maskormenacelogs | [OPEN] The Sun, It Has Passed

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[OPEN] The Sun, It Has Passed

WHO: Leo and OPEN
WHERE: Maurtia Falls and the Royal Raceway Track
WHEN: ????Mid-March sometime
WHAT: Local Boy Only Likes Horses
WARNINGS: talking about sad war-torn past and his family deaths

1. Maurtia Falls

[Leo was just on his way to work, but he had attracted a crowd. Maybe it had to do with dressing like a prince, despite this being his 'dressed down' outfit, and the fact that he was riding a somewhat translucent horse he'd made of magic. He just wasn't very comfortable with the vehicles yet, and horses have never done him wrong.

He was very much in distress though, with the crowd blocking his way and making it actually rather difficult to navigate. So he was stopped, his face red with embarrassment as a number of them took pictures with their phones. His blushing wAS DOING THE OPPOSITE OF HELPING. People who have met him here might actually worry that he was going ot use his magic to shove everyone away, but... he seemed to be just letting this happen. Brynhildr was in a messenger bag slung over his shoulder and across his chest, so he still had the ability to, he just... wasn't. This wasn't a threat after all, it was just an annoyance and a hindrance.

The first imPort he notices would get a pleading look from the young king before he silently mouths 'Help me!']

2. Royal Raceway Track

[This job was fine for Leo. It was more than fine for him, it was perfect. Or, it would be perfect, if not for the fact that his elder brother Xander was the one who actually taught him to care for horses, and the fact that Xander had died, and the fact that Leo had not dealt with that in the least yet.

He had managed it alright for a good portion of his shift, having mostly kept up with grooming the horses stabled there, and cleaning the stables. One might not expect a young king like Leo to be alright with such menial labor, but he relished in it. He had taken care of his own horse in Nohr, and it was one of the things he truly had come to love, messy as it could be, but as he was making his way back to the stables after getting another two buckets of soapy water, Leo trips over a pebble, spilling the buckets and ending up on his hands and knees, and it's enough.

You know when you've been stressed out for a long time, and have been holding it all in, and it just has been steadily building, and then a small thing happens that just breaks that wall you've built? That was what happened with spilling those buckets. It was easy to replace the soapy water, to get up off of his knees and get back to work, but he couldn't, instead sitting down there in the dirt and sniffling as he tried to hold back tears.]

Why... Xander was always better than me. Why was I left...?

[He wiped at his face with his loose sleeve, but he wasn't doing a good job holding it together.]

Everyone always loved you more, brother... You should have been...

[OOC: I'm good with prose or brackets! You reply and I'll match :>]

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[this is not the sight Lucina had expected to find. having flown in after spending time with Iris in De Chima, she had hoped to come and share one of those coffee creations her friend has an ability to conjure up. it’s what’s in-hand as she wanders in, having been directed by one of the other employees about outside.

she’s just missed the stumble that’s led to this sad state, but it’s easy to assume slumped in the dirt like so is far from normal. as is the faint sounds she can pick up, feeling a pang of alarm, having walked in on something she bets she wasn’t meant to see.

instead of turning on her heel and leaving, tough, she sets the drink down just shy of the entryway and steps over, stopping a couple yards shy before slowly coming to crouch at his level.]

...Leo. Hey. [her tone is subdued and a little uncertain, because there’s nothing certain about this.]

[Lucina had caught him at a bad time, but not bad enough for him to recoil. Or maybe too bad to recoil. There was no hiding how he'd been sitting in the dirt, and he didn't attempt to wipe away the tears on his face as he looked to her.

He had expended all of his effort to keep from sobbing as it was.]

L-Lucina... [He sniffed, only then going to wipe at his face.]

I'm sorry.

[gods, seeing such a stricken, mournful look on his face makes Lucina’s own expression cloud over with concern and her heart squeeze with sympathy. she doesn’t know why he’s in such a state, but she doesn’t need to know to want to comfort him.

ever the kind of person to speak through actions over words, she shakes her head and scoots toward him, ignorant to the soapy mess at her knees. she draws over, hovering a hand between his arm and his face to bid him stop.]

Here. Let me. Please? [all he’s doing is smearing dirt with that sleeve. she tugs at her own shirt’s cuff to pull it out from under her coat, making clear her intention before bringing it carefully to one side of his face, her other hand hovering just shy of the other side to keep him from turning away.]

Did you hurt yourself?

[Leo shakes his head a little at the question, though it is somewhat hard to do so with her hand there, steadying his head. It was weird to have someone wiping at his face for him, no one had ever really... done that before. Well, perhaps Camilla when he was very small, and right now a majority of him felt very small.]

N-no I'm... I'm okay. [He was okay physically, anyway. He'd tripped and it hurt a little to catch himself, but he was hardly bleeding or anything over it.]

I just. I miss my brother... [Sure, to someone else it might seem weird for him to be getting emotional about that right now, but he had been keeping it in for a long time. And taking care of horses had triggered happier memories, which OF COURSE led to. This.]

... [oh, Leo. if anyone can empathize with missing family, Lucina can. it's not even a matter of knowing Xander's dreadful fate, either. though...she does have a tendency to expect the worst in such regards. considering such a dramatic state Leo's in, too...

her hands linger for a beat before withdrawing back to herself, her eyes still scanning his face. she shifts, standing back up, holding his hands out for him, intending to offer help up.]

Here. Come get out of the dirt.

[There was a large, self-hating part of Leo who wanted to insist that he should just stay in the dirt here. He didn't even know if he had the energy to pick himself up and continue on, having finally released that burden he had been carrying.

And yet here he was, looking like a fool, like a stubborn child in front of Lucina. He was embarrassed, and there was no denying that, so... best to save some face by not being a complete mess and going to get up, right?

With a last sniffle as he tries to compose himself, he reaches out for her hands, thankful for the assistance in getting to his feet.]

I'm s-sorry you had to... see me like this.

[It was quite unbecoming of him. And he certainly didn't want to burden her this way, either.]

[she hoists him up, her hold coming to grip him by the wrists for a better means to stabilize him should he wobble too much up on his feet. when she's sure he's quite steady and she's seen he's truly not harmed (there's no saving those trousers, though), she releases him, her hands hovering for a beat longer before folding in front of her.

at his apology, she simply shakes her head, giving a soft mm-mn sound in reply. she'd hardly hold something like this against him, especially since she knows him to not be for these kinds of dramatics. lashing out in jealousy or annoyance? yes. yes, she's seen that. impatience with traffic? that, too. but...this is a different sort, and while she's still learning to read him, she can at least be sure this is hardly something to scoff at.

I just miss my brother, he'd said.]

...You needn't speak to me of it, if you would rather not. [her eyes flicker down at that for a moment, before looking back up, searching.] But...would you feel better to? I will listen.

[Leo doesn't know if it'd make him feel better to talk about. He only ever told Odin what happened, and he couldn't be sure it helped, but clearly the holding it all in wasn't.

Leo seems to search inside of himself at the offer, his mouth moving but not opening as he seemed to chew on his words.]

...I- Ah. Before I came here, I was crowned king. But I... I am the youngest son of my late father.

[He wasn't sure he should bother her with this. Shouldn't be a burden. He was the king of Nohr now, he was the one to carry burdens, right?]

My older brother and one of my sisters engaged in a duel, after she claimed that something dark had overtaken our father. I had investigated it, and it seemed the claim was true, but I still could not take up arms against my father, my brother, my country.

[His breathing was shaky and he sniffled, trying to keep himself cool. It was in the past now, it was okay. He was okay now. He was Not Okay.]

During the duel, my younger sister tried to intervene... and she perished for it. Soon after, my brother would also share her fate.

He was meant to be king, not me. I'm no good for it.

[dread gnaws at her right at the youngest son, already knowing where this is leading. but she doesn't stop him, because she did offer, and, admittedly, she wants to understand him better. and that of course comes with the bad.

she has to fight the want to grasp at an arm or a hand to comfort, feeling as though doing so would only upset or destabilize him more. but...but the look on his face, and the way his voice shakes between breaths is breaking her heart.]

Gods... [she smothers her horror at the revelation of his family's slaughter. it's terrible. she knows the pain of loss, yes, but...hers didn't die to the hands of her own kin.

her eyes well up, and before he can finish uttering I'm no good for it, she catches him by his shoulders and yanks him into a tight embrace.]

[He gives a hiccup in surprise as he's pulled into the embrace, his posture stiffening but he doesn't fight it. It was still very unusual for him to get such shows of affection, but since he also lets out a sob and so he can't even bring himself to argue it. He missed them so much, and god he didn't feel like he was ready to rule a country.

Taking care of horses, he could do, but just not in this state.]

I... want to go home.......

....if that's okay.

Of course. [that's her cue to let go; she hesitates a moment before she does, squeezing a bit harder just before letting go and holding him out at arm's length. unfortunately, grief such as this is not the sort one can just hug away -- she knows that too well herself.

part of her wants to chastise him for not opening up sooner, but really? it's none of her business. perhaps this was the best way he knew to keep his head up and eyes forward, but...it does explain some of those moments she's caught him in his brooding solitude with those faraway, melancholy looks. that same part of her would chastise herself for not being more keenly attuned to it beforehand.

but not right now.]

Come, then. Let's get back to the clock tower. [she releases him, turning to glance toward the stable exit.] Did you bus here? Or perhaps take a cab? [ah-- and she spies the forgotten drink she'd left on the ground nearby. after a moment of debate, she decides to fetch it, walking back to him with an uncertain look, eyes wincing at the sight of his unchecked misery.]

I...I'd brought you this. But if you've no appetite for it now, I completely understand. It's rather sweet-tasting, so it may sour your stomach...

[Sam had also been overwhelmed with the crowd and the intrusive people getting too close for comfort. His first couple of days in this world was an experience he wouldn't forget, but Sam was sympathetic towards anyone who was going through the same thing.

After being told about a library in Maurtia Falls, he didn't waste anytime in travelling via the Porter from De Chima and heading in the direction of the building, looking at the directions which Sam hastily scribbled down on a sheet of paper.

On his way to the library Sam came across a commotion on the street, catching Leo's gaze and the small plea for help. He doesn't know the young man but it didn't matter. Sam pushes through the crowd until he reaches Leo, offering him a smile.]

There you are! I've been looking all over for you. [Giving a look to suggest 'play along'.]

[Leo got the hint, nodding and dismissing his spectral steed, dropping to the ground to meet the man. He was PRETTY stressed out still, but he was going to play along at least until he could wriggle his way free.]

Ah, yes. I just... got a little caught up. My apologies.

[He was not great at pushing through the crowd, despite usually having a commanding presence. That, he suppossed, came with his armor, which he'd left at home because he hardly needed it to care for horses.]

I just... need to get out of this crowd.

No need to worry. These things happen.

[Sam assures him with a smile, glad that he was able to help.]

Yes, of course. Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go to or does it not matter?

[As he speaks, he puts himself between the crowd and Leo, occasionally giving them glares if they tried to push past him. Suffice to say, he's faced worse.]

[Leo nodded at that. What a nice guy... He couldn't help but feel indebted to the stranger for helping him out of that situation, it having been beyond his own abilities, so long as he was determined to do things peacefully.]

I'm... headed to the Royal Raceway Track. I was on my way to work, actually.

[He scratched at his head sheepishly. God, he felt so hopeless.]

Still not used to those metal carriages, but I guess I should have known riding about on my Phantom Steed would draw attention.

[He knows what a steed is, but Sam isn't sure what phantom has to do with it.]

If you lead the way to your place of employment I can walk alongside you. [And, because he has to ask:] What exactly is a 'phantom steed'?

[there is suddenly a very large robot in front of the crowd. riptide had been there in human form - hidden by the crowd - and had decided that he wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and-- oh! he knows that human. he draws a lot of attention almost immediately.]

Hey! [he says, waving. at the crowd in general.] Time to disperse, before I do it all for you!

...

By throwing you all myself! Rarrrgh!

[he makes an angry noise, which is enough to get most of the crowd moving on.]

[You know, someone should probably react with some amount of surprise and/or horror when a giant robot came out of nowhere and started threatening to throw people, but Leo was quite relieved. Thank the Gods. He breathed a sigh of relief when the crowd began to disperse.]

Th-thank you...

[He was embarassed to have been so thoroughly thrown off-guard by something as simple as a crowd, but you know he didn't actually have to deal with that at home, despite being crowned king. Nohr wasn't a country of people who were likely to flock to people they knew or who had caught their attention.]

I had not taken into account people with their metal 'cars' finding a horse so odd... Though perhaps I should have taken into account it's spectral state....... [Leo, Nohr's greatest tactician. Not such a great Sociologist.]

No prob.

[riptide crouches down, holding a hand out for leo.]

Lemme get you away from here, huh?

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[OPEN] The Sun, It Has Passed

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