[So, the crazy laughter was caused by something else entirely, right. Uh-huh.
Although, Scott turns his head to look in the direction Altius is now facing and ah, right. The fortune teller. He hasn't tried his hand at a fortune yet and from the looks of things, it's a good thing he avoided it. It really doesn't surprise him that it put some weird influence on the man in front of him. That's how things tend to be around here.
Of course, this could still very well be copium on Altius' end--]
Alright, how about we just... find a place to sit down or something? [Scott asks, trying to not feel as awkward as he sounds.] Might be easier to fight of those effects.
[ The tension in him does not abate as he turns to look at the young man out of the corner of his eye. It's not a kind look. ]
Sitting down will help me fight it off.
[ He's giving Scott approximately five seconds to convince him. It might be a miracle if he manages, judging by his tone and how he's still turned towards that tent, but the fact that he's giving that much is... something. ]
[That sure is a look he's getting. Scott doesn't flinch though, in fact, a part of him wanting to just double down as if rising to a challenge. Helps him to feel less awkward anyway.]
You know, easier to deal with outside influences if you have control over your own feelings and everything. [Repressing shit is the way to go. Scott's learning.] Getting upset at stuff has only made things worse for me.
[Zekarion barks out an incredulous laugh. As he places a hand over his chest, it's followed by several more which do nothing to paint the man as stable.]
You're telling me to calm down.
[He takes a step towards Scott, his voice quiet enough to only reach the two of them.]
Let me give you a bit of life advice. [The smile fades from his lips, leaving a sharp focus in his eyes.] Telling people to calm down never works.
[Why does he always bump into the unstable people??
Despite all the shit he gives others sometimes, it's not often that he feels like he's actually in danger or that someone sincerely wants to hurt him. That's changed now with this guy, the mutant tensing as Altius comes closer to him until they're definitely in striking distance. He instinctively wants to reach up for his glasses, but even now, he's not going to fire off his beams at someone. At least not directly.
Maybe it won't come to that and that would be ideal. However he's not going to back down either and so Scott stares back at him.]
Sorry, must've tuned that lesson out. Habit of mine.
[Thankfully even at his most unhinged, Zekarion doesn't want to hurt this kid who's apparently trying to help. Even if it helps him regain some sense of control to see that tension in response to his approach—don't worry about it, it's a healthy coping mechanism, threatening teenagers is his job—the unspoken threat is an empty one.]
Maybe this time the thought will stick.
[But hey: good news! Scott has distracted him enough from thoughts of violence for him to consider another path forward. Though he turns his gaze back to the distant tent over his shoulder briefly, and the bitterness is still clear in his expression, there's a cooler sense to it. He's not about to go burn it down.]
There's some merit in the idea of putting space between us.
[There's some wariness that Scott's unable to hide as he continues to stare at Zekarion. He doesn't particularly like the fact that he keeps on glancing over at the tent. Look, even if they are assholes and everything, he'd rather not have this new dude try and hurt them. It just won't turn out well for anyone, especially him. The locals have been acting cold towards the Chosen since the reset and while Scott's all about telling them off, he's not a proponent of causing harm either.
So, there's a small exhale from Scott when Zekarion mentions about putting space between them. Yeah, good.]
Something we can finally agree on. [Then a little quieter.] Besides, they're not worth your attention.
[Zekarion turns his eye back to the young man, his anger faded enough for his exhaustion to start to come through—between the energy expended on healing magic and being awake for almost a full day, it would be difficult to hide. It's still clear he's wound up, though; he's not letting himself rest because he can't afford to.]
[He lifts one shoulder in a half shrug, but despite how nonchalant the mutant appears to be, he isn't really joking around. This is just one of the more tense interactions he's had in a while, especially with a new Chosen. It's like a struggle between being serious and not really wanting to deal with this guy.
The clear exhaustion doesn't go unnoticed by Scott, which helps with making the mutant stay for a bit longer. Yeah. It's hard being here, especially at first. And there's that guy he mentioned that's dying at home.]
They're just assholes messing with you. [...] They don't really matter in the long run.
[Altius tilts his head as he scrutinizes the boy and thinks over the information he's gathered thus far, apparently unimpressed with the answer. His affect is flat, but not aggressive.]
Unless you or the other Chosen are willing and able to manipulate my mind on a whim, I'd consider them to matter far more.
[He's going to be paying very close attention to the locals, honestly. They'll probably tell him just as much about this place as the criminals brought here can, even if not in the same fashion.]
Just because you've decided against "getting upset" with the violation of your free will doesn't mean it's the correct decision.
[Scott decides to not mention the fact that one of his friends is a telepath. Not the point anyway. Probably?? He finds himself sighing, trying just one more time to get his point across. After this, he's getting food. Find one of his friends because he doesn't want to spend his evening with this dude.]
Look, I'm just saying it's more trouble than it's worth trying to kill them or anything. [He wonders how he would've fared during the glitches or the infection, but he's not going to bring it up right now. Seems bad.]
But if you aren't going to, then I'll leave you alone.
[He at least has the presence of mind to look offended at the implication that he was going to murder somebody!]
That would be awfully drastic.
[And it wouldn't guarantee he'd get his memory or self control back! He was just going to have some strong words. Maybe a little magic manipulation. A threat or two. Killing would be a last resort! He's more subtle than that.]
You're not going to lead me to a "place to sit down"?
[The truth is that he's starting to feel the need for it. But the incense smoke has worn off enough to only only unlock one (1) level of his fake personality, leaving the more unpleasant side of him at the forefront. It's not strong enough anymore to get him to honestly express weakness again.]
You seem like the type that would do something drastic.
[Scott flatly responds, but color him surprised-- what?? The dude was laughing kind of crazily earlier! And he implied that his crime was really bad, not to mention all the looks he kept on sending over to the tent. If not murder, he imagined that arson would be on the table at least.
But fine, okay. Guess he's not leaving him alone after all. If he's willing to follow along and sit somewhere, then that's probably good, even if it means that Scott is spending more time with this crabby old man. A crabby old man that's gone through shit, a stupid voice reminds him, and ugh.
Scott looks at Zekarion and nods, before gesturing for him to follow.]
Yeah, follow me. [He walks, away from the tent, and towards the busier parts of the carnival once more. The area with people actually walking around and grabbing food from the local stalls. Luckily, there's a bench nearby that's open and Scott points directly at it.]
As I said— [he reminds Scott with a momentary look of annoyance,] —I never behave this way.
[The fact that he cannot currently display that is a continued source of aggravation. But he follows as he implied he would nonetheless, doing nothing to combat the crabby impression he's given off so far; he's mostly got a suspicious frown on his face.
He's not terribly pleased to be headed back into the thick of it. Crowds... he's never liked crowds. He's always stood out too much.]
I was hoping for somewhere a bit more quiet.
[But even as he mutters this and shoots Scott a look that says Wow, really? Never could have found this one, he does actually drag his tired self over to it to sit. And sit he does, slumped forward enough to rest his elbows on his legs.]
Scott has a hard time picturing this guy as anything but a little unhinged and grumpy. First impressions, man. He doesn't comment about it, at the very least, only sending him a slightly unimpressed look of his own when he complains about the new area.]
Beggars can't be choosers. [The mutant responds flatly, once again half-tempted to just leave him now so that he can do his own thing. But no, he's sticking around because he feels just slightly sympathetic still. Maybe just double checking and making sure that he doesn't snap suddenly and cause a scene. Yeah, that's probably it.
Although, he looks really tired right now...]
Just sit tight for a second. I'll be back.
[If Zek looks up, he'll notice Scott going to a food stall not too far away. The teen's intentions are probably pretty clear.]
[Altius lets out a reluctant mmph at the response. Even he can't argue against his status as a beggar at this point, given the circumstances. He'll have to make his way out of the carnival and somewhere better, wherever that might be, himself. After a few moments of regaining himself and gathering what else he can from this companion.
But he doesn't relax by any means, still following the surroundings with sharp amber eyes—including Scott's path towards the stall.
Having people help him unprompted isn't unfamiliar; in fact, he's come to basically expect it thanks to honing his charismatic magic for that purpose. In all honesty he doesn't know if he can turn it off—so to him, Scott's apparent intent doesn't come across as the sort of kindness as it might actually be.
Still, he won't reject it. And later when he sees the effect the young man has has on other Chosen, he'll recognize it to be genuine enough. When Scott returns with whatever he's picking up, Zekarion's eyes are on him again.]
[When Scott returns to Zekarion's side, he's carrying a couple of corndogs and a couple cups of lemonade for them to have. How is he managing to carry everything? Skill, obviously, and experience because he has a girlfriend that he often buys food for. Zekarion is unfortunately not his girlfriend, but he'll still have a corndog getting offered almost directly to his face.]
You know, you can do more than just stare grumpily at me. Here, I'll help you.
[He lowers his voice just a little, like he's trying to mimic the older man's voice and when he speaks, that exasperation is still clear in his voice.] 'Thank you very much, Scott, for not only the food but putting up with my ass.'
[Oh, right. Guess he never did introduce himself. Well, problem solved now.
Once Zekarion takes his portion, Scott immediately takes a bite out of his corndog, the teen obviously hungry and wanting to eat for a while now. The whole thing about the food being drugged doesn't even seem to stop or slow his pace, with Scott taking another bite and obnoxiously chewing before he sends Zekarion another flat look.
Dude, does this guy ever stop complaining?]
It's carnival food. [He can't really remember when food's been drugged before, but also, he wouldn't be entirely surprised either. The locals have been ruder and everything... but wouldn't that be bad for business? Maybe one could say the same thing about the fortune teller. Whatever.]
If it doesn't give you food poisoning in some way, then something is actually wrong with it. [...] If you're not going to eat it, then just give it back to me.
[He doesn't even seem bothered by the apparent attempt to annoy him. He simply watches, like he's trying to see if anything changes in Scott's demeanor. There's nothing immediate, at least—he's still being a little shit, as if being sincere might kill him.]
Your nonchalance knows no end, [he remarks, looking to others nearby who are enjoying their own festival treats. They all seem to be acting as if this is no more than a standard celebration, and that bothers him.
He takes a sip of his drink, still staring off into the crowds. It sounds far more defeated than he'd like (read: at all) when he continues on to a different topic:]
Tell me about these friends of yours who've returned.
[Scott remains silent, mostly because he's too busy eating his corndog and giving some sort of attempt to enjoy his time at this carnival. It's kind of hard, both a little envious and glad to see people around them having fun-- someone is at least. He's not sure how long he's going to really stick around the older man, but he's remained with him thus far out of some stupid guilt or empathy or whatever. At least he's drinking the lemonade??
And almost pointedly not giving his corndog back. Fine. It's not like he really wanted it back anyway!!]
What about them? [There's that more stubborn attitude, one that Scott's adopted because he's feeling kind of sour around Altius. He also doesn't want to go into too many details and tell everything to some guy that he doesn't really trust.]
They went home, they came back, and mentioned that no time passed for them.
[Scott's tone hardly registers in his mind, and the pause is equally not acknowledged. At this point, Zekarion is only interested in whatever information he's getting and trying to bend it into something he can work with. Currently, that means forcing it into a shape that resembles hope, as antithetical to his nature as that is.]
I suppose it explains your complacency, somewhat, [he replies, eyes following a stranger in a cat costume without any real awareness,] if you believe them.
[There's no real question in it, but his distrustful personality is clashing hard with the attempt to believe.]
[The answer comes quickly, almost decisively. He has no doubts about that. Sure, he isn't super close with Mitsuru, but he still trusts her. Mikey, of course, he'd trust with his life. They managed to get past a bunch of bullshit together and while it sucked at the time, he feels like their friendship is even stronger now. Although, he definitely still owes the biker a kick in the face one day. It just has to be at a time when Mikey's not asking for it.
It's less fun that way.
Nonetheless, the only way all of this is wrong is if his friends got hit with false memories themselves, but the stuff that Mitsuru experienced seemed to match with her friends and everything.]
If you're going to keep asking me questions, you better start eating that corndog.
[Weirdly, it's said without judgment. It's more of a neutral acknowledgement; just an observation said aloud instead of kept to himself as it would be normally.
Well, alright then. Scott believes it, quite strongly—believes these friends of his. For some reason, doesn't suspect that their minds have been tampered with.]
This returning must not happen frequently. [He is not eating the corndog. ... Yet.]
[He's not sure how to really take that comment, so sass it is. Always the great defensive comeback to anything anyone says, even if it's partially ruined by how he drinks the remainder of his lemonade in one big gulp. At least he doesn't spill on himself.]
You're not eating still. [He sees that!! Fine, if he wants to be stubborn about it, then Scott will be stubborn right back.] I already gave you an example of how to eat one.
[Congratulations Altius, you've unlocked full brat mode from Scott.]
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expiationlogs2024-10-14 08:59 am
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Although, Scott turns his head to look in the direction Altius is now facing and ah, right. The fortune teller. He hasn't tried his hand at a fortune yet and from the looks of things, it's a good thing he avoided it. It really doesn't surprise him that it put some weird influence on the man in front of him. That's how things tend to be around here.
Of course, this could still very well be copium on Altius' end--]
Alright, how about we just... find a place to sit down or something? [Scott asks, trying to not feel as awkward as he sounds.] Might be easier to fight of those effects.
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Sitting down will help me fight it off.
[ He's giving Scott approximately five seconds to convince him. It might be a miracle if he manages, judging by his tone and how he's still turned towards that tent, but the fact that he's giving that much is... something. ]
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You know, easier to deal with outside influences if you have control over your own feelings and everything. [Repressing shit is the way to go. Scott's learning.] Getting upset at stuff has only made things worse for me.
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You're telling me to calm down.
[He takes a step towards Scott, his voice quiet enough to only reach the two of them.]
Let me give you a bit of life advice. [The smile fades from his lips, leaving a sharp focus in his eyes.] Telling people to calm down never works.
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Despite all the shit he gives others sometimes, it's not often that he feels like he's actually in danger or that someone sincerely wants to hurt him. That's changed now with this guy, the mutant tensing as Altius comes closer to him until they're definitely in striking distance. He instinctively wants to reach up for his glasses, but even now, he's not going to fire off his beams at someone. At least not directly.
Maybe it won't come to that and that would be ideal. However he's not going to back down either and so Scott stares back at him.]
Sorry, must've tuned that lesson out. Habit of mine.
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Maybe this time the thought will stick.
[But hey: good news! Scott has distracted him enough from thoughts of violence for him to consider another path forward. Though he turns his gaze back to the distant tent over his shoulder briefly, and the bitterness is still clear in his expression, there's a cooler sense to it. He's not about to go burn it down.]
There's some merit in the idea of putting space between us.
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So, there's a small exhale from Scott when Zekarion mentions about putting space between them. Yeah, good.]
Something we can finally agree on. [Then a little quieter.] Besides, they're not worth your attention.
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Explain what you mean by that.
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The clear exhaustion doesn't go unnoticed by Scott, which helps with making the mutant stay for a bit longer. Yeah. It's hard being here, especially at first. And there's that guy he mentioned that's dying at home.]
They're just assholes messing with you. [...] They don't really matter in the long run.
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Unless you or the other Chosen are willing and able to manipulate my mind on a whim, I'd consider them to matter far more.
[He's going to be paying very close attention to the locals, honestly. They'll probably tell him just as much about this place as the criminals brought here can, even if not in the same fashion.]
Just because you've decided against "getting upset" with the violation of your free will doesn't mean it's the correct decision.
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Look, I'm just saying it's more trouble than it's worth trying to kill them or anything. [He wonders how he would've fared during the glitches or the infection, but he's not going to bring it up right now. Seems bad.]
But if you aren't going to, then I'll leave you alone.
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That would be awfully drastic.
[And it wouldn't guarantee he'd get his memory or self control back! He was just going to have some strong words. Maybe a little magic manipulation. A threat or two. Killing would be a last resort! He's more subtle than that.]
You're not going to lead me to a "place to sit down"?
[The truth is that he's starting to feel the need for it. But the incense smoke has worn off enough to only only unlock one (1) level of his fake personality, leaving the more unpleasant side of him at the forefront. It's not strong enough anymore to get him to honestly express weakness again.]
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[Scott flatly responds, but color him surprised-- what?? The dude was laughing kind of crazily earlier! And he implied that his crime was really bad, not to mention all the looks he kept on sending over to the tent. If not murder, he imagined that arson would be on the table at least.
But fine, okay. Guess he's not leaving him alone after all. If he's willing to follow along and sit somewhere, then that's probably good, even if it means that Scott is spending more time with this crabby old man. A crabby old man that's gone through shit, a stupid voice reminds him, and ugh.
Scott looks at Zekarion and nods, before gesturing for him to follow.]
Yeah, follow me. [He walks, away from the tent, and towards the busier parts of the carnival once more. The area with people actually walking around and grabbing food from the local stalls. Luckily, there's a bench nearby that's open and Scott points directly at it.]
There, a seat.
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[The fact that he cannot currently display that is a continued source of aggravation. But he follows as he implied he would nonetheless, doing nothing to combat the crabby impression he's given off so far; he's mostly got a suspicious frown on his face.
He's not terribly pleased to be headed back into the thick of it. Crowds... he's never liked crowds. He's always stood out too much.]
I was hoping for somewhere a bit more quiet.
[But even as he mutters this and shoots Scott a look that says Wow, really? Never could have found this one, he does actually drag his tired self over to it to sit. And sit he does, slumped forward enough to rest his elbows on his legs.]
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Scott has a hard time picturing this guy as anything but a little unhinged and grumpy. First impressions, man. He doesn't comment about it, at the very least, only sending him a slightly unimpressed look of his own when he complains about the new area.]
Beggars can't be choosers. [The mutant responds flatly, once again half-tempted to just leave him now so that he can do his own thing. But no, he's sticking around because he feels just slightly sympathetic still. Maybe just double checking and making sure that he doesn't snap suddenly and cause a scene. Yeah, that's probably it.
Although, he looks really tired right now...]
Just sit tight for a second. I'll be back.
[If Zek looks up, he'll notice Scott going to a food stall not too far away. The teen's intentions are probably pretty clear.]
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But he doesn't relax by any means, still following the surroundings with sharp amber eyes—including Scott's path towards the stall.
Having people help him unprompted isn't unfamiliar; in fact, he's come to basically expect it thanks to honing his charismatic magic for that purpose. In all honesty he doesn't know if he can turn it off—so to him, Scott's apparent intent doesn't come across as the sort of kindness as it might actually be.
Still, he won't reject it. And later when he sees the effect the young man has has on other Chosen, he'll recognize it to be genuine enough. When Scott returns with whatever he's picking up, Zekarion's eyes are on him again.]
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You know, you can do more than just stare grumpily at me. Here, I'll help you.
[He lowers his voice just a little, like he's trying to mimic the older man's voice and when he speaks, that exasperation is still clear in his voice.] 'Thank you very much, Scott, for not only the food but putting up with my ass.'
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He moves slightly out of the way of the corndog—personal space, lad!—but only pauses a brief moment before taking the offered food.]
Scott. That's a unique way of introducing yourself.
[Yeah, that's what he got out of that: information. He holds out his opposite hand to take the lemonade off Scott's hands.]
You trust them not to drug their fare as well?
[Since he did just call them assholes a moment ago.]
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Once Zekarion takes his portion, Scott immediately takes a bite out of his corndog, the teen obviously hungry and wanting to eat for a while now. The whole thing about the food being drugged doesn't even seem to stop or slow his pace, with Scott taking another bite and obnoxiously chewing before he sends Zekarion another flat look.
Dude, does this guy ever stop complaining?]
It's carnival food. [He can't really remember when food's been drugged before, but also, he wouldn't be entirely surprised either. The locals have been ruder and everything... but wouldn't that be bad for business? Maybe one could say the same thing about the fortune teller. Whatever.]
If it doesn't give you food poisoning in some way, then something is actually wrong with it. [...] If you're not going to eat it, then just give it back to me.
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Your nonchalance knows no end, [he remarks, looking to others nearby who are enjoying their own festival treats. They all seem to be acting as if this is no more than a standard celebration, and that bothers him.
He takes a sip of his drink, still staring off into the crowds. It sounds far more defeated than he'd like (read: at all) when he continues on to a different topic:]
Tell me about these friends of yours who've returned.
[No, you aren't getting the corndog back.]
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And almost pointedly not giving his corndog back. Fine. It's not like he really wanted it back anyway!!]
What about them? [There's that more stubborn attitude, one that Scott's adopted because he's feeling kind of sour around Altius. He also doesn't want to go into too many details and tell everything to some guy that he doesn't really trust.]
They went home, they came back, and mentioned that no time passed for them.
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I suppose it explains your complacency, somewhat, [he replies, eyes following a stranger in a cat costume without any real awareness,] if you believe them.
[There's no real question in it, but his distrustful personality is clashing hard with the attempt to believe.]
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[The answer comes quickly, almost decisively. He has no doubts about that. Sure, he isn't super close with Mitsuru, but he still trusts her. Mikey, of course, he'd trust with his life. They managed to get past a bunch of bullshit together and while it sucked at the time, he feels like their friendship is even stronger now. Although, he definitely still owes the biker a kick in the face one day. It just has to be at a time when Mikey's not asking for it.
It's less fun that way.
Nonetheless, the only way all of this is wrong is if his friends got hit with false memories themselves, but the stuff that Mitsuru experienced seemed to match with her friends and everything.]
If you're going to keep asking me questions, you better start eating that corndog.
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[Weirdly, it's said without judgment. It's more of a neutral acknowledgement; just an observation said aloud instead of kept to himself as it would be normally.
Well, alright then. Scott believes it, quite strongly—believes these friends of his. For some reason, doesn't suspect that their minds have been tampered with.]
This returning must not happen frequently. [He is not eating the corndog. ... Yet.]
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[He's not sure how to really take that comment, so sass it is. Always the great defensive comeback to anything anyone says, even if it's partially ruined by how he drinks the remainder of his lemonade in one big gulp. At least he doesn't spill on himself.]
You're not eating still. [He sees that!! Fine, if he wants to be stubborn about it, then Scott will be stubborn right back.] I already gave you an example of how to eat one.
[Congratulations Altius, you've unlocked full brat mode from Scott.]
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