video;

[blindfall]

[ what a day, huh? or rather, what a good few days. waking up to find out you died, then were revived, then being lost in the woods until you come across your hometown covered in.... pink.... beans.....

he picks one up, examining it closely. it smells-- really good. in fact, maybe one bite wouldn't hurt.........
--YEAH. LIKE THAT'LL EVER HAPPEN

Comments

1/idk PLACEHOLDER BECAUSE I MUST BE FIRST

[codicis]

[codicis]

[ this last month has been a blur. a mess of days that bled into each other without distinction and leo doesn't remember when it began or when it ended.

everything felt empty. he felt empty, like he was only a cracked, hollow shell of what he was, hanging onto what's left of his sanity for fear he would really crumble. then again, he would have been fine if he crumbled; except... except the only thing that kept some sliver of hope inside him anymore was the fact that people came back from the dead.

that meant elliot could come back. would come back (right? right?)

he did nothing but clutched at the seal the whole time he was awake, eyes fixed to the screen in hopes of catching something of elliot, to see if he had come back. he would have went outside in search of elliot, too, had vincent let him. there was only so much he could do here, staying cooped up in this house without elliot and the sinking despair that only carved deeper into his insides the more days went by. ]

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[ and when he heard elliot's voice, he thought he was dreaming. ]

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Elliot...

[ it comes as a whisper at first, his hands trembling as they hold the seal to his face, so he could see clearly through the matted mess of bangs before his eyes and through the curtain of tears that threaten to spring forth again, after he thought they have already dried. ]

Elliot-- Elliot?

4/4

[codicis]

[ that is elliot. that is really elliot and leo doesn't even notice when the tears start rolling down his face again. he clambers onto his feet and trips over a chair in his haste, because his eyes are still fixed on elliot's face on the seal and straining to hear more of elliot's voice, to ascertain that he's speaking and yelling and alive. ]

Elliot-

[ but he can't be sure unless he's right there, can he? he can't bee sure unless he can grab onto elliot with his own hands, can feel that heart beating beneath his palm, can feel elliot's body heat and not just a cold dead body-

his breath chokes a little. ]

Elliot, I'm coming-

[ he doesn't care that vincent told him to stay at home. he doesn't care about anything vincent says at this moment. the door is thrown open and he's already outside, practically running to wherever his master is.

even if he doesn't really know where. ]

1/2

[blindfall]

[ that's what she said

he stops in his tracks as soon as he hears leo's voice coming from the seal.

he looks down at it immediately, looking for his figure inside of the device, but-- leo is moving too fast by the time he takes it out again that he can't really see him anymore. ]

Leo....?!

[blindfall]

[ . . . . calm down. calm down.

he said he was coming, right? so that means he's gonna be here in the wonderland district soon, no matter what he does, so it's better to stay put.

he paces restlessly near the fountain in the middle of town, hoping to see him get close-- waiting, waiting. ]

1/2

[codicis]

[ it's stupid, running out like this without even asking elliot where he is. then again, to be able to see elliot and to hear elliot is already something he thought he would never be able to do again. he's barely aware that he's running, that his heart is almost bouncing out of his chest, how far he's gone from their house. he only wants to catch a glimpse of elliot, praying, hoping-- ]

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... Elliot-

[ it's like he's dreaming. he feels like he's dreaming.

his chest heaves as he stands, eyes locked on the tall, familiar figure in the distance, and he feels his eyes well up on the not yet dry tear tracks. ]

ELLIOT!

[blindfall]

[ --!!!!

it's him. it's really him!! thank god he's alright-- he couldn't relax at all not knowing where he is, but even so.... this was probably harder to bear for leo, huh? not that elliot was fully aware of that. he's just happy to see him alive and well! ]

Leo! You're alright!

[codicis]

[ alright?

no, he's not alright. he's tripping over his own two feet to run toward elliot and inside him is a jumbled mess of something - emotions; happiness, anger, fear, frustration, joy-- he can't make out any individual thing because it all weaves together until he crashes into elliot and hands finding their grip on elliot's arms immediately. ]

Elliot-- Elliot you're alive-

[ he's choking, eyes wild and fixed on elliot's face and he almost grabs on to elliot's cheeks, touching everything he can reach to ascertain again this isn't a dream. ]

[blindfall]

Ah--

[ whoa-- he almost trips back when leo crashes into him, steadying him up with his hands on instinct, and-- he notices he's really shaken up. he knew he would be upset- it was expected, but this felt a little too much. he hesitates, looking down at him and trying to make out his eyes from under his hair; all in vain, of course, but his hands do reach up to move a few bangs away because he was curious-- was leo crying?

. . .

huh. so he was. he huffs, feeling himself a little calmer now, for some reason. ]

You idiot. As if I would ever stay dead.

[codicis]

[ sure, elliot is calmer. but that's not the case with leo at all. for some reason he's still feeling frantic, still feeling like elliot could slip away from him again because it had already happened once. his hold doesn't loosen and his vision is blurring with tears again as his expression twists into something painful and anguished. ]

You-- you died and I didn't- I didn't understand and it took you so long to come back that I thought--

[ he sucks in a breath, trying to swallow his own tears but it just forms a lump in his throat. ]

... Elliot...

[blindfall]

[ it's hard to see him this shaken up. it's hard to think of leo suffering because-- um. it just was. he would do anything to keep leo happy (consciously, unconsciously....), so this was starting to sting.

yet he knew that if he broke down too, leo would only be more miserable. so he harnesses a much strength as he can to pull off a smile, wiping some tears away from his face and bringing him closer, tapping their foreheads together. ]

Yeah. It's me. I'm fine now, see?

[codicis]

[ elliot is so close, so warm, so alive and it only hits him fully with that little tap - that elliot is here now. elliot's heart is beating and elliot's hands are cupping his cheeks. that elliot isn't a cold bloody corpse.

and leo is crying again, head buried against elliot's shoulder and he doesn't care that he's staining his jacket, doesn't care that they're outside, doesn't care about anything because elliot is alive. ]

[blindfall]

[ he sighs-- very, very relieved that leo is alive.

his first fear when he woke up was to find out he couldn't protect him, so this was just. a miracle. he holds his head and pulls it close and onto his shoulder, sliding his other arm around his waist. yeah, this was somewhat silly, and he wouldn't do it under normal circumstances or for anyone else-- but leo was his best friend-- and despite his rather tough and unfazed exterior, elliot knew he was just a vulnerable, sensitive kid, too. ]

Sorry I worried you.

[ a long pause; then his voice changes a little. ]

I'll find him, you know. I won't let this end just like that.