victorypose | [labyrinthium] IC inbox

[Aubrey and Eren (and occasionally Atsushi) have been practicing with dulled blades, but somehow Eren doesn't really think about bringing wooden daggers to practice with Subaru. Maybe he finds him capable, or maybe he just isn't using his head; regardless, by the time they take a break, Eren has a few superficial cuts on his hands; one on his face, across the nose. The cuts are bleeding, but he doesn't seem to care.

[Sitting down, he kicks his bag in Subaru's direction.]

There's a lunch in there for you. If you don't want it all bloody, you gotta get it yourself.

[A simple lunch; just dried meat, cheese, some fruit, some bread. Standard stuff. He brings one to Aubrey every day.

[He still isn't himself. Practice halted, his voice and eyes are dull; but he's here, and he's awake, and he's doing something - what more can you ask, really. He rests his arms over his knees and hangs his head, looking tired.]

Hey. Have you been eating enough?

[Eren gives Subaru a good several hours to gather advice from the masses. Although his future still weighs heavily on him (a gross understatement), and although his personality still isn't back to it's old ways, he's been in a relatively...content mood the last few days. As it turns out, relying on the people who love you doesn't always turn out so badly. Subaru's contributed too. Eren trusts him without much time to bank that on, but just as steadfastly all the same. It feels good to be with him - to be somewhere else, with someone other, who understands, but never can in the way that those Eren hurt do.

[Aside from that, Subaru is cute, and a massive dork - genuine in some ways, with a mask that's gotten easy to break through. His network post was beyond charming. Eren revels in the feeling of taunting him.

[And again, there is that nagging fear of rejection. Eren doesn't want to be turned away, but the threat of that mournful pain makes his adrenaline race with new, more pleasant dread. He doesn't let it show. He can be the confident one when it comes to this sort of thing.

[He keeps his expression even. It isn't hard; he still feels dull, muted, above anything else. He knocks on the door, lunch in hand for Subaru. Business as usual.]

((ooc: continued from here))

[Omori peers into the hole, small body leaning precariously over the edge. Pieces of the floor crumble and fall inside, the void growing. Omori steps back a couple of steps, still watching the hole.

[He turns to face Subaru. There's a noose around Omori's neck. The rope stretches up, up, up to the ceiling...]

Pick a letter.

[ As much as it pains Jean to let Eren go off on his own, he's full of grief and rage borne of losing Mikasa. It's not possible for Jean to be at his side every moment - he has other people he needs to take care of, to watch over. He knows there are people Eren needs to take care of as well.

Which is why the sight of Subaru outside the cottage door, without Eren, is strange but doesn't immediately alarm Jean as he lands nearby, using the directional gear both he and his partners have. Maybe he's looking for Eren? ]

Subaru, right?

[ He calls it out as he approaches. They haven't formally met, ships passing in the dark night that is Eren Jaeger, but Eren has talked about his other partners enough that he's fairly sure it's Subaru at the door. ]

Everything okay?

[ His voice is tilted with concern, looking over the other teen for any signs of injury or blood. ]

[ As promised, after a late afternoon spent hiking Starlight Cliff with Eren to take some photos, Maruki is once again making himself at home at the cottage. It's been a while – definitely since the pre-Green Knight days – and it's strange to see someone else besides Eren and Jean (pour one out for Mikasa) around.

Not unwelcome, though.

They're nearly done with dinner and Maruki's legs still ache. Despite the hike being his idea, and his persistent enthusiasm for it all throughout, he simply still isn't an outdoorsy kind of guy... He's doing his best to change that because His Girlfriend Refuses To Get A House but it's slow going.

He stretches them out beneath the table for the umpteenth time this evening, groans like the old man he is. Both elbows propped up on the table now that he's finished with his food, he pillows his chin on his hands and grins at Subaru. ]

So, are you glad you moved in, Subaru-kun? I mean, outside of getting to enjoy the best cooking in Somnius nightly... aside from my own, of course!

[ It's clearly extremely good for Eren that Subaru is here now, but he wants to hear it from the horse's mouths. Forgive him for asking such a Dad Question. ]

[Even when they're apart, Eren can't go more than a few minutes without talking to him. He hadn't quite warmed to his phone again since returning, but now, he's glued to it. He keeps alert of it all the time, no matter who he's with. It isn't just that he wants to make sure Subaru is still there - really, at this point, it isn't that at all.

[He may come, and he may go, and everything about this reality is temporary, just waiting to be destroyed. Eren will destroy he and Subaru too, so why fret that he may wake up and find him gone again? He sticks close because he loves him, because he wants him, because, despite everything, he's glad to have him close again.

[He was lying when he said he never wanted to see his face again.]

Are you still sleeping? You wouldn't let me go this morning. You were like that before too.

CHRISTENING? lmkkkk if this works or if smth needs changed

text; un: eren (cw: eating topics)