Library, [04/03]

[furnaceface]

Jonothon had done about all of the mingling that he cared to do last night at the mixer. Which... wasn't all that much, granted. He'd sat in one of the shadowy corners and had been accosted by bad memories, mostly. Not that there was much of a task. He certainly had his fair share of those, after all.

Today, he decided to try another tactic. He wasn't completely surprised when he got to the library to see that it hadn't been opened yet, but it was certainly a near thing. He contemplated just heading back to his room, but eventually thought better of it, opening the place himself and finding a place to curl up with a good book.

If he did so cross-legged while floating in the air near the back of the stacks, what of it? He was paying enough attention to know if anyone needed help, or anything. Which should be easy enough. This place hadn't changed at all.

[Open!]

Comments

Re: Talk to Jono!

[angelo_wings]

"I have," she said softly. "I decided not to go into hiding. It seemed like that wasn't going to work, and I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not. I'm calling myself a diplomat, instead. It seems to be working, so far."

Re: Talk to Jono!

[furnaceface]

"It looks to me as though diplomacy has been treating you well," Jonothon agreed. "You look... comfortable in yer own skin, if you don't mind my saying so."

Re: Talk to Jono!

[angelo_wings]

She smiled, easily. "I feel it," she said. "I'm not half so afraid as I once was. The children help. I'd never want to do anything to endanger them."

She wondered if the orphans had been anchors, for Edea. And why Edea had never come to Garden with Cid.

"What about you?" she asked. "Not accustomed to the blue yet? It's so unreal, hearing your voice out loud. It's almost how I remember it, but just a little different."

Re: Talk to Jono!

[furnaceface]

"It's older, is what it is," Jono replied, giving a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. "The blue... I've had fifteen years to get used to that. You know I've spent more of my life like this than I did as that scarecrow-faced mess that you knew back in our high school days?"

That said, no, he wasn't entirely accustomed to the blue. He still couldn't look in the mirror without feeling like the Apocalypse in his blood was going to swallow him whole.

"There are worse things in life than being able to smile."

Re: Talk to Jono!

[angelo_wings]

"Or eat, or talk, or breathe," Rinoa said. "Is it wrong to say I'm happy for you, to have a face again? Even if it's not one that you yourself would have picked."

Re: Talk to Jono!

[furnaceface]

"It isn't," Jono confirmed, "and... it isn't."

Not wrong of her, and not the face he'd have picked.

"Really, most people don't get to choose their faces. I would have preferred one a little more... subtle." A little more him. "But I'll take what I can get."

He hesitated, and then tilted his head at her, curiously. "How did you... get used to it? I remember back when you were terrified of losing yerself to it."