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[notsolomon]

This is William Twining. I shall reply to your message at my earliest convenience. Thank you. ***BEEP***

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[notsolomon]

...Hope's Peak? What do you mean by that and not remembering?

[He's thoughtful for a moment as he takes a bite of his muffin.]

And well, if moving is not an option, maybe you could throw more parties and gatherings in your house?

[babermetrics]

Yeah, good idea . . .

[But he's distracted thinking about the Hope's Peak thing. He'd brought it up knowing William doesn't know anything about that, and willing to go into it, but it's still hard to get started. He sighs, looking down at his roll and pulling it apart with his fingers. (It's full of melty cheese, so that's pretty satisfying, at least.)]

Hope's Peak, that's the elite high school I went to. It was like . . . the most prestigious school in the world, y'know? You can only get in if you get scouted out o' the high school you're already in, and everyone there is the best at whatever they do. Like, maybe you're the best pizza chef in the whole world! —Or at least the best one who's in high school. Or the best hairdresser, or the best detective, or whatever. Then they might scout you, and you get invited to attend, and they say anyone who graduates from there is set for the rest of their life. You're like a celebrity, man!

Anyway . . . I was the best baseball player, so they scouted me for my third year of high school.

[He pauses to shove a piece of cheesy bread into his mouth and chew it over thoughtfully.]

[notsolomon]

You in an elite school?

[For a moment, William as going to wonder if Leon was either some secret genius or if his world was patently unfair. Then he heard the rest of the explanation and instantly relaxed. Oh, so it was just baseball.

Though much as he approved of gathering people of talent, that sounded a bit... weird. Who needed the best underage pizza chef in the world?]

That must have been a lot of fun. Is there a reason you do not remember it?

[babermetrics]

[His expression crumples, for a couple of moments, into something bitter and angry, and he rips off a piece of bread with particular violence, staring down at that rather than looking up at William. His tone doesn't do much to hide his bitterness, though, and even he can't quite direct it along any one path. Where can it even go?

He hates that.]

Yeah, well, maybe it was fun, I don't friggin' know. I spent my first year like normal there and then for another year my class got locked up in there in some screwed up colony for our own protection 'cuz the world outside was too wrecked and we'd probably get shot or bombed out or gassed if we stepped outside . . .

But the chick responsible for all that was locked up in there with us all along. She was in my class. So who knows what it was like?

[Well, Togami does. Him and him alone. Leon sighs again, fingers creeping up into his hair to give it a sharp twisting tug.]

And she's the one who screwed up our heads and took our memories too, so she could brainwash us and kill us off later.

[He's been keeping his voice low, if not level—there's definitely some shakiness rattling the words—for this explanation, but finally it rises a little, though he's biting back hard on making this an actual public scene. It's—difficult.]

Think that was fun?

[notsolomon]

[That wasn't what he had expected to hear and William listens to the rant in silence.

It's a bit confusing, though fortunately, Leon's a simple enough guy that the basic details come through.

So it that why he's dead back home?

Well now.]

...I'm sorry.

[He normally wouldn't apologize, particularly in a situation where he hadn't really done anything wrong, but it hadn't been his intention to trip onto this route.]

If it isn't something you want to speak of further, then we won't.

[babermetrics]

[The wind is out of his sails now; he knows William didn't deserve that little snap at the end, and him just reacting with an apology takes the fight right out of Leon. But it was already draining off anyway. Just saying those things aloud . . . he doesn't do that kind of thing, hasn't especially since he came here. And it helped. It felt terrible, but it helped.

He just leans on his elbows on the table, staring down at his coffee again.]

. . . It's cool. You didn't know any o' that . . . I dunno what else to say about it, but—I guess, thanks for listening to it.

[notsolomon]

[Drinking some more of his coffee, William considered for a moment. Honestly, he sometimes thinks of Leon as a person who has never had any complications in his life. Which is perhaps very selfish of him.

And he should have expected something like this after that last confession.]

You have listened to a lot of my complaints over this last half year we have known each other. So, never worry about telling me anything like that.

[Because really, don't.]

...so that is why you have considered staying here, isn't it?

[babermetrics]

. . . Yeah . . . I mean, actually, I talked to Mosley about it, and I got a few options, but—I dunno yet which one's best. One of 'em's staying here forever.

[He finally sips his coffee again, taking a deep breath and relaxing as much as he can. He's had this conversation before. He's glad he's finally having it with William—now that he's past the bit that's more detail than anyone else except his classmates knows yet.]

[notsolomon]

...how many people from back home are here with you? I never really asked.

[He's probably met more than a few of the Hope's Peak people, but never had any reason to make the connection.]

[babermetrics]

[He sighs again, ruffling a hand through his hair, though more lightly this time. No pulling on it, just idly mussing himself up. He'll be annoyed his hair looks silly later.]

It used to be a lot more. Now it's down to just me, Kirigiri, and Togami.

[notsolomon]

Have they talked about what they want to do yet?

[He takes a bite of his muffin, thinking on it. He's thought about what would happen if he had the choice to stay or go. And a part of him really does want to stay. But there's so much back home...]

It is a tough decision though, regardless of what awaits you.

[babermetrics]

They're alive, there's no way they'd wanna stay here with me. They'll go back to that shitty world after we get outta here.

[That's something he tries not to think about. Everyone, eventually, who isn't also dead, will leave him behind here. It stings a little extra when it's his classmates. They still have their lives. In the end, he's still one of the fallen, and he'll stay here in Hell while they go back to the land of the living.

He shrugs.]

[notsolomon]

I probably shouldn't have asked that.

[It's not like he can reassure Leon about this, not when he's probably going to go back home.]

But all I will say, is... please talk to them about it, if you already haven't. Don't assume otherwise.

[Which might be another thing to talk about sometime. This habit of yours Leon. Dismissing everything ahead of time and making assumptions.]

[babermetrics]

[He snorts, not with any particular amusement, shoulders hunching as his hands curl around his cup.]

C'mon, man, they don't care about me that much.

[But he feels pretty shitty letting that spill out in his agitation . . . even though it's surely true. A stupid sentiment, though. Would anyone really "care about him" to leave their entire world and friends and family behind? Is that even something he'd ask of anyone? Even in the depths of despair, he knows he wouldn't.

So he sighs, trying to shake off his mood—it's hard, though. There's no good, happy answer to any of this.]

Kirigiri—I like her . . . I mean, I really like her, and I guess she likes me at least as a friend, y'know? But we still barely know each other. And—look, back home, between me and my classmates, stuff was kinda complicated.

[To say the least. No, really. He's saying as little as possible on that matter for now.]

. . . And I don't think Togami likes anything or anyone. I guess we're friends, but, you'd know if you knew him.

[notsolomon]

Like I said don't make assumptions.

[Really don't. Because that's the worst state you can let yourself be in. It's not something he's experienced himself, but at the same time, William can feel something familiar in this, in his self consciousness.

It's not a good feeling. That stupid old man...]

Togami? Oh I have met him before. though we haven't spoken in a while. The pompous one, right? [Can he really say that about anyone? Nope. But here he is.]

He probably doesn't like anyone, no. Most high quality men of that sort don't. Trust me, I know. But, if he's still bothering with you in this place, then it might not be that clear cut either.

[babermetrics]

Thanks.

[A bit sarcastically. Are high quality men not supposed to bother with him, huh? Leon is the highest quality of man, dammit! He makes a face . . . but it's softened a little by the circumstances. Obviously William's trying to help here, and doing his best at being reassuring over things Leon didn't even know he needed reassuring over.

Maybe he shouldn't make assumptions. On the other hand, he's not emotionally prepared to go up to either of his classmates and bring this up and get rejected. Even if he is already assuming the worst, that's still going to sting.

Sigh.]

What d'you mean "high quality men of that sort"? You sayin' I'm not high quality?

[At least he's not throwing a fit over it.]

[notsolomon]

No, you are the highest quality of friend, Leon.

[...okay that sounded stupid as hell. He's going to take a sip of his coffee for a moment and recover.]

That is a person though who has had a different lifestyle from most normal people. Granted, I haven't had a normal life either, but he's on another level. That tends to... change perspective. Sometimes in unhealthy ways.

[It's hard to explain this sort of concept, at all.]

What I am saying is that, he might care in his own way. Strange as it is.

[babermetrics]

[He rubs the back of his neck, nodding along with that—I mean, he has a point there, it's obvious Togami comes from some kind of crazyland upbringing and absolutely does not know how to function like a normal human being in any sense—but he's still kind of caught up on the first bit. Not in a bad way.]

. . . You really think I am? Yeah?

[notsolomon]

[He flushed a little, and then nodded.]

You have been one of my best friends here. And I know... I know that I am not the easiest person to get along with. But I enjoy speaking with you and you have always been good to me.

[babermetrics]

'Course I am . . . ! Damn, don't get all mushy on me, you're gonna make me blush!

[Too late for that. He already is. The best he can do like this is reach across the table and mess up William's hair, in a super manly bro-like way, so that's what he does, laughing off his (pleasant) embarrassment. Geez.]

You're the best!

[notsolomon]

You keep doing that...

[William sighed as he ducked his head away, quickly smoothing down his hair. And then, to be slightly more serious.]

I don't know what the future holds or if anyone here can hope to stay together, but don't assume that no one cares about you. Please.

[babermetrics]

Heh . . . I didn't mean it like that. Promise!

[He hadn't quite, though he can't entirely deny some of that was lingering in there too. He wiggles his fingers at William's head again and then lowers his hand with a laugh, though he's also embarrassed.]

You caaaaare about me. . . . Friggin' nerd.

[notsolomon]

[His hair is never safe around this guy.]

I am hardly the nerd here. [Such a lack of self awareness] You should be glad. I seldom say such things out loud.

[babermetrics]

Yeah, I know. I mean, if you did, I'd start to wonder, y'know? Not that I wouldn't like someone followin' me around complimenting me all the time, but I'll leave that to my groupies, not my friends!

[He thinks for a moment about reaching over to fix William's hair where he messed it up, but there's something awkward-feeling about that, especially in public and across a table. He shrugs and pulls his compact out of his pocket, though, and slides it across the table for him. There. Adjust thyself.]

[notsolomon]

Do you even have groupies? I thought that was some celebrity thing in the future.

[He drops the jab rather quickly though, because he's not too inclined to be mean today. And he never quite understood what the point of groupies was or the word? Wouldn't that just be followers? Or admirers? The future was strange.]