#persuade her that his plan is necessary if they want the Grisha to have a future

[aleksanderscult]

What would Alinas life look like if she went back with the darkling at the end of book two? Like would she be under heavy supervision? Her own rooms? Spies watching her every move? Or do you think she would be given a bit more choice and freedom? I love your takes on these! X

Thanks, anon 💋

Well, he would give her her own room but she would be 100% supervised by guards. And I don't think he would even hide it. Trust is something to be earned for him (naturally) and he knows how hard it is for her to stay away from her darling Mal.

He doesn't trust her heart enough to let her roam freely around.

[usmsgutterson]

A Start- N.L x fem! reader

all right! This one was requested by @naushtheaspiringauthor! Naush, if you're reading this I am so sorry that this request took so long to write! I've been struggling with motivation as far as writing requests is concerned lately and today I had a bit of coffee to help me get started! I hope you like it and if you don't, feel free to reach out and I'll make the necessary changes.

The type of Grisha that was wanted for this fic was never specified so I went ahead and had her be a tidemaker, which I hope is all right!

Fic type-this is a bit of both angst and fluff

warnings- a lot of mentions of the war, a mention of throwing someone overboard, and this is not my best work as far as editing is concerned--I kind of rushed it a bit because I am running on motivative fumes right now and didn't want to lose motivation part of the way through the editing process.

You were standing at the bow of the Volkvolny, Alina Starkov not three feet to your left. She had her gaze to the sea just as you did, unblinking and unphased but relentless in her hatred for the Darkling, just as everyone else silently was on the boat.

You were one of the Tidemakers on Sturmhonds crew, having been brought on by Tamar and only on your second day aboard the Volkvolny. You hadn't officially met Sturmhond yet but you didn't doubt that you would in due time, if the hostage situation that the Darkling had brought onto the boat was to be of any indication.

Your gaze was on the sea as the Darkling approached and hauled Alina away, lost in your own thoughts of life when you got to land again--comfortable bed, decent food, everything you needed to be content in that moment.

You headed away from the bow of the ship, thanking Tamar as she passed you one of the rum rations she'd just won in a game of cards, trying not to listen in on the conversation between Alina, Sturmhond, and the Darkling that was happening barely three feet away from you. You nearly let your curiosity get the best of you but with a sip of your rum you found yourself tired and ready to do anything but eavesdrop.

You let Tamar drag you off to a game of rummy, laughing a bit as she led you away and your rum sloshed around a bit in the mug, ready to get drunker than words could describe and barely remember it all through the haze generated by your headache the following morning.

-

The weeks passed, and you found yourself assigned to Mals care. You didn't fight it because, while you were on Sturmhonds crew, you were stuck taking orders from the Darkling while Mal hunted for the Sea Whip and Alinas second amplifier. With the second amplifier, Alina would get stronger, and eventually she'd be able to kill him.

You planned to watch the Darkling meet the end he deserved, for all that he'd done to your country and for all that he'd done to the people you held closest, and if getting a step closer to witnessing his death meant looking after one of the people he took prisoner, so be it.

Mal noticed that you, for someone who he thought must've been on the Darklings staff, were much kinder than those he'd dealt with in the previous few days, and as you purposefully lead him past Alina so that their hands might graze for a moment, a fleeting look might have been exchanged, all you could do was shrug.

"He trusts me because I'm willing to wear a bit of black and because the bastard thinks of Sturmhonds crew as his bloody own," you said. "Enjoy your fresh air while it lasts, lover boy. I'll try to persuade Alinas guards into letting the two of you have a chat after dinner."

"Why are you being so kind to us?" Mal asked, ignoring the whip of the wind as it drove past the two of you. "You seem quite stoic."

"You're using stoic in the place of rude and I don't appreciate that--I am stoic but rude is not something that I am or ever will be," you said. "I am being kind to you because you've gone without it for too long. You go without kindness for more than a few weeks and you'll turn out exactly as I have--reluctant to let people in, keeping everyone at arms length. Nothing will happen to you if you go down that route, and if anything does happen to you, it will be as rare as a dandelion in winter."

"And I think it's because of Sturmhond," Mal said. "You've clearly started to fancy the bloke and maybe you think that getting in our good favor will get you in his?"

"I am a twenty-one year old woman," you said. "I do not need to ferry the favor of a couple of seventeen year olds, regardless of the fact that one of them is a saint, to gain the favor of my own bloody boss, Mr. Oretsev, but thank you for that. I totally appreciate your assumptions."

"It's not an assumption," Mal said. "It's an observation. I noticed the way that you watched him when he was with Alina the other day--you don't think you're the type he'll fall for, do you? That's why, even despite the fact that every time he grins at you flirtatiously you grin back like a sheep caught between the crossfire of two gun wielding idiots, you haven't made a move? You haven't offered him the rum ration you win from a game of rummy?"

"Another word of Sturmhond and I will throw the both of us overboard, Mr. Oretsev. Am I understood?"

"You are indeed," Mal said. "I would even say that I understand your words as well as I understand your lovesickness whenever you look at him--Alinas taken to calling him the clever fox because of his hair. You're falling for a ginger. You have a good time with that."

You scoffed, having no intention to make good on your threats to him.

It was true that you'd fallen for the handsome privateer and it was also true that, in direct relation to his treatment of Alina, you never thought he would fall for one of your sort. A privateer and a Grisha wouldn't work and you had no idea why, in the weeks since you were first brought onto the team by Tamar, you'd thought it probably could've.

They were your delusions, though, and because they were your delusions you would learn to live with them just as everyone else learned to live with their own.

--

Time passed. The civil war was ended in a burst of sun and star and the death of a saint. Nikolai returned to his palaces and found that they felt too empty for his liking.

He couldn't place why, nor what could've been done to fix it, until one day Tamar came into the guards break room smiling, a letter in hand.

"Got a pen pal, do you?" Nikolai asked. At that, Tamar scrunched her nose in his direction and gestured to the plate of biscuits on the center of the table at which they sat. Genya pushed back a curtain to let a bit of light into the room, and begrudgingly, Nikolai grabbed a biscuit.

"Tame your demons today," Tamar said. "We have a trip to make to Ketterdam and I have secured us a place to stay that's not the embassy but will indeed provide more than enough protection in it's place while renovations continue after the oil leak. Nikolai, you remember Y/N, don't you?"

The girl he'd fallen for during the civil war? How could he ever have forgotten.

He'd loved you in silence, in glances to you while you stood and chatted with Zoya and Genya, while you laughed with Tamar and stole pieces of bacon from Tolya in exchange for your rum rations while travelling. The way he'd felt about you had snuck up on him in the days of the civil war, and despite all of his trying, it hadn't gone away since.

"How can he forget her?" Zoya asked. "The amount of loving looks he thinks nobody saw him give her during the war is astounding. Why bring her up?"

"Well, as mentioned, there was an oil leak at the Ravkan Embassy. We needed a place to stay in Ketterdam while we're there on business so I figured I'd reach out to a rumored member of the Council of Tides and see what she could do."

"And what all has she done?" Nikolai asked.

"She lives in a mansion in the merchants district. Six bedrooms and a nice kitchen, good food for the duration of our stay. I asked if she wouldn't mind our company and she said to come whenever."

Zoya smirked and Genya clasped her hands together, a grin adorning her face almost instantly. Nikolais gaze drifted to David, who was watching his wife with a smile of his own.

"I've missed her," Genya said. "I know we'll be there on business but it'll be nice to see an old friend."

Zoya glanced at Nikolai. "Or perhaps reignite an old flame," she said as Tamar wiggled her eyebrows, a giggle befalling her lips as she did.

"A flame that was never ignited in the first place?" Nikolai asked. "Write back to Y/N thanking her for her ability to accommodate us. I will see to it that she is fairly compensated for allowing us to lodge with her if she finds taking time off of work a necessity."

Tamar nodded. "I already wrote a note and sent it along," she said. "Eat breakfast, Nikolai. Your stuff is packed and waiting on the ship. We leave today."

"Ring for tea, will you?" David asked. Nikolai laughed a bit but did Davids bidding, trying to mentally get himself ready to visit the woman he loved but had not seen in too much time to count.

--

Two weeks came to pass, and Nikolai had found himself approaching your garden, mug of tea in hand, as he couldn't sleep.

The demon took him over when he slept and most nights, while the demon had indeed taken a step back that trip, he didn't like the idea of closing his eyes and letting himself drift off. When Nikolais conscious faded, the demons conscious set in, and he didn't want to know what kind of damage the demon could do to you or the kind of damage you could do to it in the name of self defense.

He flinched when he saw you--you'd hardly interacted in the two days since he, the triumvirate, Tamar and Tolya had come. He was hoping you wouldn't notice him because who, exactly, wants to have their first conversation in several years at three in the morning?

"I heard you making your tea," you said. "Come on out. I've been meaning to talk to you since you first showed up, but I couldn't really find the words to do it."

Nikolai stepped out into the garden, came to sit next to you on a bench made of fabrikator altered obsidian--Nikolai had heard you and Tamar discussing it, and you'd said it was infused with Grisha steel to make sure it lasted as long as possible.

"You work for the Council of Tides, yeah?"

"We're supposed to remain anonymous," you said. "I can't tell you that."

"You worked from eight this morning to midnight. That's sixteen hours."

"And in thanks for covering my coworkers shift, they're covering mine tomorrow. I will be stuck in this house all day long," you said. "I do work for the Council of Tides, for the record, but if you say as much to anyone, I will risk the treason charge and have you hanged. It was an opportunity and I took it because it was that or worry about everything in Ravka. I chose the one less likely to kill me."

"They clearly pay you well enough," he said. "Seven figures, I'd imagine."

"The money I make in a year is enough to have Ravka debt free and the treasury restored within four of them," you said. "It's ridiculous, but I either make good money and live in this mansion and pinch my pennies so that I can make sure I have a good foot to stand on when I sell this place and go somewhere new, or I don't make good money and end up living in the crime districts. I had enough of fighting, of open wounds and of shouting in the streets during the war."

Nikolai nodded. "I don't blame you," he said. "However, if making a donation to Ravka is ever in your cards..."

You laughed. "You are so lucky I find your face kissable rather than punchable. Had I found it punchable I would've done it just then."

Nikolai laughed in turn. "You've been missed around the palaces," he said. "I mean--your absence has been disdained by lots of us."

"Who?" You asked. "I write with the lot of them rather frequently--went to see Alina and Mal just last week with a couple of loaves of bread made by Kerch born bakers! Who's disdained my absence, Mr. Lantsov? Everyone seems to be getting on just fine without me."

"Your absence has been disdain by one person," he said. "Me. I couldn't figure it out for a while but then it clicked and now I just--fuck, I feel stupid."

You laughed. "You could've just said you missed me," you said. "I was barely a presence at the palaces beforehand, but I can indeed understand why you would miss seeing me browsing the books in the library you never went into."

"I was busy!" Nikolai shouted, laughing a bit and startling himself with the volume of his words. "I was busy, Y/N, trying to win a war, and when I wasn't I was indeed watching you look at the books. You always got so focused in the libraries--I've spent my time in your absence reminiscing on it."

You laughed. Nikolai set his cup of tea on the ground.

"I loved you during that time," you said. "I really loved you, Nikolai. Didn't think you'd feel the same."

"I did," Nikolai said. "--I still do, Y/N. I haven't stopped for all of my trying."

You blinked. You'd been trying to move on from the war, all that you felt during it and everything that happened. You'd told yourself you'd only hold onto friendships, onto the good memories that came of the war because those good memories were amazing and they were few and far between, so holding onto them could only make sense rather than letting them go.

You supposed that Nikolai was one of those memories. He was a good memory in spite of all of the yearning, a good memory despite the fact that you'd spent so much of your time drowning in the idea that he could never love you like you loved him.

"Do you love me still?" Nikolai asked. "You said that you loved me then. Do you love me now?"

It had been something you were trying to forget. You didn't want to forget it anymore.

"I do," you said. "I don't think I ever stopped, despite how much I wanted to leave everything behind me."

Nikolai grinned. "May I kiss you?"

And you nodded, and then his lips were on yours and it almost felt as though a piece of your life that had been missing since the end of the war had slid back into it's place.

You loved Nikolai, and Nikolai loved you, and while it wasn't much, it was certainly a start.

[sparda3g]

Attack on Titan Chapter 115 Review

This series keeps on giving. Whether it’s insane action, crazy drama, or emotional backstory, it has plenty to offer. It also contains a great mystery to many elements of its lore. This chapter wasn’t action packed and yet, I was very thrilled by its content. It’s going to be for a while before we see the inevitable end, but the build-up, the suspense, and the twist are enough to keep the audience excited and anticipated. Bottom line, this chapter was outstanding.

Before the chapter takes off to the wonderful journey, we have a short scene with Hange, Floch, and others, where they are very near to the location of the explosion that sent the fans blazing. It’s there to let the fans know that we are in for a rude awakening, one that would spark controversy. We will get to that fairly soon. Fans, myself included, have been aching to know whether Levi and/or Zeke have died or not. We first go over with Zeke and to answer that question, yes, he is dying. He did take on the lightning spear, so Levi wasn’t kidding. With that said it begins a very emotional “sendoff” for Zeke that truly got me sympathetic.

Let me start by saying the presentation is astonishing throughout the scene. Not only the artwork is clean and solid, but the visual and paneling are stellar with deep meaningful display. I grasp the heartfelt and sincerity of Zeke slowly passing out with his last vision of unachieved dream. Even the horses that slowly collapse got me emotional. Zeke’s fading words are depressing to read. Not only he’s dying, but he sounds deeply regrettable. It’s really the moment of farewell.

The flashback ensue and for many, it means his time is here; it’s the end of Zeke. I definitely bought it. That said the flashback does answer many questions, including ones we didn’t know we wanted. It picks up from the last time where Zeke and Tom discussed about eradicating Eldians. I thought the flashback last time was splendid and touching, but this last piece nailed it.

It was this moment where Tom gave him words that would set Zeke’s goal permanently. One info he didn’t share with Marley is about the War Renunciation Vow that can be broken. He confirmed it that the Founding Titan is present there and can work into their plan. Zeke cannot obtain the Founding Titan, but he can support the Founder and convince the holder to their plan. It’s the matter of trust that Tom counted on Zeke to make it happen. If so, then their dream can come true. Sadly, it would be their final moment.

As fans know already, Zeke is the Beast Titan currently, which means Tom must have been consumed. I thought this part is pretty sad. Tom was set to be eaten by Zeke to pass down the Titan. Although he won’t be around to watch Zeke, he will be in the afterlife to support and watch him to make their dream come true. Zeke agreed to carry on, addressing him as someone he wanted to say proudly: dad. That hit me hard. I really love this backstory between the two. I won’t say Zeke is forgiven, but I can really understand and emotionally connect.

Yelena has stated before that she has seen Zeke or Beast Titan as her God, so the following scene is not really new. The only noteworthy of it is how much she has been influenced by him, easily manipulated in a sense. Actually, this would be beneficial to the later scene. The point is she has been converted drastically. I don’t know if Zeke feels guilty or not, but it doesn’t matter much for he has an army to back him up.

One of the answers that I didn’t expect to get but quite welcoming is how Zeke learned about his biological parents through the report on Eren. Reiner and Bertolt reported the details on Eren and how they confirmed he’s undoubtedly the holder of the Founding Titan. He also learned about Grisha and where he was last seen. That’s how Zeke learned about everything, which is simple enough; however, my interest came from his reaction to it.

It was agonizing for him to learn so much about his family’s whereabouts after his departure. He also realized his mother was changed into a Titan and Eren confronted it. We all know how it ended; killed by his half-brother. It pained him to know his douchebag father was alive and made a new family. Could you imagine the pain that spawned from your own father carry on to another? Care or not, that’s heartbreaking. What’s also heartbreaking is he believe Eren shared the same fate as him. No wonder he told him back in the last arc that Grisha isn’t worth believing. That’s strikingly touching.

The last piece of the flashback is the most interesting one of them all. It’s when Eren and Zeke have a conversation back at Marley before the festival. It is very interesting in many ways. To begin with, the true plan is revealed and it’s actually from Zeke himself, hence the first part of the flashback. In other words, euthanize Eldians. This is very strange, but more on that later. Eren had a decision to make and what persuaded him to confront with Zeke was the moment from his father’s memory.

It’s finally explained on what Eren has seen during the ceremony where he holds Historia’s hand. If you recall, he went through many visions of the event where Grisha killed the Royal Family to obtain the Founding Titan. He finally witnessed it and from that moment, he gained a new thought about his next action. He revealed the tragic event to Zeke, essentially caught on the notion of Grisha’s awful act. It has some disturbing images to display with eerie words such as killing those children like a bug. To top it, he even went far as saying as killing them was a necessary for his existence. Translation: killing the Royal Family save everything. That’s messed up.

He did note that Grisha’s action was still a mistake as well as his own existence. It’s like we gone back to Uprising Arc Eren before his rebounding development. Because of the memory, he agreed to Zeke’s plan. This is really strange. Isn’t Eren all about accepting life or being blessed to live? Shouldn’t that be Zeke’s character, hence being the foil character to Eren? Is he serious about it or is it a lie? It is possible to be a lie since lately, it’s suggested that he is the same as always when looking upon life. If so, that is sad that Zeke is only bought in, but what choice does he have? Eren holds the Founding Titan.

The closing scene is pretty sincere. They couldn’t hand shake in agreement, so catching the ball would do. It’s a great symbolic of passing down the torch from what he shared with Tom. Whether Eren is truly hiding his actual intention or not, Zeke felt like he has bonded with a brother he never thought he wanted. Basically, it’s a bond he has grown fond of to cherish. Seriously, it would suck if Eren is lying, which has a strong chance. Zeke has grown greatly to me as a character. Now, he’s going to die; unable to fulfill that wish. It’s really sad.

Then a mysterious girl appears in a vision.

I didn’t understand what was going on. I thought the girl was someone he has long forgotten or cherished or something. It wouldn’t matter much, seeing Zeke has died or very near. His dead expression did sadden me. Then a random Titan appears, from the ground I assume. It opens its guts for some reason and place Zeke’s body inside. That was a strange moment. I really didn’t know what to make of it. It was just strange, but it won’t be the end.

The fall of Survey Corps continue with an interesting insight of the mental game. The opposing force, The Jeagerists, are taking over with more soldiers surrendering or even change side. Yelena is now feeling like the big boss with her overly confidence attitude. All she was missing was to say, “Excellent.” To think, I actually trusted her. Pixis keeps his head up despite the situation, but more importantly, disappointed with some of the soldiers who changed side. Some changed side because they believe in Eren; some changed side because they are enslaved by the poison they drank, Zeke’s spinal fluid to be exact. Shame.

The interesting part is despite Pixis being a hostage, he still outclass Yelena in their mind game. Pixis is mentally strong while taking shot at Yelena, who is mentally weak from insults. On the surface, she supposed to be dominant, but Pixis keeps bringing her down by showing her contradictions and misguided belief. He put her in her place when they talked about saving the world, when in reality, it’s only saving an island. Pixis is still the man; show her the reality.

That said the visual shows her looking pretty rough around the edges after logics were thrown at her. It’s clear Isayama deciphering her as a mental case; one in which needs a reality check. She’s perhaps mentally scarred by following the self-created cult with Zeke or Beast Titan as her God. I don’t know if Pixis will help her change her view or not, but as long as she stands by her belief, she is guaranteed to witness her early tragic fate.

The next scene is…very interesting…in a controversial way. I’ll be completely honest with you. I was spoiled earlier because it was a hot topic around the time. I am of course referring to Levi’s status. Before I share my own two cent, let’s go over the scenario. Hange and others arrive to the scene with a random Titan on the ground and Levi. Now, it’s time for the verdict on Levi’s status. Hange approaches to him and confirms it to everyone: he’s dead. Popularity poll? What’s that?!

The display of Levi’s body is gruesome to say the least. He has shards on his face, a really bad scar, and he lost some of his fingers; fingers to use the blade to hook on or trigger. Hange confirmed his status, but Floch insist to check his pulse. A strange phenomenon occurs from where that random Titan is at, but I’m going to skip that scene for now. Because of that occurrence, Hange takes the chance to take Levi and dive in to the river to make their only escape. That’s the last of them for this chapter. Levi is dead as the spoiler suggested.

I don’t think so.

The setting seems more favor to a lie or maybe even misunderstood. Hange looked at him and that could have been reasonable enough to buy in. What got me thinking twice is Floch. He wants to check the pulse to see if he is dead or not. One guy wanted to shoot Levi in the head, but it’s only Hange that told them he’s dead. Was it to prevent kill confirmed? Also, Hange was pissed when Floch suggested to check, as if to say, “Shit, once he knows, he’s done for.” Lastly, why would Hange take Levi with her if he’s already dead? You can argue that she wants the body for proper burial, but that doesn’t seem likely.

In my opinion, this is a good way to handicap Levi for this scenario. It’s no wonder it was shown how godly he is or was when he took on Zeke. This way, the Survey Corps would have a tougher time to take on Eren and his faction. Not to mention, he’s not only out cold, but he lost his fingers; essential in combat. You could argue that he will die in the next chapter, but the chance is about a half. He’s an Ackerman and he was caught indirectly, which is vastly different from Zeke, who ate the explosion directly and critically.

It’s uncertain at this time, but I do believe Levi will live. Now, how can he recover? I can see Hange and Levi going to Historia’s location and get his treatment somehow. Will that be enough? Probably not, but time will tell. If anything, I love the setup because it had everyone on their edge of the seat. Sure, some may stop reading because of their favorite character has died, if that’s the case. It’s suspenseful and the next chapter could make it or break it.

Now we return to the scene with that random Titan and it’s very interesting. Everyone caught the wind, literally, and they see the man they have been searching for: Zeke. Basically, he is resurrected. I really like the symbolism of his awakening; from heavy rain for his tragic end to the ray of light for his renewal beginning. It’s as if he truly is the God that Yelena has visualized. Hell, he’s naked as well, so it couldn’t be a coincidence on the symbol. It’s very interesting because of how it happened.

According to him, he met up with a little girl, who was in the vision earlier. She saved him by reconstructing his body in the sand. Could this girl be the original Ymir; the one from the legend? What’s enticing is the scenery Zeke was in; the one he called “Paths.” It’s the same vision as what Ymir saw after consuming Marcel. To be honest, I thought she was literally in the sandy place with a beautiful sky, but I thought wrong. It’s a special world that only two (so far) have seen. To them, it’s a bliss. Zeke is moving forward to the plan and without any distraction, he will meet with Eren in no time. Very intriguing…

This begs a lot of new questions that managed to remain under the established lore. Zeke has seen “Paths” like Ymir, but what exactly triggered it? Is it simply just wake up after their “sleep?” Why is it only those two so far? There could be more but on record, it’s them. Is there a change within Zeke, like has he changed his approach or everything remain the same? For that matter, why that little girl saved him? The way how it was illustrated highly suggest that Zeke is truly the key to everything. Amazing, because that’s what Isayama once mentioned about his character. He’s sticking to his word; I like that. So many new questions, but this arc has become very interesting. But why stop there when you can have a great exciting cliffhanger.

We’re back to where Gabi is held prisoner. She is still perplexed about her status and “devils.” I don’t blame her for feeling confused, especially since she wasn’t able to complete her development when Eren interrupted. Speaking of Eren, there he is, being the tyrant he is, but he does offer her a cooperation in order to save Falco. That’s surprisingly nice of him, though the mention of Sasha’s killer does irk me. Does he hold a grudge against her? She is frozen by his presence; he definitely reached boss status. Sucks to be her and the guards are just watching her suffering.

Hey, wait a minute. Is that Pieck in the background? That guard looks like her. That or Isayama is out of female character’s design. Out of nowhere, that said guard straight-up stabs the other guard right in the throat. Holy shit, it is her! Pieck! Damn, what a badass entry. No wonder she has tons of fans; in and out of story. Now this is a conflict that I thought I would never see; Pieck versus Eren. This is going to be damn exciting. Poor guard though. He’s just dying there from the stab to the neck; no one there to save him. Shit happens I suppose.

All in all, this was an outstanding chapter with plenty of unlocked secrets and new ones. It’s told in a very emotional story that could have been a wonderfully tragic sendoff, but there’s another plan in mind that has its own exciting road ahead. The best part is how it was presented. Whether you like the artwork or not, even if it was drawn really well, the visual presentation is fantastic, deciphering the characters’ behavior and emotional turmoil. Also, how it was paneled felt very meaningful. The ending left me excited, though Levi’s situation is alarming. I believe he will pull it off, but we’ll see. Whether you dropped the series or not, the road ahead shows a sign of great promises.