I think that it's best if we both stay

[ragingscoopaholic]

Who: Bunta Marui & Leia Rolando
Which: Log; closed
Where: Woods near residential.
What: December events: gumdrop, arguments, and competitive snowball fights.
Warnings: None, but will update if necessary!


[At some point she slipped into this quiet acceptance of their situation. What was supposed to be a few days of Marui crashing at her place until he found a house has somehow ended up with them now living together for an entire month. And she doesn't feel particularly inclined to upend the status quo. Though that doesn't make the situation any easier on her emotions. She is, sadly, used to pining for someone and keeping her true feelings to herself. It's a complicated situation, one that might cost her a great deal were she to ever find the courage to confess, and those thoughts are enough to keep her mouth shut.

If she had an inkling he felt anyway special towards her, she's somehow dismissed it with some excuse, or assumed she's reading too much into it. Marui is... sweet. And he's always surprising her with little gifts and sweets, only some of which she's asked for and most of which she's only briefly mentioned and he somehow took it upon himself to get for her. But she also does the same for him, as well as using other means to gauge his interest. Like wearing cute PJs around the house, with one in particular being a little revealing. But all that she's gotten from him were a few cracks and cheeky comments which have only proven her suspicions. That his actions could be reactions to both her gestures and him staying with her- like tokens of appreciation.

Admittedly, it's hard to decipher his actions when her own mind is a fierce storm of emotions. Were she to confess to him, she will be forfeiting any feelings she could potentially have for Jude. Which is something that still worries her, as if accepting that Jude's role in her life is more familial and platonic somehow diminishes his importance to her. She just never expected to fall for anyone else. More troubling is whether or not Marui would accept the complicated role that Jude plays in her life, if not then she would lose Marui entirely, and she's left with one-sided feelings that she'd have to eventually bury and move on from.

She jokes that she's trained herself long and hard in the art of unrequited love to be able to handle this, but the thought saddens her a little. Still, it's not enough to keep her down. If anything she's appeared entirely like her normal self around everyone. Marui's a fun roommate, even if he's occasionally obnoxious, and she enjoys his company. And that's all she can really ask for. More than anything, she doesn't want to lose that by forcing something that may not even be there.

Obvious complications aside, everything else is just fine.

All of it seems habitual now, no matter how they spend their day and what isn't said, they continue their now very domesticated lifestyle. The house is still somewhat bare, and with all the new shops opening up, and the seasonal chill in the air, it felt like an opportune time to go looking for some crystal powered appliances, clothes, and whatever else they could find for the house while enjoying the wintry scene outside. It's also the type of weather one could curl up together with someone. Even as they walk along the streets of the market she has fought the urge more than once to reach for his hand. Thankfully he's none the wiser else she'd probably never hear the end of his teasing.

It doesn't take long to pick up any last minute items they might have missed, cute decorations and the like, before they soon start heading back home with their modest haul. Between what they have now and dreamotion, there's almost a sense of convenience and normalcy returning to her life and for the first time since she arrived she's starting to actually feel a sense of belonging. Like this is a second home.

Is it okay to feel this way?

Suddenly she feels some icy water slip into her boot and she stops, wincing at the discomfort the sharp chill brings, and halting the bit of small talk they had going.]

Hold up a sec, I have to fix my shoe.

[Setting everything down, she kneels and notices her shoelace is completely untied, so she takes a moment to tie it and make sure it's secure, not really paying too much attention to her surroundings. When she's finished, she straightens up and looks around... noticing a certain someone is gone.]

Hm? Marui?

Comments

[volleygenius]

I dunno. Maybe we can drive it away to easier pickings.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Maybe? She thinks it over, staring at the now very frustrated slug continuing its chanting. She feels like if it were that easy, the little guy would've already left them for more likely targets.]

If you got any ideas, then I'm all ears.

[volleygenius]

It wants a fight, right? Let's try being sweet and mushy at each other. We'll make it sick.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Something heavy settles in the pit of her stomach. Right. Pretend to be 'sweet and mushy'? Yeah. Sure. Easy for him to suggest something like that. She's not so sure if she could manage something like that and come out completely unscathed.]

If being friendly and ignoring it isn't making it go away, how are you so sure that'll work?

[volleygenius]

I'm not. But I am sure I don't wanna fight you.

[ragingscoopaholic]

"Fight!"

[And yet it'd be so much easier for her to fight. Fake fight, anyway. Because nothing 'sweet' or 'mushy' she says would be fake... and that's the entire problem.]

So you're willing to embarrass yourself instead of pretending to get into a little argument?

[volleygenius]

Who said anything about embarrassing myself? [ He smiles warmly. ] But if you don't want to, we'll try a fake argument. It doesn't make a difference to me.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[So either he has no problem being insincere about those kinds of feelings, or...

Nah.

She takes the out.]

I vote we just give it what it wants since that's guaranteed to work.

[volleygenius]

[ Marui shrugs. He's less certain a fake argument is going to be any more effective-- is that really what it wants?-- but Leia seems uncomfortable with sweet and mushy, so that's out. ]

Ready when you are.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Marui should realize it's not a good idea to play around with feelings like that- or so she'd argue. But at least he settles on the easier topic.

All right. She's got this!

"Fight! Fight! Fight!!"

Meanwhile, the little slug continues to egg them on. And she takes a moment to think really hard about something that's argumentative, but not mean...

And, man, this is kind of hard??]

Hm. Now that I'm being put on the spot, this is a lot tougher than I thought it'd be...

[Then it comes to her.]

Oh, I know-- it really ticks me off how you can just live on cake back at home and not have to worry about calories!

[Yep. That sure is what she's going with.]

[volleygenius]

[ Well, Leia can't say she didn't ask for it. ]

Oh? Then, as often as you find yourself cold and dripping wet, I'm surprised you need to worry about calories either! You must use up five people's worth just keeping yourself warm.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Just as she's about to correct him saying it only happened once, she suddenly recalls the rain cloud incident after the cake exploded... and then as recently as a mere few minutes ago.

Fine. She did ask for this, yes. But it's still better than the alternative that he suggested.]

Speaking of surprises, with as inflated as your ego is, I can't believe you haven't floated away yet.

[volleygenius]

Well, someone has to be here to catch you every time you trip over yourself.

[ragingscoopaholic]

No, I'm pretty sure it's just because you're so dense.

[And he calls himself a genius? Pfft. As if. A genius would pick up on the hints she's been dropping.

Then again, maybe that's just it- he's really not interested at all.]

[volleygenius]

You're joking. I pick up on everything. Maybe you're mistaking me for a mirror.

[ What was that she was just saying about his ego? Shh... ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Did he just...

Did he just call her dense? Wow, he couldn't be more wrong. She's completely taken aback, and stumbles over her words.]

A wh- a mirror?? Excuse you, I'm a journalist, it's my job to pick up on clues! And I just so happen to be very good at it! Shame the same thing can't be said about you. Were things any more obvious, they'd bite you on the nose.

[Meanwhile, the tiny slug circles around them, almost gleefully, continuing its chant.]

[volleygenius]

Wanna know what's obvious? You have zero sense of self-awareness.

[ This is still about appeasing that noisy slug, isn't it? She seems to be faltering a little. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

Now who's the one looking into a mirror?

[If this is feeling more like a real argument than a fake one, that's because... it sure is. At least on her end. She's been guarding her feelings for a while now, all the while he's been- well, she has no idea, really. Is he toying with her? Has he been this whole time? His comments earlier have certainly made her think so with how casually he remarked fooling some slug into thinking he holds any affection towards her.

Her only experience has been crushing on Jude since they were little, and she sure thought things would've turned out differently. In actuality, she really has no experience with anyone reciprocating her feelings at all, much less having any for her.]

[volleygenius]

Still you. I've got plenty of that.

[ He knows how he feels. He knows why he's saying what he is. He knows this is why he didn't want to go this route. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

And where do you get off on making such baseless accusations in the first place?

[volleygenius]

Before you throw that at me, try and back your own.

[ragingscoopaholic]

I see you dodge questions as well as you do snowballs.

[volleygenius]

Sure. I can dodge anything.

[ Not even gonna deny it. ]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[She's officially tired of this, and that's mostly because she let a lot of her frustration get in the way. And at the end of it, the only thing that's clear is that her suspicions are probably right.

Signing heavily, she mutters while glaring at the slug.]

Keep it up and maybe you'll have a future as a politician too.

[Because for as hearty an argument as they seem to be having, the little red slug is still there.]

Ugh, forget it. This thing isn't going away. Maybe we can outrun it?

[volleygenius]

[ It's only a couple of moments before he lowers his voice and says challengingly. ]

Running away?