Continuation of Chosen falls for a pirate

Eyes of Grief

Where Geno gets into deeper details from Aldo's past and comes to gain a few lessons about life.

No one's POV:
-

Geno kept staring at the beaver as he poured for himself a mug of coffee, indifferent and chill. His eyesocket wide open from what had just happen. Since when could he talk?! Finally Aldo sat down facing the small skeleton and held the mug in his palms.

"Yes my tongue was cut off. Long ago." He spoke again, causing Geno to jump from his seat, again surprised he was hearing Aldo just talking in that low, almost 'whispery' voice.

"Then how the Heee-?!" Geno tried to ask, midway cutting his sentence. Aldo opened his mouth. The siren looked. The first time he had seen Aldo's mouth, the absence of tongue was visible. Now there was a yellowish one resting in there.

"Leandro decided not too long ago he was ready to start tolerating my voice. He called me and managed to stick in my mouth that thing. Just a few months ago he had started working on it he said. Made with whatever knows what and a little bit of magic here and there. But whatever, it's flexible. Though weird to have a tongue in my mouth after years. Still getting used to it." He said. Geno blinked surprised.

"Wow…"

"I suppose…" The beaver shrugged his shoulders. The 2 stayed silent for a few seconds before Geno spoke.

"Sooo… what is it that we're talking about?" He asked. Aldo exhaled from his nose quietly, collecting his thoughts.

"… I get that Leandro gives on your nerves. He does get on everyone's. And while it's not okay when he's like that, or when on specific days it is not safe at all to approach him, don't provoke or challenge him further." Geno groaned rolling his eyesocket.

"Seriously? Ya called me here to literally ask me to just let him step all over me and insult me in my face?!" Aldo exhaled quietly from his nose.

"You're right to be mad. But you haven't lived and haven't seen enough of this world to know how some certain things work. When one goes through tough times for the biggest part of their lives, it's not easy for them all later on to just, be cheerful you know? Most of us in this crew didn't join having a happy story to tell about ourselves."

"And yet most of ya pirates seem to be able act happy and excited. What is it the doctor supposedly went through to act so much more damn bitter?"

"Grief…" Aldo took a sip from his coffee and his eyes were suddenly filled with seriousness. "… stands on top of all states of mind. Grief can take a toll on us in many cases incurable. It's… poison. And it makes a monster far more sick than a human if not dealt properly. It changes it."

"Why are you suddenly talking to me about grief?" Geno asked. Aldo looked to his left as he clenched the mug in his hands.

"… He hasn't told me who and how. But I'm not mistaken when I believe he's heavily grieving." He said. The skeleton raised brow.

"Dogface? What is there he's grieving about? Nah, how do ya know he ain't just bein' an *sshole 24/7 'cause he was taught that way?"

"In the same way I realise and see you're still secretly grieving for someone you loved. Your family." Aldo said. Geno stared at him surprised. "Monsters show their grief through their eyes. No matter what they say, no matter how they act, the eyes always betray the emotional pain they go through. Your pupil doesn't glow intensively. Deep down in your soul, you're still trying to get over the deaths of your loved ones. Alter's too. He's grieving from what he has lost before joining the Reapers, especially his brothers. All Elementals show Grief through the fading color of their eyes."