towerofanimus | Strange...[OPEN]

"It's okay." He nodded his head and pulled back from the hug just enough to see her face. His small, child-like body wasn't overwhelming at all. There were advantages to being this small. At least he could hide in vents.

"My father used to say that we should always keep an ace up our sleeves should we need it. I can't use my aces here. This means now that I have no choice but to rely on others. I'm not used to that." He wiped his face with the tissues from the nightstand.

"I'm sorry. It's so frustrating not knowing what works and what doesn't."

She looked down at him, wondering why he suddenly moved away from her hug, but not all the way. It seemed like he shifted enough to look at her. The girl tilted her head, and waited for him to say something.

"Are you sure it's okay? It's fine if things...aren't okay," she mused with a small smile. She might have playfully ruffled his head again, as she listened to what he had to say, "There's no shame in relying on others. Sometimes, it helps you become stronger. There's only so much a person can do, while when you have support, there's more possibilities," she replied nodding her head at his statement.

"It's okay, sweetie. I don't know how you're feelin' completely, but I can somehow relate."

His legs tucked under his body as he listened. Was it really that simple? His head tilted in response while he was trying to process everything that has happened in this week alone.

"It's okay." For himself to be honest with himself, he had to learn how to let go and understand his emotions. To rely on others, to open up to those that will listen, all of those things needed to happen in order to move on in his life.

He was still learning what it means to be an individual, to be human, and importantly how to be himself. There were rare moments he let that show, but was it because he really wanted to or because it was expected?

He let out a subconscious sigh. There was still so much to learn and understand in this place.

Ishtar sat back giving him some room to breathe as she asked him if he was certain. When he said he was okay, she didn't make a big deal out of it anymore, and took his answer with a small smile, "Alright, if you say so. If there's anything bothering you at all, sweetie," she mused with a pause, "please tell me," she finished.

She would try to help him out with his education. He was a smart kid, but he had a to learn a lot more about human interaction and how to be human. He seemed mechanical when she first met him, but now, she could see the small change that was taking effect wit him. He's spoken to her normally, and acted his age at times, even though they were rare.

"What's with the long sigh, Elian?" she questioned after a few minutes.

Being called sweetie was definitely foreign to him, but he doesn't fight it. It almost feels normal, human and certainly welcome if not a bit strange in his mind.

He looked at her with a somewhat pleading look, a gesture on his part that he wasn't aware of at the moment. "I guess I'm still getting used to it. I mean, not being able to sense things, or use my powers the way they're supposed to be. I figured out why I failed. I felt it before when the blocks were placed on me back home before my home was taken over by a hostile force. If I was able to track it, my father would still be alive. And so would Cougar and Scheris...I failed them."

He looked down at his now clinched hands on his knees that gripped the material of his pajamas. "They...died because of me."

She could see his confusion as she watched him for a long moment. The poor little boy had probably been through a lot in his short life. She could only imagine what it might have been like. He spoke again and she listened, knowing very well that he had a lot on his mind.

He had lost loved ones too, and she could definitely relate to that. She somewhat understood his sorrow, and his feelings towards his loved ones.

"I know how you feel...because a lot of people died because of me as well," she replied after a long pause of listening to his words, "but...I'm sure they don't want you to be sad," she mused patting his hand, seeing that he was clenching his pajama material, "It hurts...to know that you can't protect the people you love and care for..."

He nodded his head. He knew his father didn't want him to feel bad for what had happened. They were trained for battle. The prepared for death and planned accordingly should the Commander fall. Elian was left in charge with Urizane as his protector. Still, it hurt to think about it.

"I guess so. I know my father said that he didn't want us to dwell on these things, but sometimes I just can't stop those thoughts from coming through. It's only human." Elian tried to push back the pain again.

His early memories at the lab were like snapshots permanently embedded in his memory. All of the training he endured, how his father pushed him to learn Wild Tornado, while he was still learning to control his own unnatural abilities seemed a lot for the youth to take. He managed and overcame the odds when he underwent the sensory block caused by his clone brothers. It took one to knock him down and two to keep him down.

The detachment caused him to feel cold, unwelcome in this place, his Absolute Perception was blocked again in this tower and he was suffering again as if he was cut off from the world completely. It was enough to cause fear without presenting the stimuli to provoke the response.

"I can't feel anything."

It was true, even if they knew that someone wouldn't want them to feel sad, they still would. Ishtar knew how it went. She didn't say anything and allowed him to speak, while reassuring him with a small amount of affection. She closed her eyes when he spoke.

"Yes, that's right. You're human, and it's natural for you to behave the way you did, Elian. Anyone would, really," she replied nodding, "You shouldn't hold anything in. When you're hurt it's better to just..let it all out," she smiled.

Ishtar didn't understand what kind of powers he had and what they were capable of. She didn't know that it made him feel strange without them. Her abilities were nothing special, so she didn't know if she couldn't access anything.

"...What do you mean?" she mused concerned.

"It's... it's okay." In a big way, the lack of his ability to use his Absolute Perception means that he should strengthen his other Alter to control air pressure. Since it was highly underdeveloped, it didn't have an Alter or physical form. His arms wrapped around his knees, his hands clasped together tightly, he looked deep in thought. He didn't want to feel this detached from the world around him but he really didn't have a choice.

"Remember when I read your bio-signs to track you just in case we got separated? My Absolute Perception allows me to see the world around me. Without it, I feel like I'm only watching television without the sensory knowledge to feel what others are feeling." Elian's hands clasped tightly. "I... I don't like it."

Ishtar comforted him with another hug. This poor kid and she didn't know how to help him with his current situation other than to provide him with as much support as she could possibly give him. Ishtar would like to see more of his other abilities. He seemed really smart and capable. She hoped that he could b e able to do that later.

"...Yeah, I remember," she replied with a nod of her head as he said, "...is that how it works? I'm not sure I understand," she replied softly, as she was confused. Ishtar was used to just feeling and touching. She was used to these things. She wasn't sure what he meant by that, "Maybe I can help you with it...if I can?"

He looked up at Ishtar and nodded. "I'll adapt. It's just... it feels like someone placed a blindfold over my eyes and I keep bumping into walls, if that makes any sense. It's like being in the dark and stubbing your toes on something that you know is there but you just couldn't see it."

His hand gripped Ishtar's tightly, as if letting her go would cause him to fall again. "Thank you. I think any help is good... even if I have to start all over with a new power."

"I hope it will get easier for you, Elian. I know it's hard right now," she replied smiling. At least he was making the best of it. He was a smart kid, and he didn't seem to want to let anything take him down.

"I get ya," she replied nodding again.

Ishtar gingerly strokes his hands, as he tightened his grip, "Yeah, do what you can, sweetie, because I know you'll be fine. You don't seem to be a kind of person that would easily give up."

His head nodded. He was determined to survive now that he was the last of his world and to top it of the only Alter user here. If he can make it here, if he could only fulfill his father's dream even if it's a little bit, then he knew he would do his world proud.

No longer in fear for his life from persecution, he smiled. "I'll be fine. Thank you."

He moved to get up from the bed and slipped on his jacket and boots over his pajamas. He'll finish his father's task if it was the last thing he could do. "I guess this makes me the ambassador of my home. I cannot disappoint people now, especially myself. I must make a good impression."

Ishtar would be touched by his resolve to fulfill his father's wish. She didn't have a dad, so she didn't know that kind of feeling people would get form doing things for their fathers.

"You're welcome," she replied with a sheepish grin. All this talking was interesting, but at the same time they were mind boggling. She learned quite a lot about this boy, far more than she had ever imagined in a short time.

Ishtar chuckled at his words, "I guess so, right? Well, before you do that, sweetie, you need to rest first and eat a healthy meal," she mused walking over to push him back to bed. He might look a lot better then when she approached him earlier, but she didn't want to let him strain himself just in case. She continued to keep her calm as she said that.

"Once you do that, then you can go ahead and do whatever you want, Elian."

"But- " He was interrupted before he could continue with her gentle push onto the bed. He still had some healing to do even though he didn't feel tired. Ishtar was right. He had to rest and eat before he could do anything else.

Resigned, he sighed and laid his head on the pillow. "Okay."

In a lot of ways, he was glad that she was there to make sure he didn't overdo things. If he had it his way, he would be working on something already. Now all that was left was to heal and get back to basics without the pain of being reminded of his past failures.

With the issues about his father resolved, he can finally rest knowing that he did the best he could.

"No buts," Ishtar replied firmly as she pushed him back onto the bed. She didn't want to risk straining him in any way or form. She knew he was probably still recovering slowly from whatever happened, and shouldn't be out there walking around while he was still not a hundred percent well. If his shoes were still on, then she removed them for him as he laid back into the pillow.

"Also, if there's anywhere you feel pain, or if it hurts somewhere, tell me. I know a few healing tricks, so I might be able to give you a hand with that," she replied with a small smile, pulling the covers over his form, "So sleep well and I'll stay here until you're better."If he still wanted here right now, then she wouldn't go anywhere, but when he did fall asleep, then she'll probably go find him food and water.

With his short boots coming off his feet, he sighed. There was no fighting her logic. Everything was correct and he nodded his head against the pillow.

"It hurts a little." He said softly.

Now, actually admitting he enjoyed being mothered by Ishtar was a far stretch for him. He's not about to voice it aloud but there is that comfort he enjoys from finally knowing what everyone was talking about each time they brought up their mothers at HOLY. It was definitely comforting. His eyes drifted closes as his mind dwelt on the thoughts of keeping that comfort close and safe.

It was hard to fight off Ishtar when she decided that she could convince people to rest with all the logical reasoning. It seemed like it would work out somehow. She was glad that he was listening to her, even though if he persisted, she might have given in eventually.

She places a hand on his head, "Tell me where it hurts," she mused softly. She didn't want to wake him up fully, but at the same time if there were any areas that were hurting, they should be fixed before it got worse.

Ishtar would tease him a little more if he said that aloud. Everyone deserved a sort of mothering figure didn't they? Ishtar wouldn't admit it, but sometimes she wished she had been able to meet her own mother before she passed away at childbirth. She was also curious, seeing that she had been told a million times that she looked like her mother.

She didn't want anyone to suffer that kind of loneliness she felt when she had no mother.

"Around my back and stomach is where it hurts the most." He breathed. The muscles were more sore than torn now. It's more like phantom pains than physical injury now. His carelessness will not be forgotten so easily now.

Having never met nor knew his mother, Elian simply felt like he existed until his father pulled him from that place and tried to give him a normal life. The demands of HOLY became too great on the commander that Elian's well-being and personal growth was soon neglected which made the youth find ways to learn himself. This meant some pretty invasive methods to learn how humans lived and sometimes freakishly so.

Under all the perfect surfaces lie a darker world that Elian was slowly beginning to understand. Abuse wasn't just physical. It was emotional and psychological as well. He learned how to use these tactics in interrogation methods and learned how to bet them.

If he knew his mother, he might not have tried to learn these awful things but it was best not to talk about them. No one did. He pushed those thoughts away and gave a small smile.

"If I had a mother, I would want her to be like you. You're more like a big sister than a mom, to me. That's not so bad, is it?"

"Do you want to turn around? I can try to use a spell on it and maybe it can help you with your pains," she replied with a small smile. Even if it wasn't that big of a deal and there weren't any torn muscles, she wanted to make sure.

It sounded rough, for him to undergo such tragic ways of life. She only hoped that things will be sorted out for him and he'll be able to live as a normal person even if he wasn't exactly normal.

"Haha," she laughed a little nervously, "I get that a lot, and thank you," she replied still patting his head like it was a second habit of hers, "No, not at all. You can call me whatever you want," she nodded her head. If he needed someone to call a sister, then she wouldn't mind being that example for him. He was after all, a delicate boy. He looked even more fragile now that she looked at him closely.

He turned around without much fuss. More scars from needles that made a perfect line down his spine, long healed cuts from an accident and several lines of strange, unnatural scars that looked almost like a circuit board on his upper back were visible. The circuit board pattern was from the refining process he undergone to form his Alter much younger than the average Alter user should have been able to summon.

At the base of his neck were two scars that looked like large needle holes. They were the same size as those needle marks that ran down his spine. At closer inspection, it appeared that he was connected to a machine this way.

To him, this was normal, until he was taken away from the Facility and met the outside world where things like this were only in science fiction books, a genre he hated.

"Then it's a good thing. I had two brothers. They're not here. They're too young to understand and cope effectively. I think... I wished I knew them better. I could have taught them how to be better people. They were only children."

Ishtar inspected his scars from the neck down. She almost cringed at the strange lines and the needle holes that seemed to decorate his body. She subconsciously touched it in a gentle manner. Ishtar couldn't stop the frown that started to line her face as she looked over his body.

There were too many unnatural injuries, and they certainly weren't from monsters. Monsters didn't make those kinds of holes, unless they had really sharp, and thick teeth. She didn't think vampires would leave marks that big either. Ishtar furrowed her brows as she spoke in a low, concerned tone.

"Hey...sweetie...where did you get all these...wounds?" she mused, looking over at his direction, "I didn't think they came from anything here. They look kinda.....old."

She paused not sure how she wanted to continue this conversation. Ishtar ran a hand through her hair, "I'll use quick healing spell. It looks like most of your injuries have healed, so I don't think we'll need to use anything too big," she continued after a moment of silence, "and...uh..don't freak out if you see any strange light. It's just me," she replied giving him a small smile. At least, it looked like she was trying to smile.

She was still eying the scars more than ever.

Strange...[OPEN]

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