Alaric paused before continuing, "Azik loves romance stories, Will's obsessed with ice cream, Medici smokes, drinks, and enjoys apples, Bethel adores gems… They all have unique hobbies, unrelated to their pathways. What about you? Do you have any passions beyond your pathway's traits?"
Lil' Amon... or rather, the true Amon temporarily inhabiting this avatar... opened his mouth to answer but found his mind blank.
Amon couldn't think of a single hobby untouched by his pathway.
He loved stealing, pranks, and exploiting loopholes, but those were tendencies shared by any Marauder, to some degree. Even Pallez, the Marauder's conscience, followed a "might as well steal something while I'm here" mantra, enjoyed stirring trouble, and relished pranks... albeit with more restraint than Amon.
Exploiting loopholes? That was second nature.
"But beyond that?" Alaric pressed, looking at Amon like a mentor addressing a wayward student. "Do you have a favorite food? A preferred clothing style? A favored instrument, a type of story… Can you name one?"
Amon had no answer.
He'd lived for ages, from the Third Epoch to now, meddling in countless events, ruining many lives, and earning a reputation that made him universally despised.
His name struck fear into those who knew him, sparking hatred that gnawed at their bones. He was an undeniable force in Beyonder history.
Yet today, Amon realized he couldn't name a single hobby. His mind held no answers to these questions.
He didn't know what flavors he preferred... anything seemed fine. He didn't care about clothes, not even minding women's attire. Instruments, stories, anything else… Amon drew a blank.
Or maybe not entirely… Amon's eyes flickered with a thought, and he looked at Alaric. "Father."
Not calling Alaric father, but naming the one thing he could pinpoint... his father, the Ancient Sun God, the only being he truly cared for and fixated on.
The Error Uniqueness wouldn't cling to a fallen Sun God, but Amon did.
Alaric understood, smiling at him. "See? You're not without answers."
"Amon, you're not devoid of humanity. If you were, you wouldn't be here, striving to gain it." Alaric said, his tone unusually gentle. "Your devotion to the Sun God, your love for your father... that's your true humanity. Hold onto it. Be Amon, not just a Worm of Time."
Amon seemed to grasp it, looking up at Alaric. "And your humanity? What is it?"
"My humanity?" Alaric chuckled, candidly. "Probably liking good people. I like good people, beautiful things, and I'm willing to work for them. That's my initial humanity."
Amon didn't seem surprised, his gaze steady. "You like good people, so you help them. You like beautiful things, so you make them happen… That's humanity? Liking something and acting to support or achieve it?"
"Sounds about right." Alaric said, blinking without denying it.
"So…" Amon paused, his eyes sweeping over their surroundings. "Should I help Father fulfill his wishes?"
"You could." Alaric said, not nodding but speaking carefully. "I don't think anyone should live for someone else's ideals, but if that's what you want, go for it."
"Still, I'd suggest cultivating another healthy hobby... one that doesn't harm others. People, even mythical creatures, shouldn't live solely for another." Alaric added after a pause.
"That sounds contradictory." Amon said, looking at him.
"Because humans are contradictory." Alaric shrugged. "Everyone's different. Some hate living by others' expectations, while others shape themselves to match them. Everyone's free to become who they want."
Amon gave him a thoughtful glance. "But you're trying to shape me into what you want."
"I won't deny that." Alaric said, his smile widening as he met Amon's gaze openly. "Absolute freedom infringes on others. You can live freely, but not at the expense of others' freedom. That's my principle."
"Doesn't trying to curb my freedom break your principle?" Amon pointed out.
"Nope, because you're not a good person. I respect good people's freedom, but bad guys get no rights in my book." Alaric said frankly, spreading his hands. "I only like good people, so bad ones aren't people to me."
"..."
Amon fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "You're really contradictory."
"Thanks for the compliment. People are always contradictory. I'm glad I'm a contradictory person in your eyes." Alaric said, his smile genuine, not a trace of pretense.
Amon choked, then said, "I'm starting to think learning humanity from you is a bad idea."
"No worries, you can learn from them." Alaric said, his gaze drifting to the bustling crowd. "They're better teachers of humanity than I am."
He paused, then nudged Klein, who'd been listening thoughtfully, and grinned. "Or, if you don't want to learn from them, start with Klein. He's a decent teacher in the humanity department."
Amon's eyes shifted to Klein. Having access to Lil' Amon's memories, his look carried a subtle nuance.
"Uh…" Klein fidgeted, not nervous or scared, just uncertain. After a moment, he said, "I don't know how to teach someone to gain humanity, but I at least know the baseline for being human."
Amon withdrew his gaze, turning back to Alaric. "Is a baseline really that important?"
"Absolutely. A baseline represents order, the fundamental divide between man and beast." Alaric said, smiling at Amon. "Without a baseline, you're no different from a wild animal."
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to let you know that right now I'm working on a really good and promising naruto fanfic. If you're interested in reading it, feel free to give it a try:
[Naruto: Pathological Liar]
Synopsis:
After reincarnated as a worthless member of the Hyūga branch family...
Fate handed me the worst possible script, but that's fine... I was born to be the greatest actor.
Are you ready?
My name is Hyūga Kumokawa.
I'm going to weave one enormous lie.
And make the entire ninja world dance to it.
---