bakerstreet | ( picture prompt meme )

[ It's fine, it's fine! Dia will surely understand! (Or more like, it's not like there's anything she could do about it even if she wanted... Mari's not fussed, either way.)

But even though she is searching so passionately--!! (Translation: making a giant mess out of everything. ) ...it seems the umbrella gods are not smiling down at her today. ]

Mmmn... nothing! Not even one, single umbrella! [ She folds her arms over her chest with a frown, though her concern seems short-lived. ] ... Well, whatever! It was worth a shot, but a bit of snow's hardly the worst thing that could happen to someone. Let's go!

[To pack up further and risk heavier snow, or to hurry home while leaving the student council room in disarray...

The choice is tough. Then again, Dia's wrath is a given, so with resignation to the inevitable, she closes the door behind them. No point spending more time packing when they're short on it.]

You'll catch a cold. [As they walk, she fetches her umbrella from her bag, and pulls out the handle.] Share with me?

[A request in phrasing only.]

I'll have you know I'm sturdier than I look! It'll take more than some winter weather to bring me down! [ She reaches around the back of her neck, determinedly flipping her coat's hood on. See? That's at least as snow-proof as your umbrella. But dingy as it may be, Mari's the last person to complain, all-too-cheerily scooting over to Kanan's side. ] ... Though, sharing with you would make me pretty happy, hehe.

Ah -- [Admittedly, she knows the umbrella won't offer much protection.

Principle of the thing.] Thanks?

[Was "thanks" even the correct response??? But not acknowledging that feels wrong.]

We should stay close. [She can't pull Mari closer because she has to hold the umbrella. Unconsciously, however, it gradually is tilted more and more towards Mari's side -- their height difference is negligible enough for Kanan to not notice.]

Can do! [ Ignoring the concept of personal space is already one of Mari's sharpest-honed skills, so being asked to rescind it on purpose?! You got it. She's practically got her head on Kanan's shoulder, now -- and she puts her hand over hers as well, to lightly guide the umbrella back towards the center. ] After all, this is a love-love umbrella, right?

[A low, astonished sound at the realization. Her hand fumbles for a moment, concentration broken, brought back through the sensation of contact. They've shared an umbrella before, and she's done the same with others, too, but when put like that...]

Yeah, I guess it is?

[If Mari doesn't mind, then she has no cause to, either.]

...

[ Mari looks at her, stumped. She'd expected Kanan to get all exasperated with her, and for her to laugh it off, not... this.

Is it just retribution? She'd like to think she can tell when Kanan's serious, but... Regardless, Mari can feel heat climb up her neck at an alarming speed, and she retracts into her scarf, gaze dropping to the ground. ]

Geez, what's with that? You're gonna embarrass me...

[ ... She looks pretty happy about it, though. And not letting go of that hand. ]

Hey, you brought it up first, why am I at fault here?

[All she did was roll with what had sounded like a joke or offhand comment, because protesting serves no purpose aside from egging her on to push it, and now Mari's having such a major reaction instead.

Kind of ~~funny~~ ...interesting, to catch a glimpse of a side to her so rarely seen.]

[ Mari bristles, her very pink cheeks puffing out defensively. ] Because your response was all weird!

[???(´•ω•｀)???]

Was not! [Not until Mari said it was. HOW CONFUSING.

Step one: look cool. Step two: Act like it's no big deal.

Failed step one.]

Honestly, what's gotten into you...

[ Mari's cheeks puff out even more, coming to bear an uncanny resemblance to steamed manju. The sight is accompanied by a thin sound from the back of her throat that's something like a simmering kettle's whine, but before it can reach its boiling point, Mari releases the air from her mouth in a sigh. Really, she doesn't know what she was thinking...

Her hand unwraps from around Kanan's, instead reaching up to pull at her cheek. ]

You can be seriously dense, you know that?

[?????(´;ω;｀)?????

Ow ow ow. She nearly drops the umbrella.

The exaggeratedly long whimper trailing from the corner of her forcibly-stretched mouth sounds close enough to Mari's name, at least. And something like "hurts" and something like "stop".

These tears are all from pain, by the way.]

Reflect on your actions first!

[ Spoken in her very best Dia Kurosawa voice. But okay, fine-- she lets go after another moment anyway, just because Kanan was making such a big fuss about it. Hmph! ]

[The throbbing in her face is a clear warning not to ask what exactly she should reflect on. So Mari gets the best, most amenable nod she can muster, although Kanan has visibly wilted while they fall in step next to each other again. Weh.]

[ Mari, in turn, has her shoulders hiked up and her farther hand from Kanan shoved into her coat pocket. She's not really sure what to do with her other one now, so she settles for placing it around the umbrella handle again, this time a safe distance below Kanan's hand. She kind of hates that her face still feels warm.

Well, Kanan might be dense, but this one really was her own doing. She makes a mental reminder to never let herself get into situations that can't be instantly resolved with a just kidding.

Frustratingly, this might be the first time in her life she's completely out of anything else she could talk about. The streets are almost completely abandoned, silent and coated in white. There's nothing about their surroundings she might be able to bring up, except for, indeed, how very quiet it is. And pointing that out aloud will likely do more harm than good.

So Mari just... kind of trudges along, eyes on the ground, without a word. ]

[It's not the usual companionable silence which accompanies the downtime from lapses in conversation they've grown used to. Still, nothing ever comes close to those two years lost to lack, and eventually absence, of communication; and she'd choose to believe they're past that as well.

Not great, but could be far worse.

The thought sits, unvoiced, contemplated while awaiting the next bus. Whatever has Mari in a mood should be over by the time she visits later. And if it isn't, there's nothing a proper hug can't fix. If there is, then two hugs. Or as many as necessary.

Then again, to an onlooker, she just looks like she brightened up for no reason after spacing out aimlessly. As though to coincide, the bus arrives, unoccupied.]

Quick.

[Not great of a (re)opener, either. She's trying.]

-- Right! There we go!

[ Mari's quite certain she's never felt such a surge of relief at the sight of a bus before. It's kind of dumb, huh? But it serves a much-needed reprieve from the awkward silence, if only for a few moments, and she's grateful for it.

She flops into a seat, tugging her scarf down -- it's warmer inside the bus, making it a bit stifling. And she can't keep sulking into it forever, besides. ]

That was some lucky timing! And it's so empty, too. Japanese people aren't all that good with snow, are they?

[Mari appears...cheerier, now that she has a clearer view of her face (and voice). Thank goodness.]

Yahh, there's lots to do in the snow, yet people would rather stay indoors...

[The bus chugs on, flecks of white trailing with the wind and sticking to windows. It's getting dark, and even when outside the residential areas, pedestrians are few, presumably also headed home.]

I bet Chika will bring a kotatsu into the clubroom at some point.

Ah, that's no good! [ She hits her fist against her palm-- ] If she does that, Aqours meetings will turn into napping sessions!

[ ... A thoughtful pause. ] Though, bringing one into the director's office might not be a bad idea...

[ Priorities, am I right. ]

We don't have the space. [Neither the clubroom, nor the director's office.

Priorities, indeed.]

Besides, I'm not carrying it for you.

[Chika could wrangle Riko into helping because they're neighbours, and You because. You. Mari's first choice of mover, applying the same reasoning, is her.]

[ Mari smothers a laugh beneath an appalled gasp. ] You really do make a terrible assistant, Kanan!

[ Granted, were she serious about this, she could ask a couple of her servants and have it arranged by tomorrow morning. Much like how if she really wanted, she could've had her valet pick her up today and save the hunt for an umbrella and the trudging through the snow.

But that's nowhere near as fun, is it? ] In that case, I'll have to appoint you the role of my personal heating unit instead!

I make an awesome assistant. I put my mind to feasibility, else you'd end up with a kotatsu stuck outside the office.

[Folding her arms in faux-deep thought. Like she had any say in the matter at all.]

I should take up this new appointment, though, to make up for the times when you feel cold!

It's thanks to this particular awesome assistant that I'm here right now instead of doing my work, isn't it? [ She grins, a bit lopsided. ] Your readiness to take on this new responsibility is adding points in your favor, though.

Yeah, well. [A really awesome assistant would be able to let Mari take a meaningful break than one which was just to humour her.

She knows saying so would sound needlessly accusatory and confrontational, and decides not to.]

It hardly is new, you're only putting a name to it now.

[ A beat as she considers this, followed by a laugh. ] I guess that's true!

[ With a sigh of contentment, she leans her head atop Kanan's shoulder. This... returned to normal with ridiculous ease, didn't it? Mari knows she should be glad for it, but at the same time, insecurity gnaws at the pit of her stomach.

She got weird-- and Kanan had no idea why-- and even though she offered no real explanation, they're just going to forget about it and move on... like that?

And if Kanan asks about it later-- what, she'll say it was the long hours, fhat she was tired and wasn't thinking straight, and that's all there is to it?

I told you, I couldn't sing, now stop asking--

Like that?

Mari feels a palpable weight drop inside her chest, and her teeth dig at her lower lip. No, this doesn't feel right. There's no way it possibly could be, after everything. Maybe Kanan doesn't think anything of it -- maybe she's already put the whole thing out of her mind -- but Mari would never forgive herself if she made that assumption, only for it to turn out to be wrong. ]

... Hey, Kanan?

[ Keeping her head on her shoulder proves surprisingly reassuring. A convenient excuse for the lack of eye contact, too. ]

You know, that umbrella thing earlier... [ She breathes in deep, then quickly pushes the rest of the sentence out along with her exhale, before she can regret it. ] It wasn't really a joke.

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