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INT. MIAYA’S OFFICE - FUTURE FOUNDATION HQ - DAY
MONDO, CELESTIA, and LEON are all at their individual therapy appointments. The scene cuts between each of their sessions. MONDO sits with his legs wide and arm slumped over the back of the couch. CELESTIA sits prim, a smile on her face. Leon is jittery, bouncing his leg and toying with items on the table. They are oriented center screen. We don’t see MIAYA, but we hear her text to speech device ask questions.
LEON
Look, I get it. I get why we have to do this, but I think I’m a little different than the other two.
MONDO
Sighs. Guess it’s time to pay the piper. But tweedle dumb and tweedle bitch ain’t gonna cooperate with this shit. I hope you realize that.
CELESTIA
I must admit, I admire you, Miss Gekkogakara. The patience you must possess to talk with Kuwata and Oowada without tearing your hair out is an enviable trait.
MIAYA
For this first session, I want you to tell me about yourself. What do you feel like makes you, you.
LEON
I mean, what is there to say? I’m just… Me, y’know? There’s not anything really wrong. I want to be a singer… Well, wanted. I don’t really know what I want anymore, but singing is definitely off the table. Way more trouble than its worth.
MONDO
I’m so angry… just all the fuckin’ time. But, you can fix that, right?
CELESTIA
I was born in a small village in France. I’ve made quite the name for myself from there on, don’t you think?
MIAYA
How did you get into your ultimate talent?
LEON
I didn’t exactly “get into” baseball. I’ve been playing it as long as I can remember. My dad and uncle had both been ball players. They’d always pushed me to go further with it, especially when they saw how fast I could run.
MONDO
…My brother.
CELESTIA
Why else does one gamble, if not because they have the desire to win?
MIAYA
Do you enjoy it?
LEON
It’s… complicated. I don’t hate baseball, just everything that comes with it. The regulations, the practice, the schedule; it's a lot.
MONDO
…Not anymore.
CELESTIA
There is nothing I find more thrilling.
MIAYA
Why do you feel that way?
LEON
I guess it goes back to what I was talking about earlier with my family and stuff. I just… they’re kind of all up in my life. Every decision gets made for me when baseball’s involved. I just want to be free to do what I want.
MONDO
I think it’s pretty fuckin’ obvious. I was strapped to a motorcycle and killed.
CELESTIA
It’s quite simple to understand, no? Everybody enjoys taking a risk from time to time.
MIAYA
Has your relationship with your talent changed?
LEON
It changes all the time. Sometimes, when I’m playing, I’ll remember what I loved about it. And sometimes, I’ll just be… bored, I guess? Wishing I could be anywhere else.
MONDO
So, what, I’m supposed to spill my guts to you, but you aren’t even brave enough to ask about the execution directly?
Celestia
Because I lost, you mean? No. If losing wasn’t possible, one could not win.
MIAYA
Do you feel like your talent impacts your relationships with others?
LEON
All the time. The amount of things I’ve missed ‘cause I was forced to practice… and my relationships with my cousin is just all fucked up. She’s great, but she gets… she was my team manager— her dad was my coach, so that side of the family’s always around. And we got close because of that, but sometimes, I feel she’s… too close. I love her to pieces, obviously, she’s family, you gotta love your family, but I need… I guess, space.
MONDO
What does that have to do with anything?
Celestia
Not particularly. I suppose it has made me quite good at reading people. That is something we have in common, no?
Finally, MIAYA’s face is shown.
MIAYA
You said before that you didn’t want to be a singer anymore, and you keep saying that there are things you’d rather do than baseball. What are they?
LEON
I don’t know… Party, go on dates, just… live my freakin’ life. I know that isn’t exactly a plan but… It’s hard to have a plan when everything is already planned out for you. I just want something… different. I don’t want to do things just ‘cause that’s what somebody told me to do, I want to do it ‘cause I like it.
MIAYA
Did you like singing?
LEON
Honestly? It was alright. I didn’t think it was my calling or anything, but the ladies seemed to like it, and it got me invited to a few parties.
MIAYA
What do you like?
LEON
I… I guess I’m not really sure.
MONDO leans in, hands on knees. He is fighting against raising his voice.
MONDO
Just cut the crap already. I’m not here to talk about my talent or myself or whatever, I’m here so you can fix whatever fucked up part of my brain made me… made me kill Chihiro.
MIAYA
Therapy isn’t just for talking about the most pressing issue. Sometimes smaller parts make up the whole. I’d like to get to know you before I make any sweeping claims about what can help.
MONDO
Sighs. Sorry, I just… I don’t want to waste time. I feel like a ticking time bomb.
MIAYA
If you’d really like to get into it, you could tell me more about your brother.
MONDO
…I just… What can I even say about Daiya? There’s so much…
MIAYA
Start with the positives?
MONDO
He was so brave, all the time. My old man was a piece of shit, and he was always tellin’ him off. Guess he’s prolly dead, now, too; good riddance. We actually had different dads, but that never mattered to Dai. He was my brother, regardless of ‘half’ status or not. Dai was real smart, too, but he’d never let you know it. He could act like a real dumbass when he wanted to, but he always knew how to fix things when shit got bad. He was calm, but wasn’t afraid to bare his teeth. Above everything else, he was kind. That’s what I admired most about him. He was kind.
MONDO’s eyes are wet.
MIAYA
And his negative traits?
MONDO
Whaddya mean?
MIAYA
Nobody’s perfect. Not even older brothers.
MONDO
Well… He was real stubborn. And he always got on my case about school, which never made any sense to me since he dropped out. And I mentioned he was a dumbass sometimes. He’d also fuck with me when he was bored, because he was an asshole. He was always looking out for me, which was sometimes great and sometimes super annoying. He never saw me as someone who was growing up, always that little kid that needed to be protected. I wish he hated me just a little bit more, so he could be the one alive.
MIAYA
It sounds like you loved him a lot.
MONDO
Not enough. Not enough to stop killin’ folks.
CELESTIA crosses her legs, patiently awaiting further questioning.
MIAYA
Miss Ludenberg… Can we make a deal?
CELESTIA
You’ve intrigued me. What would you like to offer?
MIAYA
I would like to offer help. Genuine help.
CELESTIA
And if I do not want this help?
MIAYA
Then there’s nothing I can do. But you seem like you’re rather fond of a quid pro quo. Even though you don’t want me to help you, I do have one thing I can offer: a lack of judgement. Here, you’re able to speak freely, as yourself, and nobody will think less of you for it.
CELESTIA unfolds and refolds her legs in the opposite direction. She leans in.
CELESTIA
You would like to see the real me? Don’t make me laugh. The real me is dead, Miss Gekkogahara. She was run over by a firetruck, crushed in a car accident. Her life was as insignificant as it was dull. Every speck of joy in that life came from being anyone, anyone but her. I do not give a damn about your validation. You may judge me all you like. I live this life for Celestia Ludenberg, and for none other.
MIAYA
Isn’t that lonely?
CELETIA smiles.
CELESTIA
The top always is.
MIAYA writes something down in her notes, then checks the clock.
MIAYA
That’s all the time we have for today. I’ll see you at our next session.