estoria | [CLOSED] The two tales and the mom

Entry tags:

[CLOSED] The two tales and the mom

Who:

discard
When: IC 6/15
Where: The darker parts of the city explored by 96% of the colony
What: Otome's heard the stories, now she wants to investigate herself. Accompanying her are two dorks. Shenanigans ensue.
Rating/Warning: None so far!

[ She thinks, maybe, she ought to have told them, after Stahn had also insisted on not letting her go alone. But honestly, it's sort of amusing. Otome had been almost certain that Leon wouldn't have mentioned it again after his initial protests about her interest in that unexplored (to her) area, but with him suddenly claiming he would go-- well.

She hadn't been planning on going alone, anyway, but the both of them volunteering independently saved her the trouble of asking around (Alcor had seemed more than troubled by the place, Hiro had other things to focus on and Steven had already died down there-- he definitely wasn't an option).

So here's the good doctor now, waiting around for the two of them to show up.

Hopefully they catch on before they show up together. ]

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Tch.

[Well, that really shows how happy he is about this (ie, not at all).]

If you are harmed in there, I do not intend to risk myself to fish you out.

[Except that he totally would, and he and Stahn both know it's emotional pain and not physical.]

Leon...

[they all knows his words are a lie, but he still feels like he needs to scold leon for even saying that right now. it's not fair to otome to be that harsh, especially when stahn is sure that leon would run in to help her as quickly as he would himself.]

...I don't really think there's much to theorize about with it. [the nature of those memories was always something important, something impactful—something painful. every last memory he'd seen from another was like that, and his own were no exception.

is it really worth the risk for something they already know because they lived it?]

Maybe not. But it's still something I'd like to look into, for myself.

[ Which is why she hadn't wanted them to go with her, because she'd known for a fact that she was going to have to investigate that building sooner or later. Otome's memories were a tad more complicated than even she'd realized, at first. ]

... And it's all right, Leon. I wouldn't expect you to.

Give it up. [That's said to Stahn. Otome's pretty hard-headed, Leon's learned, so she's hardly going togive up now that they're this far in.] Whether she has to go alone or not, she will likely go there unless we tie her up and drag her back unwillingly.

[Obviously that's...not going to happen. Because.]

Unfortunately, we have no rope. [Was that...was that a joke or was he being serious... it was probably a joke but it's definitely drier than the desert.

As-is, he's ignoring both Stahn's scolding and Otome's response to his comment before.]

[stahn really hates this, so it's his turn to go quiet.

it's not like he won't go along with it, of course. but he can't help the way his jaw clenches, or how his hands curl into fists just thinking about that place and how much pain it caused—not just for himself, but for his friends, too.]

I wouldn't recommend rope anyway. [ dryly, even as she gives Stahn a concerned glance.

... She knows, mostly, why he's upset, why they're both so unhappy, and it likely seems like an unreasonable request. But it's also not something Otome can explain entirely, without having to make things sound even more complicated.

More simply, though, she also just wants to know. ]

[... Ultimately, it looks like it's back up to Leon to drag this back on track, then, and to drag them all back to earth. He didn't want this role, especially considering he doesn't like this plan either, but... hey.]

We will not enter the building. [This is said to Stahn, even as he meets his eyes.] There was nothing physically dangerous in there. However, we will escort Otome there.

[And then he shifts his attention to Otome.]

After we have made it to that place and you have experienced it for yourself, we are returning to the city properly.

[This is the plan, he doesn't intend to accept arguments.]

[he hates this. stahn really hates it a lot, but he also knows he doesn't have any place to argue here.

this is otome's decision, and he'd still rather be nearby to ensure nothing terrible happens otherwise. but still, he can't understand it. for stahn, who views things so simply, he can't understand why she'd subject herself to it when there's nothing to gain from it but pain. there's no reward, there's nothing at all.

but he can't argue it, especially now that leon has stepped up to call the shots. he'll make eye contact with leon for that brief moment before his gaze shifts away.]

...Right. [it's a quiet agreement, which probably does a lot to show how opposed to this he is, even if he's not arguing. not that he's alone, because dymlos is none too pleased about it either after what happened before.]

That's fine. [ equally quiet-- almost meek, but as soft-spoken as Otome is, meek isn't something she happens to be. She knows Leon and Stahn are both rather unhappy, and she can only imagine if the swords are grumbling about this too, but Leon had also pointed out that trying to change her mind was pointless once she'd decided... and he was right.

So there's also no point in explaining, and she resolves herself to learn what she needs to as quickly as possible. Once the monsters move further away, at least. ]

[Now nobody's happy...but what else is new. Leon's said his piece, so now he's going to just fall silent, focused instead on peering out into the mess that is this area of Cerealia, waiting until it is safe to venture out.

... ... ....

Give him a moment.]

... Very well then. If we are cautious, we can go now. [Delaying won't make it any more palatable, after all.]

Right. Let's go.

[they may as well get it over with, stahn can agree on that much. the coast looks about as clear as it's going to get, anyway.]

[ It's good enough, and Otome breathes a quiet sigh of relief when her phone lights up and she glances down to see both of her demons safely back inside. Damaged, obviously, but they'd drawn back before they'd let it get too bad, and she can only be grateful for that.

At any rate, she'll follow them, because she has no idea where this building even is. ]

[Every single instinct Leon has is telling him not to go back to that place. It had been miserable in every single possible way, and the last thing Leon needs is to relive his death yet again.

But he's decided on a path, and he's not going to back down now. Instead, he steps out, and leads the way. They're lucky enough to avoid monsters for the time being, so eventually, it appears on the horizon, the only still-standing, multi-story building in the place.

That doesn't seem to help Leon's tenseness at all.]

[it seems leon isn't the only one going against his better judgment, and the fact that dymlos is undoubtedly lecturing both their ears off about what a terrible, foolish idea this is, and how they should know better than to do what they're doing.

tensions are definitely high, and seeing the building come into view causes stahn to almost instinctively suck in a breath. tensions are definitely high, but he's steeling himself by gripping tighter at dymlos' hilt. it's too late to turn back now; all he can do is hope that things don't take a really awful turn from this point forward.]

[ Otome, for her part, is tense only because the two of them are tense, and it's really no one's fault but hers. Reaffirming to herself that she'd tried to tell them both not to come doesn't really help, either, and she's aware that insisting that she wants to come despite having heard what this building is like is going to come across as masochistic or idiotic (likely both).

It's not really something she can explain. Even she herself couldn't say why it's so important to her, and what importance memory held-- but she turns to them briefly. ]

You don't have to wait so close by. I won't take long.

[ Just that, and then she turns to head inside. ]

[Shut up, Dymlos.

Leon tunes Dymlos out with the single-mindedness of someone who is used to tuning out complaining and lectures and insubordination; this is nothing new, even if Leon thinks Dymlos is mostly right. It doesn't matter. They can't turn back now, so Dymlos can just shut up.

Regardless, Leon has to wait close by. After all... what's the point of escorting Otome if she gets into danger here? There wasn't anything physically dangerous in there before, but that doesn't mean the situation hasn't changed. It'd be foolish to assume so.

...So he'll wait by the door, tense, knuckles white around Chal's hilt.]

[stahn isn't really much different in this case; he's standing on the opposite side of the doorframe from leon. his entire body is taut, and his grip on dymlos hasn't wavered even in the least.

he alternates between staring at the entrance with focused eyes and keeping them closed while listening for any noise that seems like it could be coming from otome. they don't know if anything has changed in there since last time, or if any threats have made their way inside, so the waiting game feels next to impossible.

he's fretting, though he doesn't say anything because he knows that leon will probably just scold him for it anyway.]

[ It'll be around twenty minutes to half an hour before Otome slowly emerges, thankfully unharmed. No bruises, no limping, no cuts. There's a very pensive air about her, and her eyes may be a little red, but she's apparently found what she came here to investigate, because she sighs a moment later. ]

I think that should be enough. Thank you, both of you.

[Leon finds that he's not even curious.

He doesn't want to know in the least, and when Otome comes back out, he gives her a cursory look and then looks away, respecting her privacy.

But in part it's a selfish respect, because he doesn't want to know. For his own peace of mind... he thinks it's better if he doesn't know.]

... Let's go. We may as well return to the city now.

[stahn himself isn't curious about the finer details—he's not interested in prying into what she say. but he's worried about her well-being, considering she doesn't look like she's in the best shape right now emotionally.]

Right. It shouldn't take us long to get back. [he'll say quietly, but he's still looking to otome with pleading eyes that look for some kind of assurance that she's going to be okay.]

[ There's a rather subdued nod-- but when she realizes Stahn's looking at her, she'll offer him a smile. It's nothing like her usual, but it's still genuine. She'll be all right, promise. She's Otome, after all. She's survived the world ending a few times, this is next to nothing. ]

[Leon's focused on their path forward, eyes trained ahead; he's not interested in looking back, or in looking at Otome again now. He just wants to get them back safely and promptly--that's it.

Everything else can wait.

So he'll be the silent leader in this group, stalking forward without words.]

[seeing otome's expression is enough to settle stahn a bit—enough that he'll be able to press forward without worrying too much.

he'll let leon lead, but he'll keep in step with otome, offering a glance every so often just to make sure she's holding up okay. it's admirable, honestly... she's strong. she's really strong, because when he left that building for the first time, he honestly needed a solid ten minutes just to regain his composure properly.]

[ She may have gotten most of her... more raw emotions out before she'd left the building, because she hadn't wanted to concern either of them. It helps that not all of what she'd witnessed had been terrible, just... poignant. Although the majority had been unpleasant, but Otome has held so many dying children in her arms, been unable to save so many lives, still remembers bleeding out on broken asphalt while her comrades fought and died around her-- she's learned how to cope, in her own gently fierce way. If nothing else, then for the sake of her friends.

Which isn't to say that she's completely fine now, because she isn't, and it probably shows from time to time-- but she won't offer any commentary or anything else until they've returned. ]

[He'll lead the way back as best he's able; it helps to be able to focus entirely on where they're going. On avoiding monsters. On making sure their path isn't treacherous. It takes all of his focus and concentration, which is good.

He doesn't want to be thinking about anything else.

Eventually, though, the walls of Cerealia come back into view, and Leon breathes out the softest of sighs, moving towards it.

Thank goodness.]

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