holy ✫ wish

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

He arches a brow at Colette’s apology. “There is no need for that,” Leon retorts while shaking his head. “You should not feel responsible if you had nothing to do with it.” That was correct, was it not? He had a very difficult time believing that Colette had anything to do with his current situation, even if he was, as a general rule of thumb, suspicious and mistrusting of strangers.

Alternatively, it was very difficult not to trust Colette.

Somehow, hearing his name echoed back by someone else eases his mind. At least he knew his name, and from there, he should be able to uncover his identity. In any case, it would have proven much harder to hunt down some clues without it. Worrying about things right now would do no good. So he takes another bite out of the bread, following Colette’s lead.

"That would be nice," he responds with a small nod. Exposing oneself to a variety of different surroundings was an effective way to trigger memories. And speaking of surroundings —

Leon takes another sip of his tea, dispelling any misconceptions Colette had about disliking tea. He may not remember it, but the drink that she offered him was, in fact, one of his favorites. Oddly enough, the warm concoction makes him feel safe, even with the unfamiliar surroundings. It tastes like home, whatever “home” was; typically, emotions were difficult to translate into words. And as though he cannot get enough of the feeling, he lifts the mug back to his lips and drains its entire contents.

… why was his vision blurring?

Unconsciously lacing her fingers together at the reproof, she looks down. "Oh... yes, you're right. I'm sorry." Unfortunately, Leon will come to realize that any admonitions about apologies will be lost on her; fortunately, he does seem to be the smart sort, and will probably also quickly learn to save his breath on the matter.

She's pleased that he seems receptive to being shown around; after all, having the will to take action is the first step to recovery. He also alleviates her previous worries regarding the tea as he takes another sip, and then another, until all that remains is residue. Smiling, she pushes her chair back to retrieve the tea kettle from the stove, holding it up brightly as she returns to face him. "Would you like mor -- L-Leon?" The kettle slips from her grip, but she hardly notices the dull thunk as it hits the wooden floor.

He's crying. Why is he crying? For a second, she wonders if maybe the tea really was terrible enough to warrant tears, and that he had only finished it to be polite, but rationality returns a moment later, and her heart suddenly aches. She isn't exactly sure why he's crying -- it could be stress from the entire day catching up with him; it could be relief that despite everything, he's safe; it could be the pain of forgetting who he is and what is important to him -- and while she hates seeing anyone unhappy, there's something about Leon's tears that particularly stings.

She crosses the distance and wraps both arms around him, lending her warmth to his back. She wants to speak, to reassure him, but no words come. How can she comfort him, how can she console him when even he doesn't know what's wrong?

Fighting tears, she places a hand gently upon his head and slowly begins to brush her fingers through his hair with rhythmic, even strokes. It isn't long before the sun sinks low enough for its fading light to wash through the window, and the faint red glow calls a familiar lullaby to mind. She hums the first few notes and softly begins to sing.

"Wind blows from far away Clouds follow, turning gray Time flows along with the light of day Flowers have yet to bloom Trees rest beneath the moon Dusk falls and covers the land

The setting sun paints our sky brilliant red Bidding us good night as it heads to bed I wonder if we will all see Sweet dreams when we go sleep peacefully

Birds fly through skies above Bugs hide beneath dry leaves Everyone is on their way home The first star twinkles so high up above Let us return hand-in-hand To the place our hearts call home."

#headcanon #meme #i'm sorry for taking so long!

glacialswept-blog

headcanon // fifteen associations.

tagged by: gladiusleonis

reblog and fill in the answers you most associate your character with for each question.

i. animal: bird

ii. color: white + blue

iii. month: march

iv. song: 本当の音 - translation // またあした - translation

v. number: two

vi. day or night: b-both ;;

vii. plant: gladiolus + lily of the valley

viii. smell: sunlight

ix. gemstone: sapphire

x. season: spring

xi. place: iselia

xii. food: fruit - apples

xiii. astrological sign: pisces

xiv. element: light

xv. drink: fruity teas ( hot )

tagging: anyone who hasn't yet done this / who would like to do this! ;;;

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

This much was certain. Not only had Leon been taken in by a complete stranger, but he was also, probably, going to be taking shelter in a house that was owned by two people who were also unfamiliar to him. Still, it was a quaint little place, one that was perhaps owned by a pair of bookworms.

He gives Colette a small nod as she offers him a chair and the basin of warm water. After soaking the towel in the warm water, he wrings the moisture out before rubbing it against his face. The warmth is refreshing, soothing any of his earlier fatigue. Truth be told, Leon would have been quite satisfied with only being given materials to wash his face. Colette’s generosity and hospitality continues to surprise him.

"… this wasn’t necessary," he says, though some very loud complaining from his stomach proves otherwise. He allows for one slice of bread, taking a small bite out of it. The single bite was all that was necessary to kick start his appetite, and soon enough, the entire slice was gone. He lifts the mug to his lips, taking his first gulp of tea.

And then, he stops, lowering the mug to gaze at the dark liquid. Something stirs in the back of his head, but he cannot place his finger on exactly what it was.

Leon shakes his head at Colette’s question. “I have not.” He was not even sure if there had been a destination in mind. If he had one, his goal was long lost by the abyss of his past memories. “I know that my name is Leon Magnus.” And yet, even that name doesn’t feel quite right. “… it appears that is the only thing I can recall.”

As he discovers that he actually is hungry and devours the slice, Colette smiles in relief; if he has an appetite, he can't be feeling too ill. But then he suddenly freezes after drinking from his mug, and for a moment, she wonders if she put too many tea leaves in, or accidentally pulled from a tin of medicinal herbs instead. When he slowly lowers the cup to gaze into its contents, though, she decides that his reaction is too muted for either blunder, and cautiously takes a sip as well. Its taste is normal -- quite good, even -- and her next thought is, 'Maybe he doesn't like tea?'

But her mind is soon turned to more important matters when he answers negative to her question, and then it's her turn to freeze as the implications of his quiet admittance sinks in. If all he can remember is his name, that means all his other memories his heart are gone. The rarity of amnesia leaves her at a loss, and she's certain that even their village doctor isn't well-versed in the condition.

"I'm... sorry." The apology slips from her mouth almost like a defense, and then she catches herself and shakes her head firmly. It seems as though she's the first person he has met since waking up, and she's determined to do whatever she can to help. Sitting and feeling sad about his loss, whether it's temporary or not, won't do him any good.

"Leon Magnus -- that's a beautiful name." She takes a slice of bread before nudging the plate back towards him, encouraging him to take another. "I'm sure it's been really hard and confusing since you woke up, but... um, it's hard to think on an empty stomach. So um, what I mean is, we should eat!" To reinforce her point, she takes a big bite from her slice and energetically chews, taking bite after bite until she finishes, washing it all down with a gulp of tea.

Her cheer fades as she re-wraps her hands around the warmth of her mug and begins gently tracing its rim with her thumb, but she continues smiling.

"Right now, you should just eat and rest. You might not be able to remember anything right away, but... I'm sure it'll come back, bit by bit. If you're feeling better tomorrow, I can take you around the village, and maybe you'll see something that makes you remember something. What do you think?"

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

His heart skips a beat when he suddenly feels weightlessness. Leon thinks to himself, I’m going to die again because I allowed myself to fall into a situation where I am now entirely at the mercy of this strange girl with wings, one hundred feet in the air. This was not the ideal situation at all, and he really doesn’t appreciate being nearly dropped by Colette.

Perhaps it was a good thing that he could not recall when his last meal had been.

"I’ve got it!"

"Colette, I’ll have none of this — "

But of course, because they are a hundred feet in the air, Leon’s protesting falls upon deaf ears. He very nearly preferred it when Colette had him secured around the chest, if only because she would be unable to see his facial expressions. On the other hand, being cradled in Colette’s arms was significantly more comfortable than his earlier treatment.

"… whichever is easier for you," he mumbles, or rather, whichever is easiest for her to fly without nearly dropping him again. For the rest of the flight, he says nothing, choosing to retreat into grudging silence. If Colette seemed unconcerned, then perhaps he should not be touchy about it either.

Iselia is quiet, and somehow, Leon immediately realizes that its quaint atmosphere is not something that he was accustomed to. The small pond of still water with its tiny fish swimming about is nostalgic, matching the ambiance that the village gave off. Yet, due to the fact that he was unfamiliar with this Professor Sage and Genis, Leon could not say that he was any more familiar with Iselia than he was with the field Colette had found him in.

"It wouldn’t matter to me whether or not they were present or away. I do not recognize either of their names."

Then,

"… you can put me down now. I can stand on my own."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry." She deflates a little at his tone, but soon recovers with an apologetic smile. "They're two really dear friends of mine. Right now, they're traveling, so I'm feeding the fish and house-sitting for them."

After carefully setting him back onto his feet, she turns the handle to the unlocked door, flicking a switch as she steps in. An overhead light illuminates the simple interior, casting its soft glow over wooden furniture. A square window sits over a sink and stove along the wall, surrounded by numerous cupboards and shelves holding kitchenware and potted plants. There is a dining table that seems to mark the house's midpoint, and two beds are tucked into the far corner, where full bookshelves and a pair of writing desks round out the room's furnishings.

Colette pulls out a chair for her guest before moving to bustle about the kitchen, handing him a small towel and basin of warm water for washing. It doesn't take long for a thin whistle to emit from the kettle she had set upon the stove, and after setting down mugs of piping hot tea and a plate with generous slices of bread, she finally joins him at the table, cupping her hands around her mug.

"So... have you remembered anything about where you were going, Leon?" His silence and scrunched brow on their way to the village hadn't been lost on her (though part of it was likely her fault), and she wonders if he's pieced anything together in that time.

"Um... if you were a tropical fruit, you'd be a fine-apple!"

"… Colette, I hope you are not going around repeating ridiculous things to others."

"That’s not — … It is a compliment, but others could interpret it incorrectly. You should be wary.”

#gladiusleonis #she's really proud

"R-Really? You’re right, some people might not like pineapples. Umm, then how about… 'if you were a vegetable, you'd be a cute-cumber!'”

"Um... if you were a tropical fruit, you'd be a fine-apple!"

"… Colette, I hope you are not going around repeating ridiculous things to others."

#gladiusleonis #ask reply #:'‹

"O-Oh... ridiculous... right."

"I'm sorry, you looked a little unhappy, so I thought a compliment might cheer you up."

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

The question was not if Leon was afraid of heights, nor was it whether flying was fun. “What are you doing?” is all he can say, because once Colette secured her arms around his chest, the floor disappeared from under his feet. Leon had expected gravity to put up more of a fight as he instinctively tucks Colette’s arms under his own.

A part of him wonders if Colette would have come up with a less humiliating way of transportation if he hadn’t challenged her. “P-put me down!” he demands, before realizing that would have been very, very bad if Colette decided to drop him. Suspended a hundred feet off the ground, he was at her utter mercy.

Still, Colette’s grip was rather strong, and though he would never confess it, he was quite amazed by this feat. This world was full of surprises. He has to shut his eyes when Colette shifts him unceremoniously under a single arm, easily maneuvering him like a rag doll. While he didn’t appreciate the treatment, he was in no position to complain. The jostling did make his stomach lurch, but it settles as Colette brings his attention to some landmarks.

"These… landmarks aren’t familiar to me," he admits as Colette gestures to each one.

And then, “… I would appreciate it if you tried to minimize your movements. I’m beginning to feel unwell.”

#gladiusleonis #a symphony of destiny #i... am so sorry if this is incoherent #why am i posting at 3:30 a.m.

Unfortunately for Leon, revenge isn't in Colette's vocabulary, which means his present situation (as mortifying as it is) is one free from spite. It also makes thinking about what might happen if she ever does stray down a path of maliciousness rather frightening.

Thankfully, she isn't spacey enough to actually acquiesce with his instinctive demand to release him, and she settles for directing an apologetic smile at the back of his head. It's a shame that she can't see his face, or she might realize that he's not as pleased with the aerial experience and impromptu tour as she is; indeed, the question ought not to have been, "Are you afraid of heights?" but, "How do you feel about rocketing a hundred feet into the sky and then being swung around with only a dainty little arm keeping you safe?"

When he admits that nothing they see is familiar, she is reminded of how strange it all is. If he hadn't come from the desert itself, and hadn't recognized the immediate vicinity of Iselia, where had he come from? She opens her mouth to voice these thoughts, but he beats her to it by voicing his own about her flying. Namely, how queasy her unceremonious handling is making him feel.

She almost drops him in her haste to apologize.

"Oh! I'm sorr -- oh no!"

Barely managing to recover her grip by seizing him back around the middle, she hurriedly wraps her other arm around him as insurance and stammers, "A-Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I'll be more careful!" There is a pause as she quickly tries to think of a way to ease his discomfort, and then...

"I've got it!"

It is likely that he will soon come to dread this chipper little phrase.

Gently shifting until he lies cradled in her arms, she smiles, looking for all the world like a mother with her sleeping child. A very, very young mother with her very large and unhappy child. "There. How's that?"

She carefully revolves back around, smoothly gliding towards Iselia at a steady descent until they're only about twenty feet up by the time they reach the town gates. After making a slight left on the way in (taking care to keep her movements fluid), she finally touches down (very lightly, of course) near a small pond in front of a modest wooden dwelling.

"We're here! This is -- well, it's actually Professor Sage and Genis's home, but I've been living here while they're away." She hesitates, wondering whether she should set him down now or carry him in.

"Are you feeling okay?"

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

His suspicions had been right, and it only serves to cause even more uneasiness in Leon. If a local did not recognize him, the only explanation was that he must have traveled from a different area. Then, where was “home”, and did he even have one to return to? Thankfully, Colette appeared mostly worried about him and not about their surroundings, which could only mean that even the outskirts of Iselia were generally quiet.

… save for the wolves, of course.

Leon shakes his head. “No, I was just thinking,” he replies. But what he doesn’t tell Colette is that he was trying to piece together the nonexistent parts of what must have happened prior to him waking up outside of Iselia. On the other hand, Colette doesn’t give Leon much time to process what was happening.

"I’ve got it! I’ll carry you there!"

He blinks at her with a slightly horrified expression on his face. Carry? Was this girl in her right mind? Colette is all smiles though, acting as though her solution was perfectly viable. Pink wings appear at her back, as if to prove her point, and Leon suddenly recalls that she had been flying before swooping in to help him. At the time, he had been preoccupied with trying not to become a monster’s next meal.

"I’m not, no," Leon replies, before following up with, "This is ridiculous. Even if you can fly, it isn’t possible for you to stay aloft and carry me with you.” And as if to prove his point, he manages to push himself to his feet and take Colette’s hand. Colette would realize that he was too heavy for her to lift; she would drop him, and realize the folly of her endeavor.

If she notices his mixture of horror and doubt and wondering over whether she's crazy, she doesn't show it, happily helping him to his feet. "Sure it is! I'm glad you aren't scared of heights -- flying is really fun." She tilts her head, as if evaluating the best way to carry him, and eventually releases his hand to maneuver behind him. With a slightly apologetic, "Excuse me," she carefully wraps her arms around his chest and easily rises several inches to check her grip beneath his arms. How awkward they look and how uncomfortable with this contact Leon might be escapes her notice, and with a cheerful, "Let's go!", she shoots into the sky.

Once the two are about a hundred feet up, which is admittedly higher than she needed to take them, she slows, pausing to hover in the air. The grassy hills that were seemingly endless from the ground look contained now, and while smaller, more of the village can be seen from their vantage point. "It's beautiful up here, isn't it?" She blithely shifts Leon to one arm, adjusting her hold so that he's secured around the waist. Pointing with her other, newly-freed hand, she explains, "That's Iselia. And you can see the Triet Desert," she turns southeast until they're overlooking a vast expanse of sand, "-- over there. Heheh, pretty neat, right?"

for ask-zagi /✫/ the assassin

ask-zagi

His train of thought broke for a moment as his would-be meal ticket reacted more than he’d expected her to. He blinked, looking down at the item in her hand. Who did she think she was? He grimaced, making an annoyed look and sticking his tongue out.

"I don’t eat that crap."

His voice was lined with the irrational disgust he felt at what, on her part, was supposed to be a kind gesture. He made a shooing motion with his hand. Ridiculous as this girl was, he still needed an escort. The blatantly displeased expression faded from his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head just slightly to the side.

"Pretty rude, running into me like that, huh? This place isn’t one for welcoming their guests."

He was teasing her now, setting her up to do as he would ask. His voice lowered from the mocking tone he’d been using to a more serious one as he made his request.

"I’ve never been here. The least you could do is show me around. You have time for that, don’t you?"

She blinked at the amount of contempt he held for the little red gel. While apple gels were medicine, they tasted fairly similar to their namesake, and the gelatin made it easy to eat. But maybe, she reasoned to herself, he didn't like apples. Unfortunately, her offer served to only worsen his temper, and she quickly slipped the item back into her bag as he shooed it -- or her? -- away. (She surmised it was the former when he crossed his arms and remained in place to continue speaking.)

Prepared to take the brunt of his apparent disdain for the village, she bowed her head in another apology, only to look back up in surprise at his next words. Despite the rough and slightly high-handed phrasing, his request had been sincere -- perhaps he simply had a hard time asking favors of others, and part of his grouchiness was just bluster?

Her face brightened as a smile lit her features.

"Yes, of course! I'd be happy to show you around. Is there anything you'd like to see first, Mister...um..." She tilted her head, hoping he'd fill in the blank for her.

#askzagi #the assassin

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

His name? That much, he could provide. “It’s Leon,” he says to the girl. He’s never heard of a Colette before, but thus far, she has given him no reason to distrust her. But he does notice the concerned expression that flashes on her face, making him wonder if there really was something wrong with him. The fact that something was awry hadn’t occurred to him, particularly because he was so busy trying to figure out what was going on.

Leon frowns, glancing back at the village on the horizon. Considering that he lacked both basic supplies and a weapon, he could not have come from very far. Perhaps he had traveled from Iselia to the middle of this grassy field. But if he had come from Iselia, he should have at least remembered the village’s name.

He falls silent for a bit, and while he is genuinely grateful (save for a small part of his wounded pride) that Colette had swooped in to save him last minute, he cannot help but be suspicious of her. While she doesn’t give off a particularly threatening atmosphere, he has to ask, “… what were you doing out here?” he asks. “Are… are you a local?” Judging from the size of the village, Leon assumed that the population was not very large. If she was from nearby, then he felt it was reasonable to assume she would recognize him.

Nothing was adding up, and to make it worse, the worn-off adrenaline made him realize how sore his legs were. He could not recall if this was from lack of use. Slowly, he lowers himself the ground, until he is sitting on the floor with a pensive expression on.

#gladiusleonis #a symphony of destiny #i hope you slept well and are drinking tea and feel better!

The smile returns, softening her already kind features. "Leon! It's so good to meet you." That he can answer at least one of her questions definitively is a relief, though it is short-lived; he soon falls silent, a frown pulling at his lips. Something is clearly troubling him, and she finds her hands clasped near her chest, a habit of hers that is akin to fidgeting. Should she say something to break the silence? Should she just let him continue thinking? Either way, it isn't as though she can just leave him, regardless of whether he seems to welcome her company or not. Lost in her own internal debate, she starts slightly when he finally speaks, eyes snapping back from the grassy spot they had drifted to during the lull.

"Huh? Oh... yes, I'm from Iselia. I was just on my way back from another village when I saw you getting attacked." The inquiry is ordinary enough, but there's a strangeness in his tone that prompts her to add, "Um, I teach the local schoolchildren there." This, coupled with her earlier introduction, only seems to further disconcert him. After all, if he couldn't have traveled very far without a method of defense, much less any travel essentials, and a native to the area (familiar with both Iselia and its neighbor) doesn't seem to know him...

Her hands tighten in alarm as he sinks to the ground looking pained and a tad morose, and she isn't sure whether she's more anxious about his physical state or his mental state or anything at all, but she hates when people are unhappy, and there must be something she can do!

"Are you sure you're okay? Did you hurt your legs? We should head to the village..." She glances upwards, where the sun is hanging lower in the sky than she last remembered. Its color tells her that they still have another hour or two of light, but while they are only about a half-hour's hike away from her home, she's worried. In addition to the pain Leon's legs seem to be causing him, he looks pale and shaky, which could be indicative of malaise, or shock from his earlier scare. Or both. She'd really rather that neither be the case. And while she could help him set up camp so he could rest overnight, it's almost always preferable to travel during the day when visibility is high, and to be within a town's limits before dusk falls.

And then it dawns on her that they can be. Face brightening, she unclasps her hands only to clap them back together in excitement. "I've got it! I'll carry you there!" Although the two are of similar height and Leon is fairly slender, the petite girl acts as though this is a perfectly natural solution. (Which it actually is, and a viable one, too, despite appearances.) And to improve matters, a pair of translucent, rosy pink wings suddenly sprout from her shoulder blades; they flutter and she rises a few inches before lightly touching back down. "It'll be a lot faster if I fly, too. You're not afraid of heights, are you?" Her words are earnest, and her voice is gentle, as if to reassure him. She cheerfully leans forward to offer a hand. "Don't worry, I can stay close to the ground if you are."

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

"Iselia…?" Leon frowns because the location is unfamiliar to him. He tilts his head slightly to the side. His eyes follow the girl’s gestures. At least there was a village nearby; that much was rather reassuring. Any village nearby was better than none at all, and something in Leon told him that there would be shelter at a village.

"… I… I’m not sure," he responds, sheepishly. "I woke up here, but I’m not sure how I got here. I don’t think I can be lost if I don’t remember where I was to begin with."

He was aware how outlandish his answer was, but it was the honest truth. Suddenly, his expression shifts and becomes guarded before he asks, “… who are you?” For Leon, it was one question after the other.

Her brows pull together, furrowing as worry returns. He woke up in an unknown location, doesn't remember how or why, and doesn't seem to be familiar with Iselia? The former is already enough to warrant concern, but the latter two hammer that in. As small as Iselia is, there's hardly a person out there who doesn't know the Chosen of Regeneration's birthplace, even if only by name. And while Colette can hardly be called conceited, there aren't very many people nowadays who don't recognize her, either. To be fair, though, she hasn't yet introduced herself, a fact he quickly brings to her attention with suspicion.

"Oh! I'm sorry -- my name is Colette. And you are?" As perceptive as the girl can be, she is equally as thick at times. Yes, his apparent lack of memory is strange, but she hasn't yet realized how far the loss might extend.

for gladiusleonis /✫/ a symphony of destiny

He could nearly feel the three wolves panting down his neck, and Leon had braced himself as he heard their howls growing louder. A flash of light blinds him temporarily, and when it is all over, he is still, miraculously, alive. His body realizes that he does not need to run anymore faster than his mind, sending him faceplanting into the grass just as his rescuer had done earlier.

Leon, too, dusts himself off, managing to make his way back on his feet. His legs are unsteady from the run, but they also feel sore from something that makes him think of disuse. “I’m… I’m fine,” he responds, finally. At least, he thinks he is. After all, his body was still fairly intact, and he hadn’t ended up in the stomach of a wolf.

It did bother him that he had reached for a nonexistent sword upon feeling threatened (he knew swordplay? Since when?), but he assumed that he had simply lost his weapon in the span of time where there was a black hole in his memory.

Which was another concern in itself, but Leon was trying very hard to tackle one predicament at a time.

"Thank you for helping me earlier," he says. "I don’t think I would have been able to outrun those wolves." His mind is in overdrive, and he forgets to ask for the girl’s name.

Instead, he asks, “Where… where am I…?”

His hesitant response does little to reassure her, but scrapes and bruises are far preferable to becoming fresh meat for three wolves, and she smiles.

"Not at all! I'm just glad you're all right. This is a field near Iselia." She turns to indicate the outline of a quaint village in the distance before returning to face him. Now that the adrenaline is fading, she realizes that the boy appears to be her age, if not younger. His eyes are dazed, and coupled with his small frame, he suddenly seems very vulnerable.

"Um, are you lost? Where are you headed to?"