exsiliumlogs | creative blocks and blockheads

Date & Time: 7/16, day
Location: LIBRARY
Characters: Leo, Jericho
Summary: It's time for our annual realizing we exist in the same location meetup
Warnings: naw

[that mission hadn't helped matters much; Jericho's sketchbook is shrinking more due to the number of pages being torn out and thrown away than actually being filled with anything of substance. it's frustrating, not being able to tap into your tried-and-true outlets to vent. he's not a violent kid, so sparring only does so much, leaves him still wanting.

speaking of being left for wanting, Exsilium isn't much by way of inspiration. gray, grim...angry civilians...

no. he's better off trying to find something beautiful inside the pages of a book. or...screen of one of those e-book things. either way, it's to the library, him and his sketchbook.

he's not given Leo a single thought in a long time; the notion he'd be there at all is far from his mind as he steps inside and begins his search for inspiration.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The library is the only retreat Leo has left in Exsilium, the unit he'd been assigned to long rejected when he found out he had to be rooming with Jack Vessalius. Sure, that might have made it easy to keep an eye on him, but that's not Leo's job and besides, Oswald was there. It had left him with the orphanage and the library (on the librarian's good graces) to stay at.

Except thanks to recent events, he's lost his place at the orphanage too. Not because the orphans and the matrons had turned against him, not at all, but it was the other natives (outsiders in Leo's mind) who didn't want a Transport near the kids, especially one that was doing community service. Not entirely unreasonable, it was just that the timing was suspect when they hadn't seemed to care before.

Any excuse to turn against a Transport, apparently.

So Leo sticks to the library, seeking the usual distraction from reality by hiding his face in books. He's not in the exact same place, but Leo can be found the exact same way Jericho had first found him: sitting comfortably on the floor surrounded by stacks of books in one of the quieter sections of the library. ]

[it's too easy to miss noticing him – probably vice versa, with how quiet Jericho himself is, and so time passes perusing shelves for something striking, before rounding a shelf brings him before that stack and its owner, like a dragon and its hoard.

he blinks, only startled for discovering a mess at first, but it clicks soon.

Oh...that guy...!]

[ Leo's too caught up in his own world (or rather the world of the book he's currently reading) to be noticing much of his surroundings so it's only when Jericho rounds the shelf, getting close enough, that his footsteps finally alert Leo to the fact that he's not alone in this section of the library. He glances up, eyes widening in recognition after a beat before narrowing slightly when he remembers just what exactly he recognizes him from. ]

You. [ Eloquent, truly. But he's too preoccupied trying to recall the guy's name, something with a J . . . ? It seems funny now, how annoyed he'd gotten with the mute boy when there were bigger things to be annoyed with now, but his gaze still holds some suspicion all the same. ]

[just that word would've sent Jericho cringing and ducking away before, but Jericho stares on instead. he's still putting it all in place: this guy's face, the feelings that come up recalling him, reasons why...

some of them a little silly, come to think of it.

his mouth tugs, some attempt at a smile lacking the followthrough, and he nods. me.

and that's you.]

[ It's a subtle thing, but it's something Leo notices vaguely as something seeming different about him. It takes him a moment longer to more clearly recall and put in place what that might be (grew a spine?) but he realizes eventually. Just like how he finally remembers the name.

His eyes widen again ever so slightly when it hits him before his face takes on a neutral expression. ]

Jericho? [ It's softer now, not as harsh as the previous "you". ]

[his eyebrows lift at the sound of his name and stay that way, realizing that – huh...this guy remembers? Jericho himself can barely recall what interaction ever brought it about – it really wasn't that long ago, but perhaps having buildings drop on you changes your sense of time and...uh, reprioritizes some things...

he nods again, slower, a little wary. the atmosphere's changing, isn't it? but he's not sure where it's going.]

[ He vaguely remembers negative connotations with the name, something about weird powers, loss of body control and library annoyances, but it doesn't provoke the same anger as it did then. Now he finds himself hardly able to care with everything that has happened since. He couldn't really be bothered to hold a grudge when there were more important things to feel strongly about.

So, rather than staying wary and tense, he settles on a more indifferent disposition, voice calm and neutral. ]

Picture books again?

[Jericho squints a little before nodding. he lifts his hand and pinches it the gesture of holding a pencil, gliding it up and down and around, miming the drawing he's been trying to do for days.]

[ Leo tilts his head slightly as he follows the gesture. Writing is the first thing that pops into mind, but . . . no, that's not quite it. Ah, he'd been drawing the last time he'd met him in the library, hadn't he? ]

Drawing. [ In a tone of "I see." He'd have to go through Leo and his mess to get to those books and well, he's kind of curious to see if Jericho will actually ask this time with how different he seems so he doesn't say anything else. ]

[a nod, confirming that. it does give him a little twinge in his stomach: his shyness over art hasn't left him, even if his heaviest weights of self-conscious concern seem to have eased up some.

and, as if consciously following Leo's train of thought, his head tilts with inquiry, finger pointing past him toward the rest of the aisle.

may I...?]

[ Huh. Well, what do you know.

In reply, Leo shoves one of the book piles aside with his foot, not caring very much when it makes said pile collapse and spill books everywhere. It creates a small path for Jericho to wade through while he casually remarks: ]

You grew a spine.

[ Good for you. ]

[the remark doesn't exactly settle on Jericho like a compliment. he looks faintly startled, then uncomfortable, dropping away from eye contact and ducking his head as steps over the small disaster at his feet.

he's never been spineless in his own opinion, but heaven knows he's aware he's not outspoken or as assertive as others. and this guy? well...there's probably worse feet to get off on, but it's not like they had a great start. so...

so he should probably not be put off by that. yeah...he's going to tell himself that as he stares down actual spines.

book spines.]

[ It had been more a casual blunt remark than a compliment anyway, but the reaction is an interesting one. Mildly amusing even.

Perhaps he hadn't changed that much from what little Leo could remember after all.

Which, of course, he's going to comment just as bluntly and casually even as his eyes fall back to the book in his lap. ]

Or maybe not.

[Jericho's head turns just enough to peer back toward Leo from the corner of his eye, frowning. there's the familiar blend of agitation and unease he'd had in encounters before.

he bites down on the inside of cheek and tries to focus on the task he's set for himself instead, hoping those feelings float away in the stretch of silence growing and growing.

it's so weird, being bothered by a person just being themselves. he's always so keen to think the better of folks...]

creative blocks and blockheads

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject