Aerith, having been showering when the boy came in, exited with her robe on and a towel currently hanging over her head. Drying her hair off with one hand, she peeked out to spot the boy sitting on the floor, adorable kitten prancing about the house curiously.
"Alphonse," She sounded ready to scold him, but was obviously teasing when she giggled softly. "Is that our new roommate?"
Aerith had enough. She needed to find out what exactly he meant, and what he was getting at. The best way to do that?
Well, she was quickly moving across the room and standing in front of him a few seconds later, grabbing the helmet on that suit of armor and lifting it up. As she expected, there was nothing inside. No young boy, no anything. Just an empty shell of metal.
She didn't say anything, but her look was obviously one of utmost confusion. How did he even live like that?
It happened all too fast. Alphonse barely had time to react before she grabbed the helmet and lifted it up. He lets out a surprised yelp and reaches up to cover himself, purely out of reflex.
But it's too late. She's already seen. He balls himself up as best as he can and remains silent.
She just stared at the empty suit of armor, lowering the helmet down to eye level for a moment, then setting it down gently. Fixing it back atop his shoulders.
Aerith frowned, kneeling down in front of the boy while he talked. She didn't know why it all happened, and she honestly couldn't fathom a guess. None of them would have made much sense anyway. Instead of prying further though, seeing--or hearing, rather--how distressed he was made her reach out, wrapping her arms around the metallic shoulders.
The hug comes as a surprise as well. Alphonse finds himself leaning into it and wishing he could actually feel it. But it is rather reassuring nonetheless.
"I'm sorry," he starts up again after a few minutes. "We don't want to drag anyone into this. It was our mistake, and we're trying to fix it ourselves."
"Don't apologize. Everybody has their reasons, right? I'll do my best to try and help you, okay?" she didn't know what she could do, but dammit she'd try.
"You don't have to!" It's a lot easier here than it would be at home, because she doesn't have to see the things that Alphonse and Edward have seen. It's peaceful here.
"Alphonse," She sounded ready to scold him, but was obviously teasing when she giggled softly. "Is that our new roommate?"
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Well, she was quickly moving across the room and standing in front of him a few seconds later, grabbing the helmet on that suit of armor and lifting it up. As she expected, there was nothing inside. No young boy, no anything. Just an empty shell of metal.
She didn't say anything, but her look was obviously one of utmost confusion. How did he even live like that?
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But it's too late. She's already seen. He balls himself up as best as he can and remains silent.
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"So how are you stuck in that...?"
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"My... brother sealed my soul to this suit of armor." His voice is getting smaller and smaller by the minute. "Otherwise... I would have died."
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It was still a hug, even if he couldn't feel it.
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"I'm sorry," he starts up again after a few minutes. "We don't want to drag anyone into this. It was our mistake, and we're trying to fix it ourselves."
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"Don't apologize. Everybody has their reasons, right? I'll do my best to try and help you, okay?" she didn't know what she could do, but dammit she'd try.
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"We can handle it ourselves."
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