towerofanimus | This is not the home I know

Entry tags:

This is not the home I know

Characters: Guy and some of you people out there!
Setting: Room 5-02, the Dormitory levels, Floor 5, and Floor 38.
Format: Preference is brackets, but I'll follow suit.
Summary: When Guy left out on a journey, this is not where he was expecting to end up.
Warnings: Nothing for right now.

ROOM 5-02

[It was a horrifying sensation, not to remember where exactly you were. It was dark and a little bit cold. He could feel and hear. But for an agonizingly long moment, he couldn't do anything else. Words were caught in his throat, and he can feel that flicker of concern rising from deep in his gut. Was it just a nightmare? Maybe he'd drift back to sleep soon...

It's only when that concern slowly turns to panic that Guy's eyes suddenly snap open, breath coming hard as he yanks himself to a sitting position. Was it a dream? Where---

Where is he?

His fingers travel to his neck, eyes scanning the room for anything familiar as he tries to remain calm. These clothes... he's never seen anything like them before. And what the hell was this collar doing around his neck? The note on his bedstand is snatched up and read, but quickly put away soon afterwards.

"Let's all be happy here?" His brow furrows.]

Nice idea. Not sure how happy I'm feeling right now, though. More like I'm being held prisoner or something...

[Happiness wasn't really on his list of things to feel right about now. Not with how little they've seemed to tell him. And especially not if Auldrant's really gone...]

DORMITORY LEVELS

[After a simple change of clothes, Guy goes off to wander. It only takes a little bit of exploring his dormitory halls for Guy to realize just how bare the bedrooms around him are. He can't be the only one around here, right? Peeking in every doorway is starting to get a little tiring, and with no sound and no activity from any of these rooms, he's beginning to get the idea that not many other people live here.

Or, rather, not in this part of the building. Hopefully.

He's not quite in the mood to walk all the way down the stairs. So after a moment's hesitation, he heads upwards, only to find more rooms... and a much larger amount of people. He'll poke his head through the halls of each level, a reigned sense of urgency and concern behind his steps. He will stop if he's spoken to, but for the most part, he looks as if he's searching for someone in particular.]

FLOOR 5

[To be fair, he'd stepped onto the floor purely by accident. And for a very long moment, he didn't regret it whatsoever. The technology that suddenly surrounds him is absolutely astonishing, and had it not been in use, he would probably have been all over it to see how exactly it worked. For the time being, he watches from a distance and observes, awe in his eyes like a kid at a candy store.

That is, until someone directs him to the viewfinders. To see the somewhat familiar terrain of Auldrant in complete ruins, with not even the pool of mud and miasma remaining, strikes Guy cold from the minute he looks. For a long while, it's all he can do - view his world as much as possible and see if anything - anyone - might have survived. The more he watches, the more somber he grows, and he eventually turns away with a bitter disgust.

If this was some sort of joke, it wasn't funny in the least.]

FLOOR 38

[Something about the glass walls and layers of cloud and fog draw Guy off the staircase and into the lounge. He's seen Auldrant in ruins by now, yes. What kind of world had he been dumped on in the process, then?

There may be other people in the room, to which he'll nod his greeting with a tired smile, but he's decided to casually find a spot of these endless windows to lean against, taking a good look down as he does so.]

Man. How high up does this place really go...?

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[It took a moment, but it finally clicked in his head: this was really his best friend. Once it did, he reacted as any seven year old would... by doing his very best to tackle Guy to the floor, clinging and sobbing and yammering on and on and not caring if it wasn't making any sense.]

Guy! You're here! You're really, really here! You're so damn late, dammit...!

[With Guy's attention as taken as it was with his surroundings, he doesn't quite spot that flash of red until he feels another body launch themselves against him. He squawks as both boys go toppling to the floor in a heap of limbs, trying to right himself somehow below the constant stream of words and tears and long, messy hair splaying all over like a matted web.

Having already seen Asch today, it only takes Guy a split second to realize who it is.

There's laughter and a barely audible apology before arms are thrown around Luke, one holding him in a tight hug while the other roughly messes at his hair. Oh Score, he's glad to see you're alright--!!!]

Edited (WORDS :|) 2013-01-08 16:57 (UTC)

[Luke couldn't help but cry -- sob was probably a more accurate description. Oh man... it was Guy; his best friend, and the person he had wanted to see for so long. Being around his roommate and his friend had been so difficult; they both sounded like Guy, both reminded him of his best friend in different ways. Sometimes it was painful to wake up in the morning and hear Lelouch muttering about something under his breath, just like sometimes training with Yu reminded him of the time in Saint Binah when the two of them had practiced in the middle of the night, and Guy taught him a new skill.]

[It was a long time before he finally lifted his head, wiping his puffy red eyes on his gloves.]

G-Guy... I missed you so much...

Hey, hey... no need to look so down, alright?

[Come on, Luke, you're a mess like this. He reaches up with a gentle hand, grooming the boy's face with his thumb, loosening strands of hair that clung to his cheek in a basic attempt to make the kid look presentable.]

Late or not, I'm here now, right? Cheer up. You'll make me feel bad.

[Luke sniffled again, managing to calm himself down enough to get himself up off of Guy. Good thing there wasn't anyone else around, because he was pretty sure there'd be questions after that greeting.]

I-I'm okay. I just... I...

[He squirmed unsteadily, his face screwing up... before he suddenly snapped his head down sharply.]

I'm sorry, Guy!

[...way to blurt that out.]

[No kidding. The outburst startles him, brow furrowing in confusion as he straightens himself up. Asch had said... Luke was before Akzeriuth, right?

So what--]

Sorry? Why, what for?

I-I... recently told myself a lot about me, and...

[Luke bit his lip, looking down at his lap. Man, he wasn't making much sense already...]

...you know, I always said you were my friend... but I never treated you like a friend. I... I always treated you like my servant. W-when I came here, when I saw Auldrant was really gone... I-I...

[A sob escaped from him, tears falling from his eyes again.]

There was no one here for the longest time... I thought I'd lost all of you for good... I thought I'd never get the chance to apologize... s-so I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!

Easy, easy...

[A strong hand moves to rest against Luke's shoulder. Told himself?? It's all very confusing and, honestly, just a little bit too sentimental for Guy's tastes... well, when it came to Luke, at least. He's used to the complaining and bickering and lack of apologizing that went along with it.

Not this.

He leans down a bit with a quiet chuckle, trying to catch the redhead's gaze. Come on, Luke. Eye contact; it's important, tears or otherwise.]

Luke... I know it's probably been lonely for you here. But I don't see what you have to be sorry about. Do you expect me to resent you or something for all of that? Because I don't. I mean, I kind of am your servant, after all - how else are you supposed to treat me? There's not really any fault in that.

Besides, it's not like I was acting friendly around you just because you were my master. [He smiles warmly.] So don't go apologizing for something stupid like that, alright?

[Luke sniffled, but managed a weak nod, throwing his arms around Guy's neck again. He missed him so damn much...]

[It's a long moment before he felt comfortable enough to pull away, rubbing away the tears from his face. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm now. There was a lot more that he needed to say.]

Um... Guy, there's more I've got to say. A-about me. Stuff I just found out recently...

Hmm? [He leans back on his hands, looking curious.] Alright, sure. You really okay with telling me on the floor like this, though?

[This was kind of a public place anyways, right? If Luke didn't care, then okay, fine, nothing wrong with it. But it might be best if they found somewhere else to talk, especially if this was important.]

[He shook his head; it's not like anyone that mattered didn't know already.]

...I'm... I'm not really Luke.

What are you talking about? Of course you're Luke.

[It's lighthearted enough, but he's not oblivious. Asch had already told him that Luke knew about what he really was. But it didn't mean Guy had to approve of his outlook on it.]

No, I mean...

[Luke looked down at his hands.]

I'm not... 'Luke'. I'm 'Luke's replica'... I'm just a copy of Luke, not... the 'Luke' from before he was kidnapped.

Hah... geez, you sound like Asch.

[He sits up a bit, arms crossing in front of him.]

So you're not who you thought you were. What does that really change? It doesn't mean you have to go doing something stupid like throwing your name away - replica or whatever, it's still yours.

Besides. Last I checked, "Luke" didn't want his name, anyways. I'd say you should just take it.

I-I wouldn't give it to him anyway! What else would I call myself?

[Luke let out a soft breath, wilting slightly.]

I just... I've lived for seven years believing who I was, and taking advantage of everyone and everything around me. It took facing myself to realize that I had no right to do that to anyone, especially when I couldn't even see myself clearly.

[It's a profound sort of thing to hear out of Luke's mouth. Had he experienced what had happened at Auldrant, it would make sense. But to make this kind of discovery without such a dramatic loss of life on his shoulders... maybe it was for the better. He could learn.]

Maybe not. But it's not exactly something you can blame yourself for, either. Not entirely.

[He's made some really good friends while he's been trapped here, and he's learned a lot from them as a result. But even he knows that he has a lot more to learn... which in and of itself is an improvement.]

I know that. It's not my fault that I was mistaken for Asch. It's...

[He trailed off, not... really wanting to say it yet. He may have a new sword master now, but... that doesn't replace a father figure.]

[He lets the comment go unspoken. He knows very well who Luke means, and he doesn't disagree. But it doesn't account for all of Luke's more unnecessary changes.]

No one could have known, either. You or me or anyone else - we didn't know any better, just what the doctors could figure out. No one really bothered to question it that much, either. You were raised as a blank slate to who you are now because of that.

So hey. You could say part of it was my fault, in the end. [With the Lady ill and the Duke detached from his amnesiac son, the responsibility to look after the child often fell on his shoulders. He would have to be blind not to take some of the blame when it came to Luke's attitude.]

Oh yeah... you helped raise me.

[Luke let out a faint sound, reaching back to rub at the back of his neck, a bit of a smile working its way onto his face.]

...I'm still sorry. And I still have a lot to learn. I... I know that now, better than anything.

Knowing something and doing something about it are two different things, you know.

[But Luke sounded like he had the basic idea for that. It was a step forward.

He smirks a bit before leaning forward, cuffing the redhead lightly on the shoulder.]

Hey, what did I just say about looking so down? Come on. At least complain or say what a pain it's been without me or something. It'd be more like you.

[Luke rubbed the back of his neck, doing an over exaggerated wobble when he got cuffed. He grinned a bit of a lopsided grin at that.]

It has been a pain! Man, if I hadn't made any friends here, I'd've gone crazy by now.

Heheh. Well hey, that means I get a break from being your only entertainment now. I think that works out pretty well.

[Joking aside, it's good to hear Luke's had some chance of some sort to be social. Hopefully he'll get a chance to meet said friends and make sure Luke hasn't gotten himself into a pickle.

Which is probably likely, knowing Luke.]

Heh heh...

[Luke looked massively proud at that. Yes, he can make friends! Well, granted, he had more acquaintances than friends, but still.]

You need to meet Yu-sensei; he's my new sword master, and he helped keep me sane during one of the events. Oh, and Saber too; she's a girl so you'll need to stay back, but she's really cool.

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This is not the home I know

Done. XD;

A replica is never late, nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to.

FFFFFFF

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