[OOC] Random Facts
Just as a note, quite a bit of this consists of headcanon. I only call them "facts" because they pertain to the Asch that I portray at Ad Libitum, making them facts for him. I have not deluded myself into believing that the headcanon is in fact canon.
*Asch's red hair and green eyes are trademark to the Kimlascan royal family and have been for generations. An excerpt from "The Mark of the Lanvaldear Royal Family" claims, "these features serve as proof of royalty and are of top priority when determining the order of succession."
-Nuclear family, however, takes priority over extended family, as Natalia, while betrothed to Asch, technically inherits the throne before he does.
*Asch is the tertiary heir to the throne, but he is (potentially) the future king of Kimlasca, given his betrothal to Princess Natalia. Over time, however, between Asch's seven-year absence and Luke's seven-year presence, the nature of the arrangement has become less certain. As Natalia states, "Nobody said anything about [the prior engagement]! Besides, perhaps I don't like either Luke or Asch!"
-Asch adores Natalia, but he doubts that he will ever marry her. If given the opportunity, he may very well take it. However, by the time he stopped viewing Luke as his replacement in a life to which he could no longer return, he knew that he would not survive for very long. Now, although he wants to return to Auldrant to see Natalia, he wonders just how possible that is.
*Asch held the rank of Locrian Colonel in the Order of Lorelei, but he was also named a God-General, "Asch the Bloody," and Commander of Special Operations. After his continued defection from both Van and Mohs, he was demoted from Commander of Special Ops for "breaking military procedure." There was no explicit mention of his removal from his other positions, but with the events in Eldrant, he was pronounced dead and most likely lost any remaining rank.
* [Ad Lib canon] As of lately, Asch's hemoglobin levels have been lower than normal. This is a result of the acute blood loss he suffered during his downfall in Eldrant. Thanks to Tear's healing, he lost less blood than he might have otherwise, so the decrease is not severe enough to affect him very much. Mostly, he sleeps more than he used to, but if/when he sees a doctor, he will be diagnosed and cured.
*[Ad Lib canon] Despite being stabbed in three places, one in which he was run through, he most likely won't have a ghastly scar for the rest of his life. After he was first healed, he still had inflamed skin at the former points of puncture, but now, while still visible, the blemishes have faded a great deal.
-[Ad Lib canon] While he has healed, he does not like being touched where he was stabbed. He does not necessarily experience pain, but he may very well go for his sword without looking at whoever poked him. If he catches the person before they make contact with him, he will be annoyed (and confused/suspicious) at being touched unnecessarily, but he won't necessarily attack.
*Asch was born left-handed but was forced to become right-handed for the sake of table etiquette. General lack of use has caused his left hand to lose some of its dominance, but he is still capable of using it better than he would have had he been right-handed at birth. This also explains why Luke and Asch have different dominant hands, as the Duke and Duchess Fabre were less strict toward Luke.
- [Headcanon] Much like an older sibling, Asch feels some resentment toward the fact that Luke never had to do some of the things he did when he grew up in Baticul. While the original scoffs at Luke's thievery of a life that should have been his own, he does occasionally let his mind wander toward more petty or commonplace gripes seen in many families.
* [Everything after the first sentence is headcanon] Asch can cook surprisingly well. Given his favourite ingredient, chicken, he generally prefers to make dishes to accommodate his tastes (or Natalia's, should she be present), but he will cook other dishes from time to time. He acts like it's more of just a necessity, but he doesn't particularly mind doing it. He normally cooks for himself, since, shockingly, it isn't that strange to see him alone, but when he's traveling in a group, he will know better than to try that.
* Cathy wasn't wrong when she said that Asch was "probably shy and lonely." This is not to say that he is timid: His years of isolation and his sole dependence on someone who ultimately betrayed his trust have further intensified the already withdrawn nature with which he was born, yet he maintains both inherent and fabricated confidence. As such, he is not accustomed to working closely with others and will usually opt for solitude even when he must collaborate with others. Dealing with people for extended periods of time can be somewhat awkward for him, even if his training to become a ruler has better prepared him, though only in formal contexts. Therefore, yes, he is shy, and given the isolation, lonely.
- Asch may be a competent soldier, but he has weaknesses (other than his unfailingly hard head) that tie in to his social reluctance. As mentioned above, he has been secluded one way or another for the majority of his life: His noble status prevented him from wandering outside Fabre Manor very often, and following his arrival in Daath, he was usually kept away for easier brainwashing. He has had very few friends over the course of his life, and so camaraderie and compliments are somewhat lost on him. While he is not a stranger to praise, he is caught off-guard when people make such comments about him rather than his actions or his usefulness. His awkward feelings multiply when the compliments contain awe or flirtatiousness. While he may manage to retort with (somewhat imposed) confidence when given typical praise, he will be at a loss of words when confronted with ogling or exaggerated admiration. With nothing to say to such comments, he will most likely stammer out a condescending response and storm off in an attempt to hide his bashfulness.
-While he admittedly has a short temper, Asch's harshness toward demonstrates his worst side. While he may not behave like a saint to everyone else, he generally treats others with more respect. To those he likes, he may even behave nicely, just as long as his sorest point, Luke, is not around in person or in conversation. For an example of him on his better (if not best) behavior, watch his supposedly private conversation with Natalia.
* One of the few cures to Asch's stubbornness is Natalia. He may vehemently reject something, only to begrudgingly concede (all the while blushing, in some cases) should Natalia say otherwise.
- Some subjects, however, are impervious even to Natalia's influence. In these cases, Asch must sort out his feelings and change without assistance. The most blatant example is the ever volatile subject of Luke. Because of his strong feelings toward the subject, his last words to someone as dear to him as Natalia are "shut up!" In other words, if Asch's stubbornness is fueled by a strong enough rage, he won't think clearly enough to acknowledge whatever is said to him.
- [Headcanon] Asch and Natalia's mutual dislike of octopi in food is not entirely coincidental.
-This cure may apply to other people, depending on how well Asch manages to make close friends.
*Ever since the kidnapping, Asch has suffered from nightmares specifically concerning the liminality between his childhood in Baticul and his knighthood in Daath. Sometimes they involve the replication process, and sometimes, they involve his witnessing his replica replacing his life.
- [Ad Lib canon] He has had fewer and fewer of these nightmares the more he collaborates with Luke. Now that he has begun to change his opinion of his replica, the dreams are mostly nonexistent, excluding the incident with the negativity.
+ [Ad Lib canon] Instead, Asch has started having recurring dreams about a patch of sunlight. While his past occasionally comes up in these dreams, they are less upsetting in nature. They first began around the time he was summoned to Atlas.
*Asch's red hair and green eyes are trademark to the Kimlascan royal family and have been for generations. An excerpt from "The Mark of the Lanvaldear Royal Family" claims, "these features serve as proof of royalty and are of top priority when determining the order of succession."
-Nuclear family, however, takes priority over extended family, as Natalia, while betrothed to Asch, technically inherits the throne before he does.
*Asch is the tertiary heir to the throne, but he is (potentially) the future king of Kimlasca, given his betrothal to Princess Natalia. Over time, however, between Asch's seven-year absence and Luke's seven-year presence, the nature of the arrangement has become less certain. As Natalia states, "Nobody said anything about [the prior engagement]! Besides, perhaps I don't like either Luke or Asch!"
-Asch adores Natalia, but he doubts that he will ever marry her. If given the opportunity, he may very well take it. However, by the time he stopped viewing Luke as his replacement in a life to which he could no longer return, he knew that he would not survive for very long. Now, although he wants to return to Auldrant to see Natalia, he wonders just how possible that is.
*Asch held the rank of Locrian Colonel in the Order of Lorelei, but he was also named a God-General, "Asch the Bloody," and Commander of Special Operations. After his continued defection from both Van and Mohs, he was demoted from Commander of Special Ops for "breaking military procedure." There was no explicit mention of his removal from his other positions, but with the events in Eldrant, he was pronounced dead and most likely lost any remaining rank.
* [Ad Lib canon] As of lately, Asch's hemoglobin levels have been lower than normal. This is a result of the acute blood loss he suffered during his downfall in Eldrant. Thanks to Tear's healing, he lost less blood than he might have otherwise, so the decrease is not severe enough to affect him very much. Mostly, he sleeps more than he used to, but if/when he sees a doctor, he will be diagnosed and cured.
*[Ad Lib canon] Despite being stabbed in three places, one in which he was run through, he most likely won't have a ghastly scar for the rest of his life. After he was first healed, he still had inflamed skin at the former points of puncture, but now, while still visible, the blemishes have faded a great deal.
-[Ad Lib canon] While he has healed, he does not like being touched where he was stabbed. He does not necessarily experience pain, but he may very well go for his sword without looking at whoever poked him. If he catches the person before they make contact with him, he will be annoyed (and confused/suspicious) at being touched unnecessarily, but he won't necessarily attack.
*Asch was born left-handed but was forced to become right-handed for the sake of table etiquette. General lack of use has caused his left hand to lose some of its dominance, but he is still capable of using it better than he would have had he been right-handed at birth. This also explains why Luke and Asch have different dominant hands, as the Duke and Duchess Fabre were less strict toward Luke.
- [Headcanon] Much like an older sibling, Asch feels some resentment toward the fact that Luke never had to do some of the things he did when he grew up in Baticul. While the original scoffs at Luke's thievery of a life that should have been his own, he does occasionally let his mind wander toward more petty or commonplace gripes seen in many families.
* [Everything after the first sentence is headcanon] Asch can cook surprisingly well. Given his favourite ingredient, chicken, he generally prefers to make dishes to accommodate his tastes (or Natalia's, should she be present), but he will cook other dishes from time to time. He acts like it's more of just a necessity, but he doesn't particularly mind doing it. He normally cooks for himself, since, shockingly, it isn't that strange to see him alone, but when he's traveling in a group, he will know better than to try that.
* Cathy wasn't wrong when she said that Asch was "probably shy and lonely." This is not to say that he is timid: His years of isolation and his sole dependence on someone who ultimately betrayed his trust have further intensified the already withdrawn nature with which he was born, yet he maintains both inherent and fabricated confidence. As such, he is not accustomed to working closely with others and will usually opt for solitude even when he must collaborate with others. Dealing with people for extended periods of time can be somewhat awkward for him, even if his training to become a ruler has better prepared him, though only in formal contexts. Therefore, yes, he is shy, and given the isolation, lonely.
- Asch may be a competent soldier, but he has weaknesses (other than his unfailingly hard head) that tie in to his social reluctance. As mentioned above, he has been secluded one way or another for the majority of his life: His noble status prevented him from wandering outside Fabre Manor very often, and following his arrival in Daath, he was usually kept away for easier brainwashing. He has had very few friends over the course of his life, and so camaraderie and compliments are somewhat lost on him. While he is not a stranger to praise, he is caught off-guard when people make such comments about him rather than his actions or his usefulness. His awkward feelings multiply when the compliments contain awe or flirtatiousness. While he may manage to retort with (somewhat imposed) confidence when given typical praise, he will be at a loss of words when confronted with ogling or exaggerated admiration. With nothing to say to such comments, he will most likely stammer out a condescending response and storm off in an attempt to hide his bashfulness.
-While he admittedly has a short temper, Asch's harshness toward demonstrates his worst side. While he may not behave like a saint to everyone else, he generally treats others with more respect. To those he likes, he may even behave nicely, just as long as his sorest point, Luke, is not around in person or in conversation. For an example of him on his better (if not best) behavior, watch his supposedly private conversation with Natalia.
* One of the few cures to Asch's stubbornness is Natalia. He may vehemently reject something, only to begrudgingly concede (all the while blushing, in some cases) should Natalia say otherwise.
- Some subjects, however, are impervious even to Natalia's influence. In these cases, Asch must sort out his feelings and change without assistance. The most blatant example is the ever volatile subject of Luke. Because of his strong feelings toward the subject, his last words to someone as dear to him as Natalia are "shut up!" In other words, if Asch's stubbornness is fueled by a strong enough rage, he won't think clearly enough to acknowledge whatever is said to him.
- [Headcanon] Asch and Natalia's mutual dislike of octopi in food is not entirely coincidental.
-This cure may apply to other people, depending on how well Asch manages to make close friends.
*Ever since the kidnapping, Asch has suffered from nightmares specifically concerning the liminality between his childhood in Baticul and his knighthood in Daath. Sometimes they involve the replication process, and sometimes, they involve his witnessing his replica replacing his life.
- [Ad Lib canon] He has had fewer and fewer of these nightmares the more he collaborates with Luke. Now that he has begun to change his opinion of his replica, the dreams are mostly nonexistent, excluding the incident with the negativity.
+ [Ad Lib canon] Instead, Asch has started having recurring dreams about a patch of sunlight. While his past occasionally comes up in these dreams, they are less upsetting in nature. They first began around the time he was summoned to Atlas.