[OPEN] The light that seemed to disappear

[bearshermark]

Who: Eleven and OPEN
Where: First District/Academy
When: September 3rd-ish
What: El has returned from his world, a bit disoriented by a mix of somewhat obscure visions/dreams, multiple sets of memories, and general time shenanigans.
Warnings: None.. at the moment, I think.



His feet hit the ground, and Eleven landed in a crouch. He held the stilled position for several moments, eyes focused on the shadows spread over the dirt a short distance from his fingertips. Then just as swiftly whirled on the person stepping up behind him. A civilian, he noted belatedly, and dropped his sword with an apology.

The newly forged Sword of Light gleamed in the afternoon sun. He rubbed his eyes and glanced up to clear blue skies above. Sunlight so bright that it seemed impossible. A spread of foreign scenery slowly resolved into distant familiarity.

Not Hotto, but Noa.

A world full of life, not yet fallen to darkness. A world ambivalent to the title of Luminary. Overlapping visions of two very different, yet puzzling dreams.

He'd regained his companions only to lose them again, but traded them for cross-dimensional friendships.

Hendrik. Yotsuyu. Isabel. Lea. Tenn. Isa. Kuja. Atem. A number of others.

Yet his feet hesitated to return, found himself caught between a strong desire to stay, and the compulsion telling him he should go. Mysteries and memories held him captive, conflicting, weighted, and scattering his focus.

He stayed.

It took a few days to feel ready enough.

When Eleven finally returned to Anastara, it was with a practiced smile: patient and friendly yet at odds with purposeful strides and drawn shoulders. He passed through the First District and into the Academy grounds with a polite nod to everyone he made eye contact with.

Nothing seemed terribly different from what he last remembered of the place. The people he thought he knew still recognized him.

"Has it really only been a few days..?"

Comments

[temptationaccomplished]

Spotting the young man, Aziraphale smiled and crossed the grounds towards the temple, looking a little pink in the cheeks as if he had been doing more walking that he was accustomed to. Eleven wasn't dressed in his temple robes this time, but then humans DID tend to change their clothes with some regularity in the modern era, and Eleven might well be off duty at this moment. In contrast, Aziraphale was dressed in his uniform, and regrettably had started to forego his pale bowtie because it did not match the red and black Ka uniform and he had standards. (He would be in the market for a matching tartan tie soon, once he had some funds of his own.) The closest thing to his previous palette was the light caramel colored snake that had taken up residence near his collar.

"Oh, there you are!" he said in a manner of greeting, clasping his hands together in front of himself as if in happy relief. "I was here a few days ago and they had told me you had gone! Absolutely failed to clarify where you might have gone off to; did you take leave in the middle of the school year? Not that it's any of my business, but I am glad to see you back and looking none the worse for wear."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

Isabel...was not paying attention, at first. Head tilted down to look at her books, she passed along the path towards one of her classes. Still, out of the corner of her eye--a familiar shadow, and even Chaos made a mrrrpt! of greeting, prancing over with tail held high to give Eleven an affectionate headbutt against his leg. He's missed you, human boy. Even if he didn't have a long time to do so.

Look up, Isabel. The quietest of internal whispers, and yet it had her snapping her head up, eyes wide and startled. But it was enough. Her eyes widened more (were that possible!), and she nearly dropped her books in her haste to run after him.

"Eleven? El?!" Skidding to a stop before she could collide with him. "Yeah, it has here--but oh my god I'm still so glad to see you!" Things had been a little strange since she'd divined he had disappeared. Still...Isabel looked left, looked right, to see just how many people were watching. Few? Good! She leaned over and gave Eleven a kiss on the cheek. All casual-like. Nailed it.

"I'm glad you're back!"

[king_of_egypt]

"Nice work, Horus!" Atem congratulated his metallic falcon as it concluded it's return flight, by landing on his extended arm. He had sense enough to protect his limb from the bird's sharp talons by wrapping a bit of sturdy cloth about it. With his free hand he reached up to affectionately stroke his familiar's head. It had been a fairly uneventful month save for searching for a missing puzzle piece, and a few recent disappearances. The latter was disconcerting, especially since one of the missing persons happened to be a friend of his. After he learned of Eleven's absence, he'd made sure to keep an eye out for the other as he combed Anastara for the Millennium Idol's missing piece.

Neither of which had turned up yet. It was only now- when he was taking a little recreational break with Horus that he caught sight of Eleven entering the school grounds.

Eyes widening in surprise he exclaimed. "You're back!" After encouraging Horus to move to his shoulder, Atem walked over to intercept Eleven who looked no worse for wear... at least from his initial observations. "Does it feel like it's been more..?" Not really answering the question originally posed. "Where have you been?"

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik walked around the grounds and took the same paths that he and Eleven had taken. Yotsuyu's words definitely gave him a lot to think about and while he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the boy, he tried to keep up his spirits. It pained him to walk the same routes, it pained him not to pick up his sword and practice, but anytime he tried to, he ended up taking his frustration and anger out. There had been a lot of repairs.

He'd even put his training classes on hold and stayed home instead of going to classes. If he was checked up on, he would insist he was fine as he tried to nurse the hole in his heart. Jasper had been one thing certainly, the Luminary was quite another and altogether different.

The knight had signed up to be a guardian, a sword, a shield, a protector. He didn't sign up to be a friend. That had only confused him when lines went to blur because it was unexpected. But as he wandered around, he thought he heard a familiar voice. Not daring to hope. Hendrik went to go find the source and saw the Luminary.

For several long moments he just blinked and thought of how strongly Yotsuyu believed that the boy would return. And then he broke into a run and scooped the Luminary up.

He was absolutely not getting away again.

[darkenedmoon]

"Yes, you terrible boy. You had us all worried--tell me, what happened?" For all her somewhat harsh words, there was an actual smile present on Yotsuyu's face, and she looked more than happy to see Eleven again.

A few days. Had it been so short a time? It had seemed longer. Oh, his absence had not torn at her heart like it had others--she had had perfect confidence that he would return. And, as she had sworn and promised, here he was. Hale. Whole. Healthy. And shining with a quiet confidence that he had only been clutching at when he had vanished.

"It is so good to see you." Yotsuyu enfolded him in a gentle embrace, and kissed Eleven on the forehead. Mind the lipstick, now!