...Ah. Yeah. The pilot is usually in the chest cavity and it doesn't have to rebuild each time, but sounds like a similar principle.
[Why he doesn't sound upset by this found similarity, he doesn't sound happy about it either. And why would he be? His world changed the day soldats and divine knights entered the picture. And even if he had some fondness for Valimar, he wouldn't say it was for the better. For any of them. ]
I don't recommend letting any engineers studying your attack titan up close.
[ mm. MMM. let’s just. yeah, about that. eren’s expression is one that almost seems to want to roll his eyes, and in the end, simply hands his head in unfortunate agreement. ]
There won’t be anymore titans to study. [ soon. no one to inherit them, or turn into them, either. he just had to think that out, and plenty grateful for the extra time he has here at something of a standstill for him to get ahead.
silence comes once more, soft this time and nestled with the cracks of their fire and cooking raccoon. eren pulls larger pieces away from the stake, unhurt by the heat that snaps under and around it. elliot might just have to be careful— once it’s in his hands, or close to them, it’s really hot.
which brings him here, after much consideration. ]
[Elliot bites his lip a little. Good, is his first thought that comes to mind. They sounded too similar to soldats for Elliot to find any comfort with them, especially if it comes as such a heavy price as to drain Eren's life.
But on the other hand, he's not sure how Eren feels about the matter. Maybe there's more to it than that. It's not easy to read his expression since well, Eren often has an unhappy look on his face and for reasons Elliot can't always predict. So the conversation gets tabled, for now.
Instead, he focuses on the food. He is...pretty impressed how close Eren gets his hand to the fire without hurting. Was it a dragon thing or were his nerves that dead? Him on the other hand, winces a little when he takes his own bit of meat, almost dropping it before he quickly sets it down on his handkerchief to cool a little.
He was checking his hands for burns (fortunately, he got off easy this time), when Eren asks that. His head shoots up and looks over at the other]
[ eren keeps his hand under elliot’s food, just in case. he forgot, man— and it retreats back to his legs when the other has everything under control.
where’d that come from, haha. ]
. . . We work well. [ eren shifts the way his legs stretch out, bending one to rest his elbows over as he digs in. ] You need a bond, and I wouldn’t turn down a second.
[Yes please remember that soft humans are much more burnable than dragons Eren.
Elliot pauses, biting his lip a little as he thinks over that rationale.]
That's..true...
[He really did need a bond, and he liked Eren. They made a good team, it was just the misunderstandings that got in the way. He's not sure a bond alone would solve that. Being able to form a combat link didn't magically make all misunderstandings go away in Class VII after all. But...it'd help. No denying that.]
Would your other Bond be okay with it? I know people put emotional weight on the bonds, so I don't wanna make anyone uncomfortable...
[Temporary bonds were whatever to Elliot. It'd be like getting mad at someone for forming a combat link. But if he's learned anything from his past couple weeks of being lectured- it's that a lot of people held the permanent bond to a much higher status. A symbol of their relationship, even. Elliot didn't fully understand it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to respect it.]
He wouldn’t be a good match for me if he wouldn’t be.
[ said curtly, but not rude. he just knew mikleo in that sense and mikleo knew him. they weren’t bonded for nothing, and eren would still be exceptionally picky with the people he wants around him— there was a lot of unspoken understanding that had no need to be said all the time. they were open, true, and free. that’s all that truly mattered in their journey to help fix what was broken here, and the reason why they meshed. he notices that, though, and tepidly remembers a post he saw on the network that asked about bonds under the name of one elliot craig. ]
—Bonds, they’re what we make of them. What everyone else says doesn’t apply unless you want that for you.
[Eren sounds so sure about that. He supposes Eren would know his partner better than Elliot did (he doesn't even know the guy's name), but shouldn't they at least tell the other guy? It seems polite to at least mention it. But surely Eren will. A strong bond is all about communication.
Elliot will later regret this assumption.
But what he wants from a bond. One image comes to mind immediately: Class VII. His second family, his bonds deeper than any other. But none of them were here. He had to find a way to last until he can reunite with them.
Eren's offer was tempting. He did like Eren, he was a good man.
What does he want...]
I don't want a long term relationship from a bond. I need to go home and fulfill a promise.
But I don't want to use my bonds. Even if it's a temporary arrangement, I'll still treat them as I would my precious friends.
but that first part is an obvious one, perhaps one of the stronger reasons why he hadn’t gotten involved with people in the past until his time at home— he doesn’t even have enough time, nor focus, to commit to a long term relationship. eren wasn’t made for that in this life, and he wouldn’t be stupid enough to search for that here. ]
It’s what I’d look for in Bonds. It’s hard to want something long term here unless someone wanted to, [ he shrugs, taking a bit out of his remaining leg. coon leg. ] stay here.
[he makes an "mm" sound of agreement as he chews some of his meat. He glances out at the nature around them, thinking]
...I wouldn't blame someone if they did. Besides the Cwyld, it's not a bad place. My home could learn a thing or two.
[Sure, it wasn't a perfect place. He saw the difficulties monsters had, the discrimination that still lingered. But he also saw people constantly working to improve that, to welcome strangers into their home. The light Prince Olivert always spoke of was clearer here.
no subject
[Why he doesn't sound upset by this found similarity, he doesn't sound happy about it either. And why would he be? His world changed the day soldats and divine knights entered the picture. And even if he had some fondness for Valimar, he wouldn't say it was for the better. For any of them. ]
I don't recommend letting any engineers studying your attack titan up close.
[Eren was right to have that hope]
no subject
There won’t be anymore titans to study. [ soon. no one to inherit them, or turn into them, either. he just had to think that out, and plenty grateful for the extra time he has here at something of a standstill for him to get ahead.
silence comes once more, soft this time and nestled with the cracks of their fire and cooking raccoon. eren pulls larger pieces away from the stake, unhurt by the heat that snaps under and around it. elliot might just have to be careful— once it’s in his hands, or close to them, it’s really hot.
which brings him here, after much consideration. ]
Would you bond with me?
no subject
[Elliot bites his lip a little. Good, is his first thought that comes to mind. They sounded too similar to soldats for Elliot to find any comfort with them, especially if it comes as such a heavy price as to drain Eren's life.
But on the other hand, he's not sure how Eren feels about the matter. Maybe there's more to it than that. It's not easy to read his expression since well, Eren often has an unhappy look on his face and for reasons Elliot can't always predict. So the conversation gets tabled, for now.
Instead, he focuses on the food. He is...pretty impressed how close Eren gets his hand to the fire without hurting. Was it a dragon thing or were his nerves that dead? Him on the other hand, winces a little when he takes his own bit of meat, almost dropping it before he quickly sets it down on his handkerchief to cool a little.
He was checking his hands for burns (fortunately, he got off easy this time), when Eren asks that. His head shoots up and looks over at the other]
Huh? Where'd that come from?
no subject
where’d that come from, haha. ]
. . . We work well. [ eren shifts the way his legs stretch out, bending one to rest his elbows over as he digs in. ] You need a bond, and I wouldn’t turn down a second.
[ but, but. ]
But we’d work better if we understood each other.
no subject
Elliot pauses, biting his lip a little as he thinks over that rationale.]
That's..true...
[He really did need a bond, and he liked Eren. They made a good team, it was just the misunderstandings that got in the way. He's not sure a bond alone would solve that. Being able to form a combat link didn't magically make all misunderstandings go away in Class VII after all. But...it'd help. No denying that.]
Would your other Bond be okay with it? I know people put emotional weight on the bonds, so I don't wanna make anyone uncomfortable...
[Temporary bonds were whatever to Elliot. It'd be like getting mad at someone for forming a combat link. But if he's learned anything from his past couple weeks of being lectured- it's that a lot of people held the permanent bond to a much higher status. A symbol of their relationship, even. Elliot didn't fully understand it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to respect it.]
no subject
[ said curtly, but not rude. he just knew mikleo in that sense and mikleo knew him. they weren’t bonded for nothing, and eren would still be exceptionally picky with the people he wants around him— there was a lot of unspoken understanding that had no need to be said all the time. they were open, true, and free. that’s all that truly mattered in their journey to help fix what was broken here, and the reason why they meshed. he notices that, though, and tepidly remembers a post he saw on the network that asked about bonds under the name of one elliot craig. ]
—Bonds, they’re what we make of them. What everyone else says doesn’t apply unless you want that for you.
no subject
Elliot will later regret this assumption.
But what he wants from a bond. One image comes to mind immediately: Class VII. His second family, his bonds deeper than any other. But none of them were here. He had to find a way to last until he can reunite with them.
Eren's offer was tempting. He did like Eren, he was a good man.
What does he want...]
I don't want a long term relationship from a bond. I need to go home and fulfill a promise.
But I don't want to use my bonds. Even if it's a temporary arrangement, I'll still treat them as I would my precious friends.
Is that okay?
no subject
but that first part is an obvious one, perhaps one of the stronger reasons why he hadn’t gotten involved with people in the past until his time at home— he doesn’t even have enough time, nor focus, to commit to a long term relationship. eren wasn’t made for that in this life, and he wouldn’t be stupid enough to search for that here. ]
It’s what I’d look for in Bonds. It’s hard to want something long term here unless someone wanted to, [ he shrugs, taking a bit out of his remaining leg. coon leg. ] stay here.
[ it wasn’t their case. ]
no subject
...I wouldn't blame someone if they did. Besides the Cwyld, it's not a bad place. My home could learn a thing or two.
[Sure, it wasn't a perfect place. He saw the difficulties monsters had, the discrimination that still lingered. But he also saw people constantly working to improve that, to welcome strangers into their home. The light Prince Olivert always spoke of was clearer here.
He'll look back at Eren. ]
Alright, I'll Bond with you.