#BIG DEAL IN PARADIS CITY

[solobodor]

in 2011, i discovered Furry fandom and fell in love with it, never really considered a furry myself but i always loved the concept of having a fursuit. this year i entertained the idea of commissioning one, but my mom had other ideas… you see my mom hobby is making costumes and she, too, REALLY like fursuits .. so we agreed she's help me make my own suit if i helped her make hers (its two bunnies, i'll share them someday ehehe)

SO there she is, Clara Fursuit !

made between March and May 2023 Pictures - my mom

Clara original Design - Bugwizard Plush (Gyro) - customcuddles Clara con badge - Icecreampizzer

Bonus Pic

he's fine dw !

[chigirisprincess]

Covered in the Colour of You ࿐

— Armin Arlert

⊹ Details. 18+ minors dni, cisfem reader (use of girl as reference to the reader), reader's hair gets combed through, reader wears a nightgown, post-canon exploration of characters and setting, reader is mentally ill (so is Armin), hunger as a metaphor for desire, love as consumption, love confessions, first times (Armin is a virgin, Reader is not), first kisses, sex on a table, some foreplay, unprotected sex, creampies, ambiguous ending, angst, hurt/some comfort, childhood friends to lovers. ⊹ Run time. 10k ⊹ Note. I don't know how we got here but I'm glad we did. This was meant to be a cute comfort fic to deal with the ending of Attack on Titan but it became so much more, I hope you enjoy.

❝A surprise visit from your childhood friend, Armin Arlert forces you to confront the feelings you've been harbouring for over a decade..❞

The Jägerist’s cries are deafening, they bounce off the clay brick walls of the surrounding houses and slither through your shuttered window panes. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the newly minted Paradis military regiment convenes in the small town square within the rebuilt city of Shiganshina. It took them just under a month to replace the fallen with green boys and girls who were just buzzing at the idea of honouring Eren Jäger and avenging his death. Once Paradis managed to secure the resources– if there were any left– you were certain that the military would erect a bronze statue of Paradis’ “saviour”. For now, they’d bother napping babies and the elderly folk who milled about the area to soak in some of the sun’s sweet warmth. 

Today they seemed to be reminding those who’d spare an ear to listen, that traitors would soon shore and with them came treasonous falsehoods. If not for Queen Historia who still harbours some morsel of affection for her old comrades, they’d be as good as dead the moment their ship docked. Word spread quickly, how you weren’t sure, but like wildfire the claim that Armin Arlert had been the one to kill Eren Jäger scorched the plains and further sowed the seeds of instability amongst the population. 

The irony of such a ludicrous statement was not lost on you. Armin Arlert couldn’t kill Eren Jäger, they were best friends and all of Shiganshina knew there could not be one without the other. You had known the two almost as long as they had known each other. Shiganshina wasn’t so big in those days, Grisha Jäger was the only doctor and Armin’s father was something of a handyman. They were who you called upon when something was amiss and you’d thank them with a warm meal or something sweet. That was what you did in those days, you showed kindness wherever you could. They were so simple, those days when the walls kept secrets and our minds were shrouded with ignorant bliss. Some mornings when you woke before the sun had yet risen, you wished Paradis could have remained tucked safely beneath the blanket King Fritz had pulled over the island. 

What little sense of communal affection remained dwindled with calls to action that erupted from the square.

This morning, the sense of longing that had settled between your lungs weighed heavily as you listened to the shouting. You wished the clock would turn back and the next time you woke, you’d be ten years old and the house you lived in would be your home. It was sort of a sick joke, to be given the keys to the house built upon the rubble of your family's home. Floch handed you the keys as if he had done you this great personal service when it had been Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and their friends who had dug through the wreckage to salvage the home they too had lost. Vagrancy was tiring and what little money you had to your name after years of working for meagre wages that just barely covered your expenses, maybe you should have been grateful to at least collect a few pieces of your life before even if they jagged and misshapen. Something was better than nothing, wasn’t it?

It had to be. 

There needed to be some reason for you to keep going. Lately, there didn’t seem to be any. Everything felt wrong. The once-cobbled streets were made of smooth even stone that allowed you to bounce around the city with ease, it reminded you of the capital. As a child, you often felt jealous that Wall Sina was home to such niceties while you were made to trip over protruding stones and wade through mud puddles in the wet months. Now though, you’d give anything for a semblance of a distant past that would make Shiganshina home once more. But as you lingered around your old haunts, searching for familiar faces and memories that would ease the pain in your chest, all you’d find was something new and foreign that left you feeling disappointed.

Turning over onto your side you curled inwards, a soft sigh passing your lips as you willed your mind to banish the longing that gnawed at you. The cool breeze that glides through your window leaves goosebumps on the bits of flesh that aren’t being swaddled by your thin white blanket. All the battle cries seemed to have simmered down as the sun inched closer toward the middle of the sky. You might be able to catch the morning market before they pack up their wares for the day if you leave now. Your icebox was pathetically empty, with only a head of rapidly wilting lettuce and milk to occupy the space. Sitting upward with a yawn, you cast a glance toward your dresser. Your clothes hang sloppily over the side of the open drawers. You should probably tidy things up before the hour grows too late.

The sleek, mousy brown floorboards that make up the second story of your house do not creak as you pad across the room—your chest aches, though you’ve grown desensitised to the familiar feeling. Your house used to creak and groan when the wind blew too roughly, and the walls were thin enough that you’d wake to the sound of your mother humming as she prepared breakfast for your family. You tried not to dwell too hard, if anything you should have been relieved. An unexpected storm wouldn’t dare to blow the roof off your house now. 

Plucking the soft, brown wool knit cardigan off the lip of your cracked door you slipped the fabric over your body. Your delicate muslin nightgown did little to keep the morning chill away. It did even less to preserve any ounce of modesty. Your bare feet slapped against the stairs as you headed downward, and a soft knock sounded at your door. Pulling your cardigan closer to your body you sighed. It must have been Mrs. Bergmann from next door coming to check on you, make sure you left your house this week, let in some fresh air– function as any other human would, that sort of stuff. She had been widowed long ago, her only son had been one of the many scouts to give his life for a free Paradis. There wasn’t much for her to do aside from checking in on her neighbours. She was a wife, a mother– it was in her nature to nurture all the little lost souls she came across.

“I’m coming Mrs. Bergmann,” You called, your voice echoing around the empty space that would have been your living room, “You don’t need to call in Werner to bust down the door just yet!”

Forcing a smile to your lips, you prepared yourself to open the door. Mrs. Bergmann was well-meaning on the best of days, if a little nosey on the worst. It was better to have someone than no one at all, you remind yourself, pushing back the urge to blanche and roll your eyes at the urgency of her knocking. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you hope your hair wasn’t too gnarly after all the tossing and turning you did last night. The door opens with a soft click as you twist the knob open.

Shock blows through you as you blink at the person on the other side. Your eyes frantically open and close, trying to make sense of who stood before you but as your synapses fired off round after round, searching for something, they found nothing.

“Armin?” You timidly ask, your throat twists up and grows dry.

The syllables on your tongue felt wrong. Maybe, the muscles had just forgotten how his name tasted. As a child, his name rolled off your tongue sweetly and constantly. Back then, there had been too many emotions packed inside your small body, you could never make sense of them, all you knew was that they all led back to the man in front of you. Your cheeks warmed at the reminder of the crush you used to harbour, of how you’d write your name and his, silently calling yourself Mrs. Arlert as if she hadn’t already existed in the form of his mother.

Armin’s cheeks grow round with the shy smile he wears, “Hi,” he says. The remnants of his boyhood live in the soft curve of his jaw and the cherub-like softness of his rosy complexion. 

“Hi,” you breathlessly whispered as you searched for any other lingering signs of familiarity. 

“May I come in?” he asks, his nervous hands smooth imaginary wrinkles in his sage green tie. The breath is selfishly stolen from your lungs by the greedy, monster who lived inside of you. They swallowed back the traces of your youth, you hoped it was enough to placate them because as long as your breath was hitched, no words could come forth.

Armin’s blue eyes curiously peered back at you from beneath his pale blonde lashes. He was still quite pretty, but the edge of maturity that marred his features made your heart flutter in a way it never had. The desperate longing that clawed at your rib cage slowed, pawing instead as its interests morphed into something more amorous. You would have beaten it down if you could, shame prickles your skin as you clear your throat.

“Of course,” you stutter, opening the door to make room for him to enter, “You’ll have to excuse my appearance, I wasn’t expecting any guests this morning.”

His smile is polite, “What about Mrs. Bergmann?” He inquires, his eyes darting around to drink in the interior of your house. It looked just like the one he was raised in but it had been twelve years since he stepped foot in one. The scouts lived in barracks that were carved out of long-since abandoned castles, “You seemed to be expecting her.”

“Ah, not exactly,” you muttered, offering him a seat at your dining table, “She’s just the only visitor I have as of late … So, what brings you by?”

Armin declines the seat, instead pulling out the chair opposite of him for you. You thank him with a small bow of your head. His knuckles brush against your shoulders as he slides his fingertips along the edge of your chair before swinging around to the other side. In a world of boys, Armin Arlert was a gentleman, as he always had been, even at the age of ten when boys took to tugging girls' pigtails for attention. His grandfather would be proud of the young man he’s become. You think Mr. Arlert would have been proud even if all Armin did was survive.

The warm yellow sunlight filters through the windows and turns Armin’s hair a shade of bleach blonde. His skin is tanned, his cheeks rosy. He looks healthy, he’s a bit taller too. His hair was different too now that you took a moment to look at it, only slightly so. The shaved undercut reminded you of the short, stoic captain whose charge Armin was in for years.

Insecurity stirred in your belly. You thought of what you might look like to him being so dishevelled in nothing but a nightgown and cardigan. Unkempt, that is how you must have appeared to him. The bike in your stomach burns at the back of your throat as you cross your legs and tuck as much of your body beneath the table as you can. 

“I just wanted to see you,” he says, resting his linked hands on the table, “It’s been a while since we last spoke.”

It’s been over four years, the bitter overly insecure voice in your head hisses, “It has, but you’ve been busy, saving the world and all,” you say instead, tucking a few strands of hair behind your ear, “Honestly I must confess, I'm a bit surprised, I thought you and the other ambassadors would be meeting with the Queen.”

What you truly mean to say dangles in the air. Armin can feel it, he shifts in his seat— why wasn’t he with someone more important? How did he manage to sneak past the Jägerists predatory gaze? He shouldn’t have been here. The anguish that wrought the shores of Paradis couldn’t be fixed with a measly conversation but surely, it was a start so, why was he here with you?

“She met our boat at the harbour to ensure our safe passage into the city,” he explains, picking at his fingers, “We’re still trying to coordinate with the army but they’ve agreed to allow free reign of Shiganshina so long as we remain unarmed.”

“It would be rather counterintuitive for peace ambassadors to bear arms.”

Armin lets out a small chuckle, smiling a bit to himself.

“But, they’ve already proved their incompetence in thinking trained soldiers need weapons to fight,” you muttered, casting your eyes away from him, “I … My apologies, I shouldn't speak ill of your comrades.”

“They’ve dissolved the Scout Regiment, I’m no longer a soldier and they are not my comrades,” Armin swiftly replies.

He fiddles with his tie again, flattening out the fabric with scar-riddled hands. The last time you saw him, his skin was surprisingly unmarred. Old scars you could have sworn imprinted his skin ceased to exist, something to do with his newfound titan ability, that’s what Eren said when he rolled up his sleeves to expose his own blemish-free body. It seemed unnatural then, for the pieces of personal history to be erased but Armin felt alien enough without you reminding him of how much he had changed. 

“Yes, but-”

“How are you doing?” He interrupts, and an apologetic look swims within the depths of his baby blue eyes. His time in the military was a touchy subject, which was to be expected but it didn’t wash away the burn of curiosity that ribbed at your bones, “When I last wrote to Mikasa, she said she hadn’t seen you in some time in spite of being neighbours.”

Pursing your lips, you sigh, “I’m doing well Armin,” it’s a bald-faced lie but the two of you have become so estranged, Armin couldn’t know you the way he once did, not when so much time has washed the imprints you’ve pressed upon each other as it brought in the tide, “How are you?”

“That’s not an answer,” Armin frowns, the dip of his lips making his cheeks round in a way that reminds you that he is only twenty-two, “I haven’t seen you in four years, I … I want to know what your life is like.”

Reaching over the table, Armin takes your hand in his. If he notices the irritated and oozing flesh around your cuticles, he keeps it well hidden. Smoothing his thumb over your knuckles, Armin settles his eyes on yours, taking in the two little lines that have been carved into your skin from how often you furrow your brows. There was no “correct” way to tell someone that you spent most of your afternoons curled up in bed, lying listlessly as you listened to the sounds of the bustling street below. Armin had a penchant for worrying, he’d worry about your well-being when there were far more important issues for him to focus on. 

“It’s not so different from before.”

Armin was unconvinced. Eight years ago, after the Scout Regiment took control of the central government, a bit of money was sent your way in addition to your rebuilt childhood home. Though they wouldn’t say it, you believed that Eren, Armin, and Mikasa felt guilty for abandoning you the moment they turned twelve thus becoming eligible to enrol in the Cadet Corps. You had no interest in joining the Scouts, Military Police, or the Garrison but Eren was determined and wherever Eren went so too did Mikasa and Armin. With no family and no friends, you had to fend for yourself. It wasn’t so bad. A woman, you could hardly remember her name now, paid you to care for her youngest child while she and her husband worked, and their older children attended school. She gave you room and board, fed you three square meals, and gave you “hand-me-downs” to wear.

In the chaos of Trost being breeched you became separated and weeks later learned that the family perished. You used what little money you managed to save to pay for board in an inn near Jinae where you worked as a stable hand until your childhood friends and their comrades came bearing gifts. You’d need to find work soon. Now that you were of age, you were sure to find a cushy job as a barmaid at the local tavern. 

“You think it is?” You asked, biting on your bottom lip.

Armin nods. His grip tightens and he mutters a low, “Sorry” when you wince from how he accidentally squishes your fingers beneath his.

Shrugging your shoulders you think back to the before much like you did most days, “Paradis is being run by lunatics who worship a dead man,” you blanche, your chest preemptively tightening from your nerves, “That’s not so different to before when this shitty little island was run by lunatics who worshipped the walls.”

Except now, people actually paid mind to the chirping loons. They had access to weapons that could wipe out what was left of humanity and certainly were unafraid to use them. Crossing them would be a very stupid and very dangerous mistake. Bravery was what this island prided itself on, now the most one could muster was a contempt-filled glower that was sent in passing. 

“That’s not …” Armin’s voice trailed off. There was that look of guilt again. 

“I know.”

Lacing your fingers between his, you squeeze Armin’s hand.

“It’s not your fault, Armin,” you assure, your mouth twisting up into a strange smile. The muscles in your face seemed to ache as though you were contorting your expression, “You know that, right?”

He nods his head, and strands of his pale blonde hair fall against his forehead as he does, “I know,” he whispers with conviction though his hand trembles in yours. You remain unconvinced, guilt rolls off his shoulders in sickening waves.

“It’s not Eren’s fault either.”

You’re unsure why you say it. It was Eren’s fault. It was his name and his image that they fought for. Whatever politics happened behind closed doors did not matter, not when he died knowing that those men and women idolised him and would wage wars in his name. One spoiled fruit rotted away the entire crop and now Paradis was ready to cosign its doom, picking on the weakened and the damned as if this island had not once been just the same.

“Thank you,” Armin mouths, his voice barely audible as he clears his throat and replaces his expression with a friendly smile.

“I guess the trains are different,” you blurt, looking for a way to steer the sinking ship that was this conversation, “I’ll never get used to them, they’re so loud and dark inside.”

“Glad to know our hard work is being appreciated.” 

You lift the corners of your lips to smile at him, “It is, the horses are very grateful to no longer be worked to the bone by merchants transporting goods from Maria to Sheena,” you say, nearly forgetting that there no longer was an interior or exterior to name, “Life here is still simple, Armin, there isn’t much to update you on.”

“Still-”

“We can’t all be heroes,” you jest, nudging his foot beneath the table, “So, tell me what is life like for you?”

Armin withdraws his hands from yours, “It’s all I talk about, I don’t want to talk about it with you,” he explains, swallowing thickly, “Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.”

Rising from your seat you round the corner of the small table to press the palm of your hand between his shoulder blades. The gesture is meant to be comforting but you feel awkward, like you shouldn’t be touching him like this though your body craved the knowledge of what his skin would like against yours. The tips of your fingers graze the edge of his crisp collar, you hastily jerk back, eyes narrowing to inspect the fabric for any unwanted crinkles you may have caused.

“I’ve been such a bad host,” you mutter, “My mother would be so disappointed that I haven’t asked you if you’d like anything to drink.”

“Tea if you have any, please.”

You nod again, you still have some dried chamomile that Mrs.Bergmann gave to you when you confessed to her that you struggled to sleep some days. The tea didn’t help but it was the thought that counted. Goosebumps trailed up the length of your bare legs and you cursed yourself for not excusing yourself to dress before you sat down with Armin. The early spring air wouldn’t warm until the late afternoon most days. 

Armin’s gaze is heavy. He watches you flutter about your kitchen with keen intent. His eyes slither up your body in a methodical manner. You’re unsure if he’s leering the way men unabashedly do when they’re three pints in or if he’s searching for any indication that something might be amiss. You hope it’s the latter. It should be the latter, you didn’t feel uncomfortable and Armin wasn’t one to steal eyefuls of others.

“Do you still like it with milk and honey?” you ask, though you’ve already reached into the icebox in search of the milk you knew was in there. Hopefully, it hasn't yet spoiled.

You flinched when you rose to your full height. Armin had materialised behind you. The jug nearly drops from your hand but Armin is quick to wrap his fingers around the handle, overtop of your hand. He guides the jug to the counter and reaches an arm around you to take the teapot off the heat before it can release a shrill squeal. 

Pressing your hand to your chest, you murmur a breathless, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Armin chirps.

His eyes bore into yours, he’s inspecting you once more. Whatever he’s in search of, you’re certain he isn’t going to find it. The girl that he once knew was not the same woman that stood before him, nor was he the same boy even if his eyes twinkled just the same. That was growing up. Your stomach grumbled, licking its chops as the wanting returned. Your eyes trickled down Armin’s face until they settled on his cupid's bow. His lips were full and a dusted pink colour. They were nice, you remember wondering what they’d feel like against yours if it’d hurt to kiss him after he’d bitten his lips raw with stress. 

The sharp edge of the counter digs into the plush flesh of your hips as you press your body against it. Hunger is as frightening as it is all consuming. You are hungry. Are you hungry for him? You’ve craved and yearned for places and their people, but never their bodies. The one time you allowed a man in your bed it’d been out of curiosity and some twisted need to feel something, anything other than the dull twinge of melancholy that sprouted from the roots it planted in your heart. 

Armin placed his hand on your chest where your heart was. The heat of his palm melted through the thin fabric of your nightgown, causing you to instinctively shiver, “Your heart is racing,” he comments, his tongue darting out to lick his lips, “I didn’t startle you, did I?”

“No.”

“How is Annie?” You nervously ask, searching for a way to stifle the deluded desire that coursed through your veins, “Last I heard from Hitch, she had been freed from her crystal and joined you. That must have been exciting, being able to speak to her after so many years.”

His face crinkles up into a confused expression, “Annie is fine, they’re all fine. Connie and Jean are excited to see their mothers,” he replies slightly, cocking his head to the side, “Why do you ask?”

You shrug your shoulders. Armin doesn’t remove his hand. Your heart skips a beat, you’re sure he feels it. 

“Was just curious I guess, since I heard you had feelings for her.”

“Annie and I are friends, nothing more,” his nose crinkles, he seems to want to ask where you hear such a ludicrous rumour but doesn’t. When he wasn’t with the scouts, he was with her crystal, talking as if one day she might answer back.

“Oh.”

“Are you seeing anyone?” Armin counters, his long pale lashes fluttering against his cheek as he blinks, “You’ve always been … quite the catch.”

His voice trails off, he regrets his wording. He didn’t want to liken you to fish or cattle but of all the vast information stored in his brain, there seemed to be nothing on complimenting women. Not that he’s done much of that in his lifetime. There’s never been a need to. Armin wants to compliment you, to tell you how he really feels but it gets clogged in his throat as he struggles to get a read on you.

Shaking your head, you avert your gaze.

It’s not for a lack of trying or wanting. None of the relationships you pursued ever felt right. Their hands didn’t fit within yours the way they were supposed to. Your body was hallowed out in the middle but they couldn’t fill you up. It wasn’t their fault. You’d accept that you were broken, someone who simply wasn’t meant to be loved. It was easy. Until now, when the one person your heart still clung to stood here and dangled himself like a carrot.

“Good, you’re too good for anyone on this island,” his proclamation makes your skin itch. Even if what he said were true, you would have to settle for someone on this island eventually, lest you spend the rest of your life as alone as you are now, “You deserve someone who’s good enough for you.”

You nearly laugh, though he makes this statement with such earnestness that you’re almost inclined to believe him. Almost.

“Who then?”

Looking into his eyes made your lungs ache. There was nowhere to escape with how he pinned you in place with his gaze.

“Who’s good enough for me?” You ask, your nails digging into the wood counter as you curl your fists around the lip of it, “You?”

Armin rolls his eyes and the sight alone shocks you, “No, I could never be good enough for you,” a laugh springs forth, crackling past your lips before you’re able to stop it, “Is something funny?”

His cheeks turn red with embarrassment but there's nowhere for him to hide either.

“No … Yes, actually,” you sigh, expelling all the air from your lungs as you muster up the resolve to be truthful, “I have loved for as long as I can remember and I have wanted you even before I even knew what love truly was.”

Your fingers coil around his wrist, intent on wrenching his hand away from your chest but the look in his eyes stops you. Sadness and self-loathing meet in the bright blue pools of his irises. You were born six months before he was but he’s always seemed years ahead of you. There was a certain kind of wisdom that surrounded him, you weren’t sure why. Now though, whatever maturity that shrouded Armin vanished and all that lay beneath was a newborn fawn that teetered on legs far too long for him.

Your nails dig into the cuff of his jacket, crinkling the pristine fabric, “There is not a day that goes by where I haven’t thought of you.”

“I’m no good for you either,” he says with a wet laugh. His eyes shone with welled up tears that had no business blurring his gaze.

“Because you’ve killed people?” You ask, your brows furrowing as you frown, “There are many people who have done worse for less. At least you had a reason.”

“I could never be the man that you need me to be.”

“Not even for an afternoon?” You had always known his future held more than your own, even before he became humanity's saviour. He’d make his peace with Paradis and leave, maybe he’d come back years from now, or maybe he’d plant his roots elsewhere.

His hand trembles as he shakes his head, “No.”

Pressing his forehead against yours, he releases a shaky exhale. You bite back the urge to ask him once more why he was here. You were never that close as children, you were close in a way that all of Shiganshina was but never anything more than, at least nothing that would have meant this unannounced visit was appropriate.

“Why?”

“You should live a quiet life,��� Armin whispers, his lips nearly grazing yours as they move to form each syllable, “A happy life, after all you’ve been through, you deserve it.”

Your eyes flutter shut, “And you don’t?” It’s a stupid question, really, if he believed he did this conversation wouldn’t be happening, “You’ve been through far more than I, you’ve lost so much more.”

“I have even more to atone for.”

His bottom lip quivers as he presses the weight of his body into you. He’s heavier than you could have imagined, and his body is harder too. Somewhere between now and then his lithe frame melded into lean muscle and it serves as another reminder of how much time has passed, how little you two knew of each other now. Trailing your fingertips over his shoulder, you slide your arm around him, pulling him into an embrace. Armin shudders in your hold, a meek whimper slipping past his lips as he crushes his body into yours. Your nails press into the sliver of skin that peeks over the lip of his collar. 

It's the nape of his neck.

When titans were simply the monsters that hid beneath your bed and plagued your dreams, it was common knowledge that the way to snuff them out was through the nape. It felt oddly vulnerable for your hand to roam over the smooth expanse of skin, though even as a titan shifter it was no weak spot, it may well have been with the way his body shook in your arms.

“That doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to live or to love,” you whisper against the shell of his ear, “You get to love now, you get to be loved. Armin, you’re allowed to have things and to want things even after all that has happened.”

Armin sniffles, pressing his nose in your hair. The scent of the lavender soap you’ve used for as long as you could remember still clings to your hair. You wonder if he remembers if that is why he burrows his face deeper until the tip of his nose and his lips brush against the skin of your neck. 

Wanting was hard.

So little felt tangible and on the off chance it was, it remained just out of reach. Like a tease, that brushed your fingertips as you outstretched your arm before pulling away or a glimpse of the sun before an array of clouds moved in from across the sky. You couldn’t remember the last time you wanted something. Whatever it was you felt for Armin simmered lowly on a back burner until now, longing did not serve survival. Still, you wanted him but not in the way magpies coveted shiny trinkets but in the way the stars longed for the moon. It was a constant, all consuming yearning that made your stomach twist inward at the strange sensation.

“I don’t even …” Armin trails off, his voice wet with emotion, “I can’t remember the last time I allowed myself to desire something.”

Leaning back, Armin allows enough space for him to look at your face. His cheeks are pink, blotchy, and shiny with half dried tears that pooled atop the apples of his cheeks. Cupping your face with the palm of your hand, he smiles sadly at you.

“But, all I have wanted for years was to know what it is like to kiss you.”

Your body burns, not with embarrassment but something else.

“Is that all?” You ask.

The corners of Armin’s mouth twitch upward, “Maybe not but I let go of those dreams long ago.”

“You kept this one, why?”

“Wishful thinking, maybe or … ?” Armin says, scrunching his brows together as he trails off, “You’ve always been here, you’ve been a constant in this ever changing world so I suppose I hoped there’d be a day where I could …”

“Kiss me?”

Armin bashfully nods, biting his lip a bit.

The shiny metal kettle of water grows cold in the length of time you and Armin spend silently staring at each other. He assesses you, slowly, looking for any signs that your affection for him remained buried in the past. You spoke in the past tense, and your words were too easily misconstrued. Your hands slip to cup the underside of his jaw. All this waiting, all this thinking was maddening when you knew exactly what you wanted. His face replaced those of all the men you kissed, his body manifested in the throngs of taverns like an apparition to taunt you. You wanted to kiss him more than you wanted anything else in this world.

His skin was warm to the touch, you’re sure yours is too. You feel warm like you’ve been dipped in melted candle wax. A bit of stubble tickles the palm of your hands and it makes you giggle. His hair is so fair, you didn’t even notice. Armin’s shoulders tense as you lean in, insecurity claws at your throat but you’ve already taken the leap. You were too far gone now to change your mind. Gently grazing your lips across his, you give Armin a chance to back away but he only leans in closer, his calloused thumbs bite into the soft edge of your jawline as he instinctively squeezes you.

Armin’s lips are slightly chapped and scabbed over in a way that tells you he still nervously chews them when he’s worried. He’s inexperienced, that you were expecting, not that you were particularly tactful with how you clumsily melded your mouth against his. Though, he didn’t seem to mind as he eagerly attempted to mimic each movement. The thread of want that coiled around your stomach roared, begging for your attention as pulled away.

The small noise of disappointment that gathers in the back of Armin’s throat does not fall deaf upon your ears. But, you feel ravenous. If you didn’t slither away now, you’d consume him, bones and all, before he’d even had the chance to register that you sunk your teeth into his sternum. You feel ravenous. It makes your skin itch. Your fingers twitched, they desperately wished to burrow themselves into his flesh to feel how his heart thrummed for you.

Through lidded eyes, Armin peers at you, “Just like I thought,” he says, his cheeks somehow deepening in colour.

“What do you mean?”

“One kiss and I’m gone,” he explains but that doesn’t smooth the confused furrow from between your brows, “I want more, I don’t know how I’m meant to live on knowing what it’s like to kiss and never being able to again.”

Your nose scrunches as you frown, “Say who?”

“Pardon?”

“Who said that I’d never kiss you again?” You ask, smoothing your thumb along the length of his stubbly jaw, “Because, I never said that.”

“I just thought-”

Looping your arms around his neck you sigh, “Stop thinking so much,” you whine, allowing yourself to relish in the knowledge that he too wanted more, “Sometimes things are far simpler than you make them out to be.”

Armin bashfully dips his chin for a moment, his heat filled gaze cast away which offers you some reprieve. Only for a short moment, though. He faces you once more in an instant. You can see it swimming in the pools of his irises, the want, the hunger. It’s something you never imagined to be reflected back to you, least of all from Armin. It thrills you all the same, your skin prickling with electricity that crackles to life when he reaches for your hips.

It’s gentlemanly, how he rests his hands respectively over your body with a feather light touch that may flee should you move too quickly. You want more though, you wish he’d take claim to you the way you the way your cunt ached for.

“Are they?”

You nod, fearing your voice would somehow betray you.

He too nods, far more thoughtful than you were, “You know, I loved you too, never had any doubts of what it was,” he muses, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he swallows, “It never faded either even when I lost and confused about what came next.”

His admission makes you bristle, your ears perking up in search of any misspoken syllables that may have deluded you. There were none. There was no mistaking what Armin had confessed. It doesn’t feel real. You’d pinch yourself if Armin’s watchful gaze was pointed anywhere but you. That alone was proof enough that this was very real, Armin just confessed his love for you.

“And you?” Armin asks.

“Huh?”

Your heart pounds, screaming over the sound of Armin’s voice. You suck in a shaky breath and will your heart to calm down. In all your years of wanting, of yearning, you never imagined what it would be like to have your feelings reciprocated. You assumed neither of you would live long enough for anything to come to fruition. But you could hope now, right?

“Did your feelings for me ever fade?”

“No … no, never,” admitting out loud that you pined after a boy for nearly two decades would have made you feel pathetic if it wasn’t Armin who pulled the truth from where it coiled around your ribs,  “Even if I wanted them too, they never would. You’re it for me, you’re the only person I was made to love.”

You didn’t fancy yourself a dreamer. At least, not after everything was said and done. There wasn’t much to dream up, but if you were to dream or indulge you’d tell him that there could never be anyone else because your souls were tied together. It was a terribly selfish thought but it was true enough that you felt inexplicably tied to Armin. Even if this day passed and you never saw him again, your heart would remain his until you both returned to earth.

Armin kisses you before you’re able to backpedal on any of your words, almost shyly, but still eager enough that his need rolls off his body in waves and crashes into you. His nails press through the thin material of your nightgown to nip at your hips. You’re reminded of just how strong he has become in all your years apart when you feel his muscles ripple through his forearms.

“Armin,” you sharply whisper between the desperate press of his mouth to yours, “I want you.”

It’s an unfinished thought. There are too many words that could come next and not enough actions to convey what it is you want. Threading your fingers through carefully styled hair, you tug at the strands. Armin keens into your mouth, one of his hands shooting out to grasp the edge of the counter you were pressed against. Having braced himself, he’s careful not to put too much of his weight onto you as his body melts into yours. 

“I’m right here,” he says, with a slight laugh.

Resting your forehead against his, you sigh, “I want you,” you repeat, untangling your fingers from his hair to fiddle with the top button of his shirt. You flick it open, slowly testing the waters. There’s a sparse patch of flaxen hair that leads your gaze past his collarbones, “I want to be close to you, close with you…” 

Your whisper, wanton words did little to clarify what you meant, Armin’s confused stare was fixed on your swollen, kiss bitten lips. Popping open another button, you glare at his tie. It constricts the fabric of his shirt from spilling open any further. Pulling the tongue of the tie out from where it’s neatly tucked in his waistband, you tug on it until you’re nose to nose. You swallow thickly, your gaze trailing down the expanse of his neck. The muscles strained beneath the skin as he nervously clenched his jaw.

“Oh … Oh.”

The red in his cheeks deepened. He looked a bit like a tomato but it was rather endearing.

“...Yeah?”

He nods a bit too quickly, “Yeah,” he agrees, biting his bottom lip, “I want this, I want this with you.”

Tentatively, Armin rests his hands on your shoulder and thumbs at the worn wool of your well loved cardigan. The fabric is slowly peeling away from your body, slipping down your biceps to pool in the crook of your elbows. Your heart flutters, it’s a strange sensation and for a moment you wonder if it’s healthy. It can’t be, not with how your stomach lurches alongside your heart. Unfurling your fists from his tie, you straighten your arms and allow your cardigan to unceremoniously fall to the floor.

“Are you sure?” You ask, your fingers skimming the delicate neckline of your nightgown. You weren’t yet so overcome with lust that you forgot yourself or Armin’s apparent lack of experience.

His hands replace yours, “Yes,” his skin is clammy but so is yours, the sheen of nervous sweat that gathers along your jugular feels disgusting when laid overtop of goosebumps but you can’t will either away, “You’re special to me … there isn’t anyone else I would want to do this with.”

“You’re not just saying this because you want to die with no regrets?”

You cringe at the crippling edge of insecurity that creeps over you, mentally slapping your hand in shame. Bad! You silently scold. You wouldn’t blame him if he did. In spite of all that happened, the future was never promised, you both knew that much. There was no shame in wanting to taste all life had to offer just in case. It was human nature.

“I’m going to live a very long life,” Armin says with a confident smile. Such sureness would usually make you roll your eyes in annoyance but Armin doesn’t say it to be boastful– even if he had, he’d have earned it– he says it matter of fact, he will live a long life in spite of everything, “And so are you, there’s no need to think in half measures filled with worries because we’re going to live long beautiful lives filled with everything we could ever want.”

It’s a pretty picture he paints but you can’t help but whisper, “We are?”

Smoothing his calloused thumbs along the column of your throat, Armin exhales, “Yes, we are,” you almost believe him, his optimism was just that convincing, “I’ll make sure of it.”

Armin tugs on the loop that keeps your nightgown tied closed, not minding that the two of you still stand in your kitchenette and it’s his first time. He gently guides the thin cotton fabric open to expose your chest but doesn’t move to pull the cloth from your body. In turn, you push his jacket off his shoulders and toss it to the floor with your cardigan. He unbuttons his shirt, letting it fall open to reveal his lithe abdomen. 

“You’re so pretty,” he whispers, walking backwards at your behest, “You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

His brows shoot into his hairline when he bumps into the edge of your table, “I never pegged you to be such a flatterer, Mister Arlert,” you tease, pushing his chest until he takes the hint to hop onto the tabletop, “You tell all the girls that?”

It’s easy to wear a smile and play the part of a bashful lovestruck young lady. It’s only half a performance. There were parts of you that have long since been buried amongst the past lives you lived. They seemed to come back to you with each puff of breath that passed your lips. You slip in and out of you were and you could become. It’s frightening and thrilling. You like the rush you get when he smiles back at you. It’s megawatt bright and wide enough to take up most of his face. You wonder if he feels it too, the pieces that come together like a puzzle. He must, that’s why he smiles and allows himself to indulge in the perilous depths of wanting that lap at your bellies.

“No,” he playfully rolls his eyes, his fingers splaying out as he presses his palms flat against the table, “Only you. It’s only ever been you.”

Your stomach somersaults, you could get used to the feeling, the flirting, being desired earnestly. 

You’ve been desired before but those men didn’t desire you, but rather the idea of you, your house, even your cunt, but never really you. They never filled you with empty promises, their intentions quite clear from the first shared mug of ale. It never bothered you before but now it does. You wish you didn’t fall for their promise of something good when the real thing was so much better now that you had it in your grasp.

The tip of his shoe just barely grazes the floor as he swings his leg back and forth, stepping into the space between his spread legs, you graze your fingertip along the length of his thigh. The metal of his belt glints in the warm morning light. You should probably bring him upstairs, to your bedroom. You worry if you do, you’ll lose the nerves that have steeled over to service the aching monster in your belly. Tomorrow he might think you crass, perhaps he would even sooner when the haze of desire faded and he was left with the weight of his indulgence.

“May I? 

“Yes, please,” Armin breathes, shuddering a bit when you place your hand on the buckle.

His hips twitch upward, seeking the warm touch of your hand. Daring to cast your gaze downward, you rake your eyes over his growing bulge. His belt clinks open and you suck in a nervous breath. You’re about to ask if you can unbutton his dress pants when he whispers another small plea, his breath heavy.

A few strands of hair slip over the edge of your shoulder, Armin tucks them behind your ear with a pleased smile. His cock springs forth when you pull the waistband of his underwear downward. The wispy trail of hair that disappears beneath his shirt is a shade darker, but just as fine as the hair on his head. Your mouth waters at the sight of his rosy tip, precum oozes when you gently squeeze the base of his cock. Slowly pumping your hand up and down his length, you glance at Armin.

His bottom lip is squished between his teeth, hiding the sweet little sounds that travel up his throat. You strain your ears to listen, your eyes boring into his. He blinks but holds your gaze. He frees his bottom lip and allows his jaw to hang open when he realises that you’re listening to his sounds. Armin doesn’t have to be quiet, he can loudly indulge in his pleasures so he does. Softly moaning your name with a goofy, lovestruck expression on his face even as he jerks his hips up to match your rhythm. 

“Does that feel good?” you ask, internally cringing as you wrack your brain for something to say. You wonder if you should stay silent, but words may be more comforting. 

Armin’s head bobs as he nods a bit too quickly, “Yes,” he moans as he digs his nails into the splintered wood of your table.

He uses his other hand to curl his fingers around your wrist, the one that wasn’t languidly working his cock. Armin squeezes your wrist too roughly like he forgets himself and his own strength, your brows crinkle in pain but it’s easily masked as a look of concentration. You don’t mind though, the pain reminds you that you’re alive, that this was real and not just the machinations of an overactive imagination. Armin shudders when you use your thumb to spread some of the precum gathered along the head of his cock down the shaft, allowing your hand to slide more smoothly.

Your name is  sweet on his tongue, the syllables roll off it in a way that makes you think it belongs there. Like Armin was meant to say your name like this for the rest of eternity. 

“I want to touch you too,” he pants, between wanton whimpers. The smooth silver of skin that he clings to isn’t enough, “I want you to feel good too.”

It’s difficult to say no to Armin when he asks so sweetly, “Okay,” you say, bringing your linked hands up to your mouth to press a kiss to the back of his hand, “Lay back for me, okay?”

Armin does as you ask without question like a dutiful dog obeys its owner. You hitch your legs over the edge of the table and settle atop of his thighs. Hiking the hem of your nightgown upward, you guide Armin’s hand between your legs to where your bare, wet pussy clenches in anticipation. Your cunt aches with need and your chest squeezes at the slight brush of his calloused fingers across your folds.

“Touch me here.”

“Like this?” he asks, curling his fingers to rub against your throbbing clit, a shiver rolls through your spine.

Cupping your hand over his, you encourage him to make a few small circles, “Mhm, just like that,” you shudder, your breath halting when the table creaks beneath your shared weight, “It feels good, Armin.”

Seeming satisfied with himself and the way his name melted past your lips, he replicates your movement. You feel feverish with need as the urge to burrow yourself within his sternum consumes you. It melds with the pinpricks of pleasure that dance inside your belly as your muscles tense. It’s a terrible fate– to be ensnared by Armin Arlert. You don’t believe his promises, no matter how saccharine. It’s devilish for him to touch you, you’ve decided. Like with your kisses, how were you meant to go on without Armin ever touching you like this again? But, you’ve learned to manage your expectations. Dreams were called dreams because they were never meant to be anything more than something to wish on as a child. Even if he did still love you, there was too much distance between what became of your life and what became of his. 

Pleasure burns your belly. It singes your insecurities but doesn’t snuff them out in their entirety. It’s just enough to chase them away and leave nothing but bliss in their wake. Your head feels like it’s been stuffed with cotton. Your chest heaves with haggard breaths, and your nightgown slips open to reveal the supple skin of your chest and your breasts to Armin. His gaze is respectful as he drinks in the sight. He moans to himself and marvels, it’s quite endearing. You like it, you don’t feel dirty or ashamed for your wanton ways, how could you when Armin drinks you in like you’re a perfectly crafted mountainside that has been crafted just for his admiration?

“Armin,” you sigh, “I need you inside of me.”

Wrapping your fingers around his cock, you slide the head between your dripping folds. Armin’s body wracks and his shoulders shake as he quivers with need. He moans your name once more, and you commit the sound to memory, for those cold and lonely nights that never seem to end. Your shoulders tense when you press the tip to your hole. It’s been a while, the stretch burns a bit. But, it’s nice. Your eyes roll back into your head and you curse under your breath. 

Armin slopes his hand around the nape of your neck, “Can I kiss you?” he all but moans, “I want to kiss you again.”

His rosy cheeks grow round when he offers you a bashful smile. You kiss him, your tongue and teeth clicking against one another as you sloppily move your mouth alongside his. You’ve never been much of a multitasker. It’s hard to focus on much else aside from the mind numbing pleasure that distracts you. He hasn’t stopped rolling your clit between his fingers and as he swallows up your moans with desperate, fevered kisses, you wonder if he’s enjoying how much of a mess he’s made of you. 

Your heart throbs in a funny sort of manner when you sink all the way down the length of his cock. The feeling of fullness spreads to the tips of your fingers all the way down to your toes. You hate how complete you feel, the fact that a small part of you wishes you could bottle the utter feeling of contentedness that warms you. The hunger and longing that lives inside of you never felt satiated, not once in the decade since it burrowed behind your lungs. Now though, they purr happily like a fat cat who’s had its fair share of the cream.

The taste of salt dabbles on your tongue, “Why are you crying?” Armin asks, his voice laced with concern, “Is something wrong, does it hurt?”

Swiping your fingers across the top of your cheekbones you confirm that those are your tears and not his. They spill past your lash line and there is nothing you can do to stop them. You don’t feel sad, even with the mess in your head you know that much. You sputter for a moment, desperately searching his face for an answer but nothing comes.

“I’m just so happy,” you say though you’re unsure where those words come from but they flow freely before you can stop them just like your tears, “I like being this close to you, I want to stay this close to you.”

Forever.

That’s the word that should complete your sentence. You keep it clutched to your chest where it’ll remain safe so long as you’re vigilant.

You knock your hips forward to silence whatever endeared sentiment Armin is about to form. His brows press together in concentration. He’s nearing his end, you can feel it in the way he throbs inside of you. Your tears are gently wiped by rough hands, you hardly register them. It’s difficult to focus on much as he plays with your clit and dutifully matches each flick of your hips. He’s a quick learner, he always has been. You wonder if he’s storing your reactions and sounds for later so that if there was a next time, he’d do exactly what you’d like without instruction. The end nears for you too, it lingers amongst the obnoxious groans from your table as you rock your hips. The sounds of skin bare slapping marry your shared, debauched whines. They’ll haunt your walls tomorrow and the next. 

They haunt you right now.

You didn’t think you were capable of feeling so serene, but you do. You’re untouchable as you chase your release. It lays in the palm of Armin’s hands. You’ll eat straight from them if you have to. The coil in your stomach tightens for a moment and your breathing becomes staggered. Armin is no better, he sputters small half breaths between needy whines of your name. His forehead rests on your shoulder, and his sweat dabbled hair sticks to you. Strands of your hair cling to the nape of your neck too. The cool breeze that slithers across your house makes your heated skin break out with goosebumps. It doesn’t bother you though, nothing could bother you now.

“I love you,” Armin whispers into your skin as he cums, holding your body close to his.

A few more tears well up as your orgasm washes through you. Your thighs shake and you struggle to bring your arms around his torso. His tight embrace makes up for it as they lay limply by your side. Your flush skin is peppered with affectionate kisses and his nose is nuzzled into the crook of your neck. You feel loved, you haven’t felt it in a while but it felt similar to this. The earnest way he embraces you without a second thought is imbued with love. Lifting your tired arms, you curl them around his body. Your nails dig into the hardened flesh of his back. They leave a few crescent moons to join the myriad of battle scars and freckles that have returned to him.

‘“I love you too.”

You wish you could say it was true for the moment but it’s not. It was true because you did love him, you loved him in a way you weren’t sure you were capable of loving anyone else. If Ymir the Founder had left her people with anyone before erasing herself and her titan kin from existence, you think it might have been eternal love. The kind that wasn’t possible of fading, even when you didn’t understand why.

Hours pass and you find yourself in your bed once more, on the edge of waking and sleep you register the lack of sunlight. You don’t remember exactly how you made your way upstairs but you do remember two strong arms holding you close as you allowed slumber to cradle your tired mind in its embrace. The other side of the bed is still warm, but your blanket is tucked snugly beneath your chin.

There’s a letter on your bedside table and a glass of water. You make out the letters of your name and the promise of return but you choose not to read any further. Laying in silence you wonder if she’s still out there, your creator, the founder. If she was, you hoped she would listen to your pleas. You were strong, but you weren’t strong enough to spend the rest of your life waiting on a lost life whose remains had long since returned to the dirt and earth.

You prayed that the Jägerist’s stupidity would fall deaf to Queen Historia’s ears and that when you awoke next, there’d still be a head of blond hair next to you with long pretty eyelashes and rosy cheeks that told all his secrets. 

He was too far entangled in your rib cage. You were far too comfortably curled around his aorta. Armin may be able to withstand it but you weren’t. After all this time, you really hoped you could be happy. Even with all the strangeness that came from estrangement, you felt more alive with Armin than you had in all the years of living in Shiganshina. It was a shell of its former self, with the ghosts of yesterday's past filling all the nooks and crannies. You too easily allowed yourself to become one of them, the ghosts but you didn’t half to be a ghost, you could want things just the same as Armin could.

And you wanted him to come back to you so the two of you could experience that future he was talking about.

Mr. Arlert did not raise a liar or a man who’d break promises. Your chances were good. You could be happy. All the lost parts of you could return and maybe you’d feel whole again, and maybe you’d welcome the warmth of the sun on your skin the same way you welcomed Armin back into your life. 

You deserved some ounce of happiness too. 

© all content belongs to dearbraus. do not modify, repost, or redistribute.

[m-jelly]

I know people don't like this genre too much, but I am a huge Batman fan and I want to place Levi in that type of world. So, here is a snippet into that world. No tagging either as I know this isn't well liked.

Heavy wings

Levi x fem!reader

Modern AU, inspired by Gotham, hero Levi, fluff, romance, falling in love, caring reader, flirtatious Levi.

Moving to Paradis City was a big deal for you, you were very aware of the dangers but also the good. You keep meeting the masked hero of the city and help him along the way, while also falling madly in love with each other. A few moments of the two of you together.

It was a normal rainy day in the city, but there were fires across the city tonight due to an uprising. The soft hum of your TV was behind you as you gazed longingly out your double doors. The reporter talked about a great battle between the city's wonderful knight and the chaotic villain burning things.

"Our wonderful golden knight, protector of Paradis city and the beacon of hope known as Legion has saved the city again!"

It was wonderful news that the hero made it, but you couldn't help but be concerned. There was a lot of carnage and he was bound to be hurt. The villain had pushed Legion close to his limits. Sometimes you wondered if the man under the mask was tired of this all.

A little flash of movement piqued your interest. You pushed open your slide doors and moved onto your balcony. The rain was cold against your skin but the air smelt like ash. Your eyes scanned the skies to see their movement wasn't smooth.

You gasped and began waving. Instinct took over and you wanted to help. You knew very well getting yourself involved with the city's hero would mean danger, but you wanted to help him. You dodged to the side as he flew over and dropped onto your balcony, rolled and slammed against the glass door.

Levi winced a little and rolled onto his back. "Tch, shit." He looked up at you. "Now I'm embarrassed."

You knelt at his side. "I have some medical things in my home to help you."

He looked at you. "I wish my landing was better so I could have impressed you."

You put his arm over your shoulders and helped him to stand. "You don't need to impress me."

He grunted and limped with you into your home. "Already a fan, huh?"

You hummed a laugh. "You're a flirt."

He winced. "I've never flirted like this before. You're just...very pretty." He gulped hard and admired you. "I enjoy your streams. The bunny theme is adorable."

You gasped a little. "You watch my stuff?"

"I do."

Your cheeks burned as you led him to your bathroom. "Thank you." You sat him in your shower and sighed. "Okay, let's see how we can do this."

He eyed you. "I have medical things on me. You can use them. They'll heal me fast."

You reached for his belt. "Okay."

"Careful."

You pulled his medical pack off him. "Why? You gonna bite?"

He hummed. "I might." He fumbled with his armour. "Mind helping me take this shit off? Leave the mask, of course, I like the mystery."

The armour Levi wore was impressive. It was a full a full-body thing that moved and breathed with his body. The interlocking joints connected together causing the plates of armour to move with his body, so he could remain agile. The material was carbon fibre with titanium armour plating. It went up his neck and protected him there which then linked with the mask that covered his eyes and hid his identity. There was just the right amount on his mask to hide who he was but to show how handsome he was.

The two of you worked together to remove as much of his armour as was needed so he was topless but still had his mask and armoured trousers. It was hard to focus on cleaning him up because he was watching you very closely.

"Ow!"

You flinched at his cry of pain. "A-Ah! Sorry!"

He hummed a laugh. "I'm joking. There's nothing wrong with me."

You huffed. "Legion."

He pointed at a bottle. "Use that to extract the bullet and then the blue injector to heal me."

You nodded and did exactly as he asked of you. You powered through when he let out a strangled yelp as if he was trying not to seem weak in front of you. You smiled when you were done. "Do you want to take a shower?"

"You trying to get me naked and see me without my mask?"

You stood up and smiled. "Maybe I am. I'm curious about the man behind the mask. Does his confidence match what's in his boxers?"

He ruffled his hair and smiled a little. "Tch, shit brat you've got me all flustered now."

You pointed to a towel. "Use this." You waved to him. "Take your time."

"I appreciate the help." He cleaned up quickly with you on the brain. Once he was dry he replaced his armour and approached you now in fresh clothes. He called your name. "Thank you."

You looked up at him. "I'm just glad you're okay."

He got down on one knee in front of you. "Now, you can tell me to fuck off, but I want to see you again."

You gripped your trousers. "I would like that, but..."

"You think I'm just using you." He tilted his head. "Fooling around?"

You hummed. "I worry."

He reached up and pulled his mask off its attachments. He sighed and then looked up at you. "I have admired you on your streams for a while. I hope in time you come to like me as much as I've liked you from afar." He groaned. "Tch, look at me. I can't believe I'm all flustered like this. I hope I don't make you uncomfortable liking you like I do."

You reached over and caressed his cheek. "Levi Ackerman."

"Yes."

You pulled back a bit. "Why trust me? Why reveal who you are so soon?"

He hummed. "Well, you welcomed me into your home while I was hurt, didn't you? You also healed me up when you could have handed me over. You looked after me and flirted with me." He took your hands in his gloved ones. "Besides, I've been a big fan of your work." He kissed your fingers. "I'm a big admirer of you, but you know my alter ego name, Levi."

You felt your cheeks burn. "I have seen large donations to my streams with your name. You've been a viewer for a few weeks."

"I'll take care of you" he softly said your name. "I promise."

You picked up his mask and locked it back into place. "I believe you." You leaned closer and kissed him. "Please, be careful."

He smiled a little. "I'll be extra careful now thanks to that little good luck charm."

You escorted him to the balcony and watched him adjust the cape he used to glide around the city. "Le...I mean, Legion."

He turned and looked down at you. "Yes?"

You reached over and gripped his upper arm. "Don't push yourself too hard, okay? I would like a date with you."

He placed his hand on your lower back and yanked you against him. "Don't worry, my priority now is you." He leaned closer and kissed you. "For luck and strength. I'll see you very soon."

"You going to nail the landing next time?"

He walked onto your balcony and pulled out his grapple hook. "Of course, I have to impress the woman I have a massive crush on and like."

You giggled. "Well, I think you flying away gracefully might make me forget about the bad landing."

"I'll do my best."

You watched him fly up with the grapple, release himself and glide off. "Mm, perfect."

[dreamingon-forever]

Masterlist/Navigation

Finally took the time to sort out my written works. Hope this helps out some of you navigate through my works!

AO3 Link: 💜

Multi-chaptered stories:

Black Tea is Fine- (Angst, slow burn, love triangles) Levi was the new janitor at Paradis High. He thought that rowdy teenage brats would be the worst part of the job, until he met the school's eccentric chemistry teacher Hange Zoe. His peaceful and quiet afternoons within the building were soon challenged by her persistent invitations for some tea in her classroom.

Unexpected Co-Parents- (Fluff, co-parenting, unexpected meetings) Levi Ackerman had been living in the big city of Sina for a while now as a corporal worker, finding peace in the little solitude he got from the bustling and lively city life. His peaceful days however, are numbered as he unexpectedly finds himself becoming co-parents with an eccentric florist he just met.

Short HC:

Four-Eyes- (Canonverse, post-war, reminiscence, slight angst) Armin gifts the ex-corporal with a gift that belonged to Hange. The present bringing newfound comfort and memories to resurface years after the war.

The First Kiss- (Canonverse, rumbling mention, post-war) How their first kiss happened and how Levi remembers it after the war.

The Best Friends Lover Trope- (Prewar, Veteran era, fluff) Levi and Hange's love language and how they express their feelings for each other. How they'd be in a relationship

Drabbles:

Tied Up in Marley- (Canonverse, semi-sad, fluffy ending) Follows after the event of the SC making it to Marley. Levi finds it difficult to adjust to the cultural differences in the enemy territory. Mainly the clothing style and the overly complicated accessory called a tie. Hange, however, helps him figure it out.

The First Night- (Canonverse, mainly fluffy, mention of death) After Furlan and Isabel's death, Levi struggles to deal with the loss of his best friends. Hange having noticed the man's shift in attitude, decided to help him get through his grief, and in the process creating a special bond between them.

Happy Birthday, Four-Eyes- (Canonverse. Veteran Corps. Fluffy. Enemies to friends) The corps was getting ready to celebrate Hange Zoe's birthday, but Levi, the one person who didn't get along with her, ends up getting involved in the celebrations anyways.

Levihan as a Couple in Modern AU- (Modern AU, strangers to friends to lovers, fluff, slight angst, domestic life) From an ask sent in. Explores the relationship of Levi and Hange as a couple in modern life.

Previews of Next Works:

List of Previews

Captured at First Glance, Immortalized at a Second- (Angst, missed love, slow burn, missed opportunity) Levi Ackerman, a renounced photographer had been friends with ecologist Hange since they were young. And that was the only way he could ever see her as despite Hange having confessed her love for him during their high school years. Unfortunately, love isn't always reciprocated, and instead of returning his childhood friend's sentiments, Levi ends up falling for her half-sister Petra instead. As separation and new life events lead them into different life paths during their teenage years, severing their ties with each other along they way, they end up meeting once again as adults for Mike and Nanaba's wedding. Where Levi is suddenly confronted with the possibility of having lost on the love of his life when he realizes he'd been in love with Hange all along.

Levihan Promp Ideas

Posts:

Levihan:

Analysis:

💜Shared Jacket

💜Levihan X Aruani

💜Levihan How it Started vs. How it Ended

💜Levihan Hellos in No Regret vs. Last Goodbyes in Ch. 132

💜Levihan Opposites Attract

💜Hange's Importance and Influence on Levi's Life

💜Levi's Scars are the only Physical Reminder Levi Has Left of Her

💜Dedicate Your Heart and Levihan Being Almost Married

💜Levihan Actors Wearing Original Scouts Uniform

💜 Levi's Gaze Towards Hange Over the Years

💜 Levihan and Hanako/Kabakura (Wotakoi) as Each Other in Different Fonts

💜 Levi Brave Order Birthday Wish for Hange

💜 Levihan and their Adopted Kids

Random Thoughts:

💚 One-Eyed Junior High Hange and Levi

💚 Levihan X Collaborations that Call Levihan Canon

💚 Levihan Sharing a Lollipop on a Date in Marley

💚 Levihan Sharing Tea Official Illustrations

💚 Levihan X Re:SHAZAM Collab

💚 Levihan Sharing Everything

💚 Levihan X Eremika Parallels

💚 Levihan in Eremika Steam Punk Outfit Edit

💚 Levi Constantly Losing the Important People in His Life

AoT X Collaborations:

⚔️ EEO Sherlock and Phantom of the Opera Style Collab

⚔️ Levihan X RE:SHAZAM Collab

⚔️ Flex Japan Tie and Suits Collab

⚔️ NOBIACE Levi Collab Illustration

⚔️ Charalog Chibi Collab

⚔️ Marakuji Circus Collab

⚔️ Junior High Umbrella Tags

⚔️ Animate Marley Collab 2

⚔️ AoT Sleepy Collab Compilation

⚔️ Chibi Sleep Collab

⚔️ Eren, Erwin, Hange, Levi X NOBIACE Collab

⚔️ Ackermans New Skins in Brave Order

⚔️ AoT X Roll Ice Cream Factory Collaboration

⚔️ BellHouse Shop Collab

AoT Random Posts:

AoT Pairs that Lost Their Significant Halves and their Love Tropes

Sauna Official and Fanart Illustration

AoT Characters Seen as Actors by Isayama

AoT Tarot Merch Sets Meanings and Explanation (In Depth)

[erenscumprincess]

Attack on Pu$$y

♡ Pairing: Eren x Y/N reader

♡ Summary: A family trip to visit your boyfriend's home country goes terribly wrong when unwanted guests show up at your parent's hotel. With Eren already being on your dad's bad side, it's up to you two and to save your parents, your vacation, and your relationship.

♡ Genre: Comedy and lots of smut

♡ Warnings: Mentions of sex

♡ Word Count: 11.29k

                         ━━━━━━♡♥♡━━━━━━

                                                         『1』

“Omg! Where's my shower cap?” you screamed, frantically tossing out all the clothes you carefully packed the night before from your suitcase. “This can't be happening,” you promptly pulled open the drawers from your nearly empty dresser and began flinging everything onto the chair beside you. Not like you’d be able to find what you were looking for under the mess you just created.  “I just spent $350 on this brazilian body wave, I need that shower cap!”

“It's on top of that big ass head,” the smug idiot you sometimes referred to as Eren, gestured to the pink sequined article that he bought for you on your last trip to the beauty supply. He was leaning forward in his chair, sweatpants hanging low, hair in a messy bun, dreary green eyes laser focused on the game he was playing with Jean and Armin. “Fuck,” he cursed, “Yo, Imma need some back up,” he shouted into his headset. 

You slowly turned around to face the mirror on your disheveled vanity, Wow, not one of your strongest moments, you thought, gingerly, removing the shower cap. Your long curls cascaded down your shoulders, what usually were bright and dolled up eyes were now rimmed with day old eye liner and lashes that were threatening to pop off. You had to admit, you did look a little rough at the moment, but even now you still remain the baddest bitch in the city, and that's on periodt. 

“Okay, where's my switch then?” you sighed, and tossed the showercap into the suitcase, rearranging all of the clothes back into it again, “You know, the pink bedazzled one?”

“Carry-on,” he responded, motioning to the backpack in front of the door, “Why are you acting like such a bimbo today?” 

Pause, did this boy just try me?  “Why are you acting like such a-,” you hesitated, trying to come up with a good comeback. 

“Exactly,” you could practically see the smirk that you heard in his deep voice.

A couple years ago, you would have never expected you’d be dating this jerk. He was the star player in  your school's basketball team, a literal god on the court, and you were just his tutor to get his grades up so he could stay on said team. But you know, one thing led to another and here you were, still dealing with his trifling ass. You grabbed the carry on and tossed all of your luggage in one place. 

“You know what, I'm gonna pack my vibrator.” “What?” Eren pulled back one side of his headphones to free his ear, his brows furrowed. 

“What?” 

“You tripping,” Eren just rolled his eyes and went back to playing on your brother's PS5, the sounds of aggressive clicking of the controller echoed through the room.

“Nah, you’re tripping if you think you’re getting any action on this trip,” you glanced around the room one last time to double check if anything was left unpacked, “not with the way you’ve been talking to me lately.”

“Babygirl, stop playing, you know you can't resist this,” Eren tossed his headset and controller on to your bed, apparently done with his match. He stood up, towering at an alarming 6’2 above you, he leaned down, inches from your face, the chain that his father gave to him as a parting gift brushing against your skin. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, flashing that handsome grin of his, “let me make it up to you.”

You took in a deep breath, taking in the scent that was Eren, a combination of mint, mahogany, and was that weed? You slowly slid your hands down his chest to rest upon his toned hard abs, admiring the start of the v line that was poking out. This man could never keep a shirt on, but you weren’t complaining, “No,” you poked his waist, ignoring what was growing in his sweatpants, “we got a flight to catch.”

Ever since Eren invited you on a trip to visit his home country, Paradis, things have been pretty crazy, to say the least. You guys have been dating for a cute year and a half and he wanted to show you a different side of him. 

“I can make it quick.”

“Don't you always,” you laugh, slapping his arm. 

He catches it and you find yourself pinned against the wall, your back against his chest. You could feel his hard on pressing against your leggings, his face leaned into the crook of your neck, “Do you feel that?” You shivered at the feeling of his warm breath on your neck. Two large hands gripped the sides of your hips, beckoning for you to move. 

“Boy, stop!” you giggled, unintentionally curling into him,  no but seriously, he's about to make me act up.  You hated how you couldn’t stand to be mad at him for too long. You let out a shaky breath at the tingly sensation that was starting to pool up in your stomach, flashbacks from previous hookups whirred through your mind like a broken cassette tape. 

“Hey! What’s taking yall so long?” a familiar voice shouted from outside your bedroom door, “We were supposed to leave hours ago!”

“And YOU weren’t even supposed to come!” You fired back. And he really wasn’t supposed to join. No one in your family was supposed to come. But your dad demanded it, if Eren still wanted to be with you. It took some convincing, but Eren finally caved into letting you bring your family, and you use the term "caved" very loosely.

“You think Imma letchu go to some foreign country with this hooligan actin’ fool!”

“Dad, they probably fucking,” another voice added, “And did you know Eren doesn’t like to wear condoms. Ah shit, I’m probably gonna be an uncle.”

You sighed, suppressing the urge to snap at your dad and annoying ass brother for Eren’s sake. 

“Fuckin’?” You heard your dad gasp, “Oh hell nah, open this muthafuckin’ door right now!” 

How the hell were you going to spend a whole two weeks with these idiots, you groaned at the thought. 

“Your dad has no chill,” Eren laughed as he reluctantly dropped your arm allowing you to turn around to face him.

“I am so sorry,” you whisper, listening for the sounds of your father’s footsteps walking away. You  gently brush away the stray wisps of hair from his messy bun out of his long lashes before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. 

“So…” he paused, securing an arm around your waist, there's a mischievous glint in his eyes. You couldn’t help but notice his gaze travelling from your face, to your chest, down to your thighs.

“So…” you repeated, bashful eyes of yours met his.

“Wanna try road head?”

[marsbutterfly]

Birthday Boy

Summary: Zeke doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday but you are too stubborn to let the day go to waste.

                              Wattpad Version! | AO3 Version!

The rule was simple: No birthday talk. As a child, Zeke had never known the joy of being celebrated for a whole day for his parents were always forcing him to study so he could be the Eldian Salvation.

But all he wanted for so long was to have someone, anyone, that would celebrate this day with him. Eventually, when his parents were sent to Paradis, he stopped caring for birthdays because it was a constant reminder of what he had done to his family.

This year, for once, you decided to ignore his rule completely. Zeke has always made sure you have the most special birthdays of all time so it is only fair for you to retribute the favor at any chance you get.

It’s hot in Liberio, the warm breeze rushes through your skirt lifting the cloth gently and you feel the humid weather against your skin. It’s been five hours since Zeke has been looking for you, completely unaware that you have been following him all day.

In the morning, he yet again told you not to make a big deal about his birthday but for once, you want to show him how loved he is. By the warriors, the warrior candidates, his grandparents and especially by you.

You love him with every inch of your body. A burning passion that could only be compared to the hot depths of hell. You love the way his beard tickles your cheek when he nuzzles himself against you, or how he always goes out of his way to buy you your favorite flowers.

One time, he bought you your favorite candy bar, which unfortunately is quite hard to find in town but it is available on the other side of the city. When you asked him about it, his answer was: “I got it on the way home.”

“Zeke, we live so far away from that store.” You reply, unwrapping the candy and eager to begin devouring the sweet bar in your hands.

“I took the long way home.” Is all he says in response before sitting by your side on the couch. He didn’t even ask for a bite because he knows how much you love it.

The look in his eyes when he sees you after coming back from a mission is the most precious thing you have ever seen and it fills you with a sense of worthiness and love. The least you can do is give those feelings back to him.

He has looked for you at the market, where the warrior candidates “coincidentally” offered him a slice of his favorite pie flavor.

He checked his grandparents' house, who “happened” to have cooked his favorite meal, not knowing he would be joining them.

Zeke also went into his office, where the warriors and Colt were drinking an expensive bottle of whisky they obtained from one of Willy Tybur’s guards. 

When he was about to give up, he decided to check the place he took you on your first date and there you were. The place where you shared all of your firsts together. First kiss, first time having sex, even his first titan transformation.

The vision that welcomed him was stunning. You, sitting in the back of a car, completely naked. Your skin is wrapped much like a present and he can’t help but blush at the sight.

“You know I don’t like to celebrate my birthday.” He says, walking closer and gently touching your hips. You wrap your arms around his neck, your breasts touching his chest through the ribbons.

“Baby, you’ve been celebrating all day.” You respond while moving your hands from the back of his neck to his face. Your thumbs gently brushing his facial hairs and he shivers in response to your touch.

“What do you mean?” He asks and you have to remind yourself that this is the most intelligent soldier the military has ever seen. He is the War Chief for fuck’s sake but still so stupid when it comes to basic things such as these.

“All the random encounters you’ve had all day weren’t random at all.” You say, pulling him into the car with you, “I ordered the pie you had with the kids weeks ago, your grandma asked me how to make your birthday special and I told her to cook your favorite meal. I was also the one that managed to get the expensive bottle of whisky from Mr. Tybur.”

“And you did all of this for me?” His voice quivers and you can see a few tears in his ocean blue eyes. You nod, pulling him in for a kiss. You lose yourself in his lips, forgetting time, space and everything else existent.

“Of course baby and I have some more presents for you at home. Actual presents.” You say and he laughs.

“This is by far my favorite present though.” Zeke replies, “Thank you, Y/N. Really. This has been an amazing day with all my favorite people.”

“If Mr Ksaver was here, he would be proud of the man you became.” You whisper against his lips and he nods, a smile stamped on his lips in such a way you have never seen before.

“I love you so much.” He whispers, touching your foreheads together. “Maybe I will let you celebrate my birthday from now on.”

“I promise to make every year better than the last baby.” You say and he nods, closing the car door behind him before steaming up the vehicle. 

The rule is simple: Zeke will only celebrate his birthday if you are by his side. And you don’t plan on going anywhere.

[halcyonstorm]

Buttered Popcorn

“In the trip to Marley, I imagine Onyankopon would tell Levi and Hange to go to the movies, because he thought Hange would love it. (I imagine they would go without Onyankopon) So, in the cinema, at the beginning when the lights of the projector turn on she would be super excited and Levi would hush her.  And well, the movie would begin… (I don’t care the genre) and I imagine they would get a little close, maybe arms touching? But then the typical romance scene would appear, with the actors kissing, and so they would get conscious of the situation, Levi would get awkward and separate from Hange, and I don’t know anymore. I think it can be funny, fluffy and whatever you feel like :)”

-

Hi! Thank you for leaving me a submission! I altered what you said a little bit, but I hope it’s still enjoyable. Some of the movies I added are recent, so just please disregard that the movies definitely came out after their lifetime. I really enjoyed writing this, so thank you!

-

Marley was hustling and bustling. Every weekend, markets would open up and merchants would gather in the center of the city to sell their items. All sorts of items, including fruit, jewelry, books, liquor, ice cream, and even animals. Today was the day that the 104 was able to forget about Titans for a little while. Onyankapon decided to take advantage of that. 

“Hey, Levi,” Onyankapon whispered, touching his upper back, gesturing for Levi to walk with him. He pulled him away from Hange for a moment. Hange was purchasing something at a stall. “The kids are going to that restaurant down the block for an early supper.” He gestured towards the road behind them. “You and Hange should go on a date.”

Levi scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Why would you ask me, specifically, to go on a date with her?”

“Cut the crap, Levi. We all know you like her,” Onyankapon said. Levi shot him a death glare, which made Onyankapon’s shoulders tense. They walked a little further while Levi contemplated his decision.

“…Fine. I’ll keep her company to make sure she doesn’t wander off,” Levi agreed. Onyankapon smiled wide.

“Great! There is a cinema down the block on the right side. You should take her there. I’m sure she’d love it.” Did he already plan our date? Levi asked himself.

“What’s a cinema?”

“It’s where you sit in a big theater and a movie is shown on the screen. You can buy all sorts of food too. There are a ton of showings. Horror, romance, comedy, action; You should go with her and decide. They’re showing movies at all times of the day.”

Levi nodded in understanding. Where was the Commander, anyways?

“The movies…” he muttered to himself. He, himself, had never seen a movie before. He figured Hange would enjoy it. Plus, he could spend some alone time with her. 

Levi turned his head to look behind him. He narrowed his brows. “Where’d Hange go?” He asked aloud, noticing Onyankapon disappeared as well. He began pushing through the flow of the crowd to find her. He was starting to panic. His heart rate started to pick up, adrenaline coursing through his veins. This new city was enormous compared to their little island of Paradis. She’d be gone, forever stuck in enemy territory. It was then he suddenly noticed Onyankapon from his tall stature, who must’ve stopped walking with Levi at some moment in which he couldn’t quite remember. He was standing casually, chatting with someone. He jogged over to him and found Hange. Levi rolled his eyes.

“Hange, stay with the group,” Levi enunciated. Hange just smiled, pushing out a wafer cone with a creamy substance on top.

“Try this!” She said. Levi was confused. After a moment of him just staring at it, she took his hand, placed his fingers around the cone, and let go. “Try it. It’s good.”

Hange had a cone for herself. “It’s called ice cream. This is vanilla. It’s so sweet and creamy and cold and soooooooo good!!”

Levi bent his head down towards the cone, awkwardly opening his mouth to lick it. The woman-you’re-in-love-with’s hand touching yours can be very convincing after all. An eyebrow raised in interest.

“Mm… Not bad.” Levi noticed Onyankapon was staring at him. He kept weirdly shaking his head towards Hange and clearing his throat. Is he okay? he asked himself. Levi shook his head quickly at him, as if to ask what the fuck?

Onyankapon rolled his eyes dramatically, patting Hange’s back. “I’ve gotta use the bathroom. Levi, keep an eye on Hange.” He winked at Levi. Levi is so fucking dense, Onyankapon thought to himself, passing by them to find a bathroom. Oh. That’s why he was acting funny, Levi thought to himself.

Hange started walking next to Levi, licking her ice cream. She really likes it, Levi thought to himself. It made him happy. He figured now was the only appropriate time to ask her out… He had to make it as casual as possible. He felt his heart start to race and his hands begin to shake. It wasn’t a big deal. We are just hanging out like we usually do. Then he thought maybe he didn’t have to even say anything. He can lead them to the cinema and somehow draw her attention that she’ll ask him. Yep. That’s what he was going to do.

“Let’s go this way,” Levi said, grabbing her wrist gently. He didn’t want to lose her in the crowd, knowing how her attention span can be short at times. Hange was really grateful to be spending the day with him and that he wanted to spend it with her.

The pair got through the crowd in the center of the city. They passed some stalls on the outskirts when he finally noticed the cinema. There was a huge red and white sign at the top. There were black letter cards that read multiple movie titles, including “Psycho”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “The Godfather”, and “The Best Years of Our Lives.” There was a ticket booth in the center with glass doors on either side. Levi had finished his ice cream cone and had a wrapper remaining. Hange finished too. Great, he thought. There’s a trash can right by the cinema. I’ll go over there, draw her attention this way, and she’ll invite me to go in. 

“I’ll take your wrapper,” he said, putting his hand out. 

“It’s okay, I got it,” Hange replied.

“Give it to me,” he said sternly. Hange chuckled nervously. 

“Okay. There’s a trash can right there on the left,” she said, pointing in the opposite way of the cinema. 

“I see one over there. I’ll throw it out there.” He had already walked towards the cinema before she could respond. There weren’t many people on this street, so Hange had a clear view of Levi.

“Oh! Levi!” Hange started walking quickly over to him. “Onyankapon told me about the cinema… Let’s go watch a movie!” Levi smirked to himself.

“I guess,” he replied, being coy. My plan worked.

Hange seemed to light up once they walked in the building. It was very pretty inside. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, huge movie posters propped on easels, and there were red and yellow flashing lights around each theater room which also lined the floor. The smell of butter filled their nostrils. 

“What’s that smell?” Hange asked aloud, walking towards the counter.

“Popcorn!” the employee responded. “Would you like some?” Hange looked behind the lady, noticing a huge red glass box with yellow and white kernels inside.

“Yes! Large.” The employee smiled, starting to fill a large bucket with popcorn. Hange suddenly had a burst of energy. “What movie do you want to see?” She asked Levi.

“Hmm… Half of them sound boring.”

“I’ll pick,” Hange nodded.

The employee handed them their bucket. Hange’s eyes widened and glistened. It smelt so good. There were a few wet pieces at the top, fresh with drizzled butter and the salt glistened in the light. The bucket was very warm.

“Which movie would you two like to see?” she asked.

“Hmm… Psycho,” Hange replied. “I’m not sure what it’s about, but I like the sound of it!” 

The employee grinned, handing her the tickets. “I hope you enjoy!”

“Thanks!!”

Hange happily walked down the hallway with the bucket of popcorn. She offered some to Levi. He was stubborn, but Hange insisted he tried it. As it turns out, he loved it. It was salty and buttery, but a light snack. It was perfect for movies.

They found the movie theater their movie was playing. It was completely dark in the room, except for the bright screen. Hange gasped.

“Whoa!” She exclaimed. “This screen is HUGE!”

“If you eat that entire thing, something else will be huge later too.”

Hange chuckled. “Oh, Levi…” She seemed like she was gonna continue, but she didn’t. “Let’s sit up there!” Before Levi looked her way, she was already climbing the stairs up to the higher chairs. Levi passively agreed, following her. He thought she looked very handsome today. He enjoyed seeing her in a suit.

She picked a seat in the middle, weeding her way through. She finally sat down with a plop.

“I’m so excited!” Hange whispered loudly, smiling wide. Levi’s heart swelled at the sight. 

“Just keep it down,” Levi said endearingly, taking the popcorn from her. Hange was staring at the screen, eyes wide in excitement. “I have no idea what it’s about!!”

Levi felt the urge to kiss her right there. After all, no one would see. It was dark and people were mumbling amongst themselves. No one would be able to see them here. He, however, held back his urge.

The small lights on the walls around them dimmed, hinting that the movie was starting. Creepy music started playing. Hange’s grin was still ear-to-ear, eyes wide. She was loudly munching on popcorn. Levi shushed her, grabbing some popcorn with his hand. It was unlike him, but he shoved it in his mouth. He wasn’t gonna tell her that he loved it (unless she asked, of course).

The movie began. It was beginning with a lady stealing money and driving away in a car, not knowing someone has been stalking her. She had bought a new car and changed her look, trying to ward the guy off. It started to get really creepy after this. She was in a motel room, beginning to strip. Hange felt extremely awkward, as did Levi. This feeling, however, quickly dissipated. She got in the shower, and the creepy man broke into her room, starting to slowly make his way to her bathroom. When they showed his dagger, Hange gasped.

“Oh my god! She’s gonna die!” Hange whispered loudly to Levi.

“No, she’s not,” Levi said, but definitely lying. He was getting nervous too.

Suddenly, it happened. The man whipped open the shower curtains, stabbing the lady in the shower to death. She screamed bloody murder, pun intended.

Levi and Hange screamed. Hange was sure that he never screamed in his life until now. A few others screamed in the audience as well. Levi unintentionally grabbed Hange’s hand, still a bit greasy from the popcorn. 

“I told you she was gonna die!” Hange nagged, her voice normal now.

“Well, I didn’t expect them to show it on screen!” Levi replied whispering. 

“I am NEVER showering again!” Hange whispered loudly.

“It’s not like you shower to begin with!” Levi replied back to her. Someone loudly shushed them in the audience. Hange giggled softly.

“Maybe you’ll just have to knock me out again.”

Their hands remained laced throughout the entire movie, Hange accidentally squeezing way too hard when a scary scene was shown. Levi blushed each time this happened. He really liked holding her hand. It turns out that this movie was on a whole other level of fucked up, but it was right up Hange’s alley. She loved crazy shit like this. Levi was starting to get weirded out but every time he looked at Hange, that feeling went away. Finally, the movie ended, and the credits rolled out. People in the audience were clapping. Hange made a questionable face at Levi before softly clapping her hands together. Levi placed his hand on her chin and turned her face towards him. 

“You have something on your cheek,” Levi said. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket, inspecting her face.

“Oh, it’s probably popcorn,” Hange chuckled, her cheeks flushing red. Thank God the room was still a bit dark.

He started to smush the kerchief on her cheek, trying to rub off the butter. He was looking at her so intricately, so carefully. The lights started to brighten the room again. They were almost alone in the theater. 

“There you go,” Levi said, folding his dirty kerchief and placing it in his pocket. Hange was feeling adventurous today. He got her all hot and bothered by staring so beautifully at her face. 

“You’ve got something on your face, too,” Hange said nervously. Levi knitted his brows. 

“Where?”

“Here,” She said, slowly leaning in. She placed a soft but sweet kiss on his beautiful lips. Levi was shocked, pleasantly shocked. He kissed her back for that brief moment. His cheeks flushed red as he tried to hide his excitement from her kiss.

When she pulled away, their eyes locked. 

“I think I missed a spot,” Levi said softly, placing his hand on her cheek, kissing her softly again.

-

“So…” Levi began as they walked out of the theater. “He was the psycho the whole time? His mother wasn’t even alive…”

“Uh huh!” 

“That’s a Psycho for you,” Levi added. Hange started to laugh. Levi smiled; Hange was lucky enough to catch his smile. He didn’t show his teeth, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a happy, content smile. He hadn’t felt happy (or felt this happy) in a long, long time. 

“Levi,” Hange said, looking over at him. “Let’s see more movies together sometime.”

Levi smiled visibly at her. “Let’s do that.”

[rainstormfes]

Attack on Titan S4 pt2 Ep12 (2/2)

again SPOILER WARNING. now lets get straight to it

OH GOSH WHAT TO SAY ABT THIS WHOLE 'do they love each other in a more than family way' PART OF THE EP.

i WILL acknowledge that its heavily implied that eren loves her as more than family so lets just assume that sure, he does love her like that.

in the left pic, eren literally looks desperate to hear that she thinks of him as more than just family. and then the right pic is him knowing that even if she reciprocated nothing should even happen. he doesnt have that much longer to live; he most likely feels that he shouldnt get anymore involved w her otherwise itd just be more painful to leave her

putting focus on the beginning and middle of the ep w mikasa's monologue: we could see that she was blushing when he asked her what he was to her so that obvi might imply that she loves him more than just family. but she didnt say that w the "you are family" part. BUT IF EREN DID HEAR THAT where she said that she loves him more than family, that still begs that question that mikasa ponders in the middle of the ep: would he change course if she had said smth else at the time aka she loves him more than family? would he change his plans to protect the woman he loves (IF he loves her like that and IF he properly knew that she reciprocated?)

considering hes been shown to be a very idealistic man and we always see him strongly stick to his ideals no matter what, would it have even made a difference if mikasa's answer was different?

i honestly think no, nothing would change if mikasa's answer was different. i think he was just looking for that confirmation. what he would do with that information, most likely not a lot bc he knows he has stuff to do. i dont think he would throw away his ideals for a woman he loves, he just doesnt seem to be that kind of guy. YES he cares abt her so so much (and his friends whom he considers family at this point) but he just wants her and everyone else to live on happily and peacefully whether or not hes there with them as he says he wants them to.

THE WAY THEY USED THE VERY FIRST LISTED OST TRACK 'attack ON titan' IN THIS FINAL SEGMENT AHHHHH IT WAS USED PERFECTLY. WHEN KOBAYASHI MIKA STARTED HER BEAUTIFUL AND POWERFUL SINGING, I COULDNT HELP BUT GET SO HYPED

THE BIGGEST THING THAT SHOCKED ME THIS EP. LOOK AT HIM. DADDY LONG ARMS RIGHT THERE. HE LOOKS SO MENACING. AND HOW LONG IS HIS BODY TF. CAUSE IF THATS THE HEAD HOW FAR BACK IS THE REST OF THE BODY. and how tf doES HE EVEN M O V E.

this is such a good frame of tiny eren. this is the moment that started his journey on finding out just how big the world really is

THIS FRAME IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE. AND AGAIN HOW LONG IS THE BODY.

call back to the first ep man. LOOK AT THAT PARALLEL. a colossal titan making its way into a city? AINT THE FIRST TIME WEVE SEEN IT.

So to go off of the very first line of ep 12 "Everyone says that Eren has changed.": In my opinion, eren hasnt changed one bit since he was a kid. this boy has made it abundantly clear that his mindset is always 'the enemy should be and needs to be removed' whatever 'removed' entails. theres him beating up the neighborhood bullies bc they were the enemy to the weaker kids they could pick on aka armin. theres him killing the bandits bc they were the enemy to the ppl that he and his dad were visiting. theres him wanting to kill titans bc he saw them as the true enemy of the walls (before he found out the full truth). and now theres him wanting to wipe out the whole world's population (except for paradis island) since theyre the enemy that views the island as the enemy.

ALSO CAN WE JUST TALK ABT THE ABSOLUTE TRAUMA THIS MAN HAS GONE THROUGH. first of all, dealing w finding out the future when he touched historia's hand. he found out about everything thats happening now and then also past this. AND HE COULDNT TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT EITHER. who would think that he wasnt crazy for saying that hes going to start the rumbling and kill of civilization outside of paradis island? SO HE HAD TO INTERNALIZE IT. THERES NO WAY HE'D BE MENTALLY OK AFTER FOUR YEARS OF THAT.

AND THEN THERE WAS THE SCENE AT THE END WHERE HE NEEDED TO FAKE BEING A WOUNDED SOLDIER SO HE COULD EVENTUALLY MAKE CONTACT WITH FALCO ETC ETC. THE ABOSLUTE A N G U I S H. i can see why his eyes look completely dead. he's gone through so much.

ANYWAYS. that concludes this season.

also YES im very happy that theyre making attack on titan the final season part 3 despite the terrible naming (they knew this would happen why the heck did they do this to themselves). i dont care what anyone says. this series is legendary. i cannot WAIT for the ending (despite manga readers saying theyre disappointed with it). i wanna see how this beautiful series (canonically) marks its end.

[aziliang]

Ciento Dos

Rose City, a peaceful and calmest city out of the three capitals of Paradis. It is indeed the calmest city out of the three during daylight, but as midnight strikes it turns out to be the liveliest, loudest and houses a lot of illegal activities, one of them is racing. 

While it is still illegal, there’s a lot of patrons that the government can't handle if they persecute every single drifter in the city. Drifters are the racers, The drift is their tracks, and Driven is what they use instead of race, a pretty much decent name for an illegal activity.

Miche is one of the top drifters in the said city where he uses the alias 'Dos'. Racing was his hobby introduced by his best friend, Erwin commonly known as 'Primo'. To which they have been racing for 5 years, building off their reputation. 'Make your hobby give you money' as they say.

One night while he was racing, he nearly ran over someone who was crossing the street. Stunned and awed by the beauty, he decides to show off and drive the apparently lost tourist to her destination. Before returning to his race, which he doesn't care if he will still win or not, he learns her name was Nanaba and was lost as she was walking around with Levi, Erwin’s boyfriend. 

"Dos, what the fuck you nearly lost the race." Primo lightly hits his head, it was a near miss if only he didn't use his boost.

"Fuck the race, i saw someone beautiful and coincidentally your boyfriend knows her."

"Uno..? Ah, might be his cousin. He said he has a cousin migrating from Marley cuz of school expulsion, i'm not sure."

Oh boy did Miche just stare at her when she came into his class the next day with Levi. He wasn't sure if her aura changed a lot since their last meeting or just because of her clothing.

"Hi, mister nearly ran over me. I hope you still remember what you did. I'm Nanaba Dietrich, Levi's cousin from Marley." she beamed as she sat beside Miche, leaving him speechless for a minute or two.

"Why of course I still remember your pretty face from last night. Miche Zacharius, and we don't talk about why I nearly ran you over during school hours, thank you." He smiled back at her, offering his hand, to which she accepted.

"Deal! Pleasure meeting you, Miche."

"You too, sweetheart."

Their friendship grew as weeks passed by and others can consider them dating just by a glance from afar, but Nanaba suddenly went silent and rushed out of school, just before Miche could ask her to come watch his race tonight with another top racer from Marley. 

Miche disheartenedly went to the race, nearly getting disqualified for being late. What surprised him was Levi being there when Erwin's not on schedule.

"Do your best, Dos. Cien's a big shot in Marley." Uno wished him as he patted his shoulder.

"Cien? The racer from Marley? Yeah watch me beat them, this is Rose not Marley. If only Nanaba's here to watch me..." He shrugs and rolls his eyes, despite getting disheartened because of Nana's absence, he can't let his pride and ego crumble by losing just because of it. Besides, he was notified that Cien uses a lower model car than his, it's a sure win.

"Oh I will, Dos. I'll be watching you side by side. If... you actually beat me." Cien leaned against her car, smirking. Despite having a lower model like everyone knows, her car was hella modified for her success. Her aura is more dominant, powerful, playful. She once again left Miche speechless.

"You are... Cien? Huh, no wonder you suddenly disappeared. Well then, goodluck Cien. I only wish for your luck to side with you to beat me." Dos couldn't help but throw a sarcastic comment with a smile.

"Racer's bet for the night? Winner takes all the audience's bets, losers go home with nothing but nearly empty gas and some bumps for repair." Primo announces, being the referee for the night.

"A date, if I win. Cien can have my car if I lose." Dos looked at her with a smirk adorning his lips.

"A kiss is all this lady asks, if I win. Dos can have my reputation in Marley ruined if I lose." Cien laughed as if judging how petty their bets are.

And with that, their race started with cheers and roars of excitement as no one knew who would win.

Bonus:

The race that happened between the two would definitely go down in the history of Rose City’s racing society. Everyone was at the edge of their seats as they watched how the two were just the perfect match for each other and no one really knew who would win. Especially when Dos has pulled one of his tricks to slow down Cien, but it backfired as Cien pulled her signature trick that drove Dos out of his lane and nearly crashed on a store in the sidewalk if only he didn't use his modified hard break making the car stumble to stop instead. It was when they thought that Dos would lose, but he instead used his shortcut route and catched up with Cien a minute before they both reached the end of the track, everyone thought it was a draw match but the cameras said otherwise. Cien indeed has won against Dos in their first match. 

As Cien gets out of the car, Uno welcomes her with a hug and a pat from Primo. She looked at Dos’ car worriedly as he hadn't gotten out of his car yet, she didn't know if her trick caused an injury to the man. She hurriedly went over to the driver’s side and opened the door, revealing a rather smiling but exhausted Dos.

“Well well, you look rather worried than smug about your win against me, Cien.” he panted out in exhaustion as the adrenaline he felt was wearing off.

“You haven’t got out of your car so i thought you were injured by what i did.” she couldn't help but smack his head out of annoyance before helping him get out of the car.

“So… keys to my car as promised. There’s your prize from me, my lady. Sucks to not take you out on a date, it would be wonderful.” he says, cornering her on the hood.

“Forgetting something, kind sir?” she asked, wrapping arms around his shoulder.

“No, I actually quite remember what you want if you win, darling.” he chuckled as he whispered in her ear before leaning in to seal the distance between their lips.

[solobodor]

frame animation practice with my favorite little guy ..

[tundrainafrica]

Title: A Free Spot

Summary:  

"While she was still a commander in the midst of a war, she had to shut out all raw emotion while she watched Levi take down titan after titan, as the airship took her further away from where she had wanted to be. She did too good of a job turning off her emotions then and her last memory of Levi had become a free spot in her mind.”

Slight AU! Levi sacrifices himself in Chapter 132 instead of Hange and Hange deals with the consequences years later.

Written for @levihanweek  Angstober 2020. Prompt: Free Spot

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Notes:

A part of me felt like Levi should have gone instead of Hange. That is, if one of them had to go. I'd still rather they both lived and got their happily ever after 

I’m in the middle of writing for the greetings and farewell prompt but it's really just not looking to good rn so I'd rather not share it for now. Hopefully, I manage to get the motivation to finish it up. I’m probably gonna write some fluff and domestic Levihan after this. These prompts are just too heavy haha. 

Either way, I had so much fun writing for angstober. I hope you enjoy and do tell me what you think!

You know Levi, it feels like my time has come. I want to act as cool as possible so let me go out like this...

It had been two years since the rumbling had stopped for good. Eren was dead. The Eldians and Marleyans had established a peace treaty and the survey corps was declared redundant, replaced with a special defense squad.

Mikasa and Armin willingly took over what was left of building the defense-oriented military. Having seen enough violence and loss to last a lifetime, one soldier slowly and quietly stepped down.

That one soldier helped build what became the new city of Paradis, but still felt the burden of responsibility. Disappearing from society and retiring to some farmland on the outskirts of central Paradis felt wrong although tempting.

That soldier had seen things first hand that most people would never experience, so it was easy to take on a job as a teacher. This was especially since most Eldians did not want a repeat of the last war and who better to teach the future generation than one who had experienced it at the front ranks.

The subjects taught were easy to pick up.

Math. Science. Languages. History.

Most kids would end up mastering the basics anyway and that was more than enough for most jobs. What most people from both sides had failed to master though, was how to empathize and how to critically think. They failed to learn how to talk things through or how to question orders.

How to talk things through. How to question orders.

That was what motivated the soldier-turned-teacher, to supplement lessons with anecdotes from the Survey Corps days. It was like living in one's dreams again. The anecdotes before and after lessons kept the students entertained and it also kept the memory of one important person alive.

Three months into the lesson, one of the students had turned out to be more invested than the others and had raised her hand in the middle of one of their story times.

"Did you marry Levi?"

Maybe the former commander did get carried away.

"The soldier I mean. The one in your stories,"  the young girl clarified.

“Lena, you shouldn’t have asked that,” another student muttered.

Lena jumped up and bowed her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry… You always got so excited when you talked about him that I thought…"

Hange only realized then that for a second she had not moved from her spot. She put a hand to her face to see that it was wet. She hastily looked back at the blackboard and wiped her face with the collar of her sweater.

"What would make you think we married?" She managed to ask as she looked back at the young student. Most of the kids in the room were roughly twelve to thirteen years old. At that point, she was still figuring out what could be mentioned and what couldn't to a bunch of preteens.

Lena blushed. "My big sister talked about her boyfriend like that and now they're married."

"Well that story could wait another time. It looks like classes are done for the day." The teacher quickly gathered up her learning materials into one messy pile on the table, thanking whatever god existed for the timing of that question at least.

Some students protested but the teacher did not budge. The latter looked back again at the blackboard as she listened to the students pack up their things and file out of the classrooms.

As soon as the last student left, Hange quickly closed the door behind her, slid on the floor and buried her face on her hands.

Why are you crying? It's been fucking years.

She slammed the floor with her fists, letting the pain that shook through her wrists, act as punishment for that random bout of emotion.

How many stories has she told them?

They had started off as stories detailing the lives of the survey corps members who had given their lives to fight a war fueled by the hate of two nations. Somehow, the stories had shifted to her own relationships. She had talked about Moblit and Erwin, the values they had upheld for the greater good of humanity.

How had she described him for the students to think they married?

Before she knew it, she had started to talk about the strongest soldier with ironically, the most unwavering regard for human life.The one soldier who was probably capable of taking down fifty soldiers without so much as a scratch was the same soldier who would ask her privately after meetings, if she could think of a better plan which would cost less lives than the one they had thought up just a while ago. He was a soldier who would always voted on alternatives that could preserve more lives.

At that point, Hange could not even recall what words she used or what tone she kept. She started to treat those story times she promised the students after every lesson as a reprieve, a way to just imagine once again the past that she had missed, and the memory that made her relax the most was that of Levi.

It had been three months since she started teaching. She guessed that she had probably started bringing him up after the first month. It had occurred to her until that moment that she had never really implied his actual fate.

Did she talk about him in present tense?

Did she say something to make them think that he had survived?

You know Levi, it feels like my time has come. I want to act as cool as possible so let me go out like this…

Her chest constricted as she remembered how she felt saying those words. At that moment she thought she was going to die.

How to question orders. How to talk things through.

Levi had never questioned her orders or tried to talk things through in public, in fear of undermining her position.  At that moment, right in front of everyone, Levi had said, "No. You're the commander. They need you out in the field. I'm not letting you die."

He had made a good point as he prepared his gear. Although he was humanity's strongest soldier at that time, he had become a little more than deadweight due to recent injuries. Either way, everyone had enough fate in his skills then, to know that even with those injuries, he'd still have enough power to take down a few titans and buy them some time to launch the ship.

While she was still a commander in the midst of a war, she had to shut out all raw emotion while she watched Levi take down titan after titan, as the airship took her further away from where she had wanted to be. She did too good of a job turning off her emotions then and her last memory of Levi had become a free spot in her mind.

Levi is alive. Levi exists in all nighters back in the office. He exists in the late nights in the forest, injured and half asleep.

As she allowed herself to relive that moment of two years ago, the only moment Levi blatantly disobeyed orders, the dam of emotions she had kept closed somewhere inside her started to flow free. She poked a few holes into it, allowing herself a few tears as she carried herself home.

It felt like it took ages but Hange finally found herself inside her empty apartment. She locked the door behind her and slid down once again on the cold wooden floor. She neglected to turn on the lights. The darkness that slowly swallowed the room as the sun started to set, only reminded her that she was alone, alone to her own devices and her own thoughts.

Levi existed before but now he is dead.

The free spot in her mind started to disappear, replaced by what should have been the raw emotion at seeing him burn and fall into the deep ocean. The grief came in large waves and Hange drowned in the emotions she had failed to release a year ago.

She called in sick the next morning and the day after and she sat alone on her bed, only standing up to eat or use the bathroom.

By what seemed to be the fourth day, it was as if she were floating. The waves had receded and she was left to survey for any damage.

Did you marry him? Another burning question came up from within her.

Hange rephrased it, given her present circumstances. Would I have married him?

Would marrying him have meant experiencing a continuation to those late night trainings as new soldiers?

Would it have meant a sequel to those late night conversations in the commander's office over tea?

Would it have meant someone welcoming her home every night after a long day’s work?

Would it have meant someone would be sitting beside her at that moment, hugging her, while she was too paralyzed by emotion to even get up?

Hange shook as she tried to imagine how it felt like again to be hugged. She knew she could have easily called someone, Mikasa, maybe Armin for a little company. Levi though was the last one she felt completely comfortable crying to, the last person she had ever shown complete vulnerability to.

And without him, she was alone.  

The cruel truth was that that memory of Levi alive had overpowered her memory of his death. That sudden realization came as the memory once again became vivid, at a time where she had no more responsibilities of keeping soldiers alive in the midst of a battle.

Hange kicked her side table and watched as it toppled over, her belongings spilling out from underneath. She smashed her chair on top of the side table then the flower vase on the dresser.

The crown and the military had given her enough compensation to replace everything and that small afterthought was what only fueled her motivation to just release the pent up emotions. Everyone she had ever lost died for them anyway.

She went for the dresser to the side of the door and pulled out the drawers one by one, spilling out the contents on the floor before smashing them into the pile of remains of the furniture she had broken only a while ago.

She stopped at the third drawer when she saw the familiar green cloak and the wings of freedom insignia. At Levi’s last moments, she was wearing his cloak since she had expected to be the one to go.

As she spread out his cloak on the floor, she smelled traces of the familiar odor of titan’s blood. A year cooped up in the drawer had preserved the original scent. She buried her face on it and started to make out the scent of blood and sweat. At a certain point, she also made out the traces as well of the scent of old wood. The cloak had also started to adjust to the new world with no titans.

She threw the cloak on her still intact bed and sat cross legged on the floor.

Am I the only one who hasn’t moved on?  She let out a burst of laughter, and sprawled on the cold wooden floor.

The Titans are gone. The Survey Corps is gone. Everyone is dead. He’s dead.

                                              Free Spot

In total, Hange took a week out of work. She used that extra time to clean up and apologize to her neighbors after that breakdown.

Surprisingly, most of them had been understanding. Hange though did not want to use the excuse of being a shell shocked soldier to be a bother to anyone and had compensated all those who lived closest to her.

When she finally showed up back to the classroom, she was surprised to see all the students on their seats as if they had expected her to be back that day.

Of course, the substitute probably told them.

“You’re surprisingly behaved today.” Hange commented as she emptied her book bag on the table.

It was Lena who came out from behind her desk with a box and placed it on the teacher’s table.

“We heard you got really sick for a while so we got you a present which could maybe help you stay healthy,” she explained, still looking apologetic.

“Thank you.” Hange blushed as she started to untie the bow and opened the box underneath. Hange fought back a wave of nostalgia and the stinging sensation in her eyes as she opened the box to find a tea set, complete with a bag of black tea on the side.

“My dad told me tea is good for the body,” one student volunteered.

Hange put one hand to her mouth, as she felt her lips tremble. A part of her wanted to laugh and a part of her wanted to cry. She had told them enough stories to keep them busy for months but she had never mentioned tea. It was an irrelevant detail in the grand scheme of things, of course she wouldn’t. “He liked black tea. We spent a lot of our free time talking over tea,” she admitted as she traced the rim of the tea cup, holding it the same way she had seen him hold it countless times before.

For a second, Lena looked panicked. “I’m sorry we didn’t mean to… You don’t have to talk about it anymore. ”

“No. It was my fault. I’m sorry.” She stood up and put her hand on the head of the young girl. “It looks like everyone pretty much guessed what happened to that soldier huh?” She smiled, keeping her tone deliberately light.

A lot of the students kept a sullen look and Hange was sure someone had explained it to them or at the least, they had picked it up on their own.

“Well, that’s the reality of war. A lot of the soldiers don’t get to marry and have kids. Just so that everyone here could live in peace.”

That night, Hange emptied the contents of the gift box on her kitchen table.

Levi would have liked the tea set. Hange thought to herself as she allowed the black tea leaves to boil on the kettle. The smell of the black tea wafted through the air and Hange closed her eyes as she allowed herself to be brought back again to those many nights when he was the one who would serve her a cup of warm tea.

Did I add too much water? Did I add too much black leaves? Would he be disappointed?

She poured the contents of the kettle into the cup and watched the tea leaves settle to the bottom of the cup.

She positioned her hands on top of the teacup, attempting to hold the cup just like he used to. The heat right on top of the boiling water, almost scalded her palm and Hange gave up after a few tries.

I never really understood how you did it.

The warm malty taste of black tea in her mouth was nostalgic. Hange only realized then that she had unknowingly abandoned this luxury right after the war. It was as if her subconscious had been protecting her from a breakdown just like the one she just had.

The smell and the taste of black tea had always been about Levi who was long gone by then. As she caressed the intricate linings of the cup though, she also started to think of the efforts of the students who had thought up the present and saved up for it.

She looked back at the memories leading up to his sacrifice at the hands of the colossal titans. The pain was still there but it was far from excruciating. It was bittersweet. Somehow, she did not need to delude herself anymore. She just had to let that bundle of emotions and memories within her untangle themselves.

Levi was gone. To Hange though, he was still alive.

He was alive in the black tea she had allowed herself to enjoy once again.

He was alive in the anecdotes she had told her class in between lessons.

He was alive in every single person who was alive because of his sacrifice.

It’s the living who give meaning to the soldiers’ deaths. It's the living who keep the dead alive.

[sugar-and-pearls]

Uhh can I ask for:

Hypnos for Dabi

Hermes for Hei

Poseidon for Oberyn

Apollo for Oberon

Persephone for Eren

(Feel free to ignore some or all of these if it's too much 😅)

Thank you Jamie!!! I LOVE these questions! and I love lots of question especially for my familial and platonic f/os

Hypnos: Do you like to sleep together or share a bed with your f/o(s)? If so, what position do you sleep in? Does anyone hog the blankets, or have a stuffed animal, or have nightmares and need the other for comfort? Anything else along those lines?

We’re both restless sleepers. We both move about a lot during the night, with Dabi often waking up and leaving the bedroom to sit and watch stuff in the living room. I’m a bit of an night owl too so I stay up late with him, we often end up cuddling into each other, utterly exhaust on the couch till one of us pulls the other back to bed.

As for what position we sleep in well.... 

Rin when he comes over to visit: Are you a big spoon or a little spoon?

Dabi: I’m a knife

Me, from the garden as I water the flowers: He’s the little spoon.

Hermes: Was it love at first sight? Slow burn with lots of pining? How fast did your relationship progress?

Slow at first, we started out as acquaintance. When Hei and I met he was still very much working for the syndicate, so he really guarded (not that he let anyone let anyone see that) and didn't really interact with any of the neighbours beside a friendly “good morning” or some small talk. It wasn't till we started to run into each other did he really take notice of me, and even then it wasn't till Hei learned that I too loved the stars that we started to become closer. I think after that we went at a normal pace, maybe a little slower than other people usually would. To be fair he was a trained assassin working for a highly dangerous organization that had infiltrated many of the worlds governments and I was this very weird tiny Scottish goth who was unnaturally aware that he was faking a lot of his emotions. 

Poseidon: Do you and your f/o(s) like to travel? If so, where do you like to go? Is there anywhere you’d like to go that you haven’t yet?

Oberyn and I do like to travel, where do you think I got my wanderlust from? But due to how young my youngest sisters are, his responsibilities as a Prince of Dorne and him growing older we don’t often travel together. When we do though we like to go everywhere! He likes to take me to Summer Isles and Naath due to how peaceful it is while I would like to take him to the Riverlands and maybe the North because I never get to travel within Westeros. We used to travel a lot more when I was younger, sailing all across Dorne and the Free Cities with Ellaria and my sisters. For my birthday one year he took me to Braavos, around about the time of the festival of Pantera, six-breasted cat goddess from Lys. The streets were alight with bright colours, the dancing and singing- Is it any true wonder that I stole one of my Uncle’s ships in the middle of the night and went there again the next year?

Apollo: What do you like best about your f/o(s)? What does your f/o(s) like best about you?

I love his utter childishness, how free he is and yet how dangerous he is in the same breath. 

As for him, Oberon likes how creative I can be and how I try to make him laugh

Persephone: How different are you and your f/o(s)? How do you deal with each other’s differences?

Me and Eren are very different. He is much louder than I am, both in actual volume and in personality. While I am a lot more quiet and stern than he is. He is a lot more likely to react to someone and confront them head on while I’m more likely to bite my tongue. Despite this we don’t argue too much, only really when it comes to big things like when he joined the army or when he went to Marley. We also have vastly different views on forgiveness and on what is best for Paradis.

[fearsmagazine]

DEATH DROP GORGEOUS - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Dark Star Pictures

SYNOPSIS: Corpses fill the streets of Providence, RI as young gay men from a local drag club are stalked and lured on dating app POUNDR. The victims are promised sex only to be gruesomely slaughtered by a deranged maniac. The bodies begin turning up completely drained of blood, sleazy club owner, Tony Two Fingers, and crooked detectives, Barry and O’Hara, team up to get to the bottom of these murders to save his business. The investigation sets its sights on recent club rehire, Dwayne, while local drag queens, Gloria Hole and Janet Fitness battle for the stage and limelight.

REVIEW: Here’s the deal, I live in New York City. I worked in a bar that was a stone’s throw away from Stonewall, which many in the LGBTQ community consider the site that gave birth to the modern movement. I have gay friends, a few who were and still are drag queens. You can’t have a film with drag queens in it that is a bit over the top and kitschy. Oh, and I forgot to mention dram and DEATH DROP GORGEOUS is full of it. It seems every character has some conflict with another character. And there is horror, from the grisly murders to the Countess Bathory angle.

The story takes place in/near Providence, RI. I’m not sure what the drag queen scene is there but how can it compare to what goes on in New York, and Los Angeles as well. So I cut them some slack as it seemed a bit more homegrown than the glitz of the bigger cities. The locations are fine, the cinematography is solid and I got the impression that many of the costumes and makeup were supplied by the drag queens. The special effects were as blood, gorey and as well executed as any late 80’s or early 90’s slasher film. There were some crowd scene shots in the club they cut to during performances that felt a bit flat and seemed like the same scene recycled a few times.

I enjoyed the cast. The non-drag queens were solid, given the crazy material, and added to the viewing enjoyment. In terms of the drag performances, what can I say. They were over the top and insane. I was a bit disappointed in the club owner, Tony Two Fingers, performance and writing. It seemed the actor was looking everywhere other than where he was supposed to and the writing was a bit too cliched, the delivery flat. On the flip side, I loved the character of Tragedi whose performance an look felt like Marilyn Manson in drag. And after everything he’s been through and accused is a wonderful bit of satire.

Then there's this little voice in my head that keeps questioning is this the film for right now. I believe in the power of satire and the ability to poke fun at one’s self. This film does that in more of a John Waters’ way than a Troma way, which is more sophisticated. I applaud them for what they set out to do and achieved. I know there is nothing you can do because haters are going to hate, but why give them an opportunity? Maybe if the film was receiving a release closer to Halloween it would gain a wider audience and possibly not receive the ire of the haters.

DEATH DROP GORGEOUS is an old school exploitation shlock fest that has buckets of kitsch and camp to satisfy the most depraved horror fan. Obviously filmmakers Michael J. Ahern, Christopher Dalpe and Brandon Perras are genre fans who know a thing or two about drag queens and have served up a homegrown horror film in big hair, lots of makeup and a dress. The perfect film to share with your LGBTQ friends on a horror film night. The filmmakers once again prove the immortal words of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, “Don’t dream it, be it.” In this instance they make it, DEATH DROP GORGEOUS.

CAST: Wayne Richard, Brandon Perras, Michael J. Ahern, Sean Murphy, Matthew Pidge, Anthony DeRose, Complete Destruction, Michael McAdam, Ryan Miller, Michael Puppi, Christopher Dalpe and Linnea Quigley. CREW: Directors/Screenplay - Michael J. Ahern, Christopher Dalpe and Brandon Perras; Cinematographers - Philip Gelatt and Brandon Perras; Score - Timothy Fife, Devon Hunt, Jacqueline Kamel and Kyle Paradis; Editors - Roman Chimienti, Tyler Jensen, Ryan Miller and Brandon Perras; Special Makeup Effects Artist - Scott C. Miller. OFFICIAL: www.monstermakeupllc.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/deathdropgorgeous/ TWITTER: twitter.com/deathdopgorge TRAILER: https://youtu.be/wptl_kVzu20 RELEASE DATE: In theaters and On Demand September 10th, 2021

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[shslmahoushoujo]

Ok, so I did say math and maps will help me work this route out. Let’s begin then. And for everyone’s convenience, I’m gonna keep this after a read more tag to not clutter any dashboards. Anyway. Here we go.

For starters, I’ll make a few things clear. First off, I’m doing this with MS Paint and a mouse, so you can give or take a few hundred meters from the routes I’ll draw. And second, I’ll be working under the assumption it’s on the high end estimate of 500,000 wall titans total, since I generally see it at around 300-500K. So for all intents and purposes, lets estimate it at its most devastating. But first, and rather importantly, we need to set the scene. This includes my best guess for Liberio currently, and I’ll explain how that got there.

So before we start getting into this properly, now that the map’s here, let’s talk about how I came to the conclusion of Liberio being where it is. Though I think a range might be more fitting, but anyway. Let’s begin with this one page.

The titans have already arrived at Marley, the closest cities. My reasoning for the harbor being where it is comes also from this, it’s where the advance of the titans could be seen, which means it has to be the point where Mozambique and Madagascar are at their closest. Even though in real life you still shouldn’t be able to see either one from either end, but w/e. Point is, the steam can be seen from there, but there’s no defeatism about Liberio being gone yet. But then comes next chapter.

Liberio would only be doomed after the titans made landfall at the coast and they’re forced to spend half a day dealing with repairs. So that alone tells us that if they’d been able to get the plane going almost immediately and they just went to stop the Rumbling straight away, Liberio could’ve been saved. So it’s between the northeast coast and Odiha, and so I arrived at this conclusion. Currently I’m placing it at Dar es Salaam in our world, but I could see an argument being made for Mogadishu. Either way, it’s a coastal city, it’s big, and it’s between Mozambique and Odiha (which I put in Djibouti, but there could be a case for elsewhere).

In any event, with that in mind, let’s think about what the route might’ve been following Hange’s thought process based on what we had at the time. I’m assuming there’s 500,000 titans. We saw a lot of rows of titans, but let’s lowball it at 10 rows of 50,000 titans, covering 1000km across as they make their other 600km of movement. It’s probably less considering the likeliness of more rows, but let’s go with this for now, it’s a good example and I’ll reuse that measurement again, because either way I believe either of these two upcoming situations aren’t what’s happening.

(I told you, MS Paint. It’s rough). And here we are. If we consider just the steam Hange and Magath saw, and the assumption that the rumbling made landfall across the north coast of this upside down Mozambique just heading south from there, that’s what we get. But of course, that’s not the end of it, because 132 hits us with some very interesting information, and it also resolves an oddity from 131. And that information is the main 2 goals of a partial rumbling: Port Acirfa, and Fort Salta. And what do I mean by oddity from 131? Well...

Look at where the Rumbling is coming from, and where the ocean is in relation to it. If they’re moving southwards on the east coast, the ocean shouldn’t be to their right, only if they were moving northward. So that means, if they’re moving south, they have to be on the west coast. Which adds up considering the directions to the port and the fort. But of course, that brings a few problems. So let’s keep in mind the fact that Eren came out from the ocean along the rest of wall titans, and that he first hit the Alliance likely at Port Acirfa, which I might’ve put a bit lower than it should be, it’s likely where Cape Town would be. Anyway, let’s look at a map of what it would look like if Eren just stuck to the west coast and made his way to Odiha while going around said coast.

That’s what that would look like. But, as mentioned, there’s some issues with that. Doesn’t fully add up with the steam from 128, no doubt one of our characters would’ve commented on the Rumbling coming from a strange direction, Fort Salta being brought up now would be pointless since it’d already be gone, And frankly, if the Rumbling did all that in a single day, the situation is even more fucked than it looked like, so no, this ain’t the case. So what is it?

We know Port Acirfa was hit, 100% no doubt. The port of Liberio is devastated and it’s merely been a month, so they for sure aren’t hanging out there. Also, I don’t think they can move their whole setup from Acirfa to some unnamed east coast city to attempt stopping the Rumbling in the mere days it took for the Rumbling to make its way out of Paradis and into the mainland. And we’re seeing the titans make 10+ rows (look at that shot of Hange looking at all those colossals), so at best I’m working with the assumption that they’re covering 1000km across, which is still massively damaging but doesn’t add up with stomping Liberio along the way. And even if the rumbling like that zigged to hit Liberio and Odiha after Port Acirfa and before zagging towards Fort Salta, with the extra distance of swimming around and making the way from one place to another, I imagine they’d have longer at Odiha than they had as it is. Also of note, the Eren/Armin PATHS moment from 131 gives us certainty that if anything, Ramzi’s west coast city is being hit the same day Hange and Magath saw the steam.

So what kind of route do I propose? Well, a bit of a mix of both. I also think this is very much a bit on the extra theatrical side, and with the steam being for show for the Survey Corps/Warriors team. I’m working here under the assumption that Eren realized there was another plan after the Liberio raid, but if that’s so, then creating the illusion that Liberio got destroyed adds up. The warriors’ support stops being conditional at that point, which is something I saw people discuss in the past. Because here’s the thing about it. No showing us Liberio getting trampled? No tragic end for the people we know of there and resolution for the rebellion? Then in conclusion, Liberio isn’t destroyed, or at least a lot of the people there survived.

I’m gonna work this next map up with this in mind, and so, this is the Rumbling route I end up with that makes sense. In this one, 200,000 titans would go with Eren to the North (the Wall Maria titans), 300,000 are doing their own thing from the northeast to Odiha, they either swerve around Liberio or Eren knew his warning would allow for mass evacuations (so Liberio was just like Odiha when the titans got there).

Either way, it also creates another scenario: A pincer attack on Fort Salta, and the major ports of Marley devastated to the point said empire can’t possibly be sustained. And I’ve no doubt that, with Annie and the kids going elsewhere on the ship, they’re bound to have some sort of surprise moment happening. Running into the mass exodus of Subjects of Ymir would definitely be a big moment for them. Or maybe I’m overthinking this, but this makes the most sense to me currently. It explains the steam Hange saw and the idea of the Wall Titans heading southwards towards Odiha while also hitting Port Acirfa and the west coast at the same time. It also prevents the group from noticing giant Eren titan before getting to the fort, since he won’t be with the titan group that hit Odiha.

[ultimaa]

Analyzing and theorizing about Shingeki no Kyojin

I can not avoid comparing the happenings of Shingeki no Kyojin with historical events, from the Roman Empire to World War II. In addition, the mythological content of the work also leads to a comparison with the beliefs of Classical Antiquity. At this point, I would like to talk about Ymir Fritz; However, before that... I need to tell you about the Roman Empire, specifically about its founding myth and what really happened.

Who has not heard of Romulus and Remus. The two brothers who started it all. The myth considers them children of Mars (the Greek Ares), god of war, who engendered them in Rhea Silvia. She was the daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa who had been overthrown by his brother Amulius. The mother had to abandon them, but the children were saved by Luperca, a wolf who suckled them. Then they were found and raised by a couple of pastors. The brothers discovered the nobility of their lineage and went to return Alba Longa to his grandfather Numitor.

They succeeded, but both wanted a city of their own. Then they had their differences. Romulus wished to build the city on the Palatine Hill, while Remus preferred the Aventine Hill. The only solution was to count vultures: Remo saw six, while Romulus saw twelve. The winner traced the limits of his city and assured that he would kill anyone who crossed them. Guess what? Remus was emboldened, entered the territory of his brother and Romulo fulfilled his word, becoming a fratricide.

That is the founding myth of Rome. Therefore, it does not correspond to reality. However, in Shingeki it could be. I explain. Each side has an idea about Ymir Fritz; The Marleyans considered that she agreed with the Devil, Eren Krueger believed that Ymir came into contact with the genesis of the matter and Onyankopon suggested that perhaps Ymir received his power from a divinity. Well, now think about everything I've told you, in Rome too: AND IF YMIR FRITZ DID NOT DEAL WITH THE DEMON, NEITHER ENTERED INTO CONTACT WITH THE ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING? What if everyone is wrong ... except Onyankopon? Ymir may have been the daughter of a god, like Romulus and Remus, becoming the first ruler of the House Fritz and the first ever titan shifter, in the same way that Romulus became the first king of Rome and the father of all Romans.

And if we mix myth with reality? Okay, let's say that Ymir has a divine origin, being a descendant of a deity. Well, what do we do with her people, the Erdians? The true origin of Rome is not found in a fraternal discussion; although it still is not clear,  everything points to this glorious civilization was the result of the union of different peoples, Latins, Sabines, Etruscans (being these the most advanced), etc, which were fighting each other. Romulus, as the first king, promulgated common laws and customs. Roman laws and customs. Maybe Ymir Fritz saw himself in the same situation: a potpourrí of people who did not understand each other, who were enemies or who had been enemies, but who were under the charge of the same person. At this point, Ymir would do the same as Romulo and create a common culture with characteristics of each nation.

The Romans contributed much to architecture, art, politics and all areas of life. They built bridges, forums, basilicas, circuses, etc. They were practical people who sought the public utility of their buildings. Does not this remind you of what Grisha Jaeger said about Ymir and her people? Grisha was convinced that Ymir built bridges, sowed the fields, etc; in general, Jaeger believed that Ymir Fritz made mankind prosper, just as the Romans did.

I think frankly that Ymir brought a lot of progress and a time of splendor ...

... but I also believe that Erdia had to fight many wars.

I mentioned the Etruscans before. These allied with other peoples to fight against Rome, but were defeated and absorbed by the Romans. The same thing happened to Marley; they had nothing to do with a power like Ancient Erdia. However, when civil wars struck the Erdian Empire, they took advantage of and took control of the continent. They had defeated the infamous Erdians, who had done them so much harm! I do not doubt that the Erdians behaved brutally with the Marleyans, but we all know that no nation has conquered another with kisses and roses. The Marleyans could only see the pain of their homeland, but NOT the great advances that Ymir had promoted. They were blind with hatred and resentment (something that is understandable, because no one wants to be conquered) and they gave their truth to the world: YMIR HAD COVENANTED WITH THE DEMON AND SUMMARED THE WORLD IN A DARK AGE.

We can not blame them. After all, the god of the enemy is our enemy, our devil.

But Marleyans are not saints either. The old wars DO NOT justify confining the Erdians in ghettos and using them as cannon fodder. Because those Erdians are innocent. If someone in the fandom is able to justify Erdian segregation, that person has a problem. Think, for example, of the Germans. Yes, the Nazis did a lot of damage and ended up with millions of people, BUT THAT DOES NOT WANT TO SAY THAT THE CURRENT GERMANS MUST PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES. That's why the Nuremberg trials were held.

There are no guilty or villains or a dark side in SNK: only revenge, resentment and ambition. The past is just an excuse, the veracity of the facts is not important. Marleyans and Erdians need a reason to hate each other and have the best. As I see it, there are only three solutions to this millennial conflict.

a. Peace. Each side should recognize their mistakes, leave their weapons and dialogue.

b. May the best win. The problems between Erdia and Marley are irreconcilable and the war will end when one country destroys the other.

c. The bilateral catastrophe. Both nations are destroyed by a third country or by an alliance.

I am inclined to the last two options. I think Erdia will beat Marley, but ... that's just the tip of the iceberg. After Eren attacked Liberio, where an international summit was held with ambassadors from all over the globe, the whole world is against Erdia. Okay, maybe Eren will finish Marley. Certainly, it seems that the Marleyans are betting everything in the invasion of the current arc of the manga. They need to put an end to the Erdians of the walls and, above all, they need the power of the TITAN FOUNDER to preserve the military hegemony. I think of the Ardennes Counteroffensive, Hitler's last attack on the allies, which failed. However, both the Nazis and the Allies suffered a large number of casualties: Germany suffered 83,000 casualties among the dead and wounded, and the Allies suffered a total of 102,576 casualties. The Allies lost much more because the German Army was superior and, despite this, they won. I think the Erdians will win thanks to the power of the Titans, thanks to the RUMBLING, because the Marleyan troops are clearly superior.

Recently it was revealed an audio that contained the end of the work. The din of a battle ... the battle against the world? This is very ironic and twisted on the part of the Master Isayama. The fall of the walls has always been a symbol of freedom and union. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a big step towards the end of the Cold War. Nevertheless, the fall of Maria, Rose and Sina would suppose the liberation of the colossal titans, that is to say, the activation of the rumble of the earth. Here we come to the man who will decide the destiny of humanity: Eren Jaeger.

We still do not know what happens in the head of our suicidal bastard (in fact, his vital state is also doubtful), but I dare say he will do the following:

-To end with the era of the titans and, therefore, with the possibility of Erdian supremacy. For this we must liquidate the colossal locked in the walls, but how the hell are you going to get rid of thousands and thousands of colossal, if only one of them killed almost the entire Legion and calcined Armin? Well, Eren can control them and maybe he can get rid of them. If this happened, Eren would fulfill what he said as a child: "I'm going to kill the titans." However, he would no longer do it for revenge or hatred, but for the common good. That would be a way to redeem the character.

How would Eren get rid of the colossal? Well, it's simple ... THE OCEAN. It is well known that the titans do not approach the water and the ocean could be a good tomb for the giants of fifty meters. In our world, the deepest part of the ocean is in the Mariana Trench, 10,000 meters deep. Imagine our Eren commanding those moles towards the unfathomable depths. The sea symbolizes life because everything started in the water, but it also refers to death in a more poetic sense (in the work of Antonio Machado it is very frequent) because all the rivers (the lives) flow into the sea (the death). In addition, the importance of the ocean in Shingeki no Kyojin is already made clear in the first chapters, when Armin dreams of reaching it.

Does this mean that Eren supports Zeke's plan? No, I do not think Eren intends to sterilize his people. I never believed it, especially when the supposed final panel of the manga was unveiled. I believe without doubt that the baby is Erdian; Son of a protagonist? I don’t know, but I do Erdian. And the dialogue, that "you are free", would mean that the coming generations are free of the legacy of Ymir, of the titans, of the terrible past ... and of the titan shifters.

Things as they are: as long as there are titan shifters, there will be war to control them. How do we get rid of them without any baby inheriting it? Well, I'll leave that to Isayama 😊

Suppose that the Titans are truly exterminated, then how will Paradis defend itself from its numerous enemies? Even if Hizuru helped them, the Erdians would lose. They would have two options: peace or destruction. This would be a good time for Armin. After all, Eren himself said that Armin would save humanity, and not him.

This is all. I apologize for possible spelling or grammatical errors: English is not my language.

[hopeymchope]

So, I'm trying to understand this, from a person who has next to no knowledge on the series. What exactly is going on with Attack on Titan? And I'm more than willing to read a long rant if it means I get an explanation.

If you’re wondering why the tag for the manga blew up in recent weeks, that’s one specific thing - a character “death” (or at least, character-serious-injury) that’s got fans freaking out.

If you’re wondering why everything has been sucking for like two straight years of manga and people like me keep making very salty posts about it, that’s a whole other topic.

And that’s what I’m gonna cover in this rant: How Attack on Titan has been shitting its own bed for more than a year now.

Basic Setup: Attack on Titan takes place in a world where the remnants of humanity live in a walled city. The city’s walls protect them from gigantic, grotesque “Titans” who attempt to devour people on sight.

…but naturally, as the story went on, it got way more complicated.

Most of the problems with the manga began circa the time-skip (which is also where the Anime is going to catch up to once the current season 3 is finished). Rarely has there ever been a time-skip in fiction that’s been wonderfully received, but the four-year gap between “Return to Shanganshima” and the “Marley” arc has to be one of the worst.

But the whole crash-and-burn kind of starts right before the time-skip, when we first learn the name “Marley,” begin to learn the true origin of Titans, and uncover true enemy opposing our heroes via a forced flashback. For the purposes of this little essay, let’s just put all of the Marley-related information into one big collection - I’m not gonna separate the last couple chapters pre-timeskip from all the tons we’ve had afterwards. All things dealing with the aforementioned “enemy” will just go into one big fuckpile.

SO. The time-skip jumped forward fouryears into an arc that lasted almost a year without letting us see any of our established protagonists. Instead, we follow… the enemy I just mentioned.

And since Attack on Titan begins and goes for most of its duration without any clear enemies outside of “TEH TITANS” and “general assholes within the system,” this is where I have to put a spoiler cut.

A Rant on Titan

So the enemy of the characters we know so far is Marley, the actual source of the titans. The world isn’t destroyed at all, naturally. Our heroes just live in one isolated place on the planet, which is forced to be surrounded by Titans because Marley shoved them into that walled city and then created Titans on the regular.

Marley is a nation of………………

…*SIGH*…

okay, look. I could try to call Marley  a “Nazi Germany allegory,” but the allegory is so thin that they’re basically just incredibly overt Nazis. They’re a military-focused nation of incredible genetic pride where purity is celebrated and where one particular race - a group of both different genetic descendancy than them AND of different religious beliefs - are treated as inferior garbage. The Marley government sees “Eldians” as disposable. They are forced to wear armbands with stars on their arms (YES, REALLY) to identify them in public, and they also make them lived in fenced-off, separate communities.

Marley’s science experiments on Eldians (yup, they tossed that in, too) resulted in the creation of the TITANS. It turns the Eldians into mindless prisoners of their own bodies who grow in size, deform, try to eat people instinctively, and long only for their own deaths.

If they made a third AOT video game, it’d have to be something like this. …. So maybe we shouldn’t.

ANYWAY. During this Marley story arc, we mostly follow child soldiers. They’re of “low birth” because of their race. They chose to enter military service in exchange for having their families treated like regular human beings one day, if they earn their way to become titan-shifters. Nevermind that titan-shifters all die within seven years because of the power of turning into a titan - it’s worth it to raise their family’s status beyond just your regular Jews Eldians, right? Nevermind that they’d never really be seen as equals. Even those who have elevated their own rank by becoming shifters are shown to still be subject to some snark and disdain,but yknow - you were just born that way, so you’re shitty regardless, right?

Through this horrific scenario, we follow a few kids in particular - most notably Falco, who is gradually seeing reality and realizing how they don’t deserve to be treated like shit and that this is all a work - and Gabi, who is becoming increasingly militant and more zealous over time.

RELEVANT SIDE NOTE: Gabi’s character design is based upon a sketch Isayama once did of a gender-shfited Eren Jeager (Eren Jaeger is the main protagonist of the series). For that reason, you might be inclined ot think that Gabi is some kind of alternate/parallel Eren.

Except that’s fucking ridiculous, of course!

Gabi is shown to only care about her own rage against the people within the walls of “Paradis” (the sarcastic name for the walled city where all of our heroes come from) above ALL else. She doesn’t care about her family at all, never noticing her brother’s suicidal tendencies and pain even as Falco is acutely aware of it. The fact that her parents are pained by her following her brother’s dark path to becoming a shifter. She doesn’t notice or care. The more evidence that is put in front of her that the other side might not be as evil as she thinks? That just makes her want to commit murder MORE.

Oh, and she DOES murder people. And try to murder more. A lot. She even successfully murders a fan-favorite character - a character who shows her mercy by pointing a gun at her, seeing she’s only a child, and opting to let her live. Gabi repays this mercy by shooting that character in the back later and boasting excitedly about it to anyone who will listen for multiple chapters in a row.

She then tries to top that by attempting to murder that character’s little adopted sister, who is like, maybe 10 years old, tops? Gabi is then protected from harm by Mikasa and now seems to be on the path towards some kind of “redemption arc” because… uh…………..

………………..because Isayama is shitty?

By contrast, Eren struggles throughout the ENTIRE NARRATIVE to bring harm to people who betray him/those he cares about or those who try to kill him/those he cares about, but often runs into incredible challenges when fighting these douchenozzles. The entire time we followed Eren up until now, he always prioritized his family and friends above EVERYTHING. He would risk ANYTHING to protect them and his comrades in the Paradis military… this was true from when he was a young boy at the start of the story up through him being a young man at this point. And he is ESPECIALLY intense about protecting his closest friends, Armin and Mikasa, who he’s known for nearly his entire life. They grew up together.

That’s set in fucking stone for like 90 chapters, so we’re good. Yeah?

Oh, sweet summer child. Perhaps you were so unprepared for Isayama’s Nazi mallet that you didn’t see his secondary weapon coming?

See, the post-timeskip Eren treats his friends like shit. He lies to them, betrays their trust, runs off and starts a literal war on his OWN, and then tells them how much he hates them. Claims he always hated them.

So in the course of just a couple chapters, he goes from saying this:

To swiftly saying THIS:

Note that devastated look in her eyes. Wonderful.

And yes, he’s GOT to be lying, because I don’t think Isayama would juxtapose those two scenes so closely together in some unwitting fashion. But he’s doing so much damage to them by now that I honestly don’t even know if it matters?

Take Hange.

She’s the intelligent leader of the team, the one who always has a wild, unlikely plan. She’s a science whiz and comes up with longshot plans that always seem to weirdly… work out.

We’re told that, three years ago, she was presented a plan to overthrow Marley by Zeke - a fucking bastard who is clearly a member of the enemy, he’s lived with them his whole life, as a child he betrayed his parents to them and had them executed for being disloyal to Marley, and he’s killed COUNTLESS comrades of our heroes - and Hange decided Zeke’s plan was the only possible option and came up with no alternatives for four years. So she made them ally up with the least trustworthy person IMAGINABLE for a terrible plan,b because Hange’s… a stupid sucker now, I guess.

And why is it a terrible plan — aside from the fact that there is literally zero reason to ever believe anything Zeke says to you, since he’s the most evil fucker in the world? Oh, because it hinges HEAVILY around forcing another member of the team — Historia — into a pregnancy to churn out a baby they intend to use for the country’s gain.

Historia’s big character arc in “Attack on Titan” has been her coming to terms with her own identity and OWNING it. She’s been hiding under another identity or been controlled by other people much of her life. She finally comes out under her true name, declares that she’ll never leave in fear or be maniuplated ever again, and then—

… oh wait.. she’s manipulated into being barefoot and pregnant against her own wishes, because their greatest enemy asked for it.

There’s a lot to hate about the post-”Return to Shinganshima” Attack on Titan, in short. From characters becoming inversions of themselves to full fanatical Nazis being treated like redemption babies to complete destruction of self-actualization of other characters and the fact that, even if this is part of some larger plan being manipulated by multiple players (which seems likely), it still won’t really make up for much of the damage… and for that matter, how plausible would it even be?

But basically, there’s going to have to be quite an 11th-hour ass-pull to make this turn out decently in my eyes by now. And that’s not IMPOSSIBLE.

But it’s looking pretty unlikely.