dissonates | [Written...? / Action, May 20th and beyond]

Entry tags:

[Written...? / Action, May 20th and beyond]

[It starts with a hum.

It's quiet, barely perceptible, like a fruit fry buzzing away in someone's ear. Across the village, it starts flickering to life in the mind of one Luke fon Fabre, miles away, awake and unaware and waiting for it.

The hum becomes a whisper. Wordless noise. An echo of something that used to be alive and loud and binding. Intrusive, almost, and yet not- because something missed, needed, eagerly and anxiously awaited is rarely unwanted.

The whisper becomes words, messy and jumbled and confused, a thought process born of desperation, fear, pain, loneliness. The words of the dead, or the dying, or the living. Of all three at once.

I'm here.

imhereimhereimherereplicaimherewhereareyou

help me

Alive. Alive.

And calling for him.]

[It's much later - after he's found, after he's awake and aware of his new situation - that Asch finally touches the journal. He toys with the controls, flips through the pages quietly, listening to everything that's open to hear. It feels... startlingly normal. Just your average day in Luceti. Life does go on without you- but then, he knew that long ago. This is nothing new.

...Well, almost nothing. It's hard to do much of anything when you can't see the world you're used to seeing around you. Not for the first little while, anyway. By touch and trial-and-error he finds the camera eventually, and he scribbles out a bit of nonsense in what he thinks is the entry area that almost looks like words, he sends out a few misfired comments to complete strangers, and in the end he thinks the entire journal system isn't nearly user-friendly enough. Eventually he gives up and sets it aside, leaving it open. Just. Listens.

It's not much. But for the moment, it'll do.]

((ooc: okay so here's the deal- Asch is back from the dead and blind. He'll be in the clinic for a while while he gets used to it, so feel free to use this post as a catch-all in case people want to visit/stumble upon him for the entire week. His scribble entry is also sort-of posted with a slightly-obscured picture, so if you'd rather use the voice function to bug him, feel free |D Word will probably get around that he's back one way or another.

Luke may or may not be with him depending on the time of visit; more often than not, he will be ~~attached at the hip~~ keeping an eye on Asch and helping him to see. He might also be asleep or taking a break. Feel free to specify; if he is there, he probably won't speak much (to save Kukki's inbox and to simplify things), so it's just a matter of whether or not your character will be seen.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Okay. [ She watches them both, for a moment, in silence. But when Luke kneels, she immediately turns her back and takes two steps away, opening her portal. She won't turn around until she hears them moving.

She is trying, as hard as she can, to respect this. She understands what it means - the bond between original and replica. But she couldn't not come. So this is the balance she offers. ]

[It's still disorienting and dizzying, watching the world - and himself - this way, but Asch reaches out a hand slowly to grip Luke's shoulder, fumbling at first before he adjusts to the distance and catches hold. Once he has a firm enough grip, he gives the shoulder a slight squeeze. When Luke stands, he'll rise with him and follow where he goes.

He can do this. They can do this, just need to take it slow.]

[When Asch squeezes his shoulder, Luke shuts his eyes and raises his hand up to cover Asch's for a second, then turns his head forward. It's contact, telling him that he's got the message, and that he'll be moving once his hand's gone.

It's only when his head is forward that Luke opens his eyes, then stands. He moves forward slowly, taking note of the way Asch walks, eyes staying ahead and letting his original take in the images.

They can do this. Together.]

[ Xion looks back over her shoulder when she hears them start to move, and smiles very faintly as they work together. Jeez...

She'll step out of the way to let them go through the portal first. Not wanting to alarm anyone in the battledome clinic, Xion's set the exit portal right outside, instead. It's not as good as it could be, but at least they'll only need a few steps to get inside, and most of the clinic staff should take over from there. ]

[Well, at least it's faster than walking. The resentment fades soon enough - after a brief flare as he walks though the portal and feels the transition half a second after it actually happens - and is replaced by a quiet gratitude. He should be nice about this. It's not like she had to follow them, or offer up a portal to make the trip back much easier.

Arriving, though, has a wave of unease joining that slight gratefulness. The Battle Dome? This is the last place he wants to be right now, in light of what happened only a week ago.]

...I told you, I'm not injured. I don't need to be here.

[Luke's eyes narrow, and he stares down at the ground. He can sense the unease as well as the gratefulness, and he knows the reason for them. This is where... that happened. There's sorrow from him, and quiet stubbornness. They're together again, and they're depending on each other again, for more reasons than last time now. Asch can't see without him, and Luke is still getting used to the fact that the link is whole and there.]

Asch...

[But he isn't sure what else to say without sounding incredibly selfish.]

[ She looks between them, briefly, bright blue eyes betraying nothing of her thoughts. Finally, she turns to Asch and addresses him. ]

This isn't really for you. Luke should get back in bed. [ Her gaze flicks to him, then back to Asch. ] If you want, I can take you home separately. But you'll have to rely on me to get you there. And if you want to come back for any reason...

[ She lets the statement hang. She hopes the idea that Asch would be forced to rely on her will be enough to deter him from leaving, but ... this, ultimately, isn't really up to her. She'll do what's requested of her, in the end. ]

[Asch hesitates again, and his hand unconsciously tightening on Luke's shoulder. He doesn't know how to answer. He wants to go, get out of here, just disappear for a while, but-

....

But he can't see. Without Luke, he's literally and metaphorically lost for the moment. It's infuriating and terrifying and he hates this, he hates it so much. On the flipside, he can't change it, either.

Maybe... for a few days. A ripple of reluctant agreement passes through the link, but he says nothing. He'll stay if he must. And Luke will, too. He just... doesn't have to say it out loud.]

[Luke waits for a moment, until the agreement is a little more sure. Then he gives a nod, enough for Asch to feel against his shoulder, and turns his head slightly, enough to let Xion know he's going to speak. No need to fully look behind him and make Asch even more disoriented.]

We'll stay. Just for a little while.

[ She continues to watch them with this uncannily, perfectly neutral expression. She's painfully aware that whatever is going on here is very delicate, and she's honestly trying to make herself as much a nonentity in the transaction as possible.

In the end, she nods, once. ]

Okay. I'm going to go check and make sure your room is still the way we left it, Luke.

[ And she promptly absconds inside. Again, she's just trying to be considerate, even if it seems like she's kinda acting weird. But whatever Luke and Asch have going on right now, she can't imagine Asch's pride will very easily handle someone seeing him relying on Luke so much -- so abscond she does. Kill two birds with one stone - the boys make their way inside and she, well, CAN make sure the room is as they left it. They've been gone a while, after all. ]

[Once Xion is gone, Asch shifts uncomfortably, stepping up a little to stand at Luke's side. It's a bit awkward, but no more awkward than what he's already seeing, so for the moment he'll deal with it.]

...Just how long are you planning to stay here?

[Luke glances at Asch before he looks forward again. He won't move just yet, not until he's sure Xion has time to get to his room. Then they can slowly move forward - at least this time there won't be anything to trip over.]

The doctors said I still have a week before they can let me go. Is... that okay with you? I can leave before that.

[Asch makes a vague "hm" sound in response, not moving as long as Luke isn't. He's not going to top off his already-peaking humiliation by walking into a door, even if he can see through Luke's eyes.]

It doesn't matter to me. It's not like I'm injured or anything, and... we're not living together. You have no obligation to deal with me.

[After a moment, Luke starts to walk again. It's still slow, even without the presence of roots and rocks. He frowns a little over that reminder, of the fact that they're not living together. It's not something he likes to acknowledge.]

I know I don't. But... I'm here now, right?

[Asch ought to know that Luke wouldn't ever leave him, especially not like this.]

...Mm. [Asch moves with him, lips pursing. He knows. Even without hearing it, he'd know. Luke's presence is as vibrant as any sun, resting comfortably in the back of his mind once more. He gets the feeling that the link is going to be open an awful lot in the coming months.

Although that does give him one concern, and it would be cruel for him not to mention it.]

We... need to be careful. The link can affect your fonic separation.

... It can?

[He hadn't known that. Is it going to make him worse? Quicken the process?

...

The mention of it makes fear rise up, but there's also quiet, somber acceptance. He's all right with that. This sickness might scare him to death, but there's nothing he can really do about it, huh?]

It might. Better to assume the worst for your own safety. [His shoulders lift in a slight shrug.] Besides, it would just be inconvenient.

[For him? For Luke. He's not sure why he should care, but... he does. A little.]

... Even if that's true, I still want you to see when you can. If that means my dying happens faster, then...

[It's okay.

At least he can do something good for his original for once.]

...You're an idiot. You're still... such an idiot.

[Asch glances away, visibly annoyed. Luke's words are meaningful - they're supposed to be meaningful - but he can't help feeling irritated by it.]

Stop weighing your life against my inconvenience. It's pathetic.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Written...? / Action, May 20th and beyond]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action] feel free to skip me on the next few tags

[action] /SKIPS TO MY-LOO

[action] HI I'M BACK

[action] WELCOME BACK

[action] GOOD TO BE BACK

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]