suffering in the company of the unexpected

[leon]

||
i am but a smile on a mirror

His eyes narrowed as he walked under the light rain, stride in casual as he walked under the night sky.

Cold embraced his figure, water droplets starting to seep in his cover of a jacket, his head turning every now and again. Love songs played in the air, echoing through the whole of the campus, the slight rain not seeming to make any disturbance to the melodies. For anyone who would get the chance to spot the dark figure, surprise wouldn't be in the fact that he was walking under the drizzling heavens - it would be that he was alone.

It was February - what was more to it?

In any case, he wasn't one to be bothered. Granted, he was senior and as popular as the rest of the team, he didn't mind having the time to catch up with himself and his surroundings. Although, actually now that his birthday was nearing its date, he wasn't so much elated. The system of the school had a ridiculous habit of revealing the names of birthday celebrants on particular dates on the bulletin board, an idea he wasn't entirely thrilled by. Just the other day, he had tried to steal his file in the office, and failed miserably as he had miscalculated the time it would take for the reception lady to be out of the bathroom. Though, that it in itself was hugely hilarious, the idea of revealing something of a personal matter about himself to the rest of the student body was something that made his head ache.

It wasn't that he didn't like sharing who he was; he just preferred it if he knew he couldn't control things like revealing birthdates, he wouldn't do a damn thing about it. Well, he could, and he almost did - he had to try again.

Blinking through beads of water through his eyelashes, the sight of which he sought after came as a sort of relief for Leon - he hadn't eaten all day, and he had just found out that free dinner would be served in this place. Seeing as his timetable was as tight as all hell, he had decided to have his light reading in with his dinner, so a book hid within the pockets of his jacket. A sigh escaped his lips as he arrived under the appreciated covers, taking off his jacket immediately as he walked to what looked to be the last table unoccupied, seated by four empty seats. It was closest to one of the corners, so it would have to do, seeing as he looked to be the only one by himself.

Fine by me.

[/i]

He sat as he placed his book on one side of the table, feeling random glances turn his way. Raking a hand through his hair, he smiled at the coming waitress, who seemed slightly baffled by the first words he spoke to her - two chocolate mousse orders weren't that unusual, were they?

Breathing deeply, he exhaled lowly, leaning on his seat with slight content, before opening the book he had brought along, bending his head slightly as he started to read.

----

TAG: archer/open
words: 525 -- im 99% sure c:
outfit: a light blue dress-shirt with untied tie, black formal pants and black shoes.
notes: lol, hope you're okay with me leaving it slightly open -- i figured a third-party would, if said-third-party was to come, make things a little interesting. but on the whole, i hope this is okay!

[/blockquote]

[ARCHER DEAN HARRINGTON]

Valentine’s Day. Red and pink. Banners, streamers, fancy dresses, and flowers. In his head, Archer methodically ticked off the infinite list of ridiculous things that always seemed synonymous with this silly little holiday. He, of course, subscribed to the belief that the whole bit was absolute crap. Around this time of year, it seemed a person couldn’t breath without sneezing glitter and rose petals. Really, he’d never been sure why people loved each other enough to actually go along with this stinking pile of bullocks the government called a holiday. Laughable, really. Hilarious, that there was a whole day devoted to this.

This, he thought, is the exact reason I don’t have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend for that matter. Or any kind of special friend I might be expected to dote upon this time of year. Archer shuddered to think of it. Self centered as he was, he really couldn’t be bothered to consider the needs of anyone but himself for more than a couple of minutes at a time, and really, that was being optimistic. He felt fortunate in his ability to hide this trait, which others might refer to as “selfish” or “cruel”. After all, he enjoyed being well liked.

The rain tickled at his cheeks as he headed for the campus’s new “hot spot”, sketchbook under one arm, not bothering to observe whatever happy couples swarmed the grounds, smiling and laughing and kissing and altogether acting nauseatingly in love. Far as Archer was concerned, most of them would be broken up by next week anyway. That’s how high school functioned. Most of the time, he found it useless to even keep track of gossip, considering it always changed so quickly. The only thing high school couples seemed to be good for was sketch modeling, even if they weren’t aware they were being sketched.

That’s what Archer planned to do this evening. Otherwise, he’d never venture out of the dorm during February, aside from for classes. Only the intrigue of capturing otherwise rare facial expressions and body language dragged him from his pedestal to mingle with the rest of the commoners. Sometimes, it amused him to think how appalled the people he spoke with daily would be if they knew exactly how much better of a person than they he considered himself. But if their naïve minds couldn’t process it all by themselves, who was he to ruin their charmingly ignorant bliss?

The café was alarmingly crowded in the front. Archer’s lips turned down in a barely perceptible frown as he scanned the place for an open seat. His eyes finally fell on the corner, lingering on the empty seats and the singular bachelor in the joint – aside from himself, of course. It only seemed like the logical choice of seating. Without hesitation, he strode over and stood beside the table, clearing his throat to make his presence known.

“I’m going to assume by the book that you aren’t waiting for a hot date,” he grinned with a small shrug. “Would you mind terribly if I sat here? I’ve got work to do, too.” Archer gestured to his sketchbook in demonstration. “I’m awfully quiet unless you crave conversation. Name’s Archer Harrington.” And with a name like that, it was no wonder that he never sat down unless granted permission.

-----------------------------

tags;; leon/sylverrr & open
words;; 552
outfit;; check da header!
notes;; Fine by me, love! ^_^ Your post was great. I love Leon; he's too cute! These two will be hilarious.

[leon]

||
i am but a smile on a mirror

He raised an eyebrow.

As he acknowledged the presence of another, he tilted his head slightly in question, uttering no worded form of interruption. His eyes fell first on what occupied the gentleman's closed arm, then to study the rest of his demeanor. If he had had his tie up and done, he was quite sure they would have looked slightly alike, which made him all the more thankful that he didn't. Despite it all, he commended the rather prideful, but all the more polite introduction he did. They looked about the same age, but the thing was, Leon had never seen him in any of the senior classes. He immediately found style and charisma from the way the stranger's eye looked back at him, rather calm and collected in his approach. He didn't know what it was, but he found himself getting slightly annoyed, though at the same time raising his respect.

Harrington? He blinked, still keeping his composure. Well, that would explain a lot of things, starting with the question of why his hair seemed to be always in its style: sleek, neat and not a single strand of hair astray from its look. He had the air of a high-standardized, rich man of a bastard who couldn't care less if his help was in dire need for someone's life to be saved if it would mean wrinkling his suit. Not that this was the whole overlook on things - this was just his usual observation on people who owned large estates and only made audience with other people in their same class. Still, he figured it wouldn't hurt for a new study.

It would also be nice if he didn't think much of such things, he mentally noted. This one could very well be different, for all he knew.

"No

[/b]," he answered lightly, smiling slightly as he shifted on his seat, closing the book slightly as he gestured to the three other empty seats. "I wouldn't mind so terribly at all." And in fact, he wouldn't. Though admittedly he did not have any form of company in mind for this particular night, it wouldn't look too bad if he had company, even if it meant with someone whose wealth and family name were the immediate boosters for rep. It would also probably end the odd stares he was getting.

"Leon," he spoke with ease, nodding to acknowledge the given name. He wasn't being rude -- it just seemed better for his sake that this guy didn't know who he was, if he didn't know who the senior was, already. He had always had a thing with being mysterious and secretive, something he most proudly would confess to be adopted from who he saw as his real father, even though they weren't exactly blood-related. Fair and square though, if asked a question, he would surely just suffice his answer into one word. "No date planned for the evening."

And then he wondered what Archer would say when the waitress would come to place his order on their table.

"I'll confess though, I'm surprised you don't have any either.[/color]" It was neither a question nor a phrase to ponder about -- though when he replayed the words in his head, it sounded undoubtedly like an implied question. He raised his book slightly to his company, nodding the same slight smile before he turned back to his previous position. Book wide and open, he continued to read, all the while keeping minimum attention to him.

----

TAG: archer--miss vogue!/ open
Words: 583
Outfit: yadayada
Notes: haha why thank you! and i must say, i am really liking archie! he's very -- let's just say he's something of a rare and uncommon person to come by (: i'm really excited for him and leonn c:

[/blockquote]

[ARCHER DEAN HARRINGTON]

It was nice to have a spot to sit where he knew he wouldn’t have to deal with actually hearing some giggly couple making verbal love to each other nearby. His chance companion had chosen a rather secluded table, a way away from all the hustle and bustle of the rest of the place. Archer preferred quiet when he worked on his sketches, although because he generally worked with human subjects, this proved difficult most of the time. Today, he was pleased to have a little solace, some opportunity to block the nearby conversations out with distance. He didn’t understand the idea of being “giddy” over another person, male or female, but he enjoyed the sketches he got out of it. They were always expressive, the eyes always interesting and different than usual. The body language of couples in love was fascinating to observe and translate onto paper. People said he had a knack for capturing people’s true feelings when he sketched; he knew it was true, simply on the principle that he was amazing.

But he never said that out loud. That would make him seem less wonderful, considering most people didn’t seem to find arrogance an attractive trait. For some reason.

Archer sat almost immediately when the other boy gave the okay, facing toward the rest of the restaurant, where he could see all the happy couples easily. With a satisfied nod, he set his sketchbook down on the table, intent on getting himself comfortable before sketching anything. His gaze flickered to his companion and he gave a crooked smile.

“Pleasure to meet you, Leon,” he responded winningly. He hadn’t heard of the boy before; they probably weren’t in the same grade, come to think of it. In that case, Archer thought, Leon had to be just a little older than he was. Not that it mattered. What did matter was that they had something in common: datelessness. And something quiet to attend to. Two things in common, then.

His grin increased slightly when Leon spoke again. Funny kid, thinking Archer was one to run around with a date, but Mister Harrington figured he’d take it as a compliment.

“Thanks,” he said, leaning back a little and stretching as he made himself comfortable in his seat. “But I’m not really the sort for significant others. I find this holiday rather amusing, actually, but I tend to not participate. It’s not my thing.” A chuckle escaped him, resonating deep in his diaphragm as his sincere laughter always did. “I didn’t go to the dance either, as lovely as I’m sure the ladies would have been to sketch.”

A shrug, and he picked up the menu that sat on the table. Everything sounded amazing, but that may well have been because he felt ravenous at the moment.

“Has the waitress come by yet?” He asked lightly as he turned the menu over, observing the backside of the paper. Tuxedo cheesecake sounded delectable, perhaps with some juice, he thought. Carefully, he replaced the menu in its place on the table and glanced back at Leon. He’d promised to be quiet, but even Archer could occasionally be a little too curious at times.

“What are you reading? Not a school book, I hope.” A joke, of course. Archer loved jokes.

-----------------------------

tags;; leon/sylverrr & open
words;; 548
outfit;; check da header!
notes;; Me tooooo! They're gonna be so much fun. ^_^ Your characters are always so adorable! I love it.

[leon]

||
i am but a smile on a mirror

Significant others?

Leon couldn't help the tugging smile on the corners of his lips as he mentally applauded himself, looking up for a brief moment so as not to pass off rudely to his company. So Archie boy wasn't so different from his correct assumption, he still was determined to be corrected. He noted the sketch pad sitting casually on the table, his eyes flickering up to meet the gazing orbs looking to him.

He found it.

Much to his relief, or -- on that he was actually just contemplating on at the moment, he wasn't in the company of a complete snob. Art was something heartfelt and very realistic, and so he felt in slight relief as he studied the blank page shining, facing the ceiling, waiting to be drawn on. He felt quite relieved to know that much of what they would be eventually be talking about would not be about estates or riches or who owns the most money in school, but rather delve into topics like normal movies, and books -- some things that two normal teenagers would actually discuss about. Boring as it sounded to him, it was an idea he thought fitting to keep the mild atmosphere around him, as it seemed he was far too weak to have anything worth debatable about.

Archer had class, something Leon found oddly comforting of a common thing between them. At least he wasn't in the company of a barbarian -- the senior was really not in the mood.

"Yes to the waitress," he replied casually, his eyes flickering lazily towards the counter, finding nothing in particular to gaze his eyes on, "and no to the book. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet." He raised the cover, his finger still marked on the page he was on. "I thought it fitting and funny, since ... you know." He laughed quietly, shaking his head as he smoothed the page. Admittedly, he did find it quite sad for himself that romance was something of a foreign subject to him, as he had never quite committed himself to anyone. Some part of him would've liked the idea of experiencing, even if just for a while, some form of romance in his otherwise quiet, unknown life. Yes, he had many suitors and admirers, but they were only just that -- the one had yet to appear to him. But for the time being, being single would have to do. Even if his birthday had to be celebrated on the most romantic day of the year.

Amusing. Perhaps the amusing he meant was what Leon himself always felt about this time of year, for the people around them. He had already concluded that one out of all that sat around them, would actually be together forever -- the rest were headed to no other direction than downhill. He felt quite sorry for the ladies, in particular, as he knew they were the side of the love story that would take the longest to recover. In general terms, of course. He never could figure out why, though. If they whispered words of genuine love and admiration for one another, why would it crash and burn? Was it the mere thought of living in the moment that drove the teens heels over head for each other? Contagious as it may seem, the perfect example of exception really had to be acclaimed for himself and rich Archie over here.

Although to be quite honest, sometimes, he wished he could rely on someone with his absolute trust.

"If you still want that chance of sketching the pretty girls, I hear the ball is held every night," he offered, brows furrowing slightly as he tried to recall what he had read on the bulletin board. "I planned on going tonight, but well, here I am instead." He sighed, placing the book on the table as he leaned back, rubbing his forehead as to attempt to offer some comfort to his aching mind. "If I become too irrational, or cranky for no good reason, it's not you. Week's just got me weighed in, and I haven't had proper sleep." He smiled apologetically as he said this, one hand ruffling his hair in a mess as he breathed out deeply. With graduation in mind as well, it was no wonder that he was hectic as hell. Every muscle was tense, every thought agile - there was not a single break that could have relieved some ease that week. Hours of restless night as he poured his mind and concentration on words and facts - perhaps it has been a good choice of coming here, in this quiet place, instead. Company didn't seem so bad, either.

As he had just opened his mouth to speak, the waitress came by with two big, heart-shaped cups of cold chocolate mousse, placed on red tea plates, with a teaspoon each on the side. With a sigh of relief, he smiled a thanks to the waitress, who, in turn, smiled, and turned to Leon's company, a questioning look on his face. Within three seconds, four, dug-up marks from a mousse on one of the cups suddenly appeared, with a satisfied grin marking the senior's slightly pale face. Real good choice of entrée, he thought.

"Here, try some of this," he said as a smile tugged on a corner of his lips, the other unused hand pushing the other untouched cup lightly towards Archer. "I insist."

----

TAG: archer--miss vogue!/ open
Words: 909
Outfit: yadayada
Notes: beg your pardon for the really long wait -- internet still limited. :<

[ARCHER DEAN HARRINGTON]

Archer mostly found the idea of Valentine’s Day amusing; actually watching and experiencing it usually felt laborious, even if he did get a few good sketches out of it. There wasn’t enough patience in the world to make him want to watch some short-lived, “in love” couple for an extended period of time, let alone be half of said couple himself. He found flirting quite a bit of fun, especially since the ladies loved his accent. The occasional secret kiss wasn’t bad, either. But that’s as far as he chose to go. No relationships, nothing serious, and certainly nothing too intimate. As a general rule, Archer kept himself at arm’s length from the rest of the world, successfully keeping the fact that he wasn’t actually a polite English gentleman (though, yes, he was English) a secret from almost everybody.

His lips twitched as the mention of what his new companion was reading. Archer restrained a laugh. Not that he was making fun of Leon’s reading material. He found Shakespeare quite sophisticated, especially when the person reading it was doing so by choice. Romeo and Juliet did amuse him to a certain extent, mostly because he still wasn’t sold on the “star-crossed lovers” concept. Plus, like the immature idiot he could very, very occasionally be, the title characters’ original ages still amused him.

“I’d drink to that, had I a glass to raise,” replied Archer with a chuckle. “Admirable choice in literature. I was beginning to think nobody at this school had culture anymore.” He smiled another charming, almost apologetic smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I try not to judge people too harshly.” A little white lie, of course, but a person would never know that by looking him in the face now. Archer lied smoothly and he liked to think it was for a good reason. He wouldn’t want the wrong person thinking he was a snob, although by all accepted uses of the term the word described him perfectly. His initial opinion of Leon was positive, however; he had certainly been telling the truth when he mentioned how refreshing he found culture. Leon’s apparent possession of high taste felt like a breath of fresh air. Apparently Archer made the right decision, sitting with him. Aside from the fact that it seemed by the sound of it that the waitress had already visited the table. A shame, really, since a nice, cool glass of ice water and a piece of that cheesecake sounded like heaven right about now. Ah, well. The only thing he could reasonably do in the meantime was focus on his new companion. It felt nice to have somebody intelligent to talk to, aside from Aoife. The thought of his friend and favorite model made him smile almost imperceptibly before he returned his attention to Leon.

A chuckle escaped him as he opened his sketchbook and laid it open to the next empty page, though his expression quickly transitioned to one of mild sympathy. He knew what it was like to get no sleep. Hell, did he know. Potentially for different reasons, seeing as he lived in Zeta Phi Beta and it was rare for any of the guys there to get any sleep – although Archer himself didn’t engage in the activities that kept the others awake. He shrugged in response.

“I’m not too easily offended,” he assured his cohort with a nod. “Under a lot of pressure, I’m sure. You’re a senior, aren’t you?” Graduation time was quickly approaching. Archer had nothing to worry about, but tension hung in the air like a tangible object, constricting to the everyday functions of Thaedeus. “As for the ball, I find the music distracting,” he said, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “It’s all right enough when I’m not concentrating, but I prefer sketching to Wagner, Mozart… I favor the Germanic composers.” Something told him Leon was on the same page with this sort of thing, so he didn’t offer an explanation. What a relief to trust in someone else’s intelligence.

With an attentive expression, he turned his concentration just briefly to his sketchbook, drawing a few light lines, gaze flickering to Leon every couple of strokes. The waitress interrupted him before long and he arched an eyebrow as she set his companion’s order in front of him. Chocolate mousse. He couldn’t help a smile as he glanced at Leon, then up at the waitress again.

“A piece of that magnificent cheesecake and a tall glass of ice water, if you please, my dear,” he told her with a wink and a grin before turning back to Leon. His smile grew wider and more sincere (as well as excited) when the other boy pushed the mousse toward him. Just a taste, he told himself. The one thing about Valentine’s Day was that the food always looked prettier. Almost imperceptibly, he licked his lips.

His eyes met Leon’s cheerfully and he responded, “If you insist, then, it would be terribly rude for me to refuse, now, wouldn’t it?” He winked and picked up a spoon, sliding a bite into his mouth. Immediately, his eyes widened and he nodded quickly, expression rather impressed as he looked back at his acquaintance. “Refined pallet in all things, I see,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not often I meet somebody with such exquisite taste. It seems I sat at the right table, Leon. This is the first time in a while I’ve been able to honestly say ‘it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance’.”

-----------------------------

tags;; leon/sylverrr & open
words;; 919
outfit;; check da header!
notes;; don't even worry about it! i'm super patient, so don't stress yourself. your posts are more than worth it! i was aiming for around 700-750 with this one and it went POOF, explode. xP