do you remember

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Leech: Not long after curfew on the night before classes start, Leech makes his way up to B hall. He's not meant to be doing dorm checks, so he doesn't look too close at anything, though it's impossible to ignore Puget lolling on a couch in the common area. After he gets the kid on his feet and headed back to his dorm, Leech continues his course to Jesse's.

The door is halfway open, but he's glad to see the boy is alone for once. He knocks perfunctorily on the door, nudging it open a bit more, and pokes his head inside. "Ya busy?"


Jesse: After a fairly busy day - there was some orientation ceremonies and events throughout the morning, and the general 'get-your-shit-together' chaos that happens the day before the start of a new semester - Jesse heads back to his dorm at curfew and prepares for bed. He quickly showers and changes into some comfy clothes - simple t-shirt and athletic shorts, since it's still August and hot - before collapses on his bed, arms stretched out. He's also still a little high, so the swimmyness of that, plus exhaustion and a hot shower, has made Jesse more relaxed than usual.

The knock on the door doesn't make him flinch; he just lulls his head to the side and lazy smiles at Leech. "Totally."


Leech: Leech lifts both eyebrows and purses his mouth dubiously, since Jesse doesn't look totally busy, he looks almost as relaxed and spaced out as Puget was. Thus, the parasite invites himself inside, softly shutting the door behind himself so they'll have warning if Timothy or Kellen decides to come barreling in. Rather than make himself comfortable Leech leans against a wall, crossing his arms. "We maybe have a roommate fer you, but if ya don't want him, that's arrite too."


Jesse: When Leech further enters that room, Jesse's smile broadens and warms, and he slowly works himself up to a sitting position, his hands pressing into the mattress near his hips. He's a bit surprised for that information, which leads to the blonde becoming a bit more animated. "Wait like, I get to vote on it? Can I barter?"


Leech: "Y'mean switch for someone else?" Leech squints an eye, shakes his head. "If you don't want him, we'll leave ya alone an' fit him in somewhere else. Prolly downstairs. With me. An' Maddox, which would be a whole other..." Trailing off before he gets too deep into his rant, Leech waves a hand to dismiss it and states flatly: "It's Ness."


Jesse: "Yeah, like. I could switch with Tim and he could get a solo. That'd be like, great. You know?" Not only does it put him with Kellen again - which is of upmost importance - but he also enjoys Mal and Jade. But the more Leech goes on, the more Jesse's head tilts like a golden retriever puppy. "Wait, what? Mike's back?"


Leech: Leech files that request for later consideration - if nothing else, Kellen would appreciate it a lot - but doesn't get distracted. He nods at the question, slowly and plainly displeased. "Didn't think he would, since he broke the court order when he went home, but..." A pause and a shrug. "I know he's prolly not yer favorite person, after... everything with Timothy..."


Jesse: "I thought he was like, on the run." Because things got messy between Mike and Tim, and even more confusing as they all departed for summer break. Jesse's face still looks confused, but a little less panicked, his brain busy trying to fit pieces together. His varying thoughts distract him from fully grasping Leech's words, and he shakes his head and refocuses on the other boy, talking a mile a minute once he sorts through his initial stumbling. "No, I mean. Like. I don't ... like ... to play sides and Tim told me not to hate him so that isn't really my concern I just can't believe he's back here. Does Tim know?"


Leech: "He was. They caught up with him." He doesn't know many details - doesn't want to know them. Until Ness actually arrives, Leech would prefer to pretend he's not coming. But he does care enough about Jesse to give him some warning. As for Timothy, he maybe hopes Jesse will inform him. "Nah. No one knows yet, he's not gonna be here til tomorrow sometime."


Jesse: Jesse's eyes widen a bit for that information, because he can't imagine that went well. He shifts a bit more, eventually criss-crossing his legs and sitting indian style in the center of his bed. His hands play with the blanket beneath him, eyes downcast to watch. "Yikes." And then, as if that spurs him back to more animation, Jesse looks up. "I'm okay with him staying here, 'cause like he and I always kinda got along and that doesn't happen with him a lot. And like downstairs would be terrible? But then no one's gonna visit me and what about Kellen? And you! You guys can't hate me and that would totally happen."


Leech: Leech gives a grunt of agreement, at that Yikes. Restless, he crosses the room to open a window before lighting a cigarette. At the later objections he turns to face Jesse again, eyebrows furrowed. "Nobody's gonna hate ya cuz you got assigned a shithead fer a roommate. Kellen's not that childish." - pretty childish, but not that childish, evidently. Leech leans on Jesse's desk, peering down at his untied boots. " Having him downstairs would be a fuckin disaster. Maddox seems to go into this homicidal mania anytime he sees the guy, an' I don't really want him around either. But I don't wanna make things hard on you either."


Jesse: Jesse maybe opens his mouth to retort to any mention of calling Kellen childish, but Leech continues and Jesse focuses on what's said. He doesn't need further explanation of why it would be Not Great for Ness to live near Leech - he remembers the stabbing incident - and then shakes his head, looking back down. "No, no it wouldn't be hard. I mean like I'll basically be living in Kellen's dorm anyways." Not Tim's - Kellen's. His tone shifts to that of something more joyful, or at least appreciative. He looks back up at Leech and offers a smile. "But thanks for thinking about me."


Leech: Leech smirks a little at that. "Kinda expected you to be with him when I came up here. He missed the hell outta you over the summer." He waves a hand for the thanks, turning to the window to ash his smoke and falling silent for an extended while. "To tell the truth, yer probably the one person here who could live with Ness without wanting to strangle him in his sleep. If you change yer mind though, you can tell me. We'll figure something else out."


Jesse: "I missed him so much! And you, too, Mr. Leech." He says this with a smile, but it's completely genuine. "Like, I really did. Tim had an earfull all summer." Which Timothy never complained about, but certainly struggled with from time to time. His routine Lars-check-in-calls didn't help, either. "It'll be fine, I think. I have no desire to strangle anyone, let alone him."


Leech: Another little almost-smile for that exclamation, though it fades for the mention of Timothy. If Jesse did talk about Leech, he's sure it wasn't anything the other boy wanted to hear. But Leech snorts as Jesse goes on. "Which jus proves my point. He should be here tomorrow morning, I think. Unless he escapes again." He could be forgiven for sounding wistful about that.


Jesse: Jesse notices the way that almost-smile-that-totally-counts-as-a-smile fades and tucks one side of his mouth back, thinking. He loosely shrugs, because it's probably likely that Mike manages to escape one more time, and then picks at a loose thread on his blanket. "Are you doing ok?" Jesse maybe isn't the most observant, especially when Kellen's around since the boy demands - intentionally or not - so much of Jesse'a attention, but he's noticed a quieter-than-even-normal version of Leech the past few days, and Kellen's mood has been on and off.


Leech: Finishing his cigarette prior to leaving, Leech isn't at all prepared for that question. No, Jesse doesn't strike him as terribly observant, but he is pretty empathic which might count for more. Besides, he's hardly the first person to notice or ask, not even the first today. Which is why Leech only sighs and shrugs, twisting around to toss his cigarette filter out the window. Too tired to put up a convincing facade. "I'm managing."


Jesse: Jesse watches those movements and all the things they tell; reading Leech is probably easier because he can read Kellen so well. He appreciates the honesty of that answer and nods for it, looking down and then back up and over at the boy. "Anything I can do to help?"


Leech: Leech appears to actually think about that, squinting an eye and spacing out a bit. The best thing Jesse could probably do is keep Kellen busy so he stops stifling Leech, but he's bound to do that anyway. So the parasite shakes his head. "Can't think of anything." He straightens, heads for the door, then pauses and mimics Jesse's earlier words before leaving. "But thanks fer thinking about me."


Jesse: "Well like, if that changes, or if you wanna come chill and play with my little zen sand garden thing, just know that like. I'm here and stuff." He's gotten pretty good at bringing the dead back to life, and certainly cares enough for Leech to want to help in any way he can. He smiles again and then salutes the departing parasite. "Catcha ya on the flipside!"