fabrecation | 013 [Voice/Actionish] (Backdated to the day before the event)

Entry tags:

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!]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ ... she doesn't respond.

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. ]

[A few people had simply passed him by, figuring that something heavy was on his shoulders and that he should be left alone. So when Xion's footsteps come to a halt by him, Luke blinks and looks back at her - he looks tired, distant and sad - before he lowers his head and watches the river again. Though he might not be showing it, he's... really glad she's here. He doesn't like dealing with these kinds of things alone... it's a wonder why he sometimes tries to isolate himself when they happen.]

[ still without a word, she will lean up on her tip toes so she can slip the scarf around his neck after he looks away again. then she will take a moment to climb up onto the railing to sit beside him. she doesn't look at him, or touch him, or make any sort of comforting gesture -- not yet. instead she, too, simply looks at the water.

when she finally speaks her voice is quiet and even, not betraying any emotion. ]

... somehow, we always seem to end up here, huh?

It's a nice place. [Nice and quiet, save for the constant running of the water. But that just makes his thoughts clear out easier and gives him something else to focus on.

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...]

Edited 2011-03-28 04:17 (UTC)

It's a sad place. [ she says it without thinking, then immediately realizes it's true. not sad in a bad way.. but it has a lot of sadness associated with it, doesn't it?

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?

[Luke glances at her when she says that - sad, really? But didn't they reveal they were replicas here? Told each other they liked each other? Had their first kiss? But, well... she's been here longer. Maybe sadder things have happened here... Maybe it could just be nice for him. That'd be fine.

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.]

Edited 2011-03-28 06:57 (UTC)

[ Of course, all these things are true. But Luke ... might really be the only reason she has any happy memories associated with this bridge at all. Mostly her memories involving this place... involve danger, or sorrow, or fear.

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.

[He's silent as she speaks, and ever for a moment after. Luke keeps his gaze on the water, and the sullen expression never leaves his face as he listens to her. Once he speaks up, he turns his head towards her a little, though he still doesn't lift his eyes from the water. Sometimes it's easier to not see the other person's emotions...]

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.]

[ .... she doesn't ask. instead she reaches up with her other hand and brushes the backs of her fingers against his cheek, briefly touching his hair. then, gently, she uses that hand to pull him towards her oh so slightly and leans her head against his, shutting her eyes.

don't be scared. ]

[What if, what if... so many uncertainties, and all because he was brought here from another time. He can be so stupid sometimes, and - why couldn't they have- why did they-

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.]

[ It's not a promise you can make. "I won't leave." That's not something a person here can say... no matter how much you might want to. No matter how much you might wish to say, as outlandish as some might find that idea.

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.

["I'll stay here with you"...

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.

[ It's funny... all she'd meant was right now. Right here on this bridge. It's only after a few moments that she realizes how what she said could be interpreted.... and feels awful for it, though she tries not to show it.

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.

[For a few minutes, there's just a comforting silence. Luke's breathing might have hitched a few times, but otherwise, there were no other signs that he might have wanted to cry...

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.

[ ... she'll let him get away with the wet eyes. if he were actually crying she'd probably just wipe his tears away, but... well, he seems to want to hide it, so she'll let it go.

instead she just smiles softly and nods. ] Sure. Do you have anywhere in mind?

[House 5 held too many memories. As did Good Spirits. Where else could they go... Ah.

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

013 [Voice/Actionish] (Backdated to the day before the event)

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ] nice.

[ action ] shut uuuup B|

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]

[ action ]