reboot: Voice

[deadbythename]

 [ The voice speaking doesn't exactly match the 15 year old kid who's usually talking.  It's gruffer and more sardonic than the kid's ever was. ]

Guess it's my lucky day.  Got dropped right back in here with all my memories intact.

[ Most of them anyway.  He's fuzzy on a whole lot and trying to sort through all this new shit makes his head hurt, but he won't let on to it.  He considers reaching out for a minute, maybe trying to address a few people from those memories who might still be there.  He doesn't. ]

Since I'm here, might as well do something I've never done before.  Where can a guy get a decent drink in this shithole?

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[deadbythename]

[ The feeling of the spell is at once unnerving and comfortingly familiar. He's pretty sure if the real Alfred could cast blessings and healing spells like Ashraf, he would have every time any of them had come within eyesight.

He shifts, shaking the thought off. ]

Doesn't matter.

[ He shouldn't have come after all. He digs into his pockets, pulling out about two dollars worth of change. ]

...I don't have much on me. [ What is he even doing.]

[healplz]

[ He watches Jason closely, without even glancing down at the change in his hand. He'd tell him not to bother, but it doesn't even matter enough for that. ]

It matters to me.

[deadbythename]

Call me Al, then.

[ No sense adding another fake name and making things even weirder than they already are. ]

[healplz]

[ yep, still the bullshit. this guy is seriously determined to cling to it. ]

How old are you now, Al?

[deadbythename]

[ He willfully does not shift. He's not sure how to answer that, but then he's never even been asked since he came back.]

Don't remember.

[ And he wants to smack himself for that answer. It's just going to invite a lot more awkward questions.]

[healplz]

[ He nods. It's an answer in itself, really. ]

Are you hungry?

[deadbythename]

[ He's usually hungry. Maybe something to do with being dead or a side effect of the Pit. Either way.]

No, I'm fine.

[ He holds out the handful of coins rather pointedly.]

I should get going.

[healplz]

[ And Ashraf, also rather pointedly, doesn't take it. He doesn't even take his eyes from Jason's face — what he can see of it, at least. ]

Stay for lunch, at least.

[deadbythename]

[ God. Damnit. He runs his free hand through his hair, trying to keep his annoyance in check. And failing at it, but damnit, he's trying.]

You're really not gonna let this go, are you.

[healplz]

[ This patient and emphatic cock of his head comes with a small smile. ]

No, I'm not.

[deadbythename]

[ He glares at Ashraf. It probably wouldn't be that hard to get out of the clinic. He could just turn around and walk out the door right now and never have to see the man again. But on the other hand, it wasn't too hot an idea to piss off a doctor that could come in handy.

He sighs and shoves the handful of change back into his pocket.]

Fine.

[healplz]

[ The glare is completely ineffectual, and he only smiles when Jason sighs. But at least he can be humble in his victory, so he does no more than that. ]

Thank you. [ And he steps forward, heading for the door. ] There are few places left to eat here, as most are still being rebuilt. Do you remember anywhere you'd enjoyed?

[deadbythename]

[ He shrugs, looking a whole lot like a sullen teenager for a minute. ]

There was a food cart not far from here. Don't remember what they sell, but it smelled good.

[healplz]

That will do nicely, then.

[ Right about here he usually uses a spell to speed the steps of himself and whoever he's working with, but not today. Today he means for this trip to be nice and slow. He waits until they're out of the clinic and onto the street to glance over for an idle study as they walk. ]

How have you been, Al? [ and you better believe this isn't the kind of question that will be sated with an empty "fine" ]

[deadbythename]

[ Fuck, what the hell has he gotten himself into? Stuck in the old memories of a place that hadn't even existed (as far as he knew) twenty minutes ago, he was letting himself get swept along. ]

Fine. [ Yeah, he probably wasn't going to get away with just that. ] Been busy.