towerofanimus | And happiness is -

Entry tags:

And happiness is -

Characters: Asch and Luke/open/open/Orihime
Setting: Luke's room, first morning of the event; the Graveyard, that afternoon; the music floor, the 16th, 17th, and 18th; the kitchens, the 19th
Format: AH WHATEVER MAN
Summary: An overjoyed creeper finds something he thought was lost; later, he visits the graveyard and finds something else unusual. Afterwards, piano playing and tea parties.
Warnings: ... Creepers gonna cuddle. Sorry Luke.

Luke's room -

[There was something against the edge of his mind, the feeling of an extension of himself in a way that he hadn't felt in... Just over a year now, wasn't it?

Asch is throwing himself out of bed in an instant, ignoring his coat and weapons; he doesn't even take the time to pull his shoes on properly, laces dragging behind him as he rushes up the stairs to that old, familiar room. The bed had been filled again at one point, some stranger that Asch couldn't bear to even look at, but that person was gone now, so maybe...

The name on the door is the same. He throws it open, looking to the corner for the familiar mess of red hair - ]

...You're here. You're really here.

[The joy on his face is utterly unrestrained as he makes his way to his replica's bedside, stumbling over his shoelaces and not giving a damn.]

Graveyard -

[That morning had been... strange, to say the least, so he'd felt the need to make sure, to be positive that this wasn't all some dream or Tower trick. He'd taken the time to go back to his room and get properly dressed before making this trip, but he had to be sure.

He's stood in this spot a hundred times, knelt and rubbed his fingers across the engraved letters so often they'd begun to show wear from his constant attention. But now, the headstone is blank -

What a strange sight he must be, falling to his knees in front of a nameless grave.]

[On his way out, he pauses in front of a familiar stone lion, running his hand across the carved mane. It had started out for him as a place to do honor to those no one else would mourn, but over the years, it had come to symbolize to him everyone left behind on Auldrant. He never passes it without taking a moment - ]

Flowers?

[Dried and crumpled, as though left for days, but these are... They're the flowers he left, the first time he came here, four years ago. They should have long since turned to dust.]

How the hell...?

Music room -

[The sounds of a piano being played fills the floor - not the usual faint playing of the instruments doing it themselves, but an actual player seated on the bench. The melody that flows out from Asch's fingers is far more joyful than his usual playing; he feels like he hasn't stopped smiling in days, and there's no point in trying.

Luke is here. Even if it's by some strangeness of the Tower - he has absolutely no complaints. The reverse of complaints, really; he's a bit tempted to send a present to whichever admin was responsible for giving him Luke back.

A violin adds itself to his playing. He doesn't even twitch, just sighs faintly and continues to play. Some things, apparently, were still business as usual.]

Kitchen -

[He's spent most of the morning making cookies - even after four years, Orihime hasn't lost her taste for making foods strangely, so it's probably better if he just takes care of it. It's their unbroken habit; one of the few things he used to measure the time, right after Luke had disappeared.

Asch smiles and puts the water on to boil. Some part of him knows that this won't last - the Tower's strangeness never does - but he's not going to let that stop him from enjoying what time there is. Seeing Luke again leaves him with a wholesome, optimistic feeling that he can't regret.

A tray of cookies on the table, and more on the counter; he sits down to wait.]

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[Luke let out a meep, feeling that familiar tug and bracing himself for a headache... that never came? Actually, it felt most like a big fat cat had plopped itself on his head and curled up to sleep... which was also a lot like Asch was acting. How... weird.]

Remember what?

Just about everything that's happened, apparently.

[He leans forward, extending a hand towards Luke to pull him back up.]

Come on, don't sit on the floor all day.

[Luke leaned away instead, giving Asch a wary look. Seriously, Asch and nice were words that never went in the same sentence. What was going on?!]

...Either get up here or I'm coming down there with you. This is stupid.

[There's a bit of the old Asch for you, Luke - still as easily frustrated by you as ever, even if his tone isn't nearly as cutting as you're used to.]

Fine, fine...

[Luke grumbled as he stood up, fixing Asch with a distrustful look. This was too weird for his tastes... seriously, what was going on with his original?]

[Really, Luke. This face for a significant period of time.]

Quit looking at me like I'm plotting to eat your cheagle.

[Whatever the Tower's doing - and it's clearly doing something - it's not like Asch is the one responsible.]

All I did was wake up this morning and realize that you're here.

You better not eat Amnon!

[...speaking of which, where was he? He was always curled up next to him at night...]

[...Major facepalm at you, Luke.]

Of course not. Tear'd kill me, for one thing, but that wasn't the point I was making.

[Replica u r dense.]

[Sorry, Asch, the point flew over Luke's head and nested on Lelouch's bed. Try again.]

L-look, whatever. You're not acting normal; what the hell's wrong with you?

There's nothing wrong with me, you just...

[SIGH and running his hand through his hair - his bangs are still a mess, considering how fresh out of bed he is.]

Apparently the Tower's done something weird with time this time. You're acting like you did four years ago.

[...wait, what?]

Four years ago? I haven't even been here that long!

[Yes, Luke, thank you for stating the obvious.]

It would've only been three for you anyway. About a year ago you... disappeared.

[He looks away for a moment, unhappiness all over his face at the thought. Yep, that would be why he said he missed you, Luke. You leaving was not okay.]

[...]

[Sorry, Asch, but the fact that you actually missed him is still a bit much for him to take. Don't mind him as he stares in disbelief, not saying anything.]

[And he's just going to settle back on his heels, returning that stare for a long moment before sighing.]

So I take it I'm not getting a hug.

OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT GETTING A HUG!!!

[Luke you're breaking his heart here.]

Pain in the ass.

[That may be a pout. ~~who are we fooling that's definitely a pout~~

Have a pillow lobbed at your face instead, then, Luke.]

[Luke let out a yelp as the pillow hit him square in the face, knocking him to the ground. Now just who exactly was being the pain in the ass!?]

[Surprise crosses his face - he didn't actually expect it to hit, geez Luke - but then Asch is laughing at the scene, flopping onto his side with shaking shoulders. He manages to get it under control for a moment - ]

Having a bit of an off day, are you?

[And then nope, he's going off again, smothering snickers into Luke's blankets.]

[Luke tore the pillow from his face, looking like he was two seconds shy of having a fit.]

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?

[...well, more of a fit than he was having already.]

[The laughter stills. Asch stares at Luke from his sideways vantage with a confused and somewhat hurt expression.]

There's nothing wrong with me. I'm -

[He feels good. Feels great. He just laugh for the first time in months, without any reservation - he's happy, how could that be something wrong.]

I'm just glad you're here.

O...kay...

[So much what here... seriously...]

But you're never glad I'm around. Actually, I'm pretty sure you hate my guts, not that I can blame you.

Yes, well... I'm not exactly a genius where emotions are involved.

[Furthest thing from, really. At least he could own up to it in retrospect.]

You never actually deserved it.

[...it was frightening to hear Asch admit that, and Luke could only stop and stare, at a complete loss for words.]

...what... made you change...?

Well... Time helped, for a start.

[Where to start, is written all over his face.]

You remember when I had your fon slots opened, all the way back at Choral Castle? Well, that caused my fonons to begin to separate and travel to you.

[He sighs slightly.]

Since my fon slots were closed, those fonons couldn't come back, and I was slowly dying. Coming to the Tower granted me a reprieve, but it didn't fix the problem. The only way to do that was to open my fon slots in return.

It ... took a while for me to trust you that much. By that time, I was pretty weak, and even the smallest of my injuries wouldn't heal naturally. So when I finally did it...

[His eyes glaze over as he trails off, and he smiles, before shaking his head to bring himself back down to earth.]

I felt whole for the first time since you were born, and also, really stupid for not doing it sooner.

S-so... you were dying that entire time...?

[Luke stared... and once the moment of surprise passed, he got really annoyed, to the point he was shaking in rage.]

How could you let that happen for so long?! Didn't you value your life at all?!

Seriously. XD

Sob poor kid

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Just that icon forever, huh?

And this one.

S-sob Luke plz

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I don't really have an appropriate icon for this oops

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