Flicker of Judgment

Chapter 45

What's first, first.

To his credit, the Bloody was quite the thespian. She'd asked of course, how he'd become that way. And, to what others might have called audacity he encouraged her, nearly teased with his evasive actions that better wound her into his discourse. Still, aware of her shame (for upbringing was Score hard to shake) he tossed instruction between lines of his tale. Call it what it was, curiosity, and there was no sin in such a natural trait. Yes, there could be rudeness, tact fell before it from time to time, and she'd blushed thinking he rebuked.

Then, with a wry grin he set her fears aside with a shrug.

"There's no sin to curiosity, not a drop."

"So that's how you measure sin, by the gallon?"

He'd blinked then grinned, one of his Liger's grin. All teeth and brutality and cruel honesty jammed into one baring of teeth.

"Like wine? No, but let's say I was inspired." His eyes flicked up, inviting her to consider the pots and pans that dripped from their distant nests of intersection and rope.

Having already looked before, Natalia didn't waste the time for a second glance.

Sin dissected, they moved right along. First of rouse, they talked about Asch's change in wardrobe, and to her queries he'd woven a tale. Quite a tale actually "From Noir" he'd warned. "And considering it's from Noir you'd best take up a spoon of salt to balance it out". No Salt on hand she indulged in a Belkend delicacy of a 'yanna, an odd yellow fruit whose thick hide had to be carefully pulled back least the tender length within blacken with bruises.

Shed split the tread, and Asch had broken off from his tale to eagerly wolf down his half. Not horribly fond of the pasty repast Natalia simply savored it as a bland counter to the surfeit of sweets she'd taken in earlier.

Noir's tale, via Asch, was obviously edited. The language cleaned a bit, but it was filled from start to end with absurdities. Daring misadventures heroically taken, disguises, foul ups, and near captures. The ending was a stirring flight (how flight could be stirring was beyond her, still Asch was so good at what he did and she would only doubt him many hours later while going over the more outrageous details in her evening bath) from irritated, tarred and feathered White Knights. The affair had ended in a spectacular race that had been half mad dash half elaborate prank that had crossed the width and breadth of the docks to the disorder of all. All to pull off a fantastic get away on an awaiting row boat.

And the reward for it all, a cache of stolen laundry which Asch had laundry and now wore, some silverware, and candlesticks.

Why candlesticks, Asch had shrugged to her question.

"It's an Urushi thing."

She decided not to ask further on that, and let it drop.

Spoon of salt indeed….

Still, she's laughed only half believing, and his smile had lost all its bite by tales end.

They breaked off from their chatter to more properly worry away at the pile of food before them. Fruit with a light syrup drizzle had been the platters crown, now that that was stripped away a more wholesome gathering of vegetables and the like awaited their perusal. Cumbers and Karots boxed in the choicer tidbits of steamed green flowerets (cooled with a drizzle of water but spoon worthy soft) and toes. The red bulbous toes made her mouth water; she loved them snapping one up even as Asch looked on, laughing.

For the brave, coiled and curled, were threads of red and yellow, and vibrant green. By scent alone those were peppers, pressed against green and orange boxes like acidic embellishments. Even as Natalia munched on her taking Asch considered, then began a rather tiresome process of wiggling out a few large leaves of Endive lettuce from the bottom of the pile, the plates green frill, as it were. A gesture stopped Natalia's pillage, and for a while asch took a little of everything, spacing it out on a leaf that was larger than his own hand with all the fingers spread. Spacing everything just so, he pulled out a knife from the folds of his purloined coat and set to cutting and slicing, spreading his leaings on thie leaf just so.

So… while he did… whatever, she filled in the silence with chatter about the council and nobility of Batical. While they weren't instantly important, for Goldberg and his war hawk cronies weren't going to step through the tent flap this moment after all, they could be important later on. So she told him of them, and Asch looked up, green eyes meeting hers, assuring her he was paying attention by meeting her gaze at regular intervals.

He talked while vital was of later things, for matters once Akzeriuth was saved of course,, and while it was a technical violation of oath on her part, Natalia had to trust someone, so she trusted Asch.

Even as the man called Bloody handed folded and refolded his work. Neatly obscuring the various ingredients and producing a rather lumpish tube at labors end.

Questions teased her throat; still Natalia held her peace as Asch set his knife to his labor. One slice, a wet brisk "ssk" of the blade parting greenery, and Asch turned half of his efforts to her. An obvious offering.

Color and slivers peeked out from the gash, one red pepper curl lolled out like a disobedient tongue.

With a frown Asch commandeered her half, tucked pepper in with a poke, and offered it again.

It was a sandwich, one without bread or crust or meat. Curiosity from first to last, She took the half meant for her, took a bite, and while not exquisite it was good. Very good indeed.

She thanked him, he shrugged. Clearly the words "your welcome" eluded him. Focusing on her meal Natalia decided between bites to not make an issue of something so small. First whipping his blade clean on the tables' edge, he sheathed it then settled to eating. Each motion was economic, quick, and with a certain military crispness she'd not of recognized had she not med the Colonel.

"How long have you been an oracle knight?"

"Seven years." A bite, he chewed. "Going on eight."

One face flickered in her mind. Like had been kidnapped seven years ago, the tally going on eight….

She stopped that thought before it started. Yes, there were parallels, and similarities that should be, but it could wait. Would have to wait.

Still, she couldn't resist on question.

"Your name, before they changed it-"

"Unimportant!" Asch snarled. Cutting her off with a tone so final it was redundant to try to catch the malice in mere words.

She considered getting huffy. He'd been rude and the dogged attention he was regarding his nearly empty plate said he knew he'd been rude as well. Perhaps he was even a tiny remorseful. Uncomfortable silence reigned, Asch picked up a slice of cumber, working out the seeds fro the plush vegetable, of all the silly things for a man to do.

He wasn't going to apologize. All the remorse in the world he wasn't going to back down. To do so would have left a four toe the uncomfortable and clearly taboo topic open. Natalia was enough of a diplomat to understand that, and enough of a good person not to pry on a matter so painful.

For now, at least. There may come a time when his pain was less important than truth, but that tiem was not now.

So she staged a rebellion of sorts, a coup de grace.

"That was cruel." Natalia criticized, choosing then to take a large bite. Green eyes were locked on her now, he dithered, conflict twisting his features from worry to remorse to guilt. She left him to stew for a little, or was that baste… whatever the saying was she savored every bite. And small as it was she enjoyed his response, taking delight that his barriers were down enough so she could read him at long last.

Swallowing, she dabbed her lips, and decided enough was enough. He was squirming now, waiting and braced for a well deserved rebuke form her.

How like a school by he looked just then.

"Of your mother, I mean."

Concern worry and the like fled, he gapped at her,

"To name her first born "unimportant"." She elaborated then just in case he missed her point, he was a male after all, she elaborated. "I can't imagine the teasing you endured."

He laughed then one of his good laughs, soft and subtle. A small smile lingered on his lips at indulgences' end.

And in return for her sally, he tossed out a bit of truth.

"Only born. I've no sibs."

To that she responded in kind.

"Neither do I, though I've wanted wanted an older sister."

"Older?" He dug into one of Luke's pockets.

"Well, before anyone told me where.. you know." She blushed. "I was always nattering at Father to pick me up a sib at the market."

Search done Asch's fingers twinkled with gold. Coin gold, not illumination. Tossing a few gald on the table, the Bloody stood. Natalia followed suit, more than full, a mite worn, truth be told.

It had been a day.

Still he offered is arm and she took it up. More than content to follow hi lead for a while.

"Tell me." Close as Luke had never been, fingers twined about hers as if it was his right, the man called Bloody Handed indulged in a quick peck before carrying on. "Have you ever seen Chesedona's grand plaza?"

No, she'd heard stories though. A dust span where everything was fo sale in all quantities. Where boundrieds of Kimlasca, Malkuth, Daath, and Chesedonia fell away. The plaza stood on the very border, there were no laws, and the wise said gald had a voice there. It talked loud and clear with metallic voices.

IT sounded wonderful and horrible both.

"I do need some arrows, a new bow." For the last had been lost during the made run to light. "Could ou show me the way?"

Pushing aside the tent flap the world awaited them both. Nothing golden, merely a glaring white with a blistering undercurrent of heat that threatened to blot it all out. Refusing to relent his grip, never mind clime of the fact he knew that Luke never was this close, Asch wheeled her closer.

She nearly stepped on his toes, as they stepped out in the blinding light.

"What did you think we were doing?" He murmured in her ear.

To that Natalia smirked, knowing she shouldn't like being treated so, but enjoying it anyway.

No one had dared, or had cared enough, to treat her like this. And the feeling it brought made her more than a bit giddy. Telling the electric thrill racing up her back to go away, Natalia simply enjoyed the moment, shelving "wring and right" for a time.

" I through we were going to save the world." She bantered.

"Later, shopping first, saving later."

"I like how you keep your priorities on what's important."

To her sally the Bloody laughed.