caughtinanetwork | [text/action] 002; A Wish to the Starry Sky

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[text/action] 002; A Wish to the Starry Sky

[It's been a couple of weeks since Luke arrived. In all that time, he'd never quite relaxed. He still feels like there's something he has to do, a duty he hasn't fulfilled. And sitting here unable to do anything is making him more and more restless.

On top of that, he keeps having such awful nightmares. It wasn't like this before... before he even got thrown out of the manor in the first place. Then he had to kill people - to kill or be killed...

Akzeriuth just made it all ten times worse.

So, late at night, he lays on the couch with his head on the arm of it while staring out at the balcony, and Guy sleeping on the other end. Once he realizes staring isn't going to do anything, he quietly heads out to the balcony, where he just sits and looks out for a while.

After that, and realizing that he feels terrible from lack of sleep, he decides he really ought to do something about this. Though he hates typing on the SFC, he'd rather not potentially wake Guy up by talking, so he'll try it anyway, lazy typing and all.]

what do you do if you cant sleep?

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Yeah.

[Though to what he's confirming to isn't made known until he talks again, after a pause.]

It's just... I don't know. When I go to sleep, I -

[He lets out a frustrated sigh and runs his hand back, letting his bangs fall again.]

I... dream a lot. About stuff.

Well, that's usually how dreams work, you know.

[Joking tone aside, the blonde leans down to rest his elbows against the railing, hands wrapped around his arms.]

What kind of stuff?

[At that, Luke's eyes darken, and he turns his head away as he tightens his grip on his hair - specifically, the part where he cut it. How is he supposed to tell Guy what he dreams about? Being trapped in an ocean of sick violet mud, decomposed hands reaching out to grab him and drag him in, faces with chunks of skin missing opening their mouths too wide to scream at him - The man he first killed suddenly sitting up, pulling his sword out with a sickening sound, then raising his sword to return the favor - His friends turning their backs and leaving him as he cries out and as the world turns cold and dark -

...

He can't say a word.]

...

Luke...

[He cuts off his words, mouth pressing into a thin frown. This seclusion - this sudden tight-lipped mannerism about the redhead... this wasn't something he was used to. If it was bothering him, Guy expected a flustered waving of a hand, a comment of it "just being something stupid."

But straight out silence?

...

The only thing Guy could imagine that would trouble Luke so deeply... would be Akzeriuth. But he's not about to mention it out loud. He himself still had disturbing dreams here and there about the city's collapse. About landing on the ground in the Qlipoth, only to be surrounded by thousands upon thousands of dead or dying people, all slowly swallowed up by the mud and miasma. They'd been especially bad the first month or so of his arrival.

He... he really couldn't imagine what they might be like for Luke.

But he keeps silent.

Guy stares down at the rooftops, then back at Luke with a tight, searching expression... before raising himself up with a sigh. He takes a step towards the younger man, a hand gently resting against his shoulder.]

When you're up for it, come inside, alright?

I've got something I want to show you.

[So caught up in his thoughts, so stuck on the images still playing in his head, that the hand on his shoulder makes him jump a little again. He turns his head to glance at Guy's hand, then looks up at him with a small, helpless smile.]

O-Okay... I'll be inside soon.

[As soon as he calms down enough to get this pain out of his chest.]

[He returns that smile with one of his own - stronger, but still soft around the edges - before letting his arm slip forward across the front of Luke's shoulders, pressing his temple against Luke's neck in a half-hug. It's brief, and Guy's arm is removed soon enough, letting his hand gently ruffle Luke's hair before he turns and makes his way inside.

To the bedroom, then. He knows exactly what he's looking for. Here's just hoping it works correctly.]

[Though Luke is still feeling rather low, it's... nice to receive a bit of affection, especially from his best friend. His smile grows a little as he moves his hand to grip Guy's arm and press his cheek Guy's hair in a sort of returned hug. It, too, is brief, and he lets go of Guy's arm, instead gently tapping his fingers against it when he ruffles his hair.

Luke watches after him for a few seconds before he looks out at the city again. There aren't many lights left, but Luke finds himself watching them anyway. In a way, it takes his mind off of what else his mind is on... The dreams he woke up from. Those horrible images...

It's once one of the lights goes out that Luke blinks, then looks back at the apartment's living room again. Maybe he should get going... Guy isn't going to wait forever.

So, Luke gets himself up and heads to the living room, pauses, then goes to the bedroom. That must've been where Guy went.]

Guy?

[Guy lifts his head at the sound of Luke's voice, straightening up from his seat on the edge of the bed. A box of his own personal items sits at the foot of the bed, already perused through and put aside. In his lap the blonde now holds a small box, plain and still mid-way through decoration, if the markings of pencil along the top and sides have anything to show for it. The hinges on the back show it can be opened, but Guy keeps it firmly shut for now, one hand resting on the lid while the other held firmly to what looked like a key or crank of some sort.

He cocks his head slightly - a gesture for Luke to join him.]

Come here. I want you to try this.

Edited (whoops html) 2012-06-15 06:59 (UTC)

[Luke stares for a moment, a bit dumbfounded by the sight. It's not a surprise to see Guy tinkering with something, but this... This looked like...

Then he blinks, and he moves forward to sit beside Guy, though he keeps his eyes on the box in his lap.]

Is that...?

[He only had one music box in his room, one that was kept near the phonograph and only used when he was particularly distressed from his sleep. This box didn't look like that one, but the light designs and the object in Guy's hand tells him what it is anyway.

A music box?]

[Guy doesn't say anything at first. He simply lets his mouth quirk back up into a smile, sliding the small box from his lap into Luke's hands. When he knows Luke has a good grip on it, Guy gently fastens the crank in the side, making sure it's secure before finally drawing his hands away.]

It's not perfect, and you'll have to be gentle... but go ahead, give it a couple twists.

[Luke holds the music box securely, staying quiet for a moment to push back the nonchalant response that rose to his throat. "Yeah yeah, I know." This is important, Luke knows it. Even if he said it in a gentle tone, it'd still probably come out in a scathing way. And that's the last thing Luke wants.]

O... Okay.

[Simple, but much better. And he is gentle - really, he would've been gentle even back then. Despite his attitude, he knew how important these things were to Guy. Or, at least, he'd try to be - there were times where his definition of gentle wouldn't match up to what was needed, and he'd feel terrible after it, and be unsure how to apologize or what to do to make up for it.

He knows better now. He has enough control to be gentle, gentle enough to slowly turn the crank a couple of twists before letting his hand rest just in front of it.]

[The quiet click of gears was all that could be heard for a brief moment.

And then, the delicate clink of a note. Another, and another, and another, flowing in a slow and delicate stream as a simple harmony is played.

Yes, it was a music box. Guy himself wasn't sure how well he remembered the tune - he had heard it from a foreigner during his first few weeks in the city. The full song was something that was lost to him quickly, but he'd retained enough of the tune to jot it down. The music box was something he had slowly begun to work on in his free time after that point. The larger box - the one powered by fonic technology - was his priority, yes, but it had come to a standstill simply because he had none of the programmed discs to play music on.

This, though? This was something he had drawn up and delicately worked on for months. He didn't have a perfect ear for music, but he at least knew a harmony when he heard one, and he'd tried to replicate that haunting little melody as best he could.

Luke was the first person to see the box, and rightfully so. Guy only hoped it would serve a good purpose right now.]

Edited (lol I can english) 2012-06-15 07:56 (UTC)

[When the song starts to play, Luke feels his eyes droop before they shut, taking in the song and letting the notes wash over him.

Guy probably knew this from growing up with him, but music has a pretty profound effect on Luke, one that wasn't quite as present before he was "kidnapped". Something about music made him tune in and feel its notes rather than hear it; knowing the emotion intended, feeling every part of it from his ears to his fingers and toes.

This is no different. Guy did a good job with the music box, despite music not quite being his forte. The tune was hauntingly beautiful, and Luke's shoulders move back slightly in a shiver. It wasn't really creepy, no. But sad, yet soothing at the same time, as if it were a battered soul attempting to give whatever comfort it could.

A lot like him, really.

Once it finishes, Luke lets out a sigh and opens his eyes just slightly, just gazing down at the music box. His posture is relaxed, even as he lowers his head more to take in a shaky breath.

It was strange to feel this sort of soothing sadness... Strange yet touching, in a way.]

[To see Luke slowly relax during the length of the song was enough to make Guy happy for right now. He'd had a hunch - he knew that Luke turned to music when he was bored or troubled. He had the phonograph as well as a music box of his own, which he seemed to play constantly.

Guy never quite understood why Luke did things like that. Hell, he still really didn't understand. But regardless, music always seemed to relax him.

If it still did now... Guy hopes that maybe it would help with his current sleeping problem. Or at least ease the tension it was seeming to cause.

He gives Luke a moment to breath before speaking up again.]

It's yours to keep, if you want it.

[The words break him out of the little spell he was under. He opens his eyes, and he looks up at Guy with an expression of surprise.]

I can keep it?

[It's not the first time he received a gift from Guy, especially one he made. But after all of this? Him committing such a horrible mistake, him being such a selfish jerk, him being... a replica. Luke didn't expect much after that.

So this is...]

Of course. I wouldn't have said so otherwise, would I?

[He chuckles softly, his head ducking down a bit. Yeah, he'd like to have finished some of the outer work, but... that wasn't important. Right now, it needed to belong to someone who would benefit from it.

He lets a hand run across the back of his neck as he continues to speak.]

Might not be a solution for any nightmares you may have. But hey... you can at least have something on hand if you need a distraction. Even if it is kind of simple.

[If it didn't have that kind of effect on Luke... well, that was fine, right? Guy wasn't psychic, and Luke could say no if he really wanted to. It was his choice.]

[Luke lets one of his hands rest on top of the music box. It's... his now, huh? Something that Guy made and gave to him. Luke thought it was important before, but now, it's even more so.

He shifts, only to bring one hand down to grip the edge of the bed as if too keep himself grounded. It was another case of him holding himself back - from saying he'd try it right away and then run off without saying anything else.

Once he pushes some of that excitement down, he smiles and shuts his eyes.]

Guy... thank you.

[His cheeks flush a little, if only because he isn't used to expressing things like this.]

It... It really means a lot to me. I'll take good care of it, I promise.

[Guy has to swallow back that initial surprised reaction - Luke expressing honest gratitude was something he still wasn't very used to. But it's a fleeting response, and a chipper grin soon takes its place, softening a bit at that fluster across Luke's face.]

You're welcome. Remind me sometime and I'll show you how to keep it clean, alright?

[He hooks his fingers together and stretches his arms out in front of him, his back arching slightly with the movement before he relaxes and falls back onto the bed. Siiiigh.]

If you don't mind, though... right now I think it'd be best for me to try and get back to sleep.

[Possibly because he was tired. Possibly because he was giving Luke an opportunity to have his space once more. Maybe both. But it doesn't seem that he's willing to get off that bed, now that he's lying down.]

[Luke opens his eyes in time to watch Guy stretch and then flop onto the bed, and he can't help letting his smile grow into something more amused. Pfft, Guy never changed.

Still carefully holding the music box in one hand, he reaches over to brush his fingers through Guy's hair, just above his ear, in something like a gentle ruffle.]

Okay. Thanks again, Guy. I'll take you up on the cleaning thing sometime.

[And with that, he gets up and makes his way back to the couch, a half smile coming up when he realizes that Guy isn't following and is, rather, finally taking the bed. Luke himself will just set the music box down on the coffee table, pull the covers up, then gently twist the box's crank once more.

Guy might hear the music box play two or three more times before silence comes over the apartment again. It looks like the music box helped for the most part.]

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[text/action] 002; A Wish to the Starry Sky

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