abyssdressing | The apocalypse is nigh!

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characters: mieudesuno

The apocalypse is nigh!

Asch agreeing to a drink with Emperor Peony? Luke studying ~~more or less~~ willingly? Asch chuckling? Uncle Jade?

It would appear Abyss Dressing Room has inexplicably stumbled upon the four signs of the apocalypse. This must explain why there is suddenly a horde of monsters poised to attack. ~~Redheads!~~ Denizens! Defend your nexus!

...Just be careful with those artes. Looks like the apocalypse is a lot fuzzier and noisier than anticipated. As such, every arte used spawns at least two dozen cheagles. And Mystic Artes spawn about fifty.

Good luck. And welcome to ~~Luke's~~ ~~Asch's~~ anyone who isn't Tear or Ion's hell.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This doesn't usually happen, Guy! Usually my artes work just fine!

[He kind of wants to punch you again for good measure.]

I - argh. You. [Sigh.] Damn it, Luke. Take care of yourself more.

[ That makes Luke want to cry or something. Seriously. ] I do take care of myself... I've been taking care of myself for years now, anywa-

[ ...He really hadn't meant to say that. ]

...What?

...

[ Now Luke looks super uncomfortable and he kind of turns his attention to the cheagles, petting one of them as a small group gathers around him. He's really quiet and doesn't look like he wants to actually talk. But he does know he owes Guy an explanation after saying something like that. ] I guess... I guess that's really a weird thing for you to hear me say when I look like this. But I... I'm not...

...

[ No, wait; Luke stops himself because that would be even worse to say if Guy's not from that time, wouldn't it... Luke would probably want to beat himself up forever if he tells his best friend, "Hey, I died, but I got better" if Guy doesn't know he'd been dying. ] Um... hey, Guy, what were you doing before you got here, anyway?

...Why are you avoiding the question? [He ignores that question too because he's not letting Luke get away with that.] What aren't you telling me?

Guy, please... just, tell me what was happening before you got here. I can't- I don't want to say this the wrong way.

I'd just gone back to Malkuth. Now tell me, Luke. I wouldn't have - I wouldn't have not visited at all in two years, especially if you were in trouble.

[ He fidgets, hugging the cheagle in his hands to his chest. ] ...What if you didn't know I was alive?

[Oh, he really, really doesn't like this.] Stop messing around, Luke, and tell me.

[ And that makes him flinch. ] It's kind of hard after-

...Look, I... you... [ Really, even Luke realizes there's absolutely no good way to put this, and he knows exactly how horrible it's all going to sound. ] ...After we fought Master Van, I kind of... promised to all of you I'd come back, right? Even though you all knew that I was going to die when I freed Lorelei...

I don't really know what happened after that or what Lorelei did, but after that, Asch and I didn't- we weren't dead anymore. But... [ He kind of waves his left hand vaguely for a moment before returning to hugging the cheagle he'd picked up. ] ...I haven't seen you in about nine years. [ Nevermind that Luke clearly still looks seventeen. ]

We fought Van and you DID WHAT? And then you - and - NINE YEARS?

[He's not quite sure which part he's supposed to freak out about first. So this is just going to be guy, cracking his knuckles on Luke's head - before he kind of...leaves his hand there. He might not get it but...nine years.]

What the hell, Luke?

[ This is Luke kind of curling up. ] I... I know... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I... it's not like I didn't want to go home. I mean, it'd be weird explaining it, why we were kids and... but it's not like I - we, Asch and I - didn't miss you. We just...

[He doesn't...get it. Because he'd thought you collapsed and everyone went home. And...why yes, he's from that first time they defeated Van.

But at that, he sighs and scoots a little closer.]

You just what? You think that would have made any difference to me? [Who taught you to walk, man?]

[ Hey, nearly a decade later hasn't done anything for Luke's smarts; he assumed Guy meant he knew about everything else, too.

It takes him a moment, but he kind of leans over so he can lean his head against Guy's shoulder. ] How would we have explained it to Mother and Father, that I was suddenly a seven-year-old kid and Asch was ten? I mean, it's so- [ He blames Lorelei. So much. ] Plus, neither of us wanted to drag any of you into things again. We have something to take care of, but... you deserve to have a normal life.

Idiot. We would have found a way.

[Lets out a breath and then wraps his arm around Luke.]

Drag me into - oh hell, Luke, are you really that much of an idiot?

[ T-To Luke's credit, it was mostly Asch's idea. ] Huh? But...

What kind of normal life do you think I can have anyway?

...Well, it's normal-ish from what I heard. Emperor Peony restored you to nobility and you have a manor and everything. [ Hey, he hasn't seen Guy or any of his friends but that doesn't mean he hasn't looked into what they're doing. ]

A manor.

Not a single relative left alive. Hardly anyone who even remembers my home town.

[He gives Luke a small smile.]

And a best friend who apparently dies at some point, and doesn't think it's important for his friends to know he comes back.

[ Luke fidgets and then blushes a bit. ] S-sorry... I guess we're both still really stupid, huh...

Maybe I should go visit, when I manage to find a way back home...

[Guy turns his head to look at Luke.]

I know I'd like that. [And now Guy can kind of guess what he has to go back to.

Wow, his life's going to suck.]

[ After a moment, Luke smiles brightly up at him. ] I've really missed you. [ Sure, he gets along more than fine with Asch these days, but there's no one like his best friend. ]

[Ah, he can't help but smile in response to that.] So hurry up and go see me when you get back, yeah?

[And even though it's only been a few weeks since he's last seen Luke, he'll admit he's missed him too. Ironic? A little, but he's long since given up thinking too hard about that.]

As soon as I convince Asch, I'll be right on your doorstep. [ And then he'll just have to hope for the best and that Guy won't think they're just impostors - since they have a lot of those around thanks to everyone wanting to be just like the world's herores - or that they won't give Guy a heart attack. Hey, it could happen. Or at least Luke thinks it could. He doesn't have the best concept of age and doesn't quite realize that thirty-one isn't all that old and that Guy's probably still in absolutely fantastic health. He just thinks thirty equals someone getting old.

...Jade probably didn't help this mentality at all with all of his commentary about being too old. Luke was very impressionable at that time. ]

The apocalypse is nigh!

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