As much as Ángel hates it, he loves a bit of meandering. Of course, walking around the almost endless fields of his grandma’s house is way different than the concrete jungle of the city.
There’s so much stuff, it’s almost overwhelming.
Thankfully, he has managed to keep his whelmings in check. Learning about his, uh, mental situation has truly helped making things easier!
Even though he is slightly whelmed, he’s still glad to be able to travel again.
The lack of masks in everyone’s faces gives him relief, although perhaps foolishly so?
If he ends up surviving Otherworldly organisms, assassination attempts AND the heat of the capital just to die to a preventable disease he is going to become a very angry ghost.
Alright, his whelmings are becoming too high. Ángel told him not to go places without people but surely a little detour won’t hurt right? Because the current street hurts very much.
Oh? There’s a small gathering of tourists there, yay! Following safety rules!
Ah.
It’s one of these.
Ángel doesn’t like them. He gets sad thinking about them.
Animita. A place to venerate those who died violent deaths, reaching the point of sainthood.
He sees the solemn tourists, taking pictures of the plaques thanking the poor soul for answering their prays.
He sees an old lady bringing flowers.
He remembers… a very familiar one.
Violent death.
Everything about it was violent.
Ángel hates it. He hates the thought of a man like that reaching sainthood. Being honoured. Asking his spirit for favours. Most of the time he agrees.
He won’t vandalize it of course. Nina doesn’t deserve more pain in her heart.
But in the darkest nights, in the high hours of the night, when he can’t sleep without seeing the red in the snow. In his clothes. In his hands.
He can’t help but wonder.
Could things have been different?
The man Nina speaks so highly of…
Was he still there?
Is he still there? In the snow?
Did he make the right choice?
The blood won’t leave his hands.
“Excuse me”
Wah! Stranger Danger!
“Could you tell me where the station is?”
Wait! Vivi warned him against this! They distract you with the map to steal your belongings!
Escape!
“I don’t know. I don’t live here.”
He said, then turns around in runs towards the station.
Sorry supposed tourist, but you will never trap him with something like a map! He’s immune to those now!
At least he has learnt to deal with that a bit better.