[ Instead of the "yes" that was probably expected, that absolutely is bubbling up through his veins, when Leo opens his mouth again he says instead: ]
A noble death. [ Never bloomed and wilted - they're similar enough. Leo knows that flowers mean different things in different cultures on Earth, however much overlap there is. How different is the meaning in another world entirely? There's some things that seem to overlap, technology and cultures that match almost exactly or that have one specific linchpin that changes so many other things - it's fascinating, and yet despite knowing it might mean nothing he doesn't really explain it fully. It's just a quiet statement. If his gaze was any less intent it could almost be something said idly, but instead it ends up being one of those things he says like he's trying to pull off someone's skin to see the what their organs look like underneath, seemingly focused on something beyond the words he's listening to even as he drinks them in.
He's been accused of not seeing people like humans when he's like this, once or twice. But Leo thinks maybe it's the opposite thing entirely: he thinks people probably don't like being seen as human, when being seen like that often means seeing all the ugly, grasping bits of people even when they don't want them seen.
He still can't see any of it as ugly. ]
Love and devotion unrealized. [ Because that's for blooming, isn't it? Well, Esikko probably doesn't actually care about this, maybe? Leo knows he gets distracted all the time, and he ends up smiling and managing to get back on task without being ordered around for once. ]
Yeah, I wanna know. You can quiz me later if you want! [ Why he's making some reassurance he's gonna pay attention is really only known to Leo himself, but then he decides as abruptly as anything else to actually get back on topic with the promise of Esikko having to talk to him through it. Which is maybe the other half of the reason why he asked.
His mouth is at least as warm as his hands, and he's not shy about it, licking a curious and testing strip up the side before mouthing the head of it. ]
no subject
A noble death. [ Never bloomed and wilted - they're similar enough. Leo knows that flowers mean different things in different cultures on Earth, however much overlap there is. How different is the meaning in another world entirely? There's some things that seem to overlap, technology and cultures that match almost exactly or that have one specific linchpin that changes so many other things - it's fascinating, and yet despite knowing it might mean nothing he doesn't really explain it fully. It's just a quiet statement. If his gaze was any less intent it could almost be something said idly, but instead it ends up being one of those things he says like he's trying to pull off someone's skin to see the what their organs look like underneath, seemingly focused on something beyond the words he's listening to even as he drinks them in.
He's been accused of not seeing people like humans when he's like this, once or twice. But Leo thinks maybe it's the opposite thing entirely: he thinks people probably don't like being seen as human, when being seen like that often means seeing all the ugly, grasping bits of people even when they don't want them seen.
He still can't see any of it as ugly. ]
Love and devotion unrealized. [ Because that's for blooming, isn't it? Well, Esikko probably doesn't actually care about this, maybe? Leo knows he gets distracted all the time, and he ends up smiling and managing to get back on task without being ordered around for once. ]
Yeah, I wanna know. You can quiz me later if you want! [ Why he's making some reassurance he's gonna pay attention is really only known to Leo himself, but then he decides as abruptly as anything else to actually get back on topic with the promise of Esikko having to talk to him through it. Which is maybe the other half of the reason why he asked.
His mouth is at least as warm as his hands, and he's not shy about it, licking a curious and testing strip up the side before mouthing the head of it. ]