→ it will come back

[gorb]

TFLN OVERFLOW

Comments

[goatjo]

unless u got all wrinkly or sth lol

[gorb]

( Old habits.

He'll send a picture. In it stern eyebrows are drawn together, mouth a line. His hair is longer, and while his eyebags are no longer as pronounced something about the late night has him fussy around the edges, tired and a little worn. He's wearing sleepwear, not anything Satoru will recognise, he left his belongings behind. But the effect is the same. Soft, for a genocidal cultist. )

There.

Will you go home now?

1/2

[goatjo]

hddsa

[ even satoru isn't sure what that one was supposed to be. ]

[goatjo]

[ fifteen minutes later: ]

u look
better

[ less tired, surely. hair soft and shiny and untangled, skin less sallow, the dark circles under his eyes less pronounced. like he's comfortable in his own skin again.

it feels a little like swallowing broken glass, but: ]

im glad
suguru

[gorb]

It's amazing what no longer killing yourself for the undeserving will do.

( A distinction, there were reasons. )

Why are you drinking?

[goatjo]

[ satoru doesn't even prickle at that part. he's too busy staring at the picture, cheek pillowed on his arm, ignoring the way the brightness of the screen is making his eyes prickle and burn.

so there's another lag before he replies: ]

adult reasos
lol

[ nanami left the school today. didn't say goodbye, didn't even leave a note. just cleared out his dorm and was gone, which is the only way satoru knows he hadn't died out on the field.

maybe he'll take a picture a year or two from now and be looking better, too.

so now there's nothing left in the dorms except for residuals, floating through the halls like ghosts, and satoru had just wanted to be anywhere but there. ]

[gorb]

Is it helping?

[goatjo]

no

[gorb]

Go home, drink some water, sleep. You'll feel better.

[goatjo]

soooooo bossy
u already sadi u didnt care
u dont gotta nag
its /we

[gorb]

I'm not nagging, but you don't drink. So I'm offering advice.

[goatjo]

do u??

[gorb]

Do I what?

[goatjo]

drink
duh

[gorb]

Not right now.

The risk is too high.

( He has children now. )

[goatjo]

adluting is kidna lame huh

[gorb]

Yes.

( And then because he is a fool. )

I miss going to the 7-11 for no reason.

[goatjo]

[ that text gets the first smile out of satoru all day. ]

HA!
u reeeber when the granny who worked behind the counter
thought u were a deliqunt shoplifter for SOOO long lol
she sed to say a nice boy liek me shouldnt hang arond u hahaha

[gorb]

You were the one always knocking things over. I just wanted to look at the drinks.

[goatjo]

not my fault
why re all the rows soooooo smshued togegher
im a growig boy!!!!

[ a growing boy who kept roughhousing with his bestie in the konbini but whatever. ]

[gorb]

You're all elbows, I know that much.

[goatjo]

[ there's another lull in messages, just the little typing bubble popping in and out for a moment as satoru fights with himself, but: ]

suguru
u were rly having fun back then
right?
i mean
with me
it didn't all suck?

[gorb]

( Ah.

He thinks about being cruel. He probably should be. Anything to put another nail in their coffin. If he hadn't hurt Satoru enough to ensure a clean split then surely he should try again.

The idea drains away entirely. )

It had nothing to do with you.

( Or everything, really. )

Don't think like that.

1/2

[goatjo]

[ it's kind. so kind that it almost hurts more than the casual cruelty, but there's no chance of him ever trading one for the other. it makes something in his chest squeeze, and there's a sharp lump in his throat that it's a struggle to swallow around. ]

ok
i wont

[goatjo]

i had fun bakc then too
evne when it DID suck lol
reemember when we had to go find thar curse in the mountais
and got soooooo lsot
u made that fire whcih was kidna cool of u tbh
and i said netx tie we should bring marhsmallwos
guess we never got aroudn to that
the marshamallows i mean