Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

[zerotohiro]

'Busy, leave a message!
...oh, you've reached Hiro Hamada. Whatever. Still busy!'

Hamada art by D-Joel, found on tumblr

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[zerotohiro]

...Stahn's a shepherd? [Stahn is not Sorey, no. But he's more impressed (and also a little concerned???) that Leon's a knight of anything.] Okay wait this isn't really about Stahn then. What exactly does a Knight Captain do? And what's Seinegald?

[discard]

[Yeah he is somehow. Leon just nods at that, and will focus on the questions about himself anyway. 16 is a totally legit age to be a knight captain shut up.]

Seinegald is my country. [Duh.] As a Knight Captain, I handle whatever missions my king might require of me. More commonly, I capture dangerous criminals, escort important figures, and lead soldiers when required.

[He's a special snowflake knight who does whatever the king wants, really.]

[zerotohiro]

[Hey, there's no judging from the 14-year-old superhero. Even if he's a little more concerned why Leon in particular is a knight of anything. He nods along, making some idle notes as he assesses that information.]

...did something go wrong on a mission for you? [When he died, he means. Was he on a mission, or was that unrelated?]

[discard]

[His brow furrows at the question, expression tensing--and then he just shakes his head quietly, glancing away.]

... It was nothing as honorable as that.

[He really doesn't even have the right to call himself a knight--but he can't bring himself to say that here and now either.]

[zerotohiro]

[…ah. Well that certainly explains a lot. He's not sure what to say at first, and he's aware that this isn't going to go well but:]

What makes you say that?

[discard]

[....In the end, he can't bring himself to answer that.

It's just too hard to put it to words.]

It wasn't.

Leave it at that.

[zerotohiro]

You feel like it was your fault. [That's just based on what he knows from Leon and he really, really should stop but the pieces are falling into place relatively quickly.]

It probably wasn't, by the way. [He doesn't even care if Leon won't listen, but he's really starting to wonder what the circumstances surrounding this were.] I know you keep thinking people have to be accountable for their own mistakes and their own shortcomings but I'm still saying that's not always true. Especially not when it comes to something like this.

[discard]

It was.

[He snaps that back immediately, because he's definitely not going to listen on something like this. If nothing else, he finds the idea so provocative that he has to respond.]

You do not know anything about my situation, so do not have the gall to act as though you do!

[It was his fault. To think anything else would be to deny his choices. And to deny his choices... no, he can't do that. He has to take responsibility for his own actions.]

[zerotohiro]

[...he's playing a very dangerous game here and he's quiet, thinking and giving Leon a very solid glare before he continues.]

Let me ask you something. If someone made the choice to try and rescue someone else but they died in the process, would that be their fault, too?

[discard]

What are you getting at--

[... If someone made the choice to try to rescue someone else... but they died in the process.

He snorts softly under his breath then.]

Yes.

It would be. It was their choice. Their responsibility. Their actions. To not take responsibility for that would be to act as though the choice was regretted in the first place.

[He...doesn't want to think that he died for a choice he regretted. He can't think that.]

[zerotohiro]

[...ah. He sort of thought that'd be the answer but he shakes his head anyway.]

Take your mask, Leon. I'll let you know if I figure out the correlation.

[discard]

I hardly have to take it.

[A huff, short and under his breath.]

It will follow me anyway.

[Like his death does in this place, no matter what he does. Either way, he's not going to need anything further to get the hint--he turns on his heel immediately and leaves.]

[zerotohiro]

[Goodbye, Leon.

But true to his word, Hiro will text him a few days later with an update.]

Figured out what your mask represents. It's exactly what you think it is. Just...be careful, okay?

[He's not expecting a response. If Leon knows his mask represents his death though at least he can look out for himself. That's what Stahn would want. For Leon to be careful.]