[ open ]

[discard]

Who: Leon (discard) and you people who have to put up with him, starring: two Stahnbots
When: IC: 6/25 - 6/30 ; OOC: 4/19 - 4/30 ; event 28
Where: All around Cerealia, but especially the Residential and Entertainment Districts
What: Life is really hard when a) your sense is touch and you hate touching people and b) there are two robots of your best friend demonstrating some really worrisome behavior. Uh oh.
Rating/Warning: Probably disgusting levels of Dumb in here, also robot murder

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a. [ 6/25 - 6/28 ]

[The problem here is that Leon's sick of both robots and people. He's tense and uncertain already from everything that's been happening, even if it's seemed harmless so far, he's paranoid enough to think that things have to go wrong eventually.

As if that wasn't bad enough, he's been feeling the urge to...well, touch people more and more, in little harmless ways like reaching for their hand or sleeve, and that's extra bad because he knows he doesn't want that. He doesn't like touch. He doesn't like being touched. He needs his personal space bubble, which is why when he bumps into either you or your robodouble, somewhere around Cerealia, at first he's actually legitimately grabbing onto your arm--

Though it's to steady himself, he lingers there for a moment longer than necessary before he catches himself, flustering and...shoving either you or said robodouble away rather sharply and rudely.]

Get away from me!

[Leon, you were the one who grabbed on in the first place.]

b. [ 6/29 ]

[So.

Stahn activated both robots for both Leon and himself, which means there are two Stahn robots wandering around Cerealia--except they don't seem to be wandering so much anymore as actively stalking Leon. He has no idea why they're so fixated on him, but he's definitely stalking away as quickly as he can without outright running (because he's not retreating, he's just trying to get away, that's all), as the Stahnbots attempt to stalk him in their completely obvious way, hiding behind walls or trash cans but peering out so obviously as they do so.

They're not stealthy at all.

Of course, if someone tries to stop them, they might go ahead and do what they were planning on doing to Leon all along and squeeze you in a hug.

Death by affection--hey, it'd probably work on Leon. It looks as though he's rather rumpled in appearance already, cape askew and hair a mess, which means he's probably gotten dragged into a hug or two already before he was Prepared.

So if you're in the way, he's going to go ahead and snap out, rather tensely:]

Get out of the way. Don't slow me down!

[Stahnbots are coming, okay!!! He'll shove people out of the way if he has to--because he really does sound more panicked than angry at this point, even if he's trying to keep it under wraps.]

c. [ 6/30 ]

[But, ultimately, Leon can't avoid the Stahn robots forever. It's been a really exhausting week, and things have only gotten worse and worse. So honestly, Leon's picked a really bad time to slip up, but that's the story of his life, so here he is, in the middle of the sidewalk in the Entertainment District, probably totally in the way.

But can anyone really blame him, when there's a Stahnbot attached to each arm, and they're each pulling on opposite directions?

He's trying to reach for his sword, but it's honestly impossible for him to break each of their grips on his arms, and so he can't reach--he's almost pathetically helpless like this, even if he's struggling. One Stahn he might have been able to handle, but two? There was no chance.]

Don't touch me!

[He's certainly unhappy... but wandering a bit closer will reveal that that's because said Stahnbots seem to be fighting over...who gets to kill Leon first to prevent the other from having him. That sounds healthy.]

I'm going to take you to pieces! [How, Leon......... you're kind of stuck.

...help.]

Comments

[discard]

[That makes sense. Stahn had been fighting like a whirlwind. He'd been...furious on Leon's behalf, he remembers that much.

... That's unsettling too, though. He knows why Stahn was that protective, even back in the labyrinthine area. Leon... needs to stop putting himself into these situations, doesn't he? It's not like it was on purpose, but on the other hand... he knows he hasn't been as careful as he could have been.

It's difficult though.

It isn't as though what he does in this second life really matters that much.]

... I could have handled it. [...Maybe.]

[majinken]

I know.

[stahn knows that, or at least, he chooses to believe in leon's ability to the very end. it's not like there's really any question of leon's capabilities; he's still one of strongest and most talented swordsmen that stahn has ever met.

he still admires those abilities.]

It wasn't your responsibility, though. You shouldn't have had to go through that at all, or had to handle it. [he stands firm in that belief. stahn is taking responsibility for his mistakes.]

If anything went wrong—if anything else happened, it still would have been my fault. [he activated the bots, and he failed to keep them contained until things got out of hand. that wasn't leon's job to handle.

besides, he didn't want leon to have to raise his sword against a friend again, even if it wasn't really him. but that part he can't yet bring himself to say.]

[discard]

[It wasn't. Stahn isn't wrong. It wasn't his responsibility at all, it was Stahn's. It was Stahn's fault, and Stahn had to deal with it in the end. Leon can respect that.

It doesn't seem to be fixing anything, but... he doesn't have an argument against that, either.]

... Perhaps. But as I said--it did not go wrong. I am fine. You took care of the problem.

[With a lot of fierceness and skill at that. The only thing Leon could possibly have left to pick on is--]

In the future, remember to keep your head. There was no reason to be that furious.

[Even if there really, maybe was to Stahn.]

[majinken]

[there was, so for stahn... he can't just ignore that.]

...You can't decide that part for me, Leon. [there's something a little dark in the undertones there. he can deal with leon scolding him. he can deal with leon blaming him.

he can deal with being told to try and stay calm.

but he can't sit there and be told that there wasn't a reason for how he felt. that's one thing leon doesn't have a right to do; he doesn't get to decide other people's feelings for something. stahn would never dictate what leon should or shouldn't feel, especially not over something that's obvious important to him.]

My reasons... my feelings...

Even if I should have been calm—maybe you're right about that. But how I feel, and why I feel that way...

[isn't it a little unfair to tell him he's wrong?]

[discard]

[Admittedly... no, he can't. He can't decide how Stahn should feel. Leon's point was that there was no point in getting so angry on his behalf, all things considered--but if he brings that up again, Stahn will get angry again, and Leon's not prepared to rehash an argument that neither of them will give on.

So he just frowns to himself, before huffing under his breath.]

... Just see to it that you remember to keep your head next time.

[Not acknowledging it at all is Leon's version of saying that Stahn's right without actually having to admit it because he's a baby.]

[majinken]

[it's true, stahn would get angry about it again, but not just for that reason. it isn't only because of leon—it's because of his own inability to do anything about it. it's because those things wore his face and then did things he found deplorable. it's about the knowing that if he didn't take them out himself, they would really hurt someone he cared about.]

...Yeah, I will. [or... he'll try.

there's really no telling with stahn. for how much he may try, sometimes his temper gets the best of him—he's hot-headed and hot-blooded, so it's not like he can make that kind of a promise right now anyway.

stahn realizes though that he doesn't want to stare at leon's back any longer as they walk. it feels heavy somehow, like he's the one burdening leon by lagging behind. even though he's tired and sore and it's a struggle, he forces himself to stand a little more upright and take slightly longer strides to make pace with him.]

[discard]

[Honestly? It's a relief when Stahn takes those added strides to catch up to him. Once upon a time it would have felt right to lead Stahn and the others around, but that never lasted long. Stahn proved himself to be a capable leader in his own right, but honestly? The others proved that they were all on the same level as well.

It had never been Leon Magnus leading the prisoners around.

It had been Leon and Stahn and Rutee and Philia and everyone, fighting together to protect what mattered.

So this feels more right.

So even if he doesn't have the words for it...it's a relief, and some of the tension fades from his shoulders as they make their way towards home, now that they're properly side-by-side.]

[majinken]

[it's a shared sentiment, honestly. even if stahn normally would gladly follow where leon led—being equals was always more important.

he never liked the idea of one of them really being "above" the other, because they'd always fought for the same cause. so walking side-by-side rather than staggering behind seems more right and when everything else feels so incredibly wrong...

well, stahn will take what little he can get.

but with nothing else to actually say, he walks in silence. his shoulders remain tense, however—it's all part of this strange role-reversal that seems to have come with their situation, because stahn can't relax after what happened.

[discard]

[So. They're back to walking properly, they're both uninjured, they're both technically fine, and yet... Stahn's not fine at all. Leon doesn't know how to fix this.

He's never really been particularly good at this, so... the fact that it's happening so much has been wearing on the both of them. Stahn flinging himself into the line of fire on Leon's behalf is not ending up all too well for Stahn, and Leon... doesn't know how to get him to stop.

He doesn't even know how to say anything here and now, because he'd already asked Stahn to trust in the fact that he was able to take care of himself, and yet... here they are. There's the possibility that Stahn doesn't trust him to take care of himself any longer, and it's a thought that's condescending enough that Leon bristles inherently, but... he's too tired to rehash this argument now.

He doesn't know if he would've been able to take out those bots, but... he knows he would have been able to fight side-by-side with Stahn, and yet even that didn't happen.

So, silently, he just walks towards their apartment.]

[majinken]

[there's definitely a massive amount of miscommunication here. it's never been about trust, not when stahn admires his skills so much. but he's also seen and heard from leon himself how little he values his own life.

and much to leon's dismay perhaps, it's a mentality stahn can't accept. so if leon is in danger, he wants to help. and if it's his fault leon is in danger, there's no stopping him. and if there's a reason that leon has to turn his blade again a friend—stahn wants to prevent it. some of stahn's reasons are entirely selfish. some are born out of preservation he feels from his own experiences. and some are just because leon is so important to him that he's scared of being helpless while something bad is happening to leon.

but it's something they can't seem to convey to each other well, and it's particularly bad at a time like this, when communication is lower than normal thanks to leon's other problems. so he'll keep walking with that heavy silence.

and once they get to the apartment and open the door, he'll finally break it.]

I'm going to go clean up, and then I'll go to my room. [as in, he wants to clean up any oil and the feeling of taking lives (even if they were articifical ones), and then he'll retreat to his room.] So... you can do what you want, Leon.

[meaning that he'll stay out of leon's hair. he'll keep his distance and avoid contact just like leon wants. even now, even at a time when stahn absolutely shouldn't be alone. for leon's sake, he'll do that.]

[discard]

[They're definitely a trainwreck of poor communication right now. Leon's silent as well as they walk, and when Stahn breaks the silence, he glances up--and then only responds with a short nod. He fully intends to hide away in his own room as well; it's a lot to process, and Leon's always handled issues by retreating and being alone. He knows, faintly, distantly, that Stahn needs company during times like this.

But Stahn is Stahn. He has to have other friends he can go talk to by now, or something like that. Stahn's social and warm and bright--people are naturally drawn to him, so by now...there must be someone else who can help more than Leon.

For Leon's part... he's just going to silently retreat to his own room, because he's plenty disgusted with both the situation and himself, and he doesn't want to have to deal with other people while that is the case.]