✝ that's not funny

[sacredashes]

[Clearly the best way for Lorelei to bring back both redheads is at the same time, in the same place. Asch isn't aware of anything after his death or before this moment. All he knows is that darkness took him, and now... well.

Luke's room has only gotten messier since Asch's departure. The maids hadn't touched it in two years except to dust things, and there isn't a lot of floor space, which means that Luke and Asch are holding hands, face down, on a very cramped floor. In fact, Asch is basically shoved with his legs stuck against the dresser.

This is some seriously piss-poor planning for someone who planned the future of the world.

Confused and more than a little freaked out by suddenly being alive again, Asch yells and twists around, only to hit his head on the bedpost and swear more.]

Augh! What the hell is-- I'm... huh?

[ELOQUENT AS ALWAYS. He reaches out and gives Luke a hard shove, then tries to sort out how best to sit up.]

Wake up, you idiot!

Comments

[sacredashes]

[Asch is thankful for the breathing room. He runs a hand through his bangs, though they go back to being totally in his face. Ah, fuck it. He's so done with everything right now. He wants to leave, but where will he go?

He flicks Luke lightly in the forehead.]

I hope you're not planning to mope around here all day. I'm going to see--

[Mother? Father?]

-- see what's going on.

[fabrecation]

[Luke doesn't quite hear him at first, still thunderstruck by the realization that he's alive. Somehow, he could believe that Asch was alive, but he himself? He'd made a promise, he did, but he didn't see any way to come back, and -

The promise... He kept it after all! He needs to see everyone - His family, his friends, Tear... God, would they still be waiting for him? Did they move on? Would they remember him? He wanted to think they did, but -

He's cut off by a scream outside his room, and he looks up to find that Asch is gone. When he hurries outside, Asch is standing right by the door, and one of the maids is running away, calling for the Duke and Lady of the manor.]

What the -?! [... He looks at Asch, a frown on his face.] Asch, what did you do? [And to the maid, though he doesn't expect her to stop:] H-Hey! Hey, it's okay, it's just us!

[The maid looks back, but that only makes her turn even paler, scream once again, and disappear behind the doors.

... Welp.]

[sacredashes]

[Asch looks offended, to put it mildly.] Shut up! I didn't do anything!

[After the maid disappears, Asch turns to his replica.] See!?

[MATURITY. Within seconds, White Knights start pouring into the courtyard and they don't seem to be happy. Weapons brandished, the leader barks out an order.]

You are hereby under arrest for impersonating the sons of Duke Fabre! Don't resist, and maybe the sentence will be lenient.

[As the guards move to intercept Asch, he takes a step back.] Idiots, we are them! Can't you tell!? Let me see Mother!

[One of the knights grabs his arm. Asch retaliates by punching him in the face.

This is about to get ugly, fast.]

[fabrecation]

Asch!

[Luke really should stop him. He should stop him and try to explain, because he likes the White Knights, and maybe they'll listen to him if he just -

But one grabs his arm too, and he jerks himself out of his grip.]

Let go of me! Stop - It's us, can't you see that?! Just let us see our Mother!

[He... does not punch anyone, but he does shove one of the knights hard, then attempts to run for the door closest to their parents. Surely they're in there...!]

[sacredashes]

[Asch still remembers where his parents' room is. He shoves away another knight and throws the door open violently, sending another guard staggering. Thankfully they have security detail, or maybe not thankfully, because Asch is already moving to barrel right through them and into the Duke's room.

The sounds of armor clinking and heavy footsteps echo through the hall behind them. They're cornered. Someone grabs his left arm, twisting it painfully, and he lifts his other elbow to try and hit his attacker blindly--]

Stop!

[A woman's voice, familiar and commanding, rings out through the hall. The mayhem stills. Before them stands Susanne, looking pale and worse for wear, but still able to stand on her own.]

Let me see them.

[The guards release Asch and Luke and step back. The king's sister steps gracefully through the crowd, and Asch feels all the fight in him drain away. He said he'd never come back to this place, but here he is. He said he'd die, but here he is.]

Mother...

[Susanne is startled, visibly moved to tears. She reaches out and pulls both Luke and Asch to her.]

My sons... My wonderful sons. You've returned to me after all this time. I am so happy.

[fabrecation]

[Luke hates fighting back against the knights; he knows that more of them supported him when it came out that he was a replica than the others, even if a few of them were still unsure around him. But dammit, they're trying to cut them off from their mother, trying to throw them out and are accusing them of being imposter, of -

So when one of the knights grabs Luke from behind and under the arms, Luke just manages to kick the guard in the shin when that voice came up. Her voice, the one voice that calmed him more than anything else in the world. Luke feels his arms hang on the spot when the guard lets go of him, feels his eyes widen and his jaw slack, working only to get out one word.]

M-Mother...

[And she just... accepts them, pulls them to her and holds them as tight as she can, and Luke just loses it there. He feels a lump in his throat, and he squeezes his eyes shut and lets the tears slip out, arms lifting up to hold both his mother and his original, hands clenching in their shirts as if that'll make the embrace that much more special. The feel of a mother's embrace, and knowing that Asch is there, not to replace him but standing with him as an equal...

Luke never thought he'd feel something like this again. And yet here he is, alive, and experiencing it all.]

Mother... Mother...

[Susanne doesn't know how her sons came back. But just as the thought occurs to her, it's brushed aside easily. All that matters is that her sons are alive, warm and solid and shaking in her arms, and she tightens her hold on them, even with how frail she is.]

Oh, my dear children...

[sacredashes]

[Oh God, this is apparently a feelings jam and he didn't know until he got here.

But he lets Susanne hug him, doesn't even notice the replica's hand curled against his back. Nothing matters except this moment. Like Luke, he's realized that somehow, some way, they've returned and she's accepted them both. Not once has Asch seen himself as equal to the replica who took everything from him-- but he put that to rest, didn't he?

Still, all these feelings, conflicting and longing and everything else makes him sick. He's not used to it. Not used to crying on his mother. He's eighteen, for crying out loud. But as he tries to pull back, he realizes there's hot tears in his eyes, and it's easier just to bury his face in the shoulder he still remembers.

Susanne kisses their heads in turn, hugging them fiercely. Asch surreptitiously scrubs his cheeks on the inside of his glove and takes the opportunity to say something.]

Mother. Are you out of medicine again? You don't look well.

[It's a little more important to get her to rest than to squeeze out information.]