025 [Action]

[fabrecation]

[Sunset of the 21st. After looking in his diary several times to make sure of the date, Luke has practically memorized the exact time it happened. This is the day, and the time, that he and Xion confessed to each other, without the influence of the experiment, and shared their first kiss.

This is the place, too. Luke leans on the railing of the bridge nearest House 14, staring out ahead of him and obviously lost in his thoughts. Even though this is the day, and even though they had been making plans to celebrate it, Luke's sure that Xion won't be able to now. Not with everything that's happened.

Still, that doesn't mean he can't find his own way to celebrate. It isn't much, though; he just leans on the bridge and twirls a blue iris idly in his fingers. Later, past sunset, he'll make his way to Seventh Heaven for the first time in quite a while, only to practice the piano. He's been away from it for a good while, so he's just a tad rusty. But he still manages to get over it after a song or two, and he doesn't mind, for once, if anyone else is there. He'd even be happy to chat it up with someone, whether on the bridge or in Seventh Heaven.

He does seem a tad cautious, though. He hasn't been here for a while for a reason and all.]

Comments

[meteorical]

[She just gives him a look like she's really trying to decide if he's telling the truth, but she'll reward him with a light smile.] That's good, at least. It's a step in the right direction.

What brings you out here anyway?

[fabrecation]

[Phew, good, she didn't pursue it... And the topic it's going in is much better. Sort of.]

This place just holds a lot of memories, that's all... Perfect for today.

[meteorical]

[Not yet, anyway. Don't think you're 100% off the hook yet, Luke.]

...today? [Give her a sec.] Wait, that's today?

[fabrecation]

Heh, yeah. [He looks a little sheepish, as he raises his shoulders and smiles a bit wider.] Right about this time, too.

[meteorical]

Cute. Congratulations. [Her grin's a little wider, too, despite being a tiny bit sadder.] Are you on your way to see her then?

[fabrecation]

Um... [And now his smile fades a bit, and he looks down at the water while twirling the flower in his fingers.] I don't think she's in the mood to be happy over this.

[meteorical]

Maybe not, but...she could still use the support and the reminder that others still care for her. Especially you, you know that.

[fabrecation]

I know. [And a small pause.] ... She came to me this morning.

[meteorical]

...she did? What'd she say?

[fabrecation]

She didn't say anything. She just... cried.

[meteorical]

[On the bright side, at least she knows Xion has someone to go to.] ...does that worry you?

[fabrecation]

Of course it worries me! I don't know what to do for her except to just... do what I can.

[meteorical]

[Good answer.] So what did she do after?

[fabrecation]

She went to sleep... And when I woke up, she'd gone back to her house. I haven't seen her since then.

[And he knows she wants to spend time with Roxas. It's why it took her a couple of days to go to him, too.]

[meteorical]

...you're doing the right thing by giving her space, you know. It's hard, I know, but it's a good thing.

[fabrecation]

It really is hard. [He lets out a sigh and lowers his head a little more.] I feel like I should be doing something more, especially today, but...

[meteorical]

You couldn't have predicted that all of this would happen, Luke. None of us could, despite what Roxas says...

[fabrecation]

Still, I...

... Is there really nothing else I can do?

[meteorical]

...you know who Sora is to Xion, don't you?

[fabrecation]

... He's where she came from. She's made of his memories, right?

[meteorical]

...his memories of me, yes. But yes, he's where she came from. So to not only lose a friend but to lose someone she was created from...it's hard. It's harder on her, and it's harder on Roxas, than it is on the rest of us. Those two have a special bond with him, her especially because she never got to meet Sora before coming to Luceti.

[fabrecation]

... It's kind of like if I lost Asch. [Kairi knows he's a replica, so it shouldn't be too hard to talk about. Though he still isn't looking up from his apparent fixation on the river.] I didn't come from his memories or anything, so I can't really relate. But he's my original. He's the reason I exist. I don't know what I'd do if he suddenly went away.

... At the same time, it's kind of scary to have him around.

[meteorical]

...well Asch is sort of a scary person in general, but I have a feeling that's not what you mean. [That is to say, go ahead, Luke. Share your feelings with us. Now.]

[fabrecation]

Heh... Not really, no.

Asch and I... we're two separate people now, I know that. But for a while, I thought... I thought he'd come back and take the life he should've had. The life of Luke fon Fabre. I thought I'd be pushed out of the only life I knew for as long as I lived. I wanted it to happen, but... at the same time, I was terrified of it.

It's kind of pathetic, but I still think that way sometimes.

[meteorical]

[...that is kind of a terrifying thought the longer she thought about it.]

You were afraid of being erased. You wanted to keep your own identity...that's not unusual. You and Asch are both really lucky to have been able to form your own lives here.

[A beat.] ...Luke? Do you mind telling me how it all happened for you and Asch?