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

hey ow jeez what'd i do D|

[fabrecation]

I'm not griping! I just... I need to know what other people think! Maybe having a soul isn't what I always thought it was.

YOU'RE A DREEEEEECK

[dissonates]

Or maybe you're just being a paranoid idiot, as usual.

YOU'RE AN AAAAAASS

[fabrecation]

Well, what do you think it means?

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, BE HERE ALL WEEK /o/

[dissonates]

[Because answering questions directly is more than Asch can handle right now-]

Back on Auldrant, there were replicas created with programmed commands, so that they would follow orders without question, even if they didn't understand why they were even created. They had empty eyes, like they were dead inside- nothing more than living puppets. Would you call them soulless?

/PULLS OFF STAGE WITH A CANE

[fabrecation]

[Back then... he might have said yes. They're as soulless as he is. But now?]

... No. If I have a soul, then they do too!

[dissonates]

They had more pride and confidence than you do, even with the miserable lives they led. Knowing what they were, how they were created, how they would die- they stood on their own two feet and found a place for themselves in the world.

Someone like you, who has a past, a family, and a place to return to... you have some nerve to doubt yourself as much as you do.

[fabrecation]

[... Ouch. All this time, and Asch doesn't get that it's exactly because of those things that he's doubting himself so much?

But instead of flinching and stepping away from the conversation, of reminding him of that fact...]

... How can you say that? What gives you the nerve to say that to me?!

I'm not doubting if I have a soul or not; I know I do! I even know what it looks like, what color it is and everything! I'm a replica, but I know that I have one! And it isn't a copy of yours, either!

All I'm asking is what it means to have one. Nothing else, damn it!

[dissonates]

[...Interesting. That reaction was pretty unexpected, so Asch is briefly taken aback. No snapping replica has ever silenced him for long, though, so he's not wasting any time on his retort.]

The fact that you didn't think you had one is enough to make you look like an idiot, you dreck! And trying to figure out the meaning of a soul is even more pointless! Why are you always looking for reasons as to why things exist!?

[fabrecation]

[Yeah, well, there's nothing he can do about thinking he didn't have one. So, he ignores that.]

What's wrong with asking about it?! What's wrong with wondering what something means?! What's wrong with trying to figure something out if you're thinking about it?! Do you want me to keep it to myself and wonder about it for the rest of my life?

Maybe I won't figure out what it means to have a soul, but at least I can talk to people about it!

[dissonates]

All you're doing is adding one more question to the list of things you don't understand about yourself. Figure out the important things before you waste your time trying to figure out something no one can really define.

[fabrecation]

This is important to me!

[Siiigh. Deep breath.]

... Go ahead and call me an idiot. I already asked, and I'm already getting answers. I don't need you telling me this is pointless. [Even if it does hurt.]

[dissonates]

Fine, confuse yourself all you want. It's not my time being wasted. [It still pisses him off, though.]

[fabrecation]

[... Huh. Was this... one of the few times he didn't go quiet when Asch made a point to him? One of the few times he actually stepped up for himself and how he's feeling instead of just waving it off?

Luke only has a moment to think about it before he realizes that he should probably answer back.]

I don't think this is going to be a waste of time.

[dissonates]

I already told you I don't care! Just shut up about it!

[Ugh, somehow Luke talking back to him just makes him even more angry, even if Luke's meek attitude is half of why he criticizes the replica so much. How annoying.]

[fabrecation]

... Fine.

[But there's something he's noticed lately. This is the first time Asch has spoken to him in a while.]

But we still need to talk.

[dissonates]

...Why the hell would you assume that?

[fabrecation]

Because you've been avoiding me, that's why!

[dissonates]

....No I haven't. [Yes I have however did you guess.]

[fabrecation]

... Asch, this is the first time you've talked to me since that experiment ended. [Just. Keywords.]

[dissonates]

[......YEAH WELL SHUT UP]

If that's what you want to talk about, then I don't want to hear what you have to say!

[fabrecation]

[Pardon this moment of silence while the itty bitty wheels in Luke's head turn.

Luke talked to Ion. They figured out the meaning of the experiment, even the finer details and why Luke turned into Asch.

Asch is avoiding him. Maybe he figured it out, but not to the extent of he and Ion. That would make sense, even Luke didn't really know...

So...

.......... Oh jeez.]

Ghck- I don't like you that way, okay?! The experiment wasn't about just that! [WHAT THE HELL MAN I mean assuming he's right WHAT THE HELL.]

[dissonates]

[OH GOD WHY IS HE ASSUMING THAT ASCH ASSUMED THAT-

AUGH

NO NO HE DOES NOT WANT TO DISCUSS THIS OKAY]

I didn't say anything about that!! I said I don't want to talk about it, you dreck!

[fabrecation]

[DID ASCH REALLY ASSUME-

OR IS HE JUST ASSUMING THE WORST

AUGH WHAT THE HELL BUT IT'S THE ONLY EXPLANATION]

Then why else are you avoiding me?!

[dissonates]

[WHAT THE HELL IS HE THINKING NOW

GOD YOU ARE SO STUPID REPLICA WHY DOES HE PUT UP WITH YOU

....ACTUALLY

GOOD QUESTION

WHY IS HE EVEN TALKING TO HIM-]

Who wouldn't, after something like that!? You stupid dreck!

[JOURNAL SLAM]

[fabrecation]

A-

[GODDAMMIT HE SHUT THE JOURNAL IN HIS FACE AGAIN

ASCH HE HATES YOU SO MUCH SOMETIMES WHY DID HE TURN INTO YOU AGAIN]