029 [Action ; Voice]

[fabrecation]

[Action]

[... trash like you stole my family, my home... everything from me!

Every night since the draft, those words echo in his head along with images of what happened to both him and his original. Seeing Asch as a child, as the real Luke fon Fabre, happy and smiling, in the place where he belonged...

Then seeing it fall when Luke stole it away again. And having to see him kill their own mother, even though it was just a dream.

It's become even more of a chore to try sleeping. It's difficult when he keeps waking up from horrible nightmares, and when the darkness and silence lead to negative thoughts chasing each other and biting at his mind. It's a cycle that's been going on for a couple of months now, and has only gotten worse since the draft.

On such a night, he sits in the dark and looks down at the person sleeping beside him: his girlfriend, the love of his life. She'd miss him if he were to suddenly disappear and give Asch his title back, right? ... Right, he knows that.

So he disappears in a different way, merely getting out of bed, out of the building in general, to sit outside, pajamas and all, to lean his back against the wall and stare up at the night sky, cloudy and patchy that it is due to the previous rain. The stars he's looking at are fake, stupid and cruel, and yet somehow, he still finds comfort in them. They're of little use at the moment, and he finds himself at war with his own emotions, ones that keep making a wet, stinging sensation in his eyes that makes his vision blur and make him shut his eyes to try clearing them out and hold back the sensation, blocking his view of the stars.

Things are so messed up for him right now.]

[Voice]

[Going back inside won't help. Luke knows that he'd just sit there in the darkness and be unable to get some proper sleep again. So, might as well reach out and see if he can get some help with that.

He remembers long ago, when he had a similar sleeping problem. He'd asked over the journals just like this. A woman who dove into his dreams read him a book that made him fall asleep within minutes. The thought makes him give a fond little half smile before he lets it fall as he speaks quietly.]

Can someone talk to me? It doesn't have to be a story or anything, just... something. What you did today, what you want to do later, or – I don't know, what you were doing back in your world.

If... it's okay, anyway. You don't have to talk. I know it's late, and I'm sorry, it's just that...

I need to stop... thinking about things for a little while. That's all it is.

Comments

voice

[ahappylie]

The nights can be long for those who don't sleep, can't they? A friend of mine had a similar problem when he was here.

voice

[fabrecation]

Really? Who's your friend?

[Action]

[hollower]

[Luke's not the only one awake this late at night. Perona had been keeping a far distance from home all day, but the rain drove her back, and she'd watched it from after dinner until this point, when it stopped just an hour or so ago. She's at the window, actually, unable to sleep with all the thoughts and strange feelings still buzzing in her head. Memories, thoughts, and feelings from when she was a child in Luceti, being tended by...someone she cared for, yes, but not to the degree her child self...desired? Was it even that? Desire? Bah, she doesn't know, and shakes her head to focus on a response.

Poor boy, he sounds like her right now, unable to sleep because of a clouded mind. Maybe talking, and not thinking, is what she needs right now, too. She glances out the window, eyes following a drop of water as it slides down the glass.]

...I'm not sure I'm much in the mood for talking, but will a song be alright?

[Action]

[fabrecation]

[Luke himself had decided to stop squinting through the clouds and instead look at the ground, observing how his bare toes dig into the earth when he curls them. He ignores the occasional drops on his head from the edge of the roof as well, even if that plus the humidity is making his hair look a little interesting after this long.

The voice makes him glance at his journal, enough to listen, before he pulls his legs in and wraps his arms around them and looks down at the ground again. A song, huh...]

Yeah... I do like songs a lot.

[voice]

[aerialassault]

Too much going on, huh? Ain't that always fun.

[voice]

[fabrecation]

Heh... yeah. It's something like that.

[He looks away from the sky to glance down at the ground at his side.] That's not really what I want to talk about, if that's okay.

[ voice ]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Well, this just smacks of some bad shit going down. And Kirk doesn't leave a man hanging, even if he doesn't know him well. And it was just talking, wasn't it? So, no big, right? Just talk to the guy, save a life or something. ]}

I'm thinking it's a good time to go out camping. Light weather, you know, enjoy the peace while it lasts. And I'm getting used to a giant wolf wandering around the house. I like dogs and all, but this thing is like a small pony, I'm not even kidding.

_{[ It was very random, he knew, but.. he figured random would be good right now, ease into the serious stuff. ]}

[ voice ]

[fabrecation]

[Camping might be good... except Luke is still pretty pathetic at it, especially by himself. He'd probably get eaten by squirrels before he gets anything decent done like putting up a tent correctly.

He's just thinking that when Kirk starts to talk about the giant wolf. Luke had heard of a giant wolf in the past, but he thought she was...]

A giant wolf...? What's it doing around your place?

[Voice]

[mikanphones]

I don't mind talking, though I'm afraid I've not done anything interesting today.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

Oh... that's okay. I haven't really done much today either.

So, um... What about something you've done that you like talking about?

Voice;

[towered]

Mmmm...Well, I can't say my day was all that interesting, but back home things were rather exciting; With some Ruffian trying to destroy the city of London.

Voice;

[fabrecation]

[Well. That hits Luke in a way that makes his stomach a little queasy.]

Destroying a city? But... why? Why was he doing something like that?

[killu]

[ Ah... A sleepless night for him too, huh? But, there were many nights where Killua himself went without sleep ] I've been training here recently.

[fabrecation]

[Training is always something that Luke's interested in talking about, so he ends up straightening his back as he looks down at the journal, curious.]

Training, huh? What do you fight with? The sword, or...?

[voice]

[seleniahymn]

And if we want to hear about your day first, instead? [Not that she would force him, Tear fully intended to indulge him in whatever talk she could manage. But Luke often posed these questions for a reason, and though she didn't know the specifics she still recognized when such instances were happening.]

Colonel continues to be a bit rebellious with his training.

[voice]

[fabrecation]

[He ignores that first question. After all, he didn't do anything too interesting today. It's the night that chased him out of his apartment.]

What, is he just not doing it? Can't say I'm surprised. [Sometimes Jade is even lazier than he is, really.]

[Voice]

[distressedude]

[Ion can't help but feel he's missed something along the way. With everything that's been going on in his own life, the good and the bad, he hasn't been paying nearly enough attention to his friends as he should. And while he has an idea as to what could be inspiring this melancholy address to the village so late at night, he feels it wouldn't be right to assume. Right now, he just can't be sure.]

[For now, he'll just go along with Luke's question. He wouldn't want to press on a sensitive topic if Luke would rather not share.]

...I'm afraid with all the rain lately, there isn't much to be said about my day. It's difficult to get out when it's like this... though I've had visitors.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

[... Yeah, that's right. Ion's stuck in the wheelchair, and he's slowly...

Dammit. What's Luke doing feeling like this when Ion has more reasons to feel this way? God, he's pathetic.

He almost doesn't feel like answering as a result, feeling tiny stabs of guilt and insecurity. But once he realizes that he's keeping Ion waiting, he pulls his legs up and rests his hands against the back of his thighs while he looks away.]

I don't think anyone did much today because of the rain. It's such a pain sometimes.

[Voice/Filtered]

[yourfononsarewhack]

Is someone having nightmares again? Or is it just an upset stomach this time?

[Maybe he'll help you, Luke. Maybe. But he has to go through his version of pleasantries first.]

[Voice/Filtered]

[fabrecation]

... Do you have to say it all like that?

[Pleasantries schmesantries. Luke isn't really in the mood to have whatever's bothering him picked at in such a way.]

[Voice]

[toujoursfluer]

Would you like a story? I could tell you one if you wanted. Or, if not, we can simply talk.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

Uh - Whatever you're in the mood for, really. I don't mind either way. [More like he doesn't want to inconvenience her.]

[Voice]

[doesntneedsaving]

[Don't mind the female version of the Saiyan Prince, the Malnosso had a little fun with him this week.]

Well. The last thing I remember before I was dumped in this wretched place was saying goodbye to an old friend.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

[An old friend?]

Oh, were they going somewhere?

voice

[heartofthematter]

[Diamond's not sleeping very well either, not since the draft, and it's just one of those nights that he's... well, that he's hiding beneath the covers of his bed and aiming not to wake up Pearl. A fellow insomniac in need? Maybe it'll help both of them.

So he tries to sound cheerful, even though he's wishing that the next time he sleeps he doesn't dream-smell the scent of burning flesh and the most frightening look on his friends' faces.]

I don't mind talking~. Today was pretty nice, even if it was rainy... Wig, my Torterra, has really enjoyed all of it the past few days! That's because he's got a tree growing on his back. There was a lot of mud too, so Lax, my Munchlax, was having fun making balls to throw at me too... I came in dripping wet and tracking mud into the house and someone got mad at me for it.

[Rain is water. Water puts out fire. He likes water.]

voice

[fabrecation]

[... There's only one thing he's focusing on during all that.]

A tree growing on his back?

[Voice]

[inkdrops]

[Oh, poor Luke. Is he still feeling upset from before, when they spoke some time ago? Did something else happen, maybe? Miyabi can't be sure just what's on his mind, but of course she's willing to help. Late or not, and even if she is feeling somewhat tired (she stayed up finishing a painting), she can permit another hour or two for someone she cares about very much.]

I could tell you a story, big brother, if you still want to hear one. I know many...but we could just talk instead, if you want.

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

Uh... Whatever you think will help me out. I just keep thinking about... stuff. [Stuff that really doesn't need to be said out loud.] Or whatever you want to do, really.

[Voice]

[castbytheglyph]

Welp, I was thinking about if I should go for a midnight snack tonight or if I should go for one tomorrow night instead.

[Those are her plans for the very near future. Pascal's plans for right now include the tweaking of some of her inventions, so a light squeaky sound is just audible as she keeps working with a screwdriver.]

[Voice]

[fabrecation]

[He can hear that in the background, and - somehow, he knows what it is. Or at least knows she's tinkering with something using tools. Probably after spending so much time growing up with Guy.]

Well, since you're awake right now, why not... now? Or both nights?

[action]

[dissonates]

[Asch has been keeping the fonic link on a tight leash since the draft ended, the nearest it's been to completely closed for a very long time now. He hasn't let anything trickle through, even the slightest thought, though he's well aware that Luke's been trying to keep himself open, whether the replica realizes it or not. Asch suspects the latter, though; they've pretty much avoided one another since that fateful day, a mutual lack of desire to relive such memories, perhaps.

On Asch's part, he knows that he's still angry- not necessarily at Luke, but at the whole situation. Reliving the worse experience of his life and adding to it having to watch his mother die? No, worse- killing her himself? He's not happy. At all. And days of reminding himself over and over that it was only an illusion hasn't been helping.

The recognition that if he's dealing with it so badly, the his idiotic self-blaming replica (who still can't kill people without wanting to cry about it, apparently) must not be dealing with it at all is finally enough to kickstart him into action, so when he hears the entry and finds his own ability to sleep equally hampered, he heads out in search of his replacement, letting the link guide him where he needs to go. Whether Luke wants it or not, he's getting a visitor.]

[action]

[fabrecation]

[It's been awfully lonely since Asch cut the link to such an extent, and even being right there in the company of others didn't help so much. Not that Luke kept his side open much; in fact, he doesn't even realize his end had been a little more open, as if his own mind was acting on its own.

And he'd been so convinced that Asch hated him now that when he spots him coming towards him, Luke immediately stands, ducks his head and moves back a little further against the wall, as if he can disappear into it. He can't just leave; Asch has got his eyes on him and can open the link any time he wants. But he can't look at him either, nor greet him.

He'll stay where he is as Asch gets closer, but that doesn't mean he'll relax at all. What's Asch doing here? Is he going to yell? Sneer? Punch him? Might as well get it all out.]