Day 22: Shift 3, Library

[rage8]

Saïx had been known to keep to himself, limiting his interaction with even his own peers in the Organization to the Superior as much as possible. Of course, he gladly took up the task of chasing a few, random traitors here and there, but solitude and the company of those whom could be considered competent was something Number VII almost took

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[clockworkblond]

At least Elena and Reno had been good company, and Alfons had decided that his brunch companions were people who could be trusted, for the most part. But the best part of it had been that he was now ready to meet with Maes or Roy, or even Edward, now. Something was going on, and now he wanted to know what he was apparently missing, memory-wise.

The German's heart sank a little as he went into the Library, hoping that he could have found Edward among the stacks of books like last time, and yet as he explored it seemed like the blond was mostly alone. But that was all right for now; a little bit of peace would be welcome after all of the information he'd been taking in.

So he settled himself in the science fiction section, nabbing 'War of the Worlds' and curling up with it. There was something comforting and familiar about the simple action of reading something that he almost knew by heart...

[felled_hero]

Unfortunately for Alfons, Maes Hughes wasn't at his best following brunch. The encounter with Envy had left him out of sorts on edge, to put it very mildly. That the sin had dared to talk about his family....

But Maes was trying to put that aside to do what needed to be done. It was over and done with now, and there was no use stewing over it. As much as a part of him wanted to.

His meeting had fallen through spectacularly, which didn't exactly surprise him. Well, he'd just try again. And again, and again if need be. But for the moment, he wanted to see if he could track down Alfons.

He'd met Alfons first in the library, so he figured he'd check there. And luckily, he spotted the young man after a few minutes of searching the room, tucked up with a book. Clearing his throat as he approached, to give warning, Maes leaned against a book shelf and offered the teen a weak grin.

"How you holding up?"

[clockworkblond]

That voice was familiar, and it made Alfons grin as he looked up from his book. A grin that quickly faltered as he saw that weak smile: he'd never seen Maes in his own world looking quite like that, so it was a matter of immediate concern.

"Fairly well, considering what I told you on the bulletin... better than you, it seems. Please, sit down." Alfons's blue eyes were filled with concern, any lingering resentment he might have held to the older man dissipated. The book was set aside on the table, his full attention now devoted to the older man. "Is something the matter?"

[felled_hero]

"Thanks." Maes took a seat and leaned back, glad to be out of the dining hall at least. "Oh, I just had an unpleasant brunch, that's all. Ran into someone I don't get along with, and he... decided to take a few shots at me." He laughed a little bit, at his choice of words. A few shots. That was what it all came back to, didn't it?

He shook his head, trying to dismiss Envy from his mind.

"But I'm fine, just in a less than great mood. I'm more worried about you. You don't remember anything from last night, huh?"

[clockworkblond]

"...I see. That's a real shame, that there are people who would jab at you like that." The German shook his head, a bit disappointed at that; Maes Hughes was generally a nice person, so why would anyone want to upset the man? Eh, some people were just plain jerks. And some were worse than that, Alfons knew

[felled_hero]

"We... have something of a history," Maes said, carefully. "But it's not important. I plan to avoid him." And that was all there was to it. he wouldn't go anywhere near Envy if he could manage

[clockworkblond]

Well... so long as Hughes didn't feel too bad, that was the important thing. And he rather hoped that Maes stayed away from whoever it was that had that 'history'; if he could make even the older man upset

[felled_hero]

"I can't really explain it," Hughes admitted, honestly, withdrawing his hand with a smile. He couldn't help but take a fatherly role with every young person he ran into. He'd always wanted a lot of kids, after all. It was just his nature. And he had a habit of finding the ones who needed that kind of thing.

"They've got power I can't even begin to understand. But that's how it is. And Ed told me you guys lived together, and you took him in, and that you were a good friend. He didn't give me many details, but he'd get... well, you know he is sometimes, when he's talking about stuff that's happy and sad at the same time."

The older man shifted, crossing his legs and rolling his shoulders to get more comfortable. He was a bit stiff from carrying Alfons the night before.

"And I've already talked to Ed, it's fine. You just caught him really off guard and at a bad time. He feels bad about how he flipped out on you. When you talk to him next, he'll be a lot friendlier."

[clockworkblond]

"...yes, I know exactly." He nodded slightly, his smile widening just a little, to a soft and happy sort of grin. That Edward had thought so much of him, had talked about him in that manner, reassured the boy that he hadn't been thrown away or forgotten. Which, really... was what he wanted to know.

"I'm glad that next time will be better. Edward meant a lot to me, and even if this isn't the same Edward that I knew, I still feel the same way. Silly, isn't it? He doesn't know me from a complete stranger, and yet I still feel this way." It was rather silly, he knew, but he did want Maes to know how much this meant to the young blond. It was vitally important... moreso, at that point, than his missing memories.

[felled_hero]

"Well, he is and he isn't, you know?" Hughes said. "I mean, he's still Ed. Even if he hasn't gone through all the same things at this point, he's still Ed. Hell, Ed's been through more than the Ed I remember, but it's still him. Doesn't matter if he hasn't had all or has had more experiences than me or you remember." He grinned.

"You meant a lot to him, too. I can tell that much. It must be tough, to go through that. I can't even imagine what it'd be like to have a close friend and then have them not know me."

[clockworkblond]

"I suppose that's true," Alfons softly agreed, having to accept that as best he could. Edward was Edward, even if he wasn't quite the same... and at the same time, Maes was Maes. Even from another world, there were similarities there; enough, at least, that Alfons didn't think he was talking to a complete stranger.

"Well... as for how it feels... it must be a bit like what you're going through now, wouldn't it? Reno said that you escorted me after that incident, and if we had come to an understanding with each other, then we had to have become closer friends, right? But I don't remember it... it's something like that." Alfons gazed at the older man for a moment, the softly confessed, "I wish that I did remember it, however. To know that someone would look after me, even after I did such a foolish thing... that means a lot to me."

[felled_hero]

"I guess it is," Hughes agreed. "You... you were a little shook up after that. So I took you back to my room. You had trouble walking, and you weren't looking too good. Anyway, we spent some time there, talking, and then you started coughing, really badly. And almost having a seizure. I didn't know what was wrong but that thing that went into you.... came out, to put it as delicately as possible."

The memory still shook Hughes. It had been the sort of thing of nightmares. But that nightmare was over, and he'd rather go over the more warm and fuzzy parts of the night.

"And then you were pretty much in shock and couldn't really move, so I carried you out of there and tried to keep you warm and just sort of talked to you for the rest of the night. Then it was morning and we always wake up back in our rooms, no matter what."

Maes glossed over a good deal of the details for now. If Alfons wanted them, then he'd offer them up.

[clockworkblond]

Some of the things that Hughes said made complete sense. Others made none at all. And yet Alfons found himself trusting this man, at least for the most part; while he was still a little skeptical about the demon girl and such, it was rapidly becoming the only logical explanation.

"Was this 'demon'... inside of me?" The teenager shivered, unconsciously wrapping his arms around himself like a shield. "Did I... seem to be acting weird? Right up until the coughing fit, I don't quite know what was going on, but after that I think I can understand

[felled_hero]

"She went into you," Hughes said, nodding. "And then came back out and got... pretty upset with me. Still not sure why, but she was pretty crazy as far as I could tell. And you were.. I dunno, maybe kind of woozy while she was in you, but you seemed fine." He shrugged.

"I got you out of my room and just kept you close," he said, with another shrug. He didn't want to come across as some weird old guy, after all. "She let us get away, more or less. I left her in my room, we went out into the hallway and I rubbed your arms and kept you close and watched for monsters. And as far as I know, she's gone. I don't know anything about possession, but I know there's no trace left that I can see now."

He wasn't going to tell Alfons about the brackish taint from the night before. He didn't need to know about that. And it was gone, as far as he could tell.

"Things that happen at night, they usually don't carry over into the day. Unless a doctor does it."

[clockworkblond]

"I... guess I really should thank you for keeping me close and looking after me." Alfons's smile was weak, but still there; even now that he had an idea of what he had gone on with him, knowing that someone had looked after him was more than buoying. "I can't imagine I was good company afterwards, but... thank you."

If anything, Alfons was more happy with the situation, now that he knew that it was, than before when he had only questions. Even though it had to have been painful for himself, he now knew that Maes had been there, and that the man hadn't left Alfons to suffer alone. Not like last time.

He offered a sheepish look, and added, "Though I'm a bit worried; if I seemed fine with a demonic girl in me, doesn't that say something about how I am normally?" He meant it in a joking manner, but with the sheepish look on his face, it could be hard to tell.

[felled_hero]

"Hey, no thanks needed," Hughes said, holding up his hand. "I wasn't gonna leave you. I wouldn't ever leave you." It hadn't mattered that Alfons had been silent and unresponsive after the incident in Maes' bedroom. He couldn't conceive of leaving someone who needed help. That just wasn't him.

"Well, to be fair, you really hadn't seen anything weird that happens here yet. And it isn't like she'd attacked us directly, she'd just... made the walls looks sick. I can understand, coming from where you do, not fully comprehending what happens at night until you've lived through it. I've done some stupid things myself. And hey, you were doing it to help."