Leon, didn't we already go over this? That I'm always going... to...
[ The wave of dizziness strikes hard and sudden, and Otome's wholly unprepared for it; she sways, dropping both the device and the tin of tea to the floor, and then there's the more unpleasant thump of something larger hitting the ground. ]
[There are things he was expecting. He was expecting another argument about whether or not he should let her continue to try to care about them for reasons he doesn't understand. He was expecting her to be gently exasperated, since that seems to be the worst she ever gets.
He wasn't expecting her to suddenly sound dizzy, or to trail off, and that thump is very unpleasant and very distinctive. Leon's heard enough bodies hit the floor (generally for worse reasons than this, admittedly), to know what that sounds like.
He's on his feet before he realizes that he was standing up, though he doesn't know where to go.]
Otome.
Otome? [He's not worried yOU'RE IMAGINING IT.] Answer me right now!
[ She did, yes. And she will be properly chagrined about it later, when she's conscious again. Which, sadly, is not right now, so Leon will simply be greeted with silence. ]
You--! You are such a hypocrite. Acting as though you have the right to meddle in my business under the guise of some ridiculous idea such as "caring" when you are unable to even take care of yourself. How can you even call yourself a doctor!
[He's just worried, okay.... but worried Leons end up being abrasive Leons. So even as he's yelling at her...unconscious self... as if in the hopes that he'll be able to rouse her to the point that she can tell him where she is, he's heading out--
But he doesn't know where she is, and that means he's stuck. This city is too big, and he's honestly still too much at a loss to even begin to know where to start.]
Thankfully for Leon, who is a disaster, he has someone with him who is mildly less of a disaster. So as he's standing there in the middle of the sidewalk yelling at his CereVice, there's another voice, only for his ears.
"Young master! Please calm down!"
He pauses, making an irritated noise, but... well, Chal is able to get through to him like no one else, and he listens, simmering down.]
I am calm, Chal... [whatever you tell yourself to help you sleep at night, Leon. Chal rolls with it, because Chal understand.
"Of course, young master. But what about that man, Kogami? Maybe he would know where Otome is to be able to help her. Then he can make up for what he did before."
Leon hesitates. Asking for help is something that never crosses his mind, but.... Chaltier's right, it would be a good opportunity for Kogami to prove himself.
And so, with a sigh Leon hangs up and goes to pester Kogami instead. Please hold, Otome.]
[Ah. He wasn't expecting her to call him for some reason. He got the update from Kogami, scant as it was, and then he tried to put it out of his mind. It's not like he's happy that this bothered him so much, after all--
But she calls, and for a long moment he's silent as she apologizes, as if trying to find words.
With the way that he feels, it's getting harder and harder to deny that he was worried.]
This isn't what he wanted. He never wanted to worry about other people. That's a ridiculous thing, and he has no reason to get closer to anyone at this point. It would be utterly pointless, really, and... and he's not growing attached, and he needs to shove this worry aside because he doesn't need it.
So he's snappish when he responds, all of the worry and concern and irritation and frustration coming together.]
I don't want your apologies. Keep them to yourself.
[Hmph!!]
Someone who is only a hypocrite like you should focus on yourself before attempting to force your beliefs on other people, if this is how you truly are in the end.
[ He's angry. She'd suspected as much, had prepared herself for it, but the acerbic way he snaps out his words still manages to make her wince on the other end.
Of course he'd be upset, and right when she'd genuinely wanted him to realize that her caring about him had absolutely nothing to do with ulterior motives. Of course he'd conclude that someone who couldn't even take care of her own health would be a hypocrite for worrying about others.
And she can't properly explain herself, either. A good doctor wouldn't be worried about things like empty apartments or neglect enough sleep to not even notice her own condition. ]
Ah... I can't say I don't deserve that.
[ But all the same, she sounds as though she's about to cry. ]
[Oh god don't cry. She does deserve it, and he knows she does--it simplifies things that she knows she does too. Everything she has said and done is ridiculous in light of the fact that she can't even look after herself, and it's frustrating for everyone involved, but especially for people like Leon who already have so much trouble trusting people in general.
Why should he trust someone who can't even look after herself, to look after him? What a laughable thought.
(Why would he want a repeat of someone who can't take care of herself to only hurt him in the end? He may as well save himself the pain now.)
...Except then the tone registers, and... it takes a lot of the wind out of his sails, because he's never been good about crying people, and especially not crying people who are like very kind motherly figures it just feels wrong.
So instead of angry, he just sounds sullen.]
... You do deserve it. Take care of yourself next time instead of worrying over me. I don't want your worry.
[And certainly not at the cost of her own health, though that doesn't quite escape him.]
And... then he's going to spend like twenty minutes debating going to see her or not. He... still has things to say!!! And he wants to know how she's doing, for real. He didn't exactly get a proper status update.
But he's also still so, so bitter and so irritated.
Eventually, he does make his way there, so it's closer to 35 minutes later that he finally shows up
And then he hesitates outside of her door for a little bit, dithering. Should he really do this? Maybe he should just go back. This is still dangerously close to caring--
But ultimately, Chaltier encourages him to go onward, and he sighs, straightens his shoulder and knocks, before opening the door and striding in as though he was totally not having a crisis and as though he absolutely has full confidence in his appearing here.]
[ She'd half-expected him to show up, but she's still slightly surprised to hear the knock and the slow creak of the door (now fixed, thanks Kogami) opening. When he enters, she's sitting on the couch under a blanket, paler than usual, features taut with the strain of her headache (but bump on her head healed). She moves to stand - slowly - with a faint smile. ]
[Yeah, things he is not going to do: sit on the couch with her. Nope, he'll go ahead and stay standing over here with his arms crossed like the brood-y teenager he is.
Besides, her words are startling enough.]
You don't have anything to thank me for. Don't be ridiculous.
[ Simple-- but she makes her slow, careful way over to him.
... And then reaches out, to pull him into a gentle hug. A brief one, because everything still aches a bit, but he'll just have to deal with the contact. He's yelled at her-- she's accepted it. But she needs to convey this much. ]
Thank you, Leon. I'll be more careful from now on.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice; IC 4/21
And every time you have come to meddle in this way, we have been fine.
voice; IC 4/21
That doesn't mean you'll always be fine. This way, I know for sure.
[ Now where is that tea... ]
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[puffs up... like an irritated cat....]
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Leon, didn't we already go over this? That I'm always going... to...
[ The wave of dizziness strikes hard and sudden, and Otome's wholly unprepared for it; she sways, dropping both the device and the tin of tea to the floor, and then there's the more unpleasant thump of something larger hitting the ground. ]
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He wasn't expecting her to suddenly sound dizzy, or to trail off, and that thump is very unpleasant and very distinctive. Leon's heard enough bodies hit the floor (generally for worse reasons than this, admittedly), to know what that sounds like.
He's on his feet before he realizes that he was standing up, though he doesn't know where to go.]
Otome.
Otome? [He's not worried yOU'RE IMAGINING IT.] Answer me right now!
[Did she just... pass out?]
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[He's just worried, okay.... but worried Leons end up being abrasive Leons. So even as he's yelling at her...unconscious self... as if in the hopes that he'll be able to rouse her to the point that she can tell him where she is, he's heading out--
But he doesn't know where she is, and that means he's stuck. This city is too big, and he's honestly still too much at a loss to even begin to know where to start.]
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TRULY. ]
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Thankfully for Leon, who is a disaster, he has someone with him who is mildly less of a disaster. So as he's standing there in the middle of the sidewalk yelling at his CereVice, there's another voice, only for his ears.
"Young master! Please calm down!"
He pauses, making an irritated noise, but... well, Chal is able to get through to him like no one else, and he listens, simmering down.]
I am calm, Chal... [whatever you tell yourself to help you sleep at night, Leon. Chal rolls with it, because Chal understand.
"Of course, young master. But what about that man, Kogami? Maybe he would know where Otome is to be able to help her. Then he can make up for what he did before."
Leon hesitates. Asking for help is something that never crosses his mind, but.... Chaltier's right, it would be a good opportunity for Kogami to prove himself.
And so, with a sigh Leon hangs up and goes to pester Kogami instead. Please hold, Otome.]
audio; LATER
[ Okay, so she sounds slightly worse than before, AND THERE IS SO MUCH GUILT, but she has to at least let him know that she's intact.
And let him speak before she begins apologizing profu-- ]
I'm very sorry.
[ Never mind. ]
audio; 1/2
But she calls, and for a long moment he's silent as she apologizes, as if trying to find words.
With the way that he feels, it's getting harder and harder to deny that he was worried.]
audio; 2/2
This isn't what he wanted. He never wanted to worry about other people. That's a ridiculous thing, and he has no reason to get closer to anyone at this point. It would be utterly pointless, really, and... and he's not growing attached, and he needs to shove this worry aside because he doesn't need it.
So he's snappish when he responds, all of the worry and concern and irritation and frustration coming together.]
I don't want your apologies. Keep them to yourself.
[Hmph!!]
Someone who is only a hypocrite like you should focus on yourself before attempting to force your beliefs on other people, if this is how you truly are in the end.
[Oh yeah he's pissed.]
audio;
Of course he'd be upset, and right when she'd genuinely wanted him to realize that her caring about him had absolutely nothing to do with ulterior motives. Of course he'd conclude that someone who couldn't even take care of her own health would be a hypocrite for worrying about others.
And she can't properly explain herself, either. A good doctor wouldn't be worried about things like empty apartments or neglect enough sleep to not even notice her own condition. ]
Ah... I can't say I don't deserve that.
[ But all the same, she sounds as though she's about to cry. ]
audio;
Why should he trust someone who can't even look after herself, to look after him? What a laughable thought.
(Why would he want a repeat of someone who can't take care of herself to only hurt him in the end? He may as well save himself the pain now.)
...Except then the tone registers, and... it takes a lot of the wind out of his sails, because he's never been good about crying people, and especially not crying people who are like very kind motherly figures it just feels wrong.
So instead of angry, he just sounds sullen.]
... You do deserve it. Take care of yourself next time instead of worrying over me. I don't want your worry.
[And certainly not at the cost of her own health, though that doesn't quite escape him.]
audio;
[ But it's not as though she can stop-- rather, she won't, and she takes a shaky breath, forcing her voice to steady. ]
But I'd like to apologize in-person. I'm afraid I can't come and see you right now, but here's my address.
[ He's welcome to come if he wants to keep yelling at her! The door's unlocked!! ]
audio > action;
GOODBYE, OTOME.
And... then he's going to spend like twenty minutes debating going to see her or not. He... still has things to say!!! And he wants to know how she's doing, for real. He didn't exactly get a proper status update.
But he's also still so, so bitter and so irritated.
Eventually, he does make his way there, so it's closer to 35 minutes later that he finally shows up
And then he hesitates outside of her door for a little bit, dithering. Should he really do this? Maybe he should just go back. This is still dangerously close to caring--
But ultimately, Chaltier encourages him to go onward, and he sighs, straightens his shoulder and knocks, before opening the door and striding in as though he was totally not having a crisis and as though he absolutely has full confidence in his appearing here.]
...Otome.
action;
It's good to see you.
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Sit down, before you fall on your face.
[Sheesh!]
Haven't you caused enough trouble so far?
[He just...crosses his arms, looking thoroughly uncomfortable.]
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I've been told to stay inside for the rest of the day, anyway.
... But I did want to thank you, so I'm glad you came.
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Besides, her words are startling enough.]
You don't have anything to thank me for. Don't be ridiculous.
[He didn't do anything.]
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[ In a calm and composed fashion, of course. ]
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You don't have anything to thank me for.
[Insistently!!]
I didn't do anything. [He had to ask someone else to help her, even--how pitiful is that?]
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[ Sorry, Leon, she's pushing herself up again. ]
If you hadn't done anything, I would still be on the floor.
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[He sounds tenser at that, but that's mostly because he doesn't know what she's going to do and that makes him nervous. Why are you standing up!!!]
I didn't do anything worth thanking me over, so--just let it go.
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[ Simple-- but she makes her slow, careful way over to him.
... And then reaches out, to pull him into a gentle hug. A brief one, because everything still aches a bit, but he'll just have to deal with the contact. He's yelled at her-- she's accepted it. But she needs to convey this much. ]
Thank you, Leon. I'll be more careful from now on.
1/idk something
(no subject)
3/3 geronimoes out