♚ CONFIDENT ♚

What's Wrong Canon Divergent Indie Leo of FE14 With Being Penned by Ness Confident? Selective || Low Activity

[vallablooded]

(Happy Birthday,  @sorrcerii / @nessblessed ! I put this on twitter today, and I’ll put it here too! Enjoy yourself, dear! ^^)

[sorrcerii]

I haven’t logged into this blog in 80+ years but THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN MEGAN! You are so sweet and thank you so much for drawing Leo for me!

I know I’m not as big into FE as I used to be but this little nerd still holds a place in my heart!!

[sorrcerii]

{Sorry! I know I haven’t been here a lot lately. Different fandom stuff and sessionbox being a pleb keeps me away. But I’m also not having a whole lot to do here soooo-

STARTER CALL! Like/Comment on this post if you’d like one! Multis specify please!}

[sorrcerii]

Rbing for those who weren’t up at midnight like I was. Plan to do these some time later today or tomorrow!

[sorrcerii]

{Sorry! I know I haven’t been here a lot lately. Different fandom stuff and sessionbox being a pleb keeps me away. But I’m also not having a whole lot to do here soooo-

STARTER CALL! Like/Comment on this post if you’d like one! Multis specify please!}

[sorrcerii]

"So, when are you going to give me my 'Welcome Home' pets?"

@funis-infinite

“I already said I was happy to see you alive, didn’t I? What do you want? A cookie?” 

The botanist shook his head. It had taken Infinite long enough to return from his mission. Robotnik almost declared the jackal dead what with how long it had been since they had heard from him. But there he was, in the flesh. Alive and still clearly well enough to have been able to contact them. 

“Your treats are on the table. Help yourself. But don’t expect me to hand feed them to you.”

[sorrcerii]

M’Lord:

“I’m not starting anywhere,” Niles said through gritted teeth. “I’m my own man. I’ll thank you not to make comparisons like that again.” Leo’s words had set him on edge, though, the smooth calm he’d managed to maintain all day replaced with a knot of irritation deep in his stomach.

He rode on a little longer, until they reached a reasonably sheltered spot a little way off the path. As good a place as any to set up camp, and an excuse to distract himself with something a little more hands-on than riding. Setting up camp ought to take his mind off things for a little while.

He didn’t plan to make the comparison again, whether he’d been given the order to or not. He was foolish to ask it to begin with, he knew that. And perhaps, what with everything that had happened lately, he hadn’t really feared asking it. What else did he have to lose after all besides his own life? At least if his liege had run an arrow through him, he’d be back with his family again.

Thus they remained silent, even as they stopped for the night to set up camp. Leo didn’t say a single word as he unloaded their supplies from the horses and sent up his liege’s tent. Even going about starting the other’s dinner and his own for the night.

[sorrcerii]

Dastard:

Hm. Well, he’d been discovered annoyingly fast. Not to be deterred by a simple warning, Niles tugged the window open, planting his arm against the windowsill and resting his head on it. Leo looked a mess, and that was putting it politely. Not a surprise, since he’d clearly been starving himself for a while now.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He stayed where he was and watched Leo for a moment longer, then climbed the rest of the way in through the window, landing neatly on the carpet and getting to his feet. “What are you doing? Trying to starve yourself to death?”

He huffed when he heard the other enter his room. Why would he expected Niles to just leave him the Hell alone? The man had so rarely followed his orders thus far lately. It was foolish to think he’d start doing so now. Especially when he was no doubt LAUGHING at seeing Leo at his lowest. Practically starving and in a horrendous mood.

“I’m not doing anything,” He huffed again, keeping his face buried in his hands “Besides trying to keep the servants and my siblings safe from this DAMNED life you’ve cursed me with. But thanks for reminding me the damn windows exist, I’ll have to find a way to barricade those now as well.”

[sorrcerii]

Vivian:

     “ Really? You sure your heart won’t be stolen by some other lady with a killer bombshell body and huge, bouncy H-Cups? ” Vivian brings herself to question aloud, allowing childish curiosity to brim her voice. Needless to say, it became rather clear she must have at least compared herself to Camilla more than a few couple times; then again, who wouldn’t?

    Though Vivian never had reason to believe Leo was into busty women, there can be no denying the fact his older sister is mesmerizingly beautiful… unlike her, who lacked much sex appeal. If nothing else, she wouldn’t have been surprised, should he have gone for someone a little more alluring  PRIOR  to her; regardless, it’s not long until a hesitant nod rolls off her shoulders.

     “ …Yeah, we are, but we won’t be heading inside, ” Vivian tells him. “ Since there’s a few lounge chairs out by the porch and it’s positioned away from the windows, we could hang there for a bit. Knowing mother dearest, she’s probably watching TV, so I doubt she will notice. Still… you’re fine with that, right? That way, you could memorize the  ADDRESS  and even leave whenever you feel like it. ”

He could sense the hesitation and can’t blame her for not wanting to go inside. Especially if her mother was there. He himself would never want her to meet his father. And he thanked whoever was listening that she would never have the chance to meet that monster. Not unless Vivian wanted to drive six hours to some prison in the middle of no where and talk to some aging man through glass. Ugh, Leo didn’t even want to do that. And he never had.

But a topic for another time. Or for not. Honestly he hoped Vivian never questioned where his parents were and was content enough just knowing about his siblings.

“If that is what you are more comfortable with, we can sit outside. Once I am more settled into my apartment, we could go there. You’ll just have to get used to Forrest wanting you to play with him the entire time.”

[sorrcerii]

Little Sister:

~*~

Packing subject was much too short and at this point Linnea wanted to try to make the mood a little bit more hopeful. Thinking about better future was the only thing Linnea felt she had left. She had given up on loving Nohr as it had brought her mostly pain and suffering. Her big brothers had been her main support but with Big brother Xander acting as angry at her at her choice…Leo was the only one she had left. She supposed one regret was not confiding more in her siblings, but with their past…it was not a surprised she shut her heart to most of them emotionally.

“…Well you are the only one who truly understood me…the only one that I could trust with anything. Everyone else…it felt like I had to be someone I was not.” She never felt like she could be her true self. With Camilla, she was afraid of her but did her best to be polite and not to anger her. With Elise, she felt drained from her being too cheerful but had done her best to make her happy. With Xander, she was always the proper princess as to never trouble him as he had enough to deal with. “…I want to honor you…for being the most supportive big brother and for letting me be me…” She was able to feel the most comfortable with him and that had not been easy for her.

It seemed that their peaceful time had come to an end when Linnea heard the sound of footsteps entering the library. She made sure Donovan’s drawings were safely back in her bag before looking over to see whom was interrupting them. It was one of the servants whom gave a bow. “Pardon the interruption but King Garon has request to see both of you.” Well this was not what Linnea was not expecting. “Of course, we will be on our way.” She said to the servant. There was no opinion to ignore this meeting since their father was expecting them. “…I guess we will find out what father wants…” She had a bad feeling about this.

~Meeting Time Skip~

Well just when she thought things couldn’t get even worse with the family…it did. The ship from the Chepreorin Empire had arrived a week early than expected due to very good wind conditions. Father had decided that Xander and Leo would be the ones to send her off in the docs as well as protect Linnea at all cost since she needed to be alive for the exchange after all. She recalled their father said was that they can stop by to see their sibling in the fortress but Xander, Leo and her could not stay no more than a day. He wanted the supplies and money which was the most important and went over the details of that for a bit. It was after that her father looked at her. “You will be missed. At least you proved your worth to me, Linnea.” Her father had told her. That was one of the nicest compliments she knew her father would give to her but his praises meant nothing to her.

“It is for the glory of Nohr, father.” Linnea gave a proper curtsy to the king like the proper princess she always had to be. “Good. That will be all.” She watched him leave not caring for anyone else’s say on the matter. Father was in a good mood thanks to her efforts but she knew it would not last long. Iago made a comment to her that he would miss her since she was the most obedient and polite. “I hope this help with your plans for the war effort, Iago.” Was all she said to him but he seemed pleased with her reply as he left to make sure everything goes smoothly for the transfer.

She looked over to her siblings but stayed silent. What else could be said? All she could do was listen to her siblings talk about seeing their sibling in the tower. Of course, that would make them feel better wouldn’t it? She naturally stayed the closest to Leo but she was dreading the trip to see their sibling in the tower…

~*~

Honor him. Leo didn’t think he was one worth honoring. And he was prepared to argue that point in a way. Tell his sister it was better for her future child to carry a name of that kingdom. But he had no chance to. Approaching foot steps cut the conversation short. And he couldn’t help but frown as their little get together was officially coming to an end. Especially when the reason for it came to light.

Their father. Leo couldn’t help but scowl at the mention of the man. Glad that the servant was too caught up in speaking to Linnea to notice it. He could see their father wanting something with Linnea. No doubt prepping her for the alliance she was about to make what with marrying into another family. But including Leo? He didn’t understand why, but there was no point in keeping their father waiting. It would only anger him after all.

So with a sigh, Leo stood from his chair “Shall we?”

----

The news they received only served to sadden the prince further. A week early. The ship had come a week early. Leo couldn’t help but mentally curse that Prince Donovan. No doubt he just wanted to get Linnea to safety. But at the same time he was taking her from her family sooner than planned. Just because that prince thought he was rescuing Linnea, it didn’t mean it was true. And it didn’t mean any of them had to like him. Especially Leo.

“We do not have to go and see Corrin if you do not want to.” He said to her once their father and Iago had left. And once the others were conversing among themselves. Truthfully he DID want to go and see Corrin, just as much as the others. But it was clear as day that Linnea did not.

“Xander and I can drop the girls off at the tower and then continue on to the docks. We can just...tell Corrin there was no time for them to see you.”

[sorrcerii]

Nosy Dancer:

      ❝ I ask because that’s where we are most different I believe. ❞ The dancer stated as they stared to him. ❝ I am truly free, while you on the other hand… are not. Books can only show you so much and tales form passer-bys do no justice on the outside world as it is only through their eyes alone. Can you say that you are really content with knowing only what is told to you of the world? Of things that are only in their views? ❞ Sitting on the ground they undid the prosthetic that was on their leg, taking this time to allow the amputated limb to have no pressure on it and to breath as they were certain Leo was still glaring to them.

       ❝ Can you truly say that having an unseen chain on your ankle is good? That you will keep making breathtaking melodies off the top of your head from everything you can get from the owner and this town…? I wouldn’t. I wasn’t anything like what I am now when I was still in my home town. If you saw me then, if you saw me around them. You’d see someone that was only a shell, simply waiting for death to come back to take the life of the physical form as the spirit was dead… Then, I learned on the freedom I could get, and I am to this point now. ❞ Looking to him, there was no ill intent in their expression or voice. Only a pained sadness on it all.

      ❝ Honestly all this hurts… how can you manage a life like that? ❞

He WAS content. He had to be content. What was there on the outside world that made it better? Disease. Wars. Stupid people. He’d gotten enough of the latter from those he’d worked with. And he wasn’t completely oblivious to what was happening out in the world. He knew of the growing tension between Hoshido and Nohr. EVERYONE knew something was going to happen soon enough. A war that would spread to many regions. And Leo was grateful he had shelter behind the studio walls rather than sitting cold out on the streets.

Shelter and safety was worth more than seeing the atrocities of the outside.

“Because it’s MY life,” His scowl grew. In the back of his mind he knew the dancer meant no ill intent. That the other just held some form of concern for him. But Leo didn’t want it. He didn’t want to be pitied or have someone question how he lived. It was all he’d known. And for the moment he was...comfortable with that. Because it beat ruining what he had and being a nothing out on the streets. The world wasn’t kind after all.

“And I would ask you finish up what ever it is you’re doing with your leg and see your way out. I showed you this room as a means to practice, not receive a damned lecture.”

[sorrcerii]

Aubrey:

    “ At least Harbinger is phonetic ,” she quips, but it’s more of a mutter to herself than anything. If someone couldn’t pronounce harbinger, that was on them. 

    But oh how she loves hates that handsome stupid smirk on his face when he calls her bluff. He doesn’t fall for it for a moment, knowing her too well at this point. And well, she’s not exactly known for her poker face to begin with. Aubrey was many things, but subtle wasn’t one of them. And truthfully, she does like the name Forrest. She really does. 

    Her mouth twists into a humored-smile that she’s obviously trying to avoid as she averts her gaze. If she wasn’t holding a baby, she’d definitely be jamming her elbow into his ribs. “ Yeah, yeah, I do. I just hate that I didn’t come up with it first .” 

    She looks down at the baby again, still wearing an odd half-smile. She’s still not entirely sure how to feel about this. The maternal instinct hasn’t really…kicked in like she hoped it would. There is something there, something that draws her to the child despite it being the cause of her anxiety for so many months leading up to this. She’s still anxious, honestly, but it’s not the screaming terror she expected (or felt when she first found out she was pregnant). Leo’s presence and clear intent to not leave her alone with this had eased some of it, she knows. Thank Naga for that, she’s not sure what she would have done if he’d just tossed her aside. 

    Well, she has an idea of what she probably would have done, but she’d prefer for history not to repeat itself. 

     “ You know, you say that, but clearly you like the trouble my personality brings considering you’re still standing here .” She lifts the baby up a little higher in her arms as if to show him off more, “ Wouldn’t it be fun to have a little mini version of me to keep your life so exciting ?” 

     It would seem the baby didn’t like the ever so slight shift in the way his mother held him, however, and immediately he begins to fuss again. Aubrey’s face immediately contorts into mild panic, unsure what she did to cause this (even if she did nothing wrong). Damnit how do you make a baby calm down. She immediately starts shushing him, and while their son doesn’t burst into tears, he still seems to be on the verge of it. She looks back up at Leo, realizing he hasn’t actually had the chance to hold the baby yet, and…well this is as good a time as any. 

    “ You wanna hold him? Maybe he’ll like you better. I’m kind of an…acquired taste .”

“Of course you didn’t come up with it first. You were too busy coming up with names that would make our child sound like a pirate.”

All those names almost had him wondering just how Aubrey was raised. Or had she just been messing with him? He really wouldn’t have put it passed her to suggest such atrocious names as a means to get under his skin and rile him up. And if it had been the latter, he was glad he hadn’t fallen for it...too much at least. And he was glad to have suggested a name that BOTH of them could clearly agree on.

Prince Forrest. That had a good ring to it. But it was best he didn’t get his hopes up right away. It pained him enough that soon he’d be having to hide both the child AND Aubrey away. At least until his father was off the throne or at least...some semblance of sane again. Xander would soon come by and tell him it was time to go. That the carriage to take Aubrey and the child elsewhere would come by the next day and that they’d be safe. But Leo couldn’t go with them.

He had duties...and he couldn’t make their father suspicious with his absence.

The thought made a frown come to his face. So lost in them that he hadn’t even realized Aubrey was talking until the infant started to fuss. Just barely managing to catch the woman’s words as he snapped back to reality. Quickly trying to mask his frown and instead put a soft smile on his face. Though it was a shaky one at best.

“Erm, sure.” He couldn’t even bring himself to tease the woman as those thoughts still lingered in the back of his mind. Instead just taking the infant into his arms and looking the boy over. Slowly rocking him back and forth to get him to calm down.

“He’s already far less fussy than Elise was at this age. He at least hasn’t spit up on either of us.”

[sorrcerii]

Thorn:

    Her eyes do widen and brows raise in genuine interest at his suggestion, thin lips forming an intrigued ‘o’ shape. A letter detailing the death and dismemberment of a person? (er..well, a terrible person, specifically. That’s an important detail, she has to remember). He’s clearly mocking her, but suddenly these flowery love letters, however raunchy, suddenly feel boring and lackluster. 

   “ Oh yes, indeed. If you could find me something like that, that would be marvelous .” While he might be joking, she certainly isn’t. Call her crazy, but she’d always been fascinated by the macabre…As many dark mages she knew were. At least back where she came from. 

    She is admittedly surprised to see he isn’t fazed at all by what she reads. Perhaps he’s not as much of a sheltered prude as she pegged him to be. She agrees the writing is garbage. Far too flowery and formal to get a basic point across. But it would seem he’s not embarrassed by the thought of sex itself…just by her rather forward teasings from herself. After all, reading an old letter didn’t compare to being dared to stick your hand down a woman’s bodice.

   She does chuckle at his mention of Xander’s letters, however. While she’d never received any such thing, nor her brother, she’s fairly certain that it was because people had better things to do in a world ravaged by the Fell Dragon. Well, the ones who were still alive, anyway. Xander did seem incredibly popular among the court’s ladies from what she’d seen. Handsome, imposing, first in line for the crown…that last part always drew in at least a few. 

    “ Oh, I can imagine ,” she muses as she sets the letters aside for now, finding Leo’s words far more interesting than any words she’d seen on paper. Still sitting on the desk, she leans back, palms resting on the dusty surface behind her without a care for getting her hands dirty. She clearly looks intrigued as she looks at Leo in the dull, green lighting, however. She does give the bauble in her hand another quick shake to refresh it. “ We -” she pauses, realizing she can’t say that she’s a noble lady. Damnit, why is it so hard to pretend to be a commoner? Despite the pause, she acts as if nothing is amiss. “ Well, noble ladies have a hard time learning I guess, what with all their bodyguards and servants around all the time, I guess. It’s easier to learn those things when you’re on your own .” She wonders how she would have turned out if her world hadn’t gone to hell in a handbasket and she still had such supervision in her teenage years as she had as a child.

    “ I’m surprised you’re the one screening those, though. Do you not have a designated servant for reading such… ‘unsavory’ propositions? Or is this some brotherly exchange you two do, and he screens the raunchy love letters from all your suitors ?”

“You can imagine but it’s doubtful you could even come up with half the things women are willing to admit to wanting to do if given a moment chance to marry my brother.” It was sickening, if her were being honest. None of the women of the court seemed to have an ounce of self respect for themselves or for his brother. If they knew Xander at all, they would know he wasn’t swayed by what positions a woman would be willing to do or how many children she would bear. If anything, that put the Crown Prince more ill at ease. And it pained Leo that he’d had to be the go between for so many of those letters.

Xander owed him a HELL of a lot for that time lost. 

“It’s easier to think they know those things.” Leo uttered with a roll of his eyes. He finally turned away from the papers in his hands so he could glance at Aubrey. She seemed intrigued by the conversation and seeing as she was giving him an outlet to complain, he would do so. 

“But it’s clear they get all of their wisdom from cheap, trashy books. The amount of women who think a prince would expose them against a window for the world to see it just...mind blowing! And the plethora of them who think they will just be thrown on the ground in a garden and be taken there. In Nohr’s weather they would FREEZE before they could even shout my brother’s name.”

It probably wasn’t best to think of his own brother in those situations. And he wasn’t going to picture it either. He’d done well over the years to keep such thoughts from his mind, especially when reading such drivel. Ah, repression. It worked so well in more ways than one. Both with bad childhood memories and when reading garbage letters.

A moment later, Leo is sighing at the other’s words. Eyes falling back to the papers in his hands “I don’t receive any of those letters. And I count myself lucky. No one in court, not even the most desperate women, want to sleep with the prince who they think eats rats for dinner every night.”

Ugh, he hated that rumor.

[sorrcerii]

Daedra:

Daedra beamed when she saw Gavroche sigh in defeat. She knew he’d give in to help Morgan once he was given the final piece of the puzzle. The redhead had no doubt that Morgan’s potential would blossom far beyond either of his parents’ expectations now. She could hardly wait to see what became of this partnership between them.

It was hard to say if such similar results could happen with her and their other son. Gavroche seemed to share the sentiment, but Daedra wasn’t willing to throw in the towel so easily.

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” she said. “Though I’m unsure how enthused Foleo will be. However, I’ve been studying up on my sewing,” she added happily, looking proud of her accomplishment.

Granted, with how much paperwork and planning she was expected to do for an army, any spare time to read was an accomplishment.

“I’ll never compare to his skill or love of it, but atleast now I have enough under my belt that I shouldn’t be a hindrance.”

“Trust me, I’m sure he’ll be glad to have you there.” Okay, maybe she shouldn’t trust him on that front. While it was clear that Foleo liked his mother, it was also clear he wasn’t comfortable around her. Not that he ever told any of them just WHY that was. And Morgan wasn’t saying anything either. But perhaps the younger boy just didn’t have an answer himself. Foleo was far better at keeping secrets and keeping to himself. And no doubt had his reasons why conversing with his mother made him so uneasy.

Gavroche had no doubt it went beyond just running out of things to talk about with the woman. And as much as he wanted to know the reasons why, he wasn’t going to push it. Lest he drive the boy away and give him yet another person he was unable to talk to.

“He’s been working on a few new things lately, at least from what I’ve seen. He doesn’t talk to me about his erm...hobby much.” And Gavroche was fine with that. The fact his own son made such feminine clothes unnerved him. But he’d been keeping his mouth shut on the matter ever since he’d been scolded the first time about criticizing it. He didn’t need Daedra giving him the silent treatment again.

“So perhaps he’d find more enjoyment talking about it with you.”

[sorrcerii]

Prince Chrom:

Easier said than done. Chrom was antsy to find whoever the bastard who shot them down and hurt Cordelia’s pegasi. But he knows his limit and thus he will remain duking down until he can figure out something.

Honestly, at this moment he would take that crazy mage shapeshifter any time than this. At least, he can see and defeat his enemy. Now, all he could do is pray that Leo finds his marks and come to their aid. Chrom had to retreat back to where Cordelia was to protect her from any arrows which were still coming from weird positions.

“LEO!!!!!!” if he yelled it does not do him any harm because their position is exposed as the sun. “WE’RE HERE! LEO!” he tried to call the prince’s name a couple of times then continued to randomly talk about different things. Might as well confuse his enemy if they assumed help had come. “ROBIN! OVER HERE! HELP US! LISSA, YOU TOO! HEAL THE PEGAIS, QUICK!” this might confuse Leo but surely he would get that..r-right? Gosh, he is pushing too much expectations on the nohr prince. Even if he didn’t get that, Chrom wouldn’t hold it against him. They barely know each other let alone figure each other’s quirks. 

A moment after seeing the mark on the tree, he heard the other shout. Both his and Niles’ head snapping in the direction of the voice and quickly hurrying toward it. He hoped it was just the pegasus that had been injured and no one else. No doubt Cordelia was close to her mount, but if the creature could not be saved or taken out of the forest securely, they had to put it down before the enemy did. Hopefully it didn’t come to that. HOPEFULLY neither the rider nor Chrom was hurt.

He did admit to giving pause when he heard the other shout other names. Robin? Lissa? Neither of those two were out there. And it had him believing it may be another impostor situation. But glancing around, arrows were coming from every direction. There was no other sign of the pair that had fallen from the sky. They HAD to take the risk for now and hope it truly was Chrom.

“Are you all right?” Leo and Niles soon came upon the pair. Niles remained on high alert. Bow at the ready like the prince had instructed him to do. Just in case it wasn’t the real Chrom and Cordelia they were speaking to “Did anyone besides the pegasus get hurt?”

[sorrcerii]

Lucian:

    Go for it, he almost says. Put him out of his misery. Do him that favor. 

     But Lon’qu holds his tongue. He knows it’s not the answer, no matter how pained and miserable and hopeless he feels. Everything is still fresh…painfully fresh. It’s only been a few hours since he lost the limb. Now isn’t the time to be thinking like that. 

    Pathetic…a coward’s way out. He knows these things, but somehow hearing them reminds him of their potency. He’d been a coward before. He’d been pathetic before. They were things he did not ever want to be. Had sworn to never fall back into that mindset or failure. 

    A heavy sigh leaves him, followed by a wince and a flinch as it aggravates the bandaged nub of a right arm. Ugh, he needs to stop jarring his body. He still doesn’t look Leo’s way, but his silence is enough to get across that he’s heard him. He won’t fight those words. 

    “ It’s not really the arm ,” he mutters. More to himself than Leo, though the other would hear it. He knows that the loss of his arm is just an obstacle to overcome. It’s the rest of it that really bothers him. He’s been here for years and he’s no closer to getting back home, despite his efforts. “ In the grand scheme of things…I’m no worse off now than I was two years ago …” Two years ago when he realized the outrealm gate here had been destroyed. 

     “ It’s ironic, really. I came all this way to get stronger .” And he’s just gotten weaker. By now, it seems he’s forgotten Leo is there altogether, rambling his own thoughts to himself, likely a result of the pain and shock of his injuries. Normally he did not divulge so much to anyone. 

       And if he’s really meant to die, it will be when he makes it back home and she kills him for disappearing.

He almost expected Lucian to say yes to his question. And was relieved when he did not. No matter the answer, Leo wasn’t about to kill a man even if he WANTED death. The healers wouldn’t be happy about wasting supplies on a man the prince killed. Nor would Elise ever forgive him. But ah, all hypotheticals, of course. Leo had actually thought of killing Lucian and the repercussions of it. Not at all.

“Two years ago you had an arm.” Leo shrugged, not sugar coating his words. He was never one to do so, unless it was with his siblings. And even than he could still be brutally honest. He wasn’t the most caring of the Nohrian royal family after all. He had the reputation he did for a reason “But two years ago you hadn’t saved the life of a princess and earned the favor of an entire family. So count your losses but count your blessings too.”

Not that having the royal family of a dying kingdom be grateful was worth losing an arm over, in Leo’s opinion. But he really did thank Lucian for saving his sister’s life. Gods only knew how much more torn up their family would have become if they lost their light. Would they even have been able to continue on with that already senseless war if they lost the one worth protecting most?

“And what makes you think you haven’t gotten stronger? All because you lost an arm?” Leo sighed before leaning forward in his chair. Rubbing a hand against his temples “I’m not here to give you advice, or talk you out of anything. If you do plan to take your life, do it away from here where Elise wouldn’t learn about it. But I do think you should let reality settle before falling into despair.”

[sorrcerii]

Alannah:

    She hasn’t even registered that she hasn’t given him an answer. She thought it was implied with the way she reacted, or she thought she had accepted. But Alannah realizes now that she has not, actually. He’s still patiently awaiting her response, and he asks her again. Offers her the chance to think further on it. 

    But she doesn’t need to. For all her talk of independence and never wanting to tie herself down to any one person, she doesn’t have to think about this for even a moment. Because with Leo, even with an unexpected child shared between them, she doesn’t feel trapped. She doesn’t feel tied down or owned or restricted or any of the things she thought came along with being with a single person.

    With him, she feels wanted. She feels she belongs. She feels appreciated. She feels understood. She feels happy. 

    She’d never get married. Ever. She meant that. Not to anyone. Not to anyone but him. 

    Her head shakes at his offer for time to contemplate her response. “ I don’t need to think about it ,” she tells him, lips slowly pulling into a smile. The ring still in her free hand, she moves it to rest on his hands that hold her other. 

    “ Yes. Yes I want to marry you, Leo .” She doesn’t want there to be any more doubt in his mind about what she wants or how she feels about him. The tough, eccentric girl is nowhere to be seen at that moment. She looks straight ahead, eye level with him as she smiles, the gesture still shaky from when she’d been crying. But whatever waver is present there now is overwhelming relief and excitement that she just doesn’t really know what to do with. 

     “ I love you. And I know that I want this too. No question .”

He almost thought the head shake was her rejecting him. And despite being prepared for such a thing, it was still a disappointment. But relief replaces that feeling a moment later. Smiling as Alannah uttered that she didn’t even have to think about it before stating that she would marry him. With such confidence in her voice that he believed she had no doubt and didn’t feel force. It made his relief increase tenfold.

Because despite all he had said, he had still been prepared for a refusal. For someone like Alannah to tell him she couldn’t be tied down. After all, minutes ago he hadn’t known her to be a princess. And when he still thought her a commoner, why would she want to go into the life of a royal? Especially seeing as she had sired him a bastard child and that wouldn’t look good in court. Hell, even though she was a princess. It still wouldn’t look good in court. Especially seeing as she wasn’t even a princess from their realm.

But he didn’t care. And hopefully neither did she. Reputations seemed to be nothing to them. Nothing for them to try to uphold and adhere to. Gods knew that Leo’s was tarnished enough due to baseless. What was marrying out of love and having a child out of wedlock going to ruin? Nothing. Nothing that he cared about anyway.

Leo couldn’t help but to chuckle, though behind that bit of laughter was a choked sob. He wasn’t going to cry. If anything it was more like a frog was stuck in his throat. Perhaps it was just the amount of joy he was filled with. Met with the fact that his expectation of being rejected had been shot out the water and made way for something far better.

Perhaps that was why Leo couldn’t help but to lift Alannah into his arms. Spinning her around like some character in a book. Topping it off by bringing his lips to hers. Only speaking once he pulled away.

“Just promise me,” He gave her the sort of smirk he always gave when about to tease her “Any children we may have in the future, you won’t think about naming them Scourge.”

[sorrcerii]

Nuisance:

“How many times have I said already that I-“ Niles scowled, cutting himself off before he could finish that thought. There was no point arguing with Leo, especially not as he was storming off now. Niles couldn’t help but be wounded by the assertion that he’d never been worth Leo’s time, but there wasn’t much that he could say in his defence now.

“Any time you feel like apologising for being so stuck up, come find me,” Niles snapped at his retreating back. He wasn’t planning on leaving Kalos for a while, anyways. Somehow he doubted that Leo would bother apologising, but never mind. Niles didn’t often make himself hard to find, so no doubt Leo would be able to track him down if by some stroke of miracle he did change his mind.

“I don’t plan on apologizing any time-” Leo still had his back to the other, but stopped dead in his tracks when he thought he saw approaching figures further up ahead. Figures that he knew for a fact were not a good sight in the city. Immediately he was turning back around and quickly grabbed Niles by the arm. Much as he disliked the drifter, he wasn’t going to leave the other exposed in the open.

“Get in here and be quiet!” He uttered, trying to pull Niles into a nearby alley. Already he could catch a glimpse of a few people closing their windows and turning off lights. Something that was meant to be RARE in a bustling city.

[sorrcerii]

M’Lord:

Niles sighed, rubbing his hands across his face. “If I knew the answer to that question, I would have told you long ago,” he mumbled, hands still pressed against his face. If he moved them, he would have to look Leo in the eye, and he’d suddenly been hit with a feeling like the weight of the whole world was on his shoulders.

He made his way weakly to a chair, slumping down into it. From the threat of Leo leaving, to the kiss they’d shared in the stables, to the people crowding at the gates, to this sudden pressure to fix everything… Niles didn’t know what to do. Gods, he wanted to be far away from here, somewhere where it was his choice what to do with his life, who to fall in love with. Where he didn’t have to be responsible for everyone.

He knew everything going on was difficult for the other. Even though Niles wasn’t in charge of the kingdom, he WAS in charge of the kingdom. He handled far more affairs than his father did. Though no one ever gave Niles credit for his work. Often believing he just gallivanted around throwing his body at people rather than performing any royal duties. If the people knew what their prince did and gave up for them...would they still be calling for his head?

“Forgive me, m’lord. I know now isn’t the best time to put this pressure on you.” Leo uttered with a sigh, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms over his chest “I just worry for the future of Nohr. For the future of the kingdom. I don’t want the people outside the gate blaming you for the things your father has caused.”