Snowblind Body Shenanigans

[armoured]

This is an open post for anyone set in Norfinbury. It's a random scenario where @Admin has (for mysterious meme reasons) decided to give Al his body back. This isn't game canon, obviously, I just wanted to play about with Al in his body as it will never happen in game. Action and network responses are welcome, as well as fudging the locations of characters.

---

[Al has become used to his periods of unconsciousness during the night now. He still can't think of them as sleep, not without dreams or his real body to rest in, but they're at least predictable. Usually he wakes quickly and without any grogginess that would come from real sleep, but today everything has changed.

He wakes up slowly that morning.

As soon as he wakes up, he knows everything is different. He can feel the wooden flooring under his back, rough and splintered, and hear the thud of his heart beating in his ears. He lifts one stick thin arm in amazement to stare at it, almost uncomprehending as he looks at his fingers splayed out in front of his eyes. This must be a dream. It has to be a dream, his first one in years, but... God, it feels so real.

He's in a state of shock as he pulls up to unsteady feet and scoops up his tablet automatically. He can barely keep hold of it, his fingers have none of his usual dexterity and his hands are trembling violently. It's this trembling that causes his fingers to slip and activate the video feed. The camera is at a strange angle, but it shows the upper half of a teenage boy in an extreme state of emaciation. His ribs are protruding and his stomach is concave. He has long blond hair that hangs down over one eye, the other one is wide and staring in surprise.

His legs seem ready to fold almost at once, but he forces himself to walk to the door and open it. The sunlight on the snow almost blinds him, and the wind causes goosebumps to raise on his skin immediately. He sets one bare foot in the snow and gasps, a delighted and amazed sound.]

Wow, it's so cold...

[He laughs softly, unable to stop the sheer wonder bubbling out of him. Is this real? Can it truly be so?]

Comments

[armoured]

[He feels smaller than he even is now, shocked by the surrealism of being so easily lifted by someone else. He's so used to being the tallest person around, usually by at least a good foot, that this makes him feel as though the whole world has skewed somehow.

His body easily folds into Zack's arms without protestation, and he's lost for a second in how bizarrely heavy his legs feel in comparison to the rest of him. It's like they're made of lead, prickling with pins and needles from the exertion of using them briefly.]

W--

[His head snaps up at those words, eyes growing as round as saucers. And then all of a sudden his face is crumpling into sobs, the dull racking of his chest and the tears can't hide how beyond touched and happy he is, though.]

I guess you're right, I just didn't it see it before now.

[armoured]

[He does his absolute best to support as much of his weight as possible, though he's honestly touched at how well Tim is coping with this. His legs tremble so violently that the shudders travel all the way up his spine and nearly make him fall back down again.]

Mm, I'm okay. I think I can walk if you don't let go.

[That might be a gross overestimation of his own abilities. He slumps suddenly sideways into Tim, only keeping his feet by the grace of having a solid and helpful Tim-shaped leaning post next to him.]

Ha-- whoops--! I don't remember it being this hard before.

[heroproceeding]

[ Shit, he's going to make the poor kid physically sore as hell from all the crying at this rate. His body's weak as it was. But all the same, he can't hide the wide, partly wobbly smile that nudges across his own face, vision blurring until all he can see is a blob of blonde and pale, sickly skin. He shakes his head, blinking his vision clear as he chokes out: ] Let's get you inside.

[ And without further ado, Zack's carrying him gently back into the house. He makes sure to kick the door closed behind him. A couple more long strides take him over to the only plush chair left in tact with that particular house and that's where the former SOLDIER gingerly helps Al down into. He'll only move back once Al gives him the a-okay and that need for a signal's only punctuated with a: ] You good?

[armoured]

[Al is grateful for the moment or two of silence in the brief walk inside, as it gives him a chance to wipe the dampness from his face (a little ineffectually), and calm himself down.

He sinks back into the chair without even putting up a pretence of sitting upright, letting the plush cushions cradle his body so that he could focus his attention on Zack more completely.]

Yeah-- I mean... no. I don't think good could describe what I feel right now, this is amazing.

[maskintape]

You're doing fine. Come on.

[ He carefully starts walking, taking it slowly and offering as much support as Al needs. Even if that means essentially dragging him. HE'S HELPING.

As they reach the doorway to the nearest building, Tim freezes with his free hand on the door handle. ]

Are - are there people here? Right now, I mean? 'Cause I can just - I can just drop you off here, so...

[ He hunches his shoulders slightly, further burying his face in that ridiculous scarf. HISSSSSSS PEOPLE HISSSSSSSSS ]

[heroproceeding]

[ Zack at least seems to get the gist that he's comfortable, so at that, he leans away. The first thing he goes for now that Al's seated is the pack on his back. He takes it off, even as he speaks with excited warmth. ] Yeah, I'd say so! Sheesh, who'd'a thought, you know?

[ It sounds like the others are still preoccupied in the other room. Sleeping? Or maybe wrapped up in their own thing, catching up with other friends on their own tablets. He'd understand that. Always good to keep tabs on people around these parts.

But Al's got his full attention for now as he unzips his backpack and peels out an ugly looking bathrobe, yellow with purple glitter polka dots and obviously dirtied from laying around in a house. But in Norfinbury, you don't complain when you even find clothing of a sort, rare as it may be. ] You're in luck! I found this on my trip out this morning. Hold out your left arm.

[ Yep, he's gonna help dress him, too. Just like Cloud. ]

[baymaxing]

[Hiro isn't even thinking on how everything must be new to Al. Not just yet. More worried about the kid out in the cold while stark naked. So he doesn't think anything of it when the other reaches and takes his hand, barely registering the longer nails as they scrape his palm a little in the process. The difference of their temperatures is still rather evident, less easily ignored. Which only proves to reinforce it was a good thing Hiro found the older teen quickly like this.]

Come on, we'll see if we can manage something for you. I can lend you my hoodie and coat if you need it, but there might be other clothes we've found that might fit a bit better.

[Because regardless of them both being rather thin, Al is still a little taller in comparison to Hiro. And Hiro doesn't have more layers in regards to pants or anything to offer. He's quick to pull Al inside and shut the door, searching after sitting the other down on the sofa to find some clothing to offer. Which he does manage to find.]

These are something at least. [Offering some old boots, pants and a long sleeved shirt in the meantime. Along with a blanket.]

But....do I want to know what happened here?

[lancingintherain]

[her heart sinks as she watches his smile fade and his face change. She opens her mouth to say something reassuring, or offer some kind of advice, but... she's got no clue where to even begin. She can't help him with that.]

[so instead, she seizes on what she can help him with, and quickly turns away, moving from the couch and over to her backpack on the table.]

...Clothes. You need more clothes.

[she unzips it and starts digging through her stuff, pulling things out and piling them haphazardly on the table: a battered-looking fantasy novel, a jar of peanut butter, a box of plastic spoons, and then finally her shawl and a pair of scavenged trousers she'd been meaning to tailor to fit better.]

[forfeits]

[ he's not sure it's real. god knows they've suffered enough hallucinations here, but this seems so real his heart catches in his throat. the joy in Al's voice -- it's something he's not heard in years and that certainly can't be false.

the tablet clatters noisily to the floor and where Al looked before, the empty doorway, Ed now stands, gaping, eyes wide. ]

Al? [ the boy looks sickly, frail, but it's the same boy he saw beyond the doors, the same wide golden eyes and long hair -- they could be twins if they'd both been trapped with Truth. ]

Alphonse! [ excuse the tears, the joy, the shock, Al, but you're about to get a big hug from your brother. ]

[armoured]

Yeah.

[For the first time in the whole morning, Al's expression falters from that awe-struck smile, turning into a slightly worried frown at the closed door.]

My brother is in there.

[Can Tim possibly understand what a massive thing this will be?]

I don't know how he's going to handle this...

[armoured]

[Al reaches out and fingers the material of the dressing gown, chuckling softly at its ragged and less-than-fashionable appearance.]

Wow, I wonder who this used to belong to.

[Not that he's stopping Zack from helping to dress him. If he were Ed then this might have wounded his pride, but he knows when to accept help and he's just grateful to have someone who cares enough to want to help.]

Are you sure you don't want to keep it?

[armoured]

[Al's knees nearly give way twice just on the walk inside the house, but he somehow manages to get sat down on the sofa before he falls on his face.]

Hm?

[He glances up for a second, just after pulling the shirt over his head and causing long and brittle strands of hair to snap off with even that minor tugging.]

I'm really not sure, this-- I wasn't like this yesterday.

[How does he explain his body situation to Hiro?]

I just woke up this way and my-- armour-- is missing.

[armoured]

[Al's attention drifts away from her as she upends her belongings onto the tablet to look for the clothing, his eyes sliding over to one of the nearby closed doors. Ed was behind there, probably still sleeping with his tummy out. Ignorant of what has happened, unaware of this huge change.]

Freya...

[He gulps, the worry forming lines on his forehead.]

Ed-- He doesn't, I don't know what he'll think or do when he sees me.

[armoured]

[Al doesn't have even a fraction of the strength needed to withstand a running hug from Ed, so he goes over backwards with a soft 'oomph' of surprise. Hitting the ground hurts. It's a sharp and jagged pain that whites his vision out momentarily, forcing all the air from his lungs.]

B-Brother--

[It comes out in a half breathy murmur, before he's lifting his arms to wind around Ed in return, heedless of their dumb position laid out in the snow. His voice is suppressed tears and wonderment.]

It's really real, it's-- I'm-- It's real.

[heroproceeding]

[ The first comment makes Zack pause. Because thinking of the lost townspeople never brings any good feelings out of him. But then Al goes on and there's a swift shake of his head as Zack chuckles. ] Nah, I'm good! [ There's a toothy smile there. Part a tease- like hell I'd be caught dead in that -but the true reality's pretty straightforward. With Al in the kind of state he's in, he's gonna need as much clothing to keep him warm as possible.

So, he's not worrying about Al's precious MANLY DIGNITY at the moment. Screw that. Zack's SOLDIER where you learn to take care of your own and minimize the bitching about having others care for you, even if you do find it embarrassing.

He's patient enough to allow Al to feel the gown with his fingers before he takes it by the one sleeve and starts gently tugging it up his arm. He keeps the movements careful and easy on his skin. After seeing what happened to Al's hair, he doesn't want to make anything worse. But once he's got the one arm through, he's back to curling an arm around his back. But this time, it's to pull the robe over. Easy... easy. He smile, having been lost for a bit as he's concentrated on the task, returns faintly. ] Gonna get your other arm and and then I'm gonna lift you, so we can tuck it under, alright?

[armoured]

[It's not the physical help that's starting to embarrass Al, but the way he's talking, almost as if Al's mind is as gone as his body. He knows Zack means well, but he can't help himself from reaching out and stilling his hand momentarily.]

Hey, I'm okay. You know that, right?

[His words are just as gentle and full of warmth. He knows this must come from taking care of that friend, the one who had been comatose and terrified, so he only wants to reassure Zack that this isn't the same.]

I just need a meal or two and I'll be back on my feet in no time.

[heroproceeding]

[ Zack... pauses first at the hand on his, eyes automatically darting to Al's to make sure he's okay and he didn't hurt him or something. But no, he seems fine and-...

...There's something sheepish in his downward gaze. He really had been... ] ...heh. Sorry. Just didn't even realize... [ Even in Norfinbury, that habit's not escaped him, has it. Cloud... Taking care of Cloud had been hard. Talking to him like this... That's what had kept him sane and let him know that...

But Al's alright. Al's alert and with him. Al's... totally made of bullshit with that last comment. Enough to make Zack snicker as he looks back up at him. ] Only a meal or two? Make that at least a million. Jeez, kid... [ If Al will allow, he's gonna finish dressing him in that robe now. ]

[armoured]

[Thin fingers release their pathetic grip on Zack's arm. It's not like he could have stopped Zack continuing to dress him, it would have been like a kitten fighting a mastiff, but he doesn't even try to resist. He wants to be dressed and feel the warmth of this fluffy dressing gown.]

I'm not sure I could eat a million meals all at once, but...

[Red stains his cheeks a little.]

...I have got a list of all the things I wanted to eat when I got my body back. I bet there's at least a couple of hundred things on there by now, maybe I could start with those?

[Except... he knows as well as Zack that there's not a lot of food here at all, let alone variety. So he shrugs and smiles before continuing.]

I guess it's lucky that my number one food item was a can of processed vegetables, huh?

[heroproceeding]

[ Exaggerations are fun like that though, Al! It also seems to shake out the awkward moment between them which Zack's more than thankful for. It gives him the chance to finish dressing him in that gown-- although he might have purposefully wrapped it over his face for a second. Totally subtly helping him rid of those tears in a kinda jackass way. At least he won't embarrass Al even more.

He'll be nice enough to pop it out from over his face shortly thereafter and make sure it's snug around him before stepping back with a big ol' smile. ] Well, at least Kunsel's got you covered on that.

[ And he does, too, technically. But after Kunsel's little tutorial, at least anyone who was paying attention would be able to open up those cans without a can opener now. Zack pauses thoughtfully before he starts to peel off his coat. There's a flannel shirt underneath it- and then his beaten uniform underneath that. Plus he's got meat on him. He can deal.

Which is why that's going on Al next. ] Anything else you wanna eat that'd be around here?

[armoured]

[Al is actually a little sad that his first genuine taste of food will be some sludge from a can, but it will probably taste like a gourmet meal to him all the same by the simple virtue of it having a taste.

He starts to chuckle, but it's cut off pretty quickly when Zack starts peeling off his own coat. Al holds up a hand to forestall him, though it's swamped for a moment in the sleeve of this bathrobe.]

Hey, what are you doing?

[His body might be fragile now, but there's definite fire in his eyes that says his spirit is as strong as ever.]

That's your coat, you better not be thinking of giving it to me.

[heroproceeding]

[ For real- yeah, it wouldn't be his first choice either. Like having a ration bar. Hell, those tasted like sawdust. But they can't really complain too much about the food they can get a hold of there, can there? And better that Al can eat something and taste it, period, again than not at all.

But... welp. There's the protest he was expecting. He can respect and highly appreciate the look in Al's eyes. He'd rather see that kind of spirit in them. But.

He shrugs, voice frank. ] They always said I never think first, so no. I'm not thinking of it, technically. Now, doing, on the other hand... [ He just hella grins. Al, you refuse him and he's just going to drape it over you anyway for the record. ]

[armoured]

[Al crosses his arms in front of his chest, a gesture that might look a lot stronger and more intimidating if the fashion impaired bathrobe didn't swamp him so completely.]

I mean it, Zack! Don't put that on me, I won't take your coat away from you.

[Don't make him do something drastic, Fair. Like SCOWL.]

[heroproceeding]

[ PLEASE. Your scowling could use some work, kid. He used to be stared down by Sephiroth. This is child's play.

Which is why he just rolls his eyes at Al although the smile starts to fall. ] Whatcha gonna do if I do? Frown me to death? [ Okay, that was kinda mean and he doesn't want the kid to feel anymore useless than he already must feel... but... yeah. ]

[armoured]

[He knows Zack is only trying to help, which is why he keeps his voice gentle, but that frown only deepens a little bit.]

I'm not totally helpless, and I won't be responsible for you travelling without a proper coat. If something happened to you because of the cold it would be my fault.

[heroproceeding]

Naaah. If something happened to me, it would be because I did something stupid.

[ Seriously, this is his choice, Al. His. Which mean it will still be his fault. Not yours. That is Zack logic anyway.

So, he's going to... ignore any other protests at this point. Yep. Instead, he's going to go into his bag again and this time, he's going to rummage more through his back. Admittedly, his might have been eyeing his gloves as well, but with those long nails of Al's, until he finds a way to clip them, that's not gonna fly. That and he thinks he's pressed enough of his luck for the day.

At least in that sense. Now, in another sense... ] Ah-hah! [ Yank. Out comes his searching hand and with it, some... small package in foil wrapping. The grin he gives Al is almost shit-eating as he waggles it in front of the kid. ] Have something like this on your list? [ ...Yeah, he might have avoided any kind of teasing about that list (because he gets it, really. A good way to be hopeful!!) But! It doesn't mean he wasn't thinking about it more.

GUESS WHAT IT IS, AL. GUESS. ]