AN- A Broken Imagi-NATION introduced me to the wonders of SebKug and I introduced myself to a ton of cute ideas for it. I have this one shot and another plus a part in a longer story I'm writing, so yay, more rarepair suffering. Thank you, I own only my ideas, and enjoy! -Twilight Joltik
Human Watching
A lovely night, such a shining one. All the humans darted around the street, each moving in a slightly different way. It was beautiful, it was art.
And Kugelmugel sat on a bench, his gazes hardly noticed by the passerbyes until one person happened to stop next to him. He didn't bother to look over, everything else was far more interesting. The slight limp of that man, the woman rushing down the street after her dog, the way the hands of the young couple intertwined; everything was wonderful if only they would slow down and notice it.
Whoever had approached him cleared their throat, and common courtesy forced Kugelmugel to look up. A familiar young man, freckles brought out by the summer twilight, was standing beside him, looking expectant.
Seborga took a breath before launching into a routine familiar to any who knew him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears you're-"
Shame, he'd really thought Seborga would have known better by then. Politely, he finished the sentence with the correction. "-a guy."
Seborga looked somewhat astonished by his quick dismissal. Kugelmugel knew well the micronation's reputation, one of charming any lovely lady to come his way, or at least making an honorable effort at it. The tales proceeded his presence by a good mile, especially carried on Wy's tongue with an eye-roll and a sigh.
But Seborga shook his head and extended his hand once more. "Oh, I was well aware, bello. Makes no difference to me. I was only going to say that it appears you're without plans on this lovely evening."
"You're quite wrong," he corrected politely. "I was planning to observe this lovely night and take in its beauty."
Winking, Seborga leaned against the bench, halfway to falling against it. "Stargazing, eh? Sounds wonderful. May I join you?"
"Stargazing the wrong term, I believe. I would call it more…" He searched for the word Austria had used when he described his love for observing the art of mortals in motion "People watching?"
Normally, that was when people would find him strange and leave, and Kugelmugel was eagerly awaiting that so he could get back to it. But Seborga gave a strange chuckle. Not a mocking one, but one of very pure emotion.
"What is it?"
"Oh, nothing. You just remind me of my fratello, that's all. Sounds like something Ven would do."
Without warning, Seborga sat down beside him and started to wordlessly study the people passing by. Kugelmugel started to ask him why he was joining him, but decided against it.
Perhaps with two engaged in the activity, it could somehow achieve a higher level of meaning.
Everyone who passed them was, as usual, fascinating. All the little parts in them that had to move to keep them going, all the pieces that formed the person in front of him, he couldn't help but find it entrancing.
A lady who walked with precise steps and held her back ruler straight walked past them. She looked strong, she looked cold. Maybe military?
A middle-aged man rushed past them, breathing heavily. He looked exhausted, like sleep had eluded him for days on end. It was a bit worrying, perhaps someone dear to him was ill and the hospital had informed him their state was worsening?
And two teenagers, a boy and a girl, laughing awkwardly. A few times, the boy made a motion as if to hold the girl's hand but always withdrew it shakily. A first date, it had to be.
Beside him, Seborga let out a sigh. "These people. They're all just so…"
"Alive?", he finished, hoping he hadn't misread his companion's intentions again.
A nod in his periphery. "Yeah. I forget sometimes, you know? That humans are so different from us."
"Not terribly different," Kugelmugel remarked. Austria had always told him that humans were just nations to whom the passage of time was meaningful and had only emotional ties to their homes. The concept seemed strange, alien, almost. "But… they're very beautiful, in a way."
"I'd agree," Seborga muttered. "Oh, but you know what else is beautiful?"
Shame, he'd been doing so well. Perhaps relying on such trite lines was his fatal flaw. Playfully, Kugelmugel countered with a "don't you dare."
An awkward chuckle. "Alright. Well, the way the pavement reflects the lights of the lamps, that's quite pretty."
Looking closer, Kugelmugel noted the slight shimmer with a small gasp. It was lovely, it was art, how could he have overlooked it? "It really is," he whispered in awe.
"I've always loved how that looks," Seborga remarked. "Makes the nights quite enchanting, doesn't it?"
"Come to think of it, yes, it does."
Nothing more was said. They simply sat, watching the passing humans and the glittering lights of the street.
