Library [08/29]

[furnaceface]

Jonothon had been in desperate need of the familiar today, and waking up this morning to realize that the person who was sleeping in Jak's bed was most definitely not Jak had been jolt enough to spur him into actually getting to his feet of his own accord, pulling on his cleanest dirty clothing, and making his way down to the library today for his shift.

That he was now moving through the stacks like a man possessed, looking over the course calendar for the semester and setting out displays of books that he thought other students might find topical to each and every class... That was something else. Now that he'd immersed himself in the familiar, he was hell-bent on not letting himself think too hard about why he'd needed it so badly.

The library was open, and was possibly almost too ready to face students new and old.

[The library, it is open.]

Comments

Re: Talk to Jono!

[glacial_queen]

"It's not going to help, you know," Karla said. "I've seen people who just stopped. It doesn't make anything better. The pain doesn't go away. It may feel less immediate, but it isn't. Trust me. The numb feeling never lasts."

Re: Talk to Jono!

[furnaceface]

//Of course not...//

Why would the universe at large make it easy for him by giving him a means to hide away without ever having to come out for food or air, after all? Of course even the respite that just completely stopping would grant could only ever be temporary.

//It's tiring, Karla. All of this. People breaking. People leaving. Looking in th'mirror every bloody morning, fighting myself every minute of th'day, wondering who's going to jump at my voice next. I'm tired.//

Re: Talk to Jono!

[glacial_queen]

"I know," Karla said, going to wrap her arms around Jono again if he'd let her. "I know. I wish there was something I could say or do or give to you that would make all the pain go away. It hurts that all I can offer you is a temporary bit of peace and the promise of a hand when it comes time to start again."

Honestly, that was why she had brought the beer and the book. She'd gotten it originally as a surprise for him. Now she was offering it as a bit of...momentary oblivion.

Pain couldn't be ignored or medicated away forever. But there was no shame in offering something to numb it back until the patient was strong enough to bear it. "Tomorrow it will hurt again. Tonight, well...tonight, we'll pause it for a little while. Okay?"

Re: Talk to Jono!

[furnaceface]

Pause it. Pause was good. It wasn't a full stop, but it was something. And he didn't have to be afraid of a pause. He didn't have to shy away from it the same way he shied away from the option of just never acknowledging anything else again.

Pause was good.

//Okay,// he agreed, quietly. //Thank you, Karla.//

He owed her. For this? He definitely owed her.