Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was an overcast afternoon, the ceiling of clouds above them hovered in suspended animation. It seemed like it might snow by the start of the evening. A chill wind passed through the two travellers, ruffling both of their cloaks as they passed patiently through the forest. The wind rustled, a few birds chirped, one called, one answered. Neither Alto nor Azuria spoke, or had spoken for what seemed hours. They were returning to a territory that held many memories... a place that to the both of them when asked to describe would most likely respond in the same fashion... that it was only that...a place.

They reached the top of the hill and from the path, they could clearly see the decrepid spires of the small Castle of Azure Skies. They stopped for a moment, Azuria first. Alto stopped a few steps ahead and stared forward as well, he didn't look back at her, he didn't want to see her expression. A stronger breeze passed through both of them once more, and Alto's cloak began tangling around himself and finally covered his whole face. He growled noticeably and tore the whole thing off, and began marching foward in a huff.

Alto had already crossed the threshold into the castle and was stepping on and around bits of broken marble. He hadn't noticed Azuria's pain, obviously, and was looking up through the old window panes, and down the dark hallway.
"I thought for sure you'd stop and turn around once the castle came into sight." He grinned to himself and looked around a bit more, before quickly turning around to see Azuria kneeling. He took a step forward,
"Hey, Azuria...are you alright?" It was then that the castle gave a shudder, and shook with such an intense force that Alto had to rush foward and grab the other door handle in order to keep his balance.
"What are you doing?! The whole place is going of come down!"

Alto blinked at her a few time, and shook his head and stood straight as well, scowling outwardly, growlingly internally.
"In your dreams!" he said, slamming the large door behind him as passed her and continued foward again. He waved his hand meagerly back at her,
"And spare me the details on your little pagan ritual, I just want to have a look around before I leave." He kicked a rock to the side as he entered the living room/main hall area. He stopped and looked at the couches, and the fireplace. When Ember wasn't there, it was his favorite room in the morning. So cold, so blue, and most importantly, so very quiet. His eyes moved up towards the stairs when it suddenly hit him. Andante... his younger(older) brother... where was he? He stood still and lowered his head. Habitually, he touched the number two on his chest and remained silent. He was feeling pain, which wasn't new, but it grew worse as he realized it was only until now that he'd even thought about his younger brother. He remembered at one point wanting to find him again, but felt that his presence would be unwanted, the reunion too awkward. His eyes moved around the room, picking up a strange sound in the vacinity. He didn't say a word though, and relaxed a bit.

Alto felt her watching him, he could barely stand it. He used to relish in the notion of being feared, of being noticed and talked about everywhere. The pride he felt for being a superior being, a reploid, was unmatched anywhere. At first he didn't care what anyone thought, that was the point. When they saw his figure, the jagged shards of ice poking out of him, the emotionless facial expression, it was all part of the demure and pride he'd presented. But now he despised the attention, it wasn't of fear, or of respect... it was of pity, suspicion, and loathing.

"Here comes another one hun" The wife said to her husband as Alto entered the tavern. The barkeep stared at Alto, just waiting for him to do something, anything that would warrant kicking him out. The temperature of the room dropped a little, and people noticed, and stared at him. The barkeep pulled out a strange canister from below the bar, a new drink specially made that was said to please the taste of most reploids. Alto stood at the bar and stared at it, then at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the man.
"Before you say a goddammed thing, I'm warning you. If I hear one more condescending speech about some prideful bullshit I'm throwing you out, got it? Otherwise take that disgusting drink, you're kind love it, pay, and leave." Alto continued to stare at him, there was no anger present, no bitterness, just a cold, emotionless stare. He sat down finally, averted his eyes, and pushed the drink back to him.
"Water please...with ice..."

"Please stop that.." He said to Azuria, as he began walking towards the stairs.
"I hear an odd sound coming from up here, that I don't rememeber."

The reploid blinked and turned around, a bit surprised by the change in voice.
"What is it? It won't take long, I'm just curious...and no I'm not going to steal anything...though anything would rightfully be mine anyway..." He continued to look at her as she continued to look at her,
"What!"

The barkeep set the glass down before him with a thud. Alto had been blankly staring at his arm all the while, his mind too fogged as of late to create any clear thoughts. But the voice broke everything, his eyes focussed and in his mind he was matching countless voices to faces, doing his best to make sure it wasn't her...but it was a perfect match.
What do I do? He thought, as he'd never expected to see either of the past inhabitants of the castle ever again. It was an immature thought, as Gaia wasn't that big afterall.
What do I do? He couldn't run, not again...
"I think that half-breed over there called to you, tin-man" Alto looked up and turned to the individual next to him. he was young, had two small horns poking out of his forehead, and was grinning expectantly. Alto nodded and made a motion for him to scoot over.
"Please.." The demon smirked and picked up his glass. Alto turned himself 90 degrees, and sat a bit hunched. He then looked up at Azuria.

Alto was already up the stairs, and had rolled his eyes at Azuria's lack-luster...whatever it was..
"It's coming from your room..." He said clearly, staring down the hall

Alto made a motion to strangle her as she mindlessly passed by him, then followed. His gauntlet changed, and he aimed his buster at the door.
"Azu, open it...." He began charging.

Alto raised an eyebrow as he watched her inch her way over to him.
"Is there a problem?" He said coldly.
"Sit down before you trip or something... and I get blamed for it..."
He pushed the water towards her and leaned an elbow on the bar.
"Great....just great...of all the organics I had to come across again..."
He'd taken his eyes off her, the sight of her made him even more depressed than before.
"it's still more or less a free world...I can go where I please..."

Alto's eyes widened as he saw the thing, floating there, as if it had been waiting there the whole time since they'd left. A thought crossed his mind...
They can take us anywhere...anywhere...but not to my home... His mind sobered quickly, remembering now that he'd never wanted to think about 'home' ever again. A fruitless, immature effort made by some sniveling little brat. It had dawned on him some while ago that the home he thought he had never existed. He destroyed it purposefully so long ago. He never had a home, and this castle?.....it was just a place...

There was a bit of awkward silence. Alto smiled, and turned his head to her. He stared right at her, wanting to see how long he could do it.
"Look at you, you're disgusting... All this time you've been drudging from bar to bar in this half drunk state...or maybe you've just been sulking in this hole with the rest of these pathetic fools, too dillusioned to face the past, nor the future. I bet you'd pee yourself just by looking at your castle. A half-demon, too immature and irresponsible to face such a simple task as watching over a pile of rocks..." He downed some of the water and got up.
"I'm leaving, let's hope we never see eachother agai-'
"Hey! You think you've leaving without paying?!" The barkeep bustled over and heaved his chest outward. Alto stared coldly at him,
"It was water... the general public doesn't usually pay fo-'
"You think you're the general public? That's what you think?! AHAHA! Don't ********' play games with me, 15 copper." His face was turning red, and the wife was slowly walking forward as well, carrying something behind her back.
"That's outrageous..." and this is definitely ruining my escape...I bet she's eating this up right now...laughing at me silently...
"THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS?!" The whole bar was listening in now, some were laughing, others were shooshing.
"Just look at yourself! now THAT'S outrageous! You come in here all high and mighty, you're a freak, that's what you are! And it'll be 20 copper for the attitude. Now pay up or we're calling the authorities!"
Alto stood still, he hadn't wavered a bit, and was dully staring at the barkeep, who was inflating himself even more.
"under old circumstances... this would have posed a big problem for everyone in this little shack. but I'm sick of it, I'm sick of all of you.." The reploid then pushed a button on his arm, opening a small compartment. The wife, fearing the worst pulled out a weird looking shotgun. A few individuals gasped, others readied themselves. Alto stopped and stared at her, then pulled out one silver piece and tossed it onto the bar. he looked to Azuria, scowled, then turned to leave.

Alto shook his head and straightened himself. He looked at Azuria and then looked away, as if he were going to head back downstairs.
"Common, you and I both don't want what's in there...it's never what we want.."