LeafItem Leaf require loop

leaf.lua

-----------------------------------------------
-- leaf.lua
-- Represents a leaf when it is in the world
-- Created by HazardousPeach
-----------------------------------------------

local controls = require 'controls'

local Leaf = {}
Leaf.__index = Leaf
Leaf.leaf = true

local LeafImage = love.graphics.newImage('images/leaf.png')
local LeafItem = require('items/leafItem')

---
-- Creates a new leaf object
-- @return the leaf object created
function Leaf.new(node, collider)
    local leaf = {}
    setmetatable(leaf, Leaf)
    leaf.image = LeafImage
    leaf.foreground = node.properties.foreground
    leaf.bb = collider:addRectangle(node.x, node.y, node.width, node.height)
    leaf.bb.node = leaf
    leaf.collider = collider

    leaf.position = {x = node.x, y = node.y}
    leaf.width = node.width
    leaf.height = node.height

    leaf.touchedPlayer = nil
    leaf.exists = true

    return leaf
end

---
-- Draws the leaf to the screen
-- @return nil
function Leaf:draw()
    if not self.exists then
        return
    end
    love.graphics.drawq(self.image, love.graphics.newQuad(0,0, self.width,self.height,self.width,self.height), self.position.x, self.position.y)
end

---
-- Called when the leaf begins colliding with another node
-- @return nil
function Leaf:collide(node, dt, mtv_x, mtv_y)
    if node and node.character then
        self.touchedPlayer = node
    end
end

---
-- Called when the leaf finishes colliding with another node
-- @return nil
function Leaf:collide_end(node, dt)
    if node and node.character then
        self.touchedPlayer = nil
    end
end

---
-- Updates the leaf and allows the player to pick it up.
function Leaf:update()
    if not self.exists then
        return
    end
    if controls.isDown( 'UP' ) and self.touchedPlayer then
        local item = LeafItem.new()
        if self.touchedPlayer.inventory:addItem(item) then
            self.exists = false
        end
    end
end

return Leaf

leafItem.lua

-----------------------------------------------
-- leafItem.lua
-- Represents a leaf when it is in the players inventory
-- Created by HazardousPeach
-----------------------------------------------

--!!!!!!!!!
--the following line kills hawkthorne by creating a loop
-- I imagine it has to do with the fact that leaf.lua includes leafItem.lua,
-- but I don't see why it doesn't just load an already loaded version if it exists
local Leaf = require('nodes/leaf')

local LeafItem = {}
LeafItem.__index = LeafItem
LeafItem.leafItem = true

local LeafItemImage = love.graphics.newImage('images/leaf_item.png')

---
-- Creates a new leaf item object
-- @return the leaf item object created
function LeafItem.new()
   local leafItem = {}
   setmetatable(leafItem, LeafItem)
   leafItem.image = LeafItemImage
   leafItem.type = 'Material'
   leafItem.name = 'leaf'
   return leafItem
end

---
-- Draws the rock to the screen
-- @return nil
function LeafItem:draw(position)
   love.graphics.drawq(self.image, love.graphics.newQuad(0,0, 15,15,15,15), position.x, position.y)
end

return LeafItem

For anyone reading this after the fact this problem was ameliorated by using an inline require.

I'd guess the underlying implementation of require doesn't use something like #IFNDEF macros to assert that it doesn't need to get stuck in a loop.