08 | do you want me only for my body?

[alephbet]

Characters: Aleph and you.
Setting: June 1st, riiight after the reveal.
Format: Starting with actionspam, but will match you.
Summary: Aleph has had enough of it.
Warnings: Will edit if anything comes up.

[Aleph has always tried to stay strong.

He was a gladiator with no memories, then a Messiah with no choices. Then a hero with no ability to save the people he knew or even stop from killing them himself. Then a God-killer whose punishment would be eternal.

He did these things, he lived through these things and took minimal comfort because he knew it would all be worth it. For the people he would save, in the end. The future he would build.

Now he stares at what should be hands, his hands, as he sits outside his dorm room on the floor. He thinks about where he should be, what he'd done so much work for, and yet everyone on that world is dead now. He misses his demons. He realizes -

he doesn't even have eyes to cry-

-and so he just huddles up on the floor and sniffles pathetically.]

Comments

[altitonant_emperor]

[ A nod.

Hidetoshi made a small noise of exhaling as pushes himself back to his feet, pausing to see if Aleph wants a hand getting up before glancing down the dimly-lit hallways.

Lead the way to the elevator! ]

[alephbet]

[Aleph gets up by himself. The hallway isn't too long and soon they're at where the elevator should be... it doesn't seem here at the moment, though.]

[altitonant_emperor]

Tch.

[ Hidetoshi deliberates for a second and then presses the button numbered the same as the floor they're on. That should bring the elevator, if its functioning still, to their floor. ]

[alephbet]

Now we wait.

[Possibly for a loooooong time.]

[altitonant_emperor]

So we do.

[ Hidetoshi idly taps his foot on the floor occasionally as they wait.

...

...

...

Still nothing? ]

[alephbet]

So.

Hm.

[Nothing.]

...I guess we make small talk.

[altitonant_emperor]

[ Damn, nothing. :| ]

Well, alright.

[ What's a non-depressing topic of conversation? It's hard to think of something like that right now. ]

Ever played any sports, aside from fighting demons?

[ Assuming that counts as a sport. ]

[alephbet]

While I was a gladiator, we'd play sports to keep in shape when we weren't using the training simulators...

What about you?

[altitonant_emperor]

I participated in the gym classes, mostly. And I played on a soccer team with a few friends in middle school.

My interest in those activities was minor after awhile.

[ He wasn't the most athletic of persons. In fact, a loaf of bread probably had more strength than Hidetoshi had had before the Tower. ]

[alephbet]

That's fair. When you live somewhere less dangerous, it's easier to be nonathletic.

[SMT2 universe would toughen him right up.]

[altitonant_emperor]

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

[ If he avoided being eaten by a demon right off, that is. ]

[alephbet]

[Well yes.]

You're probably a lot more literate than I was when I came to the tower, though.

[altitonant_emperor]

[ You people and not attending school to get a proper education. ]

I imagine that's largely due to gladiators not having a great deal of access to books for reading, right? I probably had the advantage in that.

[alephbet]

Right. I'm decent at it now, I think, but I've had Tohko tutor me in reading a little.

[altitonant_emperor]

Having a competent tutor is certainly a benefit to learning and improving your literacy. [ Hidetoshi peers at the doors of the elevator while he talks. ] ... Mm.

[ Nothing. >:| ]

[alephbet]

Terminals at home were a lot faster than this and they traveled further.

[They teleported, Aleph.]

[altitonant_emperor]

[ Suggested grumpily, because, yes why is the elevator being so slow; ]

Perhaps it's not in operation at the moment.

[alephbet]

I guess it's walk or bust.

[altitonant_emperor]

What a pain in the ass.

[ Okay, let's go if you want. ]

[alephbet]

[He shrugs and starts heading down the stairs for the loooong walk.]

[altitonant_emperor]

[ It's like an escort mission, Hidetoshi tags along behind Aleph at a fair distance, maintaining a steady pace. Except no cases of attacking demons. ]

[alephbet]

[Thankfully.]

Watch your step. And if we do run into any monsters, I'm pretty sure you don't need me to tell you to leave them to me.

[altitonant_emperor]

[ Not entirely sold on that, but. Not exactly protesting either because his puny knives aren't too effective for monster-killing. ]

Tch. Indeed. Will you be able to handle them without your normal abilities?

[alephbet]

I have a sword and I'm trained with it. They can't make me forget how to fight so easy.

[He may not be as strong as normal, but swordplay is still swordplay.]

[altitonant_emperor]

Very well. I will leave the fighting, should it occur on the way, to you.

[ Thought he'll jump in if it looks like Aleph's somehow struggling to hold his own. ]