Jean Kirstein (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rustyhonesty) wrote2023-02-25 08:14 pm
rustyhonesty) wrote2023-02-25 08:14 pm
Entry tags:
[Seasons] Inbox; un: jean
INBOX
text / audio / video / action
Jean here. I can't answer my phone right now so leave a message.
code credit
INBOX
text / audio / video / action
Jean here. I can't answer my phone right now so leave a message.
code creditForward-dated to 4th Oct because I’m impatient. Text; un: ushiromiya_eva
onesurvived
2024-09-18 11:43 am (UTC)(link)
[Eva was… well, it was safe to say she wasn’t coping in the slightest with the anniversary of that awful family conference on Rokkenjima rolling around. The day she lost everyone she cared for.
And perhaps it was for that reason that she was paranoidly fearful that those she cared for in this world were okay. She couldn’t really go out right now, given she’d been stuck in her Arachne form since the start of the week, but she could at least message him, right?
It was some horribly early hour when Jean would receive her text; ]
Everything okay? It’s been a little while, you’re keeping yourself safe, right?
And perhaps it was for that reason that she was paranoidly fearful that those she cared for in this world were okay. She couldn’t really go out right now, given she’d been stuck in her Arachne form since the start of the week, but she could at least message him, right?
It was some horribly early hour when Jean would receive her text; ]
Everything okay? It’s been a little while, you’re keeping yourself safe, right?
[This is definitely not something he expected. Not at this hour and so suddenly.]
Everything's fine and yeah, I have been.
Is something wrong?
Everything's fine and yeah, I have been.
Is something wrong?
[That sure was a loaded question. He saw right through her, did he?]
I just had to make sure, you know? It's important.
Then again if anything did happen, you're probably a better shot than I am, right?
[He'd be able to look after himself...wouldn't he?]
I just had to make sure, you know? It's important.
Then again if anything did happen, you're probably a better shot than I am, right?
[He'd be able to look after himself...wouldn't he?]
You did train with me for quite a while, so you should know how good I am.
Should I be worried? Do you need company?
Should I be worried? Do you need company?
[Hey, it was longer ago for her than it was for him! But still; ]
I remember.
Spiders don't bother you, right? I can't exactly promise I'll be the best company, but if you're offering?
I remember.
Spiders don't bother you, right? I can't exactly promise I'll be the best company, but if you're offering?
[Maybe he and Mikasa will just stay for a night sometime, just to give them company.]
Yeah, that sounds fun.
Yeah, that sounds fun.
[ It'll be a party! They can play Scrabble or whatever brainy old people games Erwin might purchase by then. ]
[ That seems settled, so Levi doesn't respond again, but he might definitely smile a little to himself as he reads Jean's message again. ]
[ Good. ]
[ That seems settled, so Levi doesn't respond again, but he might definitely smile a little to himself as he reads Jean's message again. ]
[ Good. ]
[Look, sometimes he forgets.
Sometimes he's also very confused.]
They don't. Did you get a pet spider or something?
Sometimes he's also very confused.]
They don't. Did you get a pet spider or something?
[ uuuuuuUUUUGHHHH -- ]
Would you be available for that coffee sometime soon?
[ He's doing this For Reiner damn it. ]
Would you be available for that coffee sometime soon?
[ He's doing this For Reiner damn it. ]
[He's not immediately aware of who the username belongs to, but he remembers the vague promise of coffee. He hasn't really made any other coffee promises. So this had to be Bertholdt, right?
A part of him wants to just not reply and forget about it. Continue avoidance. But that wouldn't be fair for Reiner, right?
It's for Reiner.]
Yeah. My schedule is very flexible.
A part of him wants to just not reply and forget about it. Continue avoidance. But that wouldn't be fair for Reiner, right?
It's for Reiner.]
Yeah. My schedule is very flexible.
Would now work for you, then? I haven't had breakfast, and there's a nice cafe Reiner told me about.
Sure, that works. Sent me an address and I'll be there.
[Best to just get this out of the way.]
[Best to just get this out of the way.]
So you remember those curses that were going around? The ones that came out the Underground Mall.
Turns out that dying, going back home for literal decades and coming back isn't enough to get rid of one.
[If anything, her Arachne curse was even more prevalent since her revival.]
Turns out that dying, going back home for literal decades and coming back isn't enough to get rid of one.
[If anything, her Arachne curse was even more prevalent since her revival.]
[ Bertholdt sends the location marker. He makes his way there immediately; he wants to get there first, to settle himself somewhere he can easily bolt if he needs to. He dislikes crowded spaces, a combination of the years of internment and, while trapped, the relative space of the inside walls; it doesn't show much on his face, however.
He has a book with him, The Red Drapes of Temptation, but he's not really reading it - more using it as something to do with his hands and eyes. He waits to order, wanting to wait for Jean.
And when he spots him, he raises an arm in greeting - it's hard to miss the exceptionally tall teenager. ]
He has a book with him, The Red Drapes of Temptation, but he's not really reading it - more using it as something to do with his hands and eyes. He waits to order, wanting to wait for Jean.
And when he spots him, he raises an arm in greeting - it's hard to miss the exceptionally tall teenager. ]
[Jean also leaves for the cafe right away, not wanting to get second thoughts. The place is easy enough to find, just like Bertholdt is easy enough to spot. After a quick wave back he makes his way to the table and sits across from Bert.
Clueless of what to actually say, he decides to ask a basic cafe question.]
Did you already order?
Clueless of what to actually say, he decides to ask a basic cafe question.]
Did you already order?
Oh. Yeah, I remember hearing about those.
As long as you're not awkward about me seeing you as half a spider, I won't be spooked either.
As long as you're not awkward about me seeing you as half a spider, I won't be spooked either.
[ Bertholdt isn't quite sure what to say either. For all that he's smart, Reiner is the more sociable of the two of them. He shakes his head in response to Jean's question. ]
No, I decided we could order together. My treat.
[ He already knows what he wants, having looked up the menu before he arrived. But he'll wait for Jean to decide on something before he waves the waiter over. ]
No, I decided we could order together. My treat.
[ He already knows what he wants, having looked up the menu before he arrived. But he'll wait for Jean to decide on something before he waves the waiter over. ]
[Well, that did make sense. It doesn't take very long for him to decide, since he's a creature of habit most of the time. So he just gets a hazelnut latte. Nothing fancy, pretty cheap, still nice amount of coffee flavor.
It's what comes after ordering that's hard. Do they start talking now? Do they wait for their orders and instead do smalltalk? Jean could ask him how he's been settling in, but would that sounds too superfluous?
Not that sitting in an awkward silence is much better.]
It's what comes after ordering that's hard. Do they start talking now? Do they wait for their orders and instead do smalltalk? Jean could ask him how he's been settling in, but would that sounds too superfluous?
Not that sitting in an awkward silence is much better.]
[ Bertholdt orders a coffee, black, with cream and sugar on the side. After a moment, glancing over the menu, he orders two sweet rolls as well. If Jean doesn't want one, he can take it home for later.
Awkward silence? They unfortunately know her.
Bertholdt folds his hands into his lap, so he won't be tempted to fidget, and takes a small bracing breath. ]
We should clear the air, for Reiner's sake if nothing else. You've been avoiding me; I've been avoiding you. I'm assuming it's for the same reason.
[ Because Jean had watched Bertholdt die. ]
Awkward silence? They unfortunately know her.
Bertholdt folds his hands into his lap, so he won't be tempted to fidget, and takes a small bracing breath. ]
We should clear the air, for Reiner's sake if nothing else. You've been avoiding me; I've been avoiding you. I'm assuming it's for the same reason.
[ Because Jean had watched Bertholdt die. ]
[Jean nods in agreement. At least they both had Reiner in mind. Not that he doubted it. If anything, Berholdt was here for Reiner and Reiner only.]
I want to at least make sure I say that I'm not avoiding you because I hate you. There are things I can't forgive... but I don't hate you.
[That's the most important part he wants to add to the table.]
But I don't expect the same the other way around. Not after... that.
I want to at least make sure I say that I'm not avoiding you because I hate you. There are things I can't forgive... but I don't hate you.
[That's the most important part he wants to add to the table.]
But I don't expect the same the other way around. Not after... that.
The things we did were - are - unforgivable.
[ Bertholdt says it evenly, with a surety that surprises even him. The hate he feels has always been something he conceals easier compared to Reiner, it seems; but there is still something in his tone that speaks to how much he does hate himself for what he did.
After all, Jean had heard his desperate pleading, when they tried to kidnap Eren.
Bertholdt is silent when Jean says he doesn't expect the same, and then speaks again, slower, words picked deliberately. ]
I don't hate you for what you chose to do. Were the situations reversed, I likely would have done the same. I was going to - and tried to - kill all of you to protect Reiner.
[ He closes his eyes. ]
My grief is in my failure to do just that by dying. It was never about hate. I made a choice long ago about the people I would protect...
[ There is only room in my heart for so many people. Surely Jean had heard Mikasa say that. ]
[ Bertholdt says it evenly, with a surety that surprises even him. The hate he feels has always been something he conceals easier compared to Reiner, it seems; but there is still something in his tone that speaks to how much he does hate himself for what he did.
After all, Jean had heard his desperate pleading, when they tried to kidnap Eren.
Bertholdt is silent when Jean says he doesn't expect the same, and then speaks again, slower, words picked deliberately. ]
I don't hate you for what you chose to do. Were the situations reversed, I likely would have done the same. I was going to - and tried to - kill all of you to protect Reiner.
[ He closes his eyes. ]
My grief is in my failure to do just that by dying. It was never about hate. I made a choice long ago about the people I would protect...
[ There is only room in my heart for so many people. Surely Jean had heard Mikasa say that. ]
[Jean looks down, at his hands that he's keeping on the table - unable to actually look Bert in the eyes for a while.]
... Reiner said the same. Your goal was to kill us all. Just like we were trying to kill you all. We all have people we want to protect more than anything.
[Somehow they had won. Their losses were huge, but they won in the sense that more of them survived and Shiganshina was reclaimed.
He hesitates a moment, but then adds.]
Reiner would be dead, too, if it wasn't for me.
... Reiner said the same. Your goal was to kill us all. Just like we were trying to kill you all. We all have people we want to protect more than anything.
[Somehow they had won. Their losses were huge, but they won in the sense that more of them survived and Shiganshina was reclaimed.
He hesitates a moment, but then adds.]
Reiner would be dead, too, if it wasn't for me.
[Halloween Santa strikes again...? Jean will also receive a note, and sweets times two (since he's married).
The note reads—]
Jean,
Sorry about the cake before. Bakugo said this day was for sweets, so please enjoy with Mikasa-san, too.
P.S. Let's spar again soon.
Jean will also find included:]
2 white-yarn teru teru bozu
12 cream-frosted, sugary soft cookie ghosts
12 more sugar cookie "zombies" (undistinguishable from the ghosts...?)
2 bags of various handmade sweets in raspberry, strawberry, lemon, and orange
1 box of gold-tipped sparklers
1 ("honor") arrangement of tall green grass, orange gladiolus, and Moondrop lilies
24 fresh garden-picked strawberries
[Be strong!]
The note reads—]
Jean,
Sorry about the cake before. Bakugo said this day was for sweets, so please enjoy with Mikasa-san, too.
P.S. Let's spar again soon.
Jean will also find included:]
2 white-yarn teru teru bozu
12 cream-frosted, sugary soft cookie ghosts
12 more sugar cookie "zombies" (undistinguishable from the ghosts...?)
2 bags of various handmade sweets in raspberry, strawberry, lemon, and orange
1 box of gold-tipped sparklers
1 ("honor") arrangement of tall green grass, orange gladiolus, and Moondrop lilies
24 fresh garden-picked strawberries
[Be strong!]
It's fine, really. It's going to be awkward whatever happens, but I'm frankly too exhausted to care right now.
[Which...probably went a long way to showing just how worn her emotions were at that point.]
[Which...probably went a long way to showing just how worn her emotions were at that point.]
Alright. If you give me your address I can be there soon.
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