cerealia ic inbox;

[luckybreaks]

"Hey, you've reached Naegi Makoto. I'm sorry, but I can't answer right now. If you leave a message I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can. Please take care!"

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

Comments

[babermetrics]

Ahhh, really?! I didn't have any o' you guys with me . . . Trucy's dad said we all got split up by those shitty spirits or whatever—but forget that! They got us outta there!

[There's so much to address and say and think about and Leon doesn't know where to start; he's still high on not being dead. Part of him doesn't even want to think about any of it at all. He's got no idea where to direct his energy right now, just letting Naegi look him over and then reaching out to pat at his shoulder, as if testing to see if he's going to break in half or something if he's jostled.]

That fire dog thing took my group down into a friggin' volcano! Without food or anything . . . can you believe it? We were about to die down there! Where'd you guys go?

[Okay, that part's not so cheerful.]

[luckybreaks]

...A volcano?! Wait, more importantly - have you eaten anything recently?! [ He's just. Going to grab Leon's arm and start to tow him inside... ] I'll make you something, so sit down...

[ No food? Honestly. Not like Earth was a walk in the park, but at least it was still just the jungle, so they could forage. ]

For us, it was a village in the jungle. There was quick sand and other things around, but at least we could find food.

[babermetrics]

Uh, no, 's been a while . . . like I said, I was pretty sure we were gonna keel over . . .

[It hadn't just been the food, though: the water, the heat, the choking air, all of that had had Leon pretty close to the brink by the end there. He takes a deep breath, conscious for the first time of how good it feels to finally be able to do so, and offers Naegi a smile. Ah, man. Being reminded of his own state is making it catch up to him . . . ]

You can cook? Dude, I'll owe you! I'll pay you back somehow, however I can! Shit, I'm such a mess right now, I've really gotta shower. Maybe I oughta go do that first?

[luckybreaks]

Not anything really fancy, but if it's ordinary stuff, yeah. I helped out at home sometimes, and I've been cooking even more since we got here...

[ Since he doesn't like to eat out all the time, mostly. ]

If you want to take a shower while I put something together, that'd work out, right? As long as you're sure you're not going to keel over doing that...the most important thing is your health, Kuwata-kun!

[ Because Naegi is a wimp and can't drag you out of your shower if you keel over in there, so. ]

Also, of course you don't have to pay me back. Friends worry about one another like this, right...? So, let me worry a little.

[babermetrics]

Heh . . . yeah, I guess you got a point. So next time I'll worry about you, got it?

[Same thing, really.

He's a little surprised by how worried Naegi was about him, how he's spoiling him with food right now and fretting over his health—but maybe that's uncharitable. Naegi's that kind of guy. Even if things are a little complicated-feeling, even back then, he'd—

Well, he's a good friend, and Leon trusts in that. Even if their status feels a little bit It's Complicated sometimes on Leon's half, just like it does with Kirigiri, Togami, and Fujisaki.]

Aaanyway, I swear I'm not gonna keel over, got it? I'm gonna go shower so I don't totally putrify your place just standin' here!

[That's not how the word putrefy works or what it means but he doesn't know that. Leon reaches out one more time to ruffle at Naegi's hair firmly, in thanks.]

Be right back! I seriously owe you one!