A correction. [His tone is patient, though there is an anxious edge.] I'm sure that Aubrey is trying to get to Eren, but...as of right now, there's no way to tell whether or not she's been successful.
[Armin meets Mari's eyes. His are honest - no more games. They're on the same side for now.]
This world can be manipulated by our intentions. It may take a little practice at first. [Hell, he hasn't even had time to practice since the rainclouds...]
If we can visualize where we need to go, we might be able to reach Aubrey and Eren. A lot of that will depend on you, Mari.
[There’s no end to the compounding absurdity of this place, is there?]
[Allies they shall be. Albeit…]
Armin, there’s one more thing I should share with you first.
[Without further prelude:] If you’ll pardon my bluntness, I thought Eren was a predator. The Aubrey I knew was twelve, and he spoke of her very intently.
[Mari’s attention doesn’t leave Armin, but should either of them look at the Aubrey-illusion again, she will indeed be 12 years young; black hair topped with a little pink bow, skin unmarked. Faceless, too.]
Eren was trapped when I found him. I closed the gap.
[As Mari speaks, Armin's eyes do drift temporarily to Aubrey, lingering a moment when he realizes that the illusion has shifted. She looks just like one of the shadow puppets...
[At Mari's confession, he feels his stomach twist. Even so:]
I understand.
[It makes perfect sense, really. Eren can't be anything other than intense, and if she really thought Aubrey was a child - and, considering now that they are romantic - yes, it makes sense.
[Still, the image of his friend, ever reaching toward freedom, being slowly closed in on...Armin has to fight off a shudder.]
I can't say he'll be as gracious, but...You did what you felt you needed to. It's a misunderstanding we can work through.
[There's a pause, an impulse to defend Eren once again. But Armin doesn't actually believe in "good" or "bad" people, and he definitely doesn't believe that Eren fits either bill.
[It takes Eren a moment to process what he's hearing; voices, but quiet, muffled by his arms covering his ears, his head still buried in his knees. Cautiously, he raises his head. He can't see a thing, but...
[Mari speaks again, and he recognizes the voice instantly.]
Bitch.
[His voice croaks, left hoarse and raw by the screaming. God. How long was he screaming? He launches himself onto his feet, fists yanking at the bars.]
Where is she? Don't fuck with me again. I'll tear your fucking throat--
[Armin's voice is both firm, gentle, and drenched in relief. Reaching out blindly, he finds Eren's hands, wrapped around the bars. He lays his own over them, thumbs stroking gently at whatever flesh he finds.]
It's alright. There's been a misunderstanding. Aubrey's okay.
[Everything Eren and Armin said lines up. It must be true, then. (…Give or take some… embellishments… from Eren.) And while Mari doesn’t know if that makes them good or safe people, exactly…]
[She plays, softly, a major chord. Maybe there was no trick to this, either; the bars in Eren’s hands drop to the floor, releasing him.]
[Eren sounds inhuman - a combination of guttural sounds he can't control, and the rawness of his throat, trying to make words that only come out as rasps. He feels Armin's arms tighten around him. He could easily break out of them if he really wanted to. Part of him doesn't, apparently.
[Finally, as he stills, save for a heaving chest, he manages to spit out a few words.]
[Aubrey and perhaps Armin might be certain of Eren’s humanity; Mari, less so. But the gambit worked (if such an impulsive, oddly sympathetic move could be considered strategic), at least in proving Armin’s intentions. From the sounds of it, he may as well be restraining a slobbering dog, not a friend.]
[Mari allows the silence, as Eren catches his breath. She owes him an apology. She leashes that, too, for now.]
We were just with her. [There’s no particular emotion in her voice.] The world replaced her with an illusion.
[Recall that Eren was not there for Bertholdt and Armin, nor is he aware that the world replaced him with an illusion only recently (dude was truly just standing there). He's never experienced anything like it with Aubrey, and it makes his heart seize with panic.]
This is bullshit.
[With that, he shoves past Armin into the darkness, but fuck. At least it's not a cell.]
Keep up if you want to follow.
[The room remains dark. They might not see that Eren has vanished, but he has.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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And, no. I don't know how to bring her back.
But there are things we can try.
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[Mari takes a slow, steadying breath. Yet again she reminds herself to be patient. She’s showed far too many of her cards as-is.]
[Reluctantly, she lets go of Aubrey’s hand. There’s no resistance; just a repetitive mumble, if even that.]
[Mari tries to look Armin in the eyes. For once, she’s searching.]
All right. What do we do?
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This world can be manipulated by our intentions. It may take a little practice at first. [Hell, he hasn't even had time to practice since the rainclouds...]
If we can visualize where we need to go, we might be able to reach Aubrey and Eren. A lot of that will depend on you, Mari.
no subject
[There’s no end to the compounding absurdity of this place, is there?]
[Allies they shall be. Albeit…]
Armin, there’s one more thing I should share with you first.
[Without further prelude:] If you’ll pardon my bluntness, I thought Eren was a predator. The Aubrey I knew was twelve, and he spoke of her very intently.
[Mari’s attention doesn’t leave Armin, but should either of them look at the Aubrey-illusion again, she will indeed be 12 years young; black hair topped with a little pink bow, skin unmarked. Faceless, too.]
Eren was trapped when I found him. I closed the gap.
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[At Mari's confession, he feels his stomach twist. Even so:]
I understand.
[It makes perfect sense, really. Eren can't be anything other than intense, and if she really thought Aubrey was a child - and, considering now that they are romantic - yes, it makes sense.
[Still, the image of his friend, ever reaching toward freedom, being slowly closed in on...Armin has to fight off a shudder.]
I can't say he'll be as gracious, but...You did what you felt you needed to. It's a misunderstanding we can work through.
[There's a pause, an impulse to defend Eren once again. But Armin doesn't actually believe in "good" or "bad" people, and he definitely doesn't believe that Eren fits either bill.
[God, he feels sick.]
Eren deserves his freedom. We shouldn't delay.
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[Mari catches the illusion, too, when Armin does. She doesn’t stay there. What kind of cruel world…?]
I know he won’t be gracious. [A grim statement, but resolved nonetheless. The least Mari can do now is free him—if only for Aubrey’s sake.]
[Without further delay, then.]
It was dark.
[And just like that, the lights die again.]
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What else can you remember?
[Armin thinks of the way titan flesh looks as it rapidly decays.]
There was steam. Probably a lot of it. Is that right?
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[Her brother’s imagination is leagues stronger. Maybe the world is particularly kind to ghosts.]
From the flesh. [And it was difficult to tell in the dark, but…] It may have come from him.]
[But surely most of it must have disappeared by now. And yet, undeterred by sealed bars—a thin trail, floating up from the abyss.]
[They must be right where Mari stood. Eren isn’t far, then.]
1/3
[Mari speaks again, and he recognizes the voice instantly.]
Bitch.
[His voice croaks, left hoarse and raw by the screaming. God. How long was he screaming? He launches himself onto his feet, fists yanking at the bars.]
Where is she? Don't fuck with me again. I'll tear your fucking throat--
2/4
[Armin's voice is both firm, gentle, and drenched in relief. Reaching out blindly, he finds Eren's hands, wrapped around the bars. He lays his own over them, thumbs stroking gently at whatever flesh he finds.]
It's alright. There's been a misunderstanding. Aubrey's okay.
3/4
[Eren can't hold back the relief in his own voice. He sounds young again, weak. Armin...]
Where is she?
4/4
It's okay. We'll find her.
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[So it is.]
[Everything Eren and Armin said lines up. It must be true, then. (…Give or take some… embellishments… from Eren.) And while Mari doesn’t know if that makes them good or safe people, exactly…]
[She plays, softly, a major chord. Maybe there was no trick to this, either; the bars in Eren’s hands drop to the floor, releasing him.]
1/2
Stop. I said there was a misunderstanding-- Eren, stop. This is Aubrey's friend, and she's going to help us. She didn't know.
2/2
[Finally, as he stills, save for a heaving chest, he manages to spit out a few words.]
What happened to her?
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[Aubrey and perhaps Armin might be certain of Eren’s humanity; Mari, less so. But the gambit worked (if such an impulsive, oddly sympathetic move could be considered strategic), at least in proving Armin’s intentions. From the sounds of it, he may as well be restraining a slobbering dog, not a friend.]
[Mari allows the silence, as Eren catches his breath. She owes him an apology. She leashes that, too, for now.]
We were just with her. [There’s no particular emotion in her voice.] The world replaced her with an illusion.
1/2
[Recall that Eren was not there for Bertholdt and Armin, nor is he aware that the world replaced him with an illusion only recently
(dude was truly just standing there). He's never experienced anything like it with Aubrey, and it makes his heart seize with panic.]This is bullshit.
[With that, he shoves past Armin into the darkness, but fuck. At least it's not a cell.]
Keep up if you want to follow.
[The room remains dark. They might not see that Eren has vanished, but he has.]
2/2
Eren!
[But it's too late. Always running off on his own. Reckless with a one-track mind; that's Eren Jaeger. Armin's heart mourns.
[Through will of his own, he conjures a small light, just bright enough to illuminate he and Mari's face.]
It's like I said...
Eren and Aubrey have more experience here than anyone.
[And they made a promise. A promise to stay together.
[These days, Armin can't see Eren making that promise for anyone else.]
She'll be safe with him.
[He's as assured of that as he sounds. They really are in love, aren't they?]