[Sunny is a deep sleeper. Aubrey opens the door slowly, as if that might make it quieter, and not all the way. She’s still rubbing crust from her eyes.]
Hey, Eren. He’s still out of it, so… [A hand extends to to take the food delivery.] Be right there.
[Aubrey’s doing great. She leaves the food by Sunny’s bed, along with a note as she usually does when headed out, and then Eren gets to see whose house the bridge connects to.
[A chunk of the overgrowth has been cut back, on Sunny’s side; the other half has only been cleared enough for a path. At this point the withered plants may be supporting the structure in their own right, as boards at either end have been pried to shreds; the midsection creaks and sways just from Aubrey’s brief crossing. She doesn’t seem to care.
[It takes some effort just to wrench her own door open, still tangled at the hinge. The ladder extending from the house also looks untouched; Aubrey scales down, real sword in tow, as if the uneven rungs are already second nature. (They were definitely not like this before.)
[She does, at least, look more awake when she stands before Eren.]
[She hasn't done anything wrong, he's just...worried about her; shit at showing it, apparently.
[He'd put his arms around her if he didn't think she'd shove him away. He's not the type to ask for something like it.]
[She went through something horrifying. He just wants to help. He's never been good at that.]
I can't make you tell me how you feel.
It'll come out eventually either way. [He's heard enough comrades, waking up in the night, screaming for their mothers as if they were still facing down titan maws.]
[She pauses, hand barely on a rung.] Yeah? [Glares over her shoulder.]
How do you think it’ll come out? [Like a slathering animal, intent on killing the nearest living thing? Aubrey remembers it in flashes. She’s tried not to.]
[Fine. Aubrey steps back from the tree. She hasn’t drawn her sword since before they reached the clinic. Started to, once or twice, when a stray noise or villager scared her on the travel back; but it’s never come out. It couldn’t. Sunny was right there....
[He’s sleeping now.]
[Without warning Aubrey swings, slashing sideways as if raking down a swarm of foxes. Blade hits blade, not skin; metal makes such a different sound than the dull thunk of wood. No hesitation; Aubrey draws back and lunges for his midsection. Her eyes are wide. She can’t let the enemy get close…]
[Eren knows grief, knows rage. It has to come out somehow, right? That's what he told her. Aubrey's eyes are wild. She doesn't hold back an ounce. Eren blocks each strike, jumping and dodging. He's never been the poster child for coping. If this is what Aubrey needs, fine.]
Hey, Aubrey. You might actually hurt me if you knew what you were doing.
[Part of her knows it’s Eren; sharpened instincts don’t care. She never did have to strike down a person in Sunny’s defense; maybe that’s her only respite. Each swing is more desperate than the last, harsher, less coordinated; just one blow, is the simple, easy objective, and she can’t do it.
[When she first picked up her bat, she bashed a bin to pieces. It felt good. Nails snagged, made it harder; made it better, the catharsis, but by then she didn’t need to as much anyway. Had other stuff to keep her busy.
[Lately it’s just been a sleepy boy and her own head. That’s been something.
[Eren taunts her, and she snarls back, wordless. It’s like she’s right back where they started, flailing and useless. This is why he wanted her to fight, isn’t it?
[She stabs for his face. That wasn’t in the training.]
[Eren isn't expecting the blade to come slashing toward his face. He stumbles back, ducking his head out of the way. The razor sharp blade still grazes his forehead. Awful lot of blood vessels in the face. Rusty red pours down his face. The dodge sent him to the ground. He glares up at Aubrey, blade still poised in front of him.]
[Disturbing fucking sight. Sunny’s face dripped red, too. So did the wolf’s—
[The wolf.
[She plunges the blade down, aimed for the skull, not caring where or if it hits. If Eren blocks right, it could easily skew crooked, hurting him or her or both or neither; Aubrey’s throwing her weight into it.]
[Eren is quick. His sword isn't at the right angle to block, but he uses it anyway, throwing it in the process. He rolls onto his back. If she keeps striking, he's at her mercy.
[She doesn’t stop. Eren rolls, dodges; she doesn’t stop.
[His voice comes through mid-swing. A deflection; the legs, not the chest. Aubrey lets go; whether the blade hits or not, it’s (now literally) out of her hands, and she staggers from the thrown weight.]
[This is his fault. The blade flies, embedding itself briefly into Eren's shins. When he staggers, the blade slips out and clatters to the ground. Fuck. He falls to his knees - pain - he rolls onto his hip.]
[Aubrey drops by his side, grabbing his leg, hands clawing, as if she’s going to gnaw on it. Doesn’t say anything, but she holds tight, as if the harder she squeezes the more the bleeding will stop. (It just might; she has that ability. But her mind’s far too frayed for any other effect.)]
[Eren tries to shift away from Aubrey when her hands clamp down, snarling and shoving himself away across the ground. He even goes so far as to kick his legs. Coincidentally, the bleeding stops, but the pain doesn't, and the wound doesn't go away.]
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all gud!
[She bangs her head on the windowsill.]
[Sunny is a deep sleeper. Aubrey opens the door slowly, as if that might make it quieter, and not all the way. She’s still rubbing crust from her eyes.]
Hey, Eren. He’s still out of it, so… [A hand extends to to take the food delivery.] Be right there.
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bridge liberties GO (lmk if you want changes)
[Aubrey’s doing great. She leaves the food by Sunny’s bed, along with a note as she usually does when headed out, and then Eren gets to see whose house the bridge connects to.
[A chunk of the overgrowth has been cut back, on Sunny’s side; the other half has only been cleared enough for a path. At this point the withered plants may be supporting the structure in their own right, as boards at either end have been pried to shreds; the midsection creaks and sways just from Aubrey’s brief crossing. She doesn’t seem to care.
[It takes some effort just to wrench her own door open, still tangled at the hinge. The ladder extending from the house also looks untouched; Aubrey scales down, real sword in tow, as if the uneven rungs are already second nature. (They were definitely not like this before.)
[She does, at least, look more awake when she stands before Eren.]
All right. Let’s go.
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[Something's not right. Probably a lot. Aubrey's his friend.]
What happened out there? [Training can wait.] You're shaken up. I can tell...
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I said we can g—
[Easy, there. Eren’s her friend. She won’t snap at her commander.
[Steeling her nerve; a quick nod back to Sunny’s house.] A lot happened. His arm’s mangled. But it’s– fine. [Insistent.] We’re safe now.
[Her hands haven’t left the hilt of her sword. It’s not drawn yet.]
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There's an important part of being a soldier. You have to cope once its over somehow.
Rely on your comrades. We faced the same hell.
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[It makes sense. Eren would know exactly what a shaken civilian looks like. Aubrey’s not fooling anyone.
[Annoys her more, though. She looks away.] I mean… shit, I’m fixing his house. [Who knows how long it’ll last.] Town’s all busted.
[What do you want me to do?] How are you coping?
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I'm on your side. Always.
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[Fists close around the sword. The bandages are gone now, but one palm still stings from the pressure.]
I don’t… know what you want me to say. [She feels like she’s done something wrong. It’s not Eren’s fault.]
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[He'd put his arms around her if he didn't think she'd shove him away. He's not the type to ask for something like it.]
[She went through something horrifying. He just wants to help. He's never been good at that.]
I can't make you tell me how you feel.
It'll come out eventually either way. [He's heard enough comrades, waking up in the night, screaming for their mothers as if they were still facing down titan maws.]
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[Aubrey thinks she’s either been sleeping like a rock or not at all. If anything’s come out… Sunny hasn’t told her.]
All right, well. [She draws her sword—notices, belatedly, she grabbed the real one. Curses under her breath.] Guess that’s one way.
[She turns abruptly, back to the ladder.] I’ll get the other one. Don’t want to hurt you....
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You spent two weeks using the real one. Come back.
[He's got his too. It's less deadly than an ODM blade, though he's also equipped with those. He has to be prepared for anything for the time being.
[He doesn't want Aubrey to hold back, but he will. He won't hurt her.]
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[She pauses, hand barely on a rung.] Yeah? [Glares over her shoulder.]
How do you think it’ll come out? [Like a slathering animal, intent on killing the nearest living thing? Aubrey remembers it in flashes. She’s tried not to.]
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[He prepares his blade in a guard stance.]
Try to land a strike. [He won't let her.]
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[ … ]
[Fine. Aubrey steps back from the tree. She hasn’t drawn her sword since before they reached the clinic. Started to, once or twice, when a stray noise or villager scared her on the travel back; but it’s never come out. It couldn’t. Sunny was right there....
[He’s sleeping now.]
[Without warning Aubrey swings, slashing sideways as if raking down a swarm of foxes. Blade hits blade, not skin; metal makes such a different sound than the dull thunk of wood. No hesitation; Aubrey draws back and lunges for his midsection. Her eyes are wide. She can’t let the enemy get close…]
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Hey, Aubrey. You might actually hurt me if you knew what you were doing.
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[Part of her knows it’s Eren; sharpened instincts don’t care. She never did have to strike down a person in Sunny’s defense; maybe that’s her only respite. Each swing is more desperate than the last, harsher, less coordinated; just one blow, is the simple, easy objective, and she can’t do it.
[When she first picked up her bat, she bashed a bin to pieces. It felt good. Nails snagged, made it harder; made it better, the catharsis, but by then she didn’t need to as much anyway. Had other stuff to keep her busy.
[Lately it’s just been a sleepy boy and her own head. That’s been something.
[Eren taunts her, and she snarls back, wordless. It’s like she’s right back where they started, flailing and useless. This is why he wanted her to fight, isn’t it?
[She stabs for his face. That wasn’t in the training.]
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Don't stop.
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[Disturbing fucking sight. Sunny’s face dripped red, too. So did the wolf’s—
[The wolf.
[She plunges the blade down, aimed for the skull, not caring where or if it hits. If Eren blocks right, it could easily skew crooked, hurting him or her or both or neither; Aubrey’s throwing her weight into it.]
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[Good. Finish it.
["So don’t you tell me that it doesn’t matter whether you want to die or not!"
[Eren rolls to the side, away from Aubrey, and up off the ground.]
That's enough! At ease!
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[She doesn’t stop. Eren rolls, dodges; she doesn’t stop.
[His voice comes through mid-swing. A deflection; the legs, not the chest. Aubrey lets go; whether the blade hits or not, it’s (now literally) out of her hands, and she staggers from the thrown weight.]
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Fuck. [That's a lot of blood.]
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[Eren is on the ground. She hurt him.
[Aubrey drops by his side, grabbing his leg, hands clawing, as if she’s going to gnaw on it. Doesn’t say anything, but she holds tight, as if the harder she squeezes the more the bleeding will stop. (It just might; she has that ability. But her mind’s far too frayed for any other effect.)]
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Hey! Back the fuck off! Just hold on!
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I am—! [He kicks her in the gut. Aubrey lets go, choking, but frantically grabs for him again.] Just— listen to me—!
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matching forlorn stares!
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