#eren is not here because we’d all (fuck then) kill him so there’s no point

[134340am]

question for the dash: fmk protagonists — deku, hinata, yuuji

[butterfliesinmyguts]

A Helping Hand

summary: reader always helps around and levi wonders why.

warning : fluff, angst, and happy lovely stuff(may or may not turn into a series)

“ you did better today...” Mikasa breathed pushing my body off of hers. I finally was able to take her down. before dinner, she’s been helping me train to get better at combat.

a smile fell on my face, getting up and dusting myself off, “ keep it up and I’ll be more scared of you then those titans are..” I was able to keep up with Mikasa in ODM training, which was nearly impossible for everyone else. i felt at home in the air- as soon as my body begins to float, everything thing else zones out. my swords were just an my arms extended and I felt so powerful killing titans- scared yes- but powerful, but on ground I’m a clumsy wreck.

“ now let’s go eat before our meals fall victims to Sasha” letting out a laughed, I quickly remember a promise I made earlier today.“ could you save me a potato or something? I promised Jean I’d cover for his stable shift...” My friend sighed, “ again y/n?” quickly nodding, I set off to the stables.

I didn’t mind helping, if it was me I would want someone to offer to help me. sometimes I helped hange with mission plans, the days we go into town a lady sometime needs help carry supplies in her store, at the end of the week I help armin with reading, and at the beginning of the week I help captain levi organize his papers.

helping Levi is my favorite part of the week, if I’m in his office late enough he’ll set a cup of tea in my face with the words “ drink “ following after. while in my focused trance of replacing the water for the horses, and daydreaming about my captain Levi- two feet come into my line of vision. looking up my eyes were met with cold grey ones and then his trademark frown.

“ why are you out here, this is Jean’s punishment” dropping the buckets to the dirty stable ground, I wiped the sweat off my palms against my pants- fucking Jean, you told me this was duty.

“ just giving him a helping hand” my voice cracked, trying to laugh off the pure nevrousness that his presents brings me. I admit that im extremely fond of captain levi. he’s was the only guy that has ever made my stomach go crazy just by looking at me. the way he holds himself, short- yes- but never looked down on. he is humanity greatest soldier, during training I swear that he watches me. I feel his eyes burning my skin, the one time I did catch him Levi’s eyes widen and his breath hitched. I would kill to even be able to hug him, sometimes I imagine what it’s like to kiss him-but know that’ll never happen, hange told me that he thinks I’m silly and child like - he’d never feel that way about me.

“ - and now you’re standing there looking stupid, are you going to answer me y/n?” I realized that I’ve completely blocked out everything he said.

“ i.. please repeat the question- I’m sorry.” pinch his nose, my captain shook his head toward the ground. “tch, I asked you why your doing his punishment ?” shrugging, I began to brush the horses. “ I like being a helping hand, -“ before he got the chance to scold me I continued with “ it’s the only thing that makes me feel happy..”

looking up to catch him staring at me, our eyes locked together and for the first time ever I saw his eyes soften. taking him in, cause I may not ever be allowed to do it again, my heart ached. Levi is beautiful, breathtaking. his youthful glow made those dark orbs glow,if lips werent in the plain straight line- they would be puffy and pinky- so kissable. pulling my eyes away I finally breathed, trying to focus on the brush going through the horses hair while Levi still watched me. “ if that’s the case I need help mapping out the next expedition, hange told me your quite intelligent.” my cheeked warmed and a smile began to creep up on my lips- hange is getting so much praise next time I see them.“ I’ll find out for myself..” that smile dropped. “ come to my office after you clean and change from your filthy clothes.” nodding I watch the man walk towards the dining hall. On the inside, I was doing leaps. more time with levi, and we’d be talking to each other- I get too share my thoughts with levi.

“let the horse boy have fun with his siblings, and if I catch you doing other’s chores I’m making you run until the sunsets...” and you giggled.

during dinner levi couldn't help to think of you. why did you look at him like that, was there something on his face? maybe you were just scared, but no he’d always caught you looking at him. rather it been during training, in the dinning hall, and even doing expeditions.

Recalling back to when he first saw you, that smile you had permanently planted on your face- stupid what made y/n so happy? he was even more stunned when you got your ass handed to you by reiner during training and yelled “ again!” with that grin. that beautiful smile, y/n was beautiful- everyone knew it. levi heard eren, jean, connie, armin, and even hange talked about what they would do to have you in they’re beds, they all ranted about you body- Levi will admit that he has imagined your shy breath as his hand roamed your skin but It's more than looks with you, you care so much and you're gentle with him.

y/n would make sure that you take off your boots when entering his office ( which is tedious a job in itself ) but you did because Levi hated it when his floors were dirty and when on missions you squeeze all you cadets hands just to comfort them. no one ever has been gentle to him, it made him feel important but more importantly, why couldn't he stop thinking about you.

after showering, you changed into you nightclothes and headed to levi office. you knocked softly to quick “ come in..” I opened the door to Levi pulling two cups of tea. “ your late, I hope you didn't finish the stables...”

pulling your shoes off placing them beside his door you watched him pour, “ I didn’t” assuring him. moving towards the desk, examining the maps- Levi’s notes were so oragnized and neat. each note had so much detail about the surrounding area. while familiarizing with the map, Levi placed the tea cup infront of you. “ drink.” Brushing passed you, he set down in his chair.

why would he risking going in the open field for 740 meters, “ wouldn’t it be better to use this patch for cover?” expressing my concern, levi leaned up and listened to me rumble about the how it’ll be longer but it’ll save more cadets- every change I got I took a peek to see if he was still listening.

those sliver eyes watched me draw circles and point at the map, bottom lip between his teeth. i imagined how good it would feel to push my lips against them, the relief and pleasure that would rush through my body. I craved him “urh- but those are my thoughts..” finishing pushing away from the desk, distracting myself by sipping the tea.

“ where would we stop ?” Levi questioned, my heart warmed up, I stood over him to explain better “ over there would be a great rest point..” pointing to it, my neck completely in front of levi. I felt his breath hitched, clearing my throat i grabbed the pencil marking the on the map. “ I notice a cabin the last time we traveled...”

“ tch, impossible that’s a bit of the trail, with those tree you couldn’t have seen anything..” looking down in shame “ well while everyone was sleep I explored, even found a waterhole..”

I knew the risk of exploring, but I couldn’t help myself. while setting up for camp I saw a stream pulling down and I just had to see.

“don’t ever do that again...” nodding feeling ashamed, does this mean I have to go stay in the dungeon like eren? his eyes lighten a smirk playing along his lips.

��� just don’t go alone okay?” smiling at his words. sitting across from him I continued to tell him my discoveries - making sure he took notes of the waterhole and fields filled with berries. Levi forced me to write all my finding down, and he promised to even follow me on one of my ventures next time.

as time flew by tea cups were spilled, by me of course, and I was forced to re write the papers I ‘ ruined ‘ leaning my head on this desk my eyes flutter - wake up y/n - yawning I turned to levi still writing, how is he still writing? that tea was not keeping him up. so much energy, my eyes trailed his toned arms- the veins moving every in each stroke. blinking I distracted myself from my dirty thoughts.

“ you need to sleep levi” stretch my bones, the pop and crack give me a shot of adrenaline so I can actually wake up. “I’m fine” he muttered.

Levi eyes sunk from the lack of sleep, he was fighting it- too focused in his work to care that his eyes were burning and skin was red with an indention on his finger from the pen. “ they’ll be there tomorrow I promise..”

I reach to grab the papers, placing my hand softly on his bicip- he stiffened instantly and pushed my back into his bookcase. my ass landed on the ground,“ owe!” I cried, rubbing my back. fuck he is strong for a little guy, wow.

“y/n!”

levi rushed over and I swear his eyes were widen, like he was worried that he actually hurt me. Levi quickly leaning down watching me.“ I didn't mean to that y/n” a couldn't help but smile at him. were so close right now, my nose filled with his fresh scent- mint and tea leafs.

“ don't worry captain I-” levi’s hand pat my head. I could fucking scream in joy right now. did he just pat me? he never touches anyone. what does this mean, pulling away I watch his hand close as his finger tips carcassed his palms. as if he was trying to saver the feeling of my head, huh?

“your being gentle with me, why?” questioning him- levi set down in front of me. “ why not, your gentle with everyone else..” my eyes widen, he notices me In that way? planting his hand on my cheek, my heart stop, It felt so warm- his thumb wipe the tiny tear from the corner of my eyes. I’m blushing “I just flung you, and your still smiling why?”

shrugging “ I should have known that what’s going to happen” breathing out, I stared at his lips. “ y/n..” nodding not looking up at him. just kiss him, Levi is right there.

“ l'm going to kiss you..” he leaned and pushed my hair out of my face. repeating those words in my head, “ is that okay?” nodding quickly our lips came together as Levi took me in. I felt his chest against mine, and I couldn’t help but to grip his collar pulling him closer.

our lips begun to dance with each other, levi hands landed on my waist pulling me on top of his thighs. that smile still planted on my face between the kisses, while my hand combed his undercut.

my daydreams weren’t even a compare to the real deal, gently rubbing the back of his neck, Levi groaned into my mouth. With each movement we gained a slow rhythm,our body flowing against each other. I couldn’t help but to moan in pure pleasure I was feeling.

levi pulled bac slowly and watched me with my smiled in a drunken daze. replaying the moments in my head, Levi just kissed me, Levi my captain levi thinks of me- he thinks I’m gentle. a “ wow” left my mouth as he got up, leaning down quickly to steal one last kiss. my smiled never left my lips as I stood up leaning against the bookcase as finger tips brushed over my lips, hope the tingling sensation never went away. Im buzzing, I’m buzzing- all because of him.

watching the man, pick the fallen books up his eyes went to the window . “ it’s almost dawn, go get some sleep” Levi ordered coldly , point toward his bed.

fuck, “it’s dawn already!” I darted around Levi’s office trying to clean my area and while getting myself together. Levi stood there confused, as my actions all clicked in his head- arms crossed tightly along his chest.

“ I promised sasha that I’d help her with her hair this morning- I hope she’s not up already- oh no” slipping on my shoes on. opening the door to walk out, I give him a warm smile. “ I’m so sor-“

“ don’t worry, thanks for the helping hand..” leaning in to kiss him I was met by a closing the door. dumbfound I stood there, “what?”

part 2!

[snkpolls]

SnK Chapter 135 Poll Results

This month’s poll closed with 2,264 entries. The poll results were compiled by momtaku, /u/_Puppet_, /u/berthototototo, u/staraves

RATE THE CHAPTER 1,980 responses

Volume 34 started off on a high note with “Battle of Heaven and Earth” being our 7th highest rated chapter with an average of 4.61.

Easily the best action based chapter post timeskip

Very action dominated chapter this time. Just pure adrenaline, not many answers. Not complaining though, great chapter!

Best chapter since 122, hype levels were great, pacing was great, just overall great really.

What I loved about this chapter is that this was the first time I REALLY felt the suspense, the kind of suspense where it looks our heroes can not win the fight and all hope is lost. It was a very similar feeling I experienced in the first chapters of Attack on Titan where the fight against Pure Titans always felt like the enemy had the upper hand and our heroes were fighting a losing battle that they could only fight to mitigate the losses as low as possible

A chapter will less talk more fight. It's been a while.

I loved this chapter immensely. For months, this was the first I could finally rate the highest.

We are near the end, oh god, this was a a hell of a journey from 2013 as a manga reader it is for me one of the best manga I have ever read

Everything about this was awesome from bucket girl Ymir to all the previous titan shifters to bird Falco. There was so much I had to wrap my head around, so I’m going to have to read this a couple more times.

So many mysteries I just don’t want it to be rushes uwu and for us to only be getting a chapter per MONTH can you throw us some bones PLEASE

I’m rethinking everything I thought I knew about the manga

We're hanging on a razor's edge between masterpiece and ruin. Whatever happens, please let it be well executed. . .

  WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE OVERALL MOMENT?

2,001 responses

This chapter was filled with lore, action and great individual character moments but seeing the fantastical forms of titans past brought into the fight was our favorite moment with 31.4% of the total. “Mikasa carrying the whole damn team” was second with 24.7%. The arrival of the flying titan (10.6%), the vision of Bertholt Hoover (10%) and Pieck rushing forward with the bombs (6.9%) round out the top five.

One of my all-time favourites probably, I absolutely loved all the character interactions as well as the amazing new titan designs.

Bert back! Bert back! Bert back!!! <333333

I really did like it, all those previous titans forms are interesting and see that the manga is very soon to end, I can't wait to know the end.

The chapter hasn't changed anything fundamentally but was exited to see OG Ymir

A demonstration of the despair and hopelessness of fighting Ymir

Bird!!! Falco!!! And!!! Ghost!!! Bertholdt!!! YES! YES! YES!

Really liked Jean and Reiners moments this chapter,

Bringing back old titans was really badass and intimidating.

Tentacle porn. That is all.

  WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COMRADE-RELATED MOMENT? 1,969 responses

With a battle involving Alliance teamwork and some visits from old friends, this chapter had many moments between current and former comrades. The wholesome scene between Jean and Reiner packed with an Armored Titan joke garnered the majority of votes (50.2%), with others favoring Armin’s vision of Bertolt (15.9%), and Annie’s reunion at the end of the chapter (14.1%).

jean saving reiner really moved me i really love these characters and after seeing them fighting it was nice seeing one saving the other. i mean jean had a really good reason to hate reiner and he previously said that he would never forgive him but he did and it was nice

Loved that scene between Jean and Reiner. Jean came a long way since his selfish oppotunistic days: Not letting Reiner fall, even though he really hated him. Actually willing to die. Great character development.

I'm curious to see, what effect this might have on Reiner: I mean he was being called a member of the survey corps again and therefore he was kind of being ""forgiven"".

Jean-Reiner-Bromance!

Connie x Levi canon

Ngl, I felt a great satisfaction as ghost Bertolt looked down on Armin who was suffocating from that giant tongue lmao

at this point I think that the ackertalk is sadly never happening. A missed opportunity.

  WHO WAS THIS CHAPTER’S MVP? 1,973 responses

It’s Mikasa nation domination with 52.4% of the vote. There were a lot of great character moments but it’s hard to beat the one who stopped the manga ending prematurely! There was also appreciation for Ymir (12.8%) who brought in some interesting Titan designs and a great fight. 11.8% gave the nod to Falco for swooping in for the last minute save. 6.3% were hyped for Pieck’s no-nonsense charge, and 4.1% liked seeing Levi push himself in battle despite needing another couple of months in bed.

Levi has been severely injured for not even a week, yet he held his own and saved Connie AND Jean. I don't ever want to hear any whiny criticisms about this man ever again.

If Pieck dies we riot

Jean is best

Love Mikasa sm

MIKASA SUPREMACYYY GO BEST GIRL

Loved Reiner and Jean moment as well as Mikasa’s bad assery!

Mikasa was amazing this chapter

Pieck, the only one to make a move against Eren directly while the rest are too much up in their feelings. Best girl moment right there <3

Mikasa was so badass!! Love to see it

Mikasa was the BOMB in this chapter, loved that winged panel of hers.

My God I loved it, Mikasa was so badass, especially in that speech scene with her wings, Falco is best boy, I loved the interactions and everyone saving each other

  THE CHAPTER IS TITLED “BATTLE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH”, WHAT DOES THIS REFER TO? 1,942 responses

The most popular interpretation of the title “Battle of Heaven and Earth” seems to be designating Ymir as the Heaven, and the Alliance as the Earth (42.6%), with the reverse of that being the second most popular (27.8%). In third came the idea that it relates to Ymir using the titans of deceased Eldians (20.9%).

A battle that people might die in (Heaven) or survive (Earth)

A battle which has consequences for both Heaven (Paths) and Earth (The World)

The alliance fighting in the heavens while the colossal titans destroy the earth.

It is a reference to Ragnarok.

multiple viable interpretations. the ascended vs descended, the heavenly winged mikasa vs the now devil of all earth ymir, the winged titan against the earthly titans.

Probably a weird take, but it reminds me 131. Eren being in the Heaven as his coping mechanism and Ymir being on the ground (earth)

I’m not sure but it’s in reference to the 4th chapter titled First Battle. Just like last chapter referenced the 5th chapter.

Heaven: Paradis. Earth: beyond the sea.

all of the above- YOU GET SYMBOLIC METAPHORS, AND YOU GET SYMBOLIC METAPHORS

because the battles are in the sky while on earth the colosus step down on earth

***ohhh heaven is a place on earth***

  WE’D PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT YMIR WAS UNJUSTIFIABLY FRAMED BY HER PEERS. DOES LEARNING THAT SHE FREED THE PIGS AFFECT HOW YOU VIEW HER? 1,952 responses

Ymir apparently freeing the pigs was an unexpected opening for the chapter. For 34.4%  this action meant that Ymir has always been #TeamFreedom. A sizable 18.8% think this relatively minor reveal makes her way more suspicious. Closely following that, 18% think it means nothing at all. It’s just a cool detail that resolved a mystery.

It's trying to say that since Ymir freed the pigs, she created this whole mess which I heavily dislike since it goes against what her character was in 122

When back in 122 everyone was foaming about tHe FuCkInG pIgS, I was rolling my eyes so hard, because to me the pigs were insignificant: it does not matter who set them free, they might have just run away on their own, what matters is that Ymir is the one they blame, which started the whole story. NOW, huh, the pigs might be important, or at least it really might have been Ymir who let them go, set them free. She couldn't get free herself, so she granted freedom to the poor animals.

I always just assumed Ymir set the pigs free, I didn't realize it was something people saw as ambiguous until now…

I wasn't expecting any of that sh*t, and now I'm certain that Ymir is the real baddie here

Peppa Pig is free

  WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YMIR FREEING THE PIGS AND LOOKING DOWN AT THE ALLIANCE? 1,835 responses

The chapter opens with Ymir after freeing the pigs from the pen, but what does this mean? It’s close, but the most popular option is that Ymir is recalling that the last time she prioritised the idea of freedom the suffering was not worth it (29.9%), followed by the assertion there’s no deeper meaning (22.3%). A close third place of votes believe the connection is that Ymir has given up acts of selflessness as she doubles down on the rumbling (21.8%) and an even closer fourth place see it as her looking down on the Alliance as if they were the caged animals (21.4%).

Did she free the pigs out of compassion, or to spite her master? Is the rumbling everything to put the pigs back in the pen, or to get revenge on those who scorned Eldians?

How it started versus where it's ended up. All this torment and death because of something so minuscule because of human cruelty towards each other.

It seems like a parallel between Ymir freeing the pigs and Ymir freeing the past titans.

It shows she's an actor with agency and motivations, whether in her slave-like state or her god-like position

It was her first act of free will, and her routing the scouts it technically her third, so in a way they are parallel actions.

She looks at humans like pigs

She wants freedom, and the only way to obtain it is to kill the alliance

She's still in a cage, represented by the bones of Eren

She has been stewing in everything she has gone through for 2000 years and that might've turned her hateful.

it is possible that after looking at humanity for hundreds of years that she believes that it is not human's nature to be compassionate like her, but to fight each other until no one remains, and she has decided to speed up to what she feels is the inevitable conclusion so that her ghost can be gone for good.

  WHY IS YMIR THE ONE ACTIVELY FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THE ALLIANCE? 1,919 responses

Armin notes that Ymir seems to be the one in control of the titans, why is this?  The large majority at 54.5% believe her to be working side by side with Eren.  About ¼, at 24.8% think she’s stepping in for Eren while she’s unconscious, while the minority at 20.7% think she’s overpowered Eren and is the real big bad of the story.

If she really wants the whole humanity to perish, then it means she lost all hope in humanity and is like an empty shell who has never experienced any drop of love. I feel that Ymir doesn't really care about protecting or helping Eren. She just wants to see an empty world - without humans.

The chapter was really well drawn. Also I see lots of new possibilities to happen, as Eren being a slave, Ymir perhaps becoming the final villain. it also makes to recall back to chapter 1 when I see Eren crying in front of Mikasa after some sort of "dream". This makes me think that Eren will eventually come to regret his actions but it's gonna be too late. thus he receives this dream but he is never able to see it through. Quite a sad fate. Although that's just a speculation on my part.

Armin questioning Ymir's role has me hoping for an Armin talk no jutsu with Ymir.

Eren and Ymir are unbeatable

Ymir/Eren are the only ones who can build titans right now. They baited Falco and Annie to return to get all of the 9 shifters near the founder again and they are planning something.

It warmed my heart seeing Ymir protecting her otosan as a thank you for bringing her with him on Take Your Daughters to Work Day 🥺

  WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO ARMIN BEING FRENCHED BY A TITAN? 1,957 responses

In one of the weirdest moments in recent memory, Armin gets french kissed by a titan of the past.  42% of fans think it makes sense, as it was the only way to stop him from biting himself to transform.  36.1% feel bad for Armin as he’s gotten molested and now this, he just can’t catch a break.  14.2% are scared to ask if this constitutes fanservice, and 7.8% are too grossed out to think about it any longer.

When I wanted a non-Annie pairing for Armin, I wasn't expecting this. Stop harrassing my poor boy.

the chapter has already spawned Armin tentacle hentai and that makes it the best chapter in the whole manga

Armin capture thing was a little weird but makes sense IMO.

I know Armin being captured in that way has a narrative purpose, but that was disturbing in the end and i hate people will/ and are joking about it.

It didn't cross my mind that the frenching was to prevent Armin from transforming until I saw the vote option. Thank you.

  WILL THE CANNONS AT FORT SALTA DO BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE BLIMPS? 1,920 responses

Fort Salta’s own forces don’t seem very effective as of yet, with the blimps almost completely failing, and now they turn to three cannons.  Not a single respondent thinks they’ll do anything (Not that we gave them the option), though more think they’ll do nothing in red.

Them cannons, it will be effective.

They’ll get hit by the fort’s cannons but they probably won’t be very effective

  KARINA SAW THE ARMORED TITAN GET CHOMPED IN FRONT OF HER VERY EYES. HOW WILL THIS AFFECT HER? 1,924 responses

Even though the Plot-Armored Titan escaped death yet again, all Karina saw was her son’s flesh mecha being chomped from afar. 37.3% are finding it hard to care about Karina’s struggle, but of the ones who did have an answer, 31.2% think the purpose of the death fake-out is so she can better appreciate when Reiner is alive and well later. Just under a fifth at 19.3% think she’ll do something rash while thinking her son is dead, unsurprisingly more than the 12.2% who think Karina would do something nice for once.

fuck karina

reiner always manages to escape death

  JEAN POINTS OUT THAT THE SPAWNING TITANS ARE NOT MINDLESS. WHAT IS THEIR TRUE NATURE? 1,933 responses

It was a close one, but a plurality of respondents (38.1%) thought that the shifters brought forth by Ymir were the real deal, their souls controlled in death. Or their spirits? Their essences? Their… PATHS GHOSTS? Slightly fewer respondents (36.8%) think they’re just empty clones, Ymir simply not bothering with creating new forms since that would probably take a fuckton more years. 23.7% are somewhere between the two other options – maybe these shifters aren’t really present, but some of their will remains.

The fact that Armin saw Bertolt tells me that a part of the titan's "souls" still exist within them and they're being forced to do Ymir's bidding

The founding titan powers give her complete control over sentient shifters, and the attack titan powers (utilized by the founding titan) lets Ymir reach back in time and utilize the shifter's "essence" (maybe they all had a weird dream they don't remember), and obviously the warhammer titan is what allows them to take form. Beast titan go brrrrr

I have a small theory about souls of past shifters being imprisoned in some paths area or insubconscious mind of current titan shifters.

I’m conflicted between the two first answers but I hope there empty clones

At first, I thought it would be like Zeke's titans in Ragako (the anime showed their weird coordinated dance). But looking at Bertholdt, it seems they're not acting on free will but are still a bit conscious.

If you chomp one, do you get its power?

They are empty vessel's resurrected the only reason Armin saw Bertolt was becuase armin was the holder of the collosal titan! In my opinion of course

They are ghost/ spirits of the past shifter, which have a limited consciousness like zombies

They are moving according to the old users skills, like a saved “data”

They are the ones who volunteered to be in the walls when the Eldians escaped to Paradis. They sympathise with Eren and are fighting for him.

They are the real shifters working with Ymir

We see Bert crying right before we see his titan try to eat Reiner —— maybe he’s being forces by Ymir.

The souls of the previous titan holders can see what is happening though paths but they don't have control over it

Ymir created them via the shifters' own memories respectively. The Beetholdt panel might show hesitation of wanting to grab Reiner for example and emphasizes on the theme of Slavery. How to achieve freedom you must steal freedom (Erwn said he stole the world's freedom to achieve his own) or enslave/oppress someone or a group.

Ymir created them while eren is using them

souls being completely controlled but can be revoked original consciousness back,cringe naruto shit.

Through PATHS all is possible

  ISAYAMA WENT ALL OUT WITH TITAN DESIGNS. WHICH ANCIENT TITANS DID YOU MOST ENJOY SEEING? 1,926 responses

The most popular design in Isayama’s titan showcase by a decent margin was the “Faceless Titan” (45.8%), with “The Thing Titan” coming in second (34.4%). In third was the “Minotaur Titan” (32.4%) and narrowly in fourth, the “Mummified Titan” (31.3%). Interestingly, 2/4 of the top designs appear to be previous Warhammer Titans, which is fitting with it being one of the most popular titan designs. Well, except for the one we saw in Ymir’s backstory that had hair. We all agreed that thing was atrocious.

I loved the previous titan shifters.

croco titan best boi

There's a lot of titans missing, so I'll say here that I love the dinosaur titan, the bearded titan and the ghost-like titan as well.

that 'wolverine' titan is actually a deer. It kind of blends in with Reiner's armor but you can see the antlers if you look closely.

always wanted to see ancient titan designs since learning about the inheritance and such, so this is a dream come true for a fanartist

Previously, it was left to our imagination what all these past Titan Shifters looked like, but thanks to this chapter (through the power of PATHS!), we got to see many of them for ourselves. A nice treat from Isayama, but also a mind-blowing one, especially with how they intervened in the fight.

Seeing all these past Titan Shifters appear like that was so interesting to me that it  made me analyze each one and try to identify which was an old Jaw Titan, an old Beast Titan, an old Cart Titan, an old Warhammer Titan, and so on, so this chapter also felt like a fun guessing game in that regard!

Adding animals to the mix just feels like a try hard to make them scary. If he wanted them to have some real crazy powers it could've been done better imo, having these many animals just thrown around didn't make sense to me, we already got the beast titan and that bird titan. It's enough animals for me, especially since initially what made titans so scary in the first place was how identical they are to humans, only differing in their mounstrous size.

I never liked the idea of animal titans, it just feels so weird and out of place with no explanation for why or how they are animal-like. That being said, some of the other titan designs were pretty rad.

Show us Kruger's titan though

  WHICH RETURNING TITAN DID YOU MOST ENJOY SEEING? 1,925 responses

In a chapter filled with new titans of the past we also saw some classic designs. By far the most hype-inducing one among fans was the Colossal Titan at 66.6%, followed by the War Hammer at 19.6%, Porco’s Jaw at 12.2%, and Marcel’s Jaw at 1.5%.

I loved how the one, true and only OG Colossal Titan of Bertholdt descended upon them like a fucking God

since there was no ""Other"" option in the ""favourite moment"" question, I'll say it here: Marcel's titan was my favourite moment.

Last chapter I was wondering if there'll be "another Beast Titan clone". We end up getting the entire museum lmao

The Colossal Titan, the God of the SnK world, appeared as the judge (while aldo not being himself, ironically) seriously, it was amazing

The Colossal Titan's entrance was like sweet karma, after how the SC murdered Bertold brutally and never cared one bit, they still couldn't get rid of him. SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS kekekek

  THERE’S BEEN SOME DEBATE BUT IT SEEMS FRECKLED YMIR WASN’T THERE. IS THIS SIGNIFICANT? 1,900 responses

Ah, the innocent days of our freckled goddess… she may have turned out to be a regular girl, but where was she when our other old friends were running around? There were a couple of Titans who looked a bit like her, but none with both her little gremlin body and her distinctive nose and teeth. Does it matter? 63.8% of you don’t think there’s anything to it. Maybe she’ll be in the next chapter, or maybe Yams forgot her… maybe she’s chilling with Grisha and Kruger. 36.2% think there could be something more to her absence so far.

i hope freckled ymir came back  ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

I think it's highkey sus that we didn't see freckled Ymir's titan and that really gives me hope that Historia really will have an important part in the finale since it feels like Yams is saving freckled Ymir for a Historia moment

about freckles... i think her titan was the one that was gonna try and eat reiner/jean. dark hair, thin arms, small facial features.

I feel like her foreground omission isn't a big deal, since we're already two Jaws in, both of whom have more impactful connections to those present.

I want freckled Ymir back

ymir freckles did make an appearance, wasn’t she the titan attacking reiner as he was holding onto jean that mikasa slashed?

I believe Freckeld Ymir's Jaw Titan is shown when Bertholdt's Colossal Titan attempts to eat Reiner. It's very small though so it's hardly noticeable and I can't even confirm that it was indeed her Titan but it seemed like it.

YOU GAVE ME HOPE ABOUT FRECKLED YMIR DAMN YOU and thank you

  SINCE ALL THE TITAN OTHER SHIFTERS SUMMONED THIS CHAPTER WERE DECEASED, DOES THIS MEAN ZEKE IS DEAD? 1,953 responses

Ymir summoned titans of the past according to Pieck, does that mean Zeke is of the past now too?  The fandom is overall undecided on this one, as about half don’t know, at 48.5%.  32.7% are confident Zeke is still around, and 18.8% take this as confirmation of his death.

Zeke may not be dead, because the beast titan summoned last chapter could be Xavier's beast titan too. Because in one earlier Marley arc chapter, someone mentioned that "The beast titan is the same as ever". Meaning, Xavier's beast titan was also monke.

IF Zeke is alive, it means that Pieck is once again somehow "faking" her defeat and goes for the detonator but then she somehow runs into Zeke. They have a lot of history and too much stuff unresolved between them and because of eren/armin and zeke/pieck dynamics is that those 2 stayed on the founding titan..

I think Zeke and Bertolt are both stuck in paths, unable to properly die. I hope Zeke is just shackled making titans like we saw him in 120. That would be poetic, for the one who hates his Eldian blood so much to be forced to enact the one thing that made him hate himself (the existence of titans).

I just realized that in the last chapter I thought Zeke was there but it was the shot of the Marleyan general saying ""I am sorry""... I was writing about how Zeke cannot be dead, what are you all talking about, he is right there, then went and checked 134. Now I'm just sitting here with no answers at all. Zeke could be anywhere, alive or dead, no clue...

  CHEKHOV’S EXPLOSIVES CONTINUE, AND THIS CHAPTER PIECK ENSURED THEY WERE RIGHT NEXT TO EREN. WHO WILL DETONATE THEM? WILL THEY BE EFFECTIVE? 1,121 responses

We asked what you think would come of the explosives that have been built up for eight chapters now, and collated your responses. First, who will detonate them?

Pieck: 182

Mikasa: 140

Armin: 134

Reiner: 99

Gabi: 81

Levi: 71

Connie: 38

Jean: 29

Annie: 23

Falco: 14

Eren: 6

Ymir: 2

Zeke/Onyankopon/Bertholdt: 1

There were also 7 mentions of the cannons that the Marleyans got ready to use this chapter actually coming in handy, and setting off the explosives. It’s also noteworthy that Pieck is thought of more than any other character to be likely to sacrifice her life to get it done. Additionally, many people who put forth Armin detonating them suggested this occurs through his titan transformation igniting them, not just him using the detonator.

In terms of success, 255 said that the explosives would either do nothing or overall be ineffective, with the most commonly given reason being that Eren is not in the nape. 250 said that the explosives will be helpful one way or another, including 7 who said they would end Eren’s life (Most of these involved Mikasa as the detonator). 9 people specified that they hope the bombs don’t do anything, 25 said nobody will detonate them at all, and 2 said it will be effective but will make things worse.

They will play an important role in the Climax, one way or another

warhammer can just throw the explosive after it deals with pieck

His neck is covered with more bones and the blimps didn't hurt them, but the explosives are as close as possible, so I think maybe they could work.

100% those explosives will be used in one way or an other, but i have a feeling that eren is not even there ;)

Annie will likely be able to get close to Pieck, as her titan is very agile and will activate the explosives that will be able to get Eren out of her giant's head

Could be anyone. The way they're set up, they must have some effect.

Could be Jean or Connie and maybe the rumbling will be paused or the Eren's skeleton will collapse as the story continues..

Connie and he will die doing so, doing few damage but someone will be like "hey he gave us a weakness we can exploit"

if they are effective, mikasa but if they arent it will be connie or jean

Doesn’t matter who detonates them it won’t be effective

Eren better pull a Reiner and transfer his consciousness. Isayama introduced that shit on purpose. Peick probably playing dead and will try to detonate to no avail.

Gabi is going to detonate them and save Pieck too. The explosion might help in the fight, but I doubt Eren is in the neck, my bet its Zeke who is in there.

Eren, once all the shifters are dead he will detonate it killing himself and ensuring all titans are reborn in Historias baby, truly freeing ymir and ending the curse of the titans.

Fort Salta Cannons will detonate them. They wont be effective because Eren is hiding in Paradis with the Warhammer Titan power (or he can transfer his consciousness to the rest of his spine in case he really is there).

Levi will detonate them to kill Zeke who is actually the one in the nape

Levi will give up on his dream of killing Zeke and die sacrificing himself to detonate it

Pieck will sacrifice herself to detonate the fuse and when she does she will fall to her doom. She will be content in knowing that it will work. She lits it up and falls at the same time. When shes falling she feels a great sense of acceptance, but all of a sudden Falco swoops in to save her with everyone on his back. As they watch it blow up the body keeps moving for eren was not there to begin with.

I think Ymir will use them against the alliance

Oyankopon drops a flying knee into the plunger in an act of self-sacrifice.

titanfolk: Kaboom?

Isayama: Yes titanfolk, kaboom.

  WHY IS ARMIN HAVING THE VISION OF BERTOLT? 1,928 responses

In one of the more confusing panels of this crazy chapter, we see Bertolt standing over Armin.  39.6% believe it to be a fragment of Berthold brought back through the Colossal Ymir summoned, 25.5% think Bertoto has awareness in an afterlife, 25.1% think Armin is having a memory from his predecessor Burrito, and 7.3% think Ymir is just messing with Armin.

Grabbing Armin allowed Ymir to access Bertolt's titan, similar to how they have Zeke captive for his Beast titan

It's some kind of twist that's coming related to the whole predecessor memory stuff.

Some kind of PTSD vision brought on by being put in a Titans mouth

Since this was an ongoing issue how Armin didn't seem to have access to Berth's memories, he'll probably will see some of them soon. And especially the one, where Eren says to Levi that Armin will save humanity, not him. That will give him the last push to do whatever.

The scene with Bertholdt was a direct recall of when Armin woke up after eating him, and seeing him crying in the form of the Colossal Titan's skull and saying "it hurts" in chapter 85. My poor boy :( He was probably suffering from eternal torment in an afterlife/paths related place. Shifters' Hell would be a good word, as Ymir Fritz kinda had the same experience being enslaved for eternity

Him seeing Bertolt for the second time makes me think these two are going to switch places at some point. That being said it's not the end-end for Armin, and Eren is definitely reserving him a seat in whatever path underground there is.

I thought Armin was feeling the despair/hopelessness that Bertolt did while the warriors were undercover in Paradis. The paralyzing dread of the task before him, even though he is the "strongest titan"

Bertolt's individual "soul" still exists as a singular entity, that lives within Paths. Armin as his inheritor has a soul-link to him, can see him, recall his memories and even feel some of his feelings. However his presence here will serve for Armin to make some kind of realisation that will help conclude the battle.

  YOUR THOUGHTS ON MIKASA IN THIS CHAPTER? 1,942 responses

We knew Mikasa would likely be chapter MVP but we wanted to give her an extra shoutout for a great chapter. Only 9.1% percent refused to play along. A majority of nearly 60% agreed with all our gushing about her performance, selecting all of the above. Of the individual entries, “Bless those ackergenes” (10.2%), “They were goners without her” (8.8%) and “She was unbelievable” (7.9%) were top selections.

Isayama in November said mikasa character is coming and this chapter felt like the start of it and hoo was this Mikasa's chapter. We have known that Mikasa is one of three main MCs, and isayama had been foreshadowing Mikasa's role in the finale so much. I'm excited to read the final 3 chapters.

goat mikasaaaa

HEAD EMPTY JUST MIKASA SUPREMACy

I LOVE MIKASA

Loving all the Mikasa scenes. It’s about damn time,

Mikasa going "Fuck it. Fight me. All of you, I don't care if you're shifter clones, I'll kick your ass." was a great bit of dark humour and a really well done character beat. If she has to go down she'll go down fighting with pride.

  THIS CHAPTER MIKASA FOUGHT TO THE END AFTER LEVI DELEGATED THE ATTACKING ROLE TO HER, A REVERSAL FROM FEMALE TITAN ARC. IS MIKASA HUMANITY'S NEW STRONGEST SOLDIER? 1,940 responses

Levi has always been humanity’s strongest soldier, but this chapter had Mikasa being the only one fighting till the end. This being temporary due to Levi’s worn down body is the consensus, with 49.3% affirming its brief nature while 34.3% venture that Mikasa will one day take on this mantle permanently.13.8% believe she has surpassed even what a healed Levi would be capable of, and 2.7% do not think she’s surpassed him in any way.

I’m glad to see a lot more female empowerment with Mikasa being a major hit in this chapter. I got very worried with the amount of saving Levi had to go through and avoiding near deaths at some points.

Let the Humanity’s Strongest go down like a badass he’s always been, stop making him this pitiful please

LEVI NEEDS IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION HE MIGHT BE HAVING INTERNAL BLEEDING FROM THAT EXPLOSION AND HIS LEG BEING BITTEN MAKES IT EVEN WORSE FUCK

I BELIEVE IN LEVI'S SUPREMACY

Mikasa Ackerman supremacy

that wings really said mikasa is the most freest person now

I’d love it if isayama would stop crippling Levi. I know its to get him out of the fight but cmon

  NOW THAT WE SEE IT IN ACTION, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FALCO’S BIRD TITAN? 1,944 responses

Most fans are behind this controversial development at this point, with 46.8% loving it, and 29.3% not loving it but feeling that it fits in the chapter. 17.4% have changed their mind from negative to positive after seeing it in this chapter, and 6.5% will always hate this.

Falco's titan is amazing. He saved everyone and it's his second transformation, he is goat.

I liked Falco saving the day :) It doesn't matter to me how he learnt to fly and control his titan so fast. Maybe Zeke helped him via sending visions? Or maybe Falco is talented? I don't know and I think we have more important thing to read about

Falco Being able to fly a few hours after Hange's death makes this chapter less good.

The Flying Titan is questionable but everything else are great

the design of Bird Titan is kinda cringe

Porco must be very proud of his son 

  KIYOMI AND YELENA ARE NOT ON THE FLYING TITAN, ALONG WITH THE AZUMABITO ENGINEERS. ANY PREDICTIONS? 1,911 responses

After Kiyomi forebodingly accepted the risk of the ship sinking that also contained Yelena and the Azumabito engineers two chapters ago, she has not been seen since despite Falco now arriving. The majority of you (70.2%) believe they’re fine, with the ship surviving Falco’s transformation, while just under a quarter (23.2%) believing both drowned on the sinking ship, and a slim minority (6.6%) believe they are with our main crew on the Flying Titan.

Yelena better be okay

I wonder where is yelena

I just want to learn how the rest of the Azumabito family are doing after Falco transformed into the Titan.

  ISAYAMA’S DONE IT AGAIN! WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE THROWBACK THIS CHAPTER? 1,936 responses

Isayama loves himself some throwbacks and this chapter was no exception.  Mikasa giving a speech reminiscent of her Trost speech was the most popular option at 32.9%, with Armin dreaming of Bertolt crying similar to his dream of the Colossal Titan was a close second at 28.2%.  Rounding out the top three was Falco taking a bird form in parallel with the Fort Slava scene we just saw in the anime.

It was like going back to Trost arc amazing wise... It was really a good one full of quotes from previous memorable moments of the series, while reading it i thought "wow, it really is ending

I think it significantly has to do with his memory of the colossal crying after RtS so perhaps it's a near death state experience of his predecessor for Armin

I'm also interested to see what Armin is going to do next. He seems to think back to Erwin whenever he gets himself into a pickle. I'm excited to see how he will use his titan in this battle.

Based on the parallels with Trost the only bomb that's blowing Eren out of his titan is Armin's Colossal Titan.

  DO YOU AGREE WITH ANY OF THESE CRITICISMS ABOUT THE CHAPTER? 1,428 responses

No chapter is free from criticism, so we scoured discord, twitter and reddit looking for the most common complaints. The lack of character deaths seemed to be on many minds. “There was too much plot armor” and “Eren and OG Ymir are too OP” were the two options that got over 30%. Grumblings about the flying titan (26.1%) and Mikasa with a winged background (23.9%)  were also common selections. I think what’s most telling is that ⅓ of respondents skipped this question entirely indicating that they had no major complaints at all

Everything was going 10/10 until the flying titan came and saved everyone. Another chapter with 0 deaths this late in the story.

I really love that mikasa with wings so much. It means for me she's the hope of humanity.she's ackerman so ymir can't control her... she will have a big roll at the end!

Being able to recreate old Titans is too OP

not too sold on the whole spawning in Titans and a flying bird that just recently got their power swooping in to save everyone

I'm completely sold on the idea of past shifters being summoned. Some people may say it's quite an asspull, but honestly, I've had a little problem with this series, which is that the Coordinate has been teased as the power of God itself but we've never seen that in action, so I'm satisfied. I'm not a big fan of the flying titan (teasing things is not the same as justifiying things) and the lack of character deaths made me think Hanji could have died this chapter, which would've been more meaningful honestly. Still, I'm very happy to say Isayama has surprised me once again.

WAYYYYYYYYYY TOO MUCH PLOT ARMOR

I know people are getting stomped on right now, but was expecting at least someone to die.

I don't mind the flying titan, but I would've liked just another hint that the beast titan can be any animal. The very first one in Ymir's flashback was an ape, could've been a dinosaur or something!

You never wanted to accept that this series was a shounen manga aimed at little boys, did you?

  DOES THIS CHAPTER ADD EVIDENCE TO THE THEORY THAT HANGE’S VISION WAS REAL? 1,929 responses

On the poll team, our first step in preparing results is looking for spam. We identify that primarily by looking at timestamps and bursts of entries that choose to answer only a single question in rapid succession. Typically we see this behavior on shippy questions and those involving Gabi, so it’s been puzzling that in the last year the only questions to get significant spam are those involving Hange’s vision. Clearly someone, or maybe a few someones, are very afraid of ghosts.

With the spam entries removed, the Yes’s outweighed the No’s by 54-46 percent on the question of whether or not this chapter added evidence to the theory that Hange’s vision was real.

The ghosts of Eldians past are definitely going to feature in the endgame I think. The shifters are the most important but Hange's vision makes it clear that they're all "alive" in Paths somehow. Let freckled Ymir talk to Historia once more!!

I hate conscious development

I bet Hanji is screaming in the afterlife, wanting to be on top of Falco's titan

  HAS THE FOCUS ON BIRDS IN THE ANIME OP/ED ADDED EVIDENCE THAT THE BIRDS IN PREVIOUS CHAPTERS ARE SIGNIFICANT? 1,913 responses

Bird theory (/birds being significant in some large way) has been gaining traction recently in the manga already, and then the anime made a whole ED theme about them and had them in focus in the OP as well.  In one of the most one sided poll results in recent memory, almost 90% of the fandom feels this is evidence of birds being significant, while 10.7% say no.

birb

birb

Birb

Birb

Birb

Birb

Birb

bird

Bird

Bird

bird

birds

  DESCRIBE THE CHAPTER IN ONE WORD 1,330 responses

This month’s top 5 chosen words bear a resemblance to last month’s, specifically with 1-3 being in last month’s and 1 & 3 being in the last two months. “Chaos” is one more on the original side for this chapter.

Amazing [96]

Epic [50]

Awesome [48]

Chaos/Good/Great [27]

Cool [26]

And in a shocking turn of events, this question is being used to concoct recipes again? Well, it’s a bit of a stretch, but it doesn’t sound half bad.

Nuts

Lasagna

Goat

Cheesy

Chicken

Bertholdt

Chomp

Juicy

Exquisite

  ISAYAMA RECENTLY ESTIMATED THERE IS 1-2% LEFT OF THE STORY. WHAT CHAPTER DO YOU THINK THE MANGA WILL END AT? 1,941 responses

I don’t know why Isayama does it, but he keeps assuring us the end is near. But we’ve guessed the end is near since… oh, RTS? Then Marley? Then when the Rumbling started? Remember when chapter 130 was the max? Don’t worry, the ride will end someday. 35.5% think chapter 139 will be the last, giving the final volume five chapters. 33% are sticking with 138, the classic four chapter volume. 28.7% think we’re strapped in for a little longer at 140+ chapters. 2.5% think we’re wrapping up in just two chapters. And 6 respondents think the next chapter is the last! Gonna guess you’re either hoping for Falco to crash into a tree or you’re just tired of this ride. (Sorry, the ride never ends.)

I'm worried about the pacing. While I was glad to have a glimpse of Bert (and Erwin) again, his appearance is long overdue. Along with a whole bag of other characters who need resolutions. I don't know how Isayama will delegate worthwhile endings to this huge cast and themes in 3-4 chapters.

Each chapter makes me feel there's 3 chapters left (and there has passed more than 3 chapters since I thought that for the first time xd)

Another amazing chapter. I see the story ending at Chapter 139. Three more chapters of action, deaths and twists, and one more epilogue chapter.

There's apparently not much of the series left but this chapter still doesn't feel like we're that near the end :/

I was expecting a lot of people to die this time around, but I guess that'll happen later considering we seem to have one more volume left after this one. That actually raises my hopes a bit on the ending not being as rushed as we were afraid it would be. And the return of the anime on top of that? Man, I'm not ready to say goodbye. :(

I'm worried if Isayama will be able to end every character arc. I mean, we're left with 1 or 2% of manga and there is this quite a lot of things to end. I just hope ending won't be rushed.

...it just added a lot of questions like Yams has to give us 5 chapters for the last volume at this point lol.

dunno how this ends with everyone being satisfied. Estimating that 3 chapters are left we need a conclusion to Reiner, Mikasa and the promised Eren and Armin confrontation. While there's mysteries like Zeke's whereabouts, what's going on w Historia, why can ymir manifest herself in the real world, what did eren mean by saying "you haven't gotten to the part where I eat our old man", Bertholdt shard of him getting spared by Dina and Mikasa's see you later scene. Not to mention an epilogue where if alliance wins we get to see how the world treats the eldians now. Im already losing faith that minor characters might be just cannon fodder and I find myself saying "Its Isayama. one chapter where it feels nothing happened doesn't meant we're getting a rushed ending" too often these days.

  WHAT ARE YOU MOST HOPING TO SEE NEXT CHAPTER? 1,960 responses

It feels like there’s a lot to accomplish with so few chapters remaining. While Eren’s POV is still top on our wishlist (29%), “I don’t care just resolve a mystery, any of them” was the number two (19%). The third most common response was for Armin to come up with a plan (14%). Historia, Zeke and the more specific options all scored in single digits.

We need answers. NOW.

I liked this chapter but I’m getting tired of the mystery. We’ve been lead on for too long and there’s too many loose ends that need to be tied up already.

can we get eren’s pov now

Yes ! More Bertholdt please !!! I missed my big sweaty boy !

Where’s Freckled Ymir!!????!?!???!! Is Pieck okay!?!?!!!?!!

When will Levi die lol

Where armin

What happened to Armin!?? And does peick survive?

WHERE IS MONKE?!

Where the hell is eren?

I hope I can see Eren again

i hope isayama let levi kill zeke before he died , i want him to reunite with erwin and proudly tell him that he accomplish the mission

I just hope that Pieck and Armin are okay :((

i just want armin to be okay

I just want Eren/Mikasa, not all this shit(((

I just want to see Bertolt in the next chapter too

Wonder what is going on inside Ymir's head. Would also love to see Paradis' reaction to the ongoing massacre (if I didn't miss it somehow)

  WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 1,811 responses

While Reddit has historically stayed consistent, it’s been incredible to see the rise of Twitter and the fall of Tumblr as a dominant fandom platform. A year ago only 8% selected Twitter as their primary place for Attack on Titan discussion now that number is nearing 50%.  Last month it became the most selected platform, surpassing Reddit, and this month proves it was no fluke.

wish i had irl friends who read the manga oof

    ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHAPTER? 526 responses

🧐

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Hentai

10/10 again !!! Isayama knows what he’s doing and I trust him with the ending❤️

2/10

GOOD chapter, definitely some eclipse vibes lol, Armin seemed to have realized Ymir is the one with the power and that they'll have to deal with her sooner or later to stop the rumbling. Next step is realizing Eren is 100% ready to kill him if he needs to. Maybe they'll stop trying to kill poor Zook for no reason now at least.

I loved seeing the alliance get there asses clapped

I hope Eren Yeager doesn’t love anyone from “Attack on Titan”.

But it's weird, I thought best Ymir was in the chapter too? She owes us so much, even more if SnK's afterlife is canon (Hange couldn't have known of Keith's death otherwise). And technically, Zeke could be dead like the others. First I was so bored by his constant plot armor but now...

The titan designs were got tier. Isayama came in clutch with these designs

There are still a lot of mysteries unsolved about the Titans and Eren's whereabouts is unknown. Would love to know more about the Ackerman blood too.

This poll is biased for not including statements against Mikasa and the Alliance.

If ymir creates the bodies of titan shifters, why did she give falco a bird form if she wants to stop them? Not saying it's a plot hole yet, but I hope there's a reason for it.

The title reminds me of the chinese saying of “天人交戰” which literally translates as battle between the heaven and human but means ones inner struggle. Maybe it is referring to eren’s inner struggle of wanting freedom and having to kill everything standing between him and freedom. Idk.

A lot of people have been trying to make sense why we're learning about Ymir freeing the pigs here of all places, but rather than it being evidence that she's some evil mastermind I think it's a representation of how devastating this cycle of hatred has been. In that first scene we see Ymir as a kind and empathetic girl who decides that though she can't free herself, she can still help these simple animals who she saw earlier also wanted to escape. But in the present, after suffering greatly for her kindness and being forced into servitude that lasted for countless years and even into death, we see Ymir not just as willing to commit a brutal omnicide on the rest of the world but as someone who is seemingly enslaving others in the pursuit of that goal - in many ways, she might be repeating the same crimes that were done to her by King Fritz.

After seeing the first episode of the new anime season and how well Mappa delivered on that, I cannot *wait* to see the crazy battle action of this chapter animated.

Armin, as expected, ended up a failure yet again. This is what Bertholdt, Erwin and Hange died for -_-

GIVE 👏 ARMIN 👏 A 👏GODDAMN 👏 BREAK

Armin is beginning to understand this always was about Ymir. After seeing her twice.

I really wish Armin could do something besides being tortured with doubt and getting captured.  

BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK BERT IS BACK

can levi die already let this old man reunite with his homies in shingeki no heaven. at this point death is like the only peace and/or freedom anyone can get in this series which is kind of a shitty message

I'm a fan of how fucking OP Eren and Ancestor Ymir, which is honestly how it should be. I never expected The Alliance to stand a chance, and they all got fucking wrecked. I'm completely surprised nobody died, I feel like that'll be changed next chapter, though; unfortunately. My main question is: What the fuck do The Alliance plan to do next without Armin and Pieck? Also, seeing the past shifters was fucking amazing and I didn't expect that shit.

Decent chapter. I gave it a 3/5, because it was a purely action, set-up chapter with not so great action scenes, at least compared to other great fight scenes in the series. Still, we got quite a few nice panels and interesting powers, so i will be looking foreard to the payoff.

eren better be in the next chapter idc 🙄‼️

Eren is trying to kill his friends, Ymir is not controling him, he is FREE. Accept it already.

FALCO WILL EAT EREN LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I need this tension between mikasa and Eren resolved in the following chapters....these two are the only characters regarding whom I'm totally not sure what tf will end up happening to them.

Hange would've loved to see all the different types of titans from bygone times. I wish they were still alive, I miss them.

I can't believe that best boy Bertholdt Hoover, the one true God of Destruction, is back, and as usual, the first thing Isayama does is make him cry. Absolutely incredible. This is all I'll think of this month.

I think the Ymir revelation was huge but other than that it was an anxiety-inducing rollercoaster of will they, won't they (die). Nothing much happened. I feel antsy

I think there is a possibility that eren and ymir brought back the shifters because they agree (mostly) with the rumbling and bert is crying because he knows what he has to do to ensure it

I wonder if Ymir regrets setting those pigs free. It was the act that set her life into further misery. I think it's beautiful but tragic how Eren really gave her back the will to fight.

I'm blown away

I'm honestly shocked at how incredible this story has become. Much like Bertholt I feel like I'm fine with whatever happens, because this whole journey and the world are incredibly cruel. And that does not make it bad by any means, it makes it more meaningful.

I'm not a huge fan of the fight scenes so I'd just like to see a satisfying climax and conclusion to the fight soon. Looking forward to Levi killing Zeke and all the reunions.

I'm really optimistic about Bertholdt possibly coming back, oh gods I hope he comes back.

I'm scared because this chapter didn't progress a lot of the story and we only have 3 or maybe 4 chapters left.

Isayama really got to flex his ability to design terrifying monstrous titans again.

It was an interesting chapter. It really works well if you think about it. Regular humans who are humanity's last hope, the strongest soldiers left are against two literal gods. Of course it will not be easy at all, Ymir summoning all those titans and everyone nearly dying multiple times is proof that you cannot defeat such gods that easily. Very excited for the next chapter to see how everything else plays out.

Maybe Anni can use her female titan powers and attract all of the former titan shifters - so that Mikasa detonates the Bombs.

Mikasa deserves a fuckn BREAK. like God she saw her family get butchered TWICE, first by humans, then by titans and now fckn Eren took away the one family she was desperately trying to protect. If anyone should've gone crazy like Eren it's mikasa. She does seem to be at her wit's end and ready to go above and beyond after saving everyone in this chapter and seeing the harm Ymir/Eren is causing. But since she's always done what she believed in, no matter what she does, I just want Mikasa's character to get some sort of happiness by the end of it. Is that too much to ask :/

Nobody said “The Eagles are coming” bad chapter 0/10. I’m kidding. But in all seriousness I really just want to see the ending already. I’m going to imagine it ends with the remnants of humanity rebuilding and promising to never be turbo-racist ever again while a tired Historia looks on with her baby saying “You are free” or something.

PIECK DONT DIE I LOVE YOU!!!!!

PIECK GREATNESS NEXT EPISODE

Reibert pandering for this chapter. It was a tad too fast but I love the focus on Reiner reacting to the CT attacking him. reiner could ALMOST die of the gayest way possible had Jean not butted in.

Screamed when Annie came on

Sets up for a super exciting finale

spare eren POV crumbs? dunno what this man been thinking since chapter 86

stanning bertholdt hoover isn't just a hobby, it's a lifestyle, a reason to breathe, he's also an art, the first gift you open on xmas, a hug from a loved one, he is everything I have ever wanted, and everything I needed.

hOLY FUCKING SH—

I cant see when or how it'll end

I did NOT expect Armin to get tongue porn'd. It's hilarious to imagine Annie seeing that HAHAHAHAHA

I really miss eren so much...AoT without him...it's long time we didn't see him pls isayama):

I rlly don’t see Ymir the same way and I hope it won’t affect the way I see Eren

I still miss Hange :(

I think Bertholdt was crying because his Titan was forced to attack and eat Reiner, against his own will

I think Connie will be the one to help Levi take down Zeke. Levi will live!!!

I thought it was very good. Not peak AOT but great! There was to many saves before death , reminded me of bleach. Seeing the old Titans was really cool and the action was great also.

I want armin and annie flashback in next chapter

i want EMA meet again):

I want Mikasa to choke Eren with the scarf

I want monke boi back :(

I want more Eren

I want more!!!!!!!

I wanted see Historia

I was really excited to hear we were getting more bertholdt

I was vey hyped because of this chapter and it delivered. During all the chapter i was like "someone's gonna die someone's gonna die" and when Berthold's titan appears and eats reiner's titan I screamed, but that son of a bitch is inmortal hahah.

idc idc come back to save pieck and armin please

It gives the idea of how powerful that titan god is, i think it lives up to Rod's description of titam god and how powerful it felt during Ymir's backstory (her form)

It got really hype when all the past shifters came over but Pieck’s bomb failing could be seen a mile away. Over amazing with some nice moments.

it is really, life and death situation. still, looking forward to this especially the ending. how will aot end? surely, it will be a legacy. a great masterpiece made by isayama-sensei.

it maintains a nice pace

It sucks. Manga went downhill since chap 105. The shit needs to end.

It was a classic high tension action chapter which I loved

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

It was amazing and full of a lot of lore!

It was amazing! I'd say this could be one of the best chapters written! So much action went on to the point where I hope MAPPA has a decent sized budget to animate it all. I'm really eager to see what the next chapter has in store. The main thing I'm looking forward to that wasn't listed here is basically what will happen to Levi. Is he going to survive through all this, or is he going to succumb to his wounds? Is he going to pair up with Zeke to take down Eren? Or is he going to stay on the "sidelines" untill the war is over?

It was fun, but somewhat inconsequential aside from Falco

It was good, i just need some answeres. Ymirs ability was so sudden.

It was great to finally see previous titan shifter forms, especially the beast titans.

It was just overall so epic

It was really great in terms of action but disappointing as well since there was too much plot armour - I was expecting at least one death.

it was really nice before the episode, it's all getting so intense and i didn't expect ymir to go in with a bang like this

It was really nice, all the symbolism, along with Mikasa with the wings was amazing.

it was super crazy

It'll probably be more enjoyable in the anime (if MAPPA even tackles this). Straight battles have never been this manga's strong suit.

Jean, dare to die and I won't love you anymore >:'(

Its up to ho wmany chapters we have left, if we have like 10 it was a very good one, if we have smt like 3 ( that i dont think so ) it was waste of time

Levi is almost certainly dead/dying

Levi might be a ‘slave’ to being a hero but he’s a victim of his own popularity which is preventing Isayama from killing him off. We know he’s not gonna fulfill his promise to Erwin because Levi never gets what he really wants, surprise surprise. But if he keeps getting injured and left out of action he’ll live the rest of his life with nothing but regrets.

levi please don't die

LEVI PLEASE SURVIVE :(

levi u ok buddy

Levi's leg is not daijobu,,, is he even alive

Lol who TF cares about Bert? He killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Eldians alongside Reiner and Annie. I still say he deserved what he got and is not worthy of any kind of sympathy, no matter how many angsty teardrops Isayama draws on his stupid face.

looking forward to seeing it animated.

Lots of weirdness, but still great

man the titan battles were great, seeing all the previous titans fight was pretty awesome seeing the hopelessness form the alliance really showed the reality of it all, now they lost 2 additional titans leaving Eren with 6 and the alliance down to 3

MAPPA gon be hurting

not enough lesbians

Not for the chapter but, All the openings and endings(lyrics and images) of the series have some details of the things we are experiencing with the latest chapters

That being said that Annie scene was pretty cringe. I expected that, but it was so cliché it's ridiculous.

ONLY BERT & PIECK HAVE RIGHTS

overall good! it was alot to process but im on board and excited for the next one

Pls end it Mikasa, you can do it.

Plz yams don't give me hope like this

Professor X vs. Magneto soon

really crazy. You have to admit that Isayama doesn't stop when it comes to creativity.

Really curious about Bertolt apparition

Pretty good. As much as I want the Alliance to win in the end, their utter defeat this chapter felt more realistic, than if they managed to actually do anything.

Really liked Jean and Reiners moments this chapter, overall a good chapter that flew by. Hope quickly turned into desperation but Falcons teams arrival means they got one more chance. Armin capture thing was a little weird but more or less makes sense.

Since the rumbling started, this series has became more dull and predictable. Loads of plot armor, stupid teosts only for shock value and weird pacing are major problems in this arc. Too bad, because the post timeskip portion of this manga up until  the rumbling was one of the best pieces of media I had seen. But now I am only expecting the boring  cliche shonen ending.

Still hate Annie being back, she can still go.

Still think Mikasa is gonna be the one to either kill Eren or bring him back to his senses somehow

The afterlife thing still hasn't answered and I wanna know how's the corps doing T_T

The Alliance got dumpsterd yet no one died. They'll probably die in all in one chapter.

the art, as usual, was really good

There are still some mysteries to solve and things to do (like EMA final convo, which I don't think will last just 2 or 3 pages) in so little time, I'm kinda worried to be honest.

This chapter is full of plot twists, I didn't even expect the storyline to turn out like this.

This chapter is painfull and more action at the same time and i hope there are still chances that there old happy days will be back

This chapter was actually exciting! And thank goodness Bertolt is finally back!!!!! So many people assumed he was finished and forgotten, but a small group of us knew Isayama wouldn't leave us hanging without his closure. I'm looking forward to learning why we're seeing him now and whatever's going to happen to Armin

This chapter was breathtaking and hard to continue due to the speculations that someone was going to die. I feel like the next few chapters is where things start to get serious if not already. I found it very enjoyable yet nervous at some moments.

This was so crazy and hopeless like it's peak apocalypse even more than rumbling. It's a nightmare I love Isayama

Too many last-seconds saves kinda ruins the tension.

umm it would've been better

Ummm this chapter had too much suspense

uuuuuuuhhh nothing else i guess

Very PogChamp

We are going to get the best manga ending ever.

Nobody is free yet...

MAN WTF IS HAPPENING I READ TBE MANGA BHT HAVENT REREAD IT AND I FORGOT WVERYTHING MAN WTF

[ryuichirou]

What made you ship ereri? 😊

This question really made me THINK, Anon. We realized that we don’t even remember since it was so long ago, then we went to look at my ancient Ereri sketches (from 2013), then we got scared and cringed and ran away to another folder of sketches (from 2016), and all of this explained nothing. Well… it explained some things.

When we first watched SnK, we fell in love with both Levi and Eren instantly. Well, Katsu was still figuring out who the characters were, since it was hard to tell for sure after just one watch, but I didn’t care about being attentive and trying to understand anything and went fully crazy about Levi lol SnK was everywhere back then, so we were really curious about Levi and whether we’d like him or not. We didn’t think of anything else before our watch.

But it was a little different back then though, very surface “– ereh clean your room – hai heichouuu” level, very ooc and overall a little off. I think it was happening because we (especially me…) were basing our perception of the ship on fanart, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I just think that it was mostly ooc back then. Not a lot of people knew them well as characters back in 2013, the beating-eren-up-for-being-bad jokes were very popular, so it affected how a lot of people saw this ship, us too in a lot of ways. It’s actually next to impossible to get anything from the first season only (even with the help of the manga, which we didn’t read back then), and all the ooc promotional material and official art didn’t help too.

It stayed mostly like this in 2014 when our first rewatch happened, and we moved on, as we always do. At that point we were already shipping Ereri, but neither I nor Katsu remember anything about that period and why that happened. I guess we just liked these characters and wanted to see them together, while giving them a shitty ooc dynamic. If you’re curious, Levi was bottomming back then as well. Katsu’s note: that was the first time I actually paid more attention to Eren and noticed how fucked up in the head he really was (the way he was talking about murdering titans when he was half-conscious, the scene before they were threatened to be killed by the canon shot, and then the scene in the dungeon.). Obviously, I thought it was hot af and that’s what basically made this ship stay forever with us. When we were rewatching and rereading it last year, I actually was afraid that this Eren was just a part of my imagination, but here we are with all the timeskip stuff, confirming everything that happened before it. It made us really happy.

When we rewatched SnK again (2016), we started to really get this ship and appreciate it a lot more. What helped us is that after rewatching the first season which has no info whatsoever (it does have it now, but we were dumb and inattentive back in 2013-2014) is that we decided to read the manga. It helped a little bit, but not too much – our English was worse and the manga was difficult to read. Eren’s extreme stubbornness and CLEVERNESS (the fact that he’s actually smart made everything so much better) are such a good contrast to Levi’s maturity and, woah, care for people around him. More things started to make sense, Eren and Levi became more equal so to speak, it stopped being about Eren getting beaten all the time, and started being about Levi understanding the monster inside Eren and caring for him a lot. Eren deeply appreciated Levi and was still all puppy-like, but in a different way now. So it went from “oh my god I love them” to “oh my god?? I actually LOVE them!” haha

The more we learnt about these two as characters and about their relationship with the development of the story, the more we adored them. It’s like falling in love with the ship every day. Now we have what you can see in our fanart, headcanons and such. We’re glad to see the ship the way WE see it and not anyone else, basing our perception just on what we read in the manga or interviews.

I hope this dumb history lesson answers your question lol I apologise for our bad memory...

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 125 Thoughts

Things Eren’s Plan Has Made Better:

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Open, infuriated communication between people living under fear of imminent death! :) :) :)

This chapter makes me laugh. Almost nothing good happens within its pages, and it’s delightful. Eren’s stated intention of killing off the outside world is actively disrupting even the imitation of peace every society in this universe has.

He’s fighting for the protection of Paradis? See all these dead Paradis people who were just minding their own business. See also all these living Paradis people who are minding their own business into a civil war.

He’s ending the Eldian cycle of titanization? Nope, still got the inheritance problem to work out, and if the rest of the world dies, that just means nine people are forever going to be killing each other over it.

There is nothing in this chapter that is worth any of the carnage Eren has inflicted.

So I can’t wait to find out what it’s really about.

There’s a bad plan, and then there’s this.

No part of the world is untouched by Eren’s decisions, and even the people he’s claimed to be interested in protecting are actively suffering from what he’s done. Unless Eren’s sanity is such that he is pursuing a future where there is no one but him and a pile of bodies, there is no outcome here that he’s said he wants.

Which is good, because it means that we’re not done.

If this were a video game, and Eren was a character inside it with an open strategy guide, his choices would be the mark of a player looking to pick the worst possible ending.

[Eren] enters a farmhouse for the night, looking for shelter. [Eren] is discovered, and met with a warm meal.

[A] Say thank you for your meal.

[B] Throw the potatoes in the kind, elderly housewife’s face.

[C] Kick the table over and murder her young children.

[D] Commit omnicide.

Eren wants the D, so any other possibilities are out.

Paradis isn’t safe. Eren and Zeke invited global scorn at an international event.

Paradis isn’t safe. Eren woke up thousands of titans who remake the landscape by going out for a stroll.

Paradis isn’t safe. Every citizen living on the island has their own thoughts an opinions on what this is, and if they vocalize them the wrong way in front of the wrong person, they’re being subdued with violence.

Plus, at this point, the rest of the world doesn’t even know the titans are coming. The only people who are going to spend their last time on this planet in hours (days?) of petrified fear are interned Eldians, who are screaming warnings at everyone and getting beatings back. At best.

Eren announced his plans to every Eldian. They, unlike their non-Eldian counterparts, are privileged with knowing exactly how they’re going to die, and how little everyone is working to prevent this outcome.

If killing the entire rest of the world does work out, Eren’s actions have made it so that the people who have grown up in internment camps spend their last days even more miserable than they were to begin with.

Naisu.

As Pieck and Magath discuss, there is no way to stop this. Everyone on Paradis is in shock, starting fights, or pulling dying people from rubble. Staring out at the horizon in horror. There is nothing anyone alive can do about this.

Submit, and be free. It’s over.

Or fight and die.

That’s always the case in this world, isn’t it? Fight against insurmountable odds, and fall with your pride intact, or decide that this burning world is a good place to rest.

The remains of Marley’s military giving voice to that offends my sensibilities, somewhat. Magath actively pursued lighting this fire. Without his assistance, this never could have happened. The fact that he thought he was only scapegoating Paradis and eliminating his country’s military hierarchy so he could take control does not particularly make it better.

But the will to fight doesn’t belong to only people with squeaky clean morals. This, unfortunately, is not a story where only the protagonist side gets to have good philosophical views.

Landing Magath on yet more pages of this manga. Cheers.

And of course, we have the turnaround where Floch, a member of the Survey Corps, is now arguing that the fighting is done now. While there’s still titans roaming the world, causing death.

He’s never been a very good Scout.

“What’s so bad about submission...?”

Submission, Floch, is bad because it leaves fucks like you having the last word. It leaves people who smile about genocide because of how it improves their lives free to spread that poison and think that this kind of atrocious violence is a good thing.

The man Floch claims to speak for has never known how to submit to anything.

Eren’s love of the world, and of freedom, is not isolated. He doesn’t want his freedom. He wants freedom as a concept to reign. Humans are born free, and anyone who tries to disagree with that doesn’t matter. That’s been his view from the start. That’s the startlingly intense perspective that has him killing people when he’s nine.

The Paradis Eren’s current choices are making is not a Paradis worth fighting for.

So what do we get? Paradis finally, truly being the last bastion of humanity on the face of the planet? A rebellion of thought rising to object to the ideals that led to this tragedy? A final chapter where our heroes have the chance to save one island from itself while the rest of the world burns?

That’s awfully limited.

Not to mention that there are always survivors. People on the outside would always live, and they would always remember what’s been done to them.

Really, nothing done here has changed anything.

“In the worst case... we’d have to repeat the last two thousand years of conflict surrounding their power. All on this tiny island.”

Humans in this world are not particularly good at avoiding the worst case scenario.

One particular human appears to be actively pursuing it.

None of his supplied reasons currently support this being a good plan.

The only thing Eren will get out of this is death, and his public statement is against that--for Paradis.

Paradis has not been excluded. It’s just going through a more specialized kind of death than the rest of the world is getting.

So in conclusion for this part of the post, everything Eren has done has made the world worse, done nothing to progress his stated goals, and is just such a collection of bad ideas that a valid explanation is that Eren has completely lost his mind and there is no logic moving this train.

That being a boring story, we’re looking down the barrel of some hardcore Reveals to liven things up.

Bon excite.

I’m not going to bother with chronological order this month because why, but also because I think there’s a good chance I’d forget to mention Hange and Levi if I waited until the end.

So. How ‘bout that Hange and Levi. Both being alive.

Genuinely, the most surprising thing to me about this is that Hange not only located a horse, but somehow found Levi some quality bandages before he started bleeding out. How that has turned into finding it in their best interests to approach Magath and Pieck remains to be seen, but I guess the Marley-Paradis dream team is not as dead as it should be.

Like. I don’t disagree that stopping Eren is a priority.

I just really have no interest in forgetting that Marley is The Worst. On the whole, I think the manga’s been rather good about balancing the humanity of the characters with their vile chosen actions, but. I like having a clear focus of hate, and don’t feel a need for them to be further humanized?

Especially when, as Bad as all Eren’s actions are, MARLEY THREW THE FIRST DOMINO AT THE HOUSE OF CARDS, SPARE A SECOND TO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT FUCKED UP PEOPLE BESIDES YOURSELVES YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES.

They can share The Worst crown when Eren steals it. That works.

Anyway, yay Hange and Levi. They join the realm of the officially not dead.

Like Falco!

Hell. Talk about awkward. Connie and Falco are both easily identifiable through their hearts. Connie’s has just been through a few more brutalities than Falco’s. He’s worn down and bitter, whereas Falco still as his eternal fount of optimism going for him.

Sasha’s dad is right; Connie will hesitate. It’s in his nature. He’s found the one thing in the world he can bring back from this war, and he’s desperate for it, but Falco is a little boy, awake and thanking him.

Connie joins the Survey Corps back when it’s a death sentence. He doesn’t run away from the hard things. He fights and protects his friends, and that’s done nothing except break him down into someone who’s considering killing a child to save his mother.

I don’t think there’s much suspense in Connie’s eventual choice. That’s not to say that Falco’s free from danger (even if Connie decides against it, deciding against something after you’ve put too many of the steps in motion... yeah), but it isn’t even a full chapter before Connie’s being confronted with the nature of his work (protecting people) and the nature of this choice (killing person).

However, there are a bunch of people wandering around on horseback in the middle of nowhere. We’ve got Connie and Falco, soon to be joined by Armin and Gabi, as well as Hange, Levi, Pieck, and Magath.

None of them are going to wind up near the walls. All the tension will have to be derived from their interactions, but what’s there? Hange, Levi, Pieck, and Magath have the most reasons to throw down, but also the most experience to know that maybe it’s time to talk. Connie’s future decision is practically written in stone, so why bother taking Falco out into the boonies? A dramatic reunion between him and Gabi isn’t going to do much we haven’t seen already. Quality bro moments for Connie and Armin? We could have done that back anywhere.

We have a cast divided in terms of geography, but not much else. Only Floch’s gang is perfectly fine with what’s going on here. Everyone else is in favor of figuring out a way to fight it. Throwing a bunch of pairs out in the woodlands when none of them are going to be fighting seems like wasted panel space.

tfw massively secret reveal in the woods like whoa and it’s a race to bring it back to the rest of the cast and explain that not all hope is lost and things are magically better

I sense a plot.

Hopefully this part of it involves less dead children.

Also, it’s impossible to tell because non-populated Paradis always looks the damn same, but there’s a chance that any number of the horse groups could be near Historia.

She gets a whole mention this chapter.

Almost like someone cares about her.

That’s two separate people in two chapters.

Whoa.

But also there’s the whole setting sun thing, and sitting outside doing nothing but glaring at the sun is a patented timeskip Historia activity. So maybe now she’ll finally have something to do.

No one else really has that, admittedly. It’s all a lot of watching Eren’s plan, thinking, “gee that’s bad,” and dealing with the fallout of who is already dying thanks to Eren’s plan. Everyone is very busy, but not providing constructive solutions to anything except pulling people out of buildings.

Based on the world as it is explained to us, there is nothing anyone can do against Eren.

Manga please. Please give me the explanation that changes this. We know it’s there.

But yeah, that creates a very anticlimactic dead space where everyone’s solving the problems in front of them, and shrugging at everything else. What else is there, really?

I think I’ll be in the minority when I make the comment that this chapter brought back more of my pity than disdain for Floch.

He’s a crappy person doing crappy things, and someone should probably shoot him in the head sooner as opposed to later. That would not be a bad thing to have happen. He’s invested in raising an empire that no one in the world needs.

He’s also alive through freak chance that left him the sole survivor of a suicide charge, and when he managed to bring his commanding officer to the people who could save him, and bring some sense to the chaos, his actions are invalidated.

Many things could be solved with Floch if he ever was implied to feel a fraction of empathy for people not himself.

That said, it’s... very glaringly obvious that this is his radicalized response to trauma.

The volunteer he kills is left with a mangled hole in his face.

That’s how many of Floch’s comrades die in Erwin’s last charge.

For their pride and obligation as Scouts, and their belief in Erwin’s strategy, they charge. And they all die.

Except for Floch.

Floch’s turned into many things over these four years. A liar is high on the list.

But this moment, and when he talks to Jean, strike true.

Jean’s in shock. Too much has happened, and he understands far too much of it. He’s completely blank, and that is a surface Floch can speak to. Floch knows, and has never forgotten, the shock and trauma the fight can cause. He knows how to put comfort, when he talks to someone like that.

“It’s over.”

He can talk about the rise of a grand new Eldian Empire all he wants, but he’s only smiling when he’s talking to Jean. He isn’t smiling over the new beginning. He’s smiling when he tells a quiet, horrified audience that the fight is done.

Floch’s not a good person. He’s lost in a variety of ways. The war of thought between Eldians and the rest of the world stripped him bare after the battle in Shiganshina flayed him, and he let all of the rot consume him.

All because he happened to live through one of the bloodiest fights in their island’s history.

He should probably be punched in the face and killed. Whichever order.

It’s still a sad fucking story.

-glances at Armin and Mikasa-

HEY SPEAKING OF

This chapter is just the rest of the 104th who haven’t officially experienced it going through their complete mental collapse.

Armin’s in hysterics while trying to hold himself together. The fact that he can still do that second part puts him at the top of the tier list. Mikasa’s lost, with her only avenue left being explaining to Armin why him running off isn’t actually going to fix anything. Connie’s out on his own, contemplating child murder. Reiner’s unconscious and better off for it. Jean’s a wreck. Annie’s spent four years in a dark hole and can’t even win a fight with Hitch. Historia’s main contribution to this arc is being sad. Eren directly caused more than half of all this.

Our Heroes.

Armin has always been the idea guy. He’s the person you ask when you don’t know what to do next. Mikasa doesn’t know what to do about Eren. Eren is literally the most important problem to solve in this world, even outside their emotional complications, so Mikasa asks Armin, her smartest friend, what to do.

Cue the waterworks. Armin goes ballistic, and just like everyone always has, yells at Mikasa for caring about the only family she has left.

She’s taken aback when Armin says he doesn’t know what to do. For the rest, there’s only sadness. She can’t even offer comfort or a denial when Armin takes in everything he’s just said and says he isn’t the one who should have survived Serum Bowl.

Mikasa and Armin have always chased after Eren. Together. They’re the most stable part of the trio. Now Eren’s destroying the world, and the first thing Armin does is lose it with his other best friend for looking to him to be her stabilizing force like he always has.

In Trost, Armin comes to realize that his friends have never looked down at him for the reasons he looks down on himself. Mikasa and Eren love him for his own good qualities. More people start to realize how smart he is, and as the plot progresses, more and more pressure piles on, with people coming to depend on his brilliant mind.

It fails him here. The one thing he’s always been able to offer simply isn’t there. Just like against Bertolt, where all he could come up with was sacrificing himself.

If that had worked the way he thought it would, Erwin would still be here. Solving all the problems Armin can’t.

Mikasa and Armin lose their best friend, and Armin flips out on the one he has left, when what they both really need is those few days of sleep and some damn hugs. Leaving both of them rather ashamed of themselves and isolated.

They’re soldiers. Their job is to keep going.

Also Mikasa’s scarf is gone, and I’d assume Louise has it, but I’m unsure of what the Drama value of that will turn into. Put a pin in it and wait.

Probably the most ominous content goes to Shadis.

The idea that the Yeagerists have the island, so blend in until it’s time to rise up... that is a horrifying potentiality. The time it will take for the Yeagerists to have control of the island is probably slightly more than it will take for Eren to destroy his first city (assuming that’s what he’s up to). If our next climax is going to be a rebellion taking the island away from the Yeagerists... we’ll see a hell of a lot of damage first.

I guess that’s a given, with where the plot is headed, but it’s still appalling to think that Paradis has come so far only to be thrown back into cages when their walls walk away.

I really hope that Shadis isn’t pulling a foreshadowing card. I’d feel more comfortable if his scene came before the scene in Marley, so it could more cleanly be marked as a link to them, instead of a link of what might come to pass in Paradis.

Though the link still stands.

Mr. Leonhart wants his damn daughter back, you fascist jackasses. Staying in line for a decade hasn’t made him forget that.

Anything I could say about Annie and Hitch would diminish my love of their time together. Hitch joins the MPs as a selfish brat, and she lives her truest self that way, but she also saves lives. When duty comes knocking, she sighs and opens the door.

Annie’s a selfish brat too. She’s not as immune to seeing other people as human as she wants to be. She would still kill everyone all over again to make it back to her dad.

Who was a right bastard until he realized he’d done fucked up.

After the long series of poor parenting we’ve gotten, it’s painfully refreshing for Annie’s dad to apologize to express how much he cares for her to her face. He might have fucked up everything else, but he was sorry and he said it. He actually took the first step in doing better, and a decade later, he’s still waiting to complete that journey with his daughter.

Yes, okay, the bar is so fucking low, but he still jumped it. The existence of genuine love at all is a long stretch better than certain other characters get.

Lots of waiting yet to come. Nothing can be done, and Colossal Titans take a long time to travel. If there isn’t a prompt list about what x character does waiting for the apocalypse yet, there should be.

Everyone in this chapter is really just waiting for everything to die. The extinction of the rest of the world is taken as an inevitability, with the only question being how you want to go down.

The world ends with a slow scream that keeps growing louder.

Someone needs to tell Eren to stop doing that.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

SCSI... I feel a talk a coming... but I also need to do the sleeps

Levi hadn't meant to break the kid's fucking wrist, he'd acted without thinking after Eren head butted him in the nose, which thankfully wasn't broken. With his paw in a splint, Eren was sleeping on the floor of Hanji's office, while he and Shitty Glasses were sipping their respective drinks. His usual tea, and a scotch for Hanji. Neither of them had broken the silence, both watching Eren, though he could tell from Hanji's look she was waiting on him, so she could have another go at him. Draining the last of his tea, he finally gave in "I didn't mean to break his wrist. The kid looked fucking miserable" "Probably because he is" "What's he got to be miserable about? He's just had two weeks holiday" "He didn't have a very good return" "You mean the fact everyone's still talking about him?" "He's being bullied" "How? And when? We've barely been back a few hours" "He came to me because he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but someone ruined his clothes while we were gone. The put rabbit blood and bits of fur in his bed" "His clothes?" "Cut into pieces. It could have been any sharp blade. They also broke the few small things he had. He wanted to ignore it, and not give them the satisfaction" "Why wasn't I told immediately?" "Because he asked me not to. This behaviour isn't acceptable" "No. But it explains why he was fighting with his friends" Hanji sighed deeply "I left him with them, hoping they'd cheer him up" "They definitely didn't do that. He looked ready to cry. I was hoping he'd calm down if he got to punch something" "Instead he got his arse kicked and his wrist broken" "I didn't mean too snap" "I know" "I didn't even think about it when I grabbed him by the wrist" "I know" "I'd just finished dealing with Erwin" "I know" "Is there anything you don't know?" "Nope... well, maybe. In any case, what do we do about this?" "I'll have a word with the other squad leaders. We could make the shitty bastards until the finally give up who did it" "Eren wouldn't like that" "No. I suppose not, but we can't have distrust and bullying in the ranks. We have enough enemies out there" "So what do we do?" "You're the one who understands people better than I do. What do you think?" "Well... part of me thinks you hurting him helped to humanise him in the eyes of the others" "He is fucking human" "I know that. You didn't let me continue" "Then get to the point" "I think we should talk to his friends. They've been here and they both have shared rooms. If anyone's going to know something, they will" "And if they don't?" "Then we have two more partners in crime. I also want to get a new lock for Eren's door. And I want you to stop breaking his wrists" "Twice really doesn't look good. He just... there's a part of me that he drives insane" "The part between your legs?" Given it wasn't his teacup, he threw it straight at Hanji's face. Dodging the throw, she cackled "You walked right into that one" "You could have been mature enough to ignore it" "Ok. Sorry. I'll try that one again. We both know you're attracted to him, and to his blood. Is it possible you wanted to make him bleed?" "I didn't want to make him bleed. I wanted to pin him down until he calmed down. When the little shit head butted me, I forgot not to use all of my strength. So, no. I didn't want his blood, I just didn't want him shifting in front of everyone, who already has a problem with him" "You let him shift into his wolf form" "Because he was crying. You can't see when he cries in his wolf form" Hanji hummed, before pushing her chair back "I'm going to find him friends, wait here" "Sure. It wasn't like I was planning on leaving anytime soon" As it turned out, Mikasa and Armin were already waiting near Hanji's office for news on Eren. The pair trailing in behind her, before forgetting their places and rushing to his side. Levi swallowed down his feelings as Mikasa placed her hand on Eren's side "He's alright. He's already healing, or rather, healed. The only reason the splint is still on is because I didn't want to wake him up" "So he's ok?" "Why don't you two take a seat? As you know, we've been away, but we both know Eren has been bullied and we'd like to know what you know about it" Mikasa stayed by Eren's side, while Armin took the vacant seat next to him. Hanji took her own seat when it became clear Mikasa wasn't moving to sit "You can speak freely" "In that case, how could you do this to him?" "Levi regrets his actions. His intent was to stop Eren from shifting, that was why he restrained him" "You broke his wrist" "I am well aware of that" "Mikasa, maybe you should just stop? Eren was already upset, he'd be even more upset if he knew you were picking fights with the people trying to help him" The girl shot her friend a glare, before lowering her gaze to Eren. Armin continuing "It's been really bad" "How so?" "Since everyone found he bit that scientist, they've been saying really stupid and mean things" "Like what?" "Like how they're surprised you all came back, like they expected Eren to eat you. Blaming him for Olou and the others that died. Some of them were saying that they should just kill him. A lot of them are jealous he's under Captain Levi's care. That he's useless as soldier. That he's a monster and he deserves to be made an example of" Levi pinched the bridge of nose, his teeth were throbbing with the desire to rip the throats out of these "people". Knowing it was wiser that she steered the conversation, Hanji nodded "Anything else?" "A few have been to see Erwin about it... trying to say Eren did or said things he didn't. Given Eren's been away, half the things they were saying were impossible, and the other half... just isn't Eren" "What kind of things?" "Like Eren said he was going to eat them, or feed them to wolves. He'd never do that!" "Armin, it's ok. Levi and both know that and so does Erwin. The reason we were gone so long was in hopes all this would calm down" "Well it hasn't" "Do you know who's been saying this?" "No. It's kind of rumours spread around the castle" "Alright. Now, Eren has expressed a desire not to pursue this. All he wants to do is be a normal soldier, and feels saying anything about this could be misconstrued. How do you think we can make things better for him?" "Bullying is a pretty big thing. Eren's not the only one being bullied. We're all at an age where we should know better, but everyone is also afraid they're going to die so they say whatever they want. I don't know how to fix it. If Erwin speaks up, everyone is going to think Eren ran to him" "That's the same conclusion we had. For now, would you be opposed to sharing a room with him?" "Sure. I know he's not going to hurt anyone" "Excellent. Levi, do you have anything to add?" "No" Yes! If Eren needed someone with him at all times, he should be with him. The kid's room was just down the hall from his "Great. I'll talk to... to some one about having a bed moved into Eren's room" "Couldn't he move into the room I share?" "Who do you share with?" "Jean and Connie. We do have a spare bunk" "No. That won't work. If Eren goes into heat, it'll end up being too far away" Armin's face flushed bright red "S-sir?!" "Get your mind out of the gutter Arlert. The scent he releases during heat makes it hard for anyone to resist him, and he isn't in the right frame of mind to say no. That's why he was first housed in the dungeon. It was for both everyone else's safety, and to keep him safe from everyone else" "Oh. So that's why his room is so close to yours" "Exactly" "Oh" What was with the "oh's"?!. And why did Hanji look like she was about to burst out laughing. Composing herself, she managed to look semi-serious "Levi, why don't you stay here while I go organise a bed for Armin?" "We don't need babysitters" "I didn't say you did. I know you don't like Levi, it's obvious to everyone involved, but this was a case of too much force being applied without thinking. Despite his outwards appearance, Levi does care about Eren, and Eren's health and safety. His partner is Eren, and they are assigned to work together. So for Eren's sake, I think you really need to give Levi a chance" Mikasa sucked her cheeks in, looking like she was about to throw Hanji's lecture back at her "Hanji's right, Mikasa. It stresses him out that you don't get along with Levi" "I'm sorry that I fall and swoon over the sight of the Great Levi, Eren hero. But so far, he hasn't given me any reason to place my faith in him, or for me to place the care of my brother into his hands" "That's because you didn't give him a chance. Eren has faith in him" "That's because he's been Eren's hero ever since he was kid" "Eren knows the days of looking up to someone have passed and that he needs to be someone other people can look up to. Mikasa, he isn't taking Eren away from you or from me. The three of us, we're still family" Mikasa let out a long breath before nodding "Ok. For Eren's sake, I'll try" "Thank you, Mikasa" "He really is such a cutie" Mikasa whipped her head around to glare at Hanji, not impressed by her words. The girl would probably explode from jealousy if she knew how many times Hanji had said those words "Hanji, I think she wants to kill you" Hanji shrugged "It's fine. Eren's probably complained about me calling him cute all the time" "He didn't say anything, about that" "Well he is and I do. Now, please try not to fight while I'm gone and if Eren wakes up, it's fine for him to get up and walk" "He can shift?" "If he wants to. He's probably feeling sad and embarrassed over the whole thing, so let's not mention our little conversation. Levi, I'm leaving clearing this with Erwin to you" "Of course you are" Because things hadn't been awkward as hell. Once Petra, Hanji, Eld and Gunther had all given their reports, he was left alone with Erwin. The man's gaze continually drifting back to him. Erwin had mentioned that there had been some nasty rumours, and suggested he might need to keep a closer eye on Eren for the time being. That was why he'd sought the kid out, seeing immediately that he was upset. He'd intended to let Eren blow off some steam, before finding a way to broach the subject... but that hadn't exactly gone according to plan. Now he'd both missed the time to talk about it, and he'd broken the kid's fucking wrist. He needed to sort his shit out, and actually talk to Eren. It would mean divulging his true nature, but breaking Eren's wrist was completely unacceptable. He could only hope the kid wouldn't look to him in fear, because he honestly didn't think his heart could take it.

[ephemeralem0tions]

Hi! May I request a fic? Levi's tea stash was missing. He suspected Hanji but it was not her. They investigate the mystery of missing tea together. Maybe during canonverse? But it's totally up to you.

sorry it took a bit, I was challenged by your request yet at the same time had fun! I had to search for animals, tea, and the SNK Map in order to do this so I hope you like it! :D (PS. I snooped over your profile first because your doe of Levihan makes me high -why it took a while as well lol-)

Sleuthing for Lavender (LeviHan - Missing Tea)

Theme: Missing Tea and Detective

Rating: PG

Warning: Has curse words

It was one of the nights when Levi could not get any sleep more than two to three hours. He had been groggily padding through the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, and maneuvering through the dark. He had only hoped for one thing, his Lavender White tea which keeps him at bay during nights like these.

That specific kind of tea had been his favorite for the past three months. He had purchased it in Yalkell -the western bait town of wall Sina- when he had accompanied Erwin for a meeting with Darius Zackley a while back. He immediately knew he had to taste the tea after smelling the aroma of the tea leaves in the market. Although he lost a month’s worth of money to the damn overpriced merchant, he had no regrets once the sleepless nights came and the tea gave him adequate company.

He had tiptoed to open the highest cupboard and jumped only to reach dust which made him sneeze for a bit. He could get the jar even if his eyes were closed the day before, three days before, and a week before, and had left the jar in the same place where he’d put it always, so why was he getting nothing? The dust is another issue he took note of, he was sure to make someone clean it as soon as day breaks.

He ‘tsked’ and dragged a stool beside the counter so he could get a better look of the wooden cupboard. It had been placed there for his convenience according to Erwin’s order but he would not let anyone see that he was using it of course.

His eyes widened in horror as he saw the webs and molds that formed inside the cabinet from not being cleaned properly. As if it wasn’t enough for him to see his greatest cleaning fears, his expensive tea was also gone.

His rage slowly rose up to him, determination firing up as well to find the culprit. No one would dare steal the Corporal’s tea. They knew they’d face hell if they touched any of his personal belongings, that’s why he was confident enough to leave a good deal of tea in the public kitchen. The jar was still enough to brew eight pots worth of tea, and he had to find it, for the sake of his solitude during the dark of the night.

He marched to the only culprit he thought of, the one who could also stay up late in the night and possibly use leaves for her personal benefit. He wasn’t sure if tea could bear any fruit to an experiment but if there is a person that could have defied him, it would be her.

“Nice to see you here Levi. Missed me?” she smiled at him although her eyes were slowly drooping from sleepiness. He hoisted her up the chair, grabbing her collar as she raised her hands up in retreat.

“Did you fucking steal my tea?” he asked her, clearly upset and angry at the situation.

“Tea has many benefits, it contains antioxidants, helps with weight loss and actually has the possibility to help with cancer-” his grip tightened which she fastly read as to stop blabbering about facts. “-but no, I did not steal your tea. You know I prefer coffee more than tea” he sighed and let her go.

“Better be sure you did not use my damn tea for one of your shitty experiments” he growled.

“As much as I would like to test it out, we all know Sawney, Bean, or any other titan has no interest as well for other food or any other living thing except humans” His frown started to be more prominent, as well as the lines that formed on his forehead from furrowing his eyebrows. “-but, I could help you find the culprit! Sleuthing would be fun at midnight” she clapped her hands in excitement.

“No” he responded immediately.

“Oh come on Levi! I need to take off my mind from my work for a bit so let me help please!” she was using her eyes again he thought. It did not look cute, but she knew he could not resist her eyes. Her big, beautiful, brown eyes.

“Tch. I could use that huge ass brain of your anyway” he crossed his arms on his chest while Hanji celebrated for a bit in front of him.

“Now lead me to the site of the crime!” she commanded.

“This is surprisingly clean” she announced while rummaging through the cupboard.

“clean for someone shitty like you” he scowled.

“No, what I mean was it was devoid of any trace of the culprit” she said closing the wooden cabinet doors with a bang which made him wince. “Whoever the culprit was is a master. There were no other finger prints except for the ones you left in the dust” she explained looking downwards.

“What the fuck?!” Levi growled in surprise as Hanji suddenly dropped to the floor. “Oi shitty glasses! Are you just shitting me?!” he hissed.

“Not at all. I’m trying to spot if he at least left foot prints or something we can use” She stood up twiddling a piece of Pine tree  leaf between her thumb and index finger. “Behold our first clue!” she looked at the leaf menacingly.

“This isn’t going to help us four eyes” he groaned snatching the leaf from her.

“Oh it is Levi! trust me” she gave him an assuring smile. “Based on the amount of dirt this leaf has, it had been carried on the foot of the culprit, straight from the forrest which holds pine trees-” He suddenly felt the urge to sanitize his hand after hearing that the leaf he held could have collected more than a thousand bacteria down the road. “-The nearest here is the east of the wall near Hermina”

“We’d have to take a horse going there” he groaned.

“Not if the culprit is close by-” she looked closer down the crevices of the leaf. She sled her fingers through, and collected a bit of dirt sample before feeling it between her fingers. “If you haven’t noticed, it rained for a bit approximately about an hour and a half ago. The dirt is not yet fully dried and crusty, meaning the culprit had only been here about twenty to thirty minutes ago”

She started to run and he followed her, silently complaining to himself why he let the mad woman join him in finding the tea thief. She was making her way to the main door of the old HQ where he was sure that mud would greet them. He hated the thought of his boots getting soiled, for all they know, it could’ve been a subordinate who decided to steal his tea as revenge for getting kicks square in the face. It could have been Eren, but that kid respected him way too much. It could have been Oluo as well, if he was that determined to become a second Levi.

“Our second clue!” she declared making him snap out of his thoughts. He was greeted by patterned mud, and the lid of his beloved jar of tea laying in the dirt.

“Looks like some huge ass dog heading for some huge ass trees” he groaned.

“Judging by the paws, it could be a huge ass dog, but no dog would be that big. Perhaps an oversized wolf, a mountain lion, or a leopard, but I know no leopards within the area-” she rambled again.

“Whatever it was, I just want my tea back” determined, he stepped on the semi- dry land and headed for the stables. Hanji followed him, skipping and humming as they saddles their horses and prepared to leave.

He lead their ride through the forest, following the paw prints that were left behind by the culprit. He silently prayed that the tea would still be intact by the time they reach its hiding place. If Hanji was correct, the creature would not be able to reach its home by Hermina and do whatever it wanted to do with his tea leaves unless it decides to take a stop over.

Survey corps issued horses were damn fast and he was thankful for it. He had an ounce of hope that they would save his tea in time before it would be devoured by the animal. He wasn’t going to loose a month’s worth of pay as a soldier to it. Heck, Corporal Levi, Humanity’s Strongest Soldier never lost to titans. He certainly would not want to get beaten up by some huge ass dog.

“Hold it Levi!” he halted his horse as Hanji set down the land on foot, mud slugging her boots instantly making him cringe at the sigh of it.

“Oi! Where do you think you’re going shitty glasses?” he asked as she made her way through the bushes. Although he did not want another collective of mud on his own shoes, he followed her, knowing she would risk dying to find out anything and everything.

“The mud prints stopped, and I think I’ve got our third clue” She whispered to him.

“What the fuck made you think that?”

“Shh” she hushed him, pointing to what appears to be ground tea leaves left in the bush.

The familiar aroma soon rose to his senses as if it was his first time finding them in the market of Yalkell. She was right, they were near the culprit. He had brought out the small knife he had always kept hidden on a belt inside his boots. It was his favorite blade, the one he was taught to fight with, the one he kept well ever since he was a kid. It was his trusty partner, and he hoped it will also get him back his tea.

“I’m excited to know what it is” she muffled out a cry of excitement and went ahead of Levi.

“Oi! get back here!” he half yelled, half whispered following her right away.

He swung his knife left and right, trying to avoid the branches that Hanji would get out of her way and eventually swing back to his way. Although annoyed, he did his best, dodging and chopping his way up the forest so he could make sure her excitement wouldn’t kill her. She said she would like to take her mind off of her current work, yet the current fiasco had her endangered as well. As much as he wanted to get his tea back soon, he wouldn’t want to bring back the jar, and a dead body all together.

“Oh my- Oh!” She slapped her hands over her mouth while she giggled. She faced him with so much excitement and pointed to an old hollow tree where a furr covered beast laid.

The smell of Lavender White Tea became stronger when the wind blew. He whipped his head to the direction of the scent and found the jar being hugged by the creature. He groaned knowing it would be a pain in the ass to get it back.

“Its a bear! I should’ve known it was! They like good smelling things and the paws!” she exclaimed while he gave her a death glare because of how loud she was. The beast stirred in its sleep and groaned, making the duo freeze and almost, not breathe at all. The bear would be a good 5'8-6 feet, making it taller than Levi, and even Hanji.

He whipped his knife out, gripping it tighter and positioning it so he could defend the both of them. He was sure he could kill the bear, and he would do it the moment it made a move on trying to devour them. He had not want to be eaten by a titan when he joined the Survey Corps, and he most certainly did not want ‘eaten by a bear’ to be written in his tomb stone either.

“Levi don’t” Hanji pleaded, placing her hand over his shoulder.

“Cut the crap shitty glasses, I just want my tea back” he groaned.

“I’ll just but you more” she smiled at him while his eyebrows furrowed even more.

“You tell me we came all this fucking way only to do the job not even half assed? You’ve got to be shitting me right?” He hissed.

“But the population of these things have dropped ever since Wall Maria was run over by titans. It is not advisable to hunt them especially that they are sometimes useful” she explained. “Just please, lets turn back. I’ll buy you the tea tomorrow I promise” she used the eyes again, her big, bright, doe eyes he could not resist.

He retreated the knife back to where it belonged and sighed.

“Fine. But I warn you that the tea costs more than you can shit”

“Then I guess I’d have to crap more”

“Levi!” he caught the canvass cloth she threw over to him as soon as she unmounted her horse. She should have been back with her squad from Trost awhile back, but he had been informed that she went to get an errand. He had waited for her to arrive since then and alas after two hours, she returned.

The cloth seemed heavy in his hands, until he noticed it had a small string tied on top. He unveiled the wrapper to be greeted by the tea he longed for since midnight.

“Sorry it took so long. I still had to cry for my babies in Trost” she explained.

“Begged them to help you crap for my tea?” he asked.

“Once again Levi, titans don’t defecate. But I’ve already got enough shit up my glasses” she laughed.

“Shitty glasses” he hummed.

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 124 Thoughts

Have some faith, Reiner.

As if we’d ever forget Han Solo.

The only nice thing about what’s happening now is that it’s forced the right priorities on people. Despite Eren saying, way back in Trost, that people all uniting to face one enemy is too rosy an idea to have a place in reality, for this one island, in these final, traumatic moments, no one wants all these people to die.

With various faces painted on it, most of our main cast on either side has always been focused on one thing: survival. Now Eren rejects that entire concept for the protection of one group. In the barest of bones, that is what every single villain of this manga has always done. Of course the only option is to reject him.

And of course Gabi, who has always been compared to Eren, who has had the most traumatic series of experiences of her young life, stands up and starts fighting.

(One in shadows, one in light. Winning all the high school book reports here.)

This is the best of Eren, in a child who has been ruined by this world just as thoroughly. Gabi will bring back her friends.

Eren chases after slavers to save a girl he doesn’t know.

Gabi runs into streets full of monsters and saves someone who hates her.

I’ve always enjoyed Eren as a protagonist (his dip into antagonist, not so much). In Trost, he takes on the burden of being a symbol of humanity’s hope, but I’ve always felt that his true symbolic nature is that he’s the one who lays claim to humanity’s outrage.

There are things in this world that are simply wrong. Righteous fury without limits is a satisfying reaction to that, and at the start of the manga, it’s something that all of Paradis has basically lost. They’ve grown complacent with their lot in life. Even when the titans invade, they don’t dream beyond reclaiming the territory that they’ve always known.

Eren’s status as a rage monster is very much a meme, and he’s very much more than that, but it has always been fitting that the main character is a bonfire that lights the sparks of the rest of the cast. Eren inspires motion. Before he has any touch of competence and plot magic, he talks and his comrades find themselves listening.

Gabi takes up that torch here.

Reiner is done (again. sorry, Reiner). The world is probably done. Gabi has spent this whole arc being some kind of done.

Gabi gets up, and goes to look for her friend. Falco follows her onto an airship; she follows him into hell.

Gabi gets up, and protects the girl who wants her dead. She faces down a titan with a weapon not meant for the job, and she wins.

Just like the young woman she murdered.

Sasha joins the Survey Corps after Trost. She comes face to face with a titan, and she falters. She fails to kill it, and it comes after her, and she’s scared. She wants to leave. She considers leaving.

Dot Pixis’ speech reignites her will.

Sasha stays, and a month later she saves her little sister.

Her little sister protects a pair of enemy child soldiers.

One of those child soldiers saves her life.

Paradis begins without a spark. Even the people who are signing up to be soldiers are mostly doing it so they won’t be seen as cowards, or so they can go further into the walls as Military Police. People who want to go outside and kill the titans are nuts. The Survey Corps is nuts. They’re a waste of taxes, and anyone who wants to join them is a suicidal idiot.

Enter Eren. Enter enough fury and impact that the fire can’t be contained in one person, and the sparks start spreading. The people who have been left to tend their own fires for years are given kindling. The people who don’t know what it’s like to not be freezing cold are given a taste of warmth.

For a series that begins in stagnation, a protagonist devoted to movement is going to inspire the most change.

Then he decides to commit genocide and ruin everything, but hey, look at how much that’s inspiring people to get along!

Eren, you’re a fucking disaster.

Niccolo basically hands us the series’ thesis on a silver platter, so I’ll refrain from trying to fit his quotes into anything resembling a paragraph.

Niccolo is not Eldian.

Eldians are the one with the ability to literally transform into monsters. A physical manifestation of the horrors all humans are capable of if you take away their reason. That’s why the world calls them devils. They’re all a bunch of ticking time bombs just waiting to go off; why wouldn’t the world condemn, hate, and fear that?

Those ticking time bombs always take at least one more person willing to start the timer for them.

In the current era, Marley has been the force happily strapping bombs to children’s chests.

Niccolo hits on the truest point. From someone who is not Eldian, who cannot physically manifest the horrors all around them that could not exist without certain genetics--

Niccolo has a devil inside of him, too. He’s given in to it. He has been a monster, so lost in his despair that he’s willing to kill children.

The true enemy of this world is not titans. It’s falling prey to the demons every human carries inside. That is the universal human experience, and everywhere people fall in that fight, evil follows.

Titans exist because a man rapes a slave and has her children eat her.

That evil is a fault of human nature, not blood.

Niccolo and Gabi have been the monsters.

Unlike most titans, they have the option of coming back. They’ve had the fortune to live long enough that they can come back. Hell, it might be because she hits the bargaining phase, but even this chapter Gabi goes from suggesting killing Eren to talking to him and using his power for something actually useful.

-pats Gabi on the head-

Not bad, kiddo.

To the left, we have Jean and Connie.

Hell.

Connie’s simplest (as well as the most exciting, because he’s running off to Wall Rose territory with Falco, who has Ymir’s memories), and rather devastating. For four years, his mother has been a titan. Unable to move. She’s his only remaining family. Everyone else in his village, Connie spent their last night alive praying that they would die. He’s one of the three people left who remember Utgard.

Being trapped on a tower in the middle of the night, being hunted for sport by people he’s known all his life.

On Zeke’s command.

The man Paradis is forced to consider an ally. The man Connie is not allowed to touch. The man who is still, years later, turning people into titans. The man one of his closest friends ostensibly betrays them for.

After all that, his friends have someone who can save his mom, and they try to tell him no. Because that might hurt the feelings of their enemies. People like Reiner, for instance. The guy Connie still cries for in Return to Shiganshina.

Don’t worry about your mother, Connie. Worry about the feelings of everyone else.

Also Sasha is dead and this kid’s bestie pulled the trigger.

But seriously Connie, chill.

[chill not found]

Connie has, frankly, done a fantastic job holding everything together. The fact that he’s only snapping now speaks greatly to his character, and leaves me not too concerned about Falco. Connie ranks as one of the lowest on who’s left of people who would be willing to kill a child. Even if it’s for his mother, if Falco’s awake, I don’t think Connie can do it.

...If he can, the manga will have actually found a way to get even darker, which, if we’re being honest, I sort of thought we were beyond at this point, so flip a coin I guess.

Jean likewise has some of my favorite material in this chapter. He’s grown into a far better commander than he was at Trost, and having the terrain duplicated so well only emphasizes it.

But as ever, the true entertainment comes from Marco.

Who is also dead.

Yes, still.

“You’re not a strong person... so you can really understand how weak people feel.”

Jean is not wrong that destroying the rest of the world sort of fixes Paradis’ main problems. The issue is that it’s horrifically immoral, not that it wouldn’t be effective (until a civil war breaks out).

Because everyone spent all their time hating them, their only protection was murdering them all. And it’s all on one person’s decisions. They’re hardly involved, aren’t they? If they sit back and do nothing, it’s just karma, right? What could they possibly do at this point?

“But you’re also good at recognizing what’s going on at any given moment. You know exactly what needs to be done. I mean... most humans are weak, including me... But if I got an order from someone who saw things like I do... no matter how tough it was, I’d do my damnedest to carry it out.”

Jean’s right. They do reap the benefits of this horrible choice. No more complicated politics. Just a blank slate to do better on. Everyone on Paradis gets to live. Without putting too fine a point on it, that’s an argument we’re probably all familiar with, and here a character is, pointing it all out.

This fixes all their problems. Good, right?

No.

Because standing back and doing nothing while genocide is committed is fucking wrong.

That’s a question this series has grappled with from the beginning; which is more important, survival or doing what’s right?

In the start, we have a protagonist who is fully comfortable throwing his own life away in the name of doing what’s right. At the moment, he’s giving every appearance of being fully comfortable throwing away everyone else’s life in the name of keeping the people he cares about alive.

This chapter, we have Connie arguing for his mom’s life over someone more politically relevant’s.

Bringing back another fandom favorite, Serum Bowl pretty much locks these arguments in a cage and pokes them gently with an assault rifle.

Survival says Erwin. Armin doesn’t matter, except to Eren and Mikasa. Erwin matters to Levi in a way he doesn’t to them. What’s right falls to the floor except to be brandished like a machete against the other side’s wants. Hange has to swoop in and pick it up, and by then Floch’s involved and clubbing everyone over the head with his newfound fanaticism.

Once it’s gotten to that point, humanity’s continued survival still says Erwin.

It’s still saving a man’s life.

A man who will die without this intervention.

For the reason of bringing him back to life to suffer in everyone’s place.

It’s pragmatic, and it truly is best for humanity’s survival beyond the walls.

It is also deeply unkind.

Send these thousands of people to their deaths so  the rest can live. Eat each other. Die, die, and die until someone can live. Anything that promotes survival is, in fact, the right choice.

In the Female Titan arc, when Armin and Jean are watching the full extent of Erwin’s plan in front of their eyes, Armin says that Erwin might very well be evil for it, but given where they are, that’s a good thing. That someone strong enough to be that measured with their few remaining lives is in control--even if he’s committing a moral evil, he’s protecting something more important.

It is the preliminary version of Floch’s eventual conclusion.

They need a devil to ensure their survival.

Levi ultimately rejects that.

He doesn’t bring a man back to life so that he can bear their burdens.

It’s one of the smaller goods of the series. After a life of suffering through what is necessary, Levi chooses to release Erwin from it, even though he’s still tactically essential. Again and again people have discussed how much it would help if one more strategist was out Paradis’ table in these times. Levi’s decision is what prevents the most experienced from taking a seat.

Levi picks to be kind over making the choice that more properly secures survival.

Because the survival of what? More choices leading down the exact same road? The endless cycle of sacrifice that’s turned human bodies into resources instead of recognizing them as people?

Titanization at its core?

In the Serum Bowl, Levi doesn’t choose who he wants to survive. He chooses what. He chooses to recognize a man as human instead of a commodity. Something the two brats screaming at him couldn’t let go of. Something he couldn’t let go of.

Do you want to survive, or create a world worth surviving in?

Eren’s actions will destroy the world beyond the walls he always wanted to see. Indiscriminately. Some of it deserves destruction and worse. The parts that don’t will be swept away all the same.

This plan creates the world the First King told them they all lived in; there is Paradis, and nothing beyond it. The rest of humanity is dead.

Thanks to forfeiting all humanity.

And I guess if anyone on the island has a problem with it, kill them too. Also anyone who encourages anyone to have a problem with it. Just set up your secret task force, give the names, and keep those named living in terror for a century until one of them becoming a serial killer in response seems perfectly reasonable.

For those in need of the reminder, Karl is a douche.

Karl thought genocide was such a bad thing that he committed genocide over it, but it’s okay because his genocide was smaller.

Eren thinks genocide is such a bad thing he’s set up to commit genocide over it, but it’s okay because his genocide is going to be so big it’s going to end all genocides. Until Floch remembers he has a gun, probably. Which seems to be always. In which case this genocide will lead to a series of smaller genocides, eventually leading to not enough people being alive for genocide to be committed.

Curing the world of genocide once and for all.

Yay.

.

What I’m saying is that genocide is bad.

Full stop.

Genocide is bad.

-draws underlines-

-draws angry grrr face-

Bad.

Perhaps maybe these people should stop doing it.

For all the moral reasons, sure, but since we’re clearly beyond that point, maybe someone could just quietly suggest with the force of the world ending that maybe imitating the exact behavior that led to literally all of our cast’s problems is not the best move.

Also, Floch shouldn’t get to point a gun at Yelena’s head. Only Yelena gets to hold guns to people’s heads. She makes it cool. Floch makes everyone wonder why Floch still hasn’t died, only to remember that ah, yes, of course people like Floch don’t die.

BUT HEY, AT LEAST THEY KILLED ALL THE TITANS THAT USED TO BE THEIR COMMANDING OFFICERS. I’M SURE THAT’S NOT RELATED TO FLOCH’S GOOD MOOD AT ALL.

You know, it’s not that things are continuing to get worse. They are simply following the roadmap of horror we were handed in the brochure for this arc. None of this is new, it’s just now in play. So it’s not getting worse, it always was worse.

...Yelena, just take the gun and shoot Floch before you die. I feel like that’s the fastest path to something good happening.

Let’s see... points to all our kidlets being a dominant force against titans now. Them Trost Redux feels. Points to Jean realizing that Eren has power of friendshipped himself into villain status (allegedly). Points to Armin remembering how Pixis gave the humans of Paradis their first victory. Points to all of Sasha’s family because I like them.

Then that’s the chapter.

HOW YOU FEELING, ANNIE FANS?

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 111 Thoughts

If this chapter doesn’t have forty pages of chibi Eren wandering through the woods asking where his nii-san is, what even is the point.

(The point is Drama.

Intrigue.

Fluid.)

Thanks, I hate it?

So yikes, we have a proper ballgame going and everything is awful leading into the ninth inning. It’s going to be extra innings with Paradis’ chief closer out of commission, up against their rival team. Truly one for the record books, people.

First thing is actually first, where the manga, in a fit of hysterics, gives me something I wanted: Numbers.

Over a hundred people have joined Eren’s side, deserting their posts. The suspicion is that they’ve done this out of the belief that the people with the power to rain down armageddon are maybe the safest shadows to hide under, and hey, with all the waffling their government has done about solving the problem of the whole world wanting them dead, why not?

For the larger groups, everything makes a simple amount of sense.

Eren has power, so people gather behind him.

Eren has power, so Paradis will yield to it for the sake of survival.

It’s a bit of a horrifying story, and one that I always take some joy in seeing. There comes a point where individuals have so much power where the only thing stopping them from changing the world however they see fit is their own boundaries.

Whatever Eren’s boundaries are, they’ve changed. He’s willing to kill children for the sake of his mission.

He is the most powerful card Paradis has, and without him, they have nothing.

Leaving them stuck doing whatever he wants them to.

It’s a similar tactic to the one he uses to drag the Survey Corps into his massacre; they need Eren, so they have no choice but to come support him in the choices he’s made as an individual. Everything else falls away in the face of the power Eren wields.

Yeah, the head of their government has been assassinated by his cult. Along with several other lives.

So?

Does that fundamentally change anything?

Does Paradis somehow need the Founding Titan less now that their command is facing disarray?

For a story so often pointing out that if you don’t fight, you can’t win, it’s pretty damn... something that the main character has all but removed the ability of a party he’s allied with to fight. They can’t resist him, and he knows it, and he’s exploiting it at his convenience.

Putting Zeke’s location on the negotiating table is cute, and a nice stall tactic in theory, but for all that Pixis says it’s not submission, Paradis is powerless.

If they don’t conduct rumbling experiments, they have no protection against the world.

They can’t conduct rumbling experiments unless they let the Yeager Bros come into contact.

If the Yeager Bros come into contact, they can do whatever the hell they want.

Which they have already been doing, so picture all of this, only more.

Pixis’ decision is really the only one he can make if he doesn’t want their people at each other’s throats. They can’t publicize how their one and only hope is willing to dismantle their government. They can’t publicize that they can’t trust their military to be acting in the interests that the government puts forth.

There’s a delicate balance here, with the balance being a complete lie because security has already toppled off and discovered that there’s no net below.

Their only prayer is someone swooping in and placing a trampoline down below before the crushing fall is completed, and there’s no guarantee of even that much happening.

If Zeke and Eren don’t want to help, no one can actually force them.

Zeke is one of two living humans in the world who can power the Founding Titan.

Eren currently has the Founding Titan.

They can’t kill Eren outside of a controlled environment, or else the Founding Titan will go who knows where. With Eren’s pile of abilities he’s nommed, fighting to subdue him will be next to impossible. With the added limitation of doing everything they can to avoid killing him?

Armin brings it up as a point of faith; if Eren has the Founding Titan, it shouldn’t matter what Zeke wants out of it.

Eren now has a cult who doesn’t blink twice at assassinating key government officials. Even if it doesn’t matter what Zeke wants, what Eren wants, or is at least willing to put up with, is heavily alarming.

“No, no, we’re not submitting. We’re negotiating.

What do you mean the only thing we have is something we’d have to hand over anyway to get what we want.”

Like.

Hell, man, talk the good game all you want to keep morale up, but you people and your entire society now rise and fall at the whim of a man who has put no effort into making himself look trustworthy.

So, you know.

Ganbatte.

Other special numbers include thirty soldiers + Levi standing in between Eren and Zeke once Eren finds Zeke, Hange, and three unnamed soldiers who are either about to be very dead, very traitor, or the coolest NPC badasses ever.

Meanwhile, Eren still has a hundred.

Just trailing around after him.

With bombs.

Considering Eren could kill most all of those people (except Levi and Hange) without help, I repeat the theme of this post that Paradis is so beyond screwed it has actually become laughable.

Another fun thing of note that only I care about is that even if Eren can’t get to Zeke, he might be able to get to Historia, and Nile appears to be in charge of her security.

The reason only I care about this is because Nile is in charge of her security, and Nile has been fed the story of Historia and NPC Farmer Guy being totes in love 5evr.

(NPC Farmer Guy has no name and no face. I declare him Red Shirt-san, and also reallllllly fucking dead. Especially if my crack theory of the carriage from last chapter rushing off to Historia was correct, meaning that Pieck, theoretically having tracked the carriages, is going to pay the Queen a visit.

Bye Nate.

(his name’s Nate your canon is invalid))

Briefly defending my descent into self-interest, Historia getting zero panels and barely any hearsay about her is driving me nuts for all sorts of reasons.

Two people (count them, two), in the entire world, are capable of drawing out the power of the Founding Titan. One of them is an untrustworthy dick. The other is Historia.

Historia, when last seen under extreme emotional duress, was of the opinion of, “fuck humanity titans did nothing wrong.”

As we can plainly see from her expression at the end of 107, there is nothing but blue skies and happiness going through her boundless considerations of humanity now, and she is most assuredly, definitely on their side as all of her friends ditch her in the middle of the woods and never visit or mention any concern for her except that one guy who has taken up murdering children, and he possibly did that in active defiance of concern for what problems it might cause her.

What could possibly go wrong.

There are about three people who hold the fate of Eldia in their hands, and we know what none of them are thinking. They also all have a much more casual relationship with murder than most of the rest of the cast.

What I’m trying to say is that Paradis your politics are boring because your livelihood hinges on three catastrophically emotionally damaged people, and all of the story’s energy is going towards keeping those people away from thought bubbles or general illumination.

If Historia, Eren, and Zeke decide that you guys die............ you die.

You possibly should have invested more in strategies that weren’t so entirely dependent on renegade children following orders.

Okay okay, enough pointing and laughing at the futility of government in shounen. Mikasa! How you liking your entire page of dialogue! Does it feel good? Does it make up for the gaping hole Eren being a nutcase is causing?

Of course it does!

I don’t know how I feel about Kiyomi, but I am glad that her relationship with Mikasa is so obvious in its self-interest. Mikasa isn’t being yanked around; she knows this person caring about her blood hasn’t translated to caring about her people.

Whatever Mikasa’s genes, Paradis is her home, and she considers herself as Eldian as anyone on it.

What’s interesting in that conversation is that Hizuru is still doing what it can to avoid being an ally of Paradis. They’re letting this one clan mess around, but unless results can be produced, the whole scheme is dead to them.

...

You know. Paradis had better start hoping that there’s still some massive secret to the Titans, because with the current knowledge available, they are just... so incredibly screwed on so many different levels.

I’m inclined to think that Kiyomi wanting Mikasa safe is one of the few shreds of honesty she has left. I’m an optimist. A child connected to the days of honor long gone... hey, it’s a romantic concept, even conniving foxes can have one last hurrah in them.

But also, Mikasa just doesn’t deserve people piling more lies on her.

A promise to protect someone calls to her heart. I’m sure Mikasa has thought those words to herself many times; whatever happens to Paradis, her priority has always been her family. Not a blood family, like Kiyomi holds on to, but one bound to her with ties of steel.

Only now her family is at odds.

Mikasa might care more about her family than anything else, but in practice, she’s a compassionate, responsible young woman. She can’t turn her back on the world just because her family has. She’s going to bleed herself dry trying to do the best for both of them.

That’s not a happy thought, because even if Mikasa, with all her strength and ability, fights for anyone in this conflict with all her heart, the concept of winning is a far off dream. Her supernatural gifts don’t make the world turn. Her gifts simply mean she might survive when everything around her explodes.

Yuck.

And also hey, Connie, I love you man, but you turn those angry eyes away from Mikasa pronto.

Then we’ve got the many trials of Nicolo.

Featuring Gabi and Falco.

...

I don’t wanna. I can skip this part.

Uggghgghghhgh.

Hell, this is a lot faster than I thought this disaster would come out, and it’s a lot grimmer than I really want and in general just ow.

Nicolo is a prisoner of war. He is allowed to cook. He finds light in cooking for people like Sasha. He’s Marleyan, and Eldians are devils, but being around them, his heart softens to them, and his role becomes something more complicated.

As a soldier, fighting the demons of Paradis is just what you do.

As a person, fighting people like Sasha, Jean, and Connie...

With a heavy heart, he can hand off laced wine to their superiors. He can continue to operate as a soldier fighting against Paradis. But the very thought of Connie and Jean being caught up in that sends him into a panic, and he falls back on racist rhetoric to cover it up.

Rhetoric his heart isn’t even in anymore, because more than killing, Nicolo finds himself in cooking. In bringing people happiness.

And Gabi killed the person who shows him that. The person who gave him solace from the hell of war.

It doesn’t matter that she’s a child, or a Warrior Candidate, or anything but the person who killed Sasha.

She cares about Falco’s life. That comes to stand as another condemnation of her. She knows what it is to care about someone? She’s valued enough that this boy is willing to jump in front of a blow meant for her?

Did she think the person she killed wasn’t?

It’s destructive and awful, and Gabi finally has a defense for herself that isn’t just brainwashed rage at the island. That girl? The one she shot? That’s the girl who shot someone she knew. Guards who watched over Warrior Candidates training, in charge of penning up Eldians, but they were still people Gabi saw a home in.

She can’t justify the loss of Sasha, but she can justify shooting back, especially at someone who just clubbed Falco in the head.

But she’s still just a brainwashed child.

Sasha’s father watches two people, profoundly touched by his daughter, ripping each other apart because they’re in pain. Sasha changes Nicolo for the better. Sasha and her path in life is what’s breaking this child.

A child is calling his daughter a devil. She’s been brought into this conflict and all she sees is the enemy, and the good there must be in fighting that enemy.

Gabi doesn’t even try to fight back when Sasha’s father holds up the knife.

She’s bleeding and in tears, and for one of the only times, she isn’t reacting with violence. She’s just a stunned little kid, wondering if the people who’ve fed and housed her on this island of evil are about to kill her. Like she killed the daughter they loved so much.

Of course the man who raised Sasha doesn’t lay a finger on her.

Of course the man who has to physically hold down his child to try to force her to stop eating so she won’t die of starvation later understands how hard the world is.

Horrific things have happened.

He isn’t going to bring one more into this world.

And Gabi... from the very start, she’s been the most passionate about becoming a Warrior. She’s going to follow in her cousin’s footsteps. She’ll commit war crimes, she’ll take on a death sentence, she’ll do whatever it takes. She’s a Warrior.

She’s a kid.

She doesn’t want these kind people to hate her.

Kaya reacts the same way Gabi has to everything so far. She charges in with the only weapon she can find, trying to kill the problem because the emotional strain of what’s actually going on is too big for her young heart to take.

Kaya, who really has been kind. Who’s the reason they’re here. Who’s been trying to get her and Falco home.

Kaya’s in tears, and Falco’s unconscious and bleeding.

All because of what Gabi’s done.

Nicolo sees the same thing.

That’s why he comes clean.

The world is such a cruel place.

They’ve got to spare the beauty where they find it.

I’m not going to touch that plot bomb, because the manga can do it for me in future chapters. Zeke having a bunch of government officials drink his spinal fluid is honestly on par with every other thing he’s done, so. One more point to the Paradis Screwed column.

So last word goes to Mikasa.

I mentioned in the chapter where Louise and Mikasa talked that Louise had seen Mikasa’s strength impact her life, but completely missed the kindness behind that strength. Mikasa is terrifying as a soldier. She’s cold and relentless.

As a person, she will ask the child who killed her friends to see her wounds, and hold her close to keep another child from hurting her.

Mikasa is kind.

Gabi has met so many good people on this island, and all of them are in tears.

It’s funny and sad that Mikasa and Armin take her into the back room to calm down. For all their lives practically, they’ve been looking after a reckless wild child who gets into fights they have to finish for him.

Gabi is as driven and passionate and full of anguish as Eren as a child, and now she’s with two of the people who know that.

Armin and Mikasa might not know how to help Eren, but they can help this little girl.

And Mikasa can keep another little girl from knowing what it’s like to knife someone in the back because they killed someone you love.

Welcome to Emotions.

Where everything is absolutely awful except maybe the people feeling them.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

SCSI tonights work since posting the last chapter on ao3... so what? 3 hours?

Three nights passed without another attack. Eren was still as sick as a dog, and honestly he just wanted to ride in the back of the supply cart. But funnily enough, that wasn't considered a punishment. Levi had tried to convince the fluffybrowed arsehole, but Erwin wouldn't approve it, despite the fact he'd manage to projectile vomit while riding his horse, nearly taking Mike out in the process. Mike had sent him to ride in the cart for the rest of the day, but Erwin had damn near lost his mind over it. Yelling at him in front of everyone to get his act together. He was trying. He was really trying. He was doing absolutely everything Hanji had told him to, and he was keep a low profile so as not to upset anyone. It didn't stop the rumours though. The whispers and the glares. The way they wouldn't even ride near him. He was being shunned just as badly as before Erwin's night manoeuvre exercises. Everyone suspected him, even before it was revealed the victim was the same guy who'd taken a swing at him. The arsehole that was Erwin, had proved he was dick once again, deciding he now had to wear his chains at night. He also wasn't allowed to make camp in camp. He had to sleep between Mike's tent and Hanji's, with his very handsy boyfriend. Levi wouldn't quit touching him. The moment he collapsed onto his bedroll, his alpha was on him, insisting on running his hands over each inch of him, until he just had to come... which he wasn't great at doing silently or even quietly. It was a bittersweet torture. He loved the feeling of Levi's hands. He loved the intimacy of sex. He loved falling asleep in Levi's arms. He loved Levi... but when they had to stop midway through because he needed to vomit, it was kind of embarrassing. So was having Hanji just stick her head in the tent and straight up ask if he was alright. Not even caring when Levi was still very much naked behind him. And to cap it off... Mike had given them both absolute shit. He could smell them. One look and the man had Eren blushing like an idiot, while Levi didn't care. No, his alpha seemed proud that Eren was covered in his scent. Annoyed over Levi's constant attention, and Mike's obscenely sharp nose, Eren had finally snapped. The moment they'd stopped to make camp, he was off, shameless hiding in Armin's stupidly small tent, wedged between his friend and for some reason Mikasa, who there really wasn't space for. He knew he couldn't spend the whole night there, but for a few hours, he could just hang out and be a normal teenager. He could just forget about all the crap going on around him. He could forget the fact he was a monster. He could just sit there and reminisce over the old times. The smell of the camp was so much easier to handle now, his nose adjusting faster than his stomach, especially since the smell of rotting meat was gone. Hannes even seeking him out to apologise once again for the smell, giving him the feeling either Mikasa or Armin had blabbed to the man that he was making him sick. With the apology out the way, it'd been pretty, even Connie, Sasha and Jean had stopped by to chat. Sasha had stolen meat from the officers stores, and nearly eaten Connie when he'd tried to steal a slice. Laughing and talking shit, the hours flew by, they probably would have kept talking until sunrise, but Levi got tired of waiting for him to show. His boyfriend tracking him down with a very sorry looking Mike, before all but dragging him back to their tent... and insisting on giving him a very thorough examination... That night would have been perfect, if not for the fact the following morning, they were woken to screaming again. Another member of their expedition had been found dead, once again a victim of "an animal attack". It wasn't long before he was blamed all over again, despite the fact he emerged from his tent wearing his chains and collar, to which only Erwin had the key. It was impossible for him to dress or undress himself while confined to them, but no one wanted to hear it. Declaring it to be "for his own safety", Erwin finally gave him permission to ride in the supply cart with Hanji. Hanji was thrilled, while now that he had permission to do what he wanted, Eren wanted nothing more than to ride his own horse and show them he had nothing to hide. After another long day of travelling, being tortured to near death by boredom, aka, Hanji and her ideas, they finally came to a stop. They were nearly halfway there, so the plan was to set up more sophisticated holdings for the already captured wolves of Hanji's mind. Unable to help, his job was to stay out of sight and mind, Erwin only appearing long enough to undo the chains around his ankles, and to scowl at him so hard his eyes were hidden by his eyebrows. If someone told him that they were some kind of supernatural being, he wouldn't be surprised. They just seemed to keep growing and growing. With nothing to do, Eren wandered away from camp, with hopes of finding somewhere nice and quite to camp while they were there. Only, life wasn't so kind to the teen. Sitting by the base of a large oak, Eren heard the voices. His skin prickled as the hairs on the back of his neck rose. His instincts were screaming at him to shift and run, but his stubbornness told him to stay. Emerging between the trees, Eren frowned at the group of youths. He vaguely recognised them, but he honestly couldn't place them "You!" Throwing his hand out, the leader of their little group stopped the dopey looking teen to his left side "What do we have here? A little monster? All of his own?" Great. It was going to be like that, and he couldn't even defend himself "What do you want?" "Who said you could talk to us?" "You obviously want something. You wouldn't come all the way out here if you didn't" "You think you're so fucking special, don't you. "Humanities hope". I don't see anything special about you" "I'm not special" "No. You just get special treatment because that little freak rams that arse of yours every night" Growling, Eren jumped to his feet. His chains straining as he tried to regain his temper. Laughing on his face, the front teen drew his blades, while his pack didn't the same "Look at him! You disgusting freak! You killed our friends and they just let you get away with it! You make me fucking sick! It should have been you!" "I didn't kill your friends!" "Like we'd believe anything that you said! That should have killed you from this start!" Well... fuck... "But once we bring your head back, we're going to be heroes" Shit. Shit. SHIT! They weren't joking. He could smell their anger. They were serious. Fuck! Looking around, he realised could either shift or run. If he shifted, they'd claim self-defence... where the fuck was his clingy boyfriend when he actually needed him?! As they started towards him, he bolted. He would have had the advantage without the chains and collar. The tight metal rubbing his skin raw, pulling memories he really didn't need to the surface. Dodging and weaving, he stood no chance against their manoeuvre gear as blade nicked the back of his leg, sending him sprawling to the ground. Scurrying to roll over, and escape at the same time, the next blade slid effortlessly through his hand "Why are you doing this?!" "Because you killed our friends!" "I didn't kill your friends! I was nowhere near them!" "Liar!" Whimpering, the teen with his blade in Eren's hand, raised his other blade swinging down in a fluid movement. Screaming on pain, blood gushed from the wound across his chest "You don't get to cry! You brought this on yourself for being born!" "I didn't do it" "Dude, maybe..." "Shut the fuck up! We all agreed on this!" Using the blade he'd just used to slice through his chest, the teen thrust forward, driving into his right shoulder, Eren screaming again "That should hold him" "Please. I didn't hurt them. I promise..." "Dude..." "Don't fucking chicken out on me! You saw what he did! There was nothing left of them!" "But..." "Give me your blade" "What?" "Give me your fucking blade!" Grabbing it from the guy who was trying to stop him, Eren screamed as he plunged it down, over and over. Tearing his hand almost in two as he tried to protect himself from the onslaught. When the blade snapped, the teen just started kicking the shit out of him. His vision blurry from tears and blood loss, as he weakly tried to beg for his life "That's enough! You're going to kill him!" "You're sick, man!" Grabbed around the waist, the teen was hauled back by his friends. Whimpering, his body finally took notice to the fact he was no longer being stabbed. With his broken hand, he ripped the blade from his shoulder, throwing it weakly away, before shifting. Taking one look at him, they fled, leaving him to drag his body towards camp. His collar now too tight for him to draw a real breath. * His brat was missing. Erwin had been "generous" enough to undo the shackles around Eren's ankles, so he could stretch his legs, but now Eren had been unsupervised for the better part of two hours and he couldn't fight down the feeling that something awful had happened. Everyone was on edge. None of them had expected a second body, certainly not with the lack of wolves they'd encountered. Seeking out Mike, the man had his hands full directing his team on trap construction. With a sniff, all he was able to do was point Levi in the general direction of the forest. The moment he stepped into the forest, he could smell it from all directions. Eren's blood. His stomach dropped as he fired his anchors, landing nimbly on the thickest of the lowest branches available "Eren!" Fuck. He'd fucking known something like this could happen! He knew it! He'd been stuck dealing with his own team, and hadn't been able to get away sooner. They wanted to surprise Eren, and do something small to make him feel better. He should have just blown them off "Eren!" Firing, he flung himself forward, following the scent of blood "Eren! Answer me!" Hidden in the forest shadows, he nearly missed his wobbling wolf. Unexpected tears of anger and relief filled his eyes as he moved to land a few metres in front of Eren, so as not to startle him. Covered in blood, his fur was matted, his whole body on an almost unnatural slant "Eren!" Raising his head with a pained whine, his brat hobbled towards him as Levi fell to his knees. Coming up to his limp extended hand, Eren nuzzled against his palm affectionately, almost as if he was smiling at him, before immediately collapsing "Eren!" Watching his chest, he realised it wasn't rising enough. His boyfriend couldn't get enough air! Grabbing the collar, he couldn't even get his a grip on it, the metal was biting too hard into his omega's skin "Eren, please! You need to shift back! I can't get this undone!" Whimpering, Eren shuddered, like he'd actually tried "Fuuuck!" Screaming the word, his fingers slipped over the lock, his tears flowing even faster. He couldn't lose him! "No... please... no..." Grabbing his blade, he tried to lever it between the collar and Eren's neck, only succeeding in snapping the blade and embedding in Eren's shoulder, his boyfriend silently howling in pain "I'm sorry! Please, please hold on!" Lifting Eren into his arms, his omega's teeth bit into his shoulder, which he probably deserved "You're ok. You'll be ok. I'll get you to Hanji. She can help" Reckless with his manoeuvre gear, he was blind with worry as he landed badly, his ankle cracking painfully, causing him to stumble. Nearly dropping his precious lover. Gritting his aching teeth, he started forwards to where he'd last seen Hanji, everyone parting in fear as they approached. Eren's chest barely rising against his. He was murderous. Someone had intentionally done this. Someone had tried to take Eren from him. He wanted to rip them l shreds. He wanted to feel their bones crunch beneath his hands. He wanted to watch them bleed out. Watch the light vanish from their eyes. He'd waited his whole life for Eren. Every single shitty day was now worth it all. He loved him. He didn't care that they couldn't have kids. He didn't care that Eren could shift. He didn't even care if he could never feed from him again. He loved him. He loved his bullheadedness. His bluntness. His never changing dream to kill all the werewolves. He loved the fact the kid no longer cowered from him. He loved the fact he'd pull him up on his shit. Every little bit, even when he was being a fucking brat. He loved him. Covered in blood, Levi's tears dripped onto Eren's face. His body shaking harder and harder as he tried to keep it together. He was nearly at Hanji. The others had to have heard by now "Captain Levi!" Looking up, Moblit was in front of him "Get Erwin. He can't fucking breathe" He'd actually found the words. He'd actually found the words to get Eren help "Squad Leader, Hanji!" His eyes flitted around the crowd, Hanji running towards him, her steps faltering as he finally reached him "Levi! No... is that... please tell me that's not Eren" "He... he can't breathe" "Ok. He's going to be ok. We need to get him to the supply cart. Can you carry him?" Nodding mutely, he found himself following Hanji. The world around him felt... blank. He knew it was there, but he couldn't care less about it. Eren was dying. Eren was dying and he'd done nothing to help. Reaching the cart, Levi physically couldn't let Eren go. Snarling at Hanji when she tried to take him. Finally fucking appearing, Erwin's eyes widened at the sight, trying to push him away. This was his fault. Grabbed by the shoulders, Eren was pulled from his arms. Levi lunging for him, his mind unable to process the fact Hanji and Erwin were trying to get the collar off, and he was in the way. It seemed to take forever before he was able to shove Erwin aside, hefting himself up and crawling to Eren's side. Lifting his head into his lap, he cradled his omega as he sobbed "Levi!" "Fuck off..." "Levi, stop! You're making it worse!" Taking his hand, by force, Hanji placed it on Eren's side. The kid's chest finally rising and falling "He..." "He's alive, and I need your help to get him cleaned up. Erwin needs to get the cuffs around his legs off" He'd forgotten about them... lowering his knees, Erwin lifted Eren's paws onto them, the cuffs just that bit too small to slide off. Throwing the chains to the ground, Erwin started yelling at the gathered group, while Moblit climbed into the back of the cart, dropping covering and hiding them from prying eyes "What happened?" "They went after him. Levi, I need you to hold him still. Moblit, I need more light. I can't tell where all this fresh blood is coming from" Without her shears, the couldn't clean his wounds properly. The more severe ones had healed, while the less severe were still in the process. His left hand leg, arm, was broken, the bones having to be set. Hanji suspected his ribs were also broken, but trying to deal with everything while in his wolf form had her hesitant. If he shifted back, he'd undo everything she'd done. Moved to the front end of the carts tray, Hanji had covered the floor with enough blankets for Eren to be comfortable "Levi, Moblit and I are going to see how things are going. I want you to keep an any on him. He's probably going to be feverish, so if he get's too warm, use the cold water to bring his fever down. His body is fighting hard heal. He's going to be frightened, and confused. So it's better we aren't there when he wakes. We'll be back to check on him later, but I'm sure he's going to be ok" Hanji was game trying to talk to him. Especially given his state of mind. His anger threatened to bring his other side to the surface. Giving her the barest of nods, he stared down at Eren's bloody face. His beautiful brat wasn't supposed to look like this. Waiting until Hanji and Moblit left, Levi then leant in, using his tongue to lap at the blood. He needed it off. His instincts almost animalistic as he lapped at the healing wounds. Nuzzling against his muzzle, he kissed Eren's protruding tooth, whispering how sorry he was. He's supposed to protect him. He was supposed to be safe... instead, he'd nearly died and left him behind. * Eren shifted back in his sleep, Levi had stayed up all night watching him, before the adrenaline had ebbed away, leaving him to fall asleep across his brat.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Ooooooh Levi!

Waking up, Eren felt more refreshed than he could remember having felt for a long time. There was a small amount of pain in his feet and hands, but that might have been from the fact he'd had to walk home the previous night... yawning widely, the teen stretched as he opened his eyes, before promptly having a miniature heart attack. This wasn't his room. This wasn't his bed... and oh fuck... his eyes widened in guilt as they landed on Erwin and Levi "Good morning, Eren" Erwin's stare was scary, and Eren knew he was about to be yelled at "Good morning, sirs" Opening his mouth, Eren flinched in preparation for the harsh words "Well done" It took him a few moments to realise what Erwin had said, cautiously he opened his eyes again "You're not going to yell at me?" "Do you want me to yell at you?" "I... what? No... but... I shifted" "You did. You were also unaccounted for, for 15 hours, before walking through the front gates and collapsing" "I..." "What Shitty Eyebrows is trying to say is, you're not in trouble for your actions" "I'm not in trouble? I don't understand" "Your actions prevented the deaths of multiple Survey Corps members. We underestimated the danger as werewolves hadn't been seen in such great numbers around these parts for the past few years. We lost 17 good soldiers, but by all accounts, the numbers would have been much higher if not for your actions. From us, you will not be facing disciplinary action" "But... why? I broke the rules. I shifted under Eld's instructions" "With Levi injured, Eld made the correct call" His heart was racing. He'd... he'd saved people? Even if he couldn't remember it? "Eren?" "I'm... in shock" Levi snorted "You're also stinking up my bed. You slept through the entirety of yesterday" "Oh shit! Sorry, sir... wait. Olou! How is he? Did they get him back here in time? How's Petra? And Mike's team..." "Olou is still in a serious condition. Hanji doesn't know which way it will go. The rest of the squad Levi and squad Mike are all present and accounted for" "Oh thank god" Drawing his knees up, Eren pushed the heels of his palms against his eyes, fighting back his tears of relief "I just wanted to protect them all so badly" "You did. News of your... adventure has already reached the Capital. Too many people saw you to suppress it. I honestly can't say what their ruling will be, given how many werewolves you took out, they shouldn't be too harsh" "I... how many?" "Roughly 35 of small to medium build" 35... that... it would have been an accomplish if he'd actually been in his human form "And another 3, 7 meter plus with assistance" He wasn't even that tall... how the... right, assistance "Hanji has requested she be made known when you awake" "Ok... I... still don't know what to say" "That's obvious. Erwin, I think you've scared him enough. Brat, you stink. Get in the shower while I air the room" "Right. Sorry, sir" Holy shit... he'd slept in Levi's bed and Levi hadn't killed him in his sleep... no wonder he felt so well rested... no. No. No. Not going there. Levi made his feelings very clear before, just because he'd been praised, he shouldn't let it make him so ridiculously happy! On pained feet, Eren walked through to Levi's bathroom, feeling every bit as filthy as he was. His body was smeared in blood and mud... and other stuff he didn't even want to think about. Climbing into the shower, Eren melted under the warmth of the water. Communal showers never got this warm. The communal showers were also never this quite, not since meeting Isabel. Scrubbing down with Levi's soap, Eren struggled to keep his thoughts "pure", his body was smothered in Levi's scent, slick beginning to run down his thighs. Fuck... nope. He wasn't going to jerk off in Levi's shower. He'd never live it down! Wrenching the taps off, he stumbled back out the shower, snagging the first towel he saw, before storming from the bathroom, and ignoring Levi as he marched through Levi's bedroom, Levi calling out something about leaving shitty water across his floor. It didn't matter. Between Levi seeing him half hard, and Levi yelling at him over a wet floor. He definitely knew what he preferred. Diving into his bed Eren gathered his blankets over his shameless crotch, before snatching his pillow up and burying his face in it. Out of everyone in the world, why did have to have a thing for Levi?! Right... his wolf side. This was nothing... nothing at all... "Oi, shitty brat! What the fuck was that?! Are you seriously trying to smother yourself?" Shrieking, Eren ripped his face away from his pillow, mortified by the sound from his lips "Brat?" "Sorry, sir... could you please leave" Levi looked ready to laugh, Eren's voice ridiculously shrill. Covering his mouth, Levi half turned "Sure. Hanji's on her way up. You might want to take care of that before she gets here" Pointing straight at his crotch, Eren's hands moved on their own, trying to recover some shred of... of something... "Oh, hey Hanji. You might want to give the kid a minute. He's got his hands full" Darting into the room, Levi finally let out that small laugh as Hanji plopped herself down on his bed "Have fun" Never had ever wanted to punch Levi as much as he did right now "Uh, is now alright? You look a little flushed" Why had he walked home? He should have just let the werewolves eat him "H-hormones" "Oh, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a perfectly teenage boy" "Haaaaanji" "Alright. I know how embarrassing it must be. Buuuut, was it because of Levi?" Eren spluttered, Hanji cackling "I'm sorry. I'm teasing. Anyway, Erwin said your hands and feet still haven't healed" "It's just splinters" "You have no idea how worried I was when you didn't come back with the others" "I'm sorry, Hanji. I don't really remember what happened" "You saved a lot of people, that's all that matters. Now, give me your hands" Having Hanji pull splinters from his feet and hands while slicking was not his idea of fun, but as Hanji babbled on about how many soldiers wanted to thank him. It was awkward and super weird, but now he was accepted? Who knew going crazy would actually be for his benefit? "Eren, are you alright?" "I'm fine. Are you nearly done?" "I've been done for the past few minutes. Want to tell me what you're thinking?" "I... it's just weird. You're telling me people want to thank me. Even Erwin didn't yell at me for shifting" "I know Erwin seems harsh, but that's only because of his position. He has to act like he doesn't care, but each and every member of the Survey Corps means a lot to him. You prevented a lot more people being hurt or dying, and you even got Olou to help" "How is he?" "He lost a lot of blood, but he's hanging on. Petra has been by his side since she returned" "And I guess there's no need to ask about Levi" "He twisted his knee, but he was healed within a few hours of returning" "So that's what happened" A twisted knee wasn't so bad... not as bad as all the mental images he'd conjured "Hanji, I think something happened when I shifted" "What kind of something?" "Well... I... I wanted to protect everyone, and when I saw Levi was hurt... I don't remember what happened next" "You don't remember?" "No... I don't. What's wrong with me?" "Nothing's wrong with you. Wanting to protect everyone is admirable" "But I couldn't remember. I wanted too hurt whatever hurt... my squad" "Hmmm... for now, I'll have a little think about it all and get back to you. Given your hands and feet are healed, go ahead and get dressed. You need to eat, and funnily enough, so do I" Hanji sat there, staring at him expectantly "Hanji, I'm not getting dressed in front of you" "Oh! Right! Silly me. I'll just pop my head in and check on Levi. Feel free to rush" "Aren't I supposed to take my time?" "I'm super hungry, so no" Being suddenly popular was confusing. Way too many people wanted to talk to him, including people he didn't even know, and people who'd treated him like he didn't even exist... and it was exhausting. By lunch time he'd been forced to talk too so many people that he was now hiding... in his wolf form... and under Hanji's desk, which Hanji had found it hilarious. It was nice not be to hated, but his hormones couldn't handle all the scents of everyone talking to him, and there was only so many times he could take being told he smelt like a wet dog, even when the words were softened with a slight giggle. Being hated was easier. * Squatting down by Hanji's desk, Levi sighed at Eren. The boy looked pathetic with his ears flat and tail tucked up between his legs "Hanji said you were hiding in here. I think you and I need to talk" Eren huffed, crawling across the floor on his stomach until he could sit up properly "I want to talk about Isabel" Shifting back, Eren nodded, a frown on the boys pouty lips "I didn't mean to upset you. Hanji explained she was special" "She... I didn't have a lot of friends, but her and Falran were more like family" "I know how that feels" "I'd already been alone for a long time before they came along, but it was surprising how close we got. Because of me, Isabel and Farlan died, and now you tell me you've been talking to Isabel. How am I supposed accept that?" "I didn't realise she wasn't human... she just always seemed so happy when she talked about you, and I was confused over why she was never around" "You didn't realise she wasn't human?" "It's not my fault. I didn't know ghosts were even a thing. How are they a thing?!" "You're a Lycan, wondering why ghosts are real?" "Werewolves are a common thing" He had him there. It was on the tip of Levi's tongue to assure Eren there were a great many things out there they didn't understand, instead he shook his head "Do you think you can show me?" "Show you?" "I've been here a lot longer than you have, but I've never seen her" "Hanji said it was 'cause of my wolf side" "In other words, she really has no idea?" "Pretty much. I'm still really sorry. I never meant to pry. Ok, I meant to pry, but we all have memories we'd all keep in the past" "No. I overreacted. I'll give you a moment to get ready, then we'll go see Isabel" Not that actually believed Isabel was a ghost, but if she was, he needed to see it for himself. Evicting the few soldiers in the showers, Levi leant against the doorway, waiting for Eren to do whatever he did. The kid was standing there, looking like he was about to faint "So, is she there?" "Yeah... she's laughing because you don't believe in ghosts" "What the hell's she doing here?" "She couldn't leave you alone" "Tch. Seriously?" "She said you'd always been alone and you save her, so she wanted to be there for you. But you never noticed her" "How am I supposed to see a ghost?" "Don't asks me. I don't know how this work. Isabel says the same" "Well can't she like move on? Or whatever ghosts do?" Eren blushed bright red "What did she say?" "Uh... I wonder if there's some way she can actually talk to you" "Just spit it out" "She... enjoys perving on everyone. And says you should probably stop messing around in the shower" "Isabel. Seriously!" So much for not having an audience... Wait. Did Isabel actually... oh fuck... there was a pause before Eren started laughing, nodding to whatever Isabel was saying "Isabel! Pass on already!" "She's just laughing now. This really isn't working. She reckons she's got gossip on everyone" "It's her fault for spying on things she didn't need to be" "Isabel, shhh. Seriously. I don't need to know this!" "What's she saying now?" He still had absolutely no evidence she existed... Eren was at the age where he randomly blurted out things and popped random boners, like he did that morning, stinking out bathroom with the scent of honey... and blood "Eren?" Turning on the spot Eren's eyes were wide, the smile on his face huge as tears welled in his eyes "Big Brother!" Launching himself on him, Eren nuzzled against his neck. The kid still smelt like himself, confusing his senses. He'd held Eren before, but never had the kid throwing himself at him so happily and willingly... no. This wasn't Eren... "Big Brother! How could you not notice me?" "I-Isabel?" "The one and only! Oh, I've missed you. How are you?! I mean, I know how you are! I've seen everything... but wow! I'm so hungry!" Levi clamped his hand over Er-Isabel's mouth before she could start ruining his hearing with that insult she called singing "Isabel, did Eren say you could do this?" Biting his hand, Isabel's smile didn't falter in the slightest as she darted from his hold "Yep! He's such a sweetie... I can see why you like him" "You mean "You can see why you like him"" "He's a good kid. He's so much like you. Does he know about your little drinking problem?" "No. Why would I tell him?" "Because he likes you! And it would make him feel better. It would make you both feel better. I worry about you big brother" "You have nothing to worry about" "Because you didn't sleep with Erwin? Erwin really likes you" Did everything she said have to be in the same teasing tone? Especially from Eren's lips... it was more than a little weird... if she stayed in one place for long enough, he could see her features overlaying Eren's, but Isabel had always had a problem with staying still "I didn't sleep with Erwin" "Eren thinks you did" "I... he... what?" "Well you did go all blood crazy. I'm not surprised if you don't remember. And Erwin doesn't like Eren all that much, though he does want to confine Eren" "Isabel. What are you even saying? "Oh. Right. Well. Eren really likes you. He looks up to you, and Erwin doesn't like that. You probably don't remember, but when you went all..." She paused to claw his hands and bare her teeth as she growled "You fully tried to attack him" "Isabel, I have no idea what you've been imagining, but no. Things aren't like that between Erwin and I" "I've see him. Even when you haven't. Did you know he's just as bad as Underground filth? He thinks about you, when he..." "I do not need to be hearing this from you..." "I'm just saying" "No, you're letting your imagination get the better of you. Seriously. How are you even here?" "I have no idea... I remember what happened, then I was waking up here. I mean, not exactly here. I was in my quarters, but no one could see me" "And you didn't think of trying to find a way to tell us you were here?" "I did! You have no idea what it's been like. You know, the only good thing about the showers is all the bad singing" "Seriously? Couldn't you have travelled? You could have seen the whole world" "Nope. I can't go further than the castle walls. But it's not all bad... I got to meet Eren" "He's a Lycan" "So? You're a vampire and I'm ghost" "He's also my subordinate" "You like him. I know you like him. You're allowed to be happy" "I have too much blood on my hands for that" "You're not the only one. Eren spent hours trying to get over killing that woman, and you didn't even tell him she was a vampire. You might as well admit it, he loves you and you love him" "Isabel, I swear to god. I'll kill you all over again" "No you won't. Hey, can we go eat? I mean... it's been a while" "It's still the same shitty rations" "I don't care. Do you remember how good everything taste when we first got here? We didn't have to fight or kill, and Hanji gave me cookies" "Hanji is a giant pain in my arse" "Eren could take that spot" "Isabel!" Er-Isabel snickered "Let me have my fun" "Not at Eren's expense. You're currently in his body" "I always wondered what it would be like to be a guy..." "No. Don't go touching Eren's body. One meal, then you're out" "And you could be in" Gripping Eren's arm, he pulled the brat towards the door "Hey! You're going to bruise him. I know you like it rough..." "Being a ghost has perverted you. No more talking like that" "Aww, why not? It's coming from Eren's lips. Should I say "Oh Levi?", I could pout" "Do it and I'll murder you a hundred times over" "Oh Levi. My big strong partner... Levi, yes, Levi!" He was praying Eren wouldn't remember a word of this, and that he'd wake up and find this was all a dream. "Hanji!" Running from his side, Eren threw his arms around Hanji. Squeezing her hard enough for the woman to squeak before Er-Isabel released her "Nice to see you too... Eren?" "Isabel" "You're what? Isabel?! How? How is this possible?" "I don't know, but don't encourage her. She's agreed to leave his body after she has something to eat" "This is so weird. Is it really you, Isabel?" "Yep! I'm sorry big brother is such a pain" "It's Eren's lips moving and his voice... but I never thought I'd hear him say something like that" "Because it's Isabel" "You should have seen his face when I started moaning his name" Hanji doubled over laughing "I wish I'd seen that" "I told you not to encourage her" "But Levi, she could say anything!" "That's the problem" "Isabel, we should talk. Levi, can you go get Isabel something to eat?" "Cookies please!" "Isabel, I don't think we have any" "Fine. Something sweet then?" "I'll see what I can do" Why was he readily agreeing to feed a ghost?! Eating was disgusting, yet it was the only thing she wanted? Erwin definitely couldn't find out about this... ghosts... it sounded like a shitty book. Having not found anything sweet other fruit, Levi had peeled and cored a few apples and oranges, not bothering to arrange them nicely on the plate. Letting himself into Hanji's office, he found Isabel and Hanji howling with laughter, and had no doubt it was at his expense "Big Brother... oh my gosh... Hanji is so much fun" "I brought you fruit. We didn't have anything sweet" "I don't really care... I just wanted to have one more meal with you" An uncontrollable lump formed in Levi's throat at Isabel's earnest words. Sliding off their desk, Hanji gave Isabel a quick hug "It was nice to see you again, Isabel" "Thank you, Hanji. And thank you being such a good friend to Levi" "He's in good hands Isabel" "Between you and Eren, I have nothing to worry about" "You have plenty to worry about. They're two biggest air heads I know" "I love you too, Levi" Isabel giggled. Which actually sounded beautiful from Eren's lips. Taking the spot Hanji had vacated Levi placed the plate of fruit down in front of Isabel "Do you really not know how you got here?" "No. Hanji asked the same thing, and wanted to take some blood samples..." "Of course she did..." "I know Eren doesn't like needles that much, so I said no" "He doesn't? He gets hurt enough that he should be used to them by now" "You didn't see what they put him through. Big Brother, it was horrible. They cut him open just because they could" "I know" "You don't. You think you do, but you don't. He was so lonely when he first got here. And all he wanted to do was help everyone..." "Isabel, these are things Eren probably doesn't want me knowing" "So? He told me about them. He really respects you, that's why he worked so hard at everything he did" "You're saying it like I didn't notice" "Did you?" "Of course I noticed. He's not exactly hard to miss" Popping a slice of apple in her mouth, Isabel moaned "I've missed food, soooo much" "You should have tried harder to talk to me" "I did! I played with your taps. I wrote on your windows. I rearranged all your paper work, I even tried hanging off you, but you never noticed" "I'm sorry. And I'm sorry you ended up like this. It was my fault. I never should have left you" "It wasn't your fault. None of us knew how the day was going to play out, and I've seen how much you've suffered over it. Big Brother, you have no idea how happy you made me, and made Farlan. We weren't related by blood, but you were family. We were a family" "Izzy..." "I love you big brother. And I know this is really weird, but I'm happy I got to talk to you like this" "Yeah. You're not too annoying when you're not talking about Eren" "We would have been awesome friends. He's so funny" "I don't think I've seen him... funny" "That's because you don't listen to him. You're too busy trying to put space between you and him" "He's a brat" "Who's been through more than most of the soldiers here. You are allowed to be happy. You deserve to be happy. No matter, Eren is going to accept you. He cries for you. Not like that, but in his sleep sometimes, or in his heat. Did you even know he had his birthday? He's already 16 and no one did anything. His friends were all out with Mike, so he lied and said your team did something so they wouldn't feel bad" "Why didn't he tell us?" "He didn't want to be a burden... anyway. The next heat he has, don't make him go through it alone. He hurts so much" "I... I'll think about it" "Thank you, Big Bro. I'm proud to be your sister" "And I'm proud of you, Isabel. I never told you enough, and then you were just... gone" Finishing another slice of apple, Isabel wrapped her arms around him "Thank you" Pushing a not so sibling like kiss to his lips, Eren slumped against him. It was a strange sensation, but he swore he felt the moment Isabel left Eren. Holding the boy tightly, after moving his lips from his, Levi found himself breaking down, crying softly again Eren. There were a million and one things he wished he'd thought to ask her, but hopefully now she could have moved on, and finally found the peace she deserved.

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 92 Thoughts

Dear Marley:

What the ever loving fuck is wrong with you people?

This is likely to be an incredibly short post. I know I keep saying that, but there’s really not much to go through here that I didn’t touch last month. Action scenes be actioning, and everyone continues to be a level of awful that...

Yeah.

Yeah, this is a little.

Okay, well, I guess I’ll start with the part of the chapter that already has me looking at my inbox in grim expectation. Usually I do the thing I care about most last, so I give everything I don’t care about a chance, but this is being distracting, and it’s not like anything was going to give me a chance at being happy this chapter anyway.

Galliard, your friendship status with me has been thrown into question.

Last chapter the assumption that Galliard had nommed Ymir drove me nuts. We’d seen something like two pages of the guy, shark motif seemed going strong, and we were still missing a Titan, so it felt like a bit of a reach to declare Jaws and Dancing the same Titan. Besides, he’s got the whole face armor thing going down. Totally reasonable to assume he’s doing his own thing.

This chapter, we get to see him in action beyond diving in front of some kids, and the similarities between his movement style and the Dancing Titan’s are significantly more pronounced. Also, they have the same teeth.

Thanks to the new season of the anime, the teeth thing is especially jarring. We haven’t seen Utgard animated yet, so Marcel’s end can only currently be found in the new opening, but as several people have pointed out, in Ymir’s flash to that event, the titan’s teeth are flat.

The manga version is pretty clear about them being sharp before the Shifter nomming, but the anime has a history of knowing more about the manga than the audience does, as well as correcting some of the manga’s mistakes.

Along with that, we do have an established history of Titans being named differently than their introductions implied. Eren’s officially the Attack Titan, not Rogue. Female Titan is Female Titan, Armored is Armored, but when there’s not a tower to swing around, what sense does Dancing really make next to Jaws.

Point is, while I am going to hold out hope that Ymir’s alive until I get a visual of her corpse, the idea that Galliard is her successor is no longer the reactionary accusation that has happened every time a new Shifter gets a panel. There’s some genuine credit to the theory. At best, I’d say that Jaws is definitely meant to remind us of Ymir.

What that means if you’re a nutty optimist is that it will enhance the shock when she turns up breathing. What that means if you have the dial at 9 instead of 11 for happy sunshine is that the seeds for Galliard eating Ymir have been successfully planted for a traumatic reveal.

I’m still willing to go with the first, which bodes great for the kind of fandom interactions I’m going to have.

Even if it turns out we’re dealing with the second (which will annoy me for a multitude of petty reasons before being really, really sad), I maintain that Ymir’s role in whatever story’s being told isn’t done. I know a lot of people object to how Bertolt’s death came about. Despite the lack of fanfare for his actual death, I was never one of them. I felt like Bertolt’s character development had pushed him into being a person who refused to develop, and that was the final nail in his coffin long before Armin’s gambit.

In the case of Ymir, though, you have a character who has repeatedly said she wants to live for herself sacrificing herself for others. Maybe all that means is that her story is a tragedy. She doesn’t get to live for herself, and she doesn’t get to marry Historia. She wants to, but too many parts of her take her down the wrong road for that. Sad, sad story, boo hoo, at least the people she’s leaving behind have a chance.

But as straightforward as Ymir is (what Historia calls “simple”), nothing in her character suggests that walking into an enemy stronghold, offering up her life to the enemies of people she loves, and giving them a weapon by letting them kill her, is something that she would consider a satisfying endgame.

She doesn’t want Reiner and Bertolt to die. She owes them, so she saves them, and she sees a way to protect them further down the line by being their prized prisoner.

Ymir is one of the most intelligent characters in the series. Her simple nature means that she’s willing to do nonsense like the above, but she isn’t oblivious to the implications. She thinks up the thought of getting Reiner and Bertolt out of trouble by being their tagalong pretty darn easily.

If she is dead, well, yay, something new to be sad about.

If she’s dead because she does absolutely nothing to fight back against Marley wanting her dead, I have my first real problem with a character decision for this series.

If she’s dead and Historia is going to be the one to off Galliard, I... will admittedly be bothered much less.

Since I’m stupid, I’m going to continue to be optimistic and hope that Galliard is a red herring. Most of the Titans we’ve seen are pretty unique, but the Female Titan, besides having breasts, mostly mirrors the Attack Titan, so maybe Jaws mirrors the Dancing Titan.

However, to the delight of people who aren’t me, Ymir’s possible link to Galliard is actually a very serious plot point.

If Ymir is dead, and Jaws and Dancing Titan are one and the same, we have a Titan missing from our roster. Without Jaws doing his own thing, we’ve got eight, not nine.

Founding

Attack

Armored

Colossus

Female

Cartman

Beast

Jaws/Dancing

So place your bets, I guess. Are we looking at an eleventh hour savior, a greater evil for all of the lesser evils to fight, or is Ymir still alive?

Considering the level of impact the first two options have, my happiness prospects keep going down.

On the other hand, one of the first signs that Ymir is peculiar involves herring. Introducing a red one is truly the natural progression of her story significance.

At the end of the day, I’m serious about holding out hope until I see a corpse. I’m similarly serious about Ymir’s story impact not being over even if she is dead (and no, not just because Galliard probably wants to nom Our Heroes).

But wow have her odds gone down, and wow do I find that ludicrously depressing.

On that subject, how ‘bout those flying titans?

Every time Marley does something atrocious, they manage to top themselves. It would be impressive, except it’s so horrifying that every new horrible thing makes my soul feel like it’s shrunk three sizes.

Does anyone else find it funny that Marley and the rest of the world curse Eldians for being able to transform into titans, then form their entire military strategy around them being able to transform into titans?

It isn’t ha-ha funny for very long. It’s sick.

Rudolph and his red nose get a lot of depressing posts about how the real lesson is that your differences are only appreciated if someone else can make use of them.

In the case of the Eldians, they don’t even get that level of appreciation. They’re used for their talents in the same moment that they’re cursed for having them to begin with.

On a similar level of amusement, people on Paradis, seeing the damage that titans do, and the terror they inspire, vow to remove the titans.

Marleyans, they of the reported persecution by their hands, do everything they can to make more of them.

Just. Wow, okay.

There is something abominably sick about a command that does this. And I have sympathy for the Warriors growing up and wanting to change things for their people, and being brainwashed into hating the “bad” Eldians who caused all of this, but...

This is how Marley fights.

“Isn’t war a terrible thing?”

Yes. War is terrible.

What Marley does, and what Zeke is actively complicit in, is worse.

Someone who doesn’t keep being distracted by that can probably put words to how when Eren screams, it inspires hope, but when his brother does it, it brings nothing but despair and destruction, and yay for that I guess, but fuck.

This is how Marley fights, and it turns the loyalty the Warriors we know best have to their cause... That was always a pitiable quality. You could see the honor in them, and the love for their comrades. They’re desperate, and they want their home, and they want all of this to be over.

When it’s just one wall, and they’re so young, it’s easy to hope for them, and want them to escape this nightmare, no matter how much of it comes from their own decisions.

Then you have this, and it’s a lot harder to give a damn about anyone who can go into battle with a blimp full of their own people and rob them of their autonomy, especially when that, for their side, is considered a victory.

What even the fuck.

I don’t even want to talk about it. As part of the story, oki doki then, but as something ripe for examination, Marley’s way of doing things is so unspeakably depraved that the adverb’s pretty much not hyperbole.

And I don’t know if the title, “Marley’s Soldiers,” is a mistranslation of Warriors, or if Marley’s version of a “soldier” is cannon fodder.

If you’re looking for amusement, Scouts are called soldiers back in Paradis, and they’re sent out to the chopping block just as often. Except Paradis soldiers are allowed the choice. Even the thousands of people who are sent out to “reclaim Wall Maria” are allowed to keep their minds when they’re ordered to die for the greater good.

Heck, “greater good” in that environment just meant getting rid of enough mouths so that the people left inside the walls wouldn’t starve to death. What’s the Marley version of that?

...So I am very, very clear about this: PARADIS BEFORE EREN’S ABILITIES CHANGE THE TIDE IS A TERRIBLE PLACE FULL OF TERRIBLE PEOPLE IN POWER BOWING TO THEIR WORST IMPULSES--and I would take it over Marley ever day of the week.

Paradis does not start out as a good place. It’s built on genocide and brainwashing. Our Heroes force it to be better, and they aren’t sparkly clean moral paragons, either.

But I have to actively remind myself of this, because Marley is so unilaterally awful that it’s hard not to look at the setting we left for it and start singing its praises.

Before this post turns into nothing but strings of profanity, I’m going to stop.

They would be highly deserved strings of profanity.

Oh, and thanks to Marley’s continued awfulness, Reiner and Bertolt giving Ymir up is... somehow a lot worse than it was to begin with, and it started out with “this person who saved your lives is going to be eaten alive to save your lives again.”

This was not a happy month.