Aluin carefully observed Remiel for a short moment as the other boy suggested playing the game. Aluin wasn't completely enthusiastic to do it, but if Remiel wanted to...Aluin nodded a little bit.
"I-I can...h-hide f-first."
Aluin suggested quietly.
Aluin carefully observed Remiel for a short moment as the other boy suggested playing the game. Aluin wasn't completely enthusiastic to do it, but if Remiel wanted to...Aluin nodded a little bit.
"I-I can...h-hide f-first."
Aluin suggested quietly.
Rem smiled and nodded right back. This was going to be fun. “Okay. You hide then and I’ll count to one hundred then come find you.” Was one hundred enough time? Or was it too much... Rem wasn’t really sure but as long as Aluin didn’t say anything, that would be how long he’d be counting.
“Oh, and I’m sure this goes without saying but no hiding in places that are dangerous or in the cellar where the um... Where we aren’t allowed to be.”
“When you’re ready, go ahead and hide and I’ll cover my eyes and begin counting.”
“Oh, and I’m sure this goes without saying but no hiding in places that are dangerous or in the cellar where the um... Where we aren’t allowed to be.”
“When you’re ready, go ahead and hide and I’ll cover my eyes and begin counting.”
Aluin didn't even stop to consider that Remiel might've had other motives behind wanting to play this game. He trusted in his friend's words of genuinely wanting to spend time with Aluin. So, when Remiel told him to go hide Aluin nodded with little to no hesitation, though he was still scared.Remiel won't leave me, and Remiel isn't a monster. I will be okay...
But you don't know that. He may be laughing at you, at your pathetic self. Look at his fears, make him fear you!
Aluin flinched and shook his head a bit, when his thoughts slipped a little bit into the very scary side. It always happened when he was anxious and scared. But now he couldn't let those thoughts be heard.
"The c-cellar is the o-only, um, a-actually d-dangerous p-place. You can go e-elsewhere a-almost f-freely."
Aluin explained quietly, not mentioning that in actuality all places were dangerous at least a little. There was no escaping danger, no matter what. But normal people didn't think like that.
"I-I'll go h-hide now."
Aluin said quietly, and then slipped away when Remiel started counting. He considered if kids his age played this game anymore, but Aluin wasn't sure. He hadn't been 13 before and hadn't paid attention to other 13-year-olds before. Well, Remiel had suggested this, and he seemed older than Aluin, so Aluin trusted his friend knew best.
Aluin slipped into the bathroom, very quietly, and crawled into the cabinet with all kinds of soft fabrics like towels and blankets. This was among the least scary hiding places, and the towels and blankets covered him nicely from view.
Remiel covered his eyes with his hands and sat down on the floor, slowly counting up to 100. He did it slowly and it felt like forever but eventually he finished and uncovered his eyes. Aluin was in fact gone and now it was just him in the living room with Alt.
This wouldn’t take long, a quick chat and then back to the game with Aluin. He stood up again and made his way over to Alt, all that warmth in him before was gone, replaced with an equally strong cold.
“Altizica. I need an explanation. Why is Aluin older and why is he so scraped up?”
This wouldn’t take long, a quick chat and then back to the game with Aluin. He stood up again and made his way over to Alt, all that warmth in him before was gone, replaced with an equally strong cold.
“Altizica. I need an explanation. Why is Aluin older and why is he so scraped up?”
Altizica was typing away on his phone when Remiel approached him. The look on his face was one that was extremely unsurprised but a little disappointed. “You really should be looking for Aluin right now instead of asking me questions. But I know that isn’t going to stop you. The short answer I can give is he died protecting his bullies from a dangerous beast and respawned on a distant planet with a different system of time than this place.”
That was honestly kind of difficult to picture. Aluin seemed like a good kid and all, but he didn’t seem like the sacrifice himself to save others type. He seemed far too afraid for that.
That being said, Rem didn’t feel like Alt was lying. This would’ve been a pretty weird thing to say as a lie. The part about respawning on another world wasn’t a foreign concept either. Many demons had abilities like that, Rem had heard plenty about that from Sera.
Rem was a little annoyed, someone could gather that much from his face alone. “This is... that’s not okay. You’re talking about it like it’s nothing but that’s not okay. He is your child, you have to make sure things like that can’t happen.“
That being said, Rem didn’t feel like Alt was lying. This would’ve been a pretty weird thing to say as a lie. The part about respawning on another world wasn’t a foreign concept either. Many demons had abilities like that, Rem had heard plenty about that from Sera.
Rem was a little annoyed, someone could gather that much from his face alone. “This is... that’s not okay. You’re talking about it like it’s nothing but that’s not okay. He is your child, you have to make sure things like that can’t happen.“
Altizica had a look on his face that could only be described as extremely disgusted. Was Remiel suggesting that idea that Alt didn’t care for Aluin with their entire being? Altizica would do anything for his child if the need called for it, what did Remiel know. As Altizica spoke their voice distorted, an obvious indication of them being upset. “Trust me Remiel. It will never happen again. If anything or anyone tried to do something to my child, they would regret it with every fiber of their being.”
Rem’s face became somewhat distant as they considered this. “I have a difficult time trusting you but very well. I will believe you in regards to this. Don’t ever let it happen again.” He wished he could’ve been there himself to prevent whatever happened, but he couldn’t just watch over one person, then he’d just end up regretting it when someone else got hurt. Alt had those spawnlings, whatever exactly that meant. Perhaps he was in a similar situation.
For now, Rem left it. He sighed and went back to looking for Aluin. He searched carefully, leaving anything he did touch exactly how it was before as he made his way from room to room. Eventually he came across the bathroom, looking around a short while before opening up the cabinet. It took him a moment to realize there was someone behind the towels, but his careful eyes didn’t overlook it.
“Hello Aluin. I have found you.”
For now, Rem left it. He sighed and went back to looking for Aluin. He searched carefully, leaving anything he did touch exactly how it was before as he made his way from room to room. Eventually he came across the bathroom, looking around a short while before opening up the cabinet. It took him a moment to realize there was someone behind the towels, but his careful eyes didn’t overlook it.
“Hello Aluin. I have found you.”
Aluin didn't hear any sounds of searching for a while. The back of the cabinet, which Aluin was against, was placed to a spot on the other side of the hallway wall. So Aluin should've heard Remiel come look for him once 100 was up. But instead he didn't hear steps. He heard...speech. Muffled speech, but Aluin recognized papa's voice. Was Remiel...talking to papa? Why? Aluin frowned a bit to himself, as his mind turned. Had Remiel asked to play this only so he could talk to papa alone? He could've just asked. What were they talking about? Probably about Aluin. But...what about him?Remiel doesn't like papa, maybe he has started to hate you too and he's just talking to papa to say that and then he leaves and leaves you here all alone.
Aluin pressed his face against his knees and did his best to ignore both the muffled voices in the living room and the voice inside his head. He gritted his teeth and told himself to breathe, so he wouldn't cry.
Eventually Remiel did come looking for Aluin, he could hear it. Aluin had been able to calm himself down, thankfully, so when Remiel opened the cabinet and found Aluin his eyes were dry. Aluin glanced at Remiel, for a short moment thinking of asking what he and papa had talked about, but quickly decided to let it go. Aluin was scared to know.
"H-hello."
Aluin said back, and crawled out of the cabinet, dusting his hoodie off carefully.
"G-good job, um, f-finding me."
Aluin congratulated, and managed a hint of a smile.
The nervous demeanour that Aluin typically sported acted as a poker face of sorts. Rem couldn’t tell if anything was up because Aluin just typically carried himself like that anyway.
“Should I hide now?” Rem’s eyes began to look around curiously. He was still somewhat surprised by how ordinary everything was. “And then you come find me?”
“Should I hide now?” Rem’s eyes began to look around curiously. He was still somewhat surprised by how ordinary everything was. “And then you come find me?”