it's gone too far

@"Viola"

The wind continued to ruffle his hair ever so slightly, using enough product to just slick it down and back nearly entirely. He liked the clean cut look; it made him feel just that much more normal in a life that could've been brought onto its head at any time without any choice.

"Hm?" Oh, looks like he'd zoned out for a couple of moments there. "Oh, the academy. I'm the head librarian and Korean teacher there." A blessing, really. Speaking his native tongue was soothing, as was the repetitive work in the library. It was all numbers and labels and marking papers, so it didn't give him too much of a chance to get stressed.

"I'm going to assume you're still a student?" He looked young enough but then again, so did William. He was sometimes considered a little young for his position and there were occasions where people thought he was a student but thankfully, he'd been around long enough for people to become familiar.

@"Viola"

"Oh?" So the boy was a student, then. Well that was a good thing to hear; despite garnering a bit of a reputation by being the meek, secretive librarian, William did quite like getting to know the students and teachers that frequented the library.

"I was born in Korea and I lived there for all my life, before I cam here, of course." William nodded, mostly to himself. "I miss it." And he always would. But he knew he was a danger and he knew returning was just selfish, if not just a complete non-option, until he was better. Would Manta Carlos ever find him a cure, or would he just be stuck here?

He hoped he wouldn't be.

"Don't worry, the people are very kind here, the professors and your peers, included." He would likely be the worst that the boy would meet, but he didn't tell him that. "My name is William, by the way. You're likely to find me in the library, if you ever need me."

@"Stella"

Simon. He'd try to remember that. Thankfully it didn't seem like his memory had been effected too badly by the virus. Then again, would he have wanted it to be? He didn't want to remember what he'd done to the poor girl and her family; bitten all of them, and they all perished terribly. He didn't want to remember why he came here, but he supposed the knowledge was for the safety of everybody.

"Oh, it's beautiful. I quite miss it, actually." He wanted to go back. He wasn't sure if he could call it home anymore, it definitely barely felt like it. But the islands didn't feel like home, either. He'd become a bit of a wandering vagabond, now had he?

"If you can, you should definitely see it. I lived in the city, so I can't say much about everywhere else, but it's definitely different than the islands, language and culture aside."

@Stella

Now they were just waxing philosophical. There were a lot of things that were "maybe" for William, especially as sick as he was. Would he ever find a place he could call home? Settle down? Maybe own a cat? Augh, too much to think about, really.

"Two years?" Well, that was a fair enough amount of time, especially for such a small island. Then again, William didn't exactly feel like he belonged here either, and he'd been here just a little while longer.

"A little over two years myself, at this point. Closer to three, actually." He sighed almost wishfully. "I was hoping I'd have gone home by now, but I suppose not. It's not bad here; work is good, there are things to do..." It just didn't feel like home. The thought of Korea didn't feel like home. He was lost.

"The beach, as you've found, is also quite nice. If you're ever looking to feel a little less alone, it's always a nice to be. Always something going on, and all that." With that, William tried to take on a more cheerful tone. No need to bring this boy down.

@Stella

Hm... How sad. Why couldn't the boy go home? Of course, that wasn't something that he could just ask and he figured purposefully poking and prodding at a stranger's past wasn't polite. He was from California and he'd more recently arrived on the island, just a little after William had himself.

"So how was California? And... Ah, why did you leave? If that isn't too personal, of course." Especially since he was talking to a student, he had to be careful of what he said or asked. It was about professionalism more than anything else, even if he hadn't ever personally taught the student.

"But I suppose the sea is very much similar wherever you go... I didn't visit the sea often in Korea. I wish I had known."