fabrecation | 010 [Written/Accidental Voice]

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010 [Written/Accidental Voice]

[Written; Filtered to House 5]

I'll be back once this is all over, okay?

[/Filter]

[Luke made sure to cover up the little camera that records his face as he writes, and he does so all the way until he shuts the journal. It seems that's all he's going to do.

Except a little while later, the journal's knocked open, and a broken pair of scissors that clatters against the floor near it proves to be the culprit. Luke himself... or, rather, Asch can be seen with his back to the journal in a community housing room while he stares intently at a mirror and tries to style his hair into something that looks a little more like himself. He had tried to cut his hair, but judging by the scissors, that proved to be a colossal failure. At the moment he has his bangs down in front of his face and brushing furiously, trying to get them to stay there, trying to look at least a little different-

But once he's confident enough to let go of the hair, it just springs right back into place on the top of Asch's head. Luke stares for a second... then buries his hands in his hair and ruffles it wildly with frustration, and he tips his head back to shout (with Asch's deeper tone):]

Damn it, why won't you stay down?!

[And, of course, once he jerks his hands out and gives the mirror a flat look, the hair springs back into place once more, looking as if nothing ever touched it except love and care. With that, Luke drops his head into his hands and lets out a long groan.]

I give up.

[[ooc: Replies will come from

mirroredback!]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... where are you, anyway?

I couldn't go back to the house looking like this, so I'm staying here until this is over with. It's the fourth housing place, room sixteen.

... I see. Want some company, then?

... Yeah. [Once again, he doesn't want people seeing him this way. But, again, it's too late now. And besides, Xion's seen him already.]

Alright. I'll be over in a few minutes. [ the journal is closed.

... man, does she ever wish she was in her real body. Luke sounds like he needs a hug. ... ah well.

Before too long, there'll be a knock at the door. ]

[And once Luke opens the door, he looks down at first since he keeps expecting the Xion who's a few inches smaller than he is-

... Not a couple of inches taller. With a flat look, he looks up at Xion, though she might not notice that action immediately. What she might notice is the towel on his head, wrapped up like a turban. It's really the only thing Luke can think of to get his damn hair to cooperate.]

Hey.

[ no, she is not noticing the look-down-then-up thing.

she is noticing that there is a turban on your head.

... ]

[ AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

okay, okay, no. really, she just snerks -- hard -- and presses a fist over her mouth. she doesn't want to laugh. really! she can understand why he did it.

but .................... turban.... ]

[GLARING. GLARING. HE CAN TELL YOU'RE GOING TO LAUGH.

But he does open the door all the way and steps back so that she can step inside. HE IS NOT HAPPY, THOUGH, and he'll cross his arms over his chest and ~~pout~~ SCOWL to show it.]

... Does it really look that bad?

[ she manages not to laugh! well. she is laughing internally. hard. but outwardly she just grins hugely and steps into the apartment. ]

It's .... it's not bad, it's just...

[ ... snerk. ]

Is that a towel?

Yeah, what else could it be? [Oh, Xion, if that towel was off you'd probably laugh even more at the indignant teen with the cockatoo hairdo to match him.]

I dunno! It just... it just looks a little silly, that's all. [ she smiles somewhat more sympathetically, now. ] Not that I can really blame you.

[Hey now, Luke thinks the towel looks GOOD. 8| He reaches up to adjust the towel and glances at the mirror - it's a little better like this. Their hairstyle is the most telling difference between them, after all.]

It's the only way I could get the stupid hair to work.

... you know, you're still you, even with the long hair.

... Yeah.

[That sounds a little hollow, though. Enough to fool his friends, sure... Just to make them think that everything's okay.]

[ ... she doesn't buy it. instead she lowers her chin and just looks at him. ]

[He takes in a breath and opens his mouth to say something, "What?" To feign innocence, to turn the conversation back to her laughing again, even if it sounds different...

But he just lets it out and glances away. He's helped her so many times... Maybe it's her turn now, even if his automatic reaction is to hold people who try at arm's length for the sake of everyone who gets involved.]

Luke ... talk to me.

[After a moment of silence, Luke backs up to sit on the edge of the bed and look down at the floor.]

... I don't feel like myself. Every time I look in the mirror, even with this thing on... I just see Asch. My original. Everyone else sees Asch, too. No one sees me...

[It looks like he's going to go on, but- he cuts himself off. No, Xion doesn't need to know that. She doesn't need to know just how far his thoughts can spiral down when he's depressed.]

[ ... Xion closes the distance between them and crouches down in front of him, reaching out to grasp his wrist and close her fingers around it. It's a different set of actions than what she'd do in her own body -- but this angle does let her look directly up into his eyes, expression very somber. ]

You know who I see, when I look at you?

[ she needs to get this right. she gently twists his hand so it's palm up -- then she shifts her hand, so that she can curl his fingers into a loose fist, her hand pressed over them. ]

I don't see your hair, or your face, or the color of your eyes. I see Luke. The way you talk, and hold yourself, and ... the way you smile. [ do not blush do not blush ] I could never mistake that for anybody else. Not in a million years.

You're .... you're you. How could I see anyone else? [ shakes her head. ]

[It is. So. Weird. Hearing Sanji's voice saying all of that, shyly glancing up from his staring contest with the floor to see Sanji's face looking at him so seriously. It's Xion under there and he knows it, but it's still so. Weird.

For a second that's all he can focus on, but then he hears her words. Her tone is so... patient and sincere, one that Tear would sometimes give to him when trying to cheer him up, but more often than not, all he'd get would be rushed words and a sense of exasperation. He never seems to learn - but no one gives him the chance to learn.

But... how can she see past his appearance? His hair, his eyes, his face, always such symbols of his entire nation, always a symbol of what he is. Instead she sees... all of the little things. Just like how he can look at her and see how she smiles and laughs, how she blushes sometimes, how she speaks...

Xion might not be blushing, but he is, a little. And he ducks his head to look at the floor, though he still tilts his lips up in a weak smile.]

That's the first time anyone's said that to me.

[ Xion is trying to ignore the weird, tyvm.

Still... that catches her off guard. The first time, ever? Really? A little uncertain, suddenly, she looks away herself... God, Sanji, she's sorry, but her face is a little pink after all. Anyway, she looks back at him and chances a smile of her own. ]

It's the truth. Don't forget that, okay?

I won't.

[Luke's smile grows, at least a little, as he glances up at her, then turns his hands around to hold hers. Really, it doesn't matter what she looks like. It's still her under there.]

It's always "You're you, you're you, you're Luke, you're you". But... it's hard to really hear that when you don't even know who you are.

[ "You're no puppet in my book. You're my best friend."

"You're not a mistake."

... Xion knows from that, and her expression dims accordingly. ]

I ... I know what you mean. But, Luke, you ... you're someone I care about. [ more than she lets on. red. ] The things that make you "you" ... I may not know exactly how to describe them, but I know they're there, and ... you're one of my most precious friends. That's not going to change no matter what you look like. So... [ so don't be sad. please don't be sad. ]

[For a moment Luke breaks eye contact to look down at the floor again, his hands loosening from hers. The way he carries himself, smiles, speaks... Is that part of his lost identity? The one he's been searching for for these past few months? Is that "Luke"?

Luke isn't really sure if he can step forward and grasp that theory just yet, but it still feels as if he's found some kind of light at the end of the tunnel he's been lost in. Maybe that light is far away, maybe he's afraid of going to it and seeing what it is, but it's there.

All from words and gestures.

Without a hint of hesitation, he leans forward to hug her tightly around her middle. It feels different, but that's all right. He still presses his forehead to her shoulder - doesn't cry, doesn't even give a hitch in his breathing, though he certainly feels like he should.]

010 [Written/Accidental Voice]

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