"I'm still me.

021 [Action] Backdated to Christmas Afternoon :|

2011-12-27T07:49:43Z

[Luke's in quite a good mood lately. Probably because of all the Christmas cheer going around. He's found that he rather likes the holiday, as it's a chance to give stuff to people without an explanation.

He can be found wandering around with a large bag slung over one shoulder, and more often than not, there's a smile on his face as well as a light, humming tune coming from him. He's pretty much the picture of someone really enjoying what Christmas is all about, and giving to people.

Speaking of which, he has quite a few things to give to his friends.

Paprika - She gets her gift first; After sitting on his bed and wondering how to give this to her, Luke leaves behind a nice big box of chocolates with a pink carnation on top, and both sit on his nightstand. Along with it is a small piece of paper he cut out of his journal - a calling card, if you will, with the demon symbol he always wears on his shirt drawn on it.
Yuri - A katana. With it is a little note: "Guy wields something like this. I know you'll take care of it, so I won't ask. ~~Happy~~ Merry Christmas!"
Lindsay - A cat brush. The note attached to it reads: "Having a cat with long hair has got to be hell on your clothes. Maybe this'll help out some!"
Hiccup - A pocket knife! Attached is a note that reads: "Just don't cut yourself, okay?"
Sokka - Okay bro you get a nice, big, pre-cooked whole chicken. Because you are a guy and you know the wonders of meat.
Nami - A little bag with what looks like ten gold coins. There's a number on them that looks like some inverted 500. Inside the bag is a note: "This is gald, the currency in Auldrant. This was in my pants pocket when I found them again. I don't really need them, and I know you'd like them."
Noel - Since it is also her birthday, Luke went and got two gifts: A big panda doll that comes up to his waist, and a snowflake necklace. Attached to the necklace is a note that reads: "This is the time that you were made, right? Well... I'm glad you're alive. So I want you to have this."
Mewtwo - A white scarf. At the end is that same demon symbol on his "card" to Paprika. Hey, he made it himself and he's very fond of it, okay.
Miyabi - A pot to grow bamboo in, as well as a few sticks of bamboo already growing in there.
Elicia - A coloring book! With princesses and knights and dragons! The ultimate coloring book. (yea)
Zack - You also get a nice, big, pre-cooked whole chicken. Along with a note that says: "No more kisses."
Kairi - An ankle bracelet with seashell charms. Attached to it is a note: "You all like things that have to do with the ocean, right? So... I was hoping you'd like this. Thanks for everything."
Roxas - Rollerblades! And the note attached reads: "I don't really know what these are, but you've got that wheel board thing, so maybe you'll figure these out too!"
Minato - New headphones! Attached to the band is a note that reads: "You wear these ear things all the time, aren't they kind of dirty by now? Here, have some new ones. Maybe you can tell me what they are, too!"
Ventus - Packets of hot chocolate! With marshmallows. Because hot chocolate is nothing without marshmallows. Also a mug to drink said delicious hot chocolate in, one he hopes has sort of Terra colors.
Giles - A small box with an assortment of tea packets. The note attached says: "I wasn't sure which one you liked, so I got you a whole bunch instead."
Lloyd - A small, yet somewhat powerful telescope. The note attached reads: "You look at stars and stuff, right? A friend of mine told me that every star is a world, so maybe you can look at them through here."
Emil - He gets a pocket knife similar to Hiccup's, though different in color, and a box of fig newtons. The note attached reads: "A friend gave me these. Try them, they're really good!"
Raine - Having her as a teacher makes him a little oblivious to what she might actually want. So, he ends up getting cookies from the bakery - light blue ones with powdered sugar dusted on them, giving them the illusion of snow. The little note here says: "Thanks for teaching me so much, professor."
Xion - A seed packet, one that has the name "Selenias" printed on it. The note reads: "I couldn't think of anything that could beat out your birthday present. But try planting these when it's warm enough. They're flowers from my world, and I think you'll really like them. I love you."

Asch - A nice sketchbook with good paper to draw on. And some charcoal. And some cherry cordials. With a small vanilla cake (from the bakery). Yup.
Tear - A purple pendant, with a specific purpose in mind. The note attached reads: "I know this isn't exactly like your mother's pendant, but... I noticed you didn't have it around anymore, so I thought I'd find something that looked like it. I know it's important to you."
Anise - A stuffed, dark brown bear that comes up to about Luke's waist, like the panda doll for Noel. Inside it is one gald coin, left over from what he gave to Nami, but he's not about to tell her that. He wouldn't want her to tear it apart just to get her hands on it.
Jade - ... Another nice, big, pre-cooked chicken. The note says: "I don't think I want to know what you want, so have some food instead?"
Natalia - A nice locket that he found. Attached is a note that says: "Now you can make whole new memories here. Put them here and keep them close to you, okay?"
Nephry - A snow globe! There's no Keterburg inside, but there is a random city with tiny, tiny people in mid walk. "Now it can snow here whenever you want it to!", the note says.
Ion - He gets the same thing as Mewtwo: a white scarf with that little demon symbol at the end. Everyone should have this symbol, it's the most awesome ever.
Ginji and Noelle - The two of them get remote control helicopters, since Luke wasn't lucky enough to find Albiore shaped ones. Ginji gets one with dark colors, and Noelle with white. The note attached reads: "Maybe you guys can figure these things out."
Gelda - He's run into the same problem as Raine - he isn't sure what exactly to get her. So she gets the same thing; light blue cookies with powdered sugar dusted on top. Though the note beside hers is different: "Thanks for putting up with me. We need to talk sometime outside of the classroom!"

Afterwards, he'll go straight home, because that took a while and he's cold. Feel free to catch him before he drops off gifts, during, or after! ooc: And if I missed anyone, please drop me a line! I have the worst memory ever, for serious.]

020 [Voice/Action]

2011-11-08T20:53:03Z

[It's cold. For one who does not like the cold very much, they can be pretty miserable. Luke walks through the village, coat unzipped but crossed over his chest and stomach, with a rather irritated look on his face. Dammit. If Guy were here he'd probably frown at him and zip up his coat before talking to him more...

He glares up at the sky and the little flakes of snow falling from it. He has his journal with him, so he slides it out of his pocket and opens it idly, turning on the video option as he keeps staring up at the sky.]

Damn, this is annoying... It feels like we barely even had fall. [He looks down at the journal now.] Does it ever seem like time's passing by really fast for everyone else?

[And thanks to him holding the journal, his coat's flapped open again. If Xion saw him, she'd definitely zip up...]

Oh...

[With that realization and idea in mind, Luke hurries over to get by a wall, as if that'll help him plan things with everyone else. Then, after some work, he gets some filters ready.]

[Filtered from Xion // 100%]] ... [Filtered from Van and Vanitas // 100%]

A lot of people here know Xion, right? Well, um...

[He remembers Flynn, and how he talked about making Rapunzel's dream come true... Why can't he be as smooth as he was while doing that? There's a little blush on his face and everything... GAH. He'll just clear his throat and keep going. He's already started, so why not?]

Her birthday's coming up on the twentieth. Last time there was a surprise party for her, and I was thinking... Maybe we could do that again this year? Or something like that. October's been a pretty bad month for her. Things are getting better, but... I think she could still use something like the people who care about her celebrating her birthday.

[The fact that she was born... created. The fact that she's alive now...]

So we could hold it... somewhere. And maybe... sometime before sunset. ... I don't really know how to do any of this stuff.

[Definitely not Flynn-worthy. Guh.]

((ooc: I know his last post is being backlogged to all hell, but I'll get tagging that one too. This one was just important to get out like right now. |D

Aaand Anise's thread is now locked 8|b))

019 [Voice/Action]

2011-10-26T05:24:27Z

[On the evening of the 25th, one of the few days where he didn't find himself wearing a mask, he's sitting on the rail of the bridge near his apartment and staring up at the sky. Yes, it's scary, especially with how large and angry the moon looks right now. But he can't help staring, because he's contemplating something. He's pretty sure that it's not the moon getting larger, but coming closer. Maybe it seemed crazy and stupid, but... he can't get the idea out of his head. It's nearly Halloween, the day that terrified the whole of Luceti last year even though he was away for it. One scare tactic after another...

His journal is open by his side, recording the sound of crickets and the river flowing. Eventually, one might hear him speak up, too.]

What's got you so pissed off, anyway?

[It's the moon he's talking to, though he doesn't expect a response. After a few minutes, he turns to pick up his journal and write what he's contemplating about to a certain someone. It takes some work, but he's finally able to get a good filter.]

[Filtered to Asch // 100%]

Did you see the moon, too?

018 [Action]

2011-09-27T01:58:31Z

[Sup, Luceti. There's a certain redhead walking to the bakery.

A certain redhead who's wearing nothing but briefs.

Every now and then, he appears to tug at something below his wrist with a little frown before moving on ahead casually, as if he doesn't even realize that he's pretty much half naked.

At least he's got the body for this kind of thing.]

((ooc: Luke is following The Emperor's New Clothes, although instead of believing his clothes are invisible to those who are stupid or unfit, he just thinks he's actually wearing very nice clothes.))

017 [Voice]

2011-08-16T05:32:17Z

[It's rather late at night when the journal clicks on. Luke had waited until he had calmed down from the nightmare he had to make the post, and good thing, too. Otherwise it'd catch the tremor he surely had in his voice.

Instead, he merely sounds subdued, and maybe a little hesitant.]

Does anyone have any good stories to tell?

Or... any advice on how to get back to sleep? [Nothing he usually does is working right now.]

016 [Action/Video]

2011-07-14T20:25:01Z

[It had happened that morning. Luke, in this time period, had a much easier time of sleeping and waking early, and so he was in the weapon's shop when it hit him.

All those memories that had been buried thanks to the Malnosso. Traveling with Tear, meeting Jade and Anise, killing his first human being, Guy, Master Van...

Akzeriuth... Cutting his hair. Trying to save the world he screwed up. Killing his own master. And the long month afterward... He can even feel the link he has with Asch flaring to life again.

Luke freezes in his spot, holding a fancy sword in his hand. How... How could he have forgotten all of that? How could he have acted like such a jerk to everyone? Such an ignorant, thoughtless... He was so nasty to everyone whom he considered his friends, and now... they... who knows what they thought of him now? This boy who had to relive who he used to be, the person he's ashamed of.

The sword in his hands trembles, and without thinking it through at all, Luke suddenly brings the sword back to slice through his hair, cutting the back of his neck and leaving only a small piece of the long hair behind. The rest is clenched in his hand, his knuckles almost white from the strain. All those terrible things he said to everyone, to Xion and Asch and Ion and...

Noel.

"You're a criminal?"

His face pales, and the sword in his hand clatters to the ground. Thankfully for the staff of the weapons store, he doesn't drop the mass amount of hair.

But he does abruptly leave, and he runs back to Community Housing Building 2, head lowered the whole time so that no one can look at him. He doesn't want anyone to see him, the leftovers of a massacre that he created. Ashes of the sacred flame...

... Asch.

It's that thought which makes him pause just outside of the door to his apartment. He barely even realizes that he made it there until now. Would Asch accept him back? He hadn't tried contacting him since the link came to life again... What if he just ruined whatever progress he made in their already strained relationship?

But... this was still his home. So, he keeps his head low again as he knocks on the door, hair still unknowingly clenched in his other hand.]

[A few hours later, the video option of the journal is activated, and Luke's face appears on the other side. He's not looking at the journal, and he keeps brushing his hand through his now short hair, so very similar to how it used to be. He looks... tired, depressed and stressed, as if a whole ton of weight was just added to his shoulders.]

Everyone, I... [How does he even start? He didn't have to do anything like this after Yulia City.] I guess I don't really know what to say. Heh... pretty pathetic, right?

[No, that's not good enough. It sounds like an excuse to not talk to anyone. He shuts his eyes and takes in a deep breath.] ... I'm sorry. A lot of you saw me with long hair, and... I probably treated you badly. That...

That person was who I once was. The Malnosso did something to me to make me forget everything that happened back in my world. I... [Killed hundreds. Thousands. I was manipulated and betrayed by the only person I trusted at the time, and I was tossed away like a piece of trash, and I was abandoned...] ... went through a lot to make me who I am today. I'm still not a good person. But I learned in my world... I guess you could say it made me open my eyes to who I was.

I'm not going to be that person anymore. I promise all of you that. And... [I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry -] I know I can't apologize enough for everything I said or did, even though I want to. But I want to do anything I can to let everyone know that I won't ever be like that again. I'm not that person anymore. [I'm not even the real Luke.] So... If anyone wants me to do something for them, anything, or... has any questions, just... talk to me.

[He finally looks at the little camera.]

... I'm sorry.

[After another hour or two to himself, Luke walks out of the apartment building and tries to find whoever he met when he still had long hair. Whoever he was particularly nasty to... to apologize to their faces. To own up to what he did and take responsibility, not from hiding behind a book, but face to face.

He especially looks for Noel. After what he said to her... He needs to see her now.]

015 [Written/Voice]

2011-07-04T00:52:07Z

[The handwriting that suddenly appears is very sloppy, but still somewhat readable. It's a combination of being drugged, having messy handwriting in the first place, and having a cast on his arm to have to work around.]

I don't really remember what happened, so I'll try to write what I can here.

A weird girl attacked us while I was practicing with Master Van. She sang this song that made us all sleepy (a "fonic hymn", he called it... What's that?). I tried to stop her, but all of a sudden this... incredible power appeared between us, and next thing I knew I woke up here without a shirt on.

I don't see that girl anywhere... She probably ran off. She'd better not be going to attack Master Van again! That girl's got a lot of nerve, barging in on our practice session like that! If I see her again...!

Whatever that power was, it threw me somewhere I'm not familiar with. And it took my shirt and my pants! Now I've got these scratchy white pants, and I'm in the middle of some forest! I don't know how to get back, but I remember Master Van saying that moss grows on the... south side of a tree, so I guess I'll

[The writing suddenly stops. After a moment, the video button is accidentally brushed against as the writer appears to be busy flipping between pages with an ever increasing frown. The writer himself has the exact face and hair color of one Luke fon Fabre, but something seems... different about him. His hair is much longer, and the ends of his hair fade to a blond color, just like his wings, which he has not noticed yet. After a few more seconds of looking at the pages, he clenches his teeth and growls, and that's the last you'll see of him from the journal, because he just threw it aside.]

This isn't even my diary! Dammit, where the hell am I?!

[He gets up and glares off in the distance. And though you can't see him, you can certainly hear him as he yells off in a random direction.]

Hey, girl! Come out here and face up to what you did! You're a Malkuth soldier, aren't you? Are you trying to kidnap me again?! When my father hears that you kidnapped the son of Duke Fabre again, you'll be sorry you even tried attacking us!

...

And what the hell did you put on my arm?!

[He's not talking to anyone in particular. In fact, he really wishes he'd hear a response. He's mostly yelling just to get some kind of answer – even that girl would be nice by now. Luke has no idea where he is, nor how to get back... Maybe she'll know.]

[[ooc: Replies will be made with bratacus! And for the record, the Malnosso healed all his injuries; they were just too lazy to take the cast off. If anyone came to visit him while he was in the clinic, he probably got them to sign their name on it, so. Just a little tidbit.]]

014 [Voice/Action]

2011-05-02T04:48:43Z

[It's well into the night by the time Luke makes his way back to the apartment where he lives, a small bag with the belongings he brought with him being carried by his side. Unfortunately, it had rained while Luke was out there, so the mattress he brought along was ruined by the time he decided to head back. Thanks to the rain, his hair is also a mess, so he's not particularly happy.

He is, at least, much calmer than he was a few days ago. After his talk with Ion, Luke's had quite some time to think. Maybe he was being selfish... Maybe it would've been best to never know about any of it. But at the same time, he's glad to know. It feels like the wool's been pulled away from his eyes, and now he knows that he has to go back. Even if... he'd have to face Ion's death... there was still much to do. And here Luke thought everything was peaceful again...

He'd been thinking about the experiment, too. One that gave him a real life, a real family... He'd have to contact Paprika sometime. And how did Asch feel about it? Should he have stayed away? Well... There was only one way to find out.

That thought, though, makes him stop on the bridge by his community building. He has to wonder whether anyone else felt the way he did about some parts of the experiment... So, on a whim, he takes out his journal and pushes the voice option.]

Hey, does anyone else wish that some of that experiment was...

[Real? ...]

... Never mind, forget that. Uh... has... anyone gone camping before?

[... Stupid question. Luke shakes his head and shuts his journal with a light, frustrated little sound, then continues on his way to the apartment. If Asch was upset with him for that experiment, he'd soon find out about it.]

013 [Voice/Actionish] (Backdated to the day before the event)

2011-03-28T03:17:32Z

[Ever since that battle with Vanitas and his talk with Asch afterward, Luke had been feeling absolutely exhausted. He'd spent all day, all night, and then all day again in bed, which surprised him a little. Hyperresonance had never worn him out that much before... Then again, he never actually tried it in Luceti apart from his training with Asch, and never in combat like that. It's the next morning when Luke finally feels energized enough to get back to his daily routine.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. Sure, there was no breakfast, but it's not like that was too unusual. Maybe enough to make him raise an eyebrow, but he shrugged it off and made himself some toast with butter and cinnamon. That seemed to be one of the few things he couldn't ruin, even if the meal wasn't all that fulfilling.

It's as the day goes on that something seems to be wrong. The silence could always be from Guy managing Good Spirits, but a quick check made him see that Guy wasn't even there. Sure, he could be somewhere else, but... without even checking in on him? Even at his worst, by this time Guy would always come by to see if Luke was okay and if he needed anything. It was always a little annoying, but... it was routine, too. A routine that's never broken easily.

It's late in the afternoon by the time Luke flops down in one of the chairs and frowns as he stares worriedly down at the floor. Something about this feels wrong. He's kind of afraid to check on Guy, because what he finds might just be everything he feared. It'd be easier to just pretend things were okay, to think that Guy's just off somewhere and that he'd be back later. Maybe he finally went to bring Asch back from wherever he was. Maybe he just went to do some errands. ...Very long errands.

But he can't keep doing that forever. He shuts his eyes, then stands and heads towards Guy's room.]

Guy? Guy, come on. [Luke's at the door now. He raises his hand to push it open... turns it into a fist, and brings it back down to his side.] ... Look, whatever I did, I'm sorry. Just... open the door, okay?

[No response. Luke purses his lips and tightens the fist at his side, then forces himself to relax it enough to raise his hand and open the door.]

Guy...

[Somehow, a part of him was expecting this. It was only a quiet, little part of him though, one that would be pushed firmly away by denial and what he felt was rationality. Even now as he stares into the completely empty room, a wave of rejection comes over him. No, maybe Guy just cleaned his room way too nicely. It continues even as Luke steps slowly into the room and looks into the closet, checks the drawers, even peeks under the bed: No, Guy's just having a massive cleaning day. He just moved to another room - Luke even tries to make sure by checking all of the other rooms, his steps quickening into a run by the time he goes upstairs, calling his name uselessly. No, Guy's just...

He's just...

Luke finally stops at what used to be Natalia's room. It was just the same with her: Everything was gone. All that was left was an empty space where his dear friend used to be... Just like Guy's room.]

[It takes a long while before Luke thinks to at least let everyone know what happened. He'd sat on what used to be Natalia's bed with his head in his hands and quietly thought of things that would take away the fact that Guy was gone and mentally berating himself every time his breathing hitched.

It takes another few minutes for Luke to actually get up and go to his room, where his journal lays on the nightstand. He rests one hand on the journal while the other reaches up to wipe at his face, trying to make himself look at least somewhat presentable.

... But when he does that, he just wants to cover his face, turn away and leave. To get away for a while, because now the house felt too empty, but... He shakes his head to himself and flips the journal open, keeping his head ducked down to hide whatever emotion he might be feeling.]

Guy... went back to Auldrant.

[That's all Luke can say before he shuts the journal and leaves it behind.]

[[ooc: ~~Just a fair warning, Luke might not reply to some of the responses.~~ Null and void since I am terrible at that. 8| He's a sad puppy right now and all. He can be caught wandering around the village, though, if you want to talk to him!]]

012 [Action/Voice]

2011-03-02T05:02:42Z

[Ever since Bil/Catherine/whatever told him that the sword Guy lost would probably be returned, Luke checked the weapon shop every day in the hopes of finding it. The days he didn't find it were met with a disheartened sigh, half-hearted lingering to check out the rest of the weapons, then wandering back home. He remained hopeful, though, always diligently checking to see if it was there.

Today, however, Luke's efforts paid off. There, glittering on one of the displays, is the weapon he'd been looking for. He nearly sags with relief, and he grabs the sword before anyone can even think of taking it for themselves. He stays a little longer to see if everyone's doing okay with Sokka still at the draft, and then he heads home, sword in hand.

After all of that, Luke heads to his room and flops down on his bed, a little worn out from the day's events. He opens his journal, hoping to get to talk to at least one or two of the draftees whenever the Malnosso decide to return them to the hotel rooms.]

How's everyone doing out there?

011 [Voice]

2011-02-06T03:56:42Z

[Filtered to Guy//~~Ridiculously hackable~~ Unhackable]

Hey, Guy? My hair's getting kind of long... Could you come cut it for me? I'd do it myself, but I can't really see back there...

[Filtered to Ion//~~So hackable it hurts~~ Unhackable]

Ion, can I talk to you? It's important.

[/Filter]

[Now that those are out of the way, Luke rests his chin in his hand and stares off to the side, lost in thought. The thing he wanted to talk to Ion about... It's been weighing heavily on his mind ever since he heard it. Luke isn't sure what to think of it, or even how to feel about it. There's a sort of happiness inside him, sure, but... he can't deny the hesitation and confusion he feels. So, after a few minutes, he opens up the journal again to ask the general populace:]

What do you think it means to have a soul?

010 [Written/Accidental Voice]

2011-01-26T00:43:16Z

[Written; Filtered to House 5]

I'll be back once this is all over, okay?

[/Filter]

[Luke made sure to cover up the little camera that records his face as he writes, and he does so all the way until he shuts the journal. It seems that's all he's going to do.

Except a little while later, the journal's knocked open, and a broken pair of scissors that clatters against the floor near it proves to be the culprit. Luke himself... or, rather, Asch can be seen with his back to the journal in a community housing room while he stares intently at a mirror and tries to style his hair into something that looks a little more like himself. He had tried to cut his hair, but judging by the scissors, that proved to be a colossal failure. At the moment he has his bangs down in front of his face and brushing furiously, trying to get them to stay there, trying to look at least a little different-

But once he's confident enough to let go of the hair, it just springs right back into place on the top of Asch's head. Luke stares for a second... then buries his hands in his hair and ruffles it wildly with frustration, and he tips his head back to shout (with Asch's deeper tone):]

Damn it, why won't you stay down?!

[And, of course, once he jerks his hands out and gives the mirror a flat look, the hair springs back into place once more, looking as if nothing ever touched it except love and care. With that, Luke drops his head into his hands and lets out a long groan.]

I give up.

[[ooc: Replies will come from mirroredback!]]

009 [Voice]

2011-01-15T05:27:14Z

[Filtered from Abyss Crew; 10% Unhackable]

How do you get better faster if you're sick?

[It's worth noting that since Luke's voice is slightly hoarse and a little deeper from whatever he's infected with, he sounds just like Asch. Maybe slightly more raspy, but otherwise he's pretty spot on and doesn't even know it.]

008 [Action/Voice]

2010-12-18T07:56:19Z

[Luke had been trying to get back to House 5, but it's awfully hard to do so with a sudden crowd of people. There's a whole slew of sounds coming from the journal as if Luke's right in the middle of the crowd, along with Luke himself switching between trying to be polite and being outright indignant about being pushed through a sea of people. One can hear him saying "Excuse me" and "Sorry", along with "HEY" and "WATCH IT, YOU JERK".

Eventually, though, the noises fade as Luke escapes and slides down the wall of a house that he decided to take refuge behind. With a loud sigh, Luke straightens his jacket and speaks to the journal, ignoring the light pain in his abdomen from his still healing wound.]

What a pain...

Guy, Asch, Natalia, I don't think I can make it back to the house. I'll just camp out or something, okay?

[Maybe he can find some marshmallows and make some awesome smores or something. Away from the sudden crowd.]

007 [Voice]

2010-12-03T06:10:02Z

[Luceti, you're about to hear a very nice singing voice.

A very nice singing voice with a simple plea.]

I~ think I need some help. ♪

006 [Written]

2010-11-06T05:41:52Z

[Now that Luke can stay awake for more than an hour, he'd really like to get back to the people of Auldrant as well as the friends he made here in Luceti. He still can't hear anything, but... well, maybe no one has to know that. As long as they don't try talking to him, he'll be fine.

And being bedridden for these past few days has been extremely boring.

So, he grabs his journal and writes.]

Hey... I'm back.

[... Yup. Not much to expand on there. So let's go on.]

Anyone have any good stories to tell? Or... Actually, what's the most fun you've ever had? Here or in your world.

[Filtered to Asch; 15% Unhackable]

Asch, can I talk to you?

005 [Action]

2010-11-01T23:03:29Z

[It's late in the day when Luke finally returns from his kidnapping. He's on the edge of the forest, just slightly buried under the autumn leaves, and the only sign of life is his steady breathing. It's almost as if he's deep, deep sleep, or perhaps even a coma.

But that probably won't be the first thing that others might notice. No, most prominent of all are the scratches along and around his ears thanks to his own fingernails, but also lacerations, as if made with a sharp tool. This seems to be the worst injury in sight, and the cuts are already dry, so it's not as if it's a danger.

Yet underneath a pile of leaves are his wings, and that's where the most damage is. Not only are they cracked from being thrown against the wall, but wrapped tightly around them is a thin wire. The feathers stick out rather jaggedly as a result, where they were once so smooth and well taken care of. It'll take a lot of work and patience to get all of the wire out, and it serves as a punishment for those who ended Luke's torture prematurely.

Hopefully someone will trip over him, because Luke isn't going anywhere on his own for a while.]

004 [Voice]

2010-10-25T01:39:21Z

[There's an annoyed sound as Luke flips through his journal, seeing and hearing all the people who managed to get some cool kind of costume.]

How come I didn't get some kind of costume to wear around? That's-

[But he's cut off by the sound of a door flying off its hinges and hitting the wall.]

What the- Who the hell are-?!

H-Hey-!

[CRACK.

Something hits the floor, and then there's a crashing sound as the window of his room shatters.

Anyone who happens to come into the room will find a mess. The door's flown to the other side of his room and now lies pitifully against the floor, his windows smashed, and there's a crack on the wall beside it where someone slammed him into it.

And all that's left of Luke himself are a handful of red-fade-to-blond feathers.]

003 [Voice]

2010-09-23T06:07:36Z

How do you get someone to stop following you everywhere you go?

002 [Voice]

2010-09-10T09:07:42Z

If anyone can hear me through this thing... I guess you can, I'm just not used to-

A-Anyway, my name is Luke fon Fabre. You've... probably heard of me before. I, uh... don't really know how to say this, but... I-If you know me and I don't know you, I- sorry. I was... here before, but I don't remember any of it. I kind of wonder if that really was me.

If you know-... knew me, then... I wouldn't mind getting to know you again. I... That's probably- It's a lot to ask, I know, and it's okay if you don't want to, I just... thought I'd say it.

... Maybe I should just stick to writing.

[Aaand click, he shuts it off before it gets even more awkward.]

001 [Action/Video]

2010-09-03T02:31:03Z

[There's some irritated grumbling going on. Shuffle. Grumble. Shifting through leaves. Grumble. KICKING A TREE-]

Ow!

[... Grumble.

And now HI LUCETI, YOU'RE NOW SEEING THE BOTTOM OF SOMEONE'S FOOT. But it lifts up quickly, and in its place is a teenaged boy with short, scraggly red hair and green eyes staring curiously down at the journal. Aaand then it morphs an annoyed face.]

Man, this isn't even my journal... And where the hell did my shirt go?

[The person disappears and gives yet another grumble as he searches through some leaves... Then seems to resolve to find his way to the village, as his footsteps start to grow fainter and fainter. He may not know it, but he's going in the completely wrong direction of where he's supposed to go.]

APPLICATION

2010-09-01T01:42:48Z

Mun

Name: Kukki
Livejournal Username: shokora_kukki
E-mail: kukkimonster@hotmail.com
AIM/MSN: shokora kukki
Current Characters at Luceti: Kratos Aurion
Okami Amaterasu

Character

Name: Luke fon Fabre
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Gender: Male
Age: 17 (mentally 7)
Time Period: Post Absorption Gate, before Tear joins up with him.
Wing Color: Red fading to blond, like his haaair |D
History: Heeeere
Personality: When Luke first started out, he was whiny, extremely selfish and spoiled, narrow minded and incredibly impatient. As well as he should be, considering he grew up in a very sheltered environment and was smothered by maids who would practically brush his own hair for him. Basically, he was like a little kid who would stomp his foot and throw a hissyfit if he didn't get his way. There was an element of kindness to him, however, so that would make him more of a jerk with a heart of gold rather than a jerkass… except when Van happened to mention that he could become a SUPER HERO if he'd just do what he said. Suddenly, Luke focused on this and felt as if Van was the only one who understands him, and who can blame him? Van was the father who didn't treat him with disrespect and didn't give him much sass, not to mention how the rest of the party would withhold secrets and then scold him for not trusting them. Everything became about Van, and Luke closed himself off to everyone and became a grade A jerkass.

Of course, it all changed when the Akzeriuth disaster occurred. Luke was suddenly abandoned by the one man that he trusted the most and tossed aside as if his usefulness was done with. But he still fiercely defended him and himself, because it was them against the world… a world that he just destroyed. He didn't even know what he did, but everyone, everyone turned their backs on him and left him just as Van did. That is, everyone except the stupid little thing that annoyed the hell out of him. On top of that, upon arriving in Yulia City, Asch happened to show up and tell Luke that he was basically just a clone of himself, and that really made Luke nothing but a pawn for Van. It all snapped Luke into starting a fight with Asch, only to lose and, through their connection, really see just what he had done and how much of a jerk he was to everyone. It's with that that he resolves to start over, do his best to change himself, and try his damndest to atone for his actions by helping others.

At this point, Luke is all about determination, curiosity about the world around him, reaching out to others, resolve, and trying to make up for everything by helping everyone ever. He stopped St. Binah from becoming another Akzeriuth by evacuating everyone first, just as he should have done in the first place, and doing so with vigor and zeal (even going so far as to carry an old man on his back and dive for a child about to be killed by Dist's fon machine). He's desperate to change both himself and the world he's in, and eventually, he succeeded. But over the course of all of this, he wondered what kind of purpose his life had… It was because he was born that the Score went off track, that Asch was denied the life that he should have had, that he was such a pompous idiot in the first place. Knowing that he had a purpose in his life would've at least made him feel like his life had meaning, which might be another reason why he ran around so much trying to do everything. But then Van ruined it all by informing Luke that, really, the only reason he was created was to destroy Akzeriuth. And now he was useless.

Luke may have succeeded in lowering the outer lands and possibly saving the world, but Van's words hit him hard. A month later and after living in the Fabre mansion, Luke felt as if he truly didn't belong. It's where Asch belonged, after all. And it's not like Luke really has the right to live there… He's the fake son, after all. The one who really should've died, or, rather, should never have been born.

So, Luke at this time period is an odd mix of everything described above plus a few other things. The jerkass part of his personality has mostly left him, although he'll still find himself groaning and moaning about something that's taking way too much work. "What a pain!" is practically his catchphrase. He's still reluctant to help the warehouse guys, even though it's pretty easy to do. He will bitch about not getting a slice of delicious cake, and he's still horribly blunt about things like appearances. But other than that, he'd rather put all of that behind him and never think about it again except to laugh bitterly at himself.

The most important part of his personality, the part that Luke clings to, is the fact that he still wishes to help people. He wants to do whatever he can for anyone he can reach out to. The incident at Akzeriuth still weighs heavily on his shoulders, and at this point, it seems like no matter what he does, he'll never be able to atone for it. After all, he still has nightmares about it. Those are thousands of lives he took, and reaching a helping hand to thousands of people won't change that. Still, he tries. It's that weight plus being told that he had no use in the world caused him to become extremely insecure with himself. "Can you not live unless you were born for some purpose?" No, it seems. He mopes, he's hesitant in his speech, and he's suddenly unsure if he's really the one people should be counting on.

Now, this doesn't mean people can't count on him. Just because he's down on himself doesn't mean he won't bring anyone else down. As Guy once said to him, "You manage to find a silver lining for everyone's situation except your own". He wants everyone else to be happy and to see the silver lining in their life, and he'll do whatever it takes for that to happen. Make them laugh, smile, stay in the room if they're sad, or even duck out of their life. He does hold his friends on a higher pillar than other people, as most people are apt to do, but everyone still gets that "holier than me" treatment.

A big, big part of his personality that stays with him from beginning to end is his naiveté. He has the mind of a seven year old child, and though he may act mature in the last half of the game, it definitely shows through in bright and shining colors. He barely knows anything about the world around him, only what the rest of the party decided to tell him. Even now, he'll still ask what the heck something is, and since cutting his hair, he's grown much more curious about everything. His focus isn't on his home anymore, but on the world and the people in it, and thus he wants to ask everything about them. Sometimes, he'll even misunderstand things as a child would, like thinking that scolding was a good thing after the mayor of St. Binah told him that Jade scolded him because he liked him, or declaring that Asch loves Guy when he didn't realize what the implications meant. Luke is sometimes very blunt, going as far as to insult people with it, although he really doesn't know any better and will apologize (or more often than not, be further confused and frustrated) when the person walks away with a huff. He has little patience, although he's been working on that. In the past, this was to the EXTREME, and today, he'll want to get stuff done quickly, but reluctantly calms down if he realizes it's not going to happen soon. Also, things aren't going to be obvious for him unless it's explained to him clearly. He looks at the big picture, not the detail involved in it. If he accidentally insults someone and they react with the cold shoulder, he's not going to realize why until someone clearly tells him "Oh you just hurt his feelings". But at least he'll do his best to make sure the person is happy again.

One thing that creates a whole level of awkward with him is the fact that, despite his seven year old mind, he has the body of a seventeen year old. It probably explains all the drastic mood changes and even his bitchy attitude from before – HORMONES. Tear's breasts are considered melons to him and he gets blushy and awkward around any girl who compliments him in a way that makes him genuinely feel better about himself and the situation. He gets odd little ~*~feelings~*~ that he doesn't really know about, and in turn, it just makes him feel weird. I'm sure he was told about these kinds of things, but it's still hard for his mind to wrap around.

TL;DR Luke is a kid in a teenaged body and is an insecure little bitch with a heart of gold with a silver lining. :|b

Strengths:
Physical
Luke doesn't show off his abs for nothing. He's pretty physically strong, and he's become a great swordsman thanks to all of his training and fighting. AND EXERCISE. Luke isn't abnormally strong or anything, but he's at least on par with an athlete. He also uses artes in battle, many of which involve knocking down the enemy LIKE A BOSS.

He also has the ability to use hyperresonance, which can destroy all matter (or carve into something to make handy dandy little instructions or messages!), but Luke will probably never use it unless he has to. Bad memories and all. There's also the fact that, despite all of his training, he still doesn't have good control over it.

Mental
For all the moaning and whining and complaining he did in the beginning, Luke tends to adapt pretty well when forced into a new situation. Sure, he still fails at it, but at least he never had a complete breakdown until everything bad that could ever happen did. He has a strong amount of determination, too, if he really sets his mind to it. He may get down a few times, but all it takes is some encouraging words from his friends, and he's back on his feet. Considering that's really all his friends need to do, that shows an absurd amount of resolve. He's carrying the weight of 10,000 lives that he took, and yet he still keeps trucking on. It takes a lot to get up and move, but he will do it. He has all those lives to make up for, after all. And… I suppose… he's also good at solving puzzles? Considering he cleaned up the warehouses for those guys.

Emotional
LUKE LOVES TO HELP PEOPLE seriously if he can just see that this could possibly be a good purpose in his life then he'd be extremely good at it. I wouldn't say he has empathy, but he certainly has a lot of sympathy and the willingness to go through with the instinct to fix the source of it right up. Luke has a tremendous amount of courage, too; When he was ~~stalking~~ trying to find Asch, it occurred only to Guy, who'd known him all his life, that he was actually terrified of seeing him. But he still went through with it and ended up wibbling over the meeting. He has a ton of will and resolve, both for other people and himself, and can always see the bright side… for someone else's problems, that is.

And unlike a lot of the Tales heroes, Luke actually has a problem with killing people. Jade himself says that Luke trembles at night after they've had to kill a bandit or some other person. Whether this is a strength or a weakness in Luceti, though…

Weaknesses:
Physical
Luke may have ridiculous abs, but they're certainly not of steel. It is very possible to kill him, especially since he's… definitely not the fastest guy in battle. He can't use fonic artes, which are pretty much magical offensive/defensive spells in battle. He's not too interested in it either, so he'd be very slow to learn magic, if at all. Heck, when Tear was teaching him how to control his hyperresonance, it takes a large portion of the game to just let him get the basics down. And, as I said, controlling said hyperresonance is still a difficult thing for him, but he plans on never trying to use it anyway.

Mental
LOL LOTS. He has the mind of a child, so he's very naïve and even has the handwriting of a Cheagle (meaning, very bad). On the other hand, when carving the instructions into the passage rings, the handwriting seemed to be just fine… Maybe it's different with hyperresonance. And because he grew up extremely sheltered, Luke barely knows about the world, often questioning things that are common knowledge to everyone else. And now that he's not RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM EVERYTHING EVEEEER, he's gonna be a lot more curious about stupid things.

One major weakness in this category is his insecurity. That's the biggest thing that'll keep him down. Luke feels as if he doesn't belong anywhere, like he doesn't have a purpose. At this point, it's at an all time low since he didn't feel comfortable in his own home. He feels inferior to his original, but he still went and took everything away from him. Unintentionally, of course, but he still feels that he's at fault, and that he's become nothing more than a replacement. His only saving grace from this is that he's sometimes vocal about his feelings on the matter, leading his friends to pick him back up and ensure that he has his own life to live. Doesn't really solve the problem, but it does keep him going for a few more steps. And heck, it gets so bad sometimes that he wonders if it'd be better off for everyone if he died.

He hangs on, though, for the sake of those lives he took. It's just a problem that he suffers from every day, especially with the knowledge that Asch is still alive out there, living on his own like an angry cockatiel in a life that wasn't meant for him.

Emotional

He still clings to Van, enough to continue calling him "Master", even though he knows that he's a twisted man. It's that same sort of attachment that a child would have for a father, especially one who seemed so loving, only to dump them away quite suddenly. He knows that his actions are inexcusable, but a small part of him keeps hoping for the man to give him some reason to live. Even after all the things Luke accomplished, it was Van's confirmation that Luke was useless after Akzeriuth that made him withdraw and become insecure about his life. Despite his friends obviously caring for him and having an Important Pep Talk with each of them before fighting him, it was Van's words that made him believe that he didn't belong anywhere, not even with them. He tried to break away, but the fact that he was about to cry while talking to him just before their big fight shows just how much influence Van still holds over him. Basically, if Van went to him in ghost form and told him to jump off a cliff? Luke would probably deny it, but then think about it and angst about it and maybe even consider it.

There's also the HORMONES thing going on, which just confuses him and makes him have mood swings from hell. Also, he is a typical boy. He likes to hit things, and if there's a brawl going on, Luke can and will jump into it, especially if one of his friends (read: GUY) drags him into it. He'll throw the occasional and mild temper tantrum if things don't go his way, a remnant of his past self. All of those annoying traits you see in little boys? Are in Luke, although he usually handles it easier and quickly gets over the moments when he falls back into such behavior.

Samples (ALL samples must be set in Luceti-verse.)

First Person: Augh, my head… Did the- nngh, did they come back? [He lets out another pitiful groan, before he realizes…] No… This one isn't like the others. [OH MY GOD HE'S HAVING A NORMAL HEADACHE FOR ONCE WHAT EVEN

After taking another moment to recover, he finally looks up to check out his surroundings.] … Uh oh. [Some shuffling sounds as he stands up and continues to look, somewhat more frantically than before.] Oh no… Mieu? Mieu, where are you? Dammit, answer me, Thing!

[No response. In a moment of personal despair, Luke plops right back to the ground and glares at the ground, as if the dirt itself was the reason why he was pulled here.] Tch… If anyone could get lost like this on a boat, it'd be me, huh? Heh… figures. [He chuckles helplessly to himself… and there's a growing realization that he's never truly been out in a forest like this completely by himself. He always had Tear, or Mieu, or Guy… or someone who could lead the way and point to the next village, or at least talk to him while they do so.]

… I'm not that worthless.

[He stands up again. He's READY. He's DEFINITELY going to find the way out of here!]

Moss grows on the… south side of a tree, right? I'll head that way first and see where I go!

[… Or not. As he studies the trees and makes an about face to wander in the completely wrong direction, however, he steps on an open book. Huh. He bends down to study it, giving Luceti a clear view of a young man with short, scraggly hair and green eyes peering curiously at the pages before he makes a slightly frustrated face.]

Man, this isn't even my journal… And where the hell did my shirt go?

[IGNORING JOURNAL NOW, TIME TO FIND SOME VILLAGERS. He'll mutter as he walks away though:]

All these forests look the same to me… How do they always know where to go? What a pain…

Third Person: (Samples must be 300 words or above. Remember to write using proper grammar, verb tenses, and paragraphs.)
When Luke awoke, he had a headache the size of the Tartarus. For a brief moment, he thought that the headaches that hadn't plagued him for a month had returned, but this one was different. It wasn't a piercing pain; it didn't feel like someone was dragging their nails across a chalkboard on both sides of his ears. It was just a pounding ache that was already beginning to dull. Once it became bearable, Luke let go of his head and looked up… Only to see that he was nowhere near the boat where he supposedly blacked out. He stood up quickly; Mieu was supposed to be right near his side, but where was he now? He called for him, even using the "nickname" that he had "affectionately" given to him, yet there was still no response. Only his voice faintly echoed back at him.

And when that happened… He realized that he really was all alone. And that never happened outside of the manor. He could feel nervousness rise up in his chest; he could get even more lost, what if he never found Baticul again, but then again-No, no. This isn't the time to think that way. He plopped down and glared down at the ground. It surely wasn't his fault that he was… wherever he was, unless he triggered a hyperresonance by accident. But wouldn't he have felt it?

"Figures," he thought to himself. Luke didn't know where he was, didn't know how he got here, didn't know the way back, didn't know anything, just like always. But sitting around and pouting about it wouldn't get him anywhere, and despite how tempting it was, he knew that he had to get up and find his way out.

What was it that Van told him? Moss grew on the south side of trees?

Luke took in a deep breath to swallow the fear and allow determination to take over, then stood up and headed to the south, rolling his shoulders with an irritated groan. Did he sleep wrong again? It wouldn't be the first time…