Engagement Ring (R,D [G/K])

[TheWebbuilder]

Alright, I promised Fabi-chan that I'd write this way back before I got blasted for the whole random pairings deal. And I apologize that it took so long to get it done, but I've never felt satisfied with the story (I still don't, but I don't know what else to do with it. *nervous cough*).

So I don't think that this is as bearable as the Rhythm and Blues fics, but it should suffice.

Begin!

Dear Chaud,

I want to thank you for taking care of Ring when she ran away… I can’t tell you how glad I am that she was in good hands during that time. I know that we barely know each other, but I‘ll never forget what you did. It means a lot to me-

With a sigh, Mary crumpled the sheet of notepaper into a tight sphere and swept it off of her desk. The paper ball tumbled through empty space and then joined it’s fellow scraps of paper in the wastebasket.

The blond girl leaned back in her chair and massaged her nose with her front two fingers, then brushed a few strands of hair back into their proper place.

Who would have thought that a simple thing like writing a thank you note could get so complicated? Each time she started to write, it always came out sounding so… wrong.

Mary’s gaze hovered over her desk and stopped on the bronze trophy resting on the far corner. It was her prize for finishing the Battle Chip Grand Prix in third place… but each time she looked at it, she couldn’t help but remember that day… the day that Ring had run away following one of their rare fights and invaded Eugene Chaud’s PET.

She’d been lost without Ring, and the following hours had been some of the hardest of her life. But Chaud had tracked her down and returned her Net Navi.

At that moment, something had clicked between her and Eugene Chaud.

Mary wasn’t quite sure what it was that she had felt and continued to feel around Eugene. It wasn’t a sense of indebtedness, she’d ruled that out long ago. Neither was it ‘a crush’, she’d suffered several of those in her short life, and knew the feeling well.

Try as she might, she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

The blond girl stood and walked over to her open window. Placing her palms on the windowsill to rest her weight, she gazed out into the massive yard behind Yai’s house.

Beauty greeted her. The yard was so eye-pleasing, so relaxing, so…

Artificial.

Mary’s right eyebrow rose slightly as that thought crossed her mind. Yes, the yard was artificial, it was so… sculpted. It wasn’t the natural beauty that surrounded most houses, the yard around Yai’s house had been subdued and trimmed, changed to exhibit the qualities that the owners wanted.

That was how most people had treated her, with artificial personalities and responses. Because her body was much weaker than most people’s, they tended to baby her and act superfluously as if she were helpless. Yes, there were things she couldn’t do, but there was so much that she could! Very rarely had she been treated as an equal… yet Yai and her friends had. They had lifted her out of her out of her withdrawn state, pulled her out of her self-appointed loneliness and accepted her for who she was, not what some disease had done to her.

They took me in as one of their own. Mary thought. As if I had no handicap… They gave me what I needed…

Mary took a deep breath and turned back around, a sense of peace filling her.

And found herself staring at the unfinished letter once again.

So why does Chaud always come back to my mind? Mary walked over to her desk and stared at the paper lying there waiting on her to finish her letter. I need to get out of here for a while. Maybe if I walk away from this I’ll figure out how to write it without sounding… stupid.

The blond girl scooped up her jacket and PET, then headed out of the house and out onto the streets of ACDC. A mild cold snap had hit the area, making the use of coats and jackets preferable, but it was the crispness in the air that Mary was counting on to clear her mind.

Forcing all of the thoughts of her unfinished letter from her mind, Mary cast her gaze around the area. Most people were inside due to the chill in the air, so the streets were mostly deserted. Here and there a squirrel of chipmunk could be seen scurrying around the trees and bushes.

The blond girl breathed deeply, enjoying the cold air as it filled her lungs. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she liked the cold, she always had.

Maybe because everything felt more… vibrant when it was cold out. The cold had a way of sharpening a person’s senses and making everything seem more alive…

Mary didn’t pay any attention to where she was going, all of her focus was on enjoying her surroundings.

Minutes passed, and eventually, the blonde found herself standing before the community park. Her idle footsteps always brought her to this place.

The girl walked into the playground, weaving her way through the empty slides and barren swing sets. Since it was chilly out, the place was empty.

Mary worked her way over to one of her favored spots beneath the massive Evergreen. Without any hesitation she dropped to the ground and curled up against the tree’s rough hide. The gruff bark supported her back, allowing her to stare out into the distance… and just think.

Back when she was still alone, she would visit her hometown's park and just watch the children play. It wasn’t the same as having friends, but it satisfied an inner part of her, a part which craved companionship by allowing her to watch other people interact.

Slowly her thoughts drifted back to the unfinished letter that was waiting in her room. Why was it that her intended expression of thanks always turned into something… mushier? What was it that refused to let her simply say ‘thank you’ and let it be enough? And just what was the connection that she had felt with Chaud?

“What is it about him?” Mary voiced her thoughts, “There‘s something there… but I don‘t know what it is… We both felt it, but I can‘t tell what it was!”

“If you‘re going to insist on telling the world your problems, at least try and be a little less abstract.”

Mary’s breath froze in her throat as that familiar voice trickled down her ears to her mind. Slowly she looked upward to find none other than Eugene Chaud standing above her, his gaze focused off on the distance.

“I‘m… sorry… I didn‘t realize you were there.” Mary forced the words out from behind her burning cheeks.

Chaud took his eyes off of the horizon to give his unintentional companion a quick glance. For a long moment he was silent, then he spoke.

“Congratulations.”

“Wh- what for?”

“Finishing the BGP in third place.” Chaud replied, his tone matching the surrounding temperature. “You proved your point.”

“Oh… thank you.” Mary stared at the ground to hide her embarrassment. “And… thank you for taking care of Ring when… I never did thank you properly.”

The dual-haired boy shot a look at the girl.

“Don‘t. I was glad to get rid of her.”

Instinctively, Mary bit the inside of her lip. A familiar emotional sting began making it’s presence known as Chaud’s remark stabbed at her.

An awkward silence settled on the two, causing the blond to suspect that the boy was about to turn and march away like he usually did… yet for some reason he didn’t. He continued to hover over her.

Mary looked up, risking another glance at her companion. He refused to meet her gaze and continued to look out at the city. There he was, so close to her; yet so… distance. He was there, but he refused to let anyone get close to him, he was cold, rude… alone.

The thought rocked Mary back on her heels as effectively as if it had been a physical blow. That was the connection she had felt to Eugene Chaud. She had recognized the loneliness that was plaguing Chaud like no one else could. Just like she had been, he kept himself away from everyone and believed himself to be friendless… the difference was that Mary had been driven to that state, Chaud appeared to have chosen it.

As those realizations worked their way through her mind, Mary couldn’t help but keep coming back to one major question about Chaud’s actions.

“Why…?”

Chaud looked down at the blond girl, annoyance creasing his features.

“’Why‘… what?”

“Why… Why do you… stay so alone?” Mary forced herself to look up, to meet the boy’s gaze. Once she had his eyes, Mary refused to release them. Hastily she plunged into his eyes, probing them, trying to find the emotions hidden in his soul. “Some are lonely because they have no one… I let myself believe that no one could befriend me… why are you alone?”

It was hidden, wrapped up beneath a layer of other misleading feelings… but the instant that she finished her question she saw the real reason he drove others away… pain… betrayal... Something had injured him, severely, and caused him to distrust anyone but himself.

“I don‘t know what you‘re talking about.” Chaud jerked his head away.

“You‘re hurt… something happened that hurt you.” Mary gasped at the revelation. “And… and now you‘re afraid to trust anyone… but yourself.”

“Shut up.”

“Chaud… you can‘t do this, you can‘t chose to keep everyone away from you.” Mary was stunned to hear the words come out of her mouth. “People care for you, Lan and the others care, they want to be friends with you… whether you want them too or not.”

“You don‘t know what you‘re talking about.” Chaud’s head snapped back around to glare at the younger girl. “No one cares! The only one you can trust is yourself. Others won‘t be there for you, so you have to be there for yourself.”

“What happened to you? What caused you to feel this way?

“It‘s none of your concern.”

“Chaud, I care about you… I’m your friend… I want to help you, like you helped me. In your own way, you pushed me to do my best!” Mary got to her feet, refusing to lose this chance to help one of her friends. And then almost fell over as a sudden rush of insight filled her mind.

“You’re wrong, completely wrong.” Chaud snapped bitterly.

“You may not believe it, you might not even know it… but it’s the truth. Chaud, why can’t you accept that there are people here who are your friends?”

“Save it, Mary. I don’t want your or anyone else’s friendship.”

Mary took a step back in disbelief.

“You don’t want friends? Chaud, a life without friends is no life at all! What thinking person would want that kind of life? I’ve been there, I’ve lived without friends… It’s not worth it.”

“And what kind of life is it to have people claim to care for you and then stab you? Betray you? Don’t even acknowledge your existence… when you need them the most?”

Mary stared into Chaud’s eyes, unable to comprehend the amount of pain he was keeping bottled up inside.

“What happened to you, Chaud?”

For a long moment, Mary was afraid that Chaud was going to just walk away. She knew that he had to have been keeping these feelings at bay for years now, releasing them was going to be emotionally painful… but he had to let them go… or face disaster later.

Eugene Chaud stared back at the blond girl before him. He was sorely tempted to just turn and march off. To show her that he didn’t care about anyone, least of all her, or cared what they thought about him.

But as he studied the smaller, blond girl before him, he knew that he couldn’t do that…He took one long look at her and he could tell… he knew that she wasn’t going to just let him go this time. She was a fighter, she had been since the disease had taken it’s hold on her. She hadn’t taken up every fight that had come her way, but when she chose to get involved in something there wouldn’t be any stopping her.

The thought threatened to ignite the pain and anger he kept hidden away.

“Get away from me. We‘re not friends and we aren‘t going to be.”

“Chaud, we already are.” Mary continued to surprise herself with her boldness. “Friendship isn‘t a two-way street, it‘s a one-way deal. I‘ve chosen to make you my friend and to care for you, whether or not you return that has no effect on my decision.”

“You‘re crazy.” The boy shot another glare at his annoying companion.

“Maybe… but I still want to help you, Chaud.”

“You don‘t get it! You want to know why I don’t have friends? Why I don’t believe in them? I’ll tell you!” Chaud fought to keep from shouting. “I was eight, I was your average child… but then… my mother died…”

Mary‘s hand swept up to her mouth. “Chaud… I‘m sorry, I didn‘t know.”

The boy clamped his eyes shut, determined not to show the weakness of tears as he replayed the memories of that day in his life. The day that he wished he could erase from his memory

“I came home from school… She was just lying there. A fatal heart attack they said… At that time, when I only needed my father… He left me!”

Chaud’s mind flooded with rage as the emotions he had kept boiling away within broke free from his control. Without even realizing it, he turned and slammed his fist into the tree beside him.

“I needed him, he should have been there! But he went back to work like he always did! It didn‘t matter how I felt or what happened to me, he was only concerned about his job, his work! For years I fought to win his approval, to get him to notice that I needed him… But it never happened. Then I realized that you can’t count on anyone, if you can’t trust your own father who can you trust?! That’s why I choose to be alone, because when you need friends they’re never there for you when you need them!”

Chaud whirled around, his fury-laced gaze settling on the blond girl behind him.

“Don‘t you get it yet?! Friendship is a load of-”

That statement died in his throat, and his wild eyes calmed as Chaud realized that the girl was sobbing behind her hands.

“Chaud… I‘m sorry. I wish that I had known you back then… I wish that I could have helped you.” Mary whispered through her tears. “I wish… that you hadn‘t had to go through that.”

“Wishing… doesn‘t help anybody.” The dual-haired boy felt his shoulders slump in exhaustion. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had vented his feelings like that… but the effort of projecting his thoughts and feelings had completely drained him. And now that his rage was gone, there was nothing keeping back the fatigue.

But for some reason it had felt good to release all of that… There was pain, a sting, deep in his being as if something had been ripped from him… but it was a good pain… He had lost something that Chaud knew he wouldn’t miss.

“I‘m sorry… I sort of know how you feel…” Mary blinked her tears away so that she could focus on her friend. “Back before I met Lan and his friends, the only other people who called themselves my friends only demeaned me for what I couldn‘t do. If I accomplished something they took no notice, but if I messed up… they took joy in it… They were never there to help me when I needed a friend.”

For a long moment the two were silent. Each was uncertain how to proceed with their conversation.

Finally, Chaud shook his head and took the initiative.

“I shouldn‘t have unloaded my problems on you. They aren‘t your concern.”

“I‘m your friend, your problems are my problems.”

There was another awkward pause that stretched on for almost a full minute, then Chaud looked at the clock in his PET.

A moment later and he pushed off of the tree and took a few steps towards the Metro.

“I have to go, I‘m about to run late.” The dual-haired boy said over his shoulder. “And don‘t expect to see me again, I‘m heading overseas tonight.”

“Chaud, wait a moment!” Mary scrambled to her feet and rushed to the boy’s side. Trying to keep up with him, she pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket and hastily scribbled a line of numbers onto the note.

The blond girl pressed the paper into the reluctant boy’s hand.

“That… That‘s my PET‘s number.” Mary explained. “I don‘t want you to get the wrong idea… but if you need someone to be there for you… just call.”

Chaud stopped in his tracks, staring at the note in his hands. For a split second Mary was afraid that he was going to throw it away, but then he stuffed the scrap paper into his own pocket.

“I might do that.”

End.

No, it had nothing to do with engagements or rings. But I'm a sucker for bad puns.
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[Midnight]

Marvelous job.

For someone who doesn't seem to get a lot of attention in the EXE world, you have done a fantastic job of making her come to life. I admire how although she seems afflicted with some sort of handicap, she still has a somewhat simplistic view on life and how it should be lived, and how she was willing to go all of the way with this potential. Enzan seemed a little overly angsty, bu then again, it was rather early in the EXE timeline, and he probably still remained behind his stoic facade. Good job nevertheless.

One thing somewhat struck me--

[spiecas]

I've never really been one for those really heartwarming fics, but when I read this, I just couldn't help smiling. I really liked it. Probably because it was about Mary and Ring, two characters I love but that I really don't see many fanfics on.
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“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
—Albert Einstein

[Unknown Neo]

Wow, that was good. It was real and heartwarming. And it made you really feel for the characters. Great job WB. Great job.

[TheWebbuilder]

[Mugen.exe]

Really good. I'm glad i'm not the only person who sees similarities in Mary and Enzan. You did well to convey those similarities, and each character.
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False Swipe is a great finishing move!
Witty robots, spunky orphans, and invincible pilots, this link's for you! A Gundam RP

[Unknown Neo]

I have a friend who channels a lot of himself in his writings. So it's not that bad. It was pretty good anyway.