17 [Voice/Action]

[drawnbythesword]

[Finally, things were beginning to return to normalcy in Luceti. Well, as normal as normal can be in Luceti. Which, admittedly, wasn't very normal. But that was beside the point. Now that things were settling down, he could focus on other things. Important things. Very important things.

Like going to the store.

...Going to the store is very important, okay. Especially when you have an important task like finding a birthday present for your best friend. Asbel'd put it off a long time, unsure what to get Richard. Even now, he wasn't really sure. He was kind of hoping that something in the store might jump out at him. Like he'd see something that would just scream to him "Hey, I'm the perfect gift!"

Something caught his attention alright; a small, leather-bound book. Similar in design to the journals of Luceti, but also very different, Asbel goes to inspect the book. He didn't plan on getting a new journal for Richard. After all, he'd already gotten him a personalized one for Christmas last year. But still, something about the book was just calling to him. No sooner does he look at the book however does he freeze, dropping the book on the floor with a loud thud.

Anyone who happened to be in the store and decides to investigate will notice on the golden nameplate of the book is inscribed the name "Aston Lhant".]

[Voice]

[Sometime after that, Asbel turns on his journal, prepared to send out a few messages.]

Someone once told me they think that this place is actually listening to us. Just to find ways to drive us nuts. [A pause and then...]

...I'm really starting to think they were onto something there.

[Filtered to Sophie | 40% unhackable]

Sophie, I found some Sopheria seeds. If you like, we can plant them somewhere in Luceti. That sounds like a good idea to you, right?

[Filtered to Richard | 40% unhackable]

Richard, are you at the house right now?

[He was hoping Cheria's baking hadn't already tipped him off something was afoot.]

Comments

[Voice]

[healedbythelight]

Did something happen, Asbel?

[Considering their luck with Luceti's little coincidences, Cheria's fearing the worst. Honestly, if they sent Richard home right as she's slaving over his cake...!]

[Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

Just that I found something from home. [He doesn't sound horrified by what he found, but he's not exactly happy about it either.]

[Voice]

[healedbythelight]

[Oh... Oh, well, that's all right then. Probably.]

It isn't anything dangerous, is it?

[Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I'll show you when I get home.

[And then he throws up a filter.]

[Filtered to Cheria]

Is everything ready for Richard?

[Voice/Filter]

[ledbythewind]

I am-- why do you ask?

[He honestly doesn't expect Asbel to remember his birthday because... well. Asbel. But that's fine with him, because he doesn't really want to celebrate it anyway.]

[Voice/Filter]

[drawnbythesword]

I want you to meet me somewhere.

[Voice/Filter]

[ledbythewind]

Should I be worried about what this is for?

[promisebythetree]

Yes! Of course! [If the first part of the message concerned her, the second part made her forget about it.] Can we make a flower bed by the house?

[drawnbythesword]

If that's where you want to plant them, sure. We can plant other flowers there too, if you want. There's a flower shop in town that all kinds of flower seeds.

[promisebythetree]

[They have shops for these things now??] Is the shop is full of flowers, too? I'd love to see it...

[Voice]

[castbytheglyph]

Huh, what's wrong? You don't have some serious nut allergy you were hiding from us, do you?

[So she might have missed the point here. At least she bothered to ask what's wrong though, points for trying.]

[Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

Eh? No, of course not!

[Voice]

[castbytheglyph]

Oookaaay, just making sure. It would majorly suck if you went nuts and you had an allergy to them! I mean your cheeks might go all puffy and you would start crying like you were constantly chopping onions...

[Voice]

[crisisrain]

That's implying that we aren't already crazy.

[Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I don't think I'm crazy.

[Voice]

[crisisrain]

Ya know they say denial is the main sign of craziness.

[voice]

[seleniahymn]

I take it that you were affected terribly by the last experiment. [She didn't think she had heard any rumors about him, at least.]

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I think I got off pretty easy, honestly.

[voice]

[seleniahymn]

Truly? The trees said nothing about you that you would have rather kept hidden?

[voice]

[burningdownfate]

You know, I wouldn't be surprised.

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I'm really beginning to think that's the case.

[voice]

[burningdownfate]

I hadn't really thought of it, but it makes sense.

[Voice]

[trueknight]

You're just thinking that now, huh ...?

[Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I've been away for a while, okay? Cut me a break.

[Voice]

[trueknight]

Sorry, I'm not really the break cutting kind of guy. Besides, how was I supposed to know you went anywhere?

[HE JUST GOT BACK A MONTH AGO, ASBEL |:]