#snk marlowe

[natsuki208]

I was just watching a Jean compilation video and paused at the right time! Look at this doofus lol 😆 😆

[marcobodtseye]

Side character haters DNI I love ppl who Stan side characters so much. If ur fav has less than 10 minutes of screen time marry me

[erudianokabe]

BESTIE WITH HIS TWO DADS.

Mine and @zahyou's OLD MEN AS DRINKING BUDDIES. CANON. OUR HC IS -BANGS HANDS ON TABLE- CANON!

Anyway, full pic.

HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR TICKETS, CADETS? If y'all got your tickets, see you at the after party~ ❤️

[melishade]

So I don't know if this question popped up. I've been meandering through the master lists here and there while snowed in on vacation and rewatching the anime for giggles, so I apologize if this question was already asked.

What was your thought process with each character death and each character you chose to save or maim?

For example, some characters have the same or similar deaths; like Marco still dying in the same manner, Levi's squad dying in the same position in the manga/anime, I'm sure there's more.

Then there are characters you change the death of, like Marlow, Moblit, Floch, Magath, Kenny, Bertholdt, Porco, Lara. Extending their life (Kenny, Lara, Bertholdt) or ending it quicker (Moblit, Marlow). Or changing it in a weird way like Magath or Porco.

There are characters you spare, like Sasha, Erwin, Hange, Willy, possibly Nile (I do actually want to know his fate because Dark Energon was involved and if he died did Primus save his soul?), Pixis, Colt. And trust me, I am glad to see most of these characters live!

Then you kill some characters who had lived to see the end, like Connie, Hitch, Yelena, and Reiner.

Then you have characters like Jean and Levi have injuries that were a bit more intense then what I remember from the anime/manga.

I'm just curious on your thought process in building the story and each characters development and the end goal.

Second part,

I also was curious on who wanted to reincarnate as a Cybertronian? We know Lara, and Maria based on Peaceful Timeline name. I'm curious if other characters we know by name made that choice too.

Oh I'm very excited to explain 10+ years of nonsense!

So again, I started this story way back in 2013, when AOT was at the height of it's popularity. I actually started reading the manga after season 1 ended and the manga was just ending the clash of the titans arc. So some of the deaths like Marco and Levi's squad I left as is. Part of it was because I didn't know how to incorporate them into the story to keep them alive, part of it because the AOT world is still cruel.

As for the deaths in the coup, like Marlow, Hitch, and Mobilit, it was more of a "They don't serve a purpose in my fanfic" kind of thing. Marlow decides to join the Survey Corps and then immediately dies in the Shinganshina attack. Hitch, in the main AOT story, mainly helps out Annie in that four year time skip, but because Annie is not in the crystal and is more adamant to go home more than ever, Hitch doesn't really serve a purpose. Same with Mobilit. I know he's somewhat popular in the AOT sphere, but we don't get much character with him, not compared to Marlow and Hitch. A lot of it is just head canon, so there's not much for me to play with. And also, because Optimus and Megatron are on Paradis helping the island, Annie and Bertholdt have to escape and go back home in order to provide some sort of even playing field. Them killing Hitch, Marlow, and Mobilit shows their ruthlessness and the fact that they are still the enemy, even if they are sympathetic.

Kenny is alive because there was no cave in. I ultimately decided that there was no need for a full on Rod Reiss titan brawl because I thought that Megatron's influence would prompt Historia to kill her father as a human. No Rod Reiss titan, means no cave in, which means Kenny gets spared. I didn't want him sitting in a cell doing nothing, so why not have him join Erwin and Megatron's insurance time and have him and Erwin be really weird friends. At least friendly enough to have Kenny save his life in the end. Also, Kenny's pure chaos and I thought it would be fun to explore. And I've actually wanted Kenny to have a little bit more substance to his and Levi's conversation before he died in the main story.

But once the plot twist of humanity not being extinct came out it left me with more room to play with. Even just prior to the reveal, there's no need for the entirety of the Survey Corps to go and get whatever was in the basement. They just send Optimus and Megatron to grab it and get out while also surveying the area to see what would need to be repaired. No mission, means Erwin and majority of the Survey Corps get spared, so does Bertholdt.

But then I'm thinking 'Oh, I have two characters that I need to play some type of role. I can't have them sitting on the sidelines' and then the Zeke spinal fluid comes into play and I thought, 'Oh I could use them for that.' I ended up getting Nile involved because I thought it would just be interesting to see Nile's dynamics with Erwin as the two were friends their younger years, while also adding more substance to Nile. In addition, I really liked the idea of exploring how Erwin would feel and adapt to this expansive new world that he has sought the truth about for years. Also, also, I thought it would be really cool for Erwin to get a cybernetic arm.

Also, also, also, because Nile and Anka, and the others in Paradis military were Eldians, Primus was able to grab their souls and purge them of the dark energon. So they're reincarnated. They're fine.

Speaking of dark energon, let's talk about Bertholdt and Porco. Yes, I did prolong Bertholdt's life, but ultimately had him killed off via titan ritual. Simply due to the fact that Megatron shot Bertholdt with dark energon. And we know how dangerous and corrosive dark energon is. Bringing back the dead, vampires, zombie cons, killing Cybertron, etc. When Megatron shot at Bumblebee in the season 1 finale with Rafael inside the car, Rafael was at death's door immediately, and he wasn't even directly hit by it. So I thought it would be interesting to explore the effects of dark energon on a titan shifter. But because Bertholdt is organic, despite being a titan shifter, he was going to succumb to dark energon because Marley has no idea how to counteract it. Which leads to Porco taking up the mantle because of Bertholdt's condition, especially since Ymir is still the Jaws Titan. In regards to Porco, it was just more of the continued effects of dark energon on a titan shifter. It was something that I wanted to explore. I wanted to explore how Porco's rage and grief is amplified and consumed by the side effects of dark energon and how that ultimately destroys him.

Magath, I was originally going to keep him alive and have him be that mediator mouthpiece between the world and Paradis. I even still have some of his rough draft scenes on file. But as I continued to write the story and kept Willy alive, I realized Magath didn't need to serve that purpose, especially since Willy would have more influence on the world compared to Magath. Once everything really started to finalize, then it just made it easier to kill Magath.

Meanwhile, Floch's death changed entirely because the Shinganshina mission never happened. That mission changed him and radicalized him, but because it never happened, Floch isn't emboldened and still harbors some compassion, and ultimately chooses to help save humanity because of Megatron's influence instead. But Floch still isn't as experienced as the others and didn't know how to anticipate Eren's attacks, so he goes down.

For Reiner, I believed he was fully going to die when I was reading the manga, but Isayama's favoritism of him kept Reiner alive. Which honestly, he should have died during that final battle. The fact that anyone fighting atop of Eren's Founding Titan form baffles me. But Reiner just had a bunch of death flags in the manga, and to not kill him off feels cheap in a way? It felt weird seeing him get somewhat of a happy ending when it didn't feel too earned because everything after chapter 90 felt rushed in my opinion. I still made Reiner a hero in this story. Him killing Porco and ending his friend's suffering saved the world and even the universe, because again, Unicron's a major threat.

Although, I will say that I left Hanji alive out of favoritism too. Also I wanted them to see Cybertron!

In addition, it felt weird that Yelena survived at all. And I thought that she would play more of a role considering her connection to Zeke, and her desire to cement herself into history, but they really just forgot about her by the end. Whether or not it was made to be ironic, I still wished there was some sort of pay off. I hope that I made some sort of payoff with Yelena. Sure, she doesn't become a savior of the world by the end, which was a selfish intention of hers, but she decides to perform one selfless action that buys the main crew more time before Eren kills her.

Sparing Sasha was actually a pretty difficult decision at the time. I had just started writing the Marley arc/going off grid when Sasha was shot in chapter 105. I was having this thought because I didn't know how big of an impact Sasha's death would have on the story. When everything played out and Sasha's death was really just a way to forward Gabi's development, I decided to change it. You can still have Gabi go through meaningful development without having Sasha go through a rather needless death. I know that it's the point of AOT, the senseless violence never ends, the world is cruel, yadda yadda. But the amount of backlash from so many people in the AOT fandom was absolutely ridiculous. Believe it or not, I was actually close to killing Falco in that moment. Ymir's still alive and has the Jaws Titan. Falco never gets it, so what's the point of him, ya' know. I ultimately leave him alive because it's too much torture for Arcee since she's the one that prevents Sasha's death. And on top of that, Arcee went through enough in the TFP show. I'm not adding anything on top of that.

And since we're talking about Falco, I spared Colt because I had already put in so much effort into keeping him alive through Megatron. On top of that, I thought it would be good to have someone from Marley actually defend Megatron in order to have the alliance stick more.

In regards to Pixis and Anka and ultimately back to Nile. If Megatron and co were going to inform the military about the wine sooner rather than later, that meant that some people were ultimately going to be spared of their fate in the actual story. If Pixis were informed, he would have resigned to prevent any backlash, ultimately sparing him from his fate, and he would appoint Anka, who he's trusted for over 5 years.

Speaking of Anka, we don't even confirm how she actually died in the story. People are assuming that she drank the wine and got turned into a titan, but we don't even see her seconds before the transformation. We don't get verbal confirmation that she did, she wasn't among the prisoners or the fight in Shinganshina. And then she's among the fallen as Hanji's doing their monologue. We don't even get a confirmation on how she died! Was she shot?! Turned into a titan?! And where's Gustav?! Huh?! We saw Rico in the end! But where was he?! Maybe I didn't include Gustav in my story, but at the very least, Anka gets some substance, and we confirm how she actually dies in my fanfic!

And as for both Nile and Anka dying in Shingangshina by Porco, I still had to display the cruelty of AOT while also showing just how dangerous dark energon within the Colossal Titan can be.

For Lara, yes I extended her life but I also kill her off during the final battle. Genuinely, I was just disappointed in how Isayama handled her character. She really just existed just for Eren to get a power up even though her power is earthbending! That would have been so cool to explore but we were robbed, so I thought of adding substance to her character by making her quiet and meek, giving her a motivation to get stronger, making her feel guilty of her unearned honor, and making her earn that honor by sacrificing her life to save a bunch of people. I know that I decided to keep Willy alive instead of Magath for him to be a mouthpiece to the world, but I also thought it to be a twisted sense of irony. Willy finally has earned the honor that his family lied about for years. He is finally, truly, earnestly hailed as a hero to the world, but that status came at the cost of his sister's life. He finally understands that horrible weight, and deep down, he would trade it all just to get Lara back.

In regards to the Survey Corps and everyone else directly fighting Eren, leading to severe injuries for both Jean and Levi and ultimately Connie's death, the main AOT story really just gave them plot armor when fighting on Eren's back. You mean to tell me that after Hanji's death in the story, no one else from the Alliance Team died or was heavily injured while fighting Eren? The most severe injury in that final battle was Levi's leg getting permanently messed up! That was some intense plot armor for everyone except for Eren! It's AOT! Someone had to die or get seriously messed up! Which is why Levi got completely wrecked and Jean lost his leg.

And someone from the main Survey Corps cast had to die, and I had already spared Sasha at that point. And I've had Connie's death in my sights for a while. I know that I ultimately let him have a reunion with his family, but I thought his death would add some extra tragedy. Connie was the last resident of Ragako. His whole village was turned into titans and killed, save for his mother, but there was no real solution to turning her back into a human without shortening her life. Connie's death means that Ragako is officially gone. It will only exist through the stories told by Connie. Its memory and its people are gone, and it was all because of someone that Connie had considered friend once.

So Part 2 of this question:

I would like to think a lot of Eldians living after the fall of the Eldian Empire would want to become Cybertronians. They've lived their whole lives under oppression, so of course they would jump at the opportunity to live a new life of freedom, especially those killed by Eren during the Rumbling.

Other Eldians that would probably choose to become Cybertronians...maybe a few people from the 104th cadet corps that died needlessly in battle, like Thomas and Mina. They've lived in the Walls their whole lives. A chance at freedom would be great, especially in a new body that lasts longer.

Like I don't really have definitive names of who would decide to become a Cybertronian...but I do have this:

Eren flinched when the door shut behind him. The echo of the door slamming shut vibrated throughout the dark room he was now in. The titan shifter let out a heavy breath, slumping forward and resting his hands on his knees. Sweat clung to his forehead and dripped down his nose. He could feel his hands trembling before he released his knees and clenched his fists. He was fine. He was okay.

Three trials were done with. He had nine more to go. He was going to continue to fight. No matter what.

Eren flinched when he heard a loud 'bang' echo in the room he was in. He raised his head and caught a glimpse of a blue light that disappeared. Eren flinched again when the 'bang' echo through the room once more, but he gasped when that sound was followed by a blue light that etched the walls of the hall. The light traveled the walls, revealing text engraved into the side of it, and a myriad of weapons either embedded in the walls or hanging on a rack.

Eren gulped as the sound of metal hitting metal continued. He had no choice. He had to keep moving forward. He forced himself to take small, hesitant steps, acting with caution as he traversed down the hall. The lights traveled the halls, allowing him to see more weapons and more engraved letters. Eren saw more light as he reached the end of the hallway. When he reached the end, he froze and gawked at the sight before him.

This circular room....it was tremendous. The walls traveled high up, and there was an opening where the ceiling was supposed to be. Eren could see blue smoke rising from the chimneys embedded in the walls. The smoke clouded the sky, but Eren managed to catch glimpses of the stars shining above.

Eren turned his attention to the walls, seeing more weapons and armor sealed away in glass. He also saw blue, circular, fountains of different sizes in the walls. As the chimneys released smoke, energon poured out of the fountains and fell into the pathways carved into the floor. As energon flowed on the outer rim of the room, Eren could see red, flaming waters bubbling to the surface and filling the inner pathways in the floor.

Eren snapped his head to the sound of metal clashing against metal. He stared at the center of the room and witnessed the back of a titan swinging a purple, glowing hammer on top of a strange looking anvil. Eren was surprised to see the titan have dreadlock hair, or something akin to that kind of hair. The hair was tied upward with its own strand of hair to prevent a mess or a break in its concentration. As the titan continued swinging, bursts of energy emerged from the hammer. The titan swung the hammer again and again and again, until the titan stopped. Eren watched it pick up the product it was creating and saw...that it was a navy blue mask of some kind. The mask had gaps on the bottom half of it. It...it reminded him of the War Hammer Titan.

The titan twisted something on the side of the mask, and the mask retracted with ease before coming back together again. Eren saw the titan turn and was stunned to see that it was a female titan. At least, she had female features. Something akin to a crown had adorned her head. She had a mask of her own covering her mouth, but her optics were different. Instead of that traditional blue, it was a pink color, almost like a rose. There were text engravings on her armor, the same ones that were engraved in the wall.

Eren felt the ground shake as the titan walked around the anvil towards the wall behind the anvil. She pressed her hand on the wall, and it opened freely revealing a metal body resting in the wall. It was massive, a navy blue color with silver accentuated marks around the arms, legs, and torso. The arms were crossed over the body's chest. On the left arm was a circular shield with engraved text. In the right hand, was a silver hammer. Eren noticed the rather peaceful features on the face of the body, like it was sleeping.

The titan stepped forward and placed the mask on the face of the resting titan. She hooked it in place, and Eren watched the eyes open and shine a bright blue. Eren watched that blue light travel throughout the body hanging in the wall, giving it life for a brief moment before it rested peacefully in the wall.

"Lara Tybur." Eren froze at the sound of the titan's voice. Low, commanding, powerful, it bounced off the walls of the room, "A commendable warrior, and an honorable one at that."

Eren couldn't help but scoff at that. "The Tyburs were cowards. They had the ability to change the world for the better, but chose to hide in the shadow."

"And yet, she sacrificed her life to save over 200,000 humans. Eldian, Marleyan, and everyone in between," The titan continued, "Even when the truth of her family was revealed, she chose to protect those that would have both praised her and scorned her for her actions."

Eren grew tense when the titan's rose-colored eyes fell to him. She retracted her mask and pulled the knot her single dreadlock had created to hold her hair. Her hair fell down with ease, barely passing her shoulder blades. "Unlike you, Eren Jaeger."

Eren didn't have the words to retort. She had to be the next Prime on the list. There was no other reason as to why she would be here.

"And quite hypocritical of you to accuse Lara of not enacting proper change with her power and status," she challenged, "You also had that power to enact real change, but we all saw you choose to enact death and destruction."

The titan walked over to the anvil and grabbed her hammer. "You've taken quite a while to get here, Eren Jaeger."

Eren felt like he wanted to collapse right then and there, when those eyes looked down at him with fury. "My name is Solus Prime: the Forgemaster. The builder and creator for the Thirteen Primes."

(So that's all I have for this ask. But it was fun to answer.)

[dorminchu]

Between Heaven and Earth: Chapter Three

a/n: Trying out shorter chapters, for the sake of editing and pacing.

Before the breach, Eren’s biggest opponents were childhood bullies who picked on him or Armin, and the occasional doubter of the Scouting Legion’s potential. Whereas his mother was against the idea of his enlistment from the beginning, his father suggested he could become a field medic. After all, there were more ways to help humanity than killing Titans. A lesser evil, no doubt posed for his mother’s sake. To Eren, it was better than disapproval.

Once Mikasa came to live with their family, she took the spot next to Eren’s bed in the loft. She was so quiet, if Eren hadn’t gotten to know her so well he’d have assumed she was only shy. But she looked out for him in the same way he did Armin, like the sister he’d never had. Sure, she could be a little stubborn and overprotective, chiding him for picking fights he couldn’t win, but Eren never loathed her for it. She was just keeping him on the straight and narrow, same as he’d do for her or Armin or anyone important.

That afternoon they spent chopping wood. Mikasa was pretty good at it, having grown up in the countryside. Armin couldn’t keep the same pace with the axe, too nervous of the potential for harm. He’d struggle to carry home the amount of wood as Eren, though he never complained about it. When Eren offered to help him, though, Armin would snap that he was fine, that he didn’t need to be worried after.

Eren didn’t get it. He wasn’t worrying after Armin, anyone could see that he was struggling, but that just made it worse. So he gave Armin his space, for the sake of their friendship. Eren didn’t mind bringing Mikasa along. If Armin felt differently, he didn’t say.

On the way back, they passed by a couple Garrison soldiers playing cards. Mister Hannes wasn’t at his post to-day. Probably blotto.

“She’s part of the family,” Eren said.

“Yeah,” the Garrison soldier said, “we heard about what happened. You’ve got the luck of the Devil.”

Eren shrugged. “I’d do it again.”

The men shared a laugh, more to themselves.

Mikasa said nothing for a while. Moving on, the usual silence between them felt different. When she asked, “Why the Scouting Legion?” Eren hesitated. Armin had made him swear not to tell anyone about his grandfather’s theories. Not even his mother and father would speak of it.

“Can you keep a secret?”

Mikasa nodded.

Eren turned down a side-street, away from prying eyes. “ Because there must be a world beyond these Walls,” he said. “Just like the Titans. We don’t know where they come from or how they’re created, so it stands to reason we must not know about what’s on the other side of the Walls. Once the Titans are eradicated, we can take back what was stolen from humanity.”

“How can you be sure it’s true?”

Eren shrugged her off. “What does that matter if I’m sure or not? It’s our right to see what’s out there.”

Mikasa frowned slightly. “What’s out there?”

“Armin told me,” he said quietly. “His grandfather knows a lot of things about the outside world. He has books from the world outside the Walls. But his family could get in a lot of trouble if anyone finds out. They’ll say he’s spreading misinformation.”

Mikasa nodded. She readjusted the scarf. She never went a day without it. His mother would’ve chastised her by now.

“You should wash it,” he said, “before you wear it out.”

“I know,” she muttered. “It just reminds me of you.”

Eren said, “Why does that matter?”

Mikasa wouldn’t talk to him. She wouldn’t explain what he’d done to upset her, either.

When they got back to the house and his mother asked how they’d been, Mikasa parroted his statement about the Scouting Regiment.

“Yes,” his mother said dryly, “I’ve yet to change his mind.”

Eren shot Mikasa a look. Was she still upset? Or just playing mother hen? What did she know about the Scouting Legion, anyway?

“The Garrison is already overcrowded,” Eren said. “And the Military Police is corrupt, they'd sooner sit on their asses then fix anything.”

“The military just want to boost their numbers,” his mother said. “They've been working on their slogans to make up for it.”

Eren scowled at the pile of lumber he'd brought in. Mikasa's eyes rested on the side of his neck.

“They’re doing the job that no one else can,” he said. “It’s more than the Garrison have done.”

The plate slipped from his mother’s hands and shattered against the floor. Mikasa flinched. Eren did not.

“The Scouting Legion,” his mother said, in a tight voice, “has taken more lives campaigning for a suicide mission than the plague did. If that’s what your heart is set on, you might as well just throw your life away.”

“We’re no better than livestock then. Why have a military at all?”

“Better to be livestock then carrion,” his mother said.

Even then, Eren couldn't muster any real animosity beyond childish frustration. She was saying it to protect him, the only way she knew. She'd lived her whole life inside the Walls and never questioned what she was told. She’d grown too comfortable, hunkered down in this house, wasting away.

While Eren took out his feelings on the washboard and laundry, Mikasa stayed behind to help his mother with dinner. Usually Eren would be the one pitching in, but with two equally stubborn people living under the same roof, they’d get into another argument if they didn’t cool off first. Besides, his mother had taken kindly to Mikasa. She probably appreciated the extra help.

After dinner, his mother took him aside. Eren was bracing himself for another lecture about humanity’s sake not being his burden, and how he should at least try to think about his future rather than an ideal. But all she asked about was Mikasa’s change in mood.

��Oh, well, I said she ought to wash the scarf before she wore it out. And she said it reminded her of me, which doesn’t change what I said. It’s her scarf now. She can wear it if she wants to, it’s just going to get dirty is all.”

His mother sighed. “Eren, I don’t think she’s unaware.”

Eren averted his eyes. “I reckon that I hurt her feelings.”

“She told me about the day you found her. It’s a nice memory,” his mother said. “Perhaps one of the few memories she has of that day. Sometimes, when people are grieving, they’ll act in ways that might seem a little strange. Just give her some time to adjust. I’m sure she’ll wash the scarf.”

“Right,” he said. He was about to apologise for their fight, but his mother had a habit of shrugging the topic off when it came to the military. So he wouldn’t bring it up anymore, at least not while she was present. Five years was a long time away from conscription.

As he got ready for bed, Mikasa was sitting by the window with the dying flame of a candlewick. The view wasn’t much. From the belltower, you’d be able to see all the way to the river that ran through Shiganshina. But here, you couldn’t even see over the Wall, though that wasn’t much to write home about either.

“It’s a nice view,” Mikasa said. “Even with all these buildings in the way. It’s a lot of roofs.”

Eren huffed. “I guess I never really thought about it that way.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “About those Garrison men. I shouldn’t have talked so much about what happened.”

Mikasa looked at him oddly. “Why not?”

“Because—it’s none of their business.”

“All they need to know is that I live with your family now, after my parents died. Otherwise it would be a little odd.”

“Why would that be odd?”

She shrugged. “Because I had to come from somewhere. Unless Doctor Jaeger kidnaps children in his spare time, which isn’t likely. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible either. Maybe that’s why he’s gone for such a long period of time.”

Eren snorted. “You’re being silly.”

The corner of her mouth turned. “But he could be harbouring secrets we don’t know about. How do you really know he’s going where he says?”

Eren shook his head. “He’s just working in the next town over. Mister Hannes and the other Garrison soldiers know him. Captain Shadis, as well, so they’d know if he wasn’t where he said.”

“Shadis?”

“That’s right, I never told you. Captain Shadis is in the Scouting Legion.”

“Did your father ever join?”

“No, he’s just a regular doctor. I used to think he’d be a field medic at least.”

The candle snuffed out with the breeze. Eren hiked his shoulders up to disguise a shiver. Mikasa went to close the shutters and he said, “I’m sorry for what I said, about the scarf.”

Mikasa paused. “It’s all right.”

⁂

Between the evening of Wall Maria’s breach, and waking up next to Armin and Mikasa in the workhouse, there was a gap in Eren’s memory. Whenever roused, unsure of himself, he would reach for his breast and find the shape of the key. Physical evidence of the home he’d once occupied.

Armin and Mikasa, and Mister Hannes, they hadn’t watched. Eren could’ve closed his eyes against what was happening, but he was powerless. Clinging to rage, it wasn’t for the sake of bravery. It was the only just response in a world so unfathomably cruel.

On the boat, the Garrison soldiers gave them all rations and a canteen to pass around. When Armin passed it to him, Mikasa grabbed Eren’s wrist with a start.

He’d torn his nails attempting to lift the cross-section of a beam too heavy for him. When Mister Hannes pulled him away from the wreckage, Eren’s bloody fingerprints were all over his Garrison jacket. The dull red crust coagulated around his nailbed.

“It’s not that bad,” Eren said. He didn’t react to her grip.

Mikasa’s eyes turned stony. She tore a small scrap of cloth from the hem of her dress, before he could protest, and wrapped it gently around his fingers.

“You’ll see a proper doctor,” she said. “Once we get to Trost.”

Eren nodded. He was staring ahead. Without any Titans present to project his rage onto, he was void of sentiment. Armin laid his head on Eren’s shoulder, and Mikasa’s arm came around them both.

⁂

Despite his record for injuries—concussion in 848, multiple sprains, a broken leg, abdominal puncture in 850—he’d managed to pull through each time. The nurses said he was in peak physical condition.

There was the tattoo inscribed into Mikasa's wrist she always kept covered. Tiny nicks in Armin's fingers from repeated ODM gear maintenance, a shallow cut down his palm—the slip of a knife during kitchen duty. Bruises in the shape of their ODM harnesses.

His body remained uncalloused, difficult to bruise. He’d catch his gaze in the mirror and swear they weren’t always so grey. When he looked at his hands, his body, his mind supplied an impression of pain without proof.

Private Jaeger had the luck of the Devil, they’d said. Eren grinned and went along with it. But it wasn’t some miracle, nor an aspect of his personality he'd choose to define himself—if you’d asked him, he’d say he was no thrill-seeker, just doing whatever was required to become adept with the ODM gear. The sooner he mastered it, the faster he could get onto the front lines and start eradicating Titans.

Mikasa's explanations were too technical, but she was friends with Bertholdt and Reiner and top of the class. She could keep up with them, but she chose to handicap herself by sticking to his side. Even when he made it very clear she didn’t have to, and that he didn’t want to be responsible for her in such a way. If she wanted to join the Legion or the Garrison, she could decide for herself. Just because his mother said to keep an eye on him, he’d think, it doesn’t mean you’re indebted to me.

He’d been reliving the same nightmare ever since leaving Shiganshina. Contrary to what other cadets assumed, it was never about the day itself. His mother’s body, thrashing. She screamed for a while, until the Titan squeezed its grip and her body twisted in on itself. She couldn’t scream anymore, just twitched feebly. His imagination filled in the blanks his emotions refused to accept. There wasn’t much to see at a distance, Mister Hannes’s pace, the cobblestones.

He could go over it, in his mind, but these associations never bled into his dreams. Mikasa and Armin, and the others, they’d just assume as long as he kept his mouth shut. It was easier to explain, under the guise of Titan-loathing mania. Why wouldn’t he dream about his mother’s last moments?

The dissonance used to eat away at him, whenever he wasn’t occupied. Throwing himself into farmwork, training exercises, unarmed combat with anyone willing to scrap, getting thrown around by Leonhardt, a couple snarling matches with Kirschtein. Drinking with the other cadets didn’t stop it so much as heighten his own awareness of his lack—the weight of the key on his breast was an anchor.

⁂

The day Eren's father took him to the basement, Mikasa was running an errand with his mother. It wasn't often Eren got to spend time with his father outside of a work-related context. The basement was where he worked, and he didn’t like to be disturbed.

His father bade him to sit. "This is a perfectly safe procedure. You will enter into a state of increased relaxation and focus, but you will be in control the entire time."

Eren shrugged.

His father pulled out a syringe and rolled up his sleeve. It pricked a bit, but his father was calm throughout the whole process. Eren followed the sound of his voice. That wasn’t so bad.

“Do you feel any different?”

“No, sir.” Eren figured they should probably go back upstairs. Mikasa and his mother would be home soon. His father stared at the desk for a long time. “What was the shot for?”

His father seemed to startle. A slight shift of his shoulders. “For your health. You’re the right age for it.”

His father had no reason to lie.

That evening, Eren turned up feverish. A foul taste lingered in his mouth, like iron and salt. His mother prepared dinner, and the smell of the meat made him want to throw up. He hadn’t meant to. He tried to apologise but all he could taste was iron and salt. It was affecting his sense of smell, or wasn’t it the other way around? He was trembling and blanching, but when he tried to explain he’d just retch again.

His father kept him bedridden and insisted he have no visitors. He said it was stomach flu, but that didn’t make sense to Eren. This blood taste didn’t make sense either. His teeth were fine, no open wounds inside his mouth. He could drink water without vomiting. “Dad,” he rasped, “I think—”

“You’re exhausted,” his father said, in a polite tone he only used with patients that were being unreasonable. “You need sleep.”

That week, his father stayed home and worked in the basement. Eren would listen to the sound of passing horse carts and pedestrians. Mikasa would talk to him about her day, or lay another wet cloth on his brow.

“You’re really feverish,” she said. “I should tell Mr. Jaeger.”

Eren reached for her wrist. “It’s all right,” he said. “I'm feeling better than I was.” He smiled, even though all the muscles in his body were on fire. It didn’t seem to reassure her.

“I’ll just let him know.”

“Mikasa, just wait until he comes upstairs.”

Mikasa held his gaze. “Why?”

Eren frowned. “He doesn’t like to be interrupted when he’s working.”

Mikasa was still looking at him.

His parents’ hushed voices, as though he could sleep with midday sunlight pouring through the window.

After a few days, Eren was up and walking again. The metallic aftertaste was still there, just dulled.

The door, usually locked, was open. The food Mikasa left the night before was congealed to the plate. When his father was busy, he could go hours without eating.

He was looking over at the desk, a strange and uncomfortable silence lingered.

“You should be in bed,” he began. It was a strange tone, as if he’d been caught unawares. 

“Sorry, sir. Mikasa wanted to know if you were all right.”

“I’m fine. Just lost track of time.” He readjusted his glasses. “You’re feeling better, I take it?”

“Yes, sir.” Eren couldn’t help it. “Honestly, I feel well enough to go into town with Mikasa.”

“That's precisely why you need to rest,” his father said coolly. “Give it a few more days.”

Surely, his father would’ve locked the door if it were so important. If Eren was contagious, he’d have said as much from the beginning. “I’m sorry, sir. It’s just that Mikasa didn’t get sick. Nor did you, or mother—so I guessed it wasn’t as serious as it seemed.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” his father snapped. “Armin’s family has enough problems without worrying about his health. You were just throwing up, for God’s sake.”

Eren glanced at the food. He went to take it.

“Leave it,” his father said. “I’ll take care of it myself.”

“You lied to mum about the food. It wasn’t spoiled.”

His father’s laugh was an ugly thing. A rictus grin, as he said, very quietly, “What exactly are you implying? That I’m trying to poison you and your mother?”

Mikasa was upstairs, asleep. There wasn’t anything Eren could say that would assuage this situation. Stupidly, he said, “You’re not making any sense.”

His father grabbed the plate and threw it. It would’ve hit Eren upside the head if his father’s aim hadn’t wavered. Eren flinched as it hit the wall.

“What the hell are you looking at?” he snapped. “I said I’d take care of it, didn’t I?”

The silence was suffocating as Eren rounded up the stairs. Stalking outside, he’d gone for a lap, his skin tingling and feverish, but he didn’t feel anything close to fatigue. He could’ve done several rounds around the neighborhood, but he didn't want to alarm his mother or Mikasa by staying out too long. 

He sat on the riverbank and hurled rocks across the water's surface until he felt a little less like punching something. He took off his shoes and let his feet slip into the water. Up to his ankles, he watched the water steam around his ankles. If he stayed here long enough, he could evaporate all the water in Shiganshina, but his mother would worry and it was a stupid thing to dream anyway.

“Your mother and I wanted to be sure you were all right.”

Eren bristled. "Fine. Feeling better."

His mother excused herself.

“Did you tell that to Mikasa?” Eren spat. “You scared the hell out of her.”

His father blinked. “No, son. I wasn’t angry at her, or you. I’ve been under a tremendous pressure, with work. But that’s no excuse for how I acted this morning.”

Eren set his jaw.

“I just want you to know,” his father said, “that I’m sorry.”

"OK," Eren said. "I believe you."

His father's smile didn't reach his eyes.

⁂

Staring at the underside of the bunk, Eren tasted iron and salt. His eyes were wet, but he could not place a reason.

At the far end of the barracks, Bertholdt was reciting something under his breath. Eren couldn't make out the words, but he laid still, grounding himself in the cadence until his breathing relaxed.

⁂

His first deployment was over before he had the chance to offer more than a few words of courage to his fellow trainees. Defending the Wall from an inevitable breach. Fifteen and bleeding out on the hot rooftop. The damned Titan that ripped his leg was crawling around.

He’d been shouting at Private Kirschtein, stuffing down his own emotions. Kirschtein, if he survived, would just go to Sina anyway. They’d never speak to each other, or get along out of anything other than necessity.

Anyone would be terrified. Eren shoved down his fear and let it expel as authority. He wasn’t any less afraid, just never gave himself into the luxury of that realization. His allies, half-eaten and screaming for help. The best he could do was lie there, leg serrated and pulsing hot blood onto the roof.

Tiles grinding against bare flesh of his knee as he pushed himself up on what was left. The chinos torn and saturated with blood. Bare muscle met tile but he couldn’t feel much beyond the blood pumping from the open wound.

The leg the Titan chewed off felt heavier than it should. His equilibrium was askew. A dull phantom pain shot up the leg he’d lost. He bent double, unable to accept what his sight was telling him. Bones sprouting out of torn flesh, sheathed in sinew and hemic tissue. The flesh wrapped around the newly formed appendage, raw and pink.

He stared at his naked leg, covered in blood and viscera, as if he’d shoved it inside a cow’s stomach. The skin was raw and flaky around the shape of the bite, chinos torn to match.

High pitched scream cut through the confusion. Eren forced himself to crouch unevenly. He was fortunate the Titan had only eaten away the calf. If he could line up with the building he could shoot across and vault over it.

Racing against time. His own body sluggish. He'd lost a lot of blood, running purely on adrenaline.

"You can't die," Eren shouted. "You and I still have to see what's on the other side of Wall Maria."

Armin looked down at where the leg shouldn’t’ve been. He opened his mouth to say something but the Titan’s jaws closed around Eren leaving only the impression of an anguished scream and his own pounding heart.

Falling into darkness.

Impact with liquid, submerged.

Iron and acid in the back of his throat.

Breaking the surface. Hot, rank air sucked into his burning lungs.

Thick smell of pine and cigarettes overtaken by sweeter stink of rot.

Through the haze of pain the small metal shape dug into his breast, burning an imprint into skin. He could keep himself afloat. He’d been swimming in the river by his house since he was little.

Up to his ankles, his skin steamed against the river's current.

Armin was up there.

His left arm from the elbow down had already reformed itself, the skin raw. Bone and muscle where he'd torn the new-grown flesh of his fingers.

"Do you wish to save them, Armin and Mikasa?"

Naked shin bumped against the carrion beside him. The bottom of the Titan’s stomach, or simply the mass of bodies that came before him, indistinguishable. Titans couldn’t digest what they ate, so they’d just excrete the excess and continue. He'd have to cut his way out. Without his blades, that was close to impossible.

Clawing for purchase on the nearest body in-uniform. The ODM canister snagged on one of the bodies, weighing him down. He fumbled with the belt, already corroded by acid, crumbling apart. Drawing the blade from its scabbard, he plunged it into the slick impenetrable surface above him. Up to the hilt, dragging down with all of his strength. The hilt came back, blade snapped off partway within the holster. Blades were built to slash and discard.

He drove it forwards, blind, stabbing into the same slick meat as if the situation would change. An unrecognizable scream tore from his throat. The hairs on his arms and legs stood up. A flash of light from inside himself, the skin on his regrown fingers torn where he’d clawed over so many fallen comrades.

Syringe piercing flesh. 

A trembulous embrace. Tears stained the boy's cheek.

The body he called up from will alone tore apart its confines. Tall as the clocktower itself, a miasma of blood inhaled and exhumed.

The ones who stumbled around like drunken men, unable to recall themselves. Shambling around the narrow streets in search of prey. Dispatching them was simple when they didn’t have the will to fight back. More clustered in the square, encumbered by their own hunger.

Tiny figures vaulted across rooftops, shouting to each other. Significance of their words fell away from his original imperative.

"You must master this power."

⁂

He’d surely wake up to his final moments on a stretcher, all of his hopes dashed to pieces along with his comrades and missing limbs. Awash in a morphine haze.

Instead, his eyes fell to the darkened ceiling. Three stone walls, a hard mattress beneath him and fresh sheets. Manacles at either wrist. On the opposide side of the iron bars, two guards silhouetted in the torchlight. Now that Eren was looking, they weren’t much older than him.

“Hey,” he said. “Where am I? Where’s Armin?”

“Be quiet,” the first MP said, a fair-haired boy of average height. “Commander Irvin’s requested an audience with you.”

Eren froze. “Commander Irvin?” His brain finally kicked back into gear.

I was in the Titan's stomach, and then—Armin. I heard his voice.

A twinge in his shoulder.

Armin was there. Mikasa, too. They must be alive, still. "Where's Mikasa?" 

“I said quiet,” the boy snapped. “You’re lucky enough to be in a cell and not in front of a firing squad, Titan.”

“Feulner,” said the MP on his right, lanky and dark-haired, “leave him alone.”

Was the mission a success? Are Armin and the others still alive? What's the last thing I remember?

Why are they so afraid of me?

"Did—did they survive? Armin and Mikasa?"

"Yeah," the soldier on the right said. "They're safe. A few others didn't make it. You'll be briefed once the tribunal is over."

Tribunal? What the hell did I do? Where's—

He couldn't move his arms. But the lack of the weight against his breast was tangible. A rising panic clenched his insides.

"The key," he blurted. "Where is it?"

Feulner looked at Freudenberg as if to say, what the hell is he talking about?

"Your personal belongings were collected after you were retrieved from the Titan's body," said Freudenberg carefully. "If you cooperate, you'll receive it and anything else that was on your person."

Eren slumped back against the bed. Bare feet planted on the stone. "You're telling me the truth?"

"Yes."

Feulner scoffed. "He's out of his mind."

"Shut up, Feulner," Freudenberg snapped. "The tribunal will decide what his fate will be." He glanced at Eren. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Eren glanced at his manacled hands. "I was in the Titan's stomach. Then—I did what had to be done, for the sake of my comrades."

Freudenberg averted his eyes first. "All right, Jaeger. I believe you."

[tulipanka-a]

Attack on Titan - ‘Zodiac sign edition’

Aquarius & Pisces

[rkoradiopictures]

[wranri-hallon]

Attack on Titan Sexuality + Gender Headcanons

Military Police, Garrison + Trainees Part 2/3

Hitch Dreyse is a lesbian ciswoman who goes by she/her pronouns

Hugo is a straight cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Ian Dietrich is a gay cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Kenny Ackerman is a demiromantic, gay cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Kitz Weilman is a straight cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Marlowe Freudenberg is a bisexual cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Milieus Zeremski is a straight cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Mina Carolina is a pansexual ciswoman who goes by she/they pronouns but wouldn't mind others

Mitabi Jarnach is a bisexual cisman who goes by he/him pronouns

Nack Tierce is a biromantic, asexual cisman who goes by he/they pronouns

[porgatino]

Some spicy Hitchlowe, edited for safe tumblr viewing 🩷 full is up on twt and bsky

[levi-supreme]

Hiiii may I ask for a friendship night for Valentines with Sasha? We're both single and just wanna go have some fun! (But maybe she's crushing on Niccolo and they haven't started dating yet).

Maybe we're going to take a dance class and have to figure out who is going to be leading? It's all in good fun! There's lots of silliness and laughing. Oh and, or alternatively... if there's food involved because, we like food LOL.

I think something like a casual pants suit that's loose around the legs might be cute! And perhaps a ribbon tied around front. Comfortable but just a tiny bit dressy that allows for movement.

Eliza!!! Omg this was such a cute idea. The idea of Sasha crushing on Nicolo and not getting asked out on a Valentine's Day date seems to be a very bad combination XD

Nonetheless, here's your lovely pantsuit for your best friend date with Sasha, and I hope you enjoy!! This is set in the events of this drabble, but the two of them aren't officially 'dating' yet haha.

Just like that drabble, you two call each other 'babe' as a cute nickname. Also, two random SNK characters will guest star as your dance instructors!!

There's quite a bit of dialogue, and I tried to keep this less like an instruction manual on ballroom dancing too (but there's some footnotes at the end hehe). I hope it was fun for you!!!

Rei's Ask Games: Valentine's Day Special (closed!!)

It was Valentine's Day today, yet, your best friend was in an extremely bad mood. Sasha had been crushing on the handsome chef Nicolo from the café on campus for the longest time ever, and likewise, he was interested in her too. She was looking forward to going on a Valentine's Day date with Chef Nicolo, yet all she got was disappointment when he told her that he had to work at the café that day because there were many couples going there for dinner reservations.

"Cheer up, babe, it's just a date," you told Sasha one night in your shared dormitory. Sasha was stuffing her face full of ice cream, sulking while eating straight out of the tub. "We can go out on a best friend date too." Hearing you, Sasha visibly cheered up, shouting 'sisters before misters!' in a loud voice before eating more ice cream. You chuckled, thinking of how to have the most fun with your best friend that day.

Come Valentine's Day, Sasha was surprised when you told her to dress up in something comfortable and easy. Seeing you wear a beige coloured pantsuit, Sasha decided to follow you, wearing a pair of khaki wide-legged pants and a white chiffon blouse.

"So, where are we going, babe? You've been so secretive." Sasha grumbled as you both left your dormitory.

"You'll find out soon." You replied with a laugh.

»»————-　　————-««

"You brought me dancing?" Sasha shot you a look as you both stood outside the dance studio. Many people were entering the studio to register their attendance for the class, yet Sasha was reluctant to enter.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? It's fun. Plus, you get to dance with me, your best friend." Sasha looked around the studio after hearing you. Majority of the people there were couples trying to learn something new together, and Sasha felt the both of you stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Hi! Are you here for the dance class?" A lady with short platinum blonde hair came up to the both of you with a wide smile. "We're starting in five, so it's best to register your attendance." You gave the lady a nod and dragged Sasha into the studio, signing your attendances on a piece of paper. The both of you stood by the barres and waited for the class to start. Soon, another tall male with short black hair called everyone to gather in the middle. The lady from earlier was standing next to him.

"Good evening, class. My name is Marlowe, and this charming lady on my righty is my partner, Hitch. We'll be your instructors for the next 10 sessions."

Once the instructors finished going through the administrative details, they started with simple warmups and stretches, followed by the basic footwork of Rumba. You were having some difficulty catching up, but Sasha was doing a fantastic job following the tempo and the steps. She also seemed a little more intrigued by the lesson, and was paying better attention.

Instructor Marlowe then got everyone to form up into pairs, getting the males to stand on the left while the females stood on the right. You and Sasha stared at each other.

"Okay, now, who's going to be the guy?" Sasha looked at you.

"You're the better candidate, isn't it? You're the taller and manlier one."

Sasha playfully poked your rib, earning a giggle from you, "I'm manlier? Says the one who dared Jean to go on a date."

"And failed terribly," you grimaced, "oh, come on, Sasha, just be the guy. You're better than me anyway."

"Fine, Eliza, fine." Sasha relented and stood on your left. Marlowe then told the people standing on the left to mirror his movements, while the people standing on the right are to mirror Hitch.

"Now, gentlemen—and one lady—as the leader, place your right hand below your partner's right shoulder blade," Marlowe placed his right arm below Hitch's shoulder blade and everyone else imitated him, "and the lady is to place their left hand on their partner's shoulder, resting their arm comfortably like so." Hitch placed her hand on Marlowe's shoulder and you copied her.

"Remember to keep your arms and elbows joined together so that you can feel the connection. Next, hold your partner's hand like so." Everyone in class followed the instructions given by Marlowe.

"Always remember to look into your partner's eyes when you dance, yes? I don't want anyone to be looking at their feet!" Sasha and you looked at each other, and after a few seconds of silence, Sasha burst out laughing and you bit down on your lip.

"Oh, I am feeling that connection, Eliza, not sure if you do," Sasha wiggled her eyebrows and you snorted, causing the couple standing near you to turn around. You quickly muttered a soft apology before focusing on the two instructors.

"Now, at our count, let's try the Rumba together, shall we?" Hitch smiled at the class and everyone happily echoed after her. "On our count: one, two, three, one, two, three..." As Hitch started counting, everyone in class tried dancing together. You were really afraid of stepping on Sasha's foot, but Sasha was a natural; she switched over from the partner steps to the leader steps smoothly even without prior practise, since both of you were learning the partner steps together earlier.

After a while, Hitch started playing a song on the radio and told everyone to try and dance to the music. You were feeling more confident, and Sasha was doing a fantastic job leading the dance. Both instructors had their eyes on the both of you as well. By the end of the lesson, Sasha was smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh my god, babe, that was so fun!" Sasha laughed as she drank water from her bottle, "it was better than what I expected."

"Well, instructor Marlowe did seem to take a liking to you. Maybe you can ditch Nicolo and go for him instead." You joked and Sasha rolled her eyes.

"As much as he did disappoint me, I'm not ditching Nicolo for him." Sasha paused in her steps and a devilish grin appeared across her face. "You know what? Maybe I should bring Nicolo here next week. You can bring Jean." You nearly dropped your purse.

"No way, bestie," you cringed again, shuddering at the thought, "that one dare was enough. I am not asking Jean out on any more dates ever again." Sasha laughed again and hugged you close, talking excitedly about supper and how she was going to make Nicolo come here next week. You listened to her with a soft smile, glad that this best friend date turned out well after all.

In ballroom dancing, the male is usually the 'leader' and he usually starts with the left foot. On the other hand, the female is the 'partner' and she starts with the right foot.

I've always pictured Sasha to be a really fast learner, and she can definitely learn just by watching and observing too. She's also really good at making sense of things, so Sasha could definitely adapt to switching from the 'partner' steps over to the 'leader' steps without a problem.

Also, Jean makes a cameo in mention here because he's your mutual friend and you're interested in him. Once, Sasha dared you to asked him out on a date (which didn't go as well as you expected), so Sasha likes to tease you about it XD

[tonya-the-chicken]

What ships do you have in AOT? I'm mid-season 4 currently and looking for inspiration lol

Yoooooo I am not that active in the fandom but my ships are rather plain imo. My absolute fave is jeankasa. I ship Historia with literally everyone (Reiner, Levi, Eren, Ymir, etc). I am a fan of canon/canon-implied ships aka nicosasha, aruannie, gabi/falco, and grisha/dina. God, I love Gabi she is my precious little bean. And Floch 🥺... Back to rarepairs, I have a soft spot for Keith Shadis/Carla (I love Shadis sm I am sorry) and Levi/Farlan and Farlan/Yan (rarepair so extreme people don't know who that is). I used to ship eruri and levihan but now I am not that into them! I do love Levi's family....... I am not so hardcore shipping in snk, it's mostly canon-inspired stuff. Hitch/Annie and Annie/Marlowe are good too... I also had a spot for Oluo/Levi. Pieck/Yelena/Zeke as a sorta love triangle 🤤 Onyankopon/Armin. Uri/Kenny. So much good stuff, maaan, brings back the memories

I have a blog where I used to post manga frames and sometimes comment on them (my-fav-snk) sometimes I look at it and get nostalgic

Genuinely, it ain't that bad of a story, so many enjoyable characters and plots...

[snk-smartpass-traduction]

SHORT STORIES 2 - Affaires choisies - Dossier n° 08 : Le point de vue d’Annie

L’affaire du thé des soldats du Bataillon (2/3)

« … Et ainsi, certains colis de thé que nous avons fait partir l’autre jour contenaient des paquets absolument impropres à la consommation. Je vous demande de récupérer aujourd’hui tous les colis de thé envoyés aux soldats et de leur en fournir de nouveaux à la place. Ce sera tout. »

Le ton sur lequel l’officier des Brigades spéciales s’était adressé à eux était encore plus sec qu’à l’ordinaire. Néanmoins, il n’avait visiblement pas l’intention de se déroger à ses habitudes en refilant tout son travail aux recrues. Il leur ordonna d’obtenir des résultats rapides, puis retourna dans la salle réservée aux officiers.

« C’est bizarre. Les provisions que nous fournissons au Bataillon d’exploration et à la Garnison sont toujours médiocres. Pourquoi s’embêter à récupérer du mauvais thé ?

- Même si le thé est une gourmandise, c’est un produit qui rentre dans le corps. Si quelqu’un tombait malade, on chercherait un coupable. »

Annie se tenait à l’écart du groupe des nouvelles recrues. Elle cherchait un moyen d’échapper à cette pitoyable mission.

… Tout ceci est stupide.

*

Les recrues se dispersèrent. Annie fut la dernière à partir ; elle se retourna par hasard. La porte de la salle avait été laissée entrebâillée - peut-être par les officiers pressés de se retrouver seuls.

… Tiens, aucun d’entre eux ne boit aujourd’hui ?…

Annie jeta un coup d’œil à l’intérieur et ce qu’elle vit l’intrigua. Elle laissa ses camarades partir devant et tendit l’oreille, tapie dans l’ombre.

« … Ainsi, tu crois qu’on va réussir à le retrouver ?

- Il n’y a pas trente-six mille endroits où il a pu être envoyé ! Ce n’est qu’une question de temps. Le plus embêtant, en revanche, c’est qu’une partie du thé a déjà été envoyée au Bataillon d’exploration. »

La discussion des officiers portait sur le thé impropre à la consommation. Cette recherche de thé semblait leur tenir à cœur ; or, il n’était pas dans leur habitude de manifester autant de zèle. De plus, des membres des Brigades spéciales si haut placés qu’Annie ne les avait jamais vus travailler auparavant, s’agitaient et faisaient les cent pas dans la salle.

Le Bataillon d’exploration…

« C’est à Erwin que nous aurons affaire ! S’il le trouve, il peut s’en servir contre nous un jour.. »

Des amis d’Annie se trouvaient dans le Bataillon d’exploration. Par ailleurs, d’après ce qu’elle entendait, cette histoire de thé pouvait potentiellement devenir un scandale majeur, capable de nuire aux Brigades spéciales.

Ce n’est que du thé. Pourquoi s’en soucier à ce point ? Je crois bien… que je devrais me renseigner sur cette affaire.

Par expérience, Annie savait qu’obtenir un supplément d’informations n’était pas de trop��: elle pourrait s’en servir à son profit si les choses tournaient mal. Elle informa ses camarades qu’elle se mettait au travail, puis se dirigea vers la salle des archives.

*

… Le jour où le thé que nous sommes censés récupérer a été expédié, les hauts gradés devaient avoir un rendez-vous avec des membres influents du Culte du mur. Or… leur planning a été modifié immédiatement après l’envoi des colis.

Par chance, les membres des Brigades spéciales avaient tout le temps nécessaire pour tenir des registres. Ils conservaient des informations plutôt détaillées sur les colis qui transitaient.

Voici le rapport, établi la veille de l’envoi, concernant les dons de nobles… Ces derniers ont donné de l’argent, mais aussi… des bijoux ?

« Hé, Annie ! Crois-tu trouver une piste en parcourant les documents avec cette tête ? Tu dors les yeux ouverts ou quoi ?

- Ouais, peut-être.

- Mon Dieu, que tu peux être barbante ! »

Annie répliqua aux remarques sarcastiques d’un autre soldat des Brigades spéciales, avant de consulter de nouvelles archives.

Et l’endroit où ces bijoux ont été entreposés…n’est renseigné nulle part ? Les bijoux n’ont jamais vu l’entrepôt ; ils ont été placés ailleurs…

Annie devina aisément où ces bijoux avaient été cachés.

« ...Je comprends à présent. » murmura-t-elle afin de ne pas être entendue.

Elle referma le registre. Elle venait d’éclaircir l’affaire… et elle n’avait pas l’intention de travailler davantage.

*

« Tu penses être sur une piste, Annie ? Cela fait un moment que tu as le nez plongé dans le même registre. » s’enquit un camarade qui prenait son travail au sérieux. Il fondait ses espoirs sur Annie. Or, cette dernière n’avait aucune intention de lui révéler la vérité.

… Je ne dois pas attirer l’attention des autres. Je vais l’envoyer balader.

« … Je n’ai rien trouvé d’intéressant.

- Je le l’avais dit, elle se tournait les pouces et faisait juste semblant de travailler. Il n’y a que toi qui prends cette mission au sérieux, Marlowe. »

Marlowe détourna son attention d’Annie quand il se rendit compte qu’une recrue piquait un somme juste à côté d’elle. Il devint rouge de colère. Annie ne put s’empêcher de lui révéler une information quand elle vit que le ton allait monter.

« Ce que les officiers recherchent… est probablement loin, bien loin d’ici, en ce moment. Les soldats des Brigades qui sont sur place devraient s’en charger...

- Ce n’est pas une raison pour qu’on tire au flanc !!! Peuh…. »

Visiblement, les paroles d’Annie n’aidèrent pas Marlowe à prendre conscience du fond du problème ; il restait fixé sur l'accomplissement de la mission qu’on lui avait confiée. Soit c’était un idiot, soit ce que l’on pouvait appeler un homme honnête. Annie savait qu’il existait des gens appartenant à cette espèce.

Si c’est au Bataillon d’exploration que la cargaison a été envoyée… ce n’est pas à moi de jouer les justiciers.

Annie se disait également que la personne qu’il fallait pour mettre à jour cette affaire de corruption appartenait forcément à la catégorie des gens honnêtes.

[apathycares]

Request: Hi there, I'd like to have a match-up, please. Gender: non-binary MBTI: INTJ-T Type: introvert Positive character traits: honest, witty, straight-forward, ambitious, courageous, prudent, sensitive, calm, patient, creative, romantic, independent, wise, loyal, passionate Negative character traits: melancholic, lewd (fertile imagination), sarcastic, dreamer, unpredictable, stubborn, serious (usually), excentric, insane Interests: art, literature, philosophy, psychology, sociology Hobbies: discussions, reading & writing, observing/stalking people Other: falls in love easily, hates to be mocked (especially when sb scoffs her way of thinking etc.), has very ambivalent feelings toward humanity, gives up easily, treats strange people as if she knew them well, is morbidly fascinated by her significant other, hates conflicts, loves cuddling, doesn't let others push one around, and gets angry very easily.

Hey hey, based on your description, you’ve been paired with -

Suigetsu is a sarcastic mofo who ironically can take a hint. This interesting blend, further exemplified for his passion for the things he likes and his ability to prioritize correctly would work wonders for your personality. If he’s in it, he’s in it for life, and so most of your core values align nicely. Your insistence on getting to know him in a deeper level would surprise him, then cause him to have a fixation on you. He would cherish a multifaceted person such as yourself. As long as you can handle his clinginess and teasing, it’s a pretty solid relationship. 

Also -

Marlowe’s sense of justice coupled with a sort of black/white sense of morality would have you questioning your own opinions. This conflict would elicit many personal growths in your relationship - and fun ones too! He’s dense as all hell. His reactions to your humor are hilarious in and of itself! You may argue you sometimes due to your contrasting personalities, but a relationship with him is as secure and fulfilling as it could possibly get. He’s comforting, yet shocking, and that keeps you on your toes.

Requested by: @maymadman 

[imaginesnkdorks]

Match up, please?I’m a 19-year-old girl, I love spending time alone and chilling but I also enjoy communicating with people. I love deep conversations.I don’t like to judge, I’ve learned to see the good in everyone and I prefer to get to know someone myself before making opinion for them from what others have to say. I adore animals and my passion is dancing. I am very emotional but I like to be told if I’m doing something wrong. It’s hard for me to be confident in myself but I’m trying my best.

Your Match Up is…

Marlowe Freudenberg!

Is it deep conversations you crave? Marlowe is always up to that. He joined the Survey Corps with a completely different mindset - one that intrigues you to no end. He’s like a more articulate version of Eren.

Needless to say, the others didn’t like him much, if not at all. You were probably the only one who approached him with genuine curiosity. And you were glad you did so as Marlowe is probably one of the most earnest and honest person you’ve ever met.

At times, Marlowe can be a little too honest to you. Worry not, though, as he has an endless amount of good words to say about you. Knowing he’s being honest is nothing but a boost to your confidence and to your relationship.

[hilow-week]

We're so excited to announce the prompts for Hitchlowe Week 2023! We can't wait to see your creations! If you're not sure what to make for the free day, we've also compiled a list of prompts that didn't make the final roster below ⬇️⬇️⬇️