Day 3: An Accidental Lunch Date

[far_from_sacred]

Characters: [AU] Lucia, [AU] Van
Location: Guy's manor, dining room
Time: Day 3, afternoon
Warnings: mysteryyy

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[unmarkedvan]

Vandesdelca had been rather forcefully advised, upon entrance to Gailardia's manor, that he should not be a presence at regular mealtimes until certain issues were resolved. For his safety, of course, and he agreed; he could defend himself, but he'd hardly want to do so against people who were simply suffering from a case of mistaken identity. After all, they, too, could be content with the repudiation of the Score, and what kind of man would Vandesdelca be if he fought potential allies?

Still, it did make movement around the manor difficult. He stepped into the dining hall, his eyes immediately going to the shock of long red hair.

That, at least, was hair he recognized; bracing himself for a possible attack (and eying the guards, not trusting them to intervene should a fight break out), he moved to settle into the seat across the table from the boy.

[far_from_sacred]

She heard someone enter and stiffened slightly -- with so many others in this household, she should've expected that it would be too much to ask for an entire meal left alone (even if she had been taking her time to get around to eating). If she hunched over her plate, perhaps they would take the clue, and...

And not sit down right in front of her. Asch lifted her head to glower at her unwanted companion, but it only lasted a beat before she straightened all the way, shock widening her eyes for a brief moment. "Van!" she blurted, before she regained control over her reactions and set her bare hands back against the table.

Steady, Asch. He's not going to recognize you, this isn't YOUR Van. He was the Van from this world, or some other world, and not the man she remembered.

[unmarkedvan]

He'd been wrong; it wasn't Luke. His eyes widened at the girl's reaction, tensing ever so slightly at his name. She certainly looked like Luke, as much from the front as from the back, but in his world, fon Fabre had no other children…

He let his lips curve into a smile. At least she wasn't going for her weapons. "Have we met? I'm sure I would remember you, but you have me at a disadvantage."

As he spoke, he settled back, letting his body language relax. I am not a threat. I am trustworthy. Perhaps she would be easier to charm than the Malkuth military.

[far_from_sacred]

He didn't even-- Asch shut her mouth sharply. Well, if she'd needed any confirmation that he wasn't the Van from her world, there it was. It likely wasn't that he didn't know who she was, and more that he was trying to find an explanation for her gender -- that, like in Sync's world and this one, 'Asch' was male.

It stung a little, though, even knowing that. He was treating her like a stranger, or a fool, instead of as one of his few confidantes and a child he had all but raised to stand beside him.

"I'm Asch, Van," she said finally, cool. "I take it that I'm male in the world you come from?"