011 [Voice]

[fabrecation]

[Filtered to Guy//Ridiculously hackable Unhackable]

Hey, Guy? My hair's getting kind of long... Could you come cut it for me? I'd do it myself, but I can't really see back there...


[Filtered to Ion//So hackable it hurts Unhackable]

Ion, can I talk to you? It's important.

[/Filter]


[Now that those are out of the way, Luke rests his chin in his hand and stares off to the side, lost in thought. The thing he wanted to talk to Ion about... It's been weighing heavily on his mind ever since he heard it. Luke isn't sure what to think of it, or even how to feel about it. There's a sort of happiness inside him, sure, but... he can't deny the hesitation and confusion he feels. So, after a few minutes, he opens up the journal again to ask the general populace:]

What do you think it means to have a soul?

Comments

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Yeah, you THINK ABOUT THAT.

Guy coaxes Luke into the bathroom -poor thing, he can see the gears turning from here- and sits him down on the edge of the tub, collecting a comb and wetting it under the faucet before dragging it through Luke's hair.]

[fabrecation]

[Luke does everything Guy leads him to do, trusting him to do it while he tries to figure it all out. Once he feels the comb in his hair, though, he glances up at Guy before he looks down at the floor again, hands on his knees.]

Someone told me I had one. She actually saw it. She said it was this... green color. A nice one.

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

Mm, that's a good color to have.

[Guy straightens Luke's bangs with his first two fingers to measure the length before snipping away at his hair.]

[fabrecation]

[Luke watches him do that, too. He's sure Guy won't screw up - really, Guy and Tear are the only ones he trusts with the task of keeping his hair trimmed up, and Guy happened to be close by already.]

And she said it looked younger than my age. So... it's not a copy of Asch's, either.

[He sounds somewhat... awed by this. Everything else he has is because of Asch - why is this different?]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

Well, of course your soul isn't the same as Asch's. You're two different people, aren't you?

[Guy flicks the comb through Luke's bags and brushes the strands from his forehead.]

[fabrecation]

[What he says next is spoken slowly, like he's realizing it for himself, too.]

Yeah... I guess we are. I mean, we have different souls... Different personalities. I'm not him.

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy pauses, then smiles down at Luke before gesturing with his hand.]

Could you turn around? I'm done with your bangs.

[fabrecation]

Sure. [And he does. It's mostly the duckbutt back of his hair that's gotten a little longer. Once he's turned, he stares down at the floor, lost in thought once again. He's his own person... "Luke".]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy works in silence, snagging a towel to cover Luke's shoulders as he sets about trimming his hair. He'll just give him some time to let that knowledge set in good and deep before saying anything on the topic.

It's better to let him come to these conclusions on his own.]

[fabrecation]

... Do you know why I turned into Asch during that one experiment?

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

You didn't turn into Asch.

[Guy steps back to get a better look at Luke's hair before reaching forward and pulling back his forelocks.]

You turned into an original.

[fabrecation]

[Luke gives a little wince at the pulling - or is it the pulling that's causing it?]

... Yeah. I guess you know why, then.

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

Hey, everybody wants to be someone else at least once in their lives. You wouldn't be normal if you didn't.

[Guy finishes combing through Luke's hair, lifts the towel off of his shoulders and shakes it over the trash bin.]

[fabrecation]

[Luke reaches up to touch his hair - short and choppy, just like always. Not like it was during the experiment... It's a relief, really.]

It's weird... I thought that's what I wanted more than anything. But I hated it.

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

Funny how that works, huh?

[Guy brushes the loose hairs off of Luke's shoulders and neck before tossing the towel into the hamper.]

[fabrecation]

Yeah. [He gives a weak smile as he leans his forearms on his knees.] I still wish I could be real. I mean, wouldn't it be great if I really was seventeen? If I could actually understand what people were saying? If I wasn't a thief, or a fake?

But... Maybe being a replica isn't so bad. I've got a soul, a real one!

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy drops his hand atop Luke's head. HARD.

And then roughly ruffles his hair for good measure.]

[fabrecation]

H-Hey! [Luke lowers his head automatically, but reaches up to try and fight off that hand. GERROFF.] Guy!

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[NO. Guy grips his hair -not hard enough to pull, but definitely holding him still- and leans down to prod his chest with a finger to accentuate his words.]

You. Are. Not. A. Fake.

You are real. You're Luke, a very real Luke. Asch is Asch and you are you; when are you going to get this through that thick skull of yours?

[fabrecation]

[... Not this again. Luke keeps his hands gripped around Guy's - his own efforts are kind of making it hurt, actually. So, he stops fighting. Just clenches his teeth and glances at the wall.]

I know that! Now would you let me go?

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy lets him go.

Dammit Luke, you are really starting to piss him off with this complete lack of self-worth.]

Besides, who the hell do you think you are, some kind of super genius? You think anybody understands half the words coming out of other people's mouths? Being an original or actually being seventeen isn't going to help at all with that, believe me.

[fabrecation]

[Dammit Guy. Luke ducks his head and rubs his hair, hiding his own expression. He hates these arguments so much.]

Everyone used to think I was so dumb before they found out what I was... I didn't even know what fonons were. Maybe if I had more time to learn, I would've known what all that stuff was.

[And before Guy can speak up:] But that's the way it is. Thinking and wishing for more isn't going to change that... So I'm just doing what I can; I'm going to school, I'm learning something every day! I don't want to think I can't understand people anymore, and that's why I'm doing something about it!

So stop yelling at me when I'm doing my best to change it, Guy!

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Guy folds his arms, frowning. He's not happy about it-

...and he's still pushing too much. God damn it. He turns to gather up the scissors.]

Fine. I'm sorry.

[And heads out of the bathroom to put them away.]

[fabrecation]

[At least it stopped.

Luke entwines his fingers through his hair and keeps his gaze on the ground, on a few strands of red hair that the towel failed to catch. Why can't Guy just... leave him alone and let him try to find himself on his own? He appreciates the effort, really, but... It's always too much. Guy is too forceful when he tries to push confidence back into him again.

"You are not a fake". Yes, he is. Denying that would be deluding himself, and Guy just... can't seem to get it.

But Luke still stands by what he said earlier. It's not so bad being a replica. And that's the first time he's thought that ever since he found out what he was...

He's so lost in his own thoughts that Luke doesn't even realize how much time has passed.]

[count-gardios.livejournal.com]

[Meanwhile Guy bustled in a fury about the house, cleaning things and taking out his aggression on poor, defenseless dishes. After they've suffered his wrath for a while, Guy realizes he hasn't heard any movements from upstairs and dries his hands on a dishtowel, heading up to check and see-

Yep. Still in the bathroom.

Guy hovers outside of the door uncertainly; does he really want to try talking to Luke just yet? Maybe he should leave him be...

Mmph. He was a bit too harsh. Guy sighs internally; usually he's much more patient with Luke concerning his lack of self-confidence, but it's gotten to the point where it's driving him up the wall. Why can't he be more like-

No. Do not even go there.

Guy bites the inside of his cheek and steps over, knocking on the doorjamb.]

Hey. I didn't snap at you that bad, did I? What're you still doing in here?