voidtreckernet | Following that other one... [video]

Maru had followed where the others had gone. Madoka held in one arm, her blanket wrapped around her. Madoka's Girlfriend was with them.

He stepped into the dining room to find more than a few people already there, so he gently set Madoka down, and then moved off to the side to drop down himself. He sat on the floor, quiet. He hadn't seen as much as others. But he'd seen enough. And that had been more than enough to make him feel sick to his stomach.

But he could see Madoka's Dad and knew Madoka would want to go and see him, so he sat quietly and waited, absentmindedly chewing on the nail of his thumb.

Edited 2020-06-24 06:38 (UTC)

Madoka may have avoided seeing any of it, thanks to Maru, but it's still hard to miss what exactly is going on with so many people talking about it. So of course she has to go see her dad first when she notices he's in the carriage as well and then talk to her girlfriend, but the moment she's done with that, Madoka is quick to return to the side of the one who helped her out to begin with.

"Maru.. I'm back." She gives him a thin smile. It's weak, but at the very least it doesn't look totally fake or forced as she moves to sit down to him - really close to him, to a point where she's practically just leaning against his side. "How are you..?"

He didn't think she'd avoid it completely. But hearing about it was easier than seeing it, in his mind.

Maru thought about maybe becoming a cat. Maybe offering some comfort that way, if he could. But he wasn't feeling very good himself.

He looked up when Madoka returned to him, she didn't look happy... But she sat beside him and he automatically moved his arm, lifting it a little so he could curl it loosely around her so she could lean against him.

"I'm alright. Are you?" He asked, voice pitched low.

It's definitely not the first time he's held her, but it still feels nice. Especially at a moment like this. Sure, technically there's enough company to be found with everyone present in the carriage, but it feels a little special to sit here with Maru. Their special bond just elevates his company a little - it's impossible to feel lonely at all when he's there with her.

And right now, she mostly just really needs company. So Madoka gladly accepts the hold, leaning over further until she's practically cuddled into his side, head resting against him.

"I'm.."

She hesitates, although it doesn't seem to be her wondering if she should tell the truth or lie. It's more just that she's not entirely sure of what she's feeling herself, considering everything..

"I'm not good, but.. I don't think I'm feeling super bad either. Just.. really worried. About what's going to happen now."

"I don't know what happens now." Maru replied as he looked down at her, the corner of his lips curved just a little bit. She was being cat-like now, curling up at his side in that way. The arm around her tightened just a touch, to keep her safely tucked into his side.

"So many people saw that... I didn't see it all. I didn't wait to." And he didn't want to. All he knew for sure was that he'd needed to get away from it and that Madoka needed to as well. Ple Two had been awake, he couldn't have done anything about that. "I thought this was a better place."

"I'm glad you didn't see it all."

It's not as if Madoka doesn't know that Maru is tougher than her. She saw the way he fought back on the beach, after all. But it doesn't matter how tough he is. Madoka firmly believes in the fact that Maru has a good heart, and no one with a good heart would be able to bear looking at something like that. So he shouldn't have had to either.

"I think.. the adults are probably going to talk about what has to happen now.." But this is something that's so big that she's not sure if even they can figure it out. "B-But in the meantime.. we should be safe here, right..?"

Maru actually focused on Madoka now, pushing away his worries to see her own etched onto every line of her expression.

"I'll keep you safe." He promised her. Now shadow was going to get near them. And if it was coming after people who had committed crimes... It would more likely come for him than Madoka. "You'll be fine. I think... everyone will probably be fine."

She at least knows he means it. Maru wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, he's proven that much to her already. On the other hand, she has no idea how strong this other mysterious person could be, and then there's the fact that Maru probably can't pull his giant lion trick here on the train without wrecking the whole thing..

But of course Madoka isn't just worried about herself. If there's bad people on the train, it means anyone could get hurt. Even Maru. What if they'd go after him since Maru himself thinks he's a bad person?

That thought makes her heart feel like it's getting tightly squeezed, and she clings to the boy just a little tighter.

"I really hope everyone will be fine.. I don't want anyone to get hurt again. Or worse.." Even if people do come back here after they die, that still doesn't make death alright. It's still so awful. "I didn't know we had bad people like that on the train.."

Maru wrapped his own arm around her tighter in return and frowned. He didn't like that she was afraid. It made him want to go and find these bad people and do something... It also made him want to carry Madoka off and lock them both in a cabin with snacks and not come out until the whole thing had blown over. She didn't reserve to be afraid like this.

"They'll find them." Maru said then, sure they would. Enough people were upset that it was sure to be a thing. And quickly. But her next comment made him look away. There were bad people everywhere. Even good people could do things they didn't want to... He wondered if she would hate him if she knew half of the things he'd done...

It's hard to not notice his own reactions when the two of them are so close to each other. And while Madoka doesn't know exactly what he's thinking, she can see the way he frowns, and the way he looks away..

She knows it's not like he's mad at her. He's probably just upset about the situation too. But that's worrisome in its own way entirely. She doesn't want him to feel bad. She really wishes he wouldn't have had to see the video just to be able to spare her from it..

".. Are you sure you're alright, Maru..?"

"I... don't really wanna talk about it..." He admitted, voice low, the same tired tone, but there was an edge of desperation to it. Almost pleading. If Madoka pushed, he would tell her, he couldn't really deny his Eve. But he really hoped she wouldn't. At least not yet. It was a conversation for another time. When she wasn't upset. When the whole train wasn't angry and upset.

"... I'm alright though." He was, physically at least. It was just memories, and worries... Though if the shadowy person were to come and find him, it would be pointless. His crime was hundreds of years old, after all.

That's not exactly the least worrying answer. Sure, Madoka is glad that he's admitting there's something wrong, but.. it's not exactly fun to know there really is something wrong with him either, huh.

Though this is Madoka we're talking about. She'd never cross a boundary unless there was a really, really good reason for it. So although she gives him a slightly sad look, she nods all the same.

"Okay.." If he doesn't want to talk about it, then that's okay. Especially if he sounds so desperate.. It makes her feel bad for her poor kitty buddy. She chews on her lower lip, but then quickly forces her thoughts away from it.

"Do you think everyone is going to stay and sleep here tonight..?" Since they did make a blanket fort and all. "Should we stay here too?"

He didn't like keeping things from her. But this... was something for another time. Not now. Not with everything else that was going on. Maru might not have cared about much, but he cared about what Madoka thought about him... And he was afraid all of her assurances he wasn't a monster would be turned into lies.

She agreed... but even the smallest of glances her way told Maru she was upset. It made him feel worse.

His head lowered more, eyes falling closed, his hair fell into his eyes. And almost he missed what Madoka said next... Almost. "... We stay...where you feel safest." He said softly.

It's not hard to tell that Maru is starting to feel worse. Maybe she might have missed something like this if it had happened early on, but she's spent enough time around the other to know that he always lowers his head like that when he feels bad.

And she can't have that. Sure, this is a very logical time to feel bad, but.. just seeing him like this hurts.

For a moment she's quiet, just still leaning against him. It's hard for Madoka to be too forward, but.. maybe in this case it's needed, just for a moment..?

She sucks in a breath before suddenly moving away, but it's just so she can instead kneel in front of him. Madoka makes sure the worst signs of her feeling upset are gone from her face as she thinks about the words she's about to say, since she knows they're true to her very core. She just has to convince him of it.

So the girl moves to gently put her hands on the side of his face, angling it up so she can actually look at it - and so he can see her gaze too, if he decides to open his eyes.

"Maru.. You know where I feel safe, right? I feel safe by your side. No matter where we are."

Maru didn't react when Madoka moved. She was annoyed with him. He was keeping things from her and she was annoyed. Mahiru has gotten annoyed as well. But he didn't want the same thing to happen with him happen with Madoka. It was just... everything was so bad. He couldn't add to that. It wasn't fair when she was already so sad...

Gentle hands cupped his face and lifted it. It was easy, Maru didn't fight it. Nor did he fight her gaze. His own was tired and unhappy, just a little fearful. Though the fear slowly receded once he realised that no, Madoka wasn't angry with him. And then her words reinforced that for him.

"With me...?" That... made him happy to hear. He wanted Madoka to feel safe with him. He didn't want her to be afraid of him.

"Hmm-mm." Madoka immediately lets out that affirmative noise and nods the moment she hears those two words from him. After all, she wants to let absolutely no doubt exist as to whether it's true or not. It just is. So she wants to make sure Maru knows as well, so he will at least never have to doubt what she feels.

"After all.. if you hadn't been here, then who would have kept me from seeing all of it..? And I would have had to go here by myself too, even though today showed that there's dangerous people around." Sure, she could have come here with Ple Two. But even with the other girl being more battle-hardened like her, what could she have done without a weapon if they were attacked? "You keep me safe. And you're just.. always with me too. I really appreciate that. It feels nice to always have someone right there with me."

And even during the times they're not literally physically next to each other, she can still always feel Maru on the train through their bond. So it really does just feel like they're always together.

"So.. I know it's really tough right now, but.. please don't make such a sad face, okay?" Or, you know, look down like that. Which is the Maru equivalent of it and she knows it. "Let's do our best together to be strong."

Maru was quiet as he listened to Madoka speak. He felt bad for being so insecure, for hiding his past, but her gentle reassurances always made him feel better. He hung onto her every word. He wanted her to feel safe with him. He wanted to remain that safe place for Madoka to go no matter what. So this little thing he could do for her...

Slowly he lifted his hands to cover Madoka's where they rested upon his cheeks... and he smiled. "I promise." He would try not to be sad for now. For her. "... We will do our best. We'll be stronger."

She can only hope that her words at least encouraged him a little. She knows that Maru seems to have a lot of issues - issues that she can't solve that easily, if at all. Especially during a difficult moment like this. But.. maybe she can at least make them feel a little bit less heavy by reminding him that there is someone who believes in him, no matter what.

Madoka doesn't immediately reply to what he's saying. Not verbally, anyway. She just leans her face a little closer, until their noses touch in a small eskimo kiss. It's just one of those small gestures that feels easy to do with him.

She makes sure to still smile back at him as she pulls back.

"Do you maybe want to nap with me for now..? They made a lot of comfy spots for it here." And while she's still nervous and a bit on edge, Madoka knows nothing could happen to them in this carriage. There's too many strong people around. If she's going to even be able to attempt to sleep anywhere right now, it's here.

His eyes close for a moment when Madoka leans in. The touch of her nose to his had him smiling softly in moments. A small smile that was just for her alone. His Eve was the only one so far who had been able to find his smile, and give him something to smile about.

"We can do that." He was feeling a bit tired, if he was honest. He'd wandered around a bit himself, trying to talk to people or help them in his own way. It was exhausting.

Maru opened his eyes and looked around before spotting a place where he didn't think they would be in the way and pointed it out to Madoka. "Over there maybe?"

It feels good to see him smile. Especially at a time like this. Even though everything is scary, there's at least still some good things.. And Maru's smile may just be the perfect reminder of that fact.

Her gaze follows his to see the spot he's pointing out. She nods, before taking his hand into her own and gently taking him over there like that. Madoka gathers a few of the pillows lying nearby there, putting those together for them to rest on, and then grabs one of the blankets that doesn't seem to have been used to put together the big blanket fort. If they're going to nap, they might as well be cosy.. and Madoka is pretty sure no one else is using these anyway!

"Here." She sits down, patting the spot next to her before fully lying down to rest her head on the pillows. ".. Can you stay like this too..? Instead of going back to a cat, I mean."

That's the way they usually sleep, after all. But under the current circumstances having Maru in this form feels a little safer than having him in his kitty form.

"Unless you mind.."

Maru went when he was pulled up to his feet and followed Madoka, more like a puppy than a cat across the room. He watched while she arranged the pillows and, before he could do his usual and change into something a little more compact, he was being told no. He looked puzzled, but he nodded.

"I don't mind." It really didn't matter to him what way he slept, so long as Madoka was comfortable.

He knelt and then moved to sit and lay back upon the blankets with his head falling onto the pillow beside Madoka. It may not be as comfortable as a bed, but it would do. And they were out of the way enough he was sure they wouldn't bother anyone. "You're sure this is okay?"

She nods - as well as she can while lying down like this, anyway.

"I'm sure." And she sounds fairly certain of that. Especially by Madoka standards, since she sounds a little unsure even of the most normal things most of the time. Sure, Tony might not be too happy to see this, but.. surely even he will understand that Madoka needs some comfort at a moment like this, right? It's not like these are any normal circumstances. Far from it.

Madoka scoots a little closer so she can cling onto Maru's jacket.

"You don't have to be a cat to comfort me, Maru.. I mean.. The way you're so cute when you're a kitty is really nice, but what comforts me the most has nothing to do with what you look like. It's just having you by my side.. That by itself is enough."

Not to mention that under these current circumstances it just feels a little safer to have Maru around looking the way he did when he was fighting to protect her before.

He gave a little huff of a laugh before he moved an arm to slip around Madoka and gently pulled her into his side. He kept the arm loosely around her while his other lifted to slip his hand behind his head. It was... nice to hear that, for some reason. No one had ever really said it before. He'd just assumed that people would find his cat form more approachable, more of a comfort, than his actual self. He knew what he looked like. Tired. Bored. Like he didn't care about anything. And while it was true there wasn't much he really cared about, he cared about Madoka. She was his Eve. She was his friend. So it made him happy to know that she saw him as a comfort no matter what form he was in.

"Then I'll stay like this. And you can rest." Because somehow Maru didn't think he would. The perpetually sleepy Servamp fully intended to keep awake just in case... While he didn't think anything could get them in there, not with so many of the others around, the powerful ones, he still wanted to keep guard over Madoka's sleeping.

Apparently Madoka is happy enough about being pulled over like that, because she immediately settles into Maru's side, resting against him. They may not exactly be lying on a bed, but it feels comfortable all the same this close to him. Besides.. her eyes feel a little heavy. Maybe all these events drained her more than she thought they did..

"It'll be okay?"

She's not really questioning him deciding to stay up - or at least, that seems to be his decision, judging by his wording. Maru naps so often that Madoka really isn't worried about him missing out on some sleep right now, especially when a lot of people are still so tense.

Madoka's voice already sounds a little drowsy now she's so comfortable..

"You won't get bored waiting for me to wake up..?"

"I'll be okay." He'd watch over her. He wanted to. There was still worry something would happen and he wouldn't feel right if he slept and it did and he wasn't quick enough to protect Madoka. So Maru would stay awake. It was his choice...

"I'll be fine. I can just watch everyone." People watching was almost as good as watching tv he supposed. Not that they really had a tv to watch... That was boring. But he could just lay there and watch everyone else, he supposed that could be interesting enough to keep him awake.

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happyends - 2020-08-03 19:05 (UTC) - Expand

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sobothersome - 2020-08-04 08:17 (UTC) - Expand

Following that other one... [video]

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