right, kyle nearly forgot that she wouldn't know. even back home, most people really didn't know what happened to stahn to his knowledge. of course, he'd been kept in the dark for a long time—but what happened to him was still a few years after otome had last seen him.
if there were really things like separate worlds that separated them on top of some kind of timeline stuff, she really couldn't know. kyle's expression falls just a bit—he doesn't want to get too down about it.]
I don't really remember a lot about him. The last time I saw Dad was... ten years ago. [he was too small to have very vivid memories of anything like that.]
[ Kyle is... most definitely a teenager, but he's still young. At his youngest, had he been a toddler when Stahn had disappeared? Assuming Stahn had disappeared, and that he hadn't died, or been killed - and something a lot like maternal panic rises up in her throat until she forces it back down - but she doesn't want to think like that yet.
[she's definitely not wrong for having that maternal panic, and she's going to learn firsthand just why that it. kyle knows that dumping this information on someone he just met isn't something most people would advise.
but she was stahn's friend, wasn't she?
she was someone who deserved to know, even though... kyle has never had to actually put this into words before. not since he learned the truth has he actually needed to say it. so he hesitates—though his composure is surprisingly solid for a fifteen year old boy delivering this kind of news.]
He... was killed. [it dooesn't stop kyle's jaw from clenching a bit, or from his hands from balling into fists—though it's more anger that fuels that. such is the life when you've already fought his killer twice.]
[ That... of course, there had been that possibility, but Otome hadn't really wanted to think that it was more than plausible-- that it was Kyle's reality, and that meant that it was actually true. That the sunny-haired, always-looking forward young man she'd met and had come to love with as much affection and ferocity as any mother would treat her son was...
She has to struggle very hard in that instant, not to say anything too pained, to simply swallow back her initial reaction and bite her lower lip until she's certain the tears will remain at bay for now.
It feels like a lie, but if Kyle is anything like Stahn (which he most certainly is, she can tell that much already), it's entirely true, what he's saying. ]
That... sounds like him. [ she says at last, although from the way devastation grips at her throat, she doesn't sound as composed as she'd prefer. ] Wanting to protect everyone...
[kyle knew it wouldn't be easy to tell anyone this situation, and while his composure is very good—he doesn't look like he'll cry at all—he does have to avert his gaze a bit. even though he's just met otome, it's hard for him to look at her when she's fighting back such a pained expression.
he's not entirely equipped to deal with this kind of a thing. and from the way she responds, there are two things he can absolutely be sure of: she's devastated by the news... and that stahn was definitely an important friend to her.
there's still a lot about the situation that he very clearly doesn't understand—being in a different world, the way they met, how things have even ended up this way.
but there is one thing he knows, and one thing he has to tell otome with conviction.]
That's... why Dad is hero. And this time... I want to save him. [actually.] I'm going to.
[it's fine being reala's hero and all, but he's realized that he needs to fix the timeline that elraine broke—which in turn, was what killed stahn.]
[ There's a moment, in which Otome looks briefly puzzled-- if just because she's pretty sure Kyle just said he was dead. So saving him is a little...
But no, she can all too clearly remember events from her world, even when they'd reset it, thanks to her encountering Hiro again. Resetting the world to rid it of demons.... resetting the world to reverse their deaths and to bring Hiro back... there are ways to bring people back from death, and of course she knows that, even if it's not something that's readily available. ]
... You're going to reset time, aren't you?
[ Or hire a necromancer, but let's not have that be an option. ]
Mm... kind of? Someone else messed with time already, and that's... why Dad ended up that way. It's why a lot of bad things are happening where I'm from.
[it's all pretty hard to explain, and that's why he tries to keep it simple.]
I think Harold or Judas could probably explain it better than me, but... if we fix those things, we'll be able to save Dad, too.
I see... [ sort of. It's a lot more complicated than it sounds, she suspects, and it's not really her place to ask Kyle to try explaining it in more detail. ]
I was only five years older than him at the time, so I know it sounds a little silly... but he really did feel like family. Someone I absolutely had to protect.
Wouldn't that be more like a big sister than a mom, then? I mean... Loni's eight years older than me, but he's not like a dad even though he's like family...
[that's pretty indispensible—reala, loni and harold all have healing spells, but they're all really strong offensively too, so. that's pretty impressive to kyle.]
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right, kyle nearly forgot that she wouldn't know. even back home, most people really didn't know what happened to stahn to his knowledge. of course, he'd been kept in the dark for a long time—but what happened to him was still a few years after otome had last seen him.
if there were really things like separate worlds that separated them on top of some kind of timeline stuff, she really couldn't know. kyle's expression falls just a bit—he doesn't want to get too down about it.]
I don't really remember a lot about him. The last time I saw Dad was... ten years ago. [he was too small to have very vivid memories of anything like that.]
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[ Kyle is... most definitely a teenager, but he's still young. At his youngest, had he been a toddler when Stahn had disappeared? Assuming Stahn had disappeared, and that he hadn't died, or been killed - and something a lot like maternal panic rises up in her throat until she forces it back down - but she doesn't want to think like that yet.
Something tightens in her chest, nonetheless. ]
... May I ask what happened?
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but she was stahn's friend, wasn't she?
she was someone who deserved to know, even though... kyle has never had to actually put this into words before. not since he learned the truth has he actually needed to say it. so he hesitates—though his composure is surprisingly solid for a fifteen year old boy delivering this kind of news.]
He... was killed. [it dooesn't stop kyle's jaw from clenching a bit, or from his hands from balling into fists—though it's more anger that fuels that. such is the life when you've already fought his killer twice.]
Trying to protect Loni and me... and Mom too.
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[ That... of course, there had been that possibility, but Otome hadn't really wanted to think that it was more than plausible-- that it was Kyle's reality, and that meant that it was actually true. That the sunny-haired, always-looking forward young man she'd met and had come to love with as much affection and ferocity as any mother would treat her son was...
She has to struggle very hard in that instant, not to say anything too pained, to simply swallow back her initial reaction and bite her lower lip until she's certain the tears will remain at bay for now.
It feels like a lie, but if Kyle is anything like Stahn (which he most certainly is, she can tell that much already), it's entirely true, what he's saying. ]
That... sounds like him. [ she says at last, although from the way devastation grips at her throat, she doesn't sound as composed as she'd prefer. ] Wanting to protect everyone...
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he's not entirely equipped to deal with this kind of a thing. and from the way she responds, there are two things he can absolutely be sure of: she's devastated by the news... and that stahn was definitely an important friend to her.
there's still a lot about the situation that he very clearly doesn't understand—being in a different world, the way they met, how things have even ended up this way.
but there is one thing he knows, and one thing he has to tell otome with conviction.]
That's... why Dad is hero. And this time... I want to save him. [actually.] I'm going to.
[it's fine being reala's hero and all, but he's realized that he needs to fix the timeline that elraine broke—which in turn, was what killed stahn.]
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But no, she can all too clearly remember events from her world, even when they'd reset it, thanks to her encountering Hiro again. Resetting the world to rid it of demons.... resetting the world to reverse their deaths and to bring Hiro back... there are ways to bring people back from death, and of course she knows that, even if it's not something that's readily available. ]
... You're going to reset time, aren't you?
[ Or hire a necromancer, but let's not have that be an option. ]
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[it's all pretty hard to explain, and that's why he tries to keep it simple.]
I think Harold or Judas could probably explain it better than me, but... if we fix those things, we'll be able to save Dad, too.
[no necromancers here, honest.]
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... Is there anything I can do to help?
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[even if she's stahn's friend... they just met, that would be committing to something big pretty fast, especially before hearing the whole story.]
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[ MOMS ARE FIERCE. ]
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Like... a son?
[that doesn't sound right at all!]
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[ ... and yet here they are. ]
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[kyle, that is not the point here at all.]
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[ ... don't think too hard on it, Kyle. ]
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[just like dad, truly.]
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[harold and judas could definitely explain the situation a lot better than kyle. but still.]
I don't think anyone can say no, if that's something you want to do. It's pretty dangerous, though!
[not to judge a book by any covers, he just has no idea about what her capabilities are.]
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[ This isn't even an exaggeration, for as calmly as she says it. ]
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[that's obviously the first place his mind goes with this.]
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[ Except when she's not and then god help the demons-- ]
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[that's pretty indispensible—reala, loni and harold all have healing spells, but they're all really strong offensively too, so. that's pretty impressive to kyle.]
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he's got this one.]
Are you a doctor or something?
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[ She gets called this a lot. ]
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[kyle, why would you be able to tell from looking at her?]
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