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characters: repliderp

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[Sup, residents of the dressing room? If you're out and wandering today, you may find one(1) bitty replica doing the same thing as you. He has escaped from the inn via someone leaving the door open, and he's decided to explore and see everything for himself. Of course, he has no idea what kind of dangers he might get into or the stress he might cause. Luke's just interested in getting out of that inn and seeing what there is to see on his own.

The boy can walk, though a little awkwardly, and he'll try climbing up on benches and play balancing games with himself. Once that gets boring, he'll jump off of there and land on his feet, though fall to his hands and knees. Asch taught him not to cry over such useless things, though, so he stands and is off again, completely ignoring the grass stains on his pants. Next, he'll bend down near the side of the trail, where a bunch of pebbles lay. He turns them over in his hands a few times, then... puts them in his mouth. Huh... They don't really taste like much of anything, but the texture is pretty interesting.

Feel free to catch him at either of these times!]

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[Usually cleaning, especially with a messy little replica running rampant in his hotel suite, requires one to air out the dust and smell of cleaning solution and water. That was half the reason Asch left the door open, but he thought the brat was napping! So, as he finishes up folding some of the replica's clothes - how the hell did he always get so dirty all the time?! - Asch passed his empty room and--]

[Wait.]

[...Where is my replica?]

[WHERE IS MY REPLICA--]

[--AAAAAAAAAAAAVHJVKL;FHJDX!!

BRB, BARRELING OUT THE OPEN DOOR LIKE A CHARGING BULL.]

[Whereas Luke is completely oblivious to Asch's distress, as he's busy holding out the bottom of his shirt and gathering up pebbles. Maybe he could take them home to Asch... Some of them were kind of pretty.

And then he's utterly distracted by a squirrel running by. Luke stands and tries to go after it, though a few pebbles fall out of his shirt. He stays still and looks at the pebbles - DILEMMA!!! - before he looks at the squirrel again, and watches it run up a tree. B-Baw...

... WELL HE WASN'T INTERESTED IN IT ANYWAY. B[ He'll just pick out the uglier pebbles in his shirt while looking up at where the squirrel disappeared to. Here he thought he'd made a friend!]

[Asch, meanwhile, had been running around ~~Belkend~~ the nexus, shoving his way past people and calling out his replica's name. He couldn't have gotten far, Asch kept telling himself, but even as he kept looking and calling out, his worries piled higher and higher. What if Luke can gotten himself hopelessly lost and was crying for Asch right now? What if he wandered outside the village? What if he was being stalked by a monster right now? What if he was...

Asch felt his throat constrict, and he clenched his jaw against the pain that particular thought brought about - he'd been taking care of the young replica for some time now, and had gotten attached. He knew it, and more or less came to terms with it. So if anything happened to him, Asch knew he would feel grief and despair.

He was just about to start heading out toward the outskirts of the city, when he spied a telltale splotch of red off in the distance, and his spirits soared. Please, don't be another stupid dreck. Be his stupid dreck--...yes. Yes, thank Hod, he was there. Luke was there and all right.

...

Asch is going to kill you. B|

STOMPING OVER, NOW.]

[Luke was staring up at the branches of the tree with a few pebbles in his fingers, wandering if it was possible to get up there... The squirrel had somehow skittered up there, after all. But then he started to hear footsteps, and he turned to see Asch stomping towards him. He doesn't quite realize just how much trouble he's in, so he gives a big smile and turns around on his knees to face him.]

Asch! [Now he can play too.]

[Sorry, Luke, but your adorable tendencies cannot pierce the strong and tempered heart of a soldier. Plus, your stone-faced original is ~~mostly~~ immune to your cute and adorable derplica wiles. He towers above the boy when he approaches, eyes narrowed with all the rage of an unchained junkyard doberman.

He grabs the little dreck, hauling him up into his arms and just...just holds him. Asch is relieved for only a few minutes though, hugging his "little brother" close, and pressing his face into Luke's hair. Thank goodness he was safe...thank goodness...]

You...are in big trouble!

[Well, all of that was one pile of confusion for Luke. Asch doesn't normally hug him like that - in fact, it's usually Luke himself who has to hug him to get anything back, unless Asch picks him up or something. And this was... different than usual. Something about how he was holding him and pressing his face to his hair - Luke didn't quite understand it, so he glanced at the side of his head and hugs him loosely around the neck.

Not to mention Asch looked like he was going to yell at him before this. That was kind of scary.

And now... Wait, what? First a hug and now...?]

Chubble?

Trouble, yes. You did something very bad, Luke! Very bad! You could have been hurt, or worse! You're just lucky I found you before something else did!

[With his heart still hammering loudly in his chest, and his temper at an all time high with fear and worry for his little replica, Asch decided that just sending Luke to the corner when they got home wouldn't be enough. He needed a heftier punishment than that, and Asch had plenty of time to think on it until they got home.

Firstly, though, Asch sets his replica down, but takes his hand. You came here on your own two legs, little dreck, and you're going home the same way. No being carried for you.]

Come on, walk.

[Throughout all of that, Luke just stared with a confused, slightly scared expression. Asch was angry, he knew that for sure... He just couldn't pinpoint why. He wasn't hurt, and no one found him... So why was he so mad at him? Luke had done something wrong, but what?

He does walk, though he's quiet as he does so, and he stares off to the side and drags his feet. He really was in big trouble, and Luke was not looking forward to his punishment. Was it going to be the corner again? Luke hated the corner.

At least he's much better at walking than he was when Luke first visited him. He's slow and awkward, but he's not stumbling nearly as much.]

[Asch, though he understand Luke's plight with walking, isn't exactly making it simple for the boy. He tugs him along like some kind of prisoner, though his grip isn't nearly as rough as it would be with a true prisoner - they'd probably be dead anyway, but details. He is, however, walking at a hastened pace, and though Luke isn't stumbling nearly as much, and Asch is keeping him balanced, it won't be easy to keep up with him.

He really didn't go far. The inn came into view in just a matter of minutes. Asch must have gone in the wrong direction when he began searching for the boy. It felt like hours that he had been searching, though that may have been an exaggeration as well. He had been so worried for the boy - his little replica, his little Luke.

Worried, but still upset.]

Why did you run away?! [He heaves open the door and motions for Luke to get inside the inn.] Did you want to sleep outside?!

[Damn, Asch. 8|; Luke had to practically jog a few times to keep up, though he'd immediately stumble to a fast walk instead. Running is still one thing he needs to learn. But Asch's grip, and the way he was practically being dragged... At this point, Luke has mostly forgotten about the time he was created, only really remembering them in his nightmares. So he mostly just feels a great sense of discomfort, which shows when Asch asks him those questions.

He purses his lips and looks away, trying his best not to cry. Were he raised by maids and servants who spoiled him, he'd probably give in right then and there, but with Asch... Luke disliked crying around him.]

[Asch doesn't look at Luke or speak much more than that until they get to his suite. He opens it up and ushers Luke inside, but releases his hand immediately and stalks right into the young boy's room. He stalks out with the boy's toy - his Giet plush - and looks down at Luke. Asch knows this will upset the boy, ossibly to tears, but he had to learn that running away like that is not acceptable. So he takes the toy and puts it in a high place. A place where Luke can't reach it.]

This is mine until you learn not to run off like that. Or until you say you're sorry for what you did. And let me know exactly where you are and where you're going. You can't run off without telling me...do you understand, Luke? Are you sorry?

[You're not getting the thing back unless you are.]

[Tired of walking, Luke had fallen to his hands and knees when Asch let go of him. He looked up when Asch returned, and his eyes brightened when he saw his doll...

Only to widen when the doll was placed on the shelf, and Asch said he couldn't have it anymore. But... he still doesn't understand! What did he do wrong? Why was Asch being so scary? And now one of his few sources of security was gone, the doll that he fell asleep with every night and practically took everywhere...

Asch's assumption would be correct. Luke stares with despair for a few seconds before his eyes fill with tears, and he squeezes them shut and

starts

to

cry.

It's a wail of sorts, of sadness and confusion and fear. What was going on?! Why can't he just go back outside with his doll and have Asch be happy again?!]

Beeeear! [Yes, that is his name for the doll.]

[Well, there it was. Asch had been bracing for Luke's tears and screams of despair, but nothing prepared him for that wail. It was loud enough to break glass, Asch wagered, and he squinted his eyes shut in frustration and pain. Sure he expected Luke to cry, and he often comforted and cared for the boy when he did, but this time...this time Asch was at a loss. He wanted to teach Luke a lesson that he couldn't just run off without telling him, but he also wanted to shut him up!

Aaggh...maybe keeping him was a bad id--no! No...he made the decision to keep Luke with him months ago, and he'd hold true to that decision. It'd be harder now than ever before, on both of them, if Asch gave Luke up to someone. There was no way he would. Not now - even if he was growing more and more upset with him - not ever. Asch...Asch cared too much about the little kid. He showed that just now, didn't he? He had been so worried when Luke ran away.

But what does he do?!]

[Asch crouches down, steeling himself against Luke's caterwauling. He gently takes one of the little replica's hands in his, holding it firmly, but gently. He tugs Luke into his arms, sighing and trying to calm the anger that was welling up.]

Luke. Stop a minute. Come on, just listen.. [He waits for a moment of quiet between the screams, rubbing his fingers along the back of Luke's hand in a pacifying gesture.] You did something wrong, something bad... Do you know what you did? Tell me what you did bad, Luke. If you can tell me, and apologize and...p-promise not to do it again, I'll give you back your...Bear.

[Or whatever the animal was. Asch still couldn't figure it out. No book had a species quite like Luke's doll. He just assumed it was a made-up creature for children's amusement.]

[Asch's gestures and actions manage to bring Luke's screaming down to hiccups and quiet little whimpers, and he stares up at Asch with overly bright eyes, tears still falling down his cheeks. What... he did? He'd done something bad, he knew, but... what?]

I don'... I don' know.

[It's said as Luke lowers his head and hides his face against Asch's shoulder. Even if Asch was scary before... He was still his biggest source of security, the one he'd always go to when he was scared or sad. That would never change. He loved the man taking care of him, even when he was scary and angry.

But how is Luke supposed to learn his lesson if he has no idea what the bad thing he did is? How is he supposed to get his Bear back? Asch told him he can't have it if he can't tell him what he did...]

[Asch sighed, and let himself slump as he slowly calmed himself down, rubbing Luke's back and petting his hair. Stupid little dreck...working him up so much, and making his worry...stupid, stupid, little dreck. Asch pulled Luke back, taking him into the kitchen to wash his face clean with a clean cloth.]

...You ran away. Without telling me! I didn't know where you were, Luke. Would you like it if I suddenly went away? Or if your bear suddenly went away - and you didn't know where either of us were? It'd make you feel afraid, right?

[Asch knew it would, and he hoped this tactic would work with such a small child like his replica. He didn't want to spoil him, but Asch had been so afraid when he got out, and then he started to cry because he was so upset...agh. It was hard, taking care of the little boy, but Asch didn't want to treat him coldly either. And especially not like he treated his replica before.]

[Luke hiccups as he's taken to the kitchen, and he mulls over what Asch said. Asch would leave sometimes, right? It's not like Luke wasn't a stranger to that, so why...? Then again, when that would happen, the older Luke would be there to babysit and play with him. Luke was usually having too much fun to worry about where Asch went, even if he didn't know where he was.

So... yes, he can see Asch's point. Especially if Bear went away... especially both of them. Just thinking about it makes fear rise up, and he presses himself a little closer to Asch while he looks up at him and nods, biting his lower lip. Yes, he would feel afraid...]

[Luke's actions alone, even though he nodded, spoke loudly. Asch held the boy close, hushing him and even discreetly rocking him in his arms. He wouldn't even leave Luke like he said. Not ever, even if this nexus tried to take him back. There was no way, now, that he'd leave Luke to fend for himself. Asch had nothing to go back to on Auldrant, after all. There was nothing left for him but death.

So he'd stay, and teach his little replica how to live and act and be strong. A small smile dawned on Asch's face, and he tucked Luke's head under his chin, where he could feel safe and protected. Asch felt guilty for thinking he could give up Luke, and even now he was afraid of screwing something up, or reverting and lashing out against the replica - like he was used to - but...he didn't. Luke had been with him for some time now, and Asch had done nothing wrong so far. This was his only slip up. That's not too bad...right?]

...I won't leave you, Luke. Not for longer then a day or two. But you...you need to tell me when you want to go somewhere, so I know you won't disappear.

["Disappear" is still a big word that Luke doesn't know, but he can get the gist. He presses himself closer still, still hiccuping quietly. All that fear he felt when Asch described him and Bear being gone... was that what he felt when Luke went away to play?

It was so strange... Luke had been secure with the knowledge that Asch would know where he was. After all, he always seemed to know. Even when Luke was about to do something bad, Asch would yell from the other room like he knew.

But... Luke really does feel bad about all this. Especially when Asch puts it in perspective like that. He had ducked his head to make it easier for Asch to rest his chin on it, and he keeps his gaze on the ground as he speaks up quietly.]

... I-sorry.

[Shushing the young boy gently, Asch nuzzled his hair and, without thinking it, brushed his lips against the top of Luke's head. He'd been so scared...so afraid of losing Luke, but he was here and he understood and he was sorry. So, Asch can't be too upset with his little replica. He sounded genuinely sorry, and seemed just as scared and upset as Asch was before.

Brushing back Luke's hair with a smile, Asch pulled away to retrieve Luke's toy and hand it to him, kneeling down to drive the message home. He really had to get this into Luke's head so it wouldn't happen again ~~too soon~~.]

Good. Here, your Bear. [He rubs the Giet doll's face playfully into Luke's, like a sort of playful nuzzle.] Just...don't run off without telling me, all right? ...Promise me.

[Ugh, Asch hated promises. Promises were always broken. Always. But maybe Luke would keep this one. He was young, and impressionable, and innocent. Asch could...hopefully trust him.]

[Aside from a little Nephry, this Luke has had yet to see any bittys, despite having been in the nexus for a good month now at least. So, while seeing a flash of red hair out of the corner of his eye isn't unusual, seeing such it that much closer to the ground isn't. He double takes and... Is that... a little him? Or Asch?

It's not like he really remembers what he looked like at that age. His parents had some paintings done, yeah, but... back then, after he'd just been made, memories were just really blurry. Well... the little guy is picking up rocks (he hasn't noticed the putting-in-the-mouth part yet), which doesn't seem like something Asch would do, so it's probably a little him?

He takes a few tentative steps forward kneeling down so he's down on the little guy's level.] Hello?

[What are you supposed to do around little kids anyway? ._.;;]

Edited 2011-05-24 02:10 (UTC)

[The voice makes Luke whip his head towards it as if he just got caught, but - heeey, he recognizes that person! He tries to say his name, but with the rocks in his mouth... well, that makes it slightly difficult.]

-ukhe!

[... Maybe he should spit the pebbles out. Which he does, after ducking his head. Asch gets annoyed when he does it in plain sight and all.]

Huh? [What did he say? It almost sounded like his na- oh wait ew that is gross.

Luke stares dumbfounded at his younger counterpart. That wasn't... no that couldn't be right.] Y-you had rocks in your mouth?! [...] Y-you don't have any more in there do you?

[He's peering a little closer, leaning his head towards the ground to try to get a better look. Because that could be bad. Rocks don't go in people's mouths - not even little ones! (Nevermind that for small children, smaller, more easily swallowable pebbles were probably worse) Oh man, is this what Guy felt like, dealing with him when he was that age? Was this what he was like? Man he wished Guy was here to help...]

[Luke raised his head to smile, only to see his older self leaning in and peering. Ah. He knows that look, and he opens his mouth to let him see that no, there aren't any more rocks. They had an interesting shape and texture, but they were pretty tasteless. ... They'd probably be fun to suck on once in a while. Asch will have to make him stop at some point now, poor guy.]

Uh-uh. [He at least got the gist of what Luke said; he's lived with Asch and occasionally another Luke for a few months now, and has been picking up words and phrases, knowing more than he can say for himself. Much better than how he was when he was first discovered.]

Oh... [Whew.] That's good. Uh... Rocks aren't food.

[Welp. Obvious statements of the century aside, he's kind of curious. Would a little Luke like this be out here all by himself? That just... something about that didn't seem right. Even if he doesn't remember those times really well, he still remembers what he was told about it - that he couldn't really do anything by himself, walking, talking that kind of thing; that he was like just a big kid.

Well... obviously this little guy could walk - had to get here some how, unless he was new. But he seemed really calm to be new... maybe? He'd been kind of freaked out himself when he got here...] Uh... is there anybody else here? With you?

[Rocks aren't food. Huh... Well, Luke will keep that in mind, and he looks down to roll a few dry pebbles through his fingers. Not food then.

The next question makes Luke look up at his older self again, though he never really considered other Lukes his older selves. He doesn't even realize that they look near the same.

"Anybody" "With you". Luke looks around, seeing that Asch isn't around, though he isn't too nervous about it. He'd left on his own, after all. He brings his attention back to Luke again, still playing with the pebbles at his feet.]

Asch eh inn.

["Asch" and "inn" - he got those two words, not so sure about the one in the middle. So... he was staying with an Asch at the inn? That's funny... he'd been staying at an inn until recently. Was it the same one? He hadn't heard anything about an Asch and a little Luke staying there... then again it wasn't like he'd been paying attention to that kind of thing...

Wait, he was staying with an Asch?! There was an Asch out there who'd been okay with looking after a little Luke? Well... after meeting that one older Asch, he supposed it was possible, but Luke knew for a fact that that Asch had a house... and there was that one who ran the restaurant... Maybe the Asches here in the Nexus were more tolerant of Lukes, since there seemed to be so many of both of them here...

Still... if he was staying with an Asch at the inn... Where was Asch? ... Ohhhhh. Asch was at the inn! ... but... he frowns] What are you doing here by yourself?

[Luke seems pretty unconcerned with the question. Honestly, he doesn't even know that he shouldn't be alone at this age, or that he shouldn't have left without telling Asch. Asch does it all the time, so why can't he? He thought it was just a normal thing that people do. Plus, it's a nice day, and nothing bad has happened to him, so there's no reason for him to worry.

He glances down at the rocks below him to pass his finger through them, making a line through them and separating them.]

Paying. [... Idea! Luke looks up from his work with a big, hopeful smile. The Luke he knows always plays with him, and since Asch isn't exactly a playful person, it's just about the only fun he can get. So...] Wa' play?

[Playing? Playing? Whatever Luke was expecting... it wasn't that. Maybe it should have been.... Regardless, it's been so long since he played - unless one counted that stint of hide-and-seek with the Malkuth forces in Theor Forest - he just blinks and stares for a bit. Then he starts, and scratches the back of his head awkwardly. Well...

And then of course he sees that grin, and unconsciously begins to a little himself. Well... why not? It... couldn't hurt, could it? Besides, he couldn't leave him here by himself, and who knew where Asch was.]

Okay... uh... [He will... follow your lead, little guy!] What do you want to play?

[Oh Luke, you just agreed to play with a ten year old boy. Technically ten, anyway. So what if he has the mind of a baby.

So, Luke grins, and then he LAUNCHES HIMSELF FORWARD to TACKLE THE BIGGER HIM. LET'S PLAY WRESTLING. B)]

Good-guys-bad-guys! [Not that he really knows what that means, but HE KNOWS THEY FIGHT.]

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1/? - Y U DO DIS 2 HIM

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OMG <3

O HAI 8D

HIYA! ^^ HOW ARE YOU.

I'M COOL. |D HOW ABOUT YOU,

NOT TOO BAD.

AWW YEAH.

ROCK DA PARTY /o/

RAISE DA ROOF \o\

DANCE TO DA BEAT /o/ + now with more lateness fail!

YEAAAAH + plus some from me 8D