Twas the night after Christmas -

[bloodyashes]

Characters: Asch and open; later, he goes to see Jade about things [closed]
Setting: A nicely hidden corner of the upper lounge and/or media floor; hassling Jade in the library
Format: What have you, bro
Summary: Feelings about regains, headaches about replicas, yelling at Jade
Warnings: Fon Fabre temper tantrums incoming.

[There's a redhead in a beanbag chair in the corner, heels tucked in, with an old framed photo in his lap. Asch's attention is pretty much entirely on the picture, which is tilted up so that it can't be seen from any other angle. Want to see? Better come lean around his shoulder and be obnoxious.]

[He puts a hand to his forehead very suddenly, as though taken by an unexpected headache. Uh-oh, isn't the flu epidemic over? Maybe you'd better go see what's wrong with him.]

Library -

[It's as good a place to start looking as any. Asch is very pointedly not hurrying through the shelves, because it's not like it really matters anyway. If Jade can't fix this, then no one can, and at least death in the Tower isn't going to stick.

Luckily, it seems that right there is the teal uniform he's looking for.]

Jade.

[All the greeting you get. No beating around the bush today.]

Is there any way to halt fonon separation once it's begun? Failing that, is there a way to slow it?

Comments

[sacred_flamer]

Well... it means a lot to you, doesn't it?

[Funny... he always saw this picture at the manor, and didn't think anything of it, because he couldn't even remember when it was made. Now that he knew... well, he kind of felt bad for being so dismissive. After a moment, he handed the picture back.]

[bloodyashes]

No more or less than anything else in that house.

[He doesn't look at Luke as he says it, although he uncrosses one arm to take the picture back.]

It's not like I can do anything to change it.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke made a face.]

You're a bad liar. You can't tell me it's not important to you.

[bloodyashes]

[He shakes his head slightly; that's not what he said, Luke, pay attention.]

It's something I've given up. No matter how you look at it, there's no going back now.

[sacred_flamer]

[He's not sure he understands... it's not like Asch could have wanted to give up his life. Van kidnapped him...]

...I guess I don't get it, but I only know the manor. If that was taken from me, I'd probably do everything I could to get it back.

[bloodyashes]

At first, so did I. But that was a long time ago.

[There's a bit of a pause there.]

When I found out about you, I gave up. They didn't miss me, after all.

[sacred_flamer]

[...Luke flinched at that, glancing over at his original.]

...how old were you?

[bloodyashes]

When Van took me? You should know. I found out about you being at the manor about two months after you were "returned."

[He has no desire to elaborate.]

[sacred_flamer]

I meant when you went back... so... not long after...

[He glanced away. Seriously, what do you even say to something like that?]

[bloodyashes]

[Well, technically he did go back then, but...]

That's not the incident I was talking about earlier. It wasn't until after I found out about you that Van gave me the name Asch.

[Before that? He was still Luke, if a lost one.]

[sacred_flamer]

Is... that the name you'd rather stick with?

[He wasn't sure, and it wasn't exactly a conversation he was sure he wanted to have. What if Asch ever wanted his old name back? What would he be then?]

[bloodyashes]

It's who I've been for seven years. There's no point in changing it again.

[He shrugs slightly.]

"Luke" is yours, assuming you still want it.

[sacred_flamer]

Well, I'm used to 'Luke'...

[He looked back to him.]

So... thanks, I guess?

[bloodyashes]

You say it like I've done something special. Not changing our names keeps everyone else from getting us even more confused, too.

...Besides, if we let you name yourself, you'd probably insist on something ridiculous.

[sacred_flamer]

Well, I never even thought something like this would be possible...

[He paused a moment, rubbing the back of his neck.]

...I mean, how many people would think they're not who they've been told they are?

[bloodyashes]

It's not like my situation is common, either.

[It's not said with malice, just a simple statement. Asch slides the picture out of his lap and folds his arms up under his cloak.]

There's no changing it now.

[sacred_flamer]

Well, no, but we can at least try to make it better, right?

[He paused a moment, looking down at his feet.]

...you know, everything about myself was laid out bare in front of my friends here... and I didn't like a lot of it. Everything about me just sucks, and I... I couldn't even see it until myself threw it in my face.

[Luke let out a sigh, curling up so he could rest his chin on his knees.]

...on top of it, finding out what I was... you know, for a while there, I thought it meant I wasn't even human.

[bloodyashes]

[Make it better... That's on you, Luke, because this one doesn't even know where to start.]

Well, I suppose you can take some comfort in that. You're as human as I am, by definition.

[It's a very slight smile. That whole Scion of Lorelei business and all, Asch sometimes isn't sure how much they count.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.]

Yeah, I realize that now. I'm... really real. I'm really me, and that makes me happy.

- I don't have an appropriate icon for this post

[bloodyashes]

[Aaaaaaand that pronouncement gets Luke a look of complete bogglement. Why would you be happy about -

...Yeah, even looking in your brain is not helping here.]

You... You make no damn sense sometimes.

XD

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke just grinned at that.]

Don't worry about it; it'd take forever to explain.

[bloodyashes]

How the hell do you manage to be so happy all the time.

[Legitimate question.]

[sacred_flamer]

I dunno... how do you manage to stay so grumpy all the time?

[TOTALLY LEGIT QUESTION.]

[bloodyashes]

[Glare glare you're proving his point Asch.]

Hmph.

[He saves his smiles for things worth smiling about, okay? And there aren't many of those in Aschland.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke grinned, letting out a small chuckle.]

...'I need to be a better person'. What's what I thought when I saw myself. I was a terrible person; I don't know how anyone put up with me for as long as they did.

[He pounded a fist in an open palm.]

But now I've got Yu-sensei, and everyone, and I've got you guys here too. I've got a lot to learn and I know it's going to take me a long time, but I'm going to do my best.

How else can I do that but think positively?