#ODM Performance

[odmeducationalgroup]

Students Shines Dancing to Challeya

Join us in celebrating the incredible talent at ODM as one of our talented students performs an amazing dance to the popular song 'Challeya'. At ODM, we believe in nurturing the all-round development of our students through various extracurricular activities. From dance and music to sports and arts, our students excel in every field. Watch this captivating performance and see the passion and dedication of our young stars. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more such inspiring performances from our ODM family!

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[sicksaucyspaghetti]

still levi.

levi’s hands are dirty. he’s done things he’s not exactly proud of. he’s had to fight, hurt, kill to stay alive. violence barely even takes a toll on him anymore, at least not the way it used to. it’s hard to feel anything at all when you’ve caused as much destruction as he has, when your value to others is reduced to the strength you bring to a fight.

levi knows that he is lethal — and he’s come to terms with it. after all, he’s been taught since he was a boy that whoever hits harder, whoever moves faster is the one who survives. what began as fighting for his survival in the underground became fighting for the survival of humanity alongside the Scouts. over time, levi learned it’s not that different, the underground and the survey corps; blood must be spilt, and if you are strong enough, you have some say in who’s it is. that alone is enough of a reason for people to keep you around. 

it’s hard for levi not to become too detached from himself with all the violence that’s surrounded him, with all the violence he’s created. but, there are moments, however rare, when levi can forget all the wrongs he’s committed. when levi is reminded that he is more than just “humanity’s strongest”. when levi realizes that he is still levi. in these moments, levi experiences a warming hum of peace in his chest. it’s small and gentle and if he blinks he’ll miss it — but it’s there. it’s in a hot, bracing cup of tea resting on his desk. it’s in the warmth of the sun on his face, a luxury he never had in the underground. it’s in clean sheets that smell gently of soap. it’s in the clicking and whirring of his ODM gear as he weaves in and out of the trees. it’s in hange’s crazed smile every time she discovers something new about the titans. it’s in erwin’s speech of encouragement leading up to a fight, urging him to dedicate his heart. it’s in the wide eyes of the each new cadet, who knows only to hope. it’s in the memories of isabel, and furlan, and his mother. 

it may not seem like much to others, but to him? these moments are everything. levi was bred as a weapon with a specific purpose. no one was there to care about levi beyond if he was performing well enough, staying strong enough, killing fast enough — and he always was. but small moments like these are enough to show levi that there is still a beating heart underneath his uniform. that’s he’s still levi. and that is worth more to him than all the glory in the world.

for all the destruction levi has seen — for all the destruction he’s caused — it would be easy for him to disconnect entirely from his heart. but that’s just not who he is. levi may not feel all the time, but the fact that he can even feel at all?

he’ll take that any day. because he’s still levi.

[syoish-aot]

"I Found You" - EREN/READER - REVERSE ISEKAI (part 7)

reverse isekai, time travel, memory loss

post canon

reader/eren

past eren/mikasa (but no love triangle)

word count: 1682

<- PART 6 | PART 8 ->

*****

Red flowers spilled from the hanging baskets attached to the wrought iron fence that wrapped around the upstairs patio of Niccolo’s restaurant.

Mikasa smiled to herself as she leaned against the railing, pulling one of the flowers up to her nose.

From the other side of the patio, as if he was scared that getting too close would break the mirage, Eren’s eyes followed her movements.

His breath came out in shallow exhales, watching the way the setting sun illuminated her features. 

She was so beautiful. She’d always been beautiful. No one could deny that.

Her hair (her long hair, he noted) framed her face and fell past her shoulders, tickling the straps of the red dress that wrapped perfectly around her figure. He hadn’t seen her in a dress since they were kids and it was never something so flashy. Somehow, it still suited her.

Or maybe it was this new life that suited her instead.

Eren could vividly recall the dozens of times that he’d watched Mikasa perform such a simple task, as the mundane action somehow found a way to light a fire in his stomach. Cleaning her swords, adjusting her ODM straps, tinkering with her gas chamber- he’d watch her do it, admiring the way her fingers delicately held whatever tool or object she was fiddling with. But now, with her fingers wrapped softly around a beautiful flower, he felt-

He felt… 

Honestly, Eren wasn’t sure what he felt.

And he didn’t understand why not knowing intimidated him so much.

“So…” Mikasa started, cutting off his thoughts, “Welcome to your new life.”

Eren shoved his hands into his pockets, unsure what else to do with them, as he looked away from her and swallowed a lump in his throat. “...yeah.” He replied.

Mikasa laughed to herself and looked up at the sky, admiring the way the sunset placed a silver glow around the fluffy clouds above. “You’re probably pretty confused.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Eren scoffed before he finally crossed the patio and joined her. 

“We don’t really get it either, it just slowly started to happen,” Mikasa told him. “It’s random, but everyone’s memories get triggered by something. For Armin, it was seeing the ocean for the first time. Jean’s came back at a farmer’s market. Connie remembered everything the first time he met Sasha. And Sasha well-...” Mikasa smiled, “there’s a reason we still call her “potato girl” even now.”

“What about you?” Eren asked.

“I-...” Mikasa looked down at her hands and smoothed out her dress. “...I was different.”

Their eyes met and a lump formed in Eren’s throat. He felt guilty, somehow. Guilty for being around when all of this had been happening, but somehow remaining completely oblivious to it. All Eren had ever wanted to do was protect the people he loved, so the fact that they’d been going through so much without him even noticing made him feel like he’d let them down.

Like he’d let Mikasa down, just like he had in his past life.

“How were you… different?” Eren asked hesitantly, as if he was scared to know the answer.

Mikasa smiled before she looked down at the street below them. “In this life, we grew up together just like we had before. You, me, and Armin, just the three of us. You and Armin had no idea about our past lives but I-” Mikasa took a breath, “but I remembered everything.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Maybe it’s another one of those Ackerman powers but-… but from the moment I could have a memory, I remembered. I remembered Shiganshina and the hill we would run up as kids. I remembered the fall of the walls. The titans. Our attack on Liberio. The Rumbling. Everything. I remembered every single piece of it and I- I remembered you…”

Eren’s breath caught. “What do you… remember about me?” He couldn't look away from her, not for a second.

This was everything he had ever wanted. Everything he denied himself from having in his first life.

This was time. Time for them to finally be together.

“What am I to you, Eren?” “Family.”

He wouldn’t let it happen again. “Mikasa I lo-”

“I remembered killing you,” Mikasa cut him off and Eren immediately slammed his mouth shut. “And I also remembered everything that happened after. The years I sat by your grave missing you, wishing you were next to me so we could sit together and watch Shiganshina grow.”

Eren looked at the flowers next to them.

The pretty red flowers that spilled over the railing, reaching out to the streets below.

“Do you remember the cabin?” Eren hesitantly asked.

“I do.”

“So then-” He looked back at her. “Then you and I- we can- now that I’m here and I’m awake and we’re in this life we-”

“We can’t, Eren.” Mikasa said.

Eren was taken aback. Mikasa had felt the same way as he did in their last lifetime, so what was different now?

“Why not?” He asked.

“Because it doesn’t work here, Eren.”

“I- What do you mean? We finally have the time, Mikasa. We can be together and you don’t even want to try!? Why not? I-... I love you. I’ve always loved you so-”

“I loved you too.” Mikasa cut him off.

“But-…” He was in complete disbelief. “But not anymore?”

“No.” Mikasa answered simply. “Not anymore.”

It flashes through his mind quickly. In weird uncontrollable blips:

A new shirt. A black marker.

Eren scowled and shook his head, thinking nothing of whatever that was. He had more important things to worry about.

“Why not?” Eren asked. “What changed?"

Mikasa took a deep breath. “I lived a whole lifetime loving you, Eren. And I spent most of it learning to live without you by my side.”

Coffee. Itchy cloth. A stale, leftover pastry.

Eren shook his head again and focused on what Mikasa was saying.

“When I came back and I was in this life,” she said, “a new life, I had already spent so much time getting over you. At that point, I just-... I couldn’t go back.”

Spaghetti. Wine. Plush couch cushions against his back.

Eren scowled. His head was swarming with meaningless thoughts. Fragments of thoughts, really. He needed to focus on Mikasa! “And you didn’t even try?” He asked.

Mikasa laughed. “No, I did. Once.”

“Once?”

“Yeah. When we were younger we were together for a bit. Nothing serious, and mostly it was just awkward. I felt like I was trying to play a part instead of being who I wanted to be. And then a few months later you-…”

“I what?”

Mikasa smiled before she took a deep breath. “A few months later you… fell in love with someone else.”

Lips between his shoulder blades. A sharp pain in his chest. And then a laugh.

Eren’s fingers dug into his temples, circling against them as the thoughts continued to swirl.

He fell in love with someone else? Someone who wasn’t Mikasa? What was the point of this new life if he was with someone else? Mikasa was the reason he had fought so hard before. She was everything to him but-

“It’ll come back to you eventually,” Mikasa told him. “And when it does, you’ll get what I mean when I say that you and I wouldn’t work.”

Eren scowled. “What if it doesn’t? What if I get my memories back from this weird life and I still want to be with you.”

Mikasa sighed. “If that happens then… then I’ll probably have to kill you again.”

“WHAT!?”

Mikasa laughed at his bright red cheeks and the expression of pure irritation across his face.

She reached up to teasingly tug his bangs, snapping him out of his moment of rage.

Eren pushed her hand away.

He had looked so serious earlier, resembling the man who had tried to end the world. But now, as he pouted after being teased, all Mikasa could see was his bratty childhood self after Carla told him to finish his chores.

“You shouldn’t joke about that…” Eren mumbled.

“It’s not a joke,” Mikasa said. “If you hurt her I really will kill you."

He scowled. “I don’t even know who she is!”

“You’ll figure it out.” Mikasa shrugged. “Like I said, you’ll get those memories back eventually. Just give it some time.”

Marker. Coffee. Spaghetti and wine.

That’s not what that was… was it?

No.

It couldn’t be.

Those weren’t memories they were just-... weird images in his head. Something he dreamed of, probably, something that didn’t mean anythin-

“Wait!” Eren called. Mikasa was half way across the patio by the time he realized she had even left.

He wanted to ask her to stay. He felt like he was supposed to ask her to say, that’s what his head was telling him, anyway; because their conversation hadn’t resolved anything! He still had so many questions for her, so many thoughts to share and feelings to bring up. But Mikasa was just going to leave him like this!? Leave him to- to do what!?

“Just let the memories come back to you, Eren.” She told him.

“What am I-...” Eren’s mouth opened and closed uselessly a few times before he remembered how to speak: “What the hell am I supposed to do while I wait for that to happen?”

Mikasa smiled as she turned around to look at him one more time.

“Follow your instincts,” she told him, “no matter which lifetime you’re in, you’ve always been pretty good at doing that.”

And then she left him on the patio alone with his thoughts.

Alone with his memories.

Alone with a strange sense of deja vu as he looked down at the red flowers that spilled over the railing onto the streets below.

A messy heart on the lid of a paper coffee cup. A hand that fits so naturally into his. The words “I love you” mumbled before falling asleep.

[thaidakar-is-hot]

Sanderson is against animation, cause he's a coward but...

Yes, I watched and loved AoT, alright? I thought WIT Studio's animation was peak. The ODM gear sequences were fantastic, especially when they showcased Levi's skills. Take a studio with similar skills and let them have at allomancy. I just want to see it so bad. Put together a team of incredible artists and designers and just let them have at Sanderson's collective works. Can you imagine the RICH colors of Stormlight? The incredible action sequences in Mistborn? (Remember Kelsier's spin to win moment in Kredick Shaw?) None of this would look good in live action. I'd be watching real people perform super human feats it'd be boring, bland and uninspired. Plus they'd butcher the actual story in order for them to find cast members for all the different parts.

[booyakabanga]

I had an idea for a cool Levi x Reader story, where Reader is an engineer/mechanic of some sorts trying to improve or replicate the ODM gear and comes into contact with the survey corps. There she is made to watch and train with Levi, cuz duh he is the best with the gear, so she can improve the performance and quality etc.

She is also under the protection of Levi because no one knows of her talent (because only a select few people actually know how the gear works and it’d be super weird having to explain why this random young woman knows so much of the ODM gear) and Erwin the maniac gambled on her and believes she could help humanity’s fight against the Titans with her knowledge.

Her background is idk.

She could be from the underground trying to make her life easier by recreating the gear so she could complete her heist/robberies easier. If from the underground I guess she‘d be almost completely self thought.

Or

She is from above ground, even grew up fairly privileged but just has an infatuation with anything mechanical/engineered. Parents/mom doesn’t but dad just dotes on daughter and lets her do whatever, don’t approve of that and want her to be proper and ‚ladylike‘. To not raise any suspicions she acts just like that in front of her parents but sneaks out whenever she can and meets this old lady who owns a repair shop of some sorts and learns everything from her.

It could be a enemies to friends to lovers, cuz who doesn’t love that shit, with a slow burn, lots of angst and fluff.

Reader is obviously also a natural with the gear because she understands how the mechanisms work on a crazy detailed level but also has personalized ODM Gear she salvaged from wherever (she stole it from the MP‘s/maybe the old lady gave her a broken one) that she fixed up to suit her style of fighting.

I don’t know that‘s all I can think of for now. If you guys have any ideas just add to it. I have never written a fanfiction so this‘ll probably just stay like this but if anyone wants to actually write this, you have my full permission please just tag me or send a link so I can read it too ;)

[sevendeadlywhispers]

7Seals

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Chapter 10

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•Previous Chapter: Chapter Nine

•Next Chapter: Chapter Eleven

• Chapter List

• New chapters every Thursday

•Content: Levi Ackerman × OC female. Slow Burn! Canon verse!

• Word Count: 2.7k

• Warning: This content may not be suitable for all readers. If you've watched all of AOT then you will understand that the show handles heavy subjects such as abuse, racism, violence, and other heavy subjects. This fanfiction will also have the same heavy themes. Chapters with heavy themes will be marked with * at each chapter.

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The barn felt unusually quiet as I arrived early, beating even Levi to our usual meeting spot. A sense of solitude lingered, was this a consequence of my tardiness on other days?

Last night's events weighed on me, casting shadows over my tired eyes. Sleep had been elusive, and the mess hall became my refuge until breakfast's arrival. I lacked the strength to face Alexander's apologies, his attempts to sweep our....

my reality under the rug.

My ODM harness, once a symbol of freedom, became a painful reminder. Straps pressed against my bruised chest, every adjustment sending jolts of pain through my body. Alexander's violence from the night before echoed with each painful breath.

A few slaps had escalated into something more sinister. Questions circled my mind – was it safer to endure the torment within the confines of his presence, or was escape an option for me? Answers remained elusive, a puzzle I couldn't piece together in this weary state.

Levi's sudden appearance shattered my contemplation. Startled, I dropped my canteen, and it rolled away, farther and farther away from my reach.

"Erwin wants you," Levi's voice cut through the air, disrupting the silence that enveloped the barn. I couldn't bend to retrieve my fallen canteen, I had to watch it roll away. Maybe later I'll find the strength to pick it up.

"Hurry up. Come straight back here when you're done," Levi's instructions echoed, as I walked away, leaving the abandoned canteen behind.

I stood outside Commander Erwin's office, why he would summon me.? Was it about my performance? Levi's tardiness this morning added a layer of curiosity.

"Come in," his cheerful voice beckoned. He seemed to anticipate my arrival, knowing the time it took from the training grounds to his office.

"Commander," I greeted as I entered, a mixture of nervousness and curiosity bubbling within me.

"Take a seat," he instructed, and I complied, feeling a sense of unease despite knowing I hadn't committed any wrongdoing. Perhaps it was about my lax approach to training.

"How are you?" Erwin inquired, his words carrying a certain depth that left me questioning if he referred to more than just my well-being.

"Good, thank you. What about you, Commander?"

"Very well," he replied cryptically, and the atmosphere in the room only thickened.

"How's the new squad?"

"Well, I'm the only member, so good," I chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Ah yes, we will get there," Erwin remarked, pacing around the room. Then, he delved into more pressing matters.

"How do you like Levi as your captain?"

"Um, he's doing well. I'm learning a lot," I replied cautiously, sensing a shift in the conversation.

"Last I heard, you were pretty behind in skills for the squad. How's that going for you?" Erwin questioned, pinpointing the very concern that had been lingering in my mind.

"Still need work, but it's going," I admitted, though the truth was, I felt inadequate compared to Levi's prowess. The looming expectation of meeting their standards weighed heavily on me.

"Right," Erwin said, circling to the other side of his desk, where he sat down in front of me. His gaze lingered a moment longer than I'd have preferred.

"How's Alexander?"

"He's good,"

"Really?" Erwin raised an eyebrow. "He's doing okay with you on the Levi Squad?"

"Yeah, he's been really supportive, helping me with different things," I lied, attempting to paint a positive picture.

"Ah," Erwin mused, sifting through paperwork and extracting two sheets. "Then you won't mind telling me why Alexander was yelling at four in the morning." His smile persisted as he laid the papers on his lap.

I glanced at the papers and back at him. "I'm sorry, Commander," I said with a smile, mirroring his demeanor.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I guess it's best that we both tell the truth," Erwin remarked.

"The incident report is in my hands as we speak."

Why did I think I could deceive him? Erwin wasn't Levi or Alexander; he saw through facades. Rookie mistake.

"Okay, fine," I surrendered, though only halfway. I wasn't ready to reveal everything. "He got mad at me for staying up to do paperwork. He was just concerned for me."

Erwin hummed and stood up, tossing the papers into the fireplace while maintaining eye contact.

"Very well, then." His smile returned. "I wouldn't want to keep Levi waiting. Enjoy your day, Aldridge."

"Thank you, sir," I replied, grateful for the quick dismissal.

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"Iris," Levi's voice echoed through the training grounds.

I propped myself against the nearest tree, gasping for air as the ODM course left my chest throbbing with pain. Levi's call urged me to action.

"Get over here. Quick," Levi commanded, his tone brooking no delay.

He didn't want a casual stroll; he demanded urgency, beckoning me to use my ODM gear to reach him. Releasing my hooks became a symphony of stabbing sensations, each motion harder to conceal.

"Why are you wearing your ODM gear incorrectly?" Levi lifted two fingers beneath my leather straps, giving them assertive tugs.

His fingers glided over my chest as he tightened every buckle, his scowl etching disapproval into his dark eyes.

"There's no reason your harness should ever be this loose," he reprimanded, continuing to cinch my straps. "Your ODM gear was one malfunction away from leaving you hanging by the cords. These wires are very dangerous. You could have lost a limb with how lax your harness was."

In the final tug, pain surged through me. I fought against collapsing, refusing to show weakness. As Levi's eyes met mine, I winced at the pain, trying to conceal it. His fingers grazed one of my bruises, rendering me speechless. I couldn't utter a word, fearing I might unleash more than words in the captain's presence.

"It hurts?" Levi asked, confusion etched across his features.

"No, I'm fine," I lied, suppressing the pain that clawed at me.

"Then get out there and run some drills." His hand patted my head and pushed me forward.

Taking a step away, I released my hooks, aiming for the nearest tree. My body betrayed me, halting mid-air, no movement could save me now. Instead of the graceful landing, I collided with the tree with a sickening thud, a sharp pain radiating through my chest. I crumpled, unable to move, the world spinning in a disorienting dance.

The loud whirls of ODM gear above were a distant echo, my senses dulled by the impact. Strong arms lifted me, and there he was – Levi, his concerned face hovered above me, but my mind was a haze, disconnected from reality. His fingers traced my chin, shifting my face, and then rested on my neck. The contrast between his rough, calloused touch and his usual demeanor was striking. A smile played on my lips at the paradox of his gentleness against the backdrop of his harsh persona.

Above me, Levi's voice echoed, distant and muffled. I smiled, lost in the surreal moment, he seemed concerned. His eyes told a different story than his usual stoic facade.

"I don't feel good." I laughed but the laugh slowly turned into coughing. I threw my hands over my mouth as the blood spilled out of my mouth.

His concerned face quickly turned to disgust as he looked at my bloody hands.

"Yeah. I don't think I'm supposed to do that." My eyes slowly fell closed, the last thing I felt was Levi jerk my body from the ground.

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"Well, good morning, soldier," the lady greeted me in the sterile confines of the infirmary. White walls surrounded me, and a woman in a white coat stood beside my bed.

Maybe it wasn't just a bruise?

"That was a nasty fall you had there," she remarked, helping me sit up. I shrugged off the pain, laughing nervously. Why did it feel like my whole body had been run over?

"You broke a rib; it punctured a hole in your lungs. You'll be fine. Give it a couple of months, and you'll be good to go back flying around on those damn things," she reassured me, poring over some papers.

"Thank you," I said, grateful for the news.

"You know," she began, setting down the papers and fixing her gaze on me, "that rib wasn't a fresh crack."

"Ha, really?" I chuckled, attempting to downplay the situation. "Must've been out for a while."

"No, the way that fella ran in here with you, you wouldn't have had time to have bled as much as you did. You've been bleeding internally for hours, and I know damn well that fall didn't crack your rib," she stated, staring intently.

I was left speechless. What could I possibly say?

"The bruises on your stomach say otherwise."

"Being a scout isn't easy," I deflected with a laugh.

"And I know coming up with excuses ain't easy either," she retorted. "It's a matter of time till they start catchin' the lies and mixups."

"Aren't you tired?"

My eyes met her brown gaze, she looked at me in disappointment. What did she think she knew?

"You're not alone."

I remained silent as she left the room, her words echoing, a subtle offer to share the burdens. What was there to talk to her about? She took one look at me and assumed everything. How?

Levi walked in just as the nurse left, his presence filling the room. His eyes, colder than steel, locked onto mine.

"You idiot," he groaned, arms crossed. "How long did you know your rib was broken?"

I felt the weight of his gaze. Levi, usually pristine, wore the stains of my blood like a badge of annoyance. Why hadn't he changed yet?

"I didn't know," I lied, trying to hold his gaze.

"Bullshit," he spat, his eyes briefly softening as they met mine. The intensity became uncomfortable, and I broke away first. He leaned against the wall, a resigned "Tch" escaping his lips.

Levi had given up, a sight I thought I'd never witness. He looked at me again, breaking the silence, "How you holding up?"

"I'll be fine. Back in two weeks," I assured him. He rolled his eyes but concealed any disagreement.

"I already talked to the doctor," he disclosed. "You won't be ready until the end of October, shit maybe November."

I should've known they spoke, but what else had they discussed?

"I'm sorry, Captain," I mumbled, head hung low. "I understand if you want me off your squad. I'm only a liability."

"Shut up," Levi ordered. "You don't call the shots around here. You are a fucking liability, a pain in the ass. But I'm the Captain, and what I say goes."

He paused, his gaze piercing mine.

"You will become the best soldier the scouts have ever seen. I don't give a damn if you don't want to; you're on my squad now. You better enjoy your rest now because I won't be gentle with you."

Our eyes remained locked as I responded,

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now we—" His voice was abruptly cut off by the door.

The door swung open, and Alexander entered, his gaze immediately locking onto Levi, dismissing my presence in the room.

"Alexander."

Levi's voice sliced through the tension, a rare acknowledgment that sent shivers down my spine. Levi's eyes trailed every move Alexander made, a predator assessing its prey.

Alexander's ocean eyes eventually met mine as he sidled up to my bed, gripping my hand with increasing pressure.

"Where have you been?" His feigned concern rang hollow.

"I got hurt during practice," I replied with a forced smile, my thumb grazing his hand as he tightened his grip. His dismissive response stung. "You'll be fine," he said, brushing off my discomfort.

"She's not fine." Levi interjected, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall near the door.

"I'm sorry," Alexander turned to Levi, ignoring me. "I wasn't speaking to you."

Levi's eyebrow arched, his death glare intensified.

"Seems like you forgot about our little run-in the other night. I'd leave if I were you. Erwin's not here to save you this time."

Alexander's grip on my hand loosened as he backed away, leaving the room with a cryptic promise. "I'll see you later tonight," he uttered before the door closed behind him, and Levi promptly locked it.

"What was that all about?" I questioned Levi, curiosity getting the better of me.

"None of your business," he retorted, his demeanor as stern as ever.

"Well then, I'll just ask him when he comes back later," I responded casually, shrugging my shoulders.

"Doubt he'll say something," Levi remarked, his expression unreadable.

"And why's that?" I pressed.

Levi shot me a side-eye as he pushed himself off the wall, taking a seat in the chair beside the bed.

"Okay..."

"Aye, brat," Levi addressed me. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

"Yeah, I did," I admitted, snapping my head towards him.

"I'll remember that," he warned.

"Go ahead, no one is stopping you," I retorted, slumping back into the bed.

"What's got you so pissy?"

I glanced around the room before fixing my gaze back on the bed. "My damn rib is broken," I said, a bitter laugh escaping my lips.

"That's your own damn fault," Levi chided. "You should have known better than to practice while being injured."

"Save it," I shot back in frustration. "Outside those walls, if you're injured, there's no relaxing and stepping out. You push through it, or you're dead."

A heavy silence settled in the room, broken by Levi's voice. "You're right," he conceded. "But you're not outside the walls. You're inside. Until then, you are going to do whatever it takes to keep you alive and well. Got that?"

"Yes, sir," I affirmed.

"You guys got it lucky up here," Levi remarked. "Not everyone has access to a doctor or medicine. Take advantage of it while you have it."

Lying in the medical room with Levi keeping a watchful eye, his words about the scarcity of medical care outside the walls echoed in my mind. Not everyone had the privilege we did. Countless citizens in the innermost parts of the wall were in desperate need.

"Hey, Capt?" I addressed him, breaking the silence. "What do you mean by 'up here'?"

"What else could I mean?" he grumbled. "The underground doesn't have shit compared to the lives above."

"Are you from the underground?" I asked without hesitation, a question that had lingered in the air for so long. Levi's reaction spoke volumes – he looked like he wanted to kill me. The words slipped out before I could second-guess myself. It was something I genuinely wanted to know, a piece of the puzzle that was Captain Levi. The rumors were varied – from high-ranking officials' son to a country town, but the most persistent was that he hailed from the underground.

"Yeah, and?" Levi replied, scanning my reaction, as if he anticipated a negative response. But I didn't care. Who was I to judge someone based on their birthplace? If anything, I felt a sense of empathy.

"Ah, so the rumors are true," I remarked.

"It's not a secret," Levi said. "It's not like it's anyone's business either."

"No, you're right. It just explains a lot," I shrugged with a small grin.

"Explains what?"

"The way you act," I said, looking at him. "But also the way you and Alexander despise each other."

"I don't despise him," Levi asserted. I gave him a skeptical look, and he huffed. "I detest him."

"That's the same thing, Captain," I laughed. "Well, it explains the ego contests."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You both act like there can only be one person from the underground up here. Y'all got some unfinished business or something?"

"The hell are you talking about, Aldridge?" Levi was starting to get agitated.

"Did you guys know each other from the past?" I questioned.

"I've never seen that kid before," Levi stated. "Why do you think we know each other? Unless you know something I don't, cadet." His face was stern.

"I thought you guys knew each other by the way y'all acted?"

Levi's eyes widened. The confusion was etched away by anger as received the news.

"Alexander is from the underground."

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

[5aaliyah5]

Just A Game

Hello everyone, I recently posted about how my requests are open here on tumblr. Well here is one of my works that I wrote a few years back and I’m posting here on Tumblr.

Pairing: Hange Zoë x Reader

Word count: 4.2k

Warnings and tags: no warnings

Based on "Just a game" By Birdy

Marleyan reader X Hange Zoë

I hope you enjoy!

╔════▣◎▣════╗

I don't know where I am

I don't know this place

Don't recognize anybody

Just the same old empty face

╚════▣◎▣════╝

YEAR 851

Great things were expected of (Y/N) (L/N) from a young age. How could they not, given who and what she is.

Yes. Y/N was from Marley, an Eldian soldier, who had served her country for a long time. Almost 15 years at this point. Though that couldn't count for much, given that out of those 15 years, she had been trapped on this island for 6 years.

6 years of not being able to see her friends and family.

6 years of performing for the enemy, in hopes that there would be a better future and liberty for the people of eldia residing in marley. That she might be free from her ancestors' past.

But those hopes and dreams had been dashed almost a year ago, with Reiner escaping, Bertholdt being eaten and Annie crystallizing herself to prevent herself from being captured.

She was all that was left. She was alone.

It hasn't always been this way though. No. She had come here to be a chaperone, a sort of adult figure to help aid the young titan shifters on their journey. It's true, she didn't possess any shifting powers of her own, but she had worked with the military and knew enough about it to be able to be trusted with this mission.

(Y/N) looked in the mirror as she tuck a stray hair back into the neat ponytail she had placed it in prior, and then stared into her own eyes. She had hardly recognized herself. She was once considered a beauty back in marley- she wondered what she could have ended up doing with her life.

She loved kids, maybe she could have been a nanny to a rich family. Or perhaps married a decent person, and settled down. Maybe it was her ambition's fault that she was here in the first place. After all, it wasn't like it was her parents or anyone else who had pushed her into this position. It was her own fault.

“That's enough self loathing for today.” She says as she pulls back, and without looking at herself again, she quickly strap on her ODM gear, and makes her way out her door.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

See these people they lie, and I don't know

Who to believe any more

╚════▣◎▣════╝

╔════▣◎▣════╗

But there comes you to keep me safe from harm

There comes you to take me in your arms

Is it just a game?

I don't know

╚════▣◎▣════╝

There was only one person whom (Y/N) trusted with her life, with her very soul even- They had a pull on her since she had joined the Scouts.

“Y/N!”

She turns around quickly, her eyes brightening as she spots the figure of her previous thoughts.

It was none other than Hange Zoë.

The sun from the window to their left illuminated their brown hair, and face, making them look absolutely heavenly.

(Y/N) had tried to tell herself that this was wrong. Her feelings towards them were absolutely horrid, and could get her called a traitor and killed back in marley. That didn't matter though. She knew if anyone back in Marley ever found out about her and hange, she would gladly die a thousand deaths for them.

They crossed the hallway quickly, looking around before pulling (Y/N) away from the hallway, and into a smaller, more narrow passageway off to the side, to make sure no one interrupted them.

“Hange.” (Y/N) whispered. She never whispered to them because she was afraid to get caught though, she whispered because she thought only they were worthy of her words. Her very thoughts, hell her very being.

“I missed you last night. It was rather lonely to work on paperwork without my helper.” They said, the sadness evident in their tone. (Y/N) must admit, she missed it as well. The ambiance of their room, them working on paperwork while she sorted it, it had become a domestic moment for just the two of them.

“I'm sorry. I really needed to go over some drills with my group though before bed.” True- (Y/N) had become a section commander almost a year ago, after the battle of shiganshina, and so now she had her own soldiers to look after once more. And if she was being honest, they reminded her of the kids she used to train back in Marley. The kids who had dreamed of being part of the military, much like herself, from a young age, to bring their family’s honor.

“I can't blame you. It's been busy lately, with the Marleyan volunteer soldiers here and all.” they sighed, as they pulled her into a hug, gently brushing the end of her hair with their fingers. She breathed in their scent, the familiar notes of jasmine, as she laid her head on their shoulder.

And she had selfish thoughts as they hugged her, with her face buried in their neck.

She could save them.

Only them.

Her and Hange could both escape together. Go back to Liberio, as a hero, with her partner by her side. Start a new life, quit the military, open up a shop perhaps.

What kind? It didn't matter. It never mattered, as long as she would be with her beloved.

She knew they would never go for it though. In fact she knew they would be repulsed by what her mind told her. They would call her evil, heartless, a demon. They would leave her. So she kept her mouth shut. She kept her selfish, yet calming thoughts to herself.

“My dear, we should head to breakfast.” they whispered into her ear. Almost light enough that if she hadn't always hung onto whatever they said, that she wouldn't have heard it.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

Is it just a game?

I don't know

╚════▣◎▣════╝

(Y/N) didn't want to but she nodded and let go of the grip she had on Hange. She didn't even realize that she was holding onto them so tightly, but apparently she was.

“Yes, let's go to breakfast… Before Sasha eats it all.” (Y/N) had joked as she took a step back, still keeping one hand on Hanges' arm as the both of them walked. The both of them had long since stopped receiving stares at them anyways.

She was after all Hange’s Fiance.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

Pleading eyes that break my heart

So homesick and confused

But I know I must play my part

And tears I must conceal

╚════▣◎▣════╝

◉◎◈◎◉●●◉◎◈◎◉●●◉◎◈◎◉●

╔════▣◎▣════╗

But there comes you to keep me safe from harm

There comes you to take me in your arms

Is it just a game?

I don't know

╚════▣◎▣════╝

FLASHBACK: YEAR 850

A memory, from what felt like a lifetime ago, but was only 1 year ago. (Y/N) remembers it because it was before everything turned upside down. It was before so many lives were lost at the Battle of Shiganshina.

Historia had just been crowned queen and so many were celebrating. It was a turning point for the people of the walls, hopefully for the better. Someone of true royal blood was now back on the throne, and would support the survey corps efforts to reclaim Shiganshina and all of Wall Maria, which would not be easy.

(Y/N) was honestly worried for that day. Not for the fighting part, but she knew what the battle would bring. She remembered seeing Zeke, back during the sightings of titans in wall rose, and she knew she would have to pick a side, choose who she would become, and what her future held.

Glory or Love.

But for now, she focused on the brunette taking her hand, and leading her away from the celebrating crowds and drunk folk, dancing and partying. They led her to a park of sorts, that was placed inside the walls of sina, for the enjoyment of the people who lived there.

“Hange- as sweet as this is, shouldn't we be with our comrades?” (Y/N) asked, but chuckled as she asked, leading her to not sound as serious as she was being. She couldn't help it, seeing the excitement in her partner's eyes was more than enough to leave her happy.

“We can get back to them later- This is just time for me and you.” Hange didn't look at (Y/N) until they finally made it to the spot they had already pre planned to take her to.

“What's all this?”

“(Y/N), there is something I need to talk to you about, well ask you really.” Hange again avoided eye contact with (Y/N) and that started to worry her.

“Ok….?”

“I… I'm not good at this.” They breathed in a deep breath and then faced (Y/N) “(Y/N) (L/N), these past 3 years have truly been the best years of my life. We have both been through so much heartache and experienced so much sadness, but I also know that ive felt some of the most thrilling and exciting moments with you. I love you, more than anyone or anything in this world, and would like for nothing else but to call you my wife.”

Oh. OH.

(Y/N) was a bit slow but now she realized where this was going.

“I could never forgive myself if I didn't make that known now, before this happy moment is gone. So (Y/N), will you marry me?” They pulled out a small box, opening the top to reveal a simple and modest silver ring.

“Hange… You idiot-” Hange faltered before (Y/N) looked up at them with a small smile and tears in her eyes, she then threw herself at hange. “Yes. I'll marry you. Someone has to keep you safe after all”

And that moment was forever saved in (Y/N)’s memories.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end sooner or later.

It had been a week since Hange had proposed to (Y/N). (Y/N) was in the room with Queen Historia, Erwin, Hange and Levi, who were reviewing the plan to take back Shiganshina that would happen in two days. She was a squad leader after all, it would only make sense for her to also know what was happening, though if she was being honest, she had been playing with her ring the whole time.

The meeting was coming to a close, which she was glad about since she was currently hungry and would like nothing more than to grab something to eat with her fiance, before hange stopped Historia, Erwin and Levi.

“(Y/N) you go on ahead, I need to talk to them about something.”

Which confused (Y/N). And they were acting shady, but she ignored it. She figured they would tell her later.

“Ok, I'll Make sure to save you some food” (Y/N) smiled before leaving the room, and heading to the dining hall.

And sure enough, they had told her later.

“You asked for what!?” (Y/N) couldn't help but yell at Hange as they tried to explain the situation

“I asked for you to be left behind while the rest of the scouts go to shiganshina.” They stated again, calmly.

“Hell no! You are going, so I am going. End of discussion.” (Y/N) pushed on, this was not something she would drop.

“(Y/N) please listen- I'm not going to lose you. I'm not going to risk it!” Hange argued back. It was obvious neither was going to let the other decide what would happen, and so hange did what they had to.

“As your section commander, you are to stay in Trost while we go to shiganshina. If these commands are not followed (Y/N) you will be punished and handled accordingly.” Hange declared, while (Y/N) stared them down. There was no fighting with that, and so (Y/N) did the only thing she could do, she stormed out of their room, to go sleep in a different one. She couldn't share a bed with them that night.

And she ended up regretting it, in the long run.

Her refusal to sleep with hange hadn't made a slight difference. Their order still stood, and so on the day that they rode out, she was left looking out through one of the windows, watching the way their ponytail swayed as they rode away.

(Y/N) waited days for their return. Always staying near the window, working on Hanges paperwork for them, writing letters of what she was doing during the day to show Hange when they returned, And sleeping by the window, in case they came back during the night.

Finally she did see a horse.

Though instead of the expected, large group of the scouts, she saw only the small group, and her heart dropped.

That was until she noticed a familiar figure enter through the gates.

That's when (Y/N) lept out of her seat and bolted through the door, spilling her tea onto her papers in the process. Racing down the stairs through the empty building.

“HANGE!” She yelled as she reached outside, and she could see them clearly as they dismounted their horse. The bandages around their face, worried (Y/N), but she was already jumping into their arms, that they had held out for her.

“(Y/N)-” they breathed out, holding onto her for all they could. Like she was a figment of their imagination. “Let's go inside.”

“Y-yes, lets.” She agreed quickly, leading hange in as the remainder of the group unloaded their horses.

As soon as they entered their room though, (Y/N) started to cry. Too many emotions were racing through her head, as hange recapped what had taken place in Shiganshina and what they had found.

“It turns out we aren't the only ones out there (Y/N).” They said grimly. (Y/N) didn't say anything, as she looked down at the floor as they held her, more tears started to stream from her face, as she realized what this would mean.

“Im glad-” they whispered, wiping a tear from her face, before it could fall off and land on their shirt. “That you weren't there. I don't know what I would have done… if you…” They didn't need to say anymore, (Y/N) understood them.

“Hange, we were supposed to be in this together.” (Y/N) rested her head on their shoulder gently, the tears still falling. Hange combed through (Y/N)’s hair.

“They are all gone (Y/N). Moblit. Everyone under my command. They are all gone.” Hange didn't look at (Y/N) as they held her hand tightly “Please, Please don't leave me.”

“I'll be here hange. Forever.” (Y/N) reassured them “I'll always be here.”

╔════▣◎▣════╗

To keep you safe from my world

╚════▣◎▣════╝

(Y/N) laid in hanges bed. This was the usual way of things, with her moving all of her possessions (which were not very much) into hanges room. It would only make sense, given that she was there almost every day at this point, and they were going to be married.

Death had clung to both (Y/N) and hanges memories, and so now the only thing they could do was to cling to each other, in hopes that even for a few hours, they could sleep peacefully. The memories would never go away though, they would always remain. And the both of them were so accustomed to death, that they didn't even try to hide from it.

Though even as Y/N held Hange close to her, with their face pressed against her chest, hiding the side of their face where their eye was damaged, she couldn't help but feel a pain in her heart.

They trusted her so much. They loved someone like her, so much. She had caused so many of the deaths of the people in the wall, only for her to end up in the bed of one.

Hange truly deserved better than (Y/N).

And so she had decided from that point forward, she would make sure they never knew of her past. Of what she had become. She would protect them, forever.

She would make sure that the cruelty and darkness of her past would never touch their light.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

Take my hand and my heart races

The flames illuminate our faces

And we're on fire

╚════▣◎▣════╝

FLASHBACK: YEAR 847

One of (Y/N)’s warmest memories consisted of when she was just a scout and hange was a section commander. Things were so calm back then, with the biggest concern being titans.

Things had been going smoothly for (Y/N), Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt. With the three titan shifters beginning their training and joining the 104th training corps.

Meanwhile, (Y/N) was on the right hand side of section commander Hange Zoë. Quite literally too, being entrusted to join their group and quickly rising the ranks on the scouts side, as one of the best soldiers. When people had asked exactly what had been driving her, she would always give the same dull answers:

“To become better.”

“To protect the people inside the walls”

“Ambition.”

All hollow answers that made her appear like a hero to those people who called her friend.

But then there was Hange. And they could see right through her lies- They could see her, even when she couldn't.

It had been just a simple evening, the night (Y/N) and Hange had both realized they had a special connection, the fireplace illuminating (Y/N)’s work space, as another candle burned where Hange was sitting. Then out of the blue, their head turned towards her, and the fated question fell from their lips:

“I've been wondering, why did you decide to join the scouts in the first place (Y/N)?” They asked. (Y/N) turned to face them, a bit caught off guard by the question and suddenly of it. So she said what everyone around her had praised her for.

“I want to protect those who live in the walls. And the only way to do that would be to venture outside the walls and stop whatever threat lays there.” The words fell from her mouth, so rehearsed.

A normal person would have left it at just that, however Hange Zoë was far from normal, and so they scoffed and put their pen down.

“Bullshit” they muttered “Please (Y/N), just tell me the truth. I'm tired of hearing heroic crap from soldiers.”

And for a minute, (Y/N) did wonder what her answer would be, if she was just a normal person. Well even if she was, she wouldn't be here.

“Well-” she lets out a sigh before answering “I think I joined because I wanted change. A change of scenery, a change in the way things are runned around her, inside the walls I mean, and a change in who I am as a person.” she replied and looked down. Now that she thought about it, those were all very selfish reasons to join. She was making it sound like she was doing it for herself more than for the people of the wall. Hange didn't seem to mind though, as they nodded and accepted the answer.

“I understand, it's not easy to admit something like that. But…” Hange paused and stood up. They walked over to (Y/N), and squatted down beside her, taking her hand, and holding it with both of theirs “It's true bravery that allows yourself to even admit something like that. Regardless of who you are doing it for, I can tell you truly care for the scouts, and are doing your best.”

And maybe some of that was true, not that (Y/N) would ever admit.

“You are an amazing scout and soldier, and I'm glad to have you on my team (Y/N).” and for one of the first times in her life, (Y/N) felt her stomach flutter and her heart break all at the same time. Because she knew.

She knew she had fallen for them.

And they had fallen for her.

And it was a beautiful, silent mutual understanding, that they would both be by each other's sides until the very end.

Just as quickly as the conversation had been, Hange had taken hold of (Y/N)’s face, bringing it close and kissing her.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

Blow a kiss to the crowd

They're our only hope now

╚════▣◎▣════╝

YEAR 851

And indeed later that year, (Y/N) and hange were married, with almost all three branches in attendance.

The crowd that surrounded the both of them as they rode, cheered them on.

This crowd, full of what (Y/N) had grown up learning, was the enemy. The very people who caused her friends and family to end up in the internment camp in the first place. Who lived ignorant lives, of what their past ancestors had done.

Something about it grated at (Y/N), mostly because they had been able to escape the burden that she was forced to live with.

But she couldn't help but feel that hatred softened as she continued pass them. They were here for her and hange, they were happy and excited about their union.

And for one of the first times since she had left her home, (Y/N) truly felt that these were her people, people who looked up to her and cared about her.

She just might belong here.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

And now I know my place

And now I know my place

╚════▣◎▣════╝

YEAR 854

Yes, (Y/N) was now back home. Back in Liberio. Though this was no celebration, she would be sending her friends and family to their deaths. This would be it, it was time for her to decide who she is. Would she remain the loyal Marlean soldier, or turn against all she has ever known, to be with the one she loves?

There was no choice. There never was- and that made her sad. (Y/N) threw on her gear, loading her titan missiles and ODM gear.

She passed a shiny piece of metal that was so clean, it reflected. And she paused for just a moment, seeing her face.

And finally, she could recognize herself in it.

(Y/N) Zoë.

The woman who had been born in the year 827.

Who had been raised by a loving mother and a doting father, whose names were long gone from her mind.

The woman who had been a soldier and spy for marley, leading a group of kids to commit genocide on people who share the same blood as them.

The woman who would marry and love an enemy, all up until she breathed her last breath.

“(Y/N) Zoë will do as she is told, and return to her Spouse.” She said to herself, saying it like a declaration, a promise.

And she did not break promises.

╔════▣◎▣════╗

We're all just pieces in their games

╚════▣◎▣════╝

The destruction of Liberio passed underneath (Y/N), with her turning her head away from it all to avoid seeing those whom she once loved, dead.

What was another few hundred to her tally of how many people she had killed? She was still alive, Hange was still alive, that was all that mattered. That was all that should matter anyways.

This was different though- she felt her throat closing up- and her hands shook. They shook in absolute fear at what she had done. What she had decided, had not only changed and altered the rest of her life, but for the lives of those who she had once considered friend, now turned supposed foe.

What made her feel worse? That she would have done everything, the killing, the betrayal, all again, just so she could rest her head on Hange Zoë’s shoulder, and have them brush her hair as she wept.

She was selfish.

She had barely looked up as she felt them press her head against their shoulder. It had caught her off guard, and was a bit uncomfortable, given the both of them were still in their equipment. But it was hange, and they were close, and so she would more than gladly accept them.

“I understand, it was hard for you.” Hange said, as they brushed through Y/N’s hairs. The familiarity of the action made Y/N want to lean more into them. But she couldn't, her pride wouldn't let her, not with the others around.

“I'm not sure why?” Y/N did what she does best. She lied. She lied and lied and lied to everyone, just to keep the beauty of their love and trust for her alive. “Its not like ive ever met those people, or knew them- it's stupid really. They deserved it given the fear and danger they put us in on the island-”

“(Y/N), stop please” Hange cut Y/N off as she tried to explain. “You don't need to lie anymore, I already know who you are, and why you came to the island 9 years ago-”

(Y/N) couldn't help but be a little more selfish. She felt the end coming, yet she still stood there, pressing her face into hanges neck and breathing in their sweet scent of jasmine.

End

[cosmicjoke]

No Words

God damn, God DAMN, I finally had a chance to sit down and watch Part 3 of the Final Season of “Attack on Titan”, and I really just have no words.  I’m just completely blown away.  MAPPA has done such an indescribably stellar job on every part of this last arc of maybe the greatest story ever written in manga form, and they do not disappoint here.  The gravitas of this hour long episode, including the naked brutality of the opening showing us the true horror of the Rumbling, and Eren’s own monstrosity, was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever had the true privilege to see in animation.  This isn’t a children’s show, as the manga itself was never a children’s story.  This is one of the most intensely relevant and truthful depictions I’ve ever seen of not only the horrors of war and violence, but the tragedy of the human condition.  They not only left Isayama’s panels uncensored here, but even added scenes which drove home the true brutality and tragedy of what Eren was doing.  Seriously, that entire opening sequence left me breathless.  I was just sitting here, stunned, while watching it. Again, this story is such an unvarnished and sincere look at the tragedy of war and the human capacity for violence, and really, in many ways, the inescapability of that nature within us.  I’ve always applauded Isayama for his commitment to that tragedy, and not giving in to the temptation of a happy ending in which all is well and right with the world, in which Eren is able to be redeemed, in which the cycle of violence is miraculously stopped.  Like Erwin once said, as long as there is more than one person, there will always be war.  And this episode by MAPPA captured that deeply dark, ugly and somber reality with such immensity and truth. It’s one of the greatest pieces of cinema I’ve ever seen. That really isn’t hyperbole.  I had tears in my eyes at several points watching this episode.  The cinematic quality and standard of MAPPA’s work remains as first rate as ever.

Hange’s moment, man... Again, I’m left speechless.  Hange really was the hero of this episode.  Their sacrifice, and the way it was rendered here by MAPPA, again, the brutality of it (and I know I keep using that word, but I really can’t find any other), watching them take down Colossal Titan after Colossal Titan, before finally succumbing to the heat, the way they caught on fire, and yet even still, as they were burning alive, they continued to fight and managed to take out one last Titan... Ah, it’s got me all fucked up just thinking about it.  They truly gave their all in the end to save humanity. 

And their farewell with Levi, just... oof, man.  Hange really was Levi’s last, remaining friend from the old days, and he has to watch them go, and there’s nothing he can do to save them, nothing he can do to help.  Another burden on his shoulders, another sense of his immense strength failing to matter.  And again, I have to commend MAPPA here, and their attention to detail.  Levi’s difficulty in even squeezing the trigger of his ODM gear drove home just how WEAK Levi still is at this point in the story.  For all the people that try to criticize him for not being able to do more, for not being enough of a force in the final battle, I think this one, small scene of his physical frailty should shut all those people up.  Because it makes crystal clear to the audience just how physically hurt Levi is, how he’s joining his comrades through nothing but sheer will alone.  His difficulty in performing a physical task which, through this ENTIRE series, Levi was more adept at, more capable of, more powerful in, than any other character, and yet, his hands shake here, and he has to grit his teeth and struggle to accomplish it, it proves Levi’s dedication and determination, even through his own deep impairment.  He’s in no shape to be fighting, and yet he does.  He has to, and he does.  That, like Hange, is the choice of a hero.

The same to all the cast.  Armin, Mikasa, Reiner, Jean, Connie, Pieck, and even Annie, eventually. 

I think MAPPA did an incredible job of conveying the true hopelessness of this situation.  The absolutely minuscule chances of success.  And yet here we are, our hero’s arriving to do what they can, regardless of the odds. 

And then there’s Eren.  Eren, who I will always maintain is one of the most compelling and tragic character’s I’ve ever seen.  While we see his undoubted and terrifying monstrosity on full display, and we understand truly, without question, that he has become the villain of this story, we also see in the flashback to his time in Marley, and his interaction with Ramzi, Eren’s humanity, his remorse, his self-loathing, and his regret.  And it’s that humanity we see in Eren, that genuine horror at what he knows he’s going to do, that makes his final actions all the more horrific and unforgivable.  Because he IS human.  He isn’t a monster.  He’s a human being.  And he chooses to do this.  He chooses to, because he WANTS to, just like he admits tearfully and with genuine remorse to Ramzi.  Is there anything more heartbreaking than that?  Eren’s betrayal of humanities hope is so impactful and so hard to accept because of that humanity.  Because we learned to love and care for and root for him over the entire course of this long journey, only to see him fail so utterly.  My heart bleeds for Eren, even as I know he’s become an unredeemable monster. 

My hat’s off to MAPPA, man.  I’m just floored by this first part of “Attack on Titan’s” conclusion.  I couldn’t be more impressed, or more satisfied with the seriousness with which this very serious story is treated here.  This is art, truly.  This is a story which speaks with total sincerity to the human condition.  And MAPPA has brought it so spectacularly to life.  Thank you MAPPA, and most of all, thank you Hajime Isayama for writing this incredible tale of human will, determination, dreams, triumph, tragedy, violence, cruelty, hate, fear, love, friendship and hope. 

I’m gonna’ stop now before I make myself cry.

I don’t think there’s ever going to be another manga or anime that hits harder or means more than “Attack on Titan”.  It’s truly a masterpiece, and in a class all it’s own. 

[muekyn]

summer character ref!

i realized i never made a character ref for my self insert/oc so here it is <3 she’s a part of the aot universe :3

more information about them under the read more, if you're interested! (it's long i am SORRY)

summary: born in the shiganshina district and part of the 104th cadet corps. they join the survey corps, and ultimately become a part of the special operations squad (squad levi). with a bit of naivety to them, they start off very hopeful for the future of paradis.

as she joins the survey corps, she is in charge of creating maps used for formations and battle strategies. there are also times where she helps in designing equipment, such as the executioner from hell (that large log device used to kill titans) and the new odm gear.

unfortunately, the pressure of dealing with titans on a regular basis, as well as the stressors from her personal life, start to plant a seed of uncertainty in her.

after sasha’s death, she loses a lot of meaningful connections with her friends. she begins to isolate herself and displays behaviors that are abnormal for her, such as excessive fear and panic.

additionally, she loses her ability to maintain a healthy day to day life. no one knows what’s going on- she’s met with resistance towards her “odd” behaviors.

it all becomes too much. since she's unable to “quit”, she runs away, living beyond the walls in a small cabin. she spends her days maintaining her land and learning how to become a fishmonger. her mental health improves slightly, but never really recovers.

occasionally they make trips into marley to sell their fish, forging documents that allow them into the nation. human interaction for them becomes far and few in between, usually only when they visit marley.

her visits to marley really open her eyes; seeing the worst of society. all the blame that’s put on her people, all the injustice, the misinformation.

at first, she takes a neutral stance on the rumbling. ultimately though, she realizes that the rumbling is inhumane and needs to be stopped, so she helps out in the end. she doesn’t fight directly, rather provides support on falco’s jaw titan with levi and gabi.

combat/skills: truthfully, she is not an expert in using her odm gear, being one of the lowest performing students in her cadet days. for some reason, she is unable to get the complexities of the odm gear down, but manages well enough not to get chomped up.

for summer, she is relied upon more for her ability to create diagrams and maps that the survey corps would use, mainly for battle tactics and navigation. she was in charge of making maps for different squads, spending long nights carefully curating each drawing.

personality: summer has an innate curiosity and unique appreciation for the world. she feels a deep connection to nature, the stars, and the moon. she can also be very creative and has a profound love for art, especially paintings and sculptures.

when it comes to interacting with others, she is very shy and withdrawn, opting to avoid individuals rather than approach them. unfortunately, she doesn’t trust easily, making it hard for her to form deep connections with others. nonetheless, she tries her best to be respectful and understanding.

she wants to be an optimist, but has had her hope taken many times, leading her to become increasingly pessimistic as time goes on. her world view can be very negative at times, especially during her visits to marley. but through it all, her love for the world never dissipates. to her, there is always something to find joy in.

appearance: her features are very round and soft. her eyes are an amber color, while her hair is an orange/redhead color. it’s styled to be in a wavy bob with bangs on the left side of her face. 

summer is short in stature, no more than 5 feet tall. she has a very flat/emotionless expression most of the time, even when expressing intense emotion. she also has a hard time maintaining eye contact.

relationships: romantically involved with eren. they have known each other since they were children. as kids, they argued a lot, since summer and eren had similar personalities- the two of them being hotheads. 

however, as they get older, their passion for the world brings them together. summer has a slight crush on eren during her cadet days, silently pining over him for years. after many awkward smiles and shy glances, eren drunkenly admits his feelings to summer at the party in marley, leading them to start dating. 

while summer is living in the cabin, she doesn’t see eren much. when eren becomes a wanted man, he randomly surprises summer with visits that can last a few days. unfortunately he can’t stay for long, otherwise he risks the livelihood of both of them. the two of them simply appreciate the time they have together.

when eren starts the rumbling, they are still together, but summer completely disapproves of his actions, leaving their relationship in limbo (not that it’s that important at that point anyway.) she eventually decides she can’t let him go on with the rumbling and aids in his death.

best friends with sasha. they met in the 104th cadet corps, and instantly became friends after sasha’s potato mishap. sasha and summer’s personalities mesh together perfectly. they stay close friends until sasha’s death, which becomes one of the breaking points for summer.

friends with jean and connie. she’s not as close to them as she is with sasha, but she trusts them greatly and gets along with them very well. connie, sasha, and summer goof off a lot, while jean has to scramble to get everybody back on track. ultimately, the four of them have a solid bond.

aquaintances with mikasa and armin. despite interacting with them since she was a child, she doesn’t know them extremely well. but she gets along with them just fine. she appreciates the level of care they have for eren.

mentored by levi. the two of them have a unique level of trust with each other. levi is familiar with summer’s outbursts and panics, and is able to calm her down alot, especially during battle. summer deeply trusts levi and looks to him for advice and navigating through life. a few sarcastic remarks from levi is all summer needs to push herself forward, or see things from a new perspective.

likes: mystery, thinking deeply, art, the moon and stars.

dislikes: loud noises, being alone, mirrors, and eye contact.

[onlinedotmarketing]

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[coveholdenmyluv]

R. Braun - Honey Soaked Promises

synopsis. In which you reminisce on your quest for revenge, irrigated with broken promises and fermented with betrayal, allowing you to act as the judge between life or death for yourself and the viper dressed in the skin of the love of your life.

- or alternatively, in which you make the stupid decision to fall in love with the wrong person on your journey to freedom...

Oh well, you'll just have to kill him now.

series masterlist

chapter warnings. Fluff. Cute slight flirting. Slight foreshadowing. That’s it!

chapter synopsis. Aptitude test time! And nightly escapades?

A/N: enjoy these back to back chapters of nonstop fluff, while you can. They might be a bit shorter than the rest but full of important content nonetheless! Updates might be a bit slower because classes started up again and I might start a new job soon :/

VI| Promise I. Word count. 11.2k

“In her own way, Annie had tried to warn you, attempted to throw crumbs of the truth in hopes you would have backed off and saved yourself the trouble of the future.

But it had already been too late.”

It surprised you how adequately your gear had seemed to slip onto your body like a glove. The straps hugged your thighs, chest, and torso flawlessly and did not apply excessive pressure onto the skin underneath your garments. Though you had already worn the short tan jacket the day prior, you still would have preferred to forgo it. The heat waves that sunk through the cloth had made themselves at home and burrowed deep within your body, causing your chest to perspire slightly.

So when the soldier secured the practice gear to your waist, you internally groaned at the extra layer.

"First, we'll evaluate what you have! Anyone unable to do this can't even serve as a decoy, you'll be shipped straight to the fields!"

You had never been in the audience of a user of ODM gear before, therefore you had zilch experience and understanding of how to employ or control the equipment. You knew that your goal was to stay upright and accustom your body to hanging in the air, but that was all. While you didn't expect to completely fall over and bust your head open, you certainly did not foresee the results you exhibited.

"Look at you go, Y/N! You're almost as steady as me!" Connie praised you.

You turned to your left and there he hung, with his arms slightly flailing every five seconds to regain his balance. You met Connie earlier that day, and he thanked you for your sacrifice the day prior — referring to the redirection of the commandants wrath during the enlistment ceremony, which you took as light teasing. Connie had hazel eyes and thin brows that were always contorted into some kind of emotion, which you found that you admired him for. All in all, he was a homely person.

"Connie, y'know this isn't a dance competition, right? Why're your shoulders moving to a non-existent beat?" You quipped in return.

"It's not non-existent, it's the beat of my heart which pumps for you!" He replied.

"Oh really? Well, can you shimmy yourself towards Sasha and let me know how she's doin'?"

At that, the girl in topic projected her voice, "I'm doing so good, it's almost boring!" She exclaimed. Connie moved his head so that you could see her proving her point. True to her words, she seemed almost as steady as yourself, though with an additional pout.

"No fields for you then." You informed her lightheartedly. In truth, you were relieved. Not that you didn't think of her as capable, you just didn't want her to go away. "Tell Jean, I asked how the ground tastes." You chuckled.

Sasha and Connie both guffawed at your teasing. Jean had performed his examination at the time as you did, though you couldn't properly see how well he functioned since he was beside Sasha, which meant you had both her and the boy next to you in the way.

"He said some very mean words that I cannot say!" She responded.

"I can! He said to fuck off and that his skills would wipe the floor with yours!" Connie told you.

"How did he say all that with dirt in his mouth?" You jested, to which Connie responded.

"He's used to talking with his mouth full." He snorted.

"Ew, Connie..." You grimaced as you attempted to withhold the giggles that threatened to flee your mouth.

"Cadet Y/N!" The soldier that inspected your form called out. They approached you and began to lower your wires so that your boots gently touched the ground. "Passed exceptionally. You were as durable as stone, are you sure you haven't done this before?" They asked and moved to free you from your straps.

Their words of praise unexpectedly caused your face to warm slightly, "I'm sure." You replied.

"It's surprising to see such potential when you're still so young, congratulations." They continued and dismissed you to the rest of your class.

You moved into the crowd of cadets that had either already completed their evaluation or had yet to begin, and stood beside Marco, who had stayed to watch your own. "Great job, Y/N!" He praised you with a bright smile and raised his hand for a high five.

Your hand smacked his upon arrival. "Thanks, you too. You passed so quickly." You praised him in return, which he waved off dismissively.

"Yeah, but I didn't get nearly as much commending as you did from your examiner. Really, you were amazing."

You grinned at the boy because, how could you not? Marco was a beacon of light, you didn't doubt that even on the darkest of nights his presence alone could have acted as a lantern. "Thank you, Marc."

"Jean isn't doing bad either, he's a natural." He added. At the mention of the boy, you turned to check on his progress.

He really had done excellent, perhaps he did have a slight quiver to his movements, but that was most likely a side effect of first day jitters. You knew he hadn't been as confident as he had presented himself to be that morning. His examiner wasted no time to lower him back onto the ground, which you presumed was to give him the news.

"Here he comes." You said as you watched him approach you two with his head held high, a telltale sign of his prideful results.

"I might just become the next Captain Levi... MP edition." Was what he had the audacity to utter with both of his hands on his hips.

"More like his horse." You quipped.

Jean ignored your comment and continued, "Marco, did you see me wave? I waved at you man." He asked the boy.

Marco grinned as radiantly as he did with you, "I did! I waved back." He responded with a bob of his head.

"Thanks. Say, Y/N, did you see me up there too or did this guy hog all of your attention?" He jutted a thumb towards his friend.

"I saw you, Jean." You replied impishly. "Since when were you such an attention whore?"

"Since I did so well on a test that Jaeger is failing miserably at!" He replied, which caused your brow to raise questioningly.

"He's what?"

Jean gestured towards where Eren had been assigned to undergo his aptitude test, and the sight had baffled you. Eren hung upside down limply while his arms dangled from their shoulders, and he donned a pitiful expression.

"What is your major malfunction, Jaeger? Straighten yourself up!" The commandant ordered.

You winced at the sight. He had seemed to have an obscene amount of ambition and drive that would have surely propelled him a lengthy way, perhaps not to kill all the Titans in the world, but far enough that the effort would have counted. You couldn't fathom how he was able to dwindle his chances, so grievously, that he toppled over, literally.

"That's weird." You commented. Even if he didn't have the skills or physical competence to excel on the wires, you doubted that would be enough reason for him to lose his balance completely.

"Sheesh, that's a horrible sight." Said a sudden voice beside you, one that you had immediately recognized. "Kind of feel bad for the guy."

Reiner stood under the spotlight of the sun with his arms crossed over his chest. That was the very first time you had ever seen him under the vivid light of day. Your previous meetings had always been at moments when the clouds had slightly obstructed the sun's blaze or when the sun had fled for rest and was replaced by the moon. His hair mimicked a golden halo and his amber eyes shone resplendently. He was true gold. You adored the color gold.

"You? Feeling sorry for someone? Reiner you don't fool anyone." Jean joked lightheartedly.

Reiner threw his head back in a hearty laugh, "Is that really what you think of me? Geez, I'm not some kind of cold hearted monster."

"That face he's making is enough to make any monster wince anyway." You said.

"A real contradiction to those two, right?" Marco said as he gestured towards Sasha and Connie who had yet to be lowered from their positions. You surmised it was less of a lack of ability and more of the fact that the examiners were helpless in conjuring a way to do so safely, considering the pair were oscillating like a pendulum to reach each other's hands. You did not know their reasoning and to be honest you weren't quite sure if you desired to.

"We should try that." Reiner suggested with a playful smirk.

You scoffed, "In your dreams, big guy."

You hadn't noticed the companion beside him, until they peeped in surprise. It was a boy with dark brown hair and pale green eyes, his nose was sloped in the way Annie's was, and he was taller than the blonde. You didn't think much of him on your first meeting, but you did remember noting how gentle he had seemed at the time.

Appearances can be very deceptive.

"Let me guess... Bertolt?" You asked the boy to which his eyes widened in further surprise.

"Did someone talk about me?" He asked hesitantly as his eyes briefly glanced at his friend.

You chuckled, "No, not exactly, though I think you were mentioned in passing." You replied. In truth, you had simply recalled the name that Reiner had uttered in shock on your first meeting. Bertolt was the friend that ventured into the snow to find him.

"I'm guessing you're Y/N?" He hypothesized and offered you a palm to shake.

You took it and pointed a suspicious look at Reiner, "Did someone talk about me?" You asked.

The blonde interjected hastily, "Briefly. Very briefly." He said sternly and you didn't know whether to believe his claim or not. Nonetheless, it forced a smile to form on your face.

"Sure."

"Attention!" The commandant called out suddenly, immediately causing each cadet to straighten their posture. "Anyone who has completed their aptitude test and passed will go ahead and break in their own gear for themselves, today! Don't get yourselves killed." He announced, which caused an uproar of cheers from the crowd of cadets.

"Poor Eren." You mumbled as you watched him lug himself towards his friends on the verge of tears.

"Whatever, he'll live." Jean rolled his eyes apathetically, he clearly did not harbor any sympathy for the brunet. "Let's go so that I can wipe the floor with you for all that shit talking you were doing earlier!" He declared and slung one arm around your neck, the other having done the same to Marco.

"Sasha! Come on!" You called out to the girl as you began to walk with the crowd. She bounded towards you with a grin, not willing to get left behind.

"Connie, we're not waiting for you!" She informed the boy who nearly leapt out of his restraints in response.

"Don't be fake, slow down!" He insisted.

You all made your way towards the woodlands that the commandant instructed you to use for your training. It was a short trip and one filled with bets on who would 'eat shit' first. The verdant fields and arrays of brindle patterns were spellbinding and the rich smell of the light moss filled your nostrils. The trees were perfect for your equipment.

After a brisk but thorough lecture and guide as to how to operate your gear, you tightened the belts on your waist and slightly hopped to acquire a feel as to how the extra weight would affect your agility.

"Remember to angle your hips and aim your grappling hooks before you fire! Then, unleashing the gas should propel you forward. Your landing technique is going to be entirely on your part, just remember you have two legs, so don't be afraid to use them. We're starting here, and ending just up this path. Take your time, don't rush, and be careful!"

"It's a little bulky, but I don't think it'll be too hard to stay in the air." You commented as you assessed your equipment.

If you aimed near the lower branch attachments, your legs would pay the price in painful skids, as well as your speed. On the other hand, if you tried at the apex, your velocity would increase, but so would your use of gas, which was a detail you were directed to conserve as much of as you could. The central body of the trees would be your ideal targets, and give you the ability to work your way up.

Your posture was also another detail you took into consideration. For example, your legs and torso — if you were to thrust the latter but keep the former conjoined at the knees, your body would have interfered with the flow of the air around you. Opening your legs wide would have given you a slight boost and allowed for them to cut through the thick wall of air that awaited you, but in terms of velocity, you would fare far greater if you combined the two techniques and left a small air pocket for the air to glide through your legs, which would slice through flawlessly. Bending them at your knees and thrusting your upper body forward would also prove to benefit your agility.

For the first practice round, you were to forgo your swords and focus on your movements. Your fingers gripped your handles and you experimentally applied light pressure to the top trigger, which operated your wires, and as you had expected, nothing came out of the action. That had meant that the triggers weren't sensitive, which was a positive in your eyes, as less accidents were prone to happen. You reminded yourself that your core muscles were the key to success, as long as you used them to stay upright, the rest would be up to your aim and quick thinking.

"What are we standing around for? That last to arrive at the finish line is Titan fodder!" Sasha exclaimed and bursted ahead with a giggle.

"Oh, Sasha... that's not..." Jean began before he was interrupted by another boisterous voice.

"There's no finish line! But, I'll be damned if I let potato girl beat me!" Connie yelled and followed after.

Jean simply rolled his eyes in response and sighed in disapproval. Hypocritically, he then shifted his head to look back at you and Marco. "Well... I'm not losing either, see ya!" He announced and leapt off his feet.

"Be careful! This is your first time, you shouldn't be so confident!" Marco scolded and began to chase the three, though he did not forget to bid you well before he fled. "Good luck, Y/N! Break a leg! Or, actually don't! Don't do that!"

You snickered at his words as you watched the four bound off. Turning towards the two behind you, you taunted, "Make sure not to choke on my dust, alright?" And then proceeded to launch yourself into the air with the use of your hooks.

Reiner cackled and Bertolt gaped. "They're just going for it, huh?" The brunet uttered, mostly towards himself, though his friend had found his words amusing.

Your pace began steady as you accustomed yourself to the feeling of your body being jerked forwards and downwards. The higher you propelled yourself, the clearer your sight became. It was as if your eyes had built in aiming reticles, for every tree you gazed at the most ideal strength spot had seemed to glow. Your body moved on its own, twisting and warping itself as you gained speed. You quickly caught up to the others who had attained a head start, and Reiner and Bertolt had not seemed far behind either.

It was when you were at the peak of a curvet that the world seemed to decelerate for you once again. Your senses heightened and you felt the wind card its delicate fingers through your hair as the sun pawed at the skin of your face. The sage leaves, the color of Stefan's eyes, were illuminated gorgeously by its rays and crisp as they flew every which way due to the branches being ruffled by your movements. Pellucid and invigorating oxygen filled your lungs, and caused a buoyant sound to flee from your lips. You were falling, willingly, but you felt as though you had grown feathered wings and were given the chance to chase your freedom.

The whirring of the wires from nearby cadets drew your consciousness back and your gaze drifted to the bodies surrounding you. Most were rigid in their movements, which affected their fluidity, but they were adaptive and seemed to learn quickly.

Curiously, you peered behind you and there you found Reiner. He looked to have complete control of his body and did not waver. You were shocked at his maneuverability, considering his broadness, though it was a pleasant surprise. You almost praised him, until-

You gasped, "Wait Reiner, look out!" You warned, though your words were all for naught.

In his advances, he failed to notice a thick branch that protruded from a tree right before him. You attempted to thwart the collision, but at the speed in which he flew, there wasn't much you could have done before his stomach slammed directly into it. He groaned at the contact and his body folded in on itself, forcing his grappling hook to stray from its course and flail without purpose. He began to slip from his position and descended towards the ground.

You reacted quicker and spun around to head in his direction, sending your anchors to seize ahold of the tree he collided with. You arrived in seconds, released one of your gear handles and ran down the bole to reach him before he could plummet. Your palm gripped his wrist just in the nick of time and halted his decline.

Everything had happened in succession and quickly, so you didn't have time to register your movements until they had already been done. You heaved in the aftermath of your momentary panic with wide eyes, "What the hell?" You said. "You scared the shit out of me, what happened?"

He gaped, "I-I don't know. I was distracted, is all."

"What distracted you so heavily that you didn't see that big ass branch in your way?"

He didn't reply, only sputtered incoherent phrases as his cheeks tinted lightly, which caused you to raise your brow. Though you soon relented and ceased your questioning.

You scoffed lightly, "I should let you go for scaring me like that." You said with a smirk.

"Please don't." He mumbled guiltily.

You chuckled at that, "I promise, I won't let you go. I'll catch you when you fall."

His eyes softened as a boyish smile formed on his lips at your words, "Always?"

The genuine question had caught you off guard and you felt your insides and cheeks warm at the sincere, almost intimate, tone of his voice, "Y-yeah, sure." You cursed yourself internally for such an awkward response. "I promise, Reiner."

His hair was tousled slightly, though its length couldn't have given much away. His cheeks remained a baby pink, which you told yourself was from the adrenaline of the fall, and his golden eyes stared into your own. There was a minute amount of astonishment in them, as if he were processing newfound information, information you were ignorant about. Though, the slight dilation they experienced was cute, in some way, to you.

"Reiner." Stated a firm voice.

Your heads pivoted in their direction, and you caught sight of Bertolt on the tree directly across from the one you both dangled from. What surprised you was his stare. It flickered between the two of you repeatedly and hastily, almost in a panic. It was, in every way, utterly opposing to the warm and courteous one he had directed at you earlier that day.

It had been borderline baleful.

"Ooh! What a compromising position we have found you in, Y/N." Sasha purred as she perched on a tree, effectively diverting your attention from the other brunet.

Looking her way was a mistake on your part, for you should have known better. Connie sat beside her with his arms wrapped around himself and his lips puckered as he smooched the air. The sight caused both you and the boy you gripped to gasp in horror.

"We're not even doing anything!" You defended.

"Yeah, whatever. C'mon love birds, you're gonna lose the race." Jean said with a yawn as he zipped past you. He seemed to have grasped the hang of the controls pretty quickly and struggled minimally. The obnoxious sounds of Connie and Sasha's faux smooches did not falter even as they too rejoined him.

With a sigh you muttered, "They're not wrong, we'll fall behind."

"Right... my pride could not handle losing to those idiots." Reiner admitted.

You chuckled, "I'm gonna let go now. You should ready your anchor."

He agreed and followed through, granting you a mellow smile, "Thanks by the way, hero... Also, let's not mention this ever again though, alright?" He said with a wounded ego, and with one last spare glance, he took off.

You laughed airily to yourself, and prepared to follow, but as you searched your surroundings for a fit area to anchor your self to, you saw that Bertolt remained immobile from his position. He continued to glare at you for a few moments longer, before he glanced in the direction of his friend and followed.

"What's his sudden problem?" You whispered to yourself, fully expecting no reply, but being startled when you were granted one.

"Maybe he's jealous."

You visibly jumped, before you relaxed at the sight of the girl you came to know. "Holy shit, Mikasa. We need to get you a bell." You told the girl as you recalled her first sudden appearance the day prior. "What are you talking about?" You asked.

The girl stood on another tree and moved herself nearer to the one you stood on. She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. That's just the vibe I got, but I think that's mostly due to personal experience. You enforce that feeling onto a lot of people, y'know?" She told you, though there was no malice laced in her tone. She had genuinely felt that way.

Her words puzzled you because, what did she mean by that?

"What?"

"Never mind that." She shook her head. "I came because I need your help... or- more like Eren does." She informed you.

"Eren needs my help?" You asked.

She nodded briefly, "Apparently so. Come with me?" She asked.

You had guessed it had to do with the aptitude exam, considering how painfully he had bombed it. You didn't blame him for reaching out. "Yeah, sure. We have to finish this practice run first though." You agreed.

She hummed in agreement, before her gaze turned sly and slid into your own. "Would you like to race?" She asked with a slight smirk present on her features.

The wind whipped through your hair at the mere ferocity in her irises. It was playful in the way that whoever lost would have the fact hung over their head for the rest of their years as a cadet.

It excited you.

Your eyes matched hers and you grinned cunningly. "You're on."

At your words, both of you remained stagnant for three seconds before you hooked your anchors and zipped away in unison.

You allowed your body to do most of the work as your legs and arms moved on their own accord. It was as if there was prior knowledge ingrained into your bones, the formula to success hidden in your marrow. You dodged person after person and surpassed the pinnacle of their speed. There was no reasoning involved and no resistance met. If your body required you to apply acrobatics and preform several flips to thrust yourself further, you did just that, experience was insignificant.

By the time you spotted the clearing, the sun casted an orange hue and you threw your legs forward so that you could reach the area first. The both of you landed with a skid on the dirt layered with light gravel. Your chests heaved slightly and neither of you dared to speak until you regained your composure. When you finally allowed yourself to glance up, your eyes met hers and you saw the adrenaline she harbored from your intense race. It mirrored your own.

The state of torpor that engulfed the atmosphere broke as you heard a clack on the ground. You looked towards the sound and found the soldier stationed at the end mark, their clipboard and papers scattered below them. Their expression was broad and stupefied as they gaped at your forms.

They exhaled heavily before asking, "Names?"

"Y/N."

"Ackerman."

They scrambled to gather their belongings, before they hastily scribbled on their clipboard.

"You're dismissed..." The soldier informed you both.

"Where's everyone else?" You asked as you searched your perimeters and found it vacant.

"...You're the first ones to get here." They informed you.

Both of you cocked your heads in perplexity. Even though you had both lingered behind everyone else and engaged in conversation, you had completed your training before they had.

"Well, which one of us won- I mean, landed first?" Mikasa asked.

The soldier hesitated before they responded, "I-I don't know. I'm afraid, my eyes couldn't keep up." They stated. "Your celerity, maneuverability, momentum and velocity are supreme. I haven't seen anything like it in a while, if ever."

"This is our first time on ODM," You informed them of the obvious. "Why are you tryin' to flatter us?" You asked as you crossed your arms.

"I'm just stating it as I see it-"

"Booo!" Sasha jested as she approached the end of the woods. She was behind Jean and Marco but in front of Connie, though not by much. "How'd you get here so fast?!"

"W-when did Mikasa get here?" Jean asked as he landed on the ground and dusted himself off hastily. "And when did you get in front of us?" He directed his question at you.

"Congrats on the win, Y/N! No Titan meal from you this time!" Marco beamed.

"I need the proof! Did you take a short cut or something?" Connie questioned you suspiciously.

"No way, I won fair and square." You stated vehemently.

"No you didn't, they said they couldn't tell which one of us won." Mikasa reminded you.

"Well, out of us two I didn't. But, out of the four of them, I am not the Titan fodder." You stated. "Where're the other two, by the way?" You asked. Reiner and Bertolt had yet to make their appearance and you doubted they would have strayed far behind the rest of you.

The four shrugged their shoulders in response, before the soldier from before garnered your attention once again. "I'm going to need your names, please come this way." They instructed the others.

"We should go, too. Eren is waiting and I'm sure Armin is growing tired of his whining, though he won't admit it." Mikasa told you. "We shouldn't waste anymore daylight."

"Right, lead the way." You agreed and headed off towards a separate walkway so that you wouldn't interfere with the other cadets in the midst of their training. You decided you could question Reiner about his disappearance later that day, if you were granted the opportunity.

You engaged in light chatter with the girl for the rest of your journey. She seemed to have had warmed up to you marginally since her initial hostile attitude towards you. She appreciated your effort on the wellbeing of her hair and mentioned that it proved effective in her first day of training, which placed a smile onto your face. You informed her of your thoughts of leaving your hair be, in regards to the length, and she offered to teach you how to braid it, should the need arise, considering you had no prior knowledge towards that subject.

You had quite enjoyed that conversation.

Upon arrival at the wire mechanism training grounds, you spotted Eren already strapped and ready to continue his attempts. You had to commend the boy for his persistence, especially so when he had already been humbled by most of your class. He was not alone, for a familiar blonde was at his side, his tender expression comforting the brunet.

Once he had noticed your presence, he perked up dramatically and hope filled his expression. You could feel his desperation from where you stood, and it caused you to wince slightly for you weren't sure if you were to be of much aid and you hoped you didn't disappoint.

"Y/N, thank god you're here." Eren exhaled in relief. "I'm desperate, and I heard you got one of the best scores in our class."

"I'll help as well as I can, Eren, but I can't promise anything." You told him.

"I totally understand that, I'll take anything at this point. Any pointers you have, you can lay them on me."

At that, the blonde stepped forward and introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Armin. Thank you for helping Eren, he needs all that he can get." The boy stated with a gentle smile. He had meant no harm with his statement, but his friend begged to differ.

"Armin." Eren gritted. "It's fine when I say it."

The blonde giggled, "Sorry, Eren."

"Y/N, and no worries, Eren's no stranger to me, so I don't mind." You replied to which the brunet grinned.

"We should get started soon." Mikasa stated.

"Right." You agreed. "Alright, so tell me what you've been doing in terms of your body, so far."

"Well, I've been doing what Mikasa and Armin have been telling me. Which is, keeping a loose but balanced stance." He replied.

You hummed in thought, "That's correct, but those are things your body should already be performing for you. In my opinion, the secret is at your core. As in, your core strength. " You explained.

"My core strength? Like, my gut?" Eren asked.

"You could say that. What I mean is, you should keep yourself relaxed and balanced, like what Mikasa and Armin mentioned, but while also clenching your gut slightly. Oh! And keep your torso elevated."

"All at the same time?"

"Yeah, I know it might seem like a lot, but..." You pondered on a method to simplify your words. "Think of it like, as if you were holding an egg." You reiterated.

"An egg?" He repeated.

"Yeah, yer holding an egg, but'cha start to run with it."

"Oh no, don't drop it Eren!" Armin warned his friend.

"Exactly, don't drop it Eren. And let's say, you're going to cook it later, but ya hate scrambled eggs."

Eren nods insistently, "I do hate them scrambled! I love runny yolk."

"Good, so don't shake it. Otherwise, you'll scramble the yolk. Are ya picking up what I'm putting down?" You asked.

"Run with the egg, but don't scramble or drop it... do you hate scrambled eggs too?" He asked hesitantly.

You hadn't been sure if he was genuinely curious about your preferences or if he had truly not understood your analogy. "No- Eren, I'm talkin' about that stiff feeling in a certain part of your body as you run with somethin' as fragile as an egg. That's how your core should work while you're up there." You explained.

"Oh! I get it now! You're saying I should keep my gut steady for balance but the rest of my body should react normally, as it should instinctively try to keep me steady." He says.

"Yes!" You exclaimed, before you hastily reeled your enthusiasm back into your throat after your unexpected outburst. You realized you had grown more invested than you previously thought yourself to be. "That's it, just picture yourself with the egg and you'll be fine." You reassured the boy.

He nodded resolutely and the fierce determination that lived in his irises returned, he did not plan on failing any longer, and if he did, you had no doubt that he would continue to try, come what may. "Pull me up, Mikasa." He demanded.

The weight on his feet gradually lightened and he enforced all of your tips as best as he could have. To your surprise, and his, he remained upright for what had seemed like the very first time, considering the reactions it garnered. You saw the relief and gratitude flood into his pupils, the beacons of hope had been lit... until he began to tip forward once again before any of you could even think to move. His head hit the ground loudly and he squawked in pain.

"Eren!" Both Mikasa and Armin yelled in unison. They ran forward to lift the boy up, which revealed the bloody gash on his forehead.

You grimaced, "You'll have to get that looked at."

"Ugh, I don't know what's going wrong." He groaned in frustration and affliction.

"Me neither, you should not be failing this miserably." You stated.

Mikasa glared at you in response, "Y/N." It was a warning to shut your mouth.

You shook your head, "No, truly. I don't mean any harm by that. There's genuinely no explanation to what this does to his body - as in, physically throw him forward."

Armin piped up in your defense, "I agree, the only thing I could think of is faulty equipment but I highly doubt the commandant would forfeit a thorough examination." He elucidated.

"We need to get Eren to the infirmary." Mikasa asserted, and Armin aided her in unstrapping the leather before they began to drag him forward.

"That's it. I'm done?" Eren muttered as if it physically tormented him to annunciate his thoughts. "I can't accept that. I won't."

"We can only hope that it will come to you tomorrow, Eren. Don't lose hope." Armin reassured. "Maybe a good nights rest is what you need." He suggested.

"And if not, then that's fine too." Mikasa added sternly.

Eren looked at her as if the mere notion had appalled him, "Mikasa, how could you say that? You of all people should best know the reason that I can't give up." He scolded.

"Sometimes you have to face the brunt of the truth, Eren. She's not here to sugarcoat the situation for you anymore, and I won't attempt to be that person. Sometimes, the only way to live is to be realistic, and it'll be over my dead body that I don't see you live a long life." She explained with furrowed brows.

Mikasa spoke aloud her true thoughts and they were not words spoken impetuously, they were hand plucked from the stem of her heart. She was not cruel with him, she was telling him what she deemed necessary for his ears in order to force him to prioritize his life, just as she always had.

"I don't need you to do that! If you're not going to baby me with your words then don't baby me with your actions. I don't need a new mother!"

That was definitely a conversation that you would have preferred to have not been present for, it seemed to have emanated from a personal level, one you had yet to reach.

"Guys!" Armin quelled their impeding disagreement, "Calm down. Eren, I think what Mikasa means to say is that it's fine too if you want to take a break! Maybe we can use that time to ask some others for help? Though, who would we ask?" He continued.

You decided that if you didn't prove to be of any yourself, that didn't have to mean the same for the others. "Try asking Jean, his hubris isn't so illogical considering how cognizant he seemed to be on the reigns of today's training." You suggested.

The bruised boy grimaced, "That pragmatist? He would never give me the time of day." He shook his head.

You hummed in agreement, "You're probably right. Though, you should still ask. I would recommend Connie, or maybe even Sasha, but I don't know if they would be willing or much help." You surmised aloud, before a thought crossed your mind, "Oh, you could ask Reiner. Bertolt and him were pretty proficient with the controls."

'Even if he did have a slip up that needed rescuing.' You diverted internally.

"Reiner and Bertolt? The big ones right? Yeah, that could work." He mused.

A small stream of blood ran its way past his forehead and towards his brow, before he scrunched the skin in discomfort. "I should let you guys go, you need the infirmary more than I thought. Geez Eren, is your head steaming?" You questioned and cocked your head for a better angle.

"It's not that bad." He said as he attempted to clutch his hairline.

"Sure it's not, tough guy." You shook your head in amusement at his determination to underplay his wound. "The next time we see each other will more than likely be tomorrow when you preform for the commandant, so good luck." You told him and then turned towards one of your many roommates. "I'll see you later, Mikasa." You threw a minor wave her way, and lastly focused on the third of the completed trio. "It was nice to meet you, Armin."

"Same to you! Thank you for your help." The blonde expressed his gratitude. "Have a safe trip." He joked, which caused you to chuckle.

"You too." You responded and pivoted on your foot to wash up for supper.

You enjoyed the company of those three. Their characters collaborated well and they seemed to stabilize one another. It wasn't an alliance of competition or circumstance, they were meant to fight beside each other. If one was down, there was minimal condemning, and instead, the others would pick up the slack. They took each other's frequencies and studied their vertex's in order to accommodate themselves in a solicitude manner.

In an agonizing assessment, you realized they mirrored your wonder trio.

A what if scenario personified right before your eyes, and it tormented your mind.

"I need to fuckin' piss so bad." You muttered to yourself as you laid under your covers.

It had been late into the night, though midnight had yet to arrive and you were nestled into your comforter, in the process of dozing off, before your bladder began to cry for release. It was unexpected, as it was not a regular occurrence for your body.

"Just go." Annie whispered harshly. She laid across from you and was inevitably the only girl submitted to your whining. "We have outhouses for a reason."

"But, it's late." You reminded her, though what you had meant to say was that it was dark and that intimidated you, but of course, you wouldn't allow yourself to admit the fact aloud. "Plus, what if the commandant decides to check in on us like he did yesterday? We only made it by a hair, and even then he was still suspicious."

"That was because it was our first night. Besides, if he catches you, you can just tell him that you needed to relieve yourself, he isn't that big of an asshole. Just be quick."

"That's true, I guess..." You relented.

Truthfully, you would have usually had no qualms with sneaking your way into an outhouse, but venturing alone at the hour it was had proved to be daunting to you. You had never really grown out of the fatuous fear of the dark, there was no reason to since Stefan was around. Though, even through the two years you had spent alone in the refugee camp, there was never an instance in which you had to conquer your fear considering your focal dilemma was surviving your nightmares.

Even so, you acquiesced and slipped on your brown jacket before you padded lightly down your ladder to voyage into the night. Like you had expected, there was minimal glim from the man made light sources surrounding you, though the moon proved to be faithful in your temporary endeavor. The rusty hinges on the wooden door of the outhouse screeched when you entered and the sound frightened you momentarily. You accomplished your goal, hastily so, and were on your way back to the barracks, when the guiding light of the moon swelled and caught your attention.

Instinctively, you moved to gaze at the sky. The captivating, dusky, and starry night sky that beared the burden of your profound stare coupled with the weight of the moon. It was ethereal in an ineffable manner, in a way that was inconceivable to your mind when you pondered on your ability to number each and every detail it flaunted. The stars were by no means symmetrical, whether they were measured by their width or the size of the space inbetween them, but even then, they were so imperfectly perfect; it was a heavenly facet of the life you allowed yourself to live.

The sky reminds you of someone. — Someone you had recently found you pressured yourself to contort into a haze in your amygdala.

You did not want to, but you saw his eyes, his lashes, his button nose, his dark brows, and his fluffy hair in everything from the wispy clouds to the constellations that formed his features. And it should have brought peace upon your mind but in reality it brought tears to your eyes, because all it did was force the resurfacing of his weeps, shrieks, and cries of your name to your ears. He asked why you had failed to protect him, what was the reason for your abandonment, and if his memory ever wrung your remorse and penitence. He had already beared a prolonged list of derelict promises, and you cleaved your name with your bare hands directly at the bottom.

Your initials made it to the record of people he had lost and in turn, his own had made it to yours.

"Hey, this might sound crazy but... I think I know you."

The sudden voice had startled you and you hastily fluttered your tears away. It came as no surprise to you who had made their abrupt appearance, as the universe had no qualms with parading around the amount of amusement reuniting the two of you had brought upon it. It never crossed your mind to complain, though.

"We've really gotta stop meeting like this. It's getting repetitive." You said with a gentle smile.

Reiner laughed in the way that caused his shoulders to shake, "We do, or else I'd have no choice but to think you're stalking me."

You chuckled, "You wish," It was only then that you noted his attire which consisted of his normal garments, but with the addition of the dark green hood thrown atop. "Did you go somewhere?" You asked with a curious tilt to your head.

"Yeah, I just got back. I had to help a friend." He replied with a nod and then observed your own choice of clothing. "Did you sneak off somewhere?" He asked curiously.

"I had to piss." You stated and motioned towards the outhouses that stood aways behind you.

"Shadis lets you guys go after curfew? Bertolt did the same yesterday and the verbal beating he got was no joke." He said, though his words held no remorse, if anything he had seemed amused by the memory.

"What the commandant doesn't know won't hurt him." You replied with a shrug.

"That so?"

"Mhm."

"Sooo, you'd be down to accompany me somewhere really quick?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Though, with Reiner it was as if that glint never fled his pupils.

You crossed your arms defensively, "I don't let just anyone kidnap me, y'know? Where would we even be goin'?"

"I just wanna show you something, it's not far."

You pondered the thought for a moment, though it admittedly took little to no effort to persuade you. Your pause had been for dramatic effect. "Fine."

He hummed in amusement, what it was exactly that he had found amusing, you didn't know. "That was easy." He stated and pivoted on his toes to begin your late night journey.

You scoffed at his words, "I am not easy." You told him as you began to trail after.

"Doesn't this remind you of the first time we met?" He deflected.

"I don't really remember that day." You lied.

"That's a lie." He pointed out. "Either way, they're very much alike."

"How?"

"I'm taking you somewhere you haven't been," He stated and then smirked at his next words, "Somewhere you begged me to take you to."

"First of all, I never begged you, the first time nor this time, so don't flatter yourself." You reminded him.

"So you do remember? Either you're indecisive... or you're nervous." He teased.

He led you into the outskirts of the camp, there was less moonlight guiding you through and you reached what looked to be the beginning of a grove. "There's hardly anything to be nervous about." You said.

"I'd beg to differ." He rebutted.

"Are you saying I make you nervous?" You asked and gasped in faux amazement, "Reiner, am I intimidating to you?"

His face looked appalled, "Okay, I said nervous not intimidated, back up." He reminded you.

"Is this your attempt at flattering someone? Telling them that they make you nervous?" You asked.

"It's hard to make a guy like me nervous, take it as a compliment."

"Shadis would disagree."

He groaned, "Okay miss expert, do you think you can one up me?"

You laughed at his dare, "At flattering someone? No shit." And then pondered your words before you spoke them aloud, "Your teeth are like stars."

His brows furrowed in confusion, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"They're yellow and far apart."

He chortled suddenly and clamped a hand over his mouth, "Are you serious?!" He cried, though his voice was heavily muffled. You snickered at his response, which only made his other hand rise to join the one on his face.

You couldn't contain your giggles any longer and allowed them to flow out freely, loud as they were. He attempted to mutter further complaints, though you didn't catch what exactly they were. "I'm kidding! I swear."

"I don't believe you." He mumbled.

"No really," you reassured him and your smile grew mellow, "You have a nice smile." You said unexpectedly.

His palms slowly dropped from his mouth and as if you purloined his breath with mere words, the only thing he thought to exhale was, "Oh."

Your compliment registered only seconds after, and the sincerity at which you had admitted such a thing made you panic, "Well, I meant I like your smile." You said and that statement did not help your case. "I mean! Everyone does, actually!" You forced yourself to laugh in an attempt to ease the situation. "Like not just me specifically, I'm sure everyone else does too. Because saying that about just myself would be real creepy, right?" At that point you had rambled in an effort to save your pride, because if you knew Reiner, you knew that flattery such as that would simply inflate his ego.

Though, his response was a contradiction to your thoughts, for he simply shrugged lightly and reassured you softly, "I don't know, I mean... I like your smile too." He said those words whilst his eyes stared wholeheartedly into your own, and you had no other option than to believe him. "I like a lot of things about you, actually." He added.

You heard yourself exhale in surprise and there was a pillow of warmth that coddled the inside of your chest, a warmth that you felt spread to every crevice of your body, and your fingers met to fidget together. "Oh." You murmured.

He tittered breathily, "Yeah," His eyes flickered from your face to the scene before him, before he hastily spoke, "Oh, look! We're here!" His voice was an octave higher than the usual deep tone it resided in, and his words were more boisterous than he had intended. You also hadn't fully arrived yet, there was still a few feet needed to stand on the land he had taken you to, though you guessed it was his panic that forced him to say so.

The sight was no disappointment.

You arrived at a small clearing in the center of the grove you walked in and the trees parted before your eyes. The verdant field that laid there was by no means vast, the crowns of the trees still shielded most of it from the moon, though there were thick shafts of light that lit up the center most points. Surprisingly, the greenery paired with the celestial glow was not what pilfered the oxygen from your lungs.

The plethora of rows upon rows of rich bundled daisies that sprouted and stood nobly at attention were entrancing. Their milky petals glowed under the stray rays of moonlight, and their golden center sparkled like a million fragments of champagne zircon. The leaves that stemmed beneath them were thriving and curved beautifully, though slightly ruffled by the refreshing breeze that swept past.

You stepped slowly through the small field and scanned the flowers you walked by, just like the stars they were so asymmetrical; so imperfectly perfect. "Daisies." You whispered as you recalled their names — kudos to a twelve year old blonde with dreams that were bigger than he had ever had the chance to grow.

"I thought you might like this," He said as he followed closely behind you, "Even though they're classified as weeds." He mentioned with a small grimace.

"I guess even weeds can be beautiful," You said as you sat on your calves and reached over to pet the tops of the petals. "And apparently have great skincare." You mentioned as you felt their silky white faces.

He let out an airy laugh at your words and joined you on the ground, "I saw this earlier, when I was out with some others. Call it cheesy but, it reminded me of you." He stated and you had thought he was finished but, considering how quiet it was out and further from the cabins, the whisper that followed made your ears strain but allowed the words to be received. "A lot of things remind me of you."

Your heart rate sped up in response and you kept your face directed at the plants below you in an effort to conceal the smile that fought to form itself onto your lips, "So, you think of me a lot." You teased lightly.

He sputtered momentarily before he found his voice, "Well yeah- but I stop afterwards. Like, it's not all the time, that would be... creepy, huh?"

You looked at him and recited his earlier response, "I don't know, I mean... I think about you a lot too."

He hummed in nervousness as his sculpted, no longer as youthful, cheeks tinted and his palms patted at the ground around him almost as if in search for something. Suddenly, his hand briskly found its way directly in front of your face, obstructing your view of his own. You tilted your head and allowed your eyes to adjust to the sudden change in proximity.

A flower.

He had offered you a flower that sat delicately in between his index and thumb, the stem only wilted slightly due to the weight of the corolla. Your eyes broadened at the sweet gesture, and you were reminded of the loving exchange you had two years prior with the two other boys that never left your mind, though it had been different then. When they had done it, it made you feel secure and content, and it only further solidified your love, but when Reiner offered you a daisy — a daisy he held before him to shield your view of his rosy cheeks and hopeful eyes that shined alike a million fragments of champagne zircon — the feelings were contrasting.

Where the former sealed your adoration with cement into your heart, the latter created an alien and tender sensation that blossomed like a flower bed in spring, as if there was frost that previously coated their roots and the fresh adoration that bloomed inside of your chest had caused it to melt; and the liquified ice only acted as the irrigation to further aid in the sprouting of the sowed seeds inside the garden of your chest.

That familiar warmth spread throughout the nooks and crannies of your body, the one that caused you to play with your fingers. You halted those actions to instead, pluck the flower from between his pale fingers and your eyes flew to your lap.

You gulped, "Yer so cheesy." You whispered and dared yourself to glance back up to his gentle face.

The tint had still sat nestled into his skin, though he too had dared himself to chance a glance at your face and when your eyes met his, they did not leave. "I don't hear you complaining." He whispered with the same amount of demure laced in his tone.

You giggled airily, "Thank you. For the flower I mean."

He hummed in acceptance to your gratitude and moved to gaze at the moon that the trees had partly cumbered with their branches and leaves. "I've uh- always wondered," He began as steadily as he could have, though you had a feeling he had only spoke to divert from the minor overtone of his offering. "Did your wish ever end up coming true?" He asked.

"My wish?" You asked in confusion.

"From the forest, on our second meeting with the matches." He reminded you.

The realization dawned upon you then, he had meant the birthday wish for Stefan and Cielo. "Oh, I never made a wish. Although, it could probably be classified as one? Either way it'd be too early to be able to tell. Well, that and I don't think I meant it as a wish, really." You told him. You had wanted to make them proud on your own accord so that if it ever was to happen, it would be due to your actions and not because of some silly strings of fate.

He nodded in understanding, "Well, there's always next year... or is it this year?" He pondered to himself. "It's actually coming up in the late winter isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah, it is." You said and it delighted you that he had remembered. "Wait... next?" You uttered after his words had registered.

"Why not? Birthdays are a yearly occasion, you know." He stated.

You furrowed your brows in thought. You hadn't considered the possibility of doing so, and a year prior you most likely would have shoved the idea away without a second thought. Though, at the mental state you were at in that moment, you found yourself pining for a chance to show the boys that you indeed still thought of them, that their memory had not been forgotten. Your earlier thoughts on Cielo had secured that desire, as you felt guilty that your mind continually forced you to obscure his face in your mental, in fear of the melancholy and culpability it transpired within you.

"I guess I... wouldn't mind that, it'd even give me a reason to celebrate something rather than doing nothing. I don't want to spend those days cooped up in a forest anymore, I want to actually celebrate it, not mourn it." You spoke your thoughts aloud, before a mellow grin found its way onto your face. "And if the others find me or something, I'll just tell them I'm celebrating my own birthday, hell- they'd probably enliven it." You said as you thought of their rumbustious natures.

He chuckled in amusement, "That's true." He agreed and then he glanced at the sky once more, "We should probably start heading back, or else Bertolt might end up sending a search team for me soon." He said, almost guiltily.

You snorted, "That or he would just come armed and ready to look for you himself." You added as you lifted yourself from the ground.

Reiner followed and threw his head back in a laugh. You began to walk down the path you had came from, and the mention of the tall brunet forced you to ask what you had been curious of earlier that day. "Hey, Reiner?" You called.

"Hm?" He hummed to indicate that he had heard you, though he kept his trek through the trees.

"Why did you guys take so long to finish the race we had on ODM earlier?" You asked.

His breath visibly halted briefly before he steadied himself and responded, "We uh... the race, huh? You mean Bertolt and I?" He clarified.

"Yeah, everyone got there before both of you guys, and I don't recall either of you struggling with the gear. Sasha even told me earlier that they ended up having to wait even longer after they checked in, for the two of you." You stated curiously.

He nodded in understanding, "We stopped to help some others, it took longer than expected. There were a few collisions." He explained.

"Oh, mister nice guy all of a sudden?" You teased.

He scoffed lightheartedly, "I was always benevolent, didn't I help you see that frozen river-lake thingy the first time we met?" He reminded you.

"Not without a few terms and conditions of your own." You reminded him in return which he simply laughed off. "Not so benevolent anymore, huh?" You said which caused him to laugh harder.

"They were valid terms!"

"'Tell me why you're out here.' Or 'Take off your hood.'? Those are valid to you?" You asked incredulously.

"I had to make sure you weren't a Titan." He defended himself.

You laughed at his audacity, "Okay sure, funny guy."

"I sure am." He agreed pridefully.

You spent the rest of your walk back to the barracks bantering amongst one another, and when there was a brief moment of silence, it was never uncomfortable. If anything, it gently laid itself in between your bodies and kept you warm for your journey. You made it back in what felt like minutes, which was probably so, but you had a feeling that it did not matter whether you spent hours or days with the blonde, it would never feel enough.

You stood by the steps that led to the girls cabin, where the two of you were required to part. "Good night, Reiner. I'll see you tomorrow." You said.

He nodded his head in agreement, "Good night, Y/N. I look forward to it." He responded and turned to walk towards his own sleeping quarters, though not without one last fleeting glance in your direction.

You watched him leave momentarily, before you quietly turned the knob on the door and entered the dark cabin. Upon closing the door, you sighed in relief that you had made it back safely and without being caught by your intimidating commandant. The slight grip of your fingers called your attention and it was only then that you noticed that you had yet to let go of the daisy Reiner had gifted you. You smiled at it fondly and twirled on your toes to lean against the door before you sighed affectionately.

It was safe to say that exchange had not fled your mind and it did not plan to anytime soon.

You blew air into your own face and calmed your heart rate, you decided that you needed to slide yourself into bed and not dally any longer. You tiptoed through the middle walkway and towards the back where your bunk had laid, squinting your eyes in search of your ladder, before the sound of a match igniting fluttered through the air. The moment your head turned towards the noise, the low glow of a small candle caused you to halt your movements.

"That was a long piss." Annie said as she sat on Sasha's bed.

"Did you like- get stuck in the outhouse or something, Y/N?" Sasha asked with a yawn. The brunette had also been awake, though there had been a noticeable struggle to keep her eyelids open.

"That happened to me earlier too, it's true." Ymir added. She sat on her own bottom bunk across from the others with Krista at her side,

"You should've told one of us to go with you, Y/N." The small blonde suggested.

"That'd be embarrassing, I would have stayed until I could figure it out myself too." Mikasa stated. She too had stayed in her bed, beside Sasha.

"Geez, are all of you awake? Why?" You whispered and gestured towards the flame in Annie's hands. "And turn that off, you'll wake everyone else, more than you already have."

"I didn't wake them up, they were nosey on their own accords." She whispered in return. "And I don't believe the story of you getting trapped... who were you with?" She asked suspiciously. "Was it Eren?"

"It was who? Y/N, was it Eren?" Mikasa asked, suddenly very attentive to your response.

"What? No, why would it be Eren?"

Sasha piped up next, "Ohhhh, I wouldn't be surprised if she was with Reiner!" She whispered as best as she could have with excitement laced in her tone. Your eyes widened in response and that forced the others to voice their surprise as well.

"The big blonde?" Ymir grimaced and shook her head. "I expected better from you, Y/N."

"Oh, I've seen him before! He's kind of nice, sometimes." Krista added excitedly.

"The one you held hands with earlier?" Mikasa asked, which caused the rest to turn their heads towards the ravenette in surprise. "What?" She responded cluelessly.

"You did what?" Annie asked, her brow was furrowed in concern.

"I didn't hold hands with him. Mikasa's confused, I just saved him from fallin' onto his ass, and grabbed his wrist, not his hand." You defended yourself.

"But you still went out with him tonight?" Ymir asked dubiously.

You sighed, "No-"

"What's that in your hand?" Sasha asked and you would've shut her mouth with that very hand before she could have finished, if you had the chance to. In unison, all five of their gazes slowly drifted towards your fingers, where the daisy laid limp.

You swiftly moved it behind your back and uttered, "Nothing." You said hastily.

"Was that a- did he give you a flower?!" Krista asked as she cupped a dainty hand onto her mouth. "That's so nice of him."

"You like flowers?" Ymir genuinely asked the girl beside her, but then she redirected her questioning gaze to you once again, though that time it was as if the thought had never crossed her mind. "Wait, YOU like flowers?"

"Is that so unbelievable?" You asked.

"Well.. kinda, you just don't seem like the type." She stated and you didn't know if she had meant it in that way but it almost felt insulting to be considered as anything but a person who adored blossoms.

"Which means?"

"Nothing serious," She replied.

"Did you know the commandant came to check on us?" Mikasa asked suddenly.

"He did what?" You responded. The idea frightened you and you looked to the other girls in search for confirmation. "Did he?"

Sasha snickered, "He did, and guess what... Annie had to pretend to be you! She did the voice and everything!"

"It was pretty convincing to be honest." Ymir commented to which Krista nodded in agreement.

"Annie, for real?" You asked the girl.

"I don't wanna talk about it. It was embarrassing as is." She stated and blew out the candle before she placed it on the small table. "We should go back to sleep, we have early training tomorrow." She instructed and began to make her way up the ladder.

"Okay but, I want all the details tomorrow, Y/N. I need to find out everything, got it?" Sasha said and although she had phrased it like a question, her tone had indicated there was no negotiation to be had on the matter.

You stuck your tongue out at her momentarily, which she returned, before you followed the blonde to your top bunks. Once you had arrived, you placed your daisy beside your bed, having nowhere else to lay it, and slipped into your covers. "Thank you for covering for my ass, Annie." You said as you turned to face her.

She had laid in her own sheets and had already been facing you, though her gaze was elsewhere as she pondered her response, and she had no qualms taking her time. "Did Reiner really give you that flower?" She asked hesitantly as she picked at the frayed linen. "Is that truly who you were with?"

You studied her expression and found that the furrow in her brows had indicated her distaste in the notion, which had unexpectedly caused guilt to bloom in your chest. You didn't know why, but you almost did not want to answer. "It's not that serious, we were just hangin' out. Who else was he gonna to give it to if we were the only ones out, y'know?" You reassured the girl.

Her brows furrowed even deeper and she gulped as her fists clutched the fabric she had previously been picking at, "You shouldn't have taken it." She stated.

"Why not?"

"Just-..." She began before she forced her self to inhale deeply, "I don't know if he's someone you should be hanging around. If you're too careless, someone is going to get hurt far more than they already had to be." She continued.

Her phrasing should have risen the suspicion to your mind, and it did, albeit slightly. Though, not enough to delve into the true meaning behind her words. In her own way, Annie had tried to warn you, attempted to throw crumbs of the truth in hopes you would have backed off and saved yourself the trouble of the future.

But it had already been too late.

The flower you received that night had been the hook tied to the interlacing strings of fate that directed your paths onward, and it did not plan on letting go.

"You should relax, I'm being careful. Besides, it's nothing serious yet, I don't think so anyway." You reassured her once again.

Her eyes closed in resolution and she turned to face the wall behind her before she muttered a quiet, "Yet."

"Good night, Y/N." She finished and that ended the discussion.

You stared at the back of her head for a few moments as you attempted to unravel what she might have been feeling at that moment, searched for a single hint at her emotions, before finally, you relented and responded in turn, "Good night, Annie." You whispered and closed your eyes in a chase of slumber.

Though, even through the hours you endured of Sasha's snoring, the warmth in your chest never fled. It kept you bundled in its security throughout the late hours of the night and the fond smile embroidered onto your lips only furthered the butterflies in your tummy.

Because, Annie was only a little paranoid, and maybe slightly protective towards you, right?

Fun fact: As her own way of coping with her guilt of your friendship, Annie made a list of sweet deserts she would have liked to share with you, had you met in another life.

[amywritesthings]

Hello Hello Hello-ween! 👻

This is Episode 1 (...dunno whether there will be more...) of

Oddly Specific Asks🗿✨️

where you will get oddly specific questions and choices that will tingle your pringle. Let's go!

1) Favorite line in Avatar: The Last Airbender?

2) Best Justin Bieber Song?

3) QUICK ROUND! Pumpkin Spice or Matcha Latte?

4) Favorite way to cut a sandwich?

5) Most annoying Anime character?

6) QUICK ROUND! Mint chocolate on pizza or cheesy pineapple on ice cream?

7) Rate yourself: How well would you perform with ODM gear? On a scale from Sasha's potato to Levi VS Beast Titan.

8) In a fight between a peanut, a pistachio and a macadamia nut - who would win and why?

9) QUICK ROUND! Never read FanFic again or never write FanFic again?

10) GET CREATIVE! Write a short dialogue between any AoT character and a mindless titan about the lastest hairstyles in Mitras. Add details of the titan's reaction as well as at least two rhymes.

Thanks for playing! If you enjoyed this stupid game my silly little brain has come up with, let me know in your answer and I will give you another round. I hope this made you smile at least a little!

Best,

a very weird German <3

hallo-sleepover '24! / accepting.

When I tell you that I just finished eaten a chicken pesto sandwich and opened my inbox and went my god. I am so game.

1) Technically, I have two because I'm a LoK truther as much as ATLA. Unironically, they're both Uncle Iroh. "Perfection and power are overrated. I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love instead." (ATLA) + "If you look for the light, you will often find it; but if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see." (LOK)

2) I don't know many Justin Beiber songs, but one of my cardio classes once used "Friends" and it's such a good song.

3) Pumpkin Spice, I'll never choose anything different.

4) In half because I am lazy.

5) Bestie you're going to get me in trouble 😭 my heart says Eren from AOT (I'm sorry please don't add me to the weird yeagerist hit list) but I feel like the diplomatic answer is Mineta from MHA. I want that diaper grape eviscerated.

6) Mint chocolate on pizza. Something about a cheesy pineapple makes my texture sensitivity want to fly into the sun.

7) Without a threat? I'd be able to use ODM gear at like a confident 4 because I train with weights 6x a week, but the second you put a titan in front of me? -10. We're getting eaten, my friends. I am so bad with scary things.

8) I'm going to be so honest -- I have never eaten any of these LMAO so I'm going by name, and 'Amy Macadamia' sounds very Myspace to me, so I'm going to sit myself in the mac nut corner.

9) Never read fic again. I've been writing my own self-indulgent fanfiction since I was ten years old on every surface I could pen or type. There is no way I am giving up the ability to hide in my own little escapism world.

10) You're fucking crazy SKDJFKSDF ALRIGHT I DID MY BEST

Chewing on one-half of his slightly stale sandwich, Connie squints at the titan strapped down by Hange's latest invention. Surveillance shifts sucked, but not even the brainless could convince the boy not to talk.

"So... you got a whole head of hair. Wild. Kinda flowy, and stuff -- to be put it mild." He chomps down on another edge, speaking with his mouth full. "How'd you grow that out?"

The titan blinks right through Connie's sandwich, its tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

"Or were you... uh, titan-born that way?"

Another blink.

Yeah. this conversation was going a whopping fuckin' nowhere.

"Thought about growing out my own situation." Connie holds up his free hand to pet it through his own buzzcut. "I'm not bald, for your information."

It didn't ask. Then again, Connie didn't ask to get put on this damn detail, so he keeps going. He puffs out his chest and considers.

"I know Jean's already growing out his mullet, but would that be copying if I did it, too? I mean Mitras has, like -- what, three good hairstyles right now?" He lists on his sandwich-slicked fingers. "Mullet, braid -- ew -- and the undercut thing. I'm not getting flack for copying Captain Levi, though. No, siree."

The titan gurgles, and Connie can't help but feel like it was big guy code for indifference to his plight.

"...damn, you're really no help."

[shadyruinskryptonite]

Titan Bending Chapter 7

Warning: Violence consistent with cannon, NSFW so MDNI, language, major character death (both consistent with canon of both AOT and ATLA as well as diverging from canon), so much trauma literally everyone is so traumatized, very much slow burn, a little enemies to lovers, SO MUCH ANGST, hurt/comfort, hurt and delayed comfort, AFAB reader

Chapter Warnings: fear of horses, graphic depiction of Eren after failed tests (a la S3Ep1 Smoke Signal), death, titans killing people (pretty par for the course but still), loss of entire village, it’s implied that the reader is short (I try not to give these kinds of descriptors so that as many people as possible will identify with it but I’M short and it just fits so well, apologies in advance)

WC: 3967

Previous Chapter, Next Chapter

Masterlist

Tags: @mochminnie @sseleniaa

When Hange said we’d be taking a field trip, she failed to mention that it meant that the entirety of her and Levi’s squads would be going into hiding at a cabin in the woods. It’s not a bad place to stay, it’s actually rather cozy even if it does mean we’re keeping tight quarters. Tight quarters aren’t all that bad though, it means that I’ve gotten to know each of the kids quite well. They don’t always get along, but it’s more in the family sort of way than like they don’t actually like each other. 

Every day they remind me more and more of the Gaang.

“We’ll discuss your complete and utter failure at a later date,” Levi’s voice cuts off my thoughts. “Eren, Hange is anxious to get started on today’s experiment.”

Good, that will give me a chance to clean while they’re all out. I think I’m the only one whose cleaning Levi actually approves of.

My thoughts make me giggle to myself and I notice Levi glance in my direction despite no one else seeming to notice.

God, is there anything that little shit doesn’t notice?

As everyone heads out to the clearing, Krista, or rather, Historia and I stay behind to keep working on the house. As per usual we finish in no time - even the bottoms of the tables and the walls.

“Your cleaning certainly makes up for anything else Captain Levi might not like about you,” Kri- Historia remarks. I laugh at her observation.

“You think so? I don’t know, it seems like he’s always scrutinizing me more than everyone else so I wouldn’t say it completely makes up for it. And besides, it’s like he checks my cleaning more thoroughly like he’s waiting for me to make a mistake,” I lament.

“Honestly, at this point I think he just expects a lot out of you,” Historia counters.

“Oh really? How so?”

“Well,” she begins, “you are able to clean at a level that no one else physically can so you’ve set the bar high there. Then as far as performance goes, your waterbending has proven more than once now to be faster than ODM gear and, frankly, watching you maneuver looks like when I’m watching him so I think he just expects you to perform like him at everything now.”

Her description gives me pause. 

Is it really possible that I’ve been reading him wrong? No, right? While sure he may have this arbitrary set of expectations, he surely is also waiting for me to fail. He’s called “Humanity’s Strongest Soldier” so he probably just views me as a threat to that title.

Unaware of my internal dialogue, Historia continues, “plus, you take care of all of us like a mom, which I’m sure he appreciates.”

This catches my attention. “You think? I don’t understand, why would that matter to him?”

She giggles, and I can see why so many of the boys pine after her because it’s truly a beautiful sound. Her little laughter alone makes me smile before she says, “I think he cares about people more than you give him credit for. I’ve seen him hold dying soldiers’ hands and promise not to forget them and when his squad was killed by the Female Titan, he collected all of their Wings of Freedom patches. Rumor has it he keeps those patches in his desk.”

I feel an immense sense of guilt wash over me. I stand there, pensive, lost in my thoughts for a moment.

I wanted to crack him, figure out how he ticks, and I thought I had but it seems I didn’t even try. I can’t believe I was so shallow…

In the distance, Eren’s titan lets out a scream that sounds more like a platypus bear caught in a trap and I swear I can hear Hange shrieking.

“Should we go check it out?” I wonder aloud.

“We might as well, Hange probably wants to work with you too,” she says with a playful elbow to my side. I throw an arm around her in a hug as we head out.

When we get to the clearing, Hange is tearing Eren out of a sickly looking Titan. His face is gone. The sight is repulsive. 

Historia goes up to where Levi and Armin are standing, and I head towards Eren and a seemingly livid Hange.

As she spouts off whatever, I hear Moblit accuse her of having no compassion to which I frown.

She just gets carried away.

Walking up to them, I call out “ya know, I know he can heal himself but that looks pretty gnarly so I can try to help. We haven’t tried my healing on him yet.” This seems to perk Hange back up, and she nearly throws the poor kid at me, much to Mikasa’s chagrin.

Instead of going straight for his face, since that’s the worst, I go for something with lower stakes - his arm. As I begin healing he lets out some guttural noise and I stop in my tracks. Not only does it seem like it’s hurting him, but it seems like it’s making it worse as I see the spot now starting to bleed where it didn’t previously.

“Huh! Fascinating! Perhaps try a different spot?” Hange inquires over my shoulder.

“What?! No! Clearly that’s hurting him. He can heal on his own, I just wanted to see if I could speed up the process but clearly that’s not the case so no, I’m not going to torture the poor kid!” At my response, I can see Hange almost get angry with me. Just as she’s about to order me to try again, I speak up saying, “remember our agreement Hang. I won’t do anything that I don’t agree with. And I don’t agree with hurting this boy just because you got carried away with an experiment.”

She comes back to reality and her face immediately takes on a bit of guilt. “I-I’m sorry,” she admits quietly. 

I put my hand on her shoulder, catching her off guard, before I say, “It’s alright, everyone knows how into it you get in the moment.” I smile at her before it’s her turn to catch me off guard, capturing me in a tight hug. I smooth down her untamed hair and hear Levi calling from the cliff, stating that he and Hange’s squad were heading back to Trost and for the rest of us to return to the cabin.

I bid Hange a farewell before realizing that everyone besides Historia and I had come here on those horse…things. Eren was in no position to ride alone so he was placed with Mikasa, leaving a horse for Historia.

“I, uh, I’m good walking,” I say while rubbing my neck. All of the kids just stare at me a little.

“Just hop on with someone,” Mikasa says like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to be a bother,” I say with a nervous chuckle. 

“Have you never ridden a horse?!” Connie cajoles.

“No! I’ve never ridden a ‘horse,’” I say in a mocking tone. “I’ve ridden an OSTRICHhorse but those are far less…intimidating.” Eying up one of the horses, I decide that they are, in fact, terrifying. 

Now it’s Jean’s turn to tease me. “Ahhh come on, they’re harmless! Plus you won’t even be riding alone!”

“Easy for you to say, you’re already half horse anyway!” I retort, drawing unbridled laughter from all of the kids and making Jean blush.

Sasha approaches me on her horse and I take a step back. She gets down and sweetly says, “I’ve been riding my whole life, if you’re safe with anyone on a horse, it’s me. So, you just get up there first and then I’ll join you. You don’t have to do any of the work, just enjoy the scenery!”

I blink at her for a few moments, but I can tell she’s being completely sincere. “You just wanna get back so we can eat lunch,” I joke and her mouth waters slightly. I continue, “but…I’ll give it a try.”

I put my foot in the stirrup and hoist myself up, clutching the little knobby thing on the saddle as if my life depends on it. Sasha gets back up with ease. She wraps her arms around me to grab the reins and I’m struck by the intimate possibility this has.

“Damn, at least take me on a date first,” I say with a wink over my shoulder at her. Sasha, Historia, and Mikasa laugh, but the boys just chuckle, with seemingly all of them blushing.

Then suddenly we’re riding, and the fear returns and I stiffen up. Over my shoulder, I hear Sasha reassure me, “relax, you’re totally fine. Horses can sense fear.”

“Oh yeah, that’s REAL reassuring.”

It’s a short ride back to the cabin and as we continue, I do start to loosen up. I even go so far as to pat the horse’s neck. At one point Connie and Jean decide to try to make Sasha fuck with me by challenging her to a race and then taking off, and while I can tell she wants to join she refrains.

“Thanks, Sash. I think going full speed would traumatize me.” She just giggles at me.

We soon arrive back at the cabin and when we do, the boys are bickering about who won. I simply roll my eyes and laugh as I feel Sasha slide off of the horse’s back before she helps me down. As I’m walking inside, I hear Jean stop arguing with Connie and call out, “Y/n! Tomorrow: you’re learning how to ride a horse even if it kills you!”

I try and fail to hide my distaste for the idea, thinking that it just might kill me. But, reluctantly, I agree shooting back, “Are you going to be the one to teach me Kirstein? Since you’re more at one with the horses, I mean?” I smirk at him as he stands there sputtering to the sound of Connie’s laughter.

With the departure of Levi and Hange, we had to be extra vigilant on watch. I had one of the earlier shifts along with Mikasa. After we were relieved by Sasha and Jean, we return to find Connie also awake. While Mikasa just stares at him, I can tell something is wrong.

“Can’t sleep?” I inquire softly.

“Uh, yeah, you could say that,” he responds.

I shoo away Mikasa to get some sleep and offer to make him some tea which he happily accepts. We sit in silence for a moment before I ask, “so, do you want to talk about the nightmare or would you rather have a distraction?”

He stares at me surprised for a moment, so I explain, “this isn’t my first rodeo. I’m pretty sure everyone I’ve ever been close with has been plagued by nightmares, myself included.”

He smiles slightly as I can tell he’s pondering what he needs. After a deep sigh, he just softly says, “it was about my village.”

I sit quietly, waiting for him to continue. As he stares at his tea, I cautiously say, “I’m sorry Connie, I don’t know what happened in your village.”

It’s almost as if realization dawns on him, and based on the pain in his eyes I quickly add, “-you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, bud.”

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t know that you didn’t know but it makes sense,” he begins talking and it’s clear it’s hard for him to talk about, but it also seems like he needs to talk about it. “After Annie attacked and we captured her, there was a supposed breach in the walls. Titans wiped out my entire village, but,” he trails off.

I reach over and put my hand on his shoulder, overwhelmed with sadness and empathy. He takes a deep breath before continuing, “but there’s something strange about it.” I furrow my eyebrows, searching his face and only finding confusion.

“Strange how?”

“Well, there is no evidence that they were eaten by titans. Neighboring villages, yes. It’s clear that titans killed everyone. But mine is like they all just…vanished. And there was this giant titan too. Looked like some kind of hairy beast. Clearly an abnormal. I think it has something to do with it. The weirdest part, and the worst, honestly, is that there’s one titan that seems like it can’t walk just stuck on top of my house. As weird as it sounds, it looks like my mom and I know it sounds crazy but I swear on everything that it talked to me!”

I can only hope my face doesn’t betray me as he’s telling me this, because I AM shocked but I don’t want to freak him out or worry him more.

I muster all of my composure to respond, “I…I’m sorry Connie. I believe you, and I’m sorry that people have made you feel crazy for what you experienced. That sucks, though. I wish there was something more eloquent I could say but it just truly sucks. When tragedies happen, people often say things like “you’ll be okay,” and shit like that, and while that’s true that eventually you will be okay, it doesn’t make the right now any better. So I guess the best I can do for you is recognize that yeah, what you’re going through is unimaginable. And you’re allowed to be sad, angry, confused -- all of it.”

I see his eyes get glassy, and I rub his shoulder again as I pour another cup of tea for the both of us. Not wanting to make him speak before he’s ready, I speak again saying, “ya know, I think you’ve made Ragako very proud. Even though war isn’t a glorious thing, you’re definitely the hero of the village because you’ll keep their memory alive.” I smile as I finish, and by now the tears have spilled over so I pull him into a tight hug.

After we stay like this for a moment, he shakily says, “thank you, y/n.”

I smile again and assure him that he doesn’t have to thank me. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough with me to tell me.” I chuckle a little before continuing, “and actually, if there’s anyone that even sort of understands what you’re going through, it’s probably me.” His eyebrows furrow so I give him a sad smile and add, “my village was actually attacked by the fire nation about 10 years ago. So, yeah, I don’t get it, but I know the feeling. So if you ever need to talk to someone, I’m always here for you, Connie.” I pause before smiling wider and saying, “plus, I barely sleep so there’s a good chance that I’m awake whenever you might need me.”

“I-I-I’m sorry. I…I had no idea,” he stutters out.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it I know that you didn’t know -- no one here knows that about me, actually. Not even Hange, come to think of it. But no, I didn’t tell you for you to feel sympathy or anything like that, I just wanted you to know that even though this is a unique situation you’re in, you’re not alone.” I patted him on the shoulder and he smiled back at me.

Finishing his cup of tea, Connie yawns and I bid him a goodnight before he has to take his guard shift. 

Smiling at our interaction, I finish my own tea and clean up before I slip out unnoticed to get some training in.

It’s probably not my brightest idea to go out on my own right now, but I’ve been fine on my own before so I’ll be fine now.

--

I return as the sun is rising and slip back in just as I had slipped out, only a few people are awake now.

Jean confronts me, “Where were you?” It almost sounds like he’s trying to scold me like a parent, making me laugh.

I walk up to him and ruffle his hair, which clearly flusters him. “Just getting a workout in, that’s all.”

At our conversation, more people seem to stir. Jean grunts and grumbles out, “just making sure you weren’t trying to skip out on your riding lesson.”

Fuck. 

I sigh and exasperatedly say, “are you really going to go through with this?” to which I’m met with all of the kids nodding in excitement. 

Huffing, I say, “aight, let’s just get this over with then.”

I can almost feel their excitement in the air, and while I’m putting on an annoyed face, I can’t begrudge them the fun they’re having with this. The joy quickly melts into a dispute about who has the most well-mannered horse for me to practice on. I let them go for a moment before I ultimately made the final decision.

“How about I just use Sasha’s horse since I’m already familiar with it?” I ask. 

This starts a new round of bickering about who should be the teacher because “Sasha can’t teach if she’s not on her horse but Jean isn’t a good teacher and…” so on and so forth.

From over my shoulder, I hear an almost imperceptible, “why not Eren or Mikasa’s horses? Since neither of them are here.” I turn and smile at Historia, who made the suggestion. Knowing I’m the only one that heard her, I clap my hands loudly and declare that it’s settled, I’ll ride whomever’s horse is the calmest between Eren and Mikasa.

To make the final decision, I’m given two carrots and told to try to feed them both and whichever one I “vibe” with the best will be who I ride. Sasha shows me how to feed a horse and I’m horrified that it has to be from the palm of my hand.

Connie, getting a kick out of the situation, mocks me and points out, “oh come on, you mean to tell me you’re not afraid of basically ANYTHING but you’re afraid of horses?”

I grit my teeth because I know he’s right. Putting on some fake confidence I approach the horses at the same time, because they’re next to each other.

Damn, even Eren and Mikasa’s HORSES are in love.

They eat simultaneously, but Eren’s seems a bit gentler and nuzzles me a bit which, while terrifying, melts my heart a bit so that’s the horse I choose. Now for getting on it. I didn’t struggle too much since I had gotten on Sasha’s yesterday, but I’m actually putting my feet in the stirrups to ride today and they BARELY reach. I try my hardest to focus on what Sasha and the others are saying about how to hold the reins, but when they tell me to keep my legs straight I can’t help but laugh out loud.

“What option do I have?! My legs are too short for me to have anything BUT straight legs! How the fuck does Levi do this?” Everyone finds this hilarious, and while I wasn’t intentionally making a joke, I have to laugh along with them.

We begin moving at a snail’s pace and after about 20 minutes, I’m gettting the hang of it. Then Sasha suggests we go a bit faster.

“Just bring your heal back and kick right where the leg and stomach meet, it’ll tell her to speed up,” she instructs.

“Oh hey now, let’s not do anything brash,” as I say this, Sasha makes a noise and speeds off. Not a problem in and of itself, but it makes me jump and kick the horse and against my better judgment, we’re now speeding after her. Running towards the woods at break-neck speed, I realize I’ve made a terrible error. Then Sasha is yelling next to me to turn, I hear the kids screaming to turn from behind us, and I pull the left rein hard. We make a tight left turn just before the treeline and as everyone is cheering, I realize this isn’t so bad. Calling at me to pull back on the reins if I want to slow down, I do so and we grind to a trot.

Everyone approaches me, beaming with pride, and I have to admit, “ya know, that wasn’t so bad. I hate to admit it, but I’m glad y’all forced me to do this.”

Returning to the cabin, Sasha and Jean take lookout and the rest of us start prepping our food for the day. I don’t know how much time passes, but eventually out of the corner of my eye I see Eren emerge.

Smiling, I greet him, “well, well, well. Look who’s out of hibernation!” He and Mikasa proceed to argue about him resting when Connie brings up wanting revenge on the Beast Titan. Silence falls over the room before he suggests that he and Mikasa go relieve Sasha and Jean. As the four of them switch off, Historia makes some comment about someone named Ymir and I can tell it’s a sensitive subject. As Eren turns to talk to her, I take some of the vegetables over to a different table to give them privacy. Just as I do, Sasha calls that Hange and Levi are returning and to meet in the main room.

That’s convenient, at least I can keep working while they talk at us.

I remain seated as everyone enters, and although I smile brightly at the sight of Hange I can tell something is very wrong. No one bothers to sit down before she announces that someone named Pastor Nick was murdered.

I’ll have to ask about what the religion is here. I didn’t think they worshiped, well, anything.

Everyone reacts other than Levi, and in an effort to be less judgemental after what Historia had said about him, I fight the urge to judge him.

It’s so hard though when clearly everyone else cared about this man and the little shit has the audacity to stand there without an ounce of care in the world. It’s like someone just told him that taxes are due in a month.

No matter my opinion, no one else seems to care about Levi’s apathy so I decide to let it go as Hange tells us about her theory that he was tortured, and by another branch of the military at that.

I don’t know if I’m happy or disappointed to hear that other governments are just as corrupt as the Earth Kingdom.

“This was my fault, I should’ve been more careful,” Hange laments. Hearing her say this -- hearing her speak without her normal excitement in general -- breaks my heart.

“...how many nails was the good pastor missing?” Levi asks.

Why that little -

“How many? You saw right?”

I’m gonna fu-

“All of the nail beds I saw were empty,” Hange responds, surprise still laced in her voice.

“People who talk, talk after one. If they don’t, ripping off more won’t make a difference.”

Oh. OH. He’s got a good point. Shit, I hate to admit that. But wait, I know how I know that but how does HE know that? God, he could’ve phrased it differently at least, Hange looks like she’s going to cry.

As all of us sit with our own thoughts, a girl that I recognize from Hange’s squad comes in and gives a note to Levi, stating that it’s from Erwin. I don’t know if I imagined it, but I swear there was a flash of worry on Levi’s face before his features shifted ever so slightly into determination. When he speaks, his voice is subtly deeper and sounds more commanding.

“Get your gear, now. We’re leaving. Make it look like we were never here.”

[hash1ras]

☆the slayer of shiganshina☆

here’s the most recent chapter of my aot fic! the full story is currently being published on wattpad, link is in the description

summary: octavia braus never wanted to be a soldier. but in the year 845, when the colossal titan appeared, she had no choice but to fight back. taking the ODM gear off of a nearby dead soldier, she desperately attempted to protect herself against the titan hordes. when the smoke cleared, standing amongst the carnage, she was immediately arrested by the military police for unauthorized use of military gear. and so, at just 17 years of age, she found herself with two choices: execution for committing a capital offense or enlisting and using her innate talents for the good of humanity.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 The year 847 | Trost District | Wall Rose

Two years later, after the fall of Wall Maria, the 104th cadet corps was introduced. Shadis was once again assigned to turn a batch of rookies into trained, resilient soldiers. On their first day, he performed his traditional interrogation techniques, attempting to intimidate his new recruits. But, while he was in the middle of harassing one of them, something caught his peripheral. Instead, someone did. A petite young girl with light brunette hair, mindlessly munching on a potato. 

Shadis dropped the cadet he was currently holding by the head, a young dimwit named Connie Springer. His wide eyes focused on her, his mouth agape in shock.

“Hey, you. What are you doing?” Shadis slowly asked. She said nothing and continued to eat. Then, finally, he stormed towards her, his face inches away from hers, and began to scream. 

“You! I’m talking to you! Who the hell are you!?” She dropped the hand holding the potato and brought it to the left side of her chest.

“Sasha Braus from Dauper Village in Wall Rose’s southern district, sir!”

The commandant blinked. Braus? Did she just say Braus? He could confirm his suspicion later. 

“What the hell is in your right hand?” he growled.

“A steamed potato, sir,” she said a little too confidently. “I happened to see it in the kitchen, so I took it, sir.”

Shadis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. These kids were a damn joke. First, the Springer boy who thought his heart was on his right side, and now this.

“In other words, you stole it. So why did you eat the potato?” Sasha’s eyebrows dropped, genuine confusion spreading across her face.

“Are you asking me why people eat potatoes, sir?” she innocently asked. Then, she broke off a piece and politely handed it to him. “This half’s for you, sir.”

He couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. The rest of the cadets were anxiously watching, their eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

With Octavia, he could tell she was just a true smartass. There was no lack of intelligence or common sense, just innate defiance. This girl, however, appeared to be plain clueless and inherently stupid.

“You said your name was Braus?” Sasha blinked, her face still contorted into an expression of disorientation.

“Yes, sir?”

Shadis stood in silence for a few seconds before speaking.

“Would you happen to have an older sister? Octavia, perhaps?” Her confusion instantly vanished, replaced with a goofy smile and a look of sincere reverence in her eyes.

“You know my big sis, O?”

Shadis sighed.

Behind him, the cadets began to exchange uneasy glances with each other. Connie locked eyes with his nearby friend, another cadet named Jean Kirstein. 

“Wait, did he just say Octavia? Like, that Octavia? The one from Shiganshina?” he asked in a hushed, frantic whisper.

Jean immediately turned his head towards Sasha, who was now being forced to run laps for the foreseeable future. Shadis was now walking in the opposite direction, looking to unleash his heightened anger on a new, unsuspecting victim. Jean slowly turned back to Connie and scoffed.

“No way. There’s just no way.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The first day for the 104th Cadet Corps was finally over. Gathered in the mess hall, the rookies were enjoying a much needed dinner break when the sound of fists slamming into wood exploded.

“HUH? Your sister is the slayer of Shiganshina?”

Sasha had just returned from her punishment and wanted nothing more than to peacefully stuff her face. Her friends, however, had other plans.

Every set of eyes in the room were now focused on Jean, who was towering over Sasha with an aghast look on his face. Seated to his left was Connie, whose mouth was hung wide open. 

At the sound of this revelation, he dropped his fork and it clattered against the ground, reverberating through the silent room. A smaller, blonde boy named Armin Arlert was seated to the right of Sasha. His luminous blue eyes were glistening with awe and admiration as he turned towards her. His gentle voice broke the stillness around them.

“Wait, really?”

Sasha, still in the middle of cramming bread into her mouth, vigorously nodded.

“Mhm!. Octavia Braus, that's my big sister.”

The tense silence returned. The cadets were now staring at Sasha, who was completely oblivious to the gravity of this information.

Three cadets were seated at the table adjacent to them. One of them had his eyes intently focused on the young Braus girl. He was a little over six feet tall, with short blonde hair and a defined facial structure. His name was Reiner Braun. His narrowed gold eyes glimmered as he spoke.

“You mean that civilian that allegedly stole some ODM gear and fought off the titans?” 

He shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Personally I didn't think it was true. Kinda hard to believe, if you ask me.”

The sound of Armin’s voice piped up.

“It’s true, though! I caught a glimpse of her while we were being evacuated into Wall Rose. I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, it was definitely her!”

He threw his arms up before excitedly continuing.

“She wasn't wearing a uniform but she was flying through the air fast. I mean, so fast that if you blinked you would totally miss her. It never crossed my mind that she wasn't a soldier until we heard the news the next day.”

Reiner raised an eyebrow. “Is that right?”

Another male voice chimed in.

“Yeah! No, it’s definitely true! The Military Police were going to execute her but Commander Pyxis himself defended her at the trial!”

It was the other male cadet seated next to Jean, his name was Marco Bodt. His average height build was contrasted by a broad, muscular physique. He had short, parted black hair, prominent freckles and light brown eyes. 

Jean turned to his friend and patted him on the back. “Ease up, Marco. We don't know that for sure. The part about Pyxis, I mean. Besides, I’ve heard that guys a real kook.”

Marco gasped. “Jean, he's the top officer of the Garrison Regiment’s southern territory. You can't say that!”

Connie jumped in.

“Hey, I heard Commander Erwin was there too. You know, from the Scouts? I bet he was interested in her just as much. Don't know why anyone would wanna join them though. It’s basically a death sentence.”

“It’s all true.”

The three boys snapped up to see Sasha, sitting with her hands in her lap and eyes focused on the empty plate in front of her. Her soft voice spoke up again, but her previous excited tone was now solemn. 

“It's true. They were gonna kill her. She- She wasn't supposed to go into the city that day but she went anyway. Probably to get something for me…she’s always been selfless like that. We didn't know anything  until we got the letter. Instead of getting executed, Pyxis offered an alternative. So she joined the military.”

She sighed and turned her gaze upward toward her friends. Propping her elbow up, she rested her cheek on her hand before she continued.

“You know, that was two years ago. I haven't seen her since. That's kind of why I enlisted, so I could see her again.”

The room was quiet for a while until a new voice emerged.

“Hey, Sasha.”

She looked up to see the boy that had just addressed her. He was seated next to Marco, across from Armin. Another male cadet of average height, with a tan, rounded face and expressive teal eyes sitting beneath furrowed eyebrows. He had short, dark brown hair and bangs that naturally fell in a curtain style middle part.

“Your sister’s a hero, Sasha, and don't let anyone tell you differently. I can tell she’s strong, she has the kind of strength it takes to fight. The kind of strength that only someone who’s faced death and survived can have. She fought against those titans not because she had something to prove, but because she has something she wants to protect. She’s the kind of person I wanna be. I bet no one else in this room would have even thought about doing what she did.” He briefly paused before adding, “I’d like to meet her someday.”

Sasha gave the boy a gentle smile. 

“Yeah, big sis O is the coolest. Hey, you should totally meet her!”

Connie immediately chimed in.

“Yeah, well I still don't buy it. I mean, no offense Sasha, but you're kind of an idiot. No way you're related to someone as badass as her.”

The room erupted into a cacophony of laughter and buzzing voices. Armin chuckled before turning his gaze to meet the eyes of his friend across the table. The same male cadet who just defended and praised Octavia. The same boy who longed to meet the fearless slayer of Shiganshina.

His name was Eren Yeager. And, in just three years time, he would finally get that chance.

[sevendeadlywhispers]

7Seals

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Chapter 8

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•Previous Chapter: Chapter Seven

•Next Chapter: Chapter Nine

• New chapters every Thursday

•Content: Levi Ackerman × OC female. Slow Burn! Canon verse!

• Word Count: 2.7k

• Warning: This content may not be suitable for all readers. If you've watched all of AOT then you will understand that the show handles heavy subjects such as abuse, racism, violence, and other heavy subjects. This fanfiction will also have the same heavy themes. Chapters with heavy themes will be marked with * at each chapter.

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Boulevard of Broken Dreams -  Green Day

0:12 ━❍────── 4:09

↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺

VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

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Levi's Perspective

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The relentless September sun beat down on us as we observed from the roof. Iris stood beside me, clearly uncomfortable in the afternoon heat. Her black hair clung to her face, and she fidgeted with it incessantly.

She couldn't seem to sit still, a habit that grated on my nerves. Perhaps if she focused on functionality instead of treating it like a fashion show, she might find some relief. I couldn't fathom how she managed to avoid getting that mess caught in her ODM gear with its considerable length.

My attention was fixed on the squad's training below, a specific few chosen the night before. As I watched, it became painfully apparent that incompetence ran rampant in the regiment. The veterans, in particular, displayed a lack of commitment to training, acting as if it held no significance. Little wonder that so many of them met their end outside the walls.

I observed several soldiers halting during their laps after practice—an embarrassing display. The captains failed to address the issue, allowing indiscipline to fester unchecked.

"They all lack discipline," I groaned, my frustration evident. "Looks like our selection will have to suffice for the time being."

She didn't utter a word, just observed the training below. But was she truly present? It seemed like her mind had been wandering, neglecting her duties.

If I had known how easily this woman gets distracted, I might have thought twice about choosing her for my squad. Yet, the decision wasn't entirely mine; Erwin had been insistent on Iris leaving Wright's squad.

"Pay attention. Tell me, who performed best on the ODM gear today?" I grumbled at her. "In order."

"Eld. Then Gunther, Petra, and Oluo last," she replied hastily, her words sounding rehearsed, like everything else she said.

"Wrong," I retorted, rolling my eyes at her response.

"Gunther, Eld, Oluo, and Petra," I corrected her. "Petra lacks speed, and Oluo treats it like playtime."

"Right," was all she could muster in acknowledgment.

"If you don't watch out, Gunther or Eld might take your position," I warned her.

She laughed as if I were joking. It fueled my irritation further; the glare I shot her wiped the small smile off her face, replacing it with fear.

"You think I'm kidding?" I stated sharply. "If you don't get your act together, you'll be asked to step down. I'm giving you a month until they're formally invited to join the squad."

"Yes, right, sir," she responded with a salute.

"Meet me after dinner. We'll go over your training plan from there," I instructed. "Don't be late."

I descended from the roof, deliberately avoiding the impending conversation with her. Today, I was too weary to entertain her nonsense. My desk awaited me, stacked with a mountain of paperwork demanding attention before I met with Erwin.

My role was a relentless cycle of paperwork and subpar soldiers—a wearisome existence. How was I to aid Erwin in reshaping the regiment before our next expedition, a topic he incessantly brought up? The whims of that curious fanatic could lead us all to our demise. Erwin's relentless pursuit to reclaim Wall Maria, despite insufficient funding for meals, was a reckless gamble.

"Hey. You," a voice echoed behind me as I strode down the hall.

I saw no reason to halt for anyone other than Erwin. Ignoring the voice, I continued my focus on the tasks at hand.

Before my hand could touch the doorknob to my office, another hand covered it, obstructing my entry.

My eyes met his, recognizing Alexander's presence.

Not this shithead.

"I was talking to you," he asserted, attempting a threatening tone. The look in his eyes meant nothing to me, but it was familiar.

His effort to intimidate was feeble, distinct from the thugs I'd encountered. However, his eyes bore a stain of something darker.

I responded with a blank stare, well aware of his desire to provoke a reaction, as he had since my arrival, tossing empty promises my way.

Glancing at his hand barricading my door, I knew removing him myself would escalate into conflict, resulting in more paperwork. He was already wasting my time.

"Move," I uttered lowly. "You're in my way."

"You don't get to call the shots around here," he retorted, our eyes locked in an unyielding stare. "You haven't earned anything above ground. We don't roll like y'all did down there. Up here, we don't steal. We work hard for what we have."

"Is there a point to this?" My voice dripped with annoyance.

"I want you to stay the fuck away from my squad," he growled. "Remove Iris from your squad and move on to the next."

"I asked for the point of this nonsense. Not your wants. I'm not a damn genie. You want change? Go talk to Erwin," I dismissed, my patience wearing thin.

"I'm not asking. I'm telling." Alexander closed the distance between us, jabbing his finger into my chest.

More paperwork sounded appealing at that moment.

Without hesitation, I grabbed his finger, swiftly twisting his arm behind his back, and pinning him against the wall. I applied pressure, pushing his arm further up his back as he grunted, attempting to break free.

"Resist, and I'll break your fucking finger," I warned coldly. "This is how it's going to go."

"You can't do this." he defiantly stated.

"Wrong. I'm going to do whatever the fuck I want. And you? You're going to watch and let it all happen," I chuckled, tightening my grip. I moved his arm even higher, causing him to yell out in pain. "You're an embarrassment to the regiment if you can't get out of a measly position."

"Levi," Erwin's voice broke from behind me.

I released Alexander's arm, watching him stumble to catch himself.

"What's the meaning of this?" Erwin asked, his gaze shifting between Alexander and me.

"Just comrades being comrades," I stated, crossing my arms and observing the disheveled rat before me.

"Bullshit," Alexander yelled in frustration.

"Language," Erwin chided. "You're dismissed, Wright. Make sure to go to the infirmary to check your arm. I want a full report of the incident on my desk by tonight."

After dismissing Wright, Erwin headed straight to my room, and I had no choice but to follow him.

"You're early," I remarked.

"You were late," he replied, tapping his wrist.

Did I really spend my whole time bickering with that rat?

"Care to explain, Levi?" Erwin inquired.

"Not really,"

"Wasn't an option," Erwin retorted.

"Fine," I replied, walking to my desk and taking a seat. I watched Erwin make himself at home, preparing tea, as I began explaining the recent events.

"Sounds like someone's had their hands full," Erwin commented, handing me a cup of tea.

"Since I just explained the bullshit to you, can I skip the incident report?" I asked, hoping to cut through the bureaucracy.

"No," he said firmly. "We need this for the records."

All I could manage was a scoff.

"This Iris girl is more trouble than she's worth. It's starting to piss me off," I expressed my frustration to Erwin.

"What was your reasoning for this, Erwin?"

"I'm surprised you don't know," Erwin chuckled. "It's highly inappropriate for a superior and a subordinate to be romantically involved, especially in the same squad. Not only is it unfair, but it's extremely unsafe in this circumstance."

Erwin took a moment to pause, sipping his tea.

"There's more, but at the moment, I need to see how this plays out," he finished.

"Is this another one of your gambles, Erwin?"

"It's crucial you keep an eye on her, Levi," Erwin stated. "Nothing must go unnoticed."

He ignored me. What a classy man.

"Is this why you called a meeting today?"

I grumbled, my eyes flickering from the stack of untouched paperwork to Erwin.

"No, we have other matters to attend to," Erwin said. "You're going on your first mission."

"Iris isn't prepared enough," I quickly stated, my gaze intensifying as I thought about her readiness. She's too slow, she can't keep up with me on her ODM gear. Not to mention her skills are still juvenile.

"Alone."

"Where?"

"The underground."

The knock on the door disrupted our conversation.

Who could it possibly be now?

"What?" I barked at the door, irritation evident in my voice.

"Aldridge. Reporting for duty."

Of course, it's her.

"Come in, Iris!" Erwin called cheerfully, inviting her in like it was his office.

"Commander," Iris saluted, her long black hair falling slightly in disarray as she closed the door behind her.

"How are you?" Erwin inquired. "That's a nasty bruise you got there. How'd you get it?"

"Oh, I fell," she laughed, her violet eyes avoiding my scrutinizing gaze.

"You fell?" I questioned, my eyes narrowing, observing the growing bruise on her face.

Another lie fell from her lips.

"It was a mishap during a sparing session. Clumsy me," she chuckled, her hand lightly brushing against her hair.

"Well, I'm glad to see that your bruise isn't causing you any harm. What can we do for you?" Erwin asked, seemingly unaware of my sharper observations.

"Levi wanted me to stop by after dinner," she said, her eyes flickering briefly towards me.

It's Captain.

"Right," I grumbled, my gaze shifting from her to the neglected paperwork. "Do the paperwork before tomorrow. Then we will discuss your training plan. You're dismissed."

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The damp, dimly lit streets of the underground were a stark contrast to the starry nights I got so used to. Lanterns flickered, casting a feeble glow on the worn cobblestone paths. The echoing sounds were no longer the laughter of children playing, but hurried footsteps fleeing from potential dangers.

In this twisted version of home, people didn't approach you to share thoughts on their beliefs; they reached out desperately, seeking aid in a world that turned harsh and unforgiving. Months had passed since my departure, and the return was a solitary one. No one by my side, just the heavy burden of my own existence.

Down here, no one recognized me. But then again, they never truly knew me. I was the thug, the supposed monster, a sheep raised by wolves who ultimately joined the pack. The underground had shaped me, molded me into another one of its ruthless denizens.

Erwin's decision to send me on a mission to this forsaken place caught me off guard. Did he truly trust me after what transpired a few months ago? Perhaps he believed I'd stay true to the cause, but trust was a fragile thing, and I wondered if Erwin's faith in me was well-placed. Was this another one of his stupid gambles?

Walking these streets in Survey Corps uniform would be suicidal. Erwin might think it was an effective approach, but he didn't comprehend the underground like I did. A uniform here was a beacon, a signal to every cutthroat that a soldier had wandered into their territory.

If answers were what Erwin sought, it would have to be done my way. Captain Levi was set aside; I was just Levi— the one who grew up in these treacherous alleys.

My first destination was one of my most reliable clients. A man who dealt in drinks but traded in information. His bar was a hub of secrets, and if anyone had the lowdown on what was happening in the underground, it was him.

When I entered the dimly lit establishment, I was greeted by the familiar scent of cheap alcohol and the low hum of conversations, ones that could cost your life.

"What can I getcha'?" The bartender's voice cut through the dimly lit atmosphere, a stark contrast to the gloom outside.

"Black tea," I muttered, keeping my head lowered.

"Sorry, sir, but I ain't got that," he replied.

"Cut the shit, Rick. I know you got some stashed away for me somewhere," I retorted, lifting my head to meet his gaze.

"Well, I'll be damned," Rick chuckled, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"I thought you were gone for good. Should've known you'd be back."

He moved around the bar, gathering the necessary items to prepare the tea. As he worked, he continued to speak, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"Now tell me, how did you manage to escape those Royal cocksuckers? There's lots of rumors floating around since you've been gone," he inquired.

I accepted the tea from him, taking a sip as he prattled on about the underground gossip.

"Ya know, boy, " he remarked, cleaning a dish, "you look healthy. I couldn't even tell that was you under that cloak. That's a nice one you got there. Did you get that from above, from one of those fine merchants?"

"That's the point, Rick," I replied, deflecting his question. The less information he had, the better. I leaned against the bar, savoring the bitter taste of the tea.

"So, you gonna tell me how you ended up getting outta there or what?" Rick's gruff voice broke through the ambient hum of the underground bar. "Cause people are saying you died, others are saying you're locked up. But my favorite one is that you're a Royal cock sucker now, living it big in Wall Sina."

Rick was a good man, an old man, but a good one. After Kenny left me, Rick was there. He let me work for food or even a place to sleep at times.

"I'm on a mission for Commander Erwin," I replied quietly.

"A mission?" His eyebrow quirked up. "I'll be damned. The rumors are true. Did the little ones join too?"

All I could do was shake my head in agreement.

He let out a low whistle and smiled.

"I'm proud of ya, Levi. Ya got them all out of here."

I watched the joy brighten his face as he continued to talk. It wasn't going to last long, though.

"Now are they down here too?" he inquired.

Again, I shook my head.

"Well, where are they?" he pressed.

"Dead," I replied.

There it went, fading just as fast as it came. His eyes filled with remorse as he waited for me to speak.

"Titans," is all I said to him. He should get the message.

"My condolences," was all he could offer.

A moment of silence passed by until he was back to himself, putting on a fake persona after the grim news.

"Now, how can I help, Levi?" Rick's raspy voice cut through the murmur of the dimly lit underground bar.

"What do you know about the black market dealers selling ODM?" I cut straight to the point.

"Now, you know just as well as I do that's some dangerous stuff right there," Rick said, wiping down the counter.

"I know it's a lot, Rick. Thought you'd be the best," I explained.

"Let's just say things have changed. They know better than to crawl up in here, especially knowing you could be here," Rick replied.

"That won't last long when word gets out I'm in the Survey," I said to him. "You got what you need to protect yourself?"

"What did you think I did with your old stash as a kid?" Rick chuckled.

"Very well," I said. "Where do they go now?"

"Mal's prolly'. That's where the MPs gamble. Been nothing but pains in the ass," Rick said.

"Thank you, Rick," I said, leaving more than the tea was worth on the counter.

"Levi, you know it's not this much," he protested.

"Don't make me change my mind, old fart," I said, pulling my hood lower and heading out.

Mal's wasn't far, two streets over, and I was already through the door. The bar was filled with men in suits, uniforms, and cloaks. How times have changed since I last graced these grimy floors. There wasn't a trace of the rugged men that ran rampant in the underground.

"What can I getcha, sweets?" Her perky voice spoke out.

"Sit,"

"Now look, you're in my bar—" she stopped when I threw the bag of coins on the table. Her hand quickly reached out to grab it, but mine was faster. I lifted my hood a bit so she could see my eyes as I took back the money.

"Wow," she said. "You really do got your mama's eyes."

"Sit, and you'll get this at the end," I said, shaking the coin bag.

"But ya act like that damn old man," she remarked, complying with my request. "Now what can I do for you, sweetheart? Didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Who's been doing the ODM trades?" I asked her.

She looked around, assessing the crowd. Her voice lowered as she leaned over the bar. "Well, who do you think, babe?"

Her head tilted towards a loud group of men in the corner, gambling as more military police scum walked in.

Of course, it was the MPs. Who else would have access to the latest gear? But how did they manage to get ahold of Scout gear? I scanned over each of the men, none of them I knew, but I memorized each of their faces.

"About dame time. Welcome back!" one of the men yelled my way.

Shit. They noticed me. How, though? I've never seen these men a day in my life. Never once seen them down here before today.

"Oh, shut up." A woman's giggle followed behind the man's voice as they walked past. The green cloak flowed behind the man as he had his arm wrapped around a woman in an MP uniform with blond hair.

"Here. I got what I wanted," I said to Mal as I threw the coin bag towards her on the table, keeping my eyes on the MPs.

"I know your momma's proud of you," she said to me as she dismissed herself from the area.

"One whisky and whatever the women wants." The familiar voice said.

The green cloak was a give away, but who in the Scouts would be dumb enough to do black market selling in the underground? It wasn't until the man turned when I realized who it was.

Alexander.

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[screpa]

Your friendship with Levi and Bertolt's insecurity (Chp 1)

Summary:

Bertolt saw you got hurt during your one-on-one training with Levi. But, he saw how strong your friendship is with Levi and became insecure

Tag: SFW, mature, training with levi, mild injury, unrequited love, jealousy, mild angst, romantic friendship

Read here or on AO3, up to you ^^

Not long after Eren’s trial and his custody under Levi’s Special Operation Squad, Commander Erwin put the remaining new recruits from the 104th cadet corps under your command. Eren was separated from the others to stay in the abandoned survey corps fortress. Levi and his squad monitored him as Hange conducted experiments on him.

You were lonely in the beginning since your two closest friends were always away. Hange would come to the headquarter once in a while, so you would spend the night with them to do the infamous pillow talk. Meeting Levi was more regular since he had scheduled one-on-one training for you once a week - which made your life a living hell for a couple of hours.

But then you became less lonely as you started to be romantically involved with one of the recruits, Bertolt. You busied yourself with your duties and shared passionate nights with your sweet giant in the love nest you built especially for him.

Today was the dreaded training day with Levi. You usually had the training in areas outside of the headquarters where he’d give you various challenges using the ODM gear. But today you were supposed to meet him in the training ground for some hand-to-hand combat.

The recruits, including your boyfriend, Bertolt, would be having their own training there under Nanaba, who was your substitute for the day. You did not look forward having your ass whooped in front of your lover.

You went to the training ground to have a little talk with the recruits before their training started.

‘Okay everyone, Nanaba will be my substitute for today’s training. You’ll be in good hands and I expect that all of you would impress her with your performance. I will also have my own training here with Captain Levi. I foresee that you’d witness some, uhm, disagreeable moments on my part, but I hope that you would closely observe and learn from it’.

Nanaba looked at you solemnly, knowing full well the kind of terror awaited you, relieved that she wasn’t in your shoes.

You added with a fake cheerful voice, ‘and I hope I don’t lose your respect after this, ha ha ha’. With that you left, feeling their stare as you walked toward the meeting point.

Levi brought you the obstacle course area in the training ground.

‘Your task is to deliver a jump kick to my face,’ Levi said to you flatly.

You stared at him, knowing that it wouldn’t be that easy.

‘I guess I have to do that while you eel yourself all over the obstacle course,’ you commented with a hint of defiance.

You saw that his stoic face became grouchy after hearing your comment.

He added, ‘and you have to keep moving, no resting until you deliver that kick’.

You groaned as he motioned you to start.

You estimated that two hours had passed, but you still hadn’t had the chance to deliver the kick. There were a handful of times that you managed to get close, but never close enough to reach his face.

The slippery bastard could read me too well, you thought to yourself with annoyance.

Your frustration increased as you knew that he didn’t put in much effort at all. He was floating effortlessly like soap bubbles in the air, while you had to charge him like an enraged wild boar.

At one point, you made an unpredictable move that allowed you to be close enough to deliver the kick.

You saw his surprised expression. Knowing that you were close to winning, you relished at the thought of having his strikingly gorgeous face on the sole of your boots.

But alas, he was too quick! He caught your kick and swept you away.

You were both on top of an obstacle. You plunged to the ground but you managed to swiftly dive roll and broke the fall to avoid further injury.

You then laid sprawling on the ground and let out a guttural scream out of frustration.

Bertolt was watching Y/N from afar, stealing glances as he did his own training.

He was at first captivated by her performance. Even though she struggled to catch the captain, he saw that her technique and endurance were top-notch.

‘What was she supposed to do, you think?’ He heard Sasha whispered to Armin.

‘Seemed like she was targeting his head. Maybe she was supposed to kick his face,’ Armin whispered back.

Bertolt’s heart swelled with happiness at the thought of her maiming his rival. But his hope turned to worry as the first hour passed, and then the second.

He saw her tired, sweaty body versus Levi’s composed body, barely breaking a sweet. She became increasingly agitated but Levi remained calm yet alert.

Bertolt knew that if she let her frustration take over, she could end up injuring herself.

He stood to watch her during the long break, and the others joined him to watch.

‘Squad Leader Y/N is on fire. I would’ve broken down after half an hour, no make it a quarter. Fifteen minutes of that and I’d given up!’ Sasha said in wonder.

‘I agree. Not many, or if any, could match her performance for sure,’ Armin said with twinkling eyes.

‘She’s dangerous,’ Reiner muttered under his breath, for Bertolt’s ears only.

Bertolt didn’t need Reiner to tell him as he was well aware of Y/N's strength. She could manhandle him despite being smaller than him. It showed from the way she controlled and manoeuvred his body as she like whenever they make love. But her performance on the field was something else. It’s reasonable for Reiner to be intimidated.

Yet, Bertolt felt neither intimidated nor impressed, just anguished at the imminent danger befalling her.

Then it happened.

Everyone gasped as they saw her almost kicking the captain.

Bertolt’s heart beat out of his chest as he saw the puny captain caught her leg and swept her from a great height.

He growled and started to make a run toward her falling body, but Mikasa unexpectedly put an arm over his chest to stop him.

‘I know you’re worried and angry. I would be too. But you’d make it worse for her if you go to her now,’ Mikasa told him flatly.

He saw Y/N lying on the ground and let out a guttural scream that sliced his heart. His body started to move again, but Mikasa held out her arm firmly, stopping him.

‘Look closely. She’s okay, just frustrated. The shortie would stop the training now. He lost,’ she calmly assured him.

Bertolt saw the puny captain lazily jumped off the obstacle course and went toward Y/N. Levi bent down slightly and put out a hand to help her out. She took the hand and pushed herself up. She brushed dirt from her clothes. As she bent to brush off dirt on her pants, Levi ruffled her hair. She looked up to him and smiled. No trace of anger or frustration there.

Bertolt sensed intimacy between Y/N and Levi, which was different yet deeper than the one he shared with her. The kind that could only develop over years of trust and deep friendship.

Insecurity welled inside him and his fear of losing Y/N grew.

--

Let's go to Chapter 2! ♥️

This story is part the "Detours to Your Heart" series, comprises of stories of YOUR friendship and slow burn romance with Levi Ackerman. You build many interesting relationships with other AOT characters, such as ambiguous friendship/ romance with Hange Zoe, a whirlwind romance with Bertolt Hoover, sibling-like relationship with Jean Kirstein, and many more!

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