#100. c. galliard

[pontevoix]

headcanon meme | requested by @w4rningbutterflies

erwin & levi

sometime after levi agreed to follow erwin after the events of acwnr is when he started realizing how little sense erwin makes. his involvement in the scouts' leadership at the time did not technically match his rank. most were still waiting for levi to fail, & so levi's performance reflected directly onto erwin's own credibility. levi felt that there was some twisted irony in his having some influence over erwin's career (albeit small), so there was a very personal & delightful thrill of insubordination in those early days.

erwin stops staying long at memorial bonfires after he is promoted to commander. he stays for the rituals, stays for the formalities, & then gives the rest of the time to the corps for mourning. levi used to prefer to spend the bonfires up high looking at it from above, & sometimes he still does. other times, he leaves with erwin after the formalities so long as they stay outside. fresh air feels like a better tribute than an immediate return to work. -- they are both symbols of authority rather than associated with the laymen. but even so, erwin always has the impression that levi trusts parts of erwin a little less when he does not dedicate the time to memorial (even while keeping a distance from the bonfires).

erwin survives ! au - similar to armin in canon, after the rumbling, erwin feels very reluctant to stay in one place. it always been a secret of his, that he would delight too much in the opportunity to be lazy, though his temperament would never allow it. however, armin's reluctance to settle stems from a type of flightiness that means he wants to see everything. it is also a type of sentencing from his role in the rumbling - the promise he made when he told eren he would accept half of the blame. erwin's reluctance is penance. his ambitious was never meant to survive the end of the world. this is a point of contention ( & loss ) between erwin & levi.

modern ! erwin 100% is the type to call levi on the phone if they're in different rooms of the same house if he's working. he's not much of a yeller - in canon verse, he projects & yells for war, but he doesn't actively yell so much on his own. levi is closer to blocking erwin on the phone every day that they know one another.

modern ! erwin is a decent gift giver -- or at least a frequent gift giver. items of food, a fucking garmin watch, new shoes. levi genuinely doesn't know what to do with the shit sometimes. not because the gifts can't go to use, but it just takes him off guard in ways that pisses him off.

armin & eren

in childhood, at least, eren has gotten far too many preaching sessions from armin about moral integrity. funnily, it rarely came as reprimand for things that eren did on his own. more often, it came every time that eren scolded armin. rarely did armin actively choose to act in his own self-defense, & sometimes that left him with bruises from childish scuffles or from decisions made with warped priorities. armin usually justifies himself by saying that he believes in doing the right thing. have you ever heard of it, eren ??? sorry that was dramatic.

armin doesn't know if eren knows all the ways that armin has been angry too. they express it differently.

armin is prone to excessively bad seasonal allergies, & honestly it pisses him the fuck off that eren never seems to get allergies. then he feels about that because eren is more prone to getting fever, which weighs him down a little worse than the allergies could.

modern ! they do game together sometimes, & they both have to pretend that they're not as competitive about it as they are.

modern ! armin walks around the apartment with airpods in when he's listening to a podcast. eren yaps at him for ten minutes sometimes before realizing that armin hasn't heard a word. sorry, fam :|

floch & eren

dead ass, floch was pro "bully eren" for years until the aftermath of shiganshina. floch mostly, like the best of them associated eren with being overly loud, ambitious, & honestly overrated. he thought that listening to eren talk was essentially like hearing a chihuahua go full force.

when it came to making plans for how the jaegerists would actualize their agenda (despite the scouts efforts), floch was primarily responsible for strategizing how they would move throughout the city & the area. he's good with maps & more familiar with the area than eren & zeke were.

floch finds it difficult to understand any attraction he has to eren - it is true that he learns to deify the symbol that eren presents himself as. at the same time, he has to strategize with him & point out his weaknesses. & so he sees some of the residual pieces of humanity in eren before he commits his worst. however, it comes at the same time that floch makes peace with his own self-loathing. it then becomes difficult to tease apart attraction, deification, humanity, & self-hatred.

modern ! while eren likes doing art more between the two of them, there are moments when floch thinks that he would like to learn more about photography. he likes taking pictures of eren. he tries to tae photos that would help promo eren's work, too, though he sends it to eren to post first.

modern ! floch thinks a lot more about social mobility than does eren. he thinks that it means there are things about him eren can't quite understand.

modern ! floch & eren listen to soundcloud together.

bertolt & reiner

after they infiltrated shiganshina, they did field work with survivors of the fall of the walls. they never discussed the possibility of trying to abandon marley's cause. even if they trusted each other, they did not trust each other well enough to entertain the idea of treason. furthermore, guilt made it difficult to imagine being anything but a weapon.

bertolt survives ! after the rumbling, bertolt doesn't want to travel. he struggles with the idea of working as a peace ambassador because it feels too public, too friendly, & too much of a farce when he feels as though he has been made to play two sides. of course, this makes him very useful as an ambassador. he would rather train as a medic or else work administrative places, but he feels that he might be a less benevolent person than he should want to be. reiner carries a lot of guilt & feels compelled to travel as an active ambassador. they struggle to come to a decision, between the two of them.

modern ! bertolt is the worst person to get dinner with from a restaurant. he will not say what he wants to eat because he's not picky. reiner mentions one food? 100% that sounds great. or how about this food? 100% that sounds great. bertolt is equally invested in all meal opportunities.

modern ! reiner is passenger princess. bertolt enjoys it, in part because he likes driving. reiner has a day every three months where he sort of blusters about wanting to drive, but otherwise likes watching bertolt drive.

tsukishima & kuroo

kuroo showed up at the museum one day to ask for a tour when tsukishima was scheduled to give tours. it was supposed to be a romantic gesture, probably, except tsukishima was already booked for a summer camp. so kuroo was just kinda there.

when kageyama & tsukishima traveled to brazil to visit hinata, tsukishima got atrociously sunburned. hinata took it upon himself to send a picture to kuroo of the sunburn (which impressively was interrupted by a handprint where sunscreen hadn't washed off). kuroo was appropriately horrified by the burn but delighted by the fact that hinata sent it to him. tsukishima refuses to explain why hinata sent it to kuroo - partly out of pride, & partly because he just suspects it was a drunken decision.

tsukishima thinks he's being ironically funny when he pesters kuroo to wear his jersey. however, kuroo should technically not wear any team's jersey or should technically wear all teams' jerseys. it makes tsukishima feel a little competitive.

akiteru met kuroo on accident & without kei's permission. when kei met kuroo's sister, it was a much more intentional affair.

at one point, they switched from watching movies in english to watching american reality tv shows. tsukishima was overly invested, & kuroo was mildly horrified.

miscellaneous : bonus !

uri & kuchel are in frequent correspondence with one another when it comes to exchanging photos of levi. most of these photos levi does not know exist.

levi would rather die than be nosy in uri & kenny's medicine cabinet.

porco has purposefully locked reiner out of reiner's own phone. it seemed funny at the time.

connie is accidentally the loudest fucking houseguest when he stays overnight at eren's place.

reiner & armin genuinely cannot decide whether they should tell eren that they hooked up. it shouldn't be the end of the world if they told him, but what if?

[pontevoix]

it must eat you alive, not knowing. not knowing who, not knowing how, not knowing why, porco says —- because he feels like sounding like an ass, because he feels vindictive, because there is something satisfying about pressing hard enough that things start to crack, start to protest their overdrive —-

pressing is only satisfying because proper machines won’t break. broken down machinery is a luxury, & it’s both necessity & sardonic humor that guarantees that broken things will press on.

reiner had returned to marley dazed, still healing, & looking older than porco ever remembered his looking. they were supposed to be the same age, or approximately the same age —- & he presented himself as broken in a way that felt holy, as though he were seeking some kind of penance or damnation. he cast himself as a sinner with his hands outstretched, &

there had been that fucking farce of a trial. reiner braun had been under suspicion for treason, & there had been good reason for trial. his tongue had been far too slow to provide any description for why he had dawdled so long in a devil’s land when the worst of the dangers were the pure titans.

no candidate was ready for inheritance, so the outcome of the trial was always going to be in braun’s favor. porco knew that & voted against braun with spite lining his stomach as an old, petty kind of motivation.

reiner has never said anything to him about the vote he cast. that pisses porco off, too, feels like a sanctimonious way of reinterpreting things into a logic of what is deserved.

marcel is dead, so surely porco deserves to vote against him. reiner is alive, so surely he deserves to die.

it’s a broken line of logic, & it’s proof that broken down machinery is a luxury. both necessity & sardonic humor that guarantees that broken things will press on.

so they press on together, anyway — not toe to toe, but shoulder to shoulder while porco grapples with his reluctance to look directly at reiner, with his decision to stare reiner down just to challenge himself.

most of the time, it doesn’t matter anyway — because the world is ready to explode. both the jaws & the armored are needed in active combat, & reiner keeps acting as defense as porco learns to taste metal, learns to taste blood.

the taste is bitter, it’s seasoned with shame when he thinks that maybe it’s better than marcel died early —- in combat, jaws is a bullet with alligator teeth. it is made to instill rabid fear & introduce erratic movement into a war zone before marley’s strategy becomes too transparent, before it becomes predictable.

in theory, porco knows that upon inheriting, marcel had practiced with jaws. the same way that braun practiced the armored before paradis, that leonhart had practiced the crystallizing titan, that hoover turned himself into a bomb.

hoover had been just a kid, too. it’s strange to remember.

they had been weapons first, before they had been four children meant to die in a devil’s land —- that is where the story stops.

the world is ready to explode, & the story is different than it had been. marley increasingly has centered itself as the world’s enemy, so there is more active combat than there had been five years ago —- & the opposition has started to develop technology that can prove ruinous to the nine, so there is increased work demanded of the common men.

as a part of porco’s long term as a useless warrior candidate, he had worked alongside them. it’s the same for the younger generations — the grice boy is only a few years younger than him, & he had been the first to join the troops before he had even reached fourteen. grice’s a people pleaser, so he reminds porco of reiner —- but he’s weirder than that, in how earnest & resigned he writes himself. the people pleasing seems like it’s a coincidence rather than the intention; grice genuinely may be that way. & still — he had already been involved in bloodshed.

so the fighting is worse than it had been. even if marcel had practiced using jaws in its bloodiest form —- porco remembers him as he had been when he was ten, eleven, twelve. he would have died at thirteen, & he would have died with a child’s heart.

maybe it’s better that marcel did not have to learn how to evolve past that, how turn himself into the likeness of a bullet.

it is a shameful thing to think, but it’s enough sometimes there are days that reiner & he complete a mission & turn human with the residue of transformation streaking their cheeks —-

there are days that they complete a mission, & porco clasps his hand on reiner’s shoulder because fatigue surpasses pettiness & grief. twice, reiner had returned the gesture —- covered porco’s hand at his shoulder with his own in a desperate search for contact, for connection.

it made porco’s skin burn, so he retreated fast & muttered something about needing a cup of coffee & a cigarette.

so they press on together, anyway — not toe to toe, but shoulder to shoulder. it lands them in the midst of too much time shared in dormitories of the candidates’ training grounds. it is a mandatory residence on week days for candidates — - & so it had long been porco’s custom & lasting habit once inheritance had come to him.

there never felt like time enough to rewrite his primary residence from a place of work to private grounds or to an old family home.

besides that, there was never much appeal to the idea of returning to a bedroom that had been been shared & consequently frozen in time when half of its occupants had been made a ghost.

even if the family speaks proudly of marcel & reckons that he had died with pride & with honor —- they had never known how to recover from the way that conversation dragged without a fourth voice to contribute. they treat each other delicately.

so he never bothered leaving the dormitories or moving out properly. he’s thought, sometimes, about moving to his family home & to sleep in his brother’s unused bed — as though that should be enough to prompt old memories, as though familiarity would be enough for marcel to want to talk to him through this shared connection.

he feels very young whenever he thinks about marcel, so he often thinks about anything else — he thinks about how broken machinery is a luxury, & he thinks about the density of people piled into liberio. there are too many of them wanting for opportunity, for a chance at fresh air.

these types of logistics make it easy to blend the workspace into his living space, into a working machine. these types of logistics have no plan for processing reiner, acquitted of treason, drifting between the dorms & nightmares & gabi braun & another version of the end of the world. in the midst of this, they border sometimes too close to stagnancy sometimes —

porco doesn’t have much patience for every way that he & reiner are alike, for every way that they differ. but they share too much space, & impatience makes him lean into cruelty,

he’s learning recently, too, that jaws stirs restlessness against him — its strength is in resilience, & it makes him weary. makes him drum his fingers against his thigh.

despite the trial & the acquittal, reiner had just been promoted to vice war chief —- the second in command. it makes porco trust him less, makes him scoff more, makes him more conscious of the way that the world is ready to explode.

it must eat you alive, not knowing. not knowing who, not knowing how, not knowing why, porco says —- because he feels like sounding like an ass, because he feels vindictive, because there is something satisfying about pressing hard enough until things start to crack, start to protest their overdrive. it’s a bite for familiarity —- because fighting had always been good for them, back when it had been a childish catharsis.

reiner bites back, because broken machinery is a luxury. porco leans against the doorframe & folds his arms against his chest as he watches reiner’s knuckles turn white against the grip of his chair.

it is a cathartic thing, even if it makes porco’s lip twist into something bitter. even if he presses things into overdrive, he is not indifferent. he is not naturally cruel. still, he flattens his voice into boredom.

‘ it was never between me & marcel. it was between the two useless warrior candidates. whatever i remember from that woman . . . you shepherded her over here - that’s on you, armored. it’s just lucky for you that i learned how to grow into jaws. otherwise, what ? who’d you think would have got it ? grice’s spoken for, so maybe it’d be the kid brother. maybe it’d be gabi braun. she’s got more jaws in her than armored, what do you think ? ‘

he flashes his teeth into a smile, a predatory thing & a cold-hot expression. he abandons his post at the doorframe & drifts closer to reiner. it’s a dare.

‘ but you get promoted ? for what ? why the hell do you think you got promoted ? were you really good at following orders or something when hoover got lost ? **what about leonhart ? ‘

it’s an easier habit to think of childhood losses by last-name soldiers. they were born for militant formality, & they are part of a broken machine. so he asks reiner : where do you stand ? if they are dead, why did they have to die ?

the world is about to explode, after all.

it must eat you alive, not knowing. not knowing who, not knowing how, not knowing why. - porco but he's an ass

it's a whisper, a quiet haunt; something that makes his spine straighten, his shoulders bunch, neck tense.  him  &  porco are close on the battlefield because they have to be; they're close outside of it because they have to be.  there's always going to be vitriol on his tongue for the fact that marcel is dead  &  reiner won't ever blame him for that  ––  he'd be more disappointed if porco didn't hold it over his head, a grudge born of necessity, a grudge born of vengeance.  he understands it because he knows that if it had been his brother that had died because of porco, he would've held it over his head too.  not to mention that when he left for the island, porco had been left behind with him happily riding with a titan inside of his body because marcel had talked him down, had given the armored over in order to save porco. 

reiner hasn't mentioned that part to him; hasn't mentioned everything that had happened around that campfire.  ymir has chosen to show him some things, but it seems as if marcel has kept quiet, knowing that his brother isn't ready.  so reiner does the thing that he knows will keep him safe  &  sound at the same time  ––  he holds his mouth shut when it comes to common knowledge.  porco has the jaw now  &  it shouldn't matter  ––  they should let bygones be bygones  &  focus on the world in front of them.

it'll never happen because porco's pain is raw, real.  it's only been around a year since reiner's been back from paradis  ––  &  that hurt is still fresh.  it's still on the tip of his tongue like a poisonous barb because it has only been a year since he's been informed of his brother's death.   

&  because reiner is still alive, despite the fact that he was sanctioned for death, for the titan to be stripped from him  &  fed off due to his negligence on paradis  &  the mission.  but he has perceived much to the anger of one porco galliard who had voted yes when it came to if he should be stripped or not.

reiner doesn't hold it against him.

the shared dorm room has been quiet all day; he's scratched away at paperwork that has blurred into lines  &  ink to him around an hour ago, the sunlight starting to sputter on the horizon.  he should go home soon  ––  help karina out with dinner just to hear gabi recount her training for the day  &  watch his uncle  &  aunt beam at what their daughter has been doing, the progress she has made.  &  then karina will turn toward him  &  ask him once more if he's found anyone yet, that his deadline is approaching  ––

the door shuts with an audible click before the whispers start, haunting  &  slow  &  pushing through the drive of anxiety that had already begun to build.  but they hold so much more within the weight of them, a haunting ghost that drags phantom tendrils along his shoulders  &  grins with teeth far too sharp.  there's too much to the weight of them because he knows what is being discussed  ––  &  it's the one thing that reiner doesn't discuss, has shoved underneath his bed with the box of memories  &  other things that he needs to swallow down because if he doesn't, they'll wrap their hands around his throat  &  squeeze.

that box contains: marcel, marco, ymir, annie, unknown faces, bertolt.

the ship, coming to  &  dizzy with how much his body has healed, entire limbs coming back  &  his head coming back from when it had been blown in half.  he had barely been able to remember his name for long, sluggish moments  ––  but the moment that honey eyes had locked on zeke's, the words had easily flowed from his mouth, careless around a cigarette like bertolt hadn't even mattered.  like he was just another contingency  ––  &  that it was reiner's fault that he was not on the ship.  that his decisions had led them to leaving bertolt there for paradis;  &  that was what that bastard told magath too, standing proud with a light sympathy to his tone  ––  because his charge had messed up, he should obviously take some blame for what had happened.

like everything else with zeke, it had been intuitive bullshit, the right amount of groveling to save his own ass.  he doesn't tell them about the things that pieck has filled him in on; how he had spoken to eren, how they were brothers  ––  how he had apparently left bertolt to die in order to get them out of there.  she keeps her mouth shut too though  ––  she is close to zeke, no matter how close they might all be,  &  she chooses the battles that she wants to fight.  he can't fault her for that.

but too many nights he lays on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, no matter if it's on base or at home,  &  thinks of bertolt.  thinks of the possibility that they could've kept him alive  &  are using him as prisoner of war, a bargaining chip for when they're finally ready to attack marley.  he wonders if they'll dangle him because they know that he'll jump, that he'll do anything for bertolt because it's embedded in his dna to do so.  since the moment that they had met his universe had spun around bertolt  &  bertolt was the only one to keep him sane, keep him on mission.  of course they would use him against him.  it's strategy  &  if there's one thing that they know well in that army, it's strategy.

there's the very real possibility though that they have found the truth  ––  that they now know how the titans are made, that somehow grisha yeager had had a sample or two in his basement  &  they can feed bertolt off to any of them  &  take the colossal.  somehow that feels worse if he's honest with himself  ––  because he knows then bertolt is dead.  that someone has his titan now,  &  there's a twisting in his stomach that makes him sick.

there are nights when he wakes up screaming, when he barely makes it to the bathroom before he is emptying the contents of his stomach.  when he turns the corner going into the base  &  he sees a flash of brunette hair  &  darkened skin  &  rushes forward, only to be met with udo looking at him as if he's lost his mind. 

sometimes reiner feels like he has, because there is no closure.  there is no answer for what has happened ot bertolt, just that something has.  zeke has left him  &  annie there, in enemy territory,  &  hasn't given a shit for what he's done.   all reiner wants to do is get back to that island, to know that bertolt is alive  ––  but he knows somewhere deep down that he isn't.

he swallows hard  &  hears a snap  ––  realizes that the pen he had been holding has found its way in two, splinters  &  cuts already beginning to heal on his palm.  his teeth grind until his jaw hurts  &  he feels that loss in every inch of himself, the regrets that bubble up every time that he dares to open that box instead of shove it away. 

he had never even gotten to tell bertolt how he felt.  there was no telling him on the island because he always looked at him like he was a second away from falling apart  &  all he had wanted was to go home.  so reiner had settled for light touches  &  meaningful looks  &  thought that they would be enough.

a void opens up in him again, harsh  &  biting until he feels like he's going to be sick again.  he's opened that box  &  it won't be shoved in any longer.  it's flowing free from too many sins being stacked up on one another, over  &  over again. 

" does it kill you?  the fact that your own brother won't show you the memories that you're so damn desperate for?  that you're seeing ymir's, an enemies,  &  all she gave a shit about was love? "   he's lashing out, biting because he's cornered, because that box is overflowing  &  porco knows what he's done by coming in this room  &  bringing up bertolt hoover.  he knows what he was doing  &  the sort of game that he was looking to play; the jaws looking for a fight with an armor that was meant to withstand the attack. 

turning, reiner raises a brow at him, voice void of emotion even though it's evident in his eyes, even though it's in every single muscle that's tense in his own body at that moment.  every inch of him wants to strike porco  ––  he could do what he couldn't when he was younger because he's stronger now, because he knows that sometimes you have to speak with your fists because that's the only way people listen.

but instead, he grips the back of the chair hard until it dangerously creaks, the power of a titan thrumming underneath his skin.  " or does it kill you more that because you weren't good enough, marcel was the one who inherited  &  died?  while you were here twidling your thumbs like the useless warrior candidate you always were?  i'm sure your parents are proud. "

they don't fight fair because they aren't meant to.  there is too much anger, aggression, depression, blame,  &  guilt that coat their tongues  &  fall around them like shields. 

reiner doesn't blame him for that, either, but it doesn't mean that he's as pacifist as he was when he was a child.  not after the things he's seen, the things he's done. 

[junker-town]

The final 2019 NFL Draft grades

The Broncos, Jaguars, and Washington were big winners. The same can’t be said for the Giants and Raiders.

After a record 40 trades, some shocking picks, Josh Rosen drama and a ton of players on defense, the 2019 NFL Draft is in the rearview.

That means it’s time to hand out some way-too-early grades for what each team did with their draft picks this year.

One of the winners of the weekend was the Denver Broncos. They made a successful trade back, found a potential Offensive Rookie of the Year in tight end Noah Fant, a rock solid offensive lineman in Dalton Risner and a franchise quarterback gamble in Drew Lock.

Jacksonville was another winner by letting the draft come to them and take the best available player with their first two picks with edge rusher Josh Allen and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.

Washington and Tennessee also had what look like strong drafts. The same can’t be said for the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders, mostly because of what is perceived right now to be several reach picks.

These grades are based on a combination of factors starting with player value. It’s much less about player quality and more where they’re drafted. After that, filling needs and personnel fit are considered. Early picks get weighted higher than late picks. Really, no team gets dinged for a Day 3 pick, their grade just gets improved slightly by a good one.

Of course, these are way too early. We’ll revisit them in a few years to see the true value.

For now, here are the grades for all 32 teams in the 2019 NFL Draft:

Arizona Cardinals

This draft started with the Cardinals taking quarterback Kyler Murray first overall. He undeniably has superstar talent. It was just an odd decision for the franchise a year after trading up to take Josh Rosen with the No. 10 pick. The pick they got for Rosen this year from the Dolphins ended up being Massachusetts wide receiver Andy Isabella, who will play inside. He’s a little inconsistent but all speed.

Defensive lineman Zach Allen, taken in the third round, gives Arizona a player who can work at end or three-technique tackle. Getting Hakeem Butler at No. 103 was arguably Arizona’s best choice. He’s going to be a red-zone specialist with his size and ability to go up and get the football.

Georgia center Lamont Galliard was a good late Day 3 pick, but this team needed to address the offensive line earlier.

Grade: B

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons clearly viewed the offensive line as a priority. In that regard, it was smart to bolster a line to get the most out of quarterback Matt Ryan. The team used the No. 14 pick on guard Chris Lindstrom, then traded back into the first round to take right tackle Kaleb McGary at No. 31. Atlanta has now put an absurd amount of resources into the offensive line this offseason.

On Day 3, the Falcons got nice depth with cornerback Kendall Sheffield, pass rusher John Cominsky, and big running back Qadree Ollison.

Where’s the defensive tackle, though? That was arguably the team’s biggest need, and it went unaddressed.

Grade: C+

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens went heavy on speed in this draft. After sliding down to No. 25, they took the first wide receiver off the board in Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown. He can take the top off a defense and give Lamar Jackson a good deep target. The Ravens added more speed in the third round with Notre Dame’ receiver Miles Boykin, and then again with Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill at No. 113. He’s a nice complementary back for Mark Ingram.

Since this is Baltimore, it addressed the front of the defense with end Jaylon Ferguson at No. 85 and nose tackle Daylon Mack at No. 160. In between, it beefed up the offensive line with Oklahoma guard Ben Powers.

Finally, Trace McSorley is a solid backup quarterback because he can do some of the same things as Jackson.

Grade: B

Buffalo Bills

Some questionable picks in the top eight caused defensive tackle Ed Oliver to drop into Buffalo’s waiting hands. A three-technique defensive tackle was one of the Bills’ big needs, and they got a potential star in the Houston product. The team then maneuvered around to target the offensive line, taking Cody Ford, who can play guard or tackle, at No. 38.

Dawson Knox at No. 96 wasn’t bad consolation for missing on the early tight ends. He needs to be developed, but he has starter potential. Running back Devin Singletary gives the Bills a solid player if this is LeSean McCoy’s last season in Buffalo. Safety Jaquan Johnson, taken in the sixth round, is a solid addition. At this time a year ago he was expected to potentially become a top 100 pick.

But where’s the wide receiver? That’s a miss by the Bills.

Grade: B+

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers knew what they needed out of the 2019 draft and went and got it. That started in the first round with edge rusher Brian Burns at No. 16. He’s pure speed off the edge, something the team had to get in this draft.

Carolina jumped up to No. 37 in the second round to take Ole Miss left tackle Greg Little. That trade up was pretty costly, though. Little is a player with immense talent, but his play is inconsistent. If the Panthers can figure him out, he could be a starting left tackle for them.

Taking West Virginia quarterback Will Grier at No. 100 is nice insurance for Cam Newton, too.

Grade: B+

Chicago Bears

This offseason, the Bears got rid of Jordan Howard and replaced him with a similar player stylistically in David Montgomery at No. 73. This is a classic mid-round running back who can generate a ton of yards. Montgomery specializes in powering through tacklers and generating tough yards.

The Bears had to get a wide receiver in this draft, and got a good one in Riley Ridley at No. 126. He’s an expert route runner who gets open with quickness. He’s pretty similar to 2018 pick Anthony Miller. Seventh-round pick Stephen Denmark was worth a flier because of his pure size and potential.

Grade: C

Cincinnati Bengals

After getting jumped by Pittsburgh for linebacker Devin Bush, the Bengals took offensive tackle Jonah Williams at No. 11 overall. Maybe he’ll be the one to fix the team’s ongoing issues at offensive tackle.

The Bengals helped their blocking issues further with Washington tight end Drew Sample at No. 52. That seemed a little early for him. It was evident coming into this draft that the Bengals needed a starting linebacker from this draft. They got one at No. 72 with Germaine Pratt of NC State. He’s a close comparison to what Vontaze Burfict did for the Bengals.

Cincinnati needed a quarterback and got one in NC State’s Ryan Finley. He’s an accurate quarterback with otherwise average tools. But can he be anything more than a solid backup?

Grade: B-

Cleveland Browns

The Browns got started in the drafted this year by jumping up a few spots to No. 46 to take LSU cornerback Greedy Williams. Considered by some the best cornerback in the draft, Williams has length and ball skills. He fell into the middle of the second round, though, because of his tackling.

The Browns followed that up at No. 80 with BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki, a relentless player who was lined up at multiple spots. The third round seemed a little early for him, though. At No. 155, the Browns got one of the better players on Day 3 with linebacker Mack Wilson. He isn’t overly physical but has athleticism. He gives the Browns good depth at least. Cleveland needed depth more than starters this year, so there’s not a ton to get excited about.

Grade: C+

Dallas Cowboys

When the Cowboys finally picked for the first time at No. 58, they had some options. Namely, Virginia safety Juan Thornhill was available, as was Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Instead, the Cowboys took defensive tackle Trysten Hill, a player who is quick off the line and will play the important under tackle role.

Connor McGovern, taken at No. 90, solidifies the offensive line as a swing player on the inside in case of injury. At No. 128, the Cowboys got a do-everything player in Memphis’ Tony Pollard. He’s a good return man who can play running back or in the slot. Miami’s Michael Jackson, a cornerback, and Joe Jackson, an end, fill needs late for Dallas. Jalen Jelks in the seventh round was a sneaky good choice. He could be this draft’s version of Kemoko Turay.

Grade: C+

Denver Broncos

Denver made one of the smartest first-round moves by trading back from No. 10 to No. 20. Despite that, the Broncos were still able to land Iowa tight end Noah Fant. He could star in that offense.

The Broncos got a steal with offensive lineman Dalton Risner in the second round. He can play right tackle, either guard spot, or center. He’s the kind of player who will plug into the line and be so effective you never notice him. The Broncos then got quarterback Drew Lock, a pick some expected in the first round. He’s a good choice to groom behind Joe Flacco. John Elway’s history of drafting quarterbacks is pretty bad, though.

Just about every year, an undersized defensive tackle falls further than he should and makes a big impact. This year, that could be Dre’Mont Jones.

Grade: A-

Detroit Lions

There’s a discussion to be had about the value of taking a tight end in the top 10. But if you’re going to do that — as the Lions did with T.J. Hockenson at No. 8 — it’s a good idea to take a sure thing. This is a pick that helps further turn the Lions into the Patriots of the Rust Belt. Really, that was the theme of the draft for Detroit. Linebacker Jahlani Tavai was a reach at No. 43 but a player the Patriots supposedly wanted.

The Lions traded up for Boston College safety Will Harris. He’s not flashy, but he has experience and should be a solid player. Clemson defensive end Austin Bryant can be moved around. Cornerback Amani Oruwariye has size and ball skills. His technique needs a lot of work, though.

Grade: B

Green Bay Packers

Instead of helping Aaron Rodgers, the Packers went heavy on defense early in the draft. That started with Michigan’s Rashan Gary at No. 12. He’s a movable piece for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. But can he live up to his potential after he was often ineffective in college? The Packers then moved up in the first round to take safety Darnell Savage at No. 21.

The Packers didn’t get tight end Noah Fant or T.J. Hockenson in the first round but could get similar production out of third-round pick Jace Sternberger. Second-rounder Elgton Jenkins should factor in at center or guard. It was a little surprising that the Packers didn’t take a wide receiver at some point high in the draft. Maybe the Packers really like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown.

Grade: B-

Houston Texans

The most obvious need in the entire draft was Houston and a left tackle. It had to be devastating to see the Eagles take Andre Dillard right in front of them. That left the Texans to take Tytus Howard of Alabama State at No. 23. Most thought he’d be a second-round pick. Houston then took Northern Illinois left tackle Max Scharping in the second round. It wouldn’t be a shock if he get snaps before Howard.

Cornerback was the other big hole, and that’s where the Texans went in the second round with Lonnie Johnson of Kentucky. He has good footwork for a bigger corner and will come up and blitz. Defensive lineman Charles Omenihu is a player defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will move around.

But where’s the running back? That has consistently been an issue for the Texans under Bill O’Brien.

Grade: C+

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts dipped out of the first round while picking up a 2020 second-round pick. That was a smart move by general manager Chris Ballard. His first pick, physical cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, was thought to be a first-rounder by some.

It was surprising to see Ben Banogu taken at No. 49 overall, but the Colts had to get defensive line player who fit a 4-3. Parris Campbell, taken at No. 59, can be a weapon. He’s not going to catch everything, but when he does watch out. For the second year in a row the Colts got a speed linebacker. This year it was Bobby Okereke of Stanford. He can play inside a little more, which Indianapolis needs. Safeties Khari Willis and Marvell Tell should at least be good backups and special teams players.

The only mistake is not taking a defensive tackle at some point.

Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars

No one thought the Jaguars would take Kentucky’s Josh Allen at No. 7 because no one thought he’d even be there. He was, and the Jaguars exemplified the best player available philosophy by taking him. He can help fix a defense that took a step back last season.

The Jaguars moved up from No. 38 to No. 35 to take Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor. Don’t forget, this was a player some thought Jacksonville would take at No. 7 overall. The Jaguars also smartly waited and got a nice pick in San Jose State’s Josh Oliver. Quincy Williams, taken at No. 98, is a speedy linebacker/safety hybrid, which fits the Jaguars. It was pretty surprising that he was taken so high, though.

Temple running back Ryquell Armstead could steal some carries from Leonard Fournette.

Grade: A-

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs made a slight move up in the second round to get their first pick in at No. 56. They took Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman, a pure speed receiver and possibly replacement for Tyreek Hill. He’s still developing as a wide receiver, so it was surprising to see him taken before someone like Parris Campbell of Ohio State.

Getting defensive back Juan Thornill was a great move at No. 63. He can do a little of everything with a history at cornerback, safety, and even a little linebacker. Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders gives the Chiefs an incredible athlete for a defensive tackle.

Grade: C+

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers went into the draft with one of the NFL’s most talented defenses. They exited with an even more talented defense. In the first round, Los Angeles got Notre Dame defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, a big body with impressive movement skills. One of the best value and system fit picks in the entire draft was the Chargers getting Delaware safety Nasir Adderley with the No. 60 pick. They like versatile defensive backs, and he’s the perfect foil for budding superstar Derwin James.

The odd move was waiting on an offensive tackle. At No. 91, the Chargers took Trey Pipkins, a developmental tackle prospect. He’s a project when the Chargers needed a sure thing at right tackle. Notre Dame linebacker Drue Tranquill has good range and gives them a nice backup and special teams player. Easton Stick is a decent backup quarterback.

Grade: C+

Los Angeles Rams

This was a depth draft for the Rams. They finally got on the clock at No. 61 after multiple trade downs and took safety Taylor Rapp. He can be a replacement for Mark Barron at a fraction of the price. By the end of last season, Rams running back Todd Gurley was worn out (or hurt). The Rams got some insurance with Darrell Henderson of Memphis at No. 70.

At No. 79, the Rams got their Lamarcus Joyner replacement in David Long. He’s an aggressive corner who could stand out in the slot and playing the middle of the field. Bobby Evans, the big Oklahoma left tackle taken at No. 97, is solid insurance if this is Andrew Whitworth’s last season.

Grade: C+

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins fleeced the Cardinals. First Miami dropped down from No. 48 to No. 62. Then it used the No. 62 pick to trade for quarterback Josh Rosen, a potential franchise quarterback. If he’s not that player, he’s cheap and the Dolphins can move on easily.

In the first round, the Dolphins helped fortify their defensive line with Christian Wilkins at No. 13. He specializes at getting pressure and will help the Dolphins’ pass rush. Guard Michael Deiter, taken at No. 78, fills a big need for the Dolphins. He’s experienced playing four years at Wisconsin, and should step into the starting lineup as a rookie. He’s one of the better picks inside the top 100. Miami’s last pick, running back Myles Gaskin, has a real chance to stick on the roster. He’s a slippery back who will make tacklers miss.

Grade: B

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings had to fix their offensive line. That started in the first round with Garrett Bradbury at No. 18. He can play center or guard. He’ll play one while veteran Pat Elflein will man the other. Minnesota doubled up on interior blockers at No. 114 with Dru Samia of Oklahoma.

Minnesota wants to be a more run-oriented offense, so the choices on the second and third day make sense. Tight end Irv Smith Jr. can line up all over the field and is a reliable pass catcher and blocker. The team’s third-round pick, Alexander Mattison of Boise State, is a nice backup for Dalvin Cook.

It was a little puzzling, though, to wait until the back of the sixth round to take a defensive lineman in a draft loaded with them.

Grade: B

New England Patriots

New England surprised some people by using the No. 32 pick on Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry. He’s a big outside target who is physical at the catch point.

In the second round, the Patriots made a rare trade up. They got versatile cornerback Joejuan Williams, who could be an outside cornerback or safety. Michigan’s Chase Winovich, taken at No. 77, has a good first step and good handwork. He can be used standing up or with his hand down. Fifth-round pick Byron Cowart bounced around schools and positions, but Bill Belichick could move the former blue chip recruit around the defensive line.

The Patriots also drafted a quarterback, Jarrett Stidham of Auburn with the No. 133 pick. He could be molded, but he was inconsistent in college. Watch the Patriots turn offensive linemen Yodny Cajuste and Hjalte Froholdt into good starting linemen, because that’s what they do.

Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints

Whether it was Max Unger or Jeff Faine, the Saints always seem to have good, smart centers. So when Max Unger retired, it was evident that they needed a starting center. That’s why they moved up to land Erik McCoy with a second-round pick.

In the fourth round, the Saints moved up to take Florida defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, a player some thought could be taken in the first round. He was arguably the best player available at No. 105.

Light on draft picks, there’s not much impact after McCoy and Gardner-Johnson, though those two are great picks.

Grade: B-

New York Giants

Oof. The Giants got the most attention in the entire draft by taking Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6. He could’ve been the pick at No. 17 and even that would be a reach. But taking him at No. 6 is one of the biggest head scratchers in recent drafts.

Dexter Lawrence at No. 17 was another odd choice. He’s a good player and should make an impact. But why trade a known commodity in Damon Harrison for a fifth-round pick and then take his replacement in the first round? The Giants traded back into the first round for cornerback Deandre Baker, their best first-round pick.

Oshane Ximines is a classic Giants-style pass rusher with his ability to play standing up or with his hand down. Arguably their best value pick was Julian Love at No. 108. He has great instincts to play the nickel.

Grade: D+

New York Jets

New York clearly wanted to fix its defense. After exploring a draft back, the Jets stood at No. 3 and took Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. He’s one of the two elite players in this draft. They followed it up at No. 68 with Florida pass rusher Jachai Polite. If the draft took place when the college football season ended, Polite wouldn’t have lasted that long. He was doomed by a bad combine and interviews. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will know how to utilize his skill as an edge player.

After that, Chuma Edoga is a little undersized for a tackle, but he gets out on the move. Trevon Wesco is, at the least, a good blocking tight end. Blake Cashman could make his name on special teams and filling in at linebacker. The big issue with this class is waiting until the end of the sixth round to get a cornerback.

Grade: B-

Oakland Raiders

Oakland’s grade is less about the players and more about where they were drafted. That started with defensive end Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. He’s going to be good player, but virtually no one considered him one of the five best players in the draft. As long as you don’t mind using a first-round pick on a running back, the Raiders got the top one in the draft with Josh Jacobs at No. 24. Safety Jonathan Abram, taken at No. 27, gives the Raiders a tone setter in the secondary.

Oakland was more than happy to drop down in the second round before selecting Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen. He’s a high-level athlete with good length. After being the NFL’s worst team at getting after the quarterback, the Raiders were smart to take Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby at No. 106. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow can be a weapon in the slot.

Grade: C

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles will go as far as Carson Wentz can take them. To keep him healthy, the Eagles moved up in the first round to secure left tackle Andre Dillard. It’s a shrewd move, but he’ll sit for at least a season behind Jason Peters.

It was clear that Philadelphia had to come out of the draft with a running back. After skipping on Josh Jacobs in the first round, the Eagles used the No. 53 pick on Miles Sanders of Penn State. He’s a quick back who will make people miss. He’s not much for contact, but he’ll get a nice share of carries for Philadelphia. Wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside gives Wentz a nice jump-ball target. The Eagles are another team where it’s curious that they didn’t address cornerback.

Grade: B-

Pittsburgh Steelers

No team made a bigger jump in the first round than the Steelers. They gave up a lot to get linebacker Devin Bush of Michigan. The need was obvious. The value not as much. In a pick from the Antonio Brown trade, the Steelers got a smaller Mid-American Conference wide receiver in Diontae Johnson. The similarity to Brown feels kinda troll-ish. At the least, Johnson can be a good return man early in his career. He was picked 66th overall, though Pittsburgh viewed him as a first-round player, which was surprising.

On Day 3, the Steelers took several very Steelers players. Cornerback Justin Layne is the big outside corner they needed. Benny Snell, a brilliant pickup, is a power back who fits the offense perfectly. If James Conner struggles, Snell could be a star. Zach Gentry was this draft’s version of Jesse James as a big, unrefined tight end with some athleticism.

Grade: B-

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers got the best player in the draft in defensive end Nick Bosa. That choice alone makes this is a good draft for them. Before this weekend, San Francisco had minimal talent at wide receiver. Getting Deebo Samuel at No. 36 was a coup. Kyle Shanahan is a great play caller who can scheme success for receivers. Now he has a good one to go along with 2018 second-rounder Dante Pettis. The 49ers added another receiving option in Jalen Hurd at No. 67. He can do a little of everything.

The 49ers took the first specialist of the draft with All-American Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky at No. 110. Here is another team that waited on cornerback, though. With their last pick, the 49ers finally addressed the position and got Tim Harris.

Grade: B+

Seattle Seahawks

This was a very Seattle draft: there were a ton of trades, players drafted higher than most expected, and they still filled needs. That started with their first-round pick. L.J. Collier is a consistent and powerful lineman who they probably view as a new Michael Bennett.

Seattle kept moving back in the second round before settling at No. 47 and taking Utah safety Marquise Blair. Like Collier, Blair was selected earlier than anticipated. Blair is a hard-hitting safety with speed and can also play nickel.

Seattle ended D.K. Metcalf’s drop by trading up to No. 64 to get him. The wide receiever has big-time traits, which the Seahawks like, but he’s limited as a route runner. They added another receiver with Gary Jennings of West Virginia. If Doug Baldwin does retire, the Seahawks smartly safeguarded themselves. They upgraded their nickel package with defensive back Ugo Amadi and linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven.

Grade: B-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Linebacker Devin White of LSU, taken fifth overall, was the player the Buccaneers needed in this draft. He should quickly assert himself as Tampa’s team captain and the best player on its defense. He was one of the best picks in the first round.

Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians expressed a desire to improve the pass defense. Second-round pick Sean Bunting will help. While it was a surprise to see him go ahead of LSU’s Greedy Williams, Bunting gives Tampa a physical press man cornerback who can play outside. Cornerback Jamel Dean has tools that can be developed. The Buccaneers got nice depth with coverage safety Mike Edwards and defensive end Anthony Nelson.

The impact after White, though, seems minimal. Maybe the kicker they drafted this year, Matt Gay, can stick.

Grade: B-

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee probably can’t get a full grade after drafting defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with the No. 19 pick. A player with top-five skill, Simmons might miss the season after tearing his ACL. When wide receivers dropped deep into the second round, the Titans got a nice steal with A.J. Brown. He might be this draft’s JuJu Smith-Schuster. He can play inside or outside, and doesn’t hesitate to make plays in traffic.

Guard Nate Davis, taken at No. 82, is a dominant run blocker who gets low and overpowers defensive linemen. It was a little surprising to see him taken in the top 100. The Titans got more value on Day 3 with Iowa safety Amani Hooker at No. 116. He could push for a starting job. Edge rusher D’Andre Walker and linebacker David Long were steals on Day 3.

Grade: A-

Washington

Sometimes the draft is about getting lucky. That was the case for Washington when quarterback Dwayne Haskins slipped all the way to No. 15. To fill the need at pass rusher, Washington jumped back into the first round to get another player in free fall with Montez Sweat. He can stand up and rush the edge.

Washington smartly paired Haskins with college teammate Terry McLaurin, a speedy receiver who does all the small things. A couple years ago, some thought Stanford running back Bryce Love would be a top-64 pick. Then a torn ACL killed his draft stock. If he’s healthy, he gives Washington a shifty runner with a history of explosive plays. It’s a big risk considering Derrius Guice has his own ACL issues, though.

Wide receiver Kelvin Harmons was straight-up theft in the back part of the sixth round. But this is a theme of these grades: Where was the cornerback?

Grade: A-

[pontevoix]

porco walks fast. it’s rare that he cares much for his starting point or his destination – but being in transit makes him bite down on his tongue with an impatience that comes to him as though it were a trait, as though it were always a part of him. 

maybe it is. even so, impatience is reason enough for him to count the buildings that he passes as though the quantity were evidence of some sort of damnation.

he likes simple logic, mostly because he thinks everyone around him has a hideous capacity to overthink too much. to think that it matters if things are a hundred shades of grey when sometimes facts are facts, wins are wins, losses are losses. this life is not meant to be surmountable.

he counts an uneven amount of buildings on the walk from his family home to the candidates’ training centers. there are twenty-seven. there would be more, but there’s an empty courtyard for the market — & three buildings could have fit there. 

on longer walks, he starts trying to count windows. it’s satisfying, in part, because he knows that he can’t remember the correct number without standing still, & so he doesn’t try. 

sometimes, he swears that something has burned too hot in him & left ash against his chest – & it’s cynicism that comes in confessions or complaints that he never fully believes : 

they are too many. there are too many of them ( people, eldians, whoever )  stacked upwards in apartments, waiting for militancy, waiting for grief. 

if he cannot count how many, they are — then they are too many. that’s the type of simple logic that matters.

still, he keeps imagining buildings & windows as being forever. he keeps nodding to himself when he counts every two windows to amount to a family home & feeling defiant in the childish want for their family to last forever.

impatient as he is, porco hates to see things end. he walks fast. it’s rare that he cares much for his starting point or his destination – but being in transit makes him bite tongue. but a quick pace sometimes makes things feel a little bit more forever, a little bit more tied to yesterday, a little bit more tied to tomorrow.

of course, he is a soldier. he has maintained gold-tier status long enough that it had been assumed that he should step into the role that zeke had once occupied — he is waiting to be a stopgap. the one who lives long enough that he can instruct child-candidates on the values of training & preparing for inheritance.

of course, zeke had never been a contingency plan. the beast had been chosen for him, & he had weaponized it in a way that no previous wielder had done before. so it’s not the same. meanwhile, porco waits in sidelines to inherit if an emergency arises & child-candidates are not yet indoctrinated enough. 

he counts windows & hates to see things end. his gold-tier pathway to ascension feels like a preparation for another man to press his head down, to wait for something bloody & hellfire to touch his cheek —-

it’s been announced that the mission to paradis had ended. porco hates to see things end. it had taken him two years after the mission had started for porco to declare to an empty room ( just so that it would be said aloud even if it would be too dangerous for it to be heard  ) that the mission was never meant to be successful.

there was never going to be a world in which the armored, the colossal, jaws, & the crystallized titan would be enough to uproot the founder & steal deity for themselves. 

marcel was dead. porco was certain that soon as the mission had begun, marcel was dead.  & that hadn’t been the end because it hadn’t been confirmed, it hadn’t been spoken into existence. 

but now there is one survivor, & it had to be fucking reiner — incoherent & struggling with stilted healing because the intention for continued life was only half-formed. 

it had to be fucking reiner, toting with him a woman as a prisoner of war. it turns out marcel had barely survived a week, so she’s the best that they’ve got.  

in truth, it’s hard to imagine that annie had been forced to surrender. it’s hard to imagine that bertolt ( the god he almost was ) had been brought to his knees. 

it’s not so hard to understand that reiner would survive. if porco were feeling particularly cruel, he might argue it’s because reiner is like a goddamned cockroach — the kind of strength & resilience that would equip him to survive anything.

it made him an okay fit for the armored.

but porco would have been a better fit for the armored. he’s like a cockroach too — he’s a contingency plan, well-suited to survive as long as he needs to even with his head cut off. 

it’s gruesome, though, his usefulness comes to fruition by stealing back an inheritance from a woman who had ruined his brother. gruesome & a little desperate. maybe that, too, is a simple kind of logic.

he’s slated for ceremony, slated for inheritance now.  porco thinks he can try to appreciate the change. even while he bites his tongue & counts windows & wishes that some things would last forever. even if he hates endings & hopes that that some things will last forever – this is reason enough for him to visit reiner before he dresses himself in white. before he surrenders himself in a mirror.

it’s the first time since the end of the mission to paradis that porco has been able to bring himself to visit reiner — partly, it’s been a matter of logistics. reiner has been subjected to questioning & scrutiny since his return, since his failure.

partly, it’s been a matter of want. reiner was the sole survivor, & facts are facts, wins are wins, losses are losses. it means that porco associates reiner with a lot, & that is only fair. 

of course, reiner’s also prone to overthinking. he ruins fairness & simple logic when he speaks to porco like a confessional, & porco hates it. 

from @st4rsinclined: hate me, blame me, crucify me; just please don’t walk away. ( reiner & porco )

hate me, blame me, crucify me; just please don’t walk away, reiner says — because he’s not doing well with isolation. because porco hasn’t been able to bring himself to say much. instead, he turns bitter he leans against the wall in reiner’s rooms & folds his arms across his chest.

he really doesn’t have much he can say, so he bites down on his tongue with an impatience that comes to him as though it were a trait, as though it were always a part of him. 

maybe it is. even so, impatience is reason enough for him to count the seconds passing as though the quantity were evidence of some sort of damnation. 

the ones selected for candidacy, for the honor of becoming a warrior : their seconds are numbered, & they still feel like too many – stacked against them.

so porco clicks his tongue & studies the time on his watch. he hates for things to end, but he’s slated soon for scheduled next steps — 

so he gives grace while he can.  ‘ sometimes it’s not about you, ‘ porco says. his voice is snide, & he doesn’t mean to be cruel.

but this isn’t about reiner.  this is about things ending, things that didn’t last forever. this is about the things that they lost. 

they both lost. this life is not meant to be surmountable.