(Untitled)

[bloodseal_soul]

[A boy, tall, familiar, long and loose blond hair blowing in the wind, tossing around his face and wide, bright but steely eyes. His lips and jaw are set, determined, as if he's been through something similar before and couldn't be less guarded or unhappy with his predicament

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[willing_sheath]

[Still out and about with her bags--which she practically drops seeing him.]

Alphonse...?

[Moves over to him quickly, doing a good job of not falling in the snow or dropping her stuff.]

What... happened...?

[Oh bad feeling is baaaaaad]

[bloodseal_soul]

[Even so, he automatically reaches out a hand to steady her, making sure she won't fall or drop anything. Dropping things in this snow would not be fun.]

Ms. Tomoe...!

[She, at least, is a familiar face, though only just barely. He had trouble hunting up her name, but it did make him feel warmer towards her. From the way she looked at him, they must be close...]

I'm all right, don't worry.

[willing_sheath]

[blinks with a bit of confusion at the 'Ms'... Al hadn't added anything like that to her name for a long, long time.]

[She shakes her head, looking a bit cross with the dismissal, trying to balance the bags into one arm so she could reach out.]

What happened to your head--this wasn't there yesterday...

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al's face softens at the touch. There's something in her face, her eyes. She won't hurt him. ... she knows him, cares about him. Or at least, his other self.]

... I wasn't here yesterday either, if I remember correctly.

[willing_sheath]

[Her hand twitches a bit at that comment and just hovers as she studies him further, brows drawing.]

What do you mean...?

[He was acting strange. Looked strange now that she was able to pick up the other marks on him assuming there are others visible.]

[For a moment she thought the Gate had taken him back--but he called her by name, so that couldn't be...]

[She shifts the bags again.]

What are you doing out here? It's too cold to be wandering about... [She can't find the answer right off, so instead she shifts into abrasive mother/sister mode (well... as abrasive as she can manage, anyway--do not try to argue with this look Other!Al, it's futile).]

[bloodseal_soul]

[Oh, he recognizes that look, and he'll hold out his arms, insisting on taking the bags from her to carry them. Ever the gentleman, of course.]

... let's get somewhere warmer. Then I'll tell you everything. Promise.

[willing_sheath]

[Pauses a moment before relinquishing one of the bags (as hauling both around when a second set of arms is right there is a little silly...).]

[She nods and starts heading for Midgard, starting to fight the snow a bit. It's piling up fast... She can't remember it ever snowing this much in Japan...]

[bloodseal_soul]

[She's quiet, he remembers, quiet, but sweet... and she seemed to be concerned about him. The silence was a little awkward at first, but then he relaxed into it, realized that she just didn't talk too much.]

... I'm not... the Alphonse you think I am, Ms. Tomoe. I met you once, long ago, but I doubt you'll remember it, and I don't remember anything of this world.

Anything that's happened here, I don't remember.

I'm from a different world than this one. I only just got here, through the Gate.

[willing_sheath]

[She slows when he starts talking, turning partially toward him so that she can hear... and after a few more seconds she slows more... then just stops entirely, staring at him.]

[Whatever is going through her head is masked by her expression as the words he was saying begin to sink in.]

[She knew it was possible, that people would come back through the Gate and lose their previous memories but...]

[But not so suddenly...]

[She'd just seen him the day before... it didn't happen like that... did it?]

[No. It didn't... It didn'tAlu

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al set his jaw. For the first time, he felt something like a hand squeezing around his heart. This was something, something he knew. Although she wasn't saying so, she was upset.

He could almost feel it.

He didn't try to catch up to her side. Instead he fell into step back a few paces, allowing her to hide her face. The snow stung his cheeks.]

... okay.

[willing_sheath]

[Nine months in Veles and there were only three people she trusted beyond anything. Only three people who knew everything. Only three people she could confide anything to.]

[One was her husband--who was gone twice over and whom she had finally given up hope of seeing again. One was Cielo--who thankfully was still there and would not be going anywhere without her in tow with him.]

[And then Al.]

[It was like losing a brother... even though he was walking right behind her... She didn't know how to react other than to emotionally withdraw.]

What... room assignment did they give you?

[That soft comfortableness that had been in her voice at first was gone, giving way to a detached quiet tone--the type one might expect to encounter an a receptionist's desk...]

[ooc; poor Aaaaaaal ;; I feel sorry for this guilt trip *snort*]

[bloodseal_soul]

[The fingers around his heart squeezed, making it hard to breathe. He had to shut his eyes, breathing in. He knew this feeling. If he had only suspected before, he knew it now. They had been very, very close, to merit this change in reaction. He'd never felt so alone.]

... Midgard 9.

[He watched her back, gritting his teeth. He had to do something. He couldn't let it stay like this. But he didn't want to make it worse.]

...

I'm not... him. I won't ever be him, and I won't ever measure up to him. I know you won't ever look at me the same way.

... but I won't leave your side, if you don't want me to.

I know what it's like. To not have someone you care about, remember you, or your face, or anything you shared.

I know what that feels like.

... even if I'm not him... please let me help you to not feel so alone.

[willing_sheath]

[She slows a bit again.]

It's alright...

[She knows it's not him, but lord does it sound like him...]

I'm not alone... it's alright...

[A part of her wants to accept that... but she was too private a person. Her trust was something that was earned over time with anyone... she couldn't just open up to him over a show of pretty words and a voice and face that matched the original... With as much as she liked to think she'd changed since her first death, that was still something she just couldn't do.]

[If she kept looking forward she could pretend that he was any new person that she was leading back to Midgard--he certainly wouldn't be the first. At least then, perhaps she could find her voice.]

We all... try to stick together... the natives are not fond of Gatewalkers...

You... He... was one of the first people to help me here... when I first arrived nine months ago...

[And then the circus began after that... in all reality it was probably ironic that they wound up as close as they actually were... considering how things started

God I missed you bb

[bloodseal_soul]

[For the first time, he can truly appreciate what it's like to be on the other side of the fence. It's hard. It's much harder than he ever would have thought.

He breathes in deeply, listening to her.]

But I can't not.

[You can't even look at me, Ms. Tomoe.]

chuu~~~~ *squishes*

[willing_sheath]

[Has reached the courtyard by this time, and she leads him right up to the front stairs, just catching the last words. Stopping at the bottom step she pauses a long moment before slowly turning to regard him again, her face still holding that deceivingly calm expression.]

[And then she exhales lightly, her brows drawing marginally with a momentary bow of her head. When she looks up again there is a marginal hint of warmth... and sadness there.]

Then... you wouldn't be Alphonse Elric...

[She watches in silence for a few more moments before a gust of icy wind brings her out of her revelry. She turns again, moving up the stairs carefully before making it to the door and opening it for both of them.]

<333

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al meets her eyes, his own wide and worried. He meant what he said, every word of it, it's written there on his scarred face. In the light there are faint lines, the gossamer silvery lines of a transmutation circle carved into his forehead, healed over with magic; it only shows in the right light, after all.

After a moment of reflection, he ducks against the wind and quickly makes his way inside, holding the door for her to follow him, closing it firmly after her.]