001 ☀ Stahn Aileron, Otome Yanagiya

[majinken]

Comments

[majinken]

They're important to me. Them, everyone in this village—they're all I ever knew before I left.

[before he met dymlos, before his whole fate had changed—so those people are all precious to him.]

[mombastic]

I see... it does seem like a good community here. [ She might have gotten further if she'd just mentioned Stahn's name, even if she'd had no idea this town was even his home. Or that this world was. ]

[majinken]

It is... it definitely is. They're all like family to me in a way.

[he smiles warmly—it's pretty clear how much he cares for everyone, though maybe that's not surprising when it's stahn.]

[mombastic]

Then that's wonderful. You'll have to let me introduce myself to them later.

[ Immediate family first. That's a little bit easier. ]

[majinken]

I can! But I guess you should meet Gramps and Lilith before anyone else. Even if... everyone's going to be talking about us for a while...

[that sequence of events was enough to get the gossip mill turning.]

[mombastic]

... We'll work it out.

[ To his farm? Home? ]

[majinken]

Right.

[it'll work out.]

Let's go—my house isn't too far from here. [it's pretty much a stone's throw away, but he's happy to lead the way.]

[mombastic]

I'll follow your lead!

[ at a brisk walk, even! She can do this. ]

[majinken]

...I'm really glad you can see Leane now, Otome.

[he'll say as he walks; it's really just idle conversation to pass the time along the way—but it's not less true, of course.]

[mombastic]

I'm also glad! I know you've told me stories, but getting to see it for myself is amazing.

[ And it's such a cute place... ]

[majinken]

I did my best to explain it before, but... I guess it's a little different if you can see it for yourself.

[it really is a quintessential farm village, quiet and peaceful—the air is warm even as the breeze comes off from the nearby coast, and the outline of mountains wrapped in a fog can be seen in the distance outside the town.]

How long has it been for you, anyway? Since... then.

[mombastic]

Mm... almost a year?

[ It's hard to imagine. She's still riveted by the sight of the distant mountains... it's so much more peaceful than Osaka. ]

[majinken]

So it's been that long for you too, huh...

[it doesn't feel like that long, if only because he was still dealing with his journey when he returned, and then spend some time elsewhere to help in some rebuilding efforts—it's been a bit of time, though, and stahn realizes it.

it's hard to tell from leane that the world had been through a terrible crisis, being so secluded, the worst of it really avoided the village almost entirely.]

[mombastic]

Yes... we had to help protect our world and figure out a way to keep administrators from interfering with humanity ever again.

[ The usual. ]

[majinken]

...Did it all work out?

[the important questions, naturally.] That sounds really serious!

[obviously, stahn.]

[mombastic]

It was, but we pulled through! Everything's back to normal now, for good.

[ Whatever that means. ]

[majinken]

That's good... I'm really glad to hear it!

[sincerely, because he wants otome to be able to live peacefully and happily too, after all.

but first.]

There it is, right over that way! [he'll point out the house that he calls his, which has a pretty sizable pasture on the other side of it.

truly a country boy from the farm, just as advertised.]

[mombastic]

Oh--! What a big field!

[ Otome has never been on a farm, so she might look a bit like a starstruck tourist. ]

[majinken]

Eh? Oh... mm! The pasture is out that way, that's where the sheep are.

[he'll say it with a grin—her expression, honestly, is similar to how he felt the first time he saw the flashing lights in cerealia, all the neon signs and the buzzing sounds.

of course, to him that is a lot more remarkable than a farm, but he supposes someone from a city would feel the other way about it...]

[mombastic]

You'll be sure to let me pet them, won't you?

[ Look... she wants to see if they're as soft and fluffy as she's heard. This is very important. ]

[majinken]

Mm, of course! They're all really friendly, they'll like the attention a lot.

[they're very, very fluffy, otome.]

[mombastic]

If only our sheep demons were like that...

[ They'd been a lot more fussy. But she's properly excited now for actual sheep petting-- after meeting the family, of course. ]

[majinken]

Well... I guess that's why they're demons and not regular sheep, right?

[just sayin'. he thinks that probably makes sense. but alas, what does stahn know about sheep demons?]

[mombastic]

Some of the snake and cat demons do act more like their animal counterparts, so it's hard to say sometimes. But all the same, I'll be happy to meet your entire family, sheep included.

[majinken]

Huh...

[even after all this time, he obviously doesn't really get some of this demon stuff. so maybe it's better that she's shifted the focus to what's more important.]

Come on! Let's go inside... I'll introduce you to Gramps and Lilith, and then we can go see the sheep and talk some more. [because he does think they have a lot to catch up on, of course.]