thebabebowsout | ooOOOOoooOOOOH it's a ~PSLLLLLL~

[ He's been quietly sulking around Court again, feeling a little guilty and trying to convince himself this was the Right Thing--he'd left, they'd left, but it hadn't been like he'd planned; it hadn't been with Gyro, because Gyro never came on his own and Johnny had still been too far from Queen, and he'd finally come around to it being okay that he was gone.

But then he'd stepped into a new world and a new life and he'd panicked, he'd backtracked, and he'd slipped away back here again.

And he felt guilty.

But it wasn't like he was going to stay forever--just long enough to know which was really the right choice. And then he'd leave again, follow Leon again, and he'd find him wherever he'd gotten to. Sure, the world was big and dangerous, but Johnny had already decided, right, he'd find him. That would be enough.

He rubs absently at his arm, where movere crus had once been inscribed there--fate always had a way of making sure he found what he needed to find, didn't it?

--of course, all of this musing is brought to a sudden and abrupt halt as he spots a by now very familiar figure; and there was the guilt again, and chagrin, but not enough of it that it keeps him from approaching. He's glad, he can tell he's glad, and that kind of answer the question he'd been turning over in his head for him, so now he feels even sillier. And--he's so glad that he doesn't even notice the changes, the lack. For now, it's just Leon, and he's glad. ]

Ah... heh, I didn't expect you'd follow along! But I'm really glad to see you... it would have been damn lonely.

[It takes a moment for Leon to turn; he doesn't immediately recognize the voice. Or rather, he can't place it. He knows he knows it, but it's not intimate to him, the way some of them had become over time; it's not William, it's not any of his classmates. Trucy's Dad—? That's almost it, but he'd never say anything like that . . .

He turns, though, and of course he recognizes Johnny immediately and lifts a hand to him. He's not unsurprised, though; he wouldn't expect that level of gratitude from someone he hadn't known that well, though he'd always liked him well enough, the times they'd spoken.

On the other hand, he's grateful too to finally recognize someone.]

Johnny?! Seriously? Heh, 's good to see you! I didn't expect to see anyone I knew here . . . but yeah, I'm pretty friggin' glad you're around too!

[ those words are--wrong. Oh, they're friendly, and familiar enough, but... there's so much that's just a little bit off that it adds up to a lot off, and he doesn't know where to start addressing it.

So instead he just gives Leon a very long stare, expression a little less eager than it'd been a moment ago, brain slowly working through what he really doesn't want to think about at all ]

...You didn't come looking for me, then?

Huh . . . ?

[Well now he's thrown off. The words are wrong to him, too, and he frowns a little as he looks Johnny over again. It's there something going on he doesn't know about or what?]

Uh . . . sorry, dude, but I really had no idea you were here . . . I thought everyone came here for the same kinda reason. They didn't kidnap you or something, did they? Again?

[ his face falls, and he kind of hates that he knows his disappointment is so visible, and if it were possible to elegantly backpedal from someone in a wheelchair then he'd be doing it.

He can feel the way his heart pounds, that sudden flare of almost-panic that makes him want to lash out, to break things, to run, to get away, to leave everything wrong behind and ignore it as hard as he can, but--

--but even if this isn't the right Leon, not his Leon, he can't make himself do it. He can't look at his face and be cruel or dismissive; he can't even make himself turn away, apparently. Not anymore. But still, it's hard to get the words out ]

...No. We--don't know each other. You aren't... I thought you were someone else.

What . . . ? Are you screwing with me? There's no way I'd mistake you! What's this all about?

[This is beginning to get freaky. Is it something going on with this place? Or is it Johnny? He'd always been hard to read, with a weird sense of humor.

But he doesn't look like this is a joke.

Leon's face falls, finally, into some wrung-out concern, his brow furrowing.]

You okay?

[ he frowns again and looks at Leon -- really looks -- and it's obvious. The clothes, sure, but most of all the lack of two really key piercings-- ones he can't imagine Leon casually removing. He almost feels silly for missing such an obvious tell, would laugh at the irony, but its not actually funny at all.

He wonders if he deserves this, earned it. That's what you get for running away? ]

No it's-- you're Leon and I'm Johnny but not the right ones, we don't mean anything to each other.

[ but that's inadequate, possibly just more confusing, so he continues--somewhat sullen ]

You know much about alternate timelines?

Ah . . . I dunno about "much," but . . . yeah. Kinda.

[That's an awkward topic, in fact. Isn't that why he's here in the first place? Does this Johnny know that? No, they're talking about them knowing each other, so he must be talking about—]

Wait, so you're sayin' you knew some "other" me, and I knew some "other" you? —You're totally sure? You don't remember the colony at all, huh? CERES? None o' that?

[Although he's aware that Johnny not remembering that wouldn't necessarily prove anything. That's part of how Cerealia works, though Leon himself remembers, so . . .

Hell, this is complicated.]

Nope. You and me--

You and me, we've been right here, "knowing" each other for...quite a while, now.

[ he's not sure he wants to get into... Any of how he knew his Leon, how they were. For one thing, that's probably not going to do anything but make Leon feel awkward, is a gamble anyway--who knows what this Leon is like, WHAT he likes...and its not like Johnny is looking for a replacement here anyway. ]

So... Shit, welcome to Court, I guess.

Edited (How did my phone turn "is" into "Panetta") 2016-09-17 01:16 (UTC)

. . . Ah. Yeah, I—I guess I get it. That kinda thing happened in the colony too. Shit, man, 'm sorry to hear it . . .

[He's not guilty, exactly. Maybe a little, but he knows it's stupid. But his face falls, and he gives Johnny a concerned look; it's pretty obvious they were close, whatever happened between them. He can only imagine how much that sucks. How would he feel if Rise or William were here or something? Technically, he doesn't know they aren't . . .

Ah, shit.]

Damn. That fuckin' sucks! I really am sorry! You gonna be okay? I dunno if it's weirder to talk to me or if I should screw off or what. Back in the colony, we weren't really close or anything, but you were a cool guy. I showed you how to take a video of your horse!

[ well. That makes him almost-smile ]

Heh, had a horse wherever that is too, huh? Good! Glad to know there ain't too much drift between timelines.

[ and, who knows. Maybe it would be easier if this Leon just screwed off, if he didn't try to talk to him... but that sounds--lonely, and he surprises himself with that feeling, and then rolls his eyes at himself, too. One day he's gonna stop being surprised by how much he actually likes Leon. ]

And, nah... I ain't gonna abandon you to figuring Court out yourself. It's not a bad place but it ain't a good one either, sometimes.

Yeah, his name was . . . Slow Dancer? I ain't that good with foreign names, heh . . .

[But he feels a little better too, grinning back at him. Even though that last part is kind of foreboding. Not that it's anything new.]

The colony was kinda like that too. Not good, not bad . . . nothin' like this, though. So yeah, I'd totally appreciate it if you gave me a run down! You really don't mind? I owe you one, man!

Slow Dancer? He had Slow Dancer?

[ well now he's just jealous, for a moment, silly as that is ]

SHE is a great horse, but... It was gonna be way too expensive to bring her here. That's true thing about this place, you gotta pay for basically everything.

You know anything yet?

Yeah, he did, but he definitely said he was a boy horse . . . I guess that's one o' those weird alternate universe things, huh?

[That is pretty curious. He tosses that out as an aside, then hums over the rest.]

Kinda? I know we're here to try and get what we want most, and you gotta work yourself up from the bottom . . . I didn't think it was gonna be quite this bad, though. Damn! I got used to just one roommate! And I heard a little about objectives and stuff, but that's about it.

Yeah... I just live in the stable with my horse, that's how much I hate the whole shared dorms things. It aint great, but it wouldn't be great inside, either.

[ it occurs to him to offer to help with Leon's objectives--he's pretty familiar with them, after all! But maybe that's weird? He tries to think about how weird it would feel to him to have someone else know something intimate about him that he himself didn't know

pretty weird ]

So... no ideas what yours might be..?

Nah, not really . . . they don't tell us, right? I just got here a few hours ago, so I ain't really had time to experiment yet, if you know what I mean. I uh, I heard it's mostly sex stuff, huh?

[HE'S KIND OF NERVOUS, KIND OF EXCITED . . . ]

You think it's gonna be stuff I like? Hey, maybe it's the same as the other me!

[ he can't help the grin at that excitement--not his Leon, maybe, but clearly still Leon, and it's so easy to fall into comfortable habit... ]

Yeah, the other you seemed pretty into them!

Ha ha! S-so, uh . . .

[He's starting to wonder what exactly the nature of things was between the other him and this Johnny. Objectives are usually sexy, right? Johnny seems to know some about his, and about how he reacted to them. It's still weird to think of himself as having sex with dudes, but it's a plain fact that . . . he has had sex with dudes. And that was in Cerealia, where there was no "reason" for it other than experimenting and having gone way too long without getting laid, and the experiment had been successful, so then it just kinda—

And here, the other him would have had a reason to experiment, if he was being rewarded for it, and he probably would have been successful too, right, so . . . ]

Soooooo, d'you know about 'em from personal experience, or what?

Edited (WHOOPS) 2016-09-18 01:07 (UTC)

[ ...well, if he's going to be straight out asked, there's no reason to not answer honestly, is there? That's not necessarily an invitation, though he could see how it'd become one real quick. He's not sure, actually, if he'd want it to be or not. After all, is it--weird? Disrespectful? To leave somebody behind and then immediately try and bone an alternate universe version of them?

Maybe

But... it's still Leon, and Leon is as attractive as he always is, and he can't think he'd mind it. ]

...yeah, I mean. That's basically the definition of a personal experience, the kind of stuff we got up to...

Heh . . . ah, wow . . .

[He's not sure how he feels about it yet himself. Not bad. But it's weird to think about. He blushes, maybe subtly checking out Johnny to try and gauge his own tastes here, whether the other himself had good taste. In Cerealia, he'd never looked at him that way before; he hadn't known him well enough. But he's got to admit the guy's attractive. He had told him he ought to be a model . . .

God, is he into white dudes or something? Or maybe it's guys with blond hair? Does he have a type for men? He's not gay, though! He's not even! He's just. He just . . . has enjoyed sucking some dick before . . .

He shakes himself back to reality, even redder.]

—I mean, not in a bad way! I-I just, I'm not that experienced with dudes? I've only been with one guy before! It's kinda new to think about! Was the other me . . . like, more . . . ? Than that?

[HOW GAY WAS FAKE LEON]

[ he can't help but grin again, because that's kind of funny, and kind of charming, and if he's honest--kind of thrilling, too, to talk to Leon at this stage in his banging-dudes development ]

Heh! Sure, eventually! By the time I met him he seemed pretty comfortable with it, yeah. But he did tell me he didn't do it before here, and his first time was kind of half proving a point, or something, and just kind of an experiment.

Gotta say, he's a damn fast learner.

Oh my god . . .

[He laughs and covers his face, cheeks hot. It kind of feels like he should be more upset about this—he's always been tight-lipped about his "experimenting" before. But on the other hand, there's obviously no point with this guy, and in a place like this . . . probably everyone's doing it? Even Cerealia had been pretty liberal about that stuff . . .

It's still awkward and embarrassing, but there's something relieving about just laughing about it and being open, too.]

Y-yeah, it was an experiment. 's normal, right? And, like, sometimes experiments are successful? Oh my god, what d'you mean a fast learner?! That's a compliment, right??

Don't see how it couldn't be--I feel like the guy on the receiving end of that learning doesn't have any room to make fun of somebody if they're damn good.

[ he shifts a little in his chair, briefly debating with himself ]

So, I mean, if you wanted...?

I, uh . . .

[Oh man. This is kind of nerve-wracking, weirdly, and he feels like a loser for being nerve-wracked. He's not that kind of guy! He even knew what this place involved! He's totally ready! So why is he nervous about it? It's true he might not be as good as the other Leon and that's a terrible thought, but Johnny would understand, obviously . . .

He can't wuss out like this, so he nods suddenly, firmly]

—Yeah. Yeah! Hell yeah! I, I'll try it! I'm gonna do it! If you wanna . . . let's go!

[ huffs, amused, but he also remembers something else he knows about Leon, and that's that Leon is bad at knowing how to voice no, sometimes. But, well--it's not his job to doubt, either, is it? Fuck knows he's done a lot himself that he wasn't sure was a good idea, that he wanted to do because he'd decided to do it, and he'd have been pissed as hell if somebody tried to make that decision for him. So instead he just nods, and half turns his chair away ]

Come on, then. I can get us a room in the hotel.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I WONDERED

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject