[ Honestly, the only reason he doesn't protest being tugged is because Mikasa gets special treatment from him. ]
No ... I don't think it's something that can be explained. [ Or rather, something he really wants to explain, because it's just silly and awkward. He lets her get a few tugs in, his pants dragging a few centimeters along the grass (because this is his life now), before he finally starts to get up. Jean then walks right by Mikasa, shouldering past her before she can catch a glimpse of his face. Now that his back is turned, he can finally answer her original question properly. ]
Obviously, I can see you having a girlier side because you've always been beautiful.
[She's glad when he concedes, it's good he could walk on his own. No stumbling or swaying...Just a random headache out of nowhere. It wasn't that worrying. Mikasa wasn't even entirely sure what caused her headaches anymore. Though she did think Jean's was probably from working in the heat, he'd been out here a while as far as she knew.
But then??
It was probably a good thing he was looking away. Because her eyes scrunched up in thought, trying to work out what he meant by that. Congratulations Jean. You've surprised her so much with so few words that she doesn't even move to respond.]
...Huh?
[That was it.
That and the singualar step she takes before not following.]
[ It's good that she decides not to follow, because he's actually going so red with fluster he's clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Look, what he had said was just an objective fact to him, so it shouldn't rock the boat of their friendship too much to reveal. He's certain that if Connie or Armin were around, they would agree. It's wasn't a weird thing to say!
Yet, he's blushing the same way he was when he first told her her hair was beautiful. Even after growing this manly beard, he's still as shy as ever. It sucks. Jean escapes to the house where he'll start busying himself with some chores just to take the tension off. Unfortunately, they're going to have to meet eventually, since they live in the same house.
When Mikasa does return to the house, she'll find Jean taking things out of the pantry. Might as well cook the embarrassment away??? ] Soup for dinner ... sound good?
[There's quite a few little chores. Just be careful of the random magic show gear, Trucy was neat about her hobbies but she had been recording a show from the living room. Mikasa was staying away from that. Similarly, Mikasa kept all her things in her room, though there was a few small blankets she'd messed within the living room. But for what was considered a 'small' house to the residents, was a mansion by Mikasa's standards. There was a few rooms that'd she'd not really bothered cleaning because she had no plans to use them.
But otherwise, it was almost homely. Even if some of that was from the former owner's decoration.
But she doesn't come back for a while. She was going to finish up some of the things Jean had started in the garden, pack the tools away.
She pauses, blinking at him there. Do you like all the food they'd managed to gather Jean. Some of it was pretty strange...]
Yes...[Well, there was a reason for the almost excessive amount of food. But Mikasa turns her head before mentioning that.] ...I think I'll need more than that though. I've been eating a lot here.
[ Some of the food is like nothing he's ever seen and it looks quite appetising. ]
I've noticed that too. It's odd because you've gotten a bit smaller. [ Jean why do u always have to be so rude ]
Can I use the meat then? Or was that only for a special occasion? [ Having meat at all is a pretty nice surprise to find, but he also knows that meat is readily abundant in this world and doesn't break your wallet to buy it. ]
[Some of it had little paper labels with strange writing on. That was Trucy's, not that Mikasa knew what the labels meant. A few colourful jars. A few less colourful jars of preserved fruits.
At the comment, she sighs though, thanks Jean. She'd noticed that when her trouser legs had grazed the ground. Then Momo pointing out they were the same height.] I think it's the shell. It always gets worse right before it starts to grow... [And understatement. One she's not going into detail on, she wasn't sure if he'd spotted her stumbling into the garden after mauling the local fauna, but she'd rather not think about it.
There were a few dried meats as well. The cold box had some more, though there wasn't much. Some monsters were more inclined to eat meat, and the member of this household who knew how these devices worked, was turning into a rabbit...]
You can use it. Have you worked out how everything works? It doesn't need wood, like on the continent.
[It wasn't technology though, it was magitech. A whole new thing!]
[ He won't take something that isn't his, but he's honestly a little curious about those colourful pastiles in the sealed jar. He's never seen anything like it and he can't quite imagine how something so unnaturally coloured would taste. Though, if Mikasa has it in her pantry it has to at least taste good? Then again, he does know she's eaten bugs before.
It doesn't look like it belongs in a stew, so finding out more about it isn't his current priority. Right now, he's staying focused on the task. They do have meat in that odd little box that stays colder than the temperatures around it, so he can easily whip up a cut of grilled pork. ]
I've seen you do it. It's hard to believe the fire can stay burning like that with nothing to consume, but I guess that's just magic, right? Fire magic ...
[ Jean gathers the things he needs: the meat, some assorted vegetables, and a knife and block to chop on. ] If I weren't leaving so soon I'd be trying to figure out how to make some of my own.
[At least Jean has some sense with cooking. Mikasa might have tried some foods at festivals and had regrets. One time she got a cracker thing, it tasted nice. Then she turned it over and found legs.]
Seeing me might not help... [She sighs. He hadn't been here when she'd done it. But she may have set something on fire, maybe.] Normally it's magic here. [And with that he gets a small nod. Then she's off again, into her room, leaving the door open.
And she's back. Carrying a hoop and some fabric, just gonna plonk herself down and start some needlework.]
It's probably good to learn a little. Just in case. Healing sounds useful, I wish I could learn that. [Instead of all her weird fae quirks. But now it was time for awkward silence.]
this thread is so domestic also that prawn cracker do b lookin delicious tho
[ Awkward silence indeed. However, the more time he spends with Mikasa, he more used to it he's getting, and the more he finds that he doesn't mind it. Isn't this the sort of life he's wanted from the beginning? Though as a pre-teen he would bluntly state his selfish desires for a safe life in the interior, it was never the good food or the fancy concrete architecture he was after. It was always this: the right to exist, to live, to get through each mundane day doing what he needs to do, and having the occasional peaceful conversation with a person he loves. She probably has no clue how happy this is making him. ]
I could ask around. It'd be a useful skill, for sure. [ That way, nobody can get hurt while he's around. Working on the vegetables first, Jean starts peeling and chopping some carrots. He shoots a glance at what she's busying herself with. ]
Have you always liked sewing? [ He doesn't think he's seen her doing that often back then. ]
[Just enjoy the silence. The sounds of veggies being chopped, the occasional rustling noise of thread passing through fabric. Weird birds singing outside.]
Magic seems more useful. [There's a sigh, but she wasn't bitter as she'd once been about that. She couldn't heal, or make the items that cured minor Cywd infections. But she could grow some of the plants used to make them.
She doesn't look away from her work. But she does give a small nod.]
I learnt...I learnt a long time ago. It was useful when we couldn't afford new clothes. [Those refugee orphan days. It's also why that scarf was wearable after ten years, but she doesn't mention that.]
[ He's not going to try to rebut that because she's right. Being a witch seems to have more perks than being a monster overall. Any attempt to reassure her otherwise would just be a lie, and he doesn't like lying. ]
After the fall of Wall Maria, huh ... [ He knows it was rough for the people who got hit first. The conversation's kind of awkward now and he can definitely feel it (though, he's unsure if she even notices). He doesn't really know what to say about that, because encouraging her to talk about those tough times would probably just bring up bad memories. ] I should probably pick that up too. Me and the guys would just ask Reiner to do it for us.
[ It's funny to be bringing Reiner up right now, actually, because he came through the mirror just the morning after beating the guy half to death. At least that violent outlet and the passage of time has quelled his anger down to a feeling of discontentment, for the most part.
sorry potential reiner players that i'm drawing from spoof canon that he can sew ]
[If Jean had asked a few months ago, she'd have said the only drawbacks of being a witch over a monster. Was that a bondless witch would explode. She'd rather act strange for a while than that. Then she'd actually gone feral.
So yes, witches were all around better off.]
I knew before then. Before I knew Eren even. [It's soft. Only just above a whisper as she worked. Slowly drawing the needle through fabric to fill in a leaf.] It's a useful skill to have. Though I think they have spells for it here...
[There's a certain bitterness to that. There was spells for everything.]
They probably do. [ Being a Witch looks quite convenient, but that's not a convenience he can tap on because he's only got a few weeks left in this world. There's simply no point, when learning to use his magic will take far longer time than that. Jean continues preparing the ingredients, chopping up the vegetables and the pieces of meat. ]
Don't think I really know the story of how you guys even met ... [ They've never been close enough to even encroach that conversation, with Jean existing in different friend groups from Eren and Mikasa for most of their time together. During his training days, he only ever spent time with Marco. After joining the Corps, it was Connie and Sasha he would spend most of his time with. There isn't a lot he really knows about Mikasa at all, beyond what he's experienced with her.
Of course, he's not going to push her to talk about it. ]
[She hums, going back to her sewing. Leaving Jean to his cooking. She had no strong feelings about food, she ate to live, that was about it. Cooking was just an extension of that. The idea of making meals for people, caring for them sounded nice, but she'd never had time to properly learn beyond the basics and cooking duty... She probably should practice, but if Jean was volunteering...
Then he opens his mouth again. For a moment it's horribly silent, then there's a small gasp and the sound of something small and metal bouncing off the table.
She doesn't respond. Or try to stop the small amount of blood seeping from her finger into the fabric. Makes no indication she even heard him, only squeezing her eyes shut.]
Mikasa ...? [ Evidently, he's just blurted out something he probably shouldn't have. Jean drops the knife and pulls out a cloth from the kitchen table, walking over to Mikasa with it. It looks like she's pricked her finger, but it's not a very serious wound. He's far more worried about the headache she seems to be nursing, her eyes squeezed shut.
This definitely isn't something he'll bring up again. Whatever had happened. it's clearly quite traumatic. ]
Do you need some water to drink? [ He'll tear a piece off that cloth too, coiling it around her finger in a makeshift bandage. ]
[It's only a slight sting. One that makes her freeze up after a few seconds. Because why was it happening, Eren had said it was her old self fighting back, but what could she have done to trigger that? She'd been able to sew before fine, so...talking? Was it the talking that was setting it off?
Jean's movement doesn't get a response, other than a small grunt as she tries to pull the hand back.] J-Jean? [What did he say? When did he move?]
[ Jean won't allow her to pull her hand back until he manages to secure the strip of cloth around it. Then, he releases her hand. It definitely looks like she's as confused as he is by what had happened, and that's only more concerning in his eyes. ]
It's fine, I won't bring it up anymore. [ He can't really figure out what could cause a reaction like that, but he doesn't think it's a good idea to go digging deeper. ] Are you feeling okay?
[Jean, it was just a small prick. There wasn't that much blood, just a little bit where the needle had managed to hit a bit of skin that had no calluses. She'd had worse.
She doesn't comment on that. Letting him do, whatever it is he's doing as she blinks at him. Shaking her head. Getting the fog out, it does nothing to help. What were they... It's slow, but he gets a small nod.] ...His parents took me in.
[ It goes without saying that Jean wants to learn more about her, but he wouldn't push for her more information if it's at the expense of her mental state. He knows how to read the room, so he knows it's a difficult subject for some reason. It's likely that for some reason, her parents had passed away or were unable to raise her. He wonders if it has something to do with the fact that she's both an Ackerman and of Hizuru descent. ]
Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger? [ Jean wanders over to pour her a glass of water, handing it to her. ] They sound like good people. [ Good people with very unfortunate fates. ]
[A scuffed knee would have been more of an injury. But she's letting him do it.
He might recognise the terse stillness though, the same as back when Yelena had loomed over her, asking one simple question. 'She looks like your mother, doesn't she?' As Kiyomi had approached. That was before the woman had made Mikasa uncomfortable with talk of her being their hope.]
They were. [Well Carla was. Grisha... Mikasa had liked Grisha. He'd always been nice to her, both before and after her parents had died. Even if she only just remembered him before that day. But he'd had a lot of secrets. There was no way of knowing what would have happened if he'd spoken out. Though that probably would have gotten the interior police's attention.
It's quiet. Not a nice comfortable quiet like Mikasa enjoyed, but she's not sure what to say. So she just waits, looking at her hand.]
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No ... I don't think it's something that can be explained. [ Or rather, something he really wants to explain, because it's just silly and awkward. He lets her get a few tugs in, his pants dragging a few centimeters along the grass (because this is his life now), before he finally starts to get up. Jean then walks right by Mikasa, shouldering past her before she can catch a glimpse of his face. Now that his back is turned, he can finally answer her original question properly. ]
Obviously, I can see you having a girlier side because you've always been beautiful.
[ Okay?? OKAY?????? HE'S WALKING AWAY NOW. BYE!!!!!!! ]
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But then??
It was probably a good thing he was looking away. Because her eyes scrunched up in thought, trying to work out what he meant by that. Congratulations Jean. You've surprised her so much with so few words that she doesn't even move to respond.]
...Huh?
[That was it.
That and the singualar step she takes before not following.]
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Yet, he's blushing the same way he was when he first told her her hair was beautiful. Even after growing this manly beard, he's still as shy as ever. It sucks. Jean escapes to the house where he'll start busying himself with some chores just to take the tension off. Unfortunately, they're going to have to meet eventually, since they live in the same house.
When Mikasa does return to the house, she'll find Jean taking things out of the pantry. Might as well cook the embarrassment away??? ] Soup for dinner ... sound good?
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But otherwise, it was almost homely. Even if some of that was from the former owner's decoration.
But she doesn't come back for a while. She was going to finish up some of the things Jean had started in the garden, pack the tools away.
She pauses, blinking at him there. Do you like all the food they'd managed to gather Jean. Some of it was pretty strange...]
Yes...[Well, there was a reason for the almost excessive amount of food. But Mikasa turns her head before mentioning that.] ...I think I'll need more than that though. I've been eating a lot here.
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I've noticed that too. It's odd because you've gotten a bit smaller. [ Jean why do u always have to be so rude ]
Can I use the meat then? Or was that only for a special occasion? [ Having meat at all is a pretty nice surprise to find, but he also knows that meat is readily abundant in this world and doesn't break your wallet to buy it. ]
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At the comment, she sighs though, thanks Jean. She'd noticed that when her trouser legs had grazed the ground. Then Momo pointing out they were the same height.] I think it's the shell. It always gets worse right before it starts to grow... [And understatement. One she's not going into detail on, she wasn't sure if he'd spotted her stumbling into the garden after mauling the local fauna, but she'd rather not think about it.
There were a few dried meats as well. The cold box had some more, though there wasn't much. Some monsters were more inclined to eat meat, and the member of this household who knew how these devices worked, was turning into a rabbit...]
You can use it. Have you worked out how everything works? It doesn't need wood, like on the continent.
[It wasn't technology though, it was magitech. A whole new thing!]
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It doesn't look like it belongs in a stew, so finding out more about it isn't his current priority. Right now, he's staying focused on the task. They do have meat in that odd little box that stays colder than the temperatures around it, so he can easily whip up a cut of grilled pork. ]
I've seen you do it. It's hard to believe the fire can stay burning like that with nothing to consume, but I guess that's just magic, right? Fire magic ...
[ Jean gathers the things he needs: the meat, some assorted vegetables, and a knife and block to chop on. ] If I weren't leaving so soon I'd be trying to figure out how to make some of my own.
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Seeing me might not help... [She sighs. He hadn't been here when she'd done it. But she may have set something on fire, maybe.] Normally it's magic here. [And with that he gets a small nod. Then she's off again, into her room, leaving the door open.
And she's back. Carrying a hoop and some fabric, just gonna plonk herself down and start some needlework.]
It's probably good to learn a little. Just in case. Healing sounds useful, I wish I could learn that. [Instead of all her weird fae quirks. But now it was time for awkward silence.]
this thread is so domestic also that prawn cracker do b lookin delicious tho
I could ask around. It'd be a useful skill, for sure. [ That way, nobody can get hurt while he's around. Working on the vegetables first, Jean starts peeling and chopping some carrots. He shoots a glance at what she's busying herself with. ]
Have you always liked sewing? [ He doesn't think he's seen her doing that often back then. ]
It does
Magic seems more useful. [There's a sigh, but she wasn't bitter as she'd once been about that. She couldn't heal, or make the items that cured minor Cywd infections. But she could grow some of the plants used to make them.
She doesn't look away from her work. But she does give a small nod.]
I learnt...I learnt a long time ago. It was useful when we couldn't afford new clothes. [Those refugee orphan days. It's also why that scarf was wearable after ten years, but she doesn't mention that.]
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After the fall of Wall Maria, huh ... [ He knows it was rough for the people who got hit first. The conversation's kind of awkward now and he can definitely feel it (though, he's unsure if she even notices). He doesn't really know what to say about that, because encouraging her to talk about those tough times would probably just bring up bad memories. ] I should probably pick that up too. Me and the guys would just ask Reiner to do it for us.
[ It's funny to be bringing Reiner up right now, actually, because he came through the mirror just the morning after beating the guy half to death. At least that violent outlet and the passage of time has quelled his anger down to a feeling of discontentment, for the most part.
sorry potential reiner players that i'm drawing from spoof canon that he can sew ]
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So yes, witches were all around better off.]
I knew before then. Before I knew Eren even. [It's soft. Only just above a whisper as she worked. Slowly drawing the needle through fabric to fill in a leaf.] It's a useful skill to have. Though I think they have spells for it here...
[There's a certain bitterness to that. There was spells for everything.]
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Don't think I really know the story of how you guys even met ... [ They've never been close enough to even encroach that conversation, with Jean existing in different friend groups from Eren and Mikasa for most of their time together. During his training days, he only ever spent time with Marco. After joining the Corps, it was Connie and Sasha he would spend most of his time with. There isn't a lot he really knows about Mikasa at all, beyond what he's experienced with her.
Of course, he's not going to push her to talk about it. ]
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Then he opens his mouth again. For a moment it's horribly silent, then there's a small gasp and the sound of something small and metal bouncing off the table.
She doesn't respond. Or try to stop the small amount of blood seeping from her finger into the fabric. Makes no indication she even heard him, only squeezing her eyes shut.]
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This definitely isn't something he'll bring up again. Whatever had happened. it's clearly quite traumatic. ]
Do you need some water to drink? [ He'll tear a piece off that cloth too, coiling it around her finger in a makeshift bandage. ]
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Jean's movement doesn't get a response, other than a small grunt as she tries to pull the hand back.] J-Jean? [What did he say? When did he move?]
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It's fine, I won't bring it up anymore. [ He can't really figure out what could cause a reaction like that, but he doesn't think it's a good idea to go digging deeper. ] Are you feeling okay?
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She doesn't comment on that. Letting him do, whatever it is he's doing as she blinks at him. Shaking her head. Getting the fog out, it does nothing to help. What were they... It's slow, but he gets a small nod.] ...His parents took me in.
[That was all he was getting there.]
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[ It goes without saying that Jean wants to learn more about her, but he wouldn't push for her more information if it's at the expense of her mental state. He knows how to read the room, so he knows it's a difficult subject for some reason. It's likely that for some reason, her parents had passed away or were unable to raise her. He wonders if it has something to do with the fact that she's both an Ackerman and of Hizuru descent. ]
Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger? [ Jean wanders over to pour her a glass of water, handing it to her. ] They sound like good people. [ Good people with very unfortunate fates. ]
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He might recognise the terse stillness though, the same as back when Yelena had loomed over her, asking one simple question. 'She looks like your mother, doesn't she?' As Kiyomi had approached. That was before the woman had made Mikasa uncomfortable with talk of her being their hope.]
They were. [Well Carla was. Grisha... Mikasa had liked Grisha. He'd always been nice to her, both before and after her parents had died. Even if she only just remembered him before that day. But he'd had a lot of secrets. There was no way of knowing what would have happened if he'd spoken out. Though that probably would have gotten the interior police's attention.
It's quiet. Not a nice comfortable quiet like Mikasa enjoyed, but she's not sure what to say. So she just waits, looking at her hand.]