Leo ~ [004]

[disruptstatice]

Who: disruptstatice and Somarium
Where: Espoir village -> main city
Style: Either, but prose is love
Status: Opeeen
Note: He's from late PH canon and it's quite spoiler-y, so if you really care about that I'd suggest not tagging this.

Comments

[unsureazure]

The damage of the city was incredible, and its destruction was more severe than anything Noel had seen before. It had destroyed her apartment and the mansion that her close friends resided in. Until the city's rebuilding progresses enough, Noel and her friends were homeless. To make matters worse, four of those she considered friends had disappeared. It hurt, but she couldn't let it get to her. It was the nature of this place after all. If she kept longing for the past, she wouldn't be able to go forward into the future

[disruptstatice]

It took Leo a moment to register that someone had called out for him, and he only stopped when he could actually see Noel's shape blocking his way through the curtains of his hair. That voice... He knew that voice, quite well in fact. It was...

Noel. The girl who said she loved Elliot, as in like that. And he supposed he had come to consider her a friend, somewhere along the line. It was hard, to settle back into all of these memories.

Especially when he really just... didn't care.

"..Noel," he said, absently tugged a bit at the ends of his hair. "I..." He couldn't tell her-- "It's nothing to worry about. Somarium just... decided to take me back at a bad time."

And, really, it wasn't anything she should worry about now. After all, there was hardly anything she could do about what happened in their own world. She was better off not knowing of Elliot's fate, as long as it didn't reach her here.

[unsureazure]

Noel was surprised when heard her name. It had only occurred to her a few seconds after approaching him that he may not remember her. That was the case whenever someone she knew disappeared from Somarium and came back. That feeling of surprise was quickly gone, however... The frown on her face deepened when she heard his reply.

"H-How in the world can it be nothing to worry about?" Noel wasn't aware nor did she care that she may be prying too hard, she was far too concerned about Leo. "You're my friend... Of course I'll be worried!"

[disruptstatice]

..Noel might want to notice the blood on him, too, by the way. The mun totally forgot about that small detail.

Somehow, he managed a smile. "Thank you, but really. It's nothing."

Never mind that it was unnecessary to tell Noel; he didn't need to have her getting sad about it either. It was perfectly bad enough on its own. He wanted to be alone with it.

[stfuelly]

It's been a day or so since the flood had subsided, and though she'd spent the entire week in a depressed fog, today she's wandering around the ruined town, her mind in a million places at once. It hadn't just been Elliot and that servant that had vanished - there had been others too. There are always others, though. Others. Not her brother. Not the only person that she has left...

But above all else, Vanessa is a Nightray. She knows that she can't let herself remain so weak and useless forever. She has to keep moving forward; pride won't allow anything else.

Seeing Leo, though, her heart drops into her stomach. He's returned? But where is Elliot? She doesn't stop to check the listing on the Dreamberry, choosing instead to run towards him and grab hold of his shirt, ignoring the weak and confused state that he's obviously in.

The blood doesn't register either.

"You--! Where is Elliot?!"

[disruptstatice]

Vanessa is probably the person Leo wants to meet the least right now. Not that her being in Somarium had at all crossed his mind, especially not because, after all, as far as he remembers she's dead. He does know it doesn't matter here, but he only recalls that when Vanessa is suddenly yelling at him.

He only then realises she has grabbed him too. And she's asking...

Asking... Damn it.

It takes all of his willpower to suppress a sob, to not start crying again, and he raises his hands to make sure his hair is covering his eyes to be absolutely sure that the way tears are probably welling up anyway isn't seen. She just has to ask that! Not a surprise at all, of course, but that's exactly why he doesn't want to talk to her too.

Better keep anything he says short.

"N-not here," he chokes out, shakes his head, unaware that his fingers are actually still in his hair, tugging.

[stfuelly]

Even seeing him like this, she can't manage to bring herself to feel any sympathy for him. Her shoulders tremble as she continues holding tight to her, and she gives him a weak shake to try and get him to pay attention.

"Then - where?! What happened to the two of you?! This world flooded! Everything was destroyed and you were both--!"

He might be holding back from crying, but it's clear from her tone that she's near tears herself.

[disruptstatice]

..oh. Elliot disappeared then too? Then... then maybe he would come back as well? Later, or something. Maybe--

But no, Leo still can't let himself start hoping like that.

"I guess we both went home."

If only he could properly keep his voice steady.

[purethingsonly]

It was the timing more than anything that had made all of this so unbearable. First Elliot and Leo disappeared, and then on top of that, the black rain came and flooded the city, causing so much chaos and destruction. One thing after another. And Ada didn't know which one should worry her more. Sure, the flood came and went, but it had left a lot of destruction in it's wake. But if Elliot and Leo went home... what was waiting for them there? Again she found herself thinking about the state of things when she left and worrying. Maybe she was worrying too much, but... she couldn't help it. She had a bad feeling, not unlike the one she'd had when the rain started

[disruptstatice]

When Leo hears Ada, he has only barely begun to get back up, and he suppresses a sob as he tries to will the tears back. Did she hear..? With how quickly she appeared, she probably did.

Damn.

How long has he been gone anyway? Why is she still here but not Elliot--?

He's so tired of this tight throat and the heartbeat in his ears and his chest aching and everything. So tired of emotions, of worry and despair and anger. He's just tired. He wants this evening to be made undone.

"Ada.."

[purethingsonly]

Tears well up in her eyes as she feels the emotions start to overwhelm. Both his and hers. All of the worries of the past few days, for him and Elliot both, and everyone; all of the rain and the chaos... Ada's tired of holding it all in, and she's tired of being strong. But when she looks at Leo, who seems so weak and broken, something in her falters.

She has to be strong.

With a few hurried steps, she throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. He's here. He's alright. Maybe things are bad, but aren't they bad all around? She wants to help someone. She wants to be there for someone. So for that, she can be strong.

"...welcome back." And it doesn't matter if she's crying. She's being strong and holding him close with all her might.

Because he's here and right now he seems to need it more than she does.

[disruptstatice]

This is not what he expects.

Honestly, he's not sure what he did expect. Probably nothing in particular. But if he had thought of things he didn't except, this would be part of that.

And really, he's not the hugging kind of guy. He's not the... physical contact kind of guy. And a hug certainly isn't anything he would have gone for to get some comfort. And... he has no idea what to do about this. No idea at all.

So...

He's just...

Going to... stand here? He's too tired to push her away.