Huh?

[a_gentle_boy]

[phone]
[Oh OK so.  That just happened.  ...Lucas listens a little blankly to the announcement before blinking a few times to himself.]

So, um.  I'm... kind of... still here... So don't worry!  ...I mean, not that it's really that important, and there are probably a lot of other people who are really gone, but.  ...Is there someone else named Lucas

Comments

[pants_yourmove]

What kind of joke is this?

[a_gentle_boy]

I-It's not a joke. I'm serious.

...Um. I'm sorry, who... is this? It's not Aaron, is it?

[pants_yourmove]

This is Aaron.

Are you punishing us?

[a_gentle_boy]

What do you mean? Why would you say that?

[crusthatecean]

It's Karkat. You're making my skin crawl, so I'm assuming it's really you.

[a_gentle_boy]

What? [Sadly, Lucas isn't anywhere near as quick to pick up on things.] Is it about the apologizing thing? I don't think I actually apologized this time.

[Short pause.]

This is Karkat? As in... the person who made the housing lists? [sounding... dubious.]

[crusthatecean]

Yes, that asshole.

No one is going to believe it's you. It's happening to all of us.

[a_gentle_boy]

So...

[great effort]

Since you don't believe it's me, you... believe it's me. And since I'm not believing it's you... I should believe in you?

[badend_replay]

[ Rika flinches when she hears the call. Because how dare that imposter do something like this? It tears at her sadness more to have the fake try to fool her. It tears the cute little mask of Furude Rika right off of her face, leaving nothing but the low-voiced Frederica Bernkastel. ]

Shut up!

[a_gentle_boy]

W-What?!

[Holy crap that's the first time anyone's ever said that to him. Lucas stares stunned at the phone for a few moments before recovering himself.]

Who... Who is this? Why would you say that?

[badend_replay]

It's enough that they're all gone... it's enough to know they would do this! We don't need you pretending to be him! I don't need a fake Lucas, I won't replace my friends like this!

[ I'm sorry, she's being kinda mean... ]

[a_gentle_boy]

I'm not pretending; it's not --

Is this about the pods from before? I promise, nothing like that happened at all! They just got the list wrong, I think.

action

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke was also erased, and his response is to sit on the front porch of his house and pout like a mature adult.

If he was supposed to be erased, then why was he still here?]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas will begin to walk by.

And then, as he spots Luke, his eyes will open a little wide and he'll begin to try and cross the street.]

[hintcoinplz]

Where are you going?

[Not that he cares if fake!Lucas runs away from him, he...just doesn't have anyone to talk to okay.]

[a_gentle_boy]

...Home.

[With something of a small effort, Lucas will turn back around. He'd talked to Karkat about what was going on, but... it was still so difficult not to feel that repulsion.]

[doublerinbow]

L-Lu-

...No, this is wrong! What the hell are you? ♪

[a_gentle_boy]

Someone who's been erased, I think...

[doublerinbow]

Well ... You sound like him. That's the creepiest thing. ♪

[a_gentle_boy]

If I sound like him, why do you don't think I am him?