abandonhumanity | PSL / MEME CONTINUATION

[It’s strange, the demeanor of the Eren she knows with the voice and body of one she decidedly doesn’t. The shadows of his childhood can be jarring enough as-is, and they’re not… him, not like this....]

[No matter. Aubrey lifts her arm for shade, squinting at the sudden light. But when she looks outside, it’s not Sunny’s yard at all.]

[She doesn’t like that Eren’s so alert. It’s not promising.]

Is this your home…?

[Eren comes to her side at the window. They're almost the same height now.]

It is...

Shiganshina.

[His heart barely has time to ache. Past the buildings, Wall Maria looms; the gate has been destroyed.

[This could be very bad.]

Come with me...

[He takes her hand, not waiting for her permission before attempting to drag her outside.]

Edited 2023-11-16 20:20 (UTC)

[Eren wants her; Aubrey’s there. And increasingly worried. Around the scenery of his tree was a wall; was that part… like that? Not that she was paying attention, but…]

[Aubrey follows, and squeezes Eren’s hand.]

[He wastes no time. The second they're outside, he's putting his arm tightly around her.]

Hold on. We're dead on the ground.

[Not at all concerning. He fires the ODM gear's grappling hooks into the nearest roof, and off they go.]

[Thank god she had practice with Armin. There’s no thrill to this, though—just steadily-rising terror.]

[She holds Eren very, very tight.]

[They land with merciful ease, considering it's Eren at the controls. He never was the best with ODM gear, but the situation calls for prowess. He scans the horizon, keeping a hold of Aubrey.]

Don't leave this roof unless you have to - and if you have to, run.

I'm not going to let anything hurt you.

[His grip is tight. He doesn't see any titans - yet. But from the rooftops, they can see Shiganshina destroyed - piles of rubble where houses should be, blood in the streets.

[It's all happening again...

[In the distance, a signal flare of black smoke.]

Abnormal...[He breathes the word. Since when is he concerned about run of the mill titans? Even abnormals. He's been through so much worse, but it doesn't feel that way right now.]

Aubrey. [His voice is firm. He indicates a chimney at the end of the roof.]

I love you.

Hide.

[She hasn’t questioned him, stopped to ask anything; she trusts him. But when he asks her to split, her heart lurches.]

Eren…

[It was supposed to be a dream.
[But this is real as it gets, and Aubrey knows she’d be a liability at best.
[She knows she loves Eren to the end.]

[Aubrey grabs his face, kisses him firm on the lips.] Come back for me.

[And, only hesitating for one last glance over her shoulder, she follows his word.]

[Aubrey grips his face, and he grips hers. The kiss isn't a farewell - he refuses. He wants to live. He wants to be with Aubrey.

[The abnormal approaches with alarming speed, as they're wont to do. There's no one else here to save Eren if he fumbles; if worse comes to worst, he'll use his titan. There's this bizarre hesitancy to that he hasn't felt since he was young - like it might not work, like he's still learning how.

[But he knows how to use his gear. The titan approaches; instantly, it makes a grab for Eren. He flips out of the way, firing his hooks into its shoulder and launching himself toward the nape. He's done this a million times - what's one more? If Aubrey's watching, she'll see it - a twelve meter high beast that looks unsettlingly like a human, and Eren, unsheathing his blades and expertly slicing the nape. The titan falls to the ground with a crash, nearly taking Eren with it. He stumbles, firing his hooks into the opposite roof and landing.]

[Aubrey’s watching; she’s not watching, trying to survey the roofline, does she have any chance in hell of roof-hopping if she has t— What the hell is that thing.

[She tries to stay ducked out of sight, even taking her bow off so nothing sticks out; if she loses it, fine, the world’s given it back before. But at the crash, she can’t help but look—and Eren’s slain the beast.]

[Her hands cover her mouth, but—
“You can do this! I love you!”]

Edited (formatting) 2023-11-16 21:20 (UTC)

[Aubrey's words reach him, and he can't help it. It's a young and cocky feeling, just like his dreams - his wife, cheering him on against all odds. He doesn't let himself dwell on the feeling too long. Two more titans approach from either side. At the very least, they seem to be focused on Eren, not Aubrey.

[Only two, and only seven or nine meters. He's got this. If more come, he'll do what he has to. He'll transform. He'll figure it out.

[Latching onto the taller one first, he slices its neck easily, launching himself to the other before they he can crash. It's one of Eren's trademark rookie mistakes. The seven meter takes a bite at him, his grappling hook stuck in its forehead. He releases it, momentarily sailing toward the ground - to Aubrey, it might look like he's about to be wiped out.

[Midair and falling, he grapples onto its arm instead, then its back, slicing once again through the nape. Three consecutive kills with only his ODM gear. He fires the hooks back onto the roof where Aubrey is hiding - this time, he does crash, somersaulting through tiles as it breaks from the force. He shakes his head, momentarily bewildered, then jumps back up. His eyes search for Aubrey, still hiding by the chimney.]

You're okay! These things are stupider than they look. Just stay where you are.

[When Eren falls to the ground, Aubrey almost jumps; when he flings himself onto the roof, she actually does.]

Be careful! [Her hands clap right back over— Hide, dumbass! Stay down!]

[“I will.” But then what? Can he fight these things forever?]

[Fixing her eyes on Eren, and not frantically all around the rooftops or at the approaching monsters, keeps Aubrey grounded. She doesn’t notice that yet another titan heard.]

[Eren notices just in time, but fumbles with surprise. It's frustrating, having the same mentality he had before he woke up, but feeling younger, clumsier, stupider. This one's close - too close for comfort - and it seems that more are coming from the same direction.

[There's no time to waste.

[One down, then two, a third one. He's not sure he's ever made this many consecutive ODM kills in his life, and it's exhausting. Landing back down on the roof, he tries to catch his breath - since when does he breathe again?

[He wipes the sweat from his brow, eyes set in a glare as he continues searching the would-be Shiganshina - more like his shattered home than he's ever seen it.

[More titans fumble toward them from all directions.]

Shit.

[He doesn't even think about it as he bites down hard on his hand.

[Nothing happens.]

Shit!

[When he died, when he took away the titan power from Eldians - did he rob himself of it too? He bites down again - nothing. Again. Nothing.]

What the Hell?

[A hand the size of a canon slams down on the roof, sending tiles flying. Eren whips around, desperate, his hand bleeding. He fires himself at the titan for a seventh time, slicing through the nape and then crashing back onto the roof with a pained wince.

[They don't have numbers. The Titans do. This isn't good...And he doesn't have time to will them somewhere else right now...]

Aubrey! Get us out of here!

[He doubts it'll be successful. She has to be just as distracted as he is - seeing a titan up close for the first time is one of the most terrifying things he can imagine, even to this day.

[He doesn't have time to keep barking orders, though. He's back in action, sending another to the ground.]

[There’s too many. It’s impossible to keep watch on Eren, lost in a flurry of distorted limbs and inhuman (yet far, far too human) maws—

[A jolt of deja-vu; they’ve been closed in like this before. Eren bites his hand; trying to transform. He’s—

[The titan’s hand slams down, and Aubrey ducks, desperate and far too close to certain death, her mind already reeling somewhere else just before Eren’s order connects—]

[Something grabs her wrist.]

[As the titan under Eren falls, the world goes dark. Crumbling walls enclose them, the ground below stained pitch with blood from old carnage. Are they meant to die here?!]

Go to Hell and rot!

[When Eren looks back, he’ll just barely be able to make out the silhouette: Aubrey, held by the arm by none other than an old shadow-friend. He has a face today, though—the warped smile of a half-pitch titan. A hideous, familiar thing, its body bloated like a corpse washed ashore.]

[It’s not trying to eat her. He’s just… staring. Sad and smiling. Eren’s nightmare wasn’t done with him; this labyrinth isn’t done with her.]

[Aubrey is terrified.]

[The scene shifts, the walls crumble. A monster has Aubrey by the arm, and she's terrified - but Eren is useless. His body has reverted back to its usual, nineteen-year-old state, but he's nothing more than a heap on the floor. It's strange, though - he doesn't look passed out. He's curled up on his side, bare feet tucked tucked up beneath him, sleeping, just as he and Aubrey were back on the couch in Mari's home. Nothing seems to wake him.]

[It's damn lucky for that sleeping piece of shit that Levi just so happens to see the beast in time. Of course, he has no idea that its an old friend - even if he did, it wouldn't matter. Levi got used to the fact that titans were once people a long time ago. That doesn't mean he'll spare their lives.

[His speed is blinding. Scarcely does Aubrey have time to scream, and he's there, spinning through the air like a corkscrew and slicing off the titan's arm, freeing her - even if the arm goes along with her when she separates.

[He's not one to waste time. Not a split second later, and he's slicing through the titan's neck, sending the smiling, sad face sailing to the ground along with the head.

[He lands, his eyes still on the titan, waiting to see if it can keep flapping around like a chicken with its head cut off. He doesn't look at Aubrey, but his low voice demands:]

Someone ought to start explaining now - what's that piece of shit gotten me wrapped up in this time?

[He's sleeping in the corner like a well fed dog. But Levi knows he has something to do with this.]

[Aubrey drops. The behemoth, and its arm along with, starts to melt as soon as its head flies; unlike any real titan, it’s not a clean descent. In place of smoke is that dreadful pitch goop, drooping and dissolving into nothing—though at least that “softens” Aubrey’s fall.

[She feels (and looks) like a seagull yanked out of an oil spill, stumbling to her feet in some kind of instinctive scramble. Her arm hurts. Meanwhile, something does remain of the felled “titan”—the drowned silhouette of a boy. It is not alive.

[Aubrey can’t quite make him out, in the dark. The newcomer’s voice grabs her attention, even as she looks for someone else. Is he why Eren’s nightmare came true? Disoriented—]

You know him?

[Does he know him? Levi’s voice is tight.]

We’ve met once or twice.

[With this, he limps toward Eren; despite the limp, when he reaches Eren, he delivers a vicious kick to the ribs.]

Hey, Jaeger. Rise and shine, brat. You still haven’t learned your lesson, have you? And here I could have sworn we cut off your ugly head.

[Another kick. Eren’s body seizes tight for a moment at the motion, but quickly relaxes again into still sleep.]

What the hell is this? [He’d sound exasperated if he didn’t sound so tired.]

[“Jaeger.” There he—
[ !! ]

Leave him alone!

[She all but throws herself at the man, grabbing at his cape, his shoulders, anywhere to wrench him away and try to throw him back. Zero regard for any stray weaponry.]

[There’s some lesson here about turning your back, probably. Still, even as she throws herself at Levi, the little girl with the bow on her head doesn’t seem like the biggest threat; in fact, in the interest of her safety; he manages to unclip and toss away his blades before landing hard on his ass. Pain explodes in his knee, smaller explosions echoing through the rest of his body. He doesn’t show it with more than a wince.

[He used to be a lot harder to take down.]

Calm down. [He sounds irritated, firm, but relatively calm nevertheless.]

And let go. Now.

[He doesn’t need to ask twice—for the second part, anyway. Soon as he’s out of the way Aubrey dives for Eren, kneeling protectively over him as she checks his ribs, that his limbs are intact, that there’s no blood— Is his pulse gone again?] Eren… [Why isn’t he waking up?!]

[Aubrey grabs his hand. Her left arm throbs, not quite dislocated but clearly pulled in a way it shouldn’t have been. Hell with it. She’s so tired of feeling useless.]

[All she can do is stay there, over him, with him, head still buzzing with leftover adrenaline. She needs to focus, get somewhere else.... Who’s the guy who kicked him, anyway?]

[Aubrey doesn't need to search long for a pulse. Eren is breathing - the steady, calm breath of sleep, his chest rising and falling, slow and even. There's even the very light snoring, so soft that it's difficult to hear if you aren't listening for it. He doesn't react to her touching him, nor the soft plea of his name.]

[Perfect. As if Mikasa and Armin weren't bad enough. Just one more Eren Jaeger fangirl who fails to see what a goddamn monster he is. How the Hell does he manage to suck people in? Levi knows it isn't his shit personality, and he'd hope this girl isn't like the Jaegerists, supporting the fact that he wiped out countless lives in the billions.

[What makes Levi still care about him? After everything, why does he see Eren and still only hate him with 75% of his heart?

[It would be more dignified to try and stand right now, but fresh from the battlefield, he's not sure his body will allow it unless a more imminent danger appears.

[Eren's the most imminent danger there is, but Levi isn't jumping up and slicing through his head a second time, now is he? Stupid kid, just lying there sleeping like the world is still fucking turning.]

You might as well be cradling a bomb, brat. Use your brain and back up.

Edited (had to use a meaner word) 2023-11-21 15:22 (UTC)

[A sharp glare back, then, for the man who saved her. It doesn’t last, but she makes no move to leave Eren, either.

[He has a pulse. He’s breathing. For now, that’s enough to steady her.]

[Just another moment to watch him… It’s not hard to imagine why he’d be described like that. His face is still so soft....]

[Without looking up:] Who are you? [It’s not as pointed as Aubrey intends.]

[For once, his reputation doesn't precede him. What is this place...?]

Levi. Captain of Paradis Island's Scout Regiment.

If you haven't heard of it, then you really have no idea what you've got your hands on.

[Or she does, and she doesn't care. He's going to venture a guess that it's the latter.]

Do you not realize that that thing destroyed over half the human race [He doesn't know the death toll yet.], or do you just not care?

[“That thing.” Some fine Captain.... It feels impossible to bite back the retort, but Aubrey at least keeps it to a mutter:] He’s not a monster....

[But. Hell. Lest she forget the context of that conversation. Of having to wonder, now, if he has a pulse at all.]

I know, I… [She shuts her eyes for a moment. Eighty percent.] I know.

[It’s not a defense.]

He’s still a person.

[Eren respected his Captain.... Quieter, but not trying to hide it:] You know that.

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setting this up for an aubey peril if you so choose to accept

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2/2 - accurate description in link not icons lmao

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