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01 ♪ video/action ♪ wake up sleepyhead!
[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...
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...
~goddammit replica~
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~
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~
[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~
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~
[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~
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~
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;
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;
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;
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;
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
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
Maybe you've heard it already. But... but I still--
action; 3/3 I LIED AGAIN IT'S ACTUALLY AN ITALIAN SODA THAT'S WHY THERE'S TOUCHING
... ruin everything, perhaps, by briefly tugging Asch into the awkward hug one can only manage over a bar counter.]
-- I want to thank you.
action; I'M SO CONFUSED BY THOSE SUBJECT LINES BUT OKAY
That shock and uncertainty is the only reason that it lasts as long as it does, and then Asch abruptly forces Luke off of him, face flushed by embarrassment and irritation.]
Wh-what the hell!? I never said you could- wait, thank me for what?
action; TALES OF SYMPHONIA JOKE NEVER MIND
Well, things are looking up.]
For... for everything. It's not like you were doing it for me, but you always helped us. Even though you hated me.
[He wobbles a little on that last word. Past tense? Present tense? He's not terribly sure which one to use, since Asch doesn't SEEM to hate his guts anymore, but maybe he's reading too much into it.
More importantly:]
But if you ever do something stupid like staying behind again, I'll--
[What's a decent threat?]
I'll drag you back myself! [AND THEN HE'LL TELL NATALIA.]
action; oh I will understand that eventually.....
[At that, Asch snorts under his breath, leaning back and attempting to regain some semblance of dignity after Luke's hug got him so ruffled.]
Besides, it's too late for that now, isn't it? For either of us.
[That last part is added more quietly, his gaze drifting aside to avoid looking at Luke. He'd preferred the way it was before, when Luke hadn't known. After all, it isn't as if his own death had been a surprise to him- he'd been expecting it for more than a year before it happened. But Luke hadn't known.
It really was better when he didn't know.]
action; i think you're pretty close to it by now hehe
As far as Luke's concerned, it's not hopeless. He's alive now, and since he and the others were brought here, then there must be a way back. Right? Right...?]
Is that what you really believe?
[Or is that just what Asch wants?
He sits down again, his hands flat on the counter.]
If people can come and go because the Malnosso want it, then we can, too. It doesn't matter what happened to us before. We're here right now. I think that counts for something.
action; so now that I've bothered to think about it I get it now
Asch has been here for too long to feel that hope, and he knows what happens when they go back. For them it's back to Eldrant, back to dying, back to blood and swords and fading away and empty, broken promises. Back to Lorelei.
He's been here too long to hope for home, for any sort of permanence. Luceti teaches you that, if nothing else. But only if you stay long enough to let yourself learn.]
It counts for the here and now, nothing more. Going back means death for us both. Enjoy the borrowed time, sure, but anything more would be pointless and suicidal.
action; i'm sorry i'm not funny
Of course, some of that is negated by the fact that his friends are here, but being drafted into a war and stuff like that... That's not something he'd wish on anyone. Yet here they are.
He can tell this is something he can't just convince Asch about. Maybe instead of fighting to make him see his side all the time, he should try something else-- try seeing it through Asch's eyes. Try seeing what he loves about this place so much, that he might not want to give it up.
He can talk to Tear about his promise later. They can talk about possibilities and ramifications when he knows which end is up. He shelves his ideas and wants for later; causing a huge scene won't help either of them, even if he can't deny a part of him is kind of mad.]
I don't know about that, [he says finally.] But I don't really know anything yet.
[He deflates a little, leaning over to rest his chin in his hands.]
I got too far ahead of myself again. ... Sorry.
action; comedy isn't required here, just crack and feels
[He's just a stupid replica, after all. That's it.
That's it.
Suddenly feeling both irritated and self-conscious, Asch turns away to grab a glass for polishing. He'd never wanted this- for Luke to know, for there to be awkward apologies and uneasy silences, for there to be this... guilt and promises and the memories of Eldrant hanging over everything. As if it was Luke's fault that his body was falling apart, as if it was his fault that Luke made him promise not to die when there'd been no time to explain why he couldn't.
It's taken him so long to come to terms with all of that, and with this Luke, new and unaware and confused by all that's changed... well, he doesn't feel like he should have to explain a damn thing.]
action; what about puns?
The seconds stretch on into an awkward, delicate silence. Luke wonders if he's overstayed his welcome but Asch still hasn't told him to go. He hesitates, but he stays for a little longer. If he leaves, will Asch run away? Will Luke miss the chance to speak with him unless it's urgent? He's never known Asch on a casual basis, but he wants to know. It's like a child's curiosity-- unreasonable, insatiable.
It's weird seeing his original like this, but okay. He doesn't actually know that much about what Asch likes to do, hobbies-wise. Luke is fairly simple, but he also acknowledges he had no solid plans for his future. He barely even had one. That's something he has to decide for himself now that he has an abundance of free time. Maybe... Asch was the same way? He's been here longer, a lot longer if his having a job is any indication.
He turns around on the barstool, leaning back against the counter so he can look around.]
... It suits you. [He taps his fingers on the counter briefly, then moves his hand to his knee.] The bar, I mean. It's really... warm, somehow, like home. You look like you belong here.
[Yeah. Asch has a place he belongs. And that's fine. Luke has a place too, or so he thought, but it's hard to focus on that when his original is slipping away. He can't even pinpoint why, or how, but it's just this sinking feeling that won't leave him for a moment. They disagree all the time, so it's not unusual. It's just that this time... it's hard for him to decide where he stands. It's hard not to think about the promises and how he was told there's no hope, no way for him to go home. It hurts.
Luke smiles, though it doesn't meet his eyes. He's tired. He has a lot to think about. He shifts, gets up like he's about to leave.]
Thanks for inviting me.
Re: action; what about puns?
Taking orders?
Serving people?
He doesn't know exactly what Luke means. He doesn't know if it's correct, either. The bar isn't home - and neither is Luceti - and it never will be. Home is beyond him. It's been out of his reach since that day, more than ten years ago now, that he was stolen from his bed and taken away from the manor forever. One single visit with his parents and the insistence of his replica can't change that. The bar isn't where he belongs, but it's his. It was Guy's, from back when Guy actually- you know, gave a damn. And things may have changed, but he remembers. He loses everything, but he remembers everything, too.
He glances at Luke, briefly, seeing him move as if to leave. Asch doesn't stop him, and after a moment he glances away again, his hand resting on the bar counter. His fingers curl, almost possessive, but also... unsure. He draws comfort from the cool polished wood, though his expression doesn't change.]
...I didn't invite you. I just-
[He's not ready to let this Luke in yet. Not again, not when there's still so much tension, so much awkwardness, so much loss. The difference he'd felt in the fonic link had been enough to show him that.
But he's not ready to let it go, either.]
...It's a public building. You can come here whenever you want.
no subject
Asch says he didn't invite him, but that's exactly what this is. Luke might've hesitated to come see him otherwise, seeing him wrapped up in all his work. Luke feels like he has a tendency to ruin everything.
He glances over his shoulder as he reaches the door. If Asch looks, he might see a bigger smile. A real one.]
Maybe I will. [A pause. Usually he and Asch part on pretty bad terms. This is like, a world first for him. Luke opts to treat him like any other of his friends, or best friends.] See you later.
[And he's gone.]