Chapter Text
Clink.
The sound of Sateriasis setting his teacup down broke the silence, and Gumina looked at her old friend.
Sateriasis looked exhausted. His long purple hair was tangled and free from its usual ponytail, his clothes were rumpled and far too simple for someone of his station, and the dark bruises under his eyes showed exactly how much sleep he'd been getting lately.
It wasn't much of a surprise to see him so unlike his usual self, but it was still rather jarring. For as long as she'd known him, he'd always valued his appearance, and for him to have let her see him like this…
Well, either it was a mark of his trust in her, or this tragedy was truly affecting him deeply.
"Thank you for agreeing to come here today." Sateriasis said quietly, avoiding her gaze. "I just… needed to distract myself from everything that's been going on, and… you probably have questions."
"I do, but…" Gumina hesitated. Seeing Sateriasis, her first thought upon hearing of the event was starting to seem more and more unlikely. "I wouldn't want to bring up painful memories—"
"Being in this house brings up painful memories," he muttered. "At the very least, you deserve some closure. You loved him as much as I did."
She winced. It was true, perhaps more so than he realized. "You're right, I suppose. I know I said some awful things to him the day he—" She cut herself off, drawing a shaky breath. "I didn't mean it. Any of it."
"Then why did you say it?" He asked, meeting her eyes for the first time since she'd arrived. "I never would've thought you of all people…"
"I couldn't say." She sighed softly. It was true, she couldn't say it. Not to him. "I won't ask anything more, heavens know you've probably had to talk about this to so many others, but… did he suffer?"
Sateriasis paused, picked up a cup, and took a long sip of his tea. When he set the cup back down again, he took a deep breath, looking at his hands.
"No more than the rest of them."