mauville | 💖 open post

[With a loud and deeply dramatic groan, Tetsu, in the manner of someone giving up completely on most functions of their existence rather than solely the task at hand, stretches her arms across her desk and slowly lowers her face onto it between them. Her glasses push up onto the top of her head, mussing her hair terribly.]

Math sucks and it's impossible. [She says into the desk.] Whose idea was this stupid equation. Where are they. I just wanna talk. [She moves only her head just enough to look up at Orihime, squinting as her glasses fall crookedly back onto her nose.] Tell me your secrets, Orihime-chan. You're a wizard, aren't you? Or you sold your soul to one.

Pythagoras, I believe.

[She smiles kindly, a bit amused. She's trying so hard to not laugh at poor Tetsu, though.]

What part are you having trouble with? Let's try taking it one step at a time.

Pythagorasshole.

[this pun probably doesn't work in any capacity in japanese but let me live]

What are the letters doing here? [She aggressively taps an equation with her finger.] We said we weren't learning English today. Why are there letters? Why have they invaded?

[AMERICA EXPLAIN]

[IT MIGHT ACTUALLY

She laughs politely at the joke, but.]

They're variables. The letters represent numbers that you don't know yet. You've encountered 'solve for x', haven't you?

Missy's apartment complex allows pets. Please advise

mari-chan you GOTTA get a cat
auntie is allergic so i can't have one but i wanna pet one so bad 😭
get a cat so i can pet it

Okay. I'll talk to Missy I've never been responsible for a living thing before, for obvious reasons How hard is taking care of a cat?

i mean probably not that hard but i've never had one
i think easier than taking care of a dog which even though i LOVE dogs is why i probably don't think you should get one
way harder than a fish but a little easier than a dog
probably
we should ask someone who actually has had a cat before
i know let's go on a date to the animal shelter so we can ask!!! and also pet cats

That wouldn't be too much trouble? Even if we look at a bunch of cats, I might get cold feet and not take any home...

i think it's fine!!! i bet it happens all the time
how about i call and ask if we can volunteer for a day?
they'll probably just have us clean up a bunch of cat shit lmao
but that way if you decide not to get a cat we were still really helpful so it definitely wasn't trouble

I can do that much. I wanted a cat when I was a little kid, but it never happened. Thanks for hearing me out as always, Tetsu

anytime!!! thanks for thinking about getting a cat just so i can pet it lol ily
i think the shelter's closed rn so i'll call tomorrow
i think a cat would be good for you though
they're good friends!

[Mari leaves it at that for a while, but she just CAN'T leave that 'ily' hanging. It's IMPORTANT.

So, long enough later that it's slightly awkward:]

I love you

[absolutely zero delay:]

i love you too❣❣❣
💖💗💓💕💞

[Blink and you'll miss it, as things tend to go these days—Tetsu holds her shield up between a monster and Etsuko, all hovering in the air; she hears the shouting down below; first catches sight of the boy who summoned the creatures; then, Mari.

Etsuko slides around Tetsu as the creature makes contact with her shield. Got it, Etsuko says as the sword strikes, as Tetsu starts to descend.]

Mari-chan, [she tries to call over the shouting just before she enters her field of vision, alighting gently between the boy and Mari, shield up. She leaves some space between them, trying to allow Mari the moment she needs to recognize that it's Tetsu, that she isn't a threat, before she takes one careful step forward. Her back is to the villain, the boy, who watches with wide eyes.]

Hey, Mari-chan, it's okay. See? [She speaks so sweet and soft and even, calm and careful.] It's okay. Put the gun down, and Etsuko-chan and I will take care of the rest, all right?

Edited (forgot a -chan) 2020-12-28 18:52 (UTC)

[Mari is tired.

Tired of this world where nothing makes sense. Of these battles where both sides act like it's just a game. Where nobody seems to understand the stakes that come with a fight. Why bother playing along? Why not win?

She doesn't lower her gun, pointed at the enemy. Even if Tetsu is between her and her target.]

Why?

He's just going to come back and attack again. Don't you want this to be over?

I don't. Not like this.

[She takes another step closer. She lowers her shield, just a little.]

We're safe. [She breathes out the word, certain and assuring.] He's not gonna kill us. Even if he could, he's not gonna try. A little trouble's not worth a whole life.

Then what about next time?!

[Mari's sure she's right. She's sure that this is the way.

So why are her hands shaking?]

You can't be sure that you'll stop him every time! How long can you play their game before someone gets caught in the crossfire? How many lives is HIS life worth?!

Edited 2020-12-28 19:23 (UTC)

It's worked this many times, hasn't it? Why won't it work next time? If we kill him, and we're wrong, he died for nothing. That's just too sad.

[Closer, now, lowering her shield entirely when she sees Mari's shaking hands.]

I'm gonna put this away now. Etsuko-chan's going to take care of the monster, so I don't have anything to be scared of. We're safe.

[When she lowers the arm her shield is strapped to down to her side, the shield vanishes in a puff of pink sparkles.]

Edited 2020-12-28 19:26 (UTC)

He'll die for all the suffering he's caused, and all the suffering he WILL cause!

[Mari understands her anger and frustration, but something about this feels wrong.

Why is she afraid? What is there here for her to be afraid of?]

Get out of the way. I don't want to shoot you, but if I have to, I... I will.

Uh-uh.

[She's close enough now to reach out and take Mari's hand, if Mari were to reach, too, and meet her in the middle. Tetsu could try to wrench the gun out of Mari's shaking hands if she seized forward, just a little.

She doesn't. Instead, the same pink sparkles glitter at her feet, at her chest where the heart is carved into her armored breastplate, at her arm where her prosthesis turns into a shining gauntlet. They fade, all at once, into those same clouds of sparkling pink. The bow in her hair fades and her hair falls out of the ponytail and messily around her face, strands hanging in her eyes. Tetsu is left in her white blouse and long pink skirt, defenseless.]

We can fix the places the pavement got broken, Mari-chan. Even if someone's a little late for work because the monster got in the way, they can try again tomorrow. But no one gets to try again if they're dead. That's why no one's gonna get killed here. See?

[She opens her arms out to her sides.]

I'm not scared. There's nothing I have to be scared of. We're safe.

[Tetsu can probably tell by now that Mari isn't going to shoot. She looks like she's almost forgotten she's holding a gun - looking at Tetsu instead of through her.

There are tears in her eyes.]

How... are you not scared...?

Don't you know how high the stakes of these battles are? How can you possibly understand that and not be scared?

[Not long afer Mari first shows up in town, Ena will pull Tetsu aside after class with a nervous laugh.]

Uh, sorry about this, senpai. It's just... are you sure about that new girl? Isn't she kinda scary?

You don't have to apologize!

[She hums a little in thought, tilting her head just so in an exaggerated expression of consideration.]

I think it's like...with spiders. Like how everyone says they're more scared of you than you are of them. Anyway, I think she's fine!

Really? [She bites her lip and looks down the hall, where other students are filing out.] She kind of freaks me out with the things she says, and... I mean, that didn't look like a toy gun. I've never seen a real one, but...

💖 open post

for orihime

no subject

no subject

no subject

Post-canon dumb texting

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

for mari

Re: for mari

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject