Forty-third rebirth [Accidental Video]

[neverquitedies]

[It's night. The stars and moon cast a dim light on an otherwise darkened room. The kitchen table. Yuca, sitting in a chair, his head resting in his folded arms

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[Video//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

... I can be there in ten minutes.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

[Hushed, barely a whisper, shaking.]

...I seem to have forgotten your name.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

Alphonse. I gave you a scarf. We took walks together and you told me stories about your lives.

I almost killed you and then I didn't.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

Alphonse.

[He repeats it, shakily.]

Flowers. No- not- just the dead ones.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

Flowers. [He repeats, softly.]

I was careless. It hurt you.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

They weren't poisoned

[He says it suddenly, very fast, intense, and wracks out a sob.]

I didn't- it wasn't-

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

I know, Yuca. I know. I know they weren't.

It's okay.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

They weren't!

[Something sharp and wooden cracks. Yuca lets out a stifled whimper of pain. He's accidentally broken off a leg of the chair.]

The- cyanide, anthrax, sarin, ricin, botulinumhemlockstrychnine-

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

I know. I believe you.

[Al's voice is incredibly calm. It has a tone that... Yuca probably hasn't heard in a while. A long while. A warmth.]

Listen, Yuca... you're here. You're now.

You're here with me, I won't let you get lost.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

Yes you will.

[He hisses it out, angrily. At least.... slightly more coherent.]

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

[It stings. It shouldn't, but it does. Al can't take the time to argue semantics to himself right now. Right now, Yuca matters.

He can hate him if he wants. The important thing right now is to ground him in the now.]

Not right here, right now.

This moment. Stay with me.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

But I don't-

[His voice is suddenly muffled, as he turns his head to try to focus on him.]

-God. Out of the depths- Adstringendum. Latin.

[He squeezes his eyes shut. The words sound almost painful to come out.]

If we breach the outer walls, the king will hang us for sure.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

Adstringendum. Animus. Alphonse. Xerxes Break. Rain.

There is no king here, Yuca. Only us.

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

[There's a loooong pause. For awhile, it probably seems like he's zoned out again and is staring off into space for an eternity. But he's not.

Finally, his voice is soft, but not quite as frantic when he speaks again.]

After I killed myself in front of Rain, I wasn't reborn, not to him, not with him standing there- but here, and he was here and you were here, in Adstringendum.

[Pause.]

In Adstringendum. People with powers and abilities and science and killing and-

[Oh. Oh.]

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al lets him, lets him think, re-order his mind.]

Yeah.

[A shaky breath.]

It's all right, Yuca. Let it come slowly, okay?

[Voice//Private//Unhackable]

[neverquitedies]

...I need you to watch Rain.

[Slowly, like he's working something out. Still... impulsive. This is when he sends the addendum to Kurotsuchi in his initial post.]