#preholocenic

“Just saying, dude, it’s not you, it’s...” Green’s attention was less so occupied with words and more so glued to - Doritos... Cheetos... chocolate-chip-flavored chocolate chip cookie. It would definitely be that one. He let out a soft oooh, his hands printing onto the glass pane of the vending machine as he fed it whatever change was in his pocket and covering the rest in one dollar bills. “D-3, D-3, D-3,” he muttered to himself, fingers hovering over the key-pad and taking in its dumb 8-bit noises. Green watched intently as the coil spun, the machinations as tantalizing as fiber optics, and squealed as the chocolate-chip-flavored chocolate chip cookie plunked down into the bottom of the machine.

Green left whatever change was in the machine - roughly eighty-one cents or something - and turned to look at Joseph with his mouth full, expression more than content. “No, you can’t have any,” he expressed, taking a rather large bite as if he were a dumb ol’ dog. licking his lips in delight. “Anyways. No offense, dude, you’d make an ugly-ass dinosaur. I can’t see it and I don’t wanna. Don’t read into it, dude. You’re still cute, I think. Just keep it away from me and maybe you can have whatever I don’t finish.” There was a third left of his cookie in his hand and Green defensively held it towards himself.

It’d been a long time since his limbs felt like they had nerves, so much that Rod had to throw his arm into the air for a quick stretch. He could hardly stand straight, black coffee buzzing in his body as he knitted his brows at his paper scribbled with notes as messy as a doctor’s. The last time he lesson planned this extensively for a client was -- God, a few years. That was before everything began to feel futile, and he withdrew into letting his power do the work. But there was something about working with Joseph Kontos that made Rod bright with optimism. His shoulders were practically singing as the other walked into the room, and Rod could once again remember what a smile felt like.

“Just on time, Mr. Kontos. Let’s continue our great work from last time, all right? You did excellent last session. Let’s start with some deep breathing exercises, okay? And just remember, it’s okay to feel uncomfortable. I’m here to help you however I can.”