alpha, at his core, has always been vengeful, has always held that same unbridled scorn in his heart. itâs been both his driving force and the demon eating him alive, and honestly, heâs not sure heâd trade it for anything. at this point, after all the expressions of horror etched into the backs of his eyelids, after all the screams that haunt him when he lays down to sleep at night, thereâs no greater comfort than knowing heâs justified in his hatred. had it not been for the careless deaths of his parents, alpha knows he would have grown up to be just as peaceful as they had been. but now, heâs too far down the rabbit hole to ever dream of getting out. at some point, the bloodstains just donât come out anymore, and alpha has learned this firsthand.Â
with most humans, alpha doesnât tend to waste his time with aggression, at most a glare if heâs feeling particularly feisty. itâs always more convenient for him to blend in and play pretend just like they do, albeit unknowingly. the ones he will waste his energy on, however, are the ones who would inevitably force his hand anyways. the ones who get his blood pumping, who send his pulse roaring in his ears. the ones who murder for sport, for glory, for no more than a their fucking hero complex. people like those, alpha canât quite bring himself to feel even a shred of sympathy for. not when they treat the deaths of innocents as little more than a number, as a consequence for being born. himself, not so much of course. alpha had sealed his own murderous fate at the tender age of fourteen and never looked back.Â
heâd been tainted far too much to dream of redemption now. back then, when heâd still been innocent enough to think that someday, somehow, there would be a way for humans and ghouls to live without such prejudices. but he knows now, as long as there is fear, there will never be peace. itâs that same fear that has his body coiled, rinkaku poised to strike the girl below him. if anything, he thinks, sheâs the monstrous one. and that is, ultimately, how he justifies the smile that spreads on his lips when she pulls out her quinique. though alpha canât quite place his finger on why it is that thereâs drool pooling at the corners of his mouth, a pleased little laugh slipping past his lips when he feels the weapon graze him. itâs certainly one way to feel alive, he supposes.Â
alpha has never been the most agile, nor has he been the best when it comes to strategizing in a fight, but in a partially enclosed space like the one theyâre in, he knows that if he can just corner her, if he can stick one of the appendages of his rinkaku through her body and listen to the pretty scream it would earn him then, well. he might manage to win this time. of course, he enjoys playing with this particular prey a little too much- enjoys the way she responds when he asks her what sheâs so afraid of because, âdonâtcha know weâre one and the same?âÂ
alpha gives a soft little laugh that tapers into a feral sounding snarl, head cocking in a way that befits his canine mask. âlet me guess- your parents probably died at the hands of some evil evil ghouls. didnât they? well im gonna letcha in on a lil secret- a real special one between you ân me-â he lunges forward then, hesitating before her for just a moment. âyouâre just like them. you orphan children every fucking day and you donât even bat an eyelash. so why, exactly, should you be fucking special and exempt from being a monster, just like the rest of us?â
in the heat of battle, sooyoung has always tried her best to remain completely unflappable. sheâs well-aware of the importance of keeping a clear mind, and she always has been. her mentor did well to instill these ideas into her brain; after all, he wanted nothing more than for the girl to be ready. heâd dedicated a decade of his own lifetime to preparing joy for what battles were certain to come, and she, in turn, finds herself grateful for his sacrifices each and every single day. having undergone training for so long, she knows for a fact that itâs best to ignore whatever the enemy has to sayâ itâs most likely a load of crap, anyway.
yet this asshole just keeps on pushing.
"iâm nothing like you,â she manages to say, though itâs nothing more than a whisper. sheâs already allowing herself to slipâ communicating with the monster only gives it the advantage. itâs far easier to murder a distracted investigator than a focused one, after all. sheâs seen too many good men and women die at the hands of these things, and sheâll be damned if she allows herself to fall at the hands of one so soon. sheâd be a fool if she were to allow this thing to take the upper-hand, and, given that sheâs never considered herself to be the foolish type, she attempts yet again to clear her mind. i canât give in.
she knows that she has to stay on her guardâ the one known as alpha is an a-ranked ghoul, meaning that itâs more than capable of taking care of itself. it may not pose the same threat as an s-ranked ghoul would, but hell, itâs still a ghoul. itâs no secret that the ghouls are stronger in almost every way imaginable, though sooyoung has no doubt in her mind that sheâll make it out of this confrontation alive. if she can use her intellect and speed to her own advantage, sheâs sure that sheâll gain the opportunity to put this thing down permanently.
when it brings her parents into the conversation, however, sooyoungâs unflappable expression shifts entirely. itâs undoubtedly obvious that the thing struck a nerve somewhere within herâ her calm expression replaced by one of absolute and utter rage. âshut up,â she attempts whispering at first, yet the thing just keeps talking. her parents had died at the hands of one of these monsters, and joy wants nothing more than to end alphaâs miserable life here and now. suppressing her emotions is nearly an impossible task at this point, yet she canât stop trying. i canât allow this thing to win.
perhaps her judgment is already clouded. she should have tried ending alphaâs life the moment it decided to lunge forward, yet she hesitates, just as it does. she listens to what it has to say, even if she doesnât buy one word of it. she remains on guard throughout the thingâs excuse for a speech, quinque at the ready should she need it. âletâs get something straight, pal,â she snarls, eyes locked onto the ghoulâs canine mask. âi donât have anything in common with any of your kind, alright? i save lives,â or at least, the ones that count, âyou end them. i do what has to be done. thereâs no otherââ
she quickly dives to her right, hoping to surprise the ghoul, praying that her speed will be enough. sheâs fast, agile, just as she always has been. as she moves, she reminisces about situations similar to this oneâ situations in which sheâs lived to see the end of. though engaging alpha with her quinque straightaway may have proved effective, there was also the chance of it bringing forth her own demise. taking a moment to devise a strategy may be crucial to her victory. above all else, she refuses to allow herself to be backed into a cornerâ distancing herself from alpha may currently be her best course of action.
