rustyhonesty | [Seasons] Inbox; un: jean

( Annie isn't planning to stick around, because she has strong inklings Mikasa is still deciding how to feel at her general direction, and she's pointedly never been terribly close to most other scouts who weren't secretly Warriors, or Mikasa and Eren. The last two were complicated even as trainees, strained as scouts, and she doesn't think about Armin at all on purpose because some thoughts just don't need to live in her head rent free.

But she'd given Reiner the "sorry I missed your wedding" gift basket just to be absolutely astounded that he hadn't been married yet, and she now has confirmation that Mikasa did the sane thing of finding a relatively sane human being to marry from their world, and that is enough to lead to...

... her second attempt, ever, at a gift basket.

She used the other basket that'd been at her 'given' apartment. There's a whole meat pie wrapped in there, along with oranges, a set of magnetic kissing salt and pepper shakers, various canned goods, kitchen towels, and yet again for no reason known to Humanity, a waffle iron.

She's left a note nestled in there, saying: )

Mikasa + Jean,

It's late. Congratulations on your wedding. Use what's useful, toss what isn't.

Signed,
A. Leonhart

( But she's not used to delivery methods around here, and she'd gotten their address through shenanigans, so once she sets down the basket, she knocks... and turns to walk away, nonchalant. No one's going to want to talk to her, so this is fine. )

Edited 2025-06-21 20:26 (UTC)

[Unfortunately (?) for Annie, Jean isn't too far away from the door so she doesn't get too far before he opens the door to check what happens. But at least he voices his confusion pretty quietly, so if she wants to she can pretend she didn't hear him.]

Annie...?

[He looks down to see the basket and picks up the note he sees there. A wedding gift...?]

( ... Annie reflects that she would have had to walk a lot faster, or possibly ditched her dignity and run, if she hadn't wanted any chance of this happening at all. Not that she believes she has too much in the dignity category these days, but Jean doesn't know how much she's tossed down, so that's fine.

It's all fine.

She looks back over her shoulder, then turns around to face him. )

It's late, but after I gave the two idiots a wedding gift for a wedding that hasn't even happened, it felt like I should do something for the one that had.

( She gestures somewhat lamely to Jean and his house, the presumption being she means him and Mikasa. Yes, this is also her belated acknowledgement of "no duh" with the rings being pieced together. People from her generation getting married?

... To be fair, legitimately, it's only happened here. )

Oh. Thank you. I'm sure Mikasa will appreciate it, too.

[He hasn't seen the salt and pepper shakers yet, so he can't groan at them. Anything he does see is definitely useful in some way or another.

But the mention of another couple...]

Eren and Reiner right?

( Those salt and pepper shakers are beautifully horrible, and he's welcome for the moment he does find them in there.

As it is, Annie snorts, sharp and hard. )

They're wearing matching rings and live together. What else was I supposed to think?

[Jean sighs. He's been suffering about their idiocy, Annie. For so long.]

Even after they got the rings it took them months to actually say they're dating 'officially'. Even if everyone else knew.

( Just how long? How long have they been this deliberately stupid? )

Wait, how long have they had the stupid rings?

[He has to think for a while. When did he first see the rings. Armin had been here still... that was... a while back.

Oh boy.]

Something like, a year and a half.

[But wait... It gets worse!]

Reiner told me he said 'I love you' to Eren at the start of this year, so you can see what I'm dealing with.

( ............... Now Annie, being some percent self aware, knows that the 'I love you' thing can be really damn hard. That's admitting to a whole level of losing someone, a kind of vulnerability they all had, and a reality every person from their world knew in their own ways: you love people, and you will lose them. Eventually.

Could she tell anyone she loved them easily? Even if she did? Her father, yes, she thinks she can. At some point. Hell, even that's untested. Anyone else?

Neatly sidestepping that mental tangle, she focuses on a year and a half of shared rings and no engagement. No, that's just stupid. )

What is he waiting on? Eren to catch a clue? That's never happening. He's never been like that.

[Saying 'I love you' can be hard. Jean does remember when Mikasa and Jean said those the first time. Sometime after being together, before getting enganged or exhanging any kinds of rings.]

Right? He's definitely not going to figure this out unless Reiner spells it for him. Even then he might take a while.

( She has, over the course of this grousing, naturally moved closer again. Not within what is more like normal talking distance, but that's because Jean's on his stoop, and she doesn't want it to seem like she's asking to come in.

There's just... levels to what she's comfortable doing in a place that's so clearly actually a home. )

Not to mention being afraid Eren wouldn't agree. When has he ever stuck around somewhere he hated being? Or stayed around people he doesn't want to be around?

Yeah, exactly.

[Jean shakes his head.]

If Eren's displeased about something he most definitely will show it and leave.

That's putting it mildly.

( She says, so perfectly, utterly neutral. )

Are there any of those things to explore that makes people confront their own desires? Maybe that'd work on them.

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if there are. I know there's something called the "Candle of True Feelings" at the rewards shop, so that could be a start.

[Seasons] Inbox; un: jean

action end of first week she's here (she'd be amused to know she's almost done this before)

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