forestxleo

[forestxleo]

It was definitely nice talking to someone with the same mindset as him, and Leo felt like he could just be himself. It wasn't a feeling he was used to. With almost everyone, he felt like he was playing a part, even if that part was the disinterested asshole. Pretty much the only person he could be himself with was Akito, though he kept the darker parts of himself from his best friend sometimes even. Laughing, Leo replied, "I guess we both are then." As he listened to his coworker, Leo realized that she had it difficult sometimes, which he could have guessed but hadn't noticed yet, though he could empathize. "I know exactly the kind of entitled prick you're talking about," Leo replied. "I get those assholes who think I don't speak English and talk to me in such a condescending tone. It takes a lot to bite my tongue." Thinking about customers like that, Leo felt himself getting angry, but then he smiled as he recalled, "Once I played along, said very little in English and spoke mostly Arabic while they talked shit, and then I responded to what they were saying about me in perfect English." At this, Leo laughed, remembering how satisfying the moment had been. "They haven't been back since, at least not that I've seen," he finished. Once talk shifted to instruments, Leo smiled when Ottilie said she played the guitar. "I'm learning the guitar," he told her. "I'm usually pretty good at learning the basics on my own, but guitar has been sort of slow going. There's just something satisfying about playing though, especially when I'm alone and secluded and just shutting everything else out." That was how Leo used to feel about piano before the accident, and it was still true, though now when he played it was tainted with melancholy. "You write songs too?" he asked, impressed. "That's never been my thing - I'm no good at lyrics."

"exactly," ottilie agreed with leo as he listed the other valid reasons that wouldn't have gotten ottilie so pressed at a question such as the one that was asked of her coworker. ottilie could act like a bitch (the town's favorite word to call her it seemed) but she wasn't genuinely a bad person. "but you just know when it's people being lazy, or difficult. you can tell when they're totally capable and just coming to us for god knows why," she rolled her eyes. it was nice to have someone respond to her complaints with an energy that matched her own; it was nice to feel normal for once, not having her words responded to with a look of disgust and a warning to calm down. "if you're a grumpy old man then so am i," she chuckled. "i totally get you," ottilie didn't read the embarrassment on the other, but she could tell that he was getting a little more real, and she appreciated that he trusted her with the truth - especially when it was so close to her own. "i love helping people who are actually interested, yeah, or proving to asshole guys that girls can actually know what they're talking about," she laughed again. it wasn't funny that men looked down upon ottilie, expecting her to be clueless, or else only into bubblegum pop, but it was always funny when ottilie proved that she knew more than those douche bags. "of course," she smiled and nodded at leo's question. "i guess i play a little of everything," she began, a typical musician answer. "i'm mostly into guitar - acoustic and electric, but mostly electric unless i'm writing a new song and starting on an acoustic, you know? - and i sing, too. they're my main instruments."

[forestxleo]

Leo knew that Reina was doing everything she could to make him feel comfortable, and he appreciated it even if he didn't really know how to show it. Mostly Leo just didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he was uncomfortable because it wasn't something he was used to. So he tried to snap out of his funk, which was easier said than done, but he was trying. It was easier to just focus on the conversation with Reina, and Leo replied, "Yeah, Egypt. I was only three when we moved here though, so I don't remember much about my life there before we moved. We've been back to visit though, to see family and such. It's a pretty cool place, and it just sort of feels...not like home, but like...I can tell innately that that's where I'm from. Plus it's cool to be able to use my Arabic over there." Leo grew up speaking both Arabic and English (he actually knew Arabic first), but his parents were the only ones he spoke the former too, and even that wasn't so common. "You should visit sometime if you want. I could tell you all the cool places to visit...it's more than just the pyramids, though those are pretty awesome." When Reina remarked about his name, Leo nodded and said, "Yeah, it's not Egyptian, and apparently people there though my parents were weird for choosing it, but they wanted something different. They're both history professors, and my dad chose Leonidas because he liked the connotations that came with it. You know, the whole bravery in the face of adversity thing." As he said this, Leo paused, suddenly a little crestfallen. "I don't really know if I'm living up to the name though."

Before he could fall down that rabbit hole of self-loathing, Leo refocused, pushing that thought out of his mind. However, he did say, "I don't know if I 'ooze coolness' though. Maybe like, bitterness or something. Not coolness though." Although Leo laughed at his stupid joke, it sounded hollow even to him, another thing he pushed to the side. "Reina's kind of a unique name too, though...and tell me if I'm wrong and just buying into a stereotype, but something tells me a lot of people on the commune have different names." Leo hoped he hadn't just offended Reina with that comment, but he had a feeling he might be right. Now Leo laughed again, and this time it had a little more feeling behind it. "Yeah, no, I doubt I'll be confident when I leave here. I probably won't feel that way until I master the guitar, which I also don't fully believe I'll do. I'm...not used to this. You know, not being good at an instrument. I usually pick it up quicker than this. Maybe it's because this is the first time I've tried to play something new since - " He paused suddenly before he referred to the accident, stopping himself. "The first time in awhile," he amended, hoping Reina hadn't noticed.

—— she always thought she was particularly intuitive — which was a taught trait rather than something she was naturally gifted at. so she made the conscious effort of pulling back the drapes so more sunlight would pour into the room and make it seem like there was even more space for them to enjoy during their lesson. the last thing she wanted was for leo to feel uncomfortable in a home she built for everyone to enjoy, after all. she had received numerous compliments on it on separate occasions, but that didn't mean she would ever stop innovating to try and find new ways to open up the area and invite more warmth into an already comfy abode.

"egypt? wow. i don't think i've ever met someone from that far away before," reina said with widened mocha hues. she had been kept insulated from birth, never having left the state since she was born, mostly because she never harbored a desire to. she was content where the universe had placed her, even in spite of all the horror that struck her hometown. "spartan. leonidas. i love it. you just ooze coolness, don't you?" her laugh was light and silvery as she released the pegs and moved to adjust her fingertips on the correct strings so she would strum the right chords for the song. "you never know. you could walk out of here with an all new kind of confidence." she tried to enthuse.

[forestxleo]

Leo was confident that he was going to be able to help this customer - Martin it seemed his name was - find the right gift, but he knew it was going to be a challenge. Still, he was going to do it, feeling more determined than he had in awhile. Honestly Leo felt like he couldn't do anything right sometimes, but this was something he could do. "It's a pleasure, Martin," Leo replied, and then he listened to the other. "I mean, it's not easy," he said with a laugh, "but sometimes when it's too detailed, people have tunnel vision, and if we don't have what they're looking for then they just leave without anything, and then nobody is happy." That was true - not the owners of the store, not the customer, and not Leo himself. "I'm much rather work with this." By the way that Martin said this, Leo suspected they had some experience themselves, and he asked, "So do you work in retail too? I feel like I'm talking to someone else who's been in the trenches of customer service." And then he gave a dramatic shudder before laughing.

Yeah, Martin wasn't kidding - this request was still pretty vague even after he clarified it a little. "Ah, okay, well...most of it isn't too helpful, no," Leo admitted, but he was smiling. "But I can work with it. Follow me." As Leo led Martin toward the back of the store where the guitars were, he asked, "So do you not know this person that well? If not, then this is a really nice thing you're doing, putting so much thought into a gift. I guess it's nice either way." When they reached the section with the guitars, Leo said, "We've got electric and acoustic guitars," and then a thought came to him. "I guess I should know how big your budget is before I try to sell you on any of these." Something caught his eye then, and Leo gestured to it and said, "We've also got a ukulele, which is significantly cheaper than most guitars but an underappreciated instrument in my opinion."

While Leo had the challenge of coming up with a gift based solely off the one vague comment made, Martin had the challenge of loosely describing a sibling he couldn't say he knew too well these days without going into the unnecessary details of his family's dynamic. Outside of the events in January that made this year especially unique for their family, they tended to stick to their own corner of town when not required to show up for a special occasion. It was the best way to avoid any awkward or disappointing discussions about his future after all. "Nice to meet you, I'm Martin." He tackled the easier part of the conversation first while still trying to come up with any kind of adjectives or pleasant tales about his sibling. "And thanks for the help by the way. I know less detailed requests can end up being more of a pain in the ass sometimes." Or at least from their perspective as someone who did not enjoy offering up suggestion after suggestion to a potential customer only to have them turn all of them down.

"They're more of the creative type in general, you know, music, art, poetry, all that. Last I checked they were more into guitar lately." Martin had their own creative side as well when it came to their hobbies and escapism, but their strengths were always more in areas with hard facts like math and science. "I don't think I've ever known them when they weren't working on some sort of project." Which made sense given how the trio of siblings were in what felt like a constant competition between each other. He was well aware that the descriptions he gave were still quite vague, but he wasn't sure what more to say. His relationship with his family hadn't been very personal since he returned to Shrikes after his failures in college. "I suppose none of that is too helpful though, huh?"

[forestxleo]

Leo physically felt himself relax as he listened to Ottilie. This was one of his people, someone who thought like him, at least about these kinds of things. "Seriously!" he exclaimed, smiling at the other. "The only excuse they have here is if, like, they can't read or can't read English or something." Leo was especially sympathetic to the last one. After all, he and his parents weren't native to the U.S. either, and he had heard stories of how much his parents had struggled at the beginning (Leo was far too young to remember it though). "Otherwise, most of the time they can just help themselves," Leo went on. "I think it's sometimes easier for people just to have someone else do it for them, even though it's annoying to the ones like us who have to do it instead." As he went on his rant, Leo paused suddenly, and then he just laughed. "Wow, I'm starting to sound like a grumpy old man," he remarked, grinning, "though I stand by what I said." Unbeknownst to Leo, he was thinking the same thing as Ottilie, and he told her, "I actually like helping the people with legitimate questions, at least on days when I'm not hungover, though sometimes even then. I...uh, I really actually like talking about music, you know?" Leo felt a little embarrassed as he said this, but he didn't know why; maybe it was because he had put so much effort into coming across as indifferent and aloof, when really there was at least a small part of him that wasn't. Tiny, minuscule even, but it was there. "That's probably the main reason we keep our jobs, the fact that we actually know what we're talking about," Leo reasoned. Realizing he didn't know Ottilie very well at all (and had only just recently learned her name), he asked, "So...do you play something? I'm guessing you've got some sort of musical background."

while the pair might not have been the best in the eyes of their management, ottilie and leo were extremely compatible when it came to their ability to complain and to harbour an extreme distaste for others inside of them. they'd both been hurt - unbeknownst to the other - and they both shared a cynical nature because of it. ottilie would be the last person in town to rat out a co-worker for rolling their eyes at a customer, that was for sure. "i get it when stores have the dumbest fucking layouts and no signs or indicators of where things are, but we really couldn't make it any easier," her words were truthful, and as horrible as they sounded, as they risked making her sound entirely ableist, she only spoke from the standpoint of somebody who had been asked more pointless questions than she could count from customers who were genuinely able to answer them themselves if they had have taken thirty additional seconds to look around or read something for themselves. ottilie would never hate those who genuinely needed help - especially not when it allowed her to show off with her extensive knowledge, something she loved to do particularly with the men that came into the store and assumed she knew nothing due to her characteristics such as her gender - but unfortunately she had been made to deal with more lazy customers than those actually helpless. "i definitely get it, i really get it," she nodded her head. "gotta pay the rent somehow, though," she reminded them of why they likely kept their jobs.

[forestxleo]

The interaction with the customer was, well...about as painful as Leo had expected. They asked where the sheet music was while literally facing a not small sign bearing the words "sheet music," and Leo had just glanced at it and pointed in the same direction that the sign was indicating. And the customer hadn't even said anything about the sign or acted embarrassed or anything - they had just acted like it hadn't been there seconds before, like it had just suddenly appeared. It took all he had to not roll his eyes in front of the customer, though the moment they had moved past him, Leo did just that, though he resisted the urge to groan (which was difficult). Sighing, he made his way back to the counter, only to discover that his coworker was watching him. For a moment, Leo internally panicked, thinking she had witnessed the aforementioned eye rolling, but he quickly realized that she wasn't going to rat him out. On the contrary, she seemed to get it, which was a relief. Leo still didn't really know his coworkers super well, which he knew was mostly his fault, and he wouldn't even have been totally sure of this one's name were it not for her nametag (something Leo was definitely thankful for in this moment). Laughing softly, he nodded and replied, "Yeah, seriously. Like...the signs exist for a reason, like you said, so maybe use your eyes and your brain and figure it out yourself, you know?" Leo was speaking quietly, not wanting the customer to hear in case they were close. "I could go on a rant about how that's the problem with society, about how they don't want to do anything for themselves and how eveyrone is becoming dependent on each other to the point of ruin, but I don't think I'm quite that cynical just yet. I'm getting there though." For a moment, Leo just smiled at Ottilie before adding, "I'm glad someone else gets it."

ottilie had never been regarded as an especially good employee, in all honesty. while she had an extensive knowledge on the wide range of stock they had at key of reason, customer service would never be the girl's strong suit - especially not in a town filled with people who she had fallen out with in the past. it was for that very reason why ottilie didn't take one for the team and step up to the customer while leo was clearly dealing with the consequences of the night before. others who worked alongside of them would have, she thought, but ottilie had never been called a team player - and for very honest reasons. she waited the interaction out, eavesdropping as she pretended to be doing the work of reorganizing a shelf, and once the customer was pointed in the right direction of what they were after in the store, ottie stepped over to her co-worker. "i don't get why customers do that whole thing," she began, complaining. "make a beeline for us to ask us where something is," she elaborated. "we have signs up pointing to where things are for a reason- and i mean, how much of a rush can you be in to get new a pop filter?"

[forestxleo]

"Well hopefully they had good taste in the 'approved' genres," Leo replied sardonically, grinning at Ben. "Folk music is great," he went on. "It just feels more...I don't know, authentic. Like it gets at me in my core more often and more easily than other music apart from classical, and even that's only because that's what I play. What I used to play." Sometimes even now Leo would accidentally use the wrong tense, as if he were still an award-winning pianist with a bright future. The more he talked to Ben, the more interesting the man became, and Leo was definitely feeling glad that he'd come into the store today. He wouldn't have expected all of this just by looking at Ben, and Leo knew that was on him; he needed to stop judging people so swiftly, especially before even talking to them. He hadn't always been like that, and it bothered Leo that he was now, especially in moments like this. When Ben mentioned being from an immigrant background, Leo asked, "Where's your family from? Were you born here?" And then he realized that made him sound like every white person who'd asked him that, some of whom assumed he didn't speak English fluently (which he did - he wasn't even one year old yet when his family moved to the U.S.). Groaning, Leo closed his eyes in frustration, apologizing, "Sorry...I hate when people ask me that, like I'm some intruder or something. I didn't mean it that way." Opening his eyes, Leo hoped to salvage this, so he explained, "My family is from Egypt, and I was born there even. I just sort of thought the whole...uh, immigrant thing might be something we had in common, I guess."

Hoping to move passed this, Leo nodded and agreed, "You're totally right. There's a reason why even music without lyrics can make you feel, you know? It's...nice talking to someone who gets it." That was true, though the problem with that was that it meant Ben could really see the way the music flowed through him, including the way he'd lost some intangible part of it when he'd hurt his hand and destroyed his future, the way he felt an aching sense of loss basically every second of every day. It probably helped that he was a therapist too, Leo realized. As he looked at Ben and sighed, Leo decided he wanted to tell him what happened; it just felt like Ben would understand. Taking a deep breath, Leo revealed, "I was going to be a professional pianist. I'm not trying to, like, brag or anything, but...I was great. I felt like playing piano was what I was meant for. I got accepted into Juilliard early, even had them calling me before I applied, and I was sort of nationally known, at least for those in the piano scene. I graduated Juilliard, and everything was on track for my future as a pianist, and then I went camping and fucked it all up." Maybe he shouldn't be swearing in front of a customer, but Leo thought it was appropriate for this story. "I was in an accident," he went on, "and I was lost in the forest for a week. And the worst part was that I hurt my hand, like irreparably injured it. They tried to fix it with surgery, and they were mostly successful, but I lost the nimbleness, the dexterity required to be a truly great pianist, plus I have this awesome tremor now too. And that was so much of my identity that I don't really know who I am anymore, you know?" As if he was just realizing how much he'd said, Leo laughed awkwardly, shaking his head. "Sorry...for a second I thought I was on your couch spilling my guts, and all you wanted when you came in here was to buy a guitar." He felt incredibly stupid, and Leo just sighed.

At least he'd made a sale, and his manager would be happy (Leo just wished they got commission). "You won't regret it," he told Ben. "I'm kind of sad to see it go, but at least it's going to a good home."

Ben laughed at the surprise in the other and he nodded. "Yes, they did. They let us listen to what they listened to mostly, but I did hear my fair share of classical, but I also listened to a lot of jazz and blues, especially in a place like Chicago where it thrived. Folk music, too. Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel. Rock and roll was seen as hard and rebellious. It still is, but it was even more so when I was growing up. The first half of my life, I spent watching the Vietnam War unfold, but making commentary on it as someone who didn't serve, particularly from an immigrant background, was a bit taboo, and my parents knew the dangers of that. They wanted to keep my siblings and I safe, you know? But kids grow up and make their own decisions about what to do and what to listen to. If you ask me now, I'd tell you the Clash is a brilliant band," he explained. "But you're right, music changes. It's messages change, too. Part of it is conveyed in lyrics, but most of it, in my humble opinion, is conveyed in the sounds," he added, raising his brows with a smile.

As he listened to Leo, he really listened to what was between the words, in the pauses of what he was saying. Ben saw how Leo closed his eyes to get lost in the music, and then how he seemed to let that go when he was brought back to the reality of being in a music instrument store instead of somewhere else. "It sounds to me like you need to figure out where music went for you. I can see it means a lot to you still. Maybe you need to find your voice in a different way. But who's to say better than you?" he asked, leaving the question at Leo's feet like a morning newspaper for him to read and consider later on his own.

He still had the guitar in his hands when he gave the strings a few strums, playing the opening couple of notes of "Should I Stay Or Should I Go". He put his hands over the strings gently and smiled up at Leo. "I think I'll get it. I like the way it sounds, and the heft of it. It's a lot lighter than it looks on the display," he said. "You'll have to find something else to put up on the window now," he added with a chuckle.

[forestxleo]

It had been a hell of a day, and Leo was just done. Some days he didn't hate his job at Key of Reason, and on the really good days he actually liked it. But then there were days like this, days where it felt like every customer was irritating as fuck, like they were being difficult on purpose. One of them had asked his advice but then refused to even listen to it. Another had bored Leo with all of his musical "knowledge," which was often not even correct, but he'd smiled and just nodded, zoning out more than once. And then there was the woman who brought in the ukulele she'd bought for her kid that was damn near snapped in half, who tried to tell him that that had just happened, as though it had spontaneously almost broken into two. Leo had tried to remain calm, telling the lady that this was clearly the work of her child and that she would be receiving no refund, but when she grew irate, he'd had to call security, and fuck, he just did not get paid enough for this shit.

So he was practically storming out of the mall, laser focused on getting to his car and getting the hell out of here, but then something stopped Leo dead in his tracks. There sitting on the ground in front of the mall was someone who looked like they were having an even worse day than him, and for a moment, Leo considered walking by because this wasn't what he really wanted to do right now. But then he sighed because despite his gruff exterior, Leo was apparently a softie inside, and he found that he couldn't just leave this person. Besides, if the roles were reversed, he might have wanted someone to stop. Kneeling down next to the stranger, Leo asked, "Are you alright?" And that was when he really noticed the area, which looked just a bit like a crime scene with all the reddish splatters everywhere. "Uh...what's the deal with all...uh, this?" Leo asked. And then he offered the other something of a smile, feeling bad for him in this moment. "Is there...is there anything I can do to help?" Leo asked.

@shrikestart where: in front of the mall time: 8:00 am

It was strawberry season and Jiwon was homesick. It was difficult not to think of home, his family's strawberry farm, childhood memories of picking the very best strawberries for his grandmother, nights spent sneaking boys there where his parents wouldn't think to check. Life was easier in Shrike in many ways. After all, he was around his best friend in the universe and was able to openly be himself, a privilege he did not take for granted. Still, it was difficult not to miss his family at all, especially since it had been a while since their schedules had aligned well enough for his phone call home to not go unanswered. He thought of his mother and worried that she was getting too old to do the field work the way she used to. It was difficult not to feel selfish, like a bad son. Although he was his parents' most precious person, and they told him so often, he knew things about himself that she didn't. Things that would cast doubt on the reverence she held for him. The day had started ordinarily enough, no different than the day before or the one before that. The only difference was his lack of focus had led him to take an ungraceful tumble in front of the mall, just barely breaking his fall and making a mess of things. The yakult he had been holding was on the ground too, its pink contents spilled across the asphalt, his jeans partially soaked, and his knees scraped strawberry red where the denim had ripped against the ground. Like a child, he wanted his mother in that moment. Not for any particular reason other than the fact he missed her desperately anyway and he just knew how much she would have fussed over him if she were here. He didn't know how long he'd been there, just surrendering on the ground, but he grew self conscious when he saw a shadow casting over the sunlit ground. Turning to the person walking by him, he gingerly said, "Nothing to see here. Just a bit of a strawberry-related disaster."

[forestxleo]

"What a charmer you are," Leo stated, smiling at Akito's flattery; just because he knew it was flattery didn't mean that Leo didn't like it though. "I know, I'm difficult to resist. There's a reason why I can't shake you." But he was smiling at his friend, clearly just kidding. Truthfully, Leo wouldn't want to shake Akito (and if he wanted to, he would). Leo was definitely a mess right now, but he didn't care if Akito saw him this way. Truthfully Leo didn't care if anyone saw him this way. He supposed that if it was some guy he was trying to close the deal with, he might care a little bit, but that was probably the only time. And Akito had seen Leo a lot worse than this, like the days when he was feeling really, really low. Those were times when Leo didn't usually let anyone see him that way, but Akito was different - Leo didn't have to worry about his friend getting scared off, which was probably the thing Leo liked the most about the other. So Leo was in no rush to go get cleaned up and dressed despite the fact that he now knew he'd be spending the day with Akito. Besides, Leo was still waking up, which was a process after a night like last night (he'd gone to Julio's after work and been there...well, awhile). Running his fingers through his hair as he and Akito talked, Leo knew that was definitely going to be a process, taming his mane, so hopefully Akito could be patient.

Taking a sip of his coffee - and then another sip, and then another because Leo was going to need to wake the fuck up for this - Leo glowered at Akito, playfully though. "This hair takes time, and you know it. Perfection isn't easy." Really though, Akito was kind of right: sometimes it did take Leo an hour or more to truly tame his hair. "Worse case scenario though, I'll just throw a hat on today even though that will mean depriving you, my best friend, of being able to enjoy the glory that is Leonidas Asim Kaur's hair. I think you'll be okay though." Smiling at Akito, Leo said, "Of course you don't have concrete plans." Spending time with Akito was like that a lot: just sort of going with the flow of the day, seeing where it took them and doing whatever they wanted without a plan. But Leo actually liked that, liked not having commitments and just doing what felt right in the moment, so he was okay with this. "Well, I had planned to get high before I had an unplanned guest, so we could always do that first. And then we can head out, maybe get some lunch, and then see where the day takes us. I've been wanting to check out some new music at Tracks, though I have mixed feelings about going to the mall on my day off, so we don't have to do that." After running his fingers through his hair again, Leo added, "If we're going out though, I should probably take a quick shower because it's going to take more than a brush to tame this mess."

akito was typically upbeat , sweet , and easy going , but he wasn't necessarily a happy person . of course , he tried with all of his might to be happy , and to live a good life , but he had gone through so much from such a young age ; the horrors akito had endured - most unknown to everyone else in his life , even unknown to his best friend , with details even still kept from his little sister - were unimaginable , unfathomable . he was doing such a good job at carrying on with his life despite what he had gone through - in spite of what he had gone through , even - but even while he had that outwardly upbeat nature , he could deeply connect with somebody like leo , someone more reclusive , someone emotionally scarred much like himself , someone who couldn't always pull the kind of smile onto their face like akito could . despite their differences , akito could connect with leo more than leo might ever know , and the foundation of their friendship was incredibly strong , although surprising .

the state of his friend wasn't a surprise ; akito didn't think of him as an unkempt person , but anyone in shrike heights was likely to have a day - or many - where they were found in such condition . akito considered himself to be close enough to leo to step into his apartment even on such a day , and if anything , he hoped that he could give his friend good reason to brush his hair , put on some clothes , and step out into the fresh air - though even if that plan wasn't one that leo was up for , akito would also understand . he'd been in the very same position all too many times , his own dark , curly hair found just as untameable as leo's appeared to be in the moment . " i waited as long as i could , but i couldn't stay away from you for that long , i just absolutely had to see you , " akito chuckled , flattering him teasingly - though it wasn't only a joke , akito was very fond of leo , after all . he grabbed his board and stepped inside of the place , leaning it next to the door on the inside for safe keeping .

" thanks , " he smiled , though he mentally decided on declining the offer of the coffee . " you look extremely busy , " akito told them , a grin of their own on their face as they took it upon themself to sit down in leo's living room with them . " i mean , from the looks of things , you'll be busy for - what ? one ? two ? - hours detangling that hair of yours , " he smirked , a joke from one head of thick , untameable hair to another . he shook his head after his own comment , as if to gesture that he was returning to seriousness . " i'm not sure , i didn't really have any concrete plans or anything super specific in mind , " he answered . the truth was of course that akito just couldn't stomach alone time , and that he needed to do something - anything - in order to escape the dangerous mindset he found himself falling into . " d'you have any preferences ? anything you're feeling up for ? anything you really don't wanna do ? " while akito was the one roping the other into plans , he didn't want to be bossy , didn't want to be the one calling all of the shots .

[forestxleo]

As soon as he suggested that they maybe get to know each other, Leo started to wonder if he should have just kept his mouth shut. It wasn't because of anything Paulie had said or the way he replied. No, Leo just wondered if he was bothering his coworker, and he knew how annoying it could be when someone wanted to talk if you didn't, which was much of the time for him. He knew how he'd feel if the roles were reversed and Paulie had been the one to suggest this when all Leo wanted to do was read his book, though at least Paulie hadn't been trying to do the same (Leo wasn't one of those people who would have tried talking if that were the case - reading a book was a clear sign that you didn't want to talk). Still, his coworker didn't seem put off by the idea, and Leo would feel weird if he just said to never mind, plus part of him really did want to get to know Paulie.

Nodding, Leo replied, "Yeah, maybe. I mean we work together all the time, like more than anyone else, at least for me. I swear our manager is doing it on purpose." Maybe it was because the two of them actually got work done while they were here together instead of socializing. That was true, whether or not it was the actual reason. "And what I know about you is that your name is Paulie, and you've got good hair," Leo went on, laughing a bit at his last comment, though it was true. "It's always cool when another guy appreciates long hair," he added, running his fingers through his own, not even thinking about it, just an unconscious tick of his. "So what's your story?" Leo asked. "Like what does Paulie do when he's not here at Key of Reason. And how'd you end up working here anyway?" Leo realized then he might be being kind of invasive, so he clarified, "None of these are questions you have to answer. You're just...uh, well honestly my favorite coworker, so I don't know, I guess I'm kind of curious." He smiled softly, a little embarrassed to have admitted that, but it was true.

paulie doesn't let people in, he doesn't allow himself to grow close to others, nor does he allow them to grow close to him - if he can help it. he doesn't see the point; almost all of the people that paulie has loved have gotten hurt, they've died, and even if he were to grow close to another who doesn't meet the same strange fate that most paulie has bonded with have, he doesn't think it very fair to welcome somebody into a life so full of pain and emotional baggage. it's the life he's grown accustomed to; while it might be sad, paulie's experiences with death have led him to believe that this is the best possible life that he can continue to live. don't let anyone get too close - something that's easier to say than do when he's constantly rostered on to work the same shifts as the same person.

leo is a cool person, as far as paulie knows. he doesn't mind the walls that they have up - having extremely high and sturdy walls himself - and none of leo's behavior has him judging them or wondering more about them - in the nicest way possible. it's not that paulie doesn't think about him, and what his past potentially could have looked like, it's only that paulie doesn't feel the need to know more, like he might with someone more obnoxious or unlike himself. for the most part, it's comfortable to be able to work in silence with leo, but on the other hand, paulie can't help but wonder why the universe - or maybe just their managers - seem to keep on putting them together. he can't remember the last time that he was stuck in quite close proximity to another person, seeing them and being near them so constantly, and that's exactly why leo's words - while surprising that he says any at all - don't come across as strange. "d'you think so?" he asks, not hating the conversation as he has nothing else to do at all. "i mean, what do you wanna know?" he wonders. he isn't shooting leo's idea down at all, but he's also not sure how much they should share, how much matters to the other if they're going to maintain their very casual work relationship.

[forestxleo]

As he listened to Jake, Leo nodded along. "I get it," he replied when the other said that he spent a lot of time there with his family. "I've been there a couple of times, and it's...different, but I mean that in like a good way, you know? I always thought I might like it there, like that kind of lifestyle. It seems...simpler. Easier. I could see myself just sitting in a field playing guitar and just being content." For a moment, Leo thought about this image he had in his mind, a wistful expression on his face. But a second later, he blinked and snapped back to reality, smiling and laughing softly. "Anyway," he said, "it's really cool that you do that, go there, help out, that kind of thing. Are they pretty cool with that? Like...they're pretty welcoming, aren't they?" Leo had always gotten that impression, but he didn't have a lot of experience with the commune members. If Leo thought he liked Jake's smile, he really liked his laugh, and it brought out yet another smile of his own. It was official: Leo thought Jake was incredibly cute, and he was definitely glad that he'd come into the store today. The man had a knack for bringing out a sunnier disposition, which Leo had thought was near impossible. For a moment, he just grinned at Jake, nodding. "Yeah, so it seems," Leo stated. "Sometimes it's nice having things in common too, like an appreciation of music." He just looked back at Jake, letting the man make his own conclusions about what he might be referring to - or who.

"It's, like, super rad that we're both into the same instruments," Leo stated a moment later. "I think the piano just seems like...elegant, even though you can play all sorts of music, not just the classical sort. And guitar - especially the acoustic guitar - seems to hold so much feeling, you know what I mean? At least that's the way I see it." He wondered if Jake would agree. The way that Jake blushed at Leo's compliment made it all worth it, and he was thought about how cute that red tinge on the other's cheeks were. "Well you should have been hearing that from so many people," Leo replied. "I can say it once in awhile if you want so you don't forget it." With as cute as Jake was, Leo liked that he was shy too. The man seemed...soft, but in a good way, not a weak sort of way, more like gentle and kind. Of course, Leo barely knew the guy, but that was the perception he was getting. Still not wanting to freak Jake out, Leo didn't reeled himself in before he could overdo it with the flirting. As he listened to Jake, Leo decided he was going to just ask: "Does it ever get hard, trying to live up to that?" he asked. "I don't really know what it's like. My parents are talented and good at what they do, but it's not music. They're more about art and storytelling and that sort of thing, still a creative pursuit, but...not the same, you know? So I've never really been able to compare myself to them in that way."

It seemed to Leo like Jake was getting a little more confident as they spoke, especially now that they'd been properly introduced. He was surprised by the other's comment, saying, "Really? Uh...thank you," and then he smiled brightly. "You really think so? I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before. Usually they just think it's strange. Actually usually people don't know, at least not these days since I'm no longer in school and subjected to roll calls where the teacher doesn't know my nickname preference. But Leo's happy mood was all but gone now as his hand shook, immediately feeling glum again, and he hated that because he'd really been enjoying this conversation with Jake. But the man was being so sweet and patient with him, tolerating his sudden mood shift, and it seemed like Leo hadn't scared him off; maybe there was time to salvage this still. Even so, Leo couldn't quite shake it off, and he just looked down at the floor, nodding. "Yeah, okay," he said quietly. As Jake walked away, Leo ran his fingers through his hair. Good job, Leonidas, he thought bitterly, shaking his head.

A bit later, Leo was standing behind the counter when he noticed that Jake was still looking around, and he smiled because it seemed he had't scared him off even when he'd given him an out. Leo didn't even know why he cared because he was used to being by himself mostly, and usually that was how he liked it. But he'd felt an immediate spark with Jake, and fuck, it had been nice to feel that again. Maybe it would just be a friendship, maybe it would be nothing, but Leo wanted to see where this interaction would go. So he took a deep breath, hurrying over to where Jake was. "Hey man," Leo greeted him, words coming out in a bit of a rush, as if he were worried that Jake would run off. "I'm sorry about before. The whole...thing with my hand is sort of a touchy subject with me. It...well, it basically ruined my life." He didn't feel like sugarcoating it right now (and rarely did). As he looked at Jake, Leo felt like he wanted to tell him what happened, at least some of it, but as he glanced around the store, Leo decided this wasn't the place. "Do you maybe want to hang out?" he asked Jake before he could second-guess himself. "I just...you seem like a cool guy, plus you're incredibly cute, so I kind of want a second chance to prove I'm not some glum loser. Well...not just glum loser at least." This probably wasn't going well, but Leo didn't know how to turn in the charm; he either was being charming or he wasn't. "What do you say?" he asked, a note of hope to his voice. "I thought maybe you might want to come to my place and bring your guitar, and we could play a little," Leo suggested. "Or we could do it somewhere with more people if you want to, like the park or something."

"she doesn't live in the commune, we don't," he answers, correcting himself to specify the fact that he still lives with his family, only to feel embarrassed over doing so immediately - but he doesn't dwell on the embarrassment for long. "but she spends a lot of time with them, down there, and i did too, growing up. i still go down there with her sometimes, especially when they have events or work to do that could do with some extra people on the team," jake smiles; he doesn't take offence over the question, nor does he suspect judgement behind it. he's well aware of the judgement that they face, having even faced it himself due to his mother, or due to his friendships with those in the commune, but the word 'commune' isn't a dirty one to jake. he laughs at the description of leo's own personal experience in an 'opposites attract' kind of relationship, finding it endearing that leo considers a harpist and a pianist to be so different. "yeah, i've been told that opposites do attract," he doesn't have any experience himself, however, so he can't properly comment on it in a personal manner.

jake keeps smiling when leo talks about learning the acoustic guitar himself. it's nice to speak to someone so likeminded, someone so receptive, someone who he finds himself connecting with so easily and quickly. it's a rare feeling; even though jake has people in his life who love him dearly, jake feels lonely so easily, just as he feels lost and misunderstood so easily, too. he doesn't feel this way with leo. "that is awesome," he agrees, nodding, his bashful nature not helping him out very much as he feels almost at a loss of words due to leo's charm. the beginning of the interaction and the rocky start is already completely lost on jake. "oh, thank you," there's a lot of surprise in jake's tone, but the smile and the blush on his face allude to the compliment being very welcomed, and received well. "not really..." he answers the question even more bashfully than he was moments before, a sweet, nervous, and quiet laugh following his words. "yeah," it's extremely impressive that leo is similarly gifted. "she's really talented, yeah. i'm a bit of a mama's boy, but really, she is super talented- and not even just musically," jake does have moments of feeling inadequate, particularly in her very grand shadow, but thankfully sunny bryant is also a talented mother, helping jake to not feel those nasty feelings frequently.

"leonidas is a beautiful name," he compliments them, feeling more nervous than he should have as he does. once again, the nervousness comes down to jake's lack of experience with flirting - not that jake is even properly committed to the idea of flirting; he doesn't know what he's doing, he only knows that he wishes to compliment leo. "my mom actually uses jacob more than anyone else does. she might be the only person left who does pull the full name out sometimes, though she also calls me jake and other stuff a lot, too," he smiles at another similarity, of their mothers using the full name they gave to their children. jake notices the shaking of leo's hand, and his stomach immediately drops. he doesn't know why leo's hand shakes like it does, but the comment suggesting the shakes being a recent addition makes jake wonder whether or not the other was attacked, perhaps. either way, because of the killers jake knows what it's like to have life uprooted and deeply changed forever; thankfully they've not hurt him before, but his siblings experiences have been traumatizing enough to do real damage to jake. he's always been a deeply emotional person, and his experiences over the past couple of years have him even more sympathetic and empathetic over leo's mysterious change. "you don't have to apologize to me for anything," he tells leo, his voice soft but his words coming out confidently, proving that he really believes in them. he doesn't know what else to say, but he does know that he wishes for leo's mood to shift back into a much more positive direction. "i think i'll browse for a little longer, if that's okay with you," he suggests gently, not wanting leo to think that he's been scared off, while also not wanting to demand to stay in this space, in case leo wishes to be alone.

[forestxleo]

“Did they let you listen to any music?” Leo asked, still kind of shocked. He’d heard of parents being that protective and sheltering their children to a fault, but he didn’t really know what was like. “I mean like classical music or something?” he elaborated. “It could be worse. There’s a lot of classical music I’d rather listen to than rock, but I’m a pianist, so I guess my opinion might be different than yours.” Leo laughed, but he was thinking about the fact that he had just called himself a pianist; it had been awhile since he’d done that, rather than just saying he played piano. To him, those were different things, and neither felt quite right anymore. Focusing instead on Ben rather than that, Leo could tell that the man was passionate, and he respected the hell out of that, smiling as he listened. “You know your shit, I can tell,” he mused. “I think maybe that’s part of what makes music great. It’s always evolving, and even the older stuff sometimes changes because of the way people view it. Like the music maybe doesn’t change, but the way it’s perceived and the feelings it invokes can, and I think that’s really cool.” Normally he might make a comment about how he probably wasn’t making any sense, but Leo just had a sense that Ben understood.

As talk shifted to his piano skills, Leo just shrugged noncommittally. “Maybe better than just okay, yeah,” he admitted, his voice a little sad. There’d been a time when he’d been called a prodigy or a musical genius or something of the sort, and now he…was. Yeah, he was better than “okay,” but that wasn’t good enough for Leo. That was something he definitely didn’t want to discuss though, so Leo just shrugged again.

Leo almost closed his eyes as he listened to Ben, letting himself get lost in the music. It helped that Ben had chosen a good song, but there was something about someone who wasn’t technically perfect that really appealed to Leo. It felt more…authentic. It felt like there was more passion in it for some reason. When they were done and Ben complimented him, Leo just smiled. “I’m fine I guess. But I wasn’t ever going to be a professional singer, not like - “ Leo stopped abruptly; he’d been about to say “not like piano,” but he didn’t want to discuss that. Still, he couldn’t ignore the question. “It used to be,” Leo answered. “There was a time when it was everything, apart from my family and friends I mean. Now it’s just…there.” The truth was that Leo felt like he had lost his music, and it was a loss he felt in his core.

Ben chuckled and gave Leo a nod. "They did not. They thought it was too loud and noisy, so I'd always just go over to my friends' houses to listen to rock and roll," he said with a smile, remembering his teenage years. "The sixties saw a lot of bands coming up. The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors. Even The Beatles. Music's changed a lot since then, and it'll keep changing, but I kind of like to ride that wave of change and hear what's new. Rock is harder now. You have metal, and punk. It's a phenomenon," he said with a smile. Ben certainly had an appreciation for it all, and definitely loved keeping up with it.

He agreed with Leo. It was hard to learn music by just listening to it, but he'd been doing it for so long now that it almost came naturally. He knew his way around most guitars that he could hear something and mimic it well. "Learning by ear is one thing, but you learned from a young age. I have a feeling you're better at piano than you're letting on," he smiled. Especially if the other was offering a reading lesson on sheet music.

Ben was a therapist at Perkin's, but he wasn't anyone's therapy warden, so he didn't judge Leo for having decided he didn't need therapy anymore. "You go when you're ready for it, you know?" he said with a slow nod. He certainly agreed with Leo in the power music had to transport you. He was glad to have had the opportunity to play a little bit on the display guitar, but Ben was surprised to hear Leo joining in and singing along with the music he was playing. "I agree. Fleetwood Mac is pretty good. You're not half bad yourself, though," he mused, when they finished. "It seems like music is a pretty big part of of your life. Am I wrong about that?"

[forestxleo]

Upon seeing the other man smile, Leo couldn't help but do the same; the guy had a nice smile. And the truth was that it was nice to make that happen, especially after they'd gotten off to a little bit of a rocky start due to Leo's hangover. Leo wasn't usually the one making cute guys - or anyone for that matter - smile; doing so now made Leo want to do it again, an impulse he wasn't used to these days. "Does she live on the commune?" Leo asked. "I don't mean that in a disrespectful or judgmental way, it just...sounds like them." He laughed softly, hoping the guy would know that Leo wasn't making fun of him. "Honestly your parents sound really different, but hey, sometimes opposites attract, right?" Leo mused. "My first boyfriend and I were pretty different. I mean, he was a harpist, and I was a pianist. Not even the same class of instrument, though the harp can be pretty beautiful." Leo laughed because he knew that harpists and pianists weren't necessarily very different; this was a rare Leo joke. And honestly Leo wanted this guy to know what team he played for too, just because he was cute. Again with the smiling, and Leo did the same in response once more. It didn't stop as they continued talking, Leo feeling better that this guy's dad was the appreciative sort. "If that was a gift someone gave me, I know I'd appreciate it," Leo told the other man. "That's so funny," he said when he heard what instruments the other played. "Not only are we both pianists, I'm teaching myself to play the acoustic guitar too. That's...really awesome. You have good taste, though I believe any instrument can be beautiful with the right player." As he looked over at the other, Leo grinned, telling him, "You have a really great smile. Has anyone ever told you that?" Not wanting to be too forward, he said, "I'm sort of the same, can get a feel at least for most instruments pretty easy. I think people like that have a good understanding of melody, you know? Sounds like your mom is a real virtuoso." Leo wondered if that was difficult for the customer to live up to, though he decided not to ask.

When he heard the other's name, Leo said, "It's nice to meet you, Jake. I'll stick with that since it seems like what you prefer. No one calls me Leonidas either, which is my name. Well my mother does. She says, 'That's the name we gave you, and I'm going to use it.'" He smiled at the memory of his mom, missing her though glad she and his dad weren't in Shrike Heights. But the smile faded when Leo held his hand out to Jake because it began to shake, and Leo closed his hand abruptly. "Sorry," he said, and like a needle popping a balloon, his good mood was gone. "That's why I'm not a pianist anymore. I'm just a guy who plays piano sometimes when he's alone." Feeling a little crestfallen, Leo looked away, running his fingers through his long hair. "Sorry," he apologized again, still not looking at Jake. "You probably want me to ring the book up now, don't you?"

it's easy for jake to feel flattered by leo's words, special, even. he's not sure that he's ever had somebody speak to him in the way that leo does, tell him that he's different in a good way. jake smiles, mostly to himself, trying to play down just how special leo does make him feel as he believes it's probably a little inappropriate to think so soon upon meeting somebody. "no," he answers with a shake of his head. "she doesn't believe in traditional schooling, to be honest. she believes in practical learning, though, and passing on your wisdom to anyone who's receptive to it," he explains, sharing details about his hippie mother that isn't asked for, but is relevant in jake's opinion. "thanks," that special feeling continues, as does the smiling from jake's end. "i'm sure he will, he is an appreciative guy. might look like any other ordinary business man, but he's a good guy," jake tells the other. "yeah, and even if he doesn't want to pick up an instrument himself - which is a big commitment - at least he might be able to relate to us and what we're doing," jake states. "i mostly play guitar - acoustic guitar mainly - and piano," jake tells him, now smiling over relating with an instrument. "i can play a little of most instruments, but those are my favorite, and what i've refined my skills on the most. my siblings are kind of the same, in that regard, though my mom is one of those people who can pick up any instrument and shred, or so she's proven so far," he chuckles. he wonders why leo only used to play piano, but it feels too intrusive for jake to ask why it's in the past. for all jake knew, he could have been involved in an attack, or something, so it feels like information that might be sensitive. "jacob- well, jake," he laughs bashfully. "no one calls me jacob; that is my name, but no one calls me that. just jake," he finishes.

[forestxleo]

The longer that Leo was here, the more comfortable he became, though he still felt a little out of place. He wasn’t used to spending so much time with people he didn’t know, especially in their own home, and it almost felt like he was somewhere he didn’t belong. But that wasn’t true, and he knew it, though maybe his brain hadn’t quite comprehended that. Really he thought it might have something to do with the fact that he didn’t feel fully comfortable not being good at something musical. The only time he’d ever really had a teacher was for piano, and even then, there had eventually been little that they could actually teach him; after awhile, it had been just about honing his skills and perfecting his craft. In fact, Leo had given piano lessons before leaving for college and during both for the extra money and because he truly enjoyed it, though he’d stopped all that when he had his accident. Now the roles were reversed, and it felt a little strange. 

Get out of your head, idiot, Leo told himself. Reina clearly wasn’t the type of musician who acted superior to those who didn’t know how to play their selected instrument (and Leo had met a lot of people like that), and he knew she wasn’t going to judge him for how little he knew. Looking around, he commented, “Your place is so different than mine.  I’m an only child, and a lot of the decor in the house I grew up in was sort of…ethnic, I guess the word is since my family is from Egypt. I was even born there.” His parents had moved out of Shrike Heights before the killings started (which Leo was thankful for), and they’d sold their house. How Leo lived in an apartment with minimal personal touches. “My place now is sort of…Spartan,” he laughed, adding, “like my name I guess.” Realizing Reina might not know what he meant, he clarified, “Leo is short of Leonidas.” At Reina’s suggestion, Leo nodded. “That sounds alright,” he agreed, “just…please be patient with me.” He was feeling pretty insecure, though he kept telling himself to relax. “I sing a bit,” Leo replied, “so I’m okay with that. But I’m definitely not going to make a career out of it.” Although Leo laughed, he felt a little sad too because at one point, he was going to make a career out of being a pianist. But he didn’t want to think about that now. 

—— reina was proud of the home she had made for herself, both in the commune and in the heart of shrike. she had put all of her love into decorating both places, but her home on the commune had been lived in for longer and appeared more lived in. there was the handcrafted windchime on the porch that made beautiful music, a sunflower wreath hung on her front door, and on the inside a plethora of haphazardly placed books and trinkets that couldn't fit on her shelves filled with art projects she'd kept throughout the years that she received from all her siblings. it was sort of a monument of her growth, now that she thought about it, and she was proud to host people whenever they decided to pay her a visit. "thank you, my brothers and sisters helped me decorate." she chuckled. "as if it isn't obvious enough." there were even crayon drawings on the wallpaper from where her younger siblings made quick work of leaving a piece of them behind.

"soft rock. i dig it," she grinned widely as she returned to the couch, offering him a cup of chamomile tea since the box was the nearest and crossing her legs comfortably. "slowly. we can work with that. how about we start with some pink floyd? wish you were here is a crowd favorite, i've found." she sipped her tea languidly before setting it aside and reaching for her own guitar, painted flowers and ivies decorating the body and encroaching the neck. "do you sing much, or do you just prefer playing?" she wondered as she began tuning her guitar carefully.

[forestxleo]

Yeah, this customer had definitely been in Leo's shoes before, and he finally let the last of his guard down. "At least I can still function I guess," he replied with a shrug. "I wouldn't be much use if I was throwing up in the bathroom every few minutes, would I? Not that that hasn't happened before." And then he smirked at the other, laughing a little more. As he listened to the other, Leo wasn't sure he agreed with her about limits, saying, "I always sort of thought they were our body's way of telling us to slow down, not that I always listen to it of course. Last night an obvious example of that." He supposed whether or not he meant to "exceed" his limits, that's exactly what he'd done; he'd ended up in the same place in the end. "I don't know," Leo answered. "That's why I'm asking. For all I know, you could be a virtuoso when it comes to the guitar." Something told Leo that that wasn't the case here though. Nodding, he thought he understood. "An aspiration and an inspiration," Leo said. "Looking at it everyday, it's going to be hard to resist after awhile I think. Plus once you spend money on something, there's definitely motivation to use it." When the customer decided to go with this guitar, Leo smiled; his manager would be happy to have finally sold the guitar, and it would make him look good too. Again Leo laughed, and he said, "I don't typically go around asking people, but my point is that if someone goes to someone's house and sees a guitar that wasn't there before, the natural inclination is to ask. And yeah, I do play, but only a little. I'm sort of teaching myself how to." The pair had been talking for awhile, and Leo decided to make proper introductions. "My name is Leo, by the way," he told the customer before laughing as he added, "In case my nametag didn't make that much obvious."

"Every day of my life, dude," she admitted with a shrug, not thinking too much about it. Was life not a perpetual hangover anyway? "Yeah that's the problem with limits, right? They always give us something to exceed." She wasn't really speaking much sense but it all made sense to her and that was usually what mattered. "A little bit of both. And how do you know I can't play some songs on the guitar?" She actually could only play one but he didn't need to know that. "But yes, I want it for display. For the vibe and look. For the idea that maybe one day I could actually be a brilliant guitarist. But until then, the idea is the aspiration. She smiled when she found the guitar he had showed to her, even more when she saw the price. "No this is perfect. Do you usually go around asking people to play guitar? You seemed really sure that someone is going to ask me to play guitar. I'm not as worried about that as you seemed to be," she joked and reached out to take the guitar in her hand. "Do you know how to play guitar?"

[forestxleo]

Even though it was difficult to try and be a normal person for him these days, Leo always found that the longer he worked at having a conversation, the easier it became, and this was one of those times. Iggy was really nice and not hard to talk to, so that helped a lot. Often Leo wondered why people like this even bothered trying to deal with him because he knew he was challenging. "I'm sure," Leo replied, offering Iggy a small smile, and then he opened the cereal and poured some of it into the cashier's hand. "Well?" he asked when he was done. "What do you think? Any good?" Leo liked them, which was good because he was going to have to buy them either way now that they were opened. "You're welcome," he replied, and then Leo actually smiled again. Yeah, this was getting easier.

Nodding his head, Leo agreed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. But I know I'm not as much of a badass as Leonidas of Greece was. You've heard the legend of the 300 Spartans, right?" Of course, he knew aspects of the story were exaggerated, but what was true was that Leonidas led a small unit of men against an army that vastly outnumbered them. When he heard Iggy's next words, Leo broke into a wide smile, wondering if the cashier knew how it sounded. Though he tried not to, Leo couldn't help but laughed, chuckling softly. "I love a mouthful too," he admitted, grinning still at Iggy. He was down the innuendos too, especially if the one making them was cute. See, if you're a dick all the time, you miss out on conversations like this, Leo told himself, a chastisement he'd made before. "Leo means 'lion,' yeah, but Leonidas means 'son of a lion,' which I guess makes me a lion cub," Leo said with a laugh. "Still a lion though I guess, so yeah, they kind of do go together. To be honest, I kind of like that." It was a nice association, and Leo smiled at Iggy. But then his smile faded, and Leo ran his fingers through his hair in frustration with himself. "Shit, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I bet you get tired of hearing that, and I didn't think about it that way. I'm sorry. You're way cooler than that guy. Handsomer too. So I shouldn't have made the association." Leo genuinely felt guilty now. Listening to Iggy's story, Leo smiled because it was definitely unique. "I love that," Leo told the other. "I love that you were so ready to face the world, that you were brave from the start. Now that I know what Igor means, I definitely think the name suits you." Leo hoped he hadn't totally fucked this up, but what he was saying wasn't just flattery; Leo really believed it.

iggy raised their eyebrows as leo held out the box of cereal for them to try some . though they've relied on hand outs for their entire life , even now , still , iggy wasn't used to receiving kindness so easily and so unprompted ; being offered a taste of a brand new cereal was hardly a gesture of great importance , but still , it was enough to leave iggy pleasantly surprised . " only if you're sure , " he wasn't sure if he should have accepted the offer , unsure of all of the rules that he should be following as an employee , but with no manager around to get him in trouble , he was sure it would turn out fine . " but you'll have to pour some into my hand ; i've been touching money , and stuff , and while i don't care what i put in my mouth , i don't wanna contaminate your bag , " iggy had a good immune system , but the same couldn't be said for everyone . " thanks , " he added .

" badass can come in different forms , i still think it fits , " he told him . " what's wrong with a mouthful ? i love a mouthful , " iggy didn't think through the connotations or innuendos that could be fulled from what he had said , but he wasn't upset upon realising it , either . " igor as in ' warrior ' - hey , leo , that's gotta pull from like , lion , right ? in the context of bravery or strength ? it sounds like our names could be pretty similar , " iggy realised , thinking out loud . " but yeah , most people bring up frankenstein when they hear it , which ... it's not so fun constantly being compared to a character that's a laughing stock because of his bad looks and hunchback . igor's not in the book , just in other adaptations like films and plays , but yeah , " iggy shrugged . " i was actually named after this kooky old russian dude who was living in the same shelter as my parents when my mum was pregnant with me ; he was awesome . he used to make my mom tea and soup every day , and apparently i'd kick like crazy each time he fed her - probably just because i was happy to be getting food , you know ? - but he'd tell her it was because i was a strong one , and that i was trying to kick my way out because i was ready to go on to do great things already . "

[forestxleo]

"Really?" Leo asked when Ben said that his parents hadn't let him listen to that kind of music. It wasn't a judgement, but Leo couldn't imagine that kind of lifestyle. "That must have sucked," he stated. "My parents are both music lovers and used to share all kinds of things with me. songs and artists and bands that they liked. I really think that's part of why it's such a passion with me too. It's cool that you developed a love for it despite not growing up the same way." And he meant that too. Nodding, he replied, "Yeah, it's sort of always been my thing." Leo paused, deciding how much he wanted to say, but since he'd already mentioned playing piano, he figured it was okay to elaborate just a little. "My parents started me on piano when I was younger, and I've been playing ever since. I guess I was okay at it." That was of course an understatement - Leo was talented enough to get into a school with about a 7% acceptance rate, so he was much more than "okay at it." But he didn't want to brag, especially since that was in the days before the accident. "You know, it's really hard to learn music just by listening to it. That's...actually really impressive. Once you know how to read sheet music, it's easier to learn songs that way I think. I could teach you sometime maybe if you wanted." Leo was as surprised as Ben probably was by this suggestion because it wasn't like him at all. But he was enjoying this conversation, and it was nice sharing a passion with someone. Laughing, Leo nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's totally normal. I mean, I'm not knocking it, but...it was definitely kind of strange."

When Ben mentioned his profession, Leo paused; he had no idea he'd been talking to a therapist. But it didn't really affect his opinion of Ben, not negatively at least. "You're just full of surprises," he stated with a little smile. "I used to go there, but I...uh, decided I didn't need therapy anymore." He told his parents he still went, but that was a lie and had been for quite some time. "You'd probably need something to unwind, especially after stressful days," Leo responded. He was glad he hadn't made things weird with his comment, moving past it just like Ben had. "That's the cool thing about music," Leo said. "It can transport you. It sounds like a cliché, but it's true. It's one thing I love about it." And it was one thing he missed about playing piano. Resisting to urge to wallow in his loss, Leo just listened as Ben began to play, and he immediately smiled when he recognized the song. And for just a few seconds, Leo sang along, softly, not drawing attention to the two of them, and he was smiling even more brightly when they were finished. "Great song," he told Ben.

Benjamin nodded at Leo's question. "I did! I've loved rock and roll, and even punk music for quite a long time, but growing up I wasn't allowed to listen to it much," he chuckled. His parents had been pretty conservative when it came to that kind of thing. "But when I moved to Shrike, I kind of wanted to reinvent parts of myself, and one of the first things I saw was the Stratocaster at a shop window and decided... why not? And went for it. I still don't really know how to read music, but I can learn songs and play by ear," he explained. "What about you? Have you always been a lover of music?" When asked if he had a picture of his guitar, Ben laughed and shook his head. "No, I'm not that vain about it, it's just a hobby! I mean, it is a beautiful instrument, but I'm not carrying a photo of it around," he mused.

Once they headed to the display and Leo asked what Ben did over at Perkin's, he smiled. "Well, I'm a therapist there," he explained. "I love my job, but I'm glad I have something engaging to go home to, or my work would get to me," he said, gesturing at the guitar as Leo pulled it out. He grinned when Leo said music kept him young, and he nodded, brushing past the other's slight awkwardness. "Haha! No, you're right! Sometimes I feel like time's getting away from me, but when I play, it seems to stand still. It makes me feel like I'm still in college somehow, even though I never had an inclination to play back then." He held the Gibson carefully, but comfortably, and began to play a few cords to test it, then began to string notes together. Leo would probably be able to recognize the start of Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac, but Ben didn't play for more than about half a minute before he stopped.

[forestxleo]

As he looked around Reina's place, Leo got such a different vibe than his own, which wasn't a bad thing. He could tell that there was life here, that she was with people she cared about frequently, that the overall feeling of this place was bright and sunny. It actually reminded him a bit of her flier, albeit not so garish. Leo smiled at the thought in spite of himself, thinking about how different it was from his place. Now that his parents had left Shrike, spending half of their time back in Egypt and the other half in Florida, pretty much the only person Leo had over who actually meant something to him was Akito, and most of the time his apartment felt like it was withering away, while Reina's felt like it was blooming. He felt, well, a little jealous then, but he knew this was all on him, on his cold demeanor and general feeling of apathy. You really need to change that, Leo thought, though wasn't that what he was trying to do now? Even the Leo of a month ago wouldn't have responded to that flier, and now here he was in a stranger's home - a stranger who seemed to be a perky young girl at that - and trying to be a normal person for a change. So maybe he shouldn't beat himself up too much, at least not right now. Looking around again, Leo stated, "You...you have a really nice place here," which was difficult for him to say not because it wasn't true (it was) but because he wasn't used to being warm.

Settling into the living room, Leo put his guitar strap over his shoulder, his guitar resting on his lap as he plucked at the strings, making sure he didn't need to tighten them or anything before they got started. "I like a lot of things," Leo replied, thinking this wasn't an easy question to answer. "Really I'm a classical music guy," he revealed, "though when it comes to guitar, I guess I'm sort of interested in playing more...folksy stuff. Like soft rock maybe? I'm not sure how to describe it." Hopefully Reina understood. Surprised at her offer of tea, Leo replied, "Uh...whatever is easiest." He wasn't really familiar with tea or the different kinds, so he honestly didn't know which kind he'd prefer. "I basically know the chords, but that's about as far as I've gotten. I can play simple songs too, but...slowly."

—— kicking aside some toys that her younger siblings left strewn about the floor, reina made ample space for leo to get comfortable in her home on the commune. she always considered herself fortunate enough to be able to have a home away from home — that being her cabin, of course, as now she'd been determined to make her apartment in town her main place of rest. no more running away or getting scared of things that weren't in her control. she was going to stick around for as long as she possibly could, and then some. she knew there was no use in living in fear. her fellow residents certainly didn't seem to think so. and she was given lots of advice during her break from town and the mall by her grandmother; like how hiding from what scares you won't make it disappear. it'll make you disappear. that really resonated with reina, which is what ultimately inspired her to put up the flier so she could help others heal through the ultimate medicine: music.

her home was well lived in and decorated accordingly, but it wasn't an eye sore, at least that's what she thought. the one thing that attracted the most light had been her glass windchimes on the front porch, which dangled and emitted beautiful notes whenever there was a breeze. "living room works," she said as she closed the door behind him before hurrying toward the kitchen. "sit down where you like! you can just show me where you're at and we'll work our way up from there. what kind of music are you interested in? oh, and what tea would you rather, chamomile or lavender?"