… everything, before he’d asked for their assistance. & while he is certain none of them bear any malice over this, knowing they must face the Wisemen has understandably hung over their heads the whole time. How could it not ?  It vastly surpasses anything they could have imagined being involved in. In its start, their journey had been a humble one in comparison.

        ❝   So … It’s had me wondering how soon we’d get the chance to not have to think about anything again.  ❞  There’s a moment where he gives Noel a sidelong glance, soft-spoken dialogue halted altogether, as if to gauge he’s being understood here. Something about the way Noel had asked  ( like the whole ordeal was somehow behind them )  has him inclined to check.  ❝   It hasn’t been that long, but it feels like it has.  ❞

Ashton’s words only continue to trouble him. They’re definitely having a misunderstanding here, and he can’t help but be reminded of his conversation with Dias. He hadn’t remembered anything, and even now, Noel isn’t sure why. This feels a lot like that; moreso than he’s comfortable with, in truth. His brows furrow slightly.

“You know we... can do it?” he finds himself echoing, his emphasis on the tense unavoidable. “So you’re saying we... haven’t yet, is that right?”

He shouldn’t be asking. He doesn’t need to pry into this if it could cause problems, but he can’t help himself. These supposed gaps in the memories of his friends compared to his own is beginning to grow worrying. Even the relative serenity of the afternoon can’t put his mind at ease now.

“Ashton, are you feeling okay? Maybe it’s nothing, but something about all this just isn’t right.” He fixes Ashton with a look of sincere concern, trying to discern what’s going on here. The most obvious explanation is some sort of temporal differences between them, but that seems almost too far-fetched. Time isn’t so easily toyed with, as he’s learned firsthand. “I don’t mean to worry you, but what you’re saying simply doesn’t make sense to me.”

[tetanuswind]

leafslash‌:

        ❝   Yeah, you’re right,  ❞  Ashton says at first, allowing himself a moment to take in the air. It’s been a while since he’s appreciated something this simple; Spirale, despite the odd circumstance surrounding it, has presently given him the chance to do so.  ❝   It’s that kind of day where it’s hard to think of anything else.”         From over his shoulder, Gyoro widely opens his mouth, teeth bared & all, in a yawn. His counterpart seems equally content, pleased into silence for the moment, though Ashton himself appears a little thoughtful. Not quite smiling like he had been prior. ❝  It’s nice to sit back & enjoy it — I almost didn’t think any of us would get to, honestly. Not with the Ten Wise Men & everything else.  ❞          A large part of him still worries about that, & it’s faintly audible in the way he admits this. They haven’t accomplished much in their efforts against the Wisemen, & here they were in some distant city, who knows how far from Nede.

There’s something in his relaxed demeanor that wavers slightly upon mention of the Wisemen. Of Nede. After all this time, he should be capable of putting the past behind him, but it never feels like it’s very far away. What happened there remains hovering over his shoulder like an overbearing ghost. But of course he can’t forget when every day he wakes up is a reminder of how many others don’t get that luxury anymore.

More concerning, however, is the way Ashton phrases it all. As if he’s still experiencing it. They’d been done with that a while ago, hadn’t they? Maybe it was just a poor choice of words.

“What do you mean?” he can’t help but ask, his head tilted slightly out of curiosity. “I know our odds seemed kind of slim, but did you really think we wouldn’t make it?”

He can’t know what Ashton really means, so he takes his best guess: That he assumed they wouldn’t be able to enjoy such lovely days again if they failed in their quest to stop the Wisemen. Which would be true, but was an awfully defeatist attitude, especially coming from Ashton. Not that Noel could blame him if that were the case; he hadn’t been entirely sure of their chances beforehand, either.

[tetanuswind]

leafslash‌:

// @tetanuswind gets a one-liner !

          ❝   It’s nice out right now, isn’t it ?  Times like these are good to enjoy the breeze, or watch the clouds … You think so, too, don’t you ?  ❞

“Yeah, it’s nice! I’m glad that it seems like no matter where we go, the weather patterns are always more or less the same so we get lovely days like this. It’s a little hard to focus on anything else when it’s this calm out, though.”

[tetanuswind]

oathtocecille‌:

“Friends?” That word was foreign to him now. He didn’t have any friends anymore. Rena didn’t count, she was like a sister to him. No one else. “……I don’t have any friends, nor would I break into someone’s house for help. I travel alone and fight my own battles.”

“I’m sorry, Dias. I don’t know what else to tell you.” He’d asked for an explanation, and Noel had given him one to the best of his ability. Whether he believed it or not- or even recalled it occurring in the first place -was out of his hands. “That’s how it happened. I can’t force you to believe it, but I don’t have any reason for lying to you, either.”

[tetanuswind]

oathtocecille‌:

“……………..” He doesn’t recognize the name. At all. He crossed his arms again and looked the other over, trying to remember if he’d seen him before or no. The other seemed insistent on that fact, but how is that even possible. “….How do I know you?” Maybe he worked for him a few times? That would explain how they would have known each other for a while. 

“You and your friends broke into my house,” he explains, a slight smile on his face at the memory, though he gets the feeling already that it won’t mean anything to Dias. “Not intentionally, I think. You all came to me looking for help.”

He’s choosing his words carefully now, not wanting to go introducing the concept of Nede if Dias genuinely doesn’t remember meeting him. It still seems so strange to him that Dias doesn’t remember, but perhaps the shock of being taken here gave him amnesia or something. He doesn’t want to disrupt his mental state any further if that’s the case.

“Do you not recall any of that, Dias? It’s okay if you don’t; I guess it wasn’t very important.”