[maybe someone else would mistake this prize as something simple, a spur-of-the-moment request—but suguru recognizes it for what it is: a neat dressing for something else entirely. an unorthodox form of diplomacy that only satoru would—could—attempt, because of the many sorcerers who know who suguru is and what suguru can do, how many would willingly invite him to talk? how many would be so confident as to sit on the floor and wait for suguru to sit beside them? only satoru, of course, for satoru is the strongest.
and because satoru knows that suguru is alone on this train, stripped of allies and resources; that suguru could never truly avoid him; that suguru was the person who looked past both his techniques and his persona, seeing that satoru was so much more. suguru never underestimated his friend.
that friendship is fractured, now. for so many reasons, the most important being suguru's decision to leave—but while he accepted the costs of his decisions? has come to terms with so many of them, throughout the years? as he steps over satoru's outstretched foot, coming ever closer to the spot he remains wary of taking, he still feels an ache deep within his chest. once upon a time, the space beside satoru was always, always reserved for him and him alone; suguru realizes, now, that he rarely gave it any thought.
but the present is more pressing than the past.]
As impatient as ever. [pfh. a wordless chide, though suguru knows that satoru has (presumably) followed him for days.] You could at least ask to see it, first.
[see. a carefully chosen word, as they both well know—but suguru doesn't linger on it, choosing instead to finally step just beside satoru. everything about this is foolish; he should have remained on the opposite side of the hall, watching and waiting, and yet, as he looks down at the person he's done his best to avoid in this brand new place—
—well.
lowering himself to the floor is somewhat awkward, thanks to his lack of an arm, but he manages it as smoothly as he can? positions himself far enough away to avoid satoru's infinity before he crosses his legs, choosing to remain a tad more dignified than his neighbor. being this close—it both does and does not feel right. suguru eyes the spot he was standing a few minutes before, wondering if that was precisely where he should have stayed.
but there's no backing down now, and so, as he turns his head just far enough to better see satoru's face:]
Should I congratulate your win?
[the win that is finding suguru in this car; the win that was killing suguru at last. same difference.]
no subject
and because satoru knows that suguru is alone on this train, stripped of allies and resources; that suguru could never truly avoid him; that suguru was the person who looked past both his techniques and his persona, seeing that satoru was so much more. suguru never underestimated his friend.
that friendship is fractured, now. for so many reasons, the most important being suguru's decision to leave—but while he accepted the costs of his decisions? has come to terms with so many of them, throughout the years? as he steps over satoru's outstretched foot, coming ever closer to the spot he remains wary of taking, he still feels an ache deep within his chest. once upon a time, the space beside satoru was always, always reserved for him and him alone; suguru realizes, now, that he rarely gave it any thought.
but the present is more pressing than the past.]
As impatient as ever. [pfh. a wordless chide, though suguru knows that satoru has (presumably) followed him for days.] You could at least ask to see it, first.
[see. a carefully chosen word, as they both well know—but suguru doesn't linger on it, choosing instead to finally step just beside satoru. everything about this is foolish; he should have remained on the opposite side of the hall, watching and waiting, and yet, as he looks down at the person he's done his best to avoid in this brand new place—
—well.
lowering himself to the floor is somewhat awkward, thanks to his lack of an arm, but he manages it as smoothly as he can? positions himself far enough away to avoid satoru's infinity before he crosses his legs, choosing to remain a tad more dignified than his neighbor. being this close—it both does and does not feel right. suguru eyes the spot he was standing a few minutes before, wondering if that was precisely where he should have stayed.
but there's no backing down now, and so, as he turns his head just far enough to better see satoru's face:]
Should I congratulate your win?
[the win that is finding suguru in this car; the win that was killing suguru at last. same difference.]