a voice picks up behind him, carried by the gentle breeze. a lovely noise; music to his ears. the symphony seems to catch him off-guard a moment, gaze lifting upwards, eyes wide in surprise. it softens quickly. she was small, though, many were by his point of view. as if forgetting a question had been placed to him, he waited a moment. two. finally, his rudeness washed over him.

"yeah." he stops fiddling with the bag and his stump. it seemed like a more shameful act now; more embarrassing. "yeah i am. are you too?" he continues on to say, hoping to in part make-up for being caught off guard. as if any of that truly mattered.

leon's shoulders slumped a bit, his eyes darting from his missing limb, to the one good hand that carried the trash bag. he smiled, taking in the situation for how foolish he probably looked. pride got him no where. much less with women. "i'd appreciate it. it's harder than it looks," he chuckled slightly, hopefully diffusing any lingering tension from his deformity.

people acted weird around him. it only alienated him more.

he approached, careful of how it might seem to her. he didn't particularly enjoy scaring women, though understood how some would have their guard up. he was large, and did not lack definition. leon did notice, however, the safety net losing a limb cast over him. many let their guard down around an armless man. perhaps they felt safer. more confident in their abilities. leon never took the time to find out.

"i think it's just us," he said, handing her the trash bag. positioning himself so his body was side-ways to her. he cast his gaze out towards the rolling waves as she worked. they toiled around the shoreline at the moons beckon. gently, they came in, and receded back to the vast waters.

it held a certain peace to it all.

"leon," he says after a moment of two. his eyes turning towards her, cerulean pools that stand out like sapphires. "it's a pleasure to meet you." leon smiles. it's normal.

persephone amavi

"it's fine, thanks," leon says sheepishly. she could have laced it into his clothing and he would still be in pain. it was arguable the only constant in his life. sad, isn't it?

the league cadet reaches down with the metallic grabber, picking up a can of alcohol, and placing it into the bag to prove it works. "arguably not the most fashionable, but, that's the one good thing about losing an arm — no one's going to say anything about it." he chuckled at the thought, deciding to slowly move outwards towards the beach.

he takes her words and sits on them for a moment. "it's a bit embarrassing," he admits, "though, i'd rather be seen cleaning it up, than contributing to the mess." a few more article of trash and a trickle of a breeze. the bag is weightless against the gentle gust.

"perse is a really pretty name, though," he says, a gentle pink hue lingering on his cheeks. "her story is a particular favorite of mine in greek mythology. she was a badass woman."

leon talks while he works. doing his best not to just break the ice, but shatter it entirely.

persephone amavi

leon's smile widened. her appreciation easing a timid heart. his eyes caught the hurried movements she made to catch up. his mind over thought it. the large man made a conscious effort to slow down.

"that sounds wonderful," he says, listening to the story of her mother. her next question causes his brows to raise in surprise. he wasn't sure why. maybe he just wasn't used to talking about himself? leon tried to catch any hesitation in her voice. any apprehension. not many people thought it polite to mention a disfigurement. is that why she didn't ask?

why couldn't he leave well enough alone?

realizing the question was left hanging. he quickly cleared his throat, walking with her to the oceans edge.

"uhm, let me see if i can remember all of that." he smiles a bit. "autumn, definitely. and, i'm not sure. because it's the right thing to do, i guess. i like knowing i can make subtle differences. and... probably this one. it has an almost unforgettable view, don't you think?" he looks at her then, as if seeing her face for the first time.

a touch of pink later, and he's again looking out at the waters edge. the sand was colder here; darker. stained by the ever present rise and fall of the tide. it was comfortable. a routine that never ended. he wished in part his days could hold a similar routine. or perhaps just the end part.

he thrust the thought from his mind.

"what about you perse? what brings you to these shores?" of change? of comfort? the words lost to him. "i think it's good that you're here." a pause. "cleaning up trash, that is. it's kind. even if you're only giving your time."

persephone amavi