018 [Action]

[fabrecation]

[Sup, Luceti. There's a certain redhead walking to the bakery.

A certain redhead who's wearing nothing but briefs.

Every now and then, he appears to tug at something below his wrist with a little frown before moving on ahead casually, as if he doesn't even realize that he's pretty much half naked.

At least he's got the body for this kind of thing.]



((ooc: Luke is following The Emperor's New Clothes, although instead of believing his clothes are invisible to those who are stupid or unfit, he just thinks he's actually wearing very nice clothes.))

Comments

[action] And done. (...note to self: *hit. post.*)

[faterecanted]

Luke.

[He will yell it across the plaza if he has to. It isn't as though the fool has a problem with drawing attention today, after all.]

[action] but master I thought you'd be proud

[fabrecation]

[Van doesn't even have to shout. That voice makes Luke stop in his tracks and straighten his back even further than he usually does. Master... What did he want?

A part of him just wants to keep walking and get away from him. Yet... He can't fight the other half of him, the one that makes him turn his head to look at Van. Maybe in the past, the sight of his master would've been a joy to him, but now his lips are pressed together in a thin line.]

... Master?

[action] there's not much there to be proud of

[faterecanted]

[Don't look at him like that, replica, he is doing Asch you a favor.

Who's glad he always wears two shirts? That's right, Van is. And he's taking the long-sleeved one off right now.]

I'm not interested in what you were thinking. [The words are delivered with only half of his considerable disdain. There is a chance, however slim, that he is going to need this failure for something before Asch stops sulking and comes to his senses. He will therefore, for the moment, be judicious (if not gentle) in his treatment.] Asch won't appreciate you showing the village quite so much of him.

[action] look at this amazing body it's totally enough

[fabrecation]

[Just that one comment and Luke can feel a very deep shame settle over him. That's right, this... this was Asch's body. Not his. Ever since he was a replica, he'd look in the mirror and realize that it's Asch's face staring back at him. Lately, he hadn't done it so much. But now...

Luke looks down at the ground and takes a step back, one hand rising in a fist. To him, he's still wearing the outfit, so Luke isn't sure why Van is commenting on such a thing. But still...

He shuts his eyes. No, he can't just... accept this. Not after everything he's been through.]

This... This isn't Asch's.

[action] oh maybe if it had real muscles

[faterecanted]

[If this was a button-up shirt, Van would just drape it over Luke's shoulders himself; but it is not, and he really doesn't know if he'd be successful forcing it over the head of a recalcitrant replica. So instead he just holds it out, in a manner that very sternly suggests taking it would be the best course of action for everyone involved.

For the sake of ingratiating himself to Asch again (and perhaps the replica too, as a bonus), he is going to explain something to Luke. He is going to explain it calmly. He is going to explain it clearly. He is going to explain it framed as the gentle guidance of a person that knows more and better. And he is going to explain it in the same soothing teaching voice he's been using for the last seven years, with the mild addition of bored exasperation.]

I don't know why Asch allows you to stay with him. Where you are concerned, his feelings have always been... extreme. But I do know that if you wish to keep staying with him, you shouldn't upset him. He thinks of it as his body and his face. Walking around town nearly naked will not endear you to him. [So you want to stay with Asch, replica? Do you see how Van is helping you? ...For now.]

Put the shirt on, Luke.

[action] these are totes real muscles guy's a liar

[fabrecation]

[Luke hates this. He hates that tone Van is taking, hates how much hope and happiness is stirring in himself as a result. It makes him sick with himself, and he can't seem to look at Van's face as a result.

He can't believe he's even listening, too. He... Luke and Asch have always had fights, and Asch never kicked him out! They were living together for a purpose, something... something that's beyond Van. Beyond what he can understand. Something like... a fight or a stupid experiment can't just break that apart! ... Can it?

No. No. Luke needed to trust Asch more than that.

Besides... something's amiss.]

... What do you mean "nearly naked"? I'm wearing a lot...

[He frowns at himself. Luke sounds... almost small. His tone makes him sound like he's barely speaking up at all.

Even though he's still seeing that gaudy outfit, he reaches out and takes the shirt Van's offering him. If... Van's right, and this is an experiment, he might need it. But... But only until Luke can get back home. Then he'll throw it out.]

[action] don't impugn guy's honor over fake muscles

[faterecanted]

[Without taking his eyes off Luke's face...]

You're wearing very little. Should I tell you what color your underwear is, Luke?

[action] guy's a chronic liar don't you know

[fabrecation]

[That just makes a chill run up Luke's spine. He presses his lips together, frowns up at Van, then pulls the shirt over his head in a way that might seem defiant. He'll speak before it even comes past his face - ]

No, just... don't, okay?!

[action] guy's nothing but an amateur

[faterecanted]

There. [Once Luke has the shirt on, Van pinches the fabric at the shoulders and straightens it a bit. His are considerably wider than Luke's, and the fit isn't at all right. The gesture doesn't appear sinister. Instead it has overtones of brotherly or perhaps paternal affection. It's gentle. It's caring.

Which is exactly what makes it so vicious and insidious.] Much better. Let's not give anyone reason to be upset with you, hm?

[action] which means these are real muscles gdit

[fabrecation]

[Luke looks away from his master again as he fixes the shirt for him, which hangs past his underwear and even past his hands. He looks like such a kid in this thing... And the way Van's doing all of that -

Luke's spine straightens more, and the fact that it actually takes effort to step back and out of Van's reach just makes him disgusted with himself.]

... Right.

[action] no, it means he can only lie about some things. so they're fake.

[faterecanted]

[The amount of time it takes the replica to back away from him is gratifying, and also frustrating. It's so much more biddable than Asch is, and yet it's the one he doesn't want.

Although... perhaps he can separate them by using the replica... But he'll have to be careful. It wouldn't do to give Asch the mistaken impression that he wants the thing. Ha. This useless thing, that plays at being a person while still thinking like nothing more than a tool... As if he would. It's a failure on all counts.

A failure that he looks over with a benign, if indifferent, expression. Then he nods in apparent approval.]

I'll want that back later.

[action] how can muscles be fake anyway

[fabrecation]

[Luke doesn't answer. Not with a smile or a nod or any kind of agreement.

All he does is look up at him with a deep frown. What he wants to do is take off that shirt and throw it back at him: let's see how he'd like his shirt touched and worn by a useless replica. There's even a fire in his eyes that suggests how close he is to doing so. How dare he; how dare he make Luke want to hide from the world. He has no right.

Instead, he takes in a breath, then turns and heads back to his apartment. He can get what he was coming for later. Much later, hopefully when Van is out of the vicinity.]