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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[ If she hadn't just scooted in close against him, he'd think this was her trying to tell him she was uncomfortable with them huddling together. That would be quite a pickle since it's really too chilly for either of them to be without a blanket. Thankfully, that clearly isn't what's going on here.

Not so thankfully, that leads his mind to only one other possible conclusion. ]

...Don't tell me that you're saying we should share the bed?

[ He's trying so hard not to blush. So. Hard. ]

...???

Sh-share...??

The... b-bed...??

[It's okay, because her cheeks are red enough for the both of them. Seriously. How does he say what he just said without looking and feeling embarrassed?? What is wrong with him?!]

H-How was that the conclusion you drew from everything I said?!

[And, seriously, isn't she cute enough that he could at least pretend to be flustered??? Ugh, this guy!]

Because...! You keep saying the floor won't be comfortable enough when there's only one blanket, and it's too cold for either of us to be without it! What am I supposed to think you mean?

I'd rather take my chances in the cold, thank you very much!

[At this point she's really embarrassed herself, and she's just trying to save face. The second those words leave her mouth, she instantly regrets them.]

[ ... ]

Then it's a good thing I'm here to be sensible for you. And that I'm more than tough enough to handle a night of sleeping on the floor.

[That shut her down real quick. Part of her wishes he would've continued arguing, and the whole thing spiraled into some silly bickering contest instead. That would be easier to handle than not really knowing if he thought she meant that or not.

Truth is... she wants to be exactly where she is right now. Nowhere else. And not just because she's cold, but because she likes the person under this blanket. Even if he's kind of obnoxious sometimes.

She's silent for a moment before she finally speaks, feeling more than terrible and really embarrassed.]

I didn't... mean that.

[ And that follow-up is exactly why he didn't continue arguing.

Leia's had a rough day already. She's tired and emotionally strung out from losing her close friend. She's barely had anything to eat. She's flustered and not communicating well. And if he's honest, he's tired and a little cranky, too, and that remark had stung. The last thing that moment needed was an escalation.

Hearing her deflate and effectively apologize, Marui lets out a breath and any lingering tension he feels with it. ]

It's all right. Been a hard day, hasn't it? I understand that. Try and get some sleep. It might not fix what's wrong, but you'll have a rested mind to deal with it.

[Oh. That was... Amazingly sweet of him. She's no intention of muttering that out loud, of course, but even the warmth in his words is enough to grip her tightly within its grasp. And she had to wonder... why. Why the difficulty, why is he getting to her like this?

One thing is certain, his words deescalate the situation. Beneath it all, Leia is more grateful to him than she can put into words. And she's a journalist.

She nods, slowly. Looking up at him with an apologetic look.]

Mm. You're right... Sure feels like everything's finally catching up to me.

[As if his words opened a floodgate, that feeling of exhaustion sure starts to hit her pretty hard. She settles in, scooting against the pillow and... moving somehow closer to Marui.]

Are you gonna get some sleep soon?

Edited 2021-11-18 01:29 (UTC)

[ She doesn't really need to look at him like that. Like she hasn't already conveyed her regrets and been forgiven in turn. Doesn't need to and probably shouldn't, because it makes him want to...

He shifts himself to nestle into a comfortable spot next to her, ending up in a position where they seem to be leaning against each other, each holding the other up. He lets his eyes slip closed. ]

Don't worry about me. I can sleep whenever I want.

[ As if on cue, he yawns indulgently. ]

Talk in the morning. Goodnight...

Goodnight, Marui...

[She takes advantage of his eyes being closed to stare at him a little longer, even as she settles back against the wall. Funny, he can be a total pain in the ass, and there are times when she'd love to tape his mouth shut, but staring at him as sleep takes over... makes him look so gentle.

Did he fall asleep that fast? She doesn't wait to find out. Reluctantly, she tears her gaze away from him, worry settling in that if she falls asleep, if she takes her eyes off him, that he might be gone by morning.

... That he might get sent home next.

Pushing those fears aside, as best she can, she lets her eyes slip closed. She's not even remotely tired. How is she going to manage to sleep here at all? Her mind is plagued with thoughts of losing him, the awkwardness of being so close... and the weird fluttering in her chest. Against her better wishes, however, she remains still, focusing on her breathing bit by bit, until...

There's nothing more. In just a matter of minutes she's crashed completely- it really is like the weight of everything finally came crashing down on her. Only this time, she has some peace of mind. And he's beside her under this blanket.

Oblivious to the world, her body gradually seeks out his heat until she's fully leaning against his side, her head nestled against his shoulder as she drifts ever further into sleep.]

[ Marui is one of those infuriating people with the ability to fall asleep virtually on command. If he's comfortable enough to lie still, he can close his eyes and within a few minutes doze off. The floor may not be soft and fluffy like a bed, but they've got the pillow, the blanket, and each other's warmth, and the extra warmth under the blanket does a remarkable job of offsetting the unyielding surfaces they recline against on the comfort scale.

He isn't worried about things like whether one of them will disappear overnight or whether she's actually sleeping. He's content because there's cake in his stomach and his closest friend here is at his side. He dreams of a giant purple marshmallow that he bounces on like a trampoline, higher and higher until he escapes gravity. He flies over a pit of chocolate pudding full of gummy worms until he finds an open field of flowers. His captain, Yukimura, sits among them and hails him down to talk. He points out the different varieties and shares trivia about them that Marui immediately forgets despite his best intentions. But he does pick a few of the red ones; it's his favorite color, after all, and flowers make nice gifts.

Under the blanket, in his right hand, a single red rose from his dream manifests itself. ]

Edited 2021-11-18 05:55 (UTC)

[Morning comes all too soon, and Leia finds herself stirring gently against something. Barely, at first, as if her body would rather not awaken and remain encased in the protective warmth she finds herself in. She half nuzzles her face against something- it's a shoulder, mutters something incoherent as she tries to shift and curl into the body beside her. Slowly she begins to realize how firm and heated this object is, and her eyes reluctantly crack open, her head turning to see what she's been trying to burrow into.

By now her hair is a mess, wildly framing her face, and her tired eyes are staring at someone beside her trying to focus. Like she's forgotten where she is.

Oh. Right. As Marui comes into view, her face far closer to his than she intended to be, she feels a sudden jolt of panic shoot straight through her, her eyes going wide. She had sure been cuddling against him. And her face turns pitch red as she stares at his sleeping face.

She resists the kneejerk reaction to scream and toss him. Because it's only a fleeting reaction that quickly dissipates, though her heart racing is another matter. That doesn't subside. Instead she finds herself staring, confused and in shock that she's found herself so close to him.

And really doesn't want to leave his side.

His sleeping face is somehow more peaceful than she remembered last night, as if he's having, or had, a pleasant dream. And she thinks he looks... handsome. The urge to remove herself from this position she's found herself in quickly melts away. And she smiles to herself at how adorable that sleeping face of his is.

Before she realizes it, her hand, still warm, snakes up from the blanket and her fingers slowly brush across his cheek, pushing some of his hair back. And she finds herself doing it again, a small, fond smile playing across her lips, completely unable to help herself.]

[ Oblivious to Leia's stirring and the call of morning, Marui slumbers on, his breathing deep and steady. His subconscious registers feather-light touch on his cheek, causing a small smile of pleasure and a soft moan. ]

Mmmtickles... [ he mumbles, and stirs a little, instinctively turning inward toward that touch and sliding right back into sleep, never having fully woken. ]

[Cute as his reaction is, Leia's hand recoils at the sound of his voice, utterly mortified to find herself stroking his cheek. Her sleep-addled brain not fully aware of what her hand had been doing, but she slowly slips it back beneath the blanket, as if any sudden stirring might draw attention to what she'd been doing.

And she sure wouldn't have any explanation for that.

Her body goes completely stiff, her mind racing as she tries to play back the moment she woke up to now, trying to decipher her actions. She casts a tentative glance at his sleeping face once more, as if to confirm he had no idea what she just did, but the relief is fleeting. Because it doesn't change the fact that she did it. Or why she possibly would do it. It was a simple caress of his cheek, and yet she can't discern what possessed her to do such a thing. Or why her heart is beating harder than it should when she looks at him, nor the light-headedness that seems to overtake her.

There is one explanation, because what she's feeling isn't foreign to her, but it doesn't seem right. Doesn't seem possible. Because she's only felt this way around Jude. Feeling this way for someone else has never been a possibility she's considered. In fact, it's a little scary. Because she's convinced herself Jude is all she'd ever need, or want. Even if things could never be that way. As long as she could be near Jude, seeing him happy, she'd be happy. Her career took up so much of her time back home that it made it difficult to really seek out more anyway.

However, there's really no mistaking what she's feeling for Marui. And it feels like she's betraying Jude in the process.

She bites her bottom lip, more than a little upset with herself. Then she looks back over at Marui's sleeping face, his gentle expression, and gives him a bittersweet smile.]

[ Barring a disturbance, Marui will sleep on Leia a while longer still. When he finally does stir, he moans and enjoys a big yawn before sleepily opening his eyes and shifting just enough meet Leia's. He's probably too content here in spite of how stiff he feels in a few places from sleeping on bare hardwood. The smile he gives her is a little dopey, and there's definitely a piece of hair in the back that's sticking up wrong. ]

Morning... Been awake long?

[She feels him begin to stir, disrupting her thoughts, and she makes a huge mistake of looking at him and seeing that smile, which catches her off guard. She's not sure if she heard everything he said.]

Hm?

[Then, misunderstanding the question, and worried he somehow knew what she did, she responds a little too loudly.]

N-No!! Everything's fine! I just woke up!

[ Her volume is a bit startling. Marui's smile drops for utter confusion over what's gotten her worked up. It's so early to be this flustered...!

Unfortunately, being half-asleep still himself, he is simply not equipped to try to make sense of why. He blinks. ]

Huh? Did something happen?

[ Not that she isn't perfectly adorable, but he's a little lost. ]

[It's fine, no one is usually equipped to handle her particular brand most of the time. Still, it is too early to be flustered, and yet, here she is. But he couldn't possibly know she did anything?? He was totally sleeping!]

N-Not at all! Why do you think something happened??

[That's when she notices his hair just... sticking straight up. In fact, it's kind of distracting.]

--Oh, here...

[Before he can even comment on anything else she said, her hand reaches out to smooth it down. Once fixed, she retracts her hand and smiles.]

Now you look less goofy.

[ YOU ARE ACTING VERY SUS, LEIA...

Not that Marui is worried. It's just weird? But it's okay; he doesn't mind. In fact, he's just about to shrug it off when she changes gears on him and there's her hand reaching over.

He goes stone still as he feels her hand petting over a spot of his head, and the spring of his hair resisting her taming for the first couple of attempts. A light blush colors his cheeks, partly from being caught with his hair out of place and partly because her hand feels nice. ]

Th... Thanks. [ He says, at an uncharacteristic loss for words in the immediate aftermath. But you know, if she can do that for him-- ]

Here-- yours, too.

[ He threads his fingers through the hair framing her face, the blush never quite leaving his face. And while it's easy enough to see how to shape it, what really has his attention is how soft it feels between his fingers. ]

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