[ It shouldn't surprise Maruki that they've been spending as much time together as they have, but it does. It seems that unless someone else is actively courting Eren's attention, his natural gravitation returns him to Maruki's side.
He certainly isn't complaining – it's the most welcome relief after those weeks spent tearing himself apart while soothing everyone else. It's almost an honor, in fact. But a surprising one all the same.
To that end, Eren seemingly has nothing better to do tonight than to hang out with him, and Maruki is all too happy to oblige. He has Eren seated as the bar counter in the machiya kitchen, just as he was that first afternoon, but this time he's been made to watch Maruki cook up a storm.
It's different than cooking for Thermo. That's about quantity and efficiency. In his own kitchen, with familiar ingredients, Maruki can take his time to craft something truly delicious. Okonomiyaki is far from fancy, but it's not something he's been able to make for Eren before– in fact, there were shockingly few times that he cooked for his best friend at all anymore. They ate lunch together daily, so that took precedence, but still... It seems like a strange oversight.
He leans over the counter with a spoon of okonomiyaki sauce, holds it out for Eren to take. ]
Taste this, please. Tell me if it's too sweet. I can never get the ratios quite right, and since it's your first time having this, I want to be sure you like it.
[Maruki puts Eren at ease. That's why he spends so much time with him. It's an easy place to fall back into it.
[He's not the most reliable food critic, however. He'll eat basically anything, and all of it tastes better than anything he would have had back in his true reality. Maruki can really do no wrong.
[Still, he tastes the sauce.]
It is sweet. I don't know how it's supposed to taste though. I like it.
[ Maruki takes the spoon back, tries it himself. It is sweet, but– ]
So long as you like it, that's all that matters to me!
[ And then he's back to assembling the batter, beating the egg whites within an inch of their life to make up for the lack of nagaimo. Even taro would be nice, but beggars can't be choosers, he supposes...
He tucks the bowl into the crook of his arm as he whisks the eggs into a fervor and looks at Eren, cheery as anything. ]
You fed me long enough. Thanks for letting me finally repay the favor.
[ Maruki smiles, pleased, and stops to pour the eggs into the batter. He speaks as he turns to pull the leftover pork belly from the refrigerator and begins dicing it into little chunks. ]
I've always enjoyed cooking, but there's something truly special about doing it for others. Especially being able to make food from my reality! I've found time and time again that it's an easy way to connect to someone without needing to explain much...
[ The day that Eren brought the soldier's rations to Eyn Sof will always be firm in his memory. Even when the food was subpar, it was the sharing that mattered. He understood Eren better just from chewing that tough meat and flavorless bread. ]
[He gets it. Where he comes from, with the life he's lived, sharing food is the greatest love language there is. Giving someone something to eat off of your own plate was as good as giving them part of your life. People lived and died this way.
[Maybe it doesn't quite mean the same to Maruki, but still, Eren can see it from his perspective too. He thinks of people he cared for and the way the food they cooked tasted - like his mother's bread that he shared with Maruki. Maruki shared food with him too - strange snacks wrapped in plastic. Eren felt like he knew him a little better...
[He nods.]
If I already know what your food tastes like, I've forgotten. It's good we're doing this, then.
[It feels like some kind of promise is about to be made. Eren remembers another one. He made good on it, by the end. Even if that's what it comes to for he and Maruki, he wouldn't mind. It's a promise they can make. They have all the time in all the worlds.]
We will, then.
Just tell me what you want to do. I can't see myself saying no.
[ Maruki moves on to the absolute mountain of cabbage that needs to be shredded, eyes down on the cutting board to make sure he's uniform and precise, still smiling. ]
You should remind me how to take one. I liked having them.
[Meaning, yes, he absolutely wants to take a picture of Maruki in this outfit while he can, but it's not just that.
[They were memories you could hold. Pictures of Subaru and Mikasa are still hung up on the wall in he and Jean's bedroom. He took those photos himself. It matters...]
The ones I've seen have helped me to remember. If we're going to do everything, we should have photos of it for that reason, if nothing else.
[ Don't have to ask him twice. Maruki pulls the phone from his back pocket, pauses for a moment. There are so many photos of Eren on here, that will hopefully jog so many memories, but–
Now isn't the time. Later.
He opens up the camera app and leans over the counter to show Eren. ]
Tap this part of the screen with your finger and it'll take a picture. You can hold it upright or sideways, whatever you want.
[ And then he backs off, almost poses, but remembers–
Eren in Eyn Sof, waiting to capture him with his Polaroid in a candid moment.
So after a beat, he simply returns to cabbage slicing. ]
[Some found it funny that Eren put so much stock into an outdated camera, but he took his photos with care. They weren't particularly impressive - he was the definition of an amateur, but he really tried. He still does, tilting the phone this way and that, trying to tap the button at the right moment. He'd like to capture his friend just as he is, but even this type of camera can't do that. He tries to make the photo look nice, then. He forgets to talk - too focused.]
[ For a while, Maruki doesn't talk either. He lets Eren focus on snapping photo after photo as he moves about the kitchen. He isn't consciously trying to smile, but it's there anyway.
Eventually, though, he does speak. ]
It takes videos too. So you can watch them back later. I've got some funny ones I'll show you sometime.
[Eren tilts his head, still watching Maruki through the camera. He can see the video option labeled, so he switches over. He's filmed before on the same phone that he has now, but it's different, and he hasn't since he got back.]
Now it's on video.
I remember making these before. Only for communication.
[ Maruki glances up, grins at the phone pointed at him and waves. An awkward, dorky motion before he finishes incorporating the cabbage into the batter and moves to preheat the griddle pans. ]
Do you? I can't recall you doing that too often, but you must have. Maybe more before my time here...
[ Strange to think that there was a time before they knew one another. Or– well, no, maybe they did, and that meeting in dreams was just to jog their memory. Hard to tell. ]
Next time I come to the farm, I'll show you how to use your camera again. I think you'll like having the physical photos even more than this.
[ Maruki stills for a brief moment, sudden guilt pooling in his gut.
He'll cop to that later, though. Okonomiyaki batter pours into the pans and he keeps his eyes on them as he nods along. ]
That's a good point. The only things that are likely guaranteed to be safe are what you can hold in your hands.
[ He rubs at his jaw, eyes on the bubbling batter. ]
It's one of the reasons I knew you weren't gone, beyond just our promise. I went and looked through your things when I was the only one at the farm. Everything was still there.
[Eren's belongings are, indeed, just as he left them. That wouldn't be the first time someone left something behind and didn't return, though. Maruki must know that.
[He's been certain in their promise, and he has reason to be. Eren did return. On some level, that had to be intentional. He knows that their fight isn't done.
[But Eren knows he must have doubted, must have feared. He comforted himself with their word, with Eren's belongings - comforted others, too, but who helped carry that weight? Who carried him?
[Eren lowers the camera, tired of watching his friend through a lens. He lays the phone down flat on the table, though, he doesn't realize he hasn't stopped recording.]
[ Maruki looks back over his shoulder, brows drawn down. There's almost no one else he'd be honest with, but– ]
Of course I was afraid.
[ Quietly, plainly stated. There's not a single barb present. It wasn't Eren's fault that he left, and it certainly wasn't his fault that Maruki couldn't comfort himself with the same things he told everyone else. ]
I knew you'd return. But I was still afraid. Doesn't make sense, does it?
Edited (SpongeBob began kissing Obama, massaging one of his many holes. This got Shrek hard too, which caused his massive 24" cock to pop out of his pants.) 2024-10-08 01:02 (UTC)
[ It's not the first time that Maruki has thought Eren is a far better friend than he deserves. The level of understanding they've reached is unique to them. There are few who simply accept Maruki's neuroses, lightly challenge them simply by virtue of listening and validating. Maruki can count those who can do that on one hand, really, and one of those people isn't even here.
It's also not for the first time that he's wished Akira and Eren could meet. ]
That's exactly it. Thank you...
[ Gratitude isn't enough. He doesn't know what would be enough.
Eyes back on the pans, spatula gently testing the edges to see if they're ready to flip. ]
Can I be honest with you? [ It's rhetorical. ] I worried that something went wrong every night. It was such a helpless situation, it was driving me crazy.
[ If anyone, anyone will understand the unique lunacy of being toyed with by reality and being unable to toy with it back, it will be Eren. ]
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cooking for bestie !!
He certainly isn't complaining – it's the most welcome relief after those weeks spent tearing himself apart while soothing everyone else. It's almost an honor, in fact. But a surprising one all the same.
To that end, Eren seemingly has nothing better to do tonight than to hang out with him, and Maruki is all too happy to oblige. He has Eren seated as the bar counter in the machiya kitchen, just as he was that first afternoon, but this time he's been made to watch Maruki cook up a storm.
It's different than cooking for Thermo. That's about quantity and efficiency. In his own kitchen, with familiar ingredients, Maruki can take his time to craft something truly delicious. Okonomiyaki is far from fancy, but it's not something he's been able to make for Eren before– in fact, there were shockingly few times that he cooked for his best friend at all anymore. They ate lunch together daily, so that took precedence, but still... It seems like a strange oversight.
He leans over the counter with a spoon of okonomiyaki sauce, holds it out for Eren to take. ]
Taste this, please. Tell me if it's too sweet. I can never get the ratios quite right, and since it's your first time having this, I want to be sure you like it.
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[He's not the most reliable food critic, however. He'll eat basically anything, and all of it tastes better than anything he would have had back in his true reality. Maruki can really do no wrong.
[Still, he tastes the sauce.]
It is sweet. I don't know how it's supposed to taste though. I like it.
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So long as you like it, that's all that matters to me!
[ And then he's back to assembling the batter, beating the egg whites within an inch of their life to make up for the lack of nagaimo. Even taro would be nice, but beggars can't be choosers, he supposes...
He tucks the bowl into the crook of his arm as he whisks the eggs into a fervor and looks at Eren, cheery as anything. ]
You fed me long enough. Thanks for letting me finally repay the favor.
STOP I'M IN LOVE
[He's terribly fond.]
Anyone who rejects free food like this would be an idiot. Besides, you look like you're enjoying yourself.
HOUSEWIFE MARUKI REAL UNFORTUNATELY
I've always enjoyed cooking, but there's something truly special about doing it for others. Especially being able to make food from my reality! I've found time and time again that it's an easy way to connect to someone without needing to explain much...
[ The day that Eren brought the soldier's rations to Eyn Sof will always be firm in his memory. Even when the food was subpar, it was the sharing that mattered. He understood Eren better just from chewing that tough meat and flavorless bread. ]
You get it, right?
cw: food scarcity talk / starvation talk
[Maybe it doesn't quite mean the same to Maruki, but still, Eren can see it from his perspective too. He thinks of people he cared for and the way the food they cooked tasted - like his mother's bread that he shared with Maruki. Maruki shared food with him too - strange snacks wrapped in plastic. Eren felt like he knew him a little better...
[He nods.]
If I already know what your food tastes like, I've forgotten. It's good we're doing this, then.
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No, don't worry. You haven't forgotten. I don't think we ever did...?
[ That doesn't feel right. In fact, it's not just that; it feels outright wrong. Can it be true? The chopping stops entirely. Brows fully furrow.
Did he ever cook something from home for Eren? One homemade meal, ever?
He didn't.
Slowly, Maruki resumes his work, shaking his head. ]
I don't know why. That was stupid of me. If you were really gone forever, I'd regret not having done this. So...
[ He picks up the cutting board, pushes the meat into the batter and looks at Eren with a small smile. ]
We should make sure that when we do leave, it's without any regrets. We should do everything that we can together. Don't you think?
enjoy mappa baby eren where the va did not even try to sound young (second clip)
We will, then.
Just tell me what you want to do. I can't see myself saying no.
That reminds me of something, though.
(deep baby eren voice) holy shit!
Hm? What does it remind you of?
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[Meaning, yes, he absolutely wants to take a picture of Maruki in this outfit while he can, but it's not just that.
[They were memories you could hold. Pictures of Subaru and Mikasa are still hung up on the wall in he and Jean's bedroom. He took those photos himself. It matters...]
The ones I've seen have helped me to remember. If we're going to do everything, we should have photos of it for that reason, if nothing else.
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You're right. That's a great idea. Do you want me to show you now? You don't have your camera on you, but...
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Now isn't the time. Later.
He opens up the camera app and leans over the counter to show Eren. ]
Tap this part of the screen with your finger and it'll take a picture. You can hold it upright or sideways, whatever you want.
[ And then he backs off, almost poses, but remembers–
Eren in Eyn Sof, waiting to capture him with his Polaroid in a candid moment.
So after a beat, he simply returns to cabbage slicing. ]
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Eventually, though, he does speak. ]
It takes videos too. So you can watch them back later. I've got some funny ones I'll show you sometime.
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Now it's on video.
I remember making these before. Only for communication.
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Do you? I can't recall you doing that too often, but you must have. Maybe more before my time here...
[ Strange to think that there was a time before they knew one another. Or– well, no, maybe they did, and that meeting in dreams was just to jog their memory. Hard to tell. ]
Next time I come to the farm, I'll show you how to use your camera again. I think you'll like having the physical photos even more than this.
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I was thinking...
If that network we used to use isn't around anymore, then they could take away any photos you take on these phones too.
All the ones I took before are still on the walls. If I remember right...some were even during that war.
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He'll cop to that later, though. Okonomiyaki batter pours into the pans and he keeps his eyes on them as he nods along. ]
That's a good point. The only things that are likely guaranteed to be safe are what you can hold in your hands.
[ He rubs at his jaw, eyes on the bubbling batter. ]
It's one of the reasons I knew you weren't gone, beyond just our promise. I went and looked through your things when I was the only one at the farm. Everything was still there.
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[He's been certain in their promise, and he has reason to be. Eren did return. On some level, that had to be intentional. He knows that their fight isn't done.
[But Eren knows he must have doubted, must have feared. He comforted himself with their word, with Eren's belongings - comforted others, too, but who helped carry that weight? Who carried him?
[Eren lowers the camera, tired of watching his friend through a lens. He lays the phone down flat on the table, though, he doesn't realize he hasn't stopped recording.]
Were you afraid?
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Of course I was afraid.
[ Quietly, plainly stated. There's not a single barb present. It wasn't Eren's fault that he left, and it certainly wasn't his fault that Maruki couldn't comfort himself with the same things he told everyone else. ]
I knew you'd return. But I was still afraid. Doesn't make sense, does it?
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[Eren looks at his friend; just holds his gaze for a moment.]
I've lived it. More than once. Out of everything, it's what I remember the most.
[Eren's hand curls and uncurls over the countertop.]
I don't doubt that you trusted my promise, but you must have thought, at times, that something had gone wrong. How couldn't you?
If your mind ever told you that I wasn't coming back, then...
I understand.
when u use the word pans in a pans tag
It's also not for the first time that he's wished Akira and Eren could meet. ]
That's exactly it. Thank you...
[ Gratitude isn't enough. He doesn't know what would be enough.
Eyes back on the pans, spatula gently testing the edges to see if they're ready to flip. ]
Can I be honest with you? [ It's rhetorical. ] I worried that something went wrong every night. It was such a helpless situation, it was driving me crazy.
[ If anyone, anyone will understand the unique lunacy of being toyed with by reality and being unable to toy with it back, it will be Eren. ]
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CERTIFIED EREN DAD TAG
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literally this icon
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DELIBERATELY VAGUE DUE TO PENDING THREAD
hehe
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hehe feel free to skip ahead if you want :3c
oh I want
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god. muki de pochi.
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WE CAN SNACK WRAP UNLESS U HAVE MORE