#X || Speaking With Power (ᴵᶜ)

[commxnderiisms-blog]

"Commander, I was told you wanted to see me?" Eren asks as he enters. *tosses this here and runs*

          ❝ Ah, yes, Eren. Come in please, I need to have a word with you. ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

     @thesurveycorpspetra || x

     A near-silent hum passed Erwin’s lips, studying the map for another long moment, leaving Petra’s question hanging before he turned to look at her. She was correct - as with any expedition, there were bound to be casualties. Any journey outside of the walls was not without lives lost, and that was made clear to any who signed up to join the Survey Corps. With every moment spent outside of the walls, there was a chance one may not return.

    Each plan was crafted to attempt and minimize these casualties. So what made this one different from those in the past? 

❝ The formations are smaller, and shifted. Like before, we will focus more on avoiding combat. ❞

    However, he left out that this new plan would, hopefully, allow them to adventure into new territory. Learning more about their world was, as always, something he hoped to accomplish. 

[commxnderiisms-blog]

iphigeneiia

replied to your

post

annie voice: crocheting is better than knitting

[commxnderiisms-blog]

A 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪  || A ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖

    Starter || @attack-on-muses

It was not at all the type of day that Erwin enjoyed being out and about during. No one enjoyed storms, especially not when on foot, lugging grocery bags over his shoulder. At the very least, he didn’t have to worry about his milk, eggs, and the other few items he had purchased being soaked by the storm - unlike himself. The umbrella did very little, being he was fumbling with three bags and the handle of the contraption, with only one hand. It was times like this... 

He paused when he heard a faint sound, nearly drowned out by the thunder. He quickly glanced around, vigilant, attempting to locate the source. A faint mewl from a small black kitten, drenched, hiding under the bench he had paused beside. Quickly, he crouched down, setting his bags aside to extend his hand. 

                    ❝ Hey there, little friend... What’re you doing out here alone? ❞

Obviously, he didn’t expect an answer. However, he did gently reach out, allowing the cat to sniff his hand, hoping to gain some level of trust - after all, there was no way in hell he was leaving this little creature out here by itself. 

                            ❝ That’s it... It’s okay, I’m one of the good guys. ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

Continued from xx || @attack-on-muses​

     Some days, Erwin saw flashes of the Levi from back then. Levi hadn’t changed, not much, but his rebellious attitude had calmed ever so slightly. It was times like these that reminded him that Levi was as fiery as ever. 

     Outbursts from the other were, and always had been, common. That being said, they had a standard to uphold - and those sort of things aside? 

          ❝ You can’t just hit people who annoy you, Levi.                                                                      Especially not your squad mates. ❞

     He kept most of the annoyance, the frustration with Levi’s tone, his actions, out of his voice, speaking calmly, but he knew the other could read him better than that. At this point, just as he had grown to expect Levi’s outbursts, Levi had grown to be able to tell more or less what emotion Erwin was keeping under wraps. That, as well, frustrated the commander. 

                        ❝ What in the name of the walls did he do this time? ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

"I believe you."

   Meme || Accepting || @thesurveycorpspetra

                    ❝ I’m glad. ❞

     A soft smile curled the commander’s lips as he nodded at Petra before looking at the map spread out in front of him again, expression going serious once again. Each expedition beyond the walls had to be oh so carefully planned, and this one was raising some eyebrows - it was nice to hear that Petra believed that it was going to succeed without incident. 

                                   ❝ I hope Levi and the others are as trusting as you are. ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

X @ruinedsavior X

     One could only finish so much work without proper caffeination. At least, that was Erwin’s excuse for not going home to finish grading papers today. Instead he wandered into a smaller cafe on his walk home from work, glancing around to insure the interior wasn’t too crowded before approaching the counter, stack of papers-to-grade held in the crook of his arm.

               ❝ Just a black coffee, please. Large. ❞

     He flashed a gentle smile, pausing slightly as he actually realized who the barista was - of course, he didn’t know a name, but he did recognize the man’s face. He was an employee at the dog shelter that Erwin visited frequently - had he been working here every time Erwin had come in, and he hadn’t noticed? To be fair, it was nearing exam time, but still, perhaps he needed to be more vigilant. 

                  ❝ Hm, small world I suppose. ❞

     There wasn’t much to give thought to, however he did stuff a twenty into the tip jar after paying for his three dollar coffee, assuming that anyone who worked two jobs would appreciate the gesture. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t spare it. 

     Once retrieving his coffee, Erwin slipped over to a table in the corner, settling down with his pile of work and the coffee, beginning to aimlessly grade paper after paper. It wasn’t long before he was moving toward the counter again to purchase another coffee, his first mostly finished, the rest too cold to drink due to his growing distracted by his work. 

[commxnderiisms-blog]

"Were you talking to me?" (Hello!)

     Meme || Accepting || @the-bark-is-worse

               ❝ ... And perhaps if we move ... Yes that should work ... Hm ... ❞

     The words passed Erwin’s lips in a distracted murmur, attention directed somewhere far beyond the people in the room he sat in. Zoned into his thoughts, he hadn’t even realized when they began slipping past his lips on accident, with near to no context. 

                         Were you talking to me? 

     Petra’s words broke through the thoughts he had all but buried himself in, eyes snapping to focus on the woman before slowly blinking, attempting to clear the haze that being that lost in thought brought. 

                  ❝ No, my apologies.                                                    I was simply thinking. ❞

     A small smile curled his lips as he shifted to take a sip of water, trying to further shake himself from the haze of thinking far too much. 

[commxnderiisms-blog]

[ from Levi, because shennanigans ]: "What the fuck did we do last night?"

   Meme || Accepting || @mystical-mxses

     A yawn passed the man’s lips as he stirred, roused from the sound of the other’s voice. He felt the bed shift as Levi sat up, but Erwin nuzzled deeper into the pillows, not wanting to be pulled from the false sense of security rest had brought him. Again, those words passed Levi’s lips, and he finally allowed his eyes to flutter open, only for them to close again as he began to process the situation. 

          ❝ The current situation would lead to something fairly obvious, Levi. ❞ 

     The question truly was how they had gotten into this situation… And if the obvious answer was truly what had transpired, or if something else had occurred. 

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".... Don't forget me."

   Meme || Accepting || @the-incredible-mrs-dawk

                                  ❝ Certainly not. ❞

     His face remained stoic, voice holding none of the emotion that the phrase brought to surface, that the entire encounter had brought to the surface. Nearly lovers... but nearly was they key word, wasn’t it? That was truly all that mattered. A soft sigh passed his lips, nearly inaudible, before he continued speaking. 

          ❝ Be safe, I’m not having you injured or worse, Marie. ❞

     He, of all people, knew the dangers this world held. No matter how strong someone may be, emotionally or otherwise, they still best be careful. That went double for those he found himself caring about - especially the ones he couldn’t stay near (or at least not as near as he would have liked) and insure their safety.

     A small step backwards was taken, giving more space between himself and the woman. This encounter was bordering awkward already without him being closer than was welcome now. 

[commxnderiisms-blog]

"Things aren’t the way they were before."

   Meme || Accepting || @patchtorn

                ❝ No they are not... ❞

     A thoughtful sigh passed the commander’s lips, mind wandering back to not long ago, when the wall was breached. Things certainly weren’t as they had been. The illusion of safety that the other branches, that the citizens, had fallen into? It was gone. Shattered. And as everyone tried to go back to their daily lives, he was certain he knew what was at the back of everyone’s mind. 

                                                  When will it happen again? 

     He paused for a moment longer before turning to look at Petra, expression grave, still partially lost in thought as he spoke. 

                                                         ❝ Do you have faith in humanity, Petra? ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

“Please don’t cry,” Annie drawls.

Meme || Accepting || @iphigeneiia 

     The man blinked at the voice, head snapping up from where his eyes had been trained on his hand as he lost himself in his thoughts. He hadn’t heard Annie approaching, nor had he noticed the tears beginning to prick at the corners of his eyes. Softly, he cleared his throat, regaining the momentarily lapsed composure and shoving the thoughts of the condolence letters he had yet to write, of good men that he had sent to their slaughter, out of his mind. 

                         ❝ Certainly not. Is there something you needed, Annie? ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

( from Levi );; "I punched him," Levi says as he crossed his arms. "I'm not sorry."

  Meme || Accepting || @mystical-mxses​

                      ❝ I did not at all expect you to be sorry. ❞

     Was Levi ever sorry for anything? Probably not, but either way punching someone was no where on the list of things Erwin expected Levi to apologize for - it just… Wouldn’t happen. At least, not a legitimate apology.  

           ❝ However, I would like to know why you punched him? ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

“No, I’m not fucking over it.” ( hello! )

   Meme || Accepting || @choosingfreedom

            ❝I don’t expect you to be over it. I expect you to carry on despite it, Levi.❞

     His words likely would have come across as cold to anyone else, however he trusted that, after this amount of time, Levi knew the subtle shifts in his tones. Knew when he was being cold versus the standard calm way of speech he took when he had a point. 

Erwin would never expect anyone to be over the things they had seen, the deaths they had witnessed, the losses that have occurred. No, that would be cold to expect. But he did expect his men to carry on. To move past the pain, to be empowered by the pain - and he knew that Levi was capable of that. He had seen it with his own eyes, and by the walls, he was never going to allow loss to cripple that ability. Not as long as he was capable.  

                    ❝ Or have you begun to regret your decision to follow me? ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

“Pain changes people.”

Meme || Accepting || @patchtorn

              ❝ It does. ❞

     The words were soft, almost thoughtful as Erwin looked out of the window, across the town that they were sworn to protect, the people who’s lives rested in their hands... The citizens of the walls, lives that could be snuffed out at a moment’s notice. 

     Pain. It did change people, Petra was right. He was certain it had touched more lives than he knew, and would continue to do so as more lives were lost to this cruel world. He was certain pain had touched each of the people who served under him, as it was impossible to escape in the line of duty. His thoughts wandered to Levi, the pains the man had endured. One didn’t escape such loss without being changed, did they? 

        ❝ But it is human nature to overcome. To survive and thrive, despite the pain. ❞

     The words seemed to be spoken to Petra, but in all actuality they were more spoken to himself. A reminder, perhaps. Slowly, he turned to look at the other in the room, face as stoic as ever, but voice a touch softer. 

                                      ❝ Has pain changed you, Petra? ❞

[commxnderiisms-blog]

“Give me a break. I’m in the fucking hospital.”

  Meme || Accepting || @thecommanderzoe

          ❝ Yes you are which makes this the perfect time to discuss what happened. ❞

Erwin’s gaze remained trained on Hanji, concern masked by a gentle tone and calculative stoicism. What had happened to cause this incident was important for two reasons: one, the seemingly obvious, to insure this didn’t happen again. Two, to figure out what needed to change. While that was similar to the first, it wasn’t the same, and Erwin almost cared more about the change than the previous. Almost. 

                                  ❝ First, though, how are you feeling? ❞