#{leon in love is just...him passionately declaring how you are the sun the stars the moon the entire UNIVERSE TO HIM}

[nightslain]

STUDY    :    LEON BELMONT.  Repost it, do not reblog.

tagged by : @patricursed​ ⭐⭐⭐ tagging :  @vampiriam​ @bloodxsong​ @goldenendless​ @ghostlyanon​ and whoever else wants it!

—    basics.

▸       is your muse tall    /    short    /    average ? Average! He stands at 5′10″, certainly not the smallest among his peers, but neither the tallest.

▸       are they okay with their height ? He is! Leon isn’t troubled with any insecurities regarding his height and doesn’t necessarily wish he was taller for any reason either. Even if Mathias uses it to his advantage to hold things out of his reach, but that man is remarkably tall.

▸      what’s their hair like ? Leon’s hair is a warm pale honey colour and is very soft, thick and voluminous--not necessarily sleek, shiny or silky, but pleasant to the touch, almost downy in texture and, for lack of a better word, fluffy! It falls quite straight nearer the crown of his head but unravels into those waves of bouncy curls about his ears and neck. His curls often becomes even more unruly during humid weather or after spending time in the sea air, which is quite a regular occurrence given his location being nearer to the shoreline of Carnac. He has humoured the idea of growing it out, but largely abstained due to the fact he already has his hands full with maintaining his hair and keeping it well groomed. He does take a lot of pride in it, though!

▸     do they spend a  lot of time on their hair     /    grooming ? A decent amount. It can take quite a bit of effort to wash, dry and groom it all to a satisfactory condition given its wild texture that often does not like to cooperate with him! His curls flick out every which way if left without their usual meticulous styling and care, and perfecting them soaks up a hefty amount of his morning routine, especially given the state of it when he wakes up. Needless to say, he has some impressive bedhead to tame each day.

▸      does your muse care about their appearance   /   what others think ? Leon does take pride in his appearance to a certain degree; not to an excess of vanity so much as simply minding that he always looks presentable and sets a good example, presenting himself as well-groomed and dignified at all times. He has a reputation to maintain above all else, and the way he dresses and minds his appearance very much reflects that. Albeit, even without the expected societal norms in place, he would choose to present himself as such. He has worked hard for his impressive physique in particular, and maintenance of that aspect of himself above all is vital. 

He doesn’t care too much what other people think of him; he knows he is perceived often as being beautiful by some, whereas others sometimes sooner mock him for how delicate and feminine he appears, at least in the face. While he will always present himself to others as impeccable in appearance, he doesn’t trouble himself too much with what they think beyond that, having heard as many compliments as he has insults, and only taking notice of what people closest to him say. It’s why he is far more likely to blush at a compliment coming from any close friends, but is seemingly unmoved by those coming from anyone else. 

—    preferences.

▸      indoors    or    outdoors ?    Outdoors. ▸      rain    or    sunshine ?   Sunshine. ▸      forest    or    beach ?    Beach. ▸      precious    metals    or    gems ?     Metals. ▸      flowers    or    perfumes ?    Flowers. ▸      personality    or    appearance ?      Personality. ▸      being    alone    or    being    in    a    crowd ?   Alone. ▸      order    or    anarchy ? Order. ▸      painful    truths    or    white    lies ?    Painful truths. ▸  science    or    magic ?     Both. ▸      peace    or    conflict ?    Peace. ▸      night    or    day ?    Day. ▸      dusk    or    dawn ? Dawn. ▸      warmth    or    cold ?     Warmth. ▸      many   acquaintances    or    a    few    close    friends ?   A few close friends. ▸      reading    or    playing    a    game ?   Playing a game.

—    questionnaire.

▸      what are some of your muse’s bad habits ? Leon absorbs too much responsibility for a lot of situations, even when he is aware of his lack of power over a situation. This isn’t necessarily always applicable, but whenever something of any magnitude happens, Leon often lets himself get wrapped up in guilt over things he failed to do in order to secure a different outcome. It is something he struggles often with and despite having enough rational thought to understand his relative powerlessness, he will torment himself with what-ifs and should-have’s.

Leon is also incredibly stubborn when he sets his mind to something, and is sometimes prone to acts of rash impulsiveness when particularly emotionally charged--which, sometimes, is a very valid reason for his struggle with the previous point. He takes things to extremes in a temper, albeit such is indeed rare and difficult to spark, and regrets it later when his mind is clear again. He also has the tendency to say rather scathing things when truly provoked.

▸      has your muse lost anyone close to them ? how has it affected them ? Certainly. This was a precedent set early into his life with the loss of his parents, although Leon was not quite old enough to remember them with clarity. The absence of both parents though did give way to quite bit of loneliness as he was growing up, despite having a close relationship with his foster mother. He had a poor relationship with his paternal figure, which did little to balm that particular void in his life. However, this impact was relatively minimal compared with the frankly traumatic losses he suffered later in life.

Elisabetha’s death was the first that Leon truly experienced and was damaged by significantly. Her death wounded Leon to a similar degree of intensity as it did Mathias--the three of them all shared a very deep love of one another, and Leon positively adored her. The only thing keeping him together once she passed away was the fact he had a duty of care to Mathias, who simply could not cope and more or less went mad without her, as well as succumbing to illness. Leon struggled a great deal in this period, now being saddled with the responsibility of supervising their men and arranging their battle tactics alone as well as taking care of Mathias in the time he had to spare, who seemed just about ready to follow Elisabetha to the grave. He put on a brave face for the public, but no less was suffering. He couldn’t bring himself to eat much if at all for quite some time, which combined with the resulting loss of weight and energy did start to impact his competence in battle. It was something of an uphill battle getting himself back into good condition again throughout the following year.

The second was naturally Sara, made all the more traumatic by the fact he failed to rescue her after sacrificing everything else in his life to do so, and that he was forced to kill her himself once she was tainted by Walter. Leon didn’t give himself chance to properly grieve her death once her soul was infused into the Vampire Killer, and the true magnitude of her loss didn’t come crashing down on him till much later, though he had already long set his plans to honour her promise into motion. When it did finally catch up to him in its entirety though, he was a complete and utter wreck, suffering much the same symptoms as experienced after Elisabetha’s passing, but to far worse a degree; working himself to the bone between travelling for days on end and battling the monsters he found along the way while eating little to nothing. Eventually, his wounds and exhaustion both weakened him to the point he fell prey to sickness and its nasty cocktail of symptoms, from a raging fever to vomiting to vivid, frequent hallucinations. He was extremely ill for a worrying period of time.

And of course, there’s Mathias, although not dead in one sense, certainly in another. Mathias’ betrayal is directly intertwined with Sara’s death, and both of them more or less died at the same time as far as Leon is concerned--therefore, the suffering that followed was just as much consequence to Sara’s death as it was to Mathias’ traitorous actions, and for that matter his role in it all only accelerated Leon’s already rapid decline in health and stability. Leon couldn’t fathom why Mathias would hatch such a plot against him for quite some time and that wound never truly healed even after years spent hunting him down. His betrayal was devastating in every sense of the word, and yet even then, once his hate and rage began to burn out, Leon was left to ponder if he had done too little to protect Mathias from his own madness when he still had the chance. He spent a little too much time lamenting over whether he should have surrendered his alliance with the church much sooner and devoted more of his time to Mathias’ recovery, or if he simply was too far gone to save at all. Neither possibility brings him any comfort. Mathias’ loss perhaps cut the deepest, as he had known Mathias for the longest and loved him with such intensity for the entirety of that time they spent together. Leon was never quite the same again, even if he refused to let his suffering strip him of compassion or resolve, he struggled with loving people once more for years into the future.

▸      what are some fond memories your muse has ? The fondest memories he has are all of his time in France, before the Hell of Mathias’ betrayal and Sara’s death. He thinks back to many of the hours the two of them spent by the sea watching the sunset and the stars or chasing each other through the woods on horseback, raising hunting birds and minding their gardens together--for all the peril and danger of their lives, they were immensely happy and they made the most of every waking moment. Memories of Elisabetha and Sara are likewise precious to him; he would sometimes let Elisabetha dress him up and fix him with a makeover in the privacy of Mathias’ home simply to see his reaction when he came home, which never failed to be comical! The two were very close in general, albeit, and Leon spent quite a bit of time tending to her in Mathias’ absence, whether that was helping her with her knitting or assisting with washing and combing her hair. 

As with Sara, he always fondly remembers their night time strolls hand in hand through the lavender field encompassing Leon’s land, as well as the many things he endeavoured to teach her; he would often take her fishing with him as well as on the occasional hunt or horseback ride when he could sneak her away. Other times he would bring her to his aviary to teach her how to handle his hunting birds--and as well as showing her the chicks he was raising while she was visiting, often with the promise he would gift one to her when they were older. 

And he will always vividly remember the look on her face when he first proposed to her.

▸     is it easy for your muse to kill ? Yes. Leon is very used to killing, even if he hasn’t grown numb to the weight of taking a life. He has been a witness to war since he was more or less a child, and fighting them almost as long. However, he does begin to struggle morally with the thought of people he’s killed when he becomes disillusioned with the church and begins to realise that he may well have been party to many a needless death. His act of defending humanity from monsters is as much a fulfilment of his promise to Sara as it is penance for the lives he has already taken.

▸      what’s it like when your muse breaks down ? Intense and deeply troubling to watch. Leon is quite explosive when he reaches his limits, and this is not much aided by the fact he will bottle up much of his grief for as lengthy a time as possible. When his suffering finally gets the best of him, he shatters quite violently into screaming and sobbing fits, often becoming physically aggressive and remaining inconsolable until this wave has passed. After this, it’s common for him to isolate and go completely silent, unwilling to speak or even see other people and going out of his way to avoid them. This can last for days or weeks, depending on the severity of the situation that sent him over the edge. Thankfully, it is blissfully rare that Leon suffers a break down of this intensity, and to date, it has only occurred twice; once when Mathias got his throat cut and almost died as a result of an ill-fated plan Leon warned him against acting upon, and the second time is when Mathias turned him into a vampire in order to save his life after Leon was accidentally impaled during battle with his monsters. 

▸      is your muse capable of trusting someone with their life ? Absolutely! Although it is naturally rare that Leon would put that level of trust in anyone, he put his life in Mathias’ hands countless times and vice versa during their years in France. They trusted one another completely and utterly in all matters, and they knew their lives were perfectly safe when guarded by one another. Albeit, Leon is considerably less trusting after Mathias’ betrayal, and guards himself much more intensely. His trust can still be won to this degree if given time and a great deal of patience.

▸      what’s your muse like when they’re in love ? Leon is quite transparent when he is harbouring feelings for someone, unless he is under the impression he absolutely cannot share it with them for whatever reason. Typically, Leon is swift to tell someone he is romantically attracted to them one way or another, and following a reciprocal reply, he will not hesitate to lavish time, attention and gifts upon them. He is a very affectionate man and he loves nothing more than doting on the people he cares deeply about--both as an expression of love and as an expression of gratitude for that person being in his life. If you manage to win Leon’s heart, you can safely expect endless praise and affirmations of his devotion--there is no small amount of passion when it comes to Leon’s expressions of love, either! He’s a very physical and intimate lover who leaps at the opportunity to be close to his partner in any capacity, and he deeply enjoys being able to provide for them or attend their needs. 

You will know Leon is in love simply by the sheer amount of romance that starts to seep into the way he talks to certain people--his speech will often start flourishing with poetic, dreamy descriptions of them or the way they make him feel. If he is welcomed to, he will become much more physically affectionate, with much less fleeting caresses and kisses working their way into the display. Closeness will amplify in almost every sense. The looks he give them will become much drawn out, as though he has seen nothing more lovely than that particular person and can think of looking at nothing else. And of course, gifts. Leon likes to make gifts for many of his friends, but there will be a noticeable difference in the quantity and exact nature of the gifts he offers to people he is hoping to woo.

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Only Lovers

Leon and Ada, from the Resident Evil series, sometime in the future. This is explicit and NSFW. Smut ahead Also on A03

She wakes before him. Despite their deeds last night, it seems too intimate to chance a peek at his sleeping form. She’s always taken chances. Why should this one be different? So she takes the chance.

When she gazes at him, she’s both astonished and left breathless. He’s a different person asleep. Younger looking. She’s more nervous looking at him sleeping than she is standing in front of him naked. He’s stunning. If he weren’t working the government, he’d be living in the Renaissance as an artist’s model. He’d be Michelangelo’s choice for David.

She’s made it this far, so she decides that a delicate finger to trace his cheek won’t do any harm. He doesn’t stir. She grows bolder, traces his lips. Last night, they were reverent against her fevered body, even as she was the one that directed their furtive scene. Her personal style is to be in control, and in his mad desire to please, in his mad want of her, he didn’t try to push her down on the bed when her thighs were on both sides of him and take control, like perhaps another man would. Instead he succumbed to her, and watched with reverence as she moved above. When he did rise, it was only to wrap his arms around her and hold her. Then began the rain of kisses, everywhere he could touch. She even let him kiss the corner of her mouth, as if they were lovers forever and not at this one moment, not enemies on opposite sides who had burned for each other for years and were just now letting themselves blow off some steam. Fucking was so much like fighting. There was sweat, passion, no sense of beginning or end. Just the now. She revealed in the urgent now last night.

Then he kissed her on the mouth, and she could have cried. For a few moments, when his lips grazed her cupid’s bow and tongue gently sought entrance inside, there was no question they were making love, and not extending their outside-of-the-bedroom and outside-the-moment line between antagonism and allies. For those moments there was no more blurred lines. They were only lovers.

As he  sleeps, she allows herself to indulge in that tenderness that was only brief during their night together. She reminds herself she intended to leave before he wakes, but she’s caught between sensibilities and wanting to partake in her personal version of the female gaze. It reminds her when they first met, and he took that bullet for her after only knowing her for a few hours. After patching him up, she wasted precious moments looking at him. Even then she knew him to be about a couple of years younger than she was, and so much more idealistic. Even that’s not changed now, even after everything, even after all he’s seen. She doesn’t know if she should pity him or wish she could take some of that idealism for herself. She only knows she’s always been compelled to draw out the moment, where he’s asleep and she’s awake, and he’s her own Adonis.

When Adonis stirs, she draws her hand away. He stretches and she prepares herself for the inevitable: I should go, this should never have happened in the first place. Yet when she closes her eyes, as if that’ll prepare her for the hurt that she shouldn’t be bothered by anyway, she feels only the warmth of his hand, cupping her cheek.

 “I know you’re awake,” he mutters.

She opens her eyes, stirring with want. Naked underneath the bed sheets, the slight sun that pours through the small crack between the curtains outlines his form, the strength of his arms and broad shoulders, and brings out the golden tinges in his hair that rests somewhere between brown and blonde. She chuckles to herself, ruffling the already mussed hair. She’s never met a man so attached to one haircut.

He asks how long she’s been awake and she answers truthfully: about ten minutes.

 “You didn’t leave.”

 “I thought about it,” she admits

 “What made you stay?”

She grips the hand that still cups her cheek. Her answer is true, the truest thing she’s ever said.

“You.”

She doesn’t protest when he breaks the distance between them. He’s needy in his kisses and she hungrily gives back, chastising herself for thinking that the brief kisses she allowed last night were enough. They didn’t even kiss before they tore their clothes off each other. It was all business, all until they were on top of each other on the mattress, their neutral ground, and bare for the first time in all senses of the word. It was madness, it was bliss to make their own rules. It became instinct to accept his kiss when his arms wrapped around her, instinct to kiss him when his fingers against her clit brought her over the edge. The third was also instinct. It was after he came, spilling on his taut stomach. She couldn’t deny him a kiss then, not when he muttered I love you.

It was just instinct, she told herself. They were making love, it was natural to say. So she kissed him back, neither a denial or I love you too, but an affirmative of some sorts that she’s still not sure was a good idea. Though, the whole thing wasn’t a good idea. They ran anyway, straight to their hotel room, straight to their bad idea. It was the best bad idea she ever had, only beat by her second, to stay with him the morning.

In the morning light, she kisses him back and lets him blanket his body over hers. It’s foreign for her to have the strength of a man against her body, but it’s only a small surprise it’s Leon. From the moment they met, and her thoughts turned salacious, he struck her as a man who’d let himself surrender. She knew the type: someone always in control, someone who cherished the few moments of surrender where he could just be wanted and needed. Last night, he gladly followed her lead and her wants.

Yet more surprising than his taking initiative now is her own surrender. She not only lets him sink and meld onto her body, but she encourages—with one hand gripping his back, and he other fisting into his hair. She moans when his arousal brushes against her thighs.

“Come on,” she goads as he gently kisses both her shoulders and collar, and the space between her breasts.  “Leon…”

His head dips down low, sinks between her thighs. It astounds her that he can push aside his own want to do this—something she’s never asked for or thought about really—but she’s quick to silence herself when his lips brush against her inner thighs. Don’t tease, she wants to order, just touch me, taste me, but she steals a glance. His blue eyes peek at her, and words aren’t needed any longer. Just him, and whatever he wants to do, whatever he wants.

He wants to make her feel good. A gentle finger circles around her clit and she throws her head against the pillow. Thighs twist around him, as if to lock him there, fingers knot the bed sheets and knot his tangled hair as his tongue laps around her clit. She needs more pressure, more of him, and he answers that silent plea. He slides a finger in, out, in, out, almost as good as cock. Her orgasm is sudden and all-consuming, and as he sighs against her skin, she thinks as though his name escaping from her lips is all he needs to sustain himself. A pilgrim for so long, he finally found his place of worship.

Her arms beckon him. They kiss wildly, madly, deeply. They entangle limbs, exchange sighs, share the same strangled breath as he slides inside her. It’s not just the feel of him that wraps her in ecstasy, but the warmth of him everywhere, and each new kiss that makes up for the too few last night. This is how it’s supposed to be, the two of them, bereft of the confines of their duties…Leon and Ada, and the two of them, finding a moment of still in the madness, to look into each other’s eyes, her hands cupping his stubbled cheeks, thumbs tracing the prominent cheekbones.

He says it again, I love you. She can’t deny now it wasn’t instinct, driven by the nature of their act. It was his instinct to declare what had become intrinsic to his being. Unintentionally when they first met, she caught him, and she hadn’t let go. He’s loyal to her, and she had been quietly loyal to him. Waiting for a moment like last night.

She really is so cruel.

Last night she had been possessed. They had been possessed. It explained his I love you and her kiss after. This though, this I love you is no phantom declaration in the night. It’s realer in the morning. Nights are for secrets. Morning is where they must come to face what they’ve done. This has been their morning, not running and hiding, but falling into each other’s arms as Ada and Leon. They are what they are in the dim light that spills from the curtains, and they make their own calls and a new set of rules that are neither secretive nor hidden.

He just wants her to say it back. I love you.

Her response isn’t the words, but a kiss she hopes conveys not I love you too, but how much of a figurehead he’s been in her life, how much she’s truly thought about him over the years. He shudders. He’s close. She keeps him against her body, digs her nails into his back before he can pull away, mumbles against fevered kisses she wants all of him, everything he has.  

He gives. She shudders as he comes, and instead of being wracked with guilt or shame, she implores her body to sink into his, implores the world to blur until only their room—their bed, until they’re only lovers. He can’t hear her thoughts—she’s about to tell him to stay as he is, but he rises, sits at the edge of the bed, his back toward her. She still sees stars and yet he’s not there with her. She’s left behind.

She turns toward him. Her nails left small red marks on his skin. She rises, kisses where she pressed too hard.

His sudden indifference takes her aback. It stings. It’s her own act she’s done many a time, she shouldn’t feel as she does when he takes part in her game, but he acts as though they only fucked and not made love.

“I should go,” he mutters, piercing the arrow deeper. It’s infuriating.

He stands, and it strikes her to say that he has no problem offering a show as he looks for his clothes. Naked, the sunlight contouring the defined strength of his arms, he has a certain sense of ease that he wouldn’t have had things went as they agreed, and they were just a side distraction, a rendezvous meant to blow off whatever it was that they had been carrying for years. He would have been nervous, quick. He’s anything but.

She rids herself of the sheets to rise. She grabs his hand before he can pick up his discarded shirt. “Don’t leave like this,” she orders.

He rises to his full height. “I didn’t expect…I—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.”

But he doesn’t look into her eyes. She suspects he’s not entirely sorry.

She challenges. Her hand slides against his abdomen, his slim hip, pressing their bodies closer. “Why?” she asks. “It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Are her words the spell that possesses him again? Or is it her? It doesn’t matter. Once again, they’re kissing like made, grasping flesh, falling onto the bed. If it’s a spell she’s enchanted herself as well as he. Naked, sprawled against the sheets, in love with his want for her, she’s aware that when the trance breaks, she’s going to have to tell him it’s not Ada he loves, but this version of Ada that’s been living in a famine without him, pining for him, needing him, that she does untoward things like stay when she should have left. All for his arms, for his kiss. For her arms to hold him. She makes the rules, that they’re only lovers. They act like lovers do.

An eternity and a moment later, he lays with his head on her lap, her fingers idly twisting the ringlets. He says something about a shower, and she thinks when he finally does rise, she’ll join him—scrub his back for him and have the favor returned. And then, after…

They’ll find each other again. They always do. They’ll be enemies, surely, but not when they take their quarrels back to the bedroom. Then, like now, they’ll find that gap of time to be only lovers.

She laughs to herself. One moment, they told each other last night. And this is it. They were fools. They’re still fools. Happy, sated, blissful fools. And lovers.

And yet, it’d be cruel not to tell him, to let him live in an illusion.

“You don’t love me,” she whispers. “you love the me you think about when you’re lonely.”

“Not lonely now.”

He glances at her with a mischievous, knowing look. “Neither am I,” she tells him, and she even plays the part, tells him she loves him too. They’re only lovers now, after all.

“You didn’t have to say that,” he says. “I know what’s true.”

“Then what’s true?”

He rises, faces her. He cups her cheek, caresses her face. He follows with a gentle kiss.  

“Now,” he whispers. “Us.”

Backstory: I played RE4 years ago when I was super young, and Leon and Ada were one of my first ships. playing Re2 Remake recently reignited the old feels so I wanted to write something. Thanks for reading!

[platonicone]

Devotion - Story of the Oracle and her Shield

Chapter 17 - Apart but connected

What unites two people? Is it, their bodies, thoughts, or heart? I wonder…

The sun was setting and so was their mood. Leon took the wheel as they drove to their last campsite. Neither talked much as they were preoccupied with their own thoughts. Leon couldn’t stop thinking about Luna and her relationship with Noctis. Luna was trying to figure out the foretold tragedy alluded by Gentiana.

They arrived at the Ausace Haven. After unloading and unpacking everything, they both got busy doing their assumed duty. Leon set up a tent and fire, while Luna busied herself with cooking.

Leon was sitting there quietly staring at the fire he had started. Seeing Leon lost in his thoughts, Luna grabbed a dish and tapped the spoon on it repeatedly making a ringing noise. “Dinner is ready,” she announced cheerfully.

He got up and helped himself to a plate full of deliciousness she had made. It certainly looked good and smelled even better. “You start eating, I’ll join in a minute,” she instructed.

Leon sat by the fire with his plate in his hand and started eating. He took one bite and the flavor in his mouth changed. The curry was extremely salty. It took a lot of courage to take another bit while keeping a straight face.

Luna was busy warming something up so her attention was not on Leon for the time being. After five minutes or so, she joined Leon with a plate in her hand.

She noticed that Leon had finished his curry, “The curry is already gone? You must have liked it. Here have some more.” In spite of Leon’s resistance, she dumped a scoop full of curry in his plate.

Leon continued eating, trying to be as normal as possible. Luna took one bite, and she immediately spits it out. “Ewww it’s awful,” she said, making a face. She looked at Leon and he was still eating it. “How can you eat this? It is so salty!”

“It’s not that bad. It is still better than anything I could have cooked,” he tried to downplay the severity.

“No, it is horrible,” she said, yanking his dish from his hand.

“Luna, if you can eat soup you don’t like for weeks, I can surely eat salty food for a day,” he replied with a smile. “Besides, you put so much effort into it, the last thing I want to do is to criticize it and be ungrateful.”

“Leon, you are too sweet,” she said, with a radiating smile. “But this is too salty and not eatable at all. Let’s cook something that can be made quickly. Come on, help me cut these vegetables.”

Together they worked on making the diner. Cooking together turned out to be a rather enjoyable activity.

She fixed a quick meal and this time she made sure it was proper in taste. They enjoyed their dinner in the starry night.

“Should we take on Ramuh tomorrow? Or do you want to wait?” he asked between his bites.

“Let’s do it tomorrow. I am ready,” she affirmed, giving him a quick thumbs up.

“Which means this would probably our last camp like this,” he declared with a hint of disappointment.

“Never thought I would say this, but I am going to miss this,” she remarked, looking around.

“We can always camp for fun,” he suggested.

“But it won't be the same,” she resisted to his idea.

“More reason to do it. The same is boring,” he commented, grabbing another bite.

“I guess you are right,” she said, after drinking water.

After a couple of minutes, Leon chimed again, “We need to return the car in the morning and then we ride Chocobos to Ramuh’s location.”

“And once we defeat it, we are off to Altissia to awaken Leviathan,” she laid out the plan.

“Do you think this battle would be as tough as Titan?” he asked.

“Not sure. Each Astral has its own personality. Historically, Ramuh has favored mankind. Leviathan, on the other hand, hates mankind with passion,” she gave a quick history lesson.

“Interesting,” he said, finishing his meal.

“Let’s clean up and rest. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow,” she suggested, getting off the ground dusting off dirt from her clothes.

“Yup, let me help,” he joined her in cleaning up.

Leon looked at his watch and it was 11:45 p.m. Cooking twice took a lot more than expected. Suddenly, he remembered that the meteor shower would be starting in about 75 minutes. He noticed Luna was busy packing all extra groceries, so he found something to keep him busy as well. He grabbed their two sleeping bags and pillows from the tent and laid it out in the open. He laid Luna’s sleeping bag close to the fire, so she doesn't feel cold. His sleeping bag was next to hers only one foot apart. He lay there comfortably and started stargazing.

“What is this?” inquired Luna, coming close to his make-ready bed.

Not wanting to reveal his plan, he said, “I thought we should do something different since this is our last night in a camp like this.”

“Your plan is to sleep out in the open, even though we have a tent set up?” she still wasn’t convinced of his plan.

“Yes, it will be fun,” he proposed, but Luna did not buy it.

“Your definition of fun keeps getting weirder,” she commented with a facepalm. The realization that she had started to facepalm a lot more since meeting Leon was not lost on her.

He said two magical words that always melt her. “Trust me.”

“Fine,” she gave in with a sigh. She sat next to Leon on his spread-out sleeping bag for the time being.

Seeing her disappointment with this plan, Leon offered, “If you don’t like it here, then we can always go back in the tent.”

“Really?” she was taken by surprise by his offer.

“Yes.”

“Okay then, I don’t like it, can we go inside now?” she pleaded, joining her hands.

Leon’s plan of watching the meteor shower together was quickly falling apart. “Would you be more interested in staying out here tonight if I gave you a gift?”

Her eyes widened upon hearing that, “You got a gift for me?” She couldn’t believe her ears so she had to check.

“What if I did?” he asked playfully.

“Then give it to me already. I love gifts.” Her heart was already racing from the prospect of getting a gift from Leon. She was extremely curious to find out what it was.

“Not so fast. What do I get in return?” he teased further.

“I don’t know. What would you like?” she asked, now getting even more curious.

“Sleep out here tonight?” he proposed.

“Why is sleeping here such a big deal to you?” she eyed him suspiciously.

He just shrugged in response. “No reason. So, do we have a deal?”

“Deal,” she agreed, extending her hand. Leon shook her hand in response to lock in the deal.

“Now, gift please,” she demanded.

“Close your eyes and put your hand out like this,” Leon instructed.

“Why?” she asked.

“Just do it,” he directed in a commanding tone, and she obliged. He kept something on her hand. She tried to feel what it was and from its texture, she quickly figured it out. She opened her eyes and there was a book in her hand. She brought the book closer to the fire and was stunned to see its cover.

“How did you find it!” she said with utter disbelief.

“Wishing Upon A Star by Lord Avon,” he announced proudly with a smile.

“How did you even get this? It must have cost a fortune to get this,” she relayed her concerns.

“Do you like it?” he asked, trying to evade her question.

“No. I love it,” she said with never seen before enthusiasm and flung herself to him. She gave him three quick pecks on his cheek while still having Leon in her embrace.

‘I guess she wasn’t kidding when she said I would enamor them with love,’ said his mind with joy.

She quickly realized the compromising position they were in and immediately released Leon from her embrace. She sat back straight totally embarrassed. The last thing she wanted was to make eye contact with Leon now.

“I am glad that you liked my gift so much.”

She picked up the book and flipped through a few pages as if making sure it was really ‘Wishing Upon A Star.’ “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, Leon. Words cannot describe what this means to me.”

“You are most welcome,” he replied courteously.

“How much did you have to pay for this?” she asked, finally looking at him.

“Let’s just say that whatever I paid for it was worth it,” he said, smiling at her.

“How will I ever repay for all that you have done for me?”

“Don’t worry. I am not keeping tabs.”

“Do you mind if I read this book for a bit?” she asked politely.

“Sure, go ahead,” he encouraged.

She positioned herself in a way that light from the fire would fall on the book. She read the book with eagerness as if her life depended on it. Leon couldn’t help but notice when tears swelled up in her eyes. She would wipe it and continue reading. She was completely immersed in the book.

Leon realized that it was kind of creepy to just watch her read for so long. Since he had nothing to do, he looked around for anything which would cure his boredom. He thought about pulling out his cellphone, but choose against it as he felt that lately he was indulging in his phone lot more than necessary.

After scanning his surroundings multiple times, he found nothing of interest until his eyes settled on Luna’s trident. He wondered if he could wield it in battle. He found Luna’s ability to create a shield particularly useful in battles and was curious to find out if he could do the same by wielding the Trident of the Oracle. The only way to find out was to try it.

“Luna, can I use your trident?” he asked.

“Ya, sure,” she replied, without even looking up. He was certain that she did not even hear his question and just replied autonomously.

He got up and grabbed the trident. It was much lighter than he expected. He inspected the trident closely from top to bottom. The three prongs atop the stem were extremely sharp. The stem itself was strong enough to block off any attack. The stem was so well made that it could be gripped from the top, middle or bottom depending on need. It had a wing ornament at the bottom, ending into a very sharp edge, lethal enough to pierce through even the thickest of armors. It had an extremely fine artistic design embossed in it all over the trident. Looking at the strength and beauty of this weapon, he could conclude that no human could have possibly made it. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was actually THE trident of the Oracle from the legend Stiria had told him earlier in the day.

Next, he closed his eyes and let his hand get the feel of the weapon. Once satisfied, he swung the trident with one hand and then again with both hands. After trying multiple grips, he finally settled for a dual hand grip used in a polearm. Each swing accompanied a swooshing sound as if cutting the wind itself. One of the cool features of the trident was that each strike left behind a hologram that stayed for a few seconds damaging enemies who come into its contact. The holograms stack and thus does high damage to stationary targets. Luna primarily used her trident to cast spells and rarely for close combat.

Leon noticed that Trident amplified his magic greatly as well. What he wanted to learn the most was to create a shield. Nothing he tried seemed to create a shield that Luna seemed to do so effortlessly. After trying multiple things, he finally gave up and decided to ask Luna on how to create a shield.

Luna was still eagerly reading the book, so he was hesitant to disturb her. He sat next to Luna, still holding the trident. Luna noticed his presence and looked at him. “What is it?” she asked, figuring he needed something from her.

“How do you create that protective shield?” he asked.

It took her a few seconds to realize what he was referring to as she had no context for that question. “Oh, that’s an ability of the Oracle which lets me do that,” she replied.

Upon hearing this, his neutral facial expression transformed into one of disappointment. “What happened?” she asked, with concern.

“I thought if I wield the trident, I would be able to create the shield as well,” he said, with dejection evident in his voice.

She closes the book and carefully places it next to her, before addressing Leon. “I cannot create the shield without the trident so I can see why you would think that the trident was the source of it. However, it takes both the trident and the Oracle’s power to cast that protective barrier,” she explained patiently.

“So, I have the trident but no power to use it,” he stated, looking at the trident and twirling it around. “Can’t you share some of your power to me?” he asked jokingly.

“Now that’s an interesting thought,” she said, as it sparked her interest. Now she was fully engaged in the conversation. “King Regis could use the crystal's power, but he was also able to share it with his Kingsglaives which enabled them to use magic as well. If Lucii kings can share their power, then in theory, Oracle should be able to do the same. Hmm, I never thought about this before.” She was absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair.

“If possible, then sharing Oracle’s power would mean healing more people, blessing move havens and allowing others to create a shield in battle. It would be very beneficial to you and others. I am surprised that you did not think of this before.”

“I never had anyone to share it with, until now,” she said with a sad smile. “I guess that is why I never thought about it before.”

“Wait, there might be a problem,” Leon said, realizing something. “I thought only females can be the Oracle.”

“Not necessarily. Are you aware of the legend of the Oracle king?” she asked, and he shook his head in response. “A long time ago the king of Lucis and an Oracle of that time set out to fell ferocious beasts that threatened their subjects. Once they reached the Vesperpool, they discovered a flying monster who attacked them with lightning. That attack killed the Oracle and sent the king fleeing. The king sealed the monster underground and took up the Oracle's position and the trident until another from House Fleuret would be ready for the task.”

“So, if the king sealed the monster then he must have used Oracle’s power to do that,” Leon interjected.

“Yes, that would be a safe logical assumption,” she admitted.

“Sorry, I interrupted your story, please continue,” he requested.

“The king left behind monoliths of this tale in the Steyliff Grove Menace dungeon. The king and the Oracle of his time were in love, and how she protected both him and the world before being killed by a monster. He blamed himself for her death and in lamenting his love for her he called himself the "coward king" who issued orders from the rear rather than valorously leading the attack as his forebears had done. This king known as the Oracle King had his statue in Insomnia as part of the Old Wall.”

“The king and the Oracle were in love?” he asked, wanting to make sure he heard it right.

“Yes. Why?”

“It is risky. If the two bloodlines merge, then all it would take is one catastrophe to wipe out both the Oracle and the King’s lineage altogether. That would ensure that the providence would never be fulfilled and the world would fall into endless darkness.”

“Very perceptive, it is for this very reason that the union between the two has been discouraged. For many generations, no king of Lucii has wedded to anyone in House Fleuret. But it is human nature to desire what is the most forbidden.”

“How come you are willing to do the forbidden by marrying Noctis?” he asked, secretly hoping for a change of heart.

“King Noctis is the prophesied true King who will eradicate darkness permanently. Once the prophecy is fulfilled, there is really no need for Lucii or Fleuret bloodlines.”

“If everything is prophesied then what’s the point of even trying?” he asked skeptically.

“Prophecy or destiny is not something which is set in stone. For me, prophecy simply tells us about our potential, but to work hard to reach that potential is up to the individual. King Noctis is supposed to be the chosen king from the prophesy and it is my job to inspire him to achieve that greatness. That is the reason for undertaking this journey.”

“I see,” he muttered, at a loss of words. He noticed that both Luna and his mood had changed because of this conversation and he cursed himself for even bringing this topic up when everything was going so well. “I think we deviated from our initial topic of sharing Oracle’s powers,” he offered, after a few awkward seconds.

“Oh, right, we digressed,” she said, appreciating the change of topic. “In theory, the Oracle’s powers could be shared and even wielded by males in a limited capacity.”

“So, how do you actually share that power?” he asked the obvious next question.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I have never read or heard about it before, so your guess is as good as mine on this one.”

“If I had to guess, I would think it would be similar to healing,” he suggested.

“Good idea, let’s think this further. Let’s say I bless someone who does not have any starscourge infection, what does my lifeforce do in their body?” she wondered aloud.

“Maybe, that excess energy can manifest itself as magic? Your magic is connected with this trident. With Oracle’s power and this trident, in theory, it should enable them to use some of the Oracle’s power, right?” he asked.

“Perhaps. But I feel there has to be more than just that,” she suggested.

“Like what?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know. Some sort of connection maybe?” she suggested.

“That makes sense. Maybe it is like my Guardian force. I can use the power of the Guardian forces because I am connected to them mentally. A mental or a spiritual connection might be necessary as well,” he agreed.

“Oracle and Lucii powers are given to only those whom Astrals deems worthy. So maybe I can share a fragment of my power with someone who I think is worthy of it. After all, King Regis hand-picked soldiers who he thought were worthy to be his glaives,” she recollected. “I think you are correct, there must be some sort of connection between the Oracle and her subject.”

“Do you think we have such connection?” he asked, looking at her.

She boldly looked into his eye and said, “Yes, I think I am connected to you.”

“I think I am connected to you too,” he replied, without breaking his gaze.

As the fire next to them flickered with the wind, the fire inside was raging anew. Even though they tried their best to mask their feelings, it often found a way to make itself known. This was the closest they had gotten to confessing their love to each other. Their words might have been different, but their meaning was understood by both.

Eventually, Luna broke the gaze as blush rushed to her cheeks. Leon too had a similar reaction, so he decided to change the subject. “Only one way to find out. Let’s try it.”

He got up first and offered a hand to Luna. She grabbed onto his hand and he pulled her to her feet. He handed the trident to its rightful owner.

She placed it next to her and asked, “Ready for this experiment?”

“Absolutely,” he said instantly. There was a certain sense of excitement in Leon that she had never seen before. Little did he know of the toll it would take on Luna from this. Looking at the joy on Leon’s face in anticipation, Luna would gladly suffer for him.

She places her hands on either side of his head and tries to touch her forehead to his. She had to get on her toes to reach his forehead as he was slightly taller than her. Realizing their height difference, he lowered himself, which Luna was thankful for.

A golden-yellow light started emanating from where their foreheads meet. She closed her eyes and said, “Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness’ blight.”

Golden shimmering energy particles engulfed both of them. The energy seemed to be radiating from Luna and was being absorbed by Leon. Their forehead stayed connected for almost a minute before Luna finally broke off as she ran out of energy to sustain it any further.

She grabbed Leon’s arm for support and slowly slid down to the ground to sit.

“Are you okay?” Leon asked with concern.

“Yes, I am fine. I sometimes get dizzy when I do this,” she tried to play it off.

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” he asked, kneeling down to her.

“Just give me a few minutes and I should be back to normal,” she tries to assure him.

“Had I known it would affect you like this, then I would have never suggested this,” he said with regret.

“Leon, I do this all the time. I am fine. Trust me,” she reassured him. “Now go on and see if you can wield some of the Oracle’s power,” she encouraged him by offering him the trident.

Satisfied with her answer, Leon nodded and grabbed the trident from her. He stepped away from her for safety. With the trident in one hand, he closed his eyes and focused his energy. He felt a drastic increase in his magic and physical strength. Unknown energy coursed through his veins the likes of which he had never experienced before.

He swung trident cutting through the air with unmatched ferocity. He shot a bolt of fire in the distance to check the potency of his spell. He shot bolts of lightning and blizzard spells in either direction as he continues to slashing at this imaginary enemy. His body was moving in an autonomous motion. With a weapon in hand, his body was dancing to an unknown rhythm.

Whenever he is fighting or even practicing, he is in a world of his own. Ironically, the battlefield gave him clarity. His mind shuts out all the thoughts as it focuses only on the task at hand. While practicing, he created a shield even without realizing it. It wasn’t until he had finished his routine that he realized that he was able to create the shield now and their experiment had worked.

“I did it!” he exclaimed, after creating another shield around him. He rushed to Luna and embraced her. “We did it!” The excitement was evident in his voice. “Our experiment worked! Now I can use your powers too. You no longer have to carry this burden alone,” he offered, still holding her in his embrace.

“Yes, I can’t believe it worked,” laying her head on his shoulder unconsciously. “With the divine shield now, you won’t get hurt so much.”

It was a vulnerable yet sweet moment for both of them. Leon suddenly realized that he still had Luna in his embrace so he gently pushed her away. She too, reluctantly, got away from him. He gently grabbed both of her hands and looked straight into her eyes, “Luna, do you realize what this means?”

She was too stunned to talk, so she just shook her head.

“We are one now. Your essence runs through my veins,” there was an innocent joy on his face when he said that.

“For better or worse, we are one,” she said as a million emotions within her heart were conveyed by a simple smile.

“We are one.”

A distant observer couldn’t contain his smile after what he had witnessed. “I must admit that she tried valiantly to change the course of fate. But fate has a way of alluring people towards it. You took away his magic; he found another. Now that he has tasted the forbidden fruit of magic when the times comes, he won’t be able to resist it. This magic would be his downfall. Little does he know that magic always comes with a price. This time, the price would be his life.”

He twirled his hat before putting it on. “And thus, begins his end.”

Author's notes:

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