[Think, Aubrey. Is there proof in the house, anything someone else left here? Only Sunny could know that. Text history? If he doesn’t remember sending every message, then those received aren’t much better—especially from a phone with a mind of its own. Maybe if they have contacts in common, but who the hell has Aubrey mentioned Sunny around? She sure hasn’t wanted to. Only one—]
Luz. [Hushed, abrupt; Aubrey sits up straighter.]
Sunny, [more firmly,] I’m real. And if we know the same people, would that make them real to you, too?
[She tries very hard not to make it sound like a plea.]
Tell me who you know. [Intense. Gears are turning.] I’ll find as many as I can. A-and I know one person, Luz Noceda, who said she’s talked to you; I can pro—
[Aubrey reaches for her phone, but hesitates. That wasn’t in text. And if there’s no answer to a call or message, that’s no good.
[A grasp at something else, then:] I can prove it. That she’s real. [Biting back desperation. She clasps Sunny’s hands again.] Can I try…?
[She does not hold back the relief, eyes shut for a moment with a sharp huff, when Sunny confirms knowing one of the best people Aubrey knows. Mutters half-intelligibly, maybe a thank god; there couldn’t be anyone more understanding. Right?
[But wait, there’s more! Aubrey scrambles for her phone when Sunny does, and reads the names aloud with increasing fervor (if skimming through the less familiar):]
Luz, we both know her, she’s one of my best friends here. Kenma, he’s special to you. Xie Lian, Izutsumi, Malleus, Levi… I might know Le–Jean, Jean, I just talked to him the other night; Laserhawk, Aziraphale, them, too; Erwin…
[Holy shit.] Akechi? And Venat [reverence in that name], Adam [less familiar (sorry, Adam)], Grog…
[Aubrey can’t help it. There’s a grin tugging at her face, lopsided with relief, as she reads the list to herself, silently, one more time.]
Sunny… I know half these people. [She looks up to him, eyes gleaming.] They’re all real.
[Aubrey begins listing off the names, affirming which she knows; Sunny clutches his phone to his chest, watching, listening. Tears threaten his eyes, but don't quite well up. He lets out a shaky breath himself.]
It’s hard to believe, right? [Still smiling, though.] And they’re all from such different worlds… I don’t blame you.
[She gets the vague this is about more than just these people, even this place. No one else has talked about missing memories. So Aubrey keeps to herself the part where she’s not sure if Somnius is one big dream (or nightmare) sometimes, either.]
But it all has to be true. Even your cat friend… [A shrug, lighthearted.] I know a guy who turns into a wolf.
Really. [And tragically, they cannot meet onscreen. But Aubrey wouldn’t make the offer, anyway; it occurs to her, and then she remembers how all this started…
[The smile is dampened somewhat. She hopes Eren’s doing alright.]
A lot of weird stuff happens here. [People from the future. Being split in two. Reconciling after four years, after just a day…] But no matter what, I’m here for you now, Sunny.
[Part of him thinks that it must still be a dream. Aubrey is here, sitting across from him, smiling softly, taking his hand. It's not as if that's an entirely novel phenomenon, but after everything, it feels surreal (long-lingering childhood crush notwithstanding, but it doesn't help the reality factor).
[He has to trust her as much as he can, with what he can. He takes her hand and holds it to his chest again. It makes him feel anchored, doing it like that; squeezing, releasing...just like a stress ball.]
You too.
[He doesn't need to be coddled or cared for any more than anyone else does. He can take care of her too...
[He uncurls his hand from hers to hold out his pinky. Not everything has to change just because time moves on, right?]
[There’s something soothing about the way he squeezes her hand like that. Makes Aubrey feel like this is actually helping, for all her sputters and flaws. Sunny needs her to be stronger than that… but they can fall asleep in his pile, too.
[They hadn’t talked in four years. They’re closer than they’ve ever been.
[Aubrey’s not sure they can be certain of anything anymore. This place isn’t kind. But as far as she can help it, she’ll try; she has to trust Sunny believes it.]
[He has other people here, too. Aubrey relaxes again as Sunny takes his phone, and reaches for the rest of her food. It’s cold now, but whatever.]
Two of these? [She gestures at the phone a bit, its giant list of Sunny’s… friends? People he knows, in some way. When she gets back to her own house, she’ll have to write this down....] On the list.
[Were it not for their preceding exchange, Aubrey would half wonder if Sunny’s making this up, too. He’s gay?]
You’re… dating? [Sunny would date a cat-person. Aubrey’s not judging.
[Actually, she has a few questions about a person who’d get into a relationship with someone who doesn’t remember half his day. But from Sunny’s earlier description, Kenma seems nice enough, and Sunny trusts him. Aubrey will just have to see for herself that the trust isn’t misplaced.]
[The blush on Sunny's face deepens. He...hadn't really allowed himself to consider the sexual identity aspect of all this before now; hadn't really needed to, considering it was all a dream. Now he's let it all slip without even knowing if Aubrey really cares about that sort of thing...]
im surprised too
[Will...she mind? His father would, probably. Maybe his mom too. Sunny swallows down a lump in his throat.]
[It’s funny. Eren’s from another world and has multiple spouses, so that’s one thing. Luz has talked about her girlfriend, and only later did Aubrey realize Luz is from (what Aubrey thinks is) the same version of Earth; if a place can have magic, it can have girls dating girls, too.
[Sunny, though. It never occurred to her…]
I’m glad. [She has no idea what to say to this sort of thing. Two months feels… fast. But the sentiment is genuine, and Aubrey’s faint smile remains.] Congrats on the boyfriend.
I could have stopped the rumbling (said something) and chose not to
[Well, now his face is really burning. He hangs his head a little in a poor attempt to hide it. Kenma and he have used that word here and there, though never actually discussed the details...
[New topic...]
xie lian is the kindest person i know
its hard to say how important he is to me
[Which is...surprisingly honest of him to admit so readily, however...through everything, Aubrey has become...Aubrey again...
[Haven't they shared plenty of confessions like this? There's no harm in her knowing how wonderful Xie Lian is; how he's almost convinced Sunny once or twice that hope still exists.]
[When Kenma hasn't eaten, Sunny remembers to go out and get something. When Xie Lian is missing food from home, Sunny gets the ingredients. But he still isn't touching those eggs himself.
[Just doesn't really think about it. Eating doesn't seem to matter much when everything only seems half-real.]
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[Grief. Confusion. Sleep...
[He clutches her hand like she'll fade away.]
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[She shifts closer to him. This is impossible…
[Think, Aubrey. Is there proof in the house, anything someone else left here? Only Sunny could know that. Text history? If he doesn’t remember sending every message, then those received aren’t much better—especially from a phone with a mind of its own. Maybe if they have contacts in common, but who the hell has Aubrey mentioned Sunny around? She sure hasn’t wanted to. Only one—]
Luz. [Hushed, abrupt; Aubrey sits up straighter.]
Sunny, [more firmly,] I’m real. And if we know the same people, would that make them real to you, too?
[She tries very hard not to make it sound like a plea.]
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Who...?
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Tell me who you know. [Intense. Gears are turning.] I’ll find as many as I can. A-and I know one person, Luz Noceda, who said she’s talked to you; I can pro—
[Aubrey reaches for her phone, but hesitates. That wasn’t in text. And if there’s no answer to a call or message, that’s no good.
[A grasp at something else, then:] I can prove it. That she’s real. [Biting back desperation. She clasps Sunny’s hands again.] Can I try…?
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I...know Luz...
[He'll have to type the rest...He reaches for his phone, sending names as he thinks of them. It's difficult to remember everyone, but...]
luz
kenma
xie lian
izutsumi
malleus
levi
jean
laserhawk
aziraphale
erwin
[Who else...]
akechi
venat
adam
grog
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[She does not hold back the relief, eyes shut for a moment with a sharp huff, when Sunny confirms knowing one of the best people Aubrey knows. Mutters half-intelligibly, maybe a thank god; there couldn’t be anyone more understanding. Right?
[But wait, there’s more! Aubrey scrambles for her phone when Sunny does, and reads the names aloud with increasing fervor (if skimming through the less familiar):]
Luz, we both know her, she’s one of my best friends here. Kenma, he’s special to you. Xie Lian, Izutsumi, Malleus, Levi… I might know Le–Jean, Jean, I just talked to him the other night; Laserhawk, Aziraphale, them, too; Erwin…
[Holy shit.] Akechi? And Venat [reverence in that name], Adam [less familiar (sorry, Adam)], Grog…
[Aubrey can’t help it. There’s a grin tugging at her face, lopsided with relief, as she reads the list to herself, silently, one more time.]
Sunny… I know half these people. [She looks up to him, eyes gleaming.] They’re all real.
And I’d bet the rest are, too.
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i
didnt realize
how much i wanted
that to be true
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It’s hard to believe, right? [Still smiling, though.] And they’re all from such different worlds… I don’t blame you.
[She gets the vague this is about more than just these people, even this place. No one else has talked about missing memories. So Aubrey keeps to herself the part where she’s not sure if Somnius is one big dream (or nightmare) sometimes, either.]
But it all has to be true. Even your cat friend… [A shrug, lighthearted.] I know a guy who turns into a wolf.
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Really...?
[Sounds lame. What a lame guy that must be.]no subject
Really. [And tragically, they cannot meet onscreen. But Aubrey wouldn’t make the offer, anyway; it occurs to her, and then she remembers how all this started…
[The smile is dampened somewhat. She hopes Eren’s doing alright.]
A lot of weird stuff happens here. [People from the future. Being split in two. Reconciling after four years, after just a day…] But no matter what, I’m here for you now, Sunny.
[She reaches for his hand again.] Promise.
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[He has to trust her as much as he can, with what he can. He takes her hand and holds it to his chest again. It makes him feel anchored, doing it like that; squeezing, releasing...just like a stress ball.]
You too.
[He doesn't need to be coddled or cared for any more than anyone else does. He can take care of her too...
[He uncurls his hand from hers to hold out his pinky. Not everything has to change just because time moves on, right?]
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[There’s something soothing about the way he squeezes her hand like that. Makes Aubrey feel like this is actually helping, for all her sputters and flaws. Sunny needs her to be stronger than that… but they can fall asleep in his pile, too.
[They hadn’t talked in four years. They’re closer than they’ve ever been.
[Aubrey hooks Sunny’s pinky, and squeezes.]
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[Pinky promises are, in all reality, often broken.
[It's the thought that counts, for now. He thinks she'll try to keep it; he will.
[He takes his phone again.]
theres two people
i want 2 tell u about
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[Aubrey’s not sure they can be certain of anything anymore. This place isn’t kind. But as far as she can help it, she’ll try; she has to trust Sunny believes it.]
[He has other people here, too. Aubrey relaxes again as Sunny takes his phone, and reaches for the rest of her food. It’s cold now, but whatever.]
Two of these? [She gestures at the phone a bit, its giant list of Sunny’s… friends? People he knows, in some way. When she gets back to her own house, she’ll have to write this down....] On the list.
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[He nods as he types.]
kenma
its a little embarrassing
[His face is going pink again.]
we like each other
like that
i figured
i just made that up
[Which is...really a lot more embarrassing than revealing to his also-teenaged friend that he's kissed
and uh--someone.]no subject
[Were it not for their preceding exchange, Aubrey would half wonder if Sunny’s making this up, too. He’s gay?]
You’re… dating? [Sunny would date a cat-person. Aubrey’s not judging.
[Actually, she has a few questions about a person who’d get into a relationship with someone who doesn’t remember half his day. But from Sunny’s earlier description, Kenma seems nice enough, and Sunny trusts him. Aubrey will just have to see for herself that the trust isn’t misplaced.]
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im surprised
too
[Will...she mind? His father would, probably. Maybe his mom too. Sunny swallows down a lump in his throat.]
he makes me feel
very good
and safe
shakes fist at html fail
[It’s funny. Eren’s from another world and has multiple spouses, so that’s one thing. Luz has talked about her girlfriend, and only later did Aubrey realize Luz is from (what Aubrey thinks is) the same version of Earth; if a place can have magic, it can have girls dating girls, too.
[Sunny, though. It never occurred to her…]
I’m glad. [She has no idea what to say to this sort of thing. Two months feels… fast. But the sentiment is genuine, and Aubrey’s faint smile remains.] Congrats on the boyfriend.
I could have stopped the rumbling (said something) and chose not to
[New topic...]
xie lian
is the kindest person i know
its hard to say
how important he is
to me
[Which is...surprisingly honest of him to admit so readily, however...through everything, Aubrey has become...Aubrey again...
[Haven't they shared plenty of confessions like this? There's no harm in her knowing how wonderful Xie Lian is; how he's almost convinced Sunny once or twice that hope still exists.]
😔. hands you a seashell.
Xie Lian. [She mucks up the punctuation a bit, but there’s an honest effort. The kindest person…]
How’d you meet? [It’s a soft question. Sunny’s telling her a lot…]
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he needed trash
for projects
later
he needed ingredients
so i got him some
and we became friends
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[Ingredients. Sunny’s kitchen was not stocked.]
You meet a lot of people through the network, huh?
cw: eating issues
[Just doesn't really think about it. Eating doesn't seem to matter much when everything only seems half-real.]
its easier
to talk this way
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[He never was the biggest eater. But it’s not lost on Aubrey that he’s leaving his breakfast at three bites; that seems new.]
I guess it is.... I feel like you miss a lot, though. Tone and stuff.
[Small shrug. She’s not judging too much; as long as he’s talking with someone, somehow. Charlene would probably be the same way.]
By the way, ah. You gonna finish that? [The food.]
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at tone
anyway
[He glances at the eggs. Aubrey worked hard to make them, so he takes another bite. They're cold now...but not bad.]
you have
good friends too?
[He's wondered...worried that she might be alone.]
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holy crap
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eren jaeger: guess i’ll go fuck myself—
he (eren jaeger) did the mash (rumbling) he did the monster (eren jaeger) mash (rumbling)
smash… :pensive:
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