#i feel like this reply is icky... my brain is mush today

[hexstrom]

Astrid listened carefully as Leo spoke, her expression thoughtful as she considered his words about India. She could sense there was more to the story, the sadness in his voice not lost on her. In fact, it mimicked her own homesickness. “I am sorry to hear you have been unable to go back. It has to be difficult to lose that part of yourself." She could relate with her own reasons for leaving her home country; but unlike Leo, she didn't have a reason that was keeping her from returning. She could return whenever she so desired... But she had plans for returning with another in tow when that day finally came. As her words faded, she let the silence linger for a moment, offering him the space to say more if he wished.

When the conversation shifted to Sweden, Astrid smiled; though there was a quiet longing behind ocean eyes. “I-I do miss Sweden, yes... I-I miss the connection to everything there. We, uh, we lived så close with nature, with the land that made us. I miss feeling like I belonged to something bigger then myself. Now, I just feel like Astrid; men, back home, I felt—different, more." She had no idea if her words made any sense; but that was the best way the brunette could convey her emotions for her beloved Sverige without getting into what ultimately caused her to leave or how she found herself now in Cardinal Hill. That was a topic she'd rather avoid, especially since she was forced to face the grief of her naive choice every second of every day.

"Ah, so I was close," Leo replied, pleased that he still remembered a little of his Swedish. "My mom liked it when we lived over there, so we stayed in the area for a bit," he explained. They'd lived in Sweden and the surrounding countries for a time, and Leo had liked that part of the world. And he'd always felt safer there; somehow it felt more isolated than most other places he'd lived, and that equaled safety. "I learned most of my Swedish from this guy I knew over there...I don't think you can say we were dating, but we hung out a lot." Leo smiled; he had fond memories of that guy. "I do," Leo answered. "It's...different than a lot of places I've lived. It's a quiet town, but there's something more to it, like a charge or something. I liked the energy of the place side by side with the small town feel." Of course Leo knew that charge was magic, but he didn't know if Astrid did.

India was a trickier subject. "I barely remember it," Leo answered honestly, his voice a little sad; he hated losing that piece of himself. He'd considered returning to his birth name after his mother had died as a way to stay connected to his past, but he'd been Leonidas for so long that that felt more like his name now than Raja ever had. "I miss it sometimes, but I...let's just say there were reasons we left and never went back." Leo wasn't about to get into that; it was a heavy subject. "What about you?" he asked Astrid. "How'd you find yourself here? And do you miss Sweden?"