exsiliumlogs | that perfect tranquillity of life ( OPEN )

Entry tags:

that perfect tranquillity of life ( OPEN )

Date & Time: April 10, late afternoon & evening
Location: The library
Characters: Leo Baskerville & YOU.
Summary: There's some weird guy sitting on the floor, come trip over him or be weirded out at him because hey, there are perfectly fine seats in the library!!
Warnings: idek

[ When Leo isn't busy with the extra training the Initiative forces him to do and the community service at the orphanage, he can be found reading in the library. Reading books now isn't the same as it was before. He can't quite enjoy it like he used to, but it's the only way of coping he knows and so he keeps on reading. Not knowing what else to do, it's easy to fall back on old habits. Old habits die hard after all and his only escape from reality had always been books.

The Initiative library isn't nearly as grand as the one in Lutwidge Academy or even the Nightray family library, but it's plenty spacious and there's a lot of chairs to sit in, at a table or otherwise. However, Leo sits on the floor. Also out of force of habit. The library at his orphanage had been quite small with not much room for any chairs at all, but no one ever came there and that's why Leo loved it and willingly resorted to sitting on the floor. It's become so normal to him that he has actually come to prefer sitting on the floor when he's reading, no matter how comfortable a chair or bed is. That hasn't changed here either.

He's found a nice beanbag though, but rather than sit on it, he leans back against it. The beanbag is big enough to hide him out of sight and he's placed it near some bookshelves so he has new books within reach. Unfortunately this also means he's made himself an obstacle for the unwitting and he's too caught up in his current reading to realize it. ]

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[ If Leo wasn't such an avid lover of music and a piano player himself, there's a big chance he would have been annoyed by the humming. But as it stands, Simmaeri's in luck. The melody slowly pulls him away from his book and back to reality where he finds himself closing his eyes and listening intently.

Leo's never slept much and in Exsilium he sleeps even less after everything that's happened leaving not only his waking moments troubled, but his sleeping ones as well. His bed is practically a home to his books, just like it'd been back in Lutwidge Academy, and Leo gets by with short naps whenever he falls asleep reading. The librarian is nice enough to occasionally just let him stay the night so finding Leo in the library at late hours is nothing unusual.

Only when the humming comes closer and seems to stop right behind him does Leo open his eyes and look up. Or well, more accurately put he tilts his head back and—

Suddenly finds himself staring right at a smiling face. There's an owlish blink before Leo catches himself. ]

Ah, good evening.

Hello.

[her eyes crinkle a little at his reaction, his expression. mostly, the tone of voice.

the last step nearly puts her toe-to-toe with the edge of the beanbag he's reclining on, and she bends to peer down at him, at his upside-down face, as she combs her hair away from her own, keeping it out of the way.]

What story keeps you here? [it's a bit of a purr, still quiet for the environment. sure, she asks about the story, but she's hardly interested in letters on a page.]

[ It's . . . really a rather awkward, uncomfortable way of looking up at someone for a prolonged time so before he answers, Leo shifts his position so he's sitting against the beanbag sideways and he can look at the lady who has approached him more easily.

Normally he'd most likely be annoyed at someone interrupting his reading, but her previous humming had already distracted him (pleasantly) and he's left feeling intrigued. He briefly glances to the the small stack of Holy Knight volumes next to him almost guiltily. Although his friends had been all over the network gushing about it much to Leo's secondhand embarrassment, in the end he really was no better. ]

Holy Knight. It's a very popular book series from my world, it was quite a surprise to find them here. [ He pauses, hesitating for a small moment before figuring that if she asks a question, so can he. Politely. ]

If you don't mind me asking, what was that song you were humming?

[Holy Knight, she muses in silence, watching him. knight she does know, and holy in passing. something new to learn, then...she's always eager for that.

his question in turn is an invitation to get comfortable, so Simmaeri comes to a crouch, her arms resting on her knees – more childish posture than she's got the look for, but that's none of her concern.]

It is a song from a different place. [she combs hair behind her ear again.] It is what some people sang when they wonder. [she purses her lips a moment, considering.] Is that correct? Wonder. Wander. There are two... [and the sounds are the same.] It is for people who walk far.

[ The more the lady goes on, the more Leo finds himself intrigued and so he doesn't mind in the slightest that she's basically sitting with him. The mix-up of words gets a curious slight tilt of his head, but then he smiles kindly. ]

Then it's wander. Wonder [ he takes care to stress the 'o' there so it sounds subtly but more noticeably different ] is for when people are thinking about something when they're curious or when they're amazed.

[ But okay, brief language lesson aside. ] That was a very beautiful song.

You are kind. [for the lesson and the compliment. but she's already well past it, rather interested in some story.]

Will you tell me about the Holy Knight? And I will tell you the song. This is fair, yes?

[ Kind. That gets something of a wry smile. It's a funny thing to hear when he's been called cruel in the past and well, it's true he can be. But he shrugs it off, smile quickly going back to pleasant as he nods. ]

Yes, that would be fair. [ Before he gets into explaining Holy Knight though, he takes care to place a bookmark in the volume in his lap before setting it aside. ]

It's about Edwin who is the fourth son of a Viscount, a noble, and his loyal servant Edgar. The story follows them as they try to move upwards in the world. Of course, it's not an easy journey and they face many obstacles on their way as not everyone wants to see Edwin succeed. It's the kind of story that doesn't fit into one category, it has a little bit of everything so it's appealing to many different people. It's— Hm, how to put it?

[ The entire time he's been explaining, there's a quiet suppressed sort of enthusiasm to his voice. It betrays his love for the series and shows he's really no better than the friends who have been gushing about it on the network. There's a pause as he contemplates how to best describe the series. ]

In a way it's basically a story about the struggles of life so it can be easy to relate to which is why it's so popular, I guess.

[it's enthusiasm Simmaeri can detect and reflect back in her own way, she being fascinated with stories of all sorts and the words that carry them. she can hear the same old tales told with new names and new tongues and still find them as fresh as the first time they came to her ears. always a gift, always a blessing.

it's better for it, actually: there's words in there she's certain she hasn't heard English of just yet. words to learn, words she can piece here and there in the framework she already has.]

Is this Edwin a friend to you? Or is it to the one who has written the words there? [an idle point toward the book.]

[ The question is odd enough to make him blink. In a sense he supposes one gets to know the characters enough they could be considered friends in some way, but somehow he doubts that's what she means.

So he shakes his head. ]

They're all fictional characters, the author made them up so Edwin's not real.

[she makes a soft, thoughtful sound.]

Not real as Edwin. Real as someone else? Many someones? This is how stories come to be.

[ He glances away as he considers, it's a good point, and then he nods tentatively. ]

Probably. Indeed a lot of stories are like that, but if the author based Edwin off of someone real, I wouldn't know.

You know of no men like this Edwin of stories? [her eyes squint a little, as if she already knows the answer. but it's better in their own words – and you never know when you'll be surprised.]

[ Anyone like Edwin? Leo has to think about that, but not for very long at all. Trying to move upwards in the world . . . that was just like Elliot trying to clear the Nightray family name, wasn't it? Certainly there were plenty of parallels to be drawn, even if Elliot's 'story' ended more like Edgar's with him sacrificing himself. The realization brings a smile to his face that is both fond and sad. ]

I do, my friend is very much like him.

[she reflects the smile back to him, herself shifting to settle her knees on the floor – she's not going anywhere in a hurry.]

Will you tell me of this friend, too?

Ah, Elliot? [ There's a moment of hesitation there. Elliot's an uncertain topic for many reasons, but well. It doesn't hurt to tell what his best friend is like since Elliot's here anyway.

He glances away to the book by his side as he speaks, the smile still there and his tone warm. ]

He's my master. He's very loud so maybe you've run into him already, he's rather hard to miss. Although he's smart, he can still be an idiot, but he means well.

[what he says can be said of so many people Simmaeri can recall – or simply recall hearing of. save for Elliot, the name itself, which has a foreign ring to it in her ears. a nice one, anyway – a kind of tut-tut...Elli-yutt.]

Many are loud here. Many smart, or an idiot...But a master is new to my ears.

[ From what Leo has gathered the whole 'master and servant' thing didn't really happen here anymore, but it still wasn't an unheard of concept. Except for this lady, it seemed. It's odd, how knowledgeable yet naive (or ignorant?) she seemed. Although it only makes her more intriguing to him.

He tilts his head slightly in his wondering. ]

Elliot's a noble and noble families tend to have servants. I'm his servant, so that makes him my master.

[a sound of understanding.]

Does this make you happy?

[ Honestly, he should stop being surprised at this point, but the question still catches him off-guard. Certainly, he became Elliot's servant because he wanted to stay by his side, but in the end that might not have been the best idea. Elliot suffered and died a horrible death because of his presence . . . But did the time he got to spend with Elliot make him happy?

Yes. Yes, it had. So he nods even if things were so much more complicated here. ]

I hold Elliot in very high esteem. [ That hasn't changed and it never will. ]

Is this happiness? [she can't tell, truly. esteem is a new word to her in this instance, and his reaction just prior gives her reason to wonder.

mildly:] I do not know what is esteem.

[ Oh. Her vocabulary was really rather lacking, wasn't it? At least Leo's gotten used to being around children so explaining comes easy. ]

When you hold someone in high esteem it means you respect them very much. [ Here's hoping she knows what respect is at least. ]

[ah. there's recognition in her expression. she nods slow.]

I understand this. Thank you. [esteem...]

[ He shakes his head at the words of gratitude. ]

It's nothing. Will you tell me about the song? [ They had a deal after all. ]

[her eyebrow quirks for just a moment – just at 'nothing' – before she smiles in return, nodding. they have a deal, after all.]

It is a song for peoples who learn. There is a place in the land where they go, and all of the buildings are there for learning. Men go to learn their magic.

[ The more Simmaeri explains, the more Leo seems positively entranced. Of course, he instantly realizes what she's talking about. ]

A school. [ He supplies absent-mindedly, eyes widening with curiosity and wonder. ] A school for magic? They teach magic where you're from?

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