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shreddedleopard · 4 years

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Thoughts on chapter 137, and why it makes complete sense and cements the themes and lessons of Attack on Titan.

I have so many thoughts, I just want to word vomit them out at a million miles an hour, but I’ll try to do this in some sort of order and not my usual chaotic mess.

Attack on Titan is about family and belonging, and THIS is the dream that Ymir was drunk on. This is ‘that scenery.’

Ymir, the founder, just wants to belong somewhere. With someone. She wants to be loved and valued as a person, not as a slave; not as someone who merely fulfils a role. In the latest chapter, Zeke explains how he failed to understand her, but Eren did.

Look at Eren’s words to Ymir in this moment, several chapters earlier:

All Ymir has ever wanted is to be held. To be loved like a person. To feel that connection because of who she is, not the role she fulfils.

Eren understands this, in contrast to Zeke, who once again tries to impose her role upon her:

Ymir has been hanging around in paths all this time, unable to fully die and let her consciousness pass on to the next world, because she needs to find this thing that she’s been searching for since the start of the story.

It’s not just about romantic love. It’s about connection. That sense of being understood and belonging with someone else, whether that be romantically, platonically, as family ... we keep seeing the same theme brought up throughout the entire manga.

Who else is a character that constantly searches for the same thing? Mikasa.

She has so many parallels and yet also opposites with Ymir. Ymir is told she is a slave, she obeys the king, that is her role. And she accepts it. Because she believes that it’s the only way to find happiness; to find this belonging she’s been craving. However, unlike Ymir, who does not truly love the king, I believe that Mikasa does truly love Eren - what form that takes doesn’t necessarily matter to me at this point. It’s just about connection.

Whether Eren feels the same, tragically for him, doesn’t matter. Because Eren knows he is destined to be the one to end the cycle of hatred and free Ymir. And that will ultimately cost him his life. That is why, when Zeke asks him what he will do about Mikas’s affections - which have nothing to do with her bloodline and everything to do with him - Eren cannot answer. That choice has sadly been taken from him.

When Eren asks Mikasa what she is to him, I think he genuinely wants to know at that point. I think he cares about her so deeply and wants to know she feels the same way, and it’s not just about him being ‘her saviour’. But as we’ve seen before, Eren cannot afford to stop for too long and dwell in the moment, because he must push on towards freedom - the freedom of Ymir and the Eldian people from the curse of the Titans.

This brings his conversation around the table with Armin, Mikasa and Gabi into a whole new light. Eren insults his friends in an attempt to push them away from him - because he knows he won’t be around to live that ‘long, happy life’ with them. So instead, he wants to push them to confront their feelings in the arms of others. He pushes Armin to really consider what Annie means to him, and for Mikasa, I believe that Eren intends her to perhaps look towards Jean, who is truly willing to give her the love she has always sought from Eren. Because again, so tragically, Eren will not be around to provide that for her - regardless of whether it’s something he wants or not. His own wishes no longer matter on the path he has been set upon.

Back to Ymir. Eren tells her, he will put an end to this world:

He doesn’t mean the human world; the living world. He means the world of paths, where Ymir is trapped, unable to let go of the souls of dead Eldians, because she’s still searching for that connection she craves so much. Her paths world is an attempt to quell that feeling of loneliness she’s been plagued with, but ironically, she’s more lonely than ever, stuck there, serving the bloodline she’s created from a place of misery and duty, rather than love.

The rumbling and the destruction of Marley is a very tragic consequence of what Eren has to do to put an end to the curse of the Titans. He’s searched for another way to no avail; we’ve seen his remorse when he apologises to Halil or Ramsey in chapter 131:

I think the anger and devastation that’s unleashed in the rumbling, is a result of the hurt and mistreatment both Eren and Ymir have felt at points in their lives.

Eren understands that to destroy the paths realm, first this devastation is necessary, because he’s seen it in his future memories, despite the conflicting feelings it’s evoked from him - he doesn’t really want to destroy humanity outside of the walls, but his own future is telling him that he must and he will. But it’s not Eren’s emotions that drive this initial destruction - it is Ymir’s. These emotions are no different in nature than the ones that Eren felt in response to Armin’s childhood bullies - that sense of unfairness and need to lash out at oppressors - but tragically, unlike Eren who in that moment of intense, irrational emotion had only his fists to vent and release, Ymir is in possession of one of the most terrible and destructive weapons there is - hordes of colossal Titans. And in that moment where Eren finally gives her that validation she has been searching for, and allows her that feeling of release from the duty she’s felt she needed to fulfil for thousands of years, Ymir releases that frustration and anger too and sends them walking.

This theme of the oppressor and oppressed switching places in an endless cycle of revenge and stealing from others what has been stolen from you is a theme that we see repeated throughout not only the AOT manga, but also soundtrack and additional content too.

Eren was right that it would be Armin that saves humanity - because Armin is the one that makes the connection in paths - he understands what is being shown to him with the leaf - and tragically, it actually highlights how, even up until the very end, Eren and Armin knew each other very well. Eren trusted Armin to make sense of what he’s had to do - even if it’s only Ymir that he understands, because while Eren is the one to give Ymir her freedom and unleash this terrible devastation, Armin is the one who must stop it.

But how does this idea of family and connection tie in to the rest of the events in the chapter, and wider manga, and what’s up with Historia’s pregnancy? And how is paths going to be destroyed, if the rumbling has been stopped and Ymir is free, but the Titans are still around?

This is where the rest of our cast fit in - namely Zeke, Levi, Historia and Reiner. If my theory is correct.

Eren gave Ymir the validation she needed and that sense of connection, freeing her from her role, and this bought that final bit of time needed for Historia to give birth to her child. Why is Historia’s child important? Because it is the ‘new dawn’ we’ve seen foreshadowed repeatedly throughout the series. The birth of a new history. And this comes in the form of a new bloodline, no longer infected with ‘parasite’ of the founding Titan.

Unlike Ymir’s bloodline, which stemmed from a place of duty and slavery - as she was ordered by the king to take ‘his seed’, and carried the parasite of the creature that bound to her within the depths of the tree, creating the paths realm and an almost purgatory type space free of death or heaven or earth or anything, Historia’s bloodline will be ‘cleaned’ because of the genes of the child’s father. And not only this, it will be born out of a moment of love and connection, rather than duty. This new combination will make it impossible for a child of the royal bloodline to become a Titan. There will be no coordinate - no link for Ymir from her paths realm to the living world, because the last link to her bloodline - a Titan with royal blood - will no longer exist.

This really brings home the gravity of the moment where Levi cuts Zeke down - he’s the last of the royal Titans, but the reader knows Historia’s baby is about to be born - will they inherit the Titan, and the cycle will re-start?

They will not. The cycle will be broken with them, because - and here’s where it gets wild - Historia’s child is not a Fritz, or a Reiss - they are an Ackerman. They physically cannot turn.

Why does all this fit in symbolically? Let me draw your attention to the genre of Seikaikei.

Attack on Titan uses this idea with our two Ackermans.

We have both endings. Eren and Mikasa, our bittersweet ending, where Eren ultimately chooses the fate of humanity over his relationships with Mikasa and Armin, and Levi, who, in a moment of selfishness, allows himself to put aside his role for a night - probably at the railroad banquet, where he was supposed to be making sure the likes of Eren and Yelena were kept apart - and indulges in this connection that he’s formed with Historia. You can read my 10 reasons post if you want to for why the heck I would think these two would form a deep bond - it’s all there in the Uprising Arc. They have been the same as Ymir - yearning for a sense of love and connection, but bound by roles neither of them asked for or particularly wanted - reluctant heroes comes to mind. Remember how freckled Ymir’s parting wish was for Historia to live for herself?

The result is an accidental pregnancy which, ironically enough, is what is going to annihilate the curse of the Titans and save the world. How poetic that the Titans will not be ‘driven out’ by hate, violence, and destruction, but instead by love, connection and new life.

Remember Kenny and Uri’s miracle?

Kenny and Uri’s chapter, ‘Friends’, was exactly halfway back into the manga. History moves in repeating cycles in AOT, and we see things change slightly each time, on this journey to freedom. At this point, the Ackermans and royals were one step away from where they needed to get to in order to build this paradise - and Levi and Historia complete the cycle by becoming ‘lovers,’ tragically, the thing that Eren and Mikasa could not become, because Eren had to undertake the rumbling and be the one to free Ymir from her sorrow and loneliness. She can make the choice now - will she fight to be reborn as Historia’s child - fight for dominance with the Ackerman bloodline - or will she concede, finally laid to rest because the cycle has been broken by two people that love one another, just like the couple Ymir saw long ago and wished for.

Remember how Eren asked Zeke whether the ackermans act the way they do from a place of duty or genuine feelings? He needed to check it was the real deal that would break the curse, and finally lay Ymir to rest peacefully, after 2,000 years of hatred and searching. She will see that her descendant, Historia, finally has what she always dreamed of. That idea of dreams pushing us onwards - Ymir’s dream is realised through Historia and Levi.

As for the parasite itself? I believe Reiner will be the one to lock it in a Crystal prison with himself, deep underground.

A new dawn will come, and a new world will be built from the ashes of the old.

#snk #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #eren jaeger #levi ackerman #armin alert #ymir the founder #historia reiss #mikasa ackerman

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madara-fate · 3 years

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Ive seen people hate Gabi solely for killing Sasha..which i dont think is fair giving what happened before that..while i hate that sasha dies and did get aggravated at Gabi i understand.

That being said..

I actually hated Gabi from the first meeting.. All the other kids were likeable but she...just wasnt.

I cant stand her inability to realize.. maybe just maybe she was lied to her whole life..even Falco, Reiner, Annie and Bertholt were more open to it and started to realize maybe they were wrong..hell they even cared about some of the scouts.. Gabi was just a Marleyan wannabe that just wouldn't face facts even when she spent time with the kindest eldian people.

I know the other " warriors" had the same brainwashing and they did awful things, worse than Gabi, but its her mindset for me.. Thats what makes it worse she had the same brainwashing as the others but she was the most resistant to the truth.. So people saying its not her fault she was brainwahed..it not her fault initially but if she presented with the truth and still denies denies.. Then shes just reveling in her ignorance...

The other warriors, while yes doing awful things and following through with their plans, they still ended up sympathizing with the eldians and being like hey maybe they arent evil devils.. Hell you can see the inner turmoil it caused Reiner.

Plus the fact that Gabi seems to act above it all..like she isnt and eldian as well..like girl sit tf down and shut up🙄 if they are devils then you are too.. Nothing will change that..nothing will change the fact that with a bit of titan spinal fluid you change into one😒 like sis come on.

I also think i sympathize with paridis more is because for about 100 or so years they thought titans were some creatures coming out of nowhere to annihilate humanity🤷 they didn't know... But Gabi and the others did know..they knew eldians turned into titans and it was the marleyans that changed them, yet they still blame the innocent eldians for the sins of their ancestors. Even though Gabi is of the same race..its infuriating.. She's like the Uncle Rukus of AOT😂

( uncle rukus is a cartoon character on the show Boondocks, who thinks he's white with " re vitiligo" but is really black and he hates all black people, in case u didn't know lol )

I'm indifferent to Gabi, but I can't really say that I agree with this.

You're saying that Falco, Reiner, Annie and Bertholt were more open minded and started to realize maybe they were wrong, but Gabi did the exact same thing. In fact, it took less time for Gabi to come to this realisation than it did for Reiner, Bertholt and Annie, because they were only shown starting to question what they knew about the Eldians on Paradis after having lived with them for a few years. It obviously took Gabi significantly less time to reach the conclusion that the Paradis Eldians actually weren't so bad. She was also starting to form a genuine friendship with Kaya before the truth was revealed in the restaurant. So again, you're saying how the older warriors eventually came to care for the scouts, but the same can be said for Gabi as well. The older warriors came to care for their scout comrades after a few years, whereas Gabi was beginning to form a friendship with Kaya after a few weeks, if not days.

Gabi was just a Marleyan wannabe that just wouldn't face facts even when she spent time with the kindest eldian people.

Gabi did eventually face the facts though, and relatively speaking, when considering the level of her brainwashing, it didn't take her very long to do so.

People always tend to say things like "well Falco is her age and underwent the same brainwashing, so why can't she be more like him?", but that's like asking a struggling student who still tries their best, why they can't match the genius in their class who gets straight A's. Sometimes it's just something you're born with. Gabi is just innately more driven towards a singular purpose, much like Eren. However, people tend to forget that people like Falco who have that depth of understanding, are most definitely not the norm in that universe. Falco is the exception, not the rule. People can't just ask why Gabi can't be more like Falco, when the vast majority of perspectives in the series, are more aligned with Gabi.

Not only that, but Falco and Colt's own uncle, Grice, was part of the Restorationist movement with Grisha and Dina, so Falco had already been exposed to these opposing viewpoints long before we even first met him, and so was more susceptible to changing his views. And as if that wasn't enough, Falco was also present for Eren and Reiner's conversation where these topics were discussed, so he had a first hand perspective of the truth, Gabi didn't have that. If she had also been present for their conversation, it obviously wouldn't have been so easy for her to brush off the attack on Paradis with an "I didn't see it so it didn't happen" attitude. These things all contributed towards making it a lot easier for Falco to accept the differing perspectives.

Thats what makes it worse she had the same brainwashing as the others but she was the most resistant to the truth.. So people saying its not her fault she was brainwashed..it not her fault initially but if she presented with the truth and still denies denies.. Then shes just reveling in her ignorance...

But again, that's not actually the case. Gabi wasn't the most resistant to the truth, the only person who came to that realisation quicker than she did, was Falco. She was far more resistant to the truth than he was (partly due to the reasons I explained above), but that is not the case for the older warriors. Gabi denied it initially, but ultimately relented pretty soon afterwards. Compare that with Reiner, who responded to Annie describing the scouts as his friends, by saying how they were devils, not his friends. This was after having spent several years with them. He was confronted with the truth for several years at that point, and yet he still thought of them as devils. Therefore, among the Marleyan warriors, Reiner is actually the most stubborn one, not Gabi.

And Gabi did exactly the same thing... A lot sooner. Furthermore, Reiner only began having the split personality problem after having killed Marco. Prior to that, he had spent years with them, and yet was still very much gung ho about their mission and about the Eldians on Paradis being a filthy race.

I agree, but that is applicable to the vast majority of the warriors, excluding probably Falco and Tom Ksaver. Every Marleyan warrior or warrior candidate who aspired to be an Honourary Marleyan for whatever reason, knew that they'd be tasked with getting rid of the titan threat posed by the Paradis Eldians, and they were fine with it because they had been raised under the notion that they were separate from the Eldians on Paradis.

They were all taught from the moment they could think for themselves, that the Paradis Eldians were bad people, and that those on Marley were still tainted, but had a chance for redemption. It's easy for us as the readers and viewers to tell them to sit down and shut up, when we haven't experienced being brainwashed ourselves.

#Gabi Braun #Reiner Braun #Attack on Titan #Shingeki no Kyojin

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gltwrites · 3 years

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the day isym said: i'm gonna fuck shit y'all up

So this is how it ends. I guess I won't be able to let this go sooner, or not ever.

Following the lives of these incredible characters since 2014 had been an astonishing journey for me. And now, we reached the end of one of the most-loved mangas, Attack on Titan/Shingeki No Kyojin—probably the only masterpiece that will touch my heart like this in this lifetime.

What an awful timing it was that chapter 139 arrived at the time I was supposed to be celebrating with my mutuals on exoltwt lol. While, overall, I rate AoT as 11 out of 10, I can't eschew that the culmination has left me qualms and questions unresolved.

Let's start with Armin thanking Eren for his sacrifices for Paradis—which equates to thanking him for committing a global genocide (bro, wtf???). This did not sit right with me, but I'm taking into account that Armin could see there was no easy way out, and that he believes achieving peace requires sacrifices, notwithstanding his altruistic nature and efforts to not completely throw away his humanity.

And I'm also considering the fact that, with the reality Paradis had, bringing off peace without lives being taken was a wishful thinking.

His idealistic worldview clashed with Eren's, and he wasn't able to present a solid resolution 'til the windup. And yet, Armin was still willing to talk things out with his best friend so they could come up with a better plan, without further casualties.

Up until the very end, he wanted PEACE.

I think, this is what makes Armin admirable, contrary to what other readers paint him out to be—weak and useless. He's one of the strongest and skilled characters in AoT imo. He didn't need to be a Titan or an Ackerman. He's innately whip-smart and a natural tactician, making himself a consequential character despite his lacking combat skills.

Weighing up Armin's burdens and the mental load he carries, it hurts to be in his shoes, especially since he's the commander. He's torn between his friend's life and the rest of the world. He took the responsibility of the Rumbling aftermath to shoulder Mikasa's burden and let her live in peace.

And in the end, conflict dragged on, and he ended up with a large obligation to the people.

There were little appearances of Historia, which I initially found a bit absurd since she's among the important characters in the whole series. She didn't say anything, and her pregnancy was for what again? I was disappointed. Her bearing a child held no importance and was a random subplot.

Conversely, amid a slew of readers demanding her clarification on knowing Eren's plans from the get-go, her explanation on the matter would be unnecessary. It seemed to me she has done her part on how the story would play out. And if there was an epilogue or a succeeding set of panels, Historia might've made her comeback since her role as the queen is expected to hugely partake in peace propositions.

And over and above these, the final chapter seemed...rushed? I feel like some panels need to be fleshed out more, such as the whole of Founder Ymir's feelings towards that bitchass abuser Karl Fritz. I was appalled that the root of the sufferings that prolonged for two millennia was because of her martyrdom and servitude to the king and the royal family, which she described as love.

But in reality, without having to chew this over, Ymir didn't really know what true love is. She was a slave since birth, her family was massacred by Karl Fritz, and was impregnated thrice by this murderer who never gave a shit about her. She lived a wretched life, manipulated and abused, and died after jumping in front of the spear to protect the king.

Brought by fear of losing the power of the titan, he made her daughters eat Ymir's flesh and told then to bear many children. Sick fuck.

Then Ymir discovered Mikasa, who she deemed a mirror of her own. The difference, however, is that Mikasa's love for Eren isn't one-sided. And so her greatest desire to be freed from an abusive relationship was accomplished after discovering what real love is through EreMika.

Speaking of Eren, I can understand why plenty of readers condemned him. The guy, who masked himself as a peak tsundere, cold, temperamental bastard, exterminated almost the entire global population, and when asked by Armin his reason, he said he didn't know why, so from here we can assume he neither had a goal behind that warped undertaking nor did it for the greater good.

But Armin is smart, and Eren's silence was a tacit answer. The predicament seemed unsolvable, and wiping 80% of humanity is his last resort to hold off the rest of the world from attacking Paradis.

Taking also into account that he didn't mean to have his mother killed by Dina after rerouting her from Bertholdt. If he didn't, Bertholdt wouldn't end up as the Colossal Titan and Armin wouldn't have eaten him and died along the way.

Bear in mind that Eren believed Armin would save the world, but if he kicked the bucket—and had Eren, who was obviously enslaved by his destiny, altered anything in his memories—would unravel another reality unknown to Eren that could pose a bigger risk.

And the fact that he let the familiar fate dictate him meant opening a door to another door of possibilities of achieving world peace, with Armin taking the lead.

By making himself the bad guy in his story to make his friends be the heroes, the ending suggests that harmony would work out in the end.

In 139, Armin, Reiner, Pieck, Annie, Jean, and Connie were planning to make peace negotiations. And through this, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Levi finally bidding farewell to his comrades bawled my eyes out—this is probably the saddest shit ever AoT has ever done to me, next to Erwin's death. Levi is the last one existing among his original comrades, and it sent a pang to my heart when he did his final salute, wearing a faint smile while wrapped in bandages.

It was not indicated what he'd been doing post-Rumbling. The end of Titans' curse also put an end to the Ackerman bloodline's "awakened power" and above-average human strength, so he's probably a military consultant or mentor, given his amazing contribution as humanity's strongest warrior.

It was also shown he remained in the capital and is with now-grown Falco and Gabi, who both have shown their potential for a military career.

Meanwhile, unlike Levi, Mikasa chose to retire and live in her hometown. While others remark her ending as tragic (I'm guilty of this tbh), her former comrades were on their way to see her and visit Eren's grave next to the tree from their childhood, making her not entirely lonely. I wished she and Armin were in the same multiple frames of the latter panels of the final chapter as they both grieve losing Eren. But given Armin's new and bigger responsibilities for humanity, it's impossible.

EreMika may not be endgame, and I may be bound to perpetual frustration of them never getting the chance to wear their hearts on their sleeves, I am satisfied with the ending—imperfect but fitting. It's actually funny that my feelings got the best of me upon reading the last chapter, and cursed at the story for not ending in absolute peace and bliss, forgetting that AoT had always been a poignant, anxiety-induced, existentialist story, and hinted at a bittersweet finale from the start.

#Hajime Isayama #Attack on Titan #Shingeki No Kyojin #AoT 139 #attack on titan #snk #SnK 139 #AoT ending #SnK ending #Eren #Armin #Mikasa #Eren Jeager #Eren Yeager #Armin Arlert #Mikasa Ackerman #Levi Ackerman #Levi

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januaryedgelordess · 3 years

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I'd like to discuss a SnK theory with someone, it's on the possibility of a different (or expanded) AnR theory.

Disclaimer: Perhaps you should read this post with the lyrics for Akatsuki no Requiem by Linked Horizon in mind, but I also don't stand by the original reddit theory a 100%.

One of the questions that lingers around the fandom is: "who would've survived the Rumbling had it been done as originally implied by the themes and foreshadowing of the story?". Some believe only Eren and Historia would have had that chance, but they might be mistaken.

The first proof I have in order to back this claim is AnR's official art as drawn by WIT Studio during the production of season three of the anime:

(Note: these are originally four different images, the source of this collage is vaguely anitwt).

Just as shown in the original PV by Linked Horizon, each of these characters are standing by a gravestone while holding a bouquet and looking conflicted. Now, to counter the original AnR theorists, I propose that Eren —and by extension, Historia— weren't the only ones to live on with regret in their hearts, instead, Levi and Hanji survived as well.

Why did they survive? Is my conclusion solely based on these pictures? Well, just in part.

I believe Attack on Titan was never meant to be a one-sided story, and that one of the various themes that weren't thoroughly explored in the later chapters, a theme which was instead rushed and swiftly overlooked, is that of the conflict between "Nationalism" and "Internationalism". It's obvious and needless to point out that Yaegerists were the former, but the latter never take a name for themselves. However, we get a rough idea of who they might be, one of them is clearly Hanji Zoe:

Another internationalist is obviously Onyankopon:

Another one is Armin and so on, and so on.

Are they the only type on people on Earth? Of course not. Notably you also have those who have egotistical motivations, like Jean, who just wants to get married and live a peaceful life in the inner cities; or the Hizuru ambassador, Kiyomi, whose motivation is monetary gain. The world isn't black and white in AoT so, to clarify, it's unnecessary to classify every character in the dichotomy here presented.

Now, if Yams hadn't downplayed this interaction, we may have had a better thought out plan to stop the Rumbling and, possibly, a less moronically cringy way for "The Alliance" to be presented.

Why is that? It's because of various reasons. First, one of the most observant characters, Hanji, is notable for having spied on some of Eren and Historia's interactions (the "You look happy — that's because I am" scene for example) but by the end of the story the audience never got a reason as to why this observant behavior happened. If Hanji really is as cunning and observant as she is portrayed to be, she should've been the first character to suspect that Eren is the father and, therefore, that Historia's pregnancy's due date was off. Instead of the survey corps discussing this info, we get some random officers discussing irrelevant rumours about it. Isayama I mean, Kawakubo played Hanji Zoe dirty, in my opinion, in this scenario.

If Hanji had noticed that important information, and if that info had been shared with the Survey Corps, as was natural for her character to do, "the Alliance" may have had been able to act sooner against the AT.

Now, would more prep time save the world from devastation? No, I don't believe so. I believe it would, instead, make them have a slightly more realistic last fight by a) having them recruit actual soldiers and weapons for the final showdown, heck, if they have enough time even other countries would chime in, vs Hallu-chan and the Attach Titan; and, therefore, b) not having them rely on a Deus Ex Machina to defeat Eren.

That way, Hanji would live on with regret, knowing the Alliance did everything in their power to defeat the Attack Titan but failed miserably in the end. Instead of having her smile as her ghost-self at whatever the hell the canon battle achieved, she'd mourn the world that's been lost, and she'd feel regret for not being able to save it.

Now, for Levi I haven't done a thorough analysis yet, but I believe it's not difficult to see why humanity's strongest soldier would survive this ordain. I'd really like to hear someone else's thoughts on that matter.

Also, I'm in no way trying to imply LeviHan was supposed to be part of a kino ending, but I'm not too into that ship so I'd like to hear someone else's thoughts about it and on why they were the only two members of the alliance to survive according to WIT Studio's AnR official art.

Now, onto the second part of "who survived the Rumbling?". The next piece of information contradicts previous statements, and it also contradicts an AnR ending to some extent, but bare with me, please.

Exhibit A, Mikasa and Armin should have survived:

However, for Kruger's prophecy to succeed, I stand by my previous statement that "the Alliance" should've acted sooner, and that Armin is part of the Internationalist faction ready to "save humanity". Why do I believe that? It's easy, first, let's remember this quote from the moment Erwin died:

Note how, not only does Eren say Armin will save the humans, he also implies Mikasa will know it'll happen (so she'll be alive by the time the battle ends).

And, piggybacking on that moment as well, Armin would've been able to use his intellect to make a plan to divert the Rumbling titans. I'm adding this here to stress something that can't be stressed enough: Armin shouldn't have had to fistfight Eren twice, and he shouldn't have had to steal someone else's kill. Now onto that kill...

Should Mikasa have been the one to deal Eren's final blow? In the canon version of the story it's shown, in a rather cringy way, how she has to make up a whole different scenario inside her mind to get the mental strength to kill him. To me, Mikasa instead should've used the devastation caused by the Rumbling to completely break away from Eren's character and to be able to see past the "you're being brainwashed" narrative. Now, besides some of Isayama's interviews, there's other proof to back this up: the Historia-Mikasa parallels in Ending 4 and Ending 1:

Ending 1: https://youtu.be/O4wezNlsxB0

Ending 4: https://youtu.be/o05UK9lXtC0

We see some petty similarities in both: how both girls seem to be inside a pond or a lake, a snip of them running when they were young, etc.; but we also see some more important things for this theory: their growth as a person (how they survived whatever the past cast upon them), and them catching up to the people who they look up to and love.

Now, two things we know about Historia are that her beloved Ymir left her and she had to learn to accept it and move on; and that her sister, Frieda, died and she, without initially knowing even that she'd lost her, had to learn how to live on her own when she was young. Would Mikasa and Eren be able to have an end like that? I think it was implied that it was possible, but other than that, as part of any healthy development of her character, it is important for her to move on just as the Eldian Queen did: even if Eren chose to live a life apart from her (like Ymir did to Historia's early knowledge) or even if he were to die (like Frieda did).

Also, I have some doubts about Mikasa being the one who was supposed to kill Eren, since the one who was foreshadowed to be a Helos' parallel, and who'd fit the role just as well is Reiner, but I won't discuss that here.

So, to me, Mikasa was never an Internationalist, but for the sake of her character, a break-away from Eren should've been a good conclusive act.

As to some other parallels between Mikasa and Historia we have this part:

In which it is implied that they share the same burden by birth, and the same destiny, possibly. Mikasa is shown to be embarrassed about it but Historia seems to be thoroughly delighted.

With this parallel I'd also like to recall two other threads left undone: the Azumabito clan and the Ackerman mystery.

First, the Azumabitos. It's implied that their land is to "the Orient", and we also get a small snip during the Rumbling which implies they have a coast (it's obvious their country is a direct reference to Japan, needless to say). All of which would imply that, as it does in the Real World ™️, Hizuru is almost the Eastern-most Nation of AoT's world as well, and therefore, it may be one of the last countries that the Rumbling would have reached. If you add that they were the first people to send an ambassador to Paradis, you get: Hizuru being the first nation to be included in a possible Internationalist "Alliance" (had it been done in the appropriate time) against the Attack Titan; and you also get that this would increase their possibilities of surviving, at least just in part, the Rumbling.

Why is this important? Because AnR's lyrics do not imply the world will be completely and absolutely obliterated. AnR's lyrics imply the world will live on but the power dynamic of the world will be reversed: Paradis will rule, while the rest will be forced inside the cage.

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Linked-Horizon/Akatsuki-no-Requiem-TV-Size

Now, the Ackermans. Just as Historia and Zeke posses a special particularity by virtue of birth (they are direct descendants of Ymir), which make them valuable assets to "breed" for whoever is using the Eldians (be it Marley, the Azumabitos, or the First King), I believe the outside world would be interested, at any part of the story, to have an Ackerman in their line of defense against the Eldians. In this case the Mikasa-Historia parallel is strengthened, simply because it would be interesting to see Levi or Mikasa confront that part of their destiny (to make the Ackerman clan continue for the sake of a plan, while acknowledging they're the only survivors). Perhaps Hizuru would've been the country to try and make use of that potential? This parallel was, of course, never used, but it would've been delightful to see it exploited at some point in the AoT timeline. However I acknowledge that continuity is impossible in a world without titans, unless one of the surviving countries on Earth are in serious need of Olympic competitors, of course, so perhaps it should've been mentioned before The Rumbling arc.

Well, this turned out to be more like a vent or a rant than a theory now, and I wish I could've had discussed it quietly with someone instead of just posting it here. There are some other nuances to this analysis that I would like to explore in the future (since this isn't thoroughly thought out) In the meantime what do you all think of a new AnR theory like this one? Does it make a little sense? At least a bit? I hope so. Thank you for reading and sorry about the grammar mistakes.

TLDR: I believe Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Historia, Hanji and Levi should have survived and also it's possible for Hizuru to have survived. Please feel free to point out any flaws.

#Eren #Attack on Titan #Armin #Mikasa #Levi #Hanji #AoT Theory #AnR Theory #just my personal thoughts #snk spoilers #aot spoilers #attack on titan spoilers #shingeki no kyojin spoilers #Historia Reiss #Ackerman clan #akatsuki no requiem #linked horizon #anr

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cosmicjoke · 3 years

Text

Okay, just have a few thoughts about chapter 115 of AoT.

It’s really interesting that Zeke ends up having the tables turned on him and being manipulated by Eren, the wool pulled over his eyes, the way Zeke is used to doing to everyone else, and it’s interesting because of the reason why, I think.

Part of Zeke’s problem is that he’s a narcissist. He can only view everyone and everything through the prism of his own life experiences, through the lens of himself, his thoughts, his feelings, his beliefs, and has no capacity to consider things from anyone else’ side. He’s incapable of it, it seems, incapable of separating other people from himself, or rather, separating himself from others. He thinks all the world and everything that happens in it somehow revolves around him. This is probably Zeke’s biggest weakness, and it’s why he falls for Eren’s lie that he agrees with Zeke’s euthanization plan. He just assumes that Eren’s life experiences are his own, that his experiences with their father had to have been the same, that Eren will understand things from his perspective, because Eren must have gone through the same things he did, and thus, he MUST feel the way Zeke does. He doesn’t consider Eren as a separate person from himself, but rather just an extension, a younger manifestation of himself, as someone who must hold the same, special, unique understanding he has of the world and how to “save it”. We see Yelena refer to Zeke as a god again and again, her view of him fanatical and reverent, and the Yaegerists perception of Zeke as some sort of savior figure, emerging from the womb, with shafts of heavenly light casting down upon him. This is all reflective of how Zeke views himself, a godly, messiah like figure who’s come to rescue the world with his benevolence and kindness. He believes himself to be special, and he sees Eren as an extension of that specialness. It’s why Zeke is so certain that when he goes with Eren back through his childhood memories, he’ll encounter the same experiences he had growing up. It’s why he’s so shocked when it turns out Eren’s childhood was nothing like his, and that Grisha didn’t plan initially on even taking the Founding Titan. Zeke can hardly conceive of anyone having a better or happier upbringing than him, of having a better life, and it basically shatters him when he’s forced to face that truth, because it destroys his own uncompromising belief in the notion of life being meaningless and worthless. He’s so caught up in his hero complex, in his desire to see himself as special and a savior, in fact, that he doesn’t even realize or appreciate the connection and warmth he experienced in his own childhood, with Mr. Ksaver or his grandparents. He has to believe in the lie that his entire childhood was nothing but misery to uphold his beliefs about the meaninglessness of life in general.

More examples of Zeke’s narcissism is how Mr. Ksaver points out that, after coming in contact with the founder, Zeke still won’t be able to control it’s power, that only the host can. But Zeke doesn’t really believe that. He sees himself as the chosen one, and is confident that once he makes contact with Eren, Zeke himself will be capable of controlling Ymir and her power. It’s why he starts crying and whining like a bitch when, later, Ymir ignores his ass in favor of Eren. When Zeke screams whatever about being a member of the royal family and Ymir being bound to him, it comes across as a child throwing a hissy fit when they’re forced to face the truth, which is that the world doesn’t revolve around them. He can’t accept it, or wrap his head around it. It doesn’t line up with his perception of himself as a god-like savior of the world.

We also see Eren use that kind of arrogance that Zeke has against him when he tells Zeke that “If the Eldian’s in this camp had never been born, then they wouldn’t have to die in this attack we’re planning.” He knows Zeke sees what he’s doing as mercy, as “saving” people, that he’s deluded himself into seeing his actions as that, rather than what it actually is, which is murder. He’s stroking Zeke’s ego here, by offering him absolution from the horror of his coming actions, shifting the blame for what’s going to happen to all of these people off of Zeke and putting it instead on the random, cruel unfairness of “being born into this world”. Zeke swallows it all up, because it reaffirms for him his beliefs in himself as a hero of destiny, or whatever. It makes him feel good about himself.

Okay, anyway, now I just gotta’ talk a little about when Hange finds Levi, and just... ugh, it kills me, these panels.

I hate seeing Levi like this. It’s heartbreaking, and shocking, because it’s the first time in the entire series in which we see Levi in a truly, physically vulnerable state. The first time we see him physically helpless. It’s genuinely upsetting, especially when you consider everything he’s already been through, the psychological and emotional trauma he’s already experienced leading directly up to this moment. Levi truly doesn’t deserve this kind of thing, to have the one thing left to him, his physical strength, stripped away from him like this. A man who’s lost nearly everything else in his life. It’s tragic, it really is. And I think Isayama did a remarkable job here of really conveying that tragedy in the devastation we see in Levi’s physical state. He looks totally wrecked and utterly helpless, and it’s just almost bizarre, because Levi’s only ever been incredibly powerful and strong and confident in that strength throughout the series. Seeing him like this, then, seeing him so broken, is almost unbelievable. But it also almost seems like a tangible, physical manifestation of the emotional and mental anguish Levi has experienced throughout the story. He would always keep his emotions in check, would keep his expression flat, would hide away whatever pain he was feeling, in order to continue on and keep fighting, in order to be strong for those around him and hold them up with his strength. For the first time, we see him unable to do that. For the first time in the entire series, Levi needs to be rescued. And it’s Hange of course who rescues him. And it’s really here where we see Hange’s willingness to to bend to Floch and his followers, to play along with them and compromise, fall away. Hange’s expression becomes genuinely hard and unyielding, almost vicious, as she realizes Floch’s intention to kill Levi. She fully commits in this moment, I think, to fighting against these people with everything she has, and to no longer waffle or in anyway submit to their demands. And it’s Hange’s friendship with Levi that gives her this resolve. It’s her commitment to a friend, the genuine and deep care she feels for him. She may have been willing to submit to the Yaegerists when it was just her life on the line, but she won’t let them kill Levi. It really speaks to the incredible bond the two of them share, as the last remaining veterans of the Survey Corps. That’s a unique experience shared between them, the two of them there since well before the walls ever fell, and all the losses experienced by both before and since. That it’s specifically Levi’s vulnerability in this moment, and the impending danger he’s placed in, that hardens Hange’s resolve, speaks volumes.

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #Levi Ackerman #hange zöe #zeke yaeger #eren yaegar #snk 115 #meta

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watevermelon · 4 years

Text

Aot!Haikyuu | MSBY Black Jackals x Reader (Introduction)

✧ Summary: (Attack on Titan x Haikyuu) In an effort to unlock the secrets behind Titans, you got injured during one of Tendou’s Scout Regiment experiments. This was nothing new, but even you were surprised at how much those boys cared about you. ➳ Warnings: Language and Attack on Titan Canon Violence ➳ Tags: Reader x MSBY Black Jackals; Slight Reader x Schweiden Adlers; Takes place before the Fall of Trost;

Pick your route!

Sakusa Kiyoomi | Atsumu Miya | Hinata Shoyou | Bokuto Koutarou

----xXxXxXxXxX-----

You were absolutely going to kill Tendou if you ever stepped foot back inside the walls. Then again, he was a squad leader and it was not worth having to go to trial for treason over his dead body.

Also, there was a three-meter class titan on your heels and you were separated from the rest of the squad.

But, y’know, just another day for the Survey Corps.

You grappled along the outside of the forest, the other two squads further behind as the Titan had turned its attention fully on you. It all happened so suddenly - Tendou was trying to plead his case to Commander Ukai, that capturing a live Titan would provide much needed research on their behavior. And even though it would not be easy, the information was almost necessary for the war.

And to your consternation, Commander Ukai was actually deliberating it.

Only a few minutes later, as if it was listening in on your conversation, there appeared a rustle in the trees, but nothing taller than the woods. And so here was a smaller titan, no taller than 5-meters, close to the Scout’s expedition site.

Tendou didn’t even ask for permission, riding out on his horse with little preamble. Commander Ukai shot a quick look toward Squad Leader Ushjima, the stoic man riding out after his longtime best-friend with his team of Hoshiumi and Kageyama trailing behind him.

Running to your horse, you rushed behind your own squad leader Sakusa with the rest of your team behind you. Atsumu was already complaining while Bokuto and Hinata almost seemed as excited as Tendou. Your team was a random bunch admittedly, but you had some of the best results in the entire regiment.

Tendou was so eager about Titans, this venture feeling like he was chasing after a pet rather than, y’know, a killing monster that has pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. A part of you wanted to remind him that this was a dangerous venture from start to finish, but there was no reasoning with him once his mind was fixated on a new project.

You pushed on the spurs of your horse to catch-up to the group. Killing a titan was no problem here, high trees of the forest giving access to grapple points that a team of advanced Scouts would be able to take care of.

But you weren’t here to kill, you were here to capture.

Tendou circled the perimeter of the woods, the Titan running behind him as if this was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse instead of life and death. Ushijima was standing on his horse, ready to take action to incapacitate when suddenly, the Titan halted all of its momentum and turned to the back of the group.

Sakusa kept riding past it, not wanting to lose momentum against the fast-moving bastard. Kageyama and Hoshiumi struggled to sharply turn their horses away from the Titan’s new warpath.

You watched the Titan’s blank eyes turn to you, dilating at your appearance and brown ponytail above the crowd. It took a single second before the Titan was on an entirely new warpath, galloping in your direction.

Atsumu spit a word of warning next to you, basically telling you to run like your life depended on it, which honestly was not far from the truth. Bokuto and Hinata separated from their positions alongside you, trying to see if the split would garner the Titan’s attention. You cursed loudly when the Titan was still fixated on you - Hinata’s shouts of rage and Bokuto’s loud insults at the monster did not get it’s attention. Sakusa was speeding up to simply end it here, but Tendou yelled and insisted that the abnormal behavior had to be taken back with them.

The question of how the hell you were going to do that never really crossed your mind, not until the Titan was speeding in your direction and you had to personally give chase. The Titan’s earlier speed was nothing in comparison before, down on all fours to propel himself to you.

It was constantly muttering something, you could not make out the words from the garble froth out of its mouth. It almost sounded like a name, Ymir? No matter the case, you would not have a chance to think more about it if you were dead.

Your horse would not be able to outrun this and you shot a grappling hook to the forest on your left, it would work better for you to turn to the higher areas if the Titan was keen on you alone. Kicking off your horse to see if it would follow the animal alone, the Titan’s eyes only widened as it followed you breaking away.

Gas be damned, you increased the output on your 3DMG gear just to get more speed when the Titan launched itself in the air, eager hands grabbing at you tightly. You shouted more in surprise than hurt, expecting pain to shoot through you as it squeezed you in its hold. If not that, you whispered small prayers to whichever God was listening, irritated that you were going to be eaten in front of your friends.

But the Titan continued to hold you like a small doll in its fist as it continued its run.

You heard Atsumu curse loudly and Sakusa bark out more orders, the telltale sound of gear launching in your direction. But the Titan was on a mission, venturing deeper into the forest as if it was looking for something.

This should have been instant death, crushed under the clutches of a monster, but the Titan just continued to drag you along as the other scouts caught up behind you. The initial surprise of being a Titan’s prisoner forced you into silence, simply looking up at it from its grasp around your middle.

Tendou shouted orders to kill it and Kageyama grappled onto the nape instantly. That was enough to finally grab your attention, yelling out a Wait! The young man was close enough to land the killing blow, blue-eyes meeting yours to confirm your words before he redirected a hook somewhere else.

“You fucking idiot you will not die on me today!” You felt more than heard Sakusa’s harsh yell seep into your bones. He hardly ever raised his voice, at you or anyone else, it had you more scared of him than the Titan.

You glanced at the three-meter titan, it’s blank eyes searching the forest as he ventured further in like a monkey. The scouts had better grappling points among the trees, but the small Titan had just as much mobility from being able to quickly climb and jump around.

“Just observe, you idiot!” You yelled back, sure that the name would earn you a permanent demotion if you ever made it back. Sakusa scowled, not even Atsumu could conjure a smirk at your mocking nickname.

The rest of the scouts were following along closely, contradicting orders between the two squads. The final say would be Ushjima - he had rank over everyone else present. This would not be an easy call, even you were hesitant to say something while his hazel eyes followed you.

You were their friend, their comrade that trained and fought alongside them since your early training corp days. Everyone here knew the dangers of picking the Scout Regiment, but it all came at the sacrifice to save all of humanity.

The last time on record the regiment tried to capture a Titan, 20 Scouts laid down their lives for the information you had today. Even the tiniest bit of information could save hundreds of lives down the line. Where would you be today if you had never found out the Titan’s weak spot? What else was there that society was not aware of?

This was not the time to be selfish in the face of humanity.

The Titan paid no attention to the others and you made the decision for them - telling the rest to keep further back, just to observe the Titan behavior. Maybe Tendou was waiting for your call before making one of his own, since he backed you immediately and ordered the rest to stand-down. Sakusa outwardly snarled and even Bokuto voiced his unhappiness, but they followed nonetheless. The nail in the coffin was Ushijima doing the same, Hoshiumi and Kageyama slowing down alongside him.

As if understanding what just happened, the Titan dropped it’s hold on the next tree, falling to the forest floor and turning sharply in another direction. The space between you and the boys were widening, had the Titan understood your yells? Was this a trap?

Were you going to die?

You watched Atsumu’s worried look turn to a brown blur, too far away to really tell the details of his face as the Titan dodged and weaved with both speed and altitude. While large, it’s sound was largely hidden under the gallop of the riderless horses in the near distance.

You were alone with a Titan.

The thought didn’t linger for long when the Titan dropped to the ground entirely, gingerly walking up to a tree as it nudged you to your feet. You silently clicked at the pistons of your grappling hooks, the entire mechanism was crushed and, even in your office back at headquarters, there was no fixing it.

Instead, you patted down to your pack, taking out your notebook and hoping that there was still a pencil there as well. You meekly followed the Titan’s insistent pushes, moving toward the hollow in the tree and sitting in it quietly.

The Titan got to its knees, bowing to you with his arms outstretched in your direction. The tension in your spine felt like a coil, completely winded and any more tension would have anyone else in a panic attack. But you were eagerly writing down everything you saw, from the Titan’s position to the expression on its face.

That’s when you heard it.

Ymir.

There was no denying the word, or rather name, coming from its lips. You steadied your breathing, compartmentalizing your panic and trying to write down everything you could.

(1) Titan’s could talk. (2) A Titan chanted the name Ymir (3) It almost looked like the Titan was worshiping you in the tree’s hollow.

Was this because of your appearance? There was nothing that set you apart from the rest of the group other than the fact that you were female and that you had long, brown hair. You wrote down every question you had, every observation there was in the case that this notebook would be all that anyone ever saw of you again.

Your pencil flew against the notebook, mind in a million places to the point that you hadn’t even realized you were crying. The only indicator was the sudden damp circles on your paper. You didn’t want to push your luck, but your sacrifice would be for nothing if you did not try.

Mustering up your courage, you whispered back to the Titan. “Ymir.”

It raised itself from his prone position, quietly observing you in the tree. You dropped your feet to the ground, still leaning against the hollow, but not wanting to be trapped against it if the Titan decided you were no longer fun having around.

“Ymir.” You stated it louder and that must have broken the strange trance you were both in.

It rushed you immediately and you dodged the best you could, tucking to the left and raising your hands as if you were going to fistfight a titan. There was almost a hint of a smile on its face as you heaved in air to steady your growing anxiety.

There was nothing in the books or your years of experience to tell you what the hell to do now. When it jumped to grab at you again, you kept your head low between your arms, deciding to dodge and bide time for your friends to hopefully find you.

If not, well that wasn’t something you wanted to think about.

Your abandoned 3DMG gear was in your peripheral, most of it in shambles but the sharp edges of the blades were still there. The hilt was not usable, but cutting yourself by wielding a blade bare-handed was the least of your worries now.

Breaking out into a run, you quickly ejected a blade out of the gas canister and brandished it like a sword. The next finger that came close was cut squarely off, but that seemed to outrage the Titan more. You swerved as best as you could, but it caught hold of your left leg.

You thought of just cutting it off, but that would only serve to make you an easier target. It held you in its fist like earlier, but with a much tighter grip. You wailed as if the sound would yield its hold on you, surely a bone or two in your calf had snapped under the pressure. Not one to lose your will to live just yet, you took advantage of the close proximity to the Titan’s face and stabbed the blade cleanly through its left eye, lodging the sharp object there and earning a loud scream in response.

The Titan dropped it’s hold on you, but you screamed back at landing on both your feet. There was no sugar-coating it - your left leg was fucked. You doubted you could walk all that far and it would take only about a minute for the Titan to regenerate. There were a few more blades left in the canister, but you barely had the strength to lug yourself over there.

The Titan yelled back in your face, but was silenced after a blur of green whizzed by, the telltale whirring noise signified the best news you got all day.

Help had arrived.

Bokuto had an arm slung around your shoulders immediately, Atsumu flanking you on the other side before they lifted you away and off the forest floor. The initial adrenaline was wearing off and the pain seared you from the inside, any movement of your lower half set your skin ablaze with undeniable agony. It enveloped your entire being and made you curse aloud. Hinata attempted to console you with low words, saying that you were only minutes from the medic tent.

Thankfully, you were not far from the rest of the other scouts on the expedition. You closed your eyes one moment to shut out the pain and re-opened them only to see the brown-top of the tent. There were low voices outside, Tendou’s familiar drawl one of them amongst the other shadows cast on the tent. How long had you been out? Were you back within the walls?

Moving to sit-up, the expletives that followed immediately gained the attention of those outside.

Sakusa's worried eyes were the first ones you saw, before he hardened them and crossed his arms. Bokuto nearly pushed aside the rest of your squad to get to your bedside, putting a hand behind your back to slowly get you to lie down again. Hinata, eager to help also, poured you a glass of water and handed it to you. Atsumu was suspiciously silent, arms crossed over his chest.

“Sit back, you fucking idiot.” Sakusa bit out.

You didn’t fit it, this was not the hill you wanted to die on. Instead, you asked, “How long have I been out?”

Hinata answered, “Three days, we’re within Trost now.”

You hesitated, biting your lip and trying to settle on something to say. “Sorry you had to haul my sorry ass all the way here.”

“All that matters is you’re back!” Bokuto replied back louder than intended, earning a glare from two of his younger squadmates.

You chuckled and unconsciously attempted to sit-up, “Where’s Tendou? Did you guys find my notebook?”

“Un-fucking-believable.” Atsumu started, he was the one to lightly push you down this time. “You had every bone beneath your knee crushed and you’re worried about your notebook.”

“I’m worried about my contribution to humanity.” You bit back, his annoyance contributing to your own agitation. “If you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a war!”

Atsumu snarled back, “Goddamnit, there’s no getting through that thick skull of yours is there?”

“I doubt it.” Sakusa agreed, eyes narrowing at you.

“Guys, relax.” Hinata attempted to diffuse, “She’s back with us now.”

“Why the hell are you guys so mad?” You ignored his attempt to calm everyone down.

Atsumu turned to Hinata, “And what if she hadn’t made it back?!”

The seriousness in his expression made you recoil, unsure what to say to this Atsumu who was so desperately hurt. You looked to Sakusa and he had a similar, yet more guarded countenance. Both boys were looking at you, their hard glares trying to convey their honest worry for you.

“I.. I’m sorry.” You stuttered out, not sure what to say to your usually closed-off superiors.

“Now, now.” Tendou, entered the tent, waving a hand away to your visitors. That only increased some of the tension, everyone turning to the red-head. It was his idea after all, but you did make the choice to play along as well.

“We need a debrief as soon as possible, so do you mind?” Tendou continued, turning to your squad-mates. Only Sakusa was allowed to stay, Ushijima and Commander Ukai entered your tent a minute later.

You watched their expression as you retold every detail about the encounter. The fist Sakusa had on his lap clenched and unclenched every once in a while, a small tell that you knew he was trying to internalize his anger. Tendou asked questions every once in a while, no doubt curious to hear that a Titan was not just speaking, but had even engaged in some type of worship. Ushijima’s face was unreadable, but enough so that you could tell he was angry at you as well.

Commander Ukai had just as many questions as Tendou, but dwelled harder on your observation of your appearance. He asked, “While we cannot assume what sets you apart from the rest, would you be willing to participate in another Titan extraction?”

Sakusa answered for you, “No, she won’t be able to.”

Ushijima nodded in agreement while Tendou raised his palms in mock surprise. Commander Ukai made no movement to chastise the two boys, just turning his gaze to observe the room before landing on you.

You felt the blaze of a thousand suns when he did so, Sakusa and Ushijima openly glaring at you and almost daring you to say something contradictory.

“Ah, not anytime soon.” You answered.

“Not ever.” Sakusa finished for you, making Tendou snort and Ukai withhold the need to roll his eyes. This was not what he was expecting, but there was no point in arguing with your direct superior when, if it truly mattered, he had rank.

Once you were done talking, Commander Ukai was the first to leave, stating that he was expecting formal reports from both you and Tendou within the next few days. You sighed inwardly, but agreed. Ushijima stared at you for a good minute, saying nothing, before exiting the tent behind him.

----xXxXxXxXxX-----

Pick your route!

Sakusa Kiyoomi | Atsumu Miya | Hinata Shoyou | Bokuto Koutarou

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joestarsecrettecnique · 3 years

Text

I am so very sick and tired of the toxicity that’s been poisoning the snk fandom as of the last couple years. I gave myself time to digest the ending and my feelings on it, before embarking in a journey to debunk many misconceptions and critiques I’ve seen floating in the fandom.

By the way, by no means I think this ending is perfect. I think this is textbook execution by Isayama to tie together every loose end left behind in an orderly manner, and I think that it was a bit rushed and oversimplified. I would’ve wanted more of Eren and Armin’s conversation, more of the squad realizing what his true goal had been, and some narrative choices I don’t 100% agree with. But still, what I saw in other fans’ critiques post 139 frankly appalled me, so I feel the need to make this. Also, this obviously are my own interpretations, I am not Isayama himself lol

“Ew, so Eren did pull a Lelouch after all”

No, Eren did not pull a Lelouch. While his action and the final result may seem similar, I find very different nuances between the two. Lelouch wanted for the whole world to be united in fighting against him, and thus he made himself the world’s greatest enemy. His will to turn himself into a monster was selfless. Eren didn’t give a damn about the world, he had no noble intentions whatsoever. He said it in chapter 122, his goal was to protect Paradis and, more specifically, his closest friends. He turned himself into a monster, killed 80% of human population, and endangered the lives of those very friends he wanted to protect, so that by stopping him, those friends could be safe. Eren had no intentions to break out of the cycle of hatred or unite the world against himself, he just wanted to give his friends a chance to survive, and that is not selfless, it’s selfish. Eren’s goal was incredibly selfish, and biased, and driven by his feelings instead of rationality. Nothing like Lelouch!

Now this, this I myself am not the greatest fan of. I feel like it makes that great scene in chapter 122 loose a bit of its strength, Ymir obeying the king for 2000 years just because she loved him. Honestly, I always thought there was a bit of Stockholm Syndrome going on, but I didn’t think it would be the only reason. However, like it or not, it’s undeniable that it makes perfect sense in the narrative that aot has always strived to tell. Love has been a theme strongly woven in the story, and it also draws a great parallel between Karl Fritz/Ymir and Eren/Mikasa. Ymir was a slave to her love for King Fritz, just like Mikasa was a slave to her love for Eren, in that she struggled to accept reality until the very end despite the atrocities that Eren committed. Ymir stayed bound by her love for King Fritz, until she saw Mikasa break from her own poisoned love, aknwoledge it, and kill Eren despite of it, or maybe because of it. Only Ymir knows that one, heh. But the point is, Mikasa showed Ymir that she could break free of a toxic love, she was that someone that Ymir had been waiting for to finally free her of her burden.

“What? But that makes no sense!”

Now, on my first read, I simply thought that Eren had ordered Dina to avoid eating Berthold, and that he had made her walk down that road unaware that his mother was trapped (because we know that the Attack Titan’s future memories aren’t infallible, there are still gaps), killing her indirectly. I’ve since then read some theories stating that Eren willingly killed his own mum in orther to give kid himself a reason to feel enough hatred to kickstart the whole story. Honestly, I like this version maybe more! But let me explain to you why this is not a plothole, like many people think. In this same chapter, we have Eren explaining how the Founder’s power works in synergy with the Attack’s: “There’s no past or future, they all exist at once”. This means that time travel in aot doesn’t work in a manner where Eren extracts himself from time and space, and from a separate realm he operates on the past. The way I understood it, the mechanics works kind of like Tokyo Revengers’ time travel. MInd you, I only watched episode one, so my understanding might be jackshit.

Spoilers for Tokyo Revengers’ episode one. In the show, the main character loses consciousness and finds himself reliving his past. He interacts with someone in this “new” past, and when he wakes up again in the present, past events had been over-written by the changes he made. I think this is how aot timetravel works, with the exception that, since past and future (and present, of course) all happen at once, side by side, there is no old past to be rewritten, neither a future to return to, and present Eren wouldn’t be aware of the changes that his future self would make. It creates sort of a time paradox, yes, in the sense that there’s a loop where present Eren’s mom has been eaten because future Eren, in the future, operated on the past by causing past Eren’s mom to be eaten, but all these Erens are one and the same, as all timelines exist at once.

“Boo-hoo they ruined Eren’s character, he’s such a wimp!”

I have to confess (isn’t this appalling, that this is a thing that I have to confess, what the actual fuck), I am an Eren stan. I absolutely do not consider myself a Jaegerist, I think Eren’s option was better than Zeke’s, yes, but it was morally wrong and awful and he absolutely was not only in the wrong, but also if he wasn’t dead I’d want him to be punished for his crimes. I didn’t particularly enjoy him pre-timeskip, and I started to like him because I found his evolution fascinating. I wanted to understand his motives, what was going on in his head, he was a puzzle that I wanted to solve. Maybe because I’m a psychologist, who knows. Anyways, if you’re an Eren stan only because he acted like a chad and now you cry his character was ruined, I’m sorry to say, you never understood him. Eren was not a god, he was not a strategist playing 5d chess with perfect rationality, Eren was the same he has always been. He was a young man spun along by his passions. Eren feels things with burning intensity, he lets himself be driven by his emotions. He almost flattened the world because he was disappointed that he and his friends weren’t the only human beings inhabiting it, for fuck’s sake, he’s always been irrational, selfish, and immature. Of course he doesn’t wanna die, of course he want’s to live with all of them. You really expected a 15 year old hot-headed brat to become Thanos after he suddenly found out he killed his own mum and all his dreams had been crushed? Of course he felt conflicted, of course he suffered, of course he wanted to live, “because he was born in this world”. Honestly, when I read his meltdown, I felt relieved that his character hadn’t been turned on its head, it was heartbreaking to see that he really was the same brat he’d always been, that he’d tried to steel himself to do horrible shit for his friends’ sake and that he felt bad about it! It made me appreciate his character a lot more, I felt nostalgic towards the times when I was irritated by his screaming and pouting. Suffice to say, this is also my answer to all those people that believe his internal monologue to convince himself the Rumbling was what he really wanted were bullshit since he “pulled a Lelouch”. How can it be bullshit? Maybe he planned to be stopped, but he also said that he thought he would’ve still done it if they hadn’t. He also said that killing a majority of the population was something that he wanted to do, not a byproduct of the alliance not stopping him early enough, because with the world’s militaries in shambles Paradis would’ve had time to prepare accordingly. Anyways, of course he needed to convince himself to do this awful thing even if he knew he wasn’t gonna succeed completely, can you imagine how horrible it would be to know your only chance is to kill thousands?

I also maybe think it was because of the spine centipede thingy? When Eren says “I don’t know why I did it, I wanted to, I had to”, he gets this faraway look on his face and we get a zoom in on one of his eyes, which is drawn very interestingly and kinda looks like the Reiss’ eyes when they were bound by the War Renounce Pact? So maybe it was also the centipede’s drive to survive and multiplicate that forced Eren to do the Rumbling so that its life wouldn’t be endangered. I don’t know how much I like this, I feel like it takes some agency away from Eren and also makes it feel like he’s not as responsible for the genocide he committed that we initially though, which mhhh maybe not, let’s have him take full responsibility for this. As I said, I’m not defending Isayama blindly, I do have some issues myself with what went down.

“What the fuck, did he say thank you for the genocide?”

Guys c’mon, this is like,, reading comprehension. Yes, it was poorly worded and a bit rushed, but by now you should have full context to make an educated guess on the fact that no, he didn’t thank him for committing a genocide what the fuck you guys. Armin started bringing up the idea that maybe they should have Eren eaten because he was doing morally questionable things ever since the Marley Arc, which for manga readers was like what, 2018? Isayama has been showing for three years how not okay Armin was with Eren’s actions, how could it make sense for him to thank him for a genocide? You see some poorly worded stuff, and your first instinct is to ignore eleven years’ worth of consistent characterization to jump to the worst interpretation possible? Let’s go over this sentences and reconstruct what they mean.

“Eren, thank you. You became a mass murdere for our sake. I won’t let this error go to waste”. Armin recognizes that Eren had no other choice, but does not condone it. He clearly calls it an error, which feels like an euphemism but for all we know the japanese original term used could’ve been harsher. Point is, he clearly states he think what Eren did was wrong. But he recognizes that Eren’s awful doing opened up a path for Paradis to break out of the cycle of hatred. Not a certainty, but an opportunity. He thanks Eren for giving them this chance, and promises not to waste it, even if it was born out of an atrocity. He thanks Eren for sacrificing himself for their sake, even if he doesn’t agree with the fruit of his labor, so to speak. He’s thanking Eren for the opportunity that his actions gave them, not for the actions themselves! Where the hell do you read “thank you for the genocide” guys, sheesh. I’m mad at y’all.

“How could Eren send MIkasa memories if she’s an Ackerman and an Asian, and their memories can’t be manipulated by the Founder? I call plothole!”

Now, here we’re going into speculation territory, so you’ve been warned. I don’t think that that information they gave us was true, about Ackermans being immune to memory manipulation. We know at least that the clan is in some way subject to the Founder’s power, or Mikasa and Levi wouldn’t have been called in the Paths by Eren multiple times. Stories never being entirely true or false, or relativity, better said, has been a strong theme in the story, we know this by Marley’s and Eldia’s different accounts of history compared to the actual Ymir backstory we got. So who’s to say that the belief that Ackermans aren’t manipulable is the truth? Maybe they’re just hard to control, not impossible. We know that by the Founder’s ability Eren experienced past and future happening simultaneously, so he could’ve very well been trying to send those memories into Mikasa’s head ever since the beginning of the story, only just succeeding in chapter 138. It would at least explain Ackerman’s headaches as Eren trying to manipulate their memories and failing. Of course, we’d need Levi side of thing to know for certain, as he had headaches too and we weren’t shown in the chapter if Eren spoke to him in paths like he did with the rest of the squad. We know he didn’t talk to Pieck, but he even went and spoke to Annie who he basically hadn’t seen since Stohess, so I hope he spoke to Levi too. Who knows, maybe he even spoke with Hanji, but she died before she could remember. I wish we were shown that, honestly, I’m sad that it was skipped, especially after Levi said in an earlier chapter that “there was so much he wanted to tell Eren”. Fingers crossed for the anime to expand on it.

“So Historia’s pregnancy was useless”

What? No, it wasn’t useless! Eren told her to get pregnant to save her life, so that she wouldn’t be turned into the Beast Titan. If she became the Beast Titan, then Eren would’ve had to enact the plan with her instead of Zeke, and yeah, Ymir brought the power of the titans with her, so theoretically Titan Shifter Historia would’ve had her time limit removed, but we saw that the only way for the Alliance to stop the Rumbling was killing Zeke, so Historia would’ve had to die. Useless to say, when Eren talked to her about his plan, she was very vocally against it, so I don’t think she would’ve helped Eren with his plan. It was Zeke or nothing, and the only way for Zeke to keep his titan was for Historia to be unable to be turned, hence the pregnancy. Did y’all read the same thing I read? Anyways, she could’ve definitely been handled better, but she wasn’t necessary to the plot anymore, and her being removed from it in such a way was sad, yes, but it made sense.

“They massacred Reiner!”

Yeah, can’t really say anything about this. I definitely understand the sentiment behind this scene, which I appreciate. It’s to show that thanks to his Titan being removed and the times of peace approaching, Reiner was finally able to shed the weight he bore on his shoulders and “regress” to his more carefree persona he had when he thought he was a soldier, instead of a warrior. I am very happy for him, and I think it’s a nice conclusion to his arc, that he’s finally happy, but it could’ve been portrayed in a less comic relief-y way. It just sledgehammers all his characterization. Feels surreal that we saw him attempt suicide a couple month ago in the anime and now he’s sniffing Historia’s handwriting.

Guys, this absolutely sends me. There are people who unironically believe Eren actually reincarnated in a bird? Guys. It makes no sense, it violates every rule that Isayama established for his universe’s power system. How could he even reincarnate in a bird? Guys, c’mon, this is symbolical! Birds have been heavily used in aot to portray freedom, and this is a nice, poetic, symbolic way to show that Eren who lived his whole life chasing freedom and never actually got it, is finally free, like a bird, now that he’s dead. It’s also a pretty explicit nod to Odin, I think. Aot is heavily inspired by Norse Mithology, and I think there were some pretty clear parallels between Eren and Odin/Loki in the later arcs of the story. Eren has been shown to “communicate” through birds like with Falco in chapter 81, or with Armin in chapter 131. Emphasis on “communicate” because again, this is symbolic, I don’t think he actually spoke through the birds, he simply talked to them via paths, but birds are associated with Eren’s character (see also the wings of freedom, y’know?) and the shots were framed so to give the impression that he was talking through the birds, but he wasn’t. Symbolism. Anyway, I really think they were supposed to be a nod to Odin’s crows.

Aaaaand that should be it! Even though I most definitely forgot some other criticism on the chapter, it’s crazy the amount of negativity floating around. Hope I didn’t bore you!

#attack on titan #aot #shingeki no kyojin #snk #snk manga #aot manga #aot spoilers #chapter 139 #aot ending #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #armin arlert #aot 139

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attack-on-neverland · 3 years

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2.1 The Main Trio

In both Attack on Titan and The Promised Neverland, the main trio consists of three character tropes which are The Empath, The Distant but Loving and The Savior (who I also like to call “The Genocidal Maniac.” The existence of these tropes especially in the main three characters is important to recognize because these three are also generalizations of the attitudes of the people of their world. This mix keeps things relatively balanced and stable until one of them breaks the delicate balance for whatever reason.

Armin, Eren, and Mikasa (AOT)

Norman, Emma, and Ray (TPN)

1. Armin and Emma - The Empath

Armin (AOT) and Emma (TPN) make up The Empath. Both initially reject the idea of having to strike first and would avoid casualties at all cost. These characters would rather risk failure than harm innocent people (again, initially). They have a deep sense of compassion and can even empathize with the enemy and prefer to talk things out rather than engage in battle. Both Armin and Emma are also the ones to eventually stop the genocidal plans of Eren (AOT) and (Norman). Both characters also selflessly sacrificed themselves to save their loved ones.

Armin dreams of reaching the outside world and seeing the wonders of nature, which is why he joins the Survey Corps in order to secure peace for them once again. In the face of death, he chose to talk it out with Bertholdt, holder of the Colossal Titan and tried to get him to join their side. Even when his life was threatened, Armin hesitated to strike first, which only changed when Captain Levi instructed him to do so or else they would be killed. It is also Armin who stops Eren’s plan of destroying everything outside of Paradis and establishes the Alliance. Armin willingly sacrificed himself and got burnt alive by the Collosal Titan to ensure that he could buy time for Eren’s plan to work (He got revived eventually). However, he does live by the principle that “People who can’t throw something important [humanity] away can never hope to change anything.” This represents an eventual shift in Armin as his innocence is broken and he abides by the rules of war rather than reject them completely, opposite to Emma.

Emma also dreamed of the outside world and meeting all of her siblings with their families before they discovered the painful reality of their world. Throughout the whole series, it was shown how Emma would do literally anything to protect her younger siblings as she would stay behind to hold down enemies, set off on dangerous journeys with the older kids, and even struck a deal with That Person* which meant sacrificing herself to safely bring everyone back to the human world. However, Emma’s empathy doesn’t only manifest in her sibling relationships, but extends to everyone, even their biggest enemies. She befriends devils Mujika and Sonju, forgives Lucas after he endangered her life by bringing her to Goldy Pond, and extends her love to all the adults who were the reason behind the existence of the plantation. She cries out when she sees the demons being massacred by Norman, and begs for him to reverse things. She recognizes that no one is inherently bad and that everyone is just doing what they can to survive. In the end, Emma’s deal with That Person reveals that she traded what she loved the most (her family and her memories of them) in exchange for the freedom of all humans. This resulted in Emma ending up on some mountaintop (in the human world) with no concrete memories, but feelings of pain, longing, and sadness while all the other kids lived their happy lives together and arrived safely in their destination. Trust me, I cried BUCKETS.

2. Mikasa and Ray - The Distant but Loving

Mikasa (AOT) and Ray (TPN) make up the Distantly Rational but Loving trope. Aside from both having black hair and emo hairstyles, these two characters both exhibit the most skill and wits among all the other characters. In times of turmoil and panic, these two managed to keep a cool head (most of the time) and allowed everyone else to survive in safety. Both characters can be said to be distant because they are rarely seen enjoying themselves, presumably because of their traumatic backgrounds which is why all of their energy is focused on getting stronger and saving everyone. Their loyalty is unmatched, and they would be willing to destroy anyone who gets in the way of the safety of their families. This attitude stems from dark backgrounds that made both characters value life and the people around them so much. Despite their willingness to achieve any lengths, these characters still manage to think logically, and do not intend to cause unnecessary harm even to enemies.

Mikasa used to be a sweet and loving child who enjoyed the little things and simply being around her parents. However, everything changed when her parents were murdered by kidnappers, leaving Mikasa an orphan. She witnessed all of this violence and was supposed to be killed as well if she weren’t saved by Eren. From that day on, Mikasa grew to be outwardly distant, presumably to avoid getting attached to anyone who could possibly disappear in an instance. However, she was also attached to Eren and all of her comrades in the Survey Corps. She tried to hide that vulnerability under her cold exterior, but no one would ever doubt her love for her comrades. Witnessing her parents’ deaths made her swore to become stronger in order to protect those she loved.

From a young age, Ray was seen to be quieter than the other kids. Instead of playing, he would spend his time reading books, doing research, and observing everyone. This is because he discovered early on that Gracefield was not an adoption home, but a farm with children as their produce. However, he had to stay quiet and volunteered himself to become Mama’s spy so that he would not be shipped out early. The trauma stems from the awareness that each shipped out orphan became meals for demons, but being unable to do anything about it. For years, he had been a slave to Mama in order to acquire the parts he needed to aid their escape plan. It is evident how his loyalty to his siblings does not fade as he would sacrifice himself for the safety of everyone else. Like Mikasa, he still keeps a calm demeanor and can rationalize under dire circumstances.

3. Eren and Norman - The Self-sacrificing Savior / "Genocidal Maniac"

Eren (AOT) and Normal (TPN) both make up “The Savior” or the “Genocidal Maniac”. These boys both start out as innocent, wide-eyed children who wanted to explore the world. They are both passionate about saving all of their family and even sacrificed themselves for their safety. However, they are both drastically changed by a deeper understanding of their reality. From being hopeful optimists, they come to see the reality that no one else realizes. From the day of their realization, they come to an understanding that they have to be “devils” in order to save humanity in an attempt of self-sacrifice. They know that nothing would be able to redeem these sins, yet they still push forward to destroy anything and anyone that gets in their way. This is because they know that there is no alternative that guarantees their safety except complete annihilation of everything else. They eventually trade in their humanity at the cost of lives of children, innocents, and everyone who might get in the way. However, one key difference is that Norman (TPN) gets a chance at redemption, while Eren (AOT) does not. This will be further explored in Being Bound by destiny vs. Defying destiny.

After witnessing the death of his mother, Eren vows to exterminate every last titan in order to guarantee the safety of humanity. He trains hard in order to become an efficient member of the Survey Corps and promises to use his Titan power to defend everyone. Eren is hopeful, arrogant, and stubborn, and this causes him to dive in head first when anyone is in danger. He literally sacrifices himself and is eaten by a titan to save Armin, and he sacrifices himself time and time again. However, when the Survey Corps reach the ocean, Eren realizes that the real enemies are those across the other side of the ocean. The humans who wish for the demise of Paradis Island and its residents. Their enemies are not titans, but other humans. From that day on, Eren distanced himself from everyone and made his own plans. He had gone to extreme lengths to detach himself from his comrades so that they would have no power to stop him and the wrong-doings will be all his. This eventually resulted in Eren's attacks on Marley because he found out that the whole world was going to launch an attack on Paradis to exterminate the “devils” of society. In the end, Eren successfully activates the rumbling and ended up killing 80% of the world population because he knew that discrimination towards Eldians would not end until the world starts anew. His friends were able to save the 20% because they stopped Eren by having Mikasa kill him. Brb, gonna cry AGAIN.

After learning the truth of the house from Ray, Norman decided that he had to aid Emma’s plan of saving all the kids in the house, even the defenseless young ones. To do so would require utmost planning, strategy, and tactics that would put the three at risk. However, Norman decided that the benefits would outweigh the risk and proceeded with Emma’s plan. Unfortunately, Mama stops them in their tracks and decides to ship Norman early in order to stop him from ruining her plans. Emma and Ray do everything they can to save Norman and include him in their plan, and Norman pretends to agree. Unbeknownst to the two, Norman had already planned to betray them because he was afraid that the attempt to save him would only put everyone else at risk. This leads to Norman sacrificing himself and letting him get “shipped out” by Mama. However, instead of being turned into food, he is taken in as an experiment of Project Lamba, where he endured great suffering as a test subject. It was during his time here that he witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the demons, and decided that there was no other way but to exterminate them. He saw the realities of the mass produced farms where children don’t even gain autonomy and consciousness, he met fellow Lamba experiments who would have certain illnesses for life, and he endured the pain firsthand. After a series of events, he breaks out of Lamba and finds Emma and the other children. By this time, Emma had already realized that not all demons were bad and that it was simply a matter of survival for some of them. Norman, however, did not buy into this kind of thinking. When he told his plans of genocide, Emma firmly rejected this and asked for a few days to find an alternative before Norman could continue with the plan. While Norman agreed, he betrayed her and carried out with the plan earlier than expected and caused the degeneration of thousands of demon villagers. In his heart, Norman did not want to do this, but believed that there was no other way. He did not want to bring others in the plan because he wanted to keep the blame to himself as part of his self-sacrifice. Unlike Eren, Norman is redeemed when he reunites with the others and tries to forge a new plan.

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rayo1-productions · 4 years

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Cartoon Network Universe: Earth One - A Tour of California

*REPOSTED FROM FANFICTION.NET

DEVELOPER'S JOURNAL - SUPPLEMENTARY

Unfortunately, no this isn't Chapter 7. But it is something worth reading.

So if you've been following this story for a while, you've probably noticed that there are a few anachronisms in the world of the Cartoon Network Universe. I do have an explanation in mind, but for now, let's just keep it at me having to make certain calls when it comes to merging the worlds of so many Cartoon Network shows, as the majority of them were produced independently from one another.

But I also realized it wasn't entirely fair to you guys, who might not be able to keep track of worldbuilding and expository content.

So, I've come to a decision that I am probably going to regret in the future, specifically in terms of the style and genre. I am going to have, between each 6 chapters, a little cutaway bumper that informs you on the map of this world. This will give me the chance to clarify all things that you might be confused by when it comes to my writing (Honestly I don't blame you. My English isn't the best...which is ironic since it's my first language.)

The reason why I was so apprehensive of this idea at first was because of the tone it might cast over the rest of the story. Informational bumpers like this are a staple of certain anime like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia, but with this story's subject matter leaning closer to AOT, I feared that these bumpers would create a "history-book" vibe to it. Y'know, like these alternate history stories people write where they go in-depth into the layout and politics of the war.

What's problematic about that approach for me is that it can be a very adult motif, one that can strip the story of any fantastical elements by grounding everything into hard square reality. Furthermore, most fellow FusionFall stories implement a personal touch into their work. Granted, by focusing on the entire cast of NPCs and the larger CNU, I haven't made this job easy for myself. But come future chapters and the personal touch will be essential, just as it was essential with Volume 1.

But I guess that's a bunch of superstition. Right now, enjoy reading the layout of the setting of my story. Be ready for even more creative liberties than seen in the OG Game, because the Map I created here is vastly different compared to that of the original or remakes. This map also comes with nice little exposition blurbs, all of which are set One Month before the Time Travel Experiment and thus two months before the invasion begins. I will be listing heroes that claim these areas or districts within each city. As the story moves forward from this bumper, heroes covered by a [SPOILER] tag will be revealed as they claim positions throughout the war and beyond. For future stories outside of FusionFall, it's also very possible that you'll be seeing this bumper more than once and with updates.

MAP OF TURFS

The Sister Cities - California

SIYENN: The largest of the three Sister Cities situated in the Western state of California, Siyenn City is a melting pot of countless businesses, families, and liveliness, all enhanced by the ever-growing pursuit of innovation. With a multitude of heroes, technological corporations, child geniuses, and casual life, this city is not only fortified, but ensured of a brighter tomorrow!

TECH SQUARE - Dexter McPherson, Simon Astronomonov; Once Siyenn Square, it was rechristened as Tech Square in honor of the astounding technological achievements transpiring there. Home to partnering and competing companies, Dexlabs and Mandark Industries, Tech Square has become the center of innovation and impossibility, inspiring countless geniuses by any standard to look sharp for a fine day for science!

-- Dexter McPherson, founder, CEO, and Chief Scientific Developer of Dexlabs, has announced a private time travel experiment to the public! Seeking to send volunteers or a volunteer approximately one hour into the future! The seclusive but famous scientist reportedly received supplies from various suppliers, such as Goat's Junkyard, Maxwell's Plumbing Services (oddly enough), an unnamed investor rumored to be in Quahog, Rhode Island, as well as MIT and the CERN research project! For any brave and daring volunteers, answer the call, for the time is now! And the test subject can be YOU!

GALAXY GARDENS - N/A; This emporium of greenhouse greatness was marked as a sign of good faith and will towards the ecological salvation of the planet. Galaxy Gardens is a thriving plant and animal sanctuary for all to enjoy, and though some might denote it as a simple zoo, Dexlabs has announced its intentions to study plant-based solutions to climate change and other potential problems facing the planet.

STEAM ALLEY - [SPOILER]; Though the most economically staggered of the city, this district, nicknamed "Steam Alley", held an astounding position as home to leaders of the automotive and energy industries, such as that of the Rainbow Factory and WERK Co. Though with the rise of tech giants like Dexlabs and M-Industries, it's not in that great shape anymore. But before its time, Steam Alley saw rise to oil trade tycoons such as Boss Franklin Fullbright, and even renowned bio-engineers like the late Rafael and Violeta Salazar.

-- Homeland Security agency Providence have been spotted in the area, more than likely in the hopes of opening a city-based installation. Though many people are feeling safer already, some have objected for opposite reasons, as well as the plans not offering any economic resurgence to Steam Alley.

MOREBUCKS TOWERS - [SPOILER]; As part of a housing initiative with the Morebucks Corporation, namely on the behest of Jennifer Morebucks, the city looks to open more housing options for those in the middle class or lower. Using the latest advancements in technology from Mandark Industries, the construction of these houses will be sped up to a considerable rate. The future looks bright for what used to be a normal everyday district.

-- Ms. Morebucks, a former supervillain, made a clear and distinct threat to her markets and shareholders that if they did not invest in the project, she would have them evicted from their houses and would use them for menial purposes. The shareholders were almost immediately confused by the nature of this act, wondering how a threat such as that could be fueled by a genuinely noble and thoughtful initiative. They all chalked it up to an ulterior motive on her part. Nevertheless, they all decided to fund her project.

CITY STATION - [SPOILER]; The heart of Siyenn City is also the best way to get around town; the City Station district is the public transportation staple of the entire city, and even more as its Slider Buses can carry you all the way to Townsville and Bellwood. Its transportation-focused industry has made it the centerpiece for a cultural metropolis, with bright lights lining the skyscrapers, joints and hangouts for people of all ages to enjoy. City Station's refurbished place in Siyenn City was a part of Dexlabs and Mandark Industries' massive technological initiative, building the massive Station Tower to serve not only as a hub for all passengers, but to also provide extra connection services to the entire district. City Station continues to thrive thanks to Dexlabs and Mandark's continued efforts.

-- City Station High School would like to publicly recognize one of its own students, Vana Thunderwarp, for her bravery and heroic saving of Dr. Gale Spacebyte, a government scientist who would have been killed by a malfunctioning slider. But that's not all. The young anthro-wolf student immediately contacted Dexlabs and helped identify the issue that caused the malfunction. We at City Station High School value dedicated study and civic duty within our students, and open our arms to those like Ms. Thunderwarp willing to make a difference in this vast world. (even if our moron Principal is the literal opposite - Noah V., friend of Vana)

GENIUS GROVE - [SPOILER]; The innovation does not stop at the city, as the suburbs of Genius Grove are home to some of the most impossible things the world has yet to see. The birthplace and home of both Dexter McPherson and Simon Astronomonov, they both grew up with like-minded intentions concerning technology, actively working together to see their dreams come to fruition. It is here in Genius Grove where great minds not only think alike, but aspire to be greater.

-- Shady businessman Benedict Uno and his delightful wards recently attempted to close a deal with Alderman Jeff McPherson, father of Dexlabs CEO Dexter McPherson, to open their delightful developments project. McPherson declined, much to the chagrin of Uno. There's been no official word on his next steps, though some say he may attempt to try again in Bellwood's Peach Creek Estates.

ENDSVILLE - Billy, Mandy, The Grim Reaper; Endsville may seem like the most haunted place on Earth, probably because it is. But behind a gloomy and shocking exterior is a community that thrives on liveliness and prosperity. No matter how many people try to escape our beloved town, Endsville is your last stop...to not die, but to...just come here, please. Please?

ORDINAL HEIGHTS - [N/A]; A calmer neighborhood for a calmer time, Ordinal Heights is a place to keep away from the various calamities of the universe and relax. Once you rent a house, you'll never want to leave. So come visit our little town!

-- Due to unexplained bursts of gravitational fluxes and massive surges of radiation emerging from a [REDACTED], Dexlabs and Providence have advised that this neighborhood be quarantined and cordoned off until further notice. For your own safety, DO NOT VISIT.

CRYSTAL COVE - [Formerly] Mystery Inc.; Before Endsville was dubbed the most haunted place on the West Coast, Crystal Cove held that title, famous for being the final place of activity from Mystery Incorporated, and infamous for giving the Ohio-born detective group genuine supernatural threats to investigate before they all vanished and (presumably) disbanded.

MASSACHUSETTS PARK - Mordecai & Rigby; Founded by Curtis Montgomery and his lollilander pupil Stick Maellard in the late 1800s, Massachusetts Park has stood the test of time in blazing through history and struggle. In the center of the park lies the Maellard Residence, providing the area with a feeling of home and safety. Despite reports of the zany, unpredictable, the surreal, and worst of all, various reports of employee misconduct, the Park and its staff stand ready to preserve this historic foundation.

-- Last week was the 2-year anniversary for the death of Pops Maellard, the son of Mr. Stick Maellard and the then-groundskeeper of Massachusetts Park. In what could only be described as launching an entire acre of land into space, the Park was reported to have been caught in a battle between the forces of good and evil in the cosmos, to which Pops sacrificed himself. There has been no comment from the Government-sponsored Galactic Guardian Group (G3), or the Department of Metahuman Affairs and Abnormalities, who specialize in investigation of the cosmically supernatural. All the latter group had to say was that classified intergalactic contacts were looking into the aftermath. The Special Extraterrestrial Containment Team arrived shortly after to debrief all members trapped aboard the Park in launch. In this anniversary, many of the Park's staff were there to pay respects to their dear friend.

- Goat's Junkyard, West Coast Division - Megas (Coop); Originally founded in New Jersey, proprietor and former tattoo artist Scot 'Goat' Rienecker expanded his junkyard operations to the other side of the United States. In Jersey, his junkyard gained a notable reputation for housing a vast array of salvaged technology, with many complaining simply because the city would be destroyed by robots and aliens before they could visit. Goat's Junkyard is the place to go if you're looking for off-hand items and re-engineered technology, no matter how illegal it might be!

TOWNSVILLE: - Powerpuff Girls; The City of Townsville! A safe haven for all, a flourishing and lively populace, a loyal and brave community, and home to the world's youngest and greatest trio of superheroines! This fine city has been under their protection for 10 prosperous years, and the skies have never been brighter since. This fine city is a place to go to see hope before your very eyes. Ignore the high insurance rates and outrageous crime waves, because the Powerpuff Girls will always be there to save you in the City of Townsville!

-- People are still worried for the middle Powerpuff, Buttercup Utonium, who suffered a major blow during a battle with the evil Mojo Jojo. The Powerpuff was smacked far off into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared into the waters. The green Powerpuff returned to her family a week after her disappearance, but has refused to offer any knowledge or word on what happened to her during her absence. We wish our toughest fighter the best in health and spirit as she continues to keep the city safe!

- Townsville Square - Jenny Morebucks; A bustling shopping industry incarnate, this plaza is at the heart of the city and maintains its great variety of malls, studios, and more, with the trademark location of the Sunken Super-Mall, this is a center for consumerism, and we invite YOU to find everything you'll need and want.

-- With the retirement of her father, Oliver Morebucks, young heiress Jennifer Grace Morebucks has since taken over his place as head chairwoman and CFO. Having been in this position for about 4 years now, Morebucks has brought the company into several disputes over acts of corporate greed, villainy, and subversion of ethical...anything, things that were mostly avoided by her lack of ownership in the company when she started her career in villainy. Morebucks has yet to recuperate from the low financial position and brand image the "Princess" has put them in, though Jennifer herself has ceased most villainous activity in recent times.

- Townsville City Hall - The Mayor of Townsville; The headquarters of Townsville's government is a dedication to triumph and might in the face of hardship. Here lies the Mayor's office, and the Mayor himself as he guides Townsville through times of despair, thanks in part to our terrific triplets that the Mayor dispatches to handle situations. It's because of this landmark that this fine city has stood tall and never backed down, even when a giant monster knocks it down.

-- Just today, the Mayor announced the undoing of his latest decree: that all pickle jars be made with paper lids. Buyers of pickles found their food to have been spoilt due to the poor standards of containment imposed by the Mayor.

TOWNSVILLE PARK; This local and public park is the perfect spot for peace and quiet, especially when the city life can be so overwhelming. Townsville hosts many of its local events and celebrations here, as even this peace would not dare be disturbed by villainy.

- Mojo's Volcano - Mojo Jojo; Before even the crime wave, Townsville has always seemed in danger, thanks to the massively slim volcano located near the Park. Nowadays the inactive volcano is under new management: The primate supervillain Mojo Jojo, who lives in his Observatory Lair planning and scheming his maniacal and destructive ideas for destroying the Powerpuff Girls and other villainous acts. However, the city of Townsville is lucky to see Mojo exercise an honor code when it comes to engaging our beloved metropolis, and how fortunate we are that it not occur to him.

-- Following an incident that occurred in 2009, many citizens of Townsville have speculated Mojo's connection to the sudden appearance of green gooey aliens that manifested from glowing plant-like eggs. Speculation also arose from the East Coast, with many citizens of New Jersey identifying the spores to be Gynok, a plant-based lifeform from Saturn that once invaded on a Thanksgiving Parade. However, multiple reports indicated that Gynok was capable of speech, and could mimic objects living and non-living, abilities that were not displayed by these spores, which instead spawned blobby creatures that terrorized various cities instead. Many are wondering what this has to do with Mojo, but have not been able to get a word in due to the primate's limited parole.

MARQUEE ROW - Gangreen Gang; This small but vibrant district holds a special place in the hearts of Townsville's greatest musicians. Currently the focus of the Gangreen Gang's album tour, Marquee Row's impressive auditorium famously held the debut performance of Sunny Bridges, the Atlanta-born jazz-rap musician that currently teaches at Atlanta's Westley School for the Arts; he has since gone down as a legend in contemporary music. It also was notable for holding one of the highest ticket-sales rates for concerts of the West Coast in 2005, thanks to a spectacular performance from J-Pop/Rock duo Puffy AmiYumi. Marquee Row is full of legacy and variety as it has quickly become the hot-spot for Townsville's musicians and many more.

-- The Gangreen Gang are set to perform in the Sunny Bridges Auditorium this July, where they are also set to reveal a new member of their band. Speculation has arisen as to who this member might be, and some rumors report that it's a female backup player. Some have denounced this as pandering, while others have embraced the band's sense of diversity. Others less trusting of the band wonder if this is a ploy to pull off a heist, given their criminal record.

- Harada-Bridges Records; The Harada-Bridges Record Company is a Townsville-based label founded through a joint partnership between former musician/performer Sunny Bridges and Kazuo Harada, former band manager and possible kleptomaniac. Harada-Bridges Records distributes music from many such talents as the TrendBenders, Pizza Party, the Gangreen Gang, Hair to the Throne, Scream-O, and Puffy AmiYumi among others; it even allows for one-time titles, such as "Love makes the World Go Round", or a rather catchy cover of "Surfin' Bird". It also sells redistributions and collections of older albums, including the famous 70s group Shag Carpeting, Fist Pump from the 80s, and smaller names like Mr. Universe. Their building is furnished with a high-end recording studio, in which much of the music they distribute is recorded. Due to Bridges' teaching obligations, the company is partly run by JoJo Melodytour, former manager for the TrendBenders.

-- Famous rappers 'the CrewCrew' were recently excommunicated by the record company for their foul attitude and slanderous speech, and their apparent disrespect towards the memoriam services for Pops Maellard. They have since gone to social media to voice their frustration, only to lose several followers on all relative channels, Instagram in particular.

WILSON WAY;

- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends; Venture into our quiet and socially vibrant suburban areas to get away from the action, and find a place where the community is tight, trustworthy, and lasts forever. For example? This grand estate that has been a staple of the community since the 1930s. Originally the grand mansion of eccentric heiress Martha Foster, her home has seen a repurposing like no other over the last 60 years. Founded in 1954, the mansion was reimagined as Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, a place for runaway or outgrown imaginary friends to spend their time and look for new human friends. We in the Wilson Suburbs are proud to see such progressive community work continue for so long, and to maintain a lasting legacy across the country. Regardless of the nanite-related problems that have plagued the imaginary community, Foster's Home keeps its doors open to all real and unreal for refuge and safety.

POKEY OAKS SUBURBS (North & South) - Powerpuff Girls, Professor Utonium; Named after the county Townsville is located in, the Pokey Oaks suburbs are home to many of the denizens of the larger metropolis, appreciating the quieter life contrasting the busy city ahead. In the Northern suburbs, you will find Poakey Oaks' High School, the Morebucks Mansion, the precinct for Townsville PD, and the abandoned home of former supervillain Fuzzy Lumpkins. In the Southern suburbs, you will find the Utonium residence, home to the Powerpuff Girls, Poakey Oaks Kindergarten and Lower School, and the Pokey Oaks highway leading into the larger Townsville city.

-- Not to be confused with the Pokey Oaks county in Los Angeles, California.

HABITAT HOMES - N/A; A thriving suburban community defined for its rising anthro population, Habitat Homes is recognized as a place for...well, whatever it is normal districts do, because this area seems to be set on selling "we have anthropomorphic animals" as their only highlight, which is pretty exploitative. This suburb is home to the Charles Darwin Middle School, notable for having an overwhelmingly anthro-based student body.

BELLWOOD: - Ben 10; This is no ordinary city. Enter a world beaming with possibilities, wrapped up in one of the most popular cities on Earth. Located within Delmarva County and founded in 1638, the city of Bellwood started out as a small town notable as "the most ordinary town on Earth". That has been proven wrong many times over. Since Ben 10 started his super-heroic career at the ripe age of 10, Bellwood has seen a massive amount of attention for sightings of alien life and activity on Earth, and allowed this small town to grow and expand into a bustling city in the same leagues as sister cities Townsville and Siyenn.

- Bellwood Square; The heart of the city and the home to many of Bellwood's landmarks, such as Bellwood Zoo, City Park, a museum, a mall, Madison Elementary, even a Brain Bank!

- City Point; Whoever could forget this small district, host of the annual Summer fair for 20 years in a row, several of which have showcased the Dizzy World Circus hailing from Townsville. City Point also houses the largest amount of alien activity in the entire city, with many wondering how so many aliens appear in and out. But no matter that, City Point is hailed as a place for diversity and acceptance of all lifeforms, no matter how secret.

-- The Dizzy World Circus is set to open business in City Point this summer after a performance in Gateway City, Virginia; this will be the first time they have returned to Bellwood in ten years. However, brand image is being considered as a risk, due to the supervillain Zombozo welding his Ferris Wheel to the ground five years ago and making it near impossible to remove. Architects and engineers are still trying to determine how to bring the Wheel down, as the structure itself appears to be made of Promethium, one of the strongest and most durable metals on Earth.

OFFWORLD PLAZA - Grandpa Max; Seeing humanity's future in the stars, Offworld Plaza was setup in a partnership between Dexlabs, NASA, and Providence whilst being overseen by the Department of Metahuman Affairs and Abnormalities. Offworld Plaza is meant to be the world's first spaceport, with a Dexlabs-modified STS shuttle meant to be the world's first form of public space travel. The project has seen backing from several Bellwood residents, including Ben 10 himself and partners included, and several alien citizens amongst the population. This is being seen as the foremost attempt to fully engage Earth with the larger galactic community.

BELLWOOD SUBURBS/URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS;

- Madison Valley - Ben 10; This mostly quiet neighborhood is close to the Peach Creek community, and is notable for being the birthplace of Ben 10 himself. The neighborhood has received a lot of attention since his public debut last year.

-- Residents of this neighborhood continue to search for Gwen Tennyson, cousin of Ben 10 and former partner in crimefighting. Gwen had reportedly manifested something akin to alien powers, due to alien heritage in the family, and disappeared soon after a conflict involving the Ship-It Corporation and an invasive race of microchips. The search has been continuing for 4 months, and we send the Tennyson family our best wishes.

- Gallagher Commons/Sector V - KND; Home to Benedict Uno, this proud neighborhood prides itself of the progress brought about by its educational system, confident in the molding and shaping of young minds for the larger world. To that, Gallagher Commons also takes pride in its large park statue dedicated to the various superheroes of the world (though due to the lack of heroes in these suburbs, it has yet to be adorned with any holograms or statues). This monument, christened as "Hero's Square", has been the sight of attraction to many, though children seem displeased with the amount of attention it receives, but who cares about them, right?

- Bellwood Sheriff's Department received more reports of angry parents complaining about their kids' whereabouts after school; reports include children whispering secret codes and messages, sneaking out at night, raiding closets of random neighbors of varying ages, and mention of weapons storage in a treehouse. These reports have been dismissed as a case of kids being kids, and parents being parents. Though the mention of a treehouse caught their eye, as there are no reported treehouses in the entire Gallagher neighborhood.

- Peach Creek Estates - The Eds, Rolf, the Urban Rangers; Peach Creek Estates has been a foundation of the Bellwood suburbs for as long as it could remember, founded shortly after the city was built, Peach Creek retains its reputation as the most normal suburb in the entire country, even as the larger city stepped into the larger and more unexpected world. The center of our neighborhood lies in the Peach Creek Commons, a Cul-De-Sac with a loving community that never expect anything out of the ordinary.

-- The Bellwood educational board was happy and elated to give a $100,000 research grant to 16-year old Eddward Zimintator, affectionately known as "Double-D" by his neighbors and friends, for outstanding scientific papers on the applications of nanites towards the reduction of cancer cells, and the correlation between nuclear energy and dark matter. Dexlabs and Mandark Industries, tech companies from Siyenn City, helped pay for the grant, and Mr. Zimintator was excited to have received the honor as opposed to the money. Double-D expressed worry that the large sum of money would be taken advantage of by his friends.

- Bravo Beach City - (formerly) Steven Universe, the Crystal Gems; Bravo Beach City, rechristened after philanthropist and entrepreneur Bunny Bravo, has a history spanning 2 whole centuries, beginning in 1814 with Captain William Dewey founding the city. The city has been under the protection of an alien team dubbed the Crystal Gems, who protected this sub-city of Bellwood for over 200 years since they arrived on Earth. This town has seen alien invasions of lovecraftian/angelic varieties and universe-ending catastrophes unlike any other, and yet it pulled through without the presence of Ben 10. That's worth a look-(#KeepBeachCityWeird - Ronaldo F.)

- Grover Mill - The Amalgam Kids; [REDACTED]

ASTORIA GROUNDS - The Saturdays; Located on the edge of the Pacific Coast, Astoria Grounds was once home to reputable cryptozoologist Doctor Solomon Saturday and his family. After their mansion here was destroyed, the Saturdays maintained operations here by means of their blimp. Astoria has since seen a level of peace unheard of. We have great TV too, renowned for various movie production studios located right here, such as Sumo Slammers: Legends, Weird World (formerly), Tiny'Mon: The Live Adventure, and other great content!

BELLWOOD MOUNTAINS - Camp Kidney, Acorn Flats; Bordering the state of Oregon, the Bellwood Mountains offer citizens a fantastic night-sky view, and a lovely day for campers. The site was recently chosen as the new location for several Midwest-based Summer Camps, such as Camp Kidney and the Acorn Flats Scouts. Originally located in Northern Wisconsin, the Camps were relocated to the West after dangerous reports of robots and monsters were coming in from the nearby state of Illinois, as well as various surreal reports from the nearby city of Elmore. Amongst the Bellwood mountains are the Pimpleback Mountains, Mount Blackhead, and a forest noted for various amounts of exposure to unstable nanites; said site is also reported to be a major hotspot for cryptid activity. Be wary of entering this Twisted Forest.

SHARED LOCATIONS:

- CITY SQUARE (Currently under construction); As part of the Movement Ink Initiative, the Three Sister Cities of California are coming together under a united cause: to open new avenues of business and provide a safe and healthy environment for all. Meant to be the most technologically advanced area between all three cities. The Movement Ink Initiative will also see construction of a center studio to foster all creative and health-related activities.

OTHER LOCATIONS OF INTEREST: (INFORMATION TO BE UPDATED BY DHAWAR AIRLINES)

NOWHERE, LAS VEGAS - Agents Black and White; [REDACTED]

- Area [REDACTED]

PORKBELLY CITY, ALBERTA - Johnny Test; Alberta's least notable city, built upon the morally dubious legs of the meat-grinding industry, has seen a surprising rise in the extraordinary over the last five years, with various mutations and technologically influenced threats appearing over time. More often than not, a kid from our suburbs has to save the day, but it also happens to be his fault. For Porkbelly, things just seem to balance out.

-- Congratulations to local scientists Susan and Mary Test for getting jobs in the states with Dexlabs! We'll miss you while you're away very much! Just don't blow anyone up and don't cause a massive chemical accident!

SOUTHEAST UTAH - Rex, Providence; [REDACTED]

ORCHID BAY, SAN FRANCISCO - [SPOILER]; Arguably the second largest district of the city, this beach-side town is big enough to call itself a city on its own. Renowned for its beach city theme and harbor history, Orchid Bay has been a cultural diaspora, giving children a welcome touch of life from all areas and ethnicities. Admittedly, there have been supernatural occurrences here and there, but it's not like an ice castle is going to rise out of the water.

MARZIPAN CITY, VLATAVA- N/A; This small European city in the Romanian Province of Vlatava is well-known for being home to Mung Daal's Catering Company, one of the world's tastiest European cuisine menus. With their food and this city, you can never go wrong with your vacation.

-- Mung Daal has reportedly taken up a search for a potential apprentice. More details are to follow.

LANGLEY FALLS - CIA, Department of Metahuman Affairs and Abnormalities; [REDACTED]

If you've noticed any inaccuracies or liberties taken with these settings, then I apologize for the liberties taken to make all of this work. When I started my story, my aim was to tell the most grounded FusionFall story I possibly could, which meant that to realistically illustrate the various shows of CN in the same setting and together, I had to change various tiny details (such as the location of Camp Kidney) or massive details (such as moving Steven Universe from the East Coast to the West Coast). Really sorry about that. I wasn't intent on simply transposing the map from FusionFall, which would have simply been mashing all the locations together. Each show has its own unique setting, some of which are integral to the shows' aesthetic. I wanted to honor that as much as possible, and every major change made hurt to make, especially since it fits into the grander plan.

Now obviously, scenic descriptions aren't going to be much help, but since I can't really draw out a map of the CNU’s California here, I'd like to direct you to my associated Deviantart page: https://www.deviantart.com/noahvilgaxsane. I might be able to draw out the map and post it there.

If you've already clicked, you might notice that I've created a non-spoiler wallpaper for this wonderful project! Not just for FusionFall, but for the series I have planned as a whole.

Thank you all for letting me give you the layout of the Cartoon Network World so far, and I'll see you guys in Chapter 7, written on Fanfiction.net. Make sure to leave a review and follow the story if you’re interested!

#cartoon network universe #earth one #fusionfall #fanfiction #fanfiction advertisement #commercial break #new map #new world #remember to review #dexters laboratory #ben 10 #powerpuff girls #samurai jack #lots more #worldbuilding

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daily-dose-of-imagines · 4 years

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(っ◔◡◔)っ 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕦𝕡 ♥

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Hello there! I only just stumbled across your blog and your work is amazing! ◜▿◝ and I was wondering if I could please have an attack on titan, Naruto and demon slayer matchup if that’s ok? ♡

APPEARANCE: I’m not sure if appearance is important for matchups but I thought why not. Anyways, I’m 157 cm tall (which is 5'2 I think) and I’m neither chubby nor skinny; I sort of have a more athletic build. I have middle length darkish brown hair, with a few lighter brown natural highlights (my hair gets bleached easily by the sun) its also slightly frizzy and wavy. My eyes are green and I have quite pale skin with some freckles on my face. I also have dimples and slightly chubby cheeks.

PERSONALITY: I’m an INFJ-T living with a family of mostly extroverts. I get drained easily from social events, but also try to stay engaged because I barely ever go out of my comfort zone so best to take advantage of it. I’m very loyal, and have always had a reasonably small friendship group because I find it hard to make long-lasting connections. I guess I can be sort of quiet, but a lot of that stems from people not taking me seriously or straight up ignoring me when I speak (which can be annoying, but hey I don’t really mind) I can always tell when someones upset and I myself can’t go back to feeling happy until I try to help them out or work out what’s the issue. I like to make people feel loved and appreciated, and though I’m not the most affectionate person, I do it in subtle ways. For example: praising them for an achievement or putting a lot of thought and effort into a birthday gift. I like surprising people and my mum always said I was hard to read. I guess you could say i’m kind and nice and I hate conflict. Though, I’m not exactly afraid to speak my mind, I prefer a more peaceful environment. I’m an Aries, which I can relate to some aspects of that. I can have a hot-temper, though im not easily aggravated. I have a sort of blunt or sarcastic sense of humour but I can laugh at anything.

HOBBIES: I love love love stargazing. It’s so fun to research about the constellations and then point them out to people. Also, I love camping on the beach where you can just go into the water whenever you want. Going on bike rides with my friend is fun because we always end up In the most random places. Baking is fun to but I hate handling meat. So I have a big sweet tooth. Im into tarot and all that spiritual stuff. I used to have super a super wild imagination and thought I could talk to ghosts. I like to read and watch a lot of tv (and make blanket forts or snuggle with my oodie) making little posey’s and putting them in peoples letter boxes (I dont know its a childhood thing) I like going on walks in the rain (bonus if its in a forest) its just so calming. I also like to paint, even though im not that good its still fun and relaxing.

DISLIKES: people who constantly bring others down for no reason at all. I have a sensitive nose, so anything with a very pungent smell. Cheaters!!! get away from me ( I honestly couldn’t deal with that, not that anyone could) Cold showers, I need to be warm. YA books with abusive love interests (whyyyy) and I dont dislike that much so I think that’s it!

I hope that was enough info and thank you so much x

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Hello @tameblackbear and thank you sosososo much for submitting with us! Thank you so much for enjoying our blog and I sincerely hope that you enjoy that boys we paired you up with!

>Admin 𝕋

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𝐼 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽...

I paired you with the nonchalant and blunt Shikamaru of Naruto! So, for appearances, I sincerely think that Shikamaru will like everything about physically! Especially your chubby cheeks. Whenever he is distracted, he will use his fingers and poke your cute chubby cheek until he is satisfied! And you’d just have to take it! He doesn’t do to mock you, but he just loves how big and soft they are! They give him a sort of comfort!

As for personality, I feel like Shikamaru would absolutely love the way that you are. He also feels drained from people being around him, so he would definitely understand that. He would love the fact that you are loyal, because he himself is a very loyal person, and to have someone like that, he would forever love you! He will appreciate the fact that you are a kind and compassionate person that wants to help people solve their problems and become happy, and he will support you with all that, especially if it means that you will be happy! He will love the fact that you want to make people feel loved and appreciated! He will see it, and think that you are just the girl for him, the girl that he would want to spend the rest of his life with, someone he can see himself waking up to! It’s quite cute! He will like the fact that you aren’t very affectionate seeing as he isn’t that affectionate either, but he will love how your affection is shown in action, like making lunch for him or giving him a note of how much you appreciate him! He will love the fact that you are a blunt pacifist like he is. Someone who is honest, but isn’t one to start something!

He will love the fact that you love to stargaze, and would definitely want to do it with you, telling you about all the different constellations you know, and which stars are which! Though he would hate to camp, what with all the bugs, he would love to go to the beach with you, and just watch the waves go back and forth against the shore! He will want to taste you baking, see if you are any good at it, and when he does taste your pasteries, he will think they are the best in the world! Though he wouldn’t say it so enthusiastically. When he finds out that you are into tarot reading and spiritual, he wouldn’t any of it, but he wouldn’t condemn you for it, in fact he will just silently support you in the background, like a good boyfriend would! He will like the fact that you love to read, and would want to have reading sessions with you, sometimes discuss the content of the books you both read!

And with all the things you dislike, is almost the same as Shikamaru. He also hates when people belittles others for now reason, he also hates when people smell, and don’t shower or wash themselves. He also hates cheaters, and doesn’t understand why someone would cheat on their lover, when they took a vow to love them and only them. So with all of these, you and him and really find a connection and bond over all your similarities and mutual dislikes! He would be such a good man too you; he would respect you and love how unique you are compared to the other people he knows! He will love you for who you are, and how cool you are, and well you mesh with him! He would definitely be the one to say I love you first, and would definitely want to spend the rest of his long life with you! So you better be prepared!

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Hello hello~! Like Admin T had mentioned earlier, thank you so much for your endless love and support! We truly appreciate it~! I’ll be taking care of the Demon Slayer and AoT portion of your match up~! I hope you enjoy who I’ve paired you up with~!

» » Admin Ko

𝕀 𝕊𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘...

ᴍᴀʀᴄᴏ ʙᴏᴅᴛ

Quiet and ever the selfless man, Marco Bodt is the one for you~! To Marco, there’s no particular thing he searches for physically in an s/o. Though he can’t help but feel as though he’s been blessed every time he sees you. To him, you’re an angel. The way the light catches in your hair and the glimmer of adoration and kindness in your eyes constantly has him reeling in his feelings for you.

It’s to the surprise of no one that Marco is much more of an introvert than anything else. He relates easily to you and feels that drain in energy when being around large crowds of people. In contrary to that, he actually doesn’t mind small bouts of company. As long as it’s within the range of 2-3 people he’ll feel as less of a drain on his person. Other then that, similar to you, he’ll try to stay as engaged as he can. He wants to ensure that each individual is given the proper amount of attention and respect. As for relationships, Marco most definitely is loyal to a fault. If there’s anything he vows to do, it’s to solidify your never ending happiness and your safety.

He won’t outright admit it, but he really enjoys your blunt and straight forward thinking. Though of course there are times it isn’t the best, he finds that having a strong voice in the wake of terror is better than sitting and fretting what could happen next.

Without a doubt, Marco partakes in stargazing with you. Of course the young man gets distracted and ends up watching you. Though he can’t deny how utterly ethereal you look under the stars’ gentle light. The twinkle that sets in your green eyes always catches him off guard. Especially when you turn to engage with him in random bouts of conversation. If Marco had to pick who he would have a conversation with, it would without a doubt 100% always be you.

Many may think it’s a biased though-- and it might as well be so, but he finds your conversations utterly mesmerizing. The way you describe and talk about your past constantly has him wondering what you were like as a child.

Other then that, Marco is not as shy as one may think when it comes to affection. The boy practically indulges in the intimacy it holds, and whenever you ever feel the desire for it, he’ll most definitely supply you with it. PDA, however, tends to be a different story. flushed cheeks and skittish movements are perfect to describe how he can be around you if others are watching.

ʜɪᴍᴇᴊɪᴍᴀ ɢʏᴏᴍᴇɪ

Hesitant initially, but loyal to a fault, Gyomei is who I believe will suit you the best! Similar to Marco, he won’t necessarily take your appearance as a necessity in deciding whether or not you’re a suitable partner. To him, it’s your soul and personality that holds true to him. (After all the young man can’t see per say, but from what people describe about you he can’t help but paint this beautiful vivid picture in his head.)

Easily skeptical and apprehensive at first, Gyomei isn’t the type to engage with someone he isn’t familiar with. Though he can’t help but admit that by the time he hears word of you, his curiosity is peaked. Within the frame of a week, the both of you are much closer to one another than anyone could’ve anticipated for. Eventually, you come to realize how much he’s grown attached to you as well as how utterly loyal he is. He adores your subtly in giving back to those you care for. Even if you’re quite, he enjoys the strong presence and calming aura you hold to your person. To him, that’s enough for him to sit by your side and bask in the warmth the day provides.

It’s more often than not, that you both are found seated side by side with one another. Be it early in the morning or late at night, he’ll always be by your side to listen to your speak and describe the world to him. The vivid imagery he paints with your words is enough for him to feel his heart sink deeper into the hands of love. Similar to you, he enjoys the spiritual aspects of life. Not a day passes where you both won’t have a conversation on the subject. In a sense, it’s a little secret for you both as no one else has a clue or an open mindedness to listen and digest the talks you both have.

Other then that, similar to you, Gyomei isn’t necessarily the most affectionate person. Though he shows his affection in his own little ways (Be it giving you a gentle smile or gently hooking his pinky with your own). Over all, his commitment to you is similar to that of his position as a pillar, immobile and steady.

#submission #submissions #matchup #anime matchups #naruto #naruto x you #naruto matchup #aot #aot x you #aot matchup #demonslayer x you #demonslayer matchup #demonslayer

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peachymess · 5 years

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It’s not that scary

The video clip above is a snippet taken from the video interview with Isayama that is currently playing on loop in the last room of the SNK Final exhibition in Tokyo. A longer section of the interview has already been in circulation since the opening of the exhibit, but I want to share this particular clip because it contains exactly the two segments that I will be talking about in this post.

Mainly, I want to talk about what Isayama might mean by what he says about hurting the reader/viewer – but I’ll also be pointing out something about the second part (about characters he identify with), because of a previously missing piece of info that’s been inspiring a bit of worry in selective parts of the fandom (myself included, until I got clarification).

So, first of all, this is the quote I’ll be dissecting:

“In all honesty, I feel that’s what I really want to do. For me, as a receiver, when I think, “this story will remain in my heart”, it means, for example, it phenomenally hurt me: it’s those kind of experiences that I’m after.”

– Isayama, final exhibit interview.

The reason I want to talk about this quote, is that I’ve seen a popular analysis circulating, saying that the “this story” being referred to, is Isayama’s own story – Attack on titan. Meaning that, in context of the quote, Isayama is saying AoT (SNK) phenomenally hurt him – and that this is the way it will stick with him after its end; as something that did (and perhaps continues to) hurt him, when he looks at it from a reader’s point of view.

Sure, this makes sense. As a wannabe writer myself, I can relate to being emotionally invested in, and affected by, my own stories. I’m sure you guys can relate as well, in one way or another.

However, I’m not so sure that’s what Isayama is saying here. The analysis I saw, used the aforementioned context, to conclude that when Isayama said he wanted to go back to his original ending, this ending is what is going to hurt him. Aka: the ending is going to be painful as shit.

And that might be right. After all, his initial ending was going to be bittersweet and dark, according to sources.

However, I don’t think the “hurt” being referred to in the quote, is necessarily concentrated at the end of “the story”. I don’t even think SNK is “the story” in this context…

You see, after watching the interview several times for every time I visited the exhibition, I eventually started feeling like that circulating interpretation didn’t quite fit – even though that’s what I went in subscribing to. So I started applying a different interpretation to his words, and it fit a whole lot better: now, I no longer think the story being referred to, is SNK. I think Isayama is talking about stories in general. I believe that Isayama, when consuming stories (be it movie, book, anime, or something else), enjoys the stories that leave the reader feeling greatly emotionally impacted by it. One of the ways to hit the audience the hardest, is through tragedy, grim reflection and/or bittersweet outcomes that leave you unsure of how to feel. I think Isayama greatly enjoys stories like The Mist, The Green mile, The Shawshank redemption, etc. These are stories that stick with you long after you’ve consumed them – because they “phenomenally hurt you”. Side note: there’s also something to be said about the balance needed to create this kind of impact; you can’t just serve the audience dish after dish of unadulterated pain – you need to balance it out with beauty so the pain is worth revisiting.

Going back to read the quote over with this in mind, I feel like his words make more sense. Separate the part about what he wants to do as a creator, from his description of consuming; he’s digressing about what it’s like to consume something bittersweet as a consumer – not a creator – and then saying he wanted to seek that same kind of aftertaste in his own work. Please scroll up and read the quote again with this in mind, and then try to tell me it doesn’t fall into place this way.

See? I believe I’m right here. I’m sure many already read his words this way, but please humor me. Because I’m going to use this conclusion to make a further guess at the SNK ending. Not in detail, but in severity: I don’t think Isayama’s words are as foreboding as they seem. In other words: it’s not that scary. Why? Let’s look at what he says:

1. I want to stick to my original ending.

2. As a consumer, I feel like the stories that stick with you, are the ones that emotionally gut punch you.

3. Inspired by that, as a creator, I want my story to emotionally gut punch my audience.

First of all, if this is what he’s saying, we have eliminated the explicit statement that SNK will leave Isayama in pain. Sure, he’s still saying he wants to leave the audience in pain, but I think the severity of a creator saying “my own creation is going to linger in me like a phenomenal pain” is of lower intensity than “I want my story to emotionally impact my audience”. The first is almost a cause for concern, while the second is a given sentiment for most – if not all – creators.

Secondly, Isayama’s statement talking about how stories leave you emotional, greatly generalizes what it means to be hurt by a story. What I mean by this is, while it may be that Isayama intends to make his ending gut punching – he’s not directly talking about story endings; he’s describing what kinds of stories leave an impact: stories that hurt. But where? It could be anywhere. It could be in the opening sequence. It could be in arc two. It could be in the details. And, yes, the ending – just not necessarily the ending.

Isayama’s statements about wanting his story to punch, do not directly prove that his punching will happen at the END of his story. Especially not, when his story has already had so many instances of pain, bittersweet-ness, and terror.

While I still think his ending will be a heavy hitter, I don’t necessarily think Isayama is viewing his work as still lacking that one painful punch tm. The way he described how he wants his creation to feel, it sounds like this is something he knew he wanted from the getgo, and to be honest, his entire story looks to be a reflection of an attempt to deliver just that: Eren’s mother dying was already a heavy punch that I’m sure left an impression with a lot of viewers, but there’s also Eren’s shocking “death”, Hannes’ failure to repay his debt, Mike’s undignified death, the reveal of how Eren got his powers, Armin’s (and so many others’) sacrifice, Erwin dying without reaching his basement, the Liberio attack shown from Marley’s pov, etc. etc. etc. What I’m trying to say here is this: Isayama has already achieved the level of emotional impact that he said he set out to create. And I think he knows it. What he’s talking about in that interview, is the general mindset he had/has about his drives when it comes to story creation. It’s interesting as a viewer, to hear what kind of thoughts a creator has in his head when going about creating his story. Isayama is simply sharing those thoughts. It’s no secret that his story is going to punch; it already has.

And yes, I’m sure his ending is going to be in the same vein as the rest of his story; a mix of the cruelty and the beauty that he’s shown us so far… But I don’t think this interview is any cause for deeper concern, as it didn’t say anything about the severity of the ending explicitly. It’s not that scary. It’s not that deep.

…As for the thing about what characters Isayama identifies with, I wanted – more than anything – to just show you the question posed in the interview: “which character reflects yourself?” In the video you’ll see it pop up at the top, before Isayama starts saying something along the lines of “at first I thought it was Armin who… but now I think it’s Eren”. In the original video, I either didn’t see, or the video cut out the top half that showed the question – so that I was at a loss as to what the topic was. Armin who… what? Who what? Who was going to bring about peace? Who was going to turn evil? Survive?

The fear of hearing Isayama initially planning something for Armin and then flipping the script and putting Eren in that chair instead, had me very, very scared. Thankfully, my friend @ocean-moonlight helped me work out the context even before I got to travel to Japan to see it for myself.

I’m bringing it up again here because I don’t think a lot of people ever heard about this missing piece of info: that part of the interview was simply about what character Isayama saw himself in, not about Armin and Eren having opposite fates. Read the details in the post I wrote about it earlier: here.

Anyways, that’s enough of my rambling. I hope I managed to put some of you more at ease with this. It’s Isa we’re talking about so, sure, there’s always a reason to be scared. I just think there’s no more reason now than before. So.. have a cup of tea and chill, guys. We’ll make it through this – together.

#snk #hajime isayama #snk meta #snk final exhibition

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armin-screams-for-icecream · 6 years

Text

An Angel Named Kansas

Have you ever seen an angel? I have. Almost a year ago.

I was at a college party. Well let me be more clear, it was a theater/improv kid hangout, with alcohol, lots of it. There I sit in a bean bag chair oddly placed at the end of the hall far away from the drunken camaraderie of the dance floor. I’m sitting with two people. Let’s call them Jean and Bev. Jean was a stage manager for two plays I had been in and Bev was...well Bev was someone who I used to dislike quite strongly for reasons that I don’t have time to explain. Let’s just say we are friends now. It’s complicated.

We were discussing our favorite episodes of Ouran High School Host Club when the angel suddenly appeared stumbling through the hall, one hand touching the wall to keep him on his feet, the other holding his 8th beer of the night, I don’t quite remember the exact number, but I know he told me because he seemed quite proud of his beer drinking accomplishments. Let’s call this angel Kansas; although, he would probably prefer to be called Missouri. I knew Kansas. We had met maybe three times? Once at another theater geek hangout, and at the two rehearsals I had been to since joining the improv group a few weeks back. I always had the feeling that Kansas didn’t like me for some reason. Not because of anything he did or said but because I assume everyone dislikes me when they first meet me because I’m self destructive and I have no self esteem.

I was drunk, not as drunk as Kansas and my two lovely friends, but I was drunk enough to have the confidence to initiate conversation with this stumbling angel. I stayed seated on the bean bag, stared at Kansas while I waited for him to finish his conversation with Jean and Bev, and I finally asked

“Kansas, I get the feeling you don’t like me very much.” He just stopped and looked down at me.

“Why would you say that?” he asked.

“I just feel like you never really seem that happy whenever I’m around. I just feel like you seem indifferent, I don’t know.” To be honest I really didn’t know. I wasn’t going to tell him the truth. “Hi Kansas the reason I think you hate me is because I hate myself and assume everyone else hates me too.” How crazy would I sound? There was some silence for a while. He laughed and he smiled, an angel’s smile, and he bent down so that we were eye to eye. He took my hand and before I can tell you what he said I need you to understand why what he said meant so much to me.

There are two reasons why Kansas’ words were the kindest words ever spoken to me.

Number One: I thought I had finally found someone I wanted to be in a relationship with, let’s say his name was Richard. We met the semester before this story takes place and we were just friends, well barely. He was friends with my friends and then one day we decided to hang out. We were practically the same person. But I didn’t see him that way because I knew he liked someone else and to be honest I just didn’t feel that way. But then over the summer one night I decided to snap chat him a picture of me watching Attack on Titan because I remembered him saying he watched anime sometimes. Next thing I knew my phone started buzzing. It was Richard. I answered and I lost my hearing for a split moment because as soon as I answered he shouted “YOU WATCH ATTACK ON TITAN?! WHO DO YOU THINK THE BEAST TITAN IS?!?” Then from that day on we Skyped every time a new AoT episode came out. I knew he had feelings for me and I started having feelings for him too. For the first time in a long time I found someone I could trust my heart with.

Of course just a few months later he stomped on my heart. We dated and I won’t go into too many more details but basically he ghosted me for two weeks, told my roommate and all our friends except for me he was going to Germany and then texted me, from Germany, saying he wanted a serious relationship and that I wasn’t the person he wanted to be in a serious relationship with. My heart was shattered. I thought I found, not to sound dramatic, the one. And I was at a point in my life where I just didn’t think I could take being alone anymore and I thought he was the cure but I ended up feeling lonelier than I was before he came into my life. He made me feel, and still makes me feel, like there’s something wrong with me. He had added himself to the long list of people who have earned my trust and then completely shredded it and thrown it in the garbage without even a second thought. He also gave me another line to add to my list of reasons why I hate myself and think I’m going to die alone list.

Long story short, I was heart broken like I’ve never been heart broken before.

Number Two: It happened two days before this story. I can’t get into it so I’ll say it in three sentences.

He was saying goodbye to the world. He said goodbye to everyone but me. Don’t worry, he lived.

Now back to Kansas.

He took my hand and said,

“I saw your play last semester. I was mesmerized by your performance. You are one of the most talented people I have ever seen up on stage. You are talented, beautiful, and you are so kind. I’m telling you right now that no one on this Earth does or should ever hate you. I don’t hate you. You deserve to be loved. You deserve the world. Don’t ever think anything else.”

I felt in that moment that God or whoever is up there watching over me was talking to me through Kansas that night. What Kansas said was all I ever wanted to hear. And sure my mom has said that to me, my friends have said similar words to me when I’m feeling sad but Kansas, he hardly knew me. He had no other reason but the kindness and love of his heart to say those words to me. He could’ve walked away when I asked him why he didn’t like me. He could’ve given me a simple “what no I don’t, you’re crazy” answer. But he didn’t. He knew, without even really knowing anything about me, what to say in that moment. He knew what I had been through without having to know what I had been through. He knew somehow I spent my Junior year of high school raising myself because my mom was off at rehab and my dad worked late. He knew my friends left me behind my senior year of high school and left me feeling like I didn’t want to go on anymore. He knew I cried myself to sleep most nights. He knew I had given up hope from all the things, too many to count, that I had lived through.

He knew without knowing a single thing. He was an angel. An angel who knew I just needed someone to say something, anything, to make me feel like I could keep going. I smiled. I didn’t know what to say. I stood up. We hugged. He felt like a normal human being. But I knew he wasn’t.

“Your beer is empty. Let me get you another one.” he said.

Jean, Bev, and I followed him into the dance room and to be honest I don’t remember the rest of the night. Not because I was black out drunk but because the rest of the night all I could think about was the words he spoke and all I could do was look at him for as long as I could before his wings sprouted and he flew back up into heaven.

Where is Kansas now?

He graduated. He lives in a house with the love of his life, wishing he was back in college because he hates his job.

I met an angel. I feel so lucky to have been blessed with the words he spoke. But part of me wishes I never knew he was one because when I see him with her my heart aches.

Whenever we are together I convince myself I’m okay with it. I convince myself that I don’t feel that way for him. But then that moment from that party when that angel spoke those words always comes back. I cherish it when he’s away and I resent it when he is near. He’s happy with her. Angels deserve to be happy. She’s probably an angel too.

I am not an angel. I will never be an angel. I will never be with an angel. Nevertheless, I have the memory of an angel and that’s good enough for me.

-K.

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aotopmha · 6 years

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I don't know if you talked about this but what's wrong with Floche calling Erwin the devil?I used to see people call him dumb for it but it's the smartest thing he has ever said. Even Armin said that humanity needs someone to be play the monster for the greater good of humanity I don't understand why this fandom acts like Erwin's a pure tormented soul who tried everything he could to lower the casualities, because he put in harms way masses of people for gambles. The guilt he feels is justified

Yes, this.

All the plans Erwin made were gambles. They had no guarantee of ever succeeding or having any kind of positive results and… they all had a loss of life accompanying them. They were well-intentioned, but still involved innocent people being put in danger.

As you say, Erwin’s guilt and doubt about where he was leading humanity with his actions is pretty clearly justified because it involved that loss of life.

The big argument people make against Eren is that he just wants revenge and destruction, but he has not once said something implying this since he showed up in Marley and so often when I see people arguing it, they bring examples back from chapter 2 or 3 or 46, or even 83-85, taking them completely out of context and ignoring what Eren says in the current story arc, which is what actually matters.

It also annoys me because there probably were children killed in Stohess, too (the anime even showed it). But more than that, Erwin is somehow supposed to be “better” than Eren because of this distinction, eventhough his plan still cost 100 people. The civilians in Stohess were just as much people as the children in Liberio. (Yes, Eren ultimately also causes those deaths, too, but Erwin was the one who decided for the battle to take place in the city, when there probably could’ve been another solution, which involved trapping Annie outside the city, this was just the risky and gambly one. If you’re going to have two Titans fight in the city, the chances of civilians dead are pretty big no matter how hard they actually try to avoid it.)

The situation is the same in Liberio as it was in Stohess. They probably somehow could’ve arranged it so it all took place in a much less populated place, but they chose the surprise attack route because it gave them that possibility of capturing the Titans and undermining Marley’s military strength.

I’ve talked a lot about how gray the current conflict is, but AoT actually has one big antagonist and that is the system Marley set up. The Marleyan Eldians are the opposing side to the Eldians inside the walls because their actions keep this system up. That is the only distinction between the “good” and “evil” sides in AoT and even this is questionable because Eren’s actions could backfire and make things worse. Both sides have flaws in terms of “how” they choose to take action.

In terms of the current large-scale conflict, dismantling the system can only mean a uphill battle for the Eldians. The only way it all could become worse is in the case the system replacing the previous one is even worse, which is a possibility the story doesn’t seem interested in exploring (and I don’t see the point exploring a “repeat the cycle” story considering Eren’s character arc, especially. It could potentially destroy a bunch of long-built-up character development). The big thing seems to be dismantling the current system to set up a new, better one, but this is still a possibility to keep in mind.

The one potential issue I have with the themes in this arc comes from not seeing the Marleyan perspective on things. Reiner’s father and Magath are basically the only ones with any focus, from which we can infer that the actual Marleyan citizens aren’t treated that well, either and mostly live in ignorance, but that’s still very little info and also still very much related to Eldians.

This is an issue because we know the Marleyan leadership is a bunch of assholes, but where would the non-assholes that could fix this come from? If the goal is for the cycle of violence to stop, where do we start? Showing some more Marleyans being sympathetic towards the Eldians’ situation could offer a potential solution narrative-wise.

I say it’s an potential issue and not an actual one right now because right now the uncertainty feels intentional. If we knew that there was a solution for this for sure, Eren’s actions wouldn’t carry any ambiguity. He would just be a unambigious freedom fighter.

@ghostmartyr and some others have questioned how Eren’s actions here would fix anything in their write-ups for a while now and I think the reason why is because we don’t have this obvious solution staring us down. Taking the Warhammer Titan and the other Titans and undermining Marley’s military strength are obvious tactics of weakening them and making them lose the war, but what about afterwards?

The most immidiate solution would be the current leadership just being forced to comply to stop the war politics and the horrible treatment of the Eldians they have going. Stop the warrior program and transforming the Eldians into Titans.

Another one is a financial collapse because of their lack of success (this could also be combined with the last one) and they’re simply forced to stop because they just don’t have any resources to do anything anymore.

One possible step to take after Marley’s loss is to release the full story about the warrior program and the treatment of the Eldians to the public and actually fully translate the ancient documents Grisha had and release that info into the public, as well. Spread the actual complete truth. Releasing the truth and mutual acknowledgement of the mistakes made across history would be a good first step of fixing the public opinion of Eldians without throwing any side under the bus. This kind of truth-reveal already happened inside the walls.

The whole mess has to be exposed to the world and from there things could slowly become better. But again, there’s a lot of variables in terms of how it could go.

But going back to your initial point, the tl; dr version is that I still think Erwin’s and Eren’s actions in Stohess and Liberio respectively share a striking resemblence. Both are high risk/high reward endeavours, with seemingly better solutions available. Both involve a loss of life and neither are evil in their intentions, just pragmatic, something that is very much needed in a war fought for survival like this. At some point both characters actually have gotten shit from the fans for their pragmatism. I remember all the outrage about Nile calling Erwin out in the anime specifically because the anime framed the loss of life much more severely, rather than just glossing over it.

I think Floche doesn’t compare them for no reason and has a point, he’s just pretty extreme about it.

Thank you for the ask!

#Attack On Titan #Shingeki No Kyojin #Eren #Eren Jaeger #Eren Yeager #AoT #SnK #Asks

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