[Video]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke's curled up in front of the terminal, looking rather forlorn after the massive info dump that was just dropped on everyone, not to mention Dax's horrifying death. It takes him a moment for him to live his chin up from where it's wedged against his knees so he can speak clearly.]

So... I don't... really understand what's happened. But from what I've read and watched on the network... does this mean everyone that's died is... a replica?

[...he really doesn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, yay, even more people like him! On the other... that is so damn depressing.]

W-were we living when we were taken from our worlds, or was that our first 'death'? How is it even that they were able to bring any part of us here?

[He sulked back until his face was hiding behind his knees now.]

...I think all this gave us even more questions than answers...

Comments

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

[He'd tried to hunt down Luke, but it looks like the redhead had already seen everything for his own eyes. Dammit.]

Maybe, maybe not. It's a lot to take in.

...

Luke. Where are you right now?

[Voice]

[sacred_flamer]

[...he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to see his best friend or not. More secrets and lies... he wished people would just tell him stuff that's important like this.]

Terminal just outside my room.

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

Are you by yourself?

[That's what it had looked like from the video, at least. Whether it was him or someone else, Guy just didn't want to leave the kid alone with his thoughts over something like this. Not for too long, anyways.]

[Voice]

[sacred_flamer]

Mm... roommate's probably lurking. Not sure.

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

...Do you want to be by yourself?

[Voice]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke was silent for a long moment after that question.]

...doesn't matter.

[...yeah, Guy. He's depressed.]

[Action]

[bloodyashes]

[Asch is shaky when he comes around the corner; he's very obviously making a beeline for his room, but pauses when he sees Luke. His replica. The piece of him that was torn out that day.

It's an utterly spur of the moment decision, but instead of retreating, he ducks down, staying outside the view of the camera, and tucks himself into the space under the terminal, practically up against Luke's leg. A tiny ball of tension and shaking, that's all he is at the moment, his back pressed against the wall.

It helps, knowing that the piece taken from him is there, within his reach.]

[Action | And let's just say the camera is still recording.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke let out a startled noise, catching a flash of red out of the corner of his eye, before suddenly there was an original pressing against his legs. He blinked down at him in surprise, not... really sure what to make of this. Because, seriously, everything going on is confusing enough. Do you have to add to it, Asch?]

What's wrong?

[Oh lovely - perma-action]

[bloodyashes]

[Yeah, sorry, Luke, your life is just about to get even more confusing. Asch glances up at him - still obviously shaky - before narrowing his eyes slightly. His voice isn't as angry as Luke might expect, though - indeed, it's not really angry at all, just stressed to hell and back.]

You're sitting at a terminal, you figure it out.

[For the viewers at home not fluent in asshole, that means it has something to do with those posts that went up. Asch adjusts slightly to sit closer to Luke's leg.]

Just... let me stay here a while.

[Heard but not seen~]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke blinked, not... really sure how him being at a terminal had anything to do with Asch cuddling his legs. He shook his head after a moment.]

Not like I can stop you, but... you okay?

[bloodyashes]

[There's the faintest sigh of relief at Luke's words. Asch tucks his knees into his chest. Damn, he still can't stop shaking.]

Do I look okay to you?

[sacred_flamer]

No, but you're always hard for me to figure out.

[He let out a breath, getting up a bit and pushing the chair out of the way so he was sitting down on the ground with Asch.]

I guess asking you to talk about it is a bad idea.

[Video]

[forgetbeam]

Our souls... Our souls are still the same, aren't they? The body shouldn't matter... That's right, isn't it?

[Video]

[sacred_flamer]

I... dunno. I was a replica before I even came here, so...

[He's not even sure what it's like to be a "real" person...]

[Video]

[forgetbeam]

[Oh, awkward. Not that Ishimaru really knows when a situation gets that way.]

...I see. So does that mean your memories aren't even your own?

[All he knows about Replicas comes from talking to Riku...]

[Video]

[sacred_flamer]

No, my memories are my own. On my world, replicas aren't born with their original's memories for... some reason.

[He'd have to ask Asch why that was.]

But they can do that here. That's what makes it so weird.

[keybearer]

The bodies might be fake, but that doesn't mean our hearts and souls are recycled. I guess in a way, you could say we're all in replicated bodies...

But does that even matter? I'd argue that even the people who were already replicas are still real.

[It's... the most optimistic thing he can say about this whole situation, really.]

[sacred_flamer]

...I wonder sometimes...

[From the way Asch treated him while they were still on Auldrant... well, he did partially deserve most of it, but still.]

[keybearer]

I can see why. Sort of, anyway. Got a replica of my own, and for a while, I didn't stop to consider his feelings. Didn't help that he was so antagonistic.

But now I feel like it shouldn't matter so much. He still thinks, he still feels... I'd argue that just proves replicas are as real as anyone else.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke silent for a long moment; that was good to hear... even if he still wasn't so sure about it at the moment. He murmured a soft sound of agreement though.]

[starofpleiades]

We're not- That doesn't make us replicas. We still have our souls.

[sacred_flamer]

[...ouch?]

Are you saying I don't have a soul?

[starofpleiades]

Don't you have a soul?

[DOESN'T GET IT]

[sacred_flamer]

[NOTICED.]

I'm a replica.

[starofpleiades]

Oh.... um, well! Then maybe you have your own soul? I mean, if you say that you're a replica... that means you're kind of your own person, not who you were based on, right? Otherwise you'd say you were them.