alastair-ia

[alastair-ia]

Alastair could only nod. Nod was a big gesture from him after all, so was the slight crease of his eyebrows. It was almost an unnoticeable change of expression but it showed that he was considering the change and getting used to it. Change was always difficult. When things were out of place, he noticed. Which would weird someone out, probably, considering his apartment was a hoarder's hole. Still, he knew exactly where each trinket was because he marvelled them often.

"Al can still help if you need," he offered, used to doing it by now, he'd worked long enough at the grocery store after all. Even if he no longer worked there, he tended to fall straight back to routine whenever he visited the place without even realising it ( well, he didn't realise most things ).

He took his familiar spot on the couch, one he'd sat on before too, like that one time when he'd come running to Belle's apartment after the little incident. Familiar things were good and once he knew his place, he wouldn't know what else to do than take it. He watched Belle as she began to vent out all the things that had bothered her lately, a good listener but definitely a bad adviser.

He let her finish and plop down before he said anything. "Serial killer?" he asked, remembering those TV series Samantha sometimes watched with a horrified look on her face while she squeezed a pillow to her chest. "It's not a good idea to kiss serial killers," that was, after all, how many of the victims had died. "Al has never seen a child monster," he wondered- had he ever seen a monster? Something to think about. He probably won't, though.

"Al works at a blacksmith's shop," he stated and if Alastair could sound proud, he would. His boss was very fair, after all.

The rumor mill {Allith}

#p; the rumor mill

[alastair-ia]

A job didn't need to be fun but it could be. That was supposed to clear things up for him but it really didn't, giving him far too many options. Two. One too many. For a second, he tried to imagine something he liked and how to turn that into profit but since he didn't quite grasp just how important money was for survival in this world, he came up blank. He didn't have that many skills or hobbies either, all of that being something he didn't need to worry himself with since living within the walls of a building didn't really require a career path.

He'd always been content the way he was too, dissociating from the fact he was a person. Now there were so many things to think about that it was overwhelming. Even during their short conversation he'd thought more than he usually did in a full day. "You get a job to get paid," he repeated Yeosang's parents' words but made it sound like he was confirming that fact. That's what he'd been told. He needed a job to pay rent. That was the only reason.

While he wasn't very talkative normally either, he was having an even harder time keeping up with the conversation with all the thinking he was doing. Continuing to work on his mug as instructed, he soon looked over to the other's and his head tilted; Yeosang was not going by what the instructor's mug looked like. It had a smiley on it that the example didn't. Odd. He was conflicted on what to do, which was the correct way to go about it since he did also trust Yeosang's decision making for some reason.

"What is that?" he asked after a moment, pointing at the lines on the mug.

peace, love, and pottery — yeosang & al

#p; peace love and pottery #yeosang ia

[alastair-ia]

The grin was slightly lost on Alastair- emotions and facial expressions were hard for him to decipher, his own expression staying blank while he quite literally stared at her, no shame. He also didn't realise how important returning compliments in this world was, simply nodding at her words to acknowledge she had said anything at all.

He took the pen, disregarding the prick of his finger as every pen just feeling a little different when you held them since his condition didn't allow him to feel pain. With very straight lines, he wrote AL. The mirrorwalker had never had a signature before and that became obvious to the grocery store's owner when he had gone to sign the papers for them, rather quickly catching on to the fact that he was a little special. They had taught him a simple signature and he wrote it down neatly like a robot.

"Al has to ask," the store owner had told him when he started that if he ever wanted to stop working there, he should let them know first, which he was going to do next. They had thankfully been sort of throughout with instructions so the mirrorwalker didn't simply drop everything and start working right away. The good part about him was that he usually needed no time to adjust- when one hardly thought of themselves as a person, they rarely would have a hard time changing things up and changing their surroundings.

opportunity knocks but once | jiwoo & al

#p; opportunity knocks but once #jiwoo ia

[alastair-ia]

"Flowers for you!!! Sender one sends blue and yellow lilies, Sender 2 sends 10 blue blossoms!!"

Alastair had never received flowers before. To him, they didn't mean much. Yet judging by all the movies he'd seen about it, he was smart enough to figure out they meant a lot to most people. How the petals felt between his fingers was nicer than how the leaves did and he supposed he sort of understood why someone wanted them. Or well, he didn't but he tried his best. Everyone always made a big fuss about getting the flowers to water so he took the first empty food can he saw in his apartment and filled it with water to plop the flowers there, completely oblivious to their meanings.

[alastair-ia]

There was one thing Alastair was familiar with from all the movies he'd watched on his spare time- which he had a lot whenever an apartment was vacant and he could sneak in. Never come empty handed, that was the lesson movies had taught him. Since Alastair didn't exactly feel like bringing her a blade from his new workplace, he returned to his old one to find a thing or two with the help of his previous boss who'd greeted him warmly the moment he walked in. Not that he could tell at all, every tone of voice was the same to him.

He ended up leaving the store with some pastries he was recommended, fresh and begging to be eaten. It was a safe bet in the owner's eyes. He'd also gotten a few bags of chips and grabbed some pop rocks, the candy that pops in your mouth when you have them. The mirrorwalker might've had dull tastebuds but the feeling itself was funny enough to him that he kept coming back for them, it kept him entertained for a while.

He had barely knocked on her door before it swung open already and a tiny person attached herself to him. Alastair didn't know much about the real depth of best friends but he would still consider Belle something like that. "Al missed you too," he replied to her, a rehearsed response. He thought he meant it though. While any man should be flustered by a kiss on the cheek from someone as gorgeous as Belle, all the mirrorwalker could do was blink at the contact. No thoughts behind his eyes.

He did, however, pick up on the change of colours in the other's home, the kind of detail he wouldn't miss. It was slightly unsettling for him; he liked routine and for everything to be familiar, even the smallest changes could throw everything off balance. "You changed it," one wouldn't be able to tell from his tone what he meant with it as he walked in, offering the bag. "Al went to the supermarket," he said, spotting all the things she had laid out, "You went to the supermarket too."

The rumor mill {Allith}

#p; the rumor mill #belle lilith ia

[alastair-ia]

Al asking him about his problems felt like how it would if a nephew (in an alternate universe where he had one, he supposed) asked him to share his burdens with them. It was endearing because, from the short time that the reaper had known the mirrorwalker, he already knew that the other most likely wouldn’t be able to fully understand his sorrows. Yet, despite this, it made him want to tell the other man just a bit more— their ignorance gave him comfort, and so he would use it to its fullest. “Let me tell you when we’re out of here.”

Gently redirecting Al’s arm away from the handle and pulling the door open, Spencer was relieved to find that it could do so quite easily. He was honestly expecting for the being behind the bar to do something more, but they were thankfully preoccupied by another customer who seemed to be just their type. “Alright, let’s go then.”

The florist had zero intentions of bringing Al to another bar, but they didn’t have to know that. He’s had his fair share of taking care of drunk people over the years, and he’s learned that treating them like kids worked 9 out of 10 times. “Can we get something at the convenience store? I’ll buy you food and maybe some water.”

Taking the route to the fluorescent-filled store that was thankfully open 24/7, simply expecting Al to follow, Spencer continued their conversation from earlier. “Oh, and as for worries… Well, life simply gets mediocre and lonely sometimes, but some people have bigger problems than that, so I suppose I should be grateful for having just those.” Turning to Al, he asked, “What do you think about these days? Or maybe ‘who’ would be more appropriate…?”

#p; freeing what is forbidden #spencer ia

[alastair-ia]

Clearly, Alastair was unaware of just how bizarre his fear might've been in the space he should consider but it was the only one that came to mind. What didn't help was how Jiwoo simply played along and didn't seem to think it was odd either, further strengthening the idea that that was the only thing to fear in the shop. With that, he followed the myrkr to the back of the shop like she'd requested.

While the mirrorwalker was not one to say much, at least he was good at paying attention. When they entered the room, he began to inspect every item there only with his gaze, memorising their correct spot and different shapes. He might not know what to do with most of them but after looking at the room for a while, one could ask him to leave and enter again after they had misplaced items and he could easily place them back where they belonged. He might live in a hoarder's chaos but at least he knew where any item he owned was.

Similarly, he didn't need to know the names of items or all the things they were meant for, showing him what was needed for something specific was enough. For better or worse, Alastair had the tendency to not ask questions. In many ways, he worked more like a machine than a man which, in this setting, could be very useful. "Al will sign," he said, his tone just as certain as it had been before but this time his demeanour also gave away that he was intrigued.

It was different from the grocery store for sure- and then again it wasn't. The tools looked much like cans and he was sure they had their correct spot just like the food on the shelves. The knives could be thought of as the dough the workers there made, though Alastair was not supposed to touch that. He was, however, going to be touching knives. Many of them.

opportunity knocks but once | jiwoo & al

#p; opportunity knocks but once #jiwoo ia

[alastair-ia]

Nodding she thought about how hard it must have been for the other to get used to people and interactions. She couldn’t understand that particular kind of loneliness. “I understand, your work in the supermarket must have been a big help.” she smiled since that was how they met of course. It was good- she did not think her and Al would have met otherwise being so different and having different hobbies and interests.

She vowed to find the other a mirror-friend even if it took a while. She wanted the other to have someone like him so maybe Alastair would be less lonely. Someone to truly understand the other- yes! She would have to make sure to find someone like Alastair so maybe he could find some family as well. A kind of family anyway.

“Oh.” Belle did not know how to react to it and let it be for now as she thought about it more. “Do you want to stay for the night?” she asked him as she patted on the sofa to make clear she wasn’t inviting the other to bed (not that she thought poor Al would think something like that).

#p; covered in blood #belle lilith ia #❛ You will never walk alone ; you can always reach me ❜ // Allith #i completely forgot i had a tag for them

[alastair-ia]

It was okay if he was happy- she did not want to insult his friends even if she preferred her friends to have a max of 4 legs. It was just a preference thing, okay. “That’s good.” she said and it was true- she did not wish harm upon that particular spider. It was only arachna that were on her list of ‘to-die’. A sentiment she wouldn’t speak about out loud. Nurses weren’t supposed to be murderous or wishing ill upon others (in truth: if she was faced with an arachna in pain it was very likely she wouldn’t let them suffer and she would help).

“You haven’t? Oh Allie we should go to a petting zoo soon together so you can meet bunnies.” she exclaimed and she already had the whole date planned before the end of the sentence left her lips. “Oh, no, she passed away they don’t live very long- bunnies.” she pouted a little and then nodded “I do feel a lot better, thank you Al you’re such a good friend you know?”

She reached out and squeezed his large hand. “I am happy to have you as my friend.”

#belle lilith ia #fin? #fin; #❛ You will never walk alone ; you can always reach me ❜ // Allith

[alastair-ia]

What will your character get at LUSH?

There is so much, but what would your character want for Christmas?

[alastair-ia]

Not very fun. Alastair had never considered categorising things as fun or not fun, especially when it came to matters you just had to do. Now having a job was one of those, just like eating or showering. He did all those things out of pure necessity, not realising he could enjoy them too. It might make his life sound bland, and well, maybe it was. But as long as Alastair didn't think so nor did he know any better, he would simply continue his ways and be content with how things were right now.

"More exciting," he wondered the words out loud, "does a job need to be exciting?" Now, this might be a dangerous subject for them to get into. While Alastar was moulding the cup, he did so because he was shown how and he replicated what he saw, not because he had this grand thought of what he wanted his mug to look like or who he would give it to, although the latter was already established. It was the same with his job, he replicated what he saw, going on autopilot. He had no annoying co-workers, no too-short breaks, not too low of a salary. Everything was okay the way it was.

So he didn't fully understand what the cloudling was going on about. "There is time," he responded to the other's lack of plans, something he'd heard people say in the movies. He'd gained a lot of wisdom from movies throughout the years without even realising it. "Working at a bakery would mean endless food," he thought then; people liked to eat, he knew that much. His tastebuds were pretty dull so he had no special cravings. He was looking at the cloudling's mug again, then the teacher's, and then his own, agreeing in his mind that they looked similar. Just like they were supposed to. Of course, theirs weren't as good as the teacher's but it was still recognisable.

peace, love, and pottery — yeosang & al

#p; peace love and pottery #yeosang ia

[alastair-ia]

Alastair had learned long ago to always lower his head when entering a new space, having hit his head on doorways one too many times. It was convenient that he couldn't feel pain but the dizziness was just as bad. Although the space was nice, Alastair didn't react to it much if at all, instead, he simply stood where he parked himself and scanned the space to memorise it.

Then he looked down at the myrkr when she spoke up. "Clorox," he responded when he was asked about his fears. Alastair didn't know how to fear fire or heat when those were two things his body couldn't properly sense, all thanks to his genetic mutation. He was, however, very intrigued by fire. That could prove to be a problem the mirrorwalker couldn't even consider. "Everything else is okay. Where does Al work?"

Where would he work would be the proper sentence to use since he'd just been told he shouldn't sign anything yet. Alastair had always been very straight to the point though, much like the myrkr; it was the whole reason why the two had worked so well together before which was unfortunately something the mirrorwalker had completely forgotten.

opportunity knocks but once | jiwoo & al

#p; opportunity knocks but once #jiwoo ia

[alastair-ia]

Remember that. Alastair said nothing but he took note, silently walking after her with a slight hunch of his shoulders to make himself seem slightly shorter, yet it somehow made him look more threatening to people who weren't familiar with him. He might've not realised it himself but he preferred walking behind people rather than next to or in front of them, feeling like he had more control over situations that way. That's how he'd once saved his friend's life, by pulling them back from crossing a street with a car incoming.

The mirrorwalker had little experience with the things she was mentioning and it showed in his continued silence; he was listening but didn't have much to say in response. He also didn't expect nice from people since he was not sure what nice was- Alastair simply was. More often than not he wasn't even sure he existed in the first place. He was not nice, or evil, or comforting, or whatever people wanted others to see them as. He lacked the need to present himself one way or another or perhaps he lacked personality altogether.

"Al had to get a job to afford an apartment," he repeated what he'd been told before, "It was an easy job to get." Since it was his first and only job ( as far as he could remember ), he didn't really have a scale of what job was easy or hard to get. "Al's friend saw an ad and helped Al to get it."

opportunity knocks but once | jiwoo & al

#p; opportunity knocks but once #jiwoo ia

[alastair-ia]

If you asked Alastair, he couldn't tell you what the best way to learn for him was. He had never really thought about the process of learning either since he hadn't gone to school or taken any other classes before, at least to his knowledge. What he'd learned to do, however, was recognise patterns and replicate them to the best of his ability. He might be far from perfect at first but he never got tired of trying again or frustrated when he couldn't. Much like he was with his job, it was something that had to be done and the mirrorwalker wouldn't stop until it was completed.

He practically froze in place as he watched the teacher show the next step, paying close attention to what they were supposed to do so he could copy it afterwards. "No," he responded to the question about baking, "Al is in charge of the shelves." He didn't make an effort to explain himself any further, his attention turning to the lump of clay before him. He cut a sheet like they'd been instructed, struggling to make the structure look how it was supposed to, the clay looking sort of melted the more his hands worked on it. The mirrorwalker was clearly using too much force without even realising it.

"It looks like half a mug," he commented when he looked over to the cloudling's sculpture, stating the obvious. If one tried really hard, it'd sound like a compliment; he could have said it looked like a tube? While Alastair was (un)known for hoarding all and everything he could, the concept of exchanging mugs hadn't occurred to him. He wasn't sure why it seemed important to the other but he shrugged, finally able to make the structure stick. The mug was bigger with thinner walls than most others in the class but it sort of fit the mirrorwalker. "Sure," he replied, watching the teacher go back to their spot to show them their next step.

peace, love, and pottery — yeosang & al

#p; peace love and pottery #yeosang ia

[alastair-ia]

What Colour combo do you think represent your muse the best?

Use this tool here!

[alastair-ia]

Alastair's worldview was narrow enough that he didn't even question it when people asked him to do things, he simply did them whether he knew how to. For example, when he had started his job as a shelf stocker, he had honestly no idea what the job entailed or what he was supposed to know beforehand if anything. People made a lot of assumptions in this world and couldn't take into consideration the mirrorwalker's ways, mainly because he didn't even think to bring up the way he'd lived before.

Instead, people oftentimes ended up thinking the mirrorwalker was a little dumb. If you put a child into a room and don't expose them to anything for decades, what are they going to learn? Only the things they're surrounded by. That's how Alastair had learned to speak different languages but had he learned a thing about putting a can on a shelf or what blacksmiths even did on the daily? That's a definite no. However, since he tended to not look back or forward, he didn't exactly get why the other was so particular about it. "Okay," he repeated, his tone resembling a question mark this time.

He figured it was best to follow the little lady and he did, listening to her lecture while they walked. "Al understands," he replied after she was done, the information she'd shared with him tucking itself into his brain. Alastair tended to remember even the smallest things that were told to him and live according to the information he'd been given so far. Any new piece always shaped him in some way.

opportunity knocks but once | jiwoo & al

#p; opportunity knocks but once #jiwoo ia

[alastair-ia]

Alastair had never considered what job he wanted, he simply took whatever he could get. When he was put back into the world he'd needed anything that made him money to support an apartment's rent even though he didn't quite get why he needed one in the first place. Like a cockroach, he was used to finding spaces where he wasn't in anybody's way, he didn't necessarily need to own anything.

But since he'd been convinced about getting an apartment, he also needed a job. The shelf stocker's ad was pointed out to him before he even found himself a place and although the job interview didn't go that well, the owners of the supermarket still gave him a chance that they most of the time didn't end up regretting, that was when he wasn't nearly murdering people for stealing.

"Okay," he replied with the same simplicity, never one to take that much time to decide things. Alastair lived in the moment and never considered the consequences which made these kinds of decisions easy for him. The offer didn't sound that bad for him either, though the mirrorwalker would probably agree to twelve hours a day, six days a week without thinking if it was right or not. He didn't do much else anyway.

He took the contract and looked it over as if he had any idea what it said. "Where does Al sign?"

opportunity knocks but once | jiwoo & al

#p; opportunity knocks but once #jiwoo ia #( man of many words )