songerein | [CLOSED]

Entry tags:

[CLOSED]

Who: Marui and Leia
Which: Closed log
What: Dreamotion ability training followed by comfort and cuteness.
When: Afternoon and evening of Nov. 2nd
Where: Marui's treehouse
Warnings: None expected, will edit if needed

[ Marui's dreamotion abilities are not progressing well.

He isn't used to struggling with a new skill. He picks up on most things rather quickly. This, however, is quite simply a mystery. Maybe because it's so abstract? He's been able to do tennis and cakes with it like a true genius, but everything else has been a flop. The hot spring pool he made near his treehouse for bathing is uncomfortably small and shallow, and it occasionally mistakes itself for a geyser. His attempt to kill one of those giant termites with a bolt of lightning instead turned it into a particularly luminescent firefly. (On the upside, it's decided it lives with him and provides after-hours lighting around his house.) Bubble gum he'd thought for sure he could replicate as his supply dwindled to dangerously low levels, but the end result was too sticky to chew and popped while still in his mouth and that was great and interesting, perfect prank material, but not what he needed for everyday use.

He refuses to give up, though, especially in the aftermath of all that happened at that graveyard. He's determined to at least learn how to use it to protect himself and the people he cares for. And so now that he's given himself a one-day break to recover both physically and mentally from that ordeal, he's getting to work on that. Starting in the late morning outside his treehouse, he performs some warm-up stretches, rolls up his sleeves, and then... Well. This is about the part where he usually gets stuck. What should he try to do? In the end, what he most knows how to attack and defend with is still a tennis racket.

Well, no sense fixing what isn't broken. Time to invent some moves.

By the time lunch rolls around, Marui has worked up a decent appetite, and there is one thing and one thing alone that can satisfy him: cake. (Actually, some company would be nice too after spending all morning by himself, but hunger first.) Happily, cake conjuring is a dreamotion ability he's got down pat! He's even figured out how to conjure a platter for it to sit on now instead of the unfortunate (but admittedly hilarious) result of it splatting to the ground.

He takes a minute to imagine its shape, size, flavor, decorations, colors. It's easy with cake because he's seen, tasted, and baked so many. What would be really great right now is... yes. Perfect!

It's so real to him already-- the apple slices decorating the top; the warm and nutty aromas of maple, cinnamon, and pecan; how light and juicy it is inside with steaming apple pie filling between fluffy layers of spice cake! He's excited just thinking about it!

It feels like warm tingling at his fingertips. The cake realizes itself layer by layer, stacking higher and higher before disappearing inside a warm off-white encasement of frosting. Red-skinned apple slices radiate from the center on top in symmetry. Candied pecans line the base and accent the apple slices on top. An orange maple leaf pattern wraps around the side. ]

Yahoi! [ He cheers when it's done, and eagerly carves out a slice. ]

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[ For a hot second, Marui wonders if she's really talking about cake here. He hasn't forgotten how distracted she seemed when she first joined him.

He sends her an easy smile. ]

Come by anytime. Thanks for the cake-- I'll enjoy it.

And now that it's done... wait right there.

[ He cheats and steals one more bite of that cake before he hops away and up the ladder to his treehouse, disappearing inside for a few moments. When he comes back out, he's got a dark green hoodie that he tosses down at her. ]

There. Now you have to come back.

Edited 2021-11-07 17:09 (UTC)

[To be perfectly honest, she's not quite sure if she only just meant the cake practice. If he asked, she'd say it's just for the cake, but he did more than that. She felt so much better overall. But with the day winding down, and the chill in the air picking up, she should probably head home.

She takes the hoodie, grateful that the sunset hides the slight blush of pink across her cheeks, and smiles.

Now you have to come back.]

I could've made it home fine without it, but thanks! [she pulls it on over her wet clothes, immediately thankful she decided not to be stubborn accepting it.] I'll bring it back ASAP. See ya!

[With that, she waves and heads towards her house.

An empty house.]

[ Marui doesn't say a thing back to contest her assertion. It's bluster to save face and that's completely fine. He sees her off with a wave, wondering how time got away so fast once she showed up. Ugh, he's still covered in cake, too. He really needs a bath.

And dinner.

That bath is not going to be fun delayed any more than it already has been, but he's also starving. He scarfs down Leia's cake figuring that'll be enough to tide him over and gets in his hot spring which he is extremely reluctant to leave once in. Oh, how he misses indoor plumbing!

Once he's clean, he gets into a fresh set of warm clothes and settles inside for the night. He makes another cake, this time the pumpkin and salted caramel idea that Leia rejected earlier, and begins helping himself to it at the small table by the front window in his treehouse.

...Somehow, though, even though it was his own genius recipe, it's not quite as satisfying to eat. It's too quiet. That chill outside is starting to seep into the treehouse. Maybe he should go brave the cold and look around town for a group to join. Have a hazelnut hot chocolate at Dreambucks.

It won't help. That ache in his stomach is only partly hunger, the prickle of lost warmth only partly the temperature. He realizes for the first time that it's not his brothers' laughter that he hears reverberating in his mind.

He wishes she were still here. ]

[At some point on her way home, her steps slow considerably to where she's mindlessly dragging herself towards her intended destination. Some place that... she is dreading going back to. Milla is busy, as she should be. The Lord of Spirits never stops working, never slows down. It's nothing she can be faulted for. Actually, Leia admires that tenacity and strength. She wishes she could be like that all the time. Especially now... when the prospect of returning to an empty house has filled her with such dread that she can hardly keep moving forward. To come home to an empty house, once filled with Alvin griping over needing new clothes, chiding her for leaving her stuff strewn all over the house, the constant teasing and banter between them...

Gone.

She stopped walking at some point, standing there listless, in a daze recalling happier times earlier on during their little misadventure between worlds. The fact that he was initially cursed to turn into a frog never got old, remembering fondly all the frog memes she sent him back home over GHS. Without realizing it she cracks a small, sad smile- and a laugh that quickly turns into a choked sob. It's not just Alvin, it's that she misses everyone back home too. Her GHS, a gift from Alvin to remind her she's always connected to them, now a grim reminder that she's all alone. That pain in her heart reverberating in her chest. Hot tears sting her eyes and she leans back against a tree, cursing how weak and childish and how stupid she feels letting any of this get to her. It's not that they're in danger- everyone is safe back home. Not even realizing that she's gone. Here. And that thought only makes the tears flow down her cheeks. Because she is, here, and very much aware that they aren't.

She can't be this way, she's stronger than this, she just has to suck it up. There are things to do. But all those thoughts, all the self-encouragement, falls flat, nothing but faint echoes. In time, she'll be better. She always is but... right here, right now? She very much isn't okay.

Sinking to the ground, she pulls her knees up to her chest and wipes uselessly at her eyes, wetting the sleeve of Marui's hoodie. She doesn't want to go back home. Maybe she'll find another one, or maybe she will stay right where she is the rest of the night and cry her eyes out till there's nothing left upsetting her. Pity it doesn't work like that. Burying her face against her arms, she wishes she were back hours earlier, where she'd been having fun making cakes, even if half of it was an utter disaster. The failures, the teasing, the determination, the success... all of it had been exactly what she needed, yet here she is as if it could never come back. Whether Marui knew it or not, he really did cheer her up. If only it could have lasted...

Now you have to come back.

She tightens her grip around her knees when those words filter into her mind. Just something about them sounded so sincere. Actually, she really can't put her finger on it, but...

Without thinking, she's on her feet, marching back in the very direction she came from. Slowly, at first. One foot in front of the other. Uncertain. Then her seemingly aimless steps pick up speed, find a purpose, and before she knows it she's full on sprinting back towards his house.

Which is dumb. This is stupid. She shouldn't burden him. She doesn't want to. But she's moving despite the doubt seeping in, as if her legs are totally ignoring where her mind is at right now and following that beating in her chest instead. And every bit closer it pounds harder and harder, matching the rhythm of her steps until finally, somehow, she's at the foot of his treehouse and bounding carelessly up the steps before stopping in front of his door. And there's only the briefest of hesitation before...

She knocks.]

[ The sound of feet thundering up the stairs that wind around the tree trunk to his house raises his attention immediately. It slightly rattles the whole structure, including the cake plate on the table where about a third of his latest creation remains uneaten. Marui is out of his chair before the knock even happens, wondering who-- or what-- is possibly in such a rush to reach his door.

Braced for something serious simply from the urgency of that stair climb, he steps over to the door and opens it. ]

Leia...!

[ She's been crying, that much is immediately evident on her face. So there really had been something more going on before. Marui doesn't question why she's come back. With a look of concern, he moves out of the way and silently guides her inside with a hand at her back, then closes the door behind her. ]

[Now that she's here, she... doesn't know what to do or say, nor can she simply brush this off as a silly intrusion. Yeah, she didn't really stop and think about this, about what to say, how this looks. She kind of hates herself right now, to tell the truth. She's really put this guy through a lot lately.

Maybe she should've stayed by that tree.]

I...

[She keeps her back to him, because if she has to look at him and talk and see even a hint of disappointment or annoyance, she's not going to have the guts to give him any sort of explanation he rightfully deserves for disturbing him right now.]

Is... is it all right if I stay here for tonight? I'll stay on the floor, I don't need a blanket or anything, just-- O-Or if not, that's fine, too. I think I saw an empty treehouse nearby.

Don't be ridiculous. As if I'd send you to an empty treehouse.

[ The boldness of the request doesn't faze him in the least. She's visibly upset, she came to him for a reason, she's staying. He cuts two more slices from what remains of his cake onto saucers and holds one out for her to take. ]

If I'd known you'd be back so soon, I'd have saved more of this. It tastes better with company. Here, eat.

[Were it any other time, she'd take him up on that offer. She hasn't really eaten today. And she feels terrible having to turn him down, worse because she's convinced herself that if she's like this, he won't want her around. But she can't help it.

She only casts a side glance at the cake, still avoiding looking at him.]

Thanks... but. I'm... not really that hungry.

[Then, quietly, comes what she should have started with.]

I'm sorry for the intrusion.

[Honestly, she's just as confused as he is. Why didn't she just crawl into an empty treehouse and not burden anyone? Sure, she wants the company, but is it worth troubling someone about?]

[ Leia has been with him most of the second half of the day; he knows she hasn't really eaten. Her body needs energy. Marui is quiet for a moment, then sets the two slices on the table for later.

He sits down on the floor facing her, leaning his back against the wall. There's room for her to sit across from him or next to him, wherever she wants to be. ]

I don't have any use for formalities like that. You can save them for someone who feels intruded upon. I don't know why you came back, and how much of that you explain is up to you. I don't need a justification. You're where I most want you to be. As long as this is where you most want to be, too, that's all that matters.

[Where he most wants her to be...? She stands there completely still, chewing on those words, replaying what he says in her head over and over. For a moment she remains this way, like her mind is stuck in a sort of mental loop. What should she do? Suddenly having to decide whether she should stand or sit becomes too much, and she wavers in place. Until, finally, she approaches him, her footsteps gentle on the wooden floor, as if she's a ghost.

She takes her spot on the floor beside him. A good foot or so of space between them. This felt easier here. Sitting in front would only make her feel like she's on display. Sitting too far away, elsewhere, might come off like she's uncomfortable around him. So right next to him... this feels right. Somehow.

Quietly, she draws her knees to her chest- largely because she's cold, this position keeps the heat in, but also as a comfort mechanism. Holding her knees close, keeping warm, it almost feels like she's not alone.

Now, she knows bottling things up isn't healthy. And she doesn't, usually, but she just isn't sure what to say that doesn't make her sound silly. For now, though, she's content being physically close to someone, while she works up the nerve to speak.]

[ It turns out "later" doesn't last very long when the person is Marui and the thing saved for later is eating cake. He shifts just enough to reach those two saucers again. Leia's he sets on the floor close to her without a word of nagging. His own he starts to eat, his expression immediately melting into a smile as the confection hits his taste buds. ]

Mmh... it wasn't a joke, you know. It really is much better with company. But what I'm really craving is more of your chocolate pudding cake. Did you sneak something extra in there after all?

[Marui doesn't seem to want to let her dwell in silence, though. He places the cake beside her, and she glances at it, still not making a move for it. She really isn't that hungry. At least... not at the moment.

When he asks her if she snuck something extra in there, she shakes her head.]

I didn't want to screw it up. [finally, she looks over at him, at that goofy smile on his face, and tilts her head.] You really liked it that much?

[It seemed unbelievable. Is he trying to make her feel better, maybe?]

[ Sometimes silence is comfortable; sometimes it isn't. With the air so heavy, the evidence of tears so plain across her face, there's no way this silence could be comfortable left alone. It's a silence that would place an onus on her to make conversation, to either talk about this thing she may not want to talk about or to change the atmosphere by herself. That's a terrible burden to put on someone already going through a hard time. What else will she be able to think about but the thing that's eating at her?

Marui may not know why she's upset or how much she wants to confide, but he does know how to make a mood. He'll change this atmosphere so the silence is comfortable instead of awkward. Then, if she wants to talk, the floor will be hers. And if she doesn't, she'll be able to work through things in quiet without the weight of his expectations on her shoulders. ]

Weird, isn't it? I could definitely make something that would top it in a competition. [ He grins. ] But that's the one I can't get out of my mind. Maybe because it was from you.

[He succeeds, for sure. Because he's got her attention, and she's engaging him. Not that she's cast her worries aside, the ache still ever present in her heart. But his conversation does alleviate the heaviness in the air.]

From... me? [she asks, genuinely surprised to hear such a thing.] Why would that matter?

[To say something like that... It's sweet. But also confusing. And just like something else he's said to her today, she's not sure why it warms her to hear it.]

[ Fuck.

That was definitely a slip. It was a slip made all the less cool by the fact he didn't even realize what he'd slipped and suggested until she questioned him on it and forced him to have a small, dreadful epiphany.

There's just a bit more of a pause than usual in his reply, a moment of being taken so profoundly off-guard he does not know what to say, before he scoffs and grins and just plays it as normal as he can. ]

What, you don't think it's special to get presents? I love getting them. Especially food and sweets.

[Food and sweets as presents? That's... good to know. She tucks that away for later. If anything, it'd be nice to repay him for letting her stay- even if he says she doesn't have to, blah blah blah, she always likes repaying kindness with kindness.

She nods at his explanation.]

Oh. Yeah. That makes sense.

[There's a slight twinge in her heart, for whatever reason she can't fathom, and she forces a small smile.]

Maybe I can make you another one tomorrow?

[ The minute after accepting a cute girl's request to spend the night with you is, bar none, the worst time to suddenly realize you've got feelings for her.

Not that it changes anything. He still wouldn't want her anywhere else when she's this upset and in need of a friend. How did this happen, though, that's what he wants to know. How did it happen and how did he not realize it was happening? ]

Yeah! I'd like that-- hey, are you cold? Let me get a blanket.

[ He sets his dish aside and stands up, climbing halfway into the loft area at the back of the treehouse where his bed is. ]

O-okay... thanks.

[Though he's already up and heading to the loft area before she can finish. It seems abrupt, but she doesn't question it. Did she look cold? She definitely feels cold, but had been too distracted to really think about it. There's still the cake nearby her too, and she moves it aside so it'll be out of the way, for now. She's still working up an appetite.

And where as before she had trouble looking at him, now she can't help but watch his every move as he gets up and heads towards the loft.]

[ That? Gets his attention. She's definitely not okay. She's so not-okay that she isn't even denying that she's not okay. Come to think of it, she hadn't really protested the hoodie either. ]

Sure...

[ He pulls down the heavy quilt he's been sleeping under and, since Leia has already thoughtfully moved that dessert out of the way, gives one side of the quilt a light toss so it lands over her, then settles back down on the floor, pulling the other half over himself.

This was an error in judgment. That gap between them is letting in a draft. ]

[Quietly, she gathers her side of the quilt, pulling it up to her neck and getting comfortable. It's warmer already. And she doesn't seem to react to Marui sharing the other half. It is a chilly night, and the more she lets herself think about it, the colder she realizes that she actually is.

Except now... she's also realized she might have made Marui worry about her unnecessarily.

Taking a deep breath, she wipes at her eyes again, remnants of tears prickling the corners.]

My... best friend went back home.

[She begins, suddenly, finally ready to talk. She starts off simple, like she's introducing the topic.]

Edited 2021-11-08 04:23 (UTC)

[ From there, it almost makes too much sense. Because he knows if Jackal were here, he wouldn't be living in a treehouse by himself. ]

...You two were sharing a home. [ He speculates aloud.

That's why she didn't make it back to her place. She was grieving an absence she didn't want to be reminded of. ]

That's right. We'd actually been together for about eight months now, because we were in the Story Realm before coming here. Guess I just got used to him always being around. [she says with a faint smile.] Yesterday... he was supposed to teach me some dreamotion stuff, but he never came home. And when I checked the registry, he was gone.

[Tears start anew, and before they could fall this time, she's already wiping at her face. Like if she stops them now, maybe they'll stop forming.]

[ Just a little, Marui feels something cold in the pit of his stomach. Male best friend, living with each other, been together the last 8 months? If she means that like he thinks she does, it'd be good to know now. For both their sakes. ]

...I see. You must have been very close.

Edited 2021-11-09 02:47 (UTC)

[If... Marui appears a certain way, she doesn't notice. She's not really looking at anything. But what she does do is go silent for a few seconds, her mind already trailing off. Maybe he doesn't need to hear more than what she's already said. Her friend is gone. What more should be said? But she's been going over things in her head, trying to understand. And it all just... comes out.]

Mm. We've been through a lot together, but not... all of it was good. There was a time when I didn't talk to him for a while because of something he did. But he really helped me out after I moved into my own place back home. Even now, I... think he still kinda blames himself for what happened. He was really messed up. And not just because of what happened, he's been through a lot himself.

[She's naive and she knows it. She's always had a soft spot for people that were suffering, or had suffered. Alvin was no different. And while she didn't know everything about him, the little that she did was awful. She might've been angry with him for hurting her, but he wasn't in control of himself either. Fortunately, that's changed.]

Things are different now, at least. Actually, I'm still really impressed by how much he's changed. We both help each other out in our respective careers, and cheer each other on. He's become a perfectly respectable businessman and I couldn't be more proud. [it's the second time she's managed a smile tonight.] Of course, he is pushing thirty and still a philanderer, so he still needs some work.

[There's a tinge of amusement in her voice when she says that. He tries way too hard to be young and hip. And she'll forever tease him about it, but...

Talking about him this way, it's like some puzzle pieces have finally managed to slot together.]

... Guess the more I think about it, the more I realize it's pretty terrible of me to think he left by choice. I thought maybe I did something wrong, like I annoyed him, or said something stupid, teased him one too many times about how I hope he goes bald, or that he should settle down and find a wife instead of acting like some playboy.

[It had been a little selfish of her. She hugs her knees tightly, still staring ahead at nothing in particular.]

But I think... even with all of that. That even if I majorly ticked him off, he still would've told me goodbye, if he could.

[Her eyes sting again, but this kind of lifted the weight off her shoulders a little...]

Edited 2021-11-09 03:41 (UTC)

[ Marui listens quietly as Leia recounts her experiences with this companion. It's a lot. Some things he takes mental notes on:

-They knew each other not just from this "Story Realm" (whatever that was) but from a shared native world.
-Friend did something awful in said native world.
-Friend had Issues.
-This relationship is either Very Platonic or Very Questionable.
-Leia has been blaming herself for his departure.
-Leia is self-aware enough to recognize that mentality implies she doesn't esteem him to be as much of a friend as she claims, and that it's not right for her to do.
-Leia's choices for teasing subjects sure are a... thing.

With so much there, Marui certainly has his pick on what to hone in on. It's also not a contest what's jumping to the forefront of his mind to say back to her. ]

That's right: real friends don't leave over little things like that. Try and move forward with faith that this wasn't his choice either... It's the only way he's worth those tears you've been crying.

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