All that I am

[likethelight]

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. ]

Comments

[swellter]

Why not?

[ Yes. ]

[exmemoriam]

[ Wow. How dumb are you?

He holds his gaze though. For a long, meaningful moment. ]

Because that's up to Allen, isn't it?

[swellter]

[ He holds it right back, unwavering. ]

Ask him.

[likethelight]

[ He tsks, ruffling his loose hair for a moment. Wait. Did Allen's hair get... tremendously longer since the last time he was awake? It only seemed like days.

This body feels different too, like he might have aged... ]

Doesn't work like that. [ Said blandly, bored. ]

[swellter]

How does it work?

[exmemoriam]

[ Does Allen find this routine charming? Because Nea certainly does not. ]

You were the child who tried to force the square peg into the round hole, weren't you.

[ He leans back and glances to the side, seemingly bored although his eyes slowly trace around the room. ]

I wouldn't want to come out and talk to you, either.

[swellter]

[ Considering he doesn't understand that statement, Shouto ignores it to focus on what he's after. ]

Why not?

[exmemoriam]

[ ...? How dense is this guy?

This is tedious. The whole twenty questions routine while not giving Nea literally anything other than that one subconscious slip. He's also not entirely certain how stable his possession of Allen's body is, and it's not like some damn jack in a box swap like this guy apparently thinks it is. He could escape back within and Allen's consciousness could take control, whether Allen himself is actually in a state of being conscious enough himself to do that or not, but there's no telling when he could come back then and he isn't about to do that so soon unless he has to.

Allen could fight his own way back, like he did before, but he would need some kind of bond to anchor him enough to find his way back. Would need to want to come back enough, but knowing his old friend that isn't an issue. Likely he just can't see a way back from Nea's own dreamworld, the place where Nea stayed locked all that time. It isn't something you can force, and that's why Nea isn't worried.

We aren't so different from akuma at all, are we, "Allen"? Isn't that funny.

He glances away though, pointedly ignoring Shouto to look around the room with a caution disguised as laziness. He could fight. He could try to invoke Allen's Innocence again. But does he particularly want to unless forced? No. He could use a trump card, but how soon does he really want to tip his hand... ]

Where is this place?

It smells old.

[ Is he ignoring you? Yes. The question was stupid. ]

[swellter]

[ Don't expect much from him. Shouto doesn't give his opponents anything to work with, which ends in his favor most of the time, giving him no reason to alter his current course. Nea may have patience, but he's willing to bed it's a different kind than what it takes to deal with his brand of questioning. Where Allen was at least interesting to dissect, Shouto was not. Single-minded and purposeful, he presses on. ]

Did you put Allen to sleep?

[ Did you think he'd stop at twenty? Or that he would so easily stray from his objective? He's a trained hero in training which means three things for Nea. One. He won't hurt him. Two. He'll restrain him. Shouto picks up another strip of cloth with every intention of tying his hands together up front where he can see them. Three. He will bore him to death with a lot more inane (they're deep for him) questions until he snaps and starts talking. ]

Can you speak with him?

What does NEA stand for?

Are you a ghost?

Where you always inside of Allen?

Is Allen in danger?

Why do you have feathers?

[ And so on and so forth, every single one made with the same expressionless facade that gives nothing away, his tone serious. No, he's not pulling your leg, and no, he doesn't know that's an idiom. ]

[exmemoriam]

[ oh my GOD ]

Can you not for five seconds?

[ Did he let him tie his wrists? Yes, technically. He's unconcerned. Maybe tortured though. ]

What's wrong with you!

[swellter]

[ Once he's done with the knot, he'll test it out by tugging on it firmly while ignoring that first question. He really doesn't get what he doesn't want him to do, and so he simply ignores it and moves on with his line of questioning.

But first--! ]

Are you shy like Allen?

[ He promptly points to his underwear which does not bother him whatsoever because he sure was tying his arms right above his crotch without a care in the world. ]

I can get you a blanket to cover up.

[likethelight]

[ How is it possible that you can keep making his skin crawl worse and worse. This is thoroughly testing his limits of how bad does he want to kill this human vs not wanting to deal with more shit than he needs to. Don't POINT, you fool. ]

I am not shy. [ wow he spits that out like it's the worst insult. and maybe like he's just a little sulky.

He tugs for a moment on the bonds, testing those too ]

Get me a blanket.

[ A wet cat. He sounds exactly like a wet cat. ]

[swellter]

[ He's very good with knots. Those bonds aren't going anywhere without some help Mr. Victorian NEA. ]

Modest.

[ He corrects himself as he leans back onto his haunches and stands up to pick up the blanket when he realizes one crucial thing. The floor isn't all that ideal for someone who just woke up from a fever. He stops in his tracks mid-stride and turns back around, facing him. ]

The floor is cold.

[ Is all he says as he walks right up to him with every intention of carrying him back to the bed. ]

[likethelight]

[ They're bizarrely more effective than he was expecting, no give. Irritating. However, given Allen's left hand, he's not worried about getting out of the arm restraints when they're just cloth. Guy could snap iron manacles on his ankles like they were glass without the aid of Innocence, let alone what he could do with it. He had been "imprisoned" in the dungeons because he let them, the idiot. Though he knew how to Houdini out of things with this body and Nea doesn't, other than to try and brute force it...

His attention snaps abruptly back up to Shouto, refocusing on him as he comes towards him and-- no...

He scoots back abruptly at that purposeful walk, knees primly to chest. ]

O-oi, what do you think you're doing? [ do not!!! touch him!!! ]

[swellter]

Taking you to bed.

[ Is all he says as he crouches down in front of him with every intention of picking him up into his arms and lifting him up. ]

[likethelight]

[ Congratulations, you've managed to utterly shock and knock off balance the one who aims to one day destroy the world, whose very existence has thrown the balance of a seven thousand year long war off kilter, so thoroughly that his face just falls. Almost comically so.

Taking him to--?! HOW MUCH DID HE BLACK OUT ON. WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP DO YOU HAVE WITH ALLEN.

You might have tied his feet but he can still try to kick you in the FACE. ]

[swellter]

[ Blissfully ignorant of the not-so-false assumptions laid against him, Shouto picks him up in one easy move. His legs do most of the heavy lifting, which isn't that heavy. Allen was always lighter than Shouto expected, but he's carried him enough times now that he's expecting the lighter load.

Nea can try to kick him, but without his Innocence, it won't hurt any worse than when he trained with Endeavor, and he packs a bigger punch. Unless he means to use his left hand against him, Shouto will deposit him in bed and promptly cover him with the blankets. He'll lay a hand on top, acting like a heater to take away the chill of the cold bed. ]

Allen had a fever.

You'll get sick if you stay on the ground.

[exmemoriam]

[ What are you, a goddamn caveman.

He's not going to make carrying him easy for sure, kicking and struggling and swearing like a wildcat. He has never been manhandled like this in this body or his original you weirdo, what gives you the right!! What the hell situation is this! This is all Allen's fault!!! You weren't supposed to have your own life, that just complicated everything!! It's what you suggested, ass.

By the time Shouto dumps him on the mattress and throws the covers over him the fight's gone out, or at least he's realized it's futile for right now unless he wants to expend a lot more energy than he wants to. Shouto's reasoning draws an absolutely frosty stare from Nea, but it's impassive now. Like he's trying to stare straight through into his soul. Or might have just found something interesting about him.

He's silent. Doesn't reply for a long moment as the heat bleeds through the blankets. Just scrutinizes him. ]

...why do you care.

[ It's not goading. He sounds genuine. Cold, but genuine. ]

You've been no one in this play.

[swellter]

[ It's part of a hero's job to deal with struggling civilians. Be they swearing up a storm or kicking and screaming. He deals with Nea's defiance the same way he'd deal with anyone else: he listens, ignores their struggles, and keeps moving. Once he has him under the covers, he's quick to warm him up with the same neutral expression even as Nea stares him down. He's used to that too. It hardly phases him.

Using his quirk to warm up the bed, it's the probing question that has the heat receding as he regards him with the same even look. ]

I care about Allen.

[ Short and simple, nothing complicated here. ]

[likethelight]

[ Well that much is obvious. Nea picked up on that much earlier, if maybe misjudging the exact nature.

He expression remains equally calm and even though. Wary. ]

Why?

[swellter]

[ Isn't it obvious? ]

Because I like him.

[likethelight]

[ How simple.

He stares flatly back in response, as if yes, silently judging him quite a bit for that answer even if he says nothing. It's more because the wheels are turning. Wheels that have decided Allen has become stupid. Incredibly stupid.

He turns his head to the side, looking away. ]

I have no reason to talk to you unless you start giving me better answers than that. [ flatly ]

For all I know you're just some creepy stalker.

[ pot, kettle ]

[swellter]

[ Better answer? That has him tilting his head to the side looking like a curious cat about to drop a glass off the table without an ounce of remorse. ]

What kind of answer do you want?

[exmemoriam]

[ Seriously?

He looks back at him with an absolutely leaden stare. ]

Who are you, for starters.

[swellter]

Shouto Todoroki. I'm a hero in training.

[ Now, tit for tat. ]

Who are you?