Inbox

[notsolomon]

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

Comments

[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.]

[babermetrics]

Hey, you got no idea how famous I was for baseball crap! I had plenty of groupies! But not as many as I would've gotten as a rock star . . . so I'm workin' on that.

[notsolomon]

You? For baseball?

[But that is a petty reason for changing careers Leon. Really petty.]

Well I suppose I hope you get all the groupies you are entitled to then.

[Or something. He doesn't know.]