Facing Myself and Myself and...

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

WHO: Luke. All four of them.
WHAT: Nothing like finding out your replica is in town then running headlong into his Shadow.
WHEN: Beginning of the Shadows in the Dark Hour event.
WHERE: Streets of Prospero
RATING: Rating pending, but there will be violence.
NOTES: Log is split into three parts; see below.

Going out that night probably wasn't in Asch's best interests, not that this would have stopped him even if he had known what was really going on. The video posts going up all over the place were keeping him up, not to mention that people were obviously in trouble... and it was bothering the hell out of that "nice guy" side of him that he wished would just get the hell out already.

Still, being new to Prospero, he had no idea just how dangerous it was during the Dark Hour. Still with no knowledge of how Personas worked or the fact that he even had one, weaponless, and he found out the hard way his fonic artes were not working; it wasn't turning out to be a very good night. Things turned around when he found a discarded pipe that was an adequate enough substitute for a sword, but it wasn't enough to keep him from cursing every time he whacked a monster with it, only to have his arms shaking from the effort.

Of course, things were going to get worse, as proven true when he looped a corner...

Comments

Asch v. Shadow Luke

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

HURP DERP

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

Hey Asch! Remember that one guy that you beat up back at home? Well, here he is once you loop the corner. Casually waiting for his Original with a smile that was definitely not even close to Luke's regular expression. Hell, what's even more concerning is that 'Luke' lifts himself off the wall and moves to get a closer look at Asch. A mutual distance, but it was still close for yellow eyes to exam the Original quite clearly.

Once he was able to notice that it really was Asch, that smile twisted into a wide grin. Happy, but at the same time, there was something ominous behind this Luke. His hair was cut, first of all. And secondly, he looked like he had the intent to kill Asch, but never really making any sort of motion that seemed so.

"Asch! You're okay!" Something wasn't genuine about his tone. Not in the least.

DURP HERP?

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Asch skidded to a dead stop, eyeballing the replica before him warily. Even he could tell that there was something not quite right about this replica, minus the fact that his hair was suddenly shorter than it was supposed to be. Granted he had been away from Auldrant for a few days, but...

"Replica..." Asch began cautiously, tightening his grip on his pipe as he stared down those unnerving yellow eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"

DURP HERP HERP

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

The shadow takes note of Asch's actions. Every action, every emotion -- It seems to be enjoying his presence far too much. Enough, anyway, to get close to the original and ignoring the fact that Asch will most likely pipe him if he gets too close. Not that it mattered anyway, because he felt this Asch had none of his powers.

"I came here to look for you~" A grin appears, and Luke gets up in Asch's face this time. Yellow eyes dilating from pure joy that the core thing that's fueling him is here now! "It was my fault you died after all! Aren't I just a piece of trash like you say?"

DUUUUUUURP. <3

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Gah! Too close! Asch jerked back, pressing his pipe against Luke in an effort to shove him back. Something the replica said kept him from outright walloping him one, and he started at the creature before him like it grew another head. Did he actually hear that right?

"What are you talking about, dreck?" he demanded. "I'm still alive!"

He was not about to argue with Luke on calling himself trash.

<3333

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

Cold steel touching skin unphased the shadow completely. Using the pipe as a leverage to get even closer to Asch and confronting him with that same smile; same hint of joy that clouded Luke's pupils. Enough that you wouldn't have thought it was Luke to begin with.

"You're dead!" Luke pulled himself away from the pipe. Arms around his now turned back, and looking up at the strange moon that hovered over them.

"And it's all my fault!" His tone drops and the happiness seems to fade. Seemingly. "You were stabbed to death by The Oracle Knights. Don't tell me you forgot already, Asch."

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Oh dear god, why was the dreck holding onto him like that? Better yet, why the hell did he sound so damn happy that he was supposed to be dead? None of this was making sense, but the only thing he could focus on at the immediate moment was the fact that Luke was getting his damn germs all over him. Asch let out a disgusted noise, trying to pry the damn creepy replica off of him.

"You're not making any sense, dreck," he snapped at him. "And like hell any amount of Oracle Knights could kill me anyway. What the hell is wrong with you?"

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

"What's wrong with me..." Luke's voice trails off. A hint of sadness in his voice, despite not matching up to his current expression that he was flashing at Asch once he turned his head to face his original.

"It's a long list of things, Asch!" Twisting back around, he strides up to his original, so his face is right in front of Asch's. For good measure, so that he could hear him. "I'm nothing more than a replacement! No one needed me after they found out the real Luke Fon Fabre was alive and well!"

Something in his voice turns sinister, but the smile never drops. Not even once. "I'm a replica. Trash that was created only to deviate the score."

His smile cracks. "What good am I? I'm nothing but a piece of trash that allowed a whole city to be destroyed. Nothing I do can make up for what I did..."

The shadow lifted up it's head. Yellow meeting emerald. "I couldn't even save you. The person who was better off releasing Lorelei, then me."

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Had he really beat Luke's ass so hard that he beat the over obnoxious over confidence straight out of him? Asch backed away, unnerved by what his replica was saying, and the fact that he just would not stop smiling, those creepy eyes not helping the idiots image. Some of what he said made a bit of sense, at least Luke acknowledge the fact that the only reason he was in existence was so "Luke" could live past the time the Score called for his death. But what was that nonsense about releasing Lorelei? Why would Lorelei even need to be released? Was it trapped somewhere?

Did. Not. Compute.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, replica, but take your pity party to someone that actually gives a damn."

Asch turned his back to Luke, probably not a wise choice. Even without looking at the replica, he could feel his skin crawling.

Luke v. Shadow Asch

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

The first thing he remembered was walking up the stairs to confront Van for one last time. The second thing he remembered was a flashing light blinding him once he set foot upon the very top of the steps. Then he ended up here. In the darkness. Alone. Not even with Mieu, which worried him more than anything. He didn't know he they were okay or not -- So he had decided to at least see if they were around the darkness.

It was far too dark for Luke to see. Lights were off, and he could smell the faint metallic scent that he could easily remember being blood. Hell, when he stepped on it, it even felt like blood hitting his shoe. But he couldn't let that, or the coffins bother him. Especially not the coffins, because this had seem like one gigantic nightmare. It must have been, right? Maybe he just passed out before fighting Van, and that's what happened!

Only he was lying to himself.

Luke laughed nervously as he took small steps into a main street. Looking around, and fiddling with a communcator like thing he had found nearby when he found himself lying on the floor. Hoping that it could maybe contact someone, but who the hell would live in a place filled with coffins and blood?

He was torn. Not torn enough, though, to call out into the darkness, and seemingly empty street.

"Hey! Is anyone out there?!"

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

"Hmph. Still as loud and annoying as ever, aren't you, dreck?"

And suddenly, an Asch!

The original seemed to have just... suddenly appeared behind Luke, leaning casually against a coffin as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. His arms were folded over his chest, and he regarded the replica coolly, yellow eyes glowing eerily in the darkness.

...Asch's were not supposed to have yellow eyes!

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

That voice -- It was a voice that he thought he'd never hear again. Not with what happened back in Eldrant. Though, there was something blatantly obvious about the difference he could hear between the two voices. Which made him hesitate to turn around. He did so anyway. Emerald eyes facing yellow, which he found... weird. So weird.

"Asch...?"

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Asch smirked, amused. Well, at least as amused as an Asch could get. Besides, the big reason that he even existed was standing right before him; how could he not be happy about that, especially the irony of it? He pushed himself off of the coffin, strutting over to Luke casually, coming to a stop not all that far away, a hand on his sword.

"What? You look like you've seen a ghost, Luke."

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

Luke was only familiar with that smirk when Asch was mocking him in some way. Not that Luke had time to think about it, because Asch was far too close. Which made Luke rather wary of the other mirror. Unsure what he was thinking, Luke raised the blade that had came with him to Prospero.

"You..." It surprised him to hear Asch call Luke by... 'Luke'. And not by the other glorious nicknames Asch had given him throughout their journey. "You're dead, Asch." Said so bluntly, simply because he accepted that Asch was dead. Not that he doesn't feel guilty.

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

He had referred to him as "Luke" once before, on the platform in Yulia City, before he had revealed to him the truth. Then, like now, it was used to mock him, and the smirk that started to form on Asch's face was more than proof of that. He stopped when Luke raised his sword, letting out a faint scoff.

"Ah... yes, I died. I've died several times," he began. "I died when you were born, when the title of 'Luke' was handed off to you. I died when I saw you for the first time, at how pathetic you were, how you disgraced my good name."

His tone, and his expression, softened for a moment. "...I died when Van made you destroy Akzeriuth... I died when I realized how very little power I had in the presence of that man..."

The sneer returned in full force. "Funny how every time I die, you're the one responsible for it."

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

Internal... wince. Knowing full well that Luke was the cause of many of Asch's outbursts. He just wasn't expecting Asch to mention that last bit, since it had been so long ago ago. But he's listening. Taking in all the words, because, despite all the outbursts, Luke wasn't very sure how much Asch really hated him. Maybe.

"Do you really hate me that much?" Luke prepared his sword. Knowing full well where this was going.

Little did he know that his artes were sealed to boot.

Together

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Getting hit with any arte point blank in the face was far from pleasant. Getting hit point blank in the face with a Mystic Arte that used the Seventh Fonon, however, was even less pleasant. The only thing that saved Asch from needing some extensive surgery on his face was the fact that he flung his arms up over it at the last possible second.

That meager defense could not keep him rooted to the ground, however. He went flying out of the alleyway he had confronted the Shadow Luke in. Fortunately his fall was broken by something soft... or maybe someone soft? He was too dazed at the moment to realize he had crash landed into his real replica.

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

Luck was not on his side, was it? Not only was he being attacked by his original, but now something just crash landed into him that caused him to fall back a few feet? YEP. This was definitely not his day! Not his day at all. Until, you know, he finds himself out of the daze from being thrown a few feet, and looking at what, or who exactly hit him.

... And what he saw was a beat up Asch. The real Asch, and not the one that was on a damn rampage.

"Asch!" OH THANK GOD. BUT WHY ARE THERE TWO OF YOU. AND WHY ARE YOU BLEEDING. WHAT THE HELL-- "Are you okay?"

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Asch let out a faint groan at the sudden shouting, not quite willing to get up just yet. Even though he was out of it, and his sudden appearance had interrupted things, it didn't mean either of them were out of the woods yet. The Shadow Asch let out an amused noise, lowering his sword as an exceptionally arrogant expression appeared on his face.

"Well, well..." he sneered as he started walking toward the prone original. "Look who finally decided to show his ugly face..."

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

The shadow had followed where the Radiant Howl took the red-head flying. Much to his amusement, his shadow was here. Oh! Not to mention, the replicated piece of trash was here as well! Oh, he looked so happy, that he strolled up right beside the Shadow Asch.

"" He pointed at the two on the floor happily. "" Just as quickly as the smile appeared, the same sinister look was shot at the original Luke and Asch.

He felt his skin chill at the two standing before them. Especially... like so. Without them having any sort of defense. Plus, Asch was still laying on him, and all he could do was shake his shoulder.

"Asch, we have to run. Now."

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Asch let out a faint groan as his shoulder was shook, opening his eyes slowly. The world around him was blurry and spun around him, and there was four glowing dots swimming around in the blur. It took a moment for his vision to right itself, and he didn't like what he saw.

"Hmph..." the Shadow Asch responded to his replica, raising his sword again. "So weak. So pitiful. I can't do anything right, can I? I can't even confront my replica properly."

The shadows smirk broadened, taking up his whole face. "Don't worry, other me. I'll deal with him like you should have!"

The sword was coming down toward Luke, but Asch threw his pipe, beaning his shadow square in the face. The other Asch stumbled back, holding his face in pain as the real Asch growled, shifting up and away from his replica as best he could.

"I-if anyone's... going to kill my replica, it's me!" he hissed, sounding weak. "Not some cheap imitation of me!"

[mirroredkarma.livejournal.com]

Oh god oh god -- Luke watched as Asch threw the pipe and had it land straight in the other's face. Knowing far too well what kind of reaction that could have stimulated, Luke didn't want to stay and check if his suspicions were clear. No, not at all. Instead, Luke decided to to take matters into his own hands.

"Come on, Asch! We're going!" Without hesitation, he grabbed the other by the hand and decided to make a run for it. Disregarding all the possible things that could happen right about now.

"" The shadow smiled. Making no move to chase after the two idiots that somehow managed to survive.

[not-the-dreck.livejournal.com]

Asch let out a sound of protest as he was grabbed, his face and his chest throbbing. Still, he wasn't about to object (at least, at the moment), unconsciously holding onto Luke's hand tight as he was dragged to his feet. He stumbled after the replica, ignorant of the death glare that was being aimed at him by his Shadow.

The darker half let out an irate noise, rubbing the spot he had been pegged at with the pipe, before letting his hand drop. He took his replica's hand, letting out a scoff.

"It doesn't matter. Our time is almost up," he sneered, his yellow eyes gleaming as they watched the real Luke and Asch bolt down the street, slowly fading away as the Dark Hour came to a close.