Arrow Lake when all the things under the sky go free of time

stigmata realized, with belated detachment, that he was glad to see the autumn-fire wolf alive. he couldn't help but feel slighted by their location - forced now to remember keenly a hurt he had spent a lot of careful time forgetting - but all of it washed away at the sound of his name in her voice. his ears pressed forward, and it took a great steeling of his resolve to keep a flicker of longing from putting a crease in his ironed expression. it struck him uncomfortably to know that he had missed something.

something as small and as a particular as a tone of voice. one he had unwittingly become accustomed to.

"why are you here?" he huffed, already tired of his whirring emotions.