Leo ~ [004]

[disruptstatice]

Who: disruptstatice and Somarium
Where: Espoir village -> main city
Style: Either, but prose is love
Status: Opeeen
Note: He's from late PH canon and it's quite spoiler-y, so if you really care about that I'd suggest not tagging this.

Comments

[unsureazure]

The damage of the city was incredible, and its destruction was more severe than anything Noel had seen before. It had destroyed her apartment and the mansion that her close friends resided in. Until the city's rebuilding progresses enough, Noel and her friends were homeless. To make matters worse, four of those she considered friends had disappeared. It hurt, but she couldn't let it get to her. It was the nature of this place after all. If she kept longing for the past, she wouldn't be able to go forward into the future

[disruptstatice]

It took Leo a moment to register that someone had called out for him, and he only stopped when he could actually see Noel's shape blocking his way through the curtains of his hair. That voice... He knew that voice, quite well in fact. It was...

Noel. The girl who said she loved Elliot, as in like that. And he supposed he had come to consider her a friend, somewhere along the line. It was hard, to settle back into all of these memories.

Especially when he really just... didn't care.

"..Noel," he said, absently tugged a bit at the ends of his hair. "I..." He couldn't tell her-- "It's nothing to worry about. Somarium just... decided to take me back at a bad time."

And, really, it wasn't anything she should worry about now. After all, there was hardly anything she could do about what happened in their own world. She was better off not knowing of Elliot's fate, as long as it didn't reach her here.

[unsureazure]

Noel was surprised when heard her name. It had only occurred to her a few seconds after approaching him that he may not remember her. That was the case whenever someone she knew disappeared from Somarium and came back. That feeling of surprise was quickly gone, however... The frown on her face deepened when she heard his reply.

"H-How in the world can it be nothing to worry about?" Noel wasn't aware nor did she care that she may be prying too hard, she was far too concerned about Leo. "You're my friend... Of course I'll be worried!"

[disruptstatice]

..Noel might want to notice the blood on him, too, by the way. The mun totally forgot about that small detail.

Somehow, he managed a smile. "Thank you, but really. It's nothing."

Never mind that it was unnecessary to tell Noel; he didn't need to have her getting sad about it either. It was perfectly bad enough on its own. He wanted to be alone with it.

[unsureazure]

Noel wasn't the most attentive person, and it took her a moment to finally realize he was covered in blood. Fear and worry started to fill her mind. What had happened in their world?! All those dreams she saw, all the information she was given... None of it pointed to anything good.

Then she heard his words: It's nothing. That was a lie, and Noel knew it. Anyone could tell that smile was a fake. She kept herself from clenching her fists. Why? Why did he have to---

"... It's nothing?" Noel repeated in nearly a whisper, before grabbing him by the shoulders. "Leo, look at you! You're covered in blood! You're walking around like an empty shell! How can you smile and tell me it's nothing?!"

She was frustrated and her tears showed that. Frustrated that he didn't trust her enough to tell her what was wrong, and frustrated that she didn't do enough to gain his trust. Most of all, she was frustrated that even if she did know, they were separated by worlds and she ultimately could do nothing to help. Even then... She didn't want him to tell

[disruptstatice]

It wasn't a trust issue; if it was, Leo wouldn't have told her about everything he did.

Ah... He was rarely one to say it was nothing, such a blatant lie, when it was obvious it would be useless. But he had never been in a situation like this before and he... kind of forgot about the blood. Actually, he wasn't sure he actually knew it was on him..?

A pause. No use continuing to deny it then. "Don't cry over me, Noel," he said instead.

Really, don't. He wasn't worth crying over.

[unsureazure]

Useless. She felt so useless. Friends were supposed to help each other out, right? Yet here Noel was, merely a crying mess that had no idea what to do for Leo. She didn't even know she had the ability to. She was never good for anything, and she was aware of the fact. Yet, this place gave her some hope that one day, she could finally stop being an obstruction that stood in people's ways. Funny how a single incident could make that hope entirely dashed.

Maybe she really should just disappear. Like she's been told so many times.

"I'm sorry..." Noel manages to choke out an apology through her sobs. "Even if you tell me that, I can't..."

[disruptstatice]

If only they knew how alike they were in how they felt of themselves.

"Don't," he just said again, shrugged her hands off him. "Not for someone like me. It's best if you just stay away, Noel..."

Or his darkness will swallow you too.

[unsureazure]

It didn't make much for him to get out of Noel's hold, and her arms just fall limply to her sides. Her gaze lowers to the ground, her tears already staining its surface. Stay away from him? Why? She couldn't just leave it like this...

"I... can't..." Though she said that, it didn't seem that she was going to stop him from leaving. Even though she didn't want to, maybe it would be best to leave him alone for a while...

[disruptstatice]

"You have to."

Noel had been important to Elliot too, right? There was no way Leo was going to risk seriously hurting someone important to Elliot, never mind how he himself felt of them.

And he was going to begin stepping away, swallowing.