[replica model] • LUKE FON FABRE (
fabrecation) wrote2011-03-27 09:57 pm
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013 [Voice/Actionish] (Backdated to the day before the event)
[Ever since that battle with Vanitas and his talk with Asch afterward, Luke had been feeling absolutely exhausted. He'd spent all day, all night, and then all day again in bed, which surprised him a little. Hyperresonance had never worn him out that much before... Then again, he never actually tried it in Luceti apart from his training with Asch, and never in combat like that. It's the next morning when Luke finally feels energized enough to get back to his daily routine.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. Sure, there was no breakfast, but it's not like that was too unusual. Maybe enough to make him raise an eyebrow, but he shrugged it off and made himself some toast with butter and cinnamon. That seemed to be one of the few things he couldn't ruin, even if the meal wasn't all that fulfilling.
It's as the day goes on that something seems to be wrong. The silence could always be from Guy managing Good Spirits, but a quick check made him see that Guy wasn't even there. Sure, he could be somewhere else, but... without even checking in on him? Even at his worst, by this time Guy would always come by to see if Luke was okay and if he needed anything. It was always a little annoying, but... it was routine, too. A routine that's never broken easily.
It's late in the afternoon by the time Luke flops down in one of the chairs and frowns as he stares worriedly down at the floor. Something about this feels wrong. He's kind of afraid to check on Guy, because what he finds might just be everything he feared. It'd be easier to just pretend things were okay, to think that Guy's just off somewhere and that he'd be back later. Maybe he finally went to bring Asch back from wherever he was. Maybe he just went to do some errands. ...Very long errands.
But he can't keep doing that forever. He shuts his eyes, then stands and heads towards Guy's room.]
Guy? Guy, come on. [Luke's at the door now. He raises his hand to push it open... turns it into a fist, and brings it back down to his side.] ... Look, whatever I did, I'm sorry. Just... open the door, okay?
[No response. Luke purses his lips and tightens the fist at his side, then forces himself to relax it enough to raise his hand and open the door.]
Guy...
[Somehow, a part of him was expecting this. It was only a quiet, little part of him though, one that would be pushed firmly away by denial and what he felt was rationality. Even now as he stares into the completely empty room, a wave of rejection comes over him. No, maybe Guy just cleaned his room way too nicely. It continues even as Luke steps slowly into the room and looks into the closet, checks the drawers, even peeks under the bed: No, Guy's just having a massive cleaning day. He just moved to another room - Luke even tries to make sure by checking all of the other rooms, his steps quickening into a run by the time he goes upstairs, calling his name uselessly. No, Guy's just...
He's just...
Luke finally stops at what used to be Natalia's room. It was just the same with her: Everything was gone. All that was left was an empty space where his dear friend used to be... Just like Guy's room.]
[It takes a long while before Luke thinks to at least let everyone know what happened. He'd sat on what used to be Natalia's bed with his head in his hands and quietly thought of things that would take away the fact that Guy was gone and mentally berating himself every time his breathing hitched.
It takes another few minutes for Luke to actually get up and go to his room, where his journal lays on the nightstand. He rests one hand on the journal while the other reaches up to wipe at his face, trying to make himself look at least somewhat presentable.
... But when he does that, he just wants to cover his face, turn away and leave. To get away for a while, because now the house felt too empty, but... He shakes his head to himself and flips the journal open, keeping his head ducked down to hide whatever emotion he might be feeling.]
Guy... went back to Auldrant.
[That's all Luke can say before he shuts the journal and leaves it behind.]
[[ooc:Just a fair warning, Luke might not reply to some of the responses. Null and void since I am terrible at that. 8| He's a sad puppy right now and all. He can be caught wandering around the village, though, if you want to talk to him!]]
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. Sure, there was no breakfast, but it's not like that was too unusual. Maybe enough to make him raise an eyebrow, but he shrugged it off and made himself some toast with butter and cinnamon. That seemed to be one of the few things he couldn't ruin, even if the meal wasn't all that fulfilling.
It's as the day goes on that something seems to be wrong. The silence could always be from Guy managing Good Spirits, but a quick check made him see that Guy wasn't even there. Sure, he could be somewhere else, but... without even checking in on him? Even at his worst, by this time Guy would always come by to see if Luke was okay and if he needed anything. It was always a little annoying, but... it was routine, too. A routine that's never broken easily.
It's late in the afternoon by the time Luke flops down in one of the chairs and frowns as he stares worriedly down at the floor. Something about this feels wrong. He's kind of afraid to check on Guy, because what he finds might just be everything he feared. It'd be easier to just pretend things were okay, to think that Guy's just off somewhere and that he'd be back later. Maybe he finally went to bring Asch back from wherever he was. Maybe he just went to do some errands. ...Very long errands.
But he can't keep doing that forever. He shuts his eyes, then stands and heads towards Guy's room.]
Guy? Guy, come on. [Luke's at the door now. He raises his hand to push it open... turns it into a fist, and brings it back down to his side.] ... Look, whatever I did, I'm sorry. Just... open the door, okay?
[No response. Luke purses his lips and tightens the fist at his side, then forces himself to relax it enough to raise his hand and open the door.]
Guy...
[Somehow, a part of him was expecting this. It was only a quiet, little part of him though, one that would be pushed firmly away by denial and what he felt was rationality. Even now as he stares into the completely empty room, a wave of rejection comes over him. No, maybe Guy just cleaned his room way too nicely. It continues even as Luke steps slowly into the room and looks into the closet, checks the drawers, even peeks under the bed: No, Guy's just having a massive cleaning day. He just moved to another room - Luke even tries to make sure by checking all of the other rooms, his steps quickening into a run by the time he goes upstairs, calling his name uselessly. No, Guy's just...
He's just...
Luke finally stops at what used to be Natalia's room. It was just the same with her: Everything was gone. All that was left was an empty space where his dear friend used to be... Just like Guy's room.]
[It takes a long while before Luke thinks to at least let everyone know what happened. He'd sat on what used to be Natalia's bed with his head in his hands and quietly thought of things that would take away the fact that Guy was gone and mentally berating himself every time his breathing hitched.
It takes another few minutes for Luke to actually get up and go to his room, where his journal lays on the nightstand. He rests one hand on the journal while the other reaches up to wipe at his face, trying to make himself look at least somewhat presentable.
... But when he does that, he just wants to cover his face, turn away and leave. To get away for a while, because now the house felt too empty, but... He shakes his head to himself and flips the journal open, keeping his head ducked down to hide whatever emotion he might be feeling.]
Guy... went back to Auldrant.
[That's all Luke can say before he shuts the journal and leaves it behind.]
[[ooc:
[ action ]
she knows better.
instead without a word she leaves. goes looking. she has an idea as to where he might be. she doesn't have any caramel apples with her ... but she does, on a hunch, have an extra scarf.
and of course, her idea proves to be right, when she finds him on That One Bridge. but she doesn't say anything as she walks up. only hugs the emerald green scarf to her chest and simply ... watches him, for a moment, in silence. ]
[ action ]
[ action ]
when she finally speaks her voice is quiet and even, not betraying any emotion. ]
... somehow, we always seem to end up here, huh?
[ action ]
He reaches up to touch the scarf, just to shift it a little and make it more comfortable, and mutters a quiet "thanks". It was pretty cold right now...]
[ action ] nice.
she looks at him, finally, eyes searching his face. she opens her mouth to ask the question -- to say the words, perhaps, I heard you earlier -- then immediately realizes they aren't necessary. after all, why else would she be out here? why else would HE be out here?
after a beat , she drops her gaze, mouth closing as the words die on her lips. instead, she reaches out to very gently take his hand in her own, running her thumb softly over his knuckles. still not looking up at his face. ]
... will he be okay, there?
[ action ] shut uuuup B|
His attention is back on the water when she asks him that question, though, and he doesn't respond for a few minutes. It's easier to not talk about it. He just gets that lump in his throat when he does... Still, he answers and closes his fingers around hers, though he turns his head away a little.]
I think so. He's from the future, so I don't know... [Honestly, Luke's pretty sure he himself isn't okay there, in Guy's future. But that's something else entirely that he doesn't want to bring up.]
[ action ]
And now Luke's going to have that association, too. He'll remember coming here the day Guy disappeared. That's a difficult thing to forget. "Nice" and "sad" ... in this case, aren't really mutually exclusive.
She's silent for a moment more, after he trails off, shifting their hands so she can weave their fingers together. Her eyes remain on their joined hands, and her voice ... all of a sudden has just a little raw emotion to it. Just a little. ]
It's not fair, is it? When other people go home. We're supposed to be glad they're home and it's supposed to be better that way, because then they're not stuck here too, but it's not! It's not any better at all. Because... [ her grip on his hand tightens, and her expression draws in, too. ] ... friends are supposed to stay together. So ... so I don't care what anyone else says. [ finally -- finally -- she looks back up at him. ] ... I think it's okay to be sad.
[ action ]
That's what I've always thought. I always wondered why people would say they're happy their friend went home. I get it, but... they're still gone. And if they come back... They probably won't remember being here. It's okay to be sad... and it's okay to miss them, too.
[Then why is Luke trying to hard to keep it all locked away? Well, he'll get to that.]
But when I think about Guy going back and... not remembering this place, or... what Auldrant might be like in his time, I just... I get so scared. I don't want to think about it, because...
[Because his hands start shaking, like they are now, even the one she's holding. What if Guy came back and had such high expectations of Luke again? What if he forgot Asch and everything he went through? And how Asch is reacting to all of this is another matter that scares him to death, and...
This is why his friends usually don't allow him to think too much. His thoughts always fall into a depressing downward spiral, and it always leaves him shaking like this.]
[ action ]
don't be scared. ]
[ action ]
He blinks in surprise, and out of those depressing thoughts, when he feels her hand on his cheek, and just when he glances at her, she pulls him forward to rest their heads together. For a moment, he just stares at her closed eyes with his own widened ones... then he shuts them, and he reaches his free hand around to rest on her farther shoulder, his grip portraying the sadness and fear still in him by being a little tighter than it normally would be. They can't do much on the railing, lest they risk falling straight into the river, but... but this is enough. Right now, it's...
Don't leave him too.]
[ action ]
As much as she's able -- as much as she possibly can -- she won't leave. She'll stay right here beside him, still gripping his hand in one and touching his face with the other, and let him pull her close. A little too tight -- but that's alright. ]
I'll stay here with you, okay? However long you need.
[ action ]
That makes him duck his head to let his forehead rest on her other shoulder, just to hide those stupid tears that suddenly sprung up. Guy had said he'd stay, too, and now... And he couldn't lose her, too. He just couldn't. Not after everything - It's such a stupid, selfish thought, but he - he wants to stay here. It's not like anything's happening on Auldrant, for all that he knows, and no one wants him there anyway... And he wants her to stay, too.
But this place... It could take either of them away without warning. They did the same to Natalia, Anise and... and Guy. It's just something he has to accept, even though he knows he can't.
In response to her, he means to spit out a thank you, but instead, quietly:]
I love you.
[ action ]
When he shifts, she moves with him, adjusting her hands and body to accommodate the way he's leaning against her. It's okay if he cries. She'd want to cry too.
But his words make her pause, eyes widening a little as she draws in a slow breath. It's not like she doesn't know already, but still, hearing them...
She just holds him as best she can. ]
... I love you too, Luke.
[ action ]
That is, until he pulls back and wipes at his face before he can look up at her with wet eyes, then glance down again as if to try and hide that fact. As much as the both of them being here means to him, it is kind of uncomfortable trying to twist and turn in order to hug without falling off of the railing, which prompts his next offer.]
Uh... Maybe we should go somewhere else for now.
[ action ]
instead she just smiles softly and nods. ] Sure. Do you have anywhere in mind?
[ action ]
Still holding her hand, Luke slides off of the railing, speaking only once his feet are on the solid bridge.]
How about your house? I won't stay too long. [Definitely not for the night or anything. Xion already had a lot of people in her house, particularly a few who would probably judge or glare at him, so staying with her would definitely mean imposing.]