[at this rate, he's starting to get used to the part where he wakes up in a whole other room with a whole other roommate. he wasn't exactly expecting to wake up on the ground laying in a pile of leaves though, and there's an annoyed sort of groan as he opens his eyes and stares into the abyss.
why...
...but, in the middle of his staring, he does find himself suddenly noticing he's not alone. like. it's very hard not to notice to be honest, but there are absolutely worse options here which is why he grins instead.]
Looks like it's you and me, huh, Alphonse?
[he does not realize there are things wrong yet, but that's okay.]
[Alphonse has also been growing used to the mercurial changes the Realm inflicts week to week, along with the gradually building feeling of disconnect that comes with the loss of memories
but this is new
at some point, likely as Sunday gave way to Monday, he completely lost his sight, which hasn't seemed to have overly damper his spirits]
Good morning, Sora. Could you tell me if you're able to see the room we're in?
[that's a weird question? it's a weird question and sora pauses from where he's starting to stand up, blinking over at al curiously.]
Um...it's kind of like a jungle, I think? There's tree stumps and leaves and stuff. [he'll get up, and al can probably hear sora's footsteps as he crosses the room and opens his door to stick his head in the hall.] Pegasus. Probably not the same room you were in before?
Nothing at all? [he'll turn around to approach alphonse again, waving a hand in front of his face like that'll change anything.] Wonder what that's all about. I think everything's still okay for me, but...[hm. who knows.]
Yeah, probably the quickest way will be to go downstairs and see if anyone else is experience anything strange. People should still be at breakfast.
I guess I won't be able to learn any cooking from you this week, after all... [he sounds so disappointed—after all, it's not like you can learn to cook by someone just...controlling your body]
Let's go check it out and see who's still down there. But never say never! There are still ways you can learn even if you can't see. It'll just be a little different than what you were expecting.
[up they go! sora's still walking ahead so that alphonse can hear him.]
Right! Just be careful, the floor's a little different. Like a jungle. [please don't trip over a stray tree stump...] Guess it's a good thing that part never really changes.
[let's head downstairs. except he will absolutely be going slow enough that hopefully if al falls he can try to stop the impact.]
[Sora would die if Al fell down the stairs on top of him, but it is very nice of him to put himself in mortal danger to keep Al's metal body from harm]
It reminds me of when I first woke up in this body. I had to learn how to move all over again.
[he laughs suddenly with a memory]
I remember our friend Winry, after everyone got used to me, she wanted to know if she could move my body from the inside, like a normal suit of armor. She kept asking and asking until I said okay.
It's funny, I was really ashamed of it, before then. I didn't want to think about what had happened or this body. But her acting like it was something interesting made it feel less scary.
[let him pretend. but as they venture onward, he tilts his head back to listen to al tell his story.]
Yeah? [there's a light smile.] I'm glad you had friends who still treated you the same. It's really not that scary at all. [he. really wants to ask what happened, but it sounds like a sensitive subject so he does not.]
What was the answer anyway? Were you guys able to work together like that?
Huh? Oh, yeah, she could. We did it one time to surprise my brother, but he didn't like it. [it wouldn't be until much later that he'd learn about ed's deep-seated guilt surrounding al's body]
Physically, my body's no different to a suit of armor, so someone inside it can move it around if I let them. Or if they're stronger than me.
So guess that answers how the cats don't bug you at all. [like this was some deep mystery.] Even if it's no different than a suit of armor, kind of seems like you should at least get a say in who's controlling it. Can you still feel everything happening when someone's doing that?
Um...it's kind of hard to explain. I can't actually feel anything in this body, in terms of a sense of touch or pain or cold.
It's more like...you how when someone's standing really close behind you but they're not actually touching you? Even still, you can feel something. Some alchemists believe it's the body's innate sense for the energy of life, which can be influenced or directed just like the energy that powers transmutations. [even blind, he feels like he can see Sora's confusion, so he cuts the lecture on biological alchemy short]
Anyway, I have that sort of awareness for all around my body all the time, including the inside. I think maybe it got stronger when I lost my human body and some of the senses that come with it. If I'm lucky, it'll get even stronger with my sight gone! [y'know, bright sides and all that, and to be fair, he seems to be navigating better than someone recently struck blind should be]
Well, without any clocks it's hard to tell for sure, but based on the position of the moon when I lost sight I'd guess midnight Monday, when the rooms and everything usually change.
It's good I didn't wind up on top of a tree or anything...
...you sure you're okay, Sora? You can see and hear, but what about your other senses?
Have you been climbing a lot of trees lately? [alphonse? but also given the state of their room..] Actually, I take that back. That could have really been a problem.
[toward the kitchen they go!]
I don't think I'm missing anything. Maybe it skipped me this week? Everything seems fine...
Hmm, well just be careful. There are more senses than the classical five. Things like sense of balance, temperature, time, proprioception, et cetera...
Oh, are we in the kitchen? I can get out of the way if you need to make your breakfast.
We're in the kitchen! [it probably smells like breakfast, and yet sora does not comment on it.] And don't worry. You can help me make it, that'll be your first lesson. Eggs are pretty easy.
[and so he starts moving to gather supplies.] But, uh, what's proprioception? [he has never heard it described that way.]
[making eggs while blind does not in fact seem pretty easy, but he's committed to this now and Sora seems excited so what's the worst that can happen]
Proprioception is kinda like the sense I was talking about before. For example: if you close your eyes, can you touch your nose?
That awareness of where your body is in space is called "proprioception." [as ever, he sounds most comfortable explaining things that he knows and sharing them]
And I guess it's what I'll be relying on for this week.
Huh. I never knew there was a word for it. [to prove the point, he shuts his eyes and brings a hand up to boop his own nose.] You must have really good awareness.
[but he's grabbing a bowl and some eggs and veggies. omelette time.]
We'll go slow. Do you want egg-cracking duty, or veggie-chopping?
Hmm, chopping might not be a good idea for me to do when I can't see, so I can try egg-cracking? [his head is more or less tracking to where Sora's moving about the kitchen] If that's okay.
You just break the egg so that the shell separates from the yolk and white, right...?
Right, exactly! You just have to make sure you don't break it too hard or the shell'll break in the egg itself. [he'll move to place the few eggs and a bowl near alphonse's hands, knocking on the counter to give him an idea where to grab.] Go ahead and give it a try.
[oh no. alphonse can't see it but he definite winces.]
Noooo definitely not...[give him sec to grab a dish towel to place in al's hands.] There's a towel. Go ahead and wipe your hands off and we can try again.
then, with great focus and delicacy, he knocks it on the counter and, hearing the minute sound of the cracking shell, feels for the bowl and gently opens the egg above it
Yeah, that was way better! [yaaaay.] See? That's not so hard, is it? It just takes a little practice. Little Chef used to get mad at me for smashing my eggs but if you go slow enough you don't have to worry about it.
[he will just fish out the bit of shell and never tell alphonse.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
w3 monday
why...
...but, in the middle of his staring, he does find himself suddenly noticing he's not alone. like. it's very hard not to notice to be honest, but there are absolutely worse options here which is why he grins instead.]
Looks like it's you and me, huh, Alphonse?
[he does not realize there are things wrong yet, but that's okay.]
no subject
but this is new
at some point, likely as Sunday gave way to Monday, he completely lost his sight, which hasn't seemed to have overly damper his spirits]
Good morning, Sora. Could you tell me if you're able to see the room we're in?
no subject
Um...it's kind of like a jungle, I think? There's tree stumps and leaves and stuff. [he'll get up, and al can probably hear sora's footsteps as he crosses the room and opens his door to stick his head in the hall.] Pegasus. Probably not the same room you were in before?
no subject
[there's no visual change to Al's glowing pinkish-white "eyes" which remain lit inside the helmet]
It's a little worrying, but I seem to still be connected to my body. I can still hear and sense the things around me like usual.
Are you okay, Sora?
no subject
We should try to figure out what's going on.
yeesh being sick was real bad actually
I guess I won't be able to learn any cooking from you this week, after all... [he sounds so disappointed—after all, it's not like you can learn to cook by someone just...controlling your body]
pats iki gently
Let's go check it out and see who's still down there. But never say never! There are still ways you can learn even if you can't see. It'll just be a little different than what you were expecting.
no subject
Okay! [Al is all too willing to grab onto Sora's enthusiasm] Let's see who's downstairs and maybe I can still help you somehow!
[he stands to his feet pretty confidently, then points towards the door]
Assuming the layout of the room itself hasn't changed, which it hasn't in previous weeks, the door should be there?
no subject
Right! Just be careful, the floor's a little different. Like a jungle. [please don't trip over a stray tree stump...] Guess it's a good thing that part never really changes.
[let's head downstairs. except he will absolutely be going slow enough that hopefully if al falls he can try to stop the impact.]
no subject
It reminds me of when I first woke up in this body. I had to learn how to move all over again.
[he laughs suddenly with a memory]
I remember our friend Winry, after everyone got used to me, she wanted to know if she could move my body from the inside, like a normal suit of armor. She kept asking and asking until I said okay.
It's funny, I was really ashamed of it, before then. I didn't want to think about what had happened or this body. But her acting like it was something interesting made it feel less scary.
no subject
Yeah? [there's a light smile.] I'm glad you had friends who still treated you the same. It's really not that scary at all. [he. really wants to ask what happened, but it sounds like a sensitive subject so he does not.]
What was the answer anyway? Were you guys able to work together like that?
no subject
Physically, my body's no different to a suit of armor, so someone inside it can move it around if I let them. Or if they're stronger than me.
no subject
no subject
It's more like...you how when someone's standing really close behind you but they're not actually touching you? Even still, you can feel something. Some alchemists believe it's the body's innate sense for the energy of life, which can be influenced or directed just like the energy that powers transmutations. [even blind, he feels like he can see Sora's confusion, so he cuts the lecture on biological alchemy short]
Anyway, I have that sort of awareness for all around my body all the time, including the inside. I think maybe it got stronger when I lost my human body and some of the senses that come with it. If I'm lucky, it'll get even stronger with my sight gone! [y'know, bright sides and all that, and to be fair, he seems to be navigating better than someone recently struck blind should be]
no subject
That's...definitely a bright side. Better spacial awareness than the rest of us. [a beat.] How long has it been like this?
no subject
It's good I didn't wind up on top of a tree or anything...
...you sure you're okay, Sora? You can see and hear, but what about your other senses?
no subject
[toward the kitchen they go!]
I don't think I'm missing anything. Maybe it skipped me this week? Everything seems fine...
no subject
Oh, are we in the kitchen? I can get out of the way if you need to make your breakfast.
no subject
[and so he starts moving to gather supplies.] But, uh, what's proprioception? [he has never heard it described that way.]
no subject
Proprioception is kinda like the sense I was talking about before. For example: if you close your eyes, can you touch your nose?
That awareness of where your body is in space is called "proprioception." [as ever, he sounds most comfortable explaining things that he knows and sharing them]
And I guess it's what I'll be relying on for this week.
no subject
[but he's grabbing a bowl and some eggs and veggies. omelette time.]
We'll go slow. Do you want egg-cracking duty, or veggie-chopping?
no subject
You just break the egg so that the shell separates from the yolk and white, right...?
no subject
no subject
and he just, heckin pulverizes that egg—leaving his gauntlets covered in a splattered mass of yolk and shell]
Hmm, I can't see or feel it, but I think that wasn't quite right.
no subject
Noooo definitely not...[give him sec to grab a dish towel to place in al's hands.] There's a towel. Go ahead and wipe your hands off and we can try again.
no subject
then, with great focus and delicacy, he knocks it on the counter and, hearing the minute sound of the cracking shell, feels for the bowl and gently opens the egg above it
it's....mostly egg with only a little shell!]
Was that better, Sora?
no subject
Yeah, that was way better! [yaaaay.] See? That's not so hard, is it? It just takes a little practice. Little Chef used to get mad at me for smashing my eggs but if you go slow enough you don't have to worry about it.
[he will just fish out the bit of shell and never tell alphonse.]