Between the Lines

Pony/Jill and Mark-centric

Ensemble Cast

Takakura took a deep dreg from his own pint. "We buried him today."

Marlin looked sorrowfully at the older man. "I'm sorry."

Shrugging, they both drank again, sitting in silence. The cabin was warm, despite the chilly winter air that made the logs creak. Marlin had always liked Takakura's home. It was made to the man's specifications. At its core, it was a total bachelor's pad, with a single bed, a small kitchen, and a table with a few chairs, all made by Takakura. Marlin didn't know much about him, to tell the truth. Takakura was a private man. The single picture he kept in his small shack was a picture of him, a much younger man, and a woman that could only be described as gorgeous, with enormous blue eyes and a dazzling smile, holding him. Takakura looked more content than Marlin had ever seen him, with an unlined face. It looked years old. Marlin drank.

He thought of Celia. They only had one picture together, one Vesta had taken. They were sitting in the shop, in a forced pose Vesta had corralled them into. Marlin was scowling, and he was always amused when he saw the picture, remembering vividly the irritation he'd felt, but Celia was fighting a giggle. She was always gentle and smiling, and her very presence was calming. He wondered if Takakura had felt about his friend the way he felt about Celia. He didn't ask. He drank.

Surprisingly enough, it was Takakura who broke the silence. "His daughter… she couldn't come to the funeral. But she wrote me a letter."

Marlin looked up, startled. Takakura had never been a man to share personal information off the bat. "Oh?"

"She wants to help out at the farm. She just graduated from college."

A city girl. Marlin suppressed a snort. Now was not the time. Suddenly, Takakura pulled a letter from his pocket. A picture of two small children swinging off Takakura's arms was paperclipped to it. Marlin examined it. The man in the picture seemed to be around the same age as the man in the other picture. The children were maybe seven, with matching brown locks.

"Her and her brother… haven't seen them since this picture was taken. Dunno how she ended up with it. She's coming tomorrow, wants to help prep the place for spring."

The last few words were slightly slurred, and it was the beer that allowed the tinge of pride to leave Takakura's tone. Marlin smiled into his beer. "What're their names?"

"Mark and Pony."

"Pony?" Marlin raised a brow.

Takakura smiled a little. "Nickname."

Nodding, Marlin drank.

"She's coming tomorrow."

"Oh?"

"She's gonna build up a house with me, and start prepping the fields."

"Maybe I'll stop by." Marlin said. Takakura only shrugged. Marlin didn't often make it out of bed until midday in the winter and they both knew it. Silence ensued, until Marlin finished his drink, standing. "I should leave."

"It's getting late." Takakura agreed. "You need help getting home?"

"Nah."

Marlin let out a shudder, though, the second the cold air hit him. His joints ached, and though the alcohol kept the brunt of the cold from affecting him, it was still chilly and dark. He checked his watch. Ten pm. Later than he usually stayed out, but he always liked hearing bits of Takakura's life. Maybe he would go tomorrow. His cough was subsiding as spring slowly grew closer. He could see the beginnings of buds starting to form on the trees that had been so barren for so long.

He made it to the bridge before he felt so exhausted he had to sit for a moment. Dangling his legs over the pier, he watched the fish playing and swimming rapidly around as the quickly moving stream. He felt his legs trembling and sucked in a deep breath. The cold air always exhausted him, and the beer didn't help, though the rare time Takakura offered, Marlin didn't like turning him down.

The quiet farmer, who was in Forget-Me-Not most of the year, though he didn't do much farming, was one of the few people who Marlin enjoyed talking to, besides Celia, his own sister, and Griffin, though he didn't often head to the Blue Bar.

When he felt stronger, he finished the trek home. Celia was already asleep, but Vesta was probably still in the shops. He shrugged, changing and swilling some mouth wash before climbing into bed, passing into a fitful sleep almost immediately.

x

As it turned out, Marlin thought grouchily, he did end up meeting the girl.

Celia's cousin, Karen, came to visit a few times a year, and every time, she was trashed at noon, bringing Vesta down with her, and he couldn't bear to deal with it.

So that's how he made his way over to Takakura's, almost getting smashed in the face with a wooden beam.

"Shit!" He ducked, losing composure for a minute. The enormous wood beam swung back, until it was set – or dropped – to the ground.

"Are you okay?" the young woman in front of him was covered in sweat and filth, in a contrast to Takakura's neater appearance.

He coughed at the dustiness of the place, and shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm guessing you're Pony?"

The girl looked surprised, and craned her neck, looking back at Takakura, before smiling back at him freely. "Yeah. Who're you?"

"Name's Marlin. I live at the other farm, across the way." He shrugged in the direction of Vesta's farm.

Her eyes lit up. "I was just telling Takakura how I don't know anything about farming."

"Uh," he didn't really know what to say. "I guess you can ask me, Takakura, or my sister Vesta for advice anytime you need it."

"Thanks." She turned away from him, picking up the beam with ease, the muscles in her biceps straining for a moment. Marlin was impressed.

Takakura walked up to him, dusting himself off. The previously empty field was now a small shack, though without a door or any windows. Or a floor, from the looks of it. "Hey."

Marlin nodded. "Progress."

Takakura grunted. "It'd be done faster if I did it myself, but she insists on learning."

"How long is she staying?" Marlin asked, watching the young woman before him sawing at the beam she'd nearly decapitated him with.

"She's got nothing to do, she says. Just graduated school, no job." Takakura watched her too, until she waved him over.

Marlin stayed to watch for about an hour, until Takakura decided it was time for a break. They trooped to Takakura's little cabin, where he pulled out some food from his kitchen, offering Marlin and Pony some. Marlin shook his head. Part of doing so little physical activity was decreased appetite.

"Oh, no thanks." Pony shook her head before reaching into her pocket, pulling out an apple. "I don't eat much." They stared. She'd just been doing hard labor for several hours. Chugging the glass of water Takakura had set out for her, she smiled again. "I'm a raw vegan."

"You're a raw whatzit?" Marlin asked her, staring a little as she refilled her glass of water.

"Vegans don't eat any animals or animal byproducts. I also don't eat anything that has been cooked. It's for my health, and because I know all the tips and tricks, it's easy." Finishing up her apple, she began to chew on a banana pulled from the depths of a bag. Marlin chuckled at her.

"You heading back to the inn for the night?" Takakura asked her. "It's gonna get dark pretty soon. I can walk you down there."

"Please." She waved a hand at him. "It's a what? Ten minute walk? Not even. Maybe five, tops. I can do it. I may wander around town for a bit, too."

Suddenly deciding to go to the Blue Bar after all – going home sober to a giggling drunk Karen wasn't Marlin's idea of fun – he stood. "I can walk you. I'm headed in that direction anyway."

She nodded brightly. "Sure! Thanks. What time?"

Takakura brooded for a moment. "I may not be back until midday tomorrow. Think you can entertain yourself until then?"

"Of course." She smiled, picking up her bag. "Ready when you are."

Marlin stood too, while Takakura continued to eat. They left quickly, and began the short walk to the town. Neither made conversation, but it didn't feel awkward. She seemed fully comfortable, walking with an energy that he wished he could emulate.

"Thanks." She said, when the inn was in sight. He only nodded, but was confused when she strode past it.

"Aren't you going in?"

She shrugged. "It's not even six yet. I was going to explore."

That was true. She probably needed entertainment. He certainly had needed it when he first moved here. Forget-Me-Not was a whole different world from the city. "I'm headed to the bar, if you wanna come."

Smiling, she inclined her head and followed him, pulling a peach from her pack again. "Want one?"

"No." He made it a few more steps before adding: "Thanks, though."

They walked together until they reached the bar. He stepped inside and she followed, taking seats next to one another.

It was fairly busy tonight. Rock was there, and the twins were both there, and the enormous artist that Marlin had never spoken to, as well as an unfamiliar redhead. "That's Nami." Pony pointed. "We're sharing a room at the inn."

They stayed silent. He ordered a drink. She didn't. He looked at her, curiously. "No drinking?"

"I don't drink alcohol." She smiled. "Health stuff."

He brooded grouchily at that. Perhaps he should do something like that, too. Dr. Hardy had claimed Marlin was better than ever, but he still felt like shit in the mornings… and at night… and even sometimes during the day. He drank.

He also grew more talkative as he drank. It was the effects of intoxication, making him less inhibited. Slowly, he joined the conversation with Patrick and Kassey, while Pony spoke quietly to Nami.

"I'm gonna head back now." Pony's voice startled Marlin from his conversation with Cody. He nodded.

"I should head back soon, too. It's almost nine."

Together, they left, with Muffy waving. Marlin didn't have much to say to the pretty bartender, but he couldn't deny she was beautiful, with sunny blonde hair and enormous eyes. Being served by an attentive woman like her was always nice, and she was always friendly and polite.

Walking with Pony was nice. She had a meandering pace that matched his own laborious steps, and their shoulders seemed to meet, which was nice, because Marlin felt a little wobbly.

"Hold on."

She stopped, and turned to him. They matched in height, he realized. Of course, he could hardly be considered tall, but for a woman, it was rare. At least here, where all the women hardly met the five foot mark.

"Are you okay?" She asked, for the second time. He shook his head, feeling suddenly exhausted.

"Need a minute."

She waited, quietly, staring at Tim's vegetable patch. It was almost ready to harvest, Marlin could tell, trying to concentrate. "I'm okay."

"Need help?"

He looked up, ready to shoot off something defensive, but something calm and quiet about her stopped him. Celia's efforts were usually flowery and useless. She was much smaller than him, and always hovering. Vesta's were aggressive – shoving him back into bed. But Pony only waited for his answer, not making a move, not making any assumptions. So he scowled darkly at his feet, before stating clearly. "Please."

She wrapped his arm around her shoulder – thin, but muscular. She seemed to be pretty in shape for a city girl. He stood, slowly, not trying to be polite. He fully burdened her with his weight, and her arm snaked around his waist, holding him up as he moved, slowly.

"Stop."

Immediately, she stopped. Her silence was a blessing to Marlin's aching head. He'd only had a few drinks, and he was definitely buzzed, but the pain all came from his sickness. He was well and truly dying, just like the doctors in the city had proclaimed. Sure, life in the country could help, but he couldn't get a cure. Regardless, he was screwed.

The nighttime was quiet, quite unlike spring. He hated winters. He hated the cold and being trapped in, and the hardness of the ground that was usually soft and fertile. They were by the bridge now, and all he could hear was the rushing water and the deafening silence. "I'm sorry."

Beneath him, she twitched. "Don't be." They were quiet again, until he nodded. Together, they walked in unison, until he reached the door.

"It's nice here." She noted, smiling softly, and he nodded, finally feeling awkward. It was nearly ten now.

"Sorry I kept you up so late. Are you sure you're okay to go to the inn yourself?"

She smiled cheerfully. "I'm from the city."

He nodded at that, and closed the door, but not before whispering: "Thanks."

Pony turned away and began her trek back to the inn. It was a small place, not even a half an hour walk from end to end. She liked that, though. She had written to Takakura after graduation, deciding that spending a year or two helping lift the farm off the ground would be a good way of connecting with her dad. Mark was more hesitant, wondering if it would be better to just work in the city and stay in their own apartment, but Pony was excited for the next day to begin.

This was a new beginning.