💧 First Strike: Action/Video

[notyourluke]

[The last thing he remembered was...warmth, warmth coming back to his body, and a …voice...]

[And then suddenly he was being torn away, and when his eyes opened he was trapped in that cell again. No, no nonono, not here again, not this AGAIN! He felt his heart start to race, his breath quickening as panic started to sink in.]

LET ME OUT!

[ Emerald eyes shoot open and he wastes no time in kicking the pod door for his release, sitting up and gripping the sides as he tries to register where he was and what had happened. After a few moments he is able to regain his composure, eyes slowly scanning the surrounding area for any signs of similarity.]

[But none where to be found. He lifts himself out of the pod, the sound of the device hitting against the walls alerting him to its existence. He grabs the flyer, and reads over it quickly before reaching in and securing the rest, along with his sword.]

[Which brought more questions, considering he had left it behind long ago. Whatever, those questions and more will eventually be answered, however there was a more pressing concern on his mind.]

XXxxXXxxXX

[Video]

[The red head brings a hand through his hair, fixing it from its disarrayed state before turning on the video function and facing his audience with a very serious expression.]

Working under the assumption this device connects automatically with those handled by the other participants of this kidnapping...[He pauses, well second times a charm isn't it?] Then I would like to ask for any and all information you have on this place. As well as any sightings of a man who goes by the name of Van, and those that work under the title of God General.

....

[He pauses, his eyes closing a moment.] It would seem the Replica is here... [the ma says in a low voice, the words clearly directed more so towards himself then those watching. His eyes open and it was like the disruption never occurred.]

Then before anyone makes the mistake, I am not the dreck that you know as "Luke". My name is Asch.

[And then he shuts it off.]

Comments

you know which one :V

[headfons]

[He's made it a habit to wander past the area in which people arrive, a couple of hours before work. It's for the sake of possibly finding someone in need of help. It's been a while since he timed it perfectly, however. Usually, he finds nothing and simply moves on. On this day, it's within feet of the bay that he hears someone talking.

The voice he hears, though...?

His heart stops, and he's left standing there in shock. He hasn't heard that voice since... There's no way, right? He'd felt him die. He'd held his lifeless body in his arms, looking at a face that's just like his own. Something he doesn't like to think about? It had been like looking at himself...dead.

He'd accepted the way things turned out, simply because he'd known everything would be okay, for everyone else. Even if neither him nor Asch would get to see the end result. They'd both fought their hardest, and managed to save the future for everyone they cared about. They'd succeeded in being the sacrifices for the future. So, yes, he'd learned to accept it all. Which might be why he's so...surprised? Of course, it could also have to do with how much of a beating his emotions have been taking, since he left Auldrant. First, the hotel, then the death of him and...Takasu, and then...the nightmares that seem as though they're never going to end...? Suffice it to say, there's quite a bit going on with him.

Sure, there's Tear, Jade, Takasu, and Gaara, but...he doesn't open up enough to them...for them to help. He feels they have enough going on, without him adding to their burdens.

Eyes widened, his feet pick up the pace. Before he realizes it, he's running towards the caverns. By the time he's there, his questions are answered- "...dreck you know as 'Luke'. My name is Asch."

Asch is...standing there, talking into the device. He's standing there, as though he'd never...died. Luke isn't sure why, but there's a faint desire to just...laugh. This place is just- ...How...?! So, now, it can bring back the dead...?]

...Asch.

[He almost doesn't recognize his own voice. It's obvious he needs a moment to get over the surprise. The expression on his face might assist in making that part clear.]

Here have a matching icon

[notyourluke]

[It was...difficult to explain, and something he really wasn't ready to figure out quite yet. It was unmistakable, those swords had certainly speared through him, something that was impossible to describe. If you looked carefully at his clothes you would clearly see the tears where the swords had entered, as well as the blood stains, his blood mixed in with the soldiers he had taken down.]

[At least he had managed that before....the very word was hard to think about.]

[And perhaps he never will think again on it, after all it didn't matter. He was here now, in this new world where the air was lighter and he felt stronger than ever before.]

[It wasn't long after he shut the device off that he heard his name coming from a very familiar voice. He turns to Luke, not surprised at seeing his replica, after all he was one of the first people he thought about when he woke up, and the one that just a moment ago he had decided to check on.]

[And his expression was certainly not helping him avoid thinking about the fact that he shouldn't exist at all right now. He gives off a frustrated sigh, his eyes lowering as he makes his way towards his replica.]

You arrived the same way didn't you? So is it that surprising to see me?

[He stops just feet away from the man that shared his face, the man he entrusted the future of the world too.]

….Idiot.

Hey, you jerk. You could have, at least, cleaned up the feels you spilled, before you left. >C

[headfons]

[Oh, and that blood...those obvious stab-holes in his clothes...

He definitely notices all of that.

And, just like that, he's left remembering everything he'd seen...heard...felt. Luke has to look away, and force his thoughts to just- just stop. With the necessary willpower, the replica forces his expression to calm. This place...does strange things, and this would likely not be the strangest.

But, another reason he's reacting so strongly? This means that...the dead can come back. This means Ma-....Van could come back.]

You're...

[No, there's no reason to point out the obvious, here. There's no reason to say it. No reason to verbalize the thought that...would obviously be resounding throughout both of their minds.]

No, I...guess it shouldn't be. You're not the first one, after all. [Legretta...and Luke has been to another place that had done, basically, the same thing- bringing him and Takasu back to life.]

Nope, and leaving you with more.

[notyourluke]

[Yes, Van could come back at any time. But whether it was due to being brought back from the grave or just taken from a random point in their history, it mattered not. It doesn’t stop them from knowing, remembering, hurting. Even now he hurt, even now he had to keep himself from thinking about those good times with their master. Instead he held onto the betrayal, the lies… It made things easier for the soldier.]

[But it hadn’t been this land that granted him such a miracle, at least he didn’t believe so. He couldn't really form his brain around it all but he vaguely remembered seeing Luke again before everything went black. He had been carrying him in his arms...]

[Such things where best left in the dark though. For now they ought to pull their resources and find a way home. Once that's accomplished they will likely have to deal with their future, or lack thereof. If he dies so be it. But if his theory is correct and Lorelei was involved, he would like to know his purpose.]

[His eyebrows creased at the replica’s words. So he wasn’t the first one after all. ]

….Anyone we-

[He stops in midsentence as he’s suddenly hit with an overly familiar pain. Forcing him to bend forward and desperately clutch at the cloth over his heart. For that moment the world around him faded out, and he could barely force the breaths out of his lungs.]

G-gah….hah….

[With a clack he slams his teeth down, willing himself to stop making such pathetic noises, while at the same time stepping back. His mind raced with thoughts, not out of fear but with prayer that this would be it, that now his suffering could come to an end. Alas it wasn’t to be. Although it felt like centuries to him, in a few seconds he was left panting for breath but still there, still alive.]

…

[After a long while, Asch finally dares to glance at the other. His mind fully set on the task of walking past him and getting as far away from the Replica as possible. He didn’t need to deal with this, and he didn’t desire his pity. At least that’s what he told himself.]

[headfons]

[Asch's sentence coming to a halt, like that, has the replica's eyes widening, a bit. Instinctively, his hand stretches out, as though he's readying himself to move in to catch him, yet isn't sure he...should.] Asch?!

[Fortunately, it only lasted a couple of seconds. Green eyes narrow in concern as Asch stands there panting. Luke begins stepping forward, until he finds green eyes resting on him.]

...Look, I know you probably don't want to, but come with me.

[He doesn't pity Asch, but he is worried about him. He still remembers that feeling of weakness he'd felt as he'd absorbed those fonons. At the time, he hadn't wanted to even think about it. Since winding up in the hotel, however, he's found himself with nothing but time to do just that- think about everything. It's been proven, time and again, that his imagination can usually do quite a bit to plant crazy thoughts in his head.]

You can rest in our apartment...at least until you get your own place. Takasu and Tear wouldn't mind, I'm sure. Besides, there's no reason for you to wonder around town in your condition.

[His tone is firm.

Persuasion Powers of the Protag: ACTIVATE]

[notyourluke]

[He glares darkly at the replica, a clear sign that he doesn't want him near, and he certainly doesn't want his help. But he holds off from walking away, at least until he can properly feel his arms and legs again.]

[After a while his breath evens out and he's standing tall and proud as usual. He's gotten rather good at pretending to be fine, not letting a single part of him betray that such pain had even occurred.]

Perhaps you wouldn't last a day without your friends by your side, but I can. I'll be fine, and my Condition has nothing to do with you.

[Actually it was all because of him. It was strange, he had felt so much anger when this Replica replaced him and stole away his friends, his family, and his home. But even now, after finding out the cause was due to the replica's existence, well... He never blamed him. If anyone was to blame it was Van, and the scientists who had performed the act knowing full well the consequences.]

[With that said he's looking away, bending over and picking up his sword and the device. He situates the blade against his side, and then starts walking off like he originally planned.]

I don't need dreck like you worrying about me.

Gonna have to try harder then that.

[headfons]

[Oh, was...that glare...supposed to stop him?

He kind of missed that memo, Asch; Luke's approaching his original with a completely serious look on his face. Like hell, he's going to stand idly by while the guy...all but keels over.

Also, it's a little late to be pretending. Even without Asch's body betraying that such a pain had occurred, Luke's memory's doing a good enough job. It doesn't help that Luke knows firsthand about pretending to be fine. He'd spent the better part of his year-long trip pretending he wasn't going to disappear.

Those words, though...they stung, a bit. Luke's face is tensing as he swallows hard, chest tightening just a little. They're more true than Asch even realizes.]

Shut up! [His angry retaliation is really all because Asch had managed to strike that cord, though. Instantaneously, Luke's expression is softening. Quickly working to steady himself, again, he's taking a deep breath.] Stop being so stubborn, damn it! You have no idea where you are. Getting lost when you're feeling like that would be stupid, Asch. Seriously, how badly do you wanna risk passing out in the middle of the street, with a bunch of strangers left to freak out over it?

[The walking off isn't going to be done without Luke, at least, trying to stop him. With a glare, he's quickly moving to grab Asch's arm.]

Well, too bad! [He's already worried, dummy.]