#The Key

[inkedinfusions]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 | eren jaeger chapter 13

⊱𖣂⊰ | In which you fall into a fictional world with the key to Pandora's box.

── ★ ˙ ̟ . 🗝 .ᐟ.ᐟ masterlist

⊰– prev   next–⊱

𝟏𝟑 | 𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧

chapter word count: 3.1k

content warnings: blanket warnings

a/n: Hi! So sorry for the delay lol, the semester started and it Is Going. This chapter was like the last one: unplanned!! Idk if yall remember, but Paradis holds a meeting between the military and the queen when the Volunteers first arrive, and our dear Y/n will make her appeal there. That was supposed to be chapter 12, but as you can see, that didn't happen oops. So! Im now one hundred percent sure that will be next chapter and the next one after that will be a filler slash relationship building chapter with our favorite angry boy yay! Also its my birthday yayyyy 

Thanks for reading!

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 being proven wrong as you approach, and you realize that the gate is not yet repaired. There is no splintered wood nor crumbling rock to serve as evidence of the invasion carried out by the Armored but the place where the gate is supposed to stand, even though you know the memories of the Warrior’s Titan mark every survivor.

Still, it is Bertholdt's presence that settles over Shiganshina. Maybe it's because the damage caused by Reiner has already been, in a way, repaired by Eren, as it is his Titan that now guards the gate to the city. It is eerie how the Wall doesn’t move nor sway, and yet what stood years against the snow, wind and rain is marked by a handprint on its summit.

As you get closer, you start to notice how the crystal seems to glow from within, a brighter and bigger sample of the lamps carried by the Scouts. It's dark purple where there is shadow and painted blue by the sun rays that bounce against its surface. But the overcast clouds seem to tint it a melancholy grey, sucking out the color of the once vibrant place.

The cart skids to a halt as you approach, and wooden platforms are brought down by pulleys to assist you in getting over the wall. You accept Armin’s hand when he offers you help in stepping down, your feet striking the earth as you move out of the cay of the others.

You stand still for a moment, looking upwards at the Wall.

It stands 50 meters tall above you, towering over your group. The others, having grown up next to walls their whole lives, are not as easily impressed as you, so you stand alone at the side, gawking at the sheer presence of the stone structure.

But it's not really stone, you remember. It's titan crystal, less so blue and more so grey and weathered than the one plugging both entrances to the city. Under them reside thousands of Colossal titans, struck up from the ground by a king of yesteryear, who vowed against war.

“It's big, huh?” Armin asks when he sees your upwards gaze.

You would make a that's what she said joke if you weren't unsettled by the magnitude of the future hanging over you, by the significance of the past standing below you. Judging by the handprint, you are more or less where Bertholdt once stood along with Reiner and maybe Annie, ready to carry out Marley’s will.

And in a messed up way, you are too. Not Marley’s will specifically – hell would freeze over before you did a thing that country preached. But you are under Zeke’s orders to infiltrate the island, just like the Warriors once were, and pave the way for his own ulterior motives. You were a double, triple, quadruple agent, working for both teams, your own, and the audience.

“Yeah,” you answer, a little breathless from all the things running through your mind. “It's… intimidating.”

“I guess it can be,” – He guesses? – “they’re not exactly… conventional.”

“You can say that again,” you answer.

Armin lets out a small laugh, rubbing his nape. He leads you over to one of the wooden elevators as you ponder on the implications of it all, so lost in thought you almost bump into him when he comes to a stop.

The elevator you get on is boarded by him and Levi, who also brings his horse, and you are slowly brought up by two pulleys situated at the top of the wall. The way up is gradual, in the sense that there is not much to do, much to talk about, much to see but the horizon that stretches past the field and the forests.

The wind whistles against your ears as you are elevated in the air, getting you closer and closer to the zenith. It's unreal, and the view from the side of the Walls steals your breath away just like the Walls themselves. It's twenty meters, then thirty, then fourty. Finally, at the fifty meter mark, you disembark the wooden structure, careful to not step on the unused rails that decorate the Wall’s perimeter.

You pay no mind to the neighs of Levi’s horse as the captain leads him to the elevators on the other side, preferring instead to break off from your small group in favor of peeking over the edge, towards the city. You do so carefully, knowing you are not clumsy enough to fall, but still exercising an adequate amount of caution.

There, with the wind running through your hair, tousling your cape, you bear witness to the tragedy of Shiganshina. There are two craters in the middle of the city, running deep, stretching wide. Twins; siblings. They scar the earth, leaving nothing but crumbling houses and half cleaned rubble around them, a stark scar the city bears from the altercation last year.

There is a river that flows all throughout Shiganshina, extending past the borders established by the Wall. Houses that harbor what little the people of the district left behind in their panicked retreat line the streets, and you marvel at how little they look from up where you are.

A presence steps beside you, and you don't need to crane your neck to know who they are. Eren contemplates the city in a similar fashion, his cape matching your own in the rhythm the roaring wind dictates. Your fingers clench the fabric of your pack as you survey the view.

You don’t need to look at him to know what he is thinking about. In the two weeks that it had taken you to arrive to Shiganshina, Eren had reverted back to his gloomy self, not offering much in terms of conversation or facial expressions. But you, much like him, remember the promises made under the blanket of dawn.

Bertholdt’s Colossal – now Armin’s– had been able to command such destruction in so little time. It had resulted in both the death of Armin and his resurrection, as well as the animosity you are sure many exhibit towards him, a sentiment shared with Floch.

So what could you do against thousands of them? If one’s brute force rendered –or rather, will render– Liberio’s navy useless, what did you possibly think you could do against an army commanded by the boy standing next to you?

You shift your gaze towards Eren, whose eyes seem to be glossed over with words left unsaid, with memories better left forgotten. But if he's anything like you, the very act of wanting to forget does nothing but enliven the contents of your premonitions.

His eyes meet yours and you wonder what he is thinking about now. Is it Carla, who perished at the hands of Dina? Is it Ramzi, who was crushed under the weight of giant feet? You don’t know which is worse; the undeniability of the past, or the indisputability of the future.

But there is no time to dwell on what was and what could be. You pull away from the call of the void, walking towards where Armin is waving at you. There are now two horses in the elevator, Levi’s and another you assume to be Armin’s.

The ropes twitch and groan as you are lowered into the district, and the slight wobble of the wood sends your heart into a faster tempo. It only begins to slow down when you are back on the safety of solid ground.

You wait for the others to come down, standing next to Armin as he straps his things to his horse, handing him your own when he gestures to you. The cart would do more harm than good when passing through the cities, so you’ve been relegated to passenger duty on Armin's horse.

“Oh, wait–” you say just as you are handing him your things. “Let me just get something out first.”

“Sure,” Armin says as you begin to rummage through them.

While Mikasa’s tea leaves have done little to prevent or minimize your headaches, they give you something to chew on on the road, so you want to get those out while it is possible to do so. But what falls out of your things when you are taking the packets out is not something you remember packing in the first place.

It is a small, black drawstring bag, similar to ones you’ve seen contain jewelry or other precious but small things. The material is too delicate to be from Paradis, and you’ve seen similar bags on Liberio, so you know it is something you unknowingly brought from Marley.

You frown, crouching to pick up the bag. Your face contorts even more when you notice that it is extremely light, as if the only thing that weighs in it is its own material. You distinctly remember your bag being vetoed as nothing dangerous, so you can't help but wonder if the contents of the bag were confiscated before you could get to it.

“What’s that?” Armin asks when you straighten up.

“I have no idea,” you answer, fighting a flinch when another voice pipes up from behind.

“What’s what?” Eren asks.

You wordlessly show him the small pouch, throwing it up in the air and catching it, feeling even more confused when nothing is heard from its insides. So, expecting nothing, you decide to open it anyway. What did you have to lose? The Scouts had already revised it, so they couldn’t fault you for doing so.

Nothing catches your eye when you peek into it, but the real surprise comes when you turn it upside down and shake it onto your held out hand.

A single button falls from the confines of the pouch, landing directly on the center of your palm. And this simple button should definitely not make you want to cry, but you have to take a deep breath before tears start coming out your eyes.

It's true that you didn’t have the permission to take things –your clothes– that were not rations and water from Marley, because either way the Scouts could seize it, or you could lose it, or it could simply be something to hang over your head. You argued with Zeke over it, wanting a part of your home for comfort in those foreign lands, but he didn’t budge.

However, something seems to have gotten through to him, because, without you knowing, he sniped away a button from the garments you arrived in, stowing it away inside your bag for a surprise when you arrived.

There is no note, only a lone button and the bag it came in, but to you it is now one of your most prized possessions. What a cruel joke that the evidence that Zeke cared for you, even if just a little, came to you in the very place that arguably suffered the most because of his exploits.

“It's a button,” you say after a moment. “A token from home.”

“You’ll lose it if you stash it there,” Eren says when you stuff it inside your pocket. “I don’t have string but… I think I know where to get some.”

“You don’t mean…” Armin trails off. “The basement?”

Eren nods. Armin’s eyes dart towards Levi, who catches his gaze and raises an eyebrow at his skittish behavior.

“Something of the matter, Arlert?” Levi asks, approaching.

“No, sir,” he answers, fiddling with the straps that hold your things to the back of his horse.

“I’d like to show Y/n the basement, sir,” Eren responds, voice flat to lend credibility to his excuse. “Maybe her perspective could show us something else.”

Levi narrows his eyes, darting them between Eren and you, but maybe your two weeks of compliance have softened his suspicions of you because he doesn’t immediately shut down the idea. Hange’s chipper voice only seals the deal.

“Oh? You want to extend the tour? Sounds like a great idea” they chirp. “Hey, why doesn’t Mikasa accompany you too? Surely she knows the district just as well.”

You accept Hange’s way of both looking out for you and keeping you in their sight. It is clear they trust Mikasa to cut you down should it be required, but they also know you’ve grown closer over the past two weeks. Mikasa, on her part, nods and falls into step next to Eren, with you following after them.

The atmosphere is eerie, the crunch beneath your boots strange enough you decidedly do not look down for fear you will find something other than rock. There is not one house without debris on its roof, with some completely torn from their foundations. There are traces of fire, of ash, of dried out blood.

Maybe Hell started in Shiganshina. Maybe the tragedy you want to prevent has already started.

But no matter, now you are too preoccupied –forcibly preoccupied– with not getting lost in the district, where every street and every building looks the same to you. Greenery swallows them, blending rock and dirt along the way, blemished by rocks, by wood, by forgotten belongings.

“We are here,” Eren says, stopping on the edge of the path.

The scene is brutal.

Up the cobblestone stairs sits a house– or more accurately, sat a house. Eren’s childhood home is completely destroyed by a boulder, the same one that trapped his mom under it, if your memory serves you correctly. The roof is at eye level, laying on top of the wooden ruins that

made up the structure.

The trapdoor they lead you to is right at the base of the boulder, having escaped the house’s fate by just a couple of meters. Although if the scratches on the door are anything to judge by, then there was a small rock on top, which probably got carried away the first time the Scouts discovered the basement.

They open the trapdoor, and you walk down the stairs after them, coming eye to eye with a broken door. You remember Levi kicking it down after the key Eren had brought with him hadn’t worked. You wonder if its protocol, to find a quick, brutal way to resolve problems, even if the consequences of such actions are something that marks it forever.

You chide yourself. Time is a privilege; you more than anyone –except Eren, probably– know how little you have left, how every second of it must be taken advantage of before it is too late. The fact that they had little to no time and still did the best they could is something to admire, not reprimanded.

Mikasa lights the lamp she had brought with her, flooding the room with it so you can see clearly. The study of Dr. Jaeger is full of books, vials and writings. Artifacts stand on every corner of the room, but there are too many empty spaces for it to feel organic. You guess whatever stood there was confiscated or something of the sort.

“I didn’t really need the string, you know,” you tell Eren, who is busy searching through various drawers.

“A want is not less than a need,” he answers cryptically.

“Hange said that,” Mikasa says.

“So what?” Eren says. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

You fidget, anxious without anything to do. You can’t help but feel as if you are intruding, being somewhere you are not meant to be. So, with nothing to do, you stroll around the room, reading the names of the books, some Eldian, some Marleyan.

“Do you think the house next door still has those scissors they used to lend us?” you hear Eren ask Mikasa.

“Probably. Why?” she responds.

“Could you look for them? I found the string but it's too long.”

You turn around just in time to see Mikasa’s suspicious glance, only this time it is not directed towards you, but towards Eren. Her eyes also dart towards you, albeit with less wariness that you thought she would.

“Are you sure?” she asks him, to which Eren nods.

Mikasa hesitates for a moment, but then steps through the ruined door, making her way to the neighbor’s. You watch her leave, looking as her scarf gently sways with every step she takes, going up to places she has roamed far longer than you.

Eren is back to rummaging throughout the study, even with his earlier statement of being able to find the string.

“So?” you ask amidst the silence. “Did you want to talk about something?”

You had touched upon his memories, yours, and the tragedies soon to come that dawn at the beach. He had the upper hand, the home turf; you had the better part of the future mapped out, and the knowledge that came with being an outsider.

But you hadn’t told him about your heritage, nor Zeke’s plan, nor the way you watched him break down in the last years of his life. So you are rightfully scared he might take his words back when he realizes you haven’t been entirely truthful with him.

“Talk?” he asks, snapping you out of your rabbit hole. “About what? Did anyone say anything? Was it Floch? If it was him I’ll–”

“He didn’t say anything,” you say, more surprised than anything. “I meant about the whole… future thing.”

“Oh, that,” he says, twisting his body so he is face to face with you again. In his hands lies a bunch of thread, so the scissors weren’t an excuse to get Mikasa out. “Why? Do you?”

“I just thought you wanted to. You know, when you proposed we go to the basement,” you say, each word sounding more and more ridiculous as you say them. “I thought maybe it was a ploy so nobody would hear.”

Eren tilts his head to the side, stepping closer to you. As he does, you notice the expressionless eyes regain a small fire, still, it was too small to compare with the him from before.

“This isn't…” he starts, struggling with finding the right words. “I’m not just talking to you because of that.”

“Well, yes,” you say, chuckling awkwardly. “I know that.”

“I think you don’t,” he replies. “It’s nice talking to someone who knows, sure, but not everytime we get together we have to talk about that.”

“Oh,” you say.

Back at Marley, your day to day life was ruled by what you knew and by what you would do with that information. Every word you exchanged with Zeke had an undertone to it, however kind, however innocent. For the past year you had done nothing but agonize over things yet to come, over people yet to suffer.

But it seems it's different here.

“Come on,” he says, side stepping onwards the stairs. “If Mikasa doesn't find the scissors I'll cut it with my blade.”

“Yeah,” you say after a beat, following him up the stairs. “Okay.”

taglist:

@dressycobra7 @xngelsau @bloodchapell @i-think-im-adorable13 @luna4mnoon

@yuuuumii @kermittears @binluvsu @luvsymai @faerie-soirxx

@bambam1sa

ask or comment to be added!

[ithrilyann]

the key to the secret door 🗝️

...and his hands

[undergroundrockpress]

'The Key', published in 1968 by Celestial Arts.

[paradiecircus]

[chicinsilk]

Italian actress Sophia Loren leaves the Savoy Hotel in London after viewing scenes from her latest film, "The Key," on April 14, 1958.

L'actrice italienne Sophia Loren quitte l'hôtel Savoy à Londres après avoir visionné des scènes de son dernier film « The Key », le 14 avril 1958.

(Photo de A. W. Cox/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Adult Trans M/M Romance

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore (Paranormal) The Key by Jo Morgan Sloan (Contemporary) Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander (Contemporary) What it Looks Like by Matthew J. Metzger (Contemporary) Coffee Boy (Contemporary) and Peter Darling (Fantasy) by Austin Chant Bonus: Coming in 2025, check out A Hex for Hunger by Alistair Reeves (Fantasy) and A Gentleman’s…

[buffyangelscreens]

[boydswan]

William Holden in 

The Key (1958) dir. Carol Reed

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

The nameless character that gave them the key back in S1

The Bear | 1x3 | Brigade

(L passing by)

(echoing) I got ya, I got ya…

(sniffs)

(echoing) I’m right here, I’m right here…

(echoing) Let it rip buddy…

WOMAN: It’s hard to hear it,

so I just keep saying it.

I didn’t cause it.

I can’t control it.

I can’t cure it.

(sighs)

A lot of my life,

I thought I was just a victim.

And because my husband drank so much,

this would happen or that would happen.

(sighs)

The short term was always so awful.

I thought if I just could throw out his liquor,

you know, hide whatever he was on, that would fix it.

We can’t curb that kind of chaos

until the thinking changes.

Until the foundations change.

Until the chemistry changes.

And it’s difficult.

I know I played a part in his abuse.

And I’m really mad at myself for that.

But…

But…

if there’s anything good that came out of it,

it’s that it made me realize that the best thing for me to do

is just to try to keep my side of the street clean.

Instead of trying to fix everything,

just remove myself from any situation that is,

or could become, toxic. (which is exactly what Syd will try to do and the reason why their chemistry will change)

♪ ♪

Remember to follow my tag #Gingerpovs 💋

[dailydccomics]

Justice Society of America in The Flash #129

[inkedinfusions]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 | eren jaeger chapter 9

⊱𖣂⊰ | In which you fall into a fictional world with the key to Pandora's box.

── ★ ˙ ̟ . 🗝 .ᐟ.ᐟ masterlist

⊰– prev   next–⊱

𝟎𝟗 | 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭��

chapter word count: 3.5 k

content warnings: blanket warnings

a/n: Hi everyone, its been a whilee. The hell that is exam week is over, so I finally had time to sit down and write. I had a lot of fun writing the main cast's reactions, and I swear by now I've seen the episode 'Brave Volunteers' like fifty times. Every line of dialogue in that episode is branded onto my brain. Anyway, I hope ya'll like the chapter and characterization! Another thing, I don't know if it was clear or not but last chapter Yelena did NOT tell them all of Zeke's fifty year plan. In 'Brave Volunteers' its stated in the government scene that they should accept Yelena's offer so they can hear the plan So that's that lol. Like always, a big shout out to my beta reader, who not only proof read this chapter but was also the reason I understood calculus. Everyone say thanks P. Also title mention!

Thanks for reading!

𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 they don’t use your name. The girl is not the worst thing you’ve been called –no, that honor went to unnamed Marleyan guards– but your name is one of the few things you have left from your home.

Your name, your face, your old clothes. Your name and your face are always with you. The first is always implicit, a faucet and a pillar of your identity, a reminder of who gave you the title. The latter is a statement of who came before you, and even if they were nonexistent in this universe, you still bear the likeness of their figures.

On the other hand, your clothes are the only thing that you can be physically separated from. The risk from bringing strange garments to the island far outweighed the small comfort they would bring you, and so you were outvoted in your request to bring them with you. Zeke kept them, somewhere under the floorboards, or wrapped in darkness at the end of an old closet, or in between the house’s foundations.

Eventually moths would eat away at them, your face would change into something your family has never seen. But your name would remain constant, a brilliant flare for those that knew you in the before.

So yes, being called the girl miffs you a little bit.

“I’m afraid we can't do that,” Yelena says, keeping up the pretense that being separated from you is detrimental to the volunteers.

“No, no, we insist!” Hange says with a smile, and you’re not the only one that notices a slight edge to their voice. “I can only imagine her merit, given it was you who insisted on waiting for her at the beach.”

With their cheery smile, Hange manages to bring attention to the fact that you were important to the volunteers, while also indirectly stating your status as a perceived pawn. Levi is less discreet with his facial expressions. He has been glaring at Yelena ever since she started singing praises about Zeke. It's cold, quiet, and could be easily passed off as being part of Levi’s general distrust of strangers, even his resting annoyed face, but it stems from something much more personal, given her ties to Zeke.

“As her guardian, it would be unbecoming of me to abandon her so soon after our journey,” Yelena says.

“Guardian?” Hange asks, turning to you. “Were your parents victims of Marley too?”

“They’re… not around,” you say. “Anymore.”

You don’t confirm nor deny the causes of your family’s absence. In a way, it was you that was taken by Marley, not the other way around. It felt as if the universe was playing a big joke on you, stripping you of your family, bringing you to an unfamiliar territory, loading your back with the burden of knowing. You are well on the road to becoming a shonen protagonist, and hopefully one who got what they wanted in the end.

“So you see,” Yelena says, “I couldn’t possibly leave her to fend for herself.”

“What they were trying to say,” Levi says, toeing the line between interrupting and being patient, “is that she would be much more comfortable were she to comply.”

The unspoken threat and implied future whereabouts of the Volunteers hangs in the air. You know Yelena is letting it simmer for a moment, before she inevitably agrees. She and Onyankopon share glances, discussing something that has already been decided.

The plays that are now being created in the chess board have been scrutinized already, chances and paths to the end have already been calculated, and most if not all valuable players have already been scouted. Both Yelena and Onyankopon have very different ideas of what the endgame entails, but the road to getting there is similar in both iterations.

“You can’t fault my faction for being cautious. We trust your people to take our plans and transform them for the betterment of the island, but Y/n is a special case. I trust you understand, given your own young charges.”

Yelena places her teacup on the table, reveling in the unobstructed march of the circumstances she has weaved. This woman knows the strands and how to thread them, and her strengths lie there and in her almost complete view of the full tapestry.

“I would like to request that she is free to seek us out, should she wish to.”

“She’ll be escorted,” Levi counters. “One on one rendezvous will not be permitted.”

“I expect nothing less. We look forward to working with you, for the betterment of the nation of Paradis. Please make sure to opt in sooner rather than later, as it would be a shame to not share the plans we carefully designed before arriving.”

Yelena smiles that unsettling grin of hers and a deal is struck. She and Onyankopon rise from their seats, and you, Hange and Levi accompany them just outside the tent flaps. Onyankopon turns to you, putting a hand on your shoulder and squeezing in a comforting fashion.

“It won't be long, okay?” he says. You've only known him properly for a day, which most of it was spent separately, him on the deck as a soldier, you hidden away with the cargo. But you assume he must feel some sort of responsibility towards you, someone young whom he must leave with strangers in order to ensure the help they are offering is accepted. You nod as he retreats, giving Yelena space to approach you.

And you understand his worries and his concerns, and you know they are well founded even if they aren't exactly accurate. If what Eren told you and if Hange’s and Levi’s reaction is of any indication, then you have some sort of tentative immunity in the eyes of Paradis.

The question is, what does the island’s government expect in return? How far does Eren’s knowledge of you extend? How much has he shared?

You are taken by surprise when Yelena pulls you into a hug, dwarfing your figure with her thin frame. You hesitantly return the gesture, and put your arms around her. If Zeke’s hug felt secure and grounded, hers feels suffocating and cold.

Your head starts to hurt again, and you squeeze your eyes shut so your brain has one less sense to process. It helps somewhat, and only adds onto your guardian–charge charade with Yelena.

“Stay focused,” she murmurs in your ear, before pulling away. “I’ll see you soon” is her final farewell, and she and Onyankopon are taken away by other Scouts, about to be reunited with the other Volunteers and unfortunate soldiers.

You look at their retreating figures when Levi’s gruff voice interrupts your thoughts.

“Get inside,” he says. “It's almost dawn, and you need to report to us before the brats arrive.”

You mouth brats? while you follow them inside, grunting when Hange decides to tackle you gently, putting their arm around your shoulders.

“I'm sorry we didn’t ask you directly,” Hange starts chirping, their voice moving faster than their mouth. “We didn’t know you would arrive so soon, and less so with people from the other side of the sea…”

Their voice trails off as they stare at you expectantly, making you squirm. Their half hug is nice though. Comforting and full of energy you seem to be quickly depleting from.

“Get off the kid, Four eyes,” Levi says, taking a seat and bringing his cup, holding it by the rim. “We need her report.”

“Oh!” Hange exclaims. “Of course! Come on, come on, take a seat–”

They lead you to the middle chair, and you sit down in front of the pair, not quite knowing what to expect. You need to report to us versus we need your report. Something you are required to do versus something they are looking for. Choices in spoken words often talk louder than the voices expressing them, so you hope this is a spark of future mutual trust.

They ask you to confirm Yelena’s plan and you recite back the small spiel in its entirety. Specific questions are posed and you answer them to the best of your ability, still carefully abiding only by the limited information brought forward by Yelena. You purposely stutter on some, if only to keep your cards close to your chest. Nonetheless, sometimes you trip over your words truly just because you’re nervous.

“And what's in it for you?” Levi asks. Hange makes a move to scold him for his lack of tact, but you wave off their concerns.

“I want the same as you,” you say. “The island’s safety.”

“And why you?” he presses.

That throws you in for a loop. Their questions made it seem like they knew something was up with you, but now you don't know if they’re referring to why you, as in why you a teenager, or why you as in what tools you have at your disposal that made you the ideal asset.

“Didn’t Eren already tell you?” you ask, because it's better to fall short of the question than to reveal extra information that will surely make its way to their higher ups.

Levi narrows his eyes. “So you know.”

“I met him at the beach, just when I got off the ship,” you confirm. “We didn't talk for long, but he told me to tell you my name. I assume that's because you already know about me?”

“Right on!” Hange says. “Eren hasn’t spilled a whole lot, but it was enough to convince us that you were someone who wanted to do right by Paradis.” They finish off their explanation with a grin, and you revel in the way it calms you down. Even Levi, who plays the bad cop in the interrogation, is surprisingly not as antagonistic as you expected him to be.

“I do,” you say. “I know you have no basis to trust me but a few words, but I really do just want to help. And i understand if you want to keep me at arms length–”

“Don’t be silly,” Hange says. “You’re our ally now! And you didn’t hear it from me but there's no reason to be worried for your guardians–”

“Hange,” Levi says, warning in his tone.

“Anyway! I’m sure it would be better for you to stick close to Levi’s squad while we figure out where to place you.”

“Levi’s squad?” you ask.

You whip your head towards the front of the tent when chatter is heard from outside, growing louder and louder, footsteps accompanying them as they approach the entrance. You distinguish teenage voices overlapping the others, seemingly discussing, constantly one upping the others’ contributions. Your heart leaps out of your chest as a hand reaches under the entrance flap and opens it, letting in the soft light of the early morning.

Six teenagers dressed in Scout uniforms come inside the tent, some more apprehensive than others. Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer –if they’re anything like their animated counterparts– decidedly don’t trust you, but their distrust for Yelena is bigger. Sasha Braus looks like she'd rather be snoring on a cot than gawking at you and Mikasa Ackerman is doing her best to prevent her from falling asleep, even if the girl is starting to look more awake.

Mikasa is also pointedly standing in front of Armin and Eren, shielding them as much from your line of sight as she can. You don't take it personally; you know they're her family and you're someone who could pose a threat to them. Still, it is kinda funny. Those two, being the only titan shifters on the island, are probably the ones who should be doing the protecting. But instead, Mikasa takes on that role, and you can't help but admire her for it.

Armin Artlet is looking at you half in awe, half analyzing you. You remember he always advocated for peace, for hearing out the unexpected allies they encountered, and for trying to find a middle ground in the midst of bloodshed and uncertainty. For someone with the tallest and most disastrous titan, he sure does look smaller in real life. His blond hair is still styled into that bob though, and you marvel at how the trio's hairstyles are somewhat similar at this point in time.

Finally, Eren is the last person to set foot inside the tent. Technically, you've already met him, even if you only exchanged ten stilled sentences at the beach. He is the only one that is not the least bit apprehensive of you. Now though, with the light of the day and the lantern combined, you can distinguish bags under his eyes and a strange tension on his shoulders. If you looked in a mirror, you think then maybe you’d see similar attributes in yourself.

“Who’s this?” Jean asks when the group approaches you.

“Y/n,” you say, extending your hand. “Nice to meet you…?”

“Jean Kirstein,” he says, shaking it. “No last name?”

“Oh, it’s…” you trail off.

Many times you have dealt with slow wifi in your world, where computers suddenly forgot they were supposed to be fast and innovative technology, and instead took ages to process or retrieve information. Your brain seems similarly frozen, and you start to panic when you can’t reach the information you seek. You'd have better luck digging a hole in shifting sands with only your hands as tools, than remember it.

It feels like when you are running in a dream, where you sprint as fast as you can, and yet there are invisible ropes holding you back, tying your wrists, your torso, and the air around you feels like jelly, preventing your every move.

The panic and hesitation must show in your vacant gaze when you are too preoccupied with remembering, because Jean awkwardly clears his throat and looks at Levi.

“Where do we take her, sir?” Jean asks.

“I don’t know, show her around. Show her the facilities and don’t cause a commotion or you can expect extra drills extra early. Looking at you, Braus.”

The girl in question splutters, flailing her arms around in defense. Connie snorts and punches her lightly on the arm as they exit the tent. Armin flanks you as you follow the duo outside, eager to know more information on the outside world. Mikasa lags behind for a moment as Levi tells her something, but she joins the group soon enough.

“You said your name was Y/n, right?” Armin asks and you nod. “Do you really come from the other side of the sea? What’s it like?”

“Uh, I dunno? There’s people, buildings, cars…”

“Cars? Do you mean carts?” Connie asks.

“Kinda, but with no horses to pull them. I think it has something to do with pistons and ignition?”

Armin’s eyes get impossibly bigger, impossibly brighter. His face is pulled into an awed expression, and it makes you want to sit down with him and explain everything the new world has to offer. Besides the –you know– animosity towards their race.

“Do you know about the fields of ice? Or the fiery waters?” Armin continues.

“Not personally,” you say. “I’ve never gone to a volcano or frozen plains, but I’ve seen them in photographs.”

“Like Eren’s dad’s picture,” Mikasa says when Sasha pulls a confused expression.

You find yourself nodding. “Yeah, that one.”

Jean narrows his eyes. “You know about that?”

“Uh–”

You messed up. The trouble you have remembering your last name (what the hell, what the hell, what the hell), and the unexpected introduction with the main cast, as well as the lack of proper sleep hits you over the head. You hastily catch Eren’s eye, wordlessly asking him what you should answer. What you’re allowed to answer.

He simply shrugs. “I told you guys she knew things.”

“Oh! Are you also a shifter?” Sasha asks. “Do you get those memory thingies too?”

“I can’t– I’m not,” you quickly amend, “a titan.”

“Bummer.”

“Sasha!” Connie whispers.

“What?”

You chuckle awkwardly trying to diffuse the tension as you walk. They point out various structures, most of them tents. There's the field canteen, the lavatories, the grounds and the tent barracks. “It's fine,” you say after a moment. “It would be easier to explain if I were a shifter.”

“What are you then?” Connie asks.

I’m just someone who likes stories is what you want to say, but you know that will only serve to confuse them further. You quickly go through a list of possibilities that include lying about having royal blood, lying about your parents being shifters, or lying about being part of experiments. The first one can be easily disproved by anyone with eyes, the second is not something that makes a lot of sense, and the third one is just plain reaching.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Eren says, not missing a beat while you’re weaving a lie. “She’s the key to whatever locked up memories I have. I don’t think it's a coincidence I remembered one yesterday, just before the ship arrived.”

“I don’t understand it myself fully yet,” you say, falling into a rhythm with Eren’s explanation. “I just know things I shouldn’t. That's how I knew to find Zeke, and to come to the island.”

The mention of Zeke’s name brings forward a slight tension in everyone’s shoulders, and they exchange glances, as if only just remembering you were someone who was allied with an old enemy.

“You’re with the tall woman then?” Jean asks.

“Officially yeah,” you say. “But Yelena’s always creeped me out.”

“But you’re on their side, is what I'm saying.”

You shrug, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. “My… future memories, if you can call them that, have shown me primarily what has happened here. You’re welcome to believe me or not, but I do feel a sense of duty to you all.” If they notice how you changed the island for you all they do not mention it.

“I trust her,” Eren says, breaking the silence.

“We know,” Jean says, rolling his eyes. “You’ve made that very clear.”

Eren shrugs, and you all stop walking on the edge of the tent barracks. Everyone but Mikasa is on cleaning duty for the morning, given she was the one to win some kind of training game the day before. So they send you off with her to the barracks, where you are promised a cot and time to digest everything. You wave at them, and they promise to come back to escort you to the canteen when you wake up.

Mikasa starts walking to the far left, checking behind her once to ensure you are following her. You jog after her until you reach her, and you fall into an uneasy step next to the girl. Birds fill the early morning air with their chirps, occasionally flying from tree to tree when you get too close to one in your path.

“I don’t know if I should trust you,” she says after a while, and you flinch, expecting her sentiments all the same.

“But I trust Eren,” she continues, “and he trusts you. Armin thinks you are allies that will help the island, but not all of us are as optimistic.”

“I get it,” you say, giving her a small smile. “I know what happened, so I get it, really. I don't expect you all to trust me so quickly either.”

“Don’t let him down.”

“I won’t,” you promise. “Nor will I let you down, if you'll let me.”

She stops in front of a small tent sandwiched between others. You see two cots when you walk in, parallel to each other. There are a few personal items on the one directly to your left, while the right is bare with the only exception of thin sheets and a thin blanket.

“That one’s yours,” Mikasa says, pointing to the one on the right. “I’ll be back in a while to check in on you. Don’t leave without someone from the squad.”

“Okay. See you later?”

Mikasa nods and leaves, leaving behind a slight breeze from where she opened the tent. You step closer to your cot, dropping your satchel at one of its legs. You only had water and a little bit of rations left on it, so you were allowed to keep it. It rattles as it hits the floor, but you’re too preoccupied with finally laying down to properly care.

You groan in satisfaction when your tense back hits the fabric of the cot. It's not the most comfortable place you’ve slept on recently, but it is a welcome luxury after spending more that twenty four hours on the cold floor of a ship’s cargo hold, so it's really no surprise when your eyes close the moment your head touches the pillow.

The first part of your plan, arriving to Paradis, is completed. The second, earning everyone's trust, is going better than expected, thanks to the curveball that was Eren’s knowledge of you. So you let your consciousness rest for a moment, going to sleep in between flashes of stars.

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[wanderingmind867]

What a way to begin a Christmas special. A Santa's dead, at the hands of the Key! And since this is one of the only Justice League stories from the 70s or 80s with John Stewart, it's special in that regard too. (Justice League of America #110):

[shadowbunnydragon]

To Nick & Judy:

Do you two workout?

Judy: "We go jogging as a couple all the time, as well as spend time working on takedowns and paw to paw combat and some weightlifting at the ZPD gym."

Nick: "I am not normally a morning mammal... but getting to jog behind my Fluff makes it worth it... and it helps to have a pretty sight to look at while doing it."

Judy: "Aww, Nick!"

[docgold13]

Heroes & Villains The DC Animated Universe - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Villainous Supplemental - The Key, Lady Lunar, The Dummy & Angle Man

A master thief and super villain, The Key possessed specialized devices that made him a formidable locksmith and escape artist.  His key-shaped pistol had the power to descramble solid matter, unlocking any door and allowing persons or objects to phase through walls.  The Key was among the first villains to join Gorilla Grodd’s Legion of Doom and he was dispatched to recruit Lex Luthor into the Legion, facilitating Luthor's escape from the authorities.  Later, the Key sided with Grodd when Luthor took over the Legion of Doom.  The villain was frozen in ice by Killer Frost in the ensuing battle and soon thereafter perished when Darkside destroyed the Legion’s headquarters.  Actor Corey Burton provided the voice for the Key with the villain first appearing in the first episode of the third season of Justice League Unlimited, ‘I Am Legion.’  

Stacy Macklin was an astrophysicist working for NASA.  Exposure to a strange energy brought back from the moon altered her mind and bestowed her super human powers.  These powers included gravity manipulation and telepathy.  The energy also caused her to become evil and she donned a costume and became the super villain known as Lady Lunar.  Following battles against Wonder Woman, Lady Lunar joined Gorilla Grodd’s Legion of Doom.  She later sided with Lex Luthor when Luthor took over the Legion.  The villainess seemingly perished when Darkside destroyed the Legion’s headquarters.  Lady Lunar first appeared in the premier episode of the third season of Justice League Unlimited, ‘I Am Legion.’   

A skilled inventor and criminal mastermind, the villain known as the Dummy was concerned that his diminutive size would prevent other criminals from following his lead.  As such he disguised himself as a ventriloquist dummy and pretended to relaying the orders of an unseen over-boss.  This scheme worked and The Dummy would go on to become a recurrent foe of the hero known as The Vigilant. Some time thereafter, The Dummy accepted membership into Gorilla Grodd’s Legion of Doom.  The villain left the organization some time after it was taken over by Lex Luthor. The Dummy first appeared in the sixth episode of the third season of Justice League Unlimited, ‘Dead Reckoning.’  

The villainous Angle Man had been an unsuccessful criminal who reinvented himself as a costumed cad whose schemes always included particularly clever ‘angles.’  He plagued Wonder Woman for a brief time but was eventually thwarted by the heroine.  Some time thereafter, Angle Man accepted membership in Gorilla Grodd’s Legion of Doom.  Angle Man sided with Grodd in his efforts to seize back control of the Legion from Lex Luthor.  Angle Man perished in the ensuing battle. Actor Phil LeMarr provided the voice for Angle Man with the villain first appearing in the sixth episode of the third season of Justice League Unlimited, ‘Dead Reckoning.’  

[davisexplainableart]

(hey guys, IRL Davis here)

(today (October 25, 2024) marks the 5-year anniversary since the premiere of "Mixels Watch")

(a collaboration between Mixels and Level-5 (creators of Yo-Kai Watch), it centers around Snoof, a somewhat arrogant and impulsive Frosticon, who, while lost in a forest, unlocks the secrets of a magic, talking key made of platinum, that not only turns into a wristwatch, but also gives him the ability to communicate with the ghosts of deceased Mixels)

(with the magic key by his side to keep him grounded, it's up to him (and later 2 other Mixels, but that's for later) to not only round up the specters, but also to understand the importance of living life to the fullest, especially in the face of numerous Mixels who never got the chance to do so before their untimely demise)

(the 1st season (which ran from 10/25/2019 - 12/27/2019), is about Snoof trying to find his way back home and beginning his quest of detecting any spirits that come his way)

(the reason behind the ghosts is that a certain Mixel (revealed later) has gone insane, becoming a murderous psychopath and cutting the lives of a handful of Mixels short. As such, Snoof is determined to complete any unfinished business that the ghosts had to deal with)

(since this is a collaboration with the creators of Yo-Kai Watch, there are MANY similarities in this show):

(the ghosts have the ability to possess (AKA inspirit) anyone they wish)

(the ghosts can be summoned using medals (or discs in this case) that are put into the watch (except here, it briefly makes the ghosts corporeal again, at least until their disc is removed))

(the color scheme on the watch's clock is the same as the Yo-Kai Watch's clock's color scheme)

(the Yo-Kai Watch tribe names (charming, eerie, shady, etc.) are included, with 2 ghosts for each tribe)

(a Yo-Kai makes a guest appearance in season 4 episode 6)

(each Mixel ghost has an ability they can use in battle (certain battle moves are taken directly from Calling All Mixels), similar to Yo-Kai, except in this case, it only happens when a Mixel is summoned)

(the summoning songs from Yo-Kai Watch season 1 are included, except instead of the summoning callout (once again done by Brent Pendergrass) mentioning their tribe (i.e. "Summoning Mysterious!"), it instead calls out the name of the Mixel being summoned (i.e. "Summoning Torts!"))

(the show's logo is the Mixels and Yo-Kai Watch logos spliced together)

(numerous tracks from the Yo-Kai Watch anime would appear in the show, alongside the pre-existing Mixels OST, which had been mostly absent in Mixels: 2035 and Mixels: The Golden Cure)

(Chilbo appears later on, except his voice (originating from Griffin Burns) sounds much closer to the voice of Nate Adams from the season 3 dub of Yo-Kai Watch (also by Griffin Burns), as shown by his delivery being more deadpan than before)

(the interesting thing to note about the last similarity, however, is that Chilbo had already been heard with this voice, specifically during his appearances in "The Twisted World of Mixels")

(I'm sure there's other similarities aside from what I just listed, but this is just the stuff I can remember off the top of my head)

(feel free to ask any questions you have about this series, I'd be glad to answer them)