[Fourth Wall]

[selfhelp]

[This is a catch-all! If you want to bother Billy Kaplan, Asch the Bloody, or Ellie, they are around town and available for pestering. Billy and Ellie are wandering (on the look-out for familiar faces), but Asch is most likely holed out behind the counter of the bar and hating everything.

Non-obvious visitors should request/specify who they want or prepare to be surprised.]

Comments

for the aschbutt

[galddigger]

[Anise walks right into the bar like she isn't a minor, parking her butt on one of the bar stools like she's done it all her life and calling for Asch like she's been around forever.]

Hi, Asch! ♥ Nice day job. Do you guys still make those chocolate and caramel drinks here? [Guy used to make them for her! But she's just tactful enough not to mention that, ahah.]

wow rood

[dissonates]

[...Well. It's not like they don't serve minors in here, but somehow that minor being Anise just feels wrong. Like she's somehow going to pilfer the alcohol out of the back room when he's not looking.

She gets a quirked brow, though, because it kind of feels like she's mocking him without, you know, actively mocking him.]

The menu's right there on the counter, see for yourself.

[fabrecation]

[He'd been looking for him. Tried poking at the fonic link, pushed through crowds, met people who were here before, some he thought he'd never see again. But he's after that one tug in his head the most.

And finally, he's there. The bar, of course, and there's Asch, being grumpy behind it. Of course.

Luke stands in the doorway, fingers gripping a charm around his neck, before he takes a few hesitant steps forward.]

Asch...?

[dissonates]

[He'd been sensing... something, though if asked, Asch would never have been able to explain exactly what. Something off, would be the short version. The long version involved a list of conflicting emotions and memories that he wouldn't share with anyone.

Save one, maybe. And that one person is the cause, since now that he's staring across the room at him, Asch understands that almost immediately.]

...Luke.

[Ignoring whatever customer is vying for his attention, Asch just vaults himself over the bar counter and approaches his replica. It's been a while, and he doesn't know how to feel. But he's not about to ignore it, either.]

[fabrecation]

[Asch just called him "Luke" right away, no replica or dreck or... or anything. He doesn't leave or make Luke come to him; he just leapt over the counter to go to him. And here Luke left without saying goodbye, or leaving a letter, or something like a sendoff.

God, he feels so pathetic. Especially when he feels tears spring up in his eyes. Instead of wiping them away, Luke takes two more strides to throw his arms around his original and bury his face in his shoulder. He still feels pathetic, and like the world's greatest jerk for leaving the way he did.

But he doesn't linger on those feelings for long, at least not right now. He's just so, so happy to see him again.]

Asch

[chirpchirp]

[why are you hiding behind the bar counter, buddy? are you hiding from dragons? oh, let's hide together!!!!

says the red cloaked figure that just jumped over the counter and practically landed on Asch's head.

hello buddy hello!!!]

[dissonates]

[It's lucky it didn't land on Asch's head- it'd probably have gotten smacked off out of sheer instinct. As it is Asch lurches back in surprise, hands lifting, so at least the little guy has somewhere to land.]

What the- when the hell did you get here?

[chirpchirp]

[ooh hands, these are good landing pads, yes. it helps that the traveller is about as light as anything, so when it plops down onto Asch's hands it does a little dance with its little chicken legged pointed feet things. hurray buddy]

♩♩♫　♫♩♪

[it leans forward and tumbles off Asch's hands onto the floor, trying to get closer to his face so it can rub against his cheek]

Billy

[wearyofscreams]

[Soooo Billy. This might not be the face you wanted to see, but this is a face you're getting - or rather the skull you're getting. Jack suddenly drops into view, still hanging onto the eaves of the shop roof just as Billy exits the door, a wide grin on his bony face and a similarly bony hand held up (or down, considering his topsy-turvy position) in as warm a greeting as one can give for being dead.]

Hullo there! Are you busy or might I borrow some of your time?

[selfhelp]

[He was just shopping, just trying to pick up some supplies in case the sudden influx of people caused a shortage, no biggie. Just walking out the door to find OH GOD THAT IS A SKELETON

Jack gets an undignified shriek and a backpedal, the door slamming in his face. Give Billy a minute, he was not expecting that.]

[wearyofscreams]

[Oooh, that was an excellent response. Jack's grin widens, becoming something more sinister, and he greets Billy again with a darker edge.]

My my, what a frightfully wonderful hello in return. Tell me, how high did your heart leap into your throat?

I'M HERE FOR THE ASSHOLE

[ceded]

[ By now, Xion's recovered most of her Luceti memories. She's had a lot of headaches in the duration of her short stay here, but she's managing to get by. She's spent a lot of her time trying to find people she knew, wondering who was even still around.

Her wanderings take her to the bar - home of many a sad and drunken friend once upon a time - and she spots that bright red hair. ]

Asch? Is -- of course that's you. [ Walking over with a little smile on her face. She looks younger and her hair is shorter, but it's her. ]

HE'S SO POPULAR

[dissonates]

[Whoa, hey. There's a face he didn't expect to see again, although there was really no reason not to. Without Luke around, he just never imagined her coming here.

Maybe they really do come in a pair. Hah.]

Xion. Who else would it be?

[DON'T SAY LUKE HE'LL PUNCH YOU]

Guess who, nephew

[maximoff_boy]

[If Billy's looking for familiar faces, he's about to get a whole heaping. Sort of. Pietro is by the fountain, looking at what appears to be a map, and then up at the sky. Then a book appears in his hand and he's flipping through the pages at lighting speed, then-- back to the map.]

goddamn speedsters

[selfhelp]

[...Whoa, it's like Tommy 2.0. Or, uh, 1.0, maybe- since it isn't Tommy, but still familiar-looking (and a speedster, apparently) this could be only one person.

Or Billy could be wrong. But hey, nothing ventured.]

Need help finding something?

grumpy gills

[gleamed]

[ Rapunzel remembers everything from her last stay in Luceti, so the bar is one of the first places she looks for Asch, assuming he still works there. Assuming he hasn't gone home.

It's more of a relief than she wants to admit when she sees him behind the counter.

Suddenly unable to breathe and frozen in place, Rapunzel forces herself to approach the counter, gingerly climbing into a seat and waiting for his attention. ]

glug glug

[dissonates]

[It takes him a moment to notice her - or rather, to notice her and realize it is her. It's been too long since he's seen her with the long blonde hair, rather than the brown. It causes a double-take, and then he can't stop staring.

With her hair like that - with her back here - does she even remember anything?]

...Can I... help you?

[you already know/fonlink]

[bloodyashes]

[This is not the headache you were expecting, otherself. Sometime in the late afternoon - after he's finished a quick exploration of the immediatee area - the "visiting" Asch figures it's probably time to make himself known to the one he's been vaguely aware of through the connection.

And clearly the quickest way to get his attention is this.]

I was starting to wonder if I would eever meet another version of myself.

[There's some amusement in it, which probably doesn't endear him to the other Asch too much.]

[oh shit/fonlink]

[dissonates]

[Whoa, okay, someone's not used to being on the receiving end of this. Asch grips his head and drops a glass with a curse, squinting ahead as his vision blurs.]

What the hell...?

[This has never happened before...!]

[stubbornhealer]

[Something of a commotion that just may get that certain redhead's attention, as a princess can be seen and heard stopping some of the random passerbys, with hands on hips, with growing frustration as she can't seem to get a straight answer out of any of them. She can't seem to find any of her friends either.

And then, of course, there are the less than savory people running amok...]

-- What? Unhand me this instant, you cur!

[dissonates]

[Said cur isn't grabbing her for long- Asch is conveniently close enough to have witnessed the exchange, and in a flash of movement the stranger's hand is withdrawn, and then they themselves are sent flying into the nearest wall. Natalia can take after himself, sure, but hell if he's going to let anyone touch her against her will.]

Asch

[piinthesky]

[What a curious place Lorelei has found himself in! Not only is the concentration of people greater than most domiciles of Auldrant, but a good many of them are adorned with wings. Their various reactions to one another make for suitable entertainment as he floats above the crowd, gravitating towards the bar. And right through the wall without a second thought.

Oh, why hullo there isofon. Asch's presence stops him in midair momentarily, though the dour expression worn by his scion urges Lorelei closer. Hoping to avoid needless shock, he drifts down to eye-level with a smile and hand raised in greeting.]

Pleasant weather we're having, is it not?

[dissonates]

[It doesn't click immediately that this is anyone other than a replica - or a copy - so after the initial surprise of seeing him flying like that, Asch scowls and averts his eyes, trying to get back to work.]

Another one? Ugh, how many of you are there?

[appliedhelp]

[At first, Rebecca had been caught up in the crowd, absolutely clueless and more than a little frazzled. No idea where she was, people who looked familiar and yet not, and she could've sworn she was in her office just a moment ago. For a good while, it's like that for her.

But by the time Billy sees her, she's sitting across from a beefy RPG protagonist with a huge sword strapped to his back, and... with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking as he pours his life story to her. Rebecca nods and jots something down in her notes, then leans forward to talk quietly with the protag. Gosh, video game characters have it tough.]

[selfhelp]

[He'd have loved to have a reasonable and calm reaction to seeing his mother for the first time in- god, two years - but there's no calm left in him by the end of the day. So all he can manage is the expression of a (very startled) drowning fish, followed swiftly by his shout of, "Mom!" as he hurries over to her. Sorry, random swordsman, you're going to have to cut your session short.]