#marley!reader

    “Those guys are odd.” Your friend muttered next to you. Sarah was shorter than you and blonde. She didn’t have any trouble in the dating scene for certain. You, on the other hand, had some issues. Maybe it was your personality or the way you dressed, but you were determined to change something, anything. You had been alone for long enough. 

    “Definitely.” You tilted your head and watched the group departing from the newest ship arrival. It was a sunny day in Marley and you were just waiting in line to buy ice cream. “Let’s just get our ice cream and leave. I want to visit the new boutique shop.” You declared. “They’re trouble.” 

    “Uh…well, trouble is coming this way.” Sarah murmured. 

    You turned around to see the group eagerly making their way over, with a couple staying behind to look on in embarrassment. 

    “Ugh, must be newcomers.” Sarah scoffed and twirled her parasol. It was uncommon for you to make your way to the sea, but when you woke up this fine day you saw the blue sky. Not a cloud in the deep blue hue and you couldn’t help running across the way to shake Sarah awake. Sarah and yourself lived a bit further away from the main town. The rolling hills of the Marley seaside allowed for blissful views of the ocean, with a hint of salt in the air, while keeping away from the common folk who frequented the town. 

    Your parents were new money and had just acquired the yellow-ish, cream colored, house on the hill. You could see the dot of it in the distance. It was among a few other lavish houses sprinkled along a dirt pathway. Next door was Sarah’s baby blue house. You always envied that her house was just a little bigger and her clothes just a little nicer. Still, you enjoyed coming into town more than she did; it was often a drag to convince her to join you. 

    “Newcomers indeed.” You stiffened as they barged their way through the crowd. One was a man with short, gray, hair, but he seemed too young to truly be gray. The next was a tall man with a hat on. His hair was light brown and he had stubble along his jawline. You found yourself quite interested in him. The last one of note was a woman with reddish brown hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were impossibly wide as she stared at the ice cream. 

    “Have you never seen ice cream before?” You asked, against your better judgment. The group was strange. They seemed overjoyed, confused, and excited to be in town, but there was something wrong. Their eyes were sad and it began to bother you. Sarah seemed to be having none of it. She looked away and tossed her hair. 

    “Of course she’s seen ice cream before. Don’t be stupid. She’s probably just enjoying herself and you’ve pointed out her flaw.” Sarah explained pitifully, as if explaining the situation to a dog. She often recited the story, as if her view was the perfectly correct, omniscient narration. 

    You furrowed your eyebrows. You truly hadn’t meant to disparage the woman, but she honestly seemed so genuinely enthused that it lit a match of curiosity inside you. You turned back and grabbed your cone with a short thank you. 

    “No.” The woman finally spoke. The gray haired man was looking away sheepishly and the brown haired one was staring you down. “This is my first time seeing it and trying it.” The woman continued.

    She spoke with such conviction and poise that it took you off guard. 

    “For having never seen ice cream before, you’re taking it well.” You said with a smile and you felt Sarah tugging on your arm. 

    “Oy, oy.” 

    You heard the low voice of a much shorter man. He was holding onto a boy who was holding onto a purse. 

    “That’s not your money.” The man said. 

    “Just leave it.” You heard some others in the group mutter. Then you heard Sarah, out of the blue, start shouting. 

    “He deserves punishment.” Sarah exclaimed and that set off a riot. You backed away from the crowd and tried to pull Sarah with you. The girl was already in the thick of the crowd, though. 

    “Come on guys, it’s okay, all is settled.” You tried to calm the crowd, but you were shoved roughly to the side. 

    “Kids need punishment to learn not to steal.” A man said gruffly. 

    “I disagree!” You began, but then you saw the short man and the others in the strange group take off running with the boy. 

    “Hey!” The crowd screamed and a few tried to chase them. By now, you’d lost Sarah in the mess, but you supposed she would be okay. You’d never seen her so…blood thirsty. She had a look in her eyes like a peasant watching gladiators. 

    “Oh my,” You muttered to yourself as you made your way onto a quieter street. “I don’t think I’ll be getting to the boutique today.” You took off your hat and placed the back of your hand on your forehead in exhaustion. “She’s a brat.” You found yourself saying, and it was like a switch was flipped. Yeah, Sarah had never been the kindest person, as much as she tried to convince you otherwise. You dropped your hand slowly. 

    You glanced around, hoping to see a head of golden hair–mostly so you could avoid her. You seriously needed to reevaluate your choices and values. Then your mind went to that woman at the ice cream stand. Your ice cream was long forgotten, but that woman stuck with you. She was so excited over such a small thing, an everyday occurrence. You frowned to yourself. Well, that was just regular old living, what was she so happy about? 

    You looked in the direction that the group had run. There were still a few men stampeding after them, but they quickly gave up when they turned a corner. You would not be so easily suaded. You wanted to know what their deal was. 

    So, it wasn’t exactly like you to go sneaking around. Sure, you were of a curious nature, but you’d never ‘snuck around’ for your answers. Now, however, you found yourself snooping around a random street. The footprints were fresh, new. You took careful steps to avoid ruining the pattern. You tucked yourself behind a corner as they filed into a house. 

    That’s not just any house.

    This was Kiyomi Azumabito’s house. You bit back a gasp. Now what would these strange newcomers be doing visiting the ambassador of Hizuru? You heard a crunch of gravel next to you. You’d never felt your heart beat so hard. Everything was pounding, through your ears, through your chest. You swear a person could hear you a mile away. Then, you felt the presence of the person and they leaned against the wall. You couldn’t breathe. 

    “Girl from the ice cream booth?” 

    You froze. You didn’t recognize that voice and the dialect was…not strange, but there was something a little off. It wasn’t that the man didn’t speak well, but he just spoke differently than the Marley people you usually knew. His vocabulary was rough, not derogatory, but definitely not dripping with sweetness. 

    You slowly turned to stare at him and the expression on your face must’ve been otherworldly because he barked a laugh. It was the tall man with brown hair.

    “It’s not a booth.” You sputtered out, at a loss for anything else to stay. “It’s a stand because the man there has to stand behind it.” 

    He seemed further amused by the statement and he put a palm to his forehead. “Ah, my bad. I’m new around here.” 

    “I can see that, Mr…?” You trailed off and he looked at you curiously. He seemed to mull over whether or not to tell you his name. “What? Are you top secret or something?” You joked innocently. “I can see you must be an important person, though.” You gestured to the Azumabito house. 

    “Oh, no, nothing like that.” He shrugged off charismatically. “You can call me Jean.” He pushed off the wall and offered you his hand. 

    You really were a magnet for trouble, huh? First Sarah, now this stranger who may or may not be dangerous. To hell with it. You were tired of playing it safe from a house on the hills. You grasped his hand with vigor. 

    “Y/N.” 

    “I like it.” Jean chuckled. “And I like your style, Y/N.” 

    You found your cheeks heating up and you quickly turned to cover it up. Jean knew, though. He knew he made you nervous in a sort of girlish way. If only you could see the devilish grin on his face. 

    “What are you doing here, Jean?” You asked. 

    “Nothing important, nothing of interest.” He chuckled. “Say, why don’t you show me around?” 

    “While you leave your friends? I think they’ll miss you.” 

    “Don’t worry about it. We’re in a recess of sorts. Our friend has gone missing.”

    “I see.” You rubbed your chin. “Do you need help finding him?” You had barely noticed the setting sun or the chill that was setting in. 

    “The others have got it handled, I’m sure.” 

    “Okay then, Jean.” You eyed him suspiciously, but started walking. “Come on, I’ll show you the harbor.” 

    For all you knew, he could be an enemy, but all the papers claimed that besides the missing ships sent to Paradis, the island remains contained. The man also wasn’t wearing an armband of any kind and while you never harbored negative feelings towards the Eldians, it was another sign that you should just trust him. He probably took the long way around from the other side of Marley or something and just wanted a tour. You weren’t sure why he chose you, but he seemed confident in your trustworthiness. 

    You walked down the side street you entered on and turned down the main road. Headed for the water, you strolled casually while doing a bit of window shopping. 

    “The town is great for socializing and shopping. There are always the latest fashions because of the port. This place was also one of the first settlements to be built because, well, port.” You gestured to the ocean in front of you. It was golden hour. The soft hues of the fading sun were painting the streets orange and yellow. 

    Jean made a noise of acknowledgement as you reached the street where the harbor met the town. You’d never been listened to for this long, at least not in recent memory. You enjoyed listening to others’ stories, but it was hard to find happiness in staying silent. Sarah liked to fill the air with her words, because she must believe that her word is the most important. Her life was infinitely more important than yours. That was the idea. 

    “Say, do old buildings have strong structural integrity?” He wondered as he surveyed the wooden beams of the homes. 

    “That’s an odd question, Jean.” You tilted your head. “But I guess they do since they’ve stayed for so long.” 

    “Good, good.” He nodded slowly. You eyed him again with more suspicion, but continued on. 

    “Now, the harbor is mostly natural. The additions made are the piers and boats. You should try some seafish sometime, it’s sublime and the freshest you’ll find.” You said cheerily. 

    The brown haired man found your tour guide-esque style quite charming. On top of that, you seemed like a very aware person, and friendly. He’d noticed this trait at the ice cream booth–stand. You’d been aware of Sasha’s interest in the sweet treat and without judgment asked if it was her first time seeing it. Of course, it was your friend that had twisted the wording. And that blush, earlier. Well, it was almost enough to make him nervous as well. 

    “I guess I must try the fish.” He said as you walked along the stone wall. 

    You smiled and closed your eyes. “Mhm.” You hummed, then you blindly leapt onto the wall. 

    “Hey! What are you doing?” Jean’s eyes widened and he instinctively went to balance you by placing his hands on your waist. You slowly opened your eyes and placed your hands over his. 

    “I do this all the time.” You smiled. “And is this any way to touch a girl you’ve never met before?” 

    He instantly ripped his hands away and red adorned his cheeks. You let out a little laugh and then opened your hand to him. You twitched your fingers, beckoning him to take it. 

    “I was mostly kidding. Join me.” You instructed. 

    Now, what other choice did he have? Jean, still a little embarrassed, took your hand and hopped on the wall. 

    “I like to stand here and just pretend I’m a bird flying over the ocean.” You closed your eyes and breathed in a deep gust of sea air. “Come on, try it.” 

    So he did. The man threw his hands out and closed his eyes. Then he could see it. He saw, so vividly, what you were describing. It was like he was taken away with the wind, soaring over the ocean. He saw home. He saw the walls and the innocent families behind them. 

    “I understand.” He said quietly. You were all creatures looking for freedom. His home’s boundaries were just smaller than yours. You donned a knowing smile, but Jean wasn’t your enemy. 

    “I’m glad.” You said, opening your eyes and dropping your hands. He followed suit. The sun was setting rapidly over the horizon now. “Let’s go. I have one more place before it gets dark, but it’s a little walk.” 

    “I don’t mind walks in good company.” 

    “Me neither. I hated walking with Sarah.” 

    “Is that your friend?” He asked as you lazily headed towards the hills. 

    “Yes, the blonde one. You know,” You ran a hand through your now windswept hair, “I am starting to realize more and more that most of my friends aren’t really people I enjoy.” The path turned to dirt and the dirt became gravel. “You and your friends seem close.” 

    You longed to be able to laugh like how you’d seen them earlier, or somehow understand when it was time to make an escape without having to talk through everything. 

    “We have been through a lot together.” Jean answered vaguely. 

    “Hm, I guess I understand. But you and I, Jean, will always be fundamentally different, right?” You’d been slowly piecing it together. You tilted your head a little blinked. You’d put two and two together, you weren’t dumb. What you really wondered was why he’d come all this way. What you didn’t expect was his horrified expression. 

    “Are you going to turn me in?” He finally managed. 

    You turned around promptly and continued your trek up the hill. He raced to catch up with you. 

    “Only if you give me a reason to. Your blood isn’t enough for me to care.” You decided. “I will tell you a secret of mine, since I know one of yours. We’ll make it even, so you feel better, okay?” 

    He seemed apprehensive at best. His adams apple bobbed uneasily as he thought it over. 

    “Go on.” He said quietly. The wind was softer up in the hills and though the grass swayed, it was eerily quiet. The fading light made it harder to see where he was stepping next. He really did just follow a Marley woman blindly into the hillside. 

    “My distant relatives are Eldian. We passed as if we were like everyone else for centuries and finally I was left with no descendents directly Eldian.” You felt confident in your ability to speak in the secretive valley of the hills. “But my lineage is still tainted, even if we don’t have to wear the armbands.” 

    “This secret could get you killed.” 

    “As could yours, Jean.” You argued. “A secret for a secret, a life for a life.” 

    To your surprise, he smirked. The man stretched his arms and then yawned. 

    “Now where is this thing?” He said. 

    “Turn around.” 

    Below him was the twinkling town. The lights flickered on one by one and bells rung on ships. A clocktower’s pendulum swung back and forth. The houses on the hillside were alight and joined the array of artificial stars. He was at a loss for words. 

    “Isn’t it beautiful?” You asked, stepping forward to join his side. You felt him staring, but you continued to look at this beautiful town you called home. The wind blew wisps of hair on your forehead.

    “It is.” He breathed, turning back to the city. “Hey, wait,” He paused and squinted. You frowned and tried to search for what he was looking at. 

    “What? What do you see?” You demanded as you began squinting as well. 

    “My friends. They’re…on a hill?” He pointed and you followed the line of sight. 

    “Ah.” You took a step back. “You wish to meet up with your friends again, right?” 

    “Yes….join us?” 

    You shook your head sadly. “I cannot. Our journey ends here.” You couldn’t join him, as much as you wanted to. You weren’t allowed within 20 feet of that camp. Your family would say you were trying to muddy the lineage again after they worked so hard. 

    “It doesn’t have to.” He suddenly grasped your hand. His cheeks were rosy pink, but it could’ve been a trick of the light in this darkness. You slowly, and sadly, removed his grasp, slipping your hands back together in front of you. A respectful gesture, but he looked taken aback. 

    “I don’t want our time to end, Jean, but something is coming. I feel it in the sea air.” You sniffed. “We will be parted for a very long time. You won’t see me again, most likely.” 

    Jean was just staring at you now, as if trying to capture this moment in his mind as much as he possibly could. And you were too. The sight, the smell, the way the gravel felt under your shoes. 

    “I see.” He murmured softly. “Thank you.” The man started, “for taking the time to show me around.”  He turned to go, but, as if an impulsive spirit thrust you forward, you wrapped your arms around him. 

    “In another life, Jean.” You whispered.

    The man smiled and breathed out softly before pulling away. He leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek. 

    “In another life.”