Two worlds, one family--

[mombastic]

[ It's strange to be in a world with not one set of memories from another world-- not two, but three, not that Otome can really discuss this with anyone. It's difficult enough, when she wakes up these days, and can't remember if she's in her own home, or her apartment. If she needs to call Fumi to check on preparations for the day, or...

But no. This is her world. And not a school day, so she's stuck trying to focus not on what she's missing or what she's lost, but on what lies ahead.

What that actually is, she doesn't know, but she's out and about today, and there's a strong breeze. Maybe today will be a good day for clearing her thoughts. ]

Comments

[mombastic]

[ It's possibly both, honestly. And Otome does love spending time with Leon, so really, it sounds like a good plan all around. ]

Not particularly large... it's about the normal amount.

[discard]

Then... perhaps we would be able to work on our respective assignments...

[You can do it, Leon, get the words out!!!]

... Over those parfaits in the living room.

[...together.]

[mombastic]

[ ...!!

Hanging out with her in the living room when he isn't sick and miserable???? ]

I'd love that!

[ No, really, she's beaming. ]

[discard]

[... oh... she's so happy.

For a moment, he just blinks, blindsided--and then he clears his throat, some color rising in his cheeks from the realization that he's pleased that she's pleased, and he looks away.]

Then... that is what we shall do.

[He's...really glad.]

[mombastic]

Let me know when you're ready to go, then. We can put something on the TV for some background noise, too.

[ Leon's slowly growing to want to be around her, and expressing himself, and getting the opportunity to have more time with him where they truly feel like a family... Otome couldn't be happier. ]

[discard]

Very well then. As soon as we have finished with dinner.

[Which he will eat now with more gusto than he had before, when he'd been picking at it disheartenedly. Sometimes, Leon really is far too obvious about things.]

[mombastic]

I'm glad... it looks like your appetite came back.

[ As she refocuses on her own dinner, hiding a smile. Leon, seriously... you're much too obvious. ]

[discard]

... [AHEM...]

It is not as though I had no appetite before, I was simply making certain that the meal was acceptable before I began to eat.

[CLEARLY]

[mombastic]

You didn't taste-test?

[ No, she's pretty sure he fussed himself close to death over this, but Leon really ought to know better than to try and make excuses to someone who's heard a variety of them from a ton of different tsun personalities... ]

[discard]

[...... Mom why.]

... Not as well as I could have, perhaps.

[He's not backing down on this!!!]

[mombastic]

That's a shame... it really is fantastic.

[ He's going to spoil her for any other dinners if he keeps this up, goodness. ]

[penitentials]

[He doesn't actually disappear for long.

It's just for a night, a few hours, and into the morning hours. For a few hours, Leon's just gone as if he was never there, except that all of his belongings remain and everything is just as it was.

And when he comes back, he's different. He's the same... but different, and the mask on his head is drawing stares, Judas knows, but he's not going to try to get rid of it. Thankfully, it's early yet so not many people are out and about--and really, he's sentimental, so he's hovering outside of Otome's apartment building, hesitant and uncertain.

He's been through a lot, and he's honestly not sure how long he's been gone.

Should he even go back to Otome like this?]

[mombastic]

[ It's up to him. If he does decide to knock, or to further investigate, he'll find that a.) the door is unlocked, and b.) Otome isn't there. It's too early for her to have gone to work, and she would have locked up if she had.

Granted, if he doesn't look, he won't know she's not inside, but the simple truth is that when she'd discovered that Leon simply wasn't there and didn't come back within an hour, Otome had flown into a very desperate panic.

And has, in fact, been out ever since then, frantically searching for her son. ]

[penitentials]

[Ultimately, because he's a punk, he does decide not to poke his head inside.

He's not sure he has the right anymore, and his thoughts are a confused mess--going from dead to alive to dead again is befuddling even for him, and now he's alive once more and it's...a lot.

So he turns as if to leave with a flick of his stupid, dramatic purple cape.]

[mombastic]

[ That's fine, because as he flicks his stupid dramatic cape, there's a woman rounding the corner in a sort of... really tired, emotional haze. She'd checked everywhere she could think of, called everyone she possibly could have who would have an idea on where Leon might have gone, but no one had seen him. She'd just barely held herself together long enough to check with the police station and give a report, just in case anyone might walk in who had seen him, and now?

There are no leads. No one's heard anything. And Otome's last hope is that he'd somehow returned to the apartment in her absence, but when she looks up, she-- gasps a little, because what even is that mask??

... Give her a minute. ]

[discard]

... Then... I'm glad.

[He can admit that, ducking his head a little--but he's sheepishly pleased.]

Admittedly, I would... like to make more dinners to your taste.

[Let him spoil his mom...]

[penitentials]

[Whoops, sorry, mom. It definitely is a pretty dramatic sight; Judas freezes up when he notices the familiar golden hair, and for a moment he hesitates.

She looks...frantic.

That can't be his fault, can it...? If that is, then... he should tell her that he's fine, he knows that much. But does she even recognize him? He's really not sure, so he's hesitating, uncertain what he should do.

To him, it's been months, after all.]

[mombastic]

I don't think you've made a single thing that I haven't liked.

[ sincerely. ]

[mombastic]

[ For a few seconds, Otome just... stares, and she knows it's rude, but the mask is most certainly odd. More importantly, though, the build of this person, the color of his hair through the natural holes of his mask...

And when she sees the glimpse of his eye, she takes a step forward, and oops, she's most certainly crying-- ]

Leon!

[penitentials]

[And just like that...she recognizes him.

Leon freezes, eyes widening a little behind the mask, but... he's not strong enough to leave Otome.

Especially not when she's crying. Hesitantly, he steps forward, head ducked a little as if to hide his face behind the mask a little bit more, and, somewhat gruffly--]

...Otome...

[mombastic]

You're--

[ Another step, and really, she's trying to figure out how to hug him without bonking into that mask, and the outfit is certainly new, but... ]

Are you all right? Were you hurt??

[ Important things first. ]

[penitentials]

I'm...fine.

[He's still a little stunned and disoriented that he's here, of course, but he's gotten better at handling weird situations lately. He blinks.]

How long was I gone?

[She still seems so frantic.]

[discard]

That...is admittedly not helpful.

[Otome, please!!]

I believe you are simply easily pleased. But if you have a favorite dish... I would like to know it.

[mombastic]

[ ... That he doesn't know is more than a little concerning, and Otome's expression doesn't really look any lighter as she looks him over. ]

For the night... and since then. It's been several hours.

[mombastic]

A favorite...?

It's nothing fancy, actually... but I do like sesame tofu.

[ And anmitsu, but let's not have Leon get too fancy here. ]