Awkward Redhead Bonding Time [Closed]

[bloodyashes]

Characters: Your local sources of Stupid Fabre Genes
Setting: The sauna. //swoon
Format: Knowing us, probably actionspam.
Summary: Asch attempts to corner his wayward replica with a hairbrush, and gets dragged into the baths instead. Awkward bonding ensues.
Warnings: Here be awkward, naked redheads.

[Alright, enough was enough. Luke's usual mess of hair was bad enough, but something about it today was just terrible enough to really set his original off. To that end, Asch has snagged his hairbrush out of his room and is now stalking his way down the stairs after his replica. A quick peek over their connection gives him a location, and -

Why is Luke going to the sauna, anyway?

...Doesn't matter. Asch stomps his way into the locker room with every bit of authority he can muster, that hairbrush held not unlike a weapon. Why couldn't he have gotten the version with short hair, again?]

Alright, idiot, where are you?

[At least he's not abusing the mindlink this time? Be grateful for small blessings, Luke.]

Comments

not here.

[hyperglycemic]

I knew you were going to do something weird with it.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke let out a curious noise at the voice on the other side of the lockers, not realizing he had been followed. Was that... Asch? He walked over to where the voice was coming from, rounding the lockers and... oh wow, Asch, your replica is stark naked.]

Hunh? Asch, what's up?

[bloodyashes]

[...Whoops, there goes all his authority. Asch drags his free hand down the bridge of his nose - okay, so he's not particularly bothered by seeing Luke, of all people, without clothes on... But still.

In answer, he lifts the hairbrush first, then actually speaks.]

Throw a towel on or something and get over here, you're a mess.

[sacred_flamer]

What? No way! I was just about to head into the bath.

[There was no way he was just going to sit there and let Asch play with his hair. Seriously, what are you, a girl, original?]

[bloodyashes]

[If he's a girl, then so are you, and you're in the wrong locker room.]

All the more reason to do it now, while you're dry. Unless you want to leave wet piles of hair everywhere?

[sacred_flamer]

No. Way.

[He didn't care if he was being childish. He came here for a bath; he was going to get a bath, and it was going to be awesome.]

I don't want a beauty session, I want to relax in a bath.

[He paused a moment, considering.]

...why don't you join me?

[bloodyashes]

[Folded arms. Stubbornness Olympics incoming.]

Not until I'm sure there's not anything building a nest on your head.

[Hey, it's not an outright no...]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke made a face.]

Fine, then you can wait for me to finish.

[And... he'll just spin on his heel, rat's nest of hair fluttering dramatically behind him as he sauntered off toward the sauna. Okay, maybe he was being a little stubborn, but geeze, Asch...]

1/?

[bloodyashes]

Like hell I'm going to -

[Too slow, Asch, too slow.]

[bloodyashes]

[...Well fine, Luke, if that's how you want to play it. Never let it be said that Asch can't take a bullet for the greater good.]

[bloodyashes]

[Except in this case, the bullet is a towel, and it's aimed at his dignity. And also, his waist.

Thank goodness no one except Luke is around to see this.]

4/4 Done

[bloodyashes]

[...After all, it's awkward enough to follow his replica into the sauna with nothing but a towel and a hairbrush to his name.

But follow he does. You have challenged the wrong original to a stubborn-off, Luke. He is simply the most stubborn there is.]

Happy, now?

[Don't mind the scars or the way he adjusts the towel tighter around his waist. He's still a badass, okay.]

[sacred_flamer]

[In the time it took Asch to be a pretty princess and finally join him, Luke had already dipped himself into the sauna, looking for all the world like heaven had just come to the Tower. He still had a silly, pleased grin on his face by the time Asch came in, and he angled his head back to look at him, fighting against a laugh.]

Sheesh, about time.

[bloodyashes]

[Fuck you very much, replica. In contrast to Luke's lazy indulgence, Asch looks distinctly self-conscious and uncomfortable - be very glad that it's just you, Luke, because that is absolutely the only way that towel is coming off and getting left right next to the water for later. The hairbrush goes there too, for the moment, just so that Asch can sink all the way down to his chin in the water.]

This was not how I planned to spend the day.

[sacred_flamer]

It's not going to kill you to relax every now and then you know, especially in this place.

[Luke let out a sigh, sinking down himself. Oh damn, this felt so good...!]

[bloodyashes]

This isn't something I find particularly relaxing.

[True, the water's nice, but... Asch shifts a bit under the surface. Weaponless and naked... Even telling himself that, if worst comes to worst, he still has fonic artes to defend himself - and hyperresonance, if it comes to that - he feels terribly exposed.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke paused, giving him a look.]

...you don't need to protect yourself all the time, 'ya know.

[bloodyashes]

[...He's honestly torn between glaring and snorting. For once, he opts for the latter.]

Like you would know anything about it.

[Luke, who never had to protect himself from anything... The underhanded tactics of the world Asch is familiar with wouldn't even occur to him. The bath was a fantastic place to run into assassins, precisely because most people relaxed there.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Excuse you, are you forgetting the part where he just fought against three dragons?! Not to mention everything else he's been through here?! He let out a rude noise, glaring at him.]

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

[bloodyashes]

[Make all the rude noises you like, Luke.]

It's exactly like I said. You don't have a cautious bone in your body. You just trust that everything will turn out okay.

[Under the water, he shifts again, reach up to run one hand through the strands of his hair that aren't yet completely soaked.]

Sometimes, it doesn't.

[sacred_flamer]

Well, true... but is it so bad to trust people first?

[Luke gave a small shrug, turning away to look out across the water.]

...it was just me in that mansion. I had no one except Guy and sometimes Natalia... so I don't really see anything wrong with trying to give people a chance first. And that applies to everything else too.

[bloodyashes]

[There's a significant pause, where Asch simply stays there, hand in his hair, before he drops his hand into the water with a small splash.]

The last person I put that kind of total trust in was Van. I don't think I need to tell you how that ended up.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke fell very quiet at that.]

...no, you don't.

[bloodyashes]

[He folds his arms under the water.]

So you can't blame me for protecting myself from that.

[sacred_flamer]

Not everyone's like Van though. Take... well, my roommate! He's not a bad guy.

[...so he thinks.]