#machiot

Ha, she'll show her!

It's not even so much that Marni wants his ring, although it would be nice to feel that powerful again. She just wants to be able to see him again.

"Emblem Roy! Youuuuu," Marni squints as she steps closer, "...are not him, actually."

Well, now this is a little awkward. Is it too late to just turn around and walk away?

"Haha! Um. My bad."

This is not the first time he's been mistaken for someone named Roy. Strange, as his features are very sharply Pheraen, but he assumes whoever this Roy is that he also has red hair and a similar stature. It would be interesting to meet him though he's unsure if he's even here.

Whoever he is, though, he is quite popular. He hopes Roy knows how often his companions think of him.

"I'm afraid not. If it makes you feel better, you are not the first to mistake me for him."

The scene in the factory shouldn't have been just another day for her, but it plays back in her mind on a loop even after they all return to their apartments. The sight of the blade ripping itself out of Ares' back, the pooling blood; her mind fixates on it whether she wants to or not.

The worst part about old wounds is the way they still continue to throb long after the flesh has healed.

Marni raps at Dorothea's door after they're all back. Annoyingly, she continues knocking until Dorothea opens the door for her and begins talking the second the door opens a single crack.

"Hey, you can see the future or whatever, right? I thought I heard people saying that." Marni digs at the floor with her shoe. "Is what happened back there... gonna happen to me, too?"

they had just been together. breathing, talking, walking side-by-side. he'd been alive and well.

even now, seated on the edge of her bed, all dorothea sees is the blood pooling in thick streams beneath his limp body — the one that had been so sound and strong hours prior, a presence both towering and commanding. and still, ares had fallen in one swift stroke of the blade, reduced to a name committed to memory.

when she rises to open the door, she remains wary. the fortuneteller peeks through the crack, and only upon spotting the girl in the familiar iron mask, does she exhale slowly and prop open the door.

VISION RECEIVED: ...silence. whatever water might've spilled from these prophetic springs has stilled.

"of course not," she says softly, as if speaking to a wounded animal. "nothing will happen to you." guilt twists itself into the nest of grief within her chest, burrowing deeper still. there's no way of knowing — and still, she cannot find it in herself to leave the girl empty-handed in a time like this. "you'll be okay. i promise."

dorothea rests a hand on the other's shoulder to gently tug her into the room. the door behind them is shut firmly, the lock turned with a deafening click, as she takes a long breath to steady herself. a moment passes, and spurred by a sudden thought, she pulls the girl into a short-lived hug.

If her eyebrows could rise any further, they'd lift straight up off of her head.

Of course, Marni has no way of knowing that the poor man had already been dragged out to dance multiple times already that night. Her own various escapades getting caught in the rain and almost getting lost at sea had kept her busy. It's hard being so popular!

...Well, for better or worse.

"Anyway, we're supposed to trade these, right?" She waves around her bracelet, letting the charms clink against each other. "I'll give you my charm if you dance with me and tell me how great I am at it. Besides, none of the dances they do here are ones I know, so I can't really ask anyone else..."

A Lythian dance might be familiar to the others, but to someone like her, it feels just as foreign and isolating as the rest.

Marni leans in close to whisper, "...And tell me if you see Griss coming up behind me, got it? He put ice down the back of my dress last year."

She started it, to be fair, but that's not really important to her.

The sight of Marni is never going to feel commonplace, no matter how hard he tries. He still needs to remind himself that she is not a tortured figment of his own mind; she is flesh and pincurls, and she is asking him for a dance.

"If everyone is enjoying themselves," Mauvier explains flatly, "then no one will be on their guard in case of a threat." That's the only reason a man like me would be here. But, when he thinks about it, he has had some fun. The phantom of it, perhaps. The faintest glimmer.

Mauvier hands over his anchor, unable to help from smiling. No matter what Marni may say, she is a child, and she should be allowed to act like one. She should get anything she asks for. "I will dance with you, but not just to trade. I will dance with you because...I am your friend, Marni."

Not a vicious attack dog, just a stray left out in the rain.

"...Hey," she mumbles, digging at the carpet with her shoe. "I'll give you my charm if you don't tell Lady Veyle about what I did to you. I'll even forgive you for abandoning me out on that boat. Water under the bridge! Or boat, I guess."

A pearl charm is sort of like a third of an Emblem ring, if you really think about it. It's a pretty good deal, if Marni can say so herself. It's no Emblem Roy, that's for sure. She's never been much into boring old rocks(rock adjacent objects?) that don't do anything anyway, so she doesn't need it.

"I mean, I-I'd just be ruining her happy family time, right? I want her to be able to enjoy it, so... Yeah. You get it. Don't tell her."

The bracelet she's been given itches where it sits on her wrist.

"Please."

Yunaka hadn't worn all her stars to the ball. Though leaving some behind and made her feel uneasy, she'd only actually been wearing about half of the original amount when she'd arrived. Now, she pulls them out of her hair slowly as she counts each one to make sure she hasn't lost any in the downpour. Her count is one short...she'll have to go through the list when she gets back to make sure she remakes the right one...

The sound of wet footsteps alert her that someone is approaching, but she keeps her head down. She'd chosen this empty hallway for a reason, and she just hopes whoever is there will keep walking on their way and ignore the professor sitting on the floor. It doesn't work out that way, of course. Yunaka's eyes flick over to the vaguely familiar shoes that stop next to her, but it's the voice that makes her head snap up at attention.

"Marni?" She quickly shoves her stars into her pockets as she scrambles up to her feet. The poor thing looks miserable - an uncomfortable feeling settles in Yunaka's chest at the sight of her. She frowns and shakes her head. "Don't...I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to get left behind like that. They should've grabbed you first."

She doesn't need the bribe, but she doesn't hesitate to take a turtle charm off her own bracelet in turn to press it into Marni's hand. The choice to stay alone, just to keep others happy... "Wait here." Yunaka orders before ducking into one of the nearby rooms.

It takes a bit of rustling around, but eventually she comes back with a towel she's pulled out from one of the closets. She carefully drapes it over Marni's head and starts trying to lightly pat her hair dry. She can't fix it, but it might help.

"...I won't tell her anything." She laughs, quiet and sad. "It's no fun, right? Everyone's got big, happy families to rely on, it's so hard not to feel like a little pest following after them, ruining the moment." As kind as they are, as welcome as they are, it doesn't change the reality.

Retainers and their lords. Siblings and their parents.

Yunaka and no one.

Madeline: ○○○○○ | ATTRACTION ●●●●● | AFFECTION ○○○○○ | INTEREST ●●●●● | LOYALTY ●●●●● | TRUST

"Despite her years, Madeline is one of the bravest warriors I have been blessed to meet. There are few I would rather trust with my life, and under Mauvier's guidance, she has truly flourished into a fine young woman. Her loyalty and her unwavering resolve... I only hope that one day, I can properly express to her how thankful I am to call her an ally... and a dear friend."

Marni: ○○○○○ | ATTRACTION ●●●○○ | AFFECTION ○○○○○ | INTEREST ●●●●● | LOYALTY ●○○○○ | TRUST

"What's with this sassy, lost child?"

Send ♡ to see what my muse thinks of yours

○○○○○ | ATTRACTION ●●●●○ | AFFECTION ●●●●○ | INTEREST ●●●●○ | LOYALTY ●●●○○ | TRUST

"Sometimes, I feel uncertain of how best to speak to her. Lavishing praise is not something I am much accustomed to. Neither am I adept at predicting her reactions to different situations. Despite all that...

'Did I do good?'

That is what she said, a moment from death's door in that illusory arena. It felt, for a moment, like I was hearing myself. I haven't ever told her that — cannot, as this is not for her to bear, but...

She is worthy of being shown kindness and care. That I am certain of. And so, even if it may be difficult... I will not stop trying.

(I hoped to see you grow old enough to escape one day. I am not content to tell myself that you died an honorable death, because you should still be here. You were always going to have blood in your teeth. You should have had someone to watch over you. Forgive me.)