[leane is a small village, located at the north crest of fitzgald—a continent filled mostly with farmland and now-abandoned mines that the oberon corporation once used to mine lens for their business.
there isn't much in the way of population; noischtat is the big city at the southern tip of the continent. aside from some assorted places throughout the continent, there's little else but leane, which is also a farming village. on most days, he can be found tending to the sheep on the pasture that lies around his home. today, though, he's headed to the center of town at lilith's request to pick up ingredients for that night's dinner. he greets the other villagers brightly—but it's hard to miss the whisperings that come when they pass about how he still seems to melancholic even though he's a world-renowned hero that's saved the world.
(but maybe that comes with missing so many people that are dear to you, and wondering if you'll ever have a way to see them again.)]
[ He sure will! And by that, we mean that Otome actually doesn't have any idea what happened-- she'd just settled down enough in her own world, starting to co-host lectures at universities with Fumi, and then she'd... merely woken up here.
In an entirely unfamiliar place yet again, with faces she can't yet place, and no demons to summon because all of that is finally over. So for now, she's trying to learn more about where she's woken up in, and Stahn in his pursuit of ingredients, may see a blonde lady in a white coat gently turning down an offer to buy apples.
[she's not the only one without her abilities—dymlos is not longer at his waist, after all. but that's neither here nor there.
what is though is the whispers of an unfamiliar face in the town, and though the descriptions don't seem to connect, there is a bit of a curiosity that accompanies it—they don't get visitors to leane too often, after all. so as he passes through, he'll peer over—
and when he sees the person refusing the apples, his arms go dead... sorry lilith, your grocery list is going to be taken away by the breeze.]
It can't be...
[he murmurs quietly, but... of course it can be. because stahn couldn't possibly not recognize that woman. everything about her is etched into his memory. so he edges closer, and when he's close enough:]
[ She didn't expect to hear her name, and the look of surprise on her face is all too genuine when she turns around and spots him. But from there, the surprise turns to sincere shock when recognition settles in.
Otome had never once thought it was a dream. How could she? Leon, Stahn, the others... they were all too vivid, and a day had never gone by that she didn't think about them and have to press a hand to her chest to suppress a surge of loneliness. Finding family in another place, only to lose it when returning to her own time and place-- she ought to be used to that by now, but it had still hurt.
But-- ]
Stahn...
[ She breathes his name now, and blinks back tears. It's... him. He's here. ]
[he'd missed her every single day. every day, even through the rest of his journey, even when facing the end of the world, and especially in the nights where he lay awake, thinking back on experiences nobody else could remember—leon wasn't even around anymore for him to confirm it with—he remembered and thought of otome.
she wasn't just a friend, she was family, and no matter how strange and distant those things seemed, they were a part of him.
so seeing her now, seeing her in front of him... it's so shocking, but so relieving at the same time.
and while she may be blinking back tears, stahn isn't. he can feel his throat closing, he can feel the sting at his eyes—but he doesn't push them back. instead, he just presses forward, abruptly hugging her even though other people are watching.
awkward. probably.
but his head dips and he sucks in a breath, and all he can really say to her is the thing he's most curious to know.]
How...? [how is she here? he knows... he knows it's her. he knows this is real, she's someone he can feel in his grasp, and everything from her tone to her expression confirmed that this was the very same person he'd been missing all this time.]
[ Oh. She has just enough time to see his expression crumple before he's rushing forward, and even if Otome's knees almost buckle from the sudden embrace, she's just as quick to wrap her arms around him. Stahn is still family, and this is still so familiar, that before she realizes it, she's moving a hand up to stroke his hair and press it gently against his head. ]
... I don't know. [ softly, and honestly-- has he grown? Has she shrunk? It feels as though he's taller than she remembers, but it's certainly been a while. ] It's something I'll have to figure out.
But I'm here.
[ And she's not willing to let him go anytime soon. ]
[things have definitely changed a bit, though it won't be as easy for her to tell until they get past the initial shock of things.
he's not willing to let go either yet though, the murmurs from others something that falls so completely deaf on him right now; it's almost like nobody else is there, like he's forgotten just where they are.]
I'm glad. I thought... I wouldn't see you again. [there's a lot to figure out, like how she got here and why, and what to do because she's obviously not supposed to be there, in his world like this. but he can't be worried about those things when otome is right here, right now.]
[ Otome says it gently, because she'd thought the same, for as much as she'd scolded herself for thinking that maybe this was truly it. She'd never see anyone again. But she's survived (sort of) three world resets, and seen some pretty impossible things in her rather young lifetime. Arriving in a different world, Stahn's home-- it probably hadn't been entirely implausible, and she draws back a little to look at him. ]
But Stahn, we're family. I could never abandon you completely.
[when she draws back, it'll be easy for her to notice a couple of things right off the bat. the first is obviously that he's a bit teary-eyed, even still.
but despite that, there's a small smile on his lips, and he looks very obviously less broken down and tired than he had in the past.]
I know... You're not that kind of person at all. Family... is always family, no matter how far apart we are.
[ And because Otome is still very much a mother-type, she's pulling a handkerchief out of her coat pocket to get to work delicately dabbing at Stahn's eyes. ]
I may not know how I got here, but I'm glad I was able to see you again. It's been far too long, hasn't it?
[ It's really just an innocent question, if the way Otome words it and how lightly she speaks are any indication. But she's had some time to think about it, and of course she already knows how Leon feels on the matter, so at some point where she and Leon are visiting or vice-versa and Leon is off being studiously grumpy somewhere...
It's the perfect time to bring it up. ]
Stahn... you made a promise with Leon, didn't you?
[well... it's definitely not the question he was expecting to get from otome so suddenly.
but all the same, he's not entirely surprised that leon would have told her at some point what had happened between them. leon may be pretty secretive—but otome has a way of pulling things out of both of them that is pretty unmatched.
still, there's not much reason stahn can think that it needs to be brought up. he made a promise, and he kept it. it was something he believed staunchly in, and something he knew leon was counting on too. but what's done is done, so... he definitely seems to be a bit puzzled by the sudden inquiry, even if stahn remains pretty nonchalant about it otherwise.]
Mm... [though he's not really sure what to say.] Is... there something wrong with that?
[he's not really consciously thinking he disappointed her somehow in doing so, but his confusion about why she's bringing it up is apparent.]
[ She wasn't ever about to turn her nose up at any promise, let alone a promise that these two had made with each other. So Otome says this with a reassuring smile, because the last thing she wants Stahn concerned about is that she's somehow troubled by it. ]
It was just a little surprising to hear that you'd kissed.
he should have expected that she'd bring that part up (though admittedly—he's not sure he expected that leon would actually tell otome that much). but he doesn't, and it's—
well, it's embarrassing enough that his cheeks flush a bit. his hand shifts a bit to ruffles his hair, and he'll admit the other part of this to her.]
I was pretty surprised too. I— I didn't think I would do something like that either. [which is true. he'd wanted to convey the feelings he'd come to understand to leon before it was too late, but stahn tripped over his words so much that actions were the only way to really make leon understand him.] It felt right though, like I needed to.
Mm, well... I can't say I'm too surprised. [ beyond the initial "come again", anyway. ] You two were practically joined at the hip.
[ When Leon got more honest about things, anyway, and even when he wasn't... it wasn't difficult to tell that he'd cared a great deal about Stahn and his well-being. ]
And I imagine if words weren't enough, there are other ways to express what you're feeling. [ Like locking lips, yes. ] I don't think the way you follow through on impulse is wrong, Stahn.
[leave it to otome to be completely understanding of how he feels and why he feels that way. and leave it to her, of course, to say he wasn't wrong for what he did.
...and maybe that she wasn't surprised.
in retrospect, it was pretty obvious, wasn't it? stahn needed until things were really down to the wire to understand what his heart wanted above all else... but the signs had been there. he cared about leon in ways other people couldn't ever really understand. their friendship, their relationship—it was very unique.]
I'm... not so good with words a lot of the time. But I wanted—I needed Leon to know that. If I left without him knowing it... I think I really would have regretted it.
[and he doesn't want to live with any more regrets. he'd had enough about not being able to do more for leon, both at home and in cerealia, so of course...
he had to follow his heart.] ...He never got mad about it.
[about the kiss. about the display of his feelings or his intent. so to stahn, that meant that his decision had to have been the best one.]
Leon would be the first to let you know if he didn't approve of something.
[ He'd never been shy about stating his dislike of anything (even if that dislike wasn't true), so that he had even told Otome about it in the first place was the first sign that Leon hadn't been against it-- and that it was something he felt he could be honest about). ]
He was taking your promise very seriously, too. He may not admit this much, but he really was doing his best-- well, he's still doing his best, but whatever happens from here on out... I'll be your ally. [ Which probably also isn't surprising, but Otome still feels like it's worth saying. ]
[he's glad he can always count on mom for support. of course, in the past... a lot of her support had been over things that were difficult and painful, and stahn is eternally grateful for everything she did for him.
because he may not have been able to fight so hard for leon's survival, or confess his feelings, or dig up strength when things were really bad at home without remembering all she'd done for him. it matters, it all matters.
just as it matters to hear that leon has been taking it seriously. they've both been doing their best... so it'll be okay.]
Thanks, Otome. [sincerely.] I think we'll be okay now. We still have things to work out, but... it's better now.
Mm, I agree. [ And she can't help it, she's just going to reach out and stroke Stahn's head. Or try, although it's not too impressive with how she actually does have to reach a bit. But it's motherly instincts at work; she can't not have that sort of contact with him. ]
The two of you are strong, after all. And you've only grown since the last time I saw you.
[as ever, stahn still dips his head in order to give otome that leeway.]
A lot happened... and I guess a lot changed too. For all of us.
[it's not like stahn's the only one who has grown and changed, even if it's probably more obvious in how he lacks a certain naivete than before, or how his sunshine is still a bit more muted than it was when they first met.
(of course, his spirits are a lot better than they were towards the end of their time in cerealia, but he still isn't totally recovered from that and all that happened in the latter half of his journey back home.)]
You're not wrong. [ said very ruefully, because honestly, that's true. A lot's happened since she said goodbye to Stahn, battles unlike anything she's ever had to fought before, for all that the world seems entirely peaceful now. Otome herself doesn't seem to have changed, or at least not in entirely obvious ways. ]
Are you all right, though? Did you get a chance to express things?
[he nods, and nothing seems particularly hidden or dishonest about his response. he's definitely come a long way since cerealia—he's had a lot of time to think and recover. he can handle situations a bit more healthily because he has more support, and that makes this all much easier for stahn.]
Yeah... I mean, I think so. It's still kind of hard sometimes, but I'm doing my best. [he's just not always good at expressing all the things in a way that's conducive to being understood.]
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reunion;
there isn't much in the way of population; noischtat is the big city at the southern tip of the continent. aside from some assorted places throughout the continent, there's little else but leane, which is also a farming village. on most days, he can be found tending to the sheep on the pasture that lies around his home. today, though, he's headed to the center of town at lilith's request to pick up ingredients for that night's dinner. he greets the other villagers brightly—but it's hard to miss the whisperings that come when they pass about how he still seems to melancholic even though he's a world-renowned hero that's saved the world.
(but maybe that comes with missing so many people that are dear to you, and wondering if you'll ever have a way to see them again.)]
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In an entirely unfamiliar place yet again, with faces she can't yet place, and no demons to summon because all of that is finally over. So for now, she's trying to learn more about where she's woken up in, and Stahn in his pursuit of ingredients, may see a blonde lady in a white coat gently turning down an offer to buy apples.
Some things never change. ]
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what is though is the whispers of an unfamiliar face in the town, and though the descriptions don't seem to connect, there is a bit of a curiosity that accompanies it—they don't get visitors to leane too often, after all. so as he passes through, he'll peer over—
and when he sees the person refusing the apples, his arms go dead... sorry lilith, your grocery list is going to be taken away by the breeze.]
It can't be...
[he murmurs quietly, but... of course it can be. because stahn couldn't possibly not recognize that woman. everything about her is etched into his memory. so he edges closer, and when he's close enough:]
Otome...
Is that, is it really you?
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Otome had never once thought it was a dream. How could she? Leon, Stahn, the others... they were all too vivid, and a day had never gone by that she didn't think about them and have to press a hand to her chest to suppress a surge of loneliness. Finding family in another place, only to lose it when returning to her own time and place-- she ought to be used to that by now, but it had still hurt.
But-- ]
Stahn...
[ She breathes his name now, and blinks back tears. It's... him. He's here. ]
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she wasn't just a friend, she was family, and no matter how strange and distant those things seemed, they were a part of him.
so seeing her now, seeing her in front of him... it's so shocking, but so relieving at the same time.
and while she may be blinking back tears, stahn isn't. he can feel his throat closing, he can feel the sting at his eyes—but he doesn't push them back. instead, he just presses forward, abruptly hugging her even though other people are watching.
awkward. probably.
but his head dips and he sucks in a breath, and all he can really say to her is the thing he's most curious to know.]
How...? [how is she here? he knows... he knows it's her. he knows this is real, she's someone he can feel in his grasp, and everything from her tone to her expression confirmed that this was the very same person he'd been missing all this time.]
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... I don't know. [ softly, and honestly-- has he grown? Has she shrunk? It feels as though he's taller than she remembers, but it's certainly been a while. ] It's something I'll have to figure out.
But I'm here.
[ And she's not willing to let him go anytime soon. ]
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he's not willing to let go either yet though, the murmurs from others something that falls so completely deaf on him right now; it's almost like nobody else is there, like he's forgotten just where they are.]
I'm glad. I thought... I wouldn't see you again. [there's a lot to figure out, like how she got here and why, and what to do because she's obviously not supposed to be there, in his world like this. but he can't be worried about those things when otome is right here, right now.]
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[ Otome says it gently, because she'd thought the same, for as much as she'd scolded herself for thinking that maybe this was truly it. She'd never see anyone again. But she's survived (sort of) three world resets, and seen some pretty impossible things in her rather young lifetime. Arriving in a different world, Stahn's home-- it probably hadn't been entirely implausible, and she draws back a little to look at him. ]
But Stahn, we're family. I could never abandon you completely.
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but despite that, there's a small smile on his lips, and he looks very obviously less broken down and tired than he had in the past.]
I know... You're not that kind of person at all. Family... is always family, no matter how far apart we are.
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[ And because Otome is still very much a mother-type, she's pulling a handkerchief out of her coat pocket to get to work delicately dabbing at Stahn's eyes. ]
I may not know how I got here, but I'm glad I was able to see you again. It's been far too long, hasn't it?
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Yeah... it's been a really long time. Close to a year, I think...
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[ He seems like more of an adult now, even if he's always been taller than her. ]
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[he sounds a little puzzled as he asks that, because... well, if he has, he sure hasn't noticed it.]
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...
...
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It's the perfect time to bring it up. ]
Stahn... you made a promise with Leon, didn't you?
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but all the same, he's not entirely surprised that leon would have told her at some point what had happened between them. leon may be pretty secretive—but otome has a way of pulling things out of both of them that is pretty unmatched.
still, there's not much reason stahn can think that it needs to be brought up. he made a promise, and he kept it. it was something he believed staunchly in, and something he knew leon was counting on too. but what's done is done, so... he definitely seems to be a bit puzzled by the sudden inquiry, even if stahn remains pretty nonchalant about it otherwise.]
Mm... [though he's not really sure what to say.] Is... there something wrong with that?
[he's not really consciously thinking he disappointed her somehow in doing so, but his confusion about why she's bringing it up is apparent.]
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[ She wasn't ever about to turn her nose up at any promise, let alone a promise that these two had made with each other. So Otome says this with a reassuring smile, because the last thing she wants Stahn concerned about is that she's somehow troubled by it. ]
It was just a little surprising to hear that you'd kissed.
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[yeah.
that.
he should have expected that she'd bring that part up (though admittedly—he's not sure he expected that leon would actually tell otome that much). but he doesn't, and it's—
well, it's embarrassing enough that his cheeks flush a bit. his hand shifts a bit to ruffles his hair, and he'll admit the other part of this to her.]
I was pretty surprised too. I— I didn't think I would do something like that either. [which is true. he'd wanted to convey the feelings he'd come to understand to leon before it was too late, but stahn tripped over his words so much that actions were the only way to really make leon understand him.] It felt right though, like I needed to.
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[ When Leon got more honest about things, anyway, and even when he wasn't... it wasn't difficult to tell that he'd cared a great deal about Stahn and his well-being. ]
And I imagine if words weren't enough, there are other ways to express what you're feeling. [ Like locking lips, yes. ] I don't think the way you follow through on impulse is wrong, Stahn.
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...and maybe that she wasn't surprised.
in retrospect, it was pretty obvious, wasn't it? stahn needed until things were really down to the wire to understand what his heart wanted above all else... but the signs had been there. he cared about leon in ways other people couldn't ever really understand. their friendship, their relationship—it was very unique.]
I'm... not so good with words a lot of the time. But I wanted—I needed Leon to know that. If I left without him knowing it... I think I really would have regretted it.
[and he doesn't want to live with any more regrets. he'd had enough about not being able to do more for leon, both at home and in cerealia, so of course...
he had to follow his heart.] ...He never got mad about it.
[about the kiss. about the display of his feelings or his intent. so to stahn, that meant that his decision had to have been the best one.]
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[ He'd never been shy about stating his dislike of anything (even if that dislike wasn't true), so that he had even told Otome about it in the first place was the first sign that Leon hadn't been against it-- and that it was something he felt he could be honest about). ]
He was taking your promise very seriously, too. He may not admit this much, but he really was doing his best-- well, he's still doing his best, but whatever happens from here on out... I'll be your ally. [ Which probably also isn't surprising, but Otome still feels like it's worth saying. ]
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because he may not have been able to fight so hard for leon's survival, or confess his feelings, or dig up strength when things were really bad at home without remembering all she'd done for him. it matters, it all matters.
just as it matters to hear that leon has been taking it seriously. they've both been doing their best... so it'll be okay.]
Thanks, Otome. [sincerely.] I think we'll be okay now. We still have things to work out, but... it's better now.
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The two of you are strong, after all. And you've only grown since the last time I saw you.
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A lot happened... and I guess a lot changed too. For all of us.
[it's not like stahn's the only one who has grown and changed, even if it's probably more obvious in how he lacks a certain naivete than before, or how his sunshine is still a bit more muted than it was when they first met.
(of course, his spirits are a lot better than they were towards the end of their time in cerealia, but he still isn't totally recovered from that and all that happened in the latter half of his journey back home.)]
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Are you all right, though? Did you get a chance to express things?
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Yeah... I mean, I think so. It's still kind of hard sometimes, but I'm doing my best. [he's just not always good at expressing all the things in a way that's conducive to being understood.]
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STARES INTO THE SKY, WHEN DID I LOSE THIS NOTIF
IT'S FINE
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