[ OPEN ] you seem so out of context

[crimsonpride]

Who: Asch and You!
What: Asch relearns old skills and practices new ones
Where: Near Silverglen
When: Mid afternoon to early evening
Warnings: None

Fire has never been Asch's strong point. Manipulating Ice always came more natural to him, and swordplay more naturally than that. A unused skill is a wasted skill, though, and Asch despises waste. He's found himself a nice patch of rocky ground not far from Silverglen, something difficult to set ablaze. His skill of choice for today: Dragonbreath.

He's relieved to find he doesn't actually need to breathe fire. The familiar motions of casting artes are much more comfortable for him, and he's using them to end the lives of the scraggly bushes around him. He's found that practice can come in two varieties, this way--for every bush he sets on fire, he switches back to a more familiar arte and calls jagged blades of ice down on the flames. Before long scorched patches of earth and clusters of still melting ice surround him in equal measure.

He practices, and he practices hard. It forces him to take multiple breaks, leaving him increasingly cranky each time he does. Even so, he can tell that he's making good progress and doesn't leave him looking unapproachable--especially not when he finally allows himself to sit down and have a simple dinner.

Comments

[chosenfake]

[Practicing, huh? Luke could use some practice too. For the first time, he's uncertain about the idea. He and Asch have different skillsets now, even if the way they learned the sword is the same. He can't use any of his old artes at all.]

Do you want a partner? If anything, I need to practice how to heal, so...

[crimsonpride]

[ What an offer. Asch actually looks amused. ] Better reword that unless you mean self-healing. You sound like you're offering yourself as a target. [ The ugly, bitter part of Asch would really like to take him up on that offer, but in truth the urge is barely there anymore. ]

[chosenfake]

[Luke's brows furrow.] And you make it sound like I couldn't get a hit on you if I tried.

I don't need Albert style artes to beat you-- I've been training as a paladin. Maybe it's better if I just show you in a fight.

[crimsonpride]

[ There now, that sort of attitude is more to Asch's liking. ] Hmph. I doubt you've been training enough. [ Spoken like Asch hadn't absolutely lost their last fight, of course. ] Come on and show me, then!

[ His smug smirk doesn't fade, nor does it get any more condescending. He actually... sort of looks like he's having fun. ]

[chosenfake]

[Luke beat him pretty soundly that one time, too. But hooray for Asch not being a jerk about it. The air feels different, more competitive and playful than anything else, even though they're surrounded on all sides by war and pain.

Somehow, Asch is starting to feel like family.

Luke draws his sword, giving a moment's pause to make sure Asch looks ready, and then he charges.

Rather straightforward, but that's to be expected. Try casting with that coming at you, haha.]