[open] Jekyll Jekyll Hyde Jekyll Hyde Hyde Jekyll

[faceguy]

Who: Leo faceguy and YOU
What: general October log
When: October
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: n/a

A: Coffee Shop Studyin'

[Leo's been busy lately, to say the least. But now, back in the present, he's decided to catch up on some work he's had to do: namely, studying for the nascent medic skills he's been cultivating. David gave him a ton of reading material, and he's barely cracked it open. Pretty soon he'll have to start back at school again, and that means he'll have less time to devote to this, so he better get to it.

So he's sitting at a table by the window of a cafe, various texts (which, from a glance, are mostly veterinary) spread around him and his phone nearby for easy googling. He has his blue hoodie on but with the hood down, and he's sipping on tea while he works. There's a notebook full of his chicken-scratch handwriting, and he taps his pen against it in a persistent rhythm while he reads.

If you don't know him, he looks like any other student engaged in diligent study, green skin notwithstanding.

If you do know him... this is probably pretty weird.]

B: Spirit Halloween is a Universal Constant

[Halloween is soon, and you know ya boy is celebrating!

Leo's currently in a big Halloween store, sifting through the costumes while he tries to decide what he wants to be. Sure, turtle aliens have always been his go-to, but he doesn't have to worry about the green-skin issue this year, and that opens up his options considerably. He could be a werewolf! Or a vampire! Though right now he's leaning toward "undead rockstar".

So thinking, he ends up in the wigs section, and picks up two, turning to the first unfortunate person to come near.]

Whaddya think? [He holds up each wig in turn.] Blonde? Or brunette?

[[OOC: Feel free to wildcard me or hit me up on plurk/discord if you want something else!]]

Comments

a - haaaah lookit that nerd

[purplexing]

[Being gone for nearly a month sure sets you back on all sorts of things. Thankfully coming back to dead plants hadn't been one of them, and Donnie was glad he'd prioritized an automized watering system and at least a few solar-chasing planters. But there's more to life than plants, and it wouldn't be normal if Donnie didn't have a list of projects to continuously work on. And to continuously work, you sometimes needed a coffee break.

Now, this isn't his usual coffee stop but it's closer to the hardware store he'd stopped by a while earlier, but only a couple of blocks from the place he'd prefer, which is where the turtle is headed- until he spies someone familiar through the window and backtracks.

Dost his eyes deceive him? No, that there has definitely got to be Leo unless they've got some evil dopplegangers popping up. ...okay he hopes it's not that. But he's still taking a picture from the window before he goes around to go inside.

He'll order a coffee first, of course. But as soon as he's got that in hand, he's walking over to Leo's table, and if yet unnoticed, he's totally taking another picture before he invites himself to sit across from his brother.]

Did I miss a note about a second apocalypse or something?

here lies leo's reputation

[faceguy]

[The sound of a chair being pulled back finally gets him to look up, and immediately he bites back a groan. He's doing this out of the apartment so Donnie won't walk in on him, and he picked this coffee shop specifically because it's not Donnie's usual, and he thought Donnie would be working on projects all day so why is he even here?

All that work to hide his serious scholarly study with actual (shudder) books and now Donnie is here anyway.

Leo leans back, trying not to look annoyed and failing. He knows this is being recorded.]

...We're up to at least four by now.

[Because that's the punchline to that set up.]

just gonna make a video compilation punctuated with bb leos

[purplexing]

[Oh, by that sly little smile on Donnie's face, Leo is absolutely being recorded. Not that he's going to let Leo see.

Donnie sits down, setting his bag down beside the chair before he looks across at him, taking a sip of his coffee.]

Trying to get a leg up on things before school starts?

[He stuffs his phone into his pocket, enjoying another sip from his cup as he reaches over for one of the books there.]

put it on their new streaming service

[faceguy]

[Ugh, the smug look. He's sunk. He's going to be branded with the dreaded Mark of the Nerd.

Leo plonks his elbow on the book before Donnie can pull it away, even though it's pointless. He can just reach for a different one and they'll end up playing a game of who can grab faster for the next few minutes. Still, he has to put up some kind of effort here.

Maybe he should just open a portal under the table and drop the whole thing through.

He takes a second to run the mental calculus on which is worse: agreeing that he's getting a head start on school or admitting this is extra curricular study. Neither is appealing.]

Can't a guy do some light reading without getting the third degree?

[Ah yes, the noncommittal answer.]

subscriber only content

[purplexing]

[Donnie arches a brow at that, even though he can't say he's surprised. His look seems to suggest 'oh, so we're playing that game? before he lets his fingers ease away from that book, still sipping his coffee though he watches Leo from over the plastic cover.

And then he tries to pick up another one.]

If it were anyone else, sure, but we're talking the guy whose only ever read comic books- oh, and that novel you picked up from the library once we finally dragged you over there. How was that book by the way? Worth it?

[faceguy]

[And Leo responds by slowly pulling the book back with his free hand.

The novel Donnie is referring to ended up being really good - as action packed as any Jupiter Jim comic. Leo read the whole thing over four days, but he kept it until the day before it was due so it wouldn’t seem like he did. Then he checked out the next two in the series through a library app so he could read them sneakily on his phone.]

It was alright.

[What he has not accounted for is that, since they share a library card, it would be trivially easy for Donnie to see what books Leo had checked out by just looking at their library account. No hacking skills even required.]

[purplexing]

Uh-huh.

[Donnie sets his coffee down to free up both hands, even though he keeps the one hovering by his chin, only slightly propping it up. He puts a little more pressure on the book his other hand's trying to keep a hold of, even as Leo tries pulling it back.]

All right enough that you've looked into continuing the series anyway.

[Distraction, misdirection.... Donnie abruptly moves his free hand to snatch the closest book on that side, grinning.]

A.

[levelshift]

[On his way home from work, Accelerator is already eyeing the coffee shop for something to drink when he notices all the green. Leo being there instead of on a basketball court or out skateboarding or something is a little weird, Leo being there surrounded by books like some kind of intellectual is so weird it's almost alarming.

He does debate just leaving it alone and going home to sleep, but eventually his curiosity and desire for caffeine win out and he heads in. There aren't any convenience stores nearby selling the brand of the canned stuff he's currently drinking, so he'll have to make do with what this place is selling.

After grabbing a black coffee, he wanders over to Leo's table, his crutch clacking. He's going to just stop and stand there, sipping his drink and looking over the titles of the books.]

What brought this on?

[faceguy]

[At least the familiar sound of the crutch tips him off this time. Leo looks up from the notes he’s taking on muscles to watch as Accelerator comes over.

He grimaces, knowing there’s no time to hide the books. Sheesh, a guy tries to do something away from everybody and they find him anyway.]

Would you believe I’ve been possessed by a ghost that won’t stop haunting me until I finish a medical degree?

[levelshift]

[His response to that is an annoyed tongue click as he removes his crutch and leaves it next to the table before sitting down, throwing one arm over the back of his chair.]

Fuck no. Try harder if you're going to lie.

[faceguy]

[He thought not. Leo folds his arms and pouts as Accelerator sits, but he’ll answer.]

I found a guy to teach me medic stuff, and he gave me a lot of reading to do. But I haven’t had time until now, so…

[He gestures at the table.]

[levelshift]

So you're trying to make up for it.

[Accelerator regards all the books on the table. They seem like a lot for a non-nerd like Leo, especially if he's cramming.]

How's that going for you?

[faceguy]

Bad. Unless my head's supposed to feel like it's going to explode, in which case, it's going great.

[Listen, he may be good enough to pass his high school classes, but he's never studied anything intensely before, and this is... a lot.]

A

[definecat]

[Not every cat would just wander into a coffee shop, but Sleeper goes where they want, and if someone has a problem, they can say it out loud. They don't try to get in line for a coffee, even though a mocha would be nice. Too hard to get service. Or carry a cup without getting really strange looks.

So instead they go straight to the sight that caught their attention, playing cat to the utmost as they leap up on the table and plant themself firmly on the open book in front of Leo. They might be mildly amused, but they definitely are taking in the selections of reading material.]

[faceguy]

[Great, now the oozey cat is on his book.

Leo is only mildly startled by Sleeper's appearance, if only because he got used to them back in Dylan's apartment. He frowns, poking in Sleeper's direction with his pen.]

Come on, dude, I'm trying to read that.

[definecat]

Were you? I hadn't noticed you turning any pages. But I might consider moving...for a price.

[What, they wouldn't mind a caffeinated beverage of their own. Be glad they're just claiming your book, Leo. Sleeper could have spilled your tea.]

[faceguy]

That's because I was taking notes? That's what people do when they're studying!

[Probably? He doesn't know, he's new to this.

He sighs.] Fine, what do you want?

[definecat]

I didn't know note-taking involved tapping complex rhythms with your pen instead of writing. Dylan doesn't do that part.

[Ok, they're mostly teasing. You can have access to a couple paragraphs as the cat-shaped being rolls to one side.]

We are in a coffee shop. I understand there are quite a few beverages that contain chocolate here. Which people seem to object to selling to a cat, even a superior specimen such as myself.

[faceguy]

The movement helps me think!

[Sheesh, let him have his fidgets! But at least Sleeper is being... somewhat reasonable. He considers the request, leaning back in his chair.]

Must suck to be expected to eat like a housecat. [If no one would sell him pizza because he's a turtle he'd simply pass away.] Alright, what do you want me to order?

B

[atypical_echo]

[Mark was of course trying to come up with a more tasteful outfit for Halloween at work. What he wasn't expecting was to come into the wig area and see... Leo? Looking at wigs?]

I think blonde might go better with your skin tone?

[faceguy]

[Leo grins big; perfect choice, Mark.]

Heck yes. I always knew I would be a blonde. You know, if I had hair.

[He puts on the wig, a long shaggy cut.]

Huh? Amazing, right?

fuck i nailed it didn't I?

[atypical_echo]

Hair can be a pain to have though. So don't really think you'd miss it.

And yes, it actually does look good. Especially with the blue.

haha yeah you did

[faceguy]

[He doesn't know about that; he likes playing with the hair in his human hologram disguise.

On the other hand, being bald has its advantages.]

Thank you, thank you. [He does a couple quick bows.] I think this'll work just fine.

[He goes about trying to style the wig in a mirror, throwing his next question to Mark as he does.] Are you looking for a costume, too?

[atypical_echo]

[The guy seems quite happy with his hair style and that's amusing.]

Yeah. Something that will be nice but also tasteful? I don't want to really mess with the office.

[faceguy]

Ooooh, a work costume. I don't really know anything about that.

[He's never had a job in his life, though that's not really all that unusual at his age.]

What're you thinking?