I should be honest with you… a lot of— [Pause, glance back. Sunny’s door is still shut, of course.
[Drawbridge creaking.] …A lot of what I told you, when we were fighting… I’ve said it to Sunny. Or it was meant for Sunny, or. [Abrupt muffled noise. Shoe caught a snag.]
Point is, it includes training. That was stupid of me. I’m sorry.
[Thing is, Aubrey didn’t know it bothered her, either. Not really. She can’t even get mad at the “lost it;” it’s true.
[Another pause, ostensibly for movement. Her house is darker than it was before it had electricity; only that one window really lets light in. It feels like a cage.]
I don’t… know where to start. [Quiet, uncertain.] I’ve never…
[Motion in the dark; she cuts off sharp.
[But there’s nothing there. Must’ve been a shadow.]
That time you rushed me… I want to say no hard feelings. I do. [Is that fair?] And I can tell you weren’t— I mean, is that normal?
[Losing it, she means. Attacking a friend for no reason. Because something else makes you feel like a cornered animal, and that person is an easy target.
[Doesn’t think to clarify, though.]
[Eren wouldn’t have hurt her. That’s more than Aubrey can say for herself. Actually, he could have struck back at any point, couldn’t he? When she lost it, in the dream, long before…
[And Eren’s trying.]
Hey, it’s…
[No, it’s really not. She wishes this talk were in person. Reaching for his hand would say more.]
[She’s deflecting a little with that comment, yeah. Felt stupid to clarify after he apologized so much. Maybe she’ll bring it up another time, but the air feels just a bit lighter, and Aubrey just wants to breathe.]
And hanging out, yeah? [Tries to make that sound casual. Eren remembers every word....] If you’re free.
[imagine using modern slang and not groking The Eren Jaeger Connotations]
Oh. [Pleasant surprise!] Uh, I’m… I can be around whenever, really. [Sunny-dependent. But he doesn’t need her to dote 24/7, and she always leaves a note....]
Yeah. [How...do friends meet up to hang out, again? Usually he already has something to do, and what...Aubrey and he do is sword training, which...he kind of threw a whole tantrum about in that shared dream.
[But—and maybe it’s wishful thinking, or projection or what have you—Eren sounds… almost excited? So Aubrey doesn’t waste a second.
[Their training spot has suffered some from the overgrowth (where hasn’t?) but somehow not as much as expected. Maybe the dream skewed Aubrey’s expectations a bit. In any case, she’s looking less disheveled than she has in a while, though she left her contacts in the dark.
[It’s just good to be out of the house, and for once it’s not an errand run. Well away from the confusion of town, too. And it’s not a training session, either, but she brought her swords—plural. Something to clear the spot.]
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voice; un: eren
That and others. I guess we shouldn't be surprised, but I've never heard of something like this happening.
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[Woof. That spark of alertness just took a nosedive, at least on Aubrey’s end. Eren sounds like he never had it at all.
[Then again, considering…]
How much do you remember? [Tentative, now.]
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Every word.
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[ … ]
[Yeah.]
I should be honest with you… a lot of— [Pause, glance back. Sunny’s door is still shut, of course.
[Drawbridge creaking.] …A lot of what I told you, when we were fighting… I’ve said it to Sunny. Or it was meant for Sunny, or. [Abrupt muffled noise. Shoe caught a snag.]
Point is, it includes training. That was stupid of me. I’m sorry.
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[He's embarrassed. Wouldn't anyone be?]
I won't take back anything I said...
I don't have to repeat it either, though. [...] Are we alright, then?
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[He “figured.” Is that a brush-off? He did say it’d all come out somehow....
[Urgh. Embarrassing. Aubrey almost doesn’t want to follow up. But, more importantly:]
We’re alright, yeah. […] We’re friends. [If you really still want that.]
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We are.
[...]
I am sorry...for rushing you like that. I didn't realize it bothered you so much. That's a lame excuse, but it's true...
When you lost it too...before that, I told you you ought to talk to me...
You still can. If you want.
[...]
As it turns out...having people that understand isn't the worst thing in the world. Been learning that...
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[Thing is, Aubrey didn’t know it bothered her, either. Not really. She can’t even get mad at the “lost it;” it’s true.
[Another pause, ostensibly for movement. Her house is darker than it was before it had electricity; only that one window really lets light in. It feels like a cage.]
I don’t… know where to start. [Quiet, uncertain.] I’ve never…
[Motion in the dark; she cuts off sharp.
[But there’s nothing there. Must’ve been a shadow.]
That time you rushed me… I want to say no hard feelings. I do. [Is that fair?] And I can tell you weren’t— I mean, is that normal?
[Losing it, she means. Attacking a friend for no reason. Because something else makes you feel like a cornered animal, and that person is an easy target.
[Doesn’t think to clarify, though.]
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I wouldn’t have hurt you. [Weak.] The blade was dulled, so I just…
[She has to understand, doesn’t she? She did the same thing.]
Nothing…has been normal for me in a long time. Since I got here, the future’s just gotten worse and worse…
What I lived in the Labyrinth…was more horrible than I can describe.
[He’s glad she didn’t see it in his dream - or hasn’t yet.]
I wasn’t angry at you. I thought I could handle it…
[The next part feels embarrassing, but…]
Jean has…been trying to tell me when I need to quit. Go settle down somewhere…
I’ve been meditating and stuff like that too, but…
[He’s trying so hard. It all feels useless.]
I’m sorry…
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[Eren wouldn’t have hurt her. That’s more than Aubrey can say for herself. Actually, he could have struck back at any point, couldn’t he? When she lost it, in the dream, long before…
[And Eren’s trying.]
Hey, it’s…
[No, it’s really not. She wishes this talk were in person. Reaching for his hand would say more.]
…I forgive you. You’ve been dealing with a lot.
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It's not that I don't want you to know me...
[This is what it all comes down to, right?]
I just want you to know the me that's right here. [They aren't different people - not really - but...]
What happened...can't be all of me, so...
Just take what's left. You get it, don't you...?
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[Being someone different from the you of another timeframe—and yet still irrevocably you?]
Yeah. [Maybe the extent doesn’t matter.] I can get that.
[ … ]
Honestly, I want to get to know you. Always have.
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I want to know you too. [Badly...]
I don't take the things you've told me lightly, or...what you've done...
[She holds him when he cries.]
I want to help you too. I will. I'll try.
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[Is it… really that easy? They’ve both wanted the same thing, despite…?
[Aubrey’s done a lot to Eren. Wounded him. There’s that old gnaw, but she doesn’t want to waste time on it. He wants to help her.]
…Thanks, Eren. [She means it. Has to.] We’ll help each other… or, well. Try to.
That’s what friends do.
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[What if I told you you were both stupid.]Yeah. We will.
[He probably shouldn't push her to talk more about her current situation, though he wonders (worries, even)...]
I'll be checking up on you, then.
what if they / they met in the labyrinth and they were b / both stupid
[She’s deflecting a little with that comment, yeah. Felt stupid to clarify after he apologized so much. Maybe she’ll bring it up another time, but the air feels just a bit lighter, and Aubrey just wants to breathe.]
And hanging out, yeah? [Tries to make that sound casual. Eren remembers every word....] If you’re free.
[imagine using modern slang and not groking The Eren Jaeger Connotations]gag
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Oh. [Pleasant surprise!] Uh, I’m… I can be around whenever, really. [Sunny-dependent. But he doesn’t need her to dote 24/7, and she always leaves a note....]
Did… you want to meet later today? Somewhere?
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[Heh...]
Help me look for something.
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[Slight, perhaps, misinterpretation:] What’d you lose?
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I'm not looking for that, though.
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[ … ]
Is it… hard to find?
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[That tree didn't just belong to Eren.]
Just meet where we normally do in a few hours.
> action :3c
…All right. Meet you there.
[She has no idea what he’s talking about.]
[But—and maybe it’s wishful thinking, or projection or what have you—Eren sounds… almost excited? So Aubrey doesn’t waste a second.
[Their training spot has suffered some from the overgrowth (where hasn’t?) but somehow not as much as expected. Maybe the dream skewed Aubrey’s expectations a bit. In any case, she’s looking less disheveled than she has in a while, though she left her contacts in the dark.
[It’s just good to be out of the house, and for once it’s not an errand run. Well away from the confusion of town, too. And it’s not a training session, either, but she brought her swords—plural. Something to clear the spot.]
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