abyssdressing | (no subject)

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[Today, Abyss DR, you'll find one small child plopped down in the middle of a pathway. He blinks and squints in the sudden sunlight, then turns his head away to try and block it out, not realizing that raising your hand to do so would accomplish the same thing. Once he dares to open his eyes again...

He looks confused, then scared. Of course, he's not sure what that uncomfortable feeling is that seizes his chest and makes the beating in it increase its speed, but he knows that it's unpleasant, and it makes him want to get away from whatever's causing it.

Where was he, anyway? This was bright with colors and shapes he's never seen before, not the dark, muted walls of the castle. He shouldn't be here, right? He was told to wait. Well... dropped to the floor and continuously pushed down every time he tried to follow that man until he got the message, anyway. But that message still rings clear - he needed to stay there. And he's not there anymore.

So, he's going to try to scoot and drag his way to a space between two buildings. It doesn't look as bright, so it's practically the same thing, right? Still... where was he?]

[[OOC: Hi everyone! Luke is as new as I am to this place, and not only that, but he's only about... oh, an hour or two old. Have fun with that!]]

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[When they got outside, Luke brought himself a little closer to Asch, both for warmth and security. Snuggling down into the tabard might make it look like Asch is carrying a bundle with wild red hair peeking up at the top of it, and some passerbys might smile at the sight. Occasionally, Luke will lift his head up to look around at everything, only to duck down again. It was still cold, and Luke was pretty tired despite the little scare he had.

Everything was so new to him... He couldn't even think to himself except in feelings - how could he do anything else, when he knew no words? First in his mind, something that's lingered for a while now, is confusion. Everything was so new and different and changing, and... it was a lot for newborn like him to take in. And he couldn't learn everything himself.

He'd have to work on that later. Right now, he dozed lightly against Asch, though he'd open his eyes every few seconds to look around again. Where were they going, anyway?]

[Any and everyone who even glanced or giggled in Asch's direction were shot with his nastiest look. He doesn't want all this attention brought to him and Luke, so he immediately picked up the pace, even if his breath begins to come in shallow pants. Ugh, Asch hated being injured. It was really such an inconvenience... He needed to get some gels pretty soon, and a good night's sleep once Luke went to bed, too.

But until Asch got the little dreck some toys, he'd never get to bed on his own without crying. So it's off to the market they go! Asch has to juggle Luke just to open the door when he finally finds a building that looks large enough, and grunts with the effort. He's almost tempted to kick in the door, but obviously does not. Inside, Asch sighs with relief. The toys and dolls are close by. A short few seconds and Asch bows his head to whisper softly to the child in his arms, discreetly leaning his face into that mess of red hair.]

Hey...wake up. Pick out something.

[Prepare to be blinded by rows of toys and dolls upon waking, little dreck.]

[Asch's voice makes Luke lift up his head, accidentally brushing his cheek against Asch's. He doesn't pay that any mind, though, and instead, he blinks and looks back at what Asch is indicating to.

... Whoa. It's beautiful. It's...

... What is it?

Luke leans forward slightly to get a good look at the dolls and toys, though he stops himself when he feels his balance start to lose itself and moves back a bit to regain it. So many things... And they all looked so appealing, too! Save for the girlie toys. Luke can already tell that the color pink is not a color he enjoys.

There are many cheagle dolls, all of which earn a lineface from Luke. It seems that all Lukes, no matter how young, always start out with a dislike for stupidly cute things. Those get passed up, and he looks along the different rows of dolls...

But upon seeing one in particular (http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk28/catina95/Tales%20of%20Legendia/Giet2.jpg), Luke stares for a moment, then lets out a little noise and holds out both of his arms towards it. That one! That oooone!]

[Asch tenses when his skin meets Luke's and he turns his head away almost automatically, like some kind of reflexive action. Intimate contact of that sort never had been something Asch was very open toward, no matter who the person was. He's never been accustom to it, even when he was little.]

[But he watched Luke look around, and blinked when he made a rather sour face at the cheagle dolls. Asch had been sure the little dreck would want one of those things. He had the real thing follow him around so often, and it was so obnoxiously loyal to him that Asch felt almost disgusted just by looking at it (plus the fact that it was so annoying didn't help matters either).

He holds Luke steady when he leans forward, curling an arm around his back, and looked at what he was cooing at. What...was that thing? It looked something like a cross between a wolf and a liger. Huh. Weird. Asch goes toward it, taking it off the shelf and handing it to Luke. It was roughly half his size, and nice and soft and floppy.]

This one?

[As soon as that doll comes within range, Luke grabs onto it and holds it close with a grin. It was so soft! Perfect for holding, and... it looked so cool, too! Unlike those cheagles. Bleh, cute things. Give him something COOL any day.

Once he realized that Asch asked him something, Luke looked up at him with a smile still on his face. What did he say...? And what should he say in return...? Huh...]

Ah... dis! ["This"!]

[Hm, a good choice. Asch would have made a face if he had to be seen carting around a kid with a girlie toy or doll. His dignity was in shambles already just having Luke clinging to him when they walked around, but Asch could live with it for now.

A smirk curled on his face when Luke mimicked him, and he rubbed the boy's back and corrected, gently. Maybe even asked, just to be sure.]

This?

[Though he's sure Luke wants this canine thing. It definitely looked cool, and Asch was moving to the row of clothes next. At least three outfits for now... Two outfits and some PJs for next time - i-if there was a next time! He picked those out, something classy, but casual, then moved onto the the things he needed. Gels, a few potions and bottles, some polish for his sword, a new whetstone...and some clean bandages.]

Now we pay.

[Then home and bed for you, little dreck. 8| It's way past your bedtime.]

Deh... thh-this? Th-This!

[It was easy to say the word once he knew what he was doing. He wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but he got the gist well enough. The clothes were next, though Luke didn't really pay attention as he played with his new doll more. The colors really appealed to him, as did the general look of the thing. Definitely better than... whatever those other things were.

Once Asch spoke again, though, Luke looked up at him again. Now that he was trying to speak correctly, he didn't seem to mind trying again at it, even though he still didn't know what he was talking about. It took repeating and trial and error to learn, right?]

Paaay?

[Asch chuckle softly and would have ruffled Luke's hair, but his hands were full with supplies and a baby dreck. Luke was a smart kid, though. He'd have to really begin tutoring him so he's know what the words he was speaking meant, but for now, just enhancing his vocabulary and talking to him was good enough. Asch didn't know it, but it was opening him up to the child as well. He'd never been a talkative person, after all.

Once at the check-out, Asch placed everything down and fished through his pockets for some gald. He gently tugged at Luke's doll to take it away, jingling the coins so as to distract Luke and give them to Luke. If he's successful, Asch places the doll down and gives a few coins to the replica. Then he points to the clerk, who's all but cooing at the two.]

Yes, pay. [Asch gives a few coins to the clerk, HIS SMILE GONE, then looks back at Luke and repeats.] Pay. Go ahead.

[It's a smart move to distract Luke from the doll. Once it was taken away, he was just about to protest and maybe even cry until the jingling of the coins caught his attention. What kind of noise was that? And what were they? Luke takes them in his hands and runs his fingers along the gold pieces, his expression one of curiosity. They were cool to the touch, and hard, too... Not like his doll at all.

Luke was just about to taste-test one of those coins when Asch spoke to him again. Pay? But... what did he mean by that? Luke stares blankly for a few seconds before he blinks, remembering while idly watching Asch that he handed some coins over. Was that what these things were for? Is this "pay"?

He looks down at the coins, then slowly hands them over with both hands hesitantly, as if he isn't really sure if this is the right thing to do.]

... Pay?

[Distraction is a success. Asch watches Luke as he touches the gald, and frowns as he's about to shove the things into his mouth. No, Luke, that's bad. You know that word from before? Bad. Luckily, another distraction works, and Luke's even' doing as Asch had instructed. He doesn't smile, not yet, but he will once out of public and the peoples' scrutinizing looks.

The teller giggles, takes the offered money, and thanks Luke with a smile. She then exchanges the coins and gives Asch his receipt, which is pocketed, and then a bag for the supplies. The doll is given right back to Luke with another smile and a quick comment.

You look just like your father.]

He's not my son! He's my...brother. ...My little brother.

[Asch merely grunts to the clerk's apology, then grabs his things and leaves without a word. Ugh...he just wanted to go home. Go home and rest. Maybe this would all be over in the morning. Over and gone.]

[Well. That snap made Luke's triumphant smile disappear in favor of looking up at Asch with wide eyes. Was there something wrong? Something the nice lady said...? Or was it him? Luke wasn't really sure, but it still makes him hold the doll close to him.

Once they're outside again, Luke leans in closer to Asch and looks up at him with big, questioning, concerned eyes. He can't ask if there's anything wrong, but he'd sure like to.]

[Damn it. Asch can feel Luke tense in his arms and he berates himself silently for his little outburst once they're outside, heading back to their room. Why had he snapped like that? Was it really so hard to accept that he was willingly taking care of the one responsible for taking his entire life away? Was that why? Or just the fact that it was the replica being mistaken for his son...or acknowledging him as something more than just "the replica"?

Asch didn't know. So he sighed and rubbed his hand over Luke's back slowly when the little dreck leaned in. Just once, though. Asch felt strangely tired, and just wanted to go to sleep.]

Did I scare you? ...It's nothing you did. [The apology is there, just unspoken.]

[Whatever Asch said, he still seemed... troubled. Or some unpleasant emotion of some sort... But what could he do?

Luke looks down at the doll in his arms, clutched tightly against his chest. He already loved it - though Asch made him feel safe and warm right now, holding onto this thing, being able to... That just added on to those feelings.

Maybe it'd help Asch?

He had to admit, Luke was hard pressed to give it up even for a few minutes. So, it takes him a minute or two, but he holds out the doll enough to let it rest against Asch's other shoulder. Maybe it'll make him feel better, too...]

[What...was Luke doing? Asch blinked and he walked, slowing to an immediate halt just outside the inn. Did he not want his toy anymore? Luke seemed to love it, though, and even hesitated to give it up now. Asch didn't understand, so just looked from the doll back to Luke with a look so confusion on his face. What did Luke want him to do?

Eventually, though, it dawned on him. Luke, and most other children, took comfort from silly little things like dolls, blankets, and toys. It was something they could always go back to and hold onto when they were upset. Was that what Luke was trying to give to him? Some form of...comfort? Asch looked at the doll and allowed a brief and small smile to grace his features. He wrapped his arms around the young boy and gave him a bit of a little hug. Deny it as Asch might, Luke was a cute kid. Maybe...m-maybe he could keep him around for a little bit.]

...Idiot.

[Have a hair ruffle, dreck. You aren't so bad at all, and Asch appreciates the effort to cheer him up.]

[Ah... That seemed to make him feel better, if the smile and the hug said anything. Luke smiled in return, even laughed from the hair ruffle, before he pulled that doll back against him. He still loves it, after all.

And once they get inside, once Luke realizes that it's warm in here, and Asch is still holding him and he's got his new doll... Well, he's a lot more tired than he thought he was. Or... whatever this unpleasant feeling is supposed to be. Luke shifts and makes a face, then lets out a big yawn before he realizes it.]

Ha-aaah? [WHAT DID HE JUST DO.]

[Good lord, Luke loves that dolly. Asch's going to be hard pressed to take it from him to wash if it ever gets dirty. Well, he'll just not think about that for now. Because now, Luke was definitely tired, and Asch was being a little more quick to get him to bed where he could sleep at last.

Asch gave an amused snort at the questioning sound Luke made after he yawned and held him close again, so the little dreck could rest against his shoulder before they got back to their room.]

You're ti--...sleepy, Luke. You just yawned.

[He won't press him for that word, though. The poor kid's mind must be a fog from fatigue. Straight to bed! Asch takes Luke back to his room, deposits the clothes he got for him on a dresser, and lays the boy down on the bed again, tucking him in with his new doll.]

I'll be right next door...so don't whine. [He hesitates, before smoothing Luke's hair back, like his own mother used to do, and sighed.] Good...good night...Luke.

[Ah... Asch held him closer. Well, that extra bit of warmth made him snuggle closer and nearly doze right off there on Asch's shoulder, though he still listened to what he had to say. "Sleepy" "Yawned"... What weird words.

Maybe he'll learn them someday...

And once he's down in the bed, he doesn't protest quite as much, now that he's much more tired and has something to hold on to. He does still look up at Asch with apprehension, because... what if he does disappear? What if he doesn't see him again?

But Asch smoothing his hair back helped him calm a little, and... well, he's too tired to think further on it. He'll just have to hope for the best... for Asch to come back and for that scary man to stay away forever.

The thoughts, without words as they are, make him hold his doll closer as he finally shuts his eyes and already starts to drift off.]

[Once Luke closes his eyes, Asch can move out of the room quietly. He turned to look back at the small child one last time as he hovered in the doorway, then turned again and shut the door with a soft click. He should be all right now.

Asch sighed for the nth time today, pushing his bangs back and away from his face as he headed toward his room to undress and get comfortable in bed. He won't exactly go to sleep - he never could sleep very easily - but he does lay down to stare up at his ceiling in thought. His mind felt muddled, and every thought that passed was one about Luke. His little replica sleeping soundly next door to him. Asch closed his eyes, and immediately heard Luke laugh, saw him smile, and something tight clutched at Asch's chest.

Could he give that up, now? He...had to. Asch wasn't fit to raise the replica! Maybe now, while he's small, but when he grows, and Asch is reminded of the replica he knew, back then...would he still care for him like he did now? Would he lash out and - Yulia forbid - strike him? Would he call him words like "dreck", "trash", and "reject"? He couldn't chance that happening. It wouldn't be right.

Problem was...Asch didn't want to give Luke away. Not entirely. And that thought made him toss and turn as he tries, desperately, to get some semblance of sleep.]

[It's a good thing Asch hasn't gone to sleep yet. Because along with the events of the day come the terrors of night, especially since it's so dark in the room. Luke had clutched his doll close and ducked under the blankets, and that had helped a little... but it didn't ease his mind. Thus, his consciousness provided the unease he was trying to ward off.

He dreamed of the dark, of waking up cold and not knowing a thing about the world. Of someone crying next to him, though he couldn't reach out to him... Of his wrist suddenly being twisted by a hand made of ice, of terrifying blue eyes that seemed to bear down on him, a scowl as the grip suddenly loosened, only for him to hit hard, solid ground. The ghosts that would flicker in and out of sight were suddenly close to him, reaching out and threatening him, and all of them had the same eyes as that man, and no matter how much he tried to get away, they were everywhere-

Even in his dream, he let out a scream and covered his head to try and get away from them all. He didn't seem to realize that this was happening outside of his dream as well.]

[Perhaps it's because Asch hadn't been sleeping - or just barely nodding off - that he heard Luke's cries of terror so easily. The fact that he was just next door helped quite a bit as well. It was a second or two later that the ex God-General's eyes open and he sat up, flinging the covers off.

Luke was cryi--no, Luke was screaming. Survival instincts kick in and Asch is up and awake in no time.]

LUKE?!

[BIG BROTHER IS COMING.

Asch flies out of bed and hurls himself into Luke's room, flicking on the lights and half expecting some burglar or whatever to be hovering over his bed or something.

Nothing. Just a bad dream, then. A nightmare. A nightmare...]

[Asch immediately goes to Luke, not thinking twice before he reaches out and tugs the young boy into his arms. A nightmare, just a nightmare... Asch can't be upset - he knew how bad that nightmare must have been. Luke had just been made, right? Then he must have remembered...

Asch closed his eyes and tucked Luke's head under his chin, rubbing his back slowly. He knew, he knew how scary it was. He experienced those same terrifying dreams. He still remembered some of them, too. The pain, the cold...the betrayal.]

Shh...Luke, you're fine. You're fine, hush. It's okay, just be quiet, now.

[Luke doesn't even realize where he is or what's going on - that was his first nightmare, the first time he's ever slept, and he's not sure what it was supposed to be. For all he knew he was actually back at the castle with that man, with all of those terrible ghosts, and for all he knew the sudden movement and the feeling of someone holding him was the man again, coming back to take him away...

Luke struggled at first, screamed and cried - most of all, he cried out for someone.]

Asch!

[Aside from his own, it was the only name he knew, the only person he'd met and come to trust. It's no surprise that he's trying to call for help from that man... But once he wrenches his eyes open and sees who it is, he just-

Starts to cry. It's no longer the hysterical sobs of a boy who's scared for his life, but the quiet ones of a boy who's just found his savior. Asch was here, and that man was gone. The one with the blue eyes... He was nowhere in sight, nor the ghosts or the cold, or... None of it was around.

So, he leans into Asch's hold and just cries, the memories of that horrible experience fresh in mind. After a moment, though, his sobs start to quiet down, and soon enough, they're just little sniffles. The comfort is certainly helping, along with the knowledge that he's somehow escaped from that castle again.

He's okay. He's okay. Asch is here.]

[The wriggling child in his arms wasn't anything Asch wasn't used to. In fact, it didn't bother him as much as it should have. He was used to things like this - nightmares and struggling against any and everything that seems like it's holding you down, even if it's just the sheets of your bed. Asch knew the pain, the suffering, the horror that Luke was experiencing. They had shared that horror, after all.

What really bothered Asch, however, was that Luke cried out his name. Asch.

Curling his arms around the small child when he finally just breaks down into tears, Asch holds and hushes the little child as quietly as he could. Luke's terrified cry of his name echoed in Asch's head, and he pressed his face into Luke's feathery red hair, rubbing his hand against Luke's back and letting him cry for a little bit, all the while speaking softly and reassuring Luke that it was all right. It was just a bad dream...]

Shh...shh...you're fine now.

[Asch pulled Luke away gently, wiping his face with the corner of one of the sheets. But after that, Asch allowed Luke to lay against him again. If he was so reliant on Asch's presence for comfort, then Asch would grant it to him this night. He picked Luke up into his arms and took him right to his room, where the bed just a little bit bigger. Enough space for two people to fit comfortably.]

You can sleep with me tonight, so nothing else can scare you. I'll be right here with you this time, Luke...I promise. I'll be right here all night, and I'll be here in the morning. So no more tears... [Asch paused. Those words...they were words from the lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was sick. Maybe...maybe a lullaby would help?]

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/watches her soul wither away slowly. 8|

/popcorn :|

you are a horrible person. 8| /FLIPS

/SOBS because the popcorn is now ruined

/LAUGHS EVILLY.

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LUNCHBREAK TAG

THE BEST KIND.

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