deercountry | All that I am

Entry tags:

All that I am

Who: Allen Walker and Shouto Todoroki ~~with guest appearances by The Fourteenth...~~
What: September Paleblood effects, and getting trapped in a version of Allen's horrific world and life for a time courtesy of a cursed book/the Absolute Immersion prompt 🙂 Many CW for mentions and flashbacks of Allen's very abusive childhood. also red light districts. (to date: pet death/abuse, child abuse, suicidal impulses of a child)
When: Later September
Where: Their house, and then Victorian England sorta

[ When Shouto had become blind, it had been Allen who fret and fussed more than he needed to. Hovering by his side and always ready to take his arm and steer him gently this way or that, explaining whatever the goings-on were with an animated chatter born first from concern and then increasingly just out of enjoying conversing so later on. Describing the world and especially the people around them like someone reading a particularly good story aloud might and getting caught up in it with an actual delight.

It wasn't so bad for him after all, he'd say, since he lost first his sense of taste (that was insulting but something he dealt with just by pouting at dinnertime) and then touch. Annoyances more than anything, nothing that bad. Touch bothered him more than he thought it would, leaving him staring down at his hands with an unsettled expression from time to time when he thought no one was looking, but he tried to avoid letting that on.

When Allen lost his sense of sight, he became almost unsettlingly... quiet, actually. Not complaining even a little. But off, perpetually distracted and a little jumpy at the slightest noise or sense of movement. With it ironically around the same time Shouto finally regained his own vision. Something he expressed relief for -- it'd be rather silly and unfortunate for them to both lose their sense of sight at the same time, wouldn't it? -- but that was a little hollow too.

Whether Shouto thought to read to him or it happened by accident when Allen was half-dozing near him one day when he asked him out of bored senseless curiosity what he was reading, it was one of the few things that made him perk up. Even if he usually dozed off on him, it was comfortably and amicably so and eased a lot of his restlessness. Something he started to look forward to and ask him a little more eagerly each time what he was reading that day.

Today, he wrinkled his nose at the smell of this new book when he came back with it. Musty and old, and something that just... unsettled him on some very deep, instinctive level. Like if black magic had a smell. Easy enough to pass off at the explanation it was handed to him from someone in Gaze offering free books to passerby, everything there was a little weird and derelict, and the explanation it was a story (apparently) about an exorcist who saved souls was enough to both baffle and intrigue him. Weirdly... spot on, wasn't that? But curiosity alone was a good enough reason for him to shelve any misgivings and settle in, leaning his chin on his shoulder and peering over like he was actually trying to peek at the pages he couldn't see. Also, Shouto's monotone could put anyone at ease (and to sleep). Allen's disarmed and lulled off pretty quickly, relaxing as the tale begins and meanders vaguely around a nameless boy who loved too much. Who was thrown at odds against the home he had always known first for wanting to save those they wanted him to destroy, and then for finding out he was fated to become their enemy and the very thing that would destroy them and the world.

Allen stops dozing off and becomes very awake. Very quiet, and very still.

Shouto can get to the part where the boy says goodbye and leaves in order to keep his home safe, and that's when Allen will fumble for his hand. Grasping his wrist tightly with alarmed urgency. ]

Shouto. [ It's laced with a strange sort of fear, a rising panic. Stop reading.

It's also too late.

Reality... warps. Uncomfortably so, like vertigo but pulling your soul inside-out instead of your stomach. It feels like falling. Falling forward into freefall, which... is accurate. At first it feels like falling into a vacuum, and then the wind is quickly rushing past their ears. They burst through what feels like a thin glass pane of light that shatters harmlessly around them and melt away, geometric patterns in the sky, and the air is crisp and cold; the first kiss of winter, and for the first time smelling clean and entirely without the odor of blood, decay, and industry that clings to Trench. Into the middle of a city park, rows of brick Victorian buildings lining the sides of it with a clocktower and castle in the distance.

They're also about fifty feet up in the air, upside-down and in rapid freefall. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Bold of you to assume it was in the bathwater. He's left pinkish footprints since he was digging his heels in so hard trying to keep your stubborn ass from getting them kicked out. ]

I am! [ Still muffled with a mildly outraged wiggle. He pops the sodden sweater over his head a moment later, giving it a light look of betrayal. ]

And I wasn't trying to kill you. [ How are you both so dramatic and so rational at the same time, it's actually a wonder. He fusses with his sweat pants next. ] You dumped me in there without warning and turned the water on so I did the same.

[ as best he could. hence "turnabout" is "fair play"! ]

[ There's a pause in his movements the moment he makes that blunt confession, slowly looking up from his task. Even he understands what that means. ]

You... retaliated.

[ Ah, there's that look of betrayal. Congratulations, Allen. ]

Edited 2022-10-02 08:11 (UTC)

[ It's brief, a second no more before he turns away to stare down at the rising water. ]

I'm sorry.

Edited 2022-10-02 08:12 (UTC)

[ You feel betrayed about that but not when you thought he was trying to kill you??? ]

... [ Ah, the wind goes out of his sails at that, though. Sure, he's relieved that finally Shouto seemed to get it, or at least wasn't thinking he was possessed by some kind of ghost, but...

He leaves the sweater and pants with the rest of the wet pile on the floor and moves over to sit on the edge of the tub, peeking up at him with a gentler, quiet expression. In his underwear? Yes, but they've had weirder conversations in less... ]

I'm sorry too. [ He says it very simply and truthfully, with clear and honest eyes, but he pauses for a moment. Hesitates, tipping his head lightly to the side. ]

Did you... want to take it together? The bath.

[ Peace offering. ]

Edited 2022-10-02 08:25 (UTC)

[ Shouto keeps his eyes on the rising water on his approach, welcoming the task as he shakes his head. ]

You can go first.

[ He dips his hand into the water to warm it up and in an instant, it's a cozy temperature. He rises then, leaving the tub to him. ]

I'll take care of the clothes.

Edited 2022-10-02 08:31 (UTC)

[ It's probably for the best, it's a lot smaller than they're used to, and he slips in with a careful toe first to test it out of reflex. But he also turns around and rests his elbows on the tub edge as soon as he's sunk in and watches Shouto, barely able to appreciate the warmth that's finally seeping in. You're avoiding eye contact... ]

You don't have to do that if you don't want to. [ Lightly fretful. ] I can wash them later too.

It's better to divide the tasks.

[ He was planning on washing them from the start. He may not have complained about the stench, but the moment he could do something about it, he took the opportunity. He knows now that he rushed it. He'll remember that for next time. ]

I can wash them while you take a bath. You can finish while I take mine.

[ Division of labor. It'd get them to bed sooner, and after the day they've had, it's the best option, considering. So, he sets himself to picking up the clothes and creating a basin of ice that he melts in the center, creating a make-shift bucket to soak the clothes in while Allen bathes.

He uses soap to get the dirt off and does a decent enough job, albeit a little sloppy. He's not exactly used to doing this, nor does he have more than a vague idea of how to wash clothes. Still, he tries his best, and when he's done with one item, he moves on to the next, creating another ice bucket for it while freezing the other into a block to discard later. ]

Edited 2022-10-02 09:00 (UTC)

Alright. [ That's actually a very fair compromise and acceptable. But he does know that even plumbed Victorian bathrooms come with a low washbasin for cleaning just parts of oneself that would be useful for this... right... ~~no, of course he doesn't.~~ Allen's about to point that out when he blinks at how he creates his own washbasin of sorts out of ice, and honestly at that point is just watching in fascination. At some point he remembers to slip the last of his clothing off, wringing it out before he drops it over the side (omg you don't have to wash those) along with his hairtie. He glances around for the soap before spotting a bottle of shampoo instead and reaching for that.

Historically accurate? No. Allen's Victorian mash-up world accurate? Yes, because apparently only inhuman heathens like Kanda use soap in their hair. He keeps his head tipped back thoughtfully to watch him while he cleans himself though. ]

Your ability really is really useful. [ Said while working up a giant pile of suds on his head. More hair means more bubbles, apparently. Maybe he should really cut it one of these days... ]

Edited 2022-10-02 09:19 (UTC)

[ He was born with his quirk. It's as much a part of him as his limbs, so whenever a problem presents itself to him, he uses it. It may not always be the best solution but he can usually make it work. Like now.

As for the pair of underwear he dropped... Yes, he's washing those too. Picks it up after he stacks the third block of ice into a neat little tower of grime. ]

So is yours.

Edited 2022-10-02 09:20 (UTC)

[ Wilting lightly... but he won't say anything either. Just staying quietly embarrassed.

Allen hums faintly at that comment, but he's watching Shouto with a quieter expression. Thoughtful, but a little distant too. He dunks his head to rinse it, wiping the water from his eyes after he does so. ]

You were born with it too, right?

[ Shouto continues his work, unaware of the eyes on him. ]

It's common in my world.

[ Not so common in his as he's finding out with the way the people here stare at them as if there's something wrong. There isn't. ]

Edited 2022-10-02 09:34 (UTC)

[ He's gathered as much, just from how he and others from his world have spoken of it. What he wants to ask is about how it's connected to his emotions, what he meant when he said he felt uneasy earlier and spiked so hot, why that happens so much around him, but... Later. When he's not in the bath.

In his gut he feels that it would quickly become something where he'd want to go to him, or that Shouto might try to pull back or withdraw, so he'll wait. ]

Mm.. it's different here. [ It's soft, distracted, and he stares down at his hands in the water for a moment, one red and one white. Like Shouto's hair. ]

As far as I know, I'm the only one who was ever born like this.

[ He still. Turns his head slightly in his direction to look at him from the corner of his eye. ]

Like what?

[ You have to understand. Nothing about Allen, not his physical appearance or abilities, is anything but standard in his world. Where he comes from, no one would look at him twice. So, Shouto, having grown up in that kind of environment, has absolutely no idea what he's talking about right now. ]

Edited 2022-10-02 09:50 (UTC)

[ He looks up to meet his gaze, a little surprised because... isn't it obvious? Part of him looks like it isn't like the rest at all, and he holds up his left hand as if to demonstrate. Scarlet red all the way up to the bicep where it stops abruptly and becomes normal skin as if painted perfectly so, strips of matching red tattoos going up his shoulder the rest of the way. And that isn't counting that his hand barely looks human. ]

With an ability. With Innocence. [ He lets his hand drop back into the water. ]

Usually, that's something people get chosen by later. Although that isn't common either.

Edited 2022-10-02 09:57 (UTC)

[ No, it isn't obvious, but that explanation uncovers something he never thought of before. ]

Allen...

Is Innocence bad?

[ His eyes flick to Shouto so fast at that, alarmed. He goes a little still. ]

...Why would you ask that? [ He paints a smile on his face, trying to smother how much he stomach drops at that. ]

It lets us fight and save akuma. The souls that are trapped within them—and Beasts too, now.

[ It's recited. ]

You looked sad when you talked about it.

Isn't it a good thing you were born with it?

Edited 2022-10-02 10:13 (UTC)

[ He looked... sad? His eyes widen slightly at that revelation, and he drops his gaze somewhat guiltily back into the water. There was a lot... that made him not so sure of that, you know. That he's being reminded of, being back here. Things he had managed to avoid ever confronting when everything seemed to stabilize and be... back to a simpler understanding of the world when he woke up in Trench. When he woke up different, and was cleaner somehow than before. Less muddled about his purpose.

Less dangerous.

But was any of that actually true, or something he deluded himself into believing? ]

I don't know. [ Vesper-soft, but steady. ]

It isn't really so simple as something like that just being "good" or "bad", is it?

It is simple.

[ He counters, abandoning his task to cross the room and sit on the edge of the tub. Once settled, he locks eyes with him, searching for a missing puzzle piece he's beginning to suspect was always there. ]

Why would anything you're born with be bad?

[ Do you understand? ]

Edited 2022-10-02 10:33 (UTC)

[ He blinks at that, sitting up a little straighter and bringing his knees up. Hesitates, biting his tongue because...

...how would you even explain all of that, if he even thought it was something he could? Should? He doesn't even understand it; doesn't really understand Innocence at all it turns out. Doesn't want to worry Shouto. ]

...It isn't 'good' when it hurts people, is it? [ He says it softly, looking down at his left hand. Very gently, his demeanor calm and somewhat faraway. "I... I hurt people. And Mana."

"I'm a monster. That's why my parents gave me up."

Some things hadn't changed since that night. ]

[ Shouto sets a hand on his chin and gently tips it up to meet his eyes. This is important, don't look away. ]

It didn't hurt people. You did.

Like I hurt you when I lost control. That doesn't make my quirk bad.

It's the same with your Innocence.

Edited 2022-10-02 10:56 (UTC)

[ Isn't that worse?

His eyes widen slightly at that though, pale grey eyes flickering between Shouto's mismatched ones for a surprised moment. This is... something you feel very strongly about, isn't it. Why? It isn't just because of when you hurt him, it was there before that.

But he blinks, staying still in his grasp as his mind races. Circles back, and he presses his lips together for a moment with solemn grey eyes. ]

I know. [ He actually does and that's why he hated himself so much-- no matter what his Innocence might have done it was still his body he was supposed to be in control of. But it was also more complicated than that, too, and it's why he meets Shouto's gaze so steadily. ]

It has its own will, you know. [ He says it gently and simply. ] Innocence is sentient.

[ Not even blinking, just returning his gaze very calmly. He appreciates what you mean terribly, but... ]

I think what I mean is just...

[ Under the water, he clenches his left fist lightly. ]

...I don't always understand what that will is.

[ He slides his hand up to cup his cheek, holding him gently through the admission. It's not easy to know we played a role in hurting someone we care about. It was even harder to forgive yourself. He knew well that accepting their role in it came first, then forgiveness.

Shouto is reminded of Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. A classmate of his who struggled with a sentient quirk that went out of control when it grew too powerful. He struggled with it too until he learned to understand Dark Shadow. ]

Do you know what it wants?

What it needs?

[ What it needs? What an interesting twist that he... hadn't really considered in that fashion before. He's quiet, letting his eyes close when Shouto cups his cheek and leans faintly into it. Taking quiet comfort in that for a moment before answering. ]

I thought I did. [ Until it betrayed him. ]

I'm not sure how much of that matters anymore though. [ His eyes open quietly, regarding him calmly even if part of him doesn't feel very calm. ]

It's different now. In Trench, as opposed to when I was here.

[ His fingers splay across his cheek, offering comfort in the simple caress. Thought isn't knowing. ]

It matters.

[ So, why don't you seem to care? ]

Even if this world isn't real. We are. My quirk is the same.

Is your Innocence?

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