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[Another quiet sound. Eren presses his head up against Maruki's cheek. He can turn it upward to nip a few times.]
[Eren never realized how good it felt to have someone stroke them. He rubs his head against Maruki's cheek in a repetitive, smoothing motion, all with the grain of the feathers on his head.]
[ For a long while, Maruki lets Eren do that, nuzzling up against him again and again. Then– ]
I'm going to move us, okay?
[ He trusts that Eren trusts him.
He shuffles up on his knees, away from the wall of the windmill and over to the center of the bed they've made– not unlike a nest, he realizes now, funny as that is. Slowly, he maneuvers to lay down, then shifts onto his side.
Eren is still cradled protectively in his arms, but now Maruki can curl around him. He tucks his knees up, hunches his shoulders down, draws Eren in close against his heart and lets him tuck his head up beneath his chin.
A long, slow exhale once he's settled comfortably. ]
I like holding you like this.
I'm going to move us, okay?
[ He trusts that Eren trusts him.
He shuffles up on his knees, away from the wall of the windmill and over to the center of the bed they've made– not unlike a nest, he realizes now, funny as that is. Slowly, he maneuvers to lay down, then shifts onto his side.
Eren is still cradled protectively in his arms, but now Maruki can curl around him. He tucks his knees up, hunches his shoulders down, draws Eren in close against his heart and lets him tuck his head up beneath his chin.
A long, slow exhale once he's settled comfortably. ]
I like holding you like this.
[Eren is too big. He grew too fast. It isn't a matter of taking up too much space, but of crushing whatever's nearby. Even sleeping in bed beside someone, his body is stretched out long, toes dipping over the edges of beds.
[Not now. Eren is enveloped by a warm body. Maruki's scent is so familiar now. He sinks into it, hunkering down until he's made himself as small as possible. He lets out those soft little coos again. They feel like crying.]
[Not now. Eren is enveloped by a warm body. Maruki's scent is so familiar now. He sinks into it, hunkering down until he's made himself as small as possible. He lets out those soft little coos again. They feel like crying.]
[ Eren is small, soft, warm – Maruki knows how comforting it felt to be held in that way, so much more vulnerable than either of them could ever be as the men they are. It's a sacred thing, laying here together like this.
He strokes slowly over Eren's feathers, closes his eyes. ]
Just rest a while. My Eren.
[ Alongside those soft coos, he begins to hum. ]
He strokes slowly over Eren's feathers, closes his eyes. ]
Just rest a while. My Eren.
[ Alongside those soft coos, he begins to hum. ]
[It is vulnerable. Eren is more fragile than ever. There's only one voice that could belong to his Other, as soft as the mourning dove's melancholy song. Eren stretches out his body, pressing himself up flush against Maruki. He closes his eyes.
[He must fall asleep fast. He never hears Maruki reach the end of that song.]
[He must fall asleep fast. He never hears Maruki reach the end of that song.]
Thanks.
I'll see you when you come by, then.
I'll see you when you come by, then.
[ Just as promised – nearly threatened, really – after those weeks of seeing everyone through their bloody flower illness, Eren has made Maruki take a break.
The sun's just sunk below Lumindeas' horizon, twilight's darkening fingers crawling up over the massive crystalline ranges that surround the hot springs. Maruki's sunk all the way down to his chin despite the extreme temperatures, and he tips his head back to look up at the sky, trying to spot the first star peeking its way out.
Eren isn't far away, but Maruki doesn't look at him when he asks: ]
Do you know the constellations back in your reality?
The sun's just sunk below Lumindeas' horizon, twilight's darkening fingers crawling up over the massive crystalline ranges that surround the hot springs. Maruki's sunk all the way down to his chin despite the extreme temperatures, and he tips his head back to look up at the sky, trying to spot the first star peeking its way out.
Eren isn't far away, but Maruki doesn't look at him when he asks: ]
Do you know the constellations back in your reality?
[Eren prefers these hot springs over the bathhouse in Visium, he thinks. They're twice as hot - enough so that he can actually enjoy the difference without his preternatural body heat making it feel underwhelming. He's sunk down past his shoulders as well, and his eyes had been closed, but when Maruki asks about the constellations, they roll up to the sky.]
I do. They were what we used to navigate at night time.
I do. They were what we used to navigate at night time.
[Eren's head turns when Maruki swishes in his direction. He nods, chin dipping under the water.]
The island outside of the walls wasn't mapped out. Not well, at least. It definitely wouldn't have been ideal to get lost out there in the middle of the night, but if we did, we'd need to know how to get back to Wall Rose.
The island outside of the walls wasn't mapped out. Not well, at least. It definitely wouldn't have been ideal to get lost out there in the middle of the night, but if we did, we'd need to know how to get back to Wall Rose.
[ There's no denying how impressed Maruki looks, even in the darkening evening. ]
You're much smarter than you give yourself credit for, you know. Something like that is practically a lost science in my reality.
[ Legal note: This is not true whatsoever, but the player is extremely knowledgeable of and passionate about maritime studies, and Maruki Takuto from Persona 5 Royal is not at all. ]
You're much smarter than you give yourself credit for, you know. Something like that is practically a lost science in my reality.
[ Legal note: This is not true whatsoever, but the player is extremely knowledgeable of and passionate about maritime studies, and Maruki Takuto from Persona 5 Royal is not at all. ]
That makes sense. Those phones you have can send your location to anyone in the world, right? So, why would anyone use the stars to find where they're going?
[He turns his head back up, and it's a sky he still just barely recognizes.]
I wasn't very good at it. Armin had to help Jean and I study them.
As a cadet, we took classes on all sorts of things like that. I probably haven't even bothered mentioning the academic part of our training, have I?
[He turns his head back up, and it's a sky he still just barely recognizes.]
I wasn't very good at it. Armin had to help Jean and I study them.
As a cadet, we took classes on all sorts of things like that. I probably haven't even bothered mentioning the academic part of our training, have I?
[ While Eren's focused on the sky again, Maruki takes it as impetus to scoot closer. No one's really around at night, anyway... ]
No, you haven't. Tell me about it. It sounds fascinating.
No, you haven't. Tell me about it. It sounds fascinating.
It was really just like school. We took classes and had exams. We were even given grades. That's true for the physical skills, too, though...
[If Maruki moves closer, then Eren moves closer. That's just the way it works. It's the way it always has.]
We were taught how to navigate, survival skills. We learned about the titans' biology and behaviors. We took classes on military history and strategy. Things like that...
I didn't get great grades in academics. I still graduated in the top ten, though...
[It's rare for Eren to recall something so clearly, and with so many details, though his memory has marginally improved since his return. The military is important to him though. The Cadet Corps was important. The Scout Regiment was foundational.]
[If Maruki moves closer, then Eren moves closer. That's just the way it works. It's the way it always has.]
We were taught how to navigate, survival skills. We learned about the titans' biology and behaviors. We took classes on military history and strategy. Things like that...
I didn't get great grades in academics. I still graduated in the top ten, though...
[It's rare for Eren to recall something so clearly, and with so many details, though his memory has marginally improved since his return. The military is important to him though. The Cadet Corps was important. The Scout Regiment was foundational.]
Top ten? You brainiac...
[ Doesn't matter that Eren just said he didn't get good grades. He must have been alright, to achieve that rank. It couldn't have been that greatly weighted toward the physical skills.
They're right next to each other now, shoulder to shoulder, and Maruki leans into him without hesitation. Hot springs heat plus body heat is probably a bad idea, but he wants to be close. ]
Did you enjoy it, or was it a pain to have to do that sort of schoolwork when you just wanted to get out there?
[ Doesn't matter that Eren just said he didn't get good grades. He must have been alright, to achieve that rank. It couldn't have been that greatly weighted toward the physical skills.
They're right next to each other now, shoulder to shoulder, and Maruki leans into him without hesitation. Hot springs heat plus body heat is probably a bad idea, but he wants to be close. ]
Did you enjoy it, or was it a pain to have to do that sort of schoolwork when you just wanted to get out there?
[Eren nudges Maruki a bit beneath the water as he leans in.]
Because of my physical skills...
[He's really never thought of himself as very smart.]
I think I complained about the schoolwork right at the very beginning. Our superiors beat it out of us quick. The things we learned were a matter of life and death. More so than that...
I still believed I was going to save the world back then.
Because of my physical skills...
[He's really never thought of himself as very smart.]
I think I complained about the schoolwork right at the very beginning. Our superiors beat it out of us quick. The things we learned were a matter of life and death. More so than that...
I still believed I was going to save the world back then.
[ Ah, this is starting to tread down paths dangerous for the relaxation they're supposed to be finding over these few days. Maruki turns to face Eren fully, draws both hands out of the water, steam rising off them as he presses them to Eren's cheeks. ]
Hey.
[ He squishes inward, just a bit. ]
Back in your true reality, did you have a North Star?
Hey.
[ He squishes inward, just a bit. ]
Back in your true reality, did you have a North Star?
[Guess who got released from jail, went through the Okumura wringer and is ready to make it everyone's problem.]
I've reviewed all messages sent to me, including unhelpful and useless ones.
I assume nothing of note happened and the world is operating as normal.
I've reviewed all messages sent to me, including unhelpful and useless ones.
I assume nothing of note happened and the world is operating as normal.
Welcome back.
Powers are behaving strangely in Visium. That's all I've heard.
Powers are behaving strangely in Visium. That's all I've heard.
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