[Action] (backdated to the 18th)

[mirrorbirth]

[Since this happened, Asch hasn't been entirely sure what to do with himself. He eats breakfast, he reads a little. He wanders through the village for a while, aimlessly and calm despite the bad news. It's a normal day. A nice day, even. Luceti is blissfully aware of his loss, and he likes it that way. There is no house to burn, no alcohol to waste

Comments

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[Of course Luke is still awake by the time Asch returns to the apartment. In fact, he's waiting in the living room, legs drawn up and arms wrapped around them. Asch can take care of himself and he knows it, and he also knows that the way Asch deals with losses like this is different from him.

Yet he still can't help feeling a little afraid. What if it was like with Guy? Luke isn't dumb when it comes to Asch and his feelings. If he decided to run away again... What if he can't get him to come back?

Just as he's thinking that, though, the door clicks, and Luke shoots his head up to look at who's coming in. Really, only one other person has the key to the apartment, but...]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[Asch is quiet as he enters, though he can't do much about the sound of the door- and in truth, he knows it doesn't matter. The light visible in the hallway under the door is telling, so unless Luke fell asleep on the couch-

...no, there he is. And as much as Asch had tried to keep the link between them suppressed today, the replica's presence is all too prominent. Dammit.

He barely looks at Luke, meeting the other redhead's gaze for just a moment before turning away to remove his coat and boots, setting a sketchbook and a tiny case on the table by the door.]

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[Luke stands once he sees that it's Asch outside the door, equally surprised and relieved. He tries not to let it show, though, and soon enough, it bleeds into worry, especially when he's so quiet like that... Granted, he usually doesn't have a lot to say to Luke, but... he expected him to say something. Anything. To make the stupid replica stop worrying.]

Asch... [He isn't even sure what to say.]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[At his name being called, Asch glances over at his replica again, shoving his boots to the side and straightening up to retrieve his book. He starts heading for the kitchenette area.]

Stop looking at me like that.

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

I...

[He was about to say that he's not looking at him like that. But then he sighs, and he reaches up to touch his face. Yeah... he is. He's worried, and it's obvious. Dammit.

After a pause, he follows after Asch. In a way, he doesn't want to let his original out of his sight. And once they're in the kitchen area, he holds the doorjamb with one hand as he watches what Asch does.]

I made some food while you were gone, if... you want any of it. [Thanks to Asch leaving him alone to eat some of the time, Luke has gotten better at cooking. He's nowhere near Guy's level, but at least he can make a few good dishes. Still, he'd understand if Asch didn't want any of it. Luke doesn't exactly have a good reputation as a cook.]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[It's always obvious; he's too untrained to hide such things from Asch. He gets no answer at first, though, as Asch fetches himself a glass of water, temporarily abandoning the sketchbook on the table while he drinks.]

Is it edible?

[Yep, normal. Calm, settled, the simple banter of every day. Nothing wrong over here, he's just. Home late. For some reason.]

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

O-Of course it is! I tasted it and it was just fine.

[He's indignant over that, but his words aren't as forceful as they'd usually be in such a situation. While Asch has his back turned, though, Luke turns his head to look at that sketchbook. The temptation to flip through it and see what Asch has been doing is great indeed.]

[Action]

[mirrorbirth]

[Feeehhhhh. He'll be the judge of that. Still, he goes to dig through the fridge, looking for something to heat up and munch on since he had no dinner. If Luke wants to sneak a look at the book, now's the opportune moment.]

[Action]

[cakeblocked]

[He can't help shifting slightly, to see if Asch might, might just pick the food Luke made. It'd be nice, to get his approval... But he sneaks another glance at the sketchbook.

... Ah, to hell with it. He knows he shouldn't, but if he doesn't his curiosity will kill him. So, he leans over and lifts up the cover and a few pages, to see if he can get a glimpse before Asch turns around again.]

[Action] /tl;dr asch is an artsy-fartsy

[mirrorbirth]

[Asch does end up picking whatever Luke left for him, mostly because he's too tired to cook for himself, and if it tastes bad he can work off a little more steam by bitching about it. He's distracted with setting the food up on the plate and getting the microwave going, though, so his attention is still diverted

[Action] /laps it all up and send some back bb

[cakeblocked]

[... Even the unrefined things are better than his own best tries, heh. It's just an idle thought that comes to Luke's mind as he quietly flips through the pages, though he pauses at the more detailed sketches. The tree, Miyabi, a couple of cats, half sketches of people - did he go to that cherry tree?

And the portraits make him pause even longer. The first one... his mother. Their mother. It's at this one that he stays the longest, and he can't help the smile coming up at the corner of his mouth, or the slight burning sensation in his eyes. He misses her. He misses her more than he thought. How's she doing? How would she feel about what all he's gone through, back at home and here in Luceti? He has so much he wants to tell her

[Action] oh snap /BRINGS IT DOWN TO THE MINIMUM AGAIN

[mirrorbirth]

[When Luke looks back to Asch, he'll see that his original is facing him this time, arms crossed, leaning against the counter. His gaze is hard, expression stern, and he's silently watching Luke.

Just how long as he been watching Luke? Well. It's anyone's guess, really.]

[Action] TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO HANDLE EH

[cakeblocked]

[... Crap.

Luke's eyes widen almost comically when he realizes that Asch saw what he was doing, as if he were a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His hands tangle together behind him, and he raises his shoulders sheepishly as he looks off to the side, lips pressed together for a second.]

Sorry... I shouldn't have looked.

[Action] MAYBE A LITTLE, YOU'RE JUST SO INTENSE

[mirrorbirth]

No, you shouldn't have. [At least he can admit that much. Asch turns back to the food, retrieving his plate from the microwave and setting it down on the table with a fork and a glass of water. Go away, replica, you're stupid and nosy and you're in the way.] I guess I shouldn't have expected some defective replica to know better.

[There's no real venom in his tone, only a calm, cold dismissal; in a way, that's worse than the more passionate insults he's offered in the past.]

[Action] /SMOULDER

[cakeblocked]

[That makes Luke just want to walk out of there and leave Asch alone. The cold dismissal, rather than the usual snapping remark...

But instead, he sits at the other end of the table, head ducked slightly while glancing up at Asch. The food he made was chicken soup with white rice mixed in, and a few more pieces of chicken. Perhaps it's just slightly too salty, but otherwise, it's rather good. It's hard to screw up chicken soup, after all.]

I'm not just some replica... [He may be a replica, but... He's more than that. He knows it.

But the argument is quiet, as if he doesn't want this to turn into another fight. Instead, he'd rather watch to see what he thinks of the meal... and if he has anything to say about the sketches.]

[Action] ooh baby ooh

[mirrorbirth]

Hmph. [Asch doesn't bother with a response, taking a few spoonfulls of the soup and focusing simply on that. He doesn't want to argue. Or, if he does, he's putting it off until he's good and ready. He'd done his share of fighting already- the battle dome, Van, all the inner turmoil he'd experienced over the last several hours. Enough is enough, right?

But then, it's not often that he isn't at war with something or other. It's just how it is now. Has been for years.

Enjoy the awkward silence, Luke, you'll get quite a few of them before the night is over.]