#the jaeger faction

[sonicasura]

Every time I remember an Autobot or Decepticon bitch about being stuck on Earth, Animated and Prime are the most frequent, it makes me laugh thinking how easy they got it. Imagine any iteration ending up on a version that is much more chaotic than the norm. Especially if the dangers are hidden or completely normal to humans.

We got JoJo's Bizarre Adventure where you literally can't trust even a simple POWER OUTLET. From stone masks that could turn people into eldritch vampire, pieces of Jesus Christ could give people powers, and martial arts which either turn the circulatory system into a sunlight generator (Hamon) or using the Golden Ratio to shred even dimensions (Spin).

I'm not forgetting about Stand Users either. Every sentient creature could become a Stand User, someone who can project a psychic manifestation of their fighting spirits that could look like anything with abilities that range from giving positive encouragement to stopping time. That weird individual on the street could dissect Megatron into pieces with fucking zippers through their Stand.

How about Resident Evil where the constant threat is viral infections? I'm not talking about the standard zombie virus either. We got mutant undead creating ones, parasitic worms/insects, to fucking hivemind mold. All guaranteed to least spawn mutants like giant man eating salamanders, evolving fanged blobs and even an eldritch dinosaur.

They have to constantly decontaminate base than just troops as a simple small strain could turn a rat into a dog sized menace. Plus all those zombies guts and blood they have to clean up if an infected did get inside. I'm pretty damn sure humans are no longer the gross squishies compared to that.

Last best addition to add is the 'Kaiju Series' i.e Kaiju No. 8, Godzilla/King Kong Monsterverse, and Pacific Rim. Normal Earth fauna doesn't cause much compared to this as kaiju practically made themselves home here. The bots aren't exactly prepared for megafauna being a constant presence and frequent threat.

Kaiju are territorial so their respective ships will get attacked if spotted too close to the creatures' home. Some may also feed on metal and think either faction are potential food. The humans here could potentially kick their afts like Kaiju No 8's Defense Force or Pacific Rim's Jaeger Pilots.

Never take what you have for granted. In the Autobots and Decepticons cases, that is a normal simple Earth. The other possibilities could be much worse.

[astutior]

OPEN VERSES

— available to any & all interested mutuals.

Stone Mind; Glass Heart.

This is the main canon verse, taking place from the time Armin joins the survey corps onward. Age range 15-19. In the short span of four years, Armin makes his mark as a valuable asset to his squad with his strategical mind and logical thinking. He often assists in the formation of plans that lead the survey corps to victory and prevent the untimely death(s) of his friends many times over. As time moves on, Armin is given a second chance at life after a hard fought battle in his hometown of Shinganshina when he's chosen to inherit the power of the colossal titan. Although he does not believe this was the correct choice, Armin takes this new responsibility very seriously, and becomes a powerful weapon against their enemies in Marley, even when it pains him to do so. By the end of the war, Armin's efforts are rewarded with the title of 15th Commander, when 14th Commander Hange Zoe sacrifices herself and passes the title on to him.

Trainee Verse (tba)

A canon verse for Armin's time spent in the 104th trainees squad. Age range 12-15. After the death of his grandfather, Armin officially decides to join the military alongside his friends in the hopes of bringing change to a government directly responsible for the deaths of his parents, grandfather, and countless others, and the chance to finally explore the outside world. Although he is far from the strongest, his bright mind and unwavering determination catch the eye of his higher ups, and eventually prove enough to get him through to graduation.

Post Rumbling Verse (tba)

A post canon verse for events that take place after the rumbling. Age range 19-22 and beyond. War changes people, and Armin is no exception. With his dreams of exploring the outside world quite literally crushed beneath the feet of an army of titans, Armin has been left with more responsibilities than freedom at the end of it all. Commander of the last remnants of the survey corps. Ambassador of peace. The hero who killed Eren Jaeger. Enemy number one in the eyes of the newly formed Jaegerist faction of Paradis. Perhaps worst of all, he's been left to deal with all of these things while he mourns the death of his childhood best friend. Armin is still Armin. Will always be Armin. But the light in his eyes that once shone so brightly has dwindled to a dull glow at best most days, dimmed by trauma and melancholy. All he can do is keep moving forward.

Fever Dream.

Modern verse. This is the default for anything that might take place in the here and now. Focus will most likely be on a college age Armin or older. In this verse, he comes from a lower class family, and was raised by his grandfather. His parents may or may not be among the living, but will most likely be out of the picture due to their line of work or some other such excuse if I've decided they're alive at all. Our boy can be a bit of a hermit here, as he spends a lot of time playing video games (he's very good at them), reading, or studying. His friends may need to drag him away at times to get him involved in their antics.

Second Chances; Recollection.

Reincarnation au. Armin is blessed with a second life, free from the horrors of titans and war. Or so it would seem. Though he doesn't outwardly remember his previous lifetime in Paradis, the memories are occasionally triggered by people, images, or conversation. Is he losing his mind? Perhaps, one day, he'll remember.

As the World Falls Down.

Zombie apocalypse au that I came up with several years ago but never bothered to properly write. As a virus spreads across the country, Armin teams up with Eren and Mikasa on a journey to a mysterious medical facility in the hopes of finding Eren's father; a doctor who they believe has been working on a cure. What they don't realize, is that Grisha and his team were actually the cause of the virus to begin with. An accidental case of biological warfare that he's been desperately trying to correct. As the three friends make their way through the treacherous hellscape their world has become, a hoard of the undead separates Armin from his companions, and he's sure Eren, who was bitten in the midst of protecting him, is now dead because of him. Left on his own, and close to giving up, Armin decides not to let Eren's sacrifice go to waste, and instead presses on to the distant medical facility, hoping that Mikasa is still alive, and the two of them will somehow be reunited. Featuring such never ever been done before tropes as: Eren is immune because Grisha used him as a guinea pig.

PRIVATE VERSES

— do not interact or reference IC unless you've been invited.

Pretty, Handsome, Awkward.

idol/band au with @kerothi.

Your Ghost, Beneath My Skin.

post canon au with @praesidi & @kerothi.

[benevolenterrancy]

Holy Cow! Your MASH jaegers are amazing!

Now I can see some Hogan's Heroes, in a military prison of sorts where the heroes regularly sneak out to destroy kaiju. that, or it's a share command with Klink, and Hogan is the meddling second who ignores his every order (Like hawkeye.) Newkirk and Lebeau def are drift compatible.

I'm not sure a military prison would work in this setting since they're fighting kaiju not each other :/c Having them be very contemptuous co-commanders could work, or having them be associated with different factions of some sort? Klink could either be bringing down rules from on high that Hogan and co gleedfully attempt to ignore, or maybe he's associated with the Wall building project? i dunno... somrthing to Work Around for sure.

The important thing is that yes, Newkirk and Leveau are definitely drift compatible, you're so right u.u Can you imagine those two being able to read each other's thoughts and get into each's heads? The bickering when they're not in the jaeger is on a whole new level. They love it but it drives everyone else mental.

As for the others, I think Baker does Tendo Choi's role for sure, and Carter is cheerfully in charge of weaponry R&D - boom! Kinch is still Hogan's second-in-command and drift partner, you can pry that away from my cold dead fingers u.u Hogan and Kinch usually stay on base to coordinate attacks but if the need is dire enough they'll join the fray.

[mikauhso]

What if I told y’all about my action au huh? What then

- transformers - intelligent robots from outer space who met and gave their knowledge of machinery to…

- the power rangers, specifically the keepers of the grid - a life force that humans can tap into. They, along with other factions like…

- the jaeger program (defenders of the pacific rim) fight against monsters and Kaiju like….

- Godzilla (like once. She kicked their asses and then joined them realizing her position as empress was contested by other kaiju) and Godzilla+co work to keep nature in balance and stuff

[voxtrotteur]

1 Liste des niveaux PVP de Warhammer 40 Tacticus Ci-dessous, vous pouvez trouver notre évaluation de personnage. Gardez à l'esprit qu'il s'agit d'une liste de niveaux Warhammer 40k Tacticus pour le PvP. Cela signifie que nous avons pris en considération les performances des personnages en mode Arène. Leurs performances dans d'autres modes ne sont pas pertinentes pour cette liste. Les personnages sont classés par niveaux en fonction de leur place dans la méta actuelle. Le niveau S comprend les meilleurs que vous pouvez utiliser en PvP, tandis que les personnages classés au niveau C sont les plus faibles selon notre estimation. Faction de personnage de niveau S Roswitha Adepta Soronitas Celestine Adepta Soronitas Aleph-Null Necrons Re'vas Tau Empire Ulf Space Wolves Yazaghor Thousand Sons Archimatos Black Legion Maugan Ra Aeldari Marneus Calgar Ultramarines Commissar Yarrick Astra Militarum Castellan Creed Astra Militarum A Tier Character Faction Sibyll Devine Astra Militarum Thaddeus Noble Astra Militarum Calandis Aeldari Aethana Aeldari Jain Zar Aeldari Brother Jaeger Black Templars High Marshal Helbrecht Black Templars Volk Black Legion Toth Thousand Sons Abraxas Thousand Sons Empire Aun'Shi Tau Empire Sho'syl Tau Bellator Ultramarines Arjac Space Wolves Morvenn Vahl Adepta Soronitas Vindicta Adepta Soronitas Typhus Death Guard Snotflogga Orks B Tier Character Faction Varro Tigurius Ultramarines Certus Ultramarines Sarquael Dark Angels Sword Brother Godswyl Black Templars Brother Burchard Black Templars Ancient Thoread Black Templars Haarken Worldclaimer Black Legion Angrax Black Legion Abaddon The Despoiler Black Legion Tjark Space Wolves Boss Gulgortz Orks Azrael Dark Angels Eldryon Aeldari Nécrons Imospekh Nécrons Anuphet Nécrons Makhotep Nécrons Thoutmosis C Tier Character Faction Isabella Adepta Soronitas Incisus Ultramarines Shadowsun Tau Empire Darkstrider Tau Empire Kut Skoden Astra Militarum Pestillian Death Guard Nauseous Rotbone Death Guard Corrodius Death Guard Maladus Death Guard Tanksmasha Orks Snappawrecka Orks Gibbascrapz Orks 2 Guide de relance Warhammer 40k Tacticus Naturellement, chaque fois que vous mettez la main sur un nouveau jeu, vous voulez commencer dans les meilleures conditions possibles. Warhammer 40k Tacticus ne devrait pas être différent. Le mécanisme de gacha fait partie intégrante de presque tous les jeux gratuits de nos jours. Pour ceux qui ne savent pas ce qu'est le gacha, voici une ventilation simple. Vous dépensez de la monnaie dans le jeu pour extraire des personnages d'une bannière spécifique. Maintenant, le plus souvent, le jeu récompensera les nouveaux comptes avec la devise dont ils ont besoin pour faire au moins un tel pull. C'est génial, non ? Eh bien, oui, mais le problème est le suivant : et si la chance n'est pas de votre côté ? Et si vous dépensiez cette précieuse monnaie et que vous attiriez de "mauvais" personnages ? C'est pourquoi il est conseillé d'effectuer une relance en tant que nouveau joueur afin de pouvoir démarrer la partie du bon pied. Ci-dessous, vous trouverez les étapes nécessaires à suivre pour effectuer une relance au cas où vous en auriez besoin. En supposant que nous parlons d'un nouveau compte, vous devez d'abord terminer le didacticiel. Il n'y a aucun moyen de contourner cela. Alors, connectez-vous au jeu et commencez à jouer. La plupart des jeux gacha vous récompenseront avec la devise requise pour effectuer au moins un tirage juste après avoir terminé le didacticiel. Dans Warhammer 40k Tacticus, vous devez "grincer" un peu avant de pouvoir effectuer une traction. Selon la vitesse à laquelle vous êtes, ce "grind" peut prendre jusqu'à une heure, dans certains cas peut-être plus. Ce que vous devez faire est de jouer jusqu'à ce que vous récupériez 10x "Ordres de réquisition" (voir l'image ci-dessus). Une fois que vous avez collecté 10 ordres de réquisition, effectuez un tirage 10 x. Si vous obtenez le personnage que vous recherchez, tant mieux ! Tout ce que vous avez à faire est de continuer à jouer.

Au cas où vous n'auriez pas eu de chance avec la traction, voici ce que vous pouvez faire. Appuyez sur le bouton "Cog" pour ouvrir le menu "Paramètres". S��lectionnez "Supprimer le compte" et attendez d'avoir une confirmation. Une fois que cela se produit, répétez simplement les étapes ci-dessus et réessayez. Pour les joueurs qui apprécient ce type de contenu, nous avons une liste de niveaux Injustice 2 qui comprend la plupart de nos super-héros préférés. Vous pouvez également parcourir la liste des niveaux Black Clover Mobile basée sur les séries manga et anime japonaises populaires, ainsi que sur de nombreuses autres listes que nous proposons. 3 Liste des niveaux PVE de Warhammer 40 Tacticus Combattre des batailles PvP peut être très amusant, mais ce n'est qu'un aspect du jeu. Qu'en est-il de tous les autres contenus ? Eh bien, c'est ce que vous pouvez trouver sur cette page ! Ci-dessous, chaque personnage est évalué en fonction de ses performances dans différents modes. Des événements aux chefs de guilde, cette liste devrait tout contenir. Semblable à notre liste PvP, les personnages sont placés dans des niveaux en fonction de leurs performances globales. C-Tier comprend les plus faibles de la méta, tandis que les meilleurs personnages se classent dans S-Tier. Faction de personnage de niveau S Roswitha Adepta Soronitas Aleph-Null Nécrons Re'vas Tau Empire Ulf Space Wolves Maugan Ra Aeldari Marneus Calgar Ultramarines Commissar Yarrick Astra Militarum Eldryon Aeldari A Tier Character Faction Sibyll Devine Astra Militarum Bellator Ultramarines Sho'syl Tau Empire Celestine Adepta Soronitas Castellan Creed Astra Militarum Isabella Adepta Soronitas Morvenn Vahl Adepta Soronitas Thaddeus Noble Astra Militarum Calandis Aeldari Aethana Aeldari Abraxas Thousand Sons Grand Maréchal Helbrecht Black Templars Volk Black Legion Aun'Shi Tau Empire Tjark Space Wolves Angrax Black Legion Typhus Death Guard B Tier Character Faction Varro Tigurius Ultramarines Certus Ultramarines Jain Zar Aeldari Maladus Death Guard Corrodius Death Guard Frère Burchard Black Templars Ancient Thoread Black Templars Haarken Worldclaimer Black Legion Angrax Black Legion Brother Jaeger Black Templars Abaddon The Despoiler Black Legion Tjark Space Wolves Boss Gulgortz Orks Azrael Dark Angels Imospekh Nécrons Anuphet Nécrons Makhotep Nécrons Arjac Space Wolves Snotflogga Orks C Tier Character Faction Incisus Ultramarines Darkstrider Tau Empire Vindicta Adepta Soronitas Kut Skoden Astra Militarum Sword Brother Godswyl Black Templars Pestillian Death Guard Nauseous Rotbone Death Guard Tanksmasha Orks Snappawrecka Orks Gibbascrapz Orks Thutmose Necrons

[kdtheghostwriter]

SNK 113 - Ruthless Aggression

(A strange light fills the forest. Twilight is shining through the leaves. It seems the journey is finally over.)

(Levi is filled with DETERMINATION.)

The people who pick this story up after it’s been completed will enjoy it so much better than some of those reading it month-to-month. Those who get to read it in one go will in no way believe that Levi - humanity’s strongest soldier - surrounded by high anchor points in the Forest of Big Ass Trees, armed with a full tank of gas and a full stock of blades could ever lose a fight to Zeke or any amount of Titans.

Upon his return to Marley, Zeke hoped and prayed to the gods he doesn’t believe in that he would never see an Ackerman ever again. Now you see why. Zeke fights an Ackerman; Zeke goes splat.

I’d like to introduce to you the concept of ‘reads.’ Many of you are no doubt familiar. For those that aren’t: it’s the concept of predicting your opponent’s next action based upon whatever habits you have perceived from them. This concept is relevant in every kind of sporting event but also in video games and even chess, where much of a player’s moves are determined by the characteristics of whatever piece they are using.

TL;DR – Zeke attempted a hard read on Levi and got exposed.

If Zeke was anything more than a disconnected third party – if he had lived in the hell the Survey Core has known for years – he would have known better than to tempt Levi with a choice of morality. Levi Ackerman came from nothing. Born in the underground amongst outlaws, raised by a serial killer to be stronger than his frame would allow. Levi has done many heroic deeds, but no one, not even his colleagues in the military, would confuse him for a hero. Not in the classic sense anyway.

Think about Batman. DC Comics’ most enduring icon, he has been in publication for more than eight decades. He has to his name some of the most daring feats in fiction (including beating the shit out of Superman, repeatedly) but is he a hero, though?

Sadfleck is right! Bruce is a “good guy” by all accounts. He fights villains and saves his hometown. And he does so in highly illegal fashion. Levi is quite similar. He’s a vigilante with diplomatic immunity, that is unless I imagined the whole military coup to overthrow the puppet monarchy. The famous panel of Levi forgoing his humanity as Armin has so often referenced has been reposted too often to count, but it’s the most important one to his character. We know for a fact that Levi’s empathy is his defining trait; however, people like Zeke mistake that empathy for all-around goodness.

Levi is a good soldier that does horrid things, but he does those things in the interest of completing his goal, which usually involves saving as many innocents as possible. Thus, when you give him the choice of killing his comrades or dying and failing his mission, there is no choice anymore. You didn’t stop him. You didn’t even slow him down. All you did was make him mad. An angry Ackerman is scarier than any giant.

(Hanji feels like they are going to have a bad time.)

Again, I’ll say: Hanji Zoe was the right and only choice to succeed Erwin. I’ll add to that this chapter by saying that Keith Shadis wasn’t as bad as he thinks he was. Just unremarkable. Erwin’s scouting tactics were a stroke of genius that only a gifted mind could have devised. For the last decade, Shadis has been carrying the weight of his shortcoming and punishing himself. It’s why he doesn’t reprimand the students in the newly minted 109th Squad who brazenly call him obsolete for the entire class to hear. It makes the following interaction very interesting.

Floch Forster and the Jaegerists (what a punk band that would be) storm into the hall in order to recruit the graduated soldiers to their cause. Floch gives them the Durden-esque task of assaulting their instructor Shadis until he can’t stand. What I find interesting here is Shadis’ reaction. Hanji does their best to defuse the situation, and the rookies even look hesitant about attacking. That is until Shadis provokes them, and they brutalize him in a fit of rage. Is this the retribution that Shadis has been seeking all along?

If Eren is the Heel who thinks he’s the Face and Zeke is the monster Heel that destroys everyone (except his rival, lol), then Floch is the classic chicken shit Heel that gets all his confidence from hiding behind his meal ticket. It is a classic archetype that precedes wrestling by many centuries and Isayama has executed it to perfection with Floch. So over-the-top and dastardly. No person could be this mean unless they were written to do so. It makes the eventual comeuppance that much more satisfying when it happens.

 We finally have a name to put with the face we’ve seen in past flashbacks. The previous owner of Zeke’s glasses whom I must assume is the previous holder of the Beast Titan based upon the impromptu game of catch. In a pain-filled haze, Zeke recalls his sensei and tells him to wait, as he still must complete his mission. You can imagine that sentiment extends to his half-brother as well.

If that’s not Archvillain Energy, I don’t know what is.

Stray Thoughts

- We got a new tally of all the people under Zeke’s influence. Spoilers: it’s a high number. Falco is included, Hanji is not. Not only did she avoid the wine but it also tells me that Onyankopon is legit (for now at least).

- Floch apparently had this little revenge planned for Shadis from the rip. Add “petty af” to his long list of offenses.

- We still don’t know everything about how P A T H S work. Given that Zeke is royalty and Eren is related, there is at least a slim chance the next chapter ends with the older brother being tracked and his sibling showing up at whatever location Levi is taking him.

- The 104th has been detained and imprisoned. We see them in varying states of discouragement and sadness - except for Mikasa, whose face is hidden entirely. Big yikes.

- The Queen is a ticking time bomb in more ways than one. Her status and well-being means nothing less than the future survival of Paradis. If that’s where Levi is headed, boy is he in for a Soo-Prise.

[kagurafernandes]

FC YEAGER !!!!!!

[isabel-magn0lia]

“Bastards,” huh? Careful Isayama, your fanboy is showing 

[poursomesunaonme]

jean kirstein x f!reader

summary: three years after the rumbling, the outside world ambassadors return to what used to be their home. with the visit full of surprises and fresh beginnings, they return to marley with newfound bonds. but, with tensions running high with the jaegerists of paradis, wounds are torn open once again. the phantom pains of a past life threaten to destroy a lifelong dream.

overall warnings (will be updating): minors do not interact, manga spoilers, heavy angst, smut, PTSD, violence (specifically choking), mentions of gore, mentions of death, near death experience (reader), symptoms of miscarriage, hospital setting, pregnancy

playlist

masterlist -> series masterlist

prologue

two lovers are reunited after three years of total separation and seven long years of inconsistency. a marriage is celebrated, friends are made, and new lives begin.

notes

chapter one

with your children at his mother’s, jean has a special night planned for your anniversary. as much as you wanted for the ballet and events thereafter to be perfect, you notice something sinister lurking in jean’s mind - something you thought to be long gone.

notes

chapter two

two months after receiving the wonderful news of your third pregnancy, you receive ominous word concerning the jaegerist faction in paradis. with his emotional state in turmoil, jean’s anxious condition worsens. scared for your children, you seek help from trusted sources.

notes

chapter three

with another month gone by, jean’s condition worsens. you finally decide to address the issue, but this doesn’t bode well with your husband. leaving your relationship in a questionable state, he departs for paradis to alleviate the building tension.

notes

chapter four

the true nature of jean’s illness rears its ugly head, leaving you with deep physical and emotional wounds.

notes

chapter five

it’s only been a few hours since the incident, yet the worst effects of that fateful night finally lurk out of the shadows to destroy you.

chapter five coming tbd! please comment or dm me to be added to the tag list (make sure to have your age in your bio or dm it to me)

began writing: 10/21/21

taglist (open!): @tacobellfreshavocado @ob-levi-on @lickthesaltlickliv @slytherwin @usernamehere91 @wasurenagusaa @sashatanaka @25306 @princess-jaeger @leiriswhore @sephtisx @shimmerains @sparklekitteh @eldiandiablo @j0livi0ni @pockcock @pink-apples001 @papijean @sabrinakishi @thedaddymothman @yunho-leeknow @andivvs @rekart1999

© all work belongs to poursomesunaonme. do not copy and repost.

[karatam]

Read this month (early 2022)

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler. It's "flintlock fantasy" aka set in a fantasy world with magic with technology/politics similar to the early 1700's, particularly French society. Mainly follows two characters in a colonial army, who think they're just following orders to help a (corrupt) prince retake his throne, but really the colonel in charge has a very different goal (which involves lost magic). One of the main characters is a lesbian who cross-dressed as a man to join the army and escape her former life, which was a fun surprise. Definitely a setup novel for the rest of the series (it's #1 of 5) bc there's a LOT of unanswered questions right now.

The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler (sequel to above). It got gay! Also added in my new fave character in Raesinia, whom I adore. Moved the centre of action away from the "frontier" to basically fantasy Paris, where we get a lot more politics and rebellions. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (reread). Still the best way to get into Sanderson's work, which I do sincerely think is some of the best fantasy written in the last 20 years. This is a stand-alone set in a world where the magical city at the pinnacle of the world collapsed about 20 years ago. And instead of people suddenly being imbued with magic and heading to that city, they're struck by a plague and thrown in against their will. Full or political manoeuvring, incredibly inventive magic, an invading nation, and enemies-to-lovers. Love this book.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (reread). First of the Mistborn trilogy and one of my fave books ever. Set in a world ruled by an immortal, magical, powerful God King, we meet Vin, a street urchin who has the ability to 'burn' metal to access magic. She gets swept up in a rebellion and attempts to both understand her magic and stay alive. Super inventive magic, heist hijinks, found family, and yet another super inventive magic system.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. What if Pacific Rim jaegers required a boy-girl pair, and the boy pilot killed every girl he piloted with, absorbing her soul's energy to pilot his giant robot? And then what if one day, one of those girls killed the boy instead? Set in an alternate world where an bug-like alien species has nearly taken over the world, these giant robots are the last defense, and Zetian has no patience for the bureaucracy that wants to put her back in her place. (tw for sexual assault, ptsd) As advertised, it includes an f/m/m thruple :)

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Holy shit this book is amazing. This is a book meant to be slowly and deliberately read, focused on and analyzed as you go. An new ambassador from a small space station arrives at the planetary capital of the Teixcalaanli Empire, only to discover that her predecessor has died and there are multiple factions all gunning for the throne. This is a world that venerates poets and language, and that comes through in the prose of the book. It's beautiful. I'm eagerly waiting for my copy of the sequel to arrive from the library.

[sonicasura]

Tfp x Pacific Rim.

They've been on earth a while, then suddenly a giant kaiju pops up and they learn humans have giant robots as big as Plexs (the bots that turn into cities) The biggest bots in the series are only around 30-40ft, jaegers usually reach past 300ft. A jaeger could stomp Optimus and Megatron into the ground and never notice it. And they're only piloted by two humans, mentally in sync and battle hardened, willing to kill anything that threatens their planet. The horrifying realization that humans could wipe them out if they really wanted to.

Or maybe it could be post TFP, and they all decide to come back to earth to visit/see the kids, and are immediately held at jaeger gunpoint, or witness a kaiju flatten a city.

This immediately came to mind.

I don't know what would be more humiliating for a Cybertronian. Getting your ass kicked by Pacific Rim's Jaeger or Kaiju No 8's Defense Force with their exo suits. I guess how close the human is determines that.

Going off canon here with both factions just arriving on Earth instead of being present for three years or returning. This is because Pacific Rim's PPDC absolutely slam down any attempts for the bots to continue their war. Dealing with Kaiju made by hostile aliens is already a handful so extraterrestrial beings who can't end a millennium long feud turned 'spat' is unacceptable.

Both factions get captured as the Decepticons are first. Radars caught the Nemesis appearing in Earth's atmosphere and two Jaegers immediately intercepted the ship. Buckethead is still pissed about it as EMPs were utilized for incapacitation once their machine like nature been seen.

The Autobots took longer to find since they immediately went into hiding. Raf, Miko and Jack are responsible for their respective bot guardian's capture. A Kaiju attack had occurred with the kids being unable to evacuate to safety.

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead risked their cover to protect them from the monster. The kids were watched over by the bots as their families hadn't been located yet. Original plan was to return the Jasper Trio home and disappear once more.

Something that doesn't happen as another Kaiju attack near their base led to the PPDC finding the Autobots. Jack, Miko and Raf were able to plea for them to not hurt the group. Both the Autobots alongside the kids get taken into custody afterwards.

Or how the war came to a humorous yet humiliating end as both factions were forced to make peace with each other.

[xokiddo]

Hiiii so for that prompt thing 👀

What about with Eren, and using:

threatening your lover with a knife

flirting with your lover from across the room

Also I hope you’re well and having a good day mwah 😚

Alright Luella I admittedly struggled hard to get these two in the same so I hope the end result is worth it! 🙈  I also hope you're doing fabulously 😘 

content warning: afab!reader, reader is an alliance member but snuck into the jaegerists' faction, mentions of a knife

from the intimate romance prompts list

—

Eren is not a man with words, despite being the namesake of the movement that he’s begun with Floch. Hidden in the underbelly of a tavern, you’re being rallied with the others by a speech given by Floch—he’s truly grown into his role as a leader over the last few years, and it shows in his manner of speaking. His confidence shows and he’s able to bring a hodgepodge group like the Jaegerists together, but you know that the true pillar of strength stands beside him.

Eren Jaeger, with his stony face and intense green eyes, arms crossed over his chest. He seems to be staring at the wall, not really listening to Floch, but you know better.

In your brief time together, you know all too well that he’s listening.

His eyes drift from the spot on the wall around the room, settling quickly on you.

You hold his gaze, unwavering, but you lift your chin slightly. Daring him to look away.

His brow arches, and you swallow anxiously. You’re suddenly hyperaware of what you’re wearing—a plain dress, since you were arrested in your civilian clothes, with boots that reach your mid-calf. Hardly attire to fight in, but you had to manage with what you’re in. Even so, you do have one hidden item: a knife tucked into a garter fastened to your upper thigh.

Floch shouts something, and your attention flickers back to the redhead—he’s giving a final rallying cry.

“Fight!”

You join in, knowing you have to keep up appearances. Shouting in unison with your comrades, you raise a fist, hoping your mask stays on.

With how the hairs stand on the back of your neck, you have a feeling that one person sees through your masquerade.

—

Everyone is allotted a brief window to drink and get ready to head out. Beers are passed around with a strict contingency—anyone too drunk to keep up is left behind—but you shake your head politely, claiming that you’re too much a lightweight to even try. You weave through people, hoping to find someone with a spare set of trousers, so you don’t have to keep going in your dress.

Realistically, you’re working your way to him.

You can feel the instances he’s staring at you, his eyes boring into you. When you risk a look over, he’s already looking elsewhere, but you know.

Every few minutes, you give the room a cursory glance, trying to keep track of Floch and Eren. They tend to stick together, expressions unreadable as they speak. Floch is the more personable, his friendly demeanor coming through in spurts when someone approaches him for a brief exchange.

Eren catches you, but you play it off with a familiar smile.

As you move once more, you lose sight of the pair, and your gut twists. 

Did you lose your chance?

“Looking for me?”

You spin on your heel at the sound of Eren’s voice, and your heart begins to race when you have to look up at him to meet his gaze.

“Oh, Eren,” you say breathily, plastering on a smile. “No, I’m actually looking for a spare set of trousers. Can’t exactly set out to fight in this.” You gesture to your dress, the hem falling just to your knees.

He looks you over, his intense gaze lingering on your body before raising back to your face. “We have some extra clothes. Follow me.”

In a rare gesture, he grabs your forearm, rough skin of his fingers tickling the inside of your wrist. You follow alongside him, keeping in step despite his long, quick strides, leading you away from the group. You’re taken into the back storeroom, guided through the various supplies—both the tavern’s and the Jaegerists—and lead to a back closet. It’s cold, and you realize that wine must be stored in here, before you’re dragged and pushed against the door as it slams shut.

“Eren—“

“Cut the shit,” he growls, fingers tightening around your wrist. His eyes are ablaze, brows knitted together as he looks down at you. You swallow thickly, not wanting to speak and betray yourself just yet. “And drop the act.”

You stare up at him, eyes widening as your heart hammers.

Eren leans in, his nose brushing yours as he speaks in a gravelly voice. “I’ve known this whole time. Did you really think I wouldn’t learn you were a traitor?”

As he talks, you can’t help the way your breathing grows a little shallow—it only gets worse when he touches your side with his other hand, his long fingers trailing along your waist, lower to your hip. He curls his fingers, slowly bunching up the skirt of your dress in his hand. 

“Why…” You can’t finish your question, but you want to ask how he knows and why he waited until now to call you out.

His mouth hovers over yours, your breath mingling, and you can feel the ghosting of his lips as he chuckles. His hand has the fabric of your dress in his hand, and he easily slips underneath, finding the knife concealed in the garter at your thigh.

Your heartbeat is so fast it hurts when he unsheathes the blade, the metal tickling your skin as he takes his time to do so. He drags it over your dress, giving a thoughtful sound when your breathing hitches sharply.

Abruptly, he throws it aside and it loudly clatters on the ground. His hand comes to your side, holding you roughly with one hand, and you can’t help but sigh with relief. He presses his lips to yours so hard you wince, but you arch into him at the same time, unable to resist the grip he has on you.

When he speaks, his lips move against yours, and you can’t even pretend you don’t chuckle in return.

“It takes one to know one.”

[levisgirll]

hi mina! i'm back again to make a request for you because you write so wonderfully i can't-! it's okay if you don't want to write it tho :D

may i ask for some prince jean headcanons/scenario? maybe something like the reader is his maid or modist, and he's kinda in love :D (this is just an idea, feel free to modify, i trust in your magical writing skills!)

sorry for this messy request and thanks! take breaks and care sweetie <3

𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲 (𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐔)

text: omg HII ANTI <3 I’m glad ur back with another request and I would happily write this for you cutie c; thank you for also finding my work nice ahh this really makes me happy that someone out there likes my writing and ideas djkjsk 🥺❤️❤️ okay but this is such a cute idea- its my first time writing a royal au so i hope it turned out okay and u liked it :,) make sure to also take care of yourself too bae 😌✨ okay I decided to make the reader a strong willed bodyguard instead of a maid cause I had some ideas for that instead so I hope that's alright 😭

synopsis: y/n has started to work for the kirstein royal family and due to their many great skills, abilities, attention to detail, and great self defense training, y/n was hired and trusted to be prince jean’s personal bodyguard! They have always admired prince jean and how handsome he is, later did they know not only y/n is developing feelings for jean but so does he, and he falls in love with y/n instantly! Although, something happens along the way....

fluff, lil bit mention of blood/knife, royal au ♡ —

Erwin has hired you to join the Kirstein royal family army, after two years training to be a solider to defend the country against the Jaegerists which were a rebel faction that wanted Eren to be the next king instead and to create a ‘New Jaeger Empire’. Also, wanting to protect the prince, which was one of your goals. You really admired prince Jean of how affectionate, kind, honest, and straightforward he is, you wanted to stay and be loyal to him.

Everything changes though when you graduated from the military training with your friends Connie and Sasha. Erwin had suddenly made you prince Jean’s personal bodyguard. “With your great skills y/n, and how loyal and strong you are, I think you will be a perfect choice to have the role as his personal bodyguard!”

You stood there, shocked, and your eyes were wide open. “M-Me Commander?....Of course! I would be honored to!” You will finally see jean, and be by his side! The thought of that would make your cheeks go red...it’s cause you are loyal to him right?

Erwin escorted you and took you to Prince jean who you spotted was sitting on the dinner table hall. “Erwin...! Huh? Who’s that?” Jean was quick to notice your presence, and he was quite taken aback with your presence.

“Your new personal bodyguard Prince Jean. With how bad the situation is going, you never know who will come and attack you. So, Y/N here is going to be by your side and make sure they protect you. If you also ever need anything, you can ask Y/N.” Erwin patted on your back and you went forward and saluted to Jean. “A-At your service Prince Jean!”

“O-Oh...alright then, whatever.” He got up and walked past you both, leaving the dinning hall, you could have sworn you saw his cheeks went a bit red. “He is usually like this at the beginning, but he seems to like you!”

As the days passed, you and Prince Jean actually got along pretty well which made your bond stronger. He seemed to be the kind of person who wouldn't care from the outside, but you realized he cared about everyone and when it came to you...he would always ask if you are doing well. Things seemed to be fine at the moment, for now.

“Young master! You have a meeting with the chairman at Trost District soon.” You said as you were next to Jean, catching up with his pace. “Okay, let's get going then!” He gave you a grin which made you blush, as the both of you approached the carriage, he went ahead and opened the door for you! “Well, are you getting in or not?” You felt all eyes on you, and heard some gasps. ‘It should be the other way around!’ you thought as you got inside while feeling so embarrassed.

You were both alone sitting down in the carriage and you could feel Jean’s eyes all over you, “Young mas-” you were stunned when he held your hands and you looked at his eyes that was searching your gaze. “Don't call me that when we are alone....Didn’t I tell you that?” You couldn't hold it, you were a blushing mess now!

“Okay...J-Jean, why did you do that? People will get the wrong idea..” Lately, Jean has been very affectionate towards you, although you had to admit you had a crush on him, but you could never say that to him.

“So? Y/N...I don't care what others think about us, I care about what you think instead.” He started to caress your hands while still looking at your eyes, “M-Me?” He nodded, waiting for your answer but you pushed away gently and looked away. “Well, it’s my duty...to protect you and serve you.” You tried to change the subject while still looking outside the window, but....you noticed something off? Where is this carriage heading too?

“No! Y/N that’s not it...I meant I...” He came closer to you, too close to your face while he was blushing madly, you touched his chest to try and push him back a bit, and you felt his heart beat like crazy. Is he...nervous?

“Jean. Not now I-” As you tried to finish what you were trying to say, the carriage stopped suddenly which made you and Jean fall. “What the hell?” He yelled out and looked at you immediately, full of concern. “Are you okay?”

“Young master stay inside!” Before he could stop you, you open the carriage door and stepped out, while shutting it tight. You brought your sword out and examined the area and situation. ‘The carriage man is gone...we are in the woods...and I sense someone, but who?!’

“Come out, whoever you are...or perhaps you are a Jaegerist?” As soon as you said that, a sword was seen to be thrown out at you and you quickly stopped it by slashing it to hit on the other direction with your long strong sword.

“Hmph, you seem to be smart.” You head turned quick to the direction where you heard the voice. You saw a middle aged man with a tousled auburn hair “And? Who the fuck is asking?” You pointed your sword at him with a stoic expression, showing him no fear. “It’s Floch, and if you could do me a favor how about you just leave and let me deal with the Prince okay?”

You let out a chuckle, then gave him a death glare. “Make me.”

“Fuck, you are stubborn, let me just finish you off!! Don't you get it? This crappy prince doesn't deserve to be the next king to rule us!! It should be Eren!” He yelled out and brought out a knife and charged at you, you put your sword away and decide to do hand-to-hand combat on him. You took your stance and when he was near you, Y/N pushed the knife down and then quickly did the grappling technique, which took him down completely.

“Young Master! Call the headquarters for backup, we were tricked and put in a trap!” You said as you were trying to hold on to Floch, not letting him escape. “O-On it!”

“It’s quiet....too quiet no way this guy came alon-” You looked up and you saw someone charging at you with their sword, she was fast and you quickly got up and brought your sword to stop her attack for defense.

‘F-Fuck...that was close.’ You backed away and looked at the carriage, ‘He needs to be safe...’  you wondered and started to worry.

“About fucking time Mikasa!” Floch shouted out as he rubbed his hands which you held on tightly earlier. “Wait...I know you! Ackerman right? It's a privilege to meet you.” Mikasa Ackerman, she was one of the Ackerman that stood behind and did not serve the Kirstein royal family, but instead stood by Eren’s side and believed in him.

“And your Y/N, the strong bodyguard. Please step aside.” She sounded very serious and looked strong. The rumors were true, she did neglect the royal family and went with the Jaegerists rebel group.

‘Ha...who would have known this mission would be a complete disaster!’ You thought and as you were preparing to attack, until Jean came out of the carriage with his sword and pointed at them. “Don't Hurt Y/N!!”

Your eyes widened as you turned your head to look at him. “Young Master! What the hell are you doing? Don’t come out and run away!”

“B-But...” Jean stuttered and looked at you, he did not want to leave you behind and run like a coward, leaving behind....the most important person to him that he cared about the most. “No! I promised to protect you, so ru-” Being distracted by Jean, everything now seem to have stopped for you and there was a pitch silence. You looked in front of you and felt what seemed like a dagger stabbed towards your side waist, blood was dripping and the one who stabbed you was Floch!

“Floch...! Why?! That was not part of the plan!” Mikasa yelled out, and what seemed to be shocked by his action. Everything was going too quickly for you, you placed your hand on his shoulder and shoved him away which made him fall back. You gripped your waist and yelled out, “I-If it’s meant to protect the Prince...Then come at me!”

You heard lot’s of horses approaching and you finally spotted Erwin’s squad who finally came for backup. You noticed Levi by Erwin’s side and as soon as he saw you bleeding, he got provoked and got off from his horse and charged at Mikasa. “An Ackerman with an Ackerman, Hm? Traitor, let me deal with you.”

You let out a sigh, now knowing the Prince is safe and Levi and Erwin’s squad was here to help you guys out. Jean ran towards you and held on to you as you fell down on your knees “Y-Y/N!!”

“Why....Why didn’t you run away?” You said softly and trying to stay conscious, Jean quickly placed his hand on your cheek while the other arm was used to hold your body, “Cause I care about you Damnit!”

You gave him a weak smile and held on his hand that was placed on your cheek, “Did I do...my best to serve you?” Was all you could say and you slowly passed out due to the blood loss you had and you heard Jean's voice drifted slowly.

After a couple of hours have passed, you woke up what seemed to be in a hospital, and you were wrapped around bandages. You moved a bit which made you wince at the pain from your side abdomen.

“Don’t move around! You are still injured and you haven’t healed yet.” A girl with long beautiful blonde hair said, full of concern in her tone as she came closer to you and checked up on you. Her large blue eyes were examining your injury to see if the wound was closed up. “A-And you are?”

“I’m Historia! A nurse who is looking after you. Doctor Hanji told me to stay by your side until you wake up.” She said with a big smile and she looked like an angel to you.

“W-Where is the Prince! Is he okay?!” You said all worried and started to panic. “Haha, Don't worry! He is fine, thanks to you protecting him! He told me to notify him when you wake up but I think you need to rest a bit longer.”

You let out a sigh, ‘At least he is fine...but I want to see him.’ You wondered and looked outside the window to let your thoughts run around your mind as you slowly closed your eyes to rest.

“Y/N...Hey Y/N wake up.” You felt a rub against your shoulders and you opened your eyes to see Prince Jean looking down at you with a relief escaping his mouth. “I’m glad you are looking fine, but are you doing okay?”

You slowly got up which Jean held on your arm for support, “Y-Yea, thanks for stopping by...Jean.” You were blushing at how he suddenly started to caress your arm, then up your shoulders. He went in closer and gave you a tight hug around your shoulders. “Damn it! I thought I was gonna lose you today, that’s it...I'm not backing away with this anymore.” He pulled back, and was looking at your face. “J-Jean...What do you mea-”

“Y/N, I love you. I loved you ever since I first saw you coming and you were always by my side, but in a way that made me feel calm, good and I felt your warmth all the time it would make me fall for you even more everyday...Being with you feels right to me!” He stopped talking and looked away, he was clearly embarrassed on what he just said, the prince was confessing to you and he was finally saying that he was falling in love with you!

You were shocked, was he actually saying this all? Was the Prince actually confessing to you? You couldn't help yourself but smile to what he said and you finally held his hands, “I...I feel the same way too!” You let out now a big smile and tears started to form on your eyes, you felt so happy and so did he.

He looked behind to make sure the door was closed and then looked back at you who was now approaching your face closely and he started to give you a passionate kiss, you held on his hands while he was holding your face, lifting it up and he kept on kissing you. The night had a nice cold breeze and the window was slightly open which made the wind come in and that made your hair flow slowly as you both continued to kiss slowly and gently.

Jean pulled back and you both were breathing heavily, by the looks of it, you could tell you were Jean’s first kiss. He wanted to kiss you again and again, “I’m now love sick cause of you.”

The night went out so peacefully and you both enjoyed each others company while holding hands and caressing each others cheeks when talking about various topics and he went on explaining how brave and strong you were today when you stood up and fought against Floch and Mikasa. He found your confidence very attractive. He felt like a lucky man to have you by his side and he promised you that after he becomes king he would make you his.

𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 : Usually in the evenings, he would sneak into your place because he begged that he wanted to see you and stay at your place for a couple of hours to cuddle and kiss you. It was his favorite place in the world cause it was just y/n and him, alone. “Okay Jean, you have to go now!” You said blushing at how clingy Jean was towards you, hugging your waist. “Please just another 5 minutes babe, besides come on it’s just you and me tonight.” Jean would say playfully while he would give you a soft kiss on your scar that was on your waist ♥

okay but this was a really fun royal au I wrote up and I'm kinda glad how the first time I'm writing it went well! thanks anti for the request again and I hope you liked it <3 and if anyone else did please then leave a like or a reblog! it would mean a lot c:

[thesunshinebunny]

When the world falls apart, the only thing we can hold onto is ourselves (Part III)

Series Master list

pairing: canon Eren Jaeger x reader

content: Angst, unstable relationship, breakup, smut/nswf+18, major character death, violence, blood (obviously), war (pretty obvious)

Summary: War and hate. It’s what defined the world at this exact moment. You failed your comrades, and by failing them, you failed yourself. Your relationship is hanging by a thread and your enemies will not only be found on the other side of the sea, but also in the mind of the person you love the most. How will you take the reins in the face of so much destruction?

Chapter summary: It will take more than a betrayal and blood blath for the reader to stop protecting those who really need it.

Words count: 4.7k

I knew things were going to go from bad to worse when we returned to Paradis; but I never imagined that I would have a letter from the Supreme Commander on my desk. Days had passed since my fiasco conversation with Eren, spreading the word of my insubordination towards the lack of notification to the respective authorities. Sure, the guards had let me into the cell just because they knew me, but I never had the decency to tell Hange-san or even ask for a meeting with the Supreme Commander.

And here I was. Wrapped up in a much bigger shit roll since I decided to enlist in the Survey Corps, with a simple letter demanding my presence in his office for a little "talk."

The medical center where I could do my practices with ease was quite far from the justice’s court where the Supreme Commander was, having to go out to ride through the beautifully paved streets. A street I crossed, a street I saw citizens read the newspapers that had brought so much catastrophe to peace within the walls. People were revolting against the militancy, demanding Eren's immediate release, praising he was the only one who could lead Eldia to its ultimate glory.

If they could heard themself right now. They spoke as if Paradis itself had become an empire, a power on the verge of attacking and taking every country under its feet. It was as if they wanted to turn the game around, to be us the empire and our enemies the war slaves.

I was still far from my destination, but the crowd could be seen cowering above the barred court doors. Men and women with posters screaming without sense or unity, an angry mob demanding explanations, ready to use violence to make their way into the hierarchy.

I got off my horse when I faced the crowd, needing to get up front and through the secured gate and with my loyal traveling companion I wasn't going to make it. I left him tied up outside a local, asking the owner to take care of him, if necessary, I would give him a monetary compensation on my returned.

I tried to get through the mob, asking permission, even nudging some people, but no matter how hard I tried to take a step forward, there was always a bastard blocking my way or pulling me back; They even had the decency to grab my coat and throw me off.

"Excuse me, but I need to pass"

Empty words at this situation. If they didn’t listen to the specialized people of the militancy, it was obvious that they wouldn’t listen to me, a simple doctor in practice for the legion.

"Free the leader of the Eldian empire"

"Free Eren Jaeger"

"Give us some damn answer"

"Fuck off you cheap bitch"

The day wasn’t even beginning and I was already receiving hateful comments, typical of closed minds.

I looked around for a solution, I was wasting valuable time and starting to get irritated. If I was late for my meeting with the Supreme Commander, who knows what punishment he would give me apart from my insubordination.

Besides of the mob there wasn’t much more than a few elegant houses and shops, no other entrance except the one in the backyard, but to get there, I would have to go all the way around the building and it would take much longer. The walls were too high to jump alone and too smooth to climb, otherwise enough people would have sneaked in by now.

I turned my head towards my horse, which was still in the same position where I left him, patiently awaiting my return. Surely what I was about to do wasn’t going to please him one bit.

I ran as fast as I could and unhooked him from the wooden post, ignoring the comments of the owner of the premises who was indisputably claiming for his pay. Without turning my head to such scum, I motioned for the horse to turn around and run down the avenue, against the crowd. Being at a considered distance, I again instructed him to turn around and go as fast as he could.

"I'm sorry Phillip, you're going to have to forgive me for what I'm going to do"

We were a few meters from the mob, mentally preparing myself for the feat that was about to be accomplished. Almost arriving, about to impact, I gave him a little jerk to the right, guiding us towards the wall, and raised my legs towards his back, squatting against him, waiting for the right moment and the impulse he would give when braking hard.

When he was about to slam his trunk against the wall, Phillip stopped his galloping, propelling me forward and flying toward one of the door columns. I grabbed the stone as best I could, avoiding falling on my backside, and raised my legs towards the top, finally reaching my goal. Being already on top and looking at the terrified faces of the rebels, I went down to the other side of the door, slightly hurting my feet and hands in the fall.

"That was quite a show"

Hitch was already in front of me, malicious and proud on her face. She was giving a few applause to the air, trying to lift the spirits of the people of the military squad, even if her acting was a bit cocky.

"Desperate situations call for desperate measures." I waved my hands over the coat, looking at her with the same smug visage she was giving me.

I didn't like Hitch per se, but we weren't friends either. The way she acted and talked gave me bad vibes and I planned to stay as neutral as possible in her presence. Even her gazes seemed to want to pierce the soul of whoever she was speaking to, as if she wanted to undress you internally and seek your darkest and most shameful secrets. I would stick my hands in the fire by assuming that in her younger years she had been a bully or a blackmailer.

But it was better to keep those thoughts for yourself, before generating greater repercussions in the times that hugged us.

"Did you come to see Armin and Mikasa?"

Any thoughts I had of her dissipated.

"They ... are they here?"

I was fuzzy. Not because of the fact that I was uninformed about their actions when they left the legion barracks in the morning, which I was getting used to since last year, but because they were in the same place as me. What a coincidence.

To be honest, the two of them never owed me anything and it wasn't their duty to tell me where they were going every minute of the day, just like Hange. Each one of us had their own will to go where we were sung; But if the three of us were in court, and if they gave me the chance to guess, I would say that to see the Supreme Commander, it made me a bit suspicious.

"Yes, they are talking to the Supreme Commander to try to go talk to Eren"

I must have hit my head at some point in the battle of Marley, because lately every occurrence was quite impossible to believe. They were the ones who asked me to go talk to him a few days ago, they were the ones who questioned me when I returned to the waiting room where the few survivors of 104° Squad were;it was them who gave me a compassionate look as they saw I hadn’t accomplished much and I had ended any relationship that bound me with Eren.

And now here they were, demanding an audience with their childhood friend, while I would have to be judged for the same action. Something wasn’t fitting. I looked around trying to find them, or maybe to find an answer to the thousands of questions that were forming in my head, and finding no help, I turned to Hitch.

"What is going on? Why-"

Before I could finish my question, an explosion rumbled across the cobblestone floor, hurting our ears and knocking us to the ground. Fire and debris couldn’t only be seen in the air but also smelled, flooding our nostrils, causing us to cough and cover our eyes with debris.

I looked up to find a flare coming from one of the court offices and a heavy body falling in our direction. I couldn't make it out until it fell to the ground, leaving a stain of blood and ash around it, apart from leaving a trail of smoke from where it flew off. My eyes were opened with shock and amazement, since the person in front of me was nothing more and nothing less than the same militant leader, half of the body lost and burned by the explosion.

"Well ... that's new"

In all my years of service I have seen every horror inside and outside the walls. True, even the Survey Corps had acted against the law, but it was for the greater good, to expose the bastards who lived on the wall farthest from the sea. I had seen people hit and kick another for a piece of food when the wall Maria fell. I had seen how we were massacred one by one with bullets to the head as we tried to go beyond the walls.

But never in those years I had seen a rebellion like the one taking place, being willing to eliminate such an authoritarian figure as Darius Zackly.

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The chaos went unnoticed by a large part of the population, only those who were present at the time of the explosion and the military police were aware. Faced with such an atrocious event of treason, a small meeting was convened involving the most important heads of each faction; unfortunately I couldn’t be there, my presence had been required in a clinic a few meters from the court. There were quite a few injured.

Some had mild and harmless burns, others had large parts of the body with third degree burns. Some had splinters stuck in their arms and faces, some had a piece of wood stuck in their stomach.

A couple of hours had passed which seemed like weeks to me. I had been assigned the milder cases, but as I pulled the splinters out of a patient's eyes, I had the countless howls of people echoing in my head, listening as they took their last painful breaths. People who asked to die on purpose to ease the pain.

Hours passed and welcomed the next day. I had terrible black circles under my tired eyes, hands stained with dried blood and splintered; they’re fucked up and I needed to heal them as quickly as possible before they got infected. I grabbed the cutting tools and placed them on a metal tray, the cold of the surface soothing the pain in my hands, and although it wasn’t too heavy I felt like it trembled on my grip.

I heard the door open wide at the other side of my last patient's room, the front door, letting in multiple heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor. Apparently, the soldier who had entered was in a hurry or was about to deliver terrible news...I wish I had been wrong in the second option.

"Bad news, Eren Jaeger has escaped from the underground cell"

I dropped the metal tray on my feet, making the sound of metal and utensils rumble across the room. My hands were shaking even more and surely if I saw myself in a mirror I would see my face completely pale.

"If you want to free yourself from this cell, go ahead"

My words invaded my mind like a bucket of cold water, as if they wanted to make me see that I was to blame for his escape. I knew that sooner or later he’s going to free himself, his eyes showed it and by not getting an answer that contrasted with mine, it was perfect evidence of his plans. But even knowing it, even Hange knowing it, I didn't expect him to do it in a moment of such betrayal.

I cleaned my hands as best I could with a towel hanging over the room sink and grabbed my coat, rushing out of the clinic.

"I’m sorry, I need to go"

But where to go was the question. I had no idea where Eren might be, and even if I knew what he was going to win, surely he was with his followers and with the simple image of me approaching from the horizon, I would be dead in a matter of seconds ... or imprisoned, whatever happen first.

At the exit of the clinic, there were two soldiers of the military police standing guard and watching the justice’s court from the distance. I approached them with the intention of asking them about the whereabouts of the Survey Corps, but they looked at me like I had the plague and pushed me aside hostilely, almost knocking me to the ground. I kept my composure as best I could and looked for someone else to ask; I didn’t have to wait long, since a woman of my age with mahogany hair, extremely black and matted, pointed the way where my comareds had gone. According to her words, they’re heading towards a large and luxurious building in the middle of one of the main avenues, recognizing the word restaurant from the conversation between the riders.

The only place that matched that description was the restaurant where Nicolo worked.

I hurried out with Phillip galloping through people, avoiding stepping on them and apologizing on my back. If there was something clear to me in all this mess, it was that Hange would go to find answers among the working Marleyans of that place. Maybe something could be solved.

I was very wrong.

I rushed into the building, finding only a long entrance hall and a corridor that led to god knows where. No one was even around to see me panic and I didn't see a soul nearby either, the only thing if I could hear a heated discussion far away and heavy footsteps on the floor. I let myself be guided by the sound, running back to its origins and finding a bizarre and meaningless scene in front of my eyes.

The room that seemed to be the main one hosted the orphaned children of the Blouse farm as well as Sasha's parents, sad and anguished parents if I paid better attention. The children were just as sad, with tears in their eyes, especially Kaya; they were crying the same way as on the day Sasha's death was reported. They were cornered under a window all together, hugging each other and letting the rays of the sun streaming through the window illuminate their figures, as if those rays could replace the heat that Sasha had left behind.

That scene broke my still fragile heart. I would have liked to reach out to them and try to help them move on, as I would have liked to stay on the farm with them when we came back from Marley to help them get by; obviously I could never have replaced Sasha and they could never have replaced my family, but in these times of battle, what mattered most was healing the wounds between all of us.

I would have liked to talk to them, but my eyes shifted from the Blouse family to the figure of Hange carefully placing a child on the floor. The blond boy was very badly injured on the side of his head, he was bleeding and his clothes had stuck to his body due to the large amount of liquid that had flowed down his torso.

"Hange-san, Wha-" As I stared at the blond boy on the floor, I could see that he was one of the children who had sneaked into our war balloon.

“Isn't that one of the Marleyan children? Why is he here and why is he bleeding?"

Unconsciously my body leaned forward, resting on one knee on the ground and reaching out to the boy. My instincts as a doctor were screaming for me to tend to the poor injured boy regardless of his race and I was willing to do so.

"We will take care of him, go to the room continue with Mikasa and Armin"

I got up without hesitation, taking one last look at the room I was in and it was just at that moment that I recognized Nicolo and Jean in a corner away from everyone else. They both looked very distressed, but I didn't have the opportunity to ask why, they had given me an order and I had to carry it out. I would have to wait until got back to base to understand this terrible situation.

The room they sent me to was at the end of the corridor, the door was closed but every step I took I could hear the soft voices of Mikasa and Armin, apparently talking to someone else. Well, that conversation must have to get a pause because I was about to slam the door in and leave the doors wide open.

“What the hell is going on? Why is a Marleyan child unconscious in the kitchen?"

Upon entering, all excited, my eyes only saw the figures of Armin and Mikasa around a table. They both looked up at me in disbelief when they saw me standing on the threshold. For the second time that day, I looked back across the stage in front of me and spotted a small brown-haired figure sitting at the same table. With a little more attention, I saw that the small figure was trembling, perhaps from fear or from adrenaline, at the same time that its face was bruised and full of blood; and putting all my attention on that bloody face I realized that I recognized those eyes, those same eyes that I had looked at with contempt and had looked back at me with the same feeling the night of the invasion.

The missing girl from the Marleyan duo was sitting across from me staring with sheep's eyes.

All exaltation I had in my body dissipated, my gaze fell, leaving nothing more than a neutral countenance. But ... anyone who could see through my eyes, would know they reflected the fatigue and sadness of several accumulated days. Seeing the girl was perhaps a way of attaching all the harmful feelings in a single part of my body.

I let out a long sigh and closed the door slowly behind me. I walked slowly towards where the girl was, running Mikasa to the side and looked at her with the best possible adult countenance. She had a red nose, it looked like it had been hit right on her septum causing her to bleed and stain her dress, which I assumed was courtesy of the Blouse family. Her cheek was scratched and red too, traces of broken and inflamed skin could be seen around her wound, but without any bleeding. This girl would have a swollen face the next day if we don't give her some ice.

“You’re hurt. Care to explain me what happened?"

I reached my hand out to her, but was greeted with a flinch from her. I could tell she was scared and she had every right to be.Either way, way I brought my hand to her face, placing my index finger and thumb on her jaw to move her head and look for other injuries.

Her face was the one that received the most impact, nothing in her eyes which was a very good sign, and I didn’t notice any kind of fracture in the bones of her cheek or septum. Good. I looked around the room for something I could use, but I only found empty tables adorned with a classic tablecloth and a very well elaborated and cared wine cellar, apart from showing off one of the best wine collections in recent years.

"Armin, can you go get some alcohol to disinfect the wounds? Surely they have something in the kitchen "

The blonde gave me a slight nod and left the room, leaving me alone with Mikasa, who was absolved of the situation, but still maintaining an imposing posture. The girl was still shaking on my hand, so I pushed her away and inspected her body for more injuries.

The palms of her hands were stained with blood, I guessed from the bleeding from her nose, but they also had some slight scratches, perhaps she had fallen to the floor. Her dress didn’t seem torn in the area of ​​the knees, so I assumed that they weren’t injured or it was a very slight scratch, almost no bleeding. Her arms seemed intact as did her torso. I turned to the back of her head, running her hair gently trying to find any trace of blow that could generate a contusion. I didn’t find anything that could be fatal or serious, but I did see something that caught my attention.

“You have marks on your head, diffuse, but they are there. What happened?"

"... A horse bit me"

Of all the situations that could have led to those brands, I didn't expect to hear this one. I didn’t expect it, not at all. It caught me off guard and I let out a giggle which I covered with the back of my hand.

"Sorry, shouldn't laugh… you deserve it thou" I gave her a little pat on the top of her head before ruffling it a bit and bending down to look into her eyes.

Armin returned to the room, alcohol in hand and a clean cloth. Thank God something was clean in this whole city, I was beginning to lose my faith in the cleanliness of this people. I reached for the items and I proceeded to apply a large amount of alcohol to the cloth and apply it first to the frightened girl's cheek.

"Why are you so good to me? I killed a one of your friends"

That comment made me stop for a second, just like I stopped looking at her wound. My gaze fell to the floor in search of an answer; I searched, searched and searched for answers to questions that didn’t have one or weren’t as simple as they seemed...or simply looked in the wrong places and the answers were always in my mind, only that my heart wasn’t prepared to face them.

"The girl you killed the night of the invasion was called Sasha Blouse and she was the best archer and sniper of the legion"

I turned my gaze to her, continuing to heal her wound on her cheek. When I saw that there was only a small pink stain left on the surface, I moistened the cloth further with alcohol and ran it under her nose, removing any trace of blood. The girl pulled back a bit when she felt it’s smell her nostrils and I had the opportunity to cover her nose for a few seconds to stop the bleeding.

"You know ... you remind me of a boy exactly like you"

When I saw that the bleeding stopped and the girl stopped moving due to the burning and itching that the alcohol was surely causing, I grabbed her hands and began to clean them with small touches avoiding tearing her skin.

“Just as intense and ready to fight for what he thinks is fair. You are just a little girl who was taught that we were the bad guys. It’s the way you were raised, the way you see the world. They taught us something else, but at the end of the day, apart from everything... we are the same"

It hurt. Yes, it hurt to see the one guilty of the death of my best friend, but it hurt more to see in her eyes the hatred and contempt they had taught her towards our race. The hate cycle we were getting into wasn't going to get us anywhere and it was better to nip it in the bud, even with baby steps.

When I finished cleaning all her wounds, I put the cloth on the table and looked at my performance with deep pride. It wasn't much, but it was enough; Not only had I cleaned a few simple wounds, but perhaps, I wished that perhaps, it would begin to heal her mind ... and mine as well.

I got up heavily, noticing how my knees creaked when squatting for a long time and I stretched my body generating more crunches, but noting at the same time how the heaviness of my back left and leave behind a much lighter load.

“Very good, you’ve been a good patient. Surely there is something sweet in the kitchen that I can give you” I patted her head again and gave her a sincere smile, one that I hadn't given anyone for quite a while. I headed to the door unconcerned about the situation I assumed was still going on in the main room.

"What's going to happen to Eren Jaeger?"

What will happen to him? And why does she ask me that?

"Don't worry, I'm not letting him put a finger on you" A sincere answer to a question asked out of fear. I reached the door and in the middle of the sentence I turned the knob wanting to make my way into the hall, but a tall figure blocked my way.

Eren was right on the threshold with the intention of opening it.

Well mark me impress

My body jerked back instinctively, avoiding taking my eyes off his. I moved to the right side, avoiding the figure of the Marleyan girl from being in Eren's point of view. I didn't know why he was here or if the others knew about it, but whatever the reason, he surely wasn’t alone and this wasn’t going to lead to anything good.

"Sit down"

He took a few steps forward, closing the door with his foot, not even paying attention to his surroundings, or maybe yes, now everything was a confusion when it came to the brunette in front of us.

"You can't tell me what to do" I planted myself in front of him, without taking a step back. We were both facing each other, him carrying me several inches tall, several dominating inches that made my legs shake and my heart race.

If it had been in any other situation, that trembling, that acceleration would have been very well received. It was impossible not to feel small next to Eren, the damn bastard had hit a big stretch and there was a great difference around the body between the two, a difference that I always loved to admire.

But not now. Not at this moment when everything was going to shit and I had to stand up to the figure of a little girl who was internally dying of fear thanks to him.

"Sit. Down"

Few centimeters separated us from each other, his chest too close to mine, I could feel how it swelled with each breath. He raised his hand to my face, letting me see his cut palm and dripping blood. Fear took hold of me, making me stand even more in my position, but I wasn’t going to give in so easily.

"You wouldn't" I looked him in the eye, defiant, longed for and everything in between.

"Try me"

It was all he said before grabbing onto my shoulders and pulling me back. My body collided with the table and instinctively I placed my hands on it. I heard how Armin and Mikasa tried to get closer to where we were, but a single glance from Eren made them stay still, submissive, as they lost in their positions. His gaze returned to mine. My breath hitched and I had to avoid with all my might thinking about the position we were entwined.

It wasn’t the time to think about how my hips were slightly elevated, just my butt up on the table and one leg dangling, his knee between my legs, preventing me from closing them and keeping the leg that was hanging in the air. His gaze wandered between our bodies and he returned to my eyes. He tightened his grip on my shoulders and pushed me to the side of the table, dropping me onto the chair next to the girl.

"I said. Sit. Down"

He took his hands off my shoulders, took the seat next to me and Armin and Mikasa sat with him, leaving an air of discomfort and tension in the environment.

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[imhaitusncarnate]

I have very mixed feelings on that aot ending

Ok so the politics of Attack on Titan have been discussed by a lot of people, some of whom have a very surface- level understanding of the story. I would like to start by giving my disclaimer that Attack on Tiatan ABSOLUTELY isn’t fascist, its anti racism, anti bigotry and anti discrimination themes are extremely apparent in it’s examination of the Eldians inside Marley, and fascist views held by characters such as Gabi are explicitly condemned in the text and made clear to be misguided and false. 

I would now like to draw everyone’s attention to the openings of seasons 1 and 2. 

Images like these combined with lyrics like these:

You pigs who sneer at our will to step over corpses and march onwards Enjoy the peace of livestock false prosperity "freedom" of the dying wolves that hunger

We dedicate and sacrifice our hearts

And also the use of german lyrics:

Sie sind das Essen und Wir sind die Jaeger! (they are the food and we are the hunters)

O, mein Freund! Jetzt hier ist ein Sieg. Dies ist der erste Glorie. O, mein Freund! Feiern wir diesen Sieg, für den nächsten Kampf!

(O, my friend! Now, here is a victory. This is the first glory. O, my friend! Let us celebrate this victory for the next battle!)

This is the stuff that lead me to believe that this is a deliberate use of fascist imagery. If the show just wanted to go for a militaristic vibe for the aesthetic of it, references this explicit to fascist propaganda and the use of German lyrics was not necessary. Also, lines like this:

And plenty of evidence that things were not what they seemed it the world of aot and that the overly simplistic view of good vs evil (humans vs the titans) was incorrect led me to believe that Attack on Titan was a deliberate deconstruction. That it was putting the audience into the mindset of the fascists to pull the rug from under their feet later. And I was right. Sort of.

As the story progresses, the world becomes a more and more complex political landscape and we are led to believe that this black and white mentality is wrong. We are also informed that the people who can transform into titans, the Eldians, are an opressed minority, explicitly paralleled to the Jews during nazi Germany, from their living in internment camps, to them being called devils, to their armbands, to a large number of them (our heroes) being confined in an island with walls circling them, which is revealed by Isayama to be Madagascar. The island that the nazis originally meant to confine the Jewish population in before arriving at the conclusion that that would be too costly, and that genocide was preferable. 

This is the first of the story’s mixed metaphors. While the show’s heart is in the right place, being sympathetic to the Eldians and showing their plight under marleyan opression and persecution, there is one problem. The reason for the opression of the Eldians is because the world is afraid of their power, as they are a race with the ability to transform into titans. There is, therefore, a tangible, justification for their internment. The Jews were not in any conceivable way a danger to anyone, they were simply scapegoated for the complex socioeconomic problems of Germany in the time period. Also, if we take a look at those openings again, we observe that the Eldians (our main characters) who wish to free themselves from their shackles are framed as fascists. So... what is that saying?

 The idea, as I see it, is that the story is condemning fanaticism in general, as a biproduct of a militaristic black and white worldview. The monstrous titans that our (framed as fascist) heroes fight against are revealed to be human, just like them.

The same is the case for the Eldian “devils” that the Marleyans fight against. Gabi, the character who is most fanatically against Eldians (despite being an Eldian herself) is comfronted with the humanity of the people she hates once she gets to know them.

Again, Isayama’s heart is on the right place here, trying to condemn bigotry, however the explicit referencing of history is the imagery is kind of misplaced, for the reasons I previously mentioned. Now let’s have a look at Eren Yeager.

Eren starts the story as a kind of messed up kid. He kills the human traffickers who kidnapped Mikasa while screaming:

I mean, in this case he is certainly justified, but his rage and anger are definitely not normal for a child his age.

This is Eren. He can’t stand injustice when he sees it. And injustice is what happens to him when the titans attack. His already fiery attitude and mindset is what leads him to this declaration of revenge:

That side of Eren is visible throughout the story and it’s foreshadowing for what he will later become

Eren, however, is a natural product of his environment. Ravaged by socioconomic inequality, with the rich living in the centre of the walls and the poor living in the outskirts, constantly under the threat of the titans and unable to obtain any kind of freedom, Eren’s philosophy of the need to be strong to overcome one’s enemies makes sense. The mantra “the strong prey on the weak”, that he ends up teaching Mikasa (another allusion to fascist ideology) is a biproduct of the world he lives in. He does not know of the political intricasies outside the walls. All he knows is he must kill the titans.

Eren’s titan is described as the “manifestation of humanity’s rage. It is huge and monstrous, and could be seen as a metaphor for vengeful hatred in general. Keep that in mind, it’s relevant for the ending.

This manufactured and false black and white worldview shapes him as a character, and it’s what eventually, after the arrival at the much desired ocean, leads him to this:

“Will we finally be free?”

In the continuation of the story, Eren falls toward the dark side more and more, to the point of committing atrocities and war crimes that are explicitly framed as being similar to what he suffered as a child (see his actions in Liberio). He even acknowledges that, telling Reiner, the person who committed said war crimes against him, that he essentially has no hard feelings and understands that the two of them are similar, doing what “needs to be done”. The character of Gabi, who, after what happens in Liberio, becomes obsessed with revenge against the Eldian “devils” is meant to be a foil for Eren, and his obsession with killing the titans after what happened to him. 

Extremely interesting is the way in which certain ideas and images are flipped in the later seasons. Namely, in season 4, we see a character who idolizes Mikasa and supports Eren’s plans in a scene where she spouts the same mantra of “the strong prey on the weak” and says that Mikasa saving her is what showed her that only with strength she can defeat her enemies. Mikasa tells her to shut up, and she proceeds to do the salute, that has been so glamorized by the show’s openings thus far. Now, it is done by a person from a military faction with a fanatic worldview. The direction doesn’t glamorize it at all. It is a nuanced, almost masterful deconstruction. 

Levi, who has always looked for reasons for why his comrades had t die, justifying their heroism and convincing himself that their deaths were not pointless, ends up here:

At this point, I was in love with Attack on Titan. From here, it only figures that Eren ends up attempting a genocide of the people outside the walls. He has essentally become what he hated the most, and he’s a natural result of the world that created him. Despite his noble intentions, he has turned into a monster. Mikasa, the prerson who loved him the most, completes her character arc by killing him, thus rejecting her blind devotion to him and being free, while at the same time continuing to love the person he once was. It’s a sad and tragic ending, painting Eren as a tragic character and making a pretty strong political point, despite having a few mixed metaphors.

And then, chapter 139 came out...

And Eren apparently pulled a Lelouch. This is a “I purposfully turned myself into a monster to save the world and make my friends into heroes for killing me” kind of thing. It is important to state that the manga makes it clear that Eren would have trampled the world even if they didn’t stop him, because of his urge to be free. However, that urge, that fighting spirit, end up being a good thing. The death of our heroes in battle apparently wasn’t pointless after all. They say goodbye with a salute

The Yeagerists, who were previously framed as fanatics, end up in charge of the government

It is important to state that the real event, the catalyst of the ending, is that killing Eren, who has turned himself literally into the manifestation of humanity’s rage (which has now, through the intricacies of the story, taken the political meaning of hatred and intergenerational trauma), eliminates the power of the titans. The titans are no more. This, in of itself, is good, and in keeping with the spirit of the political commentary thus far. However, the war, is still not over, and Eren’s mantra ends up being correct

So the only way for the war to end is one of the races to be wiped out? 

Also, despite Eren’s genocide being wrong, it is, in the end, justified, as a necessary evil by the story. An Ozymandias kind of moment in which the ends justify the means, but Eren himself has to die, because his crime was too great for him not to suffer punishment. Essentially, this chapter undoes all of the insightful commentary the story had made so far, by proving the ideology of its main character right. Story- wise this isn’t a bad ending, but if we take into account the political references the series has made, and its desire to explicitly tie itself with such imagery makes the ending leave a really bad taste in my mouth. What it essentally says, is that, yes, bigotry and racism are bad, yes, blind hatred is bad, but the general idea of might makes right and the impossibility of reconciliation are true. Armin, who has, throughuout the story, been Eren’s opposite, in terms of looking for peaceful solutions to conflict is rendered meaningless in the end, because him alongside with the other characters were all playing into Eren’s plans. The hearts of our main characters as recruits were in the right place, their fighting spirit admirable, and the overall worldview we are presented with in the beginning of the story remains more or less unchallenged. 

So where does that leave this imagery?

The conclusion is that one must think very carefully before including allegory in their work. I am not accusing Isayama for fascism, and I appreciate the efforts at deconstructing it throughout the story. However, in the end he did an oops I accidentally justified the mentality I was trying to condemn. I still like Attack on Titan, I believe it has artistic value and is overall a pretty good anime, I even agree with its politics to an extent. However, it is very important to critically examine the things we like, and see where they may have gone south. And this ending is that for me.

[mirthful-sonnet]

Rise Above the Ashes

AO3

                       Chapter 1

There was a ray of sunlight filtering through the tall trees. Jean shielded his face against the brightness, not really knowing how he got there. Before him, there was a road flanked by rocks and thickets leading into the greenery of the forest. He kept on walking in what seemed like an eternal journey into nowhere. His voyage continued until he suddenly heard the burbling noises of water. The more he walked the clearer he heard it.

He finally emerged from the forest into the shore of a large river. The picture before him was breathtaking, and he wished he had brought his drawing book to try to replicate what he was seeing. He stepped closer and took in the pristine surface of the river, the gentle ripples from the water, the bright song of the nearby birds, and the tiny colorful fishes he could make out from above the surface.

In the distance, he noticed a movement. At first, he thought it must have been a tree trunk, or an animal. But the closer it got, the more confused he got trying to make out what it was. He froze suddenly.

The body was lying upwards, its arms stretched wide as if waiting for an embrace. The cadet uniform was barely discernible. Jean didn’t have to look any closer to know who it was.

Marco

There was another movement in his periphery, and despite his frozen state and the overwhelming need to run away, he fixed his eyes onto the next corpse. Brown hair and a bloody smile, even in death.

Sasha

Soon, thousands of bodies were floating down the river, the rippling water slowly being tainted in blood that reached Jean’s bare feet. He could not move from his fixed place at the shore, staying rooted to the spot. He wanted to scream, but no noise would come out. It felt as if he was being bound and strangled by an invisible force.

The last thing he noticed was another body floating near him, the black hair and red scarf standing out amongst the thousands of floating corpses. This time the scream finally tore out of his throat.

Jean shot up in his bed, his breath coming out in short gasps. He finally made out where he was, noticing a plain wall and feeling the rocking motions of the boat. His sweaty shirt clung to him like a second skin as he tried to catch his breath.

“Jean?”

Reiner’s groggy voice came from the other bed. He could not really make out where his friend was as he had his knuckles pressed to his eyes so hard that he could see spots.      

“It’s nothing,” he murmured. “Just another nightmare.”

“You were screaming a name,” Reiner said, turning to him in his own bed, “Mikasa’s name to be exact.”

Jean glared at him, though it was barely visible in the scant light of their room.

“Go back to sleep already,” he snapped. “We have an important day ahead of us.” He was referring to their upcoming arrival in Paradis, the home he had not seen in almost three years. Jean only heard a small murmur from Reiner before laying back on his bed, not bothering to pull back the covers.

“Reiner?” He said after a pause.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t tell anyone about this.” he said. “Please.”

He heard a snort and a shuffle on Reiner’s side, “Don’t worry, Jeanboy, I won’t.” Reiner replied before falling asleep.

In truth, Jean did not know why he was thinking of Mikasa now. He was often plagued by nightmares ever since he saw his best friend’s mangled dead body all those years ago, but Mikasa had never appeared in them. He had not really thought much about her in these past years, only having sporadic thoughts on how she was doing and where she was.

Armin had found a way to correspond with her during their time as refugees in Marley and told him that he should write to her at least once. But Jean did not listen ; Armin’s reassurance that she was alive and okay was more than enough for him.

He had to admit a simple fact: that he was anxious about the possibility of meeting Mikasa again. He figured that his nervousness had somehow seeped into his nightmares. The possibility of meeting her again brought up old memories of heartache as well as happiness during their time as soldiers. Right now, he only hoped that she was okay.

He turned in his bed with a groan and tried to fall asleep again, only to stay awake until the calls for all passengers to get up and have breakfast were heard.

-o- 

Ever since they arrived in Paradis, time seemed to pass in a blur of meetings, paperwork, arguments, proposals, and unbearable tension. The presence of the military in their sessions at the main headquarters did not make their objective any easier. Their hostility was palpable, especially towards Armin, the self-proclaimed killer of Eren Jaeger. In their eyes, Armin was their ultimate enemy.

Still, the blonde kept his head up, striking up conversations and carrying himself with an ease that was almost enviable. Jean had to act as his second in command, which meant he had to help stir their conversations in the right direction and be Armin’s main support.  

They had been in Mitras for almost two weeks when Historia suddenly turned up at their lodgings in the city. The young queen told them that she wanted them to accompany her to her farm so they could meet her family. It had come as a surprise, considering that ever since her former comrades had arrived in Paradis, she had been exceedingly formal with them.

Jean figured that she had to thread very carefully, considering that the government was currently being run by a faction that was already hostile to them. He found himself admiring her resilience. Something about her made her appear more mature now than her young years would reflect. They were in no position to decline her invitation, especially when the queen suddenly mentioned that Mikasa would be there waiting for them as well.

The nervousness he had been feeling during their trip came back. This was stupid. She had been a dear friend to him, so he did not understand why he was feeling this self-conscious. He barely registered Historia leaving and Reiner speaking to him.

“I’m curious about this husband of hers,” Reiner said, an undertone of envy in his voice.

“I told you to stop going after married women. It’s embarrassing.” Jean retorted.

“Hey, I’m not going after anyone,” Reiner said, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just curious, that’s all!”

“You’ll get us in serious trouble one day,” Pieck commented from her place in the sofa of the living room before standing up, “I’m going to sleep. You should all probably do the same,” she said while making her way to the apartment’s stairs. Annie and Armin agreed and followed her. Connie was still out, as his family had arrived in the city to reunite with him. Meanwhile, Jean’s mind was still reeling.

“Hey, are you okay?” Pieck murmured to Jean as she passed him by, concern on her sleepy features.

“I’m alright,” he reassured her. “I’ll follow up soon, don’t worry.”

He had formed an unlikely friendship with the former warrior, her weirdness sometimes reminding him of Sasha. His time at the Marleyan shelter during the aftermath of the rumbling was made a lot easier because of her presence. After reassuring her and telling his friends he would wait for Connie to come back, he found himself alone.

Jean sat down and blankly stared up at the ceiling, thinking of everything that had transpired since they arrived. He had been finally able to see his mother some days ago. She was in such an emotional state that she could barely make out words at the sight of her son. She kept sobbing and holding him as if he would escape and not appear for another three years again. Once upon a time, he would have been embarrassed by her reaction, but he wasn’t that proud boy anymore. He could only hold her just as strongly as she did in his large frame, finally feeling some semblance of home and belonging.  

Jean’s thoughts moved back to Mikasa, feeling a mix of anticipation and dread at the idea of seeing her again. He had been sure that he got over his unrequited love for a long time, but the prospect of seeing her made him confused. She had been appearing in both his dreams and his nightmares since they came here, and he was even fixing himself up in case they would see her.

He had brushed off Pieck’s curiosity about his sudden concern about his looks with a dumb joke, but in truth he had been hoping to see her again. It was frustrating to still have these conflicting feelings about Mikasa when she had never seen him as anything more than a comrade and friend.

Her heart belonged to Eren in life, as well as in death, and that was a fact he had to accept. The sudden thought of Eren brought a new kind of pain, which he shut away immediately. He finally resolved to stay out of her way once they met her. It was for the best.

-o- 

Historia’s little daughter brought an unexpected brightness into their tedious routine. The girl was currently gurgling in Jean’s arms, grabbing at his facial hair which made everyone laugh. The young queen had allowed each of them to hold her daughter, and the toddler had been especially fascinated with Jean and his goatee. He could not wrap his head around the fact that Historia was a mother, and from what little he saw he knew this little creature in his arms was Historia’s entire world. The toddler now attempted to grab his hair, and Historia’s husband immediately moved to grab her.

“Alright little one, that’s enough for now.” the farmer said, grabbing his babbling daughter and moving away while cooing at her.

The man had been more than courteous to each of them, guiding them around the farm and showing them the new changes around it and the orphanage, which he currently administered while his wife was away attending other matters. They made a lovely family despite the unorthodox way they came to be together.  Jean wondered if he would ever be able to fit such a picture in his own life one day.

“Ymir is still a little too curious about everything she sees.” The man said, while balancing the little girl on his hip. When the girl’s name was first revealed, Jean was inevitably taken back to the old days when their old comrade was still alive. He couldn’t help but look at Reiner and noticed a hint of shock and melancholy in his face, especially when it was his turn to hold the little girl in his arms.

“Don’t hold out hope that she will ever change, she’s a rascal.” Historia said while moving to grab the girl who was now reaching out to her. A voice suddenly caught their attention.

“Armin…”

They had all been so caught up in touring the place and being introduced to Historia’s family that hearing Mikasa’s voice surprised them all. Jean turned around and saw her standing in the hallway, her eyes wide as she stared at Armin. She looked quite different from the last time he saw her.

Mikasa and Armin stared at each other for a while in disbelief, before moving and crashing together in a tight embrace. Armin raised her up and held her closer against him, and Jean did not have to look any closer to know that they were both crying. Everyone looked away respectfully as their sobs echoed throughout the room. Wanting to give them privacy, Historia quietly guided them all outside of the room and left the two estranged friends alone. Jean looked back at them one last time with a sad smile before heading out of the room and following the rest of the group.        

-o- 

“You’re being ridiculous,” Jean said to Reiner. Much to his amusement, it turned out that Reiner now had a secret infatuation with Historia’s husband. During their touring he had acted quite flustered around the farmer, but Jean did not pay much attention to it, thinking that it had something to do with Reiner’s jealousy.  

“Why are the good ones always married?” Reiner said exasperatedly, “I’m cursed to being forever alone.”

Jean just rolled his eyes. They were staying in a shared room at Historia’s residency. While he was irritated, he was also secretly glad to see Reiner behaving normally again. They all had their physical and emotional wounds from the war, but Reiner was hit harder than anyone. He could recall having conversations with Reiner in their shelter, until the blonde’s eyes would glaze over and stare blankly at nothing.

On some days, his mood would change drastically, from exceedingly cheerful to withdrawn and depressed. And in other occasions he would forget who he even was.  Jean knew that Reiner had a disorder, but he did not know how to help his former comrade and felt utterly helpless whenever Reiner had these episodes. He had enough bad memories to last a lifetime, but watching Reiner slowly break down before him was particularly painful. Reiner was eventually taken out of the shelter and checked into a mental facility for a time.

He found some comfort in thinking about Reiner now in comparison to before. Despite the pain that he still felt about Marco, he found space in his heart for forgiveness, and he wanted to see Reiner be the easy going and protective person he had always been. This journey for peace was their chance.  

His thoughts were interrupted by Armin entering their shared room. He had been spending most of the days at the farm with Mikasa. The Ackerman had greeted them the day of their arrival once she and Armin had been ready to come out. There was plenty of laughter and tears in their reunion. Jean had given her an embrace and told her they had all missed her, to which she had only smiled and told him she was glad to see him. She looked more beautiful than he remembered.

In the following days, they had been engaging in various activities and there were new meetings to be held in Historia’s residency. Mikasa had accompanied them in some activities around the orphanage, but Jean avoided her or found a way to be involved in something else.

“Where were you?” Jean asked Armin as he sat down in his corner, looking tired.

“I spent the day with Mikasa, we were at the orphanage and then she showed me around the nearby town.” Armin replied.

Jean only nodded, he understood that they wanted to make the most of their time together, especially since they had not seen each other in three years.

“Where were you though?” Reiner asked him with a raised eyebrow, “We were all at the orphanage and you were nowhere to be seen.”

“I was taking care of all the paperwork. Soon enough we’ll be leaving, and we need to make our proposals clear.” Jean replied.

Armin nodded, making a small pause, “Mikasa was wondering where you were too. You’re free to do as you like, but you don’t have to be a stranger. She’s your friend too, you know.”

Jean gulped and kept silent, feeling a little bad. He was probably exaggerating and some quality time with Mikasa wouldn’t hurt. He still felt uneasy around her for some reason, but if the chance came, he would try to talk to her more. Still, he wasn’t planning on letting anything distract him too much.

-o- 

Jean looked at the trail before him, knowing that this was the right way. Armin had revealed to him that Eren’s grave was not too far away from their location, and he told him where it was. He had tried to avoid any intrusive thoughts about Eren but being here at the farm had brought on a barrage of memories. The pain was still fresh, and it felt as if his friend had left them just yesterday.

He tightened his coat around his body since the day was quite windy. As he walked, he took in the rolling hills and rustling fields of wheat. If one looked hard enough to the distance, the slight shape of the now ruined walls could be seen.

Jean kept on walking, holding down his hat when the wind got stronger. The shape of the tree could be seen now, its branches swaying slightly in the wind. Jean finally reached the bottom of the small hill where the tree was, taking in the sight of Eren’s final resting place. He took a deep breath, processing everything that he was seeing.

He climbed up the hill slowly, facing the small headstone at the root of the tree. He felt a sudden rush of indescribable feelings tearing at him as he knelt in front of the grave. There were so many things he wanted to say even if no one could hear him. He truly missed the bastard. But the sudden noise of footsteps interrupted him from his revelry, making him turn around.  

In a way, he was simultaneously surprised and not at all surprised at seeing Mikasa standing there, staring at him curiously.

“M-Mikasa,” he stuttered, mortified at the realization that there were tears on his face. He frustratingly wiped them away, avoiding eye contact.

“I’m sorry I startled you-” she started but Jean did not let her finish her apology.

“No, please don’t apologize Mikasa,” he rushed to say, still not looking at her. An uncomfortable silence followed. He had no idea what to do.

“So...” They both spoke in unison after a while. It made them laugh, the air around them easing considerably.

“I can leave if you want.” she offered, to which he shook his head.

“No, you can stay, I wasn’t planning on staying for long anyway.”

Mikasa moved, setting a hand on Jean’s shoulder as if to keep him from getting up. She sat down beside him.

“You are more than welcome here,” she said. “I think he would be happy.”

“I hope so,” Jean murmured and there was another silence, this time more comfortable.

“You know,” Mikasa broke the silence, “If you weren’t so busy, I would say you’ve been avoiding me.”

Jean looked down, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry Mikasa, I don’t know where my head’s been at lately.”

Mikasa only hummed in response, wrapping her arms around her knees. “You don’t have to apologize; I’m not entitled to your time. I was simply curious.”

“It has nothing to do with you personally, I just…” Jean trailed off, not knowing how to explain it to her. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” He finally said, putting it in the simplest way possible.

Mikasa frowned. “Why would you make me uncomfortable? You’ve been a dear friend to me through the years. If anything, your presence would make me very happy.”

Jean flushed at that, avoiding her stare. “That’s-that’s good,” he muttered lamely. He felt like such an idiot.

A strong gust of wind caught their attention, making the small flowers growing of the branches fall in a flutter around them. They stared in wonder at the scene, falling into another comfortable silence.

His thoughts had somehow turned back to Eren, and he felt like he had to say something. He was sure she would understand.

“I miss Eren,” he said.

She stared at him in sympathy, “I miss him too.”

His throat was closing up, and he felt a surge of boldness. “There were so many things I wanted to tell him, so many memories that I feel like I didn’t appreciate enough. Even though he drove me insane, I did love him. And now he’s gone.” Jean’s voice broke, but at this point he didn’t care. He knew Mikasa would never ridicule him for it.

It was true, despite their constant fights Eren had been dear to him too, and he had not taken his death well. His bottled-up feelings were spilling forth, and he was happy that if anyone got to see it, it was Mikasa. Though he still felt slightly embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, this is stupid.” he said, wiping away fresh tears, and putting his hand on top of the headstone.

“There’s nothing stupid or wrong about this.” Mikasa replied, and he felt her hand suddenly resting on top of his. “You know I’m here for you, right?”

Her words only made him want to cry harder. He nodded, and they sat there for long minutes as the sun began to set. Their hands remained joined together on top of the headstone, and they knew that even though they were both hurting, they were also not alone. They had each other.

-0-

Just me coping with the ending and the leaks. There is more to come. Huge thanks to @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie for beta reading this! You’re the best around <3 <3