[Phew, moment broken, at least somewhat. He shifts over to be leaning on her again, supportive, but he shakes off the spell of the inappropriate tension . . . and quickly wipes at his own eyes with the back of his hand. He's a little bit of a sympathetic crier, which is so uncool.]
Never been to your place before . . . you live with all those people? Ah, I'll only come over if you think—like, I don't wanna be there if they need time, y'know? But I guess it doesn't have to be now, anyway. . . . Thanks.
[NO IT'S SWEET...but she won't call attention to it as she props up against him comfortably.]
Mmhmm! It's me, Yu-senpai, Yosuke-senpai, and the Pines twins. Teddie used to live with us, too, but he's already disappeared. [She frowns lightly, but she immediately moves on.] Sometime in the future when things get settled again you can come over. I still think you'd get along with my senpai anyway. It'll be fine.
. . . He checked up on me, y'know? After that whole robot clone thing.
[Maybe now's not the time to talk about Yu being a good guy. It feels unfortunately like—he doesn't know, a eulogy, maybe. Saying nice words about the dead. But it's true, too, and it's out of his mouth. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck, smiling at her.]
So, I mean, we get along fine. Hanamura too. So yeah, I'll come hang out sometime! That's a lot of people in one place, huh?
[But it kind of sounds—nice. He's more than once lamented nights when his friends had to go home and leave him by himself after the day was over, and secretly treasured the very rare occasions when they didn't for whatever reason, and he didn't wake up alone.]
[She didn't know that, but it also hardly surprises her. Yu's the type to just...do that to people. Check in to make sure they're all right, keep people together. She shifts again and the arms hugging Leon slide just a little lower as she sinks back in again.]
Sounds just like him. [She nods in response to his other comment though.] Originally Yu-senpai and Yosuke-senpai were living together months before I got here. They arrived together. And then Dipper was alone so I guess they allowed him to move in...they were in a pretty crappy two-bedroom place before I came and we rented a four-room place together. Yosuke-senpai left not long after that and Rapunzel moved in for a little while before she left, too. And when Mabel showed up we offered to let her stay because it didn't seem fair to force Dipper out just to stay with his sister. It's pretty nice...sometimes there are moments where everybody else is gone but usually at least one other person or pig is around.
[He rests his chin gently on top of her head, just holding her there, enjoying the closeness. It's something he missed when he first came here and didn't know anyone well enough to have this in times like these. Over the months, things have changed . . . ]
You knew Rapunzel, huh? . . . At first I never realized how often people leave here, but I guess it happens more than I thought. . . . But that ain't the kind of topic we should mess with right now, right? That's cool! I always figured I'd wanna live alone, have my space, but now that I do, it's like the grass is always greener, know what I mean?
[He might be a sympathy crier but she's a sympathy cuddler. This is fine.]
Yeah. She's one of the first people I ever met here. Believe it or not, we met in a dumpster. I hope she's okay...if she's really in that Nexus thing. [She finally moves to take a sip of her coffee after all this time, though there's a noise of agreement. This isn't the right time to mess with such a topic.]
I definitely know what you mean...when I was always working and on tour I was alone a lot except for my manager and my team. [It's a different team than the IT. It's a team of PR reps, make-up artists, costumers, choreographers and more.] My dressing rooms were always empty before I'd have to go on stage and when I was done, it'd either be back to an empty hotel or my parents' house. I think having your own space is a little overrated.
. . . I guess for idols, there's not a lot of hanging out with groupies after, huh?
[That makes sense, he thinks. It's still a surprising thought, though; he'd always been most interested in the part of the rock star life where he gets to be surrounded by people who love him and want him and wish they could spend time with him. Don't you get your pick of people like that when you're famous? The way she describes it, it sounds—lonely.
Maybe it's an idol thing. They've got pretty strict standards for those, right?
All the same, he keeps close to her, though he takes advantage of her pulling away a little to pick up his own coffee too.]
I dunno, maybe someday I'll move. I could at least have a guest room! Right now, if I'm gonna invite someone to stay the night, it's gotta be someone I don't mind really staying the night with, if you know what I mean . . .
[She shakes her head. That's a negative with the way her agency ran. And anyway...there's also the fact that part of her didn't want to hang out with these people. They would only want to spend time with Risette and after a while, the appeal wore off.
Maybe someday she'll really explain it to Leon but now isn't the time. Curled up with Leon, still thinking about Yu, and drinking coffee? Now definitely isn't the time. She listens to him and she can't help but give him a mildly reprimanding look, though mostly playful.]
And just how many people have you had spend the night here anyway?
[She reaches a hand up to poke him square in the chest. At least this line of conversation is silly and helps her think less about Yu's fate. It hurts still, of course, but she can lighten up a bit.]
It's definitely a real question! What's the matter? Can't answer?
[It's a relief in one sense—it's playful, it's distracting, and it's a slight thrill to tempt fate and allude to things like that around someone he likes—and then on the other hand, he feels his stomach knot up with baseless anxiety at the question. There's the certainty, deep down, that whatever comes out of his mouth will ruin (something?) in (some way??) that he can't logically follow, and yet not being able to place what or why doesn't make the feeling go away.
He laughs anyway, though he can't quite hold back all of his nerves showing through.]
—You're just asking how many of my friends ever stayed the night here for whatever reason! Right? You're totally teasing me! It's just one!
[Rise likes pushing buttons and though she can't totally eliminate her sadness and distress she can tone it down. Leon's being kind enough to let her be here and be herself. The least she can do is try to cheer up a little bit for his sake. Teasing him is always fun and though she picks up on his nerves she also can't quite place why. For that, she tilts her head and gives him a curious look.]
Must be a really special friend then. [She doesn't think much of it, flopping back against his shoulder with her coffee. It's nice to gauge how he feels about things. Or stress him out on accident, either or.]
Ha ha, nnnnno, no no! Tooootally not whatever you're thinking! It ain't like that! Now I know you're definitely playing! Heh . . . !
[He sets his coffee down so he can wave his hand, as if he could literally laugh it off, as in, actually fling something away from himself, that'll be convincing, right? His stomach churns with a complicated mix of horror and excitement. These things he hasn't worked out yet feel like a knot he can't possibly untie, only cut through, but everything he can think of to cut through it is totally inappropriate right now. Not as special a friend as you. Accurate, but is now the time? He's still a little thrown off by the unfortunate urge to kiss her earlier . . .
But it's impossible to react with freaked-out defensiveness when she's being cute, too. Leaning on him. She came to check on him.
[Someday maybe she'll understand what he's thinking and just how dangerous it is to tease him this way. She doesn't think anything of it, doesn't think Leon would have thoughts about her beyond the general idea that she's pretty. She doesn't mind, but that means just teasing him the way she does with Yosuke. It's enough to get her to laugh again, more genuine than before even if it's still quiet.
She'd come to make sure he was okay, and also because she knew he'd make her feel better, too. His thanks comes as a brief surprise, but she only nods.]
You should be used to this by now. [And there's a wink before she turns, looking up at him curiously.] So what should we do with our day in? Movie?
[Movie? Oh man. He laughs, cheeks hot again, and scrubs at his hair and looks away to grab his CereVice. Sure, wanna look through my recently watched? That would definitely not go over well this time . . .
But yeah. It sounds good. Leon can't put his finger on how he feels; it's that knot inside him again, everything complicated wound up into one impossible lump. But right now, the end effect isn't bad or anything. He can work on untangling it all later. Right now he feels better because she's here, and he's pretty sure she feels better because she's here, and—that matters. More than anything.
He pulls up the app he can stream movies from, avoiding his Recently Watched queue, and tabbing straight to What's New.]
Yeah. Yeah, sounds good! Lemme know if you see anything you like and we'll watch it! I can order us food if you're hungry. I'm all about making the entertainment come to us today!
[He looks down at her again all curled up against his shoulder with a smile, feeling his own heart beat in his chest.]
[Leon it's probably for the best that Rise doesn't know what kind of weird shit you watched last time. She can turn a blind eye to most things but that would be a little harder to explain.]
Definitely!
[The important part is that he's comfortable with her here and she's looking over to review what's on the screen. They can talk about food and everything else later. Right now it's just about hanging out and being comfortable and that's all she can ask for.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Never been to your place before . . . you live with all those people? Ah, I'll only come over if you think—like, I don't wanna be there if they need time, y'know? But I guess it doesn't have to be now, anyway. . . . Thanks.
no subject
Mmhmm! It's me, Yu-senpai, Yosuke-senpai, and the Pines twins. Teddie used to live with us, too, but he's already disappeared. [She frowns lightly, but she immediately moves on.] Sometime in the future when things get settled again you can come over. I still think you'd get along with my senpai anyway. It'll be fine.
no subject
[Maybe now's not the time to talk about Yu being a good guy. It feels unfortunately like—he doesn't know, a eulogy, maybe. Saying nice words about the dead. But it's true, too, and it's out of his mouth. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck, smiling at her.]
So, I mean, we get along fine. Hanamura too. So yeah, I'll come hang out sometime! That's a lot of people in one place, huh?
[But it kind of sounds—nice. He's more than once lamented nights when his friends had to go home and leave him by himself after the day was over, and secretly treasured the very rare occasions when they didn't for whatever reason, and he didn't wake up alone.]
no subject
Sounds just like him. [She nods in response to his other comment though.] Originally Yu-senpai and Yosuke-senpai were living together months before I got here. They arrived together. And then Dipper was alone so I guess they allowed him to move in...they were in a pretty crappy two-bedroom place before I came and we rented a four-room place together. Yosuke-senpai left not long after that and Rapunzel moved in for a little while before she left, too. And when Mabel showed up we offered to let her stay because it didn't seem fair to force Dipper out just to stay with his sister. It's pretty nice...sometimes there are moments where everybody else is gone but usually at least one other person or pig is around.
no subject
You knew Rapunzel, huh? . . . At first I never realized how often people leave here, but I guess it happens more than I thought. . . . But that ain't the kind of topic we should mess with right now, right? That's cool! I always figured I'd wanna live alone, have my space, but now that I do, it's like the grass is always greener, know what I mean?
no subject
Yeah. She's one of the first people I ever met here. Believe it or not, we met in a dumpster. I hope she's okay...if she's really in that Nexus thing. [She finally moves to take a sip of her coffee after all this time, though there's a noise of agreement. This isn't the right time to mess with such a topic.]
I definitely know what you mean...when I was always working and on tour I was alone a lot except for my manager and my team. [It's a different team than the IT. It's a team of PR reps, make-up artists, costumers, choreographers and more.] My dressing rooms were always empty before I'd have to go on stage and when I was done, it'd either be back to an empty hotel or my parents' house. I think having your own space is a little overrated.
no subject
[That makes sense, he thinks. It's still a surprising thought, though; he'd always been most interested in the part of the rock star life where he gets to be surrounded by people who love him and want him and wish they could spend time with him. Don't you get your pick of people like that when you're famous? The way she describes it, it sounds—lonely.
Maybe it's an idol thing. They've got pretty strict standards for those, right?
All the same, he keeps close to her, though he takes advantage of her pulling away a little to pick up his own coffee too.]
I dunno, maybe someday I'll move. I could at least have a guest room! Right now, if I'm gonna invite someone to stay the night, it's gotta be someone I don't mind really staying the night with, if you know what I mean . . .
no subject
Maybe someday she'll really explain it to Leon but now isn't the time. Curled up with Leon, still thinking about Yu, and drinking coffee? Now definitely isn't the time. She listens to him and she can't help but give him a mildly reprimanding look, though mostly playful.]
And just how many people have you had spend the night here anyway?
no subject
A ha ha, trick question, right? Definitely a trick question! That was totally not a real question!
no subject
It's definitely a real question! What's the matter? Can't answer?
no subject
He laughs anyway, though he can't quite hold back all of his nerves showing through.]
—You're just asking how many of my friends ever stayed the night here for whatever reason! Right? You're totally teasing me! It's just one!
no subject
Must be a really special friend then. [She doesn't think much of it, flopping back against his shoulder with her coffee. It's nice to gauge how he feels about things. Or stress him out on accident, either or.]
no subject
[He sets his coffee down so he can wave his hand, as if he could literally laugh it off, as in, actually fling something away from himself, that'll be convincing, right? His stomach churns with a complicated mix of horror and excitement. These things he hasn't worked out yet feel like a knot he can't possibly untie, only cut through, but everything he can think of to cut through it is totally inappropriate right now. Not as special a friend as you. Accurate, but is now the time? He's still a little thrown off by the unfortunate urge to kiss her earlier . . .
But it's impossible to react with freaked-out defensiveness when she's being cute, too. Leaning on him. She came to check on him.
Finally he takes a deep breath.]
—Thanks.
no subject
She'd come to make sure he was okay, and also because she knew he'd make her feel better, too. His thanks comes as a brief surprise, but she only nods.]
You should be used to this by now. [And there's a wink before she turns, looking up at him curiously.] So what should we do with our day in? Movie?
no subject
But yeah. It sounds good. Leon can't put his finger on how he feels; it's that knot inside him again, everything complicated wound up into one impossible lump. But right now, the end effect isn't bad or anything. He can work on untangling it all later. Right now he feels better because she's here, and he's pretty sure she feels better because she's here, and—that matters. More than anything.
He pulls up the app he can stream movies from, avoiding his Recently Watched queue, and tabbing straight to What's New.]
Yeah. Yeah, sounds good! Lemme know if you see anything you like and we'll watch it! I can order us food if you're hungry. I'm all about making the entertainment come to us today!
[He looks down at her again all curled up against his shoulder with a smile, feeling his own heart beat in his chest.]
no subject
Definitely!
[The important part is that he's comfortable with her here and she's looking over to review what's on the screen. They can talk about food and everything else later. Right now it's just about hanging out and being comfortable and that's all she can ask for.]