[If not in life, then in death, and there is often peace found in that, too. At least for the lost. One way or another, he thinks, he believes, he'll make it home again.]
You should get some rest. Today has been exhausting for everyone.
Wouldn't be a bad idea. [He can't completely let himself relax, but the crying break did wonders for taking some of the weight off for now.]
I'll pick your brain about some other families buried in the grove later. When things are... less this. [He's going to carefully set his mug down and try to get himself up onto his feet off the floor.]
[Talking about how much he loves his family and his home and how stable he is sure could be picking at a scab on the best of days, nevermind today. And all of those things are intertwined with most stories related to the grove.
He rises alongside Leonardo, ready to offer a hand out and help if it's needed. He's... admittedly a little unsteady himself, at this point, so it could be they both need something to hold on to while they get themselves up.]
[Leonardo manages a smile at the promise, as much as he does for the extended hand. He gladly takes it, needing the help to steady himself out. Together the two of them find their footing.
He holds onto Caduceus hand for a moment longer than necessary, clearly drawing some semblance of strength from it.]
I'll hold you to it. [He offers softly back, letting go of the other man's hand.] I'll probably lay on a different patch of floor for a while. Maybe with some sun to try and... feel a bit better.
[He shows no protest at the extended hold, allowing it for as long as Leo needs. And... hm. There is furniture, yes, but also...]
You know what, there's an open balcony in the back of the house that catches the sun real nice in the afternoon and evening. We could lay a blanket down, some pillows. Bet it'd be nice for you there.
[And it isn't far from the guest bedroom if he feels like actually using a bed later.]
Honestly? It might be worth trying. When I was younger, I liked being buried under a lot of blankets. Or being squished a little by one of my brothers in a turtle pile.
[The offer clearly surprises Leo a little. His heart flutters, but his own crush doesn't inform his choice. Not entirely. He doesn't really want to be alone. The stress of the day has wrung him out.]
I... I'd like that. I'll probably fall asleep on you though, so fair warning. [He'll likely fall asleep until he makes the choice to call his twin to see how he's doing and inform him Casey died.]
It is, but- still. I'm a little heavy. [He manages with a brief weak laugh.] If I'm dead weight on you, just nudge me awake.
[Caduceus is naturally pretty thin, Leonardo is... not. Even without the metal arm, he's large. The weight he's picked up from eating regularly doesn't help.
He starts towards the stairs intending to find that promised sunny spot.]
[He doesn't sound worried, anyway. He joins Leonardo, taking the lead and guiding them up to the second floor, through Yasha's empty bedroom to the balcony area. He pauses briefly in the hall to grab a bundle of blankets and pillows, passing half to Leo to carry. Once they get to the balcony, he'll go about setting up a little nest for them in the center, where the sun will hit just right.]
[Leonardo has no objections in accepting his portion of blankets to carry. Glad to focus on anything else for now. Company might keep his mind from wandering back to the day's events. To the loss of Casey.
He trails along after the taller man into Yasha's room. A room Leonardo hasn't personally entered before. He hopes whoever it is waiting for gets to enjoy it again soon.
The thought is gone as quickly as it comes as Caduceus starts setting up the nest. The turtle is quick to join, wanting to be sure the nest of blankets and pillows proves to be comfortable for both of them.]
[Caduceus takes charge, letting himself do the thinking so Leonardo can just roll with it, take a break from being "commander". It's a simple enough process; he's built a number of these little blanket nests with his siblings as a kid, or years later when Clarabelle was young. He's shared spaces with plenty of people, both his family and the Nein, all bundled up with too many bodies in a small magic hut or an inn room. It's no trouble at all for him.
Once that's sorted, he settles himself down on one side, gesturing for Leo to join him. Come on, it's pile time.]
[It speaks of Leonardo's level of trust in Caduceus that he doesn't try to wrest the control back from the man. Given the helplessness of the day, any sense of control would be nice, but... Leonardo doesn't chase after it. He certainly helps get things settled, but follows Caduceus lead.
Leonardo manages a tired but nonetheless soft smile at the gesture. He takes a moment or three to get his prosthetic off. The process is as uncomfortable as always, but, better than trying to lay with it on.]
The arm would be a pain to lay with for too long.
[With that taken care of, he moves to settle down next to Caduceus. Needing a second to seemingly relax enough to lay against the firbolg. The carefully constructed defenses seem to stay down for now. Tension spooling out of the turtle as he gets comfortable.]
[Thankfully Caduceus isn't a born leader, but sometimes being a born caretaker means taking charge of someone's care in this way. Leo can go be leaderly in the morning or something. Hopefully the world will be a little bit brighter then.
He waits quietly as Leonardo removes the arm, hands folded over his stomach, ensuring there's enough space for the both of them as Leo settles.]
Your shoulder would be sore in the morning, too. And the sun might be too hot. Best to leave it off.
[Their proximity and direct contact is a relief in a way Leonardo can't quite articulate. He hasn't had much in the way of physical contact or comfort with someone outside of his family in a good while. He hadn't quite let anyone get this close in a long time.
Feeling safe felt nice. Even if it didn't completely heal the wound of Casey's death and the struggle from the rest of the day. This was still a safety in a turbulent time.
Leonardo's eyelids drift close for a moment. Caduceus natural body heat is nice too. Leonardo is happy to steal it. The turtle is cool to the touch, his own natural temperature a bit lower in comparison.]
Better to not add to- everything else. [He chuckles a little absently.] Always sucks when I fall asleep with the arm on.
[Caduceus hums, shifting to drag a couple of blankets over them- with the both of them being quite tall, a few are needed to fully cover them.
A part of him wants to remain quiet, to not indulge the talking. Sometimes one needs to talk simply to hear the noise, to fill the oppressive silence. He can't quite bring himself to deny Leonardo that, not today. Even though he should be resting.]
Now you need not worry about it. Tomorrow, your arm should be pain-free.
[It might be the only thing about tomorrow that is pain-free. But it's something.]
[Leonardo chuckles softly at that. Smiling softly at the blankets being dragged over them.
His heart still feels heavy. The grief of the day hasn't disappeared, but remains idle. An uncomfortable weight pressing down on him even as he soaks in the firbolgs warmth. ] It'll be nice to have that to look forward to at least.
[The turtle for the moment lets the conversation settle there. He's done a lot of talking today.
The best thing to do is just live in this moment and allow himself to rest. Even if it feels... wrong in a way. He failed Casey, but he gets to rest? He should somehow be doing something, but he isn't even sure what.]
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[If not in life, then in death, and there is often peace found in that, too. At least for the lost. One way or another, he thinks, he believes, he'll make it home again.]
You should get some rest. Today has been exhausting for everyone.
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I'll pick your brain about some other families buried in the grove later. When things are... less this. [He's going to carefully set his mug down and try to get himself up onto his feet off the floor.]
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[Talking about how much he loves his family and his home and how stable he is sure could be picking at a scab on the best of days, nevermind today. And all of those things are intertwined with most stories related to the grove.
He rises alongside Leonardo, ready to offer a hand out and help if it's needed. He's... admittedly a little unsteady himself, at this point, so it could be they both need something to hold on to while they get themselves up.]
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He holds onto Caduceus hand for a moment longer than necessary, clearly drawing some semblance of strength from it.]
I'll hold you to it. [He offers softly back, letting go of the other man's hand.] I'll probably lay on a different patch of floor for a while. Maybe with some sun to try and... feel a bit better.
[There is furniture in the house, sir.]
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You know what, there's an open balcony in the back of the house that catches the sun real nice in the afternoon and evening. We could lay a blanket down, some pillows. Bet it'd be nice for you there.
[And it isn't far from the guest bedroom if he feels like actually using a bed later.]
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I can't exactly go into my shell these days, but, I can at least lay under a warm spot and pretend I can.
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[He can dig through his supplies, there's a few that might work.]
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[Feels like something that might be needed, tonight, but it'll be no offense either way if it's unwanted.]
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I... I'd like that. I'll probably fall asleep on you though, so fair warning. [He'll likely fall asleep until he makes the choice to call his twin to see how he's doing and inform him Casey died.]
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[A pile isn't a pile unless you, well. Pile on.]
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[Caduceus is naturally pretty thin, Leonardo is... not. Even without the metal arm, he's large. The weight he's picked up from eating regularly doesn't help.
He starts towards the stairs intending to find that promised sunny spot.]
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[He doesn't sound worried, anyway. He joins Leonardo, taking the lead and guiding them up to the second floor, through Yasha's empty bedroom to the balcony area. He pauses briefly in the hall to grab a bundle of blankets and pillows, passing half to Leo to carry. Once they get to the balcony, he'll go about setting up a little nest for them in the center, where the sun will hit just right.]
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He trails along after the taller man into Yasha's room. A room Leonardo hasn't personally entered before. He hopes whoever it is waiting for gets to enjoy it again soon.
The thought is gone as quickly as it comes as Caduceus starts setting up the nest. The turtle is quick to join, wanting to be sure the nest of blankets and pillows proves to be comfortable for both of them.]
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Once that's sorted, he settles himself down on one side, gesturing for Leo to join him. Come on, it's pile time.]
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Leonardo manages a tired but nonetheless soft smile at the gesture. He takes a moment or three to get his prosthetic off. The process is as uncomfortable as always, but, better than trying to lay with it on.]
The arm would be a pain to lay with for too long.
[With that taken care of, he moves to settle down next to Caduceus. Needing a second to seemingly relax enough to lay against the firbolg. The carefully constructed defenses seem to stay down for now. Tension spooling out of the turtle as he gets comfortable.]
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He waits quietly as Leonardo removes the arm, hands folded over his stomach, ensuring there's enough space for the both of them as Leo settles.]
Your shoulder would be sore in the morning, too. And the sun might be too hot. Best to leave it off.
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Feeling safe felt nice. Even if it didn't completely heal the wound of Casey's death and the struggle from the rest of the day. This was still a safety in a turbulent time.
Leonardo's eyelids drift close for a moment. Caduceus natural body heat is nice too. Leonardo is happy to steal it. The turtle is cool to the touch, his own natural temperature a bit lower in comparison.]
Better to not add to- everything else. [He chuckles a little absently.] Always sucks when I fall asleep with the arm on.
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A part of him wants to remain quiet, to not indulge the talking. Sometimes one needs to talk simply to hear the noise, to fill the oppressive silence. He can't quite bring himself to deny Leonardo that, not today. Even though he should be resting.]
Now you need not worry about it. Tomorrow, your arm should be pain-free.
[It might be the only thing about tomorrow that is pain-free. But it's something.]
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His heart still feels heavy. The grief of the day hasn't disappeared, but remains idle. An uncomfortable weight pressing down on him even as he soaks in the firbolgs warmth. ] It'll be nice to have that to look forward to at least.
[The turtle for the moment lets the conversation settle there. He's done a lot of talking today.
The best thing to do is just live in this moment and allow himself to rest. Even if it feels... wrong in a way. He failed Casey, but he gets to rest? He should somehow be doing something, but he isn't even sure what.]