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Just nothing too fancy, or with 'coconut', according to ~~the commander~~ ~~Erwin?~~ Smith.

[ He doesn't know it's jealousy, precisely. He calls it a burden, but he doesn't truly think of it that way, either. As with everything involving Eren, It's Complicated. ]

Well, I appreciate you letting me help. It makes me happy.

Coconut... We'll find something.

[ It is a little strange, having Erwin Smith and Hange and Levi all here, but having to dance around titles. If Armin was here then there'd be too many commanders to deal with. She hasn't asked Levi what he'd prefer to be called - calling him just by name feels... Odd, still. ]

I'm not good at it. But I want you to be happy.

[ It is weird. He's used to calling Hange both 'Commander' and their name; Levi is habitually 'Captain'. Erwin was always "Commander Erwin", but calling him either of those separately feels wrong and he hasn't done it in four and a half years.

Her next words make him blush a little despite himself. ]

I'm glad we both want each other to be happy. And you're doing fine. No one should expect you to change overnight, yeah?

[ Mikasa has never been amazing with some level of authority - her earlier days of standing up for Eren proved that - but she's calmed down enough to respect the chain of command enough, where necessary. It depends on who is at risk and the cost.

She stares at her strange little device for a moment, head bowed over it before she replies. ]

I know. I'm doing my best.

[ Erwin, Hange and Levi might know what she does - Jean having been there - but she doesn't want to imagine what Eren might do if he finds out. She has to keep it close to her chest. ]

[ He already told her she was doing fine. Should he tell her he sees that she is? That feels like too much direct acknowledgement for one day, but he'd also tell her it all the time if she let him. ]

You are. I see you trying.

[ Ahhhhhh. ]

We can meet up at the cottage later? For getting soap and tea. Or meet in the square, whatever's easiest for you.

I can come and meet you. I was going to try and get some food anyway.

[ If Eren liked the cakes... Maybe Jean would too? She was already planning on getting the croissants, but maybe she should try a cake for him, as a “Thank You”. ]

Or I can wait for you at the bakery.

Bakery is good, I know where that is. I can pick up something to eat too.

Be there in 10?

Okay.

[ She decides to get Jean a cake, a little one with fresh fruit on top, because it's still exciting, and some chocolate inside. Stepping outside, she spends her time staring at the sky as she waits for him, the little slide of cake wrapped in some paper and held delicately in her hand, like it's some kind of bird. ]

[ Jean's finishes up at the library - he's still curious if there's anything he can find about the history of the place - and heads down to meet Mikasa. He's added to the clothes he usually wears - the familiar grey vest is back, and now there's a green jacket, similar to but not the same as his Scout uniform.

He raises a hand in greeting. ]

Hope you weren't waiting too long. [ Spotting the paper in her hand. ] Grabbed a treat already?

[ Mikasa is dressed simply; plain black trousers, a white shirt, her scarf. She's a little chilly, but she hasn't really had the forethought of "get some kind of jumper to wear" when she's focussed on other things.

Her expression relaxes when she sees Jean and she steps over, handing out the cake. ]

No, it's for you. I liked it when I came here before, so I got you one.

[ His gaze moves over her, as if checking to make sure she's not cold. He'd probably give her the jacket if she shivers, but so far, no need to.

He takes the cake with an expression of surprise, but it morphs into a pleased smile. ]

Oh, thanks. I haven't tried everything here yet.

[ The unspoken goal - one day he will. The cake is small enough and he's practical slash a mess enough that he just lifts it with his fingers, taking a bite and making a pleased noise. ]

There's chocolate in this!

[ They don't have that back in Paradis, and he's only ever tried it in Marley or from Niccolo. ]

It's okay. I thought you'd like to try one too.

[ Mikasa watches him, to make sure he really does like it, some of the awkwardness in her shoulders fading as he seems to enjoy it. ]

There are lots of different kinds in there. Some had berries, or chocolate, and one had lemon.

[ Compared to what they're used to having, this place is indulgent. Extravagant. ]

Maybe we should bring some for the captain.

[ It is extravagant, and Jean's still getting used to it. The couple of meals he's cooked have been simpler affair, enlivened mostly by the fact he can get meat pretty cheaply and just add it in to what he's making.

Jean might be a mess, but he still swallows what he's eaten before he speaks again. ]

That might not be a bad idea - I'll ask Erwin and Hange if they're planning on a cake.

[ And to see if 'not too fancy' applied to food, too. He's pretty sure Levi liked lemons...? He steals another bite of the cake. ]

This is probably sweet enough to hold me over, if you wanted to start walking.

Let's go.

[ She nods her head, starting to walk through towards the market before she responds to him. ]

I don't know if the captain would go if it was that obvious... But maybe he's happier here. He might like to celebrate.

[ Mikasa can't imagine something as simple as a birthday or winter party, but everyone seems so... Content here. ]

[ He follows her, finishing off the cake quickly and licking his fingers clean of icing, crumpling the paper but tucking it into a pocket to throw away later. ]

You've got a point, they didn't even say it was for him in their post.

[ Birthdays, winter parties... He remembers Marco mentioning a harvest festival back where he came from, but there was nothing like that for them in the Scouts. A birthday maybe meant a small food treat you wouldn't normally eat, but not a party or a plethora of gifts.

Much different here. ]

He does seem happier. When I spoke to him at the bonfire he smiled a little easier. And, you know - they married.

I understand. Captain Levi doesn’t seem like the party type.

[ Not from how she remembers him, anyway.

She’s about to say more when Jean drops that bomb, and she turns her head, eyes widening. ]

They’re what?!

[ Since when? And how is it that Jean knows and she doesn’t? ]

[ He blinks a little bit when she looks at him, raising his hand and pointing at his ring finger with the other. Like she doesn't know what wedding rings are! ]

They're married. They both have the same gold rings on. Captain Levi basically confirmed it when he found me on the beach.

[ Well, Jean commented and the Captain tried to use his creepy stare down and it didn't work on Jean. There's really only one of two people it could be, and one was new. ]

[ She really has been out of sorts - not that she thinks she’d expect Levi to be married or to look for it here, but… No wonder he seemed more okay here. He’s happy.

She’s glad for him. ]

I had no idea. It didn’t come up when I went to see him.

[ As glad as she is for his happiness, she’s also a little jealous. ]

[ He didn't realize she had been by to see Levi, but he can guess a variety of reasons that would have happened, and plenty of them for Levi not to mention it. ]

I get the sense they're not exactly telling everyone, but they're not hiding the rings, either.

[ Jean was just the kind of guy who would notice that kind of detail, of course. They're almost to the market stalls, thankfully. ]

... I wonder if they'll get one for Commander Hange, too.

[ Her eyes grow even wider. ]

Hange too...?

[ It's not that Mikasa cares what they do with each other - there were always more important things than relationships, romantic or sexual or otherwise - but it's unexpected. She had no idea, but maybe she should have noticed.

She was a little hyperfocused on Eren, though. ]

I didn't know. Was it that obvious?

I don't think they made it obvious. I...

[ He frowns, a little bit, looking deep in thought. ]

Do you know there are songbirds that mate for life? A lot of people in the interior have them. When their mate dies, they act differently, and don't sing the same songs.

Commander Hange, and Captain Levi... right after we returned from retaking Shiganshina, I helped them with quite a bit of work. I always noticed that they would start to do something and stop, like they were looking for someone else that was no longer there. It took me a while to figure out it was Commander Erwin.

[ Three cups of tea made, one belatedly offered to Jean once the mistake was realized. Paperwork set aside and then slowly pulled back into piles. Levi, looking up and looking for a tall figure, surprised when he found Jean to his right instead. ]

It was like... watching a play that was missing its third actor.

Edited 2023-12-10 22:28 (UTC)

I wasn't paying attention.

[ Why would she? Mikasa was always singularly focused - either they had a mission to complete, and her mind was set on that, or she was making sure Eren was safe, her mind attached to him and nowhere else. She didn't notice a lot of the interpersonal relationships between her fellow soldiers, not unless it was made blindingly obvious to her.

Maybe it was obvious and she missed it, or maybe it's a subtlety that Jean was able to pick up on because of his own intelligence on that matter. No one could ever claim that Mikasa was particularly emotionally sensitive.

Her attention was always elsewhere. On Eren, or fighting, or trying to save her friends. ]

I'm glad they can be together again. They deserve that.

I don't think a lot of people were, to be fair.

[ Mikasa was trying to keep her most important person alive, and Jean doesn't resent that. He'd just been uniquely positioned to notice the absence of someone between two people. In truth, he wasn't even sure of the nature of the relationship until he was much older, and had it confirmed here.

He's pretty sure that songbird metaphor applies to Mikasa, too, even if she has Eren back again so soon.

He offers her a smile. ]

Yeah, I'm glad they get to be together here too. Which is why I think they want to celebrate... without making it obvious.

[ They draw closer to a stall that has a variety of soaps on it, and he pauses in front of it to look them over. He also wants to smell the coconut one and see why Levi hates it! ]

There were other things happening.

[ When they lost Erwin, it was the basement, the truth about the rest of the world, what it meant to them. After Hange, it was finding Eren and ending the Rumbling. She didn't have time to sit down and see what everyone else was going through because she knew enough to recognise it - grief, loss, pain. The things that came hand in hand with being part of their Corps from the beginning.

A small part of her wishes she had paid attention. Maybe she could have come something, especially for Levi. Maybe there's still time, if they ever go home. With Eren gone he is, technically, the last of her real 'family' left - though she would count the rest of her squad amongst that, even now.

She steps up, staring at the soap, reaching out to lift a random one to her nose and smell it. Citrusy, but not overpowering. He might like that. ]

I won't say anything unless they mention it first, in that case.

Probably a good idea.

[ He leaves the talk of Hange, Levi, and Erwin alone for now, with the array of soaps to look over. He keeps in mind that Levi doesn't want things that are too complicated, so he avoids the ones that are a mix of three or more scents.

He does find a coconut one and lifts it. ]

... Huh, I wonder why he hates this smell?

[ He trades soaps with Mikasa so they examine them. ]

This one does smell like something he'd like, though.

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would u like to thread soap browsing or wrap, i'm good with either!

let's go for it

action > now i'll have to open bpal /lighthearted

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