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]

Unfortunately, Vanessa wouldn't have her wish granted. While Noel had decided to leave Leo alone to wallow in his sorrow, that didn't stop her from trailing him carefully. After all, having him wandering around in that state would attract some trouble... And she really didn't want him to get hurt. Unfortunately, for an unmotivated, thoroughly traumatized boy, it was rather easy for her to lose sight of him.

She heard some all-too-familiar yelling from a distance, and her worries started to become a reality when she follows its source. Leo running into Vanessa was one of the things she didn't want to happen right now, but of course... anything she didn't want to happen will always happen. Wasting no time, her pace increases to a swift dash, and she approaches Vanessa from behind, just in time to grab her by the waist and offending wrist, then pulled her away.

"Vanessa, no!" This was no time for formalities. She narrowly stopped Vanessa from killing Leo! Any second longer and he would've--- Though Bolverk's influence was slowly

[disruptstatice]

The only thing Leo thinks as he listens to Vanessa yell is that he can't look at her, definitely can't. Because that would push it too far, if she's really going to...

Maybe it's really stupid of him to just not do anything, but he can't, he just... can't. While something like fear does twist in his throat, it's not something he lingers on because... it doesn't matter. He doesn't have the energy to fight back and she's right in every way, every word she says.

He does deserve it, for doing something like that to his most precious person.

But before a blow can actually come, he hears Noel (didn't she leave to somewhere else?) and he dares a peak through his bangs. Ah--

Oh.

[stfuelly]

In a way, she's not surprised that he's remaining in place, as though he understands that this is what he deserves. She'd promised him back then that this was exactly what he'd get if he ever let anything bad happen to her brother, and he'd run off, pretending to be the hero. But he is, as she always knew him to be, a completely useless servant on her house. She and her brothers had warned Elliot - warned him - that this child was no good for him and wasn't fit for the task, but he'd insisted...

I should have been more forceful! He didn't understand!

She gasps as she's grabbed, however, and at first doesn't fight back at all. It's unexpected, after all. But once she realizes that she's being kept from her task, she screams loudly and flails her arms and legs, trying to catch Noel in the face or shins.

"Don't touch me! Let me go! Don't - don't get in the way of this!"

[unsureazure]

Noel could imagine how losing a family member might feel. The family that had adopted her meant the world to her, and if something were to happen to them... Still, Vanessa's actions were far too much, far too inexcusable. The familiar wave of calmness and efficiency flows through Noel's brain. Distress was gone. Hesitation was gone. Vanessa's flailing almost became like a fly trying to escape a pool of molasses in Noel's eyes.

In an nearly mechanical manner, she shifts her position to avoid being hit, each movement not causing her to lose her hold on the raging woman. Then, in one swift motion, Noel uses her momentum to pin Vanessa to the ground, adamant about not letting her budge.

"Vanessa... Listen to me," her voice was unwavering, a bold contrast to how she usually speaks. "Killing him won't bring Elliot back. You know that."

Noel heard. She heard everything. It was no wonder that Leo couldn't bring himself to tell her. Even with her Nox Nyctores suppressing her emotions, the truth still hurt. Noel couldn't imagine how much

[disruptstatice]

Nothing will bring Elliot back, nothing nothing, not really, and it's all because of Leo that he won't.

Really, he's fine with being killed.

But perhaps he shouldn't let himself. When thinking about it, wouldn't that make Elliot really angry, if he knew? Even if he's gone, it's still... And he wouldn't want his sister to do something like that, would he?

Besides... isn't that what made him kill people in the first place?

Leo swallows.

To protect... him, right? But that... that only makes it worse, really. It would never have happened if he just wasn't in Elliot's life in the first place. He knew his darkness was bad, knew it, and yet he happily accepted Elliot's light. Why is he so stupid?

[stfuelly]

Despite her obviously superior strength, Vanessa still does her best to struggle. A Nightray would never give in so easily, even when met with someone who was their better. Their pride would never let them give up, even here where her name and status meant absolutely nothing. She cries out again, grinding her shoulders into the ground to try and gain leverage to sit up.

"He deserves to die for what he's done! Elliot--! He let Elliot die! Useless piece of scum, he needs to die for that!"

This post has been ruined by the letter T :|

[unsureazure]

Feeling Vanessa's resistance to being pinned down, she increases her strength in pushing the woman back on the ground. Ugh, this was starring to become a bigger mess than it already was? Why did it have to all accumulate to Elliot's sister trying to kill his best friend, with said best friend practically letting her? Briefly, Noel was reminded of those lectures about self-sacrifice, and how he hated such a concept. And these people, who were supposedly closest to Elliot, were just trampling all over his beliefs. The beliefs of one of the greatest friend she had. The beliefs of the first person she fell in love with.

Noel gritted her teeth. These people. Thesepeoplethesepeoplethesepeople. Why did they have to be such idiots?! The cool flow that used to ebb within her brain at these times began to stiffen and crack. What was this feeling that could break Bolverk's control on her emotions? Noel figured it out. Ah, yes. This was... anger. It was one of the rare occassions that Noel lost her almost infinite patience.

"Do you think

*Doesn't get it, but okay* |D

[disruptstatice]

The glare that he can barely see through his hair startles him, because he has never seen Noel... angry? It's a bit like that, along with her words, make something snap, tug him back down a little.

He did think he deserved that, but the part about Elliot, that stings and tears, makes something flash as well. Images, memories, of Elliot holding a blond boy, Oz, pressed to the wall and lecturing him for being self-sacrificial. And he can remember what Elliot said back then clearly.

"You know, you don't have a single clue about the pain of the people left behind!"

"People who think so lightly of their own lives, DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT ANYONE!"

"People who think so lightly of their own lives...!"

He has always tended to think that Elliot is just a bit of a hotheaded idiot and exaggerates things a little, when he starts going off like that. It's not that he doesn't take Elliot seriously, it's just...

He has never really thought of those words, of how he, in reality, is kind of like what pissed Elliot off about Oz. Looking at

[stfuelly]

He wouldn't forgive you.

No, Vanessa is well aware of just how attached Elliot was to this boy. How he'd denied even his father's request early on to find a new servant to stay at his side after he'd put it off for so long. How afterwards, Ernest and Claude had both attempted to find a way to do away with the child so that Elliot could have a capable servant - a lesser nobleman who understood what it was to protect and care for another human being rather than an orphaned fool who didn't understand dedication to a family the way that the Nightrays did. A person who could always value their master above themselves. How could this boy understand how important that was? Understand their status?

He never did, and, in Vanessa's opinion, doesn't now. Or else he would gladly insist on giving his life to repent for his misdeeds.

But Noel is right. She knows that Elliot wouldn't forgive her for killing him. Her little brother has always been more forgiving, understanding and kind than the rest of her brothers. He had been the only one to

[unsureazure]

Noel did not expect the wave of silence that resulted from her outburst. If anything, when she came to her senses, she thought that it would've made things worse. Vanessa had stopped struggling, so after a few moments of confirmation, Noel released her hold on the woman and got off her. After she stood up, she made the motion to brush the dirt off her skirt in reflex, though it really did nothing with all the mud and grime she had been exposed to during work. Her lowered gaze went from Vanessa, then to Leo. After that, up towards the sky. A vast blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds, almost cushioning their Queen, the Sun. It was a beautiful sky. And at this moment, the fact it was beautiful made it the most ugly sight Noel had seen in her life. Elliot was dead. But the world kept going.

She pulls in a small, but deep breath.

"... This isn't what Elliot would want," she felt weary... All this stress was taking a toll on her. "If you both really are close to him, then please... Respect his beliefs."

[disruptstatice]

Respect Elliot's beliefs...

Leo wants to, he really wants to, but it's so... so hard. He can't just settle into something like that, he can't, and he doesn't feel like he has any real right to follow the beliefs of someone he has ruined, led to his death.

Elliot would surely not like that either.

He lowers his head, swallows. Still, he knows one thing he can do; not die. He can do that. So he nods, lightly, but doesn't move otherwise.]

[stfuelly]

It takes her another moment before she sits up and then rises to her feet, legs shaking slightly from the adrenaline starting to wear off. As angry, depressed and hurt as she is, she only glares at Leo's head, her hands still twitching to rip it from his body in retribution for her fallen brothers and for herself, but she doesn't step towards him again.

"Neither of you...neither of you should be allowed to even attempt to understand the beliefs that Elliot upheld," she spits, shaking her head as she turns to leave. She's not sure that she'll be able to cry openly and genuinely for her brother right now, but if she does, she doesn't want to have these pathetic idiots see her.