besideyou: (d.s. alla coda)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 12:08 am (UTC)(link)

Very sorry about that!

[Goodness, the staff here are bizarre. Faceless, for one, and hardly conversational. But there’s no point nagging dead ends, and Mari might as well turn her attention back to the people waiting for her. She’ll make their food herself if she has to.]

[Pink girl isn’t facing her, but doesn’t seem too upset anymore. (She is, unbeknownst to Mari, staring very intently at her hands, and deliberately not moving.) Back to business, then.]

[With a smile to the young man, then:] Have you decided what you’d like to order?

besideyou: (Default)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 01:13 am (UTC)(link)

Aubrey?

[It may be quiet, but Mari’s brother is very soft indeed; she’s used to reading lips. Moreover, it’s silent enough in here to hear a pen drop. Which it does, when the realization clicks.

[The hair. The bow. The… reaction, somehow. Certainly not quite the Aubrey who Mari knows, but—

[She chokes back a sob, and Mari would recognize that anywhere.]

Aubrey…

headhooligan: (09A i have no chill and i must scream)

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[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-10-18 01:14 am (UTC)(link)

“It’s okay. I’m here now.”

[Mari kneels down beside the table, and Aubrey just crumbles. She can’t quite bring herself to turn, but she doesn’t cover her face, either; it’s her, it’s her, it’s her. Mari’s talking to her in that soft, gentle voice she hasn’t heard in so long, and it makes her want to wail like a baby. If Armin wasn’t here, and if she had just a little less pride, she might as well.]

“You’ve gotten so big…!” [Aubrey can’t even be mad she’s being talked to like she is, well, still 12. Finally she turns her head, as Mari takes a strand of pink between her fingers; that scrap of dignity is on very, very thin ice.] “And you dyed your hair…! Told you pink would be cute on you.”

[Oh, hell with it. Aubrey throws herself at Mari in a hug, blubbering.] I missed you… so much....

besideyou: (dolore)

[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 01:14 am (UTC)(link)

[Mari hears this entirely the wrong way. Of course Aubrey misses her; seems lots of time has passed in this strange place, and she’s been stuck with that… whoever it was.

[It remains unvoiced for the moment, however. She sits back on the floor and lets Aubrey—older, it seems, but doubtlessly still Aubrey—fall into her, holding tight. Mari strokes her hair, brushing it with her fingers, and Aubrey cries harder. Poor girl....]

[Mari has many, many questions, but she’ll indulge this just a biiit longer. There’s no one around to see, anyway—except this person Aubrey’s with. And since Aubrey’s not exactly in talking shape, Mari addresses him directly, with an eternally grateful smile:]

Thank you for keeping her safe.

headhooligan: (07B actualgoddamnsmile.png)

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[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-10-18 01:15 am (UTC)(link)

[…Huh?]

[Aubrey leans back at that, albeit staying close. Part of her never wants to look away from Mari’s perfect, beautiful face again—but Mari is looking elsewhere, and Aubrey wipes her eyes and follows that gaze back up to Armin.]

O-oh, sorry… This is my friend Armin. Armin, Mari.

[She tears herself back as Mari offers Armin a handshake; Mari stands, while she’s at it, and when Aubrey helps her up, Aubrey keeps her hand held tight.]

[For once, things actually feel, truly and with no denial, like they could be okay.]

besideyou: (a due)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 01:41 am (UTC)(link)

You as well, Armin. [Mari has a small, pleasant smile around others as a default; as she takes Armin’s hand, it could not be more genuine. Her handshake is soft as the typical tone of her voice, but no less self-assured.]

You must know a lot about this place—both of you? [With a side glance to Aubrey, who nods. Mari doesn’t want to press her, however; Lord knows what she’s had to see out here. Armin looks capable, not to mention that… gear, of some sort? So Mari’s attention returns to him.]
   [Aubrey is stung, lightly, by this, but it’s sensible enough; Mari knows her, to some degree, and Armin is new. She figures she and Mari will have plenty of time to catch up later, and stays back for the moment. Gives her a chance to collect herself, too.]

[Mari continues:] And I don’t just mean this restaurant. [She takes a glance around; still empty as ever.] This isn’t a real Denny’s, is it?

headhooligan: (08A etc)

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[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-10-18 01:59 am (UTC)(link)

[Eren. Thus, the damper; Aubrey shares the sentiment about small talk. Sure, maybe that was another illusion like Armin said earlier, but…]

[Mari replies before that thought can spiral.]
“‘Dubious’? And what’s this about worlds?” [Her brow furrows, uncertain.] “I have some catching up to do, don’t I?”

[To say the least. Aubrey speaks up, finally, as she takes a chair from the nearest table:] Yeah, we’re in some sort of f— weird limbo, now. [Feels weird to swear with Mari in the room.] I don’t—

“Aubrey, don’t drag the chair on the floor.”

[Aubrey stops dragging the chair on the floor.]

—Anyway, none of us know why, exactly. We, ah…

[She trails off as Mari sits down. Come to think of it, nothing about the way Mari’s acting suggests she… knows. Damper number 2, it is....]

besideyou: (scherzo)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 02:00 am (UTC)(link)

[Mari rests her chin on her hands. She glances between Aubrey, who seems to deflate as she sits back down, and Armin.]

You… what…?

besideyou: (legato)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 02:32 am (UTC)(link)

[Bingo, Armin. “We might be dead.”]

[Mari remains none the wiser. She frowns as Armin speaks, both from the content of his words and because Aubrey has returned to staring at the table. Aubrey’s always been sensitive, her and Basil; Mari can’t imagine she’d be faring well here even without a stalker.]

[Her reply is to Armin, but she keeps watching Aubrey.] That… is rather distressing, yes. [Aubrey glances up, catches her; ducks her head, as if ashamed. Which only makes Mari more concerned, but…

[She turns to Armin as she continues, tone remaining serious.] I do hope this place is kind to you, wherever it is. You and Aaron both. [Ah, how to warn him without setting Aubrey off....] I’m sure you know there are some… rather unscrupulous characters, here.

headhooligan: (04A a’ight.)

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[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-10-18 03:08 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey is not looking at Armin, and nothing about his tone lets on who he might be thinking of. Independently, it’s not a connection Aubrey makes; she’s only ever seen Eren with herself (which, well), Armin (loaded) and, indirectly, Reiner (very loaded).

[Thus it sounds to her like Mari is hinting at yet another unknown, and a dangerous one at that. It has Aubrey sitting upright again—and, without noticing, rubbing down that ring-scar. Eren sounded so desperate....]

“Hmm. I’m glad you haven’t, then.” [Mari taps her fingers slightly, still laced below her chin. It’s as though she’s playing a little tune.] “You really should be careful—”

Who was it?

[Mari turns to her immediately, more surprised than anything.]

Sorry to interrupt, it’s just— Eren, our friend. We’re worried about him.

besideyou: (Default)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 04:08 am (UTC)(link)

[Armin successfully captures Mari’s attention, wholesale. He talks a bit too much for her to catch up with the subtext of “acquired taste,” and she’s left with the impression that, though their friend Eren is abrasive, he isn’t dangerous. “Green eyes” does catch Mari’s interest, but only for a moment’s eyebrow raise; besides, this Eren person is… a person. Did she even see more than one eye in the darkness, come to think of it?

[Anyway, Armin is kind, and he’s been looking after Aubrey. (Not something either have confirmed, but no denial, either; Mari’s assumption, once more, goes unchallenged.) Moreover…]

A good friend of Aubrey’s is a friend of mine. [Mari nods, confirming. She’s not particularly concerned about whether Aubrey catches on or not; Mari’s not trying to hide anything.] It sounds like he must get in trouble like this often… I’m sorry to hear you’ve been so worried. But I haven’t seen anyone matching that description, no.

headhooligan: (00B talking.)

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[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-10-18 04:09 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey feels like she’s being shafted, for some reason. It’s not that Armin’s saying anything false—well, mostly? The “meant to look after him” idea is… new, to say the least, but maybe he’s talking about that friend-responsibility. It’s not like Aubrey is eager to explain her new, er, tattoo, anyway… much as all this is delaying the inevitable.]

[So she keeps quiet. It’s good that Mari will give Eren the benefit of a doubt, if they do meet. Probably best that Armin introduced him, all things considered.

[Now if only all this talk got them any closer to where Eren is....]

besideyou: (dolente)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 04:35 am (UTC)(link)

[Right… Mari glances to Aubrey again for a second, concerned anew. (Say, is she wearing a ring? Considering everything else, Mari didn’t catch that until now.) Aubrey might be young, but she’s not stupid; she must know Mari wasn’t talking hypothetically about troublesome people.

[Still, she’s anxious about Eren. Mari can see it in that furrowed brow, the self-comforting hand motions. And the last thing Mari wants to do is dredge up… whatever terrible situation Armin got her out of.]

Armin, why don’t we talk outside—?

headhooligan: (00A ._.)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-10-18 04:36 am (UTC)(link)

No. I want to know, too.

[Aubrey stares forward, at nothing in particular, when that comes out. Now she’s definitely being kept in the dark. Why?]

“Aubrey, it’s not—”

[And now she’s annoyed.] I’m not twelve anymore. [She’s aware she sounds petulant, anyway.]

besideyou: (dal segno)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 04:37 am (UTC)(link)

[Mari turns to Armin again, shaking her head. Teenagers. It’s an affectionate, somewhat nostalgic exasparation. But surely Armin can tell she’s not keen to discuss this in front of Aubrey…?]

besideyou: (dolente)

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[personal profile] besideyou 2023-10-18 04:59 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey, for one, is very grateful for Armin’s backup. She doesn’t feel like getting mad at Mari… ever, really, but especially not today. He’ll get a grateful ‘thank you! fuck’s sake’ kind of look for that.]

[Mari doesn’t notice. She does not at all like that Armin is echoing that thing in the cel, right down to the warning about being alone. Maybe she should have regarded his defense more carefully.]

[Nonetheless, the frown is brief.] Of course. None taken, Armin; it is best to be informed.

Is there a particular reason you mentioned being alone, by the by?

“Just tell us who you saw.” [Aubrey butts in, potentially interrupting Armin.]

[Goodness. She’s never been one to hold her tongue, but something truly must have happened.] Aubrey. [There’s the slightest warning in Mari’s tone, not quite a scold but the promise of one.

[Immediately Aubrey turns away, folding her arms. Mari reminds herself to be patient. Whatever did turn her into this, never mind the usual teenage hormones, must be far more difficult to deal with than any temporary snippiness.]

[Back to Armin, then. Apologetic.] I believe the figure I saw wants to hurt Aubrey. Forgive me if I’m a bit hesitant with the details.

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