@fiendeck wrote : ‘ If I can’t be the best, I sure as hell can be the worst. ’
obsidian eyes reflect like sunbathed gemstones as she catches his attention, sculpted brows raising subtly enough, though one lowers curiously, a nonverbal challenge to her statement. he knows she isn’t talking about dueling — the school’s rankings speak for themselves, even if they aren’t exactly infallible. it could just be him projecting his own problems onto her, but manjoume likes to think he can tell, for the most part, when something is said in shades of self-loathing. he isn’t entirely sure how to respond, his mind scrambled with options, none of which seem quite right.
to the best of his memory, seiko had always omitted a bleak energy, especially toward members of manjoume’s own dorm, but in more recent times, her bearings have seemed brighter, even if not exactly blithe. it’s not a story of which he knows the ins & outs, but he’s observant enough to be able to tell the difference — but not naive enough to believe sentiments such as those she’s just expressed can be so easily overcome. he knows better based on both intellect and experience, especially.
about a thousand sarcastic & snide remarks reel through his brain, as per usual, but he keeps them to himself, for once. perhaps it’s because her words touch a nerve or two within him, even if he isn’t entirely keen on conveying that information perceptibly. no, he opts for an incredulous huff, to lean back in his seat with eyes fixed on the library ceiling, with words carefully chosen, but not presented as such. “ i can think of at least ten duelists worse than you, fujioka, so i think you’ve still got some work to do, if that’s your goal. ”
obviously, that’s not what this is about. when his eyes do meet hers, once more, they divulge that he knows that. but it’s an unspoken ( and yet ironically, spoken ) invitation to familiarity, to comfort; a chance to recover from a moment’s weakness unscathed, if that’s what she desires. it’s solidarity.
❛ ✧ ⁝ prompt : game grumps sentence starters / accepting! ⚡