fabrecation | 016 [Action/Video]

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016 [Action/Video]

[It had happened that morning. Luke, in this time period, had a much easier time of sleeping and waking early, and so he was in the weapon's shop when it hit him.

All those memories that had been buried thanks to the Malnosso. Traveling with Tear, meeting Jade and Anise, killing his first human being, Guy, Master Van...

Akzeriuth... Cutting his hair. Trying to save the world he screwed up. Killing his own master. And the long month afterward... He can even feel the link he has with Asch flaring to life again.

Luke freezes in his spot, holding a fancy sword in his hand. How... How could he have forgotten all of that? How could he have acted like such a jerk to everyone? Such an ignorant, thoughtless... He was so nasty to everyone whom he considered his friends, and now... they... who knows what they thought of him now? This boy who had to relive who he used to be, the person he's ashamed of.

The sword in his hands trembles, and without thinking it through at all, Luke suddenly brings the sword back to slice through his hair, cutting the back of his neck and leaving only a small piece of the long hair behind. The rest is clenched in his hand, his knuckles almost white from the strain. All those terrible things he said to everyone, to Xion and Asch and Ion and...

Noel.

"You're a criminal?"

His face pales, and the sword in his hand clatters to the ground. Thankfully for the staff of the weapons store, he doesn't drop the mass amount of hair.

But he does abruptly leave, and he runs back to Community Housing Building 2, head lowered the whole time so that no one can look at him. He doesn't want anyone to see him, the leftovers of a massacre that he created. Ashes of the sacred flame...

... Asch.

It's that thought which makes him pause just outside of the door to his apartment. He barely even realizes that he made it there until now. Would Asch accept him back? He hadn't tried contacting him since the link came to life again... What if he just ruined whatever progress he made in their already strained relationship?

But... this was still his home. So, he keeps his head low again as he knocks on the door, hair still unknowingly clenched in his other hand.]

[A few hours later, the video option of the journal is activated, and Luke's face appears on the other side. He's not looking at the journal, and he keeps brushing his hand through his now short hair, so very similar to how it used to be. He looks... tired, depressed and stressed, as if a whole ton of weight was just added to his shoulders.]

Everyone, I... [How does he even start? He didn't have to do anything like this after Yulia City.] I guess I don't really know what to say. Heh... pretty pathetic, right?

[No, that's not good enough. It sounds like an excuse to not talk to anyone. He shuts his eyes and takes in a deep breath.] ... I'm sorry. A lot of you saw me with long hair, and... I probably treated you badly. That...

That person was who I once was. The Malnosso did something to me to make me forget everything that happened back in my world. I... [Killed hundreds. Thousands. I was manipulated and betrayed by the only person I trusted at the time, and I was tossed away like a piece of trash, and I was abandoned...] ... went through a lot to make me who I am today. I'm still not a good person. But I learned in my world... I guess you could say it made me open my eyes to who I was.

I'm not going to be that person anymore. I promise all of you that. And... [I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry -] I know I can't apologize enough for everything I said or did, even though I want to. But I want to do anything I can to let everyone know that I won't ever be like that again. I'm not that person anymore. [I'm not even the real Luke.] So... If anyone wants me to do something for them, anything, or... has any questions, just... talk to me.

[He finally looks at the little camera.]

... I'm sorry.

[After another hour or two to himself, Luke walks out of the apartment building and tries to find whoever he met when he still had long hair. Whoever he was particularly nasty to... to apologize to their faces. To own up to what he did and take responsibility, not from hiding behind a book, but face to face.

He especially looks for Noel. After what he said to her... He needs to see her now.]

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[He really cares that much about what Toothless thought of him? Well, it was...nice. Especially considering a number of Hiccup's friends weren't particularly fond of the dragon to begin with.]

Well, he is easily won over by fish. Lots and lots of fish.

I don't think it has anything to do with how far you've come, Luke. The Malnosso are capable of so many great and terrible things, after all... You remember what happened to me late last year, don't you? It only took changing one part of my life to make me believe I was an entirely different person.

[A rather large part, of course, but the fact remains that the change was instantaneous. And considering his own struggles with his identity, to think how different he might have becomes had he not been the chosen replica to replace the Fon Master... it was still a bit unsettling to think about, really.]

I think... it's all right to apologize for the things you've said and done, but you can't apologize for the things over which you have no control.

[Asch knows better than to pull out any feathers unless they're already loose and dead- you just don't pull out healthy feathers, that would be just evil. Even for him.

He does, however, sift his hand through Luke's feathers experimentally, checking what makes Luke tense up, how he reacts, if any are loose or in desperate need of cleaning. At least he got Luke talking.]

You wouldn't freeze your stomach if you knew how to wear a coat.

Lots of fish...

[Where does Luke get fish...]

Should I... catch them, or...?

Honestly? He doesn't seem to care whether they're from the river or the grocery store, so, whichever. Oh--stay away from eel, but everything else is pretty much fair game. He's a big fan of salmon.

...right.

[She still doesn't move, allowing for Luke to pull away. Yeah... right now, Noel still has a ton of things she needs to work on, but for this...]

For everyone... we'll make sure that neither of us will make the same mistake again. [...at the very least, she's learned something important these last few days.]

Maybe the kidnappers are male. [ Do you get his drift where he's going with that? But really, it's just in jest and hopefully it's doing something to cheer you up, Luke. Because this is so drab. ]

Aren't you good with a sword?

[Okaaaaaay she can kind of understand that. Rapunzel can't imagine life without her hair and realizes it probably would affect her as a person to lose it.

Of course, that's never gonna happen.]

It's okay; there's much worse things you could have said. I'm glad you're a better you now, Luke.

[Mother has inured her to that kind of insult, Luke. It rolled right off her back, really.]

A little better...but it's hard on her. I know it. I went to see her earlier today. She was barely even there. At least she was awake.

I know she'd still want you there though...maybe even tomorrow when she's more conscious.

Good. I was hoping you could help me out with something I need to get done today...up for a trip to town? It shouldn't take long, but I could use your opinion.

[Her saying that she needs his help kind of guarantees that he'll agree. But with what? Luke rubs the back of his head uncertainly.]

Sure... My opinion on what?

I wanted to get Xion a get-well present. What do you think? [More than likely in the end she'll pawn it off to him so it's strictly his present to her, but details.]

... Oh! [Now that's something he really wants to get involved in. He looks away for a second, hiding that guilty look on his face - he feels like if he were there, she wouldn't have been so hurt, after all... But then he looks back with a smile. It'd be nice to get her something... Even if Luke would insist that Kairi be the one to take it.]

What did you have in mind so far?

[Aw, see, Kairi likes when Luke's like this. It's really sweet...and she's hoping that him helping will get his mind off of the guilt.]

Something that's bright and cheery, like flowers maybe or something new she can wear when she's feeling better. Or maybe even some new reading material. The stronger she gets, the more bored she's going to be until she heals all the way...[That is to say, Kairi's not going to let up until she's 100% better.]

What else would she like?

Flowers are good... Don't get any cut ones, though. She likes ones that are potted. And they've gotta be blue, too.

[He crosses his arms and lowers his head to think.]

Lavender's a good color for her to wear... A light blue color, too. She likes those darker colors, like purple and stuff, but pale. [Cool colors, Luke, cool. Not dark.]

I know she likes fairy tales... But I already gave her a whole big book of it. I wonder if there's any left...

[He glances up with a half smile.] When she's strong enough, we should try sneaking in some ice cream for her.

[She has to hold back the urge to giggle, if only because she doesn't want Luke to take it the wrong way. It was really...sweet, actually, the way he was dictating her like this when it came to Xion. And it was actually rather enlightening to her to see just how much the redhead knew about her Replica.

Well. Not her Replica, but. Still...she smiles and gestures for him to follow her into the items shop.]

Okay, what if we got her some blue flowers in a purple pot? Maybe she'd like a light scarf in one of her favorite colors, too. [She's thinking so that Xion can cover the bruises and cuts on her neck until they heal.]

But I think your idea tops everything. Definitely need to sneak some ice cream in. She'd love that.

[When Asch's hand is at the end of the wings, there isn't so much of a reaction. It's when he gets closer to the base and the spine that they start to tense and shift. He makes a face, though whether that's due to the way Asch's is touching his wings or from the insult is up in the air.]

I know how to wear a coat! I'm not stupid!

[Before Asch can say that he is, though, Luke hurries on.]

They've even got a spa. Man, I wish I could go sometime... It sounds like fun! ... But it's probably cold, since it's in Keterburg... [Who would put a spa in Keterburg?]

Idiot, spas are built to be heated. The best place for one is a cold city.

[He fingers a tuft of small, downy feathers, noticing (and gently tugging free) a few that had obviously come loose. They're not in great condition, but at least his wings aren't falling apart. For the most part, though, he'll focus on just gently preening them. It's not that hard to take care of them properly, geez. Dumb replica, being oversensitive...]

If I knew that I'd spend all of my time at the spa...

[After all, being in Keterburg was the first time he'd even heard of one. Asch's movements make him shift his own shoulders, pulling them back and raising them up slightly with a deeper frown. It doesn't hurt as bad, but it still felt weird, like someone ruffling his hair a little too roughly. He doesn't like it, and that feeling transfers to his wings, which makes them push forward to try and get away from Asch's fingers.]

[He makes note of the twitch, laying his hand flat against the feathers until they go still. Still too sensitive- so he's not distracted enough.]

I've heard it's membership-only. You'd never get in. [Asch responds in a dry tone, and then, since that makes it sort of obvious that he's been there, adds-] I spent some time in Keterburg when I was with the Order. Couldn't afford the hotel, though.

[Overpriced luxury wasn't in his travel budget. The joys of working for a church.]

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