(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]

[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't.]

Alu...?

[Her jaw tensed briefly. This still didn't make sense. He seemed so calm for having just come through the Gate. She hadn't picked up on it. He'd known her name. How could he have met her before when they were from different times and different worlds. That couldn't be right...]

[That familiar numbness started to settle in her chest. She was tired of that feeling. She'd run into it too much in the last month.]

[After another few seconds of ensuring her emotions weren't working their way through her mask she started walking again, only speaking once she was ahead of him again.]

It's... It's not that much further...

[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 out...]

...

Just... give me time... to accept this... I will be alright...

...

Don't worry about me...

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.]

[willing_sheath]

[Once inside she takes a deep breath, trying to collect herself again.]

The... apartments are upstairs... I... am assigned to apartment five... but I stay in apartment four... [the reason for which... he can't remember...]

There is... a clinic on this floor... just over there... [points in the appropriate direction...]

...

You... He was the one... who ran it... along with Marron Glace... and myself... though my own knowledge is lacking... [Her brows draw a little again, as though the complication just hit her.]

L-let me drop this off... and I can take you up to nine...

[ooc; and lol... I'm not sure if she realizes that Al and Marron are a couple or not--she just knows they're really close pffft (she is wondering if she should try to track down Marron and warn him though ;; )]

[bloodseal_soul]

[A clinic. He keeps hearing about this, even the fact that he RAN it. Knowing the prominence of the owner of the clinic back in Adstringendum, it made his ears color. Himself, in THAT position? Really?

He watches her, still clutching the bags in his arms, and nods slowly.]

... why do you stay in apartment four?

[ooc; Oh lawd the mindfuck. Ffff.]

[willing_sheath]

...

[In a very real way she doesn't want to answer... but at the same time he was here... he needed to know just what a threat was actually outside of the walls.]

...

I died in apartment five...

...

There was a Solenum outbreak... about six weeks ago... The Gate... brought most of us back afterward... but...

...

[Shakes her head.]

Too much happened in there... I haven't been able to go in... since the Gate brought me back... Someone... very dear to me lives in four... so I have stayed with him ever since...

...

Has... anyone explained to you what the Solenum virus is...? Or what is outside of the city walls...?

[bloodseal_soul]

[A hard, uncomfortable thump of his heart, and he sets a gentle hand on her shoulder.]

... yeah. They've told me.

[willing_sheath]

[She manages not to tense at the touch--it was Al, after all... sort of--and glances back to him again, nodding.]

Alright...

[She starts forward again, stopping at the door of four, entering and waiting for him to follow.]

[bloodseal_soul]

[She may not have tense, but he could tell the touch wasn't welcome. He pulled back quickly, nodding back. He wondered if he should leave her alone, leave her to her thoughts, but she didn't seem to be trying to get rid of him.

With a deep breath, he follows her.]

[willing_sheath]

[It was less that he was touching her and more that she just didn't like to be touched in general with few exceptions.]

[But... he wouldn't know that...]

[Inside she makes her way to the kitchen area and sets her bag down and motions for him to set the other there as well, quickly moving to put the supplies away, occasionally glancing back to him through her work.]

...

Are you hungry...?

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al settled for handing things to her because he wasn't sure where anything went. Come to think of it, he really hadn't eaten since the night before.]

... ah. Yeah, a little bit, but I shouldn't impose...