007 [Voice]

[fabrecation]

[Luceti, you're about to hear a very nice singing voice.

A very nice singing voice with a simple plea.]

I~ think I need some help. ♪

Comments

[distressedude]

[Oh, hey. It's that replica who looks like Asch. Unfortunately, Ion's been a little different lately, so he's probably not the sort of help Luke is looking for.]

Why are you singing?

[fabrecation]

[At the moment, there's some clattering of pots and pans as Luke tries to get everything ready for supper. That sounds like Ion, although... slightly different for some reason. Luke can't really put a finger on it, though.]

I-I can't help it. [DEEP BREATH BEFORE HE CAN HELP IT-] Experimeeeeent! ♪

[depressedude]

[As if this place wasn't weird enough... what the hell was going on over there? "Ion" responds flatly:]

Maybe if you tried writing instead of talking, we wouldn't have to listen to it.

[fabrecation]

I'm too busy to write, I-

[And he happens to get a glimpse of the journal. There's another clatter of one of the pots crashing to the ground, and then in a perfect G-note-]

SYYY- ♪

[EXCEPT NOT. He claps his hand over his mouth, growls to himself, then starts again.]

Sync?!

[depressedude]

[VISIBLY. FLINCHES. At that note. This journal needs volume control!]

No. Nice try, but I'm afraid you have your replicas mixed up.

[fabrecation]

[At least he's good at it. It'd be that much worse if he was terrible.

That makes his tension fade into surprise and confusion. Not Sync?]

Then who...?

[depressedude]

We only really met face-to-face once. I guess I can't fault you for forgetting.

I'm Noct. The 7th failed replica of your precious Fon Master.

[fabrecation]

[......... Wait hold up.]

Noct? But Ion's...

[The gears in his head, they're slowly turning!]

[depressedude]

Ion's what?

[fabrecation]

Ion's the seventh replica! You're...

[depressedude]

What are you talking about!? Don't tell me that guy lied to you after the fact?

I'm the seventh. He's the eighth. Get it right.

[fabrecation]

But that's... not right... [Wasn't one of the effects here something like... something in the world being different? Luke isn't really sure, but he thought he overheard something like that over the journals, so... Maybe he's not too far off.]

N-Never mind. So you're... Noct?

[depressedude]

[A subject change cools him down a bit. He's not too fond of the eighth, after all.]

[A nod.] Mm. Noct the Shadow.

And you're Asch's replica, yes?

[fabrecation]

... Yeah. [Now this topic makes him uncomfortable. Augh, derplicas.] I'm just Luke.

[depressedude]

Luke? [Look, it's an almost-smile!] Nice to meet you, I guess.

Would have introduced myself before, but last time we met I was a little busy getting killed and all.

[And then the smile was creepy.]

[fabrecation]

[a;ldskfasj. RIGHT IN THE HEART. Luke cringes and looks away. So he... And he doesn't want to even think about the fact that this is technically Ion.]

... I'm sorry.

[depressedude]

[He is indifferent to your suffering, Luke. S-Sob.]

Don't apologize. It's not like you did it.

[fabrecation]

[Yeaaah this is a pretty triggery subject here.]

Too many people have died! It doesn't matter if I did it or- or who did! No one deserves to die-! ♪

[Only Luke could have an emotional outburst be interrupted by the urge to SING.]

[depressedude]

[The singing reeeeally detracts from his argument.]

It's not about whether I deserved it or not: I wanted it. I would rather die for a purpose than live without one.

[fabrecation]

[But it also take the oomph out of the emotion, so Luke calms down enough to just stare down at the counter. That's an issue that eats at him, too; He doesn't seem to have a purpose at all, so... would it be better to die for one than to live without one? Luke's been trying to find one for a while now, and it just seems so... hard, sometimes.]

... I'd rather find one. [Because while a big part of him might think it'd be better if he died... the other side doesn't want to die.] It... might take a while, but we're still... pretty young. Even... [He's not really sure what to call the people who aren't replicas.] ... the others spend a long time trying to find one. Just because we don't have one yet doesn't mean we'll never have it.

[depressedude]

[Noct may not be as angry as Sync, but that obstinate pessimism is, unfortunately, in full-gear.]

You might be in a position to say that, but what of me? A replica made for a purpose it couldn't fulfill? Whatever reason I had to live went out the window the moment the 8th opened his perfect little eyes.

[fabrecation]

... I lost my purpose when I didn't die in Akzeriuth. I don't really have any reason to keep living either.

But here we are.

[It's a damn good thing Guy's a kid and not an adult who might peek at this and stomp downstairs to give Luke a good talking to.]

[depressedude]

[Guy isn't the only one who'd be giving Luke a talking to right now.]

Here we are. In a world where not even death brings peace.

[A short, empty laugh.] Sounds like a suitable hell for trash like us.

[fabrecation]

[ONLY YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOCT. ;A;

Except not, since that word makes Luke wince a little. That sounds like something Asch would say to him... And Luke's been thinking about that discussion he had with Asch just a day after his hearing came back, and it's for that reason that he can't agree with Noct.]

I don't... think we're trash. You're Noct, I'm Luke... We're just two people trying to figure out how to live. We're copies of our originals, but... We're still different from them, right? That... That makes us who we are.

[His words are hesitant - even he's not sure if he believes them. But Luke likes fixing up other people's problems; it's just a little harder when they're so similar to his own. Because then that means he technically has to fix his own problems.] We were both... made to fill in a role, but we couldn't. That doesn't mean our purpose is- gone, we just... need to find one again. We can't just sit around and... you know, wait for one or... o-or anything.

[depressedude]

[Noct might actually like you, Luke... maybe. It might just be because they're both replicas without a purpose. Either way, he actually does listen to what Luke's trying to say.]

[But that doesn't mean he'll agree with it.]

...and what if we find that purpose, only to lose it again? Then what? Start all over?

Doesn't seem worth it.