Alc

The cracked phone-screen shifts beneath Soul's thumb as one leg crosses over the other absentmindedly, propped up against the hood of the truck where the nippiness of the air only mildly numbs the rest of his fingers. Just him, the truck, and the pizza place that doesn't exist over in this little corner of the city while Soul scratches at his neglected stubble, minding his own business with business on his mind until he freezes at the work notifications suddenly pawing for his attention.

Get inside.

Get inside.

Get inside.

...Well, you don't have to tell him fourths.

Spending only a split-second glancing up, he scrambles up onto his feet calmly, and casually speed-shuffles his way back towards the building's entranxit, hitting his chin and toppling backwards suddenly with a rather embarrassing squawk because he is an idiot who should have not been trying to stare at his phone in the midst of an ominous string of messages.

His breath sputters as he winces at the solid thump his back greeted the pavement with, and then winces again as a boot flattens his coat jacket into his chest – Two boots, in fact, belonging to two separate people grinning menacingly down at him, like a couple of ruffians in a back alley ready to mug him and take his... Wait, he's broke; Come on, man!

"Found ya's," the shorter one pipes up a little too cheerfully. His flight-and-flight response decrees her to be marginally more terrifying than the seemingly older lady who looks him over with a particular sneer that sears into his rattled brain instantly.

"His hand crawls on the wall, like a spider. He stares at it, he can't take his eyes away. What.

He grins, it's forced. Yes. This is just a dream. Nothing more, nothing less. Why else would everything be so fucked up. The pain? It's just very realistic. He's still asleep.

Why else would his hand jump on his shoulder and walk on his arm, only to reattach itself like nothing’s ever been missing. 

Is this what acid trips are like?

They must have put him on some wild shit.

He slaps himself with the hand that had just been cut off. His arm is still covered in blood, but this hand is real, alright. He feels the pain in his cheek, in his arm, in his entire fucking body, and it needs to get out. He needs to get out.

He doesn't know what's going on, but despite all the destruction, he is still trapped. The walls still imprison him, the door…

Is left ajar.

As he stood at the foot of the incline that led up to the main house, the weight of Soul’s tethers to the people before him made it hard to imagine turning down the bamboo path dappled with sun. No matter the warm glow of the day, the fine weather of fall making everything crisp and clear, he could only imagine winter waiting for him. He knelt before Reina, tears swarming her eyes but her mouth held defiantly buttoned. “I’ll miss you.”

She dropped her head and the dust darkened with a splatter of tears. “Sh-shiro-chan, p-promise–” A pained sob took the rest.

Soul gathered her up, letting the glossy curls and stray tears litter his hanten. “We’ll see each other again soon. Won’t even be a month gone, ‘kay?”

Her nod sunk her face further into his jacket. Neither of them urged the separation, the hold only ending as Marie placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and pulled her back against her apron. “Safe journey.” Her eyes were just the same, red ringed and misty. “I’m hopeful that promise is the truth.”

“It is,” Soul affirmed with a soft smile. His eyes drifted up, seeing the rest of the party standing at the top of the hill, Kid at Star’s side. Maka was already staring down at him, the same warm curve on her lips. I want that someday too, so we gotta come back alive.

The trio descended while Kid remained frozen at the mouth of the doorway. Soul saw a mirror of his own pain—the stripping away of the people one loves always shines clearly through the eyes. While Kid’s might have been golden, there was no sun shining there. Nonetheless, Kid raised his hand to the group as they finally reached Soul, turning to take one last look at the afflicted man. Soul could barely look, the shades of Asura still polluting any amiability he could muster. 

Star was in his periphery, no wave but an odd salute of a hand over his heart. While Soul wasn’t one for social etiquette, he assumed the mysteries of the organization would be something he’d have to fall into. When he looked at Maka and Jackie though, they were simply bowing their heads ever so slightly. Soul followed suit, keenly aware that Star never lowered himself, just waited until the last minute to rip his eyes away from Kid.

The quartet made their way down the bamboo guarded trail to the mouth of the side road. Standing as a row of teeth were Franken, Spirit, Mira, and Sid. None wore the tearful expressions of their counterparts, especially not Franken who had adopted the mirth of Jizo on his lips. “Well, it looks as if you’re all prepared. I’ve already made arrangements in Osafune, if you make it.”

“If we make it,” Maka mocked.

Star gruffed over her: “No one asked you to do that. I had it under control.”

Franken shrugged as Mira took over, the scolding in her voice ringing clearly despite the fukumen that hid most of her face. “If this is what you think it is, you’re going to need help. We’ve reached out to the Hoshi Clan.”

The clouds must have blocked the sun, sending the small circle into an early winter frost. It was the lock of eyes between Star and Mira that cooled the air, Mira embracing the chill as Star’s jaw worked in frigid rage. “I won’t deal with them.”

“I don’t think you’ll have a choice,” Mira replied.

“Anyway, he’s an honorable guy,” Sid added jovially, blissfully ignorant of the unthawable frost between his wife and ward. “Akane’s a formal kinda guy, but he’s always been accepting. Not to mention, you’ll need his soul perception to find what you want in such a bustling city.”

“Well, that is, if Maka hasn’t perfected it by then,” Franken twittered. It was Maka’s turn to cut with a raw glare, no matter Franken’s immunity. “Who knows, meeting Akane may even be a good opportunity for a lesson.”

“Don’t you think you could have taught her,” Spirit hissed. 

“I believe that was Rin’s job.” He whispered his reply as the amusement fell from his smile. He paused to watch that zip Spirit’s lips before eyeing Maka. “But we didn’t have enough time. They need to get to Osafune now—if the intel is correct.”