that perfect tranquillity of life ( OPEN )

[flecks]

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. ]

Comments

[velveteened]

( FREEZES! oh no is his fun over so soon...

and then he smiles. )

Hello, Leo.

[flecks]

[ Actually, it's a false alarm. There's a moment of wordless frowning before he just as abruptly glances back down at his book, muttering to himself. ]

Ah, that's right. He died back in volume 12. [ Turns out he was just trying to remember something! But at least his attention was away from reading itself long enough that he does register the greeting, so have a belated but still distracted: ]

Hello.

1/3

[velveteened]

( LEO ARE YOU ACTUALLY SPOILING HIM WHILE YOU IGNORE HIM )

[velveteened]

( REALLY )

no i lied

[velveteened]

( r e a l l y )

[velveteened]

( raptor shrieks )

done

[velveteened]

At least it can't be Edgar this time...

[flecks]

[ Sorry but you might as well not be there to him!!

And at least he didn't mention any names. On the bright side, the raptor shrieking finally caught his attention and he looks back at Oz and actually sees him this time. ]

Oh, Oz. [ It's like he only just noticed you now or something. ]

[velveteened]

Hello, Leo.

( wow look at how irritated he sounds, you'd almost think it's his third introduction or something. )

I need to borrow some of these.

[flecks]

[ Oh my, what a temper all of a sudden. Let's push that a bit for his own amusement.

You've had your fun, now he gets to have his. Or something. ]

That's too bad, I'm busy with them right now.

[velveteened]

( omg. he gestures at the stacks of books he's clearly not reading. )

Not with the earlier volumes! Some of us aren't as caught up yet, you know.

( some of us lost ten years to the abyss! )

[flecks]

[ Not his problem, bro. ]

I still need them.

[ Not really, but he's just antagonizing on purpose at this point. Some might be able to tell. ]

[velveteened]

( yeah, he can tell. )

You know, lying isn't very becoming for the head of a house! Doesn't it set a bad example?

( not that he would've been one to talk, had he become one himself. and - see, he's playing nice, a little, not bringing up elliot just yet. )

[flecks]

[ Wow he doesn't want to hear that from you of all people, but he'll play nicely for now. ]

Is that so? From what I observed, the head of a house can do whatever he wants. Isn't that what spoilt nobles are about?

[velveteened]

Ahahah, don't be ridiculous! No one would get anything done if it were like that.

( they have to at least pretend to get along and negotiate )

[flecks]

Then I must have had some bad examples.

[ SNERK. And now he's slowly looking back to the book he's been reading. ]

[velveteened]

In that case, it's too bad you couldn't see more of my uncle!

( if that's how it is, he's just going to reach for the book he needs. )

[flecks]

[ Leo would have retorted, but he sees that hand reaching for his little pile and instead he sharply fixes Oz with a look.

Are you really going to try and just take them, Oz? Is your life worth it? Consider these things wisely. ]

[velveteened]

( his fingertips land on the cover of the book at the top of the stack, so now's the time to act if leo's going to to.

he shouldn't have expected otherwise, after all. )

[flecks]

[ No, probably not.

Leo reacts fast though and before Oz can actually get a grip on the book, the pile is suddenly gone. One moment it's still on the ground and the next— balanced neatly on Leo's fingertips as if he's holding a plate next to his head.

He leans back into the beanbag and raises an eyebrow pointedly. ]

[velveteened]

( he doesn't start or anything, but he does keep that outreached arm out for a moment as he realizes what happened, then straightens. )

You can't hold them forever.

[flecks]

Hm, not like this I suppose.

[ But Leo is nothing if not a master of carrying and balancing as many books as possible so he'll just slip the pile . . . onto his head. That way his hand won't get tired and Oz would still have to brave his personal space if he wants them.

So now he just raises the volume out of his lap so he can continue reading without moving his head. ]

[velveteened]

( apparently leo and break have more in common than they may expect.

he frowns at this development, then steps quickly over the other book piles, reaching out....but his boot catches on something, and he overbalances, falling right onto leo.

whoops. )

[flecks]

[ Not as planned.

He can see Oz falling, but all he manages in time is leaning back and dropping his book to free his hands and potentially catch Oz except that last part doesn't really work out. It all happens too fast for that and next thing he knows he has the wind knocked out of him and the books balanced on his head come tumbling down.

He's grateful for the beanbag at least, it softens the blow for both of them, but it doesn't do anything about that elbow digging into his stomach now unfortunately. There's a disorientated moment where he can only groan in pain but it doesn't last long before his temper flares and he's hitting Oz over the head once sharply. ]

You could have just asked and said please! [ He would have given them. Maybe. Goddamn spoiled nobles always demanding things!! ]

[velveteened]

Ow...

( the beanbag does indeed make for a soft landing - leo himself is a bit too pointy and angley for that - but oz is pretty sure there are books that managed to land on him as well as underneath and it's all terribly uncomfortable. which is only made worse when leo hits him - the nerve!! - and he makes a distressed sad puppy noise. indignant feelings are fairly powerful, or at least enough so to have him try to push himself up onto his elbows so he can shoot leo a look himself. )

Why couldn't you just say that in the first place!