InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "True story."

Ryan "Espejo" Vasquez (espejo_lluvia) wrote in spinningcompass,
@ 2024-02-11 00:05:00

Entry tags:

aoba seragaki, espejo

Who: Aoba and Espejo
Where: Wheel 1, shopping area.
What: Espie helps a newbie out.
When: Not long after this
Rating: TBD
Open: No.
Status: Ongoing.

Espejo pocketed his phone and grabbed his bag, darting out the door as quick as he could. While it might have been a good idea to take some time, Espie had heard the urgency in the other mans voice and decided it was worth rushing a little bit. Not to mention the amount of distance Espie was going to have to cover to get to Aoba. The station was deceptively massive and Espejo had explored a lot of it over his time there. So much so that he knew how to get to the old abandoned shopping area. Before he had set up the skate park, he had skated around a variety of spots in wheel 1, including some of the old shopping malls and courts. At least he didn't have to walk too far, despite the distance. Espie knew how to teleport.

He knew that Aobe was over in wheel 1 while he was on wheel 2. He started off running, thinking about the shopping areas on wheel 1. The abandoned ones that hadn't yet been revived. Seeing the place in his mind, he stepped forward and in the blink of an eye, was gone. He stepped out of thin air, a pocket of darkness opening behind him, outlined in a soft glowing baby blue. His foot came to land softly on the ground as he looked around. There was no one. It was completely silent. He shouted out "Hello?!" but there was no reply. Shaking his head, he imagined another spot on the same wheel. Running forward, he stepped into the air and vanished once more, re-emerging in another part of wheel 1.

Adjusting his bag on his shoulder, he called out again. "Hello? It's me, Espie!". As soon as he had called out, he saw a blue haired figure standing not too far away. Sure enough, there was the fountain that he had mentioned too. Smiling from ear to ear, he walked over.

Espie was fairly tall, standing at six feet. He wore a loose fitting black and shite hoodie with ripped black skinny jeans and white skate shoes. His hair was curly and swept to the side over a freshly shaved down undercut. He waved, hoping not to frighten the new arrival.

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espejo_lluvia
2024-02-20 03:48 am UTC (link)

Espejo felt something too. Pretty quickly. He liked Aoba already. He wanted to get to know him more. Spend more time with him. He was also certain he maybe had a slight crush. Maybe? What would Maryanne say if she told him how he was feeling so quickly? He had to slow down. Not scare his new friend away.

"Oh, that's cool!" Espejo replied with a chuckle. "Um yeah they kind of are. There's not a lot of robotic pets running around. There's one I can think of on this station. Dr Redel owns that one. But most peoples pets own live animals" he nodded. "I miss having cats, honestly. I've been wanting a pet cat for a while now. Or two cats so they don't get lonely when I'm not around" he added, picking up his chopsticks to start eating again.

"Allmates sound really cool though" Espie said after he swallowed another mouthful of noodles. "We've got a lot to learn about each others worlds and where we came from" he nodded. "And as different as some things are, I think we've already found some things that we have in common" he smiled.

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notsoslyblue
2024-02-22 06:53 am UTC (link)

As Espejo told him about the animals Aoba took the opportunity to eat but was raptly attentive. It was probably not the most polite way to consume a meal but he did not want to miss any of this fascinating learning that he was being offered. He had his own things to say, as well.
“Really? Only one fabricated animal in a big space station? Things definitely are different.”
The mental image of his new friend cuddling with cats was too precious. It was always an insight to discover what animal a person would choose as companion. Sometimes it was one you would not expect, others it seemed almost like there could be no other. Aoba wondered what it said about Espie. He looked forward to finding out. Smiling, he shared another snippet of his world:
“There is an actual cat that I think must live somewhere near my house. She had kittens not long ago and I see them sometimes when I’m on the balcony of my bedroom. I’ve wondered what it would be like to hold one.”

‘Holding… yes.’ The thought trailed off before Aoba quickly shut down the thought of their hands brushing when they interacted with the cats. Maybe even grasping each other's fingers. Comparing their worlds and finding commonality was infecting his brain with all manner of bashful hues. Such innocuous words were delivered in a perfectly friendly way so it should not have been tingly, and yet. Aoba was finding Espejo did strange things to him. If he was less of an idiot when it came to his feelings he would have realized that the tickling sensation in his belly and his certainty he would do anything to keep the other man smiling were signs of attraction. Unfortunately, he was dwelling in confused ignorance born of inexperience and an uncharacteristic lack of self-awareness. Baa-chan’s specter seemed to appear before him, pink brows drawn down in disapproval: ‘Aoba. Stop thinking and eat your damned ramen.’

Before applying himself again to his food as instructed by the memory of his grandmother he caught his lip between his teeth and lowered his eyes shyly.
“I’m glad we have those things in common in spite of coming from different worlds. It feels weirdly lucky to have met a friend I get along with so well immediately. They call that fate, right?”
Generally, Aoba believed fate was either accident or engineered. But many shocking, previously unbelievable things were happening around and to him these days. Perhaps destiny was not entirely out of the question. For what, exactly, he did not know. Yet it didn’t feel threatening.
“Ah--- that sounds kind of stupid, doesn’t it?” He hastened to correct, flushing a pink that contrasted with the blue of his hair.

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espejo_lluvia
2024-02-23 03:38 am UTC (link)

Espie thought he had trailed off because he was maybe sad at the idea of not seeing the cats anymore. Which Epsie could understand. He missed the old club he worked at. He missed seeing the people there. He missed feeding the local stray cats and seeing peoples pets when they brought them in. Espejo had always loved being around animals. In a room full of people and pets, he'd go to the pets but he'd also give the people his love and attention. Espejo was an odd duck.

"Fate?" he asked. "I'm not sure about fate. Kinda feels gloomy. Destiny kinda sounds really grand though, right?" he said, putting his chopsticks aside to pick up his soup spoon. "It doesn't sound stupid though" he noted. "Yeah, I think destiny's maybe better. Like we were meant to meet like this. I think so anyway" he added before eating a spoonful of soup.

"After we eat, we'll go and find you an apartment and get you set up. And once you sleep your stuff should arrive and you can get settled in more. We can find you a place nearby here if you want to? That way I won't be far if you need me for anything" he said, hoping he wasn't being too pushy. He was just enthused. Happy to have met Aoba. Excited at the idea of spending more time with him.

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notsoslyblue
2024-03-02 10:07 pm UTC (link)

Aoba hummed thoughtfully when his new friend proposed that ‘destiny’ was a superior word. Thinking on it he could agree. Fate seemed very harsh and finite. Akin to an unavoidable duty or the fall of an executioner’s blade. Destiny, on the other hand, was constellations in the sky or the start of a heroic journey. They had been brought to this new frontier by force rather than choice but maybe there was more to be found than longing for home. He had been promised companionship, after all, and there was a lot to experience outside the island which he had never been allowed to leave. How long he would be on the station he did not know but he could try to make a second home. Aoba was not sure what his destiny was overall but it did feel like he was meant to meet the man sitting opposite him. That felt… right. Yeah. He liked the way Espie’s mind worked.

“It would be convenient to be close. And…” He muttered the next part in a tone that bordered flustered. “I’d like to see you. More.”
Aoba stubbornly insisted to himself that it was not embarrassing or strange to be attached to someone this quickly. Nor was it bad to reveal his feelings with honesty. It was not like he was confessing to romantic intentions. However, it was not a very common occurrence for him to profess desire to spend time more with someone. Aoba was one who was friendly with many people but had only a few friends. Ren, Koujaku, Mizuki. One his ever-present companion and the other two longtime friends who tended to insert themselves into his days. His history had led to being intensely preserving of his heart. Thus, he did not bond with others that easily despite his genial personality. But it seemed impossible to deny himself the pleasure of Espejo’s company. Aoba liked the other man immensely and would not want to part for too long.

Now motivated to finish their food so they could find him a nearby place to call his own, he began to eat with more gusto. The combination of his companion and the familiar food made Aoba feel safer than he had imagined he would under these circumstances. Having his own apartment was a little intimidating considering the fear of being alone that had plagued him since he was a small child. But it would be alright, he told himself. He had Ren and a friend nearby. It was just new--- like learning a skill or visiting a strange corner of Midorijima. He missed Baa-chan and his friends dearly but he could still be optimistic about this new life, right? There really was no other choice but this. More than anything Aoba was grateful to have met someone who could make him feel at home in a strange place. That was enough. He tried not to smile into the bowl of his soup spoon as he thought so.

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espejo_lluvia
2024-03-04 09:55 pm UTC (link)

When Aoba said that he would like to see him more, Espejo smiled, pleased to hear it. Espejo loved meeting new people and making new friends. He had made a pretty decent community in his universe, and they all looked out for one another. It meant something. Maryanne had been a good influence on how he treated others.

But this was a bit different. He felt a spark, a connection almost immediately with Aoba and that fascination, that curiosity made him want to know more about it. To maybe get closer to him one day. Maybe it was all a bit too quick but that's how it was if Espejo was being honest with himself.

"When we're both done we can go apartment hunting then" Espejo replied with a smile and a nod. "And we'll find you some place near. Which should be easy. There's so many empty apartments nearby" he added. "Don't worry, you'll have your own place in no time. Well, you and your friend there" he said before slurping down some of his noodles.

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