[ Chihaya's arms wrap around him with so much more force than her slight body betrays, fueled by such uncomplicated, incandescent joy–
And Maruki goes stock still for a moment.
It's the first time anyone has so much as touched him in– months. Akira's hand wrapped tight around his wrist and a fist bump from the back of a taxi the sum total of any affection he's received, and now–
Now, back in this world where he's loved freely, the first thing to happen to him is an embrace from someone who remembers him.
That changed heart cracks open at once, so much fresher and more fragile than before. Light spills out, fills up his whole chest, and he hears himself laughing as time unfreezes and his arms wrap around her back in kind, hugging her tight. ]
I am! I am. I'm back...
[ He's back.
They're still here.
He's home. ]
Hah, well... if you knew I was leaving, you must have known I'd return. Right?
[Maruki's laughter is so light. Her eyes are wide as she looks back at him, wonder and surprise lining her entire face. He truly has changed in some way while he was gone and her heart flutters in her chest to hear that happiness so unguarded.]
You're back in one piece.
[Relief fills her and she rests her head against his chest. Breathe in, breathe out.]
I did. I've been waiting for you. Do you know how long you have been gone?
[She'll give him some space soon. Right now however she wants to be selfish just a little longer.]
That does take a bit of the brightness away, worry seeping in through the cracks at the edges as he looks down at Chihaya nestled warm against his chest. Maruki doesn't make a move to let her go, or to step away; he holds her tight as his heartrate kicks right back up to its former frantic pace. ]
No, I don't. From my perspective, it was months, but...
[ But when Eren was gone for years, living out the remainder of his short life, it was only two weeks here. He doesn't know if the exchange rate on time remains constant, or if it's ever in flux, dependent on each of their cognitions or just a random whim of this reality at large. ]
Please, it wasn't long, was it? Is everyone still here?
Maruki's breath catches in his chest for a few more frantic heartbeats before finally releasing, his sigh both one of genuine relief and deliberate determination to calm himself down. A little over a week is more than enough time for Akechi to wreak havoc on an untold number of people, but it's not as bad as it could be.
Still, though– that time when Eren was gone will forever remain etched in his mind. When Chihaya says so genuinely that she missed him, he doesn't find himself thinking, but it was barely even two weeks. No, he understands how she feels. When one comes to rely on others in a reality as volatile as this, even a day or two without them can be frightening.
So he squeezes her tight, holding her steady, ready to step back into shoes he hadn't meant to leave. ]
I'm happy to see you too, Mifune, and... I'm sorry. [ Even so, he's smiling at her, warm in his apology. ] Even though you knew I would be leaving, I still didn't mean to do it so suddenly. It couldn't have been easy for you to deal with.
[Her voice is firm and eyes steady. No apologies. There is no world where Chihaya would blame the fickle whims of fate on him.]
No, it wasn't easy but it's not like you chose to leave when you did. I guess you were thrown back home?
[If she interpreted her reading correct back then, that is what happened right? She's heard from other people here that experienced the same thing or similar.]
I hope... I hope things are better, now.
[At that though she stops, eyes wide, and steps back from him. The space between them is cold and her heart aches dully. She ignores that twist in her chest and leaves her hands on his arms as she studies his body intently.]
You're not still hurt from anything, are you? You look fine...
[ Chihaya takes that step back, and Maruki laughs as they both reach to still hold onto one another. He drops his hands, lets her hang onto his arms, look him over as if trying to find grievous wounds, and shakes his head with a soft smile. ]
I'm perfectly fine! Really...
[ But he remembers her prediction. I'm afraid of whatever it is that is going to happen to you. He owes her a little more honesty, doesn't he?
One hand raises to rest on her arm in kind, squeezing lightly. ]
You were right about what the cards had in store for me. My mettle was tested, and it was... a difficult battle, to say the least. But I got through it, just as you knew I would.
[ The bruises faded, the scrapes healed over. He spent days feeling like he got the shit kicked out of him, because he did– but it passed. There's nothing to show for it but a mark he doesn't know is on the back of his neck. ]
[It's a good thing Maruki follows up with even a little more information, because the moment he says I'm perfectly fine! Chihaya purses her lips, brow furrowed as she pouts.
When he confirms her prediction, however, she smiles again.]
I'm so glad. Not that you suffered but that you got through.
[And he's home now. He's back. He's as safe as this reality can be for him. She can feel her shoulders relaxing, the tension slowly easing.
Maybe things really can be ok again.]
I know it must have been very personal but... if you're fine with it, I would like to know more.
[She's been ruminating over it, turning the card meanings over again and again, wondering what exactly was happening there. It only heightened the more she ran into trouble with everyone else in the house- a piece of the puzzle of Maruki and the people he has pulled into his life. Did he need to use Azathoth? What was he fighting? How much has he changed? And would anything be the same again once he returned home?
[ Maruki's eyes lift away from Chihaya to rove around the garden. It's far from a private place, after all, and the flowers– well, they're always trouble in some way or another, aren't they?
When they land back on her, he jerks his head vaguely toward the winding path to the exit, then extends an arm for her to take. ]
Let's walk and talk. We shouldn't linger here.
[ It's familiar. The roles of new arrival and guide are reversed, and he finds himself allowing her to lead their way out as he tries to sort through how to explain– well, everything, really.
Chihaya knows about Akechi and Loki by now, but he has no way of knowing if she's aware of Akira's own power. Beyond not wanting to tell her anything about himself that would put her off, the last thing he wants is to reveal anything Akira hasn't been ready to tell or show her himself. He has to tread carefully... ]
I'm sorry, I haven't spoken about it with anyone yet, so I'm not quite sure what to say, but... I suppose you could say I had a change of heart.
[It's rather fitting, isn't it? It's not lost on her how the roles have reversed, how now she is the one directing him to avoid certain patches, how her chosen path echoes the one he showed her in a lot of ways. It's become rather well-trodden over the past couple of days with her new tradition of this pilgrimage. Her arm is warm in his and for a moment she lets herself imagine that they are just two friends on a leisurely walk through the woods without a care in the world. It's nice.]
It's all right, I understand.
[Chihaya does, in the end. For as much as they have revealed to each other about their pasts and thoughts and opinions on the world, there is still more untold. She has no idea if more ever will be shared with the future being so uncertain as it always is here. But she is grateful for now and for whatever she can get.
Maruki's phrasing is very specific however. She chuckles.]
So I guess you had a run-in with the Phantom Thieves, then?
[It's not terribly surprising, what with everything she has experienced here and the threads she has haphazardly drawn together. It's that part she thinks about the most as she chews her bottom lip for a moment.
Well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?]
Does that mean you saw Akira-san and his friends back home?
[The cards had told her a long time ago that there was something special about him, and his ability to alter fate and give her hope only solidified it. Paired with the experiences she has had here now with Maruki, Akechi and Haru, plus Akira's Sleepr post from way back when... well, it's not hard to put two-and-two together. She supposes it will be up to Maruki whether or not he wants to confirm it.]
[Chihaya throws her hands out to catch him as he sways a little, but the utter surprise on Maruki's face makes a giggle bubble out of her chest.]
Heehee, you look so cute all befuddled like that!
[For once she doesn't back down from saying so, so delighted she is with this situation. Though she smiles sheepishly as she finally answers his question. This confirms it then.]
No, no I don't think he does. We've never talked about it, at least. I didn't know until I came here.
[ Cute? Well, Chihaya might think he looks cuter then as he tilts his head at that, like a dog that doesn't understand the command it was just given. He's never been called cute in his shock and confusion before...
But that clears from his mind and expression swiftly as he fixes Chihaya with a look that's almost plaintive. ]
You ought to tell him that you've figured it out. I don't want to speak out of turn about anything, and...
[ And that must mean that Chihaya will see what he saw on Christmas Eve, won't it?
Akira told him, the day he arrived in this very garden, that those who saw it were only those most important to him. ]
And you two deserve to know you see one another for who you really are.
[Yeah, that made him like 20% cuter. Her grin grows but this time she holds back another laugh.]
It's ok, Maruki. I'm not going to press you.
[As much as she would like to, she's trying to remind herself to accept whatever she can get.]
You're right. Akira-san and I should probably get on the same page.
[But will they, is the question? So much time has passed and in comparison to all the other problems she knows Akira has, never mind the ones she doesn't, it would be an unnecessary stress to put that on him, right? After seeing how devastated he was at Maruki's loss, perhaps it is best not to rock the boat. The poor boy needs a break.
She directs him over gnarled root and loose branch, side stepping flowers dutifully as she goes. They're making good progress through the garden now, with more sunlight filtering through the trees.]
You seem so much happier, you know. I know it has been almost no time at all but... it looks good on you.
[Even as she is focusing on the path they are taking her words are still warm.]
[ The closer they get to the edge of the garden, the faster Maruki's heart beats; his mind won't stop racing with everyone he needs to see, everything he needs to set right.
He tries to corral his own thoughts, focus on the here and now – Chihaya, arm still linked warmly in his as they pick their way through the detritus of the garden, smile as warm as the autumn sun when he looks over to catch sight of it. ]
I am. Things aren't perfect, but...
[ He has to look away only to pay attention to his footfall through a particularly uneven path, careful to avoid a plant with prickly, twisting tendrils. ]
I was in so much pain. More than I ever would have let anyone know. Finally facing that, not being able to run from it... it's a convoluted path to happiness, but it's one I'm grateful to finally be able to walk.
[ Another glance over at her as he trusts the next few steps won't send him sprawling flat onto his face, and that gratitude shines through, radiates pure warmth right back at Chihaya. ]
It's exactly as your reading said it would be. Temperance, right?
[She's glad to see Maruki avoid any prickly plants, or plants in general- the last thing they need is getting sidelined by whatever mischief the garden is up to today.
It simultaneously breaks her heart and fills it to hear him speak of his pain. A sorrow that dogged his every step, haunted every smile, informed every decision, now lifted. He mentions her reading and she-
She-
She turns away for just a moment, feigning moving a wayward branch blocking their path as a pinprick of wetness springs to her eyes. When she turns back to him, nary a second lost, she looks no different from before.]
Yes. Balance is what it is best known for, that equilibrium free of any extremes, but some people also interpret it with themes of transformation. Being able to take different aspects and combine them into something harmonious and new.
[When she looks at Maruki she can see that as plain as day.]
You have an entire new life waiting for you back home. Obviously some of it was done with the help of the Phantom Thieves but it wouldn't work if you didn't want to move forward too.
[She squeezes his arm.]
I hope you remember to keep some of that energy for however long you stay here.
[ At the edge of the garden, that low stone wall that separates them from everything else Maruki must do, everyone he must see, every pain he inadvertently caused that he must now put right–
He stops and turns to Chihaya fully, hands landing on her slight shoulders. ]
I have a new life waiting for me here, too. I intend to make the most of it.
[ Every chance he's been given in a sacred gift that his former self never could have begun to dream of. Here in this reality, or back in the true one– no, Maruki won't waste a single second.
He draws Chihaya in then, wraps his arms around her to hug her gently, the warmth of his gratitude practically radiating from him. ]
Thank you. For everything... I really am so glad to get to see you again, Mifune.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
And Maruki goes stock still for a moment.
It's the first time anyone has so much as touched him in– months. Akira's hand wrapped tight around his wrist and a fist bump from the back of a taxi the sum total of any affection he's received, and now–
Now, back in this world where he's loved freely, the first thing to happen to him is an embrace from someone who remembers him.
That changed heart cracks open at once, so much fresher and more fragile than before. Light spills out, fills up his whole chest, and he hears himself laughing as time unfreezes and his arms wrap around her back in kind, hugging her tight. ]
I am! I am. I'm back...
[ He's back.
They're still here.
He's home. ]
Hah, well... if you knew I was leaving, you must have known I'd return. Right?
no subject
You're back in one piece.
[Relief fills her and she rests her head against his chest. Breathe in, breathe out.]
I did. I've been waiting for you. Do you know how long you have been gone?
[She'll give him some space soon. Right now however she wants to be selfish just a little longer.]
no subject
That does take a bit of the brightness away, worry seeping in through the cracks at the edges as he looks down at Chihaya nestled warm against his chest. Maruki doesn't make a move to let her go, or to step away; he holds her tight as his heartrate kicks right back up to its former frantic pace. ]
No, I don't. From my perspective, it was months, but...
[ But when Eren was gone for years, living out the remainder of his short life, it was only two weeks here. He doesn't know if the exchange rate on time remains constant, or if it's ever in flux, dependent on each of their cognitions or just a random whim of this reality at large. ]
Please, it wasn't long, was it? Is everyone still here?
no subject
No, it wasn't long!
[It felt like years.]
You've been gone a little over a week. Everyone is still here and they're going to be so happy to see you again.
[Well. Mostly happy.]
I'm happy to see you again.
[There is more she could say. More she wants to say, but it's not about her right now.]
no subject
Maruki's breath catches in his chest for a few more frantic heartbeats before finally releasing, his sigh both one of genuine relief and deliberate determination to calm himself down. A little over a week is more than enough time for Akechi to wreak havoc on an untold number of people, but it's not as bad as it could be.
Still, though– that time when Eren was gone will forever remain etched in his mind. When Chihaya says so genuinely that she missed him, he doesn't find himself thinking, but it was barely even two weeks. No, he understands how she feels. When one comes to rely on others in a reality as volatile as this, even a day or two without them can be frightening.
So he squeezes her tight, holding her steady, ready to step back into shoes he hadn't meant to leave. ]
I'm happy to see you too, Mifune, and... I'm sorry. [ Even so, he's smiling at her, warm in his apology. ] Even though you knew I would be leaving, I still didn't mean to do it so suddenly. It couldn't have been easy for you to deal with.
no subject
[Her voice is firm and eyes steady. No apologies. There is no world where Chihaya would blame the fickle whims of fate on him.]
No, it wasn't easy but it's not like you chose to leave when you did. I guess you were thrown back home?
[If she interpreted her reading correct back then, that is what happened right? She's heard from other people here that experienced the same thing or similar.]
I hope... I hope things are better, now.
[At that though she stops, eyes wide, and steps back from him. The space between them is cold and her heart aches dully. She ignores that twist in her chest and leaves her hands on his arms as she studies his body intently.]
You're not still hurt from anything, are you? You look fine...
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I'm perfectly fine! Really...
[ But he remembers her prediction. I'm afraid of whatever it is that is going to happen to you. He owes her a little more honesty, doesn't he?
One hand raises to rest on her arm in kind, squeezing lightly. ]
You were right about what the cards had in store for me. My mettle was tested, and it was... a difficult battle, to say the least. But I got through it, just as you knew I would.
[ The bruises faded, the scrapes healed over. He spent days feeling like he got the shit kicked out of him, because he did– but it passed. There's nothing to show for it but a mark he doesn't know is on the back of his neck. ]
Really, your prediction was completely accurate.
no subject
When he confirms her prediction, however, she smiles again.]
I'm so glad. Not that you suffered but that you got through.
[And he's home now. He's back. He's as safe as this reality can be for him. She can feel her shoulders relaxing, the tension slowly easing.
Maybe things really can be ok again.]
I know it must have been very personal but... if you're fine with it, I would like to know more.
[She's been ruminating over it, turning the card meanings over again and again, wondering what exactly was happening there. It only heightened the more she ran into trouble with everyone else in the house- a piece of the puzzle of Maruki and the people he has pulled into his life. Did he need to use Azathoth? What was he fighting? How much has he changed? And would anything be the same again once he returned home?
Well. She already knows that answer.]
no subject
[ Maruki's eyes lift away from Chihaya to rove around the garden. It's far from a private place, after all, and the flowers– well, they're always trouble in some way or another, aren't they?
When they land back on her, he jerks his head vaguely toward the winding path to the exit, then extends an arm for her to take. ]
Let's walk and talk. We shouldn't linger here.
[ It's familiar. The roles of new arrival and guide are reversed, and he finds himself allowing her to lead their way out as he tries to sort through how to explain– well, everything, really.
Chihaya knows about Akechi and Loki by now, but he has no way of knowing if she's aware of Akira's own power. Beyond not wanting to tell her anything about himself that would put her off, the last thing he wants is to reveal anything Akira hasn't been ready to tell or show her himself. He has to tread carefully... ]
I'm sorry, I haven't spoken about it with anyone yet, so I'm not quite sure what to say, but... I suppose you could say I had a change of heart.
no subject
It's all right, I understand.
[Chihaya does, in the end. For as much as they have revealed to each other about their pasts and thoughts and opinions on the world, there is still more untold. She has no idea if more ever will be shared with the future being so uncertain as it always is here. But she is grateful for now and for whatever she can get.
Maruki's phrasing is very specific however. She chuckles.]
So I guess you had a run-in with the Phantom Thieves, then?
[It's not terribly surprising, what with everything she has experienced here and the threads she has haphazardly drawn together. It's that part she thinks about the most as she chews her bottom lip for a moment.
Well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?]
Does that mean you saw Akira-san and his friends back home?
[The cards had told her a long time ago that there was something special about him, and his ability to alter fate and give her hope only solidified it. Paired with the experiences she has had here now with Maruki, Akechi and Haru, plus Akira's Sleepr post from way back when... well, it's not hard to put two-and-two together. She supposes it will be up to Maruki whether or not he wants to confirm it.]
no subject
Wait–
[ Maruki practically trips over his own feet in his surprise, head whipping around to look at Chihaya so fast that he could swear his neck cracks. ]
You know that Kurusu-kun... does he know that you know!?
no subject
Heehee, you look so cute all befuddled like that!
[For once she doesn't back down from saying so, so delighted she is with this situation. Though she smiles sheepishly as she finally answers his question. This confirms it then.]
No, no I don't think he does. We've never talked about it, at least. I didn't know until I came here.
no subject
But that clears from his mind and expression swiftly as he fixes Chihaya with a look that's almost plaintive. ]
You ought to tell him that you've figured it out. I don't want to speak out of turn about anything, and...
[ And that must mean that Chihaya will see what he saw on Christmas Eve, won't it?
Akira told him, the day he arrived in this very garden, that those who saw it were only those most important to him. ]
And you two deserve to know you see one another for who you really are.
no subject
It's ok, Maruki. I'm not going to press you.
[As much as she would like to, she's trying to remind herself to accept whatever she can get.]
You're right. Akira-san and I should probably get on the same page.
[But will they, is the question? So much time has passed and in comparison to all the other problems she knows Akira has, never mind the ones she doesn't, it would be an unnecessary stress to put that on him, right? After seeing how devastated he was at Maruki's loss, perhaps it is best not to rock the boat. The poor boy needs a break.
She directs him over gnarled root and loose branch, side stepping flowers dutifully as she goes. They're making good progress through the garden now, with more sunlight filtering through the trees.]
You seem so much happier, you know. I know it has been almost no time at all but... it looks good on you.
[Even as she is focusing on the path they are taking her words are still warm.]
no subject
He tries to corral his own thoughts, focus on the here and now – Chihaya, arm still linked warmly in his as they pick their way through the detritus of the garden, smile as warm as the autumn sun when he looks over to catch sight of it. ]
I am. Things aren't perfect, but...
[ He has to look away only to pay attention to his footfall through a particularly uneven path, careful to avoid a plant with prickly, twisting tendrils. ]
I was in so much pain. More than I ever would have let anyone know. Finally facing that, not being able to run from it... it's a convoluted path to happiness, but it's one I'm grateful to finally be able to walk.
[ Another glance over at her as he trusts the next few steps won't send him sprawling flat onto his face, and that gratitude shines through, radiates pure warmth right back at Chihaya. ]
It's exactly as your reading said it would be. Temperance, right?
no subject
It simultaneously breaks her heart and fills it to hear him speak of his pain. A sorrow that dogged his every step, haunted every smile, informed every decision, now lifted. He mentions her reading and she-
She-
She turns away for just a moment, feigning moving a wayward branch blocking their path as a pinprick of wetness springs to her eyes. When she turns back to him, nary a second lost, she looks no different from before.]
Yes. Balance is what it is best known for, that equilibrium free of any extremes, but some people also interpret it with themes of transformation. Being able to take different aspects and combine them into something harmonious and new.
[When she looks at Maruki she can see that as plain as day.]
You have an entire new life waiting for you back home. Obviously some of it was done with the help of the Phantom Thieves but it wouldn't work if you didn't want to move forward too.
[She squeezes his arm.]
I hope you remember to keep some of that energy for however long you stay here.
hehe wrapt for mee
He stops and turns to Chihaya fully, hands landing on her slight shoulders. ]
I have a new life waiting for me here, too. I intend to make the most of it.
[ Every chance he's been given in a sacred gift that his former self never could have begun to dream of. Here in this reality, or back in the true one– no, Maruki won't waste a single second.
He draws Chihaya in then, wraps his arms around her to hug her gently, the warmth of his gratitude practically radiating from him. ]
Thank you. For everything... I really am so glad to get to see you again, Mifune.