Chapter Text
A boy wakes up in an alleyway, the fleeting buzz of the city jolting his senses. The smell of garbage stains him like a sin he can't be forgiven of. He looks up to the sky as he lays on a mount of cardboard and tin cans—clearly an uncomfortable bed.
He forces himself to rise from the waste and he observes what he can see in the alley.
He sees trash piles left and right and a wire fence blocking his way towards the road. Though before trying to escape his current predicament, he composes himself.
*Hmmm I guess I died again didn't I... Huh surprisingly not surprising considering my luck... If I had to guess by the pain in my back, I'd guess I died from either a fall or some druggy stabbed me in the back... Both not optimal* He thought, amused with his grim ability.
Yes indeed. Our character is virtually immortal, if he dies he can return back from the dead from a day before, though with a price of losing his memories on that day. Though he retains some fragments of some events, the whole vision of the past? Or is it future? Is just foggy to an extent that he has to guess himself on what it means.
Basically our protagonist has the ability to return by death though paired with memory charades.
Our mysterious protagonist looks up to a shatter of mirrors in the ground.
*What a hazard* he thought as he stared at the reflection of a 17 year old dirty blonde boy with a pale complexion and poor fashion sense, showing as he wears complete rags composed of a torn white tee and some brown shorts.
Blue eyes stare at each other for a moment before a grunt escapes from the boy.
"Ugh why am I so filthy... I don't remember doing a trash dive..."He complained to nobody, in closed whisper.
*Well looking at my position I can't really complain since I'm stuck in some alleyway... How fun..* He sassed to particularly no one but himself to amused
A rumble resounds in his ears as his stomach complains to him.
*Augh and why am I so hungry... I just died and this is what I'm compensated with? If there is some sort of office for this, I'm gonna strangle the manager...* He groaned in hunger and thirst
Though despite his complaints, he endures and perseveres. Our protagonist then pathetically climbs the wire fence and falls to the other side, hurting his left shoulder in the process. Some bystanders from the end of the alley take notice but pay him no mind, taking him for another pitiful teenage victim of vices. The whole look and how he held his left shoulder didn't really help to dignify him some respect though.
*Can't even have some proper respect nowadays... Back in my day... Well you get my point, just because I look like an addict doesn't mean I am...* He replied to the gazes of the strangers in his mind.
He continued to walk and reached the end of the alleyway. His vision was blinded by the sudden glare of the sun. Pained he raised his hand to protect his eyes till he adapted to the new environment.
He then saw a boring urban city, with mediocre but acceptable infrastructure of what you would expect from an average city. Concrete buildings, signs left to right, and a bunch of sidewalks with some people walking without an interest in the world around them.
He was currently displaced in an average 'Western as you can get' urban city. And with such the sight of smoky fumes from cars to the noise of the working force, the song of complaint fills our protagonist once more.
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After composing himself once more. The blond continues to wander upon the city scape. Every corner filling him deja vu, probably from his past life from before he died. It gave him some assurance that where he was seemed familiar to his soul, though not the mind.
*WHEN AM I GONNA GET FOOD!!!!???? I AM SO RIDICULOUSLY HUNGRY!!!?*He once more complained in his mind. His entirety disheveled from the endless wandering, he sat down at the bench of some park he walked into.
"Hello dear, would you like some bread?"
"AHHHGH WHAT THE HELL!???" Our blonde practically jumped from his seat, startled loudly from the sudden presence. He lay flat on his behind on the floor as he tried to look on who this assailant was.
He looked and he saw a gentle old woman in her 70's presumably. She wore a blue floral loose-fitting dress paired with a red shawl on her neck. The grandma seemed entertained at our protagonist distress. She reached out a hand, offering some bread.
The scent of the bread wafted throughout the air making our blonde more hungry, and making his stomach growl. An air of embarassment washing unto him making the stout grandma laugh.
"Well deary, it seems you need some food. Come and sit with me won't you?" The grandma requested with a gentle tone as what you would expect from a grandma.
*Is this oldie for real insane in her head??? What same person would offer someone looking like me a hand??? Does this lady have no sense of self-preservation or what??* Our protagonist was perplexed at the odd gesture of the old lady. He was unfamiliar and distrusting to such actions.
Though the blonde did comply in the end. He sat with her on the bench, eyeing her wearily.
"I understand why you're so distrustful of me.. though I would appreciate that we eat before we talk—the bread won't become any more warmer dear" she invited the pale boy. The lady offered him some bread, eyeing her hand, he took it nonetheless. His hunger overcoming his shame and distrust.
They both ate in loud silence, only the faint rustle of the leaves of the trees, the flap of the wings of the birds, or howl of wind in the distant sky, being the reminder of the world.
They both finished eating. They then stared at each other for a moment as the silence lay adrift to the wind.
"Why did you give me food? Was I that pitiful...?" Our protagonist asks bashful.
"Well dear, I saw a person in need and I fortunately had brought more food than I bargained for! Of course I would love to help!" She laughed a hearty reply. She notices the redness in his face as she stopped laughing.
"Oh deary are you sick? Oh please don't tell me I accidentally gave you something allergic for you... Did I?" She asked in a worried tone.
"Oh... Uh.. thi-this is nothing! Haha.. uhm.. i-it's just that.." Our protagonist then flees from the scene. The grandma was shocked though not mad at his manners, just worried.
Embarrassment filling his being. He ran and he ran until he couldn't no more. He fell tired as he tried to collect himself in the corner of a store.
*WHAT WAS THAT!????? WHA-WHAT???WHY DI-DID I DO THAT!????? YOU ABSOLUTE MORON!???YOU IMBECILE!??? YOU WERE JUST OFFERED SOME KINDNESS AND YOU RAN LIKE A COWARD!???? YOU DIDNT EVEN SAY THANK YOU!??? YOU.. YOU.. YOU DUMB#######-* as our protagonist spirals into a pit of self-loathing. With how tired he is, he simply collapsed.
Memories flash, and the visions of a past life re-enter his mind.
Visions of an old woman talking to him, the scenery of a forest, the smell of fresh dew.
He sees the old woman again cutting vegetables atop a counter. Though he wondered why the lady seemed so big.
He saw the fire that came from the hearth as he lay on the lap of someone unfamiliar.
He felt the warmth, the comfort, the love of a family he never did have.
He jolts awake in cold sweat. His face wet with tears, His hands trembled seemingly trying to hold something he truly never could grasp.
"Wh-what was that?... Who was that?... Wh-why is this happening to me???" He asked himself over and over. The weight of memories burdening his mind as he cradled himself with the pain of his longing.
*Why can't I just be happy for once...* He begged the world to answer but was only met the gaze of a cold darkness.
After his panic attack. He realized that he wasn't outside, but in a room he didn't recognize. The room was childish, painted with a soft blue and some stuffed toys laying about.
The door opened and exited the same Grandma from the park. Her steps gentle and calm, as if approaching her child that woke up from a nightmare.
"Hello dear, did you have a nice sleep? I'm sorry if I startled you.." The grandma cupped his hands gently seemingly an attempt of reconciliation towards an imaginary fault.
*What?*
*Why is apologizing??? I'm the one who's at fault??? Wh-what wh-why???* He was frightened and scared of the unfamiliar warmth.
"Dear it's okay if you don't wanna talk, I understand. I'll wait for you when you're ready" the old woman smiled and assured our protagonist.
She exited the room at a steady pace. Glancing back at him worryingly.
Our protagonist then tries to collect himself from the events of today, and only concluded that he was pathetic trash.
He cradled himself at an attempt of comfort as he became a mess of a pity party as soon as he encountered kindness, though he didn't know why he was so pathetic when facing the kindness of others, he just couldn't bring himself to answer why.
As our protagonist tries to piece himself together. Another actor enters the stage.
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A strange ripple blurts out in a familliar alleyway. From the fracture exits a tall black-haired man. Wearing a black bodysuit. His demeanor weary and battle-worn.
"Hmmm so this is when the anomaly is?" ??? Mused.