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[discard]

"I am not interested in speaking with you. Stop pestering me."

[ Wow, what a friendly person you're trying to contact on this fine day!! ]

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[discard]

[...Ah.

Right.

Well.

Okay then.

(Could this be any more awkward.)]

... I see.

[mombastic]

... If I made you angry the last time we talked, I'm sorry.

[ BUT YOU ARE SO UNCOMFORTABLE RIGHT NOW. ]

[discard]

[SORRY, HE CAN'T HELP IT.]

That isn't--

[There's a slow breath.

And he squares his shoulders.]

I...was not certain how you would react to things, now that you have had time to think about them. I see that those...concerns were somewhat misguided now.

[There. Look. He's trying really hard to be somewhat emotionally competent. Sort of. It's hard, okay.]

[mombastic]

[ ... She's actually really impressed. ]

What I said before to you still stands. I did have to take some time to sort out my thoughts, but it wasn't anything that would have changed how I felt about you, Leon.

[ Just... how she felt about herself, more than anything. ]

[discard]

[Thanks, mom, he rehearsed it.]

... You are just like Stahn.

[It's just said quietly, though.]

You are both too forgiving.

[mombastic]

You seem to have forgiven me for nearly the same thing.

[ She'll just point that out. ]

[discard]

... No, there is a difference.

[Ah... how ominous, Leon. But he doesn't really mean it that way.]

You had never intended to let anything I said color the way you thought of me. Stahn...was, and still is the same way.

[mombastic]

There's not a single person out there who is completely perfect. Once you acknowledge that much, anything you learn about your friends is just that-- something new to learn.

Being able to talk about the parts that you're not so proud of, though... that's never easy.

[discard]

[None of that makes any sense at all to him. He's legitimately never heard of that sort of way of thinking, so he just blinks at her blankly. That's... what?

?????

He's been raised in an atmosphere where perfectly was not only required, it was expected. It was expected of him, and he expects it of the people around him in a way, though he fails to realize that he makes allowances for the people he likes, which is just... exactly what Otome is saying anyway.

He just can't wrap his head around it.]

Don't.

[Ah... Yes. He really doesn't want to talk about it anymore.]

What I did was nothing to be admired. [He was just trying to push Otome away.] Nothing that I've done is.

[mombastic]

I don't admire it.

[ Of course she wouldn't. She doesn't admire what she did either, but that's not the point here. ]

But I accept it. [ He had reasons. She knows he did. But she's never going to ask about them. ]

[discard]

[...Ah.

... It's hard. What is he....supposed to do with that.]

... Then...I also accept what you have done.

[Isn't that all he can do?]

[mombastic]

Then there's no reason to be uncomfortable with each other, now is there?

[ NO MORE RUNNING, YOU. ]

[discard]

... You say that, but...

[iT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE... he's so incredibly uncomfortable by people being overly nice about things like this!!! How is he supposed to deal?]

[mombastic]

But what? I don't think you really need to act any differently around me, Leon.

[discard]

[...UGHHHH]

People like you are so [irritating. impossible to understand. better at emotions] frustrating.

[mombastic]

... Thank you!

[ She'll take that as a compliment. ]

[discard]

[SEE, THAT'S WHAT HE MEANS. THAT'S WHAT HE MEANS.

He just makes a wordless noise of frustration and turns his attention back to his ice cream cone because it's dripping.]

[mombastic]

How is it, by the way? Tolerable?

[ YOU'RE SO CUE, LEON. ]

[discard]

[NO YOU'RE CUE

but he just sulks into his ice cream because he's a big baby.]

... I suppose.

[(it's delicious)]

[mombastic]

[ She won't tease him much further-- it's nice enough to relax and ice cream, honestly. ]

[discard]

[It isn't bad, really. He'll focus on enjoying his ice cream first. (Because it really is good.)

And finally, after a long, long moment:]

... Have you been well?

[mombastic]

There were a few things that I had to get out of my system... but you know, I'm better off for having spoken with you.

[ She's been carrying a lot, more than she's been willing to talk about, until recently. ]

[discard]

[.... wait, really? He wasn't expecting that at all. He... doesn't know if he feels better or not for having talked to Otome (except he does, he just can't recognize it), but he definitely wasn't expecting her to.]

Ah... is that so...?

[He's embarrassed....]

I see.

[mombastic]

... Thank you, Leon. It seems I still have to remind myself that keeping everything in isn't always a good idea.

[discard]

[... It's not like he was the one who taught her that; it's not like Leon is any better about it now. But even so... in the end, all he can do is look away sharply.]

W-well-- that is your own concern to handle. It has nothing to do with me.

[He's embarrassed.]