#I'm sure fellow aruanis have some thoughts too

[clfixationstation]

this week's aotwt discourse: is it okay to say that Armin is androgynous

but hey at least we got a fun new nickname out of it:

Anyways, yes, Armin plainly has androgynous features. It's something that actually gets him hate from the more homophobic corners of the fandom (which is likely why this homophobic Armin fan is so adamant that he is masculine).

Now, whether Armin the character likes being seen as more "feminine" is not explored in the text of AoT. So, putting down other fans based on what you think that Armin (a fictional character) would be uncomfortable with is ridiculous.

But I do have thoughts! I personally go back and forth on it a lot. I feel like Armin would feel insecure about being perceived as feminine because it has the connotation of weakness (because misogyny) and Armin is insecure about his physical strength. But I don't think it would bother him if there was not so much emphasis on physical strength in the world of AoT. So, in a modern au where there aren't titans threatening humanity, maybe Armin would embrace his more feminine features.

The other complication towards how Armin may view himself is what happened to him when he was dressed as Historia. It's possible Armin would be left feeling unsafe wearing decidedly feminine clothing :/

There's also a difference between Armin's features and how he chooses to express himself. While his physical features may be considered more "feminine" (soft features, round face, big eyes, short and slim), do the clothes Armin chooses to wear reflect a more feminine, masculine, or androgynous presentation?

Side note: I do not believe that femininity should be restricted to the features I listed. People with all sorts of different features should be able to consider themselves feminine and be viewed as such by others. I'm simply identifying some features that my surrounding society associates with femininity.

Outside of his work uniform, Armin is primarily shown wearing a pale blue or green sweater over a white button up shirt, sometimes with a light jacket over top. Armin dresses very cozy, yet coordinated:

like bro is always in that light blue cardigan

Another consideration is that what is perceived as "masculine" or "feminine" depends a lot on cultural context. Like, if I wore most of these fits where I live in the US as a girl, they'd be seen as pretty neutral; the sweaters leaning more feminine, the plain button-ups leaning more masculine (the suspenders would be seen as simply out of style lol).

Anyways, while I would say Armin's personal style is more masculine than feminine, it comes across as less masculine than the personal style of other men in AoT, due to his soft color and fabric choices.

Honestly the style really suits him and it's super cute :) (Armin light academia king)

And I'm not really making an argument here, I'm just expressing my thoughts on the matter. People are free to depict and imagine Armin in whatever styling they please - so long as they're not being a homophobic asshat

[burnt-venus]

#1 :giving random prompts or asking random questions to aruani shippers

make a scene where armin is sick and annie takes care of him👀👀 (then the others are shock👀) (you don't necessarily need to do this👀)(i just wanna make fun prompts and questions to my fellow aruani shippers😍)

could be hs, post-rumbling, or cadet days🫣🫣

Hello! Thank you for the ask, this is the first time I'm doing something like this for aruani

Post rumbling setting!

Last week had been exhausting for the ambassadors, meeting after meeting, speech after speech, negotiation after negotiation, plenty of diplomatic events one after the other. The presence of all of them was needed just for the first day, after that, the ambassadors took turns to attend, all but one, Armin, who was present all of the days, since those involved demanded to see and speak to the hero of the humanity in person, the man who stopped and killed Eren Jaeger.

Fake laughs, forced smiles, and unpleasant conversations with so called powerful men stressed Armin out to the point of collapsing at the end of the last day as soon as he was out of public sight.

Somehow, Annie felt like she wasn't doing anything for him, Reiner was in charge of cooking, Connie had gone to get a doctor for Armin and made sure no information about him and his health status was leaked, Jean and Pieck were doing all the paperwork they needed to summit, and she was just there, in the same room where he was resting, watching him sleep. The rest told her to just stay there and watch over him, they told her she didn't need to do more and still, she wanted to do more, but how could she, when she did nothing when his tiredness became noticeable for all of them and he said it was okay, it was the expected stress of the events. It wasn't okay, he wasn't.

"I was a soldier, Annie, some physical effort won't kill me, don't worry too much." What about the mental effort? As a soldier, you weren't praised for killing your childhood friend. But she chose to say nothing, nothing until he was finally burnt out.

In the bed, wrapped in sheets, a wet towel on his forehead, eyes closed and relaxed breathing, he looked at peace. She'd like him to leave this lifestyle already, to put an end to all his diplomatic activities, someone else could do the job, oh, but he won't, this is the life that was entrusted to them, to him, goddammit Eren.

He looks prettier when he's not pushing himself to the limit. The view of his long eyelashes, button nose, and lips slightly parted made her close her eyes and sigh softly. This man will be the end of her in one way or another. I wonder if he's dreaming about something, I hope's nothing related to work. Annie thought as she tried to find another comfortable position on the couch she had been glued to since last night. He should at least keep his dreams worry free.

"You should dream about me instead"

"I do" Annie nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard Armin's voice. Wasn't he still asleep just now?

"You're awake"

"Ah, have you been watching over me, Annie? Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." He muttered and smiled weakly. Was it because of the fever?

"Stop that there. How you feeling?" She approached him, sitting on the bed, next to where he had already sat up, freeing himself from the sheets and taking the cool towel away.

Armin signed with satisfaction and let his eyelids close for a few seconds as Annie put the back of her hand on his cheek to check his temperature, he didn't see her next movement, and blushed slightly when he felt her touching his forehead with hers.

"You're still a little hot." what a way to know "You should take the medication the doctor prescribed." She stood up to go for it, but Armin gently pulled her back in the bed.

"I still think it's unnecessary, I'll be okay without it, it's just the stress"

"Yes, you've been stressed and exhausted but you keep refusing to rest when we tell you to do" He had just woken up, she didn't want to argue with him "But Armin, you've even been vomiting and you didn't tell anyone!"

"We all had the same meals, so it wasn't because of that, I need no medicine, I was just anxious." Annie frowned and the room filled with silence for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner." His voice softened

"Yes, you should have." Annie snugged her head on his shoulder and took his hands, he sank his nose in her hair. Gentle caresses and a light kiss on the head that said her sorry again responded. "Now rest, hurry and get well."

"Will you give me get-well kisses?" Oh, she could imagine the smirk on his face perfectly

"Don't push your luck"

Armin chuckled. Both were so immersed in them that didn't notice the big blonde man standing at the door holding a tray with a glass of juice, bread and bowl of soup on it, in an apron that said "hot stuff coming through". For Reiner, it was still amazing how this soft and blushed Annie he had just seen was the same Annie he had known since they were kids. Without saying a word, he decided to return to the kitchen with his soup untouched and still warm. Armin didn't look hungry for food in that moment.