Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was that single act of shame that surprised Guy more than anything else, and as Luke voiced his thanks, Guy could not help but blink, regarding Luke with a curious look. A genuine smile of relief decorated Guy's expression, and he closed his eyes, thinking on the real meaning of such a sincere motion. It was a rare day when Luke ever thanked someone - really thanked someone - and such gestures only seemed to be reserved for those closest to the young man. In that sense, Guy felt truly honored, and while he assumed that he would be among that list of few in the first place, it was simultaneously reassuring and gratifying to hear it come from Luke himself.

Letting out a small chuckle, Guy placed a hand on top of Luke's head and lightly ruffled his friend's choppy red hair. "You're welcome, Luke." He removed his hand and looked back to the ocean stretching out before them. The sun had visibly sunken slower into the sky, saturating it in all colors of oranges, yellows, and reds, reflected against the waters. The lovely winter sunset was marred by a biting seaward breeze, carrying on it the scent of salt and the faint hints of the fragrances of far-off lands. A shiver ran down Guy's spine as the chilling wind passed right through him. He glanced over to Luke.

"Hey... Are you hungry at all? It's getting kind of late, and I wouldn't mind getting something to eat."

"All right, great. It's getting a little cold anyway," Guy said, chuckling a little as he stood. He felt a tremendous weight lift off of his shoulders, and he smiled quietly to himself as he idly stretched out his arms. It really was relieving to have Luke being his friend again, much less having him actually communicate. He knew that he really should not have been too terribly worried about the whole thing, but he did know Luke to hold a grudge, and it helped to know that his young friend wasn't angry at him.

Turning around, Guy began to slowly walk back down the dock. He stopped himself before he got too far, and he looked back at Luke. "Is there... anything else you'd want to talk about? Like, anything that's been bothering you or whatever."

Guy blinked as Luke turned his green gaze away from his own, and he stopped mid-stride to turn back towards his friend. The hesitance in Luke's voice brought a small inkling of worry to Guy's mind, but that was soon eradicated, and Guy shrugged at his friend's wonder at his own involvement or knowledge of the incident. What had happened was somewhat ingenious, Guy had to admit - after all, it had fooled essentially everyone, including him and Lady Natalia, who were closer to the duke's son than anyone else. It was devious in the end, though, and it led Guy to wonder what would have happened if they had never been exchanged. Would he have been as close friends with Asch as he did now with Luke...? The concept begged further looking-into, but not now.

"Mm... I can certainly imagine that you would be curious about that," Guy said tentatively in response. His eyes drifted out towards the darkening waters. He shivered as another gust of cold wind blew through him, and he folded his arms to try to keep warm. "Even so, do you really think that knowing those kinds of things would matter now? Would that information really make much of a difference to who you are?" As he spoke, Guy's voice grew quiet and distance and blurred, faint memories of his family flooded back to him. He nearly forgot that he was even speaking to Luke.

At first, Guy paid little heed to Luke's own questioning concerns. He was lost in thought, meandering his own scattered memories about his past. What he had said to Luke rung true for him, as well, and vocalizing those just made him wonder just how futile all of his work had really been in the long run. He knew by now that his quest to find out the reason for his family's murder was more likely that not worthless, but he also knew that he had to remember how exactly it had happened... why he was the way that he was. His own words made him start to reconsider; would knowing how or why his family was killed really make a difference to him now?

"Huh?" Luke's question finally registered in Guy's mind, and he turned back towards his friend with slight confusion in his eyes. "Oh, uh... It's nothing, it's fine." Guy feigned a carefree smile. "I was just spacing out a little. Don't worry about me." He began walking down the dock again, a small smile forming on his face. It wasn't really Luke's place to worry about him, but the sentiment was appreciated all the same. "Thanks for asking, though. Shall we get going?"