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[discard]

"I am not interested in speaking with you. Stop pestering me."

[ Wow, what a friendly person you're trying to contact on this fine day!! ]

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Comments

[mombastic]

[ Using magic saps your energy okay, and who knows who else might be bleeding out today, she will be prepared.

But she also flashes him a smile. ]

Thank you, both of you.

[discard]

[Whatever, Otome, maybe fix your own stabbings first!!!

But Leon rolls his eyes at whatever Chaltier has to say, shaking his head quietly.]

He says that it was no trouble at all. [And clearly it wasn't for Leon either.

................... NOW WHAT. He didn't think this through at all!!]

[mombastic]

Cookie?

[ POINTING TO THAT BOX SHE KNOWS HE SAW. Otome may stay on the couch, though-- everything's been exhausting lately, and she can only imagine that Leon's equally, if not more, tired. ]

[discard]

[Ugh...fine...... He'll grab that box of cookies, taking one and...sitting on the other end of the couch.

Progress!!

He doesn't even bother to argue that he doesn't like sweets, he just doesn't have the energy right now.]

Thank you, I suppose.

[mombastic]

They would have just gone to waste, anyway.

... So, how exciting was your yesterday?

[ Because it probably was. ]

[discard]

[IT SURE WAS.

Still, Leon sounds more blasé than anything; he seems unbothered. By this part.]

The robots appeared to be drawn to those who were... [He makes a bit of a face] ...important to their human counterparts. Did you experience this as well?

[So because Stahn had two... it was a Fun Time.]

[mombastic]

... Yes. Thankfully, after I made it a point to not let it out of my sight, it focused all of its [ homicidal ] attention on me, so I don't think it was able to do much damage.

Except to traumatize one of my friends.

[ POOR LOP. ]

[discard]

[Poor...Lop....]

... Yes, that was my experience as well. Stahn's robot counterparts seemed very fixated on me.

[CAN'T...IMAGINE WHY...]

[mombastic]

Well, you are his closest friend... but having both of them come after you can't have been fun.

[discard]

[It's a critical hit...................FRIEND, WHAT FRIEND.....]

...Yes, well. [After that lengthy, awkward pause, he's just clearing his throat.] They did not harm me, in the end.

[mombastic]

What a relief... for things claiming to only want to be close to those they cared about, they were rather violent about their methods.

[discard]

Yes, well... it would have taken more than that to kill me.

[Not saying they didn't try.]

[mombastic]

I'm sure they tried very hard. [ With a very faint snort, and more concern than that, because-- she doesn't like thinking about Leon being hurt. Or even attacked. ]

[discard]

I suppose.

[He seems unbothered in that aspect, at least.]

They were mostly ineffectual, to be honest.

[It was what came next that was the hard part.]

[mombastic]

Ah... but destroying something that looks so familiar is hardly easy.

[ UNLESS YOU'RE HIRO. ]

[discard]

[HIRO WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU.

But Otome's right on the money, of course, which is why Leon glances away.]

... I could have handled it.

[Which, of course, implies that he didn't.]

[mombastic]

... Did Stahn do it instead?

[ Yeah, she caught that. ]

[discard]

[At that, he flinches a little, not meeting her eyes.

...Yes.]

... He would not allow me-- [... no, that's not right at all. Leon still could've stepped in. But he didn't.]

... In the end, I allowed him to do so, yes.

[mombastic]

Leon...

[ Look, she's not going to reach out and touch him, because odds are he'll flinch back. But Otome keeps her eyes on his face, and speaks quietly. ]

As I said... it isn't easy, and I know you could have handled it, but... well. To see someone important fall, due to your hand, even if it isn't actually that person--

Really, I had a hard time watching my own robot get destroyed. [ That scream... she winces slightly now, thinking back to it. ]

[discard]

[.... He doesn't like to think of Otome dealing with that, just as much as he doesn't like the look on Stahn's face when he'd done it. His expression tightens, and he glances at her--but he's not able to meet her eyes, looking away quickly again.]

That is why... I should have handled it. [He should not have let Stahn do it.

He should not have put Stahn in a position where he had to.

Leon's the hardened knight, not Stahn.]

It... is not as though I like him. [There's something incredibly weak about that protest, though.]

[mombastic]

You're allies, and you work well together.

... I think that's enough to make a situation like that less than pleasant.

[discard]

That isn't--

[Right either... but no, she's giving him an out, isn't she? He should take it, instead of constantly undermining his own words.

He clears his throat.]

... Stahn is the one who is softhearted, not me. I don't require his protection.

[mombastic]

[ Leon... you know she already knows, right? ]

It's not about whether someone requires protection or not. I know you and a lot of my friends are extremely capable, but I wouldn't be able to sit still if I knew something dangerous was happening.

[discard]

[He should, and ye. Here he is. Unable to admit it.]

...And yet that is what I did.

[But then...he's not a good friend, is he? He's...whatever he is, and he let Stahn handle it all on himself, couldn't do anything to help.]

[mombastic]

... May I ask why?

[ There's nothing judgmental about her tone. But maybe it's something Leon needs to voice. If not... there's no obligation. ]