pullmeoutalive | Two worlds, one family--

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!kia,
.rp post

Two worlds, one family--

[ 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. ]

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[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?]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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!

[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...

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. ]

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.]

[ ... 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.

That is...all?

[Yeah, he's pretty blindsided by that.

Months and months of changes--all in a night?]

I... I see. I apologize for worrying you, then.

... Come inside? I think this might have to be an off day for the both of us.

[ He doesn't know how long he was gone. She definitely has questions. ]

... Very well then.

[He's too weak.

After everything... he really does just want to go home with Otome, doesn't he? He sighs a little, but it's equal parts wry and amused by himself.]

Lead the way.

[ She will. And get some tea brewing while she guides him over to the couch. ]

... How long has it been for you?

[Judas won't argue as he takes a seat, at least--he just sighs, crossing his arms. She's not going to like this at all...]

That is a complicated question to answer. Do you want the technical span of time, or how long I, personally, experienced?

You... personally.

[ AND WHY THE MASK? ]

[Sorry about the mask, mom.]

... A handful of months then, most likely, all told. [It's hard to be entirely sure when timeline hopping is involved, but that seems closest to right.]

Months?!

[ ... Yeah, she's not happy. ]

What happened?? You're sure you weren't hurt, or attacked? If you're in any danger at all--

[ She doesn't have demons anymore, but she could still bring the pain. ]

I'm not. [A beat, and he amends--] Any longer.

[Mom is so fierce.]

It is... I am afraid, a rather long and convoluted story, but I am fine now. [He's way dead again.]

... I see. [ Bringing a mug of tea over, she pauses to set it on the low table in front of him, frowning. ]

It sounds like you've been through a lot. Did you end up returning to your world?

...Yes, in a way.

[He'll reach out and take the tea, and--well, now he's significantly more candid about the whole thing, so:]

As you know, I was dead back home, and that is where I returned. But it seemed as though I still had some part to play, if incidentally, so I was unfortunately revived.

[He's not unhappy he's alive right now with Otome, but he wasn't happy to be revived by Elraine, that's for sure.]

...She had demands for me, apparently.

Demands...

[ Otome takes a seat beside him, and folds her hands together neatly in her lap. There's a lot here she doesn't understand, but better to hear the basics first. ]

Were they-- well, no, I suppose they wouldn't be called demands if they were reasonable.

[... He just shakes his head, crossing his arms a little more tightly, hands clenching into fists.

It's through careful effort that he's able to keep his breathing and his tone steady.]

... They were not reasonable. And I refused.

I do not know if she was incapable of reversing what she had done in bringing me back to life or simply thought I would later change my mind, but she left me alive then.

[So in a way, he did return home.]

And the mask?

[ ... Leon, really, please explain the skeleton mask. Otome can't hug him like this. ]

[He blinks.]

Ah.

[And, remarkably calmly and simply:]

I was known as a traitor as Leon Magnus, naturally. I could not wander the world as myself with that in mind.

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