abandonhumanity | PSL / MEME CONTINUATION

[And so the tension dissipates further… It’s hard to find that a relief with Mikasa looking so utterly defeated. Aubrey barely knows her, but there’s a tug all the same. The way her face fell....]

Then… we feel the same. [Feel, judge, however. It’s an understanding, regardless.]

[Aubrey squeezes Eren’s hand again; smaller this time, softer. She nudges it Mikasa’s way, gives him a look. Come on. You can talk… He should know (in the same uncommunicated way that Mikasa “should” know) what Aubrey means.]

[Aubrey's hand is grounding in the same way that Mikasa's weight on his shoulder is; her in her gear, he in his Titan. She's so close to him now, and Aubrey is nudging his hand in her direction, just the same way she did with Armin just earlier today. Why is she so determined to bring them all together like this?

[Maybe there's some small part of him - very small - that's tempted to feel grateful.]

Mikasa.

[His voice is firm. It asks for her attention. She gives it, of course.]

Armin's filled you in, then. This world isn't like ours.

[She nods. Neither of them know exactly what he's trying to say.

["Forget that I said I hated you" maybe, or "I want to be friends while we're here, but I'm still going to destroy the world the second I get home". For fuck's sake.]

We're working together. [He can leave it at that.

[It'll be enough.]

[It's only enough for now. Mikasa can't share everything she and Armin talked about with Eren. She hates feeling like she has to tread carefully around him; she does.

[She hates it, God, she hates it.]

Then we're working together. You can agree to that?

Do you promise?

[Eren drops his hand from Aubrey's. He needs both to undo Mikasa's scarf and wrap it back around her the right way. He wears no expression as he does this, and he makes no promises. He doesn't have to.]

[Mikasa breathes. She nods. Tears brim in her eyes, but never quite overflow.]

Okay.

[There's some hesitation. She wants to linger in the way he tugs on her scarf forever. But then his hand it back in Aubrey's, and Mikasa is turning her attention that way too.

[She should be nice; never has known how to talk to other girls, though.]

Your hair's a pretty color. I've never seen anything like it before.

[…Sure, he doesn’t make a verbal promise. But Eren did swear he’d wrap that scarf around Mikasa as many times as she wanted, and here they are. Aubrey almost doesn’t realize his hand’s absence leaves hers cold until they’re back together.

[And, as though that simple act dissolved any remnants of animosity, collar-name be damned… a hair compliment. Aubrey’s face goes slightly pink, too, out of sheer surprise.]

Oh. Thanks. [She shrugs slightly.] It’s dyed.

[For a moment Aubrey considers complimenting the scarf, though it’s clearly a heavy subject....] I like your eyes. [Incidentally, she’s out of practice, too.]

[Mikasa's face goes slightly pink too. Her eyes? Really? She'd always thought them sort of plain...]

Dyed with ink?

[She's never heard of anything like that.]

[Actually?]

Good question.

[It occurs to Aubrey that everyone from Eren’s world could very well be assuming that pink hair is natural in hers. What a thought....]

I don’t really know what’s in it, but… yeah. [Her stray hand scratches at it loosely, suddenly self-conscious. Not like she doesn’t stand out back home, but this is… different. Small wonder it hasn’t worn off yet, actually.] It’s a whole process.

I… could probably show you both, actually? [Limbo-Mart, and all.] Can be whatever color you want, pretty much.

What’s the purpose? Just to look nice?

[He glances between both of them, the unspoken question being: “Do you care about that sort of thing?”]

[The question has her smiling, faintly.] Yeah. “Nice.” Or to be a rebel, I guess—but it’s definitely for the look.

[Eren’s… confusion, is it? is duly noted. Aubrey doesn’t expect a guy to get it, though.]

What’s rebellious about having pink hair?

[He’s taunting her, but it could be a legitimate question.]

Is it illegal where you’re from…?

Edited (Slightl clarification ) 2023-10-30 05:51 (UTC)

[The smile turns mischievous. Oh, they’re really out of their league, aren’t they?]

Nah, nothing illegal. It’s just—not a lot of people do it, colors like this. It sticks out.

And there’s a bunch of assumption crap attached—like, you must be a terrible person because you don’t conform, or it just makes you weird or whatever. [Sure, Aubrey doesn’t think she’s a great person, but this is unrelated.]

It’s refreshing that you guys haven’t been like that, honestly.

Seems like a stupid thing to make a moral judgment call on.

[Considering…]

[Mikasa’s voice is more appreciative; there’s a reverence to it. She’s looking at Aubrey’s hair.]

I barely even get to decide what I’m going to wear.

I’ve been cutting my hair short for years. I haven’t left much room to do anything special with it.

[A quick “you can say that again” nod in Eren’s direction.]

[Mikasa, meanwhile… Aubrey can’t hide it, that’s a sad revelation. Not even clothing?]

Wow. Maybe you can grow it out here? [It’s hard to tell if Aubrey’s has; she’d expect roots showing at least a little by now, but she also didn’t think the blood on her jacket would disappear with the next… place, session, whatever these jumps to full consciousness are. There must be some trick to it…] If you want to, that is.

This place is all about intention, I think. I’m not sure how far it works, but… [A quick point to her eye.] I used to have colored contacts. They’ve stayed off since I wanted them to be.

[To change the color of her eyes...? How could she have possibly managed that? Not the same ink, surely. It would be a struggle to keep the look of confusion off her face, so she doesn't try.

[It's still strange, standing here and talking as if everything happening - here, back at home, a marriage, a genocide - is completely normal. But...It's better than Eren running off again, or pushing her away, or telling her he hates her...

[Armin was right. Something about him feels different now - familiar, maybe. The Eren she knows lives inside; always has. It's only a glimmer, but...]

Do you have any idea how long you've been here...?

[Her voice is careful.]

Armin couldn't tell. As far as we know, there's no way to return - right?

Not yet.

[Eren keeps his voice as cold and even as a wall. Mikasa is drifting into dangerous territory, and he can tell by her expression that she knows that. The last thing he needs is to get into an argument about staying or leaving. He fears it will become a new horse to beat to death; a relative of the first one. Sometimes Eren doesn't know what he wants anymore.]

[“Yet” earns the slightest hint of a glare from Aubrey, but it doesn’t last. The longer they’re here the stranger going home would be—right? It would for her. And far as she’s aware, Eren still thinks everyone in his world deserves to die. It’s not a topic Aubrey feels like breaching again.]

No. [Belatedly she offers Mikasa her own answer.] People like you and Armin… show up, somehow. Same as we did. But if anyone here ever goes back, well… [Aubrey’s been taking for granted that she’ll see everyone again sooner or later. Her hold on Eren’s hand tightens somewhat.] …I guess it’s impossible to tell.

Is there anyone else here from home...?

Whose home…?

[With a glance at Eren (she almost takes his hand - hers moves in that direction, but...the gesture never quite comes to fruition):]

Our home.

Me and Armin. That's it.

[There's a pause. Eren's brow pinches slightly. He recalls Basil and looks at Aubrey.]

Unless you know something I don't.

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we love the lies tho

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