#bloodshed levi. i will try again after the event……

[jessamine-rose]

Guess who was summoned in today’s free pull~ I wonder if it has anything to do with me writing two headcanons for Marbas (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

[tundrainafrica]

Title: A Rough Day

Summary: It should have been apparent to Hange by the weight gain and the sudden lack of red days. Somehow, Levi noticed it first.

Link to cross-postings: AO3 

Notes:  Thought about this idea because of the headcanon from @faerielleart‘s blog and had to get it written out. Just some fluff and domestication for our favorite pairing.

It felt like the war against Marley happened centuries ago.

Levi was sure though that it had only been two years since they had signed the peace treaty with Marley ending the war and the reign of the titans. He was present in the signing of the treaty after all.  

With the fall of the titans, the survey corps was declared redundant. The military shifted to defence against possible invasions by humans. There was no need for Paradis to rely on the soldier dubbed humanity’s strongest. Having seen enough war, bloodshed and loss to last a lifetime, Levi eventually decided to shift his focus towards more mundane things like entrepreneurship, marriage and maybe a family.

The only person he could have ever wanted to spend his whole life with had other dreams. The end of the war had opened up a new age for technological advancement and trade and the person heading it all was the former survey commander, Hange Zoe. The mad scientist could finally channel her genius and enthusiasm towards a new type of research to improve the lives of the people in Paradis.

Somehow, they managed to make it work.

There was no wedding, flowers, invitation or cake. There was just an unspoken agreement between them. They had originally lived in the same barracks and with the dissolution of the survey corps, it felt almost natural  to move to a small flat near the center of Paradis, of what used to be Wall Sina. Their daily life together began soon after they settled in. Hange was gone by 5am and back in their flat by 9pm all week. Levi found happiness in keeping the house clean, cooking and catching up on all the sleep he had lost the past forty years of his life. When he ran out of tasks to do in the house, he found himself doing research on different types of tea as knew shipments came in from different parts of the world and experimenting on different mixes in the kitchen.

The two were following their own dreams and had pursued different things and this left little to no time for Levi and Hange to process the relationship between them. They were both the only survivors of more than a decade of fighting what seemed like a hopeless war. That history was enough to forge an unbreakable bond between the two. When they were together, they made the most of it.  Nights together were intimate. Weekends together were comfortable. It was as if Levi and Hange were making up for all the comfort and happiness that they were deprived of the past decade.

The domestic lifestyle they have built together had also made Levi more familiar with the workings of a woman’s body. Levi grew up with his mother and was aware that women bled once a month. It was not something he occupied himself with in the barracks since it was the responsibility of the women to keep themselves clean. With Hange gone for 12 to 16 hours a day, it suddenly became Levi’s responsibility to clean blood off sheets and clothes on top of cleaning the house. The blood took hours to scrub off, even with the new chemicals and products coming into Paradis, it became the bane of Levi’s clean freak existence. That was until it stopped. Levi didn’t think too much of it at first. It meant one less job for him and Hange probably had a good explanation for it right?

A few months passed and Levi started to notice that Hange was getting chubbier. She was notably eating more, waking up later than she used to and coming home earlier. Levi didn’t complain. They were all welcome developments. It meant more time for the two of them and less blood to clean up.

“Sometimes, I just feel sick. Maybe I’m just working too hard.” Hange replied groggily when Levi prodded on these recent changes in their everyday schedule.

Levi raised one eyebrow. “Okay. Just don’t overwork yourself.” Like all days, Hange left for work while Levi went about his own chores for the day.

Those days, Levi found himself more invested as usual in his tea mixings. The diplomatic agreements gave rise to more and more new types of tea leaves and Levi was starting to get more creative and ambitious. He started to boil this new import called coffee beans with different types of tea leaves. The flowery aroma of some teas definitely did not mix with the bitterness of the coffee and as soon as Levi tasted them, he ended up setting them aside in the rejection pile.  

The price of the tea leaves and coffee beans though and the trauma of having to deal with the scarcity of this commodity years ago forever stuck to Levi though and the latter ended up lining them up on the kitchen table trying to find a way to consume while at the same time enjoy his failed concoctions.

Levi only had a few seconds to ponder the fate of the failed concoctions before Hange came in.

Maybe we could just eat out.  Levi remembered that he hadn’t prepared anything for dinner.

“Ahhh. Thank god you made some tea. Today was exhausting. I’ve been telling them to test that new contraption before...” Hange trailed off as she consumed the three cups of tea Levi had deemed failures in the leaf and bean mixing process. Her face quickly changed from pure exhaustion to excitement. “These are amazing Levi! Will you be selling these? Can you make more tomorrow?”

Levi stood frozen for a second, too surprised at how quickly Hange had consumed all three cups in front of them. “Sure.” He managed a nod as he gathered the three cups from the table and brought them to the sink. “About dinner…” Levi looked back only to find that Hange had retired to the bedroom. He at least had some time to wash the cups and cook dinner.

By the time he did cook dinner and call Hange from the room, the latter was dead asleep, sprawled all over the bed with no space for Levi to comfortably slip in. She was sleeping belly up and Levi only noticed that her belly was starting to form a small hill. She couldn’t be… Levi carefully placed his hand on her belly, only to be grabbed violently by the wrist.

“What the fuck Levi! I’m trying to sleep.” She pushed his wrist away and rolled to the side, her back facing him, falling asleep again almost instantly.

Levi held his aching wrist and walked back to the kitchen to clean out the rest of the tea cups he used in his mixing experiments, a little shaken by Hange’s reaction to his prodding. Maybe she just had a rough day.

                                            Rough Day    

Two months passed with no red days and a constantly drowsy and cranky Hange and Levi was sure that type of weight gain was not natural. All the weight had concentrated towards Hange’s belly and she was starting to have trouble walking.

“I really should watch what I’m eating. I’ve just been eating away my stress the past few weeks and people have been making fun of my weight gain, telling me to see a doctor. They’re even fucking asking me how many months in I am! I know I’ve been eating a lot but I’m really trying. Besides, I don’t even think we should be making jokes when we have to deal with the fact the port extension has to be opened next month to make way for new deliveries…”

Levi rested his chin on his hand and tuned out the fifth rant of Hange that week. He was 90% sure his theory was correct but Hange had not given him any opening to discuss it the past two months. How does he bring that up without pissing her off? More importantly, how the fuck does she not notice?

“Maybe you should take a break then?” Levi suggested half heartedly.

“What? Why? With so many things happening next month…. You can't expect me to…"

Levi once again tuned Hange out and focused instead on her belly. Hange was still trying to squeeze into her pants like she was fifteen pounds lighter and Levi was starting to worry about both of their bodies. "Maybe you should see a doctor?"

"Are you even listening to me? I was asking for your opinion on the new military gear!"

"So what I'm getting here is you don't have the time to see a doctor?"

                                             Rough Day

Levi took matters into his own hands.

His first stop was the doctor's office. He knew he couldn't bring Hange in for a consult but all he wanted was to at least confirm his suspicions. The doctor only had to explain the lack of red days for Levi to be completely sure that the four he had gotten from the two on two he had put together was the correct answer. The crankiness, the fatigue and the morning sickness were only secondary evidence to the lack of red days and the apparent weight gain.

"So she shouldn't be working anymore should she."

"I would recommend she takes a leave for the next 6 months at least."

Levi thought for a second. "Why don't you get that in writing…"

The next few steps after that were easy. Hange may be in a high position in Paradise but Levi still had contact with one of the few people who could make sure Hange didn't show up for work. The child-loving, good-natured Queen Historia did not need any more convincing.

"Oh, I guess it looks like you're trapped at home then. Maybe you should spend the next six months resting." Levi said, feigning surprise at the letter from the queen he himself brought home.

"Indefinite leave for the next six months? What the fuck Levi you can't expect me to just sit around? Why the hell would you do this? And work today was so eventful… I was excited to test out the new cargo carrier…"

"Other people can take over the work."

"But can they really oversee everything. There's a lot going on and this is a really important time… I don't have the time to be sitting around."

"Maybe if you just---"

Hange grabs the envelope from Levi's hand and scans through it. " Wait Levi what the fuck. This wasn't sent here there's no return address. YOU filed for my leave?"

Levi shrugged. "What if they just gave it to me to give to you?"

"All official documents have to be coursed through me Levi. How the fuck could you do this. There's so much to be done. Just thinking about everything which is gonna be waiting for me after 6 months. What if the others don't handle the work right? What if they mishandle the new carrier and we lose thousands worth of products? Are you considering this?" Hange roughly grabbed the letter from Levi, almost tearing it in the process. "I'm appealing this."

"You must be shitting me Hange. You really don't get it do you?"

"The office should still be open." Hange said, not looking back.

It has been years since Levi's last military training but he was relieved to know he still had the agility to outrun an angry (but pregnant) Hange to the door. He locked the door behind him from the inside. "You're not getting out of here shitty glasses."

"You don't let me out and I swear I'm gonna break down the door while you're sleeping."

"Then I won't sleep."

"I'll break out through the windows then!"  

Levi rushed to grab Hange from behind as soon as she turned her back. He was careful not to squeeze her swollen belly  "If this were any other day, I probably would have let you get away with whatever bullshit you wanna do but I'm not letting you jeopardize what could be our future child shitty four eyes"

"You're not making any good arguments here!" Hange continued to struggle. "Stop holding me back!" In frustration, Hange shifted her weight towards her back, utilizing her size advantage to push the smaller man behind her.

Levi fell to the floor and let out a grunt of pain. "How dense can you fucking be? You're six months pregnant you dumb shit."

[phoenix-reburned]

The Eagle: An Alternate Take to the AnR Theory

Before I begin this post, I want to preface this by saying that if the AnR ending happens, I will be sad but not disappointed, this is simply a thought I had that I hadn’t seen anyone else propose. I won’t be discussing why people believe that the eagle is Eren, although I know that there’s a lot of symbolism regarding it. This is simply my own thoughts on how Isayama could have a tragic ending that destroys us while also keeping some people alive.

Spoilers under the cut for both the manga and season four of the anime, you’ve been warned. Also long post, sorry.

First of all, if you have not yet watched the Akatsuki no Requiem video, I highly recommend you do that before continuing to read this post. Here’s the video:

For those of you that don’t know, the AnR theory states that the eagle in this video represents Eren and that this video basically spoils the entire ending of AOT. But what if the eagle isn’t actually Eren? What if it’s another character, telling the story of how they ended a war through bloodshed and lost their closest friends on the way? What if the same person telling us this story in the video is the same person who’s been telling us this story the whole time?

I believe that the eagle in this video is actually Armin Arlet, and that this is him recounting how he stopped the rumbling. This mixes in some of the Lebouch (?) theory, but not in the way you think.

Let’s start with something most people overlook about his character: Armin is extremely manipulative when he needs to be. He was able to convince Pixis that Eren wasn’t an enemy, quickly became a strategist that even Erwin trusted, and told Bertholt that someone he cared about deeply was being brutally tortured to save Eren. In his current position in the manga based upon the 137 leaks, he’s been able to take control of some of the titans away from Ymir. Whether or not he’s really done this or this is apart of Ymir’s plan is up for speculation, but for now let’s just assume that he did this of his own accord. He was able to talk Zeke into dying for humanity, a literal nihilist who killed countless people. Armin clearly will get his hands dirty if it benefits his plan, as shown multiple times. He’s not innocent.

Something else that helped me come to this conclusion, although this isn’t necessarily a huge reason I believe it, is that Armin is the one telling us this story. He’s been our narrator since season one. If Isayama wanted to kill him, why not just have Eren be the narrator? If Armin’s dead it makes no sense for him to be able to tell us the story even if you take the paths into consideration, since you can’t interact with anything or anyone in there.

Last thing before I get into the video is that Armin is being treated like a god right now by the titans on Eren in 137. The creator of the trojan horse theory (@/localhangeluvr on twitter), which is another inspiration for my theory, made a thread showing this and the similarities between Armin and the devils in Ymir’s story. This shows that he is going to be extremely important to the ending, whether or not he lives or dies. This thread also discusses the idea of Armin being the eagle, but we came to different conclusions based upon that idea.

Now let’s get into the video. The first thing I want to point out is the appearance of the color blue. We first see this when the eagle cries and dyes the baby eagle(?) blue. Later on, it reappears on the butterflies. The character that is most associated with this color is Armin, through his love of the ocean. His eyes are also blue in the anime, although blue for the ocean fits better since they’re hazel in the manga. The first time we meet Armin, he’s also wearing blue. Maybe this represents him wishing for a simpler time, before the fall of wall Maria?

Another thing, the grave the eagle visits. Look at the symbol on it.

To me, it resembles a snake eating it’s own tail. This makes me think of Eren, someone who ended up becoming what he hated most. First in the form of a titan, then in the form of a mass murderer. This could very well be Eren’s grave that the eagle visits, meaning he could be crying because of the knowledge that he killed the person that was once his best friend.

Next, let’s examine the thing on top of the baby eagle’s head, which also reappears later in the eagle’s library.

This clearly is supposed to be the wings of freedom. If Eren was the eagle, why would he hold onto the wings? At this point, he’s completely abandoned the scouts. Why would he want to keep anything what reminded him of what became his enemy around? These questions disappear if this is actually Armin though, as he would have no reason to renounce the scouts.

Another interesting thing is that the eagle has blue eyes when he has the lizard/frog mask on, but his actual eyes are brown. As I mentioned before, Armin has blue eyes in the anime but hazel in the manga. This could be another subtle hint to the eagle’s identity.

Next, the lack of walls in the sky city, or the fact that this is what it represents. This is when the Lebouch theory comes into play. While I don’t necessarily believe that Eren wants to be stopped, I do believe that if he is killed and the rumbling ends, that this will create peace. A scene all the way back in season one makes me believe this. After Eren agrees to try to seal the wall, he takes a walk with Pixis. To paraphrase what is said, Pixis states that only a world ending event could truly bring humanity together. Well, I do think an attempted mass genocide would be world ending enough to do it. Plus, there’s the fact that if the alliance stops it, that would put Paradis and the eldians back into the world’s good graces. And if one of them gets their hands on the founding, there’s also a possibility that they could completely remove all titans from the world.

The family is another reason a lot of people assume that this is Eren we’re watching because of his and Historia’s possible relationship in the manga, if you believe that Historia’s child is his (which I do, but that’s not super relevant right now). But that’s not necessarily what’s happening here. If someone’s able to reverse the curse of Ymir, then this COULD be Armin and Annie’s family. If Armin and Annie’s feelings for each other wasn’t important, why bring it up right at the end of the story? At this point there’s no reason for Isayama to show us that they like each other UNLESS it plays a role in the prologue. Or, maybe it’s to make Annie’s death sadder if he does kill her, but since she’s still alive I’m sticking with option a. I’m not sure if the cat means anything, however black cats are usually regarded as an omen of death. This could be a reminder that Armin killed Eren.

Another clue is the library.

It’s shown to be very expansive, clearly showing that whoever owns it loves to read. Only one character comes to mind when you think about books.

The lizard family is next.

Notice that it’s a father, mother and child. Maybe Armin will have to end up killing both Historia and her child along with Eren? Or this could just show Armin’s regrets at the deaths he’s caused in general.

In the ruins, we again see the image of a snake eating it’s tail. Possibly representing the damage that Eren caused with the rumbling?

Now the butterflies. Possibly one of the biggest reasons why people believe that Eren is the eagle.

In total, we see 10 butterflies. I believe that this does represent the alliance as they attempt to stop Eren, and shows that about 5 of them will die. I believe that the first death is either represented by Hange or Zeke, depending on how you view it. Maybe Zeke, as he was an outlier to the group until his death. I believe that Levi, Reiner, and Pieck will be the last three deaths. To add to this, the ground shot also only shows five butterflies, meaning that more than likely the rest of the alliance will live.

Right after these deaths, the baby eagle is shown preparing to fight. I believe that this means that these last three deaths will happen in quick succession and drive Armin overboard, causing him to do what Mikasa won’t and kill Eren.

Next, we see both eagles in a field of graves, showing that Armin regrets not being able to save more people. Maybe he even blames himself for their deaths, wishing he had stopped Eren earlier.

While I know that Mikasa is the one to wake Eren up from under the tree, maybe this shows that Armin is the one who says ‘see you later’ before she does?

I believe that this represents Armin realizing that, without Eren’s destruction, they never would have gotten peace. I believe that him dropping the arrow represents him feeling a kind of gratitude towards him, in a weird way?

And then the end of the video just shows us again that, while Eren did ultimately bring about peace, it came at a heavy price.

A few more things to mention:

1. The lyrics DO tie into chapter titles, while I won’t list them here going through the comments of this video will show all of them to you.

2. Armin’s last name literally means eagle.

That’s the end to my theory! Basically, I believe that Armin will kill Eren and that peace will be achieved, however it won’t be a happy ending for anyone involved.

There’s a few things about the video that I can’t necessarily explain, like the eagle’s lost leg. Though maybe, if they do rid the world of titans, if Armin is injured while killing Eren he’ll end up losing it? It’s something I’ll keep an eye out for over these last few chapters. Another thing is the revealed last manga panel. Most people do believe that it’s Eren (for good reason), we never get that confirmation. If this is after another time skip, that could be another character, hell maybe it’s even Armin talking to his and Annie’s child.

That’s it from me though. Let me know what yall think, if you think it’s plausible or tell me that I’m wrong, I don’t care lol. Proofs to either disprove or prove this would be great if yall find any! Thanks for reading my longass post.

[thepilgrimofwar]

Finale 1 - Edited Roll20 Log

Outside the walls of Arenias’ fortress was a celebration. Banners of all colours fluttered in the wind as Beathyn’s cannons continued their relentless shelling. All of the Emberglades were represented. Wintergale volunteers and Men of the Blackbanner led by Zarannis. Militia from the Heartlands and Shalemarch under Judereth. Even Westheath prisoners-turned-soldiers, promised amnesty, aiming to fight twice as hard to prove their loyalty to Relriah who had stepped forward to lead them. They knew of her, most of them growing up in Westheath together.

It wasn’t difficult to convince them to follow The Daughter of Illithia who was Arenias’ last remaining heir. After being explained the state of things by Relriah, they were more than happy to fight for someone who was just as ruthless- but not at their expense. They promised to deliver her father’s head as a coronation present for the true ruler of Westheath.

But despite the celebratory mood, there was still a dread that hung low in the air. Victory was close at hand, but it made the idea of dying -now- so much worse. A pointless last stand by Arenias. The last gesture by a Lordling that was already dead. The same outcome would be reached if he just surrendered- only with less bloodshed on both sides. But Stenden had been clear.

A prolonged siege to starve them out and forcing a surrender was not an acceptable option. They needed to snuff Lord Illithia and his loyalists out once and for all. The war had gone on long enough, and with the help of the heroes who had come to aid him, they were going to end this- Here. Now.

[Event Start]

Thanidiel Highdawn:"How much does the Lordling wish for us to keep intact?"

Esheyn:"An important thing to consider.”

Ethalarian:"I would imagine as much as possible, Highdawn."

Thanidiel:"I'm just saying. There's a lot of tinder here and nothing runs the untrained out of a fortress faster..."

Ethalarian:"I don't think they've much interest in ruling a load of torched tinder, either."

Lirelle:"I believe all of their militia have deserted them. Only those fanatically loyal are left."

Thanidiel:"I'll show them fanatical loyalty underneath my mare's hooves."

Lirelle looks up to the defenders on the walls. "I'm sure some of them are already regretting it."

Ethalarian frowns. Destroying his fellow countrymen to the man doesn't appear to sit well with him.

Thanidiel:"Highdawn will run down the riflemen ahead. Will your horsemen be handling the infantry?"

Ethalarian:"You can leave it to me."

Isilos pointed at the guards infront of Thanideil's troops. "Soften them up so the others can pass through."

Thanidiel:"Mm, fuck that. Redirecting - this city is so piss-narrow. I may split the heavy cavalry for now."

[Combat Starts.]

After the strategy concludes, the siege begins in earnest under the blasts of Beathyn’s cannon fire. The fighting is intense as the Coalition engages Arenias’ loyalists street by street, and block by block. Smashing through barricades and navigating roadblocks, the battle soon becomes a slaughter for the hopeless defenders. Nevertheless the fanatical opposing force put up a fierce defence.

The casualness with which the Crows move is at odds with the militia scattered around them. A flick of Lirelle's hand is enough to propel them forwards, horses trotting forward as their riders let loose. Their mage followed cautiously behind, her magic sending chunks of masonry flying from beneath the feet of the defenders. Lirelle herself hung back for now, save for a single bolt of black that washed over the crossbowmen, leaving nothing but corpses in its wake.

Ethalarian secures his helmet in place and spurs his charger forward without a word. As he races through the streets, he gives his orders with hand signals, dirt and loose stone flying through the air at the thunderous passing of his cavalry.

Esheyn and her troops take to the walls, climbing up the ladders quickly to dispatch their foes.

Vaelrin was here. And was here the entire time for whatever happened over the last few weeks at this particular location at this particular time when things were surely at a particularly violent era. Nevertheless, Vaelrin's best interest was to pursue and protect those who were with him in battle and with a bellowing call, he and bowmen took aim to the Arbalesters on the top of the wall.

[Meanwhile at the inner walls of the north]

Vissehn 's troops had been on the move long before the main army and they had carved their corner-- one man at a time, one night at a time. It took time to break a perimeter; more time to dig in. Lots of cardgames played silently-- lots of sleepless nights. Now, however, it paid off; their commander's eccentric strategy bringing them to the back of the field, where defenses pointed quite the other way. Springing up, they levelled their rifles at the bombardment canon, trying to make quick work of things on their side of the battle. All the while, their young and reckless commander sang a jaunty tune.

Vissehn Sings

"Lay them out, oh bullet born Reap all they have sown Arenias of the blatant scorn will find his castle blown!"

And so they let loose, all of their shots, in a blaze of gunsmoke and shells.

Vissehn takes a moment to fire into the air, letting enemy and ally alike know that a Hawk has entered the fray.

[Back to the Main Assault]

Isilos channeled healing light towards Esheyn while commanding his Magisters to puch back the entrentched. "Clear the path, we need to make it to the other side. I will focus on keeping our ranks alive."

Thanidiel yells to her compatriots. "Highdawn will be blocking the advance of the lancers."

Ethalarian:"Good luck."

Mara Blazingdawn:"Soldiers! Fan out! We will not be left out of this fight!"

A runner comes in from their eastern flank, calling for reinforcements. The siege had gone well on the Eastern Wall. -Too Well- so much so that the militia-men had over extended and were now cut off.

Ethalarian immediately wheels his cavalry around, waving for him to follow. "My cavalry will ride to relieve the militia! We'll get there fastest."

The battle continues as Ethalarian rides down the streets leading eastwards and comes to the militia’s aide on the right flank.

Oosaarn and the arbalesters charged through the broken wall. Sprinting past broken buildings and rubble until they were well within the city. He orders his troops to attack the infantry on his left while both arbalesters attacks those straight ahead.

Esheyn continues their assault atop the wall, but she instructs her troops to descend and move to join the others.

Vaelrin bellows forth a command ordering his troop to follow him as he charges off on his steed towards the middle of the wall where the hole allowed entryway. With most of the ranged disposed of, his focus now turned towards something else. Without so much as a flinch, Vaelrin's presence was now alongside Lirelle as a command ushered forth a wave of arrows towards the nearest enemy.

Mara Blazingdawn raises her sword to order her forces forward. "Advance through the breech! We need to get into position to engage their infantry! Double time!"

Rallying her troops to her Mara Blazingdawn bellows at the top of her lungs as they enter the fray. "Drive these cavalry back! We need to clear the way!"

[Meanwhile, on the right flank]

Ethalarian 's cavalry arrives at the flank and he immediately begins to take stock of the situation. "Forward!" he bellows to his militiamen. "Buy the levies some breathing room!"

Ethalarian spurs his lancers forward, aiming to relieve the beleaguered levies. Light radiates from the lancers behind him and begins to knit closed their wounds. "You!" he shouts, directing his lance at some poor unfortunate soul. "What the hell happened here?"

The sargeant responds. They had broken through and made full use of it. Only to discover later that it was because they were let in -intentionally-. This whole eastern flank was a trap.

[Meanwhile, in the North, at the Inner Walls]

Vissehn shouts as the hit lands, but it doesn't seem to do enough. He looks to his militia men. "C'mon, bring 'em down!" They reload, and fire once more-- into the arablesters this time.

Vissehn:"Ilithia went to war

Far beyond their reach

Here we bay at their door

To hammer down a breach!"

Vissehn:"If we die we die glorious, lads! Let 'em remember we sang to our demise!"

[Back to the Main Assault]

Lirelle continues walking forward, the Crows behind her picking off targets as they went. As she passes Vaelrin again, she turns to look at him briefly. saying not a word as was promised. She stops behind Thanidiel's horsemen and the shadows curl around her, dissipating to reform in an instant to engulf the guards and rifles.

Thanidiel is unphased as the dark magicks swirl around them - those of the Emberheart militia reacting on the contrary until settled under the standard of Tyr's Hand again.

Isilos wiped the blood from his scythe and looked to the other streets. He didn't like being delayed when there was an objective.

Oosaarn and those arbalest mercenaries turned the nearest corner and ran headlong into the group of house guards down the ruined street. [All basic attack on House Guards]

Esheyn grits her teeth. She has a LOT of ground to cover if she has any hope of catching up with her comrades. But her troops are in a better position to assist, and so she calls to them, "TO ISILOS!" before jumping down to rush toward the fray.

Mara Blazingdawn finishes cleaning her blade from the recent skirmish. "Press forward! We have the advantage!" Ordering her knights to move into the ruins, the lesser guardsmen engage the House Guards while Mara's personal guard attack the Infantry further into the city.

[Meanwhile, on the right flank]

The trap continued to circle in on the remaining militia, also trapping Ethalarian.

Ethalarian squares his jaw as the severity of the situation begins to dawn on him. Cut off. Surrounded. "Hartwood! Duskarrow!" He shouts as loud as he can, hoping they can hear him over the din of the battle. "Fall back! Get the militia out of here, warn Highdawn and the others!" The broad-shouldered knight at the head of one of the militia formation falters. "But-" Ethalarian waves, cutting him off. "No argument, Sergeant! I'll delay them as long as I can!"

Takes one look at the situation, then back at the knight who had come to their rescue. "What about you?" He asks.

Ethalarian shakes his head. "You heard me. The last thing I need is a bunch of fucking farmers getting in my way."

Krissen Dawnhollow who had believed she had their lines of retreat cut off frowns. "Noble of you. But futile. Just like my Lord's stupid last stand. Are you here to make one of your own?"

Ethalarian wheels his cavalry about, facing now the one that had begun to approach him. "Nothing quite so elegant as that." He shrugs his shoulders. "Just no other options."

Krissen Dawnhollow shrugs. "Such is life, is it not?" She makes a wry laugh, for she knew that her fate would be similar. Shortly.

Ethalarian cracks a wry grin, leaning forward across the horn of his saddle. "Not that it's going to matter here in a few minutes," he says with a wry laugh, "but I don't suppose you have a name?"

Krissen Dawnhollow:"Krissen Dawnhollow," she says.

Krissen Dawnhollow raises her hand for her troops to attack. Whatever futile victory she had won on this side of the fortress was going to be pointless soon enough. As was the Knight's last stand. "Let's finish this."

Ethalarian discards his lance and draws Faithbreaker from its scabbard. The crimson blade flickers to life as it had so many times before and one of the knights behind him sounds a blast of his horn. "Let us indeed." Hooves drive into cobblestone with a thunderous sound as he spurs his charger into action, followed by what remains of his retinue.

[And on the Inner Walls North of the Main Assault]

Vissehn and his lads slipped off the battlements, and with a rush ran to the remaining bombardment canon. Vissehn waved them around, and his soldiers attempted to commandeer.

Vissehn cheers and his men, and the remains of his militia, aim for the final bombardment canon on the battlements.

“If we die now, we die with a canon!"

The boy holds tight to his canon, watching the arbalesters fell his men. Until there was none but himself.

Vissehn, alone as his luck seemed to fade, breaks out into song. "When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered."

Thanidiel hears his song. "Are you singing to -comfort- yourself!" bellows through the streets.

The Main Assault was now closing in on the Inner Walls but none were in range to support the Hawk

Esheyn and her troops break into a run toward those battling up ahead. [All Sprint]

“Center formation! Fall back and reform! Rear formation! Attack!” Mara Blazingdawn the Dawnspire Knights engage the Houseguard bringing steel and courage to purpose.

Just as the arbalesters fire at Vissehn, the forces from the Eastern Flank arrive to assist

Ethalarian 's cavalry appear from the right flank, tattered and flagging but unbroken. A tree of a man leads the front most unit of cavalry, recognizable to most as Knight-Sergeant Hartwood. "Run them down!" he cries. "We need to end this quickly for the Captain's sake!"

[The Battle Quickly concludes and all forces meet up]

"Commander Highdawn!"

Thanidiel looks at the rider from Ethalarian’s unit. "Dawnstalker does not ride with you. Report."

Hartwood shakes his head. "The right flank was a trap, sir. Last I saw of him he was completely enveloped by the enemy." The big man looks grim. "I saw his banner charge into their leader's formation but- We need to hurry."

Thanidiel does not shout nor rile at the news - accepting it quietly with the phoenix greathelm obscuring her thoughts and features. What there is - almost automatic on the heels of Hartwood's words, is the swishing motion of the Tyr's Hand standard and the beat of the armoured cavalry's hooves as they move shortly from a rippling trot to a full gallop through streets and along walls to the eastern flank.

What she finds when she arrives is a scene of calamity- not a single one of the Lancers that had left under Ethalarian's banner remained standing. She finds him at the center of the formation, badly bloodied but somehow still breathing. At least for the moment. His wounds are many and they are deep. His head turns, eyes unseeing, toward the sound of hoofbeats as Highdawn's formation approaches and he manages to barely lift a hand.

Thanidiel slows enough to swing off of the back of her pale mare, allowing the beast to come to its own stop as her armoured frame lands onto the cobblestone. The motleyed band of horsemen that had followed her all the way from the South, just as Ethalarian had, already bringing themselves to a pause aways from the scene. Sweetness does not soften this moment, for Highdawn is not sweet and has always been all of the weapon that Ethalarian had wished to dehumanise into. Her gauntletted hand lowers to his, enough to curl around, as she delivers the plainfaced observation. "You are dying. My Light would do nothing but spur you to the end before it could uplift you."

Thanidiel then seethes out, angry but restrained, "We should have gone together. Traded places."

Ethalarian sputters a half-choked laugh and gives a shake of his head, bloodied lips twisting into a crooked grin. "S'w-what I always liked about you, Th-Thanidiel. Always a...a laugh." He lifts his chin and tugs sharply, with what little strength he has left, and the buckles clasping his curiass in place give out. "Shut up," he hisses through clenched teeth as his numb fingers fumble for something. "I picked this."

Thanidiel:"The dying or whatever you're fumbling for in there? If you think I like you enough to go into my Great Uncle's lands and hand Nuellen your dogtags..." The ex-Knight picks up on his manner, letting everything else said pass by with flickers of her ears as she drops to her knees. Facilitating the ease of whatever was being given.

Ethalarian finally finds what he's looking for- something kept close to his heart- and weakly takes it into his grip. "Everything." The color begins to fade even more rapidly from his ruddy skin. Unable to lift his arm anymore, he rocks his shoulders in her direction and slaps whatever is in his hand- smeared with his blood- into her chest. "Keep...this...close." Ethalarian winces from the pain. "Foot...footlocker."

Thanidiel examines the bloodsmeared object, using the leather underside of her glove to wipe away and discover its details. The greathelm, as always, obscuring anything animate to her. But whatever it was, the stalks of her ears freeze and pull back - threatened, or alarmed, taken aback? Either way, it all braces and chills through the rest of her frame as she looms over the dying Knight. Hostility replacing affection even still as she grits out a simplistic, "Fuck you," as the ramifications process through her mind. "You're going to make me live for this?" She had wanted this all to be the end; a merit of good work to at least a few peoples before bringing over a century of nightmare to an end.

Thanidiel growls after - the sound reverberating through her chest, and throat, and the layers of padded cloth and metal encasing her. Even still, the deliberate motion is present in the other's dying vision; the press of Elleynah's World to her breastplate.

Ethalarian squeezes Thanidiel's hand weakly and seems to laugh- his body shakes, at least- and that wry smile returns to his face. He wants to say more- to give her a few final words- but he can't summon the energy. All he can do is nod weakly. She knows his meaning. She'll understand. Regardless of whatever difference they may have had, she would do what needed to be done. That was her way. And then, at long last, his grip goes slack in her hands and he stills completely.

[Event End]

[ecadiuu]

my theory on the ending of snk (spoilers)

wow. I can’t believe I’m so knee-deep into the lore of shingeki no kyojin again. right when I thought I was understanding things, I end up retracing and trying to understand the purpose of events and why characters did what...and the like. needless to say, I became infatuated all over again. during quarantine I got back into the series and caught up, spending the last week doing so. I just wanted to list what I think would happen at the end.

I’m fully convinced that the baby in the last manga panel is the og ymir fritz from the paths dimension being reborn into the mortal world and officially “set free”. I also think that the baby is historia’s. people like to argue about who the father is, if its the farmer, some people say its eren, idk. somehow I feel like it could be eren...that would make the birth of new ymir that much more poignant, but at the same time...I don’t know, I still have my doubts. its a 50/50 for me.

I am also set on the idea that armin will be the one to devise a master plan and make something happen in which he “saves humanity”, where it’s been foreshadowed by eren during that erwin/armin dispute. what he’s going to do exactly, I’m not sure. excited to see it though.

that being said, a part of me also has this theory that whatever happens, the one who will “land the finishing blow” or be the one to actually attempt to stop eren will be mikasa. I think this way because she is the only capable person within the vicinity of the main plot who is unaffected by the founder’s powers, being that she’s ackerman and asian. therefore, if something hypothetically happens where eren uses the founder’s power to facilitate his plan of genocide and therefore render eldians incapacitated, stopping even his fellow eldian friends from his initiation of destruction, mikasa is the only person who would be both unaffected and able to do something about it..also worth mentioning that her bond with eren could make that much more of a difference.

but also, I don’t even think eren’s plan of mass genocide can be stopped. truthfully, I actually think his plan might go through. worst case scenario is that the alliance tries to convince eren, and when that doesn’t work, they resort to killing him. bonus points if it’s mikasa that possibly kills him, like I mentioned, because isayama is the king of Suffer. of course not before eren confesses to armin and mikasa that he’s always loved them and he was distancing himself so that they could bear his death better. watch him about to die, be like, “I knew that this was going to happen in the future, and I don’t regret it. To save humanity, Mikasa, Armin,,,...I love you.” bam death. but then it doesn’t matter since the rumbling just kills everyone because the Will has already been initiated and it was all for naught. sadness ensues

jk I don’t think it’s going to be that sad... though we can never be too cautious because all kinds of deaths and sad dialogues are surely on the table. I think that the ideal conclusion would go like this: the rumbling ends up killing some but not all. eren makes the little girl paths ymir biologically modify the eldian race so that they can no longer transform into titans. this won’t erase any of the hatred that the other nations have for eldia, they will still fear them due to the long history that cannot be erased either. the cycle of bloodshed would most likely still continue, but to me this is the most peaceful way...

...this ending is unsatisfying and inconclusive, and it’s why it’s very unlikely. it’s why I think that the rumbling is inevitable. I also can’t trust isayama. he is not kind to us LOL. he can do whatever he wants. so I still think there’s going to be a lot of death and pandemonium and sadness soon to come.

I also wanted to touch on the subject of shipping because lol why not. I was never really a shipper in snk just cause all of my shipping energy is transformed into love and affection for none other than  a r m i n  the bane of my existence and also my will to live. 

eren’s going to die in one way or another. be it in action or in the few years he has left of life. taking that into account...it’s why I don’t see him ending up with anyone. he’s the main character, but just because he’s the main character doesn’t mean he’s going to have a happy ending with whoever it may be. eren doesn’t have enough time to find a wife and have a kid and live happily, and even if he did he’d only have like 2-3 years left. I’d doubt he’d even want to burden a potential partner by having a family just to leave them behind in the next instant. having a totally tragic, sad, but meaningful death is what I 100% see here, potentially, and that includes the life that he will have cut short due to his story. it’s quite sad to think he dies so early with the curse of ymir...but of course, that’s just how the story goes.

mikasa: IIII’m not totally sure who I see mikasa ending up with. what I do know for sure, though, is that her distance from eren was necessary in order for her character development--to prove that she is indeed not a slave to her ackerman instincts. this totally makes me want to touch on the manga of what I saw regarding her and eren’s relationship, so I’m going to right now. oh god.. straight up, I felt sooo bad for mikasa after reading the scene where...omg....the survey corps went to marley woo fun ice cream and that night, eren talks to mikasa alone near the mid-east refugees, being all like, “wHat dO I mEaN to yOU?” ,,,,like I don’t even consider myself an eremika shipper, but damn I was blushing for her. so cut to that part where she responds “family” when he asks between “because I saved you” or “family”... it was here where it was kinda confirmed that she has those kinds of feelings for eren...which makes this even sadder for me to think about. the way I interpreted that scene was that eren wanted to know if she was only so concerned of him because it was due to her nature of being an ackerman to protect, or if it was because he and her grew up together (in my opinion, it was the culmination of both, but maybe more so the fact that they grew up together). what I understood from his question was that the last thing eren wants is for mikasa to be attached to him due to her bloodline and therefore a slave to him because of her own instincts, which is what he believes. I also understand his motive for being so mean to her was because of this. maybe he even wanted to protect her from the pain of his inevitable death and a guaranteed future without him, and so distancing himself is what he finds is necessary for that. and for that reason, I tend to think that their separation is going to be the endgame for them. undoubtedly, mikasa will have to live the rest of her days without eren. it’s one of those sad aspects of love that’s so vividly shown in SNK that’s like, love is sometimes real but not possible due to circumstances. will mikasa end up with armin? I don’t know. it’s possible but I mean...I feel like mikasa would be too pained knowing how deeply involved eren was in both of their lives. someone “new” like jean? seems hugely weird...also jean constantly disrespected eren so...probably not. I’m totally fine with mikasa being single. she can be an independent bad bitch and have her memory of eren deep within her heart.

armin: okay, so armin has 9 years left to live. will he have partner and a potential family? maybe. a lot of these questions are big maybes. I could totally see it happen. with who? no clue. I see that armin x annie is a thing, but like.............I honestly don’t think annie has the capability to love anyone like that. I think her sole concern in life is her father and that’s that. her life is also limited to who knows how many years, she has an even shorter time than eren. and in addition, like...would armin even like annie....? I just hope this king is happy for as long as possible because he deserves it. I Love You Armin.

as for everyone else, I also could see people like connie and jean finding their partners once everything is over, of course if theyre still alive. levi and hange are probably going to be bachelors for the rest of their lives. focusing primarily on levi, I think his whole life he never really tried to get close to anyone or had thoughts of truly having intimate relationships because he would expect the possibility of them to die. levi is king of “protecting myself from hurt by not engaging in intimacy in the first place”. an art I am also soon to master thanks to his teachings. hange...I hope she lives along with levi and both of them can finally live in peace as the old, tired veterans they truly are. speaking of which, I hope she doesn’t die. but for some reason I have a sense in my gut isayama is going to pull something.

^^the above wasn’t meant to bash any ships or anything. it’s just what I thought regarding the characters’ endings in my point of view, all while keeping the themes of the series in consideration, trying to be as unbiased and factual as possible

as we know, snk characters x happiness is....rare. snk characters x life is even rarer. still looking forward to any ending isayama has tho, might just cry into a pillow when I read it

[lcvebuilt]

featuring:  finn  mikaelson,  henrik  mikaelson,  klaus  mikaelson tagging: @ofisolaticn, @ofprinciples, @aregentsruin summary:  a family get together turns into chaos, as all mikaelson events do warnings: ugly formatting & mikaelson angst  

finn mikaelson

all  things  considered,  his  life  hasn't  been  horrible  since  his  return  to  the  land  of  the  living.  complicated  maybe,  given  the  intricacy  of  his  relationship  with  his  siblings,  but  otherwise  he's  had  very  few  complaints.  even  christmas  was  a  positive  occasion,  a  mikaelson  event  that  ended  with  minimal  bloodshed  and  catastrophe.  a  first  for  them.  maybe  it's  that  which  has lulled  him  into  a  false  sense  of  security;  a  belief  that  this  meeting  will  be  fine,  will  not  go  awry.   before  christmas  he'd  been  smart;   he'd  fed  before  leaving  the  house,  doing  his  best  to  quiet  the  unforgiving  hunger  that  plagued  him  while  he  spent the  day  with  his  siblings ...  especially  those  who  were,  in  ways, walking  carotid  arteries  he  longed  to  drain.   he'd  managed,  so  perhaps  that  was  why  he  hadn't  felt  it  necessary  to  do  the  same on  this  day.    (  it  was  a  mistake  ) he's  not  sure  if  it's  the  hunger  or  his  paranoia  that  sees  him  shifting  in  his  seat,  feeling  like  someone's  turned  a  heat  lamp  over  top  of  him  and  left  him  to  wilt.   henrik's  talking  about  something,  a  new  boyfriend  maybe,  or  something  about  work,  but  all  finn  can  hear  is  the  sound  of  the  blood  pumping  in  his  veins.   he  remembered  how  good  it  had  tasted,  how  it  had  left  him  hungry  for  more.    this  is  his  brother,  so  he's  trying  to  resist,  but  the  harder  he  tries  the  more  difficult  it  becomes.   suddenly  he  misses  the  buffer  of  the  rest  of  their  family,  prays  for  distractions  to  give  him  something  else  to  focus  on.   (  his  prayers  are  never  answered.  )   

henrik mikaelson

being a mikaelson, especially of late, had been something good. at least, in henrik's eyes. he had a family, being apart of a family. there was nothing like it. it wasn't like his first ten years, they were no longer vikings, and they were far from the people they had been back then. new forms of their very self, and it wasn't a bad thing. it was growth. sure there were downs too, but just as many if not more, ups. the christimas dinner? it was something he'd never done before, and it was something he'd never forget. a fond memory he would hold onto, tight and close to his chest. when he'd been called for a family meeting, of sorts, he was kind of excited. it was silly to be, he knew. but he looked forward to seeing his family, he enjoyed every moment of having them after having nothing for so long. then there was finn. finn was the oldest, sans freya who henrik had yet to meet. he remembered being small when finn had been large and looming. now they were of similar heights. all too different, but still brothers. so, he spoke to him. it wouldn't hurt to pass the time, now would it? he spoke about grayson, he spoke about how he'd stolen a christimas tree with a guy named zain, he spoke about levi and he spoke about what he had for breakfest and how he tried and failed to make hashbrowns (he'd always been a shitty cook). "finn?" he asked, catching finn's gaze. well, it was actually lack of gaze, he caught. "you okay?"

finn mikaelson 

his  name  draws  him  from  his  obsessions,  his  head  rising  as  he  nods.  tight,  resolute.  "  yeah,  i'm  fine.  you  said  you  stole  something  with  someone. "    he  did  pick  up  on  some  things,  but  focusing  has  been  —  admittedly  —  rather  difficult.   or  rather  he  is  focused,  but  he's  focused  on  the  wrong  thing.   "  sounds  like  you've  had  an  eventful  few  weeks. "    there's  guilt  in  his  voice,  knowing  that  he  has  been  part  of  it.   it's  hard  for  him  to  reconcile  the  henrik  from  their  youth  with  the  henrik  today,  a  child  who'd  been  taken  too  soon  now  a  fully  grown  man.   maybe  that's  why  at  first  there  was  a  disconnect,  why  he  couldn't  necessarily  trick  his  mind  into  ensuring  that  he  didn't  hurt  him.   (  he  cares.   it's  because  he  cares  that  he  knows  he  has  to  be  careful.  ) "  i'm  fine. "   more  wishful  thinking  than  truth,  a  lump  swallowed  past  as  he  clears  his  throat.  mind  over  matter.    he's   a  mikaelson,  he  knows  what  they're  capable  of;   great  destruction,  yes,  but  also  an  incredible  perseverance  to  overcome  adversity.   if  he  focuses  on  the  latter,   maybe  he'll  make  it  through,  find  a  way  to  resist  his  instinctual  impulses  and  prioritize  family  over  everything  else  ...  even  base  instincts.     "  long  day. "

henrik mikaelson 

"yeah." he wasn't convinced. he knew that disinterred look in the others eye. it was something he became familiar with after working with so many kids over the years. but finn wasn't one of his kids. and henrik didn't want to press the topic more than it needed to be pressed. "yeah, i didn't think that one totally through but it all worked out in the end." it'd been his first christimas tree, and one he had cherished. it didn't look too snazzy, but henrik made do. "yeah." he gave a firm nod of his head. "all types of eventful and hectic. there's this kid i've known since he was a teenager, he's all grown up now and seeing him is just... crazy." he wondered if that was what it was like for his siblings. seeing him as a dead 10 year old to a fully grown 27 year old man. not an easy transition. then again, they were more experienced with transition than henrik. besides the obvious, there was also their transition into the centuries as time went on. his family had to adjust time and time again, and they always made it through. it was an accomplishment, at least henrik thought so. "you wanna talk about it?" he offered, also quick to add. "we also don't have to though, if you don't wanna." he needed to make it clear, they didn't have to talk. not if finn didn't want to. "i mean, i know we still have a lot to learn about each other but i- i am here."

finn mikaelson 

there's  irony  that  brings  a  half-smile  to  his  features.   a  nice  distraction,  one  he  welcomes.   "  i  know  the  feeling.   it's  hard  to  reconcile  the  person  they  are  now  with  the  person  you  remember.   when  i  saw  freya  again,  after  so  long  believing  she  was  lost  to  us,  it  felt  like  a  dream.    or  a  nightmare,  because  we'd  lost  so  much  time. "   the  truth  had  been  a  rude  awakening,  the  first  indicator  that  their  mother  hadn't  always  had  their  best  interests  at  heart.   she'd  gambled  with  their  lives  and  had  given  up  her  daughter,  something  he  found  difficulty  accepting  even  now.   he  may  always  be  a  mama's  boy,  but  even  he  could  see  the  darkness  in  her  now  --  and  how  she  brought  it  out  in  the  rest  of  them. "  no,  but  thank  you. "   he  shakes  his  head,  a  grateful  look  shot  in  his  direction  all  the  same.   there's  no  easy  way  to  tell  your  brother  that  his  presence  tests  your  wavering  restraint,  not  without  a  healthy  helping  of  guilt  accompanying  it.    he  doesn't  want  that  for  henrik,  not  with  things  as  new  and  fragile  as  they  are.     speaking  of  new  and  fragile  —   niklaus  had  news,  which  is  why  they've  been  called  here.   news  which  makes  him  nervous,  because  hardly  ever  is  news  good  when  it  comes  to  their  family.    (  his  paranoia  swells.  )     "  it's  nothing  major,  just  some  adjustment  issues.   coming  back  from  the  dead  isn't  as  seamless  as  it  once  was. "   he  cracks  a  smile,  the  joke  easy.      "  speaking  of  adjustment,  we've  been  talking  around  the  reason  why  we're  all  here.   call  me  cynical,  but  am  i  wrong  in  assuming  the  likely  cause  is  some  new  and  unexpected  threat? "     it  always  was. 

henrik mikaelson 

finn's words made it feel... different. the ease in which he spoke, the wisdom, another reminder to henrik just what a difference there was between them. freya, finn spoke of her and henrik listened. "tell me," he began. "i mean you don't have to tell me but--- what's she like? freya." he wondered if she had the temper of niklaus and rebekah, calm like elijah and finn, or maybe whimsical like kol. he wondered if he himself shared any traits in common with her. his lips pressed together, a small nod of his head. "there's so much i don't know. and there's so much that i'll just never learn because there's just so so much." he could tell them every moment of his life, all he could remember. but they'd never be able to do the same, it was too much to recount. he nodded, taking finn's answer in stride without any push or complaint. hopefully, finn knew that if he ever changed his mind, henrik would be there. at finn's words, he cracked a smile. well, half a smile. a bit tired, a bit mused, very fond. "tell me about it." it was a joke, and it fit because henrik knew too. not an easy process. "you know what helped me? tv. lots of it. sitcom's are very educational when you don't know like, anything." he chuckled at a memory. "i learned what a frying pan was when i watched spongebob." though it soon occured to him that finn may not even know what the yellow blob that defined so many childhoods was. a deep breath because yeah, finn was right. "as opposed to old and expected," not the best joke, or the best place for it, but he needed to slack some lightness into the topic of someone wanting to murder their whole family. "but yeah. i don't know the details, but i think so." it was unnerving, to say the very least.

finn mikaelson 

"  as  a  child,  we  grew  up  together.   she  was  so  full  of  life  —  so  when  we  lost  her,  it  was  devastating. "   even  now,  centuries  removed,  the  scar  lingers.   the  loss  of  freya  as  children  had  kept  him  at  distance  from  his  other  siblings,  the  fear  of  loving  and  losing  the  people  he  held  dear  too  great.  in  ways  he's  been  course  correcting  as  an  adult,  trying  to  repair  damaged  relationships  that  he  himself  holds  responsibility  in  destroying.   it  was  too  easy  to  shoulder  the  blame  onto  others  in  his  youth,  to  turn  an  ignorant  eye  away  from  his  own  actions.   he  likes  to  think  he's  wiser  now;  better,  even  in  his  shortcomings.   (  though  as  he  tries  to  do  better,  his  suspicions  never  die.   he  has  plans  on  plans,  refuses  to  let  anyone  get  the  better  of  him  should  tides  ever  turn.  )    "  she's  fiercely  protective  of  those  she  loves.   she's  the  best  of  us. "    the  most  human.    it's  something  he  envies,   and  admires.    "  i  think  you'd  like  her.    her  wife,  too. "  the  idea  of  sitting  down  and  watching  tv  seems  ...  laughable.   he  doesn't  laugh  though,  simply  quirks  his  brow  in  amusement.  "  i  suppose  i've  done  similarly  with  books.   i  can't  say  i  know  anything  about  spongebobs  though."     he  thinks,  perhaps,  maybe  they'll  learn   from  each  other ...  though  he's  not  sure  he  necessarily  wants  to  learn  everything  about  this  modern  age.   the  more  he  sees,  the  less  he  likes.    "  old  and  expected  is  usually  an  inevitability.  especially  when  the  dead  don't  seem  to  stay  so. "     he  shrugs,  a  resigned  tilt  to  his  shoulders.(edited)

finn mikaelson 

he  had  said  he  would  keep  an  open  mind  through  this,  would  listen  and  try  to  curb  any  anger  or  paranoia,  but  the  more  they  wait  the  worse  it  gets.    as  soon  as  his  younger brother  says  something,  the  casual  air  becomes  fraught  with  tension  as  he  straightens.     he  thinks  he  heard  him  say  something  about  white  oak,  but  that  can't  be  possible.    no,  he  must  be  mistaken.     he  can  hear  thudding  from  his  chest,  feel  the  slight  semblance  of  control  he's  been  wrestling  with  weaken.   he  stands  abruptly,  his  chair  knocked  down.   "  this  has  to  be  a  joke. "    his  voice  is  tight,  eyes  hot  with  anger.    "  this?  again? "     after  all  this  time,  maybe  nothing  had  changed  -  as  much as  he  wanted  to  believe  it  had.

henrik mikaelson 

he listened intently as finn spoke. sorrow befalling his expression as finn spoke of loosing her. henrik couldn't imagine that type of pain. his own loss of them was far different in experience. he'd woken up in a whole different world, a whole different life in between the loss of a life. a singular moment for the boy he'd been back then. it wasn't his life going on, collapsing it on itself with one of it's pillars removed. everything had been gone back then. and yes, it still hurt. but it was a type of pain different than what finn experienced. "it's never easy," he spoke, empathetic gaze. "it'll never be easy." even if you get them back. though, he was sure finn knew that. he probably knew it better then henrik himself. he smiled, as finn spoke of their sister. "she sounds fantastic." and he meant that too. "i can't wait to meet her, and her wife too." more family, the better. he enjoyed the extended family, he enjoyed being apart of it and having those bonds. he cared for it in ways he couldn't put into words. it was important, more so then most anything. he laughs as finn speaks. "maybe that's for the better." not all were fond of the tie wearing sponge after all. "any good books?" he asked, curious of his brother's taste. he doubted he would know any, his own taste wasn't too sophisticated after all. a nod of his head. "you have experience with this." not a question, but rather something apparent and obvious. henrik himself though, he was inexperienced to the supreme. he hoped such a trait was something he could amend fast. the chair fell down, and maybe if finn had said oops and seemed like he cared, henrik would be less startled. but alas, finn stood up with rigid posture and eyes hot with anger. "i--" he didn't even know what set him off. which words, which was spoken casually and apparently, unwisely. "hey, whatever it is, we'll figure it out." he assured, and believed it too.

finn mikaelson 

it  spins  out  from  here.  one  minute  he  feels  like  he  can  have  a  rational  conversation,  can  bond  with  his  brothers  about  books and  terrible  tv  shows  and  start  feeling  like  the  family  he'd  love  to  be,  but  in  the  next  he's  right  back  there  in  the  coffin;   trapped,  watching  the  lid  of  his  prison  as  the  world  goes  on  without  him.    he  doesn't  hear  anything  else,  can't  really  resonate  with  anything  that  is  actually  going  on  in  front  of  him.

his  head  snaps  in  henrik's  direction,  gaze  prickling  in  confusion  and  despair.    it's  helpless  that  he  feels,  helpless  and  petrified  at  the  thought  of  what  could  come  next,  of  what  is  maybe  an  inevitability,  as  his  eyes  darken.    "  don't  make  promises  you  can't  keep.  none  of us  can. "    he  staggers  backwards,  blocks  out  anything  else  that's  being  said.    (  the  paranoia  has  consumed  him,  he's  not  thinking  logically  anymore;  he'd  recognize it  if  he  could.  )     "  whenever  white  oak's  involved,  it  never  ends  well  for  any  of  us. "     he  swallows  hard,  looks  between  his  brothers.    "    explain,  niklaus. " 

the  explanation  comes,  and  his  paranoia  only  seems  to  escalate.   he's  still  as  a  statue,  eyes  boring  into  klaus.    there  may  be  white  oak,   it  might  be  in  the  hands  of  parties  unknown,  or  closer  to  home,  but  that's  not  what  gets  him.   "  you  searched  for  it. "    after  all  the  pain,  all  the  suffering,  he  still  sought  it  out.   "  you  can  say  it  was  a  precaution,  to  prevent  it  falling  into  the  wrong  hands,  but  you  and  elijah  —  you  always  decide  what's  best,  even  if  the  rest  of  us  suffer.   what's  to  say  you  don't  change  your  mind  and  decide  to  use  it  again? "     the  paranoia  has  paved  the  way  for  rage,  for  madness,  as  he  takes  a  step  forward.   "  i  won't  live  my  life  in  a  box,  niklaus.   not  again. "     he  can   see  henrik  moving,  grabs  his  arm  before  it  can  touch  him.    he  operates  purely  on  instinct,   the  horseman's  influence  getting  the  better  of  him  as  his  fangs  extend.     call it  desperation,  call  it  a  mistake;   however  it  swings,  he  wrenches  henrik  in  closer  and  goes  in  for  his  throat  —  for  the  kill.   (  is  he  exciting  enough  yet?   has  he  abandoned  the  dull  husk  he  was  suspected  to  be?  )     

 henrik mikaelson 

he didn't know enough to give true reassurance. all his words would come out faux, his inexperience prohibited him from being able to offer much of anything. he was moral support, a cheerleader. not an original vampire, not someone with years of experience, not someone who could offer up much of anything. well, he could walk in a house uninvited. but that came with the whole humanity thing in general. but he was a mikaelson. even if he lacked vampirism and power, he would stand by them. if they needed a fucking cheerleader, henrik would be that cheerleader. he'd do whatever he could provide. and in this moment, with finn aghast as he was as nik explained--- henrik knew what he could do. "finn," he began, considering his words. he saw finn's rage, saw an itching to fight. finn was angry, justifiably angry, but they didn't need to jump to fighting. not if henrik could help it. but apparently, he couldn't. because the moment he reached forward to attempt to touch his brother, to calm him down, finn swung. wrenching him closer, and then going for the bite. 

klaus mikaelson 

centuries of similar predicaments have taught him one thing: this is definitely going to go wrong. he knew what he was getting himself into ;  more or less. he can't say he expected the news of the threat they ALL face to plummet like this and to be turned, somehow, into yet another thing to hold against him. for him to become, once again, the enemy. and yet, as finn exhibits his rage, klaus is unable to resort to a simple ' this isn't true '. he answers fire with fire and, in this case, the wrath of one ignites his own. " keep up your ludicrous act and i might just change my mind, after all, " he seethes, darkly ( and irrationally ). " ah, yes. your box. perhaps it was that better part of your life spent rotting in there that fashioned you into a sensible fool? if i had any intention of earning the white oat stake for myself, for leverage, do you not think i would've done anything but convoke a meeting so that i may announce it to the world? " yeah, he's reasoning ( at last ). but he has a feeling it's too late. finn has always been unreasonable in klaus' eyes. but this time, it's different. he seems erratic and, most importantly, suddenly willing to hurt someone objectively deemed as innocent. it doesn't matter what they make of henrik. finn, in all his righteous glory, would never. luckily, klaus is faster. he flashes between the two of his brothers, with enough of a bump into henrik to send him toppling to the floor ( and away from finn ). his forearm is propped against finn's neck -- and the dagger he had up his sleeve now into his brother's chest. this isn't new. at the christmas dinner too, finn caused more than a ruckus. he's searching finn's gaze and finds no semblance of lucidity. something is happening, but it's something that draws danger to them all. ." i'm sorry, brother. " unlike all the other times, he is. his throat tightens in bitterness and he raises a palm to the side of finn's face, an attempt to offer some hollow comfort that might make it to the real finn as klaus plunges him to the realm of his worst nightmare. " i'll rid you of this. i won't let you rot way for centuries. not again. " " i promise. "