01 ♪ video/action ♪ wake up sleepyhead!

[wildsaber]

[The feed shows a nice view of absolutely nothing. There is, however, the sound of someone spitting. Very lovely. He just woke up with a mouthful of dead rotting leaves. His day is off to a great freaking start, that's what.]

Ugh, nasty! Ow--... ow... ow. [Don't let the nonchalance fool you. He's realizing he's alive. Taking in a deep breath, and letting it out.

He's alive.

... And also FREEZING COLD. But wait until he finds a way home! This is impossible, but maybe-- just maybe--]

Hahah... jeez, it's c-c-cold. Am I in K-Keterburg or something?

-- Hey, what's...

[And here's when he brushes the journal off. Hello, there's a half-naked redhead getting up close and personal, and turning it upside down, and then shaking it out a bit. What is this strange and mystifying technology? It sure as hell isn't his journal.]

Weird.

[Feeling something tickle his shoulder, he reaches over to brush it off. And then he notices the wings, red with gold tips just like his hair. He has wings. This is not a drill. Luke drops the journal in favor of screaming like the grown man he isn't.]

W-what the hell is going on!?

[NO LUKE DON'T PULL ON THOSE--] —OW! [Yeah, that hurt more than anything else in his life. Now he's curled up over his knees again, trying not to cry. He almost blacked out there.]

G-guess they're real...

Comments

~kind of like their relationship~

[dissonates]

[Engeve. Ha. If only Luke knew that Asch hasn't seen an inch of their world in like, five years. ...Luceti time, anyway. Still weird.]

"It's not. This place is Luceti, and it isn't anywhere on Auldrant."

[He'll let Luke enjoy that little bombshell while he tries to work through the realization that Luke's apparently forgotten this place. The wings, the village, the Malnosso, everything. Even them.

How hilariously poetic is it for him to be at ground zero again, to have lost everything he had and loved again, and no one has any idea?

And here he thought he couldn't hate this place more than he already had before.]

~CAN'T ARGUE THAT~

[wildsaber]

[Give him a minute, because Asch isn't the kind of person to joke and that's a pretty bad joke.]

Wh... what?

[No, seriously. He stops where he is and just... looks around, with new eyes.]

Why-- how? I don't-- I don't understand.

[It doesn't make any sense. Not once has Luke ever dreamed of actually going to another world. Especially against his will. He has promises to keep. He has journal entries to write. He has a place to come back to.]

So they revived us just to keep us here?

~can argue about literally anything else~

[dissonates]

[Revived... us.

Also telling. And uncomfortable as hell, besides. Asch is silent for a long moment, then shoves his discomfort aside. He's had years to contemplate his own demise, so the drama of it isn't quite what it used to be. A Luke from beyond the grave is especially unusual, though.]

"I don't know for sure. It has something to do with the nature of this world- the dead don't stay dead, and our lives are tied to the wings on our back. That's why I told you not to damage them."

[Dumbass. Yeah, he's still mad.]

~like fashion sense~

[wildsaber]

[Meanwhile, he's still reeling. He's been brought back, but why? By who? If there's a way to Auldrant, why doesn't Asch sound more frustrated about not being there? And what the hell is with the wings?

He has so many questions, but the cold and exhaustion hit him in waves. He has to stop for a minute and concentrate on actually keeping himself warm.]

I-I wasn't going to hurt them. I just wanted to see if they were real.

[Turns out they are. Remarkably so. He wavers a little, but manages to stay on his feet somehow.]

~are you insulting my heart robes dreck~

[dissonates]

Tch. [Yeah right, replica.] How many feathers did you pull out?

[He's had experience with wing damage before, both personal and observational; Luke's answer could dictate how active he'll be for the next few days, and it'll tell Asch whether he needs to start walking.]

~they show how friendly and loving you are~

[wildsaber]

[He glances over his shoulder. His wings are ruffled, giving him the appearance of a flustered baby bird. Maybe he did yank some feathers out. But he's already walked far enough away from where he landed that... it's hard to tell. He's got a great deal of down, which would be great if he could like, make a coat out of it.]

I'm not sure. I don't see any feathers missing, but... my wings look pretty awful.

[He pauses.]

Wait... I think I rolled on my back when I first woke up. That's probably it.

~I hate you and everything you say~

[dissonates]

[...Yep. Stupid Fabre genes, indeed.]

...That... shouldn't have caused too much damage, then. You'll be fine, though the defect in your brain obviously isn't going anywhere.

~too bad you're stuck with me~

[wildsaber]

[Luke makes a face, his annoyance going over the link-- but for the most part, he's still pretty happy. Just cold. Yeah, most of the annoyance is because he's fucking cold. Being teased just makes him flustered, not fiercely angry.]

Whatever. I bet you did the same thing when you woke up.

[Gently this time, he tries to pat down the wings. They're still super sensitive, and he bites his lip as he tries to figure out how to deal with these new appendages.]

~what is it with replicas bothering me gosh~

[dissonates]

...I did not.

[Just made a lot of noise, really. But that was a long, long time ago, and he's not too inclined to explain just how long.]

I assume someone's gone to find you already?

~because mancrush that's why~

[wildsaber]

[Asch is withholding information, but that's sort of his default state of being. Honestly, Luke is surprised he's kept the link open this long. It's like Asch is keeping an eye on him, like he actually cares if Luke dies or not, which is a nice change of pace.

Of course he cares. Sometimes Luke has a hard time seeing it, but... that's just how they are.]

Yeah, Guy and Jade are coming.

[He didn't expect Asch to come out for him. And now he's heard from Ion that Asch doesn't live with them. Still...]

I'll go see you after I get my clothes and stuff.

[NEVER GIVE ASCH A CHOICE.]

~the level of do not want is unparalleled~

[dissonates]

Jade and Guy? He's back?

[When the hell did that happen? They've kept distant from one another, sure, but he at least knew that Guy had been on some mission for like a month. This must be new.]

...Whatever. Come to the bar in the middle of town, then. And don't tell Guy you're meeting with me.

[He'd have honestly liked to refuse entirely, to shut Luke out the way he did with everyone else these days. It was easier to avoid it, easier to just not let himself get hurt anymore. This'll be the fourth time, after all.

But he's been feeling healthier lately, while Luke was gone, and now that he's back Asch wants to see for himself what might change. Whether he'll feel that pull again, that sharp wrenching in his heart that he knows will eventually kill him again. He tells himself that that's the true, logical reason for making this choice.

He also knows it's total nonsense, but at least he has... an excuse. Or something like it.]

~the level of fucks not given rivals it~

[wildsaber]

[... That's not the reaction he was expecting. Why would Asch want to keep their meeting secret? Yeah, Asch and Guy maybe didn't get along too well, but Luke has a hard time understanding how that could escalate into something like... this. Though he's puzzled, he doesn't want to push his luck yet.

At least Asch agreed to meet him.]

I... I won't.

[Luke hasn't felt weak, or seen parts of him disappear. Maybe, because he's already disappeared once, the Malnosso did something so he wouldn't disappear again. It's hard to say and he's really not in a position to be able to tell.

He pauses, and then he decides he can't really let it go without saying something about it.]

... Are you okay?

~goddammit replica~

[dissonates]

[...That... is not a question he'd expected. Asch is momentarily taken aback, ripples of it passing through the link before he squashes it. What the hell should Luke care?]

I'm fine. Don't concern yourself with me.

[Hasn't he got enough to worry about already without prying into Asch's affairs?]

~goddammit original~

[wildsaber]

[Luke feels it. That surprises him too, but it also makes him a little worried. There's definitely something up. If only Asch would talk to him about it, maybe he could help fix it.

Nah, that's probably too much to hope for. One step at a time. One step... at a time.]

What-- what's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm concerned!

[Okay so maybe he's a little mad. Because that was dismissive to both Luke and his original.]

Asch. There's no reason to ignore you, here or back home. It doesn't matter if we're working together or not.

[Asch is important. Luke will say that and say that until Asch gets it, if that's what he needs. Though, he hasn't quite figured out Asch needs it yet.]

~DON'T COPY ME OMGGGGG~

[dissonates]

I'm not telling you to ignore me, I'm telling you to mind your own business!

[Asch lets the flare of emotion - anger - travel through the connection willingly this time, irritated and not used to Luke prying at him. It's been a while, after all, and it's easy to fall back into the habit of lashing out. It doesn't feel right. There's something missing in their connection, an absence of calm and relief and equality that was almost, almost there, before. Like it was a welcomed thing, like it was comforting.

Now it hurts again, and it isn't right. He hates that, and he hates that he hates it.

I should be glad that it's like this again.

It means that he can't feel this.]

~STOPS COPIES ME STOPS COPIES ME STOPS COPIES ME~

[wildsaber]

[And there goes Asch's temper, as usual. Luke winces, though he's not sure if it's his muddled head being filled with yelling or because the link hurts. He can't tell which end is up right now, though he's eventually starting to get the hang of being alive again and not in pieces.]

Ugh--

[But if that's what Asch wants, Luke won't get any further with his prying. Or his concern, which is really what it is. He wants to make sure Asch is okay. After all, he just felt Asch die, quite intimately, not too long ago.

It's too much to think about, too heavy. He pushed Asch too far and that's that. Luke pulls back mentally, emotionally, not shutting Asch out but trying to approach this from a more diplomatic angle. He knows that's one of his biggest problems-- emotionally jumping into things without really thinking about them, without taking them one step at a time. He's gotten better about it, but something about Asch just sets him off.

Deep breath. One more time.]

... You're right. I'm sorry.

[Asch needs space like everyone else. Not too much, though, because otherwise he'll just run off and no one will ever see him. Luke isn't ready to lose him again.

His voice comes through the link again, quieter this time.]

I just thought you wouldn't want anything to do with us. With me. But you haven't said anything like that, or acted like that— er, not that I'm assuming anything right now...

[Luke. Luke. Shut up.]

~THROWS A BRICK AT~

[dissonates]

You're assuming plenty, and you can cut it the hell out right now.

[If there's one thing he hates - and it's never been just one, but if it had to be one - it's people making assumptions about him, whether they're correct or not. He'd just proved the replica wrong, hadn't he? Agreed to meet? And now he's some kind of asshole who never wants to cooperate?

Screw that. He's tried before, and always been met with the same incredulous response. It's a wonder he even bothers anymore.]

Just forget it.

~/BRICK'D~

[wildsaber]

[He had, and Luke is realizing fairly quickly that there isn't much he actually knows about Asch. It's depressing. He wants to know more, but Asch will yell at him for being clingy and... and he should just let these things happen. He should shut his mouth, for starters.]

I'm sorry.

[He really is, and he doesn't say anything else on the matter. He'll still go to the bar, though, after everything's done. Even if Asch is dismissive and not wanting to meet him this time...

He'll wait.]

~you totally deserved that~

[dissonates]

[Asch doesn't respond with anything more than a "hmm"; he doesn't have the words, and he's not interested in Luke's apologies right now. There are other, more important things to deal with, things that don't involve him or his feelings or how "okay" he is or isn't.

He's not ready for those conversations. He's not actually sure if he ever will be, or if he's even ready for the conversations he will allow them to have, but at least he's less inclined to fight against those.

Not yet, though. Let the replica find his real friends, sort it out with them. Learn about this place. And then find him on his own time.

Quietly, he severs the fonic link, sliding back into the position of observing in the background, though he doesn't do it much. He'd much rather wait until Luke comes looking for him, whenever that might be.]

action;

[wildsaber]

[It takes over an hour. After everyone is done fussing over him and he's gotten a change of clothes, he says he needs to rest, and claims a bedroom. What he doesn't tell them is that he isn't sleeping just yet. When the coast is clear, he carefully lets himself down to the ground, making sure not to lose his balance despite the addition of wings. They're thankfully quite light.

He looks happy to have actual clothes on, mismatched as they are. Though, he's forgotten to button up his coat again. Oops. The important thing is that he's here, he's found the bar, and he's looking around for Asch.

He's nervous. This frantic heartbeat just won't calm down. He hasn't seen Asch since... That wasn't that long ago, but he wasn't exactly alive. It's weird, not feeling Asch with him, like he did when he fought Van. But it's good, too, because it means Asch is alive.

He has a lot of things to say, but he can't even bring the first one to mind.]

action;

[dissonates]

[Asch knows Luke is coming before he even enters the bar; even with the link as weak as it is compared to what it used to be, it's still strong enough for Asch to be able to sense his replica's proximity, more or less. It gives him time to brace himself for it, reach for his center of calm that always evades him when it comes to dealing with Luke. He tries, at least. It's more than he used to do.

Luke probably doesn't expect him to be tending customers behind the bar counter rather than acting as a patron himself, and he intends to make use of that shock to draw some information out. And he quite looks the part, too: dressed in a handsome dark vest, his hair bound up and out of the way, calmly washing glasses, he's practically the perfect opposite of the angry, desperate soldier he'd been during their final confrontation in Eldrant.

As soon as Luke enters, Asch watches him, waiting for Luke to meet his eyes.]

action;

[wildsaber]

[Luke didn't expect that at all. It takes a moment for the realization that Asch is behind the bar and not in front of it to percolate into his brain. He's seen Guy do the bartending thing, but Asch? That's... new. He stares for a minute, probably edging on the border of rude, half-incredulous, half-amazed.

Asch looks right at home. Nothing is out of place, and he looks to be in some kind of zone, almost. Luke feels whatever buoyancy he had start to sink. He could never be like that, that graceful and approachable. Asch is talented and somehow better with people than Luke could ever hope to be. Asch really is something like a prince; he doesn't even mind serving people.

... No, that's not right. Luke can learn to serve people, too. Even if it isn't in a capacity like this, he plans on using his life-- whatever life he has-- to make people happy. He'll find a way. He just has to have an opportunity.

Oh. Asch is staring back. His cheeks grow a little hot, and he can't help ducking his head a bit as he moves to the front. He's all awkwardness and forgetting where his limbs are, clumsily pulling out a barstool, and trying to keep himself in a tight space afterward so he doesn't bother anyone.]

I could've waited until after you were done with your work, [he murmurs. He can't help it if he sounds a little pouty. He's upset about stupid things again.

Okay, so maybe he would've spied on Asch at work because he's curious but still.]

action;

[dissonates]

[Somehow, Luke sulking about him looking so at home here is the most satisfying experience he's ever had in this bar. Maybe it's a bit of not-so-subtle payback for that day, all those years ago, when he'd made it back to the manor to find Luke in his home, with his family, looking like he belonged there when he didn't.

It's childish, but Asch can't help it. The bar is his, now. He made it his own. This is one thing that Luke can't take from him, because he's not giving it up.

He calmly sets aside the glass he'd been drying and steps up to the other side of the counter, hands braced on the wood, lifting a brow at his replica.]

You didn't even know I had work to finish. Didn't you think it was strange that I told you to meet me at a bar?

action; 1/2

[wildsaber]

[Asch doesn't want to take it from him. The thought of trying to serve alcohol he knows nothing about while casually talking to strangers is nothing short of terrifying.]

I thought it might be a little like meeting at the inn. [Which he's done a thousand times. Somehow, this sort of simplistic thinking isn't too strange for the replica.

His eyes shift to the row of glasses. Right. He wanted to meet Asch up to make sure he was okay, and really, he looks better than Luke feels. That's a relief. It's so much different, enough to be kind of scary, but it's scary in a good way. Asch seems... content, somehow, or at least Luke thinks he does. If he isn't, he's good at pretending.

No, he's definitely got some kind of pride there. Luke's never seen Asch so... happy? Is that even the right word for it? Yet here he is, and he's found a place for himself. Luke has already decided he wants to be a part of it-- even if it means backing off once in a while.

But for now... for now, he's feeling everything rise up again. Asch is alive. Asch is happy.]

A-- anyway, there was something I needed to tell you in person.

action; 2/3 I LIED IT'S ACTUALLY HOT COFFEE

[wildsaber]

[Now that he knows he's been here before, he wonders if it's even worth trying to say it. He stands up, forgetting momentarily that they're in a bar and a public place.]

Maybe you've heard it already. But... but I still--