Apr 09 17:03:36 106 PA

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Sat Apr 09 17:03:36 106 PA.

Early evening on a weekend, the premier time when any number of parties, soirees, and drunken revelries might just be kicking off. Or, for some, it is just another day of work. Leonard is seated at one of the tables, a small collection of materials before him. To one side lies what could be yet another dataplaque, where it not for the stylus in his hand that runs over its screen. His attention shifts from one reference to the other, then back to his own digital scribblings.

Vixen comes into the library smoothly, her eyes panning back and froth as she looks for and finds her target of the evening. "Leo.." Murmured lowly just as she comes up behind him, leaning forward to drape her arms over his shoulders. "Let's go do something.. all work and no play is making me antsy." She glances down at his books and adds, "You ready for a break from the eye strain?"

Her soft announcement prevents him from startling at the contact, and Leonard's head bobs slightly. "Almost..." His writing hand speeds up, as if in a last-ditch spring for the finish line, and his cheek bulges a little from a tongue pushed to one side in concentration. After a few moments, whatever he's drafting (which looks like a mix of quadratic equations and pieces of a paint-by-number drawing) is finally finished to his satisfaction. The 'save' icon is tapped with some finality before the stylus is stowed, devices deactivated and tomes closed. "There..." His head turns towards her with a slight smile. "and hello."

Vixen smirks a little as she watches him quickly look to finis that last little bit. "Well thanks. Always #2?" Asked with a casual playfulness as she straightens up and steps around. It's easier to look at him face to face, so she looks to casually move astride his lap again to facilitate that. "What'd you wanna do? I'm feeling a bit indecisive and maybe its time you get a choice of things, you think? Another chance to surprise me, maybe?"

Leonard stiffens a moment at something, but her arrival in front of and upon him promptly evaporates the tension. She receives a smirk in return. "Of course you would put me on the spot, now that my brain is the consistency of protein paste." He regards her a moment, considering and pondering. "Something different would be nice."

Vixen smirks a little and wonders, "What's different for you? Means no bars, I guess.. seen you around them a lot. But what else?" She lifts a hand casually to ruffle his hair a bit before she lets her eyes dip back to his again. "You've been around a bit now.. got a sense for the city, right? Got anything you really like that you've found?" She then adds a moment later, "Besides me, of course." Predicting that potential response, it seems.

Leonard grins. "Well, the idea is to include you, obviously. No bars or clubs.. they'd be packed now, anyhow. The gym was a welcome diversion this week, but I think I've exhausted myself with it at the same time..." There is another pause for thought, and his expression drifts towards a rather familiar prelude to a shurg. It shifts at the last second to a querying arch of a brow. "Why don't we just walk? See where we end up?"

"The gym? Trying to get all buff?" Vixen grins idly at that thought, "Haven't been there in a bit, but I've been getting plenty of exercise as of late anyway." She considers the walking idea. "I guess we can do that.. as long as we don't end up walking into any trouble." She grins lightly at him, then rises up, hands braced on his shoulders to vacate his lap. ""I guess the question there is if we go north or south."

"Improving my ability to run away," Leonard is quick to offer, "since buff is asking a bit much." After she rises, he does the same. "That's why I'm walking /with/ trouble, so I don't need worry about walking into it... and I suppose choosing north might help with that, too."

"North is away from trouble?" Vixen asks as she takes a slight step back, then turns. Waiting a moment for him to tend to his books. "Maybe we could go walk around the park a little.. now that we don't have to worry as much about bad shit. Dunno how interesting it will be, though. You had anything interesting happen to you recently? Or has it all been weights and books with the occasional drink?" She'll trail along with him wherever he might go for the moment.

Leonard tucks away his personal electronics and stacks the library materials before hoisting them. "The park would be wonderful, and I will try not to bore you." He resists the urge to second-guess his sense of direction, and keeps it simple. A recent discovery is put to use, as rather than run about to replace the items in his hand, he steps to set them within a bin marked 'Return.' Once his hands are empty, he offers one to her. "Interesting? I suppose so. I've acquired a student, of sorts, finally made good on an old promise to Sage, and even survived Tirzah's latest round of hassling."

Vixen takes the hand, her eyes dipping slightly for a moment before they lift back toward his own. "Well, you'll have to tell me about all of those things then.. in whatever order you want." She grins idly. "Though I am a bit curious just what Tirzah's been doing to you.. should I have words with her?" Not that she seems all that deeply concerned.

Leonard chuckles. "Nothing that needs grenades thrown at her, I don't think." He takes liberties with her 'having words' as he escorts Vixen to the exit. "She just seems to delight in making me uncomfortable by sharing her opinions. Putting me on the spot, to see how I'll react. Reminds me of someone else I know..." A sidelong glance and smile follow, and then he continues with a slight shrug. "Fortunately, I'm becoming more accustomed to it."

"As long as you're fine with it." Vixen gives him a casual little grin. "You know I'm never looking to hurt you.. but I dunno about her. She's.. strange. Seems nice enough, but I get an odd vibe off her at times." She rolls her shoulders slightly and looks ahead. "But like I said, as long as you're ok with it. What about this other stuff.. teaching people things and owing Sage something?" She walks along with him at a matching pace, the linked hands remaining so, her own grip light and relaxed.

"She does seem to swing from one extreme to the other, and I know you're not, Vix." Her hand receives a slight squeeze while Leonard shifts to the remaining topics. "Sage had asked for my musical opinions and suggestions, not that they amount to much. Since I happen to be an avid radio listener, I just catalogued an assortment off the air and onto disc for her review. Nothing grandiose, but I regret that it was overlooked with all else happening at the time." He now shrugs slightly. "Amber, who was kind enough to update my equipment, has issues with limiting her many ideas to calm her mind enough to even sleep well. I've offered to try and share some meditation techniques which might help."

Vixen nods casually to the words. "Sage is looking for music?" She smirks a little. "I guess that depends on a lot.. my tastes are pretty broad, so I dunno if that would help much. She doesn't seem the hard rock or metal sort to me. Probably.. classical or something like that. Maybe soft rock or something.. what'd you gather up for her? Just a sampler?"

Leonard nods, hardly surprised that the topic of music catches much of her interest. "Just a sampling of songs from here and there, along with artist and title information. Very little of anything throbbing or loud, but that's mostly due to my bias. If I couldn't tolerate it long enough to record it..."

Vixen chuckles lowly and shakes her head. "Too bad, there's some good metal out there. Not just screaming idiots and grinding guitars. Some real symphonic shit with soaring vocals. Real inspiring and emotive. Maybe I should play you a few I have.. see if maybe you're just listening to the wrong sort of metal. Good rock music out there too. A bit loud, sure, but not that bad, really."

"I'm fairly open-minded, if not the greatest judge of music." Leonard chuckles. "I wouldn't mind listening, especially if it's not screaming idiots. Hopefully, my inept ears will be able to tell the difference." He smirks, albeit mildly so. "What have you been up to, other than running all over the city?"

Vixen shrugs her shoulders as they depart the museum complex, moving a little closer to Leo's side. "Nothing, really.. I've been on my feet most of the time.. recording stuff for my show or hunting down what I need to get them people fed and such. A little time here or there to relax and have a drink or smoke, but other than that, not been doing too much. One reason why I just want some time to relax, you know?"

Leonard releases her hand in favor of her opposite hip, head and eyes turning more to her than the path before them. "I was beginning to wonder if you ever tired. Not that I want you to wear yourself out, but..." The smile that forms carries an amalgam of things behind it. "I was worried I might never catch back up to you, since you run awfully fast."

"Told you what you were in for before, Leo," Vixen notes. She leans into his side, head lifted to look to him. "Maybe I don't go far past this city, but my work is mobile. And when it comes to something like this, I need to do a lot of footwork." She slips her near arm behind his back. "I sleep fine, but when I'm not sleeping, I gotta do work in one way or another.. with a break here or there.. some waiting when I go to talk to some high big wig or some such, but for the moment not too much free time."

"I know, and I understand." Leonard's smile broadens slightly. "Maybe I didn't realize just how mobile you were back when everyone was forced indoors so often, but I'm not complaining. It could be just that I have so little work at the moment, and far too much time to drink, socialize, think." Now the smile turns wry. "I need more hobbies, don't I?"

"Or something," Vixen replies, lightly amused. "Maybe after this refugee thing is squared away on the short term, it'll get better. But that's just until the next big thing, you know? Just depends what that is.." Her shoulders roll slightly. She leans her head against his shoulder and murmurs, "What kinda hobbies do you have? Haven't been delving into mine much at all recently.. well, some of them. This sort of work has always been a hobby of mine. Playing around with a camera."

Leonard's brow lifts over his grin. "Or something?" Curiously wary of her amused and mysteriously vague comment, he continues. "There doesn't seem to be much rest between catastrophes, but I should try and make the most of it. Cameras will ever be your domain, although I /have/ finally managed to get mine to work, without needing to hit it on anything. Our recent trips have made me want to travel about more, if just in short jaunts. Maybe I'll be able to do some sightseeing."

"Just make sure to let me know if you catch anything good, man," Vixen murmurs. "Always looking for good video and pics." She considers a moment, then wonders, "What kind of hobbies do you have? What do you do when you're not working.. or doing that dimension stuff? Everyone has 'em.. what's yours? Just books and stuff?"

Leonard chuckles. "You would be the first to view anything, of course. As for hobbies..." He rolls his shoulders. "now that I'm not so focused on avoiding some danger or trying to find a solution to it, I'd say... people. With not much to do other than sit and talk, I guess its become a bit of a pasttime."

Vixen snorts a little at that. "That'd be good enough if you never wanted to have some time to yourself.. me, I deal with people all the time.. when I do something fun, just for me, I wanna do something that can be just me. I'm into the arts.. maybe you should think about that. Something to be expressive over.. something that don't have to involve no one, but can if you want to." She gazes ahead as the Merchant's Plaza nears, though she doesn't seem deeply interested in the place. "Painting.. drawing.. that'd probably be better. Then you don't have to carry a lot of tools around. Just a pencil and some paper."

Leonard smirks and nudges her with his free hand. "Yes, well, not all of us are crowd-pleasing divas like you. I've had more time to myself than I'd like to remember. We don't live in a vacuum, so no matter what I do, others will be involved, somehow." He pauses to glance about, but his attention never really makes it to their surroundings. "I'd be a lousy artist, I think. Sometimes I can barely read my own handwriting."

Vixen snorts faintly and returns with a light prod into Leo's side. "Nothing about being a diva.. hell, I could do a lot more to promote myself if I really wanted to. I do a lot of private artwork.. drawing and a little music making. Things to do just cause I like it." She grins faintly and adds, "Just cause you can't draw now don't mean you can't learn how.. maybe you won't make no masterpieces, but its still fun."

Leonard relents to a wide grin. "I'll keep that in mind. I have a supply of chalk, and suppose I can draw a decently round circle. Maybe I can try to enliven the gray concrete a little..." His mirth shifts to interest at her admission. "I would love to see or hear some of your creations, Vix."

"Maybe I'll show you some time.. Most of the art I've done is street art.. you know, like we did that one time." Vixen grins idly at Leo, the park coming up to the side. "The music on the menu of my PDDs? That's mine." It being a simple, sedate sort of soft rock. The kind of sound that is background and isn't too annoying listened to over several minutes for those indecisive types. "Never done nothing more commercial, but I've got a lot of old compositions mixed together on some old PDDs."

"Oh? I didn't realize the compositions were yours." Leonard's brow lifts. "Seems that I should let the menus play through, now. So your portfolio of paintings are spread out here in the city, then? Here I was thinking you had a stack of papers shuffled away, all filled with little colored red hearts and happy rainbows."

"Yeah, no.." Vixen eyes Leo as they enter the park. "I have some old drawings.. just of things I've seen. Nothing real big. And I haven't done much actual art here.. at least, not for a while. And probably most of what I did when I was younger is either worn away or painted over. That's the way of things over the years, after all."

Leonard only now cracks a grin, proof that his deadpan is improving. Maybe. "Ah, now I understand. It would be easier to draw on paper. So you just... draw it like you see it?" It is an easy twist to what he believes to be her motto, or one of them. His head turns to the park itself, now that they've entered it, gaze actually taking in his surroundings this time. "I think I just haven't had the chance to see much anything, much less draw it."

Vixen glances off to the side, into the darkness of the nighttime park. THough without much concern. "That's usually what I draw. Don't much matter if you've seen it all, since you can draw it as you see it. That's sort of the whole point.. take it as it comes, draw it as you see it. How you see it." She wraps both arms around his and looks back towards him. "I'll even let you draw me.. if you get good at it. Don't want no malformed practice pics of me, though. So you have to put in work."

"Now, /that/ is motivation for hard work and practice." Leonard's eyes return to her, bearing as much smile as his lips. "Looking at you is one of the better hobbies that I could ever think of." Before she can retort, he adds, "Second only to pedestal building."

Vixen laughs lowly and gives him a sly little look. "Especially since it won't be just me in any old thing, you know?" She relaxes her arms and slips ahead, breaking free of Leo lightly. "But why ruin the surprise? You'll just have to see if you want to get to that point.. see what I have for you." She grins still, even as she turns, walking backward just ahead of him. "Getting warmer slowly.. pretty soon leather won't be so comfy as it is these days."

Leonard doesn't let her get too far ahead, even if that isn't her goal. "If? The question is more of when, I think. Knowing you, I'd completely forget that I'm supposed to be artistic while staring at you." Now that she's in front of him, he takes a long, admiring look, eyes sweeping her head to foot and back. "Leather suits you, but I'll gladly assist you when it gets too hot. Besides, it might clash with a background of red hearts and rainbows."

Vixen snorts faintly at that. "You'll have a sore jaw if you make a pic of me with hearts and rainbows," she returns. "And I say if.. you just go right on ahead and prove me wrong if you can. Me, I've had my learning time.. I'm pretty good at drawing if I do say so myself. Too bad you can't make an easy living off it. Useful for the PDDs, though. Since I can make my own music and art for the graphics. Don't have to lean on anyone else or go bland."

Leonard quickens his next step or two, closing up the space between them. "I'm just calling it like I see it, Vix. Sore jaws hurt, chasing you down is tiring, and trying to prove you wrong is frustrating, but that's all part of the deal. Doesn't mean I don't love you." Although it could mean that he is an idiot, or a combination thereof. He might be outspeaking his brain, at least, considering how casually the statement is made.

Vixen pauses her backward stepping and lifts her arms to cross over her chest lightly. "And would you if I was all 'yes dear; and 'of course dear' and whatever else?" Her brows lift slightly, expression schooling some into that uncertain obscurity. "Maybe if I acted like one of those winsome little flowers and did all that girly crap?" her head tilts slightly, her eyes fixed on Leo as she puts that out.

Leonard blinks and pauses his own steps, though he takes surprisingly little time to recover and shake his head in the negative. "No. That wouldn't be you, and I wasn't suggesting you change..." He seems to have reached a momentary limit on easy speech, and even the option of wry reminder that 'Yes, dear' is his line doesn't make it out.

"Good.. cause this chick don't change," Vixen states, stepping up to Leo. Serious for the moment. "Don't wait if you get to feeling like maybe you made a mistake. Cause I'm gunna be running around.. I'm gunna get in danger and get in trouble. I'm gunna disappear sometimes.. cause when an opportunity comes up for something that's going to get me some good video or some good creds, you know I'm going to go after it. I'll give you word and warning, but I don't hesitate when something comes in reach. I want you to understand that."

"I know you don't... and do... and will..." Leonard manages a broken reply before sighing. "...and maybe I did. You're good at grabbing at whatever comes in reach, and I tried to follow that. I never expected to slow you down, but it seems I didn't expect the dragging behind." A smile forms, although it isn't exactly mirthful.

Vixen steps closer and her arms relax, a hand lifting to lightly touch his chest. "I'm not trying to mess with you, Leo.. I'm just not going to do any lying to you or covering up or anything, yeah? If you feel like you're being dragged along, you gotta tell me." She rolls her head slightly. "Been a while since I had.. you know.. any kind of normal relationship. I'm not so in practice when it comes to that. Maybe I'm not so good a girlfriend." Her shoulders roll lightly. "But you know.. you gotta tell me. Be assertive, you know?"

Leonard's smile gains a touch more genuine emphasis behind it. "I don't think that you are, Vix. Maybe I just grabbed on a little too tightly, for either of us. It's just nice to feel necessary. You're so strong... perhaps you don't need anything. You go after what you want." His shoulders roll vaguely, despite his comparative assertiveness.

"Well, I've lived a long time relying on just me.. watching my own ass, making sure I didn't have to look at anyone else when it comes to the basics.." Vix's shoulders roll slightly in return. "Ain't so easy for me to do that anymore.. you know, rely on others. But you're helping me. Magic is something I don't know crap all about. Without your book work, wouldn't have had that info to broadcast either, too." She reaches out, wrapping her arms about his middle lightly.

Leonard relaxes at her light embrace, and returns it, as lightly. "I understand, Vix." His hands then leave her waist to rest on her shoulders, and he pushes off gently, taking a half step from her and her arms. "I will always be glad to help you, but it looks like it would be better as a friend or... contact." Assertive, friendly, but not entirely casual, as the tremble in his grip is easily felt on her shoulders.

Vixen frowns faintly as he draws back from her somewhat, obviously not quite expecting this turn. And it leaves her uncertain.. quiet in the wake of it. "So I guess maybe I'm not the girl for you, then?" Murmured quietly after that silent period. "Ain't saying I can't learn to lean on no one.. just ain't so natural for me no more.. but if you're thinking you need someone that can do that.. that's fine." She takes a step back herself, arms lifting again to lightly cross her chest.

Leonard's hands fall back to his sides rather limply as she steps back. "I think it's more that I'm not for you, Vix. You warned me, remember? If you want something, you go for it, and you reach for everything except me." His eyes lower and he shakes his head. "Unless, of course, I can be helpful on whatever your current project happens to be. That's not the sort of necessary I wanted to be."

Vixen furrows her brow slightly at that. Not completely certain on his words. "What do you mean I don't reach out for you? Hell, I came over looking for you last time we were shook up.. and I came today, looking for you." She shakes her head a little. "What am I not doing? I mean, yeah.. I don't come looking for you every day.. and yeah, maybe I do move around a lot, but there's a lot of stuff going on right now. I don't understand." And for the moment, that seems a true enough expression.

"I'm not sure that I do, either." Whatever steam Leonard had conjured, it may be running out. "Maybe I do need the nice li'l girl and the 'Yes, dear's and the house on the prairie. Maybe you're just too damned much for me..." Just as his voice starts to rise with some sort of second wind, he vents it in a sigh. "I should get back to work, finish those spells and make certain they function. They are the priority, afterall."

Vixen holds on to her frown, shaking her head slightly. "I guess maybe you should," she responds. "And maybe think a bit about what you want. Cause tossing the 'L-word' around isn't something you ought to do lightly, man. Maybe you did it a bit too quick with me.. which I guess is alright. You're new to this shit, but you ought to really think about it next time cause that word means a hell of a lot more than what some seem to think it does." She turns then, arms relaxed as she starts to walk deeper into the park at a subtly elevated pace.

Leonard watches her depart, a hand even starting to rise in protest after she turns, despite the fact that he was about to do the same. It isn't exactly the walk in the park that he expected, in any sense of the phrase. His hand then drops back to his side as he finally turns back towards the plaza proper.