"I don't know if I'd call it a good idea."

"I didn't say good, I said better."

"Fair enough, fair enough. Wilbur! How are you doing!"

"Great! Even better in a minute, I bet. Cheers?"

"Cheers."

The whatever-it-is tastes disgusting; he gags on it. "Eugh, this stuff is nasty."

"You said it, not me." Wilbur flops backwards onto his bed. "Why are you here?" Oops. He hadn't meant to say that.

"'Cause getting high sounded fun? Plus you're cute?"

"Not what I meant."

"Wait, you think I'm cute?"

"Was the flirting not obvious enough for you?"

"Nah. I just wanted to hear you say it again. 'Cause I'm arrogant like that. Anyway, you have, like, a boyfriend."

"That doesn't have to mean anything."

"'M not helping you cheat. Even if Schlatt sucks. Seriously, I mean, what do you even see in him."

"I like him, I like—getting to talk to everyone, you know? Anyway, he’d cheat on me with you if he had the chance, it’s only fair.”

"…This seems like a bad idea.”

"Yeah but I’ve got a fat ass and I’m good at kissing. Come onnnnnnn Wilbur.”

Yeah, okay. What if instead of talking they were kissing. What then. Wilbur thinks that maybe they should be kissing right now. He's not very coordinated about it, but he's definitely registering intent.

Then he will have a very giggly Alex reciprocating in kind! He catches Wilbur's hands when they try to get under his shirt, though. Just kissing for now.

And eventually Wilbur will break away. "--You didn't answer my question."

"About thinking you're cute? Fine, Wilbur, I think you're cute. Adorable. Like baby puppies."

"No, no, the other one. About--why you're here."

"I still don't know what you mean." Staying upright is hard. What if instead they were flopped.

Flopping's nice. He pets Alex's hair absentmindedly. "Like--in general. You're not British, you don't have to be here. And I know you think I'm stupid. You hide it pretty well but it's obvious. You think I'm going to fail and die. You think Schlatt's stupid, too, but differently. I dunno why you tolerate either of us. I wouldn't, if I were you."

"Jesus, Wilbur."

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Maybe? That doesn't mean you should talk about it."

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"You're a Hamilton fan, right? What's Burr say to Hamilton?"

That earns a round of giggles. "Talk less, smile more. Okay, okay, I get your point. I'd rather be Hamilton than Burr, though."

"Burr lived longer."

"Sure. But Hamilton got on the ten dollar note, right? ...I guess I don't know if Burr got on any money. I don't think he did. And Hamilton got the musical named after him."

"Sentences like that are why I think you're going to fail and die."

"So you do think I'm going to fail and die. I fucking told you so."

"I didn't disagree with you, I just think--" Sigh. "You don't get how power works, and you're either going to learn or it's going to kill you. I'm hoping for the former but I'm not betting on it."

"How does power work, then?"

"You think you can just--get people to agree to work together. But that's not how it works. You need power for that, you need to be able to, like... enforce it. People don't want to work together. Enclaves stick together, but the politics of them, it's not smooth sailing, you know? And that's with leaders, with adults outside the scholomance, with wealth and mana and the knowledge that they'll probably live. You're just coasting on good will and pity. I think it's gonna run out, and when that happens, you're gonna be fucked. For what you're doing, you need power, and right now, Wilbur, you don't have any.

You asked me why I stick around you. I guess it's because I want to be proved wrong."

"Huh.

I'll do my best, then."