Welcome to Gaia! ::

*Luke's face hardens as Maggie's words take their effect. For a moment, he stops thinking about why he's there, what he's doing, what's happened. He's focused on steeling himself. His elbows press into his legs, his hand clenches into a fist in the crook of his arm. He focuses on his breathing, only half aware that his face has worked itself into a frown.*

*Luke lets out a breath and closes his eyes. She's apologizing ... for what? For talking to him while they both sit at -this- spot on the floor? While she puts flowers on a grave of someone she knew? Because he can't go but he can't sit there either? Because he can't find a ******** word to say?*

*No. Maggie didn't owe him anything. Not a ******** thing. His frown stays, but the tension Luke holds starts to dissipate, though not completely.*

*Luke reaches over and grips her shoulder. He does his best to do so gently. He murmurs back.* You don't have to be. Okay?

*After Maggie nods, Luke lets go of her shoulder. Slowly and quietly, he sat back in his chair. Again, his mind is reeling. It feels like too much, but soon enough... the thoughts somehow all blur together.*

*Luke watches Maggie leave, holding the flower chain where she placed it in his hands. As she walks down the hall to her room, Luke breathes out a frustrated, heavy sigh.*

*He runs a hand down his face. What was wrong with him? He couldn't even .... He couldn't even comfort a woman grieving for someone she knew. A woman with a kid, a woman who... Luke closes his eyes. That familiar anger returns. Angry at himself, at the Seraphim, at everything that led to this point. And it's... His eyebrows pent upward and Luke shakes his head. He doesn't finish the thought.*

*Luke sat there, not moving. Even his thoughts went silent. After what feels like a very long time, Luke looks back down at the chain Maggie gave him. She wanted him to put it down where he thought it belonged. He couldn't do much else - but he could do that.*

*Luke gets up and carefully sets the chain down on the nearest table. Then, he carries a chair over where Maggie had been. He thinks .... and sets it down, just to the side of where Hajime fell.*

*Luke goes back and gently lifts up the flower chain with both hands. He sets the chain down in the center of the chair.*

*Luke stands there, thinking of how Cora and Bard both mentioned a memorial. He figures this is good enough for now. Luke wonders if anyone else will catch onto the idea, as he fades out of the Brink.*

*Luke enters into the Brink. His arms are held out where he'd been carrying boxes. Realization stems over his face, at something one of his friends had been saying.* Awww yeah. That'd work.

*But the boxes are gone now. So's everyone else. Luke looks down at his hands, smirks, and puts them down.*

*He sees Cora by the bar. He smiles and walks over to her.* Hey, Slim.

I'm okay. *She looks ******** exhausted. Luke walks up and puts his hand against her back.* How 'bout you?

[A figure fades in laying on the floor by one of the tables, both arms at his sides: one flesh, one machine. His eyes snap open, soft brown, with one normal and the other with a pupil shining dark red. He sees only void straight above him, both in normal vision and the infared from his artificial left eye.

His breathing is harsh and forced, like the sound of the machines that keep people alive on life support systems.]