#falco sang

[purringysalamiri]

falco sang panels p.3

[candont]

Number 6 in Austria December 1987

https://falco-compendium.at/musik/collaborations-guest-appearances/body-next-to-body/

[verdammtwirlebennoch]

Growing up when and where I did means I think about Falco exactly not at all. But then they make a musical (they tend to do that, see Elisabeth or Amadeus) about him. My mom really wants to see it, so I go with her, which leads to me suddenly being forced to realise I know like 15 of his songs without ever having listened to one voluntarily.

[starshower1215]

Post-War Levihan Idea [No. 4]

TW: Suicidal thoughts, gaslighting (self-gaslighting)

Levi didn't look when Hange left. He wouldn't meet their eyes, he just touched his fist to their heart and gave them his forgiveness for leaving. He never quite said farewell, not to them, at least, nor did he see what it was that his squad was crying about as the plane took off. Eyes downcast, he said only this: "So long, Hange. Watch over us."

Levihan lenses on. Let's investigate, shall we? Levi doesn't know how Hange died. He never saw them fight, never saw them burn, he has no idea of their last words. In the depths of his wildest nightmares, Hange dies over and over and over. In thousands of ways. Crushed beneath the feet of the titans, knocked into the ocean where they drowned, shredded to bits by their hands, roasted and charred alive as they had been. Had they cried? Had they felt alone in that last flicker of life? Had they smiled, or had they screamed? What had his squad seen, for them to be reacting like that? Levi jolts awake every morning, brittle and half-crumbling beneath the weight of the responses that his mind provides.

But then again, Levi has no clue how Hange died. He didn't see their wounds, didn't watch the light flicker from their eyes. He didn't see the pain. Their last moments in his mind? Unconfirmed. And how does Captain Levi Ackerman document soldiers who are unconfirmed to be alive or dead?

Missing in action.

So Levi is wheelchair-bound, broken, exhausted, falling apart, and alone save for this single soul who went missing. Well, what was it again that everyone kept telling him? Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Connie. Even Onyankapon, now. Oh, yes: "You've done enough to help us, Captain. Rest now, and live for yourself."

So he does. And he chooses to spend his life searching for his lost friend, his Hange.

In the initial idea, Levi was hallucinating once again (this account has been over his hallucinations, but it's not done yet). He's sad and depressed and has nothing to live for anymore, so his Monkey Brain has to design something to keep him going.

He lays in bed some nights, unable to fall asleep, even after Falco came by and made him tea. Even after Onyankapon embarrassed them both by trying to set him to sleep with a story. Even after Gabi sang, albeit terribly, to try to soothe him. He just pretends at that point, afraid to be a burden, until they go away and his eyes pop right back open. The thoughts run rampant, then, when his mind conjures up the ghosts of his loved ones, their bloodied and bruises corpses staring back with empty eyes.

"Wouldn't it be better if I just died, right here? Nobody would have to come by anymore, or see me in this pathetic state, pushing myself in a wheelchair because I can't stand for even a half hour. I wouldn't have to wake up anymore, go to physical therapy, try to feel happy when there's nothing for me to be happy about. We made it to the end, didn't we? Why can't I rest?"

"Why would you rest?" He sees for the first time that Hange isn't there. The voice is a hush in his ear, but still it overtakes the volume of his thoughts. "Hange is missing from you. Where is Hange, Levi?"

He stiffens. "Hange is gone."

"Gone where?"

"Gone..." Levi is baffled into a scowl. He really, really doesn't want to think about that. He doesn't want to cry himself to sleep. "Just gone. Shut up and let me sleep."

But he swears he hears their voice, low and deep in the air. "I haven't been gone that long, clean freak. Don't you remember me?"

Levi jolts, wide awake.

Where is it coming from? The curtains billow, as though disturbed by the sky's cold breath, yet he feels no breeze. Hange's voice comes again. "What have I been trying to teach you this whole time?"

Lightning flashes outside his balcony, then the night is invading. Pressing into his bedroom from every crack in the walls, from the balcony, the slit beneath the door, rushing in like water. It's a typhoon of indigo, speckled with light, and it twists and whirls until it's sunken into the shapes and curves of Hange's body.

He's been here before. "The paths," Levi and Hange both say.

Hange grins. "I didn't know how else to find you."

"But you found me." Levi blinks several times, shakes his head like a dog, but they're there. Hidden in a cloak of night, but they're there. He feels his eyes welling up and he swipes at them quickly. He wants to see.

"I don't think I can stay for long." Their voice reverbrates in the cavern of the bedroom. "But we'll see each other again, won't we? You'll come find me. You always do."

"That's not possible. You're gone."

Hange's gaze softens. "I'm right here, Levi."

A tear slips down his cheek. He can't believe they're making him say it out loud, and he hates how helpless it makes him sound. How small he feels when it's out in the open. "You're gone."

Hange regards him, quiet for once. "You don't believe that. I refuse to believe that I didn't rub off on you. You have more hope than that, Levi. Even in this hopeless world." Their fingers brush his, and he's shocked by the flush of warmth their touch brings. "I know it. I came all this way to find you, didn't I?

"The least you could do is find me, too."

Levi jolts, wide awake.

He stares at his ceiling in a cold sweat. He feels as though he's being torn in two directions. On one hand, Hange was gone. They had to be gone. He'd gone through all this pain, knowing they were gone. To delve back into the past was to undo all he'd fought for since they'd left.

But what if they weren't gone? What if they really were out there, broken bodied and half-alive, but alive? It was difficult to think about either way, but could there be a possibility?

Levi recalls their voice, their touch, their reminder. He turns over his thoughts in his mind one last time, then pulls himself out of bed. He can't stay for long, after all.

Hange is waiting.

-----

At some point, I transitioned into fictional writing. Hopefully that made sense. Anyway:

So, deep down, he knows himself well enough to trick himself. He's always been a hero. He can get up if it means he'll be someone's hero, because Captain Levi is Captain Levi, and who is Levi, if not the person who feeds others when he's still hungry himself?

And to be Hange's hero, when they've saved him so much? When they came to him, warm as a hearth and inviting as a home, like no one ever had before? It isn't even up for discussion. He'll do it.

After all, what did he dedicate his heart to?

End Note: I think in some languages, the verb "to miss" is kind of translated directly like "You are missing from me." The source was likely a delusion, but that in mind, this may just be Levi missing Hange to a big, big extent.

[melishade]

If the Survey Corps went to a karaoke with Jack, Raf and Miko, I wonder what song are they going to pick. If one of them tried to sing 'My Way' by Frank Sinatra, one of the Filipinos would freak out hearing someone singing that song since many of our Filipinos are competitive to karaoke even when drunk.

Wait a minute, isn't that song super cursed in the Philippines? And if you sing that song in a Karaoke bar, then you die?

...oh well, we're doing Karaoke Night!

Attack on Prime The Future Anthology: Karaoke Night

Main Story

Therapy

World War 2

Valentine's Day

"Sound system!" Miko gestured to the speakers in the room, "Generator!" She pointed to the device. "Projector and lights!" Miko gestured to the blinking colorful lights. "Mics!" She held up two cordless microphones in her hands, "A comprehensive list of songs dating all the way back to the 1940s!"

Miko turned on the microphone and shouted. "Welcome one and all to Karaoke Night!"

"Loud," Levi groaned as he rubbed his temple.

"What's Karaoke?" Historia asked.

"Singing for fun!" Miko answered, "Mikasa gave me the great idea when she revealed she could sing!"

Ymir stared at Mikasa in disbelief. "You sing?!"

"Hm." Mikasa blushed with embarrassment.

"So we're all going to be singing?" Historia asked, "Not everyone here knows how to sing."

"That's what the snacks and booze is for." Rafael gestured to the table, "Get drunk and sing, no one will care. I've made some Margaritas, Fruit Cocktails, Mojitos. I also have some of the standard drinks. No mixes."

"Raf, how do you know how to-?"

"Don't worry about it," Rafael cut Jack off, "Non-alcoholic drinks for the two of you." Rafael pointed to Gabi and Falco.

"Three of us. Colt can't handle his liquor," Falco accused.

"That's not your choice to make!" Colt yelled at him.

"You said you were sixteen. It's legal in Europe," Rafael shrugged.

"Well we're not in Europe. We had to bring the whole thing to Paradis or else half of you guys would have been complaining about not being able to legally get drunk," Jack groaned in annoyance.

"Why couldn't you just take us to someplace on Earth?" Mikasa asked.

"It's a lot more work to plan that," Jack answered.

"More work than bringing couches into this room?" Jean asked as he sat on the couch, "Oh the cushion is so nice."

"Move, I wanna sit," Annie ordered.

"I would still like to see more places on Earth!" Hanji insisted.

"Later! Now we sing songs!" Miko declared as she flipped through the playlist, "Who wants to go first?!"

Everyone nervously darted their eyes around the room, trying their best not to look at Jack, Miko, and Rafael.

"Really?" Miko deadpanned.

"To be fair, we don't know much of your songs. And not many of us can sing," Erwin retorted.

"I'm not doing it," Levi declared.

"Wait, you sing!" Hanji exclaimed.

"Hanji, shut up!" Levi hissed at them.

"Oh now Levi has to go!" Miko grinned.

"I'll go first," Jack offered with a sigh.

"Great, you guys are letting cardboard go first," Miko whined as she handed Jack the mic.

"Excuse me for trying to break the ice," Jack retorted as he flipped through the songs.

"Please choose an interesting one," Miko requested.

"How about..." Jack trailed off as he searched through the song list, "This one."

Everyone heard the song playing through the speakers. Miko recognized the song and groaned.

"Really? OneRepublic again?!" Miko demanded.

"Days when, We'd fight, we'd fight 'til I would give in," Jack sang as the lyrics appeared on the screen.

"What is it with you and this band?!" Miko demanded.

"Yeah, perfect disasters. We were reaching, reaching for the rafters, hey." Jack got in Miko's face before poking her forehead.

"Stop it!" Miko demanded.

"So who wants what?" Rafael asked.

"Oooo, whiskey! Gimme!" Hanji made a grabbing motion with their hands.

"So the words to the song will just appear on the screen?" Armin asked Rafael.

"Yeah, it help if you don't know the lyrics," Rafael explained as he handed Hanji some whiskey.

"The song's not bad," Jean commented as Jack continued singing, "And Jack's not a bad singer."

"I refuse to look back thinking days were better, just because they're younger days," Jack sang, "I don't know what's 'round the corner. Way I feel right now, I swear we'll never change. Back when we were kids! Swore we would never die!"

"Again, you don't have to be good. You just have fun," Rafael reassured.

"Well this is a weird way to have fun," Gabi stated, stuffing her face with chips, "I'm gonna judge people!"

"Gabi," Pieck warned.

"There are a lot of songs listed here," Mikasa remarked as she began looking through the catalog herself, "And it's categorized?"

"You interested in going up next?" Rafael asked her.

"Maybe," Mikasa confessed as she handed the electronic pad to Armin.

"I feel like we should have gotten more exposure to Earth's music before doing this," Armin proclaimed, "Look at the variety."

"Some songs are pretty old. They used to be played during the 1940s and 50s and the younger generation don't really know about it," Rafael explained, "You can also listen to the song beforehand while everyone else is singing to give you an idea."

"That'd be nice. Can I listen to this one?" Mikasa asked as she pointed to a song on the list.

"Sure." Rafael got up and grabbed some headphones before placing it over Mikasa's ears. He played the song from his phone, and Mikasa flinched when the music started playing in her ears.

"One at a time for that thing," Rafael proclaimed, "Anyone else want drinks?"

"Can I try the Margarita?" Ymir asked.

"Coming right up," Rafael answered.

Sasha quickly snatched the bowl of chips and started gobbling them down.

"I'm not doing this Erwin," Levi whispered.

"It'll be fine," Erwin reassured, "What's so wrong with letting loose?"

"I've only done it with a few people," Levi reminded.

"It's an era of peace," Erwin reminded, "It's okay to enjoy that peace."

"You and me were kids," Jack finished the last of the song, causing a few of the people in the room to clap for him.

"Thank you." Jack bowed a little while Miko snatched the mic.

"Sit down! My turn!" Miko declared as she started browsing through the songs.

"Cover ears?" Pieck asked as she raised her hands.

"You know the drill," Jack smirked as he covered his own ears.

"Okay, you know what-!" Miko stopped her rant when a loud guitar started playing through the speakers, "I don't give a damn about my reputation!" Miko pretended to play a guitar before moving on the next lyric, "Livin' in the past, it's a new generation!" She did the gesture again, "A girl can do what she wants to do! And that's what I'm gonna do! And I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation!"

"I think I want to do the song on the headphones," Mikasa declared as she took off the headphones.

"Good. Do you want to go next?" Rafael asked.

"I'm...not sure yet," Mikasa confessed.

"That's okay," Rafael reassured, "I'll go next to ease the tension."

"Can I take a look?" Hanji asked, causing Mikasa to stand up and hand over the headphones and electronic device to the former Commander.

"Wow, such a variety!" Hanji marveled as they scrolled through the screen.

Sasha couldn't help but bang her head to the music as Miko continued singing. Jean shrugged and couldn't help but join in. Meanwhile, Gabi looked at the two of them like they had lost their minds.

"They're weird," Gabi mumbled.

"They're having fun," Falco retorted.

"NOT ME!" Miko screamed as the song ended, nearly kicking a speaker to the ground, but Jack yanked her back before she could do serious damage.

"Okay, enough for you. Raf, you up?" Jack asked.

"Yep." Rafael stood up and took the mic from Miko before scrolling through the song list.

"So what are you going to play?" Jean asked.

Rafael turned his attention to Jack and Miko before smirking and pressing play. Everyone heard the sounds of drums being played before a rather funky tune blasted through the speakers. Everyone was confused, but Jack and Miko looked at Rafael in horror.

"You wouldn't dare," Miko hissed lowly.

"We're no strangers to love-!" Rafael grinned and leaned back as Miko tried to grab him and shut him up, but Jack had managed to stop her and pull her back.

"You bitch! I can't believe you're rick-rolling us!" Miko screamed at him.

"'Rick-rolling'?" Armin asked in confusion.

"It's an internet thing! Don't worry about it!" Jack yelled.

"I can't believe you put that on the list!" Miko yelled at Rafael.

"Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Never gonna run around and desert you!" Rafael ignored Miko's rants as he continued singing, "Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye! Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you!"

"...I like it," Falco admitted, causing Miko to scream at him.

"Someone else go next before Miko breaks something!" Jean pleaded.

"I still need to finish!" Rafael retorted.

"Miko might kill you!" Historia retorted.

"I crave death!" Rafael declared before he continued singing.

"You know...this does kind of put me at ease," Armin admitted.

"Jean do you want to do a duet?" Sasha asked him.

"...Yeah, sure, why not," Jean sighed in defeat.

"I'll go next!" Hanji raised their hand, "I got one that I really like from the list!"

"Anything other than this song!" Miko declared, "By the way, I'm recording for the scrapbook!"

"The what?" Levi demanded.

======

Later

"My loneliness, is killing me!" Hanji danced to the music, "Andddd IIIII! I must confess! I still believe! STILL BELIEVE!"

"....Hanji would enjoy this," Levi sighed in defeat.

"When I'm not with you I lose my mind!" Hanji continued, "Give me a sigggggnnnnn!"

"HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!" Jack, Miko, and Rafael joined in.

"Wait, what?! I thought you hated pop!" Sasha pointed at Miko.

"Britney Spears is a classic! Shut up!" Miko yelled.

"I think I'm ready to go next," Mikasa volunteered.

"Go Mikasa!" Sasha cheered.

=======

"Isn't it lovely? All alone," Mikasa's voice sounded both beautiful and haunting as she sang the song, "Heart made of glass. My mind of stone. Tear me to pieces. Skin and bones. Hello, welcome home."

"...wow," Ymir marveled at Mikasa's singing.

"Mikasa should've gone last. She's smoking all of us," Jean declared.

"Again! The point is to have fun!" Jack reminded.

"But Mikasa is a good singer," Miko declared while Armin and Rafael nodded.

=======

"See the line where the sky meets the sea! It calls me! No one knows how far it goes!" Armin sang.

"Really? You put musicals on the roster?" Miko demanded.

"What is with you and musicals?" Rafael demanded.

"I mean the song does fit Armin pretty well," Jean admitted, "Armin loves the ocean and the outside world."

"We should play Moana for movie night then. Sure he'll love that," Rafael suggested.

"Heh, Armin's a Disney Princess," Miko chuckled.

=======

"Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk. I'm a woman's man, no time to talk. The music loud and the women warm. I've been kicked around since I was born," Jean sang, clearly drunk but having surprisingly good coordination.

"And now it's alright, it's okay! And you may look the other way! But we can try to understand! The New York Times' effect on man!" Sasha sang next to him.

"Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive!" They sang together, "Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'! And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive!"

Jack, Miko, Rafael joined in later on the chorus while Levi rubbed his eyes in defeat. Mikasa tried to hold back her laughter at Sasha and Jean's antics, but she couldn't stop herself from giggling as she herself was tipsy.

=======

Ymir slammed her foot against the table. "I kissed a girl and I liked it!" She shamelessly got in Historia's face. The queen herself was blushing, but she not out of embarrassment. "The taste of her cherry ChapStick!"

"Jesus Christ! Tone it down!" Jack ordered, while Miko cackled, still holding up her phone to record.

"Gabi, don't look." Pieck covered Gabi's eyes.

"I'm twelve! What do you mean?!" Gabi demanded.

=====

"So this is love," Historia added a little hum before continuing, "So this is love. Soooo, this is what makes life divine~,"

Ymir blushed as Historia continued to sing, even more so that Historia was when she was singing.

"You two need to knock it off!" Jack yelled.

"Or get a room!" Rafael suggested.

"God, this place is amazing!" Miko grinned.

========

Pieck threw her glass at the wall shattering it into pieces. "Who am I kidding? Now, let's not get overzealous here. You've always been a huge piece of shit! If I could kill you, I would, but it's frowned upon in all fifty states! Having said that, burn in hellllllllllllllllllllllll!"

"YEAH!" Miko cheered.

"I did not realize Pieck had this much rage in her," Erwin remarked.

"Neither did we," Falco nodded in agreement.

"Honestly, considering what you guys went through, justified rage," Jack stated.

=========

"YOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU'RRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE HHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEE!" Colt belted out, drunk out of his mind, "THERE NOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTHING IIIIIIIII FEEEEEARRRR!"

"I told you he couldn't handle his liquor!" Falco yelled as he and Gabi covered their ears.

"It's the train all over again!" Gabi whined.

"YEAH! SING IT COLT!" Miko cheered on as she continued recording.

=======

"So...is Annie actually gonna sing?" Sasha asked as Annie just sat in the chair, holding the microphone in her hand and letting the music play.

"Does this song even have lyrics?" Armin asked.

"It does." Rafael grinned, "But it's only one word."

"What?" Levi demanded.

Annie put the microphone to her lips. "Tequila." Annie couldn't help but smirk as half of the room shouted in protest.

"The hell?! I sang a duet with Jean and she only sings one word?!" Sasha screeched at Jack.

"Raf, why did you even add the song to the roster?" Jack asked.

Rafael drank a shot of vodka in one sitting. "Chaos."

"Of course," Miko sighed.

"Also you shouldn't be drinking that!" Jack scolded.

"No age restriction! I do what I want!" Rafael snapped at Jack.

=========

"I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!" Gabi chanted.

"So tell me what you want, what you really, really want!" Falco fumbled with the words.

"I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!" Gabi pointed at Falco. "So tell me what you want, what you really, really want!" Falco echoed back.

"Still think this is dumb?!" Miko teased.

"Shut up!" Gabi warned her.

=======

"All that's left is you and Erwin," Miko grinned as everyone stared at Erwin and Levi.

"...I should've left when I had the chance," Levi grumbled.

"But 'cha didn't!" Miko exclaimed.

"Levi, we can do this song," Erwin suggested as he pointed at the song on the list.

"I prefer drinking my wine and leaving," Levi stated.

"Do it, Levi! Levi! Levi! Levi! Levi!" Hanji chanted.

"Levi! Levi! Levi! Levi!" Everyone else began chanting.

"Play the song," Erwin requested Rafael. Rafael played the song as Erwin grabbed the mic while handing Levi the other. Everyone cheered with encouragement as the trumpets began.

"I should break this," Levi swore to himself, gripping the microphone tightly.

"When marimba rhythms start to play. Dance with me, make me sway. Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore. Hold me close, sway me more," Erwin sang, "Like a flower bending in the breeze. Bend with me, sway with ease. When we dance you have a way with me. Stay with me, sway with me."

"Damn! You can sing!" Sasha gawked.

"It's better if Levi joins!" Hanji teased.

"No!" Levi shouted.

"Coward!" Jean jeered.

"Watch your tone, brat!" Levi warned.

"I can hear the sounds of violins. Long before it begins. Make me thrill as only you know how. Sway me smooth, sway me now," Erwin continued before letting the instrumentation play.

"Hanji, what are you doing?!" Levi demanded as Hanji started pushing his wheelchair.

"Putting you in the spotlight!" Hanji grunted as his wheelchair was now next to Erwin.

"You didn't leave! You want to try this!" Miko accused.

"I used to be respected. God damn it," Levi mumbled under his breath.

"When marimba rhythms start to play. Dance with me, make me sway. Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore. Hold me close, sway me more," Rafael paused the music before the note change in the song, and everyone stared at Levi expectantly. He hated how all eyes were on him and merely raised his middle finger to them all.

"This is some bullshit," Levi declared as he raised the mic to his lips. Rafael quickly pressed play, and-!

"Like a flower bending in the breeze! Bend with me, sway with ease! When we dance you have a way with me! Stay with me, sway with me!" Everyone cheered with delight as Levi finally gave in and started singing.

Armin couldn't help but start laughing at the absurdity of it all. He never imagined that his like would turn out like this. So...happy. So...relaxing and exciting. If this is what the future continued to hold, he was happy that he got the chance to be part of it.

"When marimbas start to play! Hold me close, make me sway! Like an ocean hugs the shore! Hold me close, sway me more!" Levi found himself getting into the song, performing more riffs throughout the lyrics. "Like a flower bending in the breeze! Bend with me, sway with ease! When we dance you have a way with me! Stay with me, sway with me!"

(Yes, I have more asks in my inbox. I will get to it. I told you all that this was going to come out at a slower rate. By the way, I thought of this old video in the AOT fandom when writing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFCIfOt7db0)

[seeingivy]

birds of a feather track list please!!!!

so glad you asked my beloved 💌

speak now -> this was connie's request! but he wrote it as a silly goofy joke to kind of get her back into writing before she tried to really confront things that were going on

style -> request from maki from the met gala chapter!

how you get the girl -> I mentioned that when they did requests, reiner and connie gave her silly ones to kind of give her something fun to write cuz they figured that's what she needed. hence, how you get the girl. also reiner only gave her this request so he could tell eren to "take notes" after she sang it

slut -> this is about sasha and niccolo! in a world of boys, niccolo is a gentleman! and this is first time sasha has had someone interested in her/liked her. respectfully she do not gaf what anyone says

all american bitch -> sukuna ofc. my prince. my king among men.

glue song ft. falco -> for the sweetest babies eva! gabi requested this one from one of the chapterss

tolerate it -> jeankasa

who's afraid of little old me? -> levi. I feel like him and y/n would relate on the whole I was tame, I was gentle, till the circus life made me mean :(

clara bow -> falco asks y/n to write a song about gabi just bc he wants to see her that happy by having her like icon write a song about her.

stick season -> armin!!! I feel like there is something really melancholy and sad...about that song and I feel like it's something that they would write together when they were kind of relating about not getting over things as fast as other people or not feeling like they were doing it righ t

this love -> but of course.

birds of a feather -> y/n as the only writer!!!! hehe

[leleamo]

Part 11

the day arrived, the birds with six wings and three eyes

they sang and perched on the wooden fence of the great stone palace, and the one walking down the corridor was Slippy, slightly tired but enjoying the different birds that perched on his head or his fingers.

- that's weird...

— what happened, sir Toad? — the beautiful Anabel approached the little Toad, who blushed in surprise

— oh, nothing... I just... I've never seen a bird with six wings, hehe... I mean, the ones there only have two wings and eyes... hehe, is there anyone from that planet that evolved from that bird?

— well, yes, probably...

— wow, there must be so many cool things in this place! hehehe, oh, bye bird!— the little bird flew away

—... yes... sir Toad... i have to say... i never left Radia, this planet hasn't been unknown to me for a long time, but... I've never been able to leave here... so... I wanted to know... what it's like your planet..? Is it fascinating? bright? charming?

—... I'm not going to tell you anything! hehe, when everything is over and I hope everything ends well, I'll take you to Corneria!

—....hahahaha!! I can't leave here, Sir Toad, I'm the empress.

— but only for one day! What about?

— ah.. if Star Fox doesn't fail in its mission, maybe so...

— yeah!! hehehe, oh I'm hungry..

— we have potatoes, do you like?

— yes! — so, the cute green double went to eat breakfast..

a while later, after some good potatoes, Slippy and Anabel went to receive the rest of the Star Fox, who had gone to get the Arwings

— Guys!!— Slippy gave Falco a hug, who didn't seem very happy to see his friend

— hi you lazy, next time you will wake up and bring your own Arwings, I had to come back twice just because of you, lazy

— you didn't wake me up because you didn't want to! Hehehe

— next time I'll wake you up with a kick, hehehe

As the jokes continued, Anabel looked at the Arwings, enchanted.

— heavens... how do you fly in that...?

— I can take you for a ride someday! — Slippy spoke with cuteness, and sympathy

— Are you flirting with her, Slippy? — Falco said laughing, while Slippy blushed and Anabel clearly didn't know what flirting was, anyway, Fox approached the empress

— good morning, Anabel, did your soldiers find anything from the leader of the Guepardo team?

— no, unfortunately, I suspect she is in the desert area of ​​Radia

— so let's go there now!!

part 10 - part 12

[telltalebatman]

i am fucking fuming, i got off my meds recently in agreement w/ my psychiatrist and it seems like my body finally caught up to it bc recently i've just been looking like a crying cat non-stop. or just straight up crying. over nothing.

well, today shit hit the fan. i fucking WEPT. over NOTHING. list of songs that i played in the bg to distract myself that didn't work in the slightest:

planet of the bass

sweet transvestite (from rocky horror picture show) (u guys ever cried ur eyes out while tim curry sang in the background? cuz i did)

dragostea din tei

songs that FINALLY WORKED:

gay frogs remix (finally, alex jones contributed to a single good thing)

rock me amadeus (falco) (i do not speak german)

rasputin (boney m)

[purringysalamiri]

falco sang panels p.4

[zebursothera]

I've been seeing the Robbie Williams/Better Man discourse all over my FYP on TikTok, and I think everyone has the wrong take about what it's all really about.

So, Falco, right? Not the Star Fox character. The singer. If you're from a country that primarily speaks German, ESPECIALLY if you're from Austria, then Falco is a megastar. Most of his albums were at least in the top 10 if they didn't hit number 1 on the Austrian top 40. He had tons of hit singles all over Europe, but especially in German speaking countries, and again, ESPECIALLY in Austria. The guy was a big deal.

If you're like most people from the US, he's that one hit wonder who sang Rock Me Amadeus. If you're a huge music nerd/avid watcher of Todd in the Shadows in the US, you probably know that he's technically not a one hit wonder because Vienna Calling peaked at 18 on the Hot 100, and that he originally wrote and sang Der Kommissar, which was a hit in the US when actual one hit wonders After the Fire released an English language cover.

This ties back to the Robbie Williams discourse because, were there a Better Man-esque biopic about Falco getting heavily marketed in the US, the Germanosphere (and once again, especially Austrians) would not be surprised that he's mostly thought of as the Rock Me Amadeus guy over here. Why would they? Of course an Austrian singer who writes songs in German for a German speaking audience wouldn't cross over here with any staying power. Name one who has, besides Rammstein.

What's really going on here is a bunch of English people found out that an English singer is slightly less globally famous than they thought he was, and since it's a day that ends with Y, half the commonwealth is using it as their latest excuse to continue their weird one-sided rivalry with the US.

[ruou-tot]

Ruou Vang Contrada Del Falco

Khám Phá Rượu Vang Contrada Del Falco

Rượu vang Contrada Del Falco là một trong những dòng vang đỏ đặc sắc nhất của Ý, được sản xuất bởi Cantina San Donaci ở Salento. Chai rượu này không chỉ đơn thuần là thức uống, mà còn là sự kết tinh của nghệ thuật sản xuất rượu, mang lại trải nghiệm thưởng thức tuyệt vời cho những tín đồ yêu thích vang đỏ.

Hương Vị Độc Đáo Của Contrada Del Falco

Contrada Del Falco được làm từ sự kết hợp khéo léo giữa ba giống nho bản địa quan trọng của vùng, bao gồm 50% Negroamaro, 25% Malvasia và 25% Primitivo. Chai rượu này thu hút ánh nhìn ngay từ lần đầu với màu đỏ ruby tuyệt đẹp, ánh phản chiếu của garnet mang đến cảm giác sang trọng. Hương thơm nồng nàn từ các loại trái cây có cùi màu đỏ như dâu đen, quả mâm xôi, kèm theo mận khô, rượu anh đào, sherry và gia vị như hạt ca cao. Không thể không nhắc đến hương balsamic nhẹ nhàng, mang đến một sự cân bằng hoàn hảo cho hương vị tổng thể.

Khi thưởng thức, bạn sẽ cảm nhận được độ chát tương đối cao của Contrada Del Falco. Những nốt hương trái cây trên mũi tiếp tục phát triển, tạo ra một trải nghiệm phong phú trên vòm miệng. Tannin mịn màng của rượu mang lại cấu trúc rõ ràng và hậu vị dài lâu. Chắc chắn rằng rượu vang Contrada Del Falco sẽ xứng đáng với số tiền bạn bỏ ra để sở hữu nó trong bộ sưu tập của mình. Để tìm hiểu thêm về rượu vang Contrada Del Falco, hãy truy cập Rượu Tốt.

Kết Hợp Ẩm Thực Với Rượu Vang Contrada Del Falco

Rượu vang Contrada Del Falco phát huy hết tiềm năng của mình ở nhiệt độ phục vụ lý tưởng khoảng 18 đến 20°C. Nó kết hợp tuyệt vời với các món khai vị đậm đà và mì ống, đặc biệt là những món ăn kèm với nước sốt như Ragù hoặc Pesto. Hương vị của nó cũng hoàn toàn phù hợp với các món thịt nướng, như bít tết mềm, sườn cừu và xúc xích nướng.

Ngoài ra, sự pha trộn giữa Negroamaro, Malvasia và Primitivo cũng làm nổi bật hương vị của các món ăn từ thịt thú săn. Đối với những tín đồ yêu thích hương vị mạnh mẽ, phô mai cứng như Parmesan hoặc Pecorino là sự kết hợp lý tưởng với rượu vang Contrada Del Falco. Tính linh hoạt của Contrada Del Falco thể hiện rõ khi thưởng thức cùng pizza và các món thịt hầm, mang đến sự cân bằng tinh tế cho mọi bữa ăn.

Giải Thưởng Danh Giá Của Rượu Vang Contrada Del Falco

Rượu vang Contrada Del Falco không chỉ thu hút người thưởng thức bởi hương vị mà còn được công nhận qua nhiều giải thưởng danh giá. Một số thành tích nổi bật của rượu bao gồm:

Huy Chương Vàng – Mundus Vini 2018

Huy Chương Vàng – Berliner Wein Trophy 2017

Niên giám các loại rượu vang Ý tốt nhất của Luca Maroni 2020

Huy Chương Đồng - International Wine Challenge

98/100 Điểm bởi Decanter World Wine Awards

91/100 Điểm bởi I Vini Di Veronelli

Khám Phá Cantina San Donaci

Cantina San Donaci, nơi sản xuất rượu vang Contrada Del Falco, ra đời từ năm 1933 với sự hợp tác của 12 nông dân địa phương. Mục tiêu ban đầu của nhà máy là phát triển kinh tế cho quê hương thông qua sản xuất nông nghiệp. Hiện nay, Cantina San Donaci có khoảng 300 thành viên hợp tác và sản lượng nho hàng năm dao động từ 25.000 đến 30.000 tạ.

Với tổng diện tích 320 hecta vườn nho, Cantina San Donaci tận dụng lợi thế về thổ nhưỡng và khí hậu của Salento để sản xuất nho chất lượng cao. Hệ thống trồng nho truyền thống được kết hợp với các phương pháp canh tác hiện đại, đảm bảo cho nho phát triển mạnh khỏe.

Cantina San Donaci không chỉ là một nhà sản xuất rượu vang, mà còn đóng vai trò quan trọng trong việc phát triển ngành công nghiệp rượu vang của vùng Salento và cả nước Ý. Tinh thần đoàn kết và cam kết với chất lượng đã giúp Cantina San Donaci trở thành một trong những cái tên hàng đầu trong làng rượu vang Italia.

[dswcp]

🖤love this creep🖤

Bonus panels: my face when I’m looking at Vader

Credits under the cut:

“Return to Vader’s Castle,” issue 1. Marvel. October 2, 2019. Writer: Cavan Scott. Penciller, Inker, and Colorist: Francesco Francavilla. Letterer: AndWorld Design.

“Return to Vader’s Castle,” issue 5: “Night of the Lava Zombies.” Marvel. October 30, 2019. Writer: Cavan Scott. Penciller and Inker: Charles Paul Wilson III. Letterer: AndWorld Design. Colorist: David Garcia Cruz.

“Return to Vader’s Castle,” issue 5. Marvel. October 30, 2019. Writer: Cavan Scott. Penciller, Inker, and Colorist: Francesco Francavilla. Letterer: AndWorld Design.

“Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith,” issue 21. Marvel. September 12, 2018. Writer: Charles Soule. Penciller: Giuseppe Camuncoli. Inker: Daniele Orlandini. Letterer: Joe Caramagna. Colorist: David Curiel.

“Star Wars Annual 4.” Marvel. May 23, 2018. Writer: Cullen Bunn. Pencillers and Inkers: Ario Anindito, Roland Boschi, and Marc Laming. Letterer: Clayton Cowles. Colorists: Jordan Boyd and Andres Mossa.

Star Wars Newspaper Comic Strip: “Princess Leia, Imperial Servant.” December 25, 1979 (Merry Christmas, Leia!). Writer: Russ Helm. Illustrator: Russ Manning.

Star Wars Newspaper Comic Strip: “Bring Me the Children.” March 5, 1980. Writer: Don Christensen. Illustrator: Russ Manning.

“Lost Stars,” Volume 2, Chapter 8. September 3, 2019. Original YA novel by Claudia Gray. Adaptation and Illustration by Yusaka Komiyama.

“Dark Times 7: A Spark Remains,” issue 3. Dark Horse. September 18, 2013. Writer: Randy Stradley. Penciller: Douglas Wheatley. Colorist: Dan Jackson.

[cienie-isengardu]

I’ve never seen a Jedi die, I wanted to watch.

[ariekdimas]

Penerbang No.1 - Bagian 1

Setiap anak memiliki cita-cita yang ingin mereka raih. Cita-cita melambangkan tujuan, seperti apa seorang anak menjalani kehidupannya nanti. Memiliki cita-cita dapat membawa harapan pada anak untuk mencapai impian yang ingin ia raih.

Tidak hanya berlaku untuk anak-anak di planet bumi saja, namun juga bagi anak-anak nun jauh di luar galaksi sana. Yakni disebuah planet yang Bernama Aquila. Planet ini memiliki kondisi yang hampir mirip dengan planet bumi. Dimana pada planet ini juga memiliki bintang induk seperti matahari, yang bernama Rhraa. Planet ini juga memiliki atmosfer dan kontur geografis yang mirip dengan bumi. Kemudian pada planet ini juga sebagian besar tertutup oleh Samudra dan terdapat pula beragam vegetasi tetumbuhan hijau yang menghasilkan oksigen.

Bedanya adalah pengguni dan peradaban di planet ini banyak dilakukan diatas langit. Ya, bukan ras manusia yang menempati di planet ini, melainkan adalah ras Aquilian. Ciri orang-orang Aquilian juga mirip dengan manusia bumi hanya saja mereka memiliki sayap yang tumbuh dibelakang punggungnya.

Karena memiliki sayap, bangsa Aquilian memiliki kemampuan untuk terbang. Lalu mereka juga memiliki kekuatan dan stamina fisik yang lebih kuat dibandingkan dengan manusia bumi. Selain itu, panca indra mereka lebih tajam terutama pada penglihatan dan pendengaran. Penglihatan bangsa Aquilian bahkan hampir sama seperti mata elang

Bangsa Aquilian selalu mengadakan kompetisi terbang dunia Bernama “World Aquila Winged Racing Championship” untuk menentukan siapa Penerbang Nomor 1 di planet tersebut. Pemegang gelar nomor satu selama 5 tahun berturut-turut masih di pegang oleh seorang Aquilian bernama Falco el Draco.

Falco adalah seorang pria bertubuh atletis dan berotot dengan tinggi diatas rata-rata, berambut coklat gelap keriting. Ia memiliki sayap berwarna hitam serta menggunakan seragam berwarna kuning dengan symbol petir ditengahnya.

***

Jauh sebuah desa kecil tinggallah seorang anak laki-laki yang begitu mengidolakan Falco el Draco. Bahkan sampai kamarnya full berisi poster, figure dan sprei Falco. Anak ini bernama Caleum Noir atau yang akrab dipanggul Cal. Ia hidup dalam keluarga yang sederhana bersama ayah dan ibunya, dimana ayahnya merupakan seorang penempa besi local yang biasa membuat seragam khusus untuk kompetisi Aquila Race.

“Benar-benar pertandingan yang luar biasa pemirsa! Pemenang World Aquila Sky Racing Championship tahun ini kembali dipegang oleh jawar akita Falcooo el Dracoo!!”

Suara siaran tv menggema kencang dari dalam kamar Cal.

“Lesgooo Falco!” teriak Cal

“Cal.. ayo siap-siap, hari ini adalah hari pertama kamu berangkat ke sekolah” Panggil sang Ibu yang kemudian menghampiri kamar Cal.

“Baik bu” Cal langsung berlari melesat keluar

“Ibu, bisakah aku menjadi juara penerbang hebat seperti Falco nanti?” tanya Cal.

“Bisa asal kamu belajar dengan giat dan baik. Lalu jangan lupa untuk perjuangkan mimpimu itu dengan sungguh-sungguh ya nak” kata sang Ibu sembari menunduk dihadapan Cal dan menepuk pundaknya”

Caleum tersenyum dan segera pamit kepada kedua orangtuanya untuk berangkat ke sekolah.

“Aku khawatir.. Bagaimana cara kita memberitahukannya ke Cal ya Pah?”

“Tenang, Cal anak yang cerdas, kuat dan penuh semangat. Dia pasti akan menemukan jalan untuk bisa menggapai mimpinya.”

Ternyata waktu kecil dulu Caleum pernah didiagnosis dokter kalau sayapnya tidak bertumbuh dengan baik.Saat usia Cal tiga tahun,  ia pernah dibawa ke dokter  oleh ayah dan ibunya. Alasannya karena sayap Cal belum tumbuh.  

Saat ini usia Cal sudah menginjak 7 tahun, sayap nya memang sudah tumbuh. Namun Jika diperhatikan, ukuran sayap Cal lebih kecil dibanding anak-anak lain seusianya.

Kalaupun bisa terbang, kemungkinan ia tidak bisa kuat untuk terbang lama. Sebagai anak kecil yang polos ia belum mengetahui tentang ini.

Yang ia tahu bahwa ia harus berusaha dengan giat agar bisa menjadi penerbang no.1

[Bersambung]

[kashimos-hajime]

twenty questions (7/8) | r.b.

summary: No, he refuses to lose someone else. Not again, not you. Never fucking you. Or, after four years, Reiner meets you once more.

WARNINGS: angst, just conversation, a bit of violence, mentions of trauma, children ummmmm yeee, jean also appears <3 true king pairing: reiner braun x fem!reader word count: 8.3k

a/n: reiner returns!! welcome to the penultimate chapter and thank you for being on this journey with me :) again, song is not mine! it’s the wellerman sea shanty hehe

masterlist

crossposted on ao3 x

Morning streams through the curtains.

You part the billowy white fabric, pushing open the window breathing in the late morning air. As always, it’s warm and ripe with the aroma of the fresh bread from the bakery you live above, and as you lean on the windowsill, you hear the door below you chiming with new patrons. You smile to yourself, resting your chin on your hand.

Even still, you can’t help but admire how beautiful it is, especially in the streets here, far away from a industrial zone. The Liberio interment zone is small, yes, but it’s no less beautiful. The architecture of brick and glass all hold an austere beauty, and when the sunset is upon you, the shadows they cast and the warmth that embraces the stone is something you’ve never quite seen before. There’s a church, and you’ve sat inside day a few days before, watching the light stream through the stained glass in amazement.

A knock at the door takes you from your thoughts and you let out a sharp noise of surprise, gaze ripping away from the busy streets. A tremor shoots through you and you swallow harshly, waiting in bated breath.

“The shop’s busy as bees, today!” your landlord admonishes on the other side. You let out a relieved sigh, relaxing a bit. “If you want, I can still save you a loaf!”

“No, thank you!” you shout over your shoulder, reaching to close the window and get ready for the day. Sliding a warm vest onto your shoulders, you adjust the hat on your head and grab your bag from the counter, your bare fingers a bit cold and numb.

You burn at the thought of Reiner. You don’t want to see him, even if you live in the same city now, but all the same, it’s hard to avoid him. After all, it’ll only be so long before you’re forced to confront your past, push yourself into his way because how long, really, can you stay away from him? As you slide the white armband onto your bicep, your heart tightens. You’ve seen the man he’s grown into—handsome, tired, lonely. That only reflects in you.

Pulling your arms through your jacket, you stare at the woodgrain beneath your feet emptily.

Why am I even here? 

Coming to Marley, of all places. Some days, you can’t wrap your head around it, before you’re reminded of the reason. It all has a purpose. You just have to keep going—keep moving forward.

Continuing through your loft, you shove your feet into boots and head out for the day. The festival’s tonight—you have lots to do before then.

.

Night slips in.

Reiner frowns when he realizes he’s walking back to the stage. He’s been trailing after the sound for a good half-hour, but considering they stay relatively nearby his final destination, he’s never felt the urge to detract. 

He still can’t place the tune that’s been hummed, whistled, sang gently and leading him on, and as the sky darkens and the crowd noise grows louder, he realizes that his trail is slowly growing colder and colder.

“Hey, Reiner!” His head swivels to find Gabi waving at him and he meanders over, frowning a bit. “Where’d you go? The others said you wandered off.”

“I took a walk to clear my head,” he says dismissively, ignoring her frown deepening. “I see you’ve recovered from your food coma.” Immediately, Gabi’s frown turns into a pout and she rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine.” He snorts, turning to survey the area. The others are milling about. Zeke and Colt are talking by the bench, and Pieck and Porco are off together, as usual. They’re not half as inconspicuous as they think they are. Finding Udo and Zofia, his brow wrinkles when he can’t catch sight of a certain blond boy. 

“Where’s Falco?”

“He ran off earlier, saying he saw someone he knew,” Gabi says, waving it away. “He’s always being so weird. Who else could he know besides us?”

“What, are you jealous?” he teases, ruffling Gabi’s hair and she lets out a squawk, smacking at his hand. Chuckling gently, he surveys the area again as they walk towards their seats. Zeke and Colt give him a nod in greeting, one he returns. 

“Why would I be jealous?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” he replies distantly. His eyes keep searching, a ticklish feeling at the nape of his neck. He doesn’t know if he’s imagining it or if he can really hear that tune still at the edge of his hearing, nagging for his attention. Sighing, he crosses his arms over his chest. “What Falco does during his free time isn’t on your need-to-know basis, Gabi.”

“I know. I’m just saying—he doesn’t even have any friends besides us,” she says pointedly just as someone calls his name.

“Mister Braun!” Falco skids to a stop in front of him, his forehead gleaming with sweat, even in the cooler night air. Panting, he leans forward on his knees, meeting Reiner’s eyes, and Gabi tilts her head, confused and agitated and betraying her previous aloof words.

“Where the hell did you go?”

Ignoring her, Falco continues to try and catch his breath, barely punching out, “Can you come with me?” before looking down at the floor again, his shoulders rising and falling so quickly Reiner almost feels bad for him.

He frowns. “Right now?”

“You’ll be fine,” Zeke assures. The two look at the older man who glances at his watch. “It shouldn’t start for a few more minutes.”

Reiner debates it for a moment. Then again, it’s not like he’s the number one fan of this show. His presence is for appearance’s sake at this point, and if Falco insists, then it must be something important. Sighing, he nods and Falco takes off again. Telling Gabi to explain his absence to his mom should he not return in time, he walks after the sprinting boy, his mind a whirlwind on the possibilites of why he’s in such a hurry.

Falco stops past a blue curtain that’s near a residential building and points at the arch, smiling. His entire face is flushed and Reiner cocks an eyebrow, approaching closer before hearing a soft voice singing. It only grows as he passes by the blue partition, and his heart picks up as his eyes widen.

“…The Captain's mind was not on greed… But he belonged to the whaleman's creed… She took that ship in tow… Soon may the Wellerman come to bring us sugar and tea and rum. One day, when the tonguin' is done, we’ll take our leave and go…”

He knows that tune. The sailors sang it in the port city after Fort Slava. It’s one of their sea shanties—it’s rare to hear them anywhere except by the water, and when he reaches Falco, searching for that voice, his eyes fix on a figure leaning against the archway underneath the building.

The woman in purple.

Falco runs up to her. A hand is on her bicep when she shifts to look at the boy, and Reiner’s throat swells as his legs move on their own accord. Time seems to slow as Falco turns around, mouth open in words that go in through one ear, and out the other. 

The woman says something, and Falco twists back, frowning a bit, but she only nods encouragingly, and off he goes, running on ahead, down to the end of the pathway out of Reiner’s sight.

A strangled noise leaves his mouth as the blond slips from his view.

The woman in purple’s head snaps up at the sound, and Reiner’s entire body locks when he finally recognizes the face that searches his impassively. The white armband is covered still by her fingers, but when she pushes off the wall, it’s almost as if she bewitches him to come even closer.

And he does, his hand lifting up to reach for her. Reach for what has to be a ghost. No…

No, it can’t be. No. No, I’m seeing things, I am, I—

You lift your hand off your armband, and when his fingers meet your palm, he feels your warmth, the way your skin slides against his as he interlaces their fingers, and he chokes, entire body burning from the inside out as you fold your fingers over his palm, yank him into the shadow with enough force to unbalance him. You side-step and fling his hand off, let him crash to his hands and knees. Pain shoots up his joints and his eyes widen when he realizes his skin has scraped off on the stone.

“Hello, Reiner,” you murmur. He draws himself up, and there’s a strange lifelessness as he looks up to a face barely illuminated by light. You unbutton your jacket and crouch before him, arms on your knees. His skin steams and stitches itself back together and he swallows through a dry throat as your eyes flutter to the white wisps. There’s a raw damage lingering on your face, haunting like ghosts that should be long dead, before you blink.

Your long coat brushing the floor covers black armour, harnesses criss-crossing your legs and body. Your expression is severe, lips pressed in an impassive line, dark shadows under your eyes. The armband around your bicep is slathered in dark red, staining the symbol.

So that’s what you were hiding from Falco.

Reiner half-wonders who’s blood it is. If it’s the owner of the clothes you wear, or someone else’s entirely.

You lift your head, staring at Reiner properly for the first time in years. Clenching your jaw, you only look. You do not speak, you do not move. It’s terrifying. It reminds Reiner eerily of Captain Levi, with the same chillingly placidity, and he remembers how you used to smile so wide you’d complain your cheeks ached, how you would lean against him, clutching your gut ‘cause he made you laugh, and he had never heard a sound so perfect—

The words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop himself. “What are you doing here? Are you insane?” 

You barely move. Only tilt your head mockingly. “Probably.” 

Four years has changed you into a taller, leaner, stronger soldier—and he can only soak that in. You’re…

His breath catches in his throat. 

You’re beautiful.

But you’re crouching right in front of him, and you’re in danger. If Marleyans were to approach now, he’s not sure if he could lie his way out and that blood. How can he explain the blood on your sleeve?

You’d be left for dead, hanged for the crows. 

The image flashes through his mind like cold dread, a trickling drip of an icicle hanging in his mind and freezing his spine.

No, he refuses to lose someone else. Not again, not you. Never fucking you.

It is why he demands again through a hissed breath,“What are you doing here?” Why he stands up quick enough that their heads nearly collide, and you straighten up as well, smoothly running your hands over your coat.

You only look at him deftly as if he is as inconsequential to you as a roach. You don’t even twitch as his hand reaches forward, fighting through the searing ache in his chest. “You need to leave. You shouldn’t be here. I can smuggle you back to the port and take you home, I—.”

Your stare paralyzes him and his hand falters. “I don’t take orders from you. You are not my commanding officer, and I do not need you to tell me what I need.” Your fingers dig into the bloody armband at your bicep and Reiner’s eyes widen as you tear it off, planting it on his chest hard enough his lungs spasm and he lets out a sharp breath. Your fingers spread out over his chest, you step closer. “I don’t need you to save me. Not from Marley. Not from myself. And not from you.”

His hand comes to cover yours, but you slip out before he can touch you, and he’s left with an armband in his palm. Clutching it in a tight fist, he stares down at it for a moment before shoving it in his pocket and turning around.

Your name comes out of him without even thinking as you walk past him, and it must still hold something because you pause, head turning slightly to look at him. “I want to explain myself,” he chokes out, and the corner of your mouth curls into a hollow smile. “Please.”

“Follow me, Reiner,” you order softly, and without question, he falls half a step behind you, eyes trained on the ground. His head is swimming at your presence, and his knees are gummy, stomach convulsing as he tries to come up with what to say. Or maybe, what to say first. He’s had four years to come up with a proper way to say it, and he reaches for his breast pocket, where the letters he’s folded away rest, with shaking hands.

“Please…”

“I don’t know what you think begging will get you.” Something stony falls upon your face. “I’ve had four years to get over the fact that you used me. Now, I think I just don’t care anymore. I’m sure you have your reasons, but I don’t know if it’ll be the truth. You’ve had no problem lying to me before in the past.”

“That’s not true.” He doesn’t know to which part of what you said he means. The last part, every part. “I never lied about how I felt about you.”

“Right. Like I wasn’t just some pawn on your chessboard. Some lonely girl you could use to entertain yourself.” Your pace doesn’t slow, but your tone is laced with anguish you try so hard to cover. “At least Bertholdt had the courage to look me in the face and tell me he was going to kill me.” You stop by a crate, labelled as supplies for the play. Maybe they contain masks, or costumes, and Reiner stops, his shoes skidding against the stone as you reach into your coat.

Pulling out a knife, you wedge it into the crate and pry the lid off and Reiner’s entire body numbs when ODM gear gleams in the straw. It looks refashioned, sleeker, and in two parts, and he catches your hand reaching for the harness. 

Weapons, here.

You aren’t stupid enough to take on Marley on your own, which can only mean—

Shit, shit, shit. 

Dread trickles through his body.

“What are you two doing—Oh, Vice Chief Braun!” You slam the lid shut and press your left arm flush against Reiner’s body, covering it up as someone on their right approaches. Your hand tightens around the knife still wedged between the lid, and Reiner sets a hand on your shoulder, dragging you so he can cover you up better and as a warning.

Don’t do it. You’re stiff against him despite the easy expression on your face, and he sets a harsh glare on the intruder. Let go of that blade. Your entire body is rigid with a hot energy he doesn’t recognize as your fingers only tighten around the hilt. Don’t do it—

“Sorry to interrupt, but those are one of the crates we need for the play. It contains some costumes—“

 The performer looks stricken as you flash him an easy smile and Reiner’s blood freezes when the stranger seems to blush, voice fading.

“I actually work with Lord Tybur,” you explain easily with a tiny laugh, betraying the strength in your fist. “He wants to inspect it briefly before I return it. I think it contains the Helos costume? Gotta make sure every detail’s to his liking!” Your tone, innocent and cheery, floats through the distant sound of the crowd, and Reiner only stares at the performer who seems to shrink in his skin. Your fingers twitch when he hesitates.

“Oh, of course.” He scratches the back of his head, and you give him a gracious nod before he’s walking away.

You watch him go, and Reiner feels the way the air shifts when your smile fades away as soon as it came. You step away from him, loosening the knife from the crate. His hands burn as he reaches for your shoulder again, but you jerk back.

“You know,” you begin quietly, staring at the lid, “all this time, I thought I had actually found people again, you know. I thought you actually cared about me, but really, I realized all you’ve ever done is lie. Even after everything. Even after Marco died, and I told you how I felt about you, you just kept lying. Lying and painting yourself to be a knight in shining armour.”

“I tried—I tried to stop myself from caring about you,” he whispers raggedly, hands rolling into fists tight enough that his nails dig into his flesh, “but it happened anyway. That part of who I was was never a lie.”

“So you never saw me as someone you needed to protect? As this poor, lonely girl who loved you? Who fed your ego and—”

“Of course I wanted to protect you! I loved you, too!” he snaps and distantly, he recognizes this is the first time they’ve ever confessed that what they had… that it was somehow real and too good for him. It nearly makes him shatter. “How could I—“ He closes his eyes, teeth gritting as the flames inside him roar, consuming his heart. “How could I just stand back and watch you get hurt by the consequences of my actions? It’s because of me you were forced to leave the farm, leave that girl. Because of me you knew Marco and Mina and Thomas. You could have been so much happier if you never met any of us—I knew that—I just thought I could somehow—”

“Happier if I never met you,” you echo blankly before nodding to yourself. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds about right.” He flinches but you continue on, “In the end, it doesn’t matter, though. I’ve learned to not let the what ifs haunt me, because my time with you… it still means everything to me.” You shake your head. “That’s the truth. You dropped a building on me and broke my bones. Truth. You left me alone in those walls with Bertholdt dead and Annie comatose, and you did so knowing you are the last damn person I’ve got that I’d kill for. Truth.”

Reiner’s eyes widen as your words sink into his skin like a vicious poison.

So that’s it then. Bertholdt is dead and Annie… Annie’s still alive?

You don’t give him a moment’s breath to ask as you take a step forward. On reflex, he steps back, hands raising, and your eyes flash to his palms. One wrong move, and a Titan will overtake the square. He’s sure he can read the thought in your eyes, but when you look at him again, he only sees cold indifference.

“You nearly killed me, Reiner. So tell me…”

Metal flashes and a breath stalls in his throat as a cold knifepoint digs into the bump along his throat. It bobs when he swallows, lips parted, and you meet his eyes, every inch of agony he’s forced upon you glaring back at him reforged.

“Why shouldn’t I repay the favour?”

His breath stalls, and he looks down at your fingers, wrapped tight around the hilt, nearly shaking. He doesn’t know if it’s because you hold the weapon that tightly, or if you’re just as afraid as he is.

Either way, it doesn’t matter.

“Do it, then,” he whispers. “I’m the reason this all happened.”

Your eyes, wide, search his beseechingly and his heart crumbles to dust. Even after all this time, you still hesitate. Why? Because you think he’ll come back? That he’s… redeemable somehow? 

Reiner envies that—he wants to believe that there is still good. But there isn’t. He knows it.

“I have a thousand questions,” you murmur achingly, as if the words are wrenched from your throat. “Over the years, I’ve tried to come up with some incomprehensible list. I couldn’t decide which was the one I wanted answered the most, but I thought why did it matter? After all, it wasn’t like I’d ever see you again. But here I am, now.”

As you lower the knife, the tip of the blade scratches his skin, light enough only to leave a white trail until it falls away, just like when he held you at blade-point four years ago, the tip of a sword digging into your sternum. 

How poetic that he finds himself here, his life in your hands. This is your retribution, he supposes, and your mercy, fighting for control of your arm, but you sheathe your knife again with a sharp, smooth thrust at your hip. There’s a soft scrape before you set your hands atop the lid, sighing softly.

A terrifying glint lives in your eyes as you smile at him faintly, and hoist the crate into your arms. 

“So, Reiner.” You tilt your head, gesturing for him to follow you down the pathway to a set of stairs that must lead to a deeper cellar. Somewhere he can’t transform in. Smart. You always were, but he doesn’t have the heart to tell you he’d never hurt you again, especially when he’s already done so much to prove that his words are empty. Yet, nothing is more important than protecting you, and Gabi, and Falco, but— “What do you say to a game of twenty questions?”

.

You flip a page. The day’s labour has you sweating into your harness, but all you want to do is just finish this damn chapter. Pulling carts out of mud like a damn mule wasn’t fun, but at least it had you busy. But, God, did you just want to relax for an eternity now.

Even after four years, you’d think your body would grow accustom, but every day, something new tests you.

“Hello?” a voice by your door calls and you look up from your book, smiling automatically at the kid peering into your room. He’s one of the younger orphans who didn’t come from the immediate wreckage of the fall of Trost but rather just a few months ago, you had found him in the woods, walking away from one of the smaller settlements.

You don’t ask, let him come and tell you more, and although you know his name, you know it’s hard for him to talk about anything else.

What you do know is that he is one that still climbs into your bed when there’s a thunderstorm, and that he’s a sweet, yet studious child with a knack for trouble when the girls invite him to hang out with them. 

That doesn’t mean he’s any less attached. He’s probably the one who clings to you the most, and you get up, closing your book. Setting it down on the nightstand, you crouch in front of him and pat his head. 

“Hi,” he says again.

“What’s going on, Xavier?” His red hair is still damp. He must’ve just taken his bath and he shrinks under your hand, probably to protect the clean smell clinging to his skin and locks. Lifting your hand amusedly, you tap his nose. He breaks out into a gap smile. 

He lost his tooth just three days ago, and you remember how proud he was, bursting into the fields during study period to show you as you untied the horses from the plow.

“There’s a man who wants to see you.”

“A man?” You frown, looking over his shoulder. Placing a heavy hand on his shoulder, you pull him into your room, out of the way of the door. “Did he say what his name was? Or if he was military?” The kids know the military insignias. Praying silently to yourself, you glance uneasily at your nightstand where a gun is hidden in the drawer. You could probably arm yourself in time. Xavier tugs at your ear. You look back at him, eyebrows creasing as you glance over his shoulder. 

“He said his name was Jean and that you would know who he was. He’s waiting outside.”

“Jean?” you repeat sharply, standing. Xavier flinches, looking up at you, and you scoop him up before heading to the nightstand, yanking open the drawer and grabbing the gun. Arms worm around your neck, and you squeeze the child closer to yourself as you quietly slip out into the hallway, towards where the other kids’ room is.

“Girls, close the door and lock it,” you order quietly, as you walk into the . The two sisters—Alina and Anya who share the room—look up from whatever they’re doing, and Anya gets up from her bed, but you merely send her a warning look as you  “Everything’s okay. Anya’s in charge until I get back.”

She nods, and you set Xavier down but he doesn’t let go of your neck, hugging you tight to him. Letting out a strangled sigh, you slowly pull him away, cupping his face. Your heart is slow, steady, and you take a measured breath as Alina glances out the window that is right over their desk.

“I’ll be okay. I want to make sure we’re safe.” His eyes flicker over your face and you nod reassuringly.  “You know what to do. Listen to Anya, alright? Try to get some sleep.” The redheaded boy nods and you stroke his cheek with a thumb before he scampers towards Anya’s bed. You stand.

You leave the room, shut it behind you as Alina draws the curtains shut, and your mind is thrumming with ideas of who it could be.

Entering the kitchen, you head to the porch with a quick glance at the window. There’s a figure leaning against the fence, back to you, and your fingers around your gun tighten. Draped in dark fabric and ash-brown hair shining in the oil lamps hanging on the porch, you can’t make out a face as you step into the bracing night.

“What do you want?” 

The figure jolts to his feet, turning around. Edges dulled by the night, you can barely make out his features until he steps into the light, and your finger pad taps the trigger when brown eyes meet yours. Heart lurching, everything rushes back to you and you manage to control the sharp inhale, tempering it into a slow and steady breath that swells up in your lungs.

“It’s been a while,” he comments idly, and you swallow through the hard knot in your throat. Eyes flicking to the gun in your hand, the small smile that had been curving his lips drops away. “You’re a hard person to track.”

“How’d you find me?”

“It wasn’t easy, but Captain Levi saw that some of us were getting desperate.”

Four years.

Four years since you’ve seen any of them except Captain Levi, who only visits to make sure you haven’t been raided by bandits and killed in the months between his check-ins.

In that time, seasons have changed, you’ve sprained your shoulder, it healed; you’ve been thrown off a horse, and gotten back up. You had a period where you would write letters every waking second you were left alone in your room, debating whether or not you should destroy them or send them just for the sake of feeling like you had someone again.

All those letters are still wedged in a box under your bed, so there’s that answer.

Jean stands at the bottom of your porch and you nod, gesturing for him to come in. Your heart plummets as you do so. You don’t know why Jean even bothered.

He closes the door behind you, and you set the gun on the dining table before moving towards the stove, and you ask him if he wants any tea, gracious host that you are. He shrugs and you begin to boil some water. It’ll give you time to look him over as he sits down.

He’s grown the beginnings of a beard since you last saw him. And he’s taller. Way taller than you remember. He’s gotten more muscle, holds himself differently, he’s… still Jean, in all respects, but he’s…

Tired.

You’re sure that’s one word you’re looking for. 

Migrating to the hearth, you wonder if he’s doing the same to you. Studying you like you’re a stranger. 

You start a fire, feeding it freshly chopped firewood from the day before and stoking it before letting it feast.

You never liked doing that before. Swinging an axe down on wood, watching it split. Now, it’s the only time you get alone to your thoughts. You don’t have to focus on chopping wood. All you have to do is swing an axe until it’s nothing more than muscle memory. You can just… be. 

Maybe it isn’t so bad. Maybe it’s why Reiner liked doing it.

You sigh, and grab the iron poker, keeping an eye on the stove. You don’t know if Jean wants to skip the small talk. You do, but mostly because you don’t like it when your old life comes into your new one. You can make yourself believe you can’t go back when no one’s here to remind you, and that the guilt won’t gnaw you until you’re only bones. 

Absently, you remember Bertholdt used to like small talk—Jean seems less so.

“I have news. I don’t know if you want to hear it, but you’re still military.”

“Not labelled a deserter, yet?” you inquire dryly. Everything is moving so slowly around you, yet so quickly. It’s a terrible sensation. “I feel honoured.”

“Let’s cut the shit, alright. What the hell are you doing here?”

“No idea.”

“You disappeared! No one had seen you in weeks—we thought you were dead until the captain came back with strict orders not to look for you, but do you know how ominous that sounds?” Something bites at your gut as you stare into the flames, and Jean shoots to his feet, chair scraping against the wooden floor. “You were our friend!”

His words sink into your shoulders, but you only blink, staring into the growing hearth.

“Don’t you care? You left!”

“I don’t regret it. It’s not like I’m begging to become a Scout again,” you murmur, looking over your shoulder at him. A sort of tiredness pulls at your eyes, and you stand up again, walking around the table. “I don’t know what you want from me, Jean. You came to me first.”

“I want you to care. I want you to come back and fight. Aren’t you remotely interested in what’s going on?”

“I know we have a train, now.” The pot begins to boil and you move towards it, taking out a tin and small metal spoon. “Historia is doing well as queen. At least, that’s what people are saying. She’s expecting. If you ever see her, tell her I’m happy for her.” Scooping leaves into the teapot, you pour the boiling water into the porcelain and let it steep. 

Turning back around, your eyebrows rise when you see Jean has walked around the table. There’s not even a metre between them as he tosses something at you. Catching it, you realize it’s a rolled up newspaper and your heart drops. At his nod, you pry it open and read the contents, fingertips brushing over two rectangular slips of paper within stating a time and terminal.

“What is this?”

“Eren’s gone to Marley by himself. Probably to do something stupid. I have two tickets to go and rescue his scrawny ass.”

“And?” Dread knots at your stomach as Jean closes his eyes, exhaling softly. Pleading, then: “Jean, don’t.”

“You’re the least compromised out of all of us. None of the volunteers would recognize you or would have been able to relay information about you if they have allies back in Marley, and despite everything, I still trust you. Which is more than I can say for Yelena and the others.” You snap the paper shut and toss it onto the table. Shaking your head to yourself, you walk away from him, but Jean only grabs your arm. “You still have a duty to our nation.”

“Don’t try to plead to my sense of national pride,” you shoot back coolly. “I have other responsibilities.”

“What, like tending to wheat?”

“Everyone wants to kill us, so yes, tending to wheat.”

“If we don’t find Eren, they will kill us. He’s our one chance of getting out of this mess alive. As crazy as he is, he’s our one ticket to freedom and we need to find him.”

Turning around to face him, you pull your arm free of his grasp. The lantern hanging is glaringly bright, and something knots in your throat at Jean’s somber expression.

“I fought for our freedom and you know what I realized? There will always be more people out there who want to take that away from us.” You wish you could sound passionate, but you just sound rough and tired. The bite tastes different. “First, it was Titans, then, it was the people we called our friends. Do you think that we’ll ever be free? That we’ll be able to live without a sword above our necks. Levi told me we’re devils in everyone else’s eyes. What’s it matter?”

“Because we aren’t what they say we are. If you lay down and show your belly, why did you become a soldier in the first place?” You jerk back and Jean leans against the table, crossing his arms. “I thought you fought for a dream. Something. Anything.”

“I thought I did, too. I’m just…” A hissing breath, and you pinch the bridge of your nose, turning away. Images of the lake back from their cadet years flash in your head. “I’m just tired, I guess.”

“Tired?” he repeats icily. “You think the rest of us aren’t tired? We all haven’t had the luxury to sit down on a farm and escape all our responsibilities.” 

Head snapping up, your eyes find cold brown chips staring back. Bitterly, you grit out, “Excuse me?”

“Do you think there’s a day that goes by where I think about Marco and how I wasn’t there for him? We all lost someone. You’re not the only person who’s had to go through it. We’re all guilty of something, but at least, I didn’t give up! At least, some of us decided to do something about it!”

“Shut up!” A hand flies through the air but he catches your wrist and twists, pinning you down to the table. Another hand slams your other hand into the wood and you grunt as Jean wedges himself between your legs to stop you from kicking him. Eyes burning, you stare up into the face of your friend and in that moment, the sorrow overflowing spills into your chest as if you are a well and he is the flood. 

He sinks, elbows clacking against the table as he bows his head. His breath is rushed, cool against your face, and you search his features before uttering out a quiet, “Why did you really come here, Jean?”

His eyes widening, his hands loosen. You try to suck your tears back in, but your eyes are burning so intensely you have to let them fall anyway just as there’s a sharp gasp. Jean looks up before he jerks back as if you’ve really slapped him. Sitting up, you twist to look at the doorframe, and your heart drops into your gut when you see a redheaded boy, eyes shining with tears.

“What are you doing?” he cries, and you immediately launch yourself off the table, crossing the distance towards him as Anya appears over his shoulder, helpless. The brunette girl’s guilt punches through you and you lift Xavier up into your arms, hugging him tight before wrapping another arm around the girl and poking your head into the hall. 

Alina’s figure is a mere shadow at the end of the hall, and you sigh, gesturing for her to come. Taking off at a sprint, she charges down the hall and you bury your nose in Anya’s hair just as another body slams into you, latching onto your waist. You close your eyes as Xavier tries to snuggle even deeper into your neck.

“I’m okay,” you keep repeating. “Just a heat of the moment thing. I promise, he’s not here to hurt us. I promise.”

“Are you okay?” Anya murmurs, and you look down. The eldest girl’s pulled her head back to look at you. Her eyes are narrowed, perceptive as always, and her lips are upturned into a faint scowl. You smile faintly, running a hand over her head. 

“I will be. Why don’t you take them back to your room?” you advise, and her eyes wander from you to Jean again. Catching it, you brush your thumb along her temple soothingly. “Go.” Reluctantly, she lets go of you and turns to Alina who still latches onto you like a parasite, but you rest a palm atop her head. “Alina.”

A sniff, and then she steps back, rubbing at her face. Her older sister takes her shoulders, easing her away and you crouch down as Xavier silently grabs onto your shirt tighter in his tiny fists. 

“Xavier,” you soothe. “I’ll be back in just a moment, okay?” You tilt your head. “I promise.” Wiping at his tears, you wait for him to let go of your shirt on his own accord, and when he does, you brush his hair back from his brow and plant a kiss on his forehead. Anya calls his name softly down the hall, and he lingers for a moment more before walking away, head still over his shoulder so he can watch.

You stay crouched until he’s gone and then you let out a soft exhale, head dropping, eyes closing.

“We need you more than you probably need us,” Jean acknowledges quietly, and your eyes open again to look at him. He’s straightened himself up, watching you with softer eyes. He visibly swallows, and you wonder if it’s pity or jealousy in his eyes. “But, we’re outnumbered in trusted senior officers in the Survey Corps. You’re one of them.”

Quietly: “I shouldn’t be.”

He falters for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, I suppose not.” He grabs the newspaper again. “But somehow, you are. If Captain Levi trusts you, then so do I. Bertholdt is dead. Annie’s a frozen log in a basement somewhere, and Reiner’s still alive. So are you.” He extends the paper to you. “This is what guilt got us. So what are you going to do about it?”

“Then, how about we go back to my hometown? There’s water nearby. We can go in the afternoons, eat all this food you’ve never had before.”

You haven’t seen a lake in who knows how long. Not since your cadet years, it feels like. Your heart yearns for the blue expanses, to plunge into the cold depths and gasp at how cold it is. You thought you’d given that up, but just there mere thought of it sends your mind spiralling into the images you’ve dreamed of since you were a child. 

“Regret begets regret—don’t have any when you go, and maybe you’ll live a life happier than most.”

You know you’ll never forgive yourself if you never take the chance to see him again. Heart peeling in your chest, you grab the newspaper from him.

“They call it the sea, don’t they?” you finally ask. Jean nods. “A lot of water and there’s… there’s animals in there.”

“Yeah. They live in this salty water and… they eat seafood a lot in Marley. I don’t know if you know.”

“Reiner might’ve mentioned it before,” you say. You look down at the newspaper in your tight fist and swallow. All at once, one door closes and another opens, and you look at Jean, the date and time of the ship already burned into your memory. “He said he thought I’d like it. I guess I’ll keep that in mind when we go.”

Jean’s eyes widen as you hand the paper back to him, your palm scalding as you shove the ticket into your pocket. He says your name softly, but you only hold your hand up, eyes fixed on the floor.

“I’ll meet you there, I promise.” You turn towards the shadows of the hall. In the silence of the night, you hear the hushed whispers of the children you’ve dedicated your life to and your heart disintegrates in your chest. “I just… I need some time to figure everything out.”

“Of course. Whatever you need.” Jean’s feet shift along the floor. You look over your shoulder for a moment to find his eyes on you. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” you reply. “Feel free to stay the night. It’s already late.” He nods, and you flash him the weakest smile. 

Then, you walk down the hall to your children. You have a lot of explaining to do.

.

You stubbornly try to ignore the tears tracing down your face as you reach into the compartment on your pants containing the letters. Reaching for it, you pull it out and crack it open, wondering if it’s even possible to bring yourself to read it.

“It’s not your last question,” Reiner had noted warily as they stood at the top of the stairs.

“Yeah. I guess we have to put a rain check this time.” You had set the box down, looking at him. You couldn’t recall feeling so warm, so empty. So convinced that there was something wrong with how much you still felt for him. “One more question, then?”

A nod, almost hungry for it. “Please.”

“Did you really, really love me?”

The gentlest of sighs, his warm yellow eyes. He had reached out for you, then second guessed, and reached for his breast pocket instead, extending the tin to you. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you.”

The entire cabin is quiet as you stare at the ring nestled at the bottom, atop the stack of letters that are wrinkled and must’ve been refolded so many times it’s begun to permanently crease in multiple lines. 

No one’s dared to speak since Sasha died and you look up at the others before back down at the ring again before pinching it between your fingers and lifting it to eye level. You’re not sure what it means to hold it, but you gently close the tin with your other hand, feeling it click shut, and slide it back into your pocket.

The band is silver, rather simple, but it’s pretty, too, in a refined sort of way. There aren’t any gems, but there are simple engravings, lines that curve the metal, causing ripples along the surface and, without thinking, you stretch out your left hand in front of you, trying to gauge which one it’ll fit the best.

Sombrely, you slide it down your ring finger, and let it sit there, lowering your hands and curling them into fists and raising your shoulder, hearing a bone crack. 

You’re exhausted. 

The ODM gear feels strange on your body. It’d been a crash course to get you familiarized with the updates, and you hook a thumb on the strap on your rib cage before glancing at the others. Connie sits with Mikasa and Armin, and Jean is at the back by himself, rubbing at his face hard enough that his skin is beginning to turn red.

You don’t know what to say.

What is there to say? Four years have left you strangely numb.

Jean’s lips pull back into a vicious snarl and his head snaps up to find you looking. Then, everything seems to soften, and he looks away sharply, almost as if to hide his tears.

So you don’t say a thing. Instead, you walk on to the back of the ship, past him, where the prisoners are being held, and you open the door without a noise, first noticing the blond boy. Falco. He looks up at your entrance, eyes wide, and you give him a slight smile as you close the door.

You wish you could hate children for the part they played in killing your friend, but in this moment, you just feel nothing. Not even sadness. You had seen what Marley’s done in the friends you’ve lost.

“Hello, Falco.”

“You lied to me,” he whispers. “You and Mister Kruger—Eren,” he corrects himself. “You used me.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” you tell him, looking at the walls. It seems like a supply area, and you grab the bucket and rag that’s been left by whoever checked in on them last. There’s a few clean rags and you walk up to them, crouching before the blond first. He seems to flinch back and the brown-haired girl lunges at you.

You have no problem pushing her aside and pinning her down.

“Don’t touch him!” she yells. “You don’t get to touch him!”

“Calm down,” you tell her calmly. “I’m not going to hurt him, and you are in no position to be making demands at me after you killed my friend.”

Her eyes widen. “You’re a devil. So was she!” she spits as you slowly wet the rag and dab at the blood cracking underneath Falco’s nose. It’s clear whoever was here before only used the bucket and rag as a taunt. Probably telling them they could piss in here if they wanted. A coy coil of disgust wraps around your gut. “Don’t touch him. You’re tainted! You give all of us a bad name!”

Your nose wrinkles as the girl squirms under your hand and you let go of her. Cupping Falco’s face, you continue to wipe at his cheek. The water is cold. You hope it soothes what must be a flaring face.

“I don’t understand,” he murmurs dully. Exhausted eyes find yours. “Why?”

“I’m sorry. I have no idea why kids are suddenly soldiers in an adult’s war.” You reach to rinse the rag. Dipping it in water, you begin to wring it out when suddenly, there’s a sharp gasp, and you turn to look at the other child—Gabi. She stares at your hands, eyes wide enough a ring of white is around her irises and you frown. “What?”

“Where did you get that ring?” she asks, voice shaking, and you look down at your hands. “That’s… that’s Reiner’s ring. Where did you get it?” You don’t answer, simply stare at her for a moment, and her breath comes out quivering. “He doesn’t let anyone know he has it. It’s for someone special. That’s—he wouldn’t even tell me. He doesn’t know I saw him with it. He… he —it’s supposed to be for someone!”

“Gabi—“ Falco grabs her arms as you regard her softly, and you have just an idea of what’s going in her head as she points at you. “Gabi, calm down—“

“Why do you have it?” she demands ferociously. “It’s not yours! Give it back!” You drop the rag back into the water, and sit back, drawing your knees up to your chest and resting your arms atop of them lazily as tears begin to trace down the child’s face. “It didn’t even cost that much! You won’t be able to sell it to, you know! Give it!”

“Gabi!”

“You have no idea what that means to him!“

“Stop—“

“You spawn! You devil woman!”

“Are you done?” you ask her quietly, fingers twisting the ring and Gabi inhales raggedly as you look at her flatly. Her eyes widen even more if possible, and she allows Falco to pull her back. Her wet gasps fill the silence and you swallow, tilting your head at your hands. “If you really want to know, I don’t really have an idea why I’m wearing it.” You sigh, dropping your hands and letting your head fall forward. “As for how I got it, if you ever see Reiner again, why don’t you ask him?”

Falco’s eyes widen as you look up and finding him staring at you with a strange scrutiny, and your eyebrows furrow as he lets go of Gabi and straightens up from where he’s sitting.

“Mister Braun didn’t even hear what I said when he saw you,” he murmurs, brow furrowing. “Like he’d just seen a ghost. You and…” He struggles for words, voice unsteady. “Eren said you guys were all old friends. But… but, if he gave you the ring—“

“Shut up, Falco!” Gabi beseeches, grabbing his arm, but Falco only stares at you. “Are you even hearing what you’re saying? You’re accusing my cousin of treason! He wouldn’t!”

“He stayed with you for so long,” he continues, as if in a trance. “Even Eren wondered what was taking so long. He… called it a lover’s quarrel. You…”

“I think you two should get some rest,” you interrupt, pushing yourself to your feet and ignoring the smokey feeling clogging up your chest as tears slip down Gabi’s face and Falco’s face pales at your blatant dismissal. “It’s going to be a few hours until we land, roughly. You’ll want to get used to being somewhere warm before they transfer you to some sort of prison. It’ll be a lot colder there.”

Taking the bucket and the rag, you return it back to its spot before walking out the room and closing the door shut behind you. 

You find the spot you once were standing at now occupied with Floch and his comrades, and then you turn your head to see Jean still leaning against the wall, arms crossed, expression burning the metal floor.

You amble over to him without a word and lean in beside him, sinking to the floor.